Tag Archives: Satan

discipleship, Finding Answers to Stuff Churches Don't Discuss, Uncategorized

The Devil Made Me Do It!

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Sometimes, unwilling to accept that we may cause our unhealthiness or unfortunate situations or feelings such as anger, depression, or sadness, we seek to blame someone else—even evil spirits or the devil. This is unfortunate because it allows us to ignore our responsibilities and repentance and growth as we deal with difficult people or circumstances.

The idea of blaming Satan is a weird one in my experiences. Here’s why:

  1. Christians who are in the middle of strife and the trials of life are often quick to say something like, “I must be doing something right because Satan’s after me!” Blaming Satan gives him way too much credit! Bad stuff happens all the time because we live in a broken, fallen world; we make bad choices; other people make bad choices; stuff just happens.

Another problem with blaming Satan for our misfortunes is that we’re essentially stating that God cannot protect us from him. He does look around for weak and unfaithful Christians to destroy them:

Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. But resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same experiences of suffering are being accomplished by your brethren who are in the world.—1 Peter 5:8-9.

But God is more than capable and willing to aid those who resist the temptation to sin and Satan!

  • On the other hand, I’ve heard Christians say this to other Christians who are suffering: “You must not be living right, or these things wouldn’t happen to you!” Funny how things change when the table is turned! Essentially, the faulty thinking is that Christians will be well and prosperous if they’re faithful and that the supposed unfaithful Christians will have trouble. This bad theology could not be further from the truth!!

God never promised that we’d be wealthy or well. The sun shines on the righteous and the wicked; the wicked prosper; we left God’s provision and protection a long time ago in Eden. He will, however, help us persevere as we go through trials and keep our eye on Him.

. . . knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance; and perseverance, proven character; and proven character, hope; and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.—Romans 5:3-5.

If you believe that you’re being troubled by a demonic spirit of ‘this or that’ or Satan, just remember that everyone who genuinely has given themselves to God through faith and obedience has nothing to worry about—we’ll remain beyond Satan’s reach. In addition to God’s protection, we also have wisdom and guidance through His Spirit.

Next week, we’ll take a look at healthy biblical finances in For the Love of Money.

Blessings and peace,

Ron Braley

Finding Answers to Stuff Churches Don't Discuss, Finding the End of the World

The “A-B-C’s” of the End of the World (Originally “It’s the Final Countdown”

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According to Jesus, the “end of the age” will be the conclusion of this current age – era or world – with the Great Judgment and the creation of a new heaven and earth. According to the apostle Paul, we’re already in the “last days” leading up to the end.

The final countdown to the grand finale of our world as we know it has begun and the clock’s ticking is getting louder as we see signs of the times and anticipate the conclusion of God’s creation in its current form. A glimpse of what’s to come:

  • Increase in the frequency and intensity of false saviors, wars, and earthquakes & famine/financial disaster.
  • An evil authority we call the Antichrist and an agreement with Israel, kicking off a final seven-year epoch.
  • Breaking the agreement in the middle followed by a three-and-a-half-year reign of terror like never seen before or again.
  • Jesus’ highly-anticipated appearing and the gathering of the spirits of those who are His, and the wrath of God against the rest of the world.
  • The 1,000-year reign of Jesus following God’s incredible wrath.
  • Destruction of Satan and final judgment.
  • God’s new and never-ending heaven and earth.

Looking for guidance? Many man-made theories propped up by a few, specific Biblical verses (usually taken out of context) abound.  So, find out for yourself!  Here’s how to begin:

  1. Read Matthew chapters 24 and 25 together.
  2. Read Revelation chapter 6. There, you’ll see that the signs revealed by Jesus to John in about 90 AD in a vision match what He told His disciples on the Mt. of Olives decades earlier as recorded in Matthew 24 up to the appearing of our Lord at the future, complete darkening of the sun, moon, and stars.
  3. Compare what you read in Matthew 24 and 25  to the entire book of Revelation. You’ll find corroboration between the two and a sequence resembling that given here.
  4. Look for unbiased and complete studies such as my “Finding the End of the World” (available on Amazon.com, Barnes and Noble, and ronbraley.com) to broaden your knowledge and faith.

Remember: a countdown is no good if you don’t know when it began or what time it is!

