What evidence is there that other New Testament writers preached this same message? A great deal!
Peter preached the kingdom. Notice: “For so an entrance shall be ministered unto you abundantly into the everlasting KINGDOM of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ” (II Pet. 1:11). So did the apostle James: “Hearken, my beloved brethren, Has not God chosen the poor of this world rich in faith, and heirs of the KINGDOM which He has promised to them that love Him?” (2:5).
Matthew’s account mentions the term “gospel of the kingdom” three different times. Here is another example almost identical to 4:23, already quoted: “And Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the GOSPEL OF THE KINGDOM, and healing every sickness and every disease among the people” (9:35).
In most of His parables, Christ taught the basics of the kingdom of God. Matthew alone, mostly through parables, makes over fifty references to the coming kingdom of God. Luke records that Christ commissioned His disciples to preach this same message. Notice: “Then He called His twelve disciples together...And He sent them to preach the KINGDOM OF GOD” (9:1-2). Soon after, He sent seventy others to preach, and they also carried the message of the “KINGDOM OF GOD” (10:1, 9).
John records Christ’s words before Pontius Pilate on the night He was betrayed. This is an important clue to comprehend. Christ said, “My KINGDOM is not of this world [this present society]” (18:36). We will discover the details later of exactly how God’s government will be established on Earth.
Recall that Philip, a deacon, preached the kingdom to the Samaritans (Acts 8:12). Notice that he preached separately the kingdom and Christ: “But when they believed Philip…concerning the kingdom of God, and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women.”
Philip not only preached the gospel of the kingdom, but he also differentiated it from the teaching about Jesus Christ. Take time to read this entire account. Remember, the messenger is not the message. Christ is not the gospel. However, He does stand directly alongside it and will rule the entire Earth when the kingdom is established in Jerusalem.
So then Luke, the writer of Acts, further differentiates between preaching about the kingdom of God and preaching about Jesus Christ! While both are vitally important, they are clearly two separate subjects!
We have addressed how some claim Paul preached a “different gospel.” These are obviously unaware that it was Paul whom God used to pronounce a curse on anyone who did this (Gal. 1:8-9). We have seen that Paul preached the kingdom of God. However, you will notice two verses in Acts, which show that he did not neglect the second subject of Christ’s role in the process of salvation.
First, let’s establish that Paul preached God’s kingdom to the Gentiles. Acts 19:8 states, “And he went into the synagogue, and spoke boldly for the space of three months, disputing and persuading the things concerning the KINGDOM OF GOD.” There are many places in his epistles where Paul taught the kingdom to various Gentile churches. His message was always the same, continually preaching and referring to the kingdom of God.
Matthew amplifies this: “And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the GOSPEL OF THE KINGDOM, and healing all manner of sickness and all manner of disease among the people” (Matt. 4:23). Christ’s job was to take the message of God’s kingdom throughout the cities of Israel. He was “sent” for this purpose.
In the Old Testament, Jesus was prophesied to come as a MESSENGER. Notice Malachi 3:1: “Behold, I will send My messenger [John the Baptist], and he shall prepare the way before Me: and the Lord, whom you seek, shall suddenly come to His temple, even the MESSENGER of the covenant, whom you delight in.” Christ was the “MESSENGER,” not the message. His message about God’s kingdom is the very core—the CENTERPIECE!—of the entire Bible.
Now compare the passage in Malachi with another: “The law and the prophets were until John [only the Old Testament scriptures had been preached before John the Baptist]: since that time the KINGDOM OF GOD is preached, and every man presses into it” (Luke 16:16). Recall that, in Mark, Christ preached the “kingdom of God” and called it the gospel.
Satan, who knew that Christ was foretold to preach the Message that he hates, sought, through King Herod, to kill Him in His infancy. This is also why the devil sought to tempt Him in the wilderness (Matt. 4:1-11). He knew if he could be successful in either attempt, he could thwart God’s Plan and retain power over the nations of the world.
Meaning of “Gospel” The word “gospel” is an old English word meaning “god spell” or good news. The word “kingdom” is also an old English term, simply meaning government. We may accurately say that Christ preached “the good news of the government of God.” We will learn the who, what, where, when, why and how of this GOOD NEWS and how it relates to the Bible’s greatest prophecy.
The word gospel is found 101 times in the Bible. Sometimes it is found alone, and sometimes “of the kingdom” follows it. Other times it includes “of the kingdom of God” or the equivalent phrase “of the kingdom of heaven.” Note that it says, “of heaven,” not “in heaven.” It is heaven’s kingdom and there is a big difference. Just as kingdom of God means God’s kingdom, not the kingdom in God, the same is true of the kingdom of heaven or heaven’s kingdom. This is critical to understand.
Throughout the New Testament, the word “kingdom” is found 27 times, “kingdom of God” 75 times and “kingdom of heaven” 34 times. All are clearly one and the same.
Now grasp this point. The subject of the kingdom of God is not only the dominant theme in the New Testament, but it is also the dominant theme of the ENTIRE Bible. Yet, incredibly, most know little or nothing of it. The ministers of this world’s churches are ignorant of the true gospel and never preach about it. Therefore, virtually the whole world stands in complete ignorance of the single greatest truth in God’s Word. And ALL those who once learned it must constantly beware lest it slip away (Heb. 2:1).
Few comprehend. But why? Why do so few today grasp the awesome future of the Christian calling? Paul was inspired to explain: “But as it is written, Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God has prepared for them that love Him. But God has revealed them unto us by His Spirit: for the Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God” (I Cor. 2:9-10). Without God opening the mind, it is impossible to understand any of the things of God. It is also impossible to even come to God (John 6:44, 65). Quite literally, this verse states that God’s purpose has never entered man’s thinking!
God, for His own marvelous purpose at this time, has opened the truth of the gospel to a very few—and has put them into His Church. The rest of the world remains blinded. Understand this! The devil does not want human beings to enjoy what is forever denied to him—membership in the God Family.
Most will not wake up to the deception—the mass delusion—of a seduced Christianity that denies the plain truths of the Bible! God’s plan for mankind is staggering—incomparable to anything human beings have devised to replace it. The world ignores plain, clear scriptures found throughout God’s Word about the kingdom of God. This booklet explains the astonishing truth that so many ignore—and reveals what can be your future!
Strong Warning Not to Pervert; This subject is so important that God inspired Paul to issue this warning to the Galatians then and to us now: “I marvel that you are so soon removed from Him that called you into the grace of Christ unto ANOTHER GOSPEL: which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ. But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach ANY OTHER GOSPEL unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed. As we said before, so say I now again, If any man preach ANY OTHER GOSPEL unto you than that you have received, let him be accursed” (1:6-9).
This is a very strong statement! A little later, Paul stressed his hope that the “truth of the GOSPEL might continue with you” (2:5). So there is one true gospel—with all others false. You can now better understand Paul’s warning of Galatians 5:7-9, referenced earlier.
