Berean Call Newsletter: Recent Episodes
Dave Hunt and T.A. McMahon
The Berean Call was formed under the direction of Dave Hunt for the purpose of encouraging spiritual discernment among those who regarded themselves not just as "evangelicals" but as biblical Christians. The primary vehicle for this endeavor was through the publication of the newsletter The Berean Call. Behind every article is the exhortation to believers to get back into the Word of God instead of being “carried about by every wind of doctrine,” and to equip them with materials to help them walk in the truth.
Best remembered for its remarkable tower, Genesis 11 tells us this was more than just an upright structure; it was a city assembled with a cause.
“Come, let us build ourselves a city, and a tower whose top is in the heavens,” reads the famous chapter. “Let us make a name for ourselves, lest we be scattered abroad over the face of the whole earth.”
Originally published June 1, 1993
An altar of earth thou shalt make unto me.... And if thou wilt make me an altar of stone, thou shalt not build it of hewn stone: for if thou lift up thy tool upon it, thou hast polluted it. Neither shalt thou go up by steps unto mine altar, that thy nakedness be not discovered thereon.
—Exodus 20:24-26
...[L]et us build us a city and a tower [of Babel], whose top may reach unto heaven….
—Genesis 11:4
No two tenets of faith could be more opposed to one another than those presented above. On the one hand, we have God's rejection of any human effort to buy salvation or His favor. If man is to come to God, it must be solely by His grace and His provision, not by any human work. On the other hand, we see man's flagrant repudiation of God's prohibition against self-effort, and his arrogant attempt to build a tower that would enable him to climb by steps of his own making into heaven itself.
Originally published May 1, 1993
Go ye therefore, and [make disciples of] all nations.... Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world — Matthew 28:19-20
Last month we saw from God's Word that lost sinners are offered forgiveness of all sins (past, present, and future), and eternal life as a free gift of God's grace by virtue of Christ's fully accomplished redemptive work upon the cross and bodily resurrection. To receive this priceless gift one need only believe the gospel: that one is a sinner deserving God's judgment and unable by self-effort, religious ritual or any other means, to earn or merit salvation even in part; and that Christ paid the full debt which God's justice demands for man's sin. Of course, one must believe the gospel not merely as a historic fact, but to the extent of placing one's faith completely in the Lord Jesus Christ as personal Savior for eternity.
We noted also that Christ directed His disciples to preach this good news of the gospel to everyone everywhere. This command by Christ to His original followers has become known as the "Great Commission." It is stated in two ways: "Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel" (Mark 16:15); and "make disciples" (Matthew 28:19). Those who preach the gospel are to disciple those who believe it. Born again by God's Spirit into His family (John 3:3-5; 1 John 3:2), converts begin a new life as Christ's followers, eager to learn of Him and to obey the One whom they now love for having saved them.
Originally published April 1, 1993
Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel...for IT is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth [IT].
—Mark 16:15; Romans 1:16
What is the gospel and from what does it save us? We must begin in the Garden. Persuaded by Satan that God had lied to her, and seduced by the appealing promise of godhood, Eve rebelled against her Creator. Not wanting to be separated from his wife, whom he loved more than God, Adam, who was not deceived (1 Timothy 2:14), deliberately joined in her disobedience. Thus "by one man [Adam] sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men [and women], for that all have sinned" (Romans 5:12). Death not only ends this short earthly life, but it separates the sinner from God forever.
In His infinite foreknowledge, wisdom and love, God had already planned what He would do to reunite mankind with Himself. Without ceasing to be God (an impossibility), He would become a man through a virgin birth. Only God could be the Savior (Isaiah 43:11; 45:21, etc.), thus the Messiah had to be God (Isaiah 9:6; Isaiah 45:15; Titus 1:3-4, etc.). He would die for our sins to pay the penalty demanded by His justice: “’Tis mystery all, the immortal dies!" (Charles Wesley). Then He would rise from the dead to live in those who would believe in and receive Him as their Lord and Savior, giving them forgiveness of sins and eternal life as a free gift of His grace.
There is a growing movement among professing Christians towards universalism: the belief that everyone will finally be saved. One can empathize with those who hold this opinion. Eternity is forever. No matter how just the penalty, endless punishment seems cruelly excessive. The very thought of the Lake of Fire being the eternal abode of any creature, no matter how evil, is humanly repugnant.
Could God who "is love" (1 John 4:8) really sentence anyone to eternal punishment? Would He not find a way, somehow, for all eventually to be saved? The Bible must be our guide. But does the Bible in fact teach that those who leave this life without Christ are lost forever?
Jesus warned of hell repeatedly, referring to it fourteen times. Peter refers to it three times, James once, and the four times it is mentioned in Revelation make up the balance of the twenty-two times the word "hell" occurs in the New Testament. Jesus referred to hell as a place of torment in a "fire that never shall be quenched" (Mark 9:43-48). That sounds like eternal punishment—but for whom?
Knowing that we are in the last of the last days, with an imminent Rapture a very real hope, our thoughts often (and indeed should) turn to the signs that Christ said would herald the nearness of His return. The signs that are most widely cited include “wars and rumours of wars...[when] nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom...and...famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes...these are the beginning of sorrows” (Mt 24:6-8).
Unquestionably, these specific “sorrows” have been both prominent and accelerating since Israel again became a nation in 1948. Since that time, the intensity and frequency of these signs have increased like the birth pangs of a woman approaching her time of delivery, exactly as Christ foretold. However, the first sign that Christ gave has been largely overlooked and His solemn warning neglected:
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And Jesus answered and said...Take heed that no man deceive you.
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For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many....
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And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many....
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For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect. (Mt 24:4,5,11,24) [Emphasis added.]
“Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also. And whither I go ye know, and the way ye know. Thomas saith unto him, Lord, we know not whither thou goest; and how can we know the way? Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.”
—John 14:1-6
I believe that the great miracle that the unsaved world wants to see today is not the healing of a leper, not giving sight to the blind or hearing to the deaf. The great miracle that the unsaved want to see today is the miracle of a transformed life—people who've been saved from sin and defilement and corruption. They're new creatures in Christ Jesus, and they're really different persons! “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new” (2 Corinthians 5:17). And we're going to come to that just a little bit later in the chapter.
As I read these verses of Scripture, I can't help thinking of the vast number of people who will be in heaven singing the praises of the Lord Jesus for all eternity because of verse 6—how the Holy Spirit of God used that verse to bring light to darkened souls. They came to Christ depending on Him and Him alone for their soul’s salvation.
I think of people going through trials, and difficulty, and trouble—pain, sorrow, tears—and I think of the comfort that these verses have brought to them.
“Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD….” —Isaiah 1:18
Two years ago (February 2022) we published a TBC article titled "The Flight from Reason." At that time, certain things were taking place that made you wonder if the world and the church had indeed taken leave of their senses, or, in the church's case, a huge slipping away from God's truth (Hebrews 2:1), verging on complete irrationality.
Reason, even at the level of just plain common sense, has ceased to be the criterion of everyday living. That was certainly obvious in the realm of politics. Although the mantra of the various left-leaning agendas claimed it was for the good of society, the "good" was either short-lived or quickly destructive. Gaining control over the populous was their main goal, and the objective was to impose a certain ideology on the masses by whatever means. For Bible-believing Christians it became necessary to enter into the political realm as voters when the promoted agendas dealt with moral issues such as abortion and the legalization of mind-altering drugs. We certainly have a responsibility as US citizens to affect the outcome of what our government attempts to adopt, especially regarding the consequences related to our children. However, that's not the primary concern of this article. It's the effect that the seeming abandonment of reason is having on the church.
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.
—Matthew 7:13-14
Each part of this three-part series began with the above scriptures because we believe they capture the options the church and the world face. What's found through the "strait gate" are numerous instructions that make up the truth of God's Word. Although that gate is open to all, only those who are born again of the Holy Spirit choose to enter therein. Yet still retaining their old nature, believers can be enticed by the sins of the world. Twice in Proverbs (14:12; 16:25) we find, "There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death," indicating that believers can still slip into the errors of the wide gate/broad way. William MacDonald in his Believer's Bible Commentary calls the wide gate the way of a "life of self-indulgence and pleasure." Simple observation reveals that such an attraction would be the case for a majority of Christians whether they are professing or true believers. Obviously, that's more attractive than the difficulties that accompany the exhortation of "denying self" found in Matthew 16:24. What is overwhelmingly clear and increasing exponentially is that the instructions of the "strait gate" are being abandoned by the church in wholesale fashion.
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.
—Matthew 7:13-14
As we pointed out in Part One, those who have chosen to enter through the "strait gate" are those who are born again, which can only take place by putting their faith in Jesus Christ, who paid the full penalty for their sin. Furthermore, "strait is the gate, and narrow is the [only] way which leads unto life." That life, of course, is eternal life.
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Abraham is called “the Friend of God” (James 2:23), an expression used of no other person in the Bible. As a result of that relationship, God made an “everlasting covenant” with His special friend (Genesis 17:7,13,19; 1 Chronicles 16:16-18; Psalm 105:8-12; 118:9, etc.) that extended to Abraham's descendants for all time.
