Are All Our Sins Forgiven?

(Written by Jack Kelley)
I've received a number of questions about a recent series of online articles disputing the idea that Jesus died for all our sins, past, present, and future on the cross. The articles make the claim that the Bible teaches no such thing. So let's find out. Does the Bible teach that all the sins of our life were forgiven at the cross or doesn't it?

Colossians 2:13-14 reads as follows, When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your sinful nature, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, having canceled the written code, with its regulations, that was against us and that stood opposed to us; he took it away, nailing it to the cross.

Christian Scoffers Abound

(Written by Ron Graham)
“Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts, And saying, Where is the promise of his coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation. For this they willingly are ignorant…” 2 Peter 3:3-5a.

For the last 2,000 years Christians have been anxiously awaiting their Lord and Savior’s return. Why? Because of Jesus’ own words in John chapter 14. “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.” John 14:1-3. Then again, for that same period of time there have been those who challenge the rest of us with these words “Where is the promise of his coming?” 2 Peter 3:4a. Of course, we who truly trust God know that He will return.

THE RAPTURE...You can know for sure

The Rapture of the Church (The Blessed Hope of the Church) is probably the most thought about, debated about, and wondered about topic as events of this day and age play out with an increasing speed that can only be described as staggering. Many Christians find themselves full of questions; wondering if they can know for sure (without a doubt):

Will the Rapture happen or is this a false teaching stemming from confusion about the second coming of Christ?
Can I know for sure if the Rapture will happen before, during, or at the end of tribulation?
Does Tribulation start when the rapture occurs; what happens after the Rapture?

For more information about the Rapture please click on the link
http://www.arewelivinginthelastdays.com/article/rapture/rapture.htm

Wiedergeborene Christen und Sünde

(Geschrieben von Ron Graham)
„Wenn wir sagen, dass wir keine Sünde haben, so verführen wir uns selbst, und die Wahrheit ist nicht in uns.“ (1. Johannes 1:8). Jeder der sagt, er habe nicht gesündigt, lebt eine Lüge. In dem obigen Vers müssen wir beachten, dass Johannes auch sich selbst zur Menge der Sünder zählt. Er sagt, „wenn wir sagen, dass wir keine Sünde haben“. Das griechische Wort „ou“ bedeutet „kein“ und ist absolut und sehr nachdrücklich. Es ist als ob der Apostel jemanden gefragt hat, ob er sich für einen Sünder hält, und die Antwort war ein schallendes „NEIN!“.

„So verführen wir uns selbst.“ Auch hier zählt sich Johannes selbst zu der Masse, indem auch er sich selbst in die Irre führen würde, wenn er behaupten würde, er hätte keine Sünde. Wir erkennen einfach nicht die Wahrheit, wenn wir behaupten, dass wir sündlos sind. Johannes spricht in seinen Briefen zu Gläubigen in Christus, also spricht er zu mir und zu Ihnen; als Gläubige werden wir weiter sündigen, bis wir heimgerufen werden. Wenn Ihnen jemand etwas anderes sagt, so sind sie verführt.

„Wenn wir sagen, dass wir nicht gesündigt haben, so machen wir ihn zum Lügner, und sein Wort ist nicht in uns.“ (1. Johannes 1:10). Wieder müssen wir zuerst verstehen, dass Johannes zu den Gläubigen in Christus spricht, und nicht zu den Verlorenen. In diesem Vers sagt uns Johannes, dass wir Jesus Christus zum Lügner machen, wenn wir behaupten, dass wir nicht gesündigt haben. Johannes sagt uns, dass Sein (Gottes) Wort nicht in jemandem sein kann, der sagt, er hätte nie gesündigt, oder auch nicht in jemandem, der behauptet, er sündige nicht mehr, seitdem er gerettet ist. Wieder stellt sich Johannes selbst in die Mitte seiner Aussage, indem er die Worte „wir” und „uns” benutzt. Es bedeutet auch, dass wir nicht Gottes Heiligen Geist in uns haben können, wenn wir behaupten, ein sündloses Leben zu führen, schon immer oder seitdem wir wiedergeboren sind. „Denn aus Gnade seid ihr errettet durch den Glauben, und das nicht aus euch — Gottes Gabe ist es; nicht aus Werken, damit niemand sich rühme.“ (Epheser 2:8-9).

Nirgendwo in der Bibel wird uns gesagt, dass wir aufhören werden zu sündigen, wenn wir gerettet sind. „Meine Kinder, dies schreibe ich euch, damit ihr nicht sündigt! Und wenn jemand sündigt, so haben wir einen Fürsprecher bei dem Vater, Jesus Christus, den Gerechten.“ (1. Johannes 2:1). Sehen Sie, wie widersprüchlich dieser Vers ist, wenn wir die Auslegung der Schrift vernachlässigen? „Meine Kinder” bezieht sich auf wiedergeborene Gläubige, und Johannes möchte, dass wir diesen Punkt genau verstehen. Wenn wir die Worte „damit ihr nicht sündigt” mit dem vorangegangenen Vers vergleichen, sehen wir, dass Johannes nicht das Sündigen gutheisst. Er sagt einfach, dass wir uns von der gewohnheitsmässigen Sünde abwenden sollen. Mit anderen Worten: Unser Leben soll nicht mehr ein einziges Fest der Sünde sein ohne einen Gedanken an die Folgen. Wenn das der Fall sein sollte, hat man die Erlösung verpasst.