Although some assert that Paul taught a different or additional gospel, it is plain that he never did. Ironically, God used Paul to warn against ever allowing such false teaching by pronouncing a curse on man, angel or even any apostle—“But though we …preach any other gospel”—who choose to violate this command (1:8).
What a powerful scripture—and WARNING! Paul explained that the apostles were entrusted by God to preserve the true gospel. Notice I Thessalonians 2:4: “But as we were allowed of God to be put in trust with the gospel, even so we speak; not as pleasing men, but God, which tries our hearts.” That is a responsibility not to be taken lightly. True ministers must always teach what God commands, not what pleases men (including Bible “scholars”). So any claim that Paul taught a different or second gospel (usually thought to be about Christ or of “peace”) is impossible. He would have literally been pronouncing a curse on himself!
Jesus Was Prophesied to Bring the Gospel; Jesus came as a newscaster carrying an announcement. Everywhere He went He made the same announcement concerning a coming, world-ruling SUPERGOVERNMENT to be established at His Return.
When speaking to a group of listeners in the desert, Christ explained His purpose—His responsibility. Notice how He explained His commission: “And He said unto them, I must preach the KINGDOM OF GOD to other cities also: for therefore am I sent” (Luke 4:43).
Ever since the first century, when Christ established His Church, it has had to fight for the truth. God’s people have always had to be careful—extremely vigilant—about the dangers of false ministers coming among them and perverting some or all of the doctrines of God. And these imposters always teach a false gospel. Remember, Paul warned the Corinthians that they had been “beguiled” into accepting “another gospel” (II Cor. 11:4). (Our free book Where Is the True Church? – and Its Incredible History! covers this fascinating subject in detail.)
The Gospel—One True, Many False; The greatest single doctrine in the Bible is the knowledge of the true gospel. Understand. There is only one correct gospel. All others are perversions designed by Satan to replace the incredible truth of its Message. It is this enormous understanding that Satan’s ministers always seem to pervert first.
At the very beginning of His ministry, Christ taught, “Repent you, and believe the GOSPEL” (Mark 1:15). But what is the true gospel? Is there more than one that God approves? The answers to these and other questions about the gospel are found in the Bible—and they are absolutely VITAL for you to understand. But the answers have remained hidden from the vast majority.
Thousands of new books on religion are published each year in America! And there are over two thousand separate denominations and sects in America, as well! Yet, there has never been more confusion and disagreement among professing Christians, or in the world as a whole, about the true answers to life’s biggest problems. WHY? Why is there so much knowledge available, while at the same time so much ignorance of the truth about life’s BIG questions? The answers to these questions have everything to do with the GOSPEL!
The vast majority have been taught—and believe—that the gospel is merely about the Person of Jesus Christ. Certainly, Christ’s role is an extremely important subject, but He is not the gospel. The Bible shows that Christ is preached in conjunction with the gospel. Again, His role is vital to Christianity and must be understood, but He is not the gospel!
Some proclaim a “gospel of salvation” or “gospel of grace.” Others believe in a “gospel of miracles” a “social gospel” a “gospel of foods” or “healing” or “faith.” Still others merely think of “gospel music” when they hear this word. These are all manmade ideas that ignore the truth of the Bible!
Let’s return to Mark 1, and notice verse 14: “Now after that John was put in prison, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of the KINGDOM OF GOD.” This is the gospel Jesus preached. And it was in the same context that He said, “Repent you, and BELIEVE THE GOSPEL.” Again, what gospel? The gospel of the “kingdom of God.” Verse 1 refers to this message when it states, “The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ.” Christ’s gospel was about the KINGDOM OF GOD—not something else! One must believe that gospel, not a counterfeit or substitute. The world simply does not know of this gospel! (To learn more about this topic, read our booklet Which Is the True Gospel?)
Now notice: “But there was a certain man, called SIMON, which before in the same city used sorcery, and bewitched the people of Samaria, giving out that himself was some great one: to whom they all gave heed, from the least to the greatest, saying, This man is the great power of God. And to him they had regard, because that of a long time he had bewitched them with sorceries” (vs. 9-11).
The Bible explains what “word” Philip was preaching: “But when they believed Philip preaching the things concerning the KINGDOM OF GOD, and the name of JESUS CHRIST, they were baptized, both men and women” (vs. 12). Notice that these in Samaria were baptized only after “they believed” this message—the kingdom of God—not some other idea. Of course, they also had to understand Christ’s role as Savior.
Here is what Paul wrote to the Ephesians. This passage describes various offices Christ established within His New Testament ministry. It explains the purposes of those offices in edifying, unifying, and perfecting the brethren of God’s Church. Notice: “And He gave some, APOSTLES; and some, PROPHETS; and some, EVANGELISTS; and some, PASTORS and TEACHERS; for the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ: that we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive; but speaking the TRUTH in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the Head, even Christ” (4:11-15).
This is another very strong and instructive series of warnings to God’s people. Christ intended that His sheep listen to true ministers and recognize false “winds of doctrine” that may be packaged in “cunning” and “crafty” ways.
Near the end of Paul’s ministry, just before going on trial for his life, he met with all the assembled elders in Ephesus. There was an emotional meeting because he knew he would not see them again. He took time to remind them of their responsibility and of what he had repeatedly instructed them over a period of three years! The responsibility Paul described remains for God’s true ministry today.
Carefully note how Paul stressed the importance of his having preached the kingdom of God: “I know that you all, among whom I have gone preaching the KINGDOM OF GOD, shall see my face no more…Take heed…to all the flock…to feed the church of God…For I know this, that after my departing shall GRIEVOUS WOLVES enter in among you, not sparing the flock. Also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them. Therefore WATCH, and remember, that by the space of three years I ceased not to warn every one night and day with tears” (Acts 20:25, 28-31).
What Paul had warned of did happen. Heretics entered not only the Ephesian congregation but most of the rest of God’s Church and subverted it into false understanding and practices. Church historians commonly refer to the period from the mid-first century A.D. to the middle of the second century A.D. as the “lost century.”
During this period, the visible Church radically changed in appearance, becoming almost unrecognizable. True believers, who were in the small minority, were forced to flee the visible majority, which had departed into error. The knowledge of God’s awesome purpose for human existence became lost to the overwhelming majority of those who were swept away into a false salvation.
John recorded nearly an entire chapter of Christ’s own words of warning. Christ pulls no punches when describing the true nature of false leaders and teachers. Here are excerpts from that chapter: “He that enters not by the door into the sheepfold [the Church]…the same is a THIEF and a ROBBER…the shepherd [Christ and His faithful ministry] of the sheep…the sheep follow him: for they know his voice. And a STRANGER will they not follow, but will flee from him: for they know not the voice of STRANGERS… Then said Jesus…I am the door of the sheep. All that ever came before Me are THIEVES and ROBBERS: but the sheep did not hear them. I am the door: by Me, if any man enters in, he shall be saved and shall go in and out, and find pasture. The THIEF comes not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I have come that they might have life and that they might have it more abundantly. I am the good Shepherd: the good Shepherd gives His life for the sheep. But he that is a HIRELING…sees the WOLF coming…and flees: and the WOLF catches them, and scatters the sheep. The HIRELING flees, because he is a HIRELING, and cares not for the sheep” (10:1-13).
