Tag Archives: Church

March 12, 2026 · 9:16 am

Should We Listen to Prophecy? (Part 2)

Let’s break down the process of speaking a prophecy from my experience, okay?

When I prophesy, I first feel a nudge in my inner man from the Holy Spirit to speak something. Along with my nudge or inner witness, I usually have the opening words, which may be something like, “I believe the Lord wants to speak to us…” As I speak the opening words, a few more words are given to me by the Holy Spirit and then more words gush through me as I speak, until I finish.

There are a few inner things happening in me while I prophesy.

On the one hand, I’m trying to listen to the Holy Spirit and speak His words in a similar manner. If He is cheerful, I want to be cheerful. If He is sober, I want to speak in the same way. Etc. Etc.

At the same time, I am trying to check my words against scripture because every prophetic word must line up with the Bible and its intent. If my words do not line up, they should be judged as false.

So, I like to think of myself as a computer with a few tabs open while I am prophesying.

Don’t worry!

It’s not as hard as it sounds because the Holy Spirit is doing the heavy work. I am just a vessel allowing Him to work through me. He fully understands my capabilities, my insecurities, my audience and my faith level. He then gives me more than enough grace to handle all of this.

Now, whether or not you prophesy like I do really doesn’t matter because we are all unique individuals. Allow Him to train you to prophesy according to the measure of faith that God has assigned you.

Okay, what about spiritual discernment?

(Continued in Part 3)

Leave a comment

Filed under Christianity, Church, Faith, Gifts of the Spirit, Prophecy, Spiritual gifts

Tagged as , , , ,

March 10, 2026 · 9:50 am

Should We Listen to Prophecy? (Part 1)



A friend sent me an email with a YouTube video link by an evangelist who talked about the New World Order, 6000 FEMA camps in America, pastors pledging allegiance to the New World Order, railroad cars moving Christians to camps and countless other statements

I listened to three or four minutes of the video and turned it off.

Then, I gritted my teeth and listened to the full message. Did I feel any better after listening to the twenty-six minute message? No, absolutely not. It still felt like ice water dripping on my inner spirit.

There is no doubt the evangelist has a prophetic gifting, sincerely loves the Lord and has a little bit of truth mixed into her message. But just because a person talks about dreams, visions, prophetic words, has a few revelations and inserts some scriptures along the way, are we supposed to accept her message as an inspired word of the Lord?

So let two or three prophets speak [those inspired to preach or teach], while the rest pay attention and weigh and discern what is said. (1 Corinthians 14:29 AMP)

It is not just the responsibility of leaders to discern whether prophecies are accurate words of the Lord. We all are called to do this. Why? Because the Holy Spirit dwells in each of us and does not just fall upon prophets, kings and priests as in the Old Testament.

Okay, let’s be honest with ourselves.

Most of our spiritual ears have been dulled by the world around us, by our teachings, by our dependence on leaders, by television and movies and by countless other things. Our spiritual discernment is probably at its lowest level right now.

So, what can we do to sharpen our spiritual discernment?

(Continued in Part 2)

Leave a comment

Filed under Christianity, Gifts of the Spirit, Prophecy

Tagged as , , , ,

March 3, 2026 · 8:04 am

Is Jesus Still Using Believers to Heal the Sick Today? Can He Heal Dementia Suffers Through Us (Part 5)

Peter, James, John and Jesus walked back to the crowd after their transfiguration experience. A father approached Jesus and explained how His disciples could not cast a demon out of his son.

Jesus asked that the boy be brought to Him. He rebuked the demon and it came out of him. He was cured at once.

Later, the disciples asked why they were unsuccessful.

He said to them, “Because of your little faith. For truly, I say to you, if you have faith like a grain of mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move, and nothing will be impossible for you. But this kind never comes out except by prayer and fasting.” (Matthew 17:20-21 ESV)

Faith like a grain of mustard seed.

The mustard seed was the smallest seed in Israel. When germinated and under the proper growing conditions, the seed grew into a mature bush within three months’ time to an average height of seven feet tall.

Therefore, when Jesus used the mustard seed as a metaphor for His teaching here, he was talking about the seed’s one-sided genetic focus (or faith) to be the largest garden plant.

The seed never doubted or waivered in its faith to be all God called it to be. The seed could even lie dormant for over sixty years, but when the conditions were right, it would fulfill its genetic calling by growing into a mature plant.

