James Sanderson

        Abraham's nephew, Lot, dwelt in Sodom, an ancient city in a fertile plain of the Jordan valley. The Word of God states that this area was “well watered everywhere...even as the garden of the Lord” (Gen13:10). Lot held a position of prestige or prominence as an elder, in the city of Sodom because he “sat in the gate of Sodom” (Gen. 19:1). In spite of the breathtaking beauty and the lush fields in this region, the Bible records, “But the men of Sodom were wicked and sinners before the Lord exceedingly” (Gen. 13:13). Because the outcry of the sin of Sodom and Gomorrah was “very grievous” (Gen 18:20), the Lord decided to investigate the conditions that prevailed there. The Apostle Peter writes that Lot “was distressed by the filthy lives of lawless men (for that righteous man, living among them day after day, was tormented in his righteous soul by the lawless deeds he saw and heard)” (2 Peter 2:7-8, NIV). The Lord then sent two angels with divine orders to lead Lot and his family out of Sodom and, to destroy the city along with that whole region (Gen 19:1, 13). “Then the Lord rained upon Sodom and upon Gomorrah brimstone and fire from the Lord out of heaven; And he overthrew those cities, and all the plain, and all the inhabitants of the cities, and that which grew upon the ground” (Gen. 19:24-25). The Bible tells us that from that time on Sodom and Gomorrah became a “perpetual desolation” (Zeph. 2:9). God's judgment of Sodom and Gomorrah has remained in recorded history as a solemn warning to all future generations.

Sodom Today

        The Sodom of Lot's day no longer exists. It has been rightfully relegated to the annals of history. Nevertheless, modern-day Sodom is very much alive. Our Lord Jesus Christ revealed prophetically a clear parallel between the conditions that prevailed in the ancient cities of Sodom and Gomorrah and those that would prevail in the day of His appearing. “Likewise also as it was in the days of Lot, they did eat, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they builded; but the same day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven, and destroyed them all. Even thus shall it be when the Son of man is revealed” (Luke 17:28-30). God's people may not know the day nor the hour in which our Lord will return; however, the Word of God reveals a number of signposts that indicate that that time is close at hand. One of those signs is the alarming increase in sexual perversion and promiscuity similar to what prevailed in Sodom and Gomorrah and its wide-spread acceptance as normal in our society today. Jude reiterated the message that our Lord gave in the Gospel of Luke, “In a similar way, Sodom and Gomorrah and the surrounding towns gave themselves up to sexual immorality and perversion. They serve as an example of those who suffer the punishment of eternal fire” (Jude 7, NIV). Ezekiel labeled the sins of Sodom an “abomination” (Ezek.. 16:50). Today's society calls it an alternate lifestyle.

        Who would have ever thought that much of the western world would condone the marriage of two men or two women? This ungodly decision was an affront to the Great God of heaven Who Himself instituted marriage in the Garden of Eden. “And the Lord God said, It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him” (Gen. 2:18). After creating woman from the man's rib, the Lord stated, “Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh” (Gen. 2:24). When man alters or perverts this institution, it is no longer marriage in God's eyes. Cain and Abel each brought sacrifices to God. God only accepted Abel's sacrifice because Cain's sacrifice did not conform to God's will. God only accepts those marriages that conform to His design. Jesus Himself, in a pointed discussion with some Pharisees, reinforced these words, “Have ye not read, that he which made them at the beginning made them male and female, And said, For this cause shall a man leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife; and they twain shall be one flesh?” (Matt. 19:4-5).

        Some have posed the idea that this behavior is inborn, in other words, genetic. A “massive study finds no single genetic cause of same-sex sexual behavior.”. This “new study claims to dispel the notion that a single gene or handful of genes make a person prone to same-sex behavior.” (Scientific American, 8/29/ 2019). Nearly half a million men and women were involved with this study.

        Statistics speaks volumes. In 1996, when Gallup conducted a poll, only 27% of Americans supported same-sex marriage. By 2011, that statistic reached a majority. Today, a record high of 70% of the population support same-sex marriage (June 8, 2021, Gallup). These statistics are alarming; but what is much more alarming is the fact that many who claim to be Christians and attend Christian churches approve of homosexual relationships. “A majority of US Christians (54%) now say that homosexuality should be accepted, rather than discouraged by society”. This statistic is up 10% from a previous similar study in 2007 (Pew Research Center, Dec. 18, 2015). Just recently the Lutheran church elected the first transgender bishop (AP, May 10, 2021). It is quite thought provoking what Justice Alito, a dissenting justice to the ruling authorizing same-sex marriage, wrote, after that Supreme Court decision. “At present, no one – including social scientists, philosophers, and historians – can predict with any certainty what the long-term ramifications of widespread acceptance of same-sex marriage will be.”