This covenant involved (1) the promised land and (2) the promised Messiah. Only in the Messiah could God fulfill His pledge to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob: “in thee [and in thy seed] shall all families [or nations] of the earth be blessed” (Genesis 12:3; 22:18; 26:4; 28:14). As for the land, God’s promise was clear: “For all the land which thou seest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed for ever” (Genesis 13:15); “...the LORD made a covenant with Abram,... Unto thy seed have I given this land, from the river of Egypt unto the great river...Euphrates” (Genesis 15:18); “...all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession…” (Genesis 17:7-8).
Abraham had several sons: Ishmael through his wife Sarah's Egyptian maid, Hagar; Isaac through his wife Sarah; and six others through Keturah, whom he married after Sarah died (Genesis 25:1-2).
Although the Word of God is timeless, I'm continually amazed yet very thankful at how it speaks to what's going on now, meaningwithin our very hour. These two verses from the gospel of Matthew are prime examples, solet's start with an understanding of them.
To enter in at the strait gate—or narrow way—is to enter the Kingdom of God, which can only take place when one is born again. And when that takes place, a believer receives the gift of eternal life, the consummation of placing one's faith in Jesus for paying the full penalty for sin. "For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit" (1 Peter 3:18).
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Ah sinful nation, a people laden with iniquity, a seed of evildoers, children that are corrupters: they have forsaken the LORD, they have provoked the Holy One of Israel unto anger, they are gone away backward. — Isaiah 1:4
Most of us fail to grasp the depths of depravity into which the United States—and the world––are rapidly sinking, provoking a merciful and patient God to judgment. The evidence is overwhelming. Yet we’re blinded to the truth like the proverbial frog in the pot that is slowly, by small degrees, being brought to a boil. Deceit is everywhere, and lies pass for truth. The major promoter of abortion calls itself Planned Parenthood. By what perverted logic can a husband and wife who deliberately murdered in the womb what would have been their baby be called its “parents”? Shouldn’t the organization that inspired and assisted in this foul deed rather be called “Planned No Parenthood”?d
When I speak to young Christian adults, whether they are in the workplace or in college, a message that I hope encourages them concerns God's willingness to guide their lives if that is their desire. I use His involvement in my own life throughout my 78 years as an example. The following is an abridged version of God’s gracious guidance, much of it well before I came to know Him personally.
I was born in Brooklyn, N.Y., and baptized Thomas Aloysius McMahon in the Roman Catholic Church. In my early grade-school years, my family moved to Apple Creek, Ohio, where my dad was a psychiatrist at the state mental health facility. Our home was on the 2,000-acre grounds of the institution. That aspect of my background came to light during the times when Dave Hunt and I were both speakers at conferences. Dave enjoyed mentioning to the audience that “Tom grew up in an insane asylum, so you really need to be Bereans in checking out what he says.” They thought he was joking until I admitted that he was correct on both accounts. My psychiatrist father was a director of a large mental institution and our family lived on the grounds.
My education was mostly under Catholic instruction, including elementary school, military school, and high school, as well as a brief time in a Catholic fraternity. I enjoyed my Catholic upbringing and looked upon many of the nuns and priests in my life as extended family members. Those fond memories remain.
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. —2 Thessalonians 2:3-4
And I saw one of his heads as it were wounded to death; and his deadly wound was healed: and all the world wondered after the beast. And they worshipped the dragon which gave power unto the beast: and they worshipped the beast, saying, Who is like unto the beast? who is able to make war with him? —Revelation 13:3-4
And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world. —Revelation 13:8
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. —2 Thessalonians 2:3-4
And I saw one of his heads as it were wounded to death; and his deadly wound was healed: and all the world wondered after the beast. And they worshipped the dragon which gave power unto the beast: and they worshipped the beast, saying, Who is like unto the beast? who is able to make war with him? —Revelation 13:3-4
And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world. —Revelation 13:8
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. —2 Thessalonians 2:3-4
And I saw one of his heads as it were wounded to death; and his deadly wound was healed: and all the world wondered after the beast. And they worshipped the dragon which gave power unto the beast: and they worshipped the beast, saying, Who is like unto the beast? who is able to make war with him? —Revelation 13:3-4
And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world. —Revelation 13:8
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. —2 Thessalonians 2:3-4
And I saw one of his heads as it were wounded to death; and his deadly wound was healed: and all the world wondered after the beast. And they worshipped the dragon which gave power unto the beast: and they worshipped the beast, saying, Who is like unto the beast? who is able to make war with him? —Revelation 13:3-4
And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world. —Revelation 13:8
One of the most common expressions one hears in Christian circles, especially for reassurance when things aren’t going well, is that “God is in control, He’s still on the throne.” Christians comfort themselves with these words—but what do they mean? Was God not “in control” when Satan rebelled and when Adam and Eve disobeyed, but now He is? Does God’s being in control mean that all the rape, murder, war and multiplied evil is exactly what He planned and desires?
“Flocking to Fables” has to do with great numbers of people being overwhelmingly drawn to things that have no basis in reality. They have been bewitched by myths...or what the Bible calls "fables." Hopefully, that will be made clear as we proceed.
As we wonder what we may be facing in the year 2023, there are indications from Scripture that give us some good ideas. Actually, one is really good, and the others are not so good. The really good one is that our Lord and Savior may return to this earth to catch up His bride, His church, taking believers with Him to Heaven in the Rapture (1 Corinthians 1:5-7; 15:51-54)! That might happen soon, and nothing could be better.
“Flocking to Fables” has to do with great numbers of people being overwhelmingly drawn to things that have no basis in reality. They have been bewitched by myths...or what the Bible calls "fables." Hopefully, that will be made clear as we proceed.
As we wonder what we may be facing in the year 2023, there are indications from Scripture that give us some good ideas. Actually, one is really good, and the others are not so good. The really good one is that our Lord and Savior may return to this earth to catch up His bride, His church, taking believers with Him to Heaven in the Rapture (1 Corinthians 1:5-7; 15:51-54)! That might happen soon, and nothing could be better.
This is an updated version of a TBC article I wrote in 2008. Normally when I write something for the ministry, my goal is to correct something that has drawn Christians away from the truth of the Bible. I’m always hopeful that I can redirect them back to what the Scriptures teach and that disclosure will turn them from their biblically erroneous beliefs or practices. I’m continually optimistic that by simply showing how the false teachings or practices deviate from the written Word of God, what I write will be effective. Nevertheless, my success rate leaves much to be desired.
We are clearly in a day that majors in fulfilling the prophecy of 2 Timothy 4:3-4. “For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.”
Examples abound. Many churches that profess to be Bible-believing fellowships do not live up to their claims. They say they believe in the inerrancy, the authority, and the sufficiency of the Word of God. However, in practice they have mixed what God has said with the so-called wisdom of mankind. Here’s how that plays out, starting with the sufficiency of the Scriptures.
The evangelical church is a major referral source for the mental health community. More often than not, Christians dealing with mental and emotional problems are referred to psychological counselors by their pastors, especially to so-called Christian psychologists. This is a field that attempts to integrate secular psychological concepts with biblical teachings. As I mentioned last month, the foundational concepts are drawn from the theories of Sigmund Freud, Carl Jung, Abraham Maslow, Carl Rogers, and to them we could add Karen Horney, Elisabeth Kubler-Ross, and many of their disciples. All such theories are antichrist at best.
“And I will bring again the captivity of my people of Israel, and they shall build the waste cities, and inhabit them....And they shall no more be pulled up out of their land which I have given them, saith the LORD thy God.” Amos 9:14-15
About 250 years ago, the King of Sweden had troubling doubts about whether the Bible was really true in every word. He asked Count von Zinzendorf, bishop of the Moravian Church, to give him proof that the Bible was truly inspired of God. The King had set aside 10 hours to hear what might be said. To his majesty's surprise, Zinzendorf informed him that the time allotted was far too much. He only needed to say one word. Astonished, the King asked what that could be. The Count replied, “Jews.”
Today we would add one more word, “Israel.” In Zinzendorf’s day, that tiny and beleaguered nation, born on May 14, 1948, did not exist except in the hearts of Zionists who had never given up awaiting the fulfillment of the “God of Israel’s” solemn promises. The continued existence of Israel today, surrounded by more than a billion Muslims who have sworn to exterminate her and who continually plot and repeatedly attack her in the attempt to do so, is one of the most astonishing miracles of modern times.
The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob has blessed the Jewish people with a brilliance that generally far exceeds the norm.
“And I will bring again the captivity of my people of Israel, and they shall build the waste cities, and inhabit them....And they shall no more be pulled up out of their land which I have given them, saith the LORD thy God.” Amos 9:14-15
About 250 years ago, the King of Sweden had troubling doubts about whether the Bible was really true in every word. He asked Count von Zinzendorf, bishop of the Moravian Church, to give him proof that the Bible was truly inspired of God. The King had set aside 10 hours to hear what might be said. To his majesty's surprise, Zinzendorf informed him that the time allotted was far too much. He only needed to say one word. Astonished, the King asked what that could be. The Count replied, “Jews.”