Keep an eye out for “Finding Answers to Stuff Churches Don’t Discuss!” scheduled for a mid-2015 publication. There, you’ll find roughly 60 topics related to daily life (such as sex, religion, finances, tattooing, and everything in between!) along with practical application of God’s guidance for navigating those difficult waters!

And, for a very comprehensive and detailed study of the very important topic of God’s judgment to come and being rescued from it, feel free to read my 2011 guide titled, “Finding the End of the World” available at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and from www.ronbraley.com in paper and e-book formats. In the guide, you’ll find roughly 500 pages of building blocks to help you do your own complete and unbiased study based on Scripture and history!

Finding Answers to Stuff Churches Don't Discuss

Ghouls, Spirituality, and Jesus . . . Compatible?

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Christians are often conflicted over whether to celebrate Halloween.

For some, Halloween is a harmless time of fun when everyone can dress up and party. Their children love this time of year because of the costumes and quest for candy.

On the other hand, a growing number of Jesus’ followers are uncomfortable with the festival. They choose not to participate in it to avoid the appearance of a double standard once they learn of its origin. So, where did this contentious holiday come from?

Halloween is an ancient festival born of paganism and Christianity (Samhain for the pagans and Hallowmas for the Catholic Church – both 3 days long beginning on October 31st). The holiday was brought to the United States by European immigrants in the 19th century.

What does this have to do with God and our Christ? Embracing or condoning any kind of spiritualism, witchcraft, divination, or communication with the dead will bring certain judgment from God at the last days and open the door to demonic oppression or possession in the meantime. This could include the religious practice of praying to or for the dead, séances, or the pursuit of magical or astrological arts (i.e. consulting mediums, use of tarot cards, reliance upon horoscopes, etc.).

Should a follower of the Christ, celebrate the holiday? This is a personal decision that should be made carefully after consideration of its origin, current practices, and damage to a potential witness for Jesus.

 

Keep an eye out for “Finding Answers to Stuff Churches Don’t Discuss!” scheduled for a mid-2015 publication. There, you’ll find roughly 60 topics related to daily life (such as sex, religion, finances, tattooing, and everything in between!) along with practical application of God’s guidance for navigating those difficult waters!

And, for a very comprehensive and detailed study of the very important topic of God’s judgment to come and being rescued from it, feel free to read my 2011 guide titled, “Finding the End of the World” available at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and from www.ronbraley.com in paper and e-book formats. In the guide, you’ll find roughly 500 pages of building blocks to help you do your own complete and unbiased study based on Scripture and history!

Finding the End of the World

Weeds in Church?

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Satan, as the father of lies (John 8:44), has been deceiving the world since Adam and Eve occupied the Garden of Eden roughly 6,000 years ago. Those who learn from him to deceive others become children of the evil one as does anyone who becomes deceived and therefore follows attractive but unscriptural doctrine.

Deceivers take the form of spiritual weeds – tares – that come up alongside true believers in Jesus and often squeeze the life out of the body of Christ. They also come as false messiahs or false prophets. Many of these have been on earth since the time of Christ, but a special false Christ and false prophet will exist during the time of the end just before our Lord’s return and subsequent wrath of God (see my 2011 book titled “Finding the End of the World” for a comprehensive study of this important topic!).

How can we tell the tares apart from true followers? It seems that tares are made evident at the “fruit-bearing stage” when, at the same time, “the wheat sprouted and bore grain” (Matthew 13:26). This is verified by Jesus’ emphasis upon the good works that a true follower will produce in his/her life: “By their fruit you will know them” (Matthew 7:15-20). Thus, tares, as false wheat, look like wheat (even sound like wheat) but the fruit of their character will identify their true spiritual nature and parentage.

Test what you hear or see in the Church against God’s standards to avoid deception. Continual study of the Scriptures, fellowship, and discipleship will help you learn those standards and strengthen your faith. Don’t let church weeds choke the spiritual life out of you!

Finding the End of the World

Here Comes the Judge . . .

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All will be judged at the end of our current age. The names of the obedient and faithful throughout time will be found in the Book of Life. For them, eternal and unimaginable life awaits. The rest (those whose names won’t appear in that Book) will be thrown into hell – the lake of fire punishment created for Satan and his fallen angels.

He who believes in Him is not judged; he who does not believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. —John 3:18.