        Unfortunately, many Christians are following in the footsteps of ancient Israel by renouncing God's righteousness and assimilating the views and behaviors of the surrounding culture. The Apostle Paul, recognizing the evil inclinations of the human heart, wrote to Timothy, “For the time will come that they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables”(2 Tim 4:3-4). That time mentioned in this portion of Scripture has arrived.

        Take note that Paul states, “They shall turn away their ears from the truth.” This group of believers no longer has any interest in truth. They have their own agenda. Paul continues this theme in his letter to the Romans, “Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves: who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen ... And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient” (Rom. 1:24-25, 28 writer's emphasis). They took God's truth and twisted it into a lie to satisfy their own lust. What is the lie that they perpetrate? The idea that their definition of family, love, and intimacy is just as good as or better than God's. The idea that their way of life is acceptable.

The Scourge of Gay Pride

        The LGBTQ community is not a live-and-let-live group. They will do whatever it takes to gain complete acceptance for their way of life by society at large. June has been designated as gay pride month to commemorate the impact that LGBTQ people have had on society at large. Schools, governments, corporations, and even many churches hold events in support of gay rights. Hollywood and the media with their gay pride celebrations attempt to put a positive spin on the homosexual lifestyle which is nothing more than a form of sexual promiscuity which the word of God strongly condemns. The Christian Post reports that “a Scottish teachers' union is promoting a play depicting Jesus Christ as a transgender in celebration of Pride Month. Supporters insist on going forward” even though there has been a number of protests against it. (The Christian Post, June 9, 2021). Politicians, especially, make sure they are seen waving rainbow flags and attending one of the many pride parades. These parades most often have a Mardi Gras atmosphere with much debauchery and hedonistic behavior.

        A recent USA Today article stated, “Society is changing”: A record 5.6% of US adults identify as LGBTQ, poll shows. And young people are driving the numbers. (USA Today, 2/24/2021) The statistics are from a recent Gallup poll. That number is somewhere in the vicinity of 18 Million people. In 2017, the number was 4.5%. In another interesting note, Amazon, using its massive powers, has recently banned the sale of books that frame transgenderism as a mental illness (WSJ, Mar. 12, 2021). If Jesus referred to those who lived in His day as an “adulterous and sinful generation” (Mark 8:38), what would be His evaluation of this generation?

What Is Their Agenda?

        A tug-of-war, of sorts, is now being waged in the political realm between those who support biblical values and those bent on coercing everyone to completely comply with the gay agenda. The recent Supreme Court decision allowing Catholic Charities to live by their faith by refusing to place children for foster care or adoption to same-sex couples is a prime example. There have been many such cases in recent years. Christians have had to plod relentlessly through many layers of our judicial system simply to maintain the right to live out their faith in the public realm. The erosion of biblical morality in our increasingly secular society throughout the past number of decades has produced a society that is hostile to the Christian faith. As a country we have paid a heavy price because of this country's rejection of God and His divine absolutes. We will continue to witness the unraveling of the social fabric and the demise of our way of life as long as this trend continues.

        Here are four areas in which the powers of darkness are working overtime to cripple the cause of Christ . (1)Undermining the relevance of the Word of God. (2)Marginalizing those who uphold biblical morality. (3)Recast Christian evangelism as intolerant and bigoted. (4) Influence the church to replace its biblical worldview with a secular worldview. The Christian faith is in the cross hairs of the forces of darkness. The enemy has distorted the meaning of words like tolerance, inclusive, and diversity to accomplish their goals.

        The federal government is on the cusp of passing the most sweeping act supporting LGBTQ rights. It passed the House on 2/25/2021. It is presently stalled in the Senate. Religious groups have opposed it due to its infringement on religious freedom. “This bill has no protections for religious freedom” (Church Law Center, April 20, 2021). “The Equality Act would become the first major piece of legislation in the history of the USA to exclude protection for religious freedom” (Christianity Today, 3/22/ 2021). “The proposed Equality Act (H.R. 5) would make mainstream belief about marriage, biological facts about sex differences, and many sincerely held beliefs punishable under the law. The Equality Act makes discrimination the law of the land by forcing Americans to conform to government-mandated beliefs under the threat of life-ruining financial and criminal penalties ... It would give government the power to dictate how Americans think and act regarding gender and sex” (The Heritage Foundation, 2/24/ 2021). This information has been provided in order to alert the people of God. God's people must awaken to the urgency of the time in which we live. The Lord is looking for those who will “cry and sigh for all the abominations that be done in the midst thereof” (Ezek. 9:4).