Although the mustard seed is tiny, mustard-seed faith is not a small amount of faith. It is 100%, put-your-hand-to-the-plow-and-not-look-back, all-in faith. It is the pinnacle of faith and where we need to set our sights.

Prayer.

The word prayer, as used by Jesus, signifies the many different types of prayer, such as supplications, intercessions, thanksgivings, praises, worship and more. But no matter what type we believers use, we must draw near to God and believe He will reward our efforts.

Prayers depend upon our relationship with our Father. We must act little children and rush into His presence, knowing He loves us and desires to answer our prayers.

Fasting.

Fasting is probably the least popular of all of the spiritual disciplines. Starving for Jesus’ sake, right?

But as Paul discovered, God’s power works best in weakness. And the weakness God was referring to is our fleshly nature, especially our desire to eat and drink.

My experience on fasting is that we have to trust that God’s grace is truly sufficient, even when we don’t eat for a period of time.

So, what’s the plan of action for healing dementia?

(Continued in Part 6)

 

Leave a comment

Filed under Christianity, Deliverance, Prayer, Uncategorized

Tagged as , , , ,

February 24, 2026 · 7:23 am

Is Jesus Still Using Believers to Heal the Sick Today? Can He Heal Dementia Sufferers Through Us? (Part 3)

This article came about because of close friends, both around my age. The wife fell and was going through rehab. Next, her husband died of a heart attack. Then, I learned the wife suffered from dementia/Alzheimer’s syndrome.

I messaged a son-in-law to learn how the wife was doing. He messaged back that she was struggling and the stress only exacerbated her dementia. One of the family members stayed with her during the night and part of the day.

I replied that we would continue to pray for her, also leaving a praying hands emoji with my comment.

Would Jesus have just tossed out a general statement like that and left a prayer emoji?

No, absolutely not! Jesus WOULD have healed her. So, what am I doing wrong?

Somehow, I had just accepted dementia as being one of those tough-luck, too-bad-for-you disorders. A disease that I really never gave a second thought about, even though the families of the seven million sufferers in America live with the sad debilitating symptoms on a daily basis…and with no hope of a medical cure.

Neil Cole, in his book, Pray, summed up my attitude on dementia: “We often underestimate Jesus as well. We pray for things that are far less than what He could actually do.”

So, what is dementia?

Dementia involves a decline in the mental abilities you need for daily living. It develops when there’s damage to the parts of your brain involved with learning, memory, decision-making and language.

It’s not a specific disease. It’s a clinical description of a set of symptoms caused by underlying brain diseases. The most common cause is Alzheimer’s disease.

If you have it, you might forget the name of a close friend or loved one. Or you might get lost in the neighborhood where you’ve lived for many years. It isn’t part of normal aging and may shorten a person’s lifespan.

How did Jesus handle sickness?

The news about Him spread throughout all Syria; and they brought to Him all who were ill, those suffering with various diseases and pains, demoniacs, epileptics, paralytics and He healed them. (Matthew 4:24)

Somewhere amongst the above diseases is dementia. So, what does Jesus want us to do?

Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do, he will do also; and greater works than these he will do; because I go to the Father. (John 14:12)

So, how can we possibly heal dementia sufferers?

(Continued in Part 4)

 

Leave a comment

Filed under Christianity, Faith, Healing, Spiritual gifts, spiritual warfare

Tagged as , , , ,

February 20, 2026 · 12:12 pm

Is Jesus Still Using Believers to Heal the Sick Today? Can He Heal Dementia Suffers Through Us? (Part 2)

            Martha then said to Jesus, “Lord, if You had been here, my brother Lazarus would not have died.”(John 11:24 ESV)

“Everyone in the story, including Jesus’ enemies, believed that He could have healed Lazarus if He had arrived sooner. His power to heal was unquestioned, even by His opponents. But they were limiting Jesus’ power. None had the imagination to think about Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead.

“We often underestimate Jesus as well. We pray for things that are far less than what He could actually do. Even those of us with faith and enough experience to know better, still expect lesser things of Jesus than He is capable of doing.)

 Begging. A passage of Scripture that has shaped my life every day for decades occurs twice in the New Testament. In Matthew 9:37-38, Jesus tells us that the harvest is plentiful but the workers are few.