Today we would add one more word, “Israel.” In Zinzendorf’s day, that tiny and beleaguered nation, born on May 14, 1948, did not exist except in the hearts of Zionists who had never given up awaiting the fulfillment of the “God of Israel’s” solemn promises. The continued existence of Israel today, surrounded by more than a billion Muslims who have sworn to exterminate her and who continually plot and repeatedly attack her in the attempt to do so, is one of the most astonishing miracles of modern times.
The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob has blessed the Jewish people with a brilliance that generally far exceeds the norm.
The objective of this series is twofold: 1) To assess what our children believe about the gospel, and, 2) To see if they can confidently give honest reasons for why they believe what they believe regarding the biblical faith they profess.
I’ve written these articles from the perspective of a grandfather who has the blessed opportunity of interacting with some of his grandchildren quite often. By God’s grace, all my children are walking with the Lord, so I’ve joined forces with my kids in helping them with the spiritual development of their own kids. I’m confident that my children can do quite well in bringing their kids up in “the nurture and admonition of the Lord” (Ephesians 6:4). Nevertheless, adding grandparents who love Jesus to the mix can and does speak volumes to grandchildren.
Considering the times in which my wife and I raised our five children in contrast to what’s taking place today, simply put: there is no comparison. In the nearly half-a-century since the birth of our firstborn, our country has become exponentially darkened, and overtly so. Tragically, Christendom has abandoned what flicker of light it had just a while ago, having willingly entered into the world in its ways and means.
This article is about having important biblical conversations with our children. I am the father of five children and the grandfather of five grandchildren. The conversations I desire to have with them include discerning whether or not my children and/or grandchildren fully understand the gospel of Jesus Christ, and discovering whether or not they are able to articulate what the Bible teaches that they must believe in order for them to be saved.
In addition to knowing what our children/grandchildren need to believe in order to be saved, these articles are designed to help them explain why they believe what they believe. Certainly, knowing the “what” of their belief is first and foremost. Sadly, for some, even when their belief is biblically correct, what follows for many is spiritual disaster. They cannot give reasons (“a defense”—NKJV, 1 Peter 3:15) as to why they believe what they believe....
Originally published November 1, 2000
When our Lord Jesus Christ was on earth He repeatedly said to those who would listen to His Word, “Come, follow me” (Matthew 19:21; Luke 18:22, etc.). Large numbers of the Jews, because they or a relative or friend had been healed or fed by Christ, followed Him wherever He went: “And there followed him great multitudes of people…and he healed them all…” (Matthew 5:1; 8:1; 12:15; 13:2, etc.). So large and eager were the crowds that He and His twelve disciples “could not so much as eat bread. And…his friends…said, He is beside himself” (Mark 3:20-21).
Christ’s call to follow Him is extended to all mankind. No hint that Jesus was not sincere in saying, “If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink” (John 7:37). What He still offers to all is the same “living water [of] everlasting life” which He offered to the woman at the well (John 4:10-14).
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.... —1 John 4:3a
It is often taught that Antichrist is not a man but a spirit. Though the above verse refers to the "spirit of antichrist," John earlier makes it clear that Antichrist is a person: "...as ye have heard that antichrist shall come, even now are there many antichrists..." (1 Jn 2:18). Many antichrists were already present, operating in the "spirit of antichrist." None of them, however, was the Antichrist who, John assures us, will eventually come.
Paul refers to Antichrist as "that man of sin...the son of perdition...that Wicked [one]...whom the Lord...shall destroy with the brightness of his coming: Even him whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders..." (2 Thes 2:3-10). If this is not the Antichrist, who would this supremely evil man be, who will sit "in the temple of God [to be rebuilt in Jerusalem in these last days], shewing himself that he is God" (v 4)? Who else but Antichrist, Satan's world ruler, would have such authority? "And all that dwell upon earth shall worship him..." (Rev 13:3-4,8).
The Word of God is the chief focus of this message.
This is also a survey regarding the way you and I think about the Word of God. It has to do with how seriously we take the Bible to be the actual Word of God.
I took the survey myself as I prepared this message, so I have a good idea of my own thoughts about the Word of God.
I did okay, although there's room for improvement.
Now it’s your turn.
This isn’t a test. Again, it’s a survey between you and the Lord.
I put the Lord in the mix so that I’d remember to be honest regarding my own thoughts in response to the survey. We can kid ourselves, but we can’t put anything over on Jesus.
“Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD…” Isaiah 1:18 This is an amazing verse! In it we see our infinite God desiring to reason with His finite, created beings. Not only are they incapable and insufficient (in their own ability as finite beings) to reason with their infinite Creator, but they are also in a condition of rebellion against Him. Their iniquity notwithstanding, pointing out that they are far beneath His “reasoning” class is undeniable. That is certainly reflected in Isaiah 55:8-9: “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.” “Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding” (Proverbs 3:5). Also, Romans 11:33: “O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out!”
This phrase is contained in the so-called "Lord's prayer," which, in fact, is not the Lord's prayer (that is found in John 17) but the disciples' prayer. It would hardly have been appropriate for our Lord to pray, "Forgive us our sins...And lead us not into temptation" (Lk 11:4). Nor is it a prayer to be repeated over and over but a pattern for prayer for the disciples: "After this manner therefore pray ye" (Mat 6:9). When Jesus gave this pattern for prayer He told his disciples, "use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking" (v7). Yet the "Lord's prayer" is generally used exactly that way, repeated by rote with little thought to its deep meaning.
Contrary to some who preach the "prosperity gospel," we are not to request earthly blessings for ourselves, much less riches, but only sufficient provision for each day ("Give us this day our daily bread...."); and to be kept from sin in order to live to God's glory ("deliver us from evil...for thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory"). Yet how seldom we think of His glory, while bombarding Him continually with endless requests to satisfy our own desires.
At a conference not too long ago, I was asked to give a review of The Chosen TV Series. I did so, but before I began my critique, I informed the audience that I hadn’t watched even one frame of the series, and my guess was that that revelation would make more than a few people upset with my criticisms. The immediate response by those enamored with the series about the life of Christ was to scorn everything I said, saying, “He’s like those who criticize books, even the Bible, without having read them!” I can relate to that. I’ve had many discussions with some who tell me what the Bible says without having read it themselves, so I can see why my initial review and its approach would put some people off.
There’s a saying that underscores what the Scriptures declare continually: The Bible is not a book that men could write if they would…or would write if they could. Regarding the first part of the saying, finite man obviously lacks the omniscience of our infinite God, so he cannot know the hearts and minds of his fellow man. As to the latter part, fallen prideful man would hardly be inclined to expose his wickedness, as is presented in Matthew 15:18-20 and numerous other places: “…[t]hose things which proceed out of the mouth come forth from the heart; and they defile the man. For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies: these are the things which defile a man….”
In this two-part series I’m addressing what I believe is the Adversary’s most successful device among his many deceptions (2 Corinthians 11:3), temptations (1 Corinthians 7:5; 1 Thessalonians 3:5), wiles (Ephesians 6:11), devices (2 Corinthians 2:11) and snares (1 Timothy 3:7), which have captured both professing and true believers in Jesus Christ…and I’m doing it with more than a little help from my friends, Dr. Martin Bobgan and his wife, Deidre. Between them they hold a half-dozen degrees. Martin’s Doctorate of Education is from the University of Colorado, and Deidre is a Phi Beta Kappa with a Master’s Degree in English. (The reason I’m saying this up front will become significant as you read through this article. I have no doubt that the information will disturb some of you.)
Regarding my own background, I grew up in the mental health community, literally. My father was a psychiatrist, and during my formative years we lived on the grounds of a large mental institution in central Ohio. He later became the director of a mental hospital in southern Ohio. Many of my relatives were involved in various mental health capacities, so my understanding of psychology is more experiential than academic. In other words, as I said, I grew up surrounded by it. After becoming a believer, I spent decades comparing psychotherapy’s teachings with the Word of God. My personal experiences also contributed to my increasing compassion for those undergoing some of the mental problems of living and the damage that counseling has done not only to them but also to their counselors.
Today’s Christian activism is far too narrow and selective. It addresses certain issues but ignores many others of equal or greater importance. We must not only rescue the unborn but the children in public schools who are being perverted through the teaching of immorality, witchcraft, and occultism. We must identify psychology as the major vehicle of so much of this evil, and root it out of our churches, seminaries and universities. We must denounce sin, call for national repentance, and preach the gospel in convicting power. Christians must call for repentance not only for homosexuality, child abuse, pornography, and abortion but for more subtle forms of rebellion against God and rejection of Christ. The church must be indicted both for its lack of social concern and for its heresies and failure to preach the truth. We must denounce the destructive false teachings that abound. It is hypocritical for the church to protest the world’s sins while tolerating and even honoring within its ranks those who preach a false gospel and are the enemies of the cross of Christ.