Corrie Ten Boom

        The world is deathly ill. It is dying. The Great Physician has already signed the death certificate. Yet, there is still a great work for Christians to do. They are to be streams of living water, channels of mercy to those who are still in the world. It is possible for them to do this because they are overcomers.

        Christians are ambassadors for Christ. They are representatives from Heaven to this dying world. And because of our presence here, things will change.

        My sister, Betsy, and I were in the Nazi concentration camp at Ravensbruck because we committed the crime of loving Jews. Seven hundred of us from Holland, France, Russia, Poland and Belgium were herded into a room built for two hundred. As far as I knew, Betsy and I were the only two representatives of Heaven in that room.

        We may have been the Lord's only representatives in that place of hatred, yet because of our presence there, things changed. Jesus said, "In the world you shall have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world." We, too, are to be overcomers – bringing the light of Jesus into a world filled with darkness and hate.

        Sometimes I get frightened as I read the Bible, and as I look in this world and see all of the tribulation and persecution promised by the Bible coming true. Now I can tell you, though, if you too are afraid, that I have just read the last pages. I can now come to shouting "Hallelujah! Hallelujah!" for I have found where it is written that Jesus said, "He that overcometh shall inherit all things: and I will be His God, and he shall be My son." This is the future and hope of this world. Not that the world will survive – but that we shall be overcomers in the midst of a dying world.

        Betsy and I, in the concentration camp, prayed that God would heal Betsy who was so weak and sick. "Yes, the Lord will heal me," Betsy said with confidence. She died the next day and I could not understand it. They laid her thin body on the concrete floor along with all the other corpses of the women who died that day.

        It was hard for me to understand, to believe that God had a purpose for all that. Yet because of Betsy's death, today I am traveling all over the world telling people about Jesus.

        There are some among us teaching there will be no tribulation, that the Christians will be able to escape all this. These are the false teachers that Jesus was warning us to expect in the latter days. Most of them have little knowledge of what is already going on across the world. I have been in countries where the saints are already suffering terrible persecution. In China, the Christians were told, "Don't worry, before the tribulation comes you will be translated – raptured." Then came a terrible persecution. Millions of Christians were tortured to death. Later I heard a Bishop from China say, sadly, "We have failed. We should have made the people strong for persecution rather than telling them Jesus would come first. Tell the people how to be strong in times of persecution, how to stand when the tribulation comes – to stand and not faint."

        I feel I have a divine mandate to go and tell the people of this world that it is possible to be strong in the Lord Jesus Christ. We are in training for the tribulation, but more than sixty percent of the Body of Christ across the world has already entered into the tribulation. There is no way to escape it. We are next.

        Since I have already gone through prison for Jesus' sake, and since I met the Bishop in China, now every time I read a good Bible text I think, "Hey, I can use that in the time of tribulation." Then I write it down and learn it by heart.

        When I was in the concentration camp, a camp where only twenty percent of the women came out alive, we tried to cheer each other up by saying, "Nothing could be any worse than today." But we would find the next day was even worse. During this time a Bible verse that I had committed to memory gave me great hope and joy. "If ye be reproached for the name of Christ, happy are ye; for the spirit of glory and of God resteth upon you; on their part evil is spoken of, but on your part He is glorified" (I Peter 3:14). I found myself saying, "Hallelujah! Because I am suffering, Jesus is glorified!"

        In America, the churches sing, "Let the congregation escape tribulation," but in China and Africa the tribulation has already arrived. This last year alone more than two hundred thousand Christians were martyred in Africa. Now things like that never get into the newspapers because they cause bad political relations. But I know. I have been there. We need to think about that when we sit down in our nice houses with our nice clothes to eat our steak dinners. Many, many members of the Body of Christ are being tortured to death at this very moment, yet we continue right on as though we are all going to escape the tribulation.

        Several years ago. I was in Africa in a nation where a new government had come into power. The first night I was there some of the Christians were commanded to come to the police station to register. When they arrived they were arrested, and that same night they were executed. The next day, the same thing happened with other Christians. The third day, it was the same. All the Christians in the district were being systematically murdered.

        The fourth day, I was to speak in a little church. The people came, but they were filled with fear and tension. All during the service they were looking at each other, their eyes asking, "Will this one I am sitting beside be the next one killed? Will I be the next one?"

        The room was hot and stuffy with insects that came through the screenless windows and swirled around the naked bulbs over the bare wooden benches. I told them a story out of my childhood.

