I close this year out as the Lord leads offering a biblical worldview on the topic of gun violence which so tragically dominated the headlines. It was the violent headlines of 2012 and early 2013 that are noted in this edited blog repost. There is at least a tempering solution to gun violence in the Gospel of Jesus Christ until He returns if even professing Christians will embrace it since many are proud gun owners for protection contrary to His warning and instruction. Thank you for taking the time in your busy life to read and reflect on the things written in this blog the past year. In spite of all of the evil in the world, I wish you and yours a blessed New Year!
Originally Posted February 17, 2013
The debate raging over what to do about gun violence in the wake of the rash of high profile incidents including the murder spree ended this past week by the decease of former police officer, Christopher Donner (and now the charge of murdering his girlfriend facing celebrated Olympic athlete, Oscar Pistorious of South Africa) centering on gun control alone does not go deep enough. While limiting access and availability to guns along with their capacity to fire bullets may frustrate those bent on gun violence, gun control alone will not address the problem of people killing people that as a matter of divine foretold lawlessness in these latter days, will continue to increase (Matthew 24:12; Revelation 6:3-4, 9:21).
As an aspiring strong man of God in the image of Christ, I am convinced of Him that gun ownership is not needed for personal or family protection (Job 13:15a; Psalm 27:1-3, 59:1-4, 118:5-9; Matthew 5:38-48, 26:51-56; Romans 8:35-39, 12:18-21; Philippians 1:27-30).1 Though I am not an advocate of our nation’s Second Amendment to the Constitution, I agree with those supporting this position that guns do not kill people, people using guns do. The existence of guns and other weapons (or for that matter, mental illness) does not drive violence according to the Word of God, sin in the heart of man does! Indeed, weapons or how they were used (along with mental illness) are not even mentioned in the biblical narrative laying out what brought about God’s decision to destroy the world of Noah’s day.
However, the narrative does say, “Then the Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually,” (Genesis 6:5, NKJV). And again, “The earth also was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence,” (Genesis 6:11, NKJV). Evil in the heart of man due to sin led to a world filled with violence and all manner of other corrupt behavior not weapons (or mental illness). Therefore, in the divine assessment, violence and murder with guns or any other weapons must be addressed at its root: sin in the heart of man (Mark 7:20-23)!
Only God has the free fix for man’s heart in His Son, Jesus Christ, that breaks the power of sin in man and also addresses another source of his encouragement to violence, Satan, the original murderer (John 3:14-21, 8:43-47; Acts 2:36-40; Romans 8:1-4, 10:6-13, Colossians 1:13-14, 2:11-15). Even so, further proof that sin in people is the real issue with gun and all other violence is given by God in His prophetic Word. It presents us with an advance look into the thousand year reign of Christ to begin at His Second Coming. Of His many initial acts in the cause of establishing the Kingdom of God on earth, Satan, that great instigator of violence among men will be removed from the world (Revelation 20:1-3).
The Lord will also order the nations to transform all swords and spears into peaceful tools (Isaiah 2:1-4; Micah 4:1-3); Israel will destroy the weapons of Armageddon by fire (Ezekiel 39:9-10). Access to manufactured weapons of violence will be eliminated. Any sinful, mortal man that murders in that Day will do so with whatever is at hand including his hands. He will also face the swift, sure and severe judgment of King Jesus (Psalm 2:7-12; Isaiah 11:1-9; Malachi 3:5; Revelation 19:15-16). Yet, after the end of that millennium, Satan is released and instigates mortal man’s final revolt against God complete with weapons (Ezekiel 38:1-17; Revelation 20:7-9a).
This final satanically instigated human revolt is permitted by God to show one last time His eternal wisdom and righteousness that necessitated the cross of Christ and regeneration by the Holy Spirit in the New Covenant for sinful men who have believed. For in that Day even under the perfect rule of Christ, sinners will do what sinners do and would do it forever if the Lord allowed (Jeremiah 17:9-10; 31:31-34; Hebrews 9:11-10:18)! He also shows how because of His holy character, it is impossible for sin and evil whether in angels or men to peacefully co-exist with Him in His Kingdom. Sin and sinners which are unnatural to God’s eternal existence must be completely removed from His presence.
He, therefore, in response to the revolt after the end of the Messianic millennium and close of this mortal age, pours out the consuming fire of His holy wrath upon all revolting flesh as well as the entire physical creation; thereafter in judgment consigning everyone and anything not destined for eternal dwelling with Him to the lake of fire (Isaiah 24:17-23; Ezekiel 38:18-20; Malachi 4:1; 2 Peter 3:10-12; Revelation 20:9b-15)! It is only after this that the prophets and the apostles declare that we will see God create new heavens and a new earth “in which righteousness (alone) dwells,” (Isaiah 65:17-19; Malachi 4:2-3; 2 Peter 3:13; Revelation 21:1-8, NKJV).
In the meantime, the only realistic hope of temporarily curtailing gun violence by people against people during these latter days is to help as many as possible become followers and aspiring strong men and great women of God in the image of Jesus Christ! I’m game; what about you?
1 So foreign to the culturally conditioned American Christian mind is the biblical basis for living a gun free life today, it is bitterly rejected by many pastors and professing
Christians across racial and socio-economic backgrounds as if it were bona fide heresy. However, the right to bear arms codified in the U.S. Constitution is one of
the earliest examples of rights granted by our nation’s legal apparatus that knowingly supersedes biblical instruction and paves the way for others such as are found in
slavery, segregation, abortion and same sex marriage to name a few. For the man serious about living to please God and doing His will even in your protecting respon-
sibility, I urge you to get my book, The Strong Man Of God: Back To Basics in the Strong Man Store to learn more about how to do this.
