Bible – Hope and Passion Ministries

What Is the Mysterious Generation of Matthew 24? – March 23, 2023

Posted on March 23, 2023March 23, 2023 by admin

Debate abounds regarding Matthew 24:34. Is this generation those who were alive in Jesus’ day? Is it the Jewish race in general? Is it those who will be alive at the time of Jesus’ return? Much of how we interpret the entire chapter of Matthew 24 hinges on the understanding of verse 34.

What I would like to do is step back from commonly cited arguments for a moment, and instead focus on the plain flow of thought of Jesus in the immediate context of the narrative. Let us read Matthew 24:32-37.

“(32) Now learn the parable from the fig tree: when its branch has already become tender and puts forth its leaves, you know that summer is near; (33) so, you too, when you see all these things, recognize that He is near, right at the door. (34) Truly I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things take place. (35) Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will not pass away. (36) But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father alone. (37) For the coming of the Son of Man will be just like the days of Noah.”

Notice first, that verses 32-33 regard seasons. Jesus beckons us to the simple truth that we are able to discern the coming of summer, because of the coming of spring. In general, we know that the season of springtime weather and plant growth points to the general time of summer. We mark the exact day on the calendar that a season changes, but we know that the weather and growth patterns do not follow a hard and fast rule. It can snow in spring. It can get be cold in summer. Flowers may pop out of the ground earlier than the calendar dictates because seasons are broad phases of time.

Jesus is first telling his disciples to discern seasons. He is beckoning them to look upon the events and foreshadowing of events of which He has spoken just previously – wars, earthquakes, famines, false teachers, antichrist influences, lawlessness, etc. These, the Lord says, are the beginnings of the birth pains (verse eight). These general occurrences will happen more frequently and more intensely as the season of Christ’s return draws nearer.

However, the Lord continues in the chapter to speak with specificity about the Abomination of Desolation that will come during the Great Tribulation (verses 15-21). Jesus warns His followers that the temple in Jerusalem that is to be rebuilt toward the end of days will be invaded by the Antichrist, as he ruthlessly pursues the Jews and all who refuse to worship him. Jesus reminds his disciples that those who live during this time are to run for the mountains to experience God’s divine protection. Then, the crescendo of events leads to the glorious second coming of the Lord, accompanied by signs in the heavens (verses 29-31).

On the heels of all this narrative, Jesus speaks of the season of His return (verses 32-33), before moving quickly to the day and hour of His return (verses 36-41). There is a great difference between a season and an hour. Seasons are broad, sweeping periods of time, while a day and hour are rather specific and narrow.

In between the season and the day/hour, Jesus declares, “Truly I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things take place. Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will not pass away.” (Matthew 24:34-35) Notice how he uses the phrase “pass away” three times in these two verses. The emphasis is that: 1) this generation will not pass away until every detail of what Jesus has foretold happens; 2) heaven and earth will surely pass away; and 3) God’s Word will never pass away.

Do you recognize the flow of thought with Jesus mentioning “passing away” three times? He says, in effect, that there is a day that “this generation” will pass away, but it is not until every single Word that God has spoken about the end times comes true. He proclaims, in neat alignment with this thought, that heaven and earth will also pass away. The contrast is about what will not pass away – the Word of God.

In other words, Jesus is wanting us to know that not only will the world as we know it one day be gone, but “this generation” as we know it will also be gone. We must rely solely on the Word of the Lord. We are very apt to rely on things that we should not. We assume society will go on and on. We assume the universe will go on and on. The Lord makes clear that society as we know it – and the world as we know it – have an appointment of judgment with God Almighty. In the meantime, every single detail that the Lord has specified about the end times will come true. All of the book of Revelation will be fulfilled. All of the details in the prophetic parts of the book of Daniel will come true. All the events of Matthew 24 will take place. Every word of God as presented in the canon of Scripture will happen, and – after all of the events of the tribulation have concluded – then the ungodly social order that we have all lived under for so long, will be terminated. After the people are judged, then the created order itself will be judged and remade.

In fact, this is what we find in Revelation chapters 20-22. The Great White Throne Judgment is the final demise of all who have rejected Jesus and His righteous kingdom, followed by the making of a New Heaven and New Earth. I see the same flow of thought in Jesus’ words of Matthew 24:34-35. The current, godless age (this generation) will pass away first – after every Word of God is fulfilled concerning end times – then, the old heavens and earth will pass away.

The word for “generation” in the Matthew 24 text, is the same Greek word used in Mark 8:38, where Jesus declares, “For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will also be ashamed of him when He comes in the glory of His Father with the holy angels.” We see here the word “generation” used to contrast the current, evil age to the time of the return of Jesus Christ. This is precisely what we see in Matthew 24! The Greek “genea” can simply mean “an age, the period or the persons.”

I believe that Jesus is giving to the disciples in Matthew 24, a clear explanation of end-time events sequence. We are to watch for the season, knowing that serves as a warning that the day/hour could come completely unexpectantly within the season. The Lord also wants to emphasize that nothing He has told us will go unfulfilled. Though the evil society we have known has an end date, and the broken creation in which we have lived has an end date, the Word of God stands forever!

Whether we are the people who see the season or see the day/hour, we live during a godless generation (or age) that must meet its end under the judgment of holy God. Jesus and His Word is our only safety in all of this.

Surely, the society of people alive at the day/hour of the return of Christ, will be the evilest of all, under the tyranny of Antichrist and the great delusion the Lord sends (2 Thessalonians 2:8-12). In a sense, that particular and literal generation also will not pass away until the Lord has fulfilled every word of His own concerning the end of time. We can apply the meaning generally to this evil age (as compared to the day the Lord reigns unhindered), or specifically to the evil time of society during the tribulation. Nonetheless, the interpretation still stands. The old has to go; the new has to come.

Are you prepared?

Prophecy Pieces

Posted on February 7, 2023February 7, 2023 by admin

There is much going on in the continents of Europe and Asia. The nations of NATