Know the One, True Jesus

This is a you tube video by John MacArthur on Islam and their eschatology that I think you would find very interesting.  Here is a synopsis of what John says in the video:

The Muslims believe in Jesus, but it is not the same Jesus of the Bible.  The Muslim Jesus is not God.  He is only a man and a prophet.  They believe Jesus never died (therefore not rising from the grave and providing atonement for sin) but ascended to heaven like Elijah did, without dying, and is with Allah.  They believe Jesus is waiting for Allah to send Him back.  When He returns, He is going to correct all the Christians who have misunderstood who He is.  The Muslim Jesus will return and marry, have a family, and then die and be buried next to Mohammed.

In Islamic eschatology, according to their holy writings, there are three great signs of the end of history.  Each of these signs is a man.  The Mahdi is the first sign.  Sometimes the Mahdi is called the Twelve Imam and Muslims believe the Mahdi is coming to slaughter all those who will not worship Allah.  Either you convert to Islam or you will be killed.   The Mahdi is going to have an army and He will go from nation to nation and kill all the infidels.  They will carry black flags that will say "punishment" on them.  (The Iranian army today carries black flags.)   The Mahdi will lead the army of black flags, first to Israel, and slaughter all the Jews, and then he will establish his rule on the temple mount in Jerusalem.  The Mahdi will make a peace agreement with the Jews and the West, for seven years.  He will come riding on a white horse.  When he arrives he will discover hidden scriptures near the Sea of Galilee that he will use to show the Jewish people and the Christians they were wrong.  The Mahdi will be a Messianic figure.  He will establish a new world order.  He will destroy all who resist him.  The Mahdi is a precise description of the Antichrist in Scripture.  The Bible's Antichrist is the Muslim Mahdi.  All the details match up perfectly.  The Bible's Antichrist is Islam's savior.  

The second sign or man is the prophet Jesus.  The Mahdi is greater than Jesus, according to the Islamic holy writings.  (Do you see it?  If the Mahdi is greater than Jesus, then the Christians were wrong.)  The Muslim Jesus comes back to assist the Mahdi.  He comes back as a radical Muslim.  Jesus will pray to the Mahdi and acknowledge him as his Lord.  He will make a pilgrimage to Mecca and worship Allah.  He will attempt to get Christians to reject their notion of the biblical Jesus and accept the real Jesus, who is nothing but a prophet and a man.  He will establish world-wide Sharia law and will become the greatest Muslim evangelist.  He will try to get Christians to affirm everywhere that the Jesus of the Bible is not the true Jesus.  That Jesus didn't really die and rise again.  That He wasn't God.  He will point out how wrong we have been.  The Muslim Jesus however, matches up perfectly with the false prophet in Revelation who aids the biblical Antichrist.  

The third sign or person who will appear is the Dajjal.  The Dajjal is the Antichrist according to the Muslims.  They believe he is the great deceiver.  They claim he will come to earth on a mule and that he is blind in one eye.  They believe he is an infidel and a false miracle worker.  They believe he claims to be Jesus, the Son of God.  He claims to be deity.  Our Jesus, the One we worship as the one true God, the One Who came, died, and rose again, Who atoned for our sin, is the Muslim Antichrist.  

The biblical Antichrist is their redeemer, their savior, and our Jesus, is their Antichrist.  It is a complete reversal of the truth, a satanic counterfeit.  The Muslims believe their Jesus will destroy the biblical Jesus and set up Islam forever, but in truth, it is just the opposite.  The one true God, Jesus Christ, will destroy Antichrist and the false prophet and will set up His kingdom and rule and reign forever.  (2 Th. 2:8, Revelation 20:10)  

The book of Daniel tells us that Antichrist is going to emerge from the old Roman Empire.  Right now, the old Roman Empire is made up of almost all Muslim nations.

Jesus said false Christ's will appear before His return.  (Mt. 24:5)  We are not to be deceived or mislead.  (Mt. 24:4)  We need to know the biblical Jesus, the One true God and heed His warnings.  (Mt. 24:4-31)  Incredible times are coming.  Jesus said that false Christ's and false prophets will arise and will show great signs and wonders, so as to mislead, if possible, the elect.  (Mt. 24:24)  According to Revelation 13:13, the false prophet is going be able to call down fire from heaven.  Those who do not love the truth and embrace the truth about the true Jesus, the biblical Jesus, we are told God is going to send upon them a deluding influence so they will believe what is false.  (2 Th. 2:10,11)  Is it that they will think the Muslim Jesus is the real Jesus?  I don't know, but get in the Word, drench yourself in the truth, know the true Jesus and stand firm in His truth.