Instead of protesters we need prophets who call the world to repentance: “Enochs,” who walk with God and warn of judgment (Hebrews 11:5; Jude 14-15); Noahs, preachers of righteousness (2 Peter 2:5), who warn of judgment to come and invite sinners into an ark of safety. What if, instead of building the ark, Noah had tried to reform society!
We need Daniels: “Mene, mene, tekel upharsin”—the handwriting is on the wall, America! You’ve been weighed in the balance and found wanting! Murdered babies, the abomination of homosexuality, and society’s flippant, deliberate rebellion against God have aroused His anger beyond any possibility of reprieve! We need Isaiahs and Jeremiahs who had never heard of making a “positive confession” or of the “power of positive or possibility thinking,” but preached truth!
The objective of this two-part series is to stress the critical necessity of knowing and living out the fundamentals of biblical Christianity. As was noted in part one, not knowing the essential teachings of “the faith which was once delivered unto the saints” raises serious questions and creates a host of problems for all who profess to be Christians.
Questions will arise, such as: “What do I believe or need to believe that would qualify me to receive the free gift of eternal life with Jesus Christ?” Since there are numerous diverse, not to mention contradictory, beliefs that are said to be Christian, this series is focusing on biblical Christianity, meaning that which is true to God’s Word regarding one’s faith and practice.
The gospel, as noted last month, is first and foremost. What follows for the one who has received the gospel by faith alone is the act of living it out in his or her life. No one is saved except by grace, and no one can live his life in a way that is fruitful and pleasing to Jesus—except by grace. Ephesians 2:8-10: “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it [salvation] is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto [not “by means of”] good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.” God’s grace is administered through the Holy Spirit to everyone who puts his faith in Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of his sins—which Jesus covered—past, present, and future. Once that takes place, the Holy Spirit takes up residence within every believer (John 14:16-17) and enables him or her to live according to the teachings of God’s Word.
Biblical basics: why are they so important to revisit?
First and foremost, if I don’t know the fundamentals of what I claim to believe, I can’t live it out in truth. I can’t understand it, nor can I teach it or share it.
Men who are biblical Christians, Scripture declares, are to be the spiritual heads of our households (Ephesians 5:22-23). This means that we are to teach our wives and children what the Word of God says.
If I don’t know the fundamentals of the faith, I can’t teach the faith with any sense of accuracy. If what I’m sharing is not accurate, then it’s not the faith that Jude tells us was “once for all delivered unto the saints.” Knowing the fundamentals, therefore, is critical in just about every area of life. How so?
I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me. —Galatians 2:20
What’s an addendum? According to most dictionaries it’s a supplement or addition to something. So, the question for all of us who call ourselves Christians is: “Is our Christianity just an addition or supplement to our lives?” If that’s the case, we’re not reflecting what Christianity is all about. Galatians 2:20 spells out very clearly what a biblical Christian is. It’s a person who lives his life fully according to the teachings of the Word of God. It’s not a buffet in which you pick and choose only the items that appeal to you.
May 2021 Newsletter
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Although we at The Berean Call understand that each of us is to be a personal witness of the gospel, as a ministry we have a calling that is supplementary to encouraging the lost to receive salvation through the Lord our Savior. It’s actually a necessary follow-up for many of those who have recently come to faith in Jesus. I refer to it as a mission of “damage control.” It involves primarily those who are new to “the faith which was once delivered unto the saints” (Jude 1:3). What we’re seeing more and more is that the Adversary and his minions are sowing false teachings among those who are immature in the Scriptures. His strategy is to shipwreck the faith and therefore the fruitfulness of those young believers. His game plan is certainly not for new Christians, alone, although they are the most vulnerable.
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My best friend-in-the Lord, Dave Hunt, who is now in heaven delighting in the presence of the Lord, loved to repeat this poem, which I quote in part:
“Who would leave the noonday bright to grope ’mid shadows dim? And who would leave the fountainhead to drink the muddy stream Where men have mixed what God has said with every dreamer’s dream?”
In today’s lingo, this would be akin to dumpster diving. Many of the poor and homeless are driven to dumpster diving, i.e., scrounging through trash bins next to grocery stores hoping to find salvageable discarded food in order to help them survive. Amazingly, that method is the same for many Christians, although the circumstances, spiritually speaking, are as far apart as heaven is from earth.
One of the greatest sorrows for lovers of God is the fact that the vast majority of mankind selfishly and ungratefully lives day after day without even thinking of the Creator to whom they owe their existence and who holds their eternal destiny in His hands. So it is even with many who claim to know Him. How often do you tell God you love Him, and thank Him for His love and grace and the salvation He has given you in Christ? When was the last time?
The miracle of our bodies, with their trillions of unfathomable cells and chance-defying organs such as the eye and brain, the ingenious design displayed in nature, and the mystery of soul and spirit, loudly declare: “[I]n the beginning God created the heaven and the earth” (Genesis 1:1) and He made man “in his image” (1:26-28). Yet most people embrace the outrageous fraud of evolution.
We often hear from people who are suffering from various ailments and they don’t understand why they are being made to endure them. I don’t know the particular reason why Jesus doesn’t heal a person who is ill and who asks Him for healing. There are many conditions of suffering that of course Jesus knows about and for which we don’t understand the reasons. None of this negates the truth, however, that He certainly loves all those who cry out to Him to be healed. Psalm 22:24 tells us, “For He hath not despised nor abhorred the affliction of the afflicted; neither hath He hid His face from him; but when he cried unto him, He heard.”
I also know that everyone who repents—that is, turns to Jesus for salvation and thereby receives the gift of eternal life—is healed spiritually. That person is born of the Spirit and will ultimately be with Him both temporally and eternally, no matter what earthly circumstances he or she may be enduring. Physical healing from the Lord, however, is only temporal and involves outcomes that God desires to accomplish to His glory and for the benefit of the person seeking healing. One can only wonder what betterments He has in mind, but our knowledge of His perfect love and compassion encourages us to trust Him to do what’s best for us (Matthew 9:36; 14:14), or for those we uphold in prayer.
And the brethren immediately sent away Paul and Silas by night unto Berea: who coming thither went into the synagogue of the Jews. These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so. —Acts 17:10-11
Luke documents for us that the Apostle Paul, having left Thessalonica and recently arrived in the city of Berea, preached in the synagogue of the Berean Jews. Paul’s encouraging experience with the Bereans caused Luke to commend them. He wrote that they were more noble-minded than those in Thessalonica because they received the Word of God from Paul “with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily” to know whether or not what Paul had to say was true.
The title raises an important question that underscores the importance of knowing biblical eschatology. First of all, what is biblical eschatology, and, second, why is it necessary to have a correct understanding of it?
Biblical eschatology is what the Bible says about the End Times—all that it declares will take place. How do we get a correct understanding of it? Very simply, we need to read what the Bible has to say about it. We can also read some books written about biblical eschatology, but they must be held up to the light of Scripture.
The Bible is a history book of the world—from the beginning of the world’s creation to its ending, when it will be replaced by new heavens and a new earth. Why will it be replaced? Because after its creation, something went terribly wrong.
The title raises an important question that underscores the importance of knowing biblical eschatology. First of all, what is biblical eschatology, and, second, why is it necessary to have a correct understanding of it?
Biblical eschatology is what the Bible says about the End Times—all that it declares will take place. How do we get a correct understanding of it? Very simply, we need to read what the Bible has to say about it. We can also read some books written about biblical eschatology, but they must be held up to the light of Scripture.
The Bible is a history book of the world—from the beginning of the world’s creation to its ending, when it will be replaced by new heavens and a new earth. Why will it be replaced? Because after its creation, something went terribly wrong.
The title raises an important question that underscores the importance of knowing biblical eschatology. First of all, what is biblical eschatology, and, second, why is it necessary to have a correct understanding of it?
Biblical eschatology is what the Bible says about the End Times—all that it declares will take place. How do we get a correct understanding of it? Very simply, we need to read what the Bible has to say about it. We can also read some books written about biblical eschatology, but they must be held up to the light of Scripture.
The Bible is a history book of the world—from the beginning of the world’s creation to its ending, when it will be replaced by new heavens and a new earth. Why will it be replaced? Because after its creation, something went terribly wrong.
What is the “good news” of the gospel—and from what does it save us? In order to answer that question, we must begin in the Garden, for it was there, in the most perfect environment that God’s heart of love and His creative power could design, that sin had its awful beginning.
Surrounded by beauty, satisfied by abundance, and enjoying the fellowship of their Creator Friend, our first parents nevertheless fell to the seductive lies of the Serpent. “Ye shall be as gods” was Satan’s promise, while Adam, in loyalty to Eve, whom he loved more than God himself, joined in her disobedience and ate of the forbidden fruit (1 Timothy 2:14).