Take time to read this entire chapter. Notice the repeated use of the terms “wolf,” “stranger,” “thief,” “robber” and “hireling”—these latter are those who abandon the flock, pursuing self-interest. Throughout Church history, when enemies threatened God’s people, most ministers abandoned the flock, and many sheep were deceived and swept away from God’s Church and truth.
In addition to the Corinthians, Paul warned several other congregations. Here is what he told the Galatians after they had slipped into false doctrines: “You did run well; who did hinder you that you should not obey the TRUTH? This persuasion comes not of Him that calls you. A little leaven leavens the whole lump” (5:7-9).
The Galatians had gotten off track. They did not understand that a little false doctrine (“leaven”) eventually spreads (like leaven in bread) through the “whole lump” of God’s many truths. We will see that these Galatians were losing their understanding of the gospel.
The Mystery of Iniquity; Now turn to a warning Paul gave to the Thessalonians, in which he spoke of a “mystery of iniquity” that was already at work in the first century Church. The context there (II Thes. 2:3) also contains a description of events that would immediately precede Christ’s Return. A “falling away” and a revealing of the “man of sin…the son of perdition” would first have to take place before Christ’s Second Coming. He wrote, “For the mystery of iniquity does already work” (II Thes. 2:7). Paul understood that certain events were “already” in play in the Church then, just as they would come to be, once again, at the end of the age.
The book of Acts describes events in Samaria and sets up more facts to consider: “And at that time there was a great persecution against the church which was at Jerusalem; and they were all scattered abroad throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria, except the apostles…Therefore they that were scattered abroad went everywhere preaching the word. Then Philip went down to the city of Samaria…And there was great joy in that city.”
When the plain truth of God’s Word is preached to those whose minds have been opened, it does bring “great joy” (8:1, 4-5, 8).
Later, several verses reference one Simon the Sorcerer—often called Simon Magus by various church historians. He had tremendous influence in the predominantly Gentile area of Samaria. This man was a part of the mystery system of which Paul warned the Thessalonians (also see Rev. 17:5 and later in the booklet). This same powerful system, originally led by Simon, has continually sought to enter the true Church.
In John 12:31, 14:30 and 16:11, Christ refers to Satan as “the prince of this world.” These verses state that the devil will one day be judged. John 12:31 parallels the judgment of this world with Satan’s judgment. Why? Because this world is his! Paul’s inspired statement reveals that he is literally its “god.”
This is the plain truth from your Bible! Man’s civilization, with its cultures, ways and systems, is under the control of the devil!
Consider. If Satan has deceived the entire world, then this cannot be God’s world. (Also see I John 5:19.) And since the whole world is deceived, it is cut off from God. Deceived people do not know their purpose for being, and practice lives that reflect this ignorance (Isa. 59:1-2; Jer. 5:25).
We could ask: How can a single being deceive more than seven billion people? There are two primary ways.
First, Revelation 12:9 concludes with, “he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.” Notice that it says, “his angels.” These beings, which he leads, are referred to as demons (or fallen angels), and they assist Satan in his role of super deceiver. Therefore, Satan does not work alone—he has millions of deceived spirit beings who help him.
But there is much more to understand. There is a second, equally important way through which Satan has so successfully deceived such vast numbers of people—and hidden their enormous potential from them.
Satan Has Ministers Christendom is represented by hundreds of competing, fighting and differing denominations and sects. Supposed Christianity appears in every conceivable “shape, flavor, color and texture” of belief and custom. Most have assumed this is the natural state of affairs in the “Christian” world—that this is the way God must want it.
How wrong they are!
Put another way, this means that there are hundreds of thousands, and perhaps millions, of clergy who represent and teach the beliefs of this kaleidoscope of differing and disagreeing brands of Christianity. Most who attend these various churches have also assumed, therefore, that all these must generally be God’s ministers—that they represent and teach what God wants taught. There could be no more dangerous—or plain WRONG—assumption!
Now here is yet one more shocking statement!
As the god of a completely deceived world, which must, therefore, include all the differing forms of Christianity and other religions, Satan has his own agents. He uses these agents to unwittingly spread his false doctrines. Yes, he has been able to achieve this almost universal success because he HAS HIS OWN MINISTERS! Of course, his agents—his ministers—are themselves deceived into believing that they are God's ministers. Some teach a few aspects of God’s truth, but virtually none of His most important truths!
Now notice II Corinthians 11:13-15. The apostle Paul warned of the cunning with which Satan’s ministers successfully deceive: “For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ. And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light. Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works.”
This is a blunt, stunning scripture. Yet, it is true that Satan’s ministers appear to be the ministers of God. Grasp this! Satan does not talk directly to human beings. He works through his servants—his ministers!
Matthew 4:9 is the ninth verse of the fourth chapter of the Gospel of Matthew in the New Testament. It is part of the Temptation of Christ narrative. Jesus has rebuffed two earlier temptations by Satan. In this verse, Satan offers control of the world to Jesus if he agrees to worship him.
What the above tells us of Satan's power is true as he is not able to give away what does not belong to him. ..........................jenny
The Super Deceiver; To the unlearned, the Bible is a book of shocking statements. It reveals startling truths, completely unknown even to those who profess to understand it. But there are few statements more astonishing than that found in Revelation 12:9. This verse directly states that Satan the devil—who does exist—“deceives the WHOLE world.”
As “prince of the POWER of the air” (Eph. 2:2), Satan has influenced, guided, controlled and completely deceived the unsuspecting masses.
While newspapers, magazines, and other news media report what happened, The Real Truth analyzes and explains the root cause of why events happen—why humanity is at a loss to solve today’s problems. Subscribe This is an absolutely staggering revelation—so much so that most simply ignore or reject it, believing that it cannot possibly be true. But it is in your Bible. And the entire world remains deceived about the fact that it is deceived!
The Origin of the Devil; Now for some history. Where did Satan come from? How did he become the way he is?
God originally created three archangels: Lucifer (who became Satan), Michael and Gabriel. Each ruled above hundreds of millions of angels (Rev. 5:11). Lucifer ruled the pre-Adamic world deceiving one-third of the angels and rebelling against the government of God. Numerous passages explain this.
Let’s read of Lucifer after he had become Satan. Isaiah 14:12-15 tells a remarkable story. It contains many clues about where Lucifer was once located, what he did and what happened to him. Read carefully, noticing the emphasis on key phrases: “How are you fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! How are you cut down to the ground, which did weaken the nations! For you have said in your heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north: I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the Most High. Yet you shall be brought down to hell [the “grave”—see verses 9 and 11], to the sides of the pit.” (Learn much more by reading our free booklet Who Is the Devil?)