If you want to know why I believe the biblical Jesus is the true Jesus, one of the reasons is because so many things about His first coming where prophesied many, many years before they occurred, and they were fulfilled exactly as prophesied.  It will be just the same with His return.  The Bible was written by inspiration of the Holy Spirit hundreds of years before Islamic literature.  God's Word is trustworthy. God's Word is true.  Reality always matches up with the Bible.

There is one body and one Spirit, just as also you were called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all who is over all and through all and in all - Ephesians 4:4-6.

Further study shows that God is the Father in four relationships - of all men because He is their Creator, of the Lord Jesus Christ, of Israel, and of all who believe the biblical Jesus is the true God, who came, died for their sins, and rose again.

According to Jesus there will be plural false Christs - I'll end by asking you the same question John does in the video, who are you going to believe?

New Blog

This is my sister, Betty Ann.  Betty Ann is an accomplished artist.  She loves music and she loves to write.  (She was the one that always sang in the shower.)  She has a tender heart for the things of the Lord.  She has been blessed with a tremendous gift when it comes to writing. She loves the Lord.  She desires to grow in knowledge of Him and in His grace and to see Him exalted above all things.  Check out her new blog, Bohemia Sacra won't you?  I'm pretty sure you will not be disappointed if you do.  I'm pretty sure you will be greatly encouraged, and I'm pretty sure she will bless your socks off - she always does, mine!

A Few Easter Pics for You!

Thank you, Lord, for my precious family and the blessings of this day!

Glory to the Righteous One!

He is risen, just as He said -

to the Righteous One!


Jesus Christ the Risen Son!


Have a blessed Resurrection Sunday celebration, friends, glorying in our Risen Savior and King!


"Because I live, you will live also."  John 14:19


"But now Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who are asleep.  For since by a man came death, by a man also came the resurrection of the dead.  For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all will be made alive.  But each in his own order:  Christ the first fruits, after that those who are Christ's at His coming."  1 Corinthians 15:20-23


"So Christ also, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time for salvation without reference to sin, to those who eagerly await Him."  Hebrews 9:28

Daniel and the Red Wagon

The fun thing is this is the red wagon that Ben and Annie played with when they were little...

The Boys

Then...

...the soldiers of the governor took Jesus into the Praetorium and gathered the whole Roman cohort around Him.  


And they stripped Him, and put a scarlet robe on Him.


And after weaving a crown of thorns, they put it on His head, and a reed in His right hand; and they kneeled down before Him and mocked Him, saying, "Hail, King of the Jews!"


And they spat on Him, and took the reed and began to beat Him on the head.  


And after they had mocked Him, they took His robe off and put His garments on Him, and led Him away to crucify Him - Matthew 27:27-31.


But Jesus was saying, "Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing."  Luke 23:34


Now from the sixth hour darkness fell upon all the land until the ninth hour.  


And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, "ELI, ELI, LAMA SABACHTHANI?"  that is, "MY GOD, MY GOD, WHY HAST THOU FORSAKEN ME?"  Matthew 27:45, 46


It was because of our ugly sin...Jesus became ugly, putrid sin for us...

Then with our dear Lord's face and lips beaten beyond recognition, He said, "It is finished!"  John 19:30


The price for our sin, was paid.  


"Father, INTO THY HANDS I COMMIT MY SPIRIT."  And having said this, He breathed His last.  Luke 23:46


The Father turned back around, and opened His arms to His Beloved Son...

He was well-pleased...

Jesus, Scripture, and Hypocrites

"Then Jesus spoke to the multitudes and to His disciples, saying, "The scribes and the Pharisees have seated themselves in the chair of Moses; therefore all that they tell you, do and observe, but do not do according to their deeds; for they say things, and do not do them."

Matthew 23:1-3

Jesus has a very high view a scripture, but a very low view of hypocrites.  He called condemnation and judgment down on the hypocritical scribes and Pharisees.  Obedience to the Word of God is not nullified however, when coming from the lips of hypocrites.  