Thus, “by [this] one man, sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned” (Romans 5:12). Death not only ends this short earthly life; it separates the sinner from God forever. In His infinite foreknowledge, wisdom, and love, however, God had already planned how He would restore life and reunite mankind with Himself.
Without ceasing to be God, He would become a man through a virgin birth. Only God could be the Savior (Isaiah 43:11; 45:21, etc.), thus the Messiah had to be God (Isaiah 9:6; Isaiah 45:15; Titus 1:3, 4, etc.). He would die for our sins to pay the penalty demanded by His justice: “’Tis mystery all, the immortal dies!” hymn writer Charles Wesley declared. Then He would rise from the dead to live in those who would believe in and receive Him as their Lord and Savior. Forgiveness of sins and eternal life would be theirs as a free gift of His grace. Centuries before His incarnation, God inspired the Old Testament prophets to declare His eternal and unchangeable plan of salvation.
(Excerpted from America, The Sorcerer’s New Apprentice: The Rise of New Age Shamanism)
Even the most enthusiastic promoters of the consciousness revolution admit that there are bad trips. It takes only one disaster—and there have been thousands—to contradict the basic New Age teaching that we’re tapping into a benevolent and good “Higher Self” through “altered states of consciousness.” Why, then, the evil and destructive forces that suddenly break out as though a mask has inadvertently slipped off? Why did Paramahansa Yogananda, for example, founder of the Self-Realization Society and one of the greatest Yogis of all, “fall apart” toward the end of his life?
“He was taking on the evil karma of others,” was the explanation given. However, what Yogananda’s close assistant, Charya Bernard, observed disillusioned him completely.... It caused Bernard to finally admit to himself that of the 40,000 people he had counseled during his years at Yogananda’s side, only a handful had received any lasting benefit while thousands had actually been harmed by yoga.
The following are excerpts from America, the Sorcerer’s New Apprentice: The Rise of New Age Shamanism. Written in 1988, the book documents America’s turning to concepts and practices that are rooted in Eastern Mysticism. There should be little doubt that the West is being overrun by the beliefs of the East, in particular that we are all God, which we have allegedly forgotten. It’s imperative therefore that we be restored to our godhood, especially through ancient and modern altered states of consciousness devices. This is sorcery, which Scripture declares will dominate in the Last Days. The unabashed shamans of this movement are today’s psychotherapists. NOTE: All references to names and organizations herein can be found in the book.
In 2015 I wrote about an article from the New Yorker magazine titled “The Trip Treatment,” subheading: “Research into psychedelics, shut down for decades, is now yielding exciting results.”
What drew my attention to the New Yorker article was not so much my interest in the drug scene of 2015 but rather how it relates to what the Bible has to say about the increasing use of drugs in the End Times. It’s a significant part of the prophetic picture prior to the return of Jesus. What follows is a recap of my TBC article of 2015 with an update of what’s happening in 2020.
It’s interesting that for many the thought of God is only brought to mind when their situation is bad news. He’s at fault. He could have done something about it, but He didn’t. He obviously didn’t care enough to get involved.
There are many factors that make up the growing apostasy and seduction of the church. One of the most alarming, least understood, and fastest spreading errors is the teaching that this present earth, instead of heaven, is the ultimate home for the church. Accordingly, her goal is to take over the world and establish the kingdom of God. Only then, it is said, can Christ return—not, however, to take us to His Father’s house, as He promised His disciples in John 14, but to reign over the Kingdom that we have established for Him. As we mentioned in the last chapter of The Seduction of Christianity, if the real Jesus Christ is going to catch His bride up from earth to meet Him in the air (1 Thessalonians 4:17), then those who are working to build a kingdom for a “Christ” whom they will meet with their feet planted on earth have been under heavy delusion indeed. In fact, they have been working for the Antichrist!
In 1983, I wrote a book titled Peace, Prosperity, and the Coming Holocaust. The first chapter was called, “A Contrary Scenario,” which I based on my understanding of Scripture. Here was the situation as I recall it: interest rates in the US were over 20 percent; the stock market was around 700 on the DOW, and the experts were predicting a crash that would make 1929 seem like prosperity; the housing market was dead, with tens of thousands of houses unsold and apartments vacant; the most popular books in Christian bookstores were about “the death of the dollar, the imminent international financial collapse, the pending Soviet attack on Israel, etc.” Gloom and doom prevailed.
The idea that kindness seems to be vanishing in our day and in our country is not a matter of a pessimistic outlook but one of everyday observation. Political differences, as an all-too-obvious example, appear to have reached a new level of ugliness. Kindness hasn’t disappeared altogether, yet neither has it taken society by storm. For many people, an act of kindness is little more than a “nice” occurrence, even though some are aggressively promoting the action. Hence the bumper sticker: “Practice Random Acts of Kindness!” Things like holding the door open for a person or letting an individual with very few items go ahead of us in a checkout line are just a few of the countless number of acts that we can all appreciate.
Belief in God as Creator and in His authority as well as in our responsibility to Him is almost universal among men. The fact that our daily lives do not measure up to God’s standards is also quite generally conceded, but the solution to this evident shortcoming is the subject of many theories and religious practices: “How can a man please God and be accepted of Him?” “What does God want of me?” These are questions that have arisen in the hearts of men since the beginning of time.
"This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves...." - 2 Timothy 3:1-2
For the last couple of months I have been writing and speaking about a “Christian” gathering of nearly 50,000 young adults at a stadium on February 23, 2019, in Orlando, Florida. This is a summation of my observations made after viewing hours of video of the assembly as well as my knowledge of the producers and speakers of the 12-hour, one-day event.
It began with an enthusiastic exhortation given by mostly young dynamic speakers to the equally enthusiastic crowd to fulfill the great commission: “And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature” (Mark 16:15). That urging underscored the theme of the event, which was titled “The Send.” The goal was to motivate and send the young adults back to their neighborhoods, their high schools and universities, their workplaces, their cities and nations, and then to countries far and wide in order to share the gospel.
For various reasons, Christians of different sorts have tinkered with “the gospel of Christ” as though it needed adjustments. Not major alterations, most will tell you, but just some minor tweaking here and there. The changes often begin by one’s declaring that there is no real change involved, simply a shift in emphasis. Yet no matter what the rationale may be, the end result is being “ashamed of the gospel of Christ.”
Atheists argue that according to the “myth” of the Garden of Eden, evil had too innocent a beginning to be the root from which all the wickedness on this earth could possibly have grown. Adam and Eve merely ate some forbidden fruit—an act hardly worth getting upset about.
There’s a Latin saying that is similar to what it means to be a Berean. The Bereans were Jews to whom the Apostle Paul spoke in the synagogue in the Greek city of Berea. Luke commended them (Acts 17:10-11) for listening to what Paul and Silas had to say and then for searching the Scriptures to discern whether or not their words were true to what was written therein. In a secular sense, that’s what the Latin phrase caveat emptor means: “Let the buyer beware.”
A staff member handed me a couple of the latest magazine issues we received in order to review them. They were Christianity Today (CT) and Charisma Magazine (CM). We subscribe to them in order to keep up to date regarding teachings that are being disseminated throughout Christendom...
We have noted that the ecumenical movement plays a key role in forming the Antichrist’s world religion, which will be a paganized Christianity such as was developed under Constantine and became Roman Catholicism. It is therefore not surprising that behind the scenes, the Catholic Church has been pushing ecumenism for years. It is not only drawing the “separated brethren” of Protestantism back into the fold but uniting all religions under Rome, as Revelation 17 indicates.
Most of us understand that “missing the mark” is one of the biblical definitions of sin. The Apostle Paul uses the Greek verb hamartano for sin in Romans 3:23: “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.” That may seem to some as a bit unfair, since rarely would we think that not measuring up to a goal or standard is sin. “Missing the mark” doesn’t seem like much of an offense, considering most sins of which we’re aware, especially the horrendous ones. An arrow that falls short of the target is sin? Seriously? To react in such a way reveals much about ourselves and the condition of our hearts in relationship to our Creator.
A false idea exists in both the world and in the church that faith and reason do not go together when, in fact, one cannot exist without the other. When God called out, “Adam, where art thou?” it was not Adam’s physical location He was asking about but his moral and spiritual relationship with his Creator. As a bumper sticker says, “When you feel far from God, guess who moved?”
Let’s say I were to voice the question, “Heard from God lately?” to a very large crowd that had a mix of Christians and non-Christians. Among the crowd would be professing Christians, biblical Christians, cessationist Christians, charismatic Christians, pentecostal Christians, contemplative Christians, progressive Christians, conservative Christians, as well as a few agnostics, skeptics, and atheists.
Their first thoughts related to a response to my question, no doubt, would be as diverse as their religious perspectives. For example, atheists and skeptics would think I was delusionary. Agnostics wouldn’t think much about it nor probably even care. Contemplative Christians would react to my question as supportive of their intuitive feelings-oriented approach to hearing from God. Some of the charismatic and pentecostal Christians might respond in the same way. Conservative Christians and those with a cessationist bent might worry that I had bailed on the written Word of God in favor of personal subjective communication with Jesus. All biblical Christians, I would hope, would restrain themselves from thinking ill of me doctrinally for at least a few minutes. They would give me the opportunity to explain what I meant by my question and then would search the Scriptures to see whether or not it was true.