His solution is not a program for leadership development or a teaching curriculum to produce more ministers. No, his solution is far more effective and simple. We are to pray for more workers – but not just pray. The word used is translated in some of our Bibles as “beseech.” What exactly does that mean? It means “to beg as if your life depends on it.”

 We’ve all watched the scene in a drama where the hero is suddenly at the antagonist’s mercy. With a gun barrel inches from the good guy’s forehead, we see a sly grin on the bad guy’s face as he says, “Beg me for your life.”

When Jesus instructs us to beg as if our life depends on it, this is not what is happening. We must realize that He is the Lord of the harvest – it is His field. It is His desire to have a plentiful harvest even more than ours, so He is not wanting us to bend our will to His own. Instead, He is inviting us to want it as badly as He does.

When we beseech Him for this, we are being summoned to His level of concern, not the other way around. We don’t bend God to our own desire; true spirituality is quite the opposite. You can be sure that God will hear and answer this prayer, because it is His idea. It is actually His command for us, and it is His desire much more than ours.

When my children were young and in vulnerable situations, I would beg the Lord to watch over them. When my babies had a high fever and I felt helpless, I would beg for their healing.

(Both of the above excerpts are from PRAY: Finding Ways for Ordinary People to Connect with God by Neil Cole, 2020, Starling Initiatives Publications Series, eBook on Amazon, pages 40, 58, 59)

 I believe that our prayers for Dementia/Alzheimer’s sufferers have underestimated the power of Jesus. We have prayed things for the sufferers that are far less than what Jesus could do for them.

 And begging?

 I believe that we are in a season that we can beseech the Lord for healing for dementia/Alzheimer’s sufferers.

 But to do so, we have to make up our minds to be a part of the Church that hates losing!

  (Continued in Part 3)

           

 

 

2 Comments

Filed under Christianity, Gifts of the Spirit, Prayer, Intercession, Encouragement

Tagged as , , , ,

January 7, 2024 · 4:48 pm

In the recent spiritual and sexual abuse scandals, could the church leaders have avoided moral failure by undergoing deliverance? (Part 3)

Judson Cornwall (1924 – 2005) was a noted preacher, pastor and prolific author of over 50 books, some of which are considered classics today.

Cornwall was invited to be the main speaker for a graduation ceremony at Elim Bible Institute in Lima, New York. He concluded his speech by saying, “Let me offer you some advice. Don’t go directly from this ceremony into fulltime ministry or to being a church pastor. Take three or four or five years off. Get a job and work in the market place. Discover the problems normal people struggle with every day. You will learn how to better relate to your congregations and how to help them. And all the while, the Holy Spirit will change you. So, do your congregations a favor, get a job.”

The result of Cornwall’s wise advice was that Elim Bible Institute never invited him to speak again at their college.

*******

Four months after Vice President Mike Pence eulogized Ravi Zacharias as “the greatest apologist of this century,” Zacharias’ reputation began falling apart. Three women who worked at two spas he co-owned in the Atlanta area came forth, alleging sexual harassment and abuse by Zacharias.

Ravi Zacharias International Ministries (RZIM) hired a law firm to investigate Zacharias. Their 12-page report contained findings far worse than anyone could have ever imagined. Two hundred contacts of female massage therapists with photos, some in the nude, were on Zacharias’ cell phones. A trail of misuse of RZIM funds to fund his sexual escapades in the US, India, Thailand and Malaysia was uncovered.

The law firm’s best estimates were that Zacharias’ sexual escapades had happened over the ten-year period leading up to just a few months before his death. 

One woman told the investigators that “after he arranged for his ministry to provide her with financial support, he required sex from her.” She called it rape.

She said Zacharias “made her pray with him to thank God for the ‘opportunity’ they both received” and, as with other victims, “called her his ‘reward’ for living a life of service to God,” the report says. Zacharias warned the woman—a fellow believer—if she ever spoke out against him, she would be responsible for millions of souls lost when his reputation was damaged.

More information can be read here and here.

******

Okay, here’s my supposition and like all opinions, it can be somewhat true or totally false. So, reader beware!

Zacharias was delivered from the kingdom of darkness and translated into the Kingdom of God when he was seventeen years old. He was saved.