        "When I was a little girl, "I said, "I went to my father and said, "Daddy, I am afraid that I will never be strong enough to be a martyr for Jesus Christ." "Tell me," said Father, "When you take a train trip to Amsterdam, when do I give you the money for the ticket? Three weeks before?" "No, Daddy, you give me the money for the ticket just before we get on the train." "That is right," my father said, "and so it is with God's strength. Our Father in Heaven knows when you will need the strength to be a martyr for Jesus Christ. He will supply all you need – just in time..."

        My African friends were nodding and smiling. Suddenly, a spirit of joy descended upon that church and the people began singing, "In the sweet by and by, we shall meet on that beautiful shore." Later that week, half the congregation of that church was executed. I heard later that the other half was killed some months ago.

        But I must tell you something. I was so happy that the Lord used me to encourage these people, for unlike many of their leaders, I had the word of God. I had been to the Bible and discovered that Jesus said He had not only overcome the world, but to all those who remained faithful to the end, He would give a crown of life.

        How can we get ready for the persecution? First, we need to feed on the word of God, digest it, make it a part of our being. This will mean disciplined Bible study each day as we not only memorize long passages of scripture, but put the principles to work in our lives.

        Next, we need to develop a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. Not just the Jesus of yesterday, the Jesus of History, but the life-changing Jesus of today who is still alive and sitting at the right hand of God.

        We must be filled with the Holy Spirit. This is no optional command of the Bible; it is absolutely necessary. Those earthly disciples could never have stood up under the persecution of the Jews and Romans had they not waited for Pentecost. Each of us needs our own personal Pentecost, the baptism of the Holy Spirit. We will never be able to stand in the tribulation without it.

        In the coming persecution we must be ready to help each other and encourage each other. But we must not wait until the tribulation comes before starting. The fruit of the Spirit should be the dominant force of every Christian's life.

        Many are fearful of the coming tribulation; they want to run. I, too, am a little bit afraid when I think that after all my eighty years, including the horrible Nazi concentration camp, that I might have to go through the tribulation, also. But then I read the Bible and I am glad.

        When I am weak, then I shall be strong, the Bible says. Betsy and I were prisoners for the Lord; we were so weak, but we got power because the Holy Spirit was on us. That mighty inner strengthening of the Holy Spirit helped us through. No, you will not be strong in yourself when the tribulation comes. Rather, you will be strong in the power of Him who will not forsake you. For seventy-six years I have known the Lord Jesus and not once has He ever left me, or let me down. Though He slay me, yet will I trust Him, for I know that to all who overcome, He shall give the crown of life. Hallelujah!

-Corrie Ten Boom, 1974.

Harry Miller

        Types and shadows are never to be used as foundation for doctrine. The plain words of Jesus Christ and the apostles are man’s only safe foundation. These can be likened unto the rugged piers and underpinning of a great building; they form the basic structure. However, in every building man can find certain things that are there for ornament, service and comfort. So, also, in the Scriptures we find many “examples” and “lessons” which give us great courage, strength and comfort; yet they cannot be used for doctrinal proof.

        The life of Samson is a marvelous example of the teaching of Old Testament “shadows.” (See: Judges, chapters 14, 15 and 16). In many ways, Samson can be likened unto the Christian of today. The power of God was with him, but he was lured by the glamour of the Philistines, and he began to compromise. His final downfall was brought about by the treachery of Delilah, a daughter of the Philistines, who completely bewitched him and robbed him of his power with God. In his heart he had known she was not to be trusted, but the infatuation was more than his character could withstand – Samson put all of his trust in this woman. It did not take long for the enemy to rob him of the glory of which his hair was a sign.

        When man’s glory is gone, God has departed from him. Samson’s strength was gone. He became a prisoner in the land of the enemy, where they bored out his eyes and made him grind in the prison house.

        There are many in this latter day who, under guise of religion, claim to be friends of God’s sons, but in reality are betraying them to the enemy. Soon, all of their glory will be cut off and they will be helpless in the hands of these “Philistines.” Already some have been blinded to the truths of God. Consider the multitudes who “grind in the prison house” of present-day economic life. “The cares of this world” have swallowed up many good men and women.

        The latter end of Samson’s life evokes the question of whether these blind folks of the present day may not gain enough strength from the Lord to pull down the great “temple” of apostate Christianity. Babylon is to come down suddenly, and in one day. Hell is certainly “making sport” of the many fallen professors of Christianity. The spectacle of former sons of God going blindly around and around as they grind in Satan’s present-day world system must be an astonishing display to the angels of heaven. “He whom the son hath set free” is not free, he is a slave to creeds, greeds, passions, and world desires. This is a black picture. Let us turn back to Samson’s early life, when he had that “first love” of God within.

