General Articles

Best of the Best :: By Dennis Huebshman

Published on: by RR10

Ephesians 2:8-9; “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works so that no one may boast. (ESV – all emphasis mine)

The powerful verse above is to remind us all that our Salvation is not something we can earn or buy, as it has been the most valuable gift ever given on this earth. A part of our Heavenly Father came to this earth because of His immeasurable love for all of us flawed humans (John 3:16-18).

From the very beginning, a fallen archangel with a severe case of destructive self-pride believed he should be equal to the God that had created him. Lucifer, Satan, the devil, was so persuasive that he caused a multitude of the heavenly host to follow him and thus be condemned for all eternity (Revelation 12:4). They are being allowed a certain latitude now, but when the time that has been set by the Father arrives, they will be cast into the lake of fire forever that was created especially for them (Matthew 25:41, Revelation 19:20, and Revelation 20:10). They have no pathway to forgiveness as we humans do.

Up to a certain point, God allowed sin sacrifices in the form of blood from animals and birds. However, these were to be temporary in nature until the absolute most perfect sacrifice would be made once and for all (Hebrews 10:4). That sacrifice was given at Calvary for us by the only “human” that would ever live a totally sin-free life.

Even though Jesus is a part of the Triune Godhead, He allowed Himself to become lower than the angels in the form of a human (Hebrews 2:7-9). He was fully God, yet He submitted completely to the will of the Heavenly Father (John 10:11-14;18). As a result, His blood sacrifice was the only one that could ever appease God’s requirement for absolute perfection. There could never have been, nor could there ever be, any other pure, sinless blood sacrifice that would provide permanent forgiveness of all our sins. Also, there is no price that could ever be paid by us that would cover even one sin.

The amazing part of the “gift” of eternal life for us is it’s ours if we receive and accept Jesus as our eternal Savior. No matter what any false prophets or antichrists may try to tell you, Admit, Believe, and Call is the only pathway to the Father.

Admit or confess that we are all sinners, as given in Romans 3:10, Romans 3:23, and Romans 6:23. To say we have not sinned or that we are living a sinless life would be the same as calling the Father a liar.

Believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the Living Lord God Jehovah, and His death, burial, and resurrection is the only pathway to eternal life. This is stated very specifically in John 14:6 and Acts 4:12.

Finally, Call out to Jesus to forgive you and to be your Savior forever. That’s Acts 2:21 and Romans 10:13. God’s promise is, “All who call on the name of the Lord will be saved.”

Once we receive our immortal bodies and renewed mindset, we will never be subject to sin again. We will serve and worship our Savior in Paradise (Heaven) forever.

Does this mean we will never sin again? The truth is we will be sinners because of the fall of humans in the Garden of Eden in Genesis 3. Our God knows that as long as we’re in these mortal bodies on this sin-filled earth and with our sin-nature mindset, we will slip and sin. He has provided a pathway to forgiveness in 1 John 1:8-10.

There is a poem I copied long ago by an unknown author. It’s labeled “The Best Poem in the World.”

I was shocked, confused, and bewildered as I entered Heaven’s door. Not by the beauty of it all, nor the lights or its décor.

But it was the folks in Heaven who made me sputter and gasp – the thieves, the liars, the sinners, the alcoholics and the trash.

There stood the kid from 7th. grade who swiped my lunch money twice. Next to him was my old neighbor who never said anything nice.

A man who I always thought was rotting away in hell, was sitting pretty on Cloud 9, looking incredibly well.

I nudged Jesus, “What’s the deal? I would love to hear Your take; how’d all these sinners get here? God must’ve made a mistake. And why is everyone so quiet, so somber; give me a clue.”

“Hush, child” He said. “They’re in shock; no one thought they’d be seeing you! Judge Not!”

And then there’s the story of a woman asking a very specific question, and the answer she received.

“While praying one day, a woman asked, ‘Who are You, God?’ He answered, “I Am!” ‘But who is I Am?’ she asked. He replied, “I Am Love; I Am Peace; I Am Grace; I Am Joy; I Am Strength; I Am Safety; I Am Shelter. I Am Power; I Am The Creator; I Am The Comforter. I Am The Beginning and the End. I Am The Way, The Truth and The Life.” With tears in her eyes, she looked toward Heaven and said, ‘Now I understand, but who am I?’ God tenderly wiped the tears from her eyes and whispered, “You Are Mine!”

The day will be coming soon when all true believers will be taken up to meet Jesus in the air to be kept from the coming wrath (1 Thessalonians 1:10, 1 Thessalonians 5:9-10, and Romans 3:10). This has nothing to do with any earthly race, religion, or whatever. It is an individual event for all who have truly received and accepted Jesus as their eternal Savior. It is commonly called the Rapture, and only those who freely chose Jesus will be involved (1 Thessalonians 4:13-17 and 1 Corinthians 15:51-53).

All who do not have Jesus will be left behind to face the worst seven-year period of time this world will ever experience. As stated, it will have been each person’s choice, whether they realize it or not, as God will force no one to accept His Son.

Although there will be souls saved during the tribulation, all who are not will end up with Satan and his demons in hell forever (Revelation 20:11-15).

Finally, I would like to share a prayer inspired by Ephesians 6:

“Most Merciful Heavenly Father; as I prepare to face another day in this sin-filled world, I call upon You in the name of My Savior, Jesus the Christ, to provide me with the full armor of protection against the evil one.