But like me, he may still have had some iniquity intertwined with his personality by puppet strings leading to a demon. This demon may have been able to pull on his soul – mind, will and emotions – at various times throughout his life, tempting him toward his inner sexual lusts. His inner lusts may have slowly overcome his spiritual learning and fear of the Lord, until he finally fell into sin. And the sin eventually became full-grown so that he was completely dead to any conviction by the Holy Spirit.

Was Ravi Zacharias ever possessed by the demon? No, but he was heavily deceived.

Maybe if Ravi Zacharias’ path would have crossed with Judson Cornwall, maybe Zacharias would have listened to the wise advice. But this did not happen because Zacharias moved from high school graduation, to emigrating to Canada, to Bible school, to marriage, to studying for his Masters of Divinity and then working in fulltime ministry. He never worked a normal job.

Thus, no friends talked with him after a church service, asking to pray for him so that he could be delivered from the demon.

Why have I mentioned Zacharias not having a normal job? Is this really that important?

Once Zacharias stepped into a pulpit of a traditional church, his gifting elevated him far above the people sitting in the pews before him. The congregation could no longer talk to him on an equal basis.

Can you imagine confronting Ravi Zacharias about his demon and his need for deliverance after a pulpit appearance? I can’t imagine that ending well, can you?

The biggest chasm in the traditional church system is between the pulpit and the pews. Seldom is there a bridge between the two.

I’ve used Ravi Zacharias in my article for a few reasons. One, he is dead; and two, there is so much info available about him.

But I have done some checking on other sexual abuse scandals, almost every pastor and leader has followed Zacharias’ example. Could these scandals have been avoided by deliverance from a demon at an earlier age? Maybe.

The comedian Flip Wilson used to joke, “The devil made me do it!” 

Yet, pastors and leaders can’t use that for an excuse because the man with 2,000 demons ran up to Jesus, bowed down and worshipped Him.

It still all comes down to having humility and a godly character

2 Comments

Filed under Callings, Christianity, Demons, Prophecy, Sin

Tagged as , , , , , ,

January 3, 2024 · 3:12 pm

In the recent spiritual and sexual abuse scandals, could the church leaders have avoided moral failure by undergoing deliverance? (Part 2)

In the early months of 2020, I learned that one of my heroes of the faith, Ravi Zacharias, was suffering from a rare cancer – sarcoma. The article asked for prayers for him because without divine intervention, he was only expected to live a couple of weeks.

I prayed for Zacharias and even tried to negotiate with God. “Lord, I am willing to take Ravi’s sickness in my body so that he can be healed and live to touch millions more people.”

My negotiations and prayers were not heeded because Ravi Zacharias died on May 19, 2020. He was seventy-four years old when he died which was my age also. (I was born in February and he was born in March.)

A few months later, I was shocked to learn that Zacharias was not the man of God I thought he was.

******

Ravi Zacharias was born on March 26, 1946, in Madras, India. He grew up in the Delhi area and was fluent in both English and Hindi.

His parents were Anglican, but he remained a skeptic until a failed suicided attempt landed him in the hospital when he was seventeen years old. A Christian worker brought him a Bible and asked his mother to read John Chapter 14 to Ravi. 

“Because I live, you will live also” were the words that sliced through Ravi’s skepticism. Ravi committed his life to Christ and prayed, “Jesus if you are the One who gives life as it is meant to be, I want it. Please get me out of this hospital bed well, and I promise I will leave no stone unturned in my pursuit of truth.”

Soon after, Ravi and his parents emigrated to Toronto, Canada, where he received his undergraduate degree from Ontario Bible College (now Tyndale University) in 1972. He furthered his education with a Masters of Divinity from Trinity International University and also studied in Cambridge, England, at a Church of England theological school.

Ravi first evangelized U. S. soldiers and Viet Cong prisoners in Vietnam and the Khmer Rouge in Cambodia. Then, he packed his bags and traveled the globe. In August, 1984, he founded Ravi Zacharias International Ministries (RZIM) in Toronto, with his goal to be a “classical evangelist in the arena of the intellectually resistant.” The ministry was later moved to the suburbs of Atlanta, Georgia.

As an apologist for Christianity, Ravi argued that a coherent worldview must be able to satisfactorily answer four questions: that of origin, meaning of life, morality and destiny. He said that while every major religion makes exclusive claims about truth, the Christian faith is unique in its ability to answer all four of these questions.