        Samson was on the road to Timnath (Timnath means possession.) (Judges 14:5). Like every man of God, he had a goal, there was progress, he was moving forward toward “the mark.” The road to Timnath is not a hard road to travel, but there are some things along the way that might stop the man who fears.

        Many people talk as though it is hard to serve the Lord, and they often speak of the great mountains up which they must struggle, but such things are mere inventions of the imagination. Hell will produce many mirages of difficulty in an attempt to stop the man of God. But he that sets his face toward the heavenly goal will not find it hard if he is fully surrendered to the Lord. Oh, it is true that the devil will try again and again to stop him, and he will often hear the roar of the lion; but let him fear not, for God is with him.

        Yes, the lion roared at Samson. A “young lion.” One full of fight, which came tearing at him with a great roaring sound. It is at such times that the faint-hearted will turn and run, but there is nothing to be gained by running. You will meet that same lion again – he must be dealt with. Take hold in faith as Samson did, for he stood his ground, and as long as he remained in covenant relationship with his Lord, he had a right to the throne of grace for help in time of need.

        It was then that the Spirit of the Lord come upon Samson. With great power he rent the lion “as he would have rent a kid.” So many attacks of the devil are nothing but a great noise. Often in the darkness of the night of adversity he will roar out of the shadows of gloom and attempt to cause us to faint. But even the king of the “uncircumcised Philistines” is not able to stand up against any child of God who knows that the enemy dare not “defy the armies of the Living God.”

        “If God be for us, who can be against us?” (Rom.8:31). And as long as “all things work together for good to them…who are the called according to his purpose” (Rom.8:28), why should we let our hearts grow faint at the mere roar of the lion?

        Samson met his lion and slew him. Put to death the deeds of the old natural man; throw the old carcass back into the brush. There, under the bleaching rays of God’s sun, the flesh slowly disappears. The death of the carnal nature is not pleasant. Paul said, “O wretched man that I am! Who shall deliver me from the body of this death?” (Rom. 7:24). But we must learn patience. By and by the sun, the wind, and the clean rain will wash away every trace of flesh. All that is left will be the bleached white skeleton – just a frame to remind us that once a lion met us there.

        Every Christian has his markers along the way that leads to life everlasting.

        But that was not the end of Samson’s lion, for after all corruption was gone and the cleansing process ended, then it was that the honey bees came. And inside that bleak old frame they began to build. First, empty wax cells were formed, and then, day by day, their sweetness was stored away.

        Many days later Samson, again on his way to Timnath, was reminded of his encounter with the lion, so he turned aside to look. And, behold, not a rotting carcass any more, but instead, he found honey. He plunged his hands into the comb and with secret pleasure he tasted. It was delicious. He took more; then he came forth and gave to his parents, and they did eat; but he told them not from whence it came.

        Have you ever seen a gray-haired Christian with an unusually sweet disposition – kindness and patience seeming actually to permeate his very being? You may have wished that you could be like that, but you say “some people just seem to be born that way.” No, my friends, people who have real deep Christian character are not just born that way. THEY BECOME THAT WAY. These are people who have followed their Lord on the path that leadeth to life everlasting. These people have a sweetness of character that is worked out the hard way. These are folks who have met their lions and have not run away, but by the power of the Most High they have overcome the enemy, and have lived to give their Lord the glory.

Alfred King

        When we consider the accomplishments of the cross, we must not only look at those blessed realities we experience today, but also on that which is yet to be fulfilled within, among, and through His church, the bride of Christ. Sadly, too many Christians catch a very limited view of all the wonders of the cross of Jesus Christ. I am certain that no one can, in this life, behold all the glories and victories that became excitingly and marvelously evident to the celestial beings in heaven as Jesus died on the cross. One wonders at that awe-inspiring revelation which surely came to the angels who desired to look into God’s mysteries, as they beheld the glorious and triumphant accomplishments won at the cross. As Jesus hung suspended between heaven and earth, dying by a means which scripture declares is for those cursed; “cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree:” (Gal 3:13; Deut. 21:23), He declared, “It is finished.” And He who lived a perfect life (Heb. 4:15); He who came not to be served but to serve (Mark 10:45); He who came to save sinners and bring light to those who sat in darkness (I Tim. 1:15; Luke 1:79); He who was slain before the foundations of the world (Rev. 13:8) had fully and perfectly completed the purpose for which the Father had commissioned Him. He left nothing undone, incomplete, or imperfect. It was finished!