One day soon, the Kingdom of the Babe born over 2,000 years ago as foretold in Bethlehem, Israel will be the only one on earth left standing (Psalm 47; Micah 5:2-5). I joyfully explore this prophetic truth in this edited 2013 blog repost. Merry Christmas indeed for those that are waiting for Christ to come again as it is written in God’s Word of truth (Psalm 119:41-44; Hebrews 10:37-38)!
Originally Posted June 9, 2013
Flying up through the clouds “to meet the Lord in the air” is not only our first exciting experience as immortals in new spiritual bodies (1 Thessalonians 4:17, NKJV), but the event also serves to glorify us before and remove us from the world that is about to endure the full outpouring of God’s wrath brought immediately thereafter by Christ and finished at Armageddon (Revelation 6:12-17, 14:14-16, 16:12-21, 19:11-16). From our vantage point in the sky, we will watch the cataclysmic convulsions and upheaval of the earth that destroys all of its cities except Jerusalem; bringing forth new mountains where there were valleys and valleys where there are now mountains (Isaiah 40:3-5).
Then the Lord will give the command sending forth His angelic armies to battle at Armageddon thoroughly defeating the evil, immortal pretender to His world throne and Satan along with their armies (Revelation 14:17-20, 19:17-21). So, what is next? We would have no idea if it were not for the revelation of God through Israel’s prophets, our Lord Jesus Christ and His apostles written in Scripture. According to the prophet Zechariah, at the end of that first day of the Lord, Christ will stand victorious on “the Mount of Olives” in Jerusalem ready to fulfill all that has been foretold concerning His Kingdom reign and work of restoration (Zechariah 14:1-11, NKJV).
With us as His co-laborers, the curse of sin and death will be lifted from the earth and the universe which is the major reason the physical creation is waiting for the liberation of God’s eternal sons first from the same curse (Genesis 3:17; Romans 8:19-22). Then the Lord by the Word of His power will begin to restore the earth and all of creation (Isaiah 35:1-2, 49:8, 65:25). Even now, we mortals in Christ are enjoying “the firstfruits of the Spirit” as part of this future creation wide restoration (Romans 8:23, NKJV). And we shall reign with Him on the earth! The eternal sons of God will rule and have supernatural strength like the angels to enforce the Lord’s righteous program as each is assigned (2 Kings 19:35; Psalm 149:5-9; Luke 22:29-30; Revelation 2:26-27, 5:9-10).
Why does God debut His Kingdom on the destructive ashes of His wrath poured out with very few survivors? Why not destroy everything as will be eventually done and bring on the brand new eternal creation right then? The intermediary step of restoring the earth and all creation in the aftermath of God’s wrath at the Second Coming of Christ is about vindication, rewards and promises! The Lord vindicates the suffering of His saints that waited millennia for His overthrow of the earth’s wicked oppressors as well as His righteous Word and wisdom (Psalm 37:7-10; Romans 12:19; 2 Thessalonians 1:3-10).
He also rewards His saints that served Him faithfully during their mortal lives with possession of this present earth liberated from the wicked (Psalm 37:11, Matthew 5:5). Finally, the Lord’s return to and restoration of the earth is tied directly to fulfilling the divine promises made to Israel for the restoration of the nation and kingdom under the rule of the Davidic dynasty which He does as a descendant in the royal line (Matthew 1:1-2:12, 21:1-11, 27:11, 37; Luke 3:23-38). To reject that Christ returns as Israel’s long awaited King-Deliverer to keep God’s promises to restore the nation and the glory of the Davidic kingdom is to willfully reject huge portions of Scripture from Genesis to Revelation including Isaiah 11:10-16, 35:3-10, 44:21-23, 49:1-26, Zechariah 12-13, Acts 1:6-7, 3:11-21, 13:13-41, Romans 9:1-11:36, Revelation 1:7 and 7:1-8.
This is in fact, what a small group of professing Christians called amillennialists do that not only reject God yet has any literal future dealings with ethnic Israel or a reign on earth, but also the express revelation given to the apostle John that presents the time period for the reign of Christ and the saints over Israel and this current earth as “a thousand years,” (Revelation 20:4-6, NKJV). Another group called post-millennialists rejects the literal millennial reign of Christ and His saints preferring instead to believe the present churches will make the world better and the Lord will come after this. Are you kidding me? On both accounts this is what happens when men start outside of and reject God’s Word!
With application to all Scripture but in context, God’s prophetic Word, the apostle Peter writes, “knowing this first, that no prophecy of Scripture is of any private interpretation, for prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit,” (2 Peter 1:20-21, NKJV). Since God does not intend for us to have private interpretations of His prophetic Word that confuse and divide His people (everybody with divergent interpretations cannot be right), all professing believers need to purposely stick with the interpretation the Holy Spirit will give if we start humbly in the Word, not outside of it (1 Corinthians 1:4-10; Ephesians 4:4-6).
Scripture is consistent and unequivocal; God still has plans for His people, the Jews, and our resurrection to immortal glory as eternal sons at Christ’s return are part of them (Jeremiah 3:14-18). And while according to His Word we will spend the first thousand years of our immortality reigning with Christ on this present earth restored, know that our ultimate goal is not Heaven separated from earth, but a new, eternal Heaven on a new earth God will create before our very eyes (Isaiah 65:17-19; 2 Peter 3:10-13; Revelation 21:1-22:7).
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