“Gird my waist with Your truth, give me the breastplate of righteousness, and shod my feet with the preparation of the Gospel of Peace. In order to quench the fiery darts of the wicked one, strengthen me with the shield of faith, and put upon me the helmet of Salvation. Finally, provide me with the sword of the Spirit, which is your loving word. Only then will I be prepared to enter another day in this world as one of Your ambassadors.

“When my final day arrives, guide me across the River, which My Savior has already crossed, to live eternally with You and all the Saints that have preceded. This I ask in the name of my Precious Lord and Savior, Jesus the Christ. Amen.”

Hope to see you at Home – Come, Lord Jesus!

huebshman46@gmail.com

 

God’s Prophecy Not Enough? :: By Terry James

Published on: by RR10

Author’s Note: The article this week is one written way back in February of 2006. But it is pertinent to this advanced time because I’ve been receiving a number of reports of dreams that indicate the dreamers/vision recipients have prophetic words directly from the throne room of God. Specific destruction within exact date parameters is often given in these dreams and visions. This is not to ridicule anyone who believes they are receiving such prophetic directives. I, again–as in the following that was written so long ago—want only to caution against falling for false prophecies.

The foretellings in God’s love letter to mankind are more than enough to perk up our spiritual ears and eyes in these times when Christ’s call to believers must be so near.

God’s Prophecy Not Enough?

People have, over the years—following the completed Word of God, with its sixty-six books—made predictions based upon dreams and, less frequently, upon visions.

Despite all of the twisting of logic and rewriting of historical record, both recent and of the past, that is far removed from the present, the non-biblical dreams and visions have proved to be non-events.

Oh, people can find things supposedly fulfilled within the quatrains written by the French “seer” Nostradamus. His and others’ “prophecies” are declared by many as having come to pass, as demonstrated by the rise of Adolf Hitler and the advent of other “foretold” regimes and events.

I have heard stories of blazing fires in the major cities of the U.S., “prophesied” by both well-known and lesser-known preachers of various stripes. America was going to be judged and destroyed by God’s mighty hand in the 1960s, ’70s, ’80s, and ’90s. Now there are predictions—and I get them constantly through e-mail—of the most horrendous fate imaginable for the United States, based upon dreams of the most detailed variety. The dream date-setters missed January 23, 2006, on just such a prediction. A married couple saw all of the things we’ve been warned about: American cities aflame, getting exactly what the nation deserves.

They saw dreams that were almost identical, so the story goes, that January 23 was to be America’s judgment day. Defenders of the couples missing the target are saying their appeals for prayers that the Lord would spare the nation and give America another chance were likely the reason the dreams didn’t become reality.

Now, folks, may I say this as gently as possible? What sort of fodder does such dream stuff—which is always claimed to emanate from the very throne of God—give Satan’s army in this fallen world that he so effectively rules already? Is it not time to stop disseminating these bad cases of nocturnal indigestion during somnolence—or whatever is prompting such utter nonsense? Do we never learn that these are not from the Lord our God, after every single one of the “prophecy dreams” has failed to produce a single proof of their validity?

I get them every week. If each one I’ve been sent just since January 1 of that year came true within the time allotted, you wouldn’t be reading this. But I wouldn’t be writing it, either! We would all be finished! A bit of prayerful and well-studied speculation is within the realm of being good “watchmen,” as Jesus exhorted in Mark 13:37 and Luke 21:28. But dreams and visions that are extrabiblical are not right to either issue or receive. They are either bad spaghetti, absolute falsehoods, or “dreams and visions” that emanate from somewhere other than from the throne room of God.

God’s “dreams and visions,” you see, ALWAYS COME TRUE!

My apologies for screaming at you, but we’ve got to realize that dreams and visions that are not already in God’s Word are, well, not from His Son, Jesus Christ, the Living Word. His prophecy ALWAYS comes true—every time, without exception. And that prophecy is based upon the consistent principles laid out plainly in the Word He left us.

“We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts: Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation. For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost. But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction” (2 Peter 1:19–21).

I know the cry that will be forthcoming.

That same Bible says, “And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams” (Acts 2:17).

Agreed. Very strong proof text that these dreams will again be in effect, following the Bible’s completion, when the last prophet wrote the last prophecy.

But to understand Acts 2:17, we must also understand that the following, in this New Testament passage, is taken from the Old Testament, which puts it in proper context.

“And it shall come to pass afterward, [that] I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions” (Joel 2:28).

This is what is meant by the above Scripture, “Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation.” Scripture must be interpreted by Scripture. Scripture must be looked at in total context; it cannot be dissected and used any way the reader wishes.

So, what does this earlier passage in Joel say to give context to the latter in Acts? The key is given by the words: “And it shall come to pass afterward…”

Specifically, the operative word is “afterward.”

The Word of God plainly teaches in the preceding twenty-seven passages and before that the Day of the Lord—the Tribulation—must first have taken place. These wondrous “dreams and visions” for a time yet future are for the glorious days of the Millennium!

Still, I realize I will get all kinds of arguments about this. So, let me just ask those who would do the rock throwing: “Where are your dreams and visions that have come 100 percent—or even 10 percent—true by Bible standards, God’s standards?”

These exercises in hyperbole and sensationalism must stop for the sake of the Gospel of Christ. Let us simply watch and try to determine the times and seasons we are in, so far as God’s prophetic timeline is concerned. But let us do so through God’s microscope of Bible truth. Let’s not try to build personal reputations upon false prognostications—or bad pizza.