        When Christians fail to grasp the totality of the divine plan of the Father, designed before the world was, it automatically follows that they will miss what is provided for the people of God. His coming, crucifixion, and death, His placement in the tomb, His resurrection from that tomb, and His transportation into heaven were all essential parts of God’s divine plan. They were all necessary to procure that which was crucial for believers in order that they might apprehend all that God had in store for them.

        How few Christians today see the glories and the potential offered them in that transcendent sacrifice. How very few conceive of what is in store for those who will, in absolute and full surrender, follow Jesus Christ in perfect obedience to His word. Most are mournfully like Elisha’s servant, who was blind to the spiritual world. When Elisha’s servant awoke early one morning and found the host of Syria surrounding the city, he was afraid and asked Elisha what they were to do. Elisha simply prayed that God would open the young man’s eyes that he might see. II Kings 6:17 records it: “And Elisha prayed, and said, Lord, I pray thee, open his eyes, that he may see. And the Lord opened the eyes of the young man; and he saw: and, behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire round about Elisha.” Those who understand the power and authority provided for the servants of God, and fully believe it is for the church of Jesus Christ today, can experience God’s power in their lives. Oh, that the church of this hour can have our eyes opened to the wonders of God’s provision in Christ!

        But before anyone jumps out in the battle against the powers of darkness half-cocked or presumptuously, let us remember that great power is given only to those who have gone through God’s training camp. The training required for those who go on to perfection is more than “basic training,” for it demands much more in order to produce a spiritual “Seal Team.” The power God offers is for those who will take up their cross daily, deny themselves, and forsake their previous life in order to dedicate themselves to be God’s Seal Team, God’s special forces.

        The question must be asked: Why would anyone pay that price? What’s the purpose? One might ask a member of the prestigious Seal Team these same questions. Those Seal Team member in the United States Navy would, no doubt, give different reasons. For some it might be pride that drives them. Others, it might be the challenge. Yet, for some, it might be adventure. But there would be some (and probably most) who desire this path because they see it as a great opportunity to serve their country and protect America from real enemies. They recognize they have the physical, mental, and emotional fortitude and have the perseverance necessary to reach their goal. So it is in the Kingdom of God. And yet it is not physical attributes which are essential in this warfare but spiritual, and it begins as one ventures into God’s word. It is there he hears the call of God and finds the power and ability Jesus has provided through His death and resurrection to become a spiritual warrior. As his spiritual eyes are opened and he beholds the enemies which surround him and the church, he also views a heavenly host which are armed and ready to aid when he engages the battle.

        The great battle that will end all wars is the one God revealed to John while in prison on the isle of Patmos. It is called the “Battle of Armageddon” or “The Battle of Gog and Magog”. God will use His Seal Team in these battles.

Jesus Came To Save Men

        Biblical salvation includes several terms which are designed to unveil and clearly define the finished work of Christ Jesus. When scripture speaks of salvation, such terms as redemption, reconciliation, justification, adoption, heirs and joint-heirs, and many other terms come to mind.

        All born again believers are familiar with and have experienced these blessings received through the power of the blood of Jesus Christ. While they may not be able to explain them from a theological viewpoint, yet they can testify of the changes which God brought about in their lives. They have felt the peace as they were released from the prison of sin that bound them. They found a freedom and joy indescribable as chains of bondage fell off and they experienced a love for God and others, before unknown. This and so much more transforming power came when the Holy Spirit made entrance into their hearts. They were purchased by Jesus’ precious blood and now they belong to Him.

        As wonderful, needful, and gracious as initial salvation is, that is not all that Jesus came to accomplish. In the very beginning of His public ministry, when He returned from the wilderness, He began to preach and say, “Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand” (Matt. 4:17). The message of John the Baptist was also concerning the kingdom of God (Matt. 3:2).

        The kingdom message was clearly an important issue to Jesus, as well as unto John. Most Protestants today place importance upon Christ’s kingdom, and it is preached, taught, and studied; however, when most Christians speak about the Kingdom of God, they are referring to a future one thousand years event, a time after Jesus returns in which, according to the common teaching, Jesus will set up His kingdom on earth and will reign for one thousand years. Yet, when anyone even suggests that this is not what the Bible teaches, Millenniumites go on the defensive and will not even consider that they might happen to be wrong.

        The Kingdom of God was the message Jesus preached. If He preached it (as did John the Baptist and the Apostles) then it is very important and should be understood. It seems that if Jesus preached and taught concerning His Kingdom, then it was and is important and one primary reason for which He came. It seems obvious that a major reason He gave His life was to establish and set up His Kingdom. In this article we want to look at why the Millennial doctrine is so prominent among Protestants and where it came from. Then we want to examine what scripture actually teaches concerning the Kingdom.