Benny Hinn: A Catholic Mystic (Blasphemy Series)

(Written by Joseph Chambers)
The world of Benny Hinn is a strange and mystical world. He fits perfectly into the category of a Charismatic Catholic priest, dispensing theological bondage and unbiblical superstition. A noted ministry described a past Benny Hinn three (3) hour video which presented him “as a ‘twentieth century’ ‘Holy of Holies’, a ‘point of contact’ for the power and anointing of God, much as Roman Catholic priests were presented during medieval times.” (The Confusing World of Benny Hinn, p. 79.) They also suggested that he is becoming a kind of “Charismatic Pope.”

There are a host of problems in the Benny Hinn world, but nothing is more dangerous than his Catholic style and theology. Kathryn Kuhlman was clearly the first public Charismatic to merge Catholic ideas and support with her Charismatic operation. Benny Hinn considers himself a benefactor and model of the Kuhlman mystic. Oral Roberts said on the three hour Hinn video, “I saw Kathryn Kuhlman as unparalleled”, implying that Hinn is greater than Kuhlman. Roberts then spoke of himself as having God’s power … in his right hand, but said of Hinn, his anointing “fills the building … a greater level has come.”

Benny Hinn And Catholic Confusion: There is not an organization on the face of this earth that is more thoroughly demonic than Catholicism. It is riddled with heathen teachings and doctrines of devils. Yet, Hinn proudly stated, “My upbringing, of course, was Catholic in that I attended the Catholic school in Jaffa, Israel. And so my mentality basically is a Catholic mentality. When I was born again, I was Catholic in my ways. I was very Catholic in my ideas, in my behavior.” (Christianity Today, Sept. 3, 1991.) Indeed, the mysticism that accompanies Hinn’s ministry, and according to his own words, has done so since the first time he spoke publicly is in the very style of a medieval mystic.

Benny Hinn personally told two reporters from the Toronto Globe And Mail about his first speaking engagement. This supposedly occurred on December 7, 1974, at the Trinity Pentecostal Church in Oshawa. His words were, “I held up my hands to pray and the 100 people present fell on the floor. That’s when I became aware of my tremendous power.” These kinds of phenomenon happen frequently in mystical religions, occultic ceremonies and with religious gurus, but are absolutely absent in Holy Scripture. The only time in the Bible that a person fell on the floor was when God Himself was manifested or an angel appeared to that individual.

Paul, Timothy, And The End Times

(Written by Jack Kelley)
Paul's letters to Timothy are the instructions from a mentor to a young pastor, one of the first ever, and contain advice on what to do and how to do it, as well as what not to do. It's the kind of thing you'd expect given the relationship.

But for no apparent reason Paul tucked several warnings about the end times into various places in his instructions. These are things Paul knew Timothy wouldn't have to deal with because he clearly described them as characteristics of the Latter Days. We'll take them each in turn.

1 Timothy 4:1-2
The Spirit clearly says that in later times some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons. Such teachings come through hypocritical liars, whose consciences have been seared as with a hot iron.

When I read this one I always think of certain televangelists who espouse a perversion of the prosperity gospel. They know what they're teaching is a compilation of half truths and outright lies, so in effect they're twisting God's word to steal from their followers. And without the least bit of shame they enjoy the lifestyles of the rich and famous at the expense of their contributors who, according to some reports, come primarily from the bottom 25% of the economic scale.

Taking advantage of their followers' lack of Bible knowledge and their misguided desire for a more abundant life , these predators foist one get rich quick scheme after another on their desperate flocks, bilking them out of the few discretionary dollars they have and leaving them worse off in the bargain. And they do it in the name of God. It makes you wonder what He'll say to them come judgment time.

But the prosperity teachers aren't the only ones in this category. There are others who teach things they know are contrary to what the Bible says. Some of these things come under the heading of conditional salvation, grace plus works, partial rapture, and other false teaching that can steal the joy of your salvation and rob you of your certainty. Their objective is to imprison you within boundaries of rules they themselves can't follow. Read Colossians 2:8-23 for Paul's opinion on these modern day legalists.

Then there are those who either treat the prophecies of our time as if they were all accomplished in history, or as if they're never going to be accomplished because they're all allegorical. These teachers also know what they're saying can't be reconciled with Scripture, but they ask you to believe it anyway, trusting in their superior intellect or advanced education instead of your own common sense. They take passages that can be clearly understood just as they're written by anyone with an average intellect and make them hopelessly confusing by violating the rules of context, re-defining terms, and making that which is real into something symbolic.

Different Religions, which one is correct?