I’m extremely blessed to have friends who are very knowledgeable about science and whose calling it is to use their knowledge to reach the lost and to help believers stay the biblical course in the spiritual battle between beliefs in creation and evolution. I’m blessed because science is hardly in my comfort zone, and my friends are always there for me with explanations that I can understand (no small feat), so I’m thankful for their longsuffering in helping me to that end. I want to use what the Bible says about creation in contrast to evolution just as they do, but I need an approach that is just as solid as theirs but obviously not as deep. I prefer to swim without the fear of drowning. For those who are reading this and have the creation vs. evolution debate well in hand, you still may want to share it with folks or family members who are like me.
What is ecumenism, and why should it be updated? Ecumenism is a movement that began as an attempt to bring about unity within the denominations and groups that call themselves Christian. In the mid-20th century, however, a change took place (led, for the most part, by the Roman Catholic Church), expanding the goal of ecumenism to include all religions. That may seem like a worthy objective, but it is neither biblical nor possible. Nevertheless, the movement is alive today and growing exponentially. Yet most Christians do not recognize its deceptive nature. Hence this update.
We understand through the Word of God and through the evidence that daily surrounds us that God’s love for each one is the same and that His love for all of mankind is personal...
It has been suggested that the unique ability to form conceptual ideas and to express them in speech separates mankind from all lower creatures by a chasm that no evolutionary process could ever span. Although that is true, there is another capacity that separates man...
Among the many things that separate biblical Christianity from every religious belief system, two truths stand out to me as wonderfully significant. The first is that our infinite God and Creator has communicated directly to us, His created finite beings, through His Word—the Bible. The second is that we are told throughout His Scriptures that not only can we know about Him, but we can also have a personal, intimate relationship with Him. Every born-again Christian knows this to be true because God said so and because it has been his or her own experience as believers in Jesus Christ.
During one of the Apostle Paul’s missionary trips he entered the Greek city of Berea. There he preached in the synagogue of the Jews. Luke, writing in the book of Acts...
I’m a fundamentalist…and I hope that all who consider themselves to be biblical Christians would declare that as well. The term, however, is used in a derogatory way by many people today. I don’t know why, other than the fact that many simply don’t like Christianity, especially biblical Christianity. But regardless of what its detractors think, fundamentalism is a very valuable concept.
Israel is the major topic of the Bible. The word “Israel” occurs 2,565 times in 2,293 verses. More than enough prophecies have already been fulfilled in Israel’s unique history to prove that “the God of Israel” (which He is called 203 times) is the true God. In Zechariah 12:2-3, He declares...
In Part one, a number of issues were addressed to those in leadership regarding the spiritual feeding of the sheep that have been placed under their care. Like Peter, they are exhorted by Jesus to demonstrate their love for Him by feeding His sheep.
The question for you shepherds of the Lord’s flock, then, is: What are you feeding the sheep whom the Lord has given to your charge? Is it, first and foremost, Christ himself in all of His ways, His truth, and His life? How critical is one’s personal relationship with Jesus in regard to a believer’s fruitful life in Christ? Jesus tells us in no uncertain terms.
“Dear Brothers and Sisters at The Berean Call, I’m at wit’s end. We recently moved to a new community, and we can’t find a church that is teaching God’s Word without adding to it or subtracting from it. Do you know of any good churches in our area?”
During the temptation in the wilderness, Satan offered to give Jesus “all the kingdoms of the world...and the glory of them” (Lk 4:5-6). He wasn’t bluffing. This world really is Satan’s to give to whom he will. Jesus didn’t dispute Satan’s boast that this world had been “delivered unto me [by God]; and to whomsoever I will I give it.” The conditions upon which Satan offered this world to Christ were clear: “If you bow down and worship me”—which, of course, Jesus refused to do. Beware! For the kingdoms and glories of this world are still the favors Satan bestows in order to entice today’s recipients into worshiping him.
During the temptation in the wilderness, Satan offered to give Jesus “all the kingdoms of the world...and the glory of them” (Lk 4:5-6). He wasn’t bluffing. This world really is Satan’s to give to whom he will. Jesus didn’t dispute Satan’s boast that this world had been “delivered unto me [by God]; and to whomsoever I will I give it.” The conditions upon which Satan offered this world to Christ were clear: “If you bow down and worship me”—which, of course, Jesus refused to do. Beware! For the kingdoms and glories of this world are still the favors Satan bestows in order to entice today’s recipients into worshiping him.
Professional psychotherapy, with its underlying psychologies, is questionable at best, detrimental at worst, and a spiritual counterfeit at least. On one hand, there’s enough biblical and scientific evidence to shut down the secular psychology industry and with it the “Christian Psychology” industry. On the other hand, we’re not naïve enough to believe that the overwhelming amount of scientific evidence supporting its demise will be heeded by the majority of Christians.
According to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, psychology is “the science of mind and behavior.” Is psychology a science? Well, yes and no, depending on one’s understanding of the term “science.” If one views the study of psychology as simply the pursuit of the knowledge of human behavior, some are satisfied with its definition as a science.
Occult Invasion: The Subtle Seduction of the World and the Church, addresses the subject of God’s created beings desiring to be God. And that’s what we’re going to be discussing today. Dave, I’m sure the idea that mankind has the potential to be God is shocking to some, but it has an overwhelming appeal to a great many others. Now, according to the Bible, desiring to be God was the first sin committed throughout all creation.
We’ve seen over and over that the New Testament defines and defends the true gospel and condemns all false gospels. We also can see why this is the case: the battle for souls is between God’s truth and Satan’s lie. Thus, each person’s eternal destiny depends upon what he or she believes. One cannot believe both the Truth and the lie. Even though one believes in God (who is He?) and that Christ is our Savior (what does that mean?), if God’s truth has been compromised or perverted, such a gospel doesn’t save but eternally damns those who believe it.
“Bless the Lord, O my soul; And all that is within me, bless His holy name!”
—Psalm 103:1
What does it mean to “Bless the Lord”? What does it mean to “bless”? The latter is a bit easier to define than the former, but when it comes to definitions, especially of terms that relate to Scripture, I like to see how the 1828 Webster’s Dictionary (accessible online) defines it. Nearly all of the explanations given there for “bless” and “blessed” include examples of their use from the Bible (Genesis 2:3; 28:3; Deuteronomy 15:4; 33:11; Psalm 103:1; Jeremiah 4:2; Luke 9:16; Revelation 14:13).
It used to be that if I wanted a confirmation of what Dave Hunt and I were writing regarding the spiritual changes we observed taking place in the US and, more specifically, in Christendom, I’d talk to missionaries who had returned home on furlough after spending a couple of years ministering overseas. Many were quite shaken by what had transpired here in their absence, especially in their local churches. Among the changes they saw were the strong influences of so-called Christian psychology, the Purpose Driven and seeker-sensitive approach to church growth, militant Calvinism, Replacement theology with its tendency toward anti-Semitism, the Contemplative movement, the Hebrew Roots movements, the Emerging Church movement, kingdom dominionism, etc. Some found themselves in situations in which they had to decide whether or not they could continue fellowshipping in the church that had sent them into the mission field and was their primary support. “Heartbreaking” only partially describes their reactions.
When I first began speaking at prophecy conferences years ago, I was intrigued by the fact that during the panel question-and-answer sessions there were always a few questions related to the Antichrist. It was a bit unsettling—probably because I knew little about that end-time biblical figure and cared even less. I therefore avoided adding my uninformed remarks and usually passed the microphone to the speaker to my right or left. Then there came a time when that wasn’t an option, and I had to say something. As I remember it, my comment was something that I now regard as astute sounding but in reality was ignorance verging on stupidity, i.e., some sort of babble about “Why should we concern ourselves with the Antichrist when we believers will be raptured before he comes on the worldwide scene?” I know people who feel that way today, but I gave up that misconception early on, and here’s why.
Anti is a Greek prefix that not only means “opposed to” but “in the place of.” Antichrist will indeed oppose Christ but in the most diabolically clever way possible: by pretending to be Christ. For the world to follow and worship him, a false Christianity must become the world religion—a “Christianity” that all religions can accept and that embraces all religions into “one faith.” Hence the necessity for today’s growing apostasy: to create an apostate church to be the Antichrist’s earthly bride, just as the true church is Christ’s heavenly bride. Such is the important role of the New Age movement and the many accelerating delusions and seductions in these “last days.”
Perfect storm defined: a mixture of seemingly varied events that converge together creating a greater magnitude of devastation.
I remember as though it were yesterday a conversation I had with Dave Hunt not too long after he had moved to Bend, Oregon. He wanted me to move to Bend also that we might continue communicating with those who had responded favorably to the book I’d had the privilege of co-authoring with him, The Seduction of Christianity. That book and many of his later books, articles, and sermons gave insights into most of the things that would prove to be portents of the developing apostasy that we see moving ahead at overwhelming speed and in wide circulation today.