        The idea of a future time in which Jesus will rule on earth actually began with Israel in the Old Testament. There were many prophecies given to Israel and Judah regarding a time when the Messiah would come and set up His kingdom. This is very evident in the four Gospels as well. Jesus was questioned over and over about His kingdom and whether He was the One who was promised to come. The Israelites thought the Messiah would come and bring again the glory and power to Israel as it was in the days of King David and King Solomon.

        The prophet Daniel, also, received dreams and visions, which spoke of a time when God would set up His kingdom. It is very interesting to see that God gave Nebuchadnezzar a dream concerning the future, a dream in which he was shown four kingdoms which would follow his. The fourth kingdom was the kingdom of God. In Daniel 2:44, God foretells of the kingdom which He will set up: “And in the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed: and the kingdom shall not be left to other people, but it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand for ever.” This prophecy should not be read casually, rather it must be studied carefully, for it unveils some very important realities of the Kingdom of God. God, Himself, would set up a kingdom that would last forever, and it would be a powerful kingdom which would subdue all other kingdoms.

        We see from Nebuchadnezzar’s dream and from many prophecies contained in the Old Testament that God determined to set up His kingdom, and yet it is from these prophecies that many believe that the kingdom is yet to come and be set up. That is because they do not understand the spiritual and supernatural aspects of God’s kingdom. Making the same mistake as Israel of old and the religious leaders of Christ’s day, they have concluded that God’s kingdom is an earthly affair and have limited it to their own human ideas rather than considering that the Kingdom of God “comes not with observation” (Luke 17:20), {physical eye sight}, “is within you” (Luke 17:21), {not outward but inward}, and “is not of this world” (John 18:36) {but of a spiritual nature}. The Kingdom of which Jesus came preaching was one in which “flesh and blood shall not inherit” (I Cor. 15:50), a kingdom which is “not in word but in power” (I Cor. 4:20), and is a kingdom which is “righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost” (Rom. 14:17).

        From the above scriptures, we find some firm evidence that the kingdom of which scripture teaches, in both the Old and New Testaments, is of a spiritual nature. Jesus told Nicodemus that one must be born again (born from above) in order to see or enter His Kingdom (John 3:3, 5). It is because men have a carnal mindset and have the preconceived idea that Jesus’ kingdom is an earthly affair that they miss the spiritual side of this issue. Just as Israel of old, who in their carnal aspirations looked for a Messiah who would sit on a physical throne in Jerusalem, so men today expect a physical kingdom to be established on this physical globe.

        It is easy to understand why many have come to this conclusion but, when we closely examine the appeal of this false teaching, we find that it is founded on the very attributes or characteristics which are the antithesis of true Christianity. Israel wanted to be the superpower of the world (to have power and control). They believed they were God’s chosen people, superior to all other nations (pride). These two ideas were foundational to their belief system and gave them reason to hate all other nationalities (Gentiles – Christ commands His disciples to love all men and all nations). The teaching and ideology of National Israel as God’s chosen people has taken root in many Protestant groups around the world and has, inadvertently, been the means of rejecting God’s present kingdom and many truths contained in the message Jesus came preaching. They have missed the very heart of the Gospel.

Why Is The Millennium Doctrine So Prominent?

        There are several ways in which this false teaching has gained traction in our modern age. First, it is very appealing to the carnal desires of men. It doesn’t require men to live as Jesus taught men to live. The Millennial doctrine seriously gained ground and became popular with the Scofield Reference Bible. Dr. C. I. Scofield took the King James Version of the Bible and added footnotes to help clarify scripture for the average reader. Note carefully what he wrote concerning Jesus’ words in the Sermon on the Mount: “For these reasons the Sermon on the Mount in its primary application gives neither the privilege nor the duty of the Church. These are found in the epistles.” (Scofield Reference Bible; Matt. 5:17, pg. 1000). Think about what he is actually saying: The Church is not obligated nor expected to keep Jesus’ commands. When does anyone have the authority to say that believers do not need to be obedient to the commands given by Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount? Scofield is clearly off track in his declaration that the Sermon on the Mount is not necessary for believers today. He is off track with his ideas concerning the Kingdom as well.