Since his rebellion prior to the creation of man, Satan has greatly “weakened the nations” in both understanding and critical knowledge explaining God’s purpose. His deception has been complete.
No one thinks they have enough money. Many are concerned—even obsessed—by the need for more. Despite the majority of households having more than one income, this is often still not enough to pay… Order Now This World’s God The Bible also calls the devil the “god of this world”—another shocking revelation! This is what II Corinthians 4:4 states: “In whom the god of this world has blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel…should shine unto them.”
Satan blinds the world to the true gospel for a personal reason. It describes the soon-coming kingdom of God—God’s world-ruling government. Of course, Satan seeks to block people from understanding this marvelous truth, not wanting “light” to shine on God’s incredible purpose for mankind. He wants humanity, collectively and individually, to think it has no future! Actually, the devil recognizes that the arrival of God’s kingdom means he will be banished from his current position (Rev. 20:2-3) of global influence as the god humanity unwittingly worships. He will no longer be permitted to deceive or weaken the nations. He also realizes he can never have what God has offered to men.
In John 12:31, 14:30 and 16:11, Christ refers to Satan as “the prince of this world.” These verses state that the devil will one day be judged. John 12:31 parallels the judgment of this world with Satan’s judgment. Why? Because this world is his! Paul’s inspired statement reveals that he is literally its “god.”
How Religion Deceives You About Your Incredible Future by David C. Pack
The truth of the gospel—God’s awesome purpose for man—has been withheld. It explains why you were born. It is incredible knowledge! It will leave you dumbfounded. This amazing knowledge is now revealed—along with the cover-up to suppress it!
Billions are now deceived. Previous billions have been. Even you have been lied to. A complete seduction has taken place, and all the world’s religions have played a part in it. Knowledge of your awesome potential—your incredible future—has been kept from you!
Many wonder and worry about the unknown—and what their future holds. Others fear they do not even have a future. Still, others fear that civilization has no future. You need never be in doubt about your future again—or of mankind’s.
If only humanity knew what God has in store for it! Yet a deliberate suppression of the truth has withheld this knowledge from all but a few. You can be an exception. You can be one of the few who is not deceived!
The world has believed in a false gospel for 2,000 years. It is generally supposed that Jesus Christ is the gospel rather than the Messenger of it. The Message—the centerpiece—of the gospel is not Christ. By focusing on Him—the Messenger—religious deceivers have been able to successfully suppress and cover up the Message that He brought!
The vital knowledge of how man could have solved his problems and understood God’s Supreme Purpose has been withheld from the world, keeping it in darkness. Man does not know what he is or his reason for being. He does not know the way to abundance, peace, and all the good things of life. The gospel would have shown mankind the solution to its most insoluble problems.
Millions live paycheck to paycheck. Bankruptcy, job losses, and daily money worries are the effects of today’s economic turmoil. What are the causes? Are there biblical laws and principles—keys to… Watch Now; And yet, except for the apostle John, all the original apostles were martyred for teaching the truth of God’s incredible purpose. Jesus was crucified because people did not want to hear His Message!
A correct understanding of the true gospel reveals crucial knowledge. It contains a dimension of understanding that cannot be discovered by scientific inquiry. This world’s religions have suppressed it. Their theologians neither comprehend nor are willing to teach it. We will see that they have held back the great key that unlocks your purpose for being—YOUR INCREDIBLE FUTURE! How did this happen? And who is behind this suppression of knowledge?
The Super Deceiver; To the unlearned, the Bible is a book of shocking statements. It reveals startling truths, completely unknown even to those who profess to understand it. But there are few statements more astonishing than that found in Revelation 12:9. This verse directly states that Satan the devil—who does exist—“deceives the WHOLE world.”
As “prince of the POWER of the air” (Eph. 2:2), Satan has influenced, guided, controlled and completely deceived the unsuspecting masses.
While newspapers, magazines, and other news media report what happened, The Real Truth analyzes and explains the root cause of why events happen—why humanity is at a loss to solve today’s problems. This is an absolutely staggering revelation—so much so that most simply ignore or reject it, believing that it cannot possibly be true. But it is in your Bible. And the entire world remains deceived about the fact that it is deceived!
Hi Orzzz I always delight in reading about your adventures. I Googled about keeping Raccoons away from our home and one thing spices. I had several that I don't use and spread that on the grass closest to the patio; Vinegar on the tiles, is it working? Well so far have not seen a raccoon anymore. I read ones they smell the spices and vinegar, they won't come back................ Hot here too and the fires are going on until late in the fall.....................
Not having any churches, evangelists or pastors to advise them, except for the radio preacher, the White Hmong decided they must obey whatever the radio told them to do. One day they heard a teaching about idolatry. The people immediately smashed their idols and tore down their ancestral altars that had been on the walls of their homes for countless centuries. God was moving among the White Hmong in a powerful way. Drug addicts were being delivered from their bondage, fragmented marriages were put back together, and wrongs were made right. Another time they heard a teaching about water baptism. The new believers, out of the simplicity and innocence of their hearts, dug pits in the ground, filled them with water from a nearby stream, and baptized each other.
At this time FEBC did not know these events were taking place, but continued to faithfully broadcast the Gospel in the hope that God would use their efforts. One day a teaching came on the radio about the Lamb’s Book of Life. The White Hmong did not fully understand the teaching, but they knew they wanted to be in this Book! About six months later a large package arrived at the FEBC office in California. It came from China and had been sent by sea mail. Not knowing what it is, they opened it and found the names and signatures of some 10,000 White Hmong people. Attached was a cover letter saying,
"Dear Sir, please include the following people in the Lamb’s Book of Life"!! Because this took place in Communist China, the government was not happy with this mass turning to Christ and soon stepped in to persecute the movement. All 18 leaders from the 18 villages were arrested. Most were released after paying fines and receiving severe warnings. Some of the other leaders were imprisoned. We received reports that the local police even burned down the houses of some of the White Hmong Christians in a bid to intimidate them.
Starting in 1994, Asia Harvest has delivered several thousand White Hmong Bibles and teaching books to the believers in southern China. These have been received with great joy and thankfulness. However, the persecution has continued. In 1995, 100 White Hmong Christian families living in Jinping got fed up with the persecution from the local authorities and relocated themselves 200 km to Xishuangbanna Prefecture, where the officials were less harsh. Please pray for the White Hmong!
Note: The above testimony occurred in China, but similar events took place across the border in northern Vietnam, where as many as 100,000 White Hmong have come to Christ in the past ten years, primarily as a result of the FEBC radio broadcasts.
Radio Revival among the White Hmong in China, 1990’s There are about 150,000 "White" Hmong living in southern China, and perhaps 500,000 in Vietnam, Laos and Thailand combined. They are called ‘White’ because their women traditionally wore white dresses, but they also speak a different language from other Miao/Hmong groups. The Chinese commonly call these groups ‘Miao’, but this name is not used by the people themselves. In their own language they call themselves Hmong Daw, which means ‘White Hmong’.