Therefore having overlooked the times of ignorance, God is now declaring to men that all people everywhere should repent, because He has fixed a day in which He will judge the world in righteousness through a Man whom He has appointed, having furnished proof to all men by raising Him from the dead. —Acts 17:30-31.

And I saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne, and books were opened; and another book was opened, which is the book of life; and the dead were judged from the things which were written in the books, according to their deeds. And the sea gave up the dead which were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead which were in them; and they were judged, every one of them according to their deeds. Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. And if anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire. —Revelation 20:12-15.

Eternal life will be given to those who choose reconciliation with God through the Christ. All others will be judged and dealt with accordingly regardless of whether they’ve chosen to reject God or just not bothered to choose.

Life or death. Have you chosen?

Finding Answers to Stuff Churches Don't Discuss

What is Hell Like?

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Personal opinions on the subject of hell range from a profession of its existence as the fire-and-brimstone punishment for the person with unrepentant sin to a belief that it’s a mythical place since, “A good god would never kill his people!” The truth is that God is a just god who offered us a choice: follow Him and His Christ and live or don’t and die (spiritually). He created a place within the earth to serve as a means of destruction – a consequence that awaits the spirits of those who didn’t choose life through faith and resulting obedience.

Originally created for eventual judgment of the fallen angels (including their leader, Lucifer) hell will also be the final destination for the spirits of unrighteous humans. As well, this is the holding place of those spirits of the unrighteous awaiting judgment. Scripture is pretty clear about this. We also find references to this holding place and the fiery judgment from others like Enoch, the grandson of Adam.

  • Hell – holding place Hades = Sheol: holding place of the spirits of those whose names aren’t recorded in heaven as they await judgment. This place will be unnecessary and eliminated when death is abolished at God’s great judgment (cf. Revelation 20:15).

References include: Matthew 11:23 and 16:18; Luke 10:15 and 16:22-23; Acts 2:27 & 31; 1Corinthians 15:55; 2Peter 2:4; Revelation 1:18, 6:8, and 20:13-14

  • Hell – fiery judgment Gehenna & Lake of Fire: last-days consequences for the wicked after judgment. Scripture and the Book of Enoch describe this as a place within the earth that produces incredible heat and flames. Read Luke 16:23-24 and you’ll see words and phrases like ‘hades’ and ‘torment’ and “I am in agony in this flame”. So, for those who believe hell is figurative or a parable – I’d reconsider.
  • Gehenna references include: Matthew 5:22-30, 10:28, 18:9 and 23:15 & 33; Mark 9:43, 45, & 47; Luke 12:5; James 3:6

Do not fear those who kill the body but are unable to kill the soul; but rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell. —Matthew 10:28.

  • Lake of fire references include: Revelation 19:20, 20:10 & 14-15, and 21:8

Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. And if anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire. —Revelation 20:14-15.

Now that we know what hell is, let’s address what it isn’t. Contrary to popular opinion, hell isn’t a multi-layered furnace where sinners are divided and placed based on the bad things they did on earth. This concept is fantasy based on “Dante’s Inferno” – the first part of a poem titled Divine Comedy. It’s not even loosely based on Scripture and shouldn’t be taken as such. Anyone whose name isn’t recorded in heaven among the righteous at their time of death will find their spirit waiting in holding-place hell until their final disposition: hell as a fiery judgment.

What’s your destination?

Finding the End of the World

War in Heaven: Past or Future?

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And there was war in heaven, Michael and his angels waging war with the dragon. . . . And the great dragon was thrown down, the serpent of old who is called the devil and Satan . . . And when the dragon saw that he was thrown down to the earth, he persecuted the woman . . . So the dragon was enraged with the woman, and went off to make war with the rest of her children, who keep the commandments of God and hold to the testimony of Jesus. —Revelation 12:7-17.

Despite unnecessary awe and lots of misinformation, the Revelation given to John in about 90 AD is fairly simple, straightforward, and sequential. It’s not the to-be-avoided mystery most would like to make it out to be. It’s also not to be used out of context and out of sequence to support manmade doctrine. One example places the war in heaven seen in Chapter 12 at the very beginning of time before Adam and Eve.