Ravi wrote more than thirty books and hosted two radio programs, all while traveling the world to fulfill his calling. He touched millions of people through his ministry, including mine.

Vice President Mike Pence called Ravi “the greatest apologist of this century” at his funeral which was watched live by 1.2 million people. Tim Tebow and other luminaries spoke of their admiration for Ravi. Whitehouse spokesman, Kayleigh McEnany, summed up what many felt about Ravi: “He made us feel that we didn’t need to check our brains at the door to be a 
Christian.”

And yet, he had a secret life which exploded onto the public scene only weeks after his death.

(Continued in Part 3)

Leave a comment

Filed under Christianity, Demons, Prayer, Prophecy

Tagged as , , , , , , ,

December 31, 2023 · 10:50 am

In the recent spiritual and sexual abuse scandals, could the church leaders have avoided moral failure by undergoing deliverance?

Have you ever had a demon throw you across a room?

Maybe your first thought was one of deep skepticism at my question, believing this types of demonic activities do not happen in America. Yes, it may occur in Nigeria where witch doctors are prevalent, but certainly not in America, right?

If these activities are in the Bible, they can happen anywhere, even here in America.

They brought the boy to Him. When he saw Him, immediately the spirit threw him into a convulsion, and falling to the ground, he began rolling around and foaming at the mouth. And He asked his father, “How long has this been happening to him?” And he said, “From childhood. It has often thrown him both into the fire and into the water to destroy him. But if you can do anything, take pity on us and help us!” (Mark 9:20-22).

In the early 1990’s, I spent three to four hours each day in prayer, an hour or more per day in Bible study and reading and two days per week fasting. You would think if anyone should have been free of problems with demons, it would have been me, right?

Let’s stop here and settle something: can Christians be demon possessed?

We humans resemble the Trinity in that we are also three-part beings. Our three parts consist of body, soul and spirit. Jesus moves into our spirit at salvation and reigns there forever and ever. He becomes our treasure in earthen vessel and we proclaim, “We’re saved.”

Our souls − mind, will and emotions − have to be renewed to agree with Jesus and His teachings while our bodies −lusts, desires, pleasures, appetites, etc. − have to be brought into subjection, much like slaves. Both our souls and bodies are continuing works, which we struggle with while we live here on earth.

To be demon possessed, a believer’s spirit would have to be inhabited by a demon. This cannot happen because our spirits are sealed by the Holy Spirit until the day of redemption. 

Therefore, Christians cannot be demon possessed, but they can certainly have demon problems with their minds, emotions, wills and bodies.

My particular demonic problem proved to be a deep-rooted one.

We are all born into a fallen world, which is filled with sin and governed by the creator of sin: Satan. Our physical makeup is determined by genetics and statistical probabilities, but our spiritual DNA is always based on one thing: sin.

Keeping steadfast love for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, but who will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children and the children’s children, to the third and fourth generation (Exodus 34:7).

The word iniquity means depravity and always carries within it the hatred of God and His ways.

Iniquity is not a voluntary disobedience to the commands of God, like sin and transgressions, but instead, it is a second nature sin. It is a demonic stronghold within the individual, which may have been passed on through one’s ancestors or the result of continued willful transgressions or the surrender of oneself to an evil ruling principality over a region.

The iniquities of the wicked ensnare him, and he is held fast in the cords of his sin (Proverbs 5:22 ESV).

Ridding a person of iniquity is not as easy as it is for sins or transgressions because it may be intertwined with the person’s personality and attitudes. It requires acceptance of truth, God’s mercy, and the fear of the Lord to set an individual free. This normally depends on a deliverance move by the Spirit of God upon His creation.

My deep-rooted demonic problems were most likely caused by iniquity committed by my parents, grandparents or great grandparents. Do I have any clue about who may have committed it?

My grandmother was born in the mountains of Eastern Tennessee, but unlike my grandfather who was a staunch Southern Baptist, she never opened up to the gospel as a young woman. She instead enjoyed going to palm readers and learning about her future from them. Did she learn this from her parents? I do not know, but palm reading and understanding lifelines on hands are a part of mountain folklore, even today.

There shall not be found among you anyone who…tells fortunes or interprets omens, or a sorcerer…For whoever does these things is an abomination to the Lord… (Deuteronomy 18:10, 12).

The story ends well because my grandmother accepted Jesus as her Savior just days before dying at 81 years of age.