Although there have been Christians among this group in Thailand, Vietnam and Laos for most of the past 30 years, in China they remained completely unreached without any knowledge of Christ.
One White Hmong Christian was a refugee who was able to flee from Vietnam to California after the war. He was deeply burdened for his people back in Asia. He started recording Gospel messages in his native language, which were aired by FEBC (Far East Broadcasting). For years they broadcast the Gospel in White Hmong without receiving any feedback from China.
In 1994 an old White Hmong man in Jinping County, Yunnan Province, China, was tuning his radio one day when suddenly he heard his own language being spoken. He was shocked! He ran outside and gathered his family to come and listen with him. They too were amazed because their language is not allowed to be used in media within China. They heard about Jesus, who they had never heard of before, and did not understand, but they were excited to hear their own language. The next day, when the broadcast came on again, the old man had notified the whole village. Hundreds of people gathered around a radio to listen to see if it was true.
Soon after the old man decided he should tell other White Hmong villages about the broadcast. Because he was too old to work he had plenty of spare time, so he walked to 18 other villages and tuned their radios for them to the short-wave broadcast. Within weeks, thousands of White Hmong were listening to the Gospel every night. Slowly, their understanding started to be pierced by the truths of the Gospel. This radical teaching so gripped their hearts and convicted them that they decided they must make a decision to accept the Gospel or else to never listen to this teaching again. The leaders of all 18 villages gathered for a summit meeting. At the meeting they decided all of their people should become Christians!
Not having any churches, evangelists or pastors to advise them, except for the radio preacher, the White Hmong decided they must obey whatever the radio told them to do. One day they heard a teaching about idolatry. The people immediately smashed their idols and tore down their ancestral altars that had been on the walls of their homes for countless centuries. God was moving among the White Hmong in a powerful way. Drug addicts were being delivered from their bondage, fragmented marriages were put back together, and wrongs were made right. Another time they heard a teaching about water baptism. The new believers, out of the simplicity and innocence of their hearts, dug pits in the ground, filled them with water from a nearby stream, and baptized each other.
At this time FEBC did not know these events were taking place, but continued to faithfully broadcast the Gospel in the hope that God would use their efforts. One day a teaching came on the radio about the Lamb’s Book of Life. The White Hmong did not fully understand the teaching, but they knew they wanted to be in this Book! About six months later a large package arrived at the FEBC office in California. It came from China and had been sent by sea mail. Not knowing what it is, they opened it and found the names and signatures of some 10,000 White Hmong people. Attached was a cover letter saying,
om Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Kurt E. Koch (born 16 November 1913 in Berghausen, Pfinztal; died 25 January 1987) was a Protestant theologian and writer. He was best known for his publications on the occult.
Life; After studying Protestant theology, Koch obtained a doctorate in theology from the University of Tübingen. He then became a pastor at the service of the Protestant Church in Baden. His functions were mainly working with young people and evangelism.
In addition, Koch spent many years working as a missionary in Africa, in close collaboration with the humanitarian mission Kwasizabantu (KSB). In 1949, he founded a mission with the purpose of distributing the Bible and evangelistic writings around the world for free. The mission still exists today as a registered association in Schwäbisch Gmünd – Lindach as part of KSB. Over the following years, his missionary and evangelistic work led him to more than 100 countries, where he held lectures at universities, seminaries, Bible schools and many churches on every continent. He also worked as a journalist.
Writing and theology; The main themes of his work and books were: the decision to live one's life for Christ, pastoral care in relation to the occult, information about demonic spirits, the various areas of revival of the earth, the work of the Holy Spirit, and the return of Jesus.
Some of his books he published under the pseudonyms Klaus Becker, Carol Córnea, Peter Diestel, Kasimir Kucharski, Marc Marot, and René Monod.
Koch was convinced of the existence of witchcraft and black magic that competed in a fight against "the good" for terrestrial supremacy.
Radio Revival among the Hmong in Laos, 1950’s Listeners in one particular Hmong village inside Laos in the mid-1950’s were responsive to Christian messages, but being illiterate, had no idea how to communicate with the Vientiane Post Office box given on the program. The chief of the village, therefore, sent a delegation down several days’ walk to the capital, to the main post office, where they inquired if there was a religious man associated with a particular mailbox.
Postal officials did not understand the request and referred them instead to a member of the locally established religious hierarchy, who sent a representative back with the delegation, several days’ walk return trip to the mountains. However, when the chief asked the representative to acquit himself in terms of his views, he was dissatisfied with the result and declared that it was ‘not the same’ as they had heard on the radio. He therefore apologized to the representative and sent him on his way back down the mountain. But the village were determined to make contact with the broadcaster.
So, again a delegation went back, three days’ walk, down the mountain to Vientiane, where they gave more details to the postal officials, who then decided these people must be referring to a foreigner who indeed had a mailbox. This missionary returned with the delegation, preached the Gospel to the Chief and his men, and all accepted Christ. As is quite ordinary in Hmong culture, the Chief ‘gave permission’ to his village to become Christians, every one. And as a common response to a Chief’s suggestion, the whole village followed suit.
How spoiled some of us are if I compare what these people were willing to do to hear the true gospel message. I know a German author Kurt Koch who was invited to attend a prayer meeting at 5 0'clock in the morning. After attending three days like this Kurt asked, how long they had been meeting like this. "Sir we have met like this for years we come together before we go to work".....................Yes, these people put me to shame that is for sure!
Finally, for today, a question from Tyler who's a junior in college, and thanks for listening, Tyler. He says, "In my philosophy class, the typical trolley problem was posed to the class. My question is, how we as Christians should answer the question or even view the trolley problem."
Now, just in case you're not familiar with the trolley problem, that is a classic philosophical quandary, which is often used in classrooms. And quite frankly, it was really originally something that emerged out of the assumption that there are no moral absolutes. And so, all moral reasoning is a matter of making some kind of calculation about greater good, greater worth. The classic case is that a trolley car is pressing down on people and you can save some of them, but not all of them. They're all described in different ways, ethnicities, genders, ages, abilities, and all the rest. And the question is, "What would be the ethical imperative if you can only save some of them to decide who you would save?"
And you can sometimes put it the opposite way. There are other formulations of the trolley problem that actually mean that you can only save a couple of people. Which two would you save? Either way you look at it, you're making a determination as to who shall live and who shall die. And the assumption is that it's based upon some kind of pragmatic consideration.
The classic form of the trolley question came from Philippa Foot, a very well-known analytic philosopher in Great Britain, one of the women who really rose to prominence and analytical philosophy during the period before and after the Second World War. When there weren't many men working on these questions, they were largely at war, you had women philosophers who were actually posing many of these questions with a very long-lasting philosophical influence.