This position is based on taking Isaiah 14:12-14 out of context. Isaiah chapter 14 is an apocalyptic writing that contains an unveiling of the last days. In it, Isaiah witnesses the end-times Antichrist (labeled as the “Assyrian” in a near-far prophecy), Satan’s influence on him, and his eventual destruction. Isaiah sees something that will happen in the future. John’s vision in Revelation Chapter 12 confirms this and puts the war in the heavenly realm in the context of the beginning of the future three-and-a-half year authority of the Antichrist. During this time, he’ll persecute and kill God’s people – both Jew and Christian.

So, if the war in heaven hasn’t happened yet, does Satan still have access to heaven? Yes! We understand that he lost his authority as one of the archangels created by God.  However, he has had, and still has, access to heaven. You only have to look at the Book of Job and John’s Revelation (i.e. Revelation 12:10) for confirmation.

Need more? Let’s look at the sequence of the Revelation and the war’s position within it. Here’s a breakdown of the entire apocalyptic book:

Chapters 1-5: Introduction by John, letters from Christ to 7 churches of Asia Minor, and an invitation to heaven to watch the end-times events.

Chapter 6: Seals 1-6 depicting birth pangs and Great Tribulation ending with a complete darkening of the sun, moon, and stars (see Matthew 24:29-31 for corroborating information!).

Chapter 7:  Protection of the 144,000 of the Jewish remnant against God’s imminent judgments; bride of Christ seen in heaven after the gathering at the darkening of the sun, moon, and stars.

Chapters 8-9: Seal 7; God’s trumpet judgments 1-6.

Chapter 10: Seventh trumpet judgment, which ends the 3.5-year reign of the Antichrist.

Chapters 11-13: Three-and-one-half-year period of Great Tribulation detailed (Chapter 11 = 3.5 year witness of God’s chosen two; Chapter 12 = 3.5 year persecution by Satan through the Antichrist after losing the war in heaven; Chapter 13 = details on the 3.5 year reign of the Antichrist).

Chapter 14-18: all things that will happen at about the end of the three-and-a-half-year Great Tribulation or shortly thereafter by the end of the trumpet judgments; Seven vial judgments that will complete God’s wrath; Description (and destruction) of figurative Babylon near the end of God’s wrath; Antichrist kingdom details.

Chapter 19-22: Armageddon at the end of God’s wrath; marriage supper of our Christ and His Thousand-year reign; great judgment following Christ’s kingdom; New heaven and earth after the judgment; Final admonishments and closure.

Rather than take a chunk out the middle of an otherwise sequential Revelation, let’s take it all together and in context. The future will reveal a defeated Satan, resulting reign of the Antichrist, and darkening of the natural lights after about 3.5 years. You may want to check out my 2011 book titled, “Finding the End of the World” (available from ronbraley.com, Amazon, or Barnes&Noble) to learn more about what the Bible and history have to say on the subject of the end of the world to include the war in heaven.

Finding the End of the World

Mystery of Inequity

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I inspired those who destroyed the temple in Jerusalem 2000 years ago.  I was here 1,000 years before that, and will come again as the “man of lawlessness”. I’ve had many names throughout history.

Known as Nimrod just after the great flood, I was hell-bent on overthrowing the Ancient of Days. I wore the garments made by him for Adam and wielded immense power as the anointed cherub of God. Being torn limb from limb didn’t dissuade me. I knew I’d return to challenge my creator again. I always come back.

One of you foresaw me first as the “little horn” of Greece who became Antiochus Epiphanies to the Jews. I flattered, confused, and deceived until they gave up their ways – the Law of their Yahweh. The temple altar ran red with the blood of swine and I ended the life of thousands of the people of my enemy. Fatal disease set me back just a little. Finding a new host in this world is incredibly easy and I can be very persuasive!

I influenced the Arabs and Syrians and Romans, driving them to destroy the temple of the Jews and scatter them like sheep. Total annihilation is my goal. The people followed me then and they will again as the days of the gentiles draws to a close. A covenant of death is coming, Jew and Muslim to be willing participants. I’m sure I’ll be raised high above Yahweh this time and will become god of all!

I won’t be some fair-haired, blue-eyed European. Nor will I be your Pope or the World Bank. Silly people! Want to know who I am? Ask Ezekiel and Daniel. Ask your Christ. Ask your Paul. Or, stay asleep. What do I care! I am coming and the world will acknowledge me – not your Christ. I am nothing like him. I am . . . the Antichrist.

My hope is that this paints a clear picture of what the coming Antichrist will look like. Who do you believe the Antichrist will be?  Why?