We are all hypocrites at one time or another.  Hypocrites do not practice what they preach.  Hypocrites motives are to be seen by men.  Hypocrites are prideful and full of themselves.  Hypocrites love to receive honor.  As it did with the scribes and the Pharisees, biblical truth angers unregenerate hypocrites.  It convicts the saved hypocrites.  It is a good test for where we truly stand, isn't it?

There is only One who rightly deserves honor and He can and should be followed according to His deeds and given this honor.  It is because He sought the honor of the Father, humbling Himself in obedience to the Father.  Jesus was never a hypocrite.  His aim was the Father's will.  His motives were out of love for the Father and love for us.  He is our example of a correct motive, unfailing obedience to the Father's commands, and perfect love - always putting other's first.  The things He said that ought be done, He did, perfectly, flawlessly.  May we strive to be just like Him.

The Wrath-Sufferer

Jesus suffered the wrath of men, because of their sin.  He suffered the wrath of God, for mine - what a Savior!

The Definition of Eternal Life

"And this is eternal life, that they may know Thee, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom Thou hast sent."  John 17:3

I love pondering on this verse...

John Piper Nugget

There are 100 billion galaxies.  Why so much space for so few earth dwellers?  The heavens are telling the glory of God, not man.

Garden Project Update

Thought it would be fun to put up a couple more pictures for you of our garden project.  We are starting to build our raised beds.  There will be seven all together.  We have the first three nearly done.  It was very cool this morning - 35 when I got up.  I needed to put something warm on...  

This post dedicated to, The Orange Mailman...

Did you know...

...that John the Baptist mentioned the rapture?  Check out Matthew 3:12...pretty cool...

Be Anxious For Nothing

A few days ago I snapped this picture of Charlie in his mama's arms.  He had been laying like this for quite some time.  Look in his eyes.  What do you see?  Worry, or contentment - and peace?

 Fret and worry is an indication that we have stopped trusting in God's wisdom, sovereignty, and power.  We have forgotten that behind the scenes the Lord still has His arms around us.  Difficulties are within God's plan, but we are to never stop trusting.  Delighting in the Lord with thanksgiving is the antidote for anxiety.  We need to drench our minds and hearts with the truths of God's Word.  We need to replace the anxious thoughts with true thoughts.  Fretting is filling our minds with what could happen or should happen.  Getting rid of anxiety can be a real battle sometimes.  Don't give up.  Obedience to God's Word always brings blessing.  Keep drenching your heart and mind in the Word.  When we do, the peace comes...


(Isn't he just a little sweetheart?!)

John 13:1

"Now before the Feast of the Passover, Jesus knowing that His hour had come that He should depart out of this world to the Father, having loved His own who were in the world, He loved them to the end."  

It is a precious thing to have your name written in the book of life and belong to Jesus...

Watch the Lamb

I came across this song for the first time today.  The text in the video is in Spanish (I think) but the song is sung in English.  Very moving...

The Hour Has Come

Jesus spoke these things; and lifting up His eyes to heaven, He said, "Father, the hour has come; glorify Thy Son, that the Son may glorify Thee."  John 17:1

These were the words that began Jesus prayer as He was getting ready to go to the cross.  The time with the disciples in the upper room had just ended.  The evening began with a footwashing, then there was the final meal during which He revealed that Judas would betray Him and Peter would deny Him.  He also told them He was going to be leaving them.  The disciples were understandably dismayed by all of this.   Jesus had served them during the evening.  He had instructed them during the evening.  He also comforted them during the evening.  During the evening He promised them He would return, He promised them His peace, He promised them His joy, He promised them His strength, He promised them His provision, He promised them answered prayer, He promised them power through the Holy Spirit, and He promised them intimate fellowship with Him and the Father.  His final promise before He began His prayer was that the disciples would triumph over the world because He had overcome it for them.  He has overcome it for you and me too and all the promises are ours as well.