But we do need to note that the problem for Christians, I'll just put it this way, Tyler, is that we cannot enter into the trolley question. And it is because it is a premeditated effort to try to answer a question that can only emerge in what's known as moral extremists. And so any kind of moral calculation in these terms is a cold, pragmatic calculation. And it's not an accident this comes from analytical philosophy. It's a cold analytical calculation that assumes that we have the right to answer the question one way or the other.
Now, there are those who would say, "Well, you have a responsibility to answer it. If indeed you can only save two people, or if you can save five and that will leave two, whatever, you're going to have to make decisions." Well, in Christian ethics, there isn't understanding that in extremes, we have the responsibility we have in any other context, which is to try to save as many as possible. And in that context, I can't think of any situation that is so formalized as what you have in the trolley problem.
It comes down to what I in the '70s was confronted with as a teenager in high school and as a college student with so-called values clarification based upon a kind of moral relativism. In this case, there's no right or wrong answer to the question. Your answer to the question supposedly says more about you and your value system than about anything subjectively right and wrong.
So the bottom line, Tyler, is that I don't believe Christians can enter into this question in the premeditated terms that the secular world would like to present it. The good news, by the way, is that virtually no one in your classroom is ever going to be in the position of making these determinations. The problem is that the story itself, the parable itself, or the philosophical question posed here is often used to subvert the reality of moral knowledge and moral truth. And that is, I think, a very dangerous thing on or off the trolley.
Well from outer space to the American Revolution to the trolley problem, boy, do I appreciate the listeners to The Briefing.
There were also some very mechanical or practical issues involved in this, and one of the issues was simply the implausibility of government across the Atlantic Ocean that took months in order for routine communications to be taken from one side to the other. You simply can't run a government that way. And it was very clear that the colonies were growing fast, and even King George recognized this by the way. Even in his own court discourse, you can understand he knew that America, as it would come to be known, was rising as a power. It's one of the reasons why there was very little motivation in Britain to give the American colonists the full rights of citizenship because they quickly understood that the colonists might be reproducing and the population might be growing too fast that it would dilute the power of the established political class in Britain, which by the way, it would have done.
But frankly, John, in a pesky sort of way, I say it tongue in cheek, you do press the question as to how Christians should think about these matters. Now, I think what we have to understand is that what the early colonial Christians in the United States, or what would become the United States, what they came to understand is that they had no rightful authority to overthrow a rightful government. So there had to be the declaration that the regime or the government power was illegitimate. It lacked all legitimacy. That's a problem.
That's a challenge for conservative Christians in the United States because in order to support or to contend for some kind of insurrection against the United States of America, there would have to be the formal declaration and the taking of responsibility to say that this is a regime that is totally without legitimacy. Which is to say you can't continue to operate as a citizen of what is a regime or a government such as the United States right now. You can't continue voting. You can't continue to be a part of the culture. You can't continue to own real estate. You can't continue to function in the economy if you're going to declare the entire thing to be illegitimate. Now, that doesn't mean that Christians should support tyranny. It doesn't mean that at all. It does mean that there has to be a very clear declaration that this is not a rightful government.
How exactly Christians would come to that determination is uncharted territory. I'm not saying it's impossible or implausible that Christians would have to think very seriously about these issues looking to the future. We'd also better take these issues as seriously as did so many of the Christians in colonial America in the late 18th century. They said at least a good example for how we should start to think about these things.
PART IV How Should Christians Answer the Trolley Problem?
And so the government has a rightful responsibility, Paul in Romans chapter 13 is very clear about that. But this has led to some very deep Christian thinking. So you're onto something here throughout most of the history of the Christian Church, and as we're thinking about its expansion from the Roman Empire and in particular from Europe, Europe to the United States and beyond, for most of that history, this has not been a live question. The legitimacy of the state was at least established through what was understood to be the divine right of kings.
The very contemplation of an alternative basically took the late medieval period, the early modern period to take shape. But by the time you get to the American colonies, and the stress points, that's a mild way of putting it, with the British crown, something to keep in mind is this, those early colonists, many of them were devout Christians and they did not want to act unbiblically in terms of a revolution that could not be theologically and biblically justified. That's one of the reasons why if you actually look at, and there are volumes of these, one of them published by the Liberty Fund, it's Political Sermons of the Founding Era, so you can go back and actually read the sermons preached in colonial pulpits at the time, it reveals the fact that those early American Christians struggling with this issue had to come to ask the question, "Who actually is ruling over us?"
One of the reasons why there were so many twists and turns in the relationship between the colonists and the British crown, one of the things that it's very important to recognize is that the colonists at first did not seek any break with the British crown at all. As a matter of fact, they issued remonstrances or a plea for relief to the British crown against what they saw were the offenses of parliament. So the original outreach from the colonists towards the British government was not to reject the king, but rather to turn to the king and say, "You are our sovereign, so rescue us as your citizens from parliament." The problem was that the British crown did not respond to those citizens as citizens. The relief that those citizens were demanding was not forthcoming from the British crown. And thus you had the theological argument that was made by so many of these early colonists who were Christians that King George III is actually not king over us because he does not recognize us as his subjects. If we are not his subjects, then ipso facto, he is not our king.
Now, there were colonists who were far more secular. There were those who were making merely economic, financial, or political arguments, but it is very, very telling that the Christians at that time were deeply concerned with what faithfulness to Christ and obedience to scripture would mean. And they only came to the conclusion of revolution being justified when they came to the conclusion that the king himself had made the point that the colonists were not his citizens, only his subjects.
It was about a space mission that had gone wrong. And this entire family, along with assorted others, was just lost in space. And at the same time, that was a terrifying thought about being lost in space. But in spiritual terms, what's even more terrifying than being lost in space is being lost right here on planet Earth without the hope of the gospel. So that should keep us theologically grounded at the very least. David, thanks again for your question.
PART III How Do We Square the American Revolution with Christianity? — Dr. Mohler Responds to Letters from Listeners of The Briefing Okay, next I'm going to take a question from John. And John writes in about the American Revolution. And in this case, he's saying, "I'm just concerned with how a Christian should think through these issues. One, was the American Revolution morally right? If so, on what grounds? Two, what conditions would need to be met for Christians in the USA to support a similar revolution in the modern day? And three, in your opinion, would our founding fathers be supporting revolution today if they saw the state of our nation?"
Now you are actually asking a series of questions, John, but the heart of it is one big question about the legitimacy of the American Revolution, and that is a matter that I find of great interest as well. And by the way, I also found it interesting that every year in the fall I began to get questions when I did a national live radio program. And on Wednesday we took questions. I was always amazed that there seemed to be a lot of say 13, 14, 15 year old boys who were asking me this question in the fall. It turned out it was a part of a homeschool curriculum where the boys were assigned one particular question. The girls were assigned a different question. So it was not an accident that every fall I was getting an amazing number of 8th grade questions about the legitimacy by the Christian worldview of the American Revolution.