On that particular Sunday, I attended church from 10 a.m. to noon. A married couple approached me before I left.

“Larry, we’d like to pray for you,” said the wife.

“When?” I said.

“Is right now, okay?”

“No, I’m taking my daughter Susan out to lunch.”

“Can we do it later?”

“Sure.”

We agreed on a time for later that afternoon.

I gave no thought as to why the couple wanted to pray for me. We were close friends and these types of things often happened at our small church because many had strong prophetic gifts.

The couple waited for me in the apartment attached to the rear of the church when I arrived. The church’s pastor, her husband and another couple also waited there.

What have I done now? I thought. Oh well, I guess they’ll let me know.

“Do you remember Ellen?” said the wife.

“Yes the intercessor who prays five hours each day.”

“One of the prophetic words you spoke to her was wrong.”

“Oh, I’m sorry to hear that. I’ll ask forgiveness of her.”

“No, that’s okay because your mistake caused her to spend time praying for you. She found some problems with you.”

With those words, I was thrown across the room. Everyone instantly began praying in tongues. The wife and her husband began commanding the demon to let loose of me. I rolled back and forth across the floor, out of control.

What was going through my mind during all this?

I hoped someone had enough spiritual power to set me free from this monster.

It ended after a few minutes. I stood up and hugged everyone.

“Do you feel better?” asked the wife.

“I don’t know…maybe,” I replied.

I noticed a big difference in the following days, which probably was not so obvious to others, but I felt freer in my spirit.

I eventually believed the Lord revealed it was a religious spirit, which had puppet-like strings attached to my soul −mind, will and emotions. The demon could pull on these at certain times, causing problems. The strings were so tightly woven around my personality I did not even notice them.

Here’s my take on this: hang around believers who pray, hear God’s voice, and have spiritual power and anointing. You need strong friends in spiritual warfare.

(Above excerpt from The Hunt for Larry Who by Larry Nevenhoven)

Continued in Part 2

6 Comments

Filed under Christianity, Demons, Gifts of the Spirit, morality, Prayer, Spiritual gifts

Tagged as , , , , , , ,

August 5, 2023 · 11:57 am

When and Where Does the Marriage Supper of the Lamb Take Place?

If you are a Pre-Trib zealot and believe the Church will be raptured just before the Tribulation, then your answer concerning the when and where of the Marriage Supper of the Lamb is really quite simple. It will take place when the Church is raptured and will occur in heaven, continuing for the seven years that the Tribulation is being carried out on earth.

Now, most Pre-Trib enthusiasts believe the seven-year Marriage Supper is modeled after the Jewish wedding celebration where the feasting and partying can last up to seven days or one week. In the End-Times’ case, the celebration will take place in heaven and last for a week of years rather than a week of days – or seven years, right?

Ah, but there are some chinks in the logic here!

Why would the Father overlook the greatest addition of new Jewish believers ever to the Body of Christ, especially since it’s a Jewish wedding celebration?

What Jewish believers will be missing at the Wedding Supper of the Lamb if the Marriage Supper is held in heaven while the Tribulation is carried out on earth?

            1. All of Israel will be saved. (Romans 11.26). This could amount to a few million new Jewish believers.

            2. The one hundred and forty-four thousand sealed martyrs slain during the Tribulation (Revelation 7:4-8)

            3. The two witnesses – possibly Moses and Elijah. (Revelation 11:3)

Plus, in Isaiah 54:1-8 and Isaiah 62:1-5, the Father promises to marry Israel.  If so, does this mean there could be a marriage supper in heaven for the Church and then a marriage supper for Israel on earth?

No, absolutely not!

And also, Jesus, Israel and the Church are interwoven together through –

            1. Jesus is the Head of the Church (Ephesians 5:23), Bridegroom to the Church (Ephesians 5:22-33) and Husband to the bride who is named New Jerusalem (Revelation  21:2). But Jesus is also the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the root of David (Revelation 5:5) and the Son of David. (Matthew 21:9).

            2. The twelve apostles are the foundation of the Church (Ephesians 2:20) and will sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel ((Matthew 19:28) and the twelve apostles will be honored by having their names inscribed on the walls of the holy Jerusalem. (Revelation 21:14)

            3. Jewish believers and Gentile believers are recreated into “one new man,” making peace between the two. (Ephesians 2:15)

            Let us rejoice and be glad and give glory to Him, for the marriage of the Lamb has come and His bride had made herself ready…Blessed are those who are called to the marriage supper of the Lamb. (Revelation 19:7, 9)

I just can’t see the Lord Jesus pouring a huge blessing on the basically Gentile side of the Church, while ignoring the Jewish believers. This is certainly not the way to make peace!