        In his notes relative to the kingdom, he taught that when Jesus’ message of the Kingdom was rejected by the Jews, Jesus changed His message concerning the Kingdom and began to preach “a new message.” Quote: “The new message of Jesus. The rejected King now turns from the rejecting nation and offers, not the kingdom, but rest and service to such in the nation as are conscious of need. It is a pivotal point in the ministry of Jesus.” (Scofield Reference Bible, page 1011, footnote 2)

        Let me add here that not everything contained in Scofield’s notes are in error. He does have some truths, and those few truths he presents serve only to deceive many into thinking that Scofield’s notes are all correct. This is not the case. Many, and possibly most, of Scofield’s notes are not correct and are not in keeping with the truths taught by Jesus and the Apostles. This is especially true in his teaching and notes relative to Christ’s Kingdom. They are heresy and have done considerable damage to the true Gospel of Jesus Christ. One of the reasons that today’s churches have become carnal and have very little biblical religion is the false teachings of the Kingdom of God. Scofield’s teaching on the law is very dangerous, and his views regarding the law are the natural result of his false teaching on the Kingdom. (I cannot address the issue of the law in this article, so it will have to wait till another time.)

        Just as an example of Scofield’s ignorance of Christ’s Kingdom, let me provide for you his notes on Matthew 6:33: “The kingdom of God is to be distinguished from the kingdom of heaven (Mt.iii.2, note) in five respects: (I) The kingdom of God is universal, including all moral intelligences willingly subject to the will of God, whether angels, the Church, or saints of past or future dispensations (Lk. Xiii. 28, 29; Heb. Xii. 22, 23); while the kingdom of heaven is Messianic, mediatorial, and Davidic, and has for its object the establishment of the kingdom of God in the earth (Mt. iii. 2, note; I Cor. xv. 24, 25).” In other words; the kingdom of heaven is heavenly, existing in the heavenly realm, while the kingdom of Christ is earthly, or relates only to this planet, and will be a reality when Jesus returns.

        Even a casual reader of the Gospels can see the error of these statements. The phrase “kingdom of heaven” is only used in the Gospel of Matthew. The other three Gospel writers use the phrase “kingdom of God.” If one compares the various parables contained in the Gospels, one will find that, while Mathew uses the phrase “kingdom of heaven,” Mark and Luke, writing of the same parable, uses the phrase, “kingdom of God”. The Kingdom of heaven and the Kingdom of God are one and the same, and any attempt to separate these terms is blatant heresy with the designed purpose of distorting and wresting the truth to one’s own destruction. Postponing the kingdom to a future time is to postpone the spiritual power for believers to be overcomers. It leaves the church to battle through this life with only the weapons of human wisdom and carnal weapons. What Scofield did was to twist the word of God to say something it does not say, and in doing so he has successfully allowed Satan to send multitudes into the broad way that leads to destruction.

        You may ask why this is such an important issue. Why is this teaching so dangerous? It is dangerous because it postpones man’s present obligations to a time in the future when it will be easier to be obedient to God’s law. It states that we are now under grace (greasy grace) so we don’t have to be too serious about obedience or being holy and righteous even though scripture calls us to it. God forgives us today because He knows we can’t keep all the law and, therefore, He has set a time in another dispensation where it will be possible and fairly easy to keep God’s law. This is blatant heresy.

        It also postpones all that Jesus came preaching. Jesus said the Kingdom of God is at hand (Mark 1:14-15). Mathew wrote: “… the Kingdom of heaven is at hand” (Matt. 4:17). Brothers and Sisters, it is “at hand”. It is a present kingdom. It is for God’s people today, not some time in another dispensation. To miss this truth is to miss what God has prepared for His people today. This is why this is a very important doctrine. It affects how we live our lives today. Do we believe we cannot keep the law of God so we wait until a future time? If we live by this ideology, we deceive ourselves and place ourselves upon a foundation that will fail us when storms come and will leave us unprepared for judgment day.

        The topic of the Kingdom of God (heaven) is not something that can be covered in one short article. It is very involved and so wonderful that words lack ability to express the infinite wonders and extent of Christ’s Kingdom. The fact is; Jesus came as a man, lived a holy life, died a cruel death, rose from the dead, and ascended into heaven where He sits at the right hand of the Father, all to provide man access into His Kingdom. This is a marvelous truth and beyond comprehension. And the fact that man would postpone this Kingdom rather than enter it (Col. 1:13) and possess it (Dan. 7:18), is a slap in the face of our Lord Jesus Christ. It is a rejection of all that He provided for His people. Let us, each and every one, consider seriously this marvelous Kingdom which Jesus has provided and offered us and diligently seek that the church may truly possess it in all its power and glory. It is this Kingdom which offers the ability, the power, and the authority for the bride of Christ to be what she must be when she is presented to Christ, holy and without spot. She will be presented to Christ as a pure people clothed in robes of righteousness, the beautifully adorned bride of Christ, all of which is obtained through God’s Kingdom.