Modern Israel occupies a relatively small piece of land. Arabs possess 700 times as much, with vast amounts of oil and minerals. Why are they determined to possess tiny Israel too? Islam says it belongs to them! A sovereign Jewish state proves that Muhammad was a false prophet, and that Allah is not God. Muslims must destroy Israel!
There is a great amount of “frustrating the grace of God” by those involved in the Hebrew Roots Movement (HRM), primarily due to a lack of understanding regarding the difference between the Covenant of Law and the New Covenant of Grace. We celebrate this difference when we partake of communion. An all-inclusive explanation is beyond the scope of these two articles, but there are clarifying points that can be made in brief.
Most people who believe in God have the notion that there are certain things we can do that will please Him, thus improving our position with the Almighty and gaining certain benefits for ourselves. There is some truth to this idea, but there are also serious problems that can result, such as a form of works salvation. We must remember that grace is God’s kindness to the undeserving, and it cannot be worked for or earned in any way (Ephesians 2:8-10).
What lies ahead, according to the Scriptures, regarding the increasing development of mysticism today has been addressed in the previous two articles presented in October and November. That’s one of the purposes of biblical prophecy: to have believers “take heed.” But being aware of what’s coming is only part of what God would have us know. There is also the “what we are to do” part. And the good news is that He enables us by His grace and His Holy Spirit.
At this time of year, people who otherwise give little or no thought to God or Christ give lip service to the idea that more than 1,900 years ago Jesus was born in Bethlehem and “there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem, saying, Where is he that is born King of the Jews?” (Mt:2:1-2). Oddly, many Christians who believe Jesus was born “King of the Jews” attach no literal meaning to that title, especially one that has anything to do with Jews. Prophecies concerning Christ ruling the world from David’s throne in Jerusalem are taken as metaphors referring to His present rule from heaven.
In the October and November 2016 issues of The Berean Call newsletter, a thesis was presented based upon Scripture and an observation of what has been taking place in the world and Christendom. It is simply this: the coming worldwide religion of the Antichrist is rooted in and will establish itself as mysticism. Definitions of mysticism include: belief that one may attain a direct knowledge of and a final union with God or some Supreme Deity (personal or impersonal) through subjective experiences, altered states of consciousness, meditation, feelings, and occult manifestations. It is the turning from objective reality (reason, true science, facts) to metaphysical assumptions and speculations. Mysticism is believed to be the pathway to the spiritual realm that ultimately controls the physical universe. This article is a review of the latest global promotion of mysticism in the movie Dr. Strange.
As noted in part one of this series, there is a coming world religion (CWR), and it is advancing rapidly. One of the significant elements that expedites its growth is mysticism, which is a belief system that ultimately rejects teachings that involve objective laws, rules, requirements, obligations, dogmas, doctrines, and the like, in favor of subjective experiences and intuitive feelings.
According to the Scriptures, in the last days prior to Christ’s return a religion will appear that will deceive virtually the entire world into following it. It will be led by the Antichrist (“the beast”), who will be worshiped as God.
Last month we noted that the only true God, the Creator of the universe and all things therein—the God of the Bible—has linked His name with and tied His integrity to Israel. Yet many evangelicals, including well-known leaders, insist that Israel is of no significance to God any longer, having been cut off for rejecting Christ and now having been replaced by the church. There are even groups (not only among white supremacists or cults such as Herbert W. Armstrong’s die-hard followers today) who persist in the ridiculous theory that the “Ten Lost Tribes” of Israel migrated to the British Isles and that therefore all those of British descent are the true Jews today. Some go so far as to say that all of the “white races” are the true Jews—as though not only England but all of Europe and Russia was uninhabited wasteland until these remnants of the “Ten Lost Tribes” settled there.
The very thought of a “power” creating anything is ridiculous! Then why is belief in a “power” so appealing? Did the Star Wars slogan, “May the Force be with you,” have that much influence? It went a long way toward changing movie fans’ thinking, especially among American youth. Of course, this has always been a popular idea because a power/force can’t impose moral laws, demand obedience, or judge and punish anyone—instead, it can be used for one’s own ends.
The Bible is an amazing book. Although this is certainly true, it’s also a huge understatement. All accolades fall short; no adjectives come close. Yet that should hardly be surprising since God is the author. As we’ve written elsewhere, the Bible is God’s direct communication to mankind. And since He is infinite, apart from His Word there’s no way that finite man can know in truth anything beyond God’s general attributes that are revealed in creation (Rom 1:20).
Within the last six months I have visited a number of countries and had the privilege of working with missionaries and ministering among their fellowships. I am continually in awe of what Bible-believing missionaries do, as well as what they have accomplished by God’s grace. The difficulties, in many cases, might seem overwhelming, because…well, they are! Even a very short list would intimidate most Christians: getting into certain countries, obtaining visas to stay and work, learning the language, understanding and adjusting to the culture, social adjustments for their children, and facing sometimes-fierce opposition by those opposed to biblical Christianity. No doubt they need “professional psychological scrutiny” before entering the mission field—or so we’re being told. Really?
In his 2006 book, Yoga and the Body of Christ , Dave Hunt noted that there were more than 500,000 references on Google Search for “Christian churches and yoga.” Today, that search brings up more than 10 million! In part two of this series “New Age Mysticism Déjà vu” (March 2016), I explained that the heart of yoga is an Eastern mystical view of God as an impersonal force or energy. In light of that belief, so-called Christian yoga is an attempt to reconcile two contradictory beliefs and practices, which can never happen. Any endeavor that tries to Christianize the practice of yoga is akin to turning to Christ-rejecting pagan religions in order to draw closer to Him. That is both nonsensical and blasphemous.
Paul’s prayer for the Ephesian believers is very specific. He asks God to bestow upon them a deeper knowledge and understanding of Christ that we do well to seek for ourselves. This is not something that one can learn in a seminary or even in a Bible study or from reading devotional books. Paul’s desire for them was that they would willingly receive from God “the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of [Christ]” (Eph:1:17-23).
The New Age Movement seems to have faded away since it came on the scene quite vigorously in the 1970s. Actually, it hasn’t faded away but has “faded into the woodwork.” Many of its teachings and practices have become so accepted in Western society that they’re commonplace, seemingly far removed from their Eastern mystical roots. Terms like karma, yoga, meditation, guru, mantra, etc., have become part of our everyday language, without any hint of their religious origins and connections for most people. Additionally, a number of programs have arisen that deceptively promote Eastern meditation as non-religious science by calling it mindfulness.
Many today believe that the New Age Movement is itself in a state of entropy or decline. On the contrary! Though the name may not be bandied about as it was thirty years ago, its beliefs and practices are more universally accepted than ever.
Within Christendom, prayer too often has become an attempt to manipulate God. Positive confession, which is basically commanding God to act, is a favored technique among growing numbers of Christians. Throughout the years, TBC's articles and books have dealt with the many abuses of prayer. Our objective in this article is to focus on biblical prayer - primarily, what does the Bible say about it, and are we as believers conforming to its teachings?
Calvinism, from my first exposure to its teachings and practices to and through today, has not ceased to be an enigma to me. In fact, the more I have learned about it, the more perplexing I find it to be. I’ve been told by a few of its advocates that I’m too dull of mind to grasp its teachings. Rather than being offended by that accusation, I consider it a criticism that puts me in great company.
The Rapture of the church involves all believers being caught up to heaven—those just resurrected together with those alive at the time (1 Thes:4:13-18). If it occurs at the beginning of the tribulation period, then clearly Christ’s Second Coming at the end of the Tribulation to rescue Israel in the midst of Armageddon is a separate event. According to Zechariah:14:3-5, “all the saints” must accompany Christ back to earth. But if the Rapture occurs at the end of the Tribulation, it must be simultaneous with the Second Coming, making them one event. Which is it: two events separated by seven years, or one event with two diverse purposes?
The title of this article may provoke cries of “homophobia” from some, even those not connected with the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender community. A person may come to that conclusion after reading what I’ve written, but any thoughts prior to that reflect a bias founded upon ignorance. Before I get to an explanation of the title, however, I need to address the accusation of being called “homophobic,” a label that is used in wholesale fashion by many and applied by some to anyone who takes issue with homosexuality...
Warning against apostasy in our day seems to be akin to alerting Christians to the potential coming of a flood when they are already up to their knees in incoming tidewater. Sadly, for many, not even floating objects (i.e., the very obvious corruptions of Scripture) seem to get their attention. Nevertheless, we keep hoping and praying that the message will reach those who have eyes to see and ears to hear what the Word of God clearly foretells...