Studying the End-Times helps us understand the period better, but it also opens up new questions for us. But I believe I can make this one statement:

            The marriage supper of the Lamb will not be happening in heaven while the Tribulation is being carried out on earth.

6 Comments

Filed under Christians, Day of the Lord, End-Times, Marriage Supper of the Lamb

Tagged as , , ,

July 30, 2023 · 1:23 pm

Who is Restraining the Antichrist?

There are so many ridiculous End-Time prophecies circulating on the internet that many of our brains are ready to explode. Let’s search Scripture for some answers, okay?

The Apostle Paul wrote;

            Let no one deceive you by any means; for that Day will not come unless the falling away comes first, and the man of sin is revealed, the son on perdition (2 Thessalonians 2:3 NKJV)

Frank Viola states that reading Paul’s epistles is like listening to one side of a phone call, and yes, we miss the other side of the conversation. Thus, we have to assume that Paul was answering questions that had been communicated to him by the various churches.

In Chapter 2, Paul was explaining to the Thessalonian Church that they had not missed the Lord’s return and the Rapture because two events needed to happen first:

            1. The falling away (or apostasy).

            2. The Antichrist is revealed.

Now, if you’re thinking Paul just pulled these two events out of thin air. He hadn’t! He was actually quoting what Jesus said in Matthew 24:

            And at that time, many will fall away and will betray one another and will hate one  another (Matthew 24:10 NASB)

            Therefore, when you see the “abomination of desolation,” which was spoken of through Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place (let the reader understand (Matthew  24:15 NASB)

Have both of these events happened yet? No. Maybe a few preachers and others have fallen away from the faith, but it is not what anyone would refer to as “many.” And as far as the Antichrist’s identity? We have no clue as yet.

So, what’s holding back that Day?

            And do you know what restrains the Antichrist now, so that in his time he will be revealed. For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work; only he who now restrains will do so until he is taken out of the way. Then that lawless one will be revealed… (2 Thessalonians 2:6-8 NASB)

Who is restraining or holding back the Antichrist from appearing right now?

For the answer to this question, let’s look at Jesus’ first coming, okay?

            But when the fullness of time came, God sent forth His Son… (Galatians 4:4)

What determined the fullness of time for Jesus’ first coming? Over 300 Old Testament prophecies had to be fulfilled in Jesus’ birth, life, ministry, death and resurrection. With one of the toughest ones being:

            Therefore, the Lord Himself will give you a sign: “Behold, a virgin will be with child and bear a son, and she will call His name Immanuel (Isaiah 7:14)

Not only did the woman have to be a virgin, but also, her freewill could not be violated. Only a wonderful woman like Mary could fulfill this prophecy:

            And Mary said, “Behold, the bondslave of the Lord; may it be done to me according to your word…” (Luke 1:38)

Then, if you consider all of the prophecies for Jesus’ supporting cast, such as Judah, John the Baptist, Simeon and others, the fullness of time had to be determined by all of the Old Testament’s prophetic words coming to pass in their perfect timing.

Okay, did you realize that there are more prophetic words for Jesus’ second coming than there are for Jesus’ first coming? 

Over 150 chapters in the Bible are devoted to His second coming. That’s more chapters than are in the books of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John combined!

            So, we have the prophetic word made more sure, to which you do well to pay attention as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star arises in your hearts. (2 Peter 1:19 NASB)

            …For the testimony of Jesus is the Spirit of prophecy. (Revelation 19:10 NASB)

Some scholars believe the Church is the one who restrains the Antichrist. Others believe it’s the Holy Spirit. Still others suggest different ideas. 

But I believe it’s all of the prophetic words (or the Word) in the Bible that restrains the Antichrist so that he’s revealed in his time. 

Hey! The prophetic words ushered Jesus into His first coming and I believe this will be true for His second coming, too.

My suggestion is that we study the 150 chapters and know His word so that we are not deceived.

12 Comments

Filed under Antichrist, End-Times, Prophecy

Tagged as , ,