And now the hour had come where His earthly ministry would be consummated.  His Father's plans made in eternity past would find their culmination in time.  The hour had come in which Jesus would offer Himself as the perfect sacrifice for our sin.  The shadows of the Old Testament sacrifices given over and over and over again, would give way to the glorious reality of the final sacrifice.  Jesus, who knew no sin, would become sin for us.  All throughout His ministry Jesus was continually seeking the glory of His Father.  In absolutely everything He had submitted to the Father's will, flawlessly, joyfully, with His whole heart.  As He came to this hour, though He knew He faced the full fury of His Father's anger and wrath for our sin - something that was absolutely foreign to Him, He would joyfully continue in submission to the Father's will.  He would not yield to Satan's temptation to do otherwise.  He and the Father would be glorified as Jesus completed His earthly ministry during this hour.  And what a precious hour it is for us.  It's the most precious hour for us because Jesus death, burial, and resurrection justifies us, and the Father looks on us as if we've always perfectly submitted to His will, that we've always loved Him with our whole hearts, bringing Him glory in everything, when we so desperately fall short so often.

May we rejoice in and live for our Perfect Righteousness, today, remembering that this hour guarantees our living, serving, and praising Him in the presence and beauty of His love and glory, for all eternity.

Blog Post by Joel Rosenberg

Because of all the unrest going on in the Middle East, I think this blog post by Joel Rosenberg that would be a good one for you to read.

"Last night, I returned from a week in Europe where I had the opportunity to brief several dozen Iranian, Arab, Israeli, European and American pastors and Christian ministry leaders about the new feature-length documentary film produced by the Iranian government and its religious allies called, The Coming Is Near. As I will explain in more detail below, I believe now is the time for pastors and ministry leaders around the world to use the occasion of the release of this film to accelerate and intensify their own teaching about the Second Coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and to answer the questions being asked by millions of people throughout the Middle East and elsewhere about who the Messiah is and when/how/why He will return.

The film, The Coming Is Near, was brought to the attention of the West by Reza Khalili, a former Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps member who became a double agent for the CIA working against Iran in the 1980s. It explains how the current wars and revolutions in Iraq, Egypt, Libya, Saudi Arabia, Yemen and elsewhere throughout the Middle East and North Africa are signs consistent with Shia Islamic End Times teaching that the Twelfth Imam (or Mahdi) and Jesus will soon appear on earth to usher in the destruction of Israel, the establishment of an Islamic caliphate (kingdom), and the end of days. As I write about in The Twelfth Imam and Inside The Revolution, Shia Muslims are convinced that Jesus will come as a deputy to the Mahdi and force all Jews and Christians to either convert to Islam or die."

Why is this new film significant? I see several reasons:

Click here for the rest of the article.

Favorite...

Quote from the day...

The love of the scriptures reveals life in the soul.  The unregenerate soul "loves darkness rather than light."  The believer says, "As the deer pants for the water brooks, so my soul pants for You, O God."  And the satisfaction comes most readily through the written word.  Dwight Kennedy

Favorite picture from the day...

My Charlie, another one of my loves!

Praise According to His Excellent Greatness

Psalm 150:2 instructs us to Praise the LORD according to His excellent greatness...  


The LORD's greatness is unlimited because He is infinite.  Correspondingly, our praise then should never cease, but always be overflowing.  And because His excellent greatness never ceases, we can praise Him even during the hardest trials, until we see Him face to face - and then our praise will just continue, for an eternity!

Testimony to Encourage You...

Below is a testimony I came across in the discussion room at Fulfilled Prophecy, a website that I visit often.  (I tried to post a link to it but for some reason it wouldn't work.)  I asked permission from GodsStudent (her screen name) if I could post it here, to my blog.  The topic being discussed was of the evil around us and of the disasters that are occurring.  Here is a child of God who lives with an eternal perspective, who has her mind set on things above.  May GodsStudent's words encourage you...

There are many more disasters ahead.  The evil around me is not as pervasive as the Gospel Message.  There is no hope for the one who hopes on himself, or the government, or man's way of life. In that case, the hope is diminished every time something hits close to home for that person. In Christ, the rock I stand on is solid. In truth, which is the Word of God, I am told that when I see these things, I am not to disintegrate into a heap on the floor, I am not to be afraid....I am to look up. The Lord is there. He always has been, and He still is. In the midst of everything seemingly hopeless in this world, the Lord is still moving heaven and earth to ensure His children are taken care of. What, truly, do I have to fear? Death? No...it has no sting. To live is Christ, to die is gain. Whatever tragedies bestow themselves, near or far in my life, one thing remains.....the faith I have in the Lord transgresses from everyday to the end of days, be them mine, or the entire world's. He is Faithful.  

Louie Giglio on Philippians 1:21

"If you let me live, you get more of Christ.  If you kill me, I get more of Christ."