(from gotquestions.org)
There is no doubt that the number of different religions in the world makes it a challenge to know which one is correct. First, let’s consider some thoughts on the overall subject and then look at how one might approach the topic in a manner that can actually get to a right conclusion about God. The challenge of different answers to a particular issue is not unique to the topic of religion. For example, you can sit 100 math students down, give them a complex problem to solve, and it is likely that many will get the answer wrong. But does this mean that a correct answer does not exist? Not at all. Those who get the answer wrong simply need to be shown their error and know the techniques necessary to arrive at the correct answer.

How do we arrive at the truth about God? We use a systematic methodology that is designed to separate truth from error by using various tests for truth, with the end result being a set of right conclusions. Can you imagine the end results a scientist would arrive at if he went into the lab and just started mixing things together with no rhyme or reason? Or if a physician just started treating a patient with random medicines in the hope of making him well? Neither the scientist nor the physician takes this approach; instead, they use systematic methods that are methodical, logical, evidential, and proven to yield the right end result.

This being the case, why think theology—the study of God—should be any different? Why believe it can be approached in a haphazard and undisciplined way and still yield right conclusions? Unfortunately, this is the approach many take, and this is one of the reasons why so many religions exist. That said, we now return to the question of how to reach truthful conclusions about God. What systematic approach should be used? First, we need to establish a framework for testing various truth claims, and then we need a roadmap to follow to reach a right conclusion. Here is a good framework to use:

1. Logical consistency—the claims of a belief system must logically cohere to each other and not contradict in any way. As an example, the end goal of Buddhism is to rid oneself of all desires. Yet, one must have a desire to rid oneself of all desires, which is a contradictory and illogical principle.

2. Empirical adequacy—is there evidence to support the belief system (whether the evidence is rational, externally evidential, etc.)? Naturally, it is only right to want proof for important claims being made so the assertions can be verified. For example, Mormons teach that Jesus lived in North America. Yet there is absolutely no proof, archaeological or otherwise, to support such a claim.

3. Existential relevancy—the belief system must conform to reality as we know it, and it must make a meaningful difference in the life of the adherent. Deism, for example, claims that God just threw the spinning world into the universe and does not interact with those who live on it. How does such a belief impact someone in a day-to-day manner? In short, it does not.

The Rapture And The Second Coming

(Written by Daymond Duck)
At the Rapture, Jesus will remain in the air or clouds (I Thess. 4:17).
At the Second Coming, Jesus will come down to the earth and stand on the Mount of Olives (Zech. 14:4, 9; Matt. 25:31-32).

At the Rapture, the Church will meet Jesus in the air (I Thess. 4:17).
At the Second Coming, the Church will follow Jesus to the earth (Rev. 19:14).

At the Rapture, the Church will go up to meet Jesus (I Thess. 4:17).
At the Second Coming, the Church will come down with Jesus (Rev. 19:14).

At the Rapture, the Church will leave the earth (I Thess. 4:17).
At the Second Coming, the Church will come back to the earth (Zech. 14:4; Rev. 19:14).

At the Rapture, Satan will be very active on earth (Rev. 12:12; 13:2).
At the Second Coming, Satan will be bound and chained and cast into the Bottomless Pit (Rev. 20:1-3).

At the Rapture, peace will be removed from the earth (Rev. 6:3-4).
At the Second Coming, peace will be restored on earth (Isa. 9:6).

At the Rapture, the Antichrist will appear and go forth conquering and to conquer (II Thess. 2:7-8; Rev. 6:1-2).
At the Second Coming, the Antichrist will be seized and cast into the Lake of Fire (Rev. 19:20).

The Rapture and Tribulation Period will come like a thief in the night to unbelievers (I Thess. 5:2-4).
At the Second Coming, every eye will see Him (Rev. 1:7; Luke 21:27).

At the Rapture, the Church will be removed from the earth (I Thess. 4:17).
At the Second Coming, the Lost will be removed from the earth (Matt. 13:36-43; 47-51).

The Rapture will before the Marriage of the Lamb (Rev. 19:7-10).
The Second Coming will be after the Marriage of the Lamb (Rev. 19:11-15).

At the Rapture, Jesus will come to receive His Church (John 14:1-3; I Thess. 4:13-18)
At the Second Coming, Jesus will come with His Church (I Thess. 3:13; Rev. 19:14).

There are no signs of the Rapture (Matt. 24:36).
There are many signs of the Second Coming (2520 days after covenant is signed, 1260 days after Antichrist defiles the Temple, after the Mark, after the Battle of Armageddon, etc.

The Rapture will take place in the twinkling of an eye (I Cor. 15:52).
At the Second Coming, Jesus will remain to reign on earth (Isa. 9:6; Jer. 23:5-6; Zech. 14:9; Hos. 3:4-5; Matt. 6:9-13).

At the Rapture, Israel’s enemies will try to destroy Israel (Dan. 12:1; Matt. 24:16; Rev. 12:13-17).
At the Second Coming, Jesus will destroy Israel’s enemies (Rev. 19:17-21).