Torn between their sincere desire to serve and honor their Lord and the inner turmoil of fleshly lusts and the seductive pull of worldly pleasures and honors, many Christians struggle to live for Christ. For them, Christianity involves great effort, little joy, much frustration and disillusionment, and the loss (when they have enough will power to deny themselves) of so much they once enjoyed in life. They struggle to avoid Paul’s list of “don’ts” in Colossians 3:5-8 “Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry...put off all these; anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communication out of your mouth.” Failing repeatedly, they repent remorsefully and puzzle over their inability to live as they know they should—but seemingly can’t...
A few years ago I had the wonderful privilege of ministering to a very elderly lady who was about to be operated on for a cancer issue. It was not a life-or-death-related surgery, but at her advanced age there were some definite concerns. As we awaited the gurney to transport her to surgery, I asked her a question that had been pressing on my heart. I was aware that she may not have known the Lord beyond her social Christian upbringing. She knew a number of things about Jesus, but I wasn’t confident that she was born again. So I asked her simply, “What’s next?” I could tell that she was apprehensive about the pending surgery, and my question startled her. She asked what I meant. Trying to be as sensitive to the situation as I could, I nevertheless told her that I felt compelled to ask her if she thought about what was next for her should she not survive the surgery...
These are troubling times for every born-again Christian. The apostasy seems to be increasing exponentially. Biblical Christians are having greater difficulty finding churches that preach and teach the Scriptures. Extra-biblical content has captured the imaginations of growing numbers of Christians as they turn to religious bestsellers and “biblical” movies rather than to the written Word of God. Even with the rise of discernment ministries and “watchmen” blog sites, doctrinal confusion has increased, seemingly unabated.
The doctrine regarding the Trinity (the three Persons of the Godhead) isn’t something that any finite individual can fully comprehend. The concept is beyond the grasp of our mortal minds. And yet, God has given to mankind a great deal of information about the Trinity throughout the Scriptures—information that His created beings may and must understand, albeit imperfectly. Although the term “Trinity” isn’t found in any Bible verse, that which the Trinity comprises is found from Genesis through Revelation...
Knowing that we are in the last of the last days, with an imminent Rapture a very real hope, our thoughts often (and indeed should) turn to the signs that Christ said would herald the nearness of His return. The signs that are most widely cited include “wars and rumours of wars...[when] nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom...and...famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes...these are the beginning of sorrows” (Mt 24:6-8)...
Views about “self” today are confusing at least. The world has a number of them. All teach the importance of one’s having a positive regard for one’s self. The Bible, on the other hand, has nothing good to say about self. Nevertheless, the church, particularly in the last one hundred years, has increasingly reflected what the world preaches rather than what the Scriptures teach. As Dave Hunt reminds us, “Although we cannot define self any more than we can define soul or being or beauty, we can clearly see where self was first manifested, how it happened, and the eternal result. We can also see that self not only defines one person as distinct from all others, but it also defines man as distinct from God. What the Bible seems to mean by self is man cut off from God , acting and possessing independently”
The term “fitness” is one of the favorite marketing buzzwords that has attracted many to health clubs and spas, and it even has an appeal for those who are so out of shape that it remains yet wishful thinking. There is little doubt that the physical part of life just seems better when one is physically fit.
The Bible gives some credence to this idea in 1 Timothy 4:8, where Paul tells Timothy that bodily exercise profits [a] little. The verse continues, “but godliness is profitable unto all things, having promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to come.” In other words, godliness, which is the spiritual exercise of living out what the Word of God teaches, is significantly more to be sought than “bodily exercise” in order to improve a believer’s everyday life on earth as well as to yield rewards in one’s eternal life...
“I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me....” — Galatians:2:20
Anti-Christian elements in the secular world would like very much to do away with all public display of the cross. Yet it is still seen atop tens of thousands of churches and in religious processions, often made of gold and even studded with precious stones. Most frequently, however, the cross is displayed as popular jewelry hanging around necks or dangling from ears. One wonders by what strange alchemy the bloodstained, rugged cross of torment upon which Christ suffered and died for our sins became so sanitized and glamorized...
As was noted in part one of this series, prophecy is a very important ingredient in the Bible. In a general sense, the entire Bible is prophecy because God has given mankind His words through His prophets. It is also God foretelling what will take place in the future. That forecasting is what God presents to set Himself apart from the false gods that mankind is deceived into worshiping. God alone knows the future events, which He has declared hundreds and even thousands of years before they take place. Moreover, His foreknowledge of such events, revealed in more than a quarter of the Scriptures, is proof of the supernatural origin and nature of the Bible—that it is indeed God’s communication to mankind (Isaiah:42:9; 46:9-10; 48:5)....
“And of the children of Issachar, which were men that had understanding of the times….”
— 1 Chronicles:12:32
As many of you know who subscribe to this newsletter, one important objective of The Berean Call is to help equip the upcoming generation of believers so that they might be steadfast and fruitful in the faith. We believe that to be biblically steadfast, a believer must have the ability to discern truth from error as he or she begins to understand and live out the teachings and practices given in Scripture.
Originally published in May 2003
In spite of thousands of years of inquiry into the universe, and the super-technology of today’s computer-aided science, we still know almost nothing in comparison to all there is to know. We don’t know what energy is, or what gravity or light or space are. Referring to the physical universe, British astronomer Sir James Jeans declared that “we are not yet in touch with ultimate reality.”
Prophecy is a very important part of Scripture. In fact all of Scripture is prophecy. In some places, the Bible gives us God’s words as He reveals to us what He wants us to know and do (or not do), and in other places, it gives us His revelation concerning what will take place in the future. Prophecy has been referred to as “forth telling” and “foretelling.”...
If I could go back and correct anything attitude-wise about my walk with the Lord for nearly four decades, it would be that early on I would like to have had more of an eternal perspective. I didn’t exactly buy the lie that “to be too heavenly minded is to be no earthly good,” but in some ways my thoughts and actions reflected that idea. I’m much older now, which has certainly increased the amount of time I spend thinking about Heaven. I’m sure that happens to all of us seniors who know and love the Lord. Wanting to be with Him for eternity is an exciting desire soon to be realized by us, unless—better yet—the Lord hastens the event by His imminent return for His saints....
How does your church provide counsel for its fellowship? That’s a critical question for the body of Christ. The answer ought to be “God’s way.” Yet for more than half a century, due primarily to the influence of so-called Christian psychology, the church, with rare exceptions, has been counseling man’s way in one form or another. The consequence has been that many believers have little more success in overcoming sins that are related to problems of living than do unbelievers. Indeed, even when the flesh is well-meaning—it profits nothing. Jesus declared, “I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly” (John:10:10), but this lack of success would seem to deny His words. Furthermore, looking to worldly sources for help in sin-related mental, emotional, and behavioral problems is a rejection of the authority and the sufficiency of God’s Word...
First published in December 1993
God’s holiness and justice require that sinners be eternally separated from Him. To be cut off completely and eternally from that Love for which one was created will be to burn with a thirst that will only grow ever more unbearable. God, however, graciously and freely offers salvation from that most dreadful condemnation. “The gospel of God’s grace” declares that God became a man through virgin birth, that this sinless God-man died for our sins, satisfying His own justice by suffering the eternal punishment we deserve, resurrected the third day, and that all who believe in Him are forgiven and receive eternal life as a free gift. Salvation is that simple—and wonderful—and must be preached in that simplicity.
Here we go again. For those who may agree but are a little tired of my crying out for discernment regarding “biblical” movies, you have my apology…in the midst of my growing concern. Nevertheless, I covet your prayers for our brothers and sisters in Christ and for the multiple millions of the lost who are being presented with a caricature of the biblical Son of God in yet another Hollywood translation of the Word of God.
The Bible gives the body of Christ complete instructions for ministering to one another, yet in rebellion to its teachings and the enablement that the Word of God supplies, the church for decades now has turned to man’s ways and means.
In October 2013, John MacArthur and Grace Community Church hosted a conference to address what he and the other speakers believe are major errors in the teachings and practices of the Charismatic and Pentecostal movements. The conference introduction states: “Strange Fire, part of Grace to You’s Truth Matters conference series, evaluates the doctrines, claims, and practices of the modern charismatic movement, and affirms the true Person and ministry of the Holy Spirit.” Seventeen messages were presented and two Q&A sessions offered. Besides MacArthur, the speakers were R. C. Sproul, Steve Lawson, Conrad Mbewe, Tom Pennington, Phil Johnson, Nathan Busenitz, Justin Peters, Todd Friel, and Joni Eareckson Tada....
First published in January 1996
Once again we have entered upon a new year welcomed with wild celebrations at midnight, December 31. Such festivities are questionable at best. And why celebrate the reminder that, just as a year has vanished into the past, so all too quickly must our earthly lives pass as well? That fact should bring sober contemplation and prayer rather than loud rejoicing.
Time passes and cannot be recalled. The poet wrote of her memory running “like a hunted thing down paths I cannot retrace.” Time is mysterious, beyond our ability to fathom. We know some things about time, but what it really is eludes our most advanced science. Essential for change and motion in the physical universe, time will be absent in eternity. Nothing changes or ages in eternity; it is one eternal now , impossible for us at present to comprehend...