So John, let me just step back and say that the Scripture offers us some very general principles, first of all, about the sovereignty of God and then God's purpose in creating government as one of God's gifts to us, and in particular after the Fall, for the preservation of the things that are good and for the punishing of the things that are wrong. And so you look at government, it has a rightful responsibility. The Bible is also very clear about Christian citizenship in such a way that for example, it is not an open invitation to insurrection. There's just no reading of the Scripture that offers an open invitation to insurrection against a lawful government.
At the same time, the believer is not told in every situation to be obedient to the dictates of a government. Consider Daniel who refused, of course, to bend the knee to an idol, or consider those early Christians during the time of the Roman Empire who refused to confess Caesar is Lord. And so the government has a rightful responsibility,
All right. Next, we're going to turn to questions and I just have to turn to this first one. It's from a 14-year-old listener in Vermont named David, and he asked saying, "I was thinking about space agencies sending probes outside of our solar system, and I was wondering should Christians take part in this movement? I don't really know if the Christian worldview supports the idea of space exploration."
David, thank you for listening. You're my kind of listener, let me tell you because when I was your age, one of the main obsessions I had was space. It was very much during the space race, and I was growing up in Florida, I got to see several launches. And let just tell you, it was pretty much an obsession among kids my age at that time. And the issues it raises are huge. And I especially appreciate the way you the question saying, "Does the Christian worldview support the idea of space exploration?" And the answer to that is I think yes. I'm not pointing to a particular text of Scripture, but there is this mandate given to us in Genesis 1, and it's a mandate to be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth to subdue it. Now, I recognize that's about the earth, but I think God gave us the entire created order for our exploration, for our interests to show His glory.
I started out by pointing out that the Psalmist tells us the heavens are telling the glory of God. So the great discovery to be made in outer space, or for that matter right here on planet earth, is the reality of the infinite and eternal glory of God. Now, there may be other ambitions for going to space, but for that matter, there could be other ambitions for going to the store down the street. You could have noble ambitions or you could have evil ambitions. In any event, the morality of those ambitions counts for just about everything. So we also know this, even as there are those who in science fiction fantasy imagine that human beings might be able to go to other planets where they would find a place untainted by sin, well, the reality is the Bible is abundantly clear, where human beings go, our sin goes with us.
David, I would say beyond this, I think the biblical worldview would be just incredibly clear that we are as responsible in obedience to Christ anywhere in the entire created order, the entire cosmos, as we are right here on planet earth. And yet at the same time, let me tell you, I am not one of those who believes that somehow there is going to be this vast race and industry of getting human beings all over the cosmos. I think that is a pipe dream, and at least in terms of available technology, it isn't even something we can envision. And even with human technology as advanced as we call our technology today, we really have no means of taking human beings very far into space at all.
When I was your age, David, there were people who were saying, "Look, we have successfully landed a man indeed, men on the surface of the moon, and we've returned them home safely. The next great goal would be a manned mission to Mars." And there were those at the time saying that's probably just around the corner. All it needs is an extension of the technology that we have right now. We have a Saturn V rocket. We have the computing ability. By the way, I am told that the average iPhone has about 100 times the computing capacity of the entire computing system for the Apollo space mission. Certainly that which was on the command module itself. But the point is this, even with an exponential increase in our technological expertise and knowledge, we're still a long way from being able to make even a dent in terms of any kind of manned mission to the cosmos.
David, one last thought. When I was a boy, there was a black and white television series that was extremely popular with kids my age. It was entitled Lost in Space. And there was a boy about my age at the time, his name was Will Robinson, very much a character.
Well, that's where things get interesting because that's sort of like talking about the United Nations or what was its precursor, the League of Nations, back in the early 20th century where people were saying, "Look, there's all kinds of potential of a conflict here on planet earth. What we need to do is to have a meeting of all the nations in which there can be an agreement on all of these issues that will prevent war and conflict." Well, the 20th century pointed out that that didn't go so well. There's no reason to believe that we would be more successful in space than we have been on this planet in trying to adjudicate all these matters by some kind of common agreement. That kind of common agreement assumes a rules-based environment in which all the countries, even if they're stressed by the rules, basically keep the rules. When you have China and Russia already saying, we're not going to agree to any rules, the call for a new set of rules sounds pretty futile.
David Kasaboski analyst with space consulting firm, NSR, he's also, we are told, the author of his annual Lunar markets report, estimates according to the Financial Times, "that there are more than 400 public and private lunar missions planned between 2022 and 2032." That's up from a forecast of 250, says the Financial Times, over the same period just a year ago.
Just in terms of the geopolitics of all this, it is interesting that the Financial Times makes very clear, and this is pretty much the consensus as you look at these reports, that the main rivalry right now is not China and India, it's not the US and Russia, it's the US and China because both of those nations have now enormous capability and enormous motivation to set the rules for the moon and perhaps setting the stage for rules for outer space.
PART II Does the Christian Worldview Support Space Exploration? — Dr. Mohler Responds to a Letter from a 14-Year-Old Listener of The Briefing
When you look at the global race for those rare metals, particularly those used for example in computer chips and semiconductors, the reality is that this can come down to making or breaking a national economy. There are others who are interested in using the moon as something of a military base, even a military base aimed at further regions of space. There are those who argue that the conditions for the existence of oxygen and even perhaps of some form of water on certain regions of the moon may make it possible for there to be something like a base from which human beings could go further out into space.
Now, all of this right now is a matter of conjecture and contention, but that's exactly why these nations are in such a race. And there's an interesting part to this story, and that is that the United States, seeing some of these global issues arising, pressed for an international agreement. As a part of that agreement, there would be, for example, a forfeiting of any right for a nation to acclaim territory on the moon. By some readings, this means basically outer space. But particularly on the moon, no nation could claim real estate as its own, and the United States was behind this. Many nations signed it, but some of those nations appear to be waffling on the agreement. Even the United States, by the way, we were asserting that no one can claim this territory as part of their national sovereignty, but the United States made that point also by as one of the first acts of astronauts on the moon planting very visibly an American flag.
The United States is making the point, that we're planting the flag for pride and for history, but we are not claiming this territory as under the sovereignty of the United States of America. But right now it's interesting that both China and Russia are not forfeiting what they see as their right to claim territory beyond planet Earth in the name of China and Russia. So you can understand the space race. Now, it actually is, well, very much like the space race during the Cold War. No one knows exactly how this is going to turn out, but in reality, there is a very clear understanding that Russia and China on the one hand, and the United States and at least European nations on the other hand, have a completely different worldview when it comes to that part of the world.
A big report in the Financial Times over the last weekend, the Financial Times, by the way, published in London is one of the most influential newspapers in the world included this statement, "If you're a big power on the moon, then you will have a big influence in setting the details for lunar governance. The governance of the moon will be the foundation for everything else that may follow over the next 100 years. If the moon becomes somewhat more economically viable, you are already on the ground floor." So that statement tells you a lot about what nations see at stake in this race to the moon. It's not just about national pride, it is very much about national sovereignty.
