Animal Deaths 2012 - An Endtimes Update

 Hosea 4:3 ...'Therefore shall the land mourn, and every one that dwelleth therein shall languish, with the beasts of the field, and with the fowls of heaven; yea, the fishes of the sea also shall be taken away.'

We are living in bizarre times and I have shared several times on this site that I believe we are living in what the Bible calls the "last days" or the "end of days". When you look at the rapid increase in the incidence of earthquakes, volcanoes, tornadoes and other natural disasters we must admit that we are in a climactic time in human history. The fulfillment of Ezekiel's Gog Magog war seems to shaping up as Iran, Syria and Russia strengthen their alliances and intensify their hatred of Israel. Soon the world will see the hand of God reveal His power and supremacy as He defends tiny Israel in miraculous fashion. The steady march toward a worldwide currency (digital rfid implants) seems certain as sovereign debt crisis in Europe threaten the global economy. But one of the more freakish signs of the times is the mass deaths of animals and fish that is occurring worldwide. If you would like to see an update on this phenomenon go to Animal Deaths 2012. There has never been a time in history when these events have occurred with this frequency and intensity. Jesus said that their would be signs that would indicate His coming is near. He also asked us to "watch" and anticipate His return. We must be prepared for His coming and the most important way that we can prepare is to trust in the shed blood of Christ at Calvary to be the sufficient payment for our sins. Have you done this? Isn't it time you believed on Christ and settled your destiny once and for all? Watch the little 3 minute video in the sidebar and trust Christ today!

What Does Easter Mean?

Hebrews 7:25

Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them.

I John 2:1

 My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous:

I Timothy 2:5

 For [there is] one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus;

We are now entering into what the church calls "Holy Week" and I just wanted to share a few thoughts about the significance and meaning of Easter. As I have already pointed out in my posts on this blog I believe in the physical, literal and visible resurrection of Jesus Christ. I believe the Biblical accounts of hundreds of eye witnesses that saw him after his resurrection from the dead. I believe that the resurrection is the lynch pin of most other important doctrines concerning soterology and Christology. I would like to expound a little on the most important "results" of the resurrection which ultimately lead to answering the question "what does Easter mean?".

First of all, because of the truth of Easter morning we have a Savior who "ever liveth" to make intercession for believers. This is the very foundation of the great Scriptural truth that once a man, woman, boy or girl places their faith in Christ as Savior they are eternally kept safe and secure because of Christ's intercession. This intercession has been on-going for all believers since the day that Jesus walked out of that tomb. Every time that old accuser, Satan, runs to tattle on us the Lord Jesus Christ steps before the throne of the Father and intercedes on our behalf. He points out that He died on the cross and shed His blood to purchase our pardon and the matter is settled immediately. Because He ever lives and ever intercedes I am eternally secure! Those fools who deny the physical resurrection of Jesus by necessity and logic deny the intercession of Jesus and therefore are in great peril and real danger of missing heaven! Regardless of what some hyper-calvinist or wishy washy arminian tries to tell you, believers still sin. The good news is that when we sin we have an intercessor, the Righteous One, who comes to our defense. This is not a license to sin but it is a reason to rejoice. There are so many self righteous religous folks in this world that think they don't need further assistance once they have believed. They are deluded in their thinking. Jeremiah said the heart is desperately wicked and we need a Savior who can keep us "saved". Praise His name!

The second great truth about Easter is that it means that we are not only the object of His intercession but He is uniquely qualified to be our defender because He is our "advocate" according to I John 2:1. The word "advocate" means "one who pleads another's cause before a judge". The word is found only once in the entire Bible and it is a legal term. I think the best way to describe an advocate is by calling him our defense attorney. Jesus is the greatest defense attorney who ever lived and because He "ever lives" He will continue to defend us for all eternity! I might add this thought, He has never lost a case!

Finally, Easter means that we have a "mediator". The word "mediator" refers to one who intervenes on our behalf to restore peace. The Apostle Paul says there is only one mediator in all the world who can restore peace between God the Father and sinful human beings and that is Jesus Christ. 

Easter means that because Jesus lives He keeps us saved and forgiven by his intercession, advocacy and mediation. As this Easter Sunday approaches I plan to do a lot of thanksgiving for all that Christ has done for me. The good news is that He can do the same for you. Watch the little 3 minute video in the sidebar and trust Christ as Savior today and you'll discover what all the Easter excitement is about!

In Christ, Everyday Is Forgiveness Day!

The Russian Orthodox Church observed a tradition on February 26th called "Forgiveness Sunday". On this special day the church members ask forgiveness of all their family and friends and let go of any grudges that they may be harboring toward others. This tradition originated in the first century church and is a way for the Orthodox believers to prepare themselves for the season of Lent.
I'm not really too knowledgeable about the Orthodox church but anytime forgiveness is taking place it's probably a good thing. I also reflected a bit on the whole notion of a day of forgiveness. It sounds a bit lacking doesn't it? Just a "day" of forgiveness, that's kind of how man goes about eternally important issues isn't it? I'm sure they have good intentions but somehow it just seems anemic. It made me think about God the Father's method of securing our forgiveness. He sent His only Son to die on the cross in our stead, in our place. He laid on Christ the iniquity (sin) of us all. Jesus carried the sins of the whole world, He bled, He died and He physically rose from the dead so that you and I could be justified, forgiven and pardoned. When Jesus died on that cross over 2000 years ago it wasn't just a day of forgiveness it was the portal to total and continuous forgiveness. The Bible tells us clearly that He forgave all our sins and He forgives all our sins all the time. Now that is important because even though we become Christians when we believe on the Lord Jesus Christ we still possess a heart that is, as Jeremiah described it, desperately wicked. Now Christ took all that into consideration when He died for us and He provides for us a "sea of forgiveness", we are swimming in a sea of forgiveness! I love what the writer of Hebrews said about Jesus saving and forgiving power...

Hebrews 7:25
Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them.

He saves and forgives us to the "uttermost". The word means completely, perfectly and utterly. He forgives completely and He ever lives to make intercession for us! It's not just a day of forgiveness it is a state of forgiveness. This forgiveness is received by simply resting and relying in the work of Christ on the cross! Watch the little 3 minute video in the sidebar, come to Christ right now, be forgiven!