And when it comes to the rather undeclared contest in these matters between the United States and China, the Financial Times, again based in London, says this, "It was fear of losing out to China that drove the US to refocus its space exploration efforts away from Mars and back to the moon in 2017. Within two years, China had demonstrated its lunar capability with the world's first successful landing on the far side of the moon. Now both are targeting the South Pole and even some of the same landing sites and their plans have sparked concerns about potential conflict." David Avino, chief executive of Space Engineering for the company known as Argotec, said this, "It's going to be very important that all the countries going to the moon demand a set of rules and that they are well implemented."
A Race to Set the Rules in Space: The Larger Purpose Behind Missions to the Moon Included Politics, Minerals, and Global Competition The Psalms tell us that the heavens are telling the glory of God. Ever since human beings have been able to look up to the sky, human beings have looked to the sky with mystery and with wonder, and that's why when I was a boy and the space age was just beginning, there was an absolute unconditional obsession. Well, that was going on with the space project, the launch of astronauts and the space and eventually a successful lunar mission that landed men on the moon and brought them safely back.
There was a political context with President John F. Kennedy making that pledge in his administration, a pledge that by the way, against all odds was fulfilled in less time than he had predicted in the next decade. It was also in the struggle of the Cold War and the global conflict between the Soviet Union and its allies and the United States and its allies. There was more to all of that than politics, but there wasn't less than that. And thus these days when the big news is the failure of a Russian mission to the moon and the success of an Indian mission to the moon, both of them aimed at regions of the moon that have been unvisited thus far, well, this just becomes a very big story.
It's a big story in Russia where the story was a failure, the failure of their effort to try to return to the moon. The big story in India was a success when India had never done anything like this before. India becomes only the third country on the globe to have successfully landed a vehicle on the moon. That includes the former Soviet Union, now Russia, the United States of America, China, and now India. Successful moon missions. Russia's successful missions were in the past, not the one that just spectacularly failed.
As we discussed in The Briefing, when that failure happened, the words were quite epic. The spacecraft has ceased to exist. Well, what doesn't cease to exist is a larger meaning behind these moon missions, and that's why we're considering the issue today. There's something big behind this. Is it just the quest like sending out ships across the ocean in order to discover parts beyond uncharted territory? Is this just a human quest to try to reach and understand the moon and then of course parts of space and planets and systems beyond?
Well, the reality is there's more to it than that. And there's not less to it than that, but here's a big part of the story. This is really rivalry on a global scale between nations and they're not just out for scientific prestige. That's what many people were looking at. They said, "Look, the Russians lost prestige. Their mission failed. The Indians have gained prestige." Well, that's certainly true. The Americans gained a massive amount of prestige in the Apollo missions landing men on the moon and returning them safely. By the way, it's been decades since that has taken place in terms of a manned mission to the moon. But you look at those foreign nations, that's still a very, very exclusive club. But what's going on beyond the quest to know the unknown? This is where global politics, geopolitics and more, economic advancement, and even espionage, all of come very much to the fore and it ought to have our attention.
Why espionage? Well, it is because there is an enormous possibility of using all this space technology to spy upon those other nations, and that includes what at least some believe may be the purpose for wanting to understand better some of the terrain to the moon not yet known and not fully understood. There are those who also see a vast opportunity for economic gain, and this comes down to minerals that might be mined, rare metals, perhaps even rare metals that aren't even known on Earth yet.
Okay, so R1zared is by birth a member of the Jewish race, just does not want to admit this in his profile making it a lie ............by omission...........End
I don't hate you Rizared. You are making that up. I don't like that you lie about the fact you are a Jew by RACE alone if you so chose.................but a Jew nonetheless............
Rizlared, following the Jewish faith or not you will always be a Jew. You were born of a Jewish mother, making you a Jew if you practice it or not it makes no difference. Jews are unique in that they are the only ones who are a RELIGION and a RACE You deny being Jewish in your profile, that is a lie, What if a woman fell in love with you but does not like Jews. Somehow she finds out that you lied about your RACE and that is a Jewish, race forever. Be proud of that fact.
You hate liars but you are unable to see you lied in your profile. A lie is a lie.........................
I am not privy to your conversations...just wondering about the Jew reference...did not make sense to me...
You are hung up on him being a Jew it is all about the lying not that he is a Jew. I have worked for years with Jewish people the best people to work for and be with, I like them.
online today!bcjenny Blog Comments (4,336)
What Makes Jesus Unique? No one else made the claims that He did, He is alive...............
What evidence is there that other New Testament writers preached this same message? A great deal!Peter preached the kingdom. Notice: “For so an entrance shall be ministered unto you abundantly into the everlasting KINGDOM of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ” (II Pet. 1:11).
So did the apostle James: “Hearken, my beloved brethren, Has not God chosen the poor of this world rich in faith, and heirs of the KINGDOM which He has promised to them that love Him?” (2:5).
Matthew’s account mentions the term “gospel of the kingdom” three different times. Here is another example almost identical to 4:23, already quoted: “And Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the GOSPEL OF THE KINGDOM, and healing every sickness and every disease among the people” (9:35).
In most of His parables, Christ taught the basics of the kingdom of God. Matthew alone, mostly through parables, makes over fifty references to the coming kingdom of God.
Luke records that Christ commissioned His disciples to preach this same message. Notice: “Then He called His twelve disciples together...And He sent them to preach the KINGDOM OF GOD” (9:1-2). Soon after, He sent seventy others to preach, and they also carried the message of the “KINGDOM OF GOD” (10:1, 9).
John records Christ’s words before Pontius Pilate on the night He was betrayed. This is an important clue to comprehend. Christ said, “My KINGDOM is not of this world [this present society]” (18:36). We will discover the details later of exactly how God’s government will be established on Earth.
Recall that Philip, a deacon, preached the kingdom to the Samaritans (Acts 8:12). Notice that he preached separately the kingdom and Christ: “But when they believed Philip…concerning the kingdom of God, and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women.”
Philip not only preached the gospel of the kingdom, but he also differentiated it from the teaching about Jesus Christ. Take time to read this entire account. Remember, the messenger is not the message. Christ is not the gospel. However, He does stand directly alongside it and will rule the entire Earth when the kingdom is established in Jerusalem.
So then Luke, the writer of Acts, further differentiates between preaching about the kingdom of God and preaching about Jesus Christ! While both are vitally important, they are clearly two separate subjects!
We have addressed how some claim Paul preached a “different gospel.” These are obviously unaware that it was Paul whom God used to pronounce a curse on anyone who did this (Gal. 1:8-9). We have seen that Paul preached the kingdom of God. However, you will notice two verses in Acts, which show that he did not neglect the second subject of Christ’s role in the process of salvation.
First, let’s establish that Paul preached God’s kingdom to the Gentiles. Acts 19:8 states, “And he went into the synagogue, and spoke boldly for the space of three months, disputing and persuading the things concerning the KINGDOM OF GOD.” There are many places in his epistles where Paul taught the kingdom to various Gentile churches. His message was always the same, continually preaching and referring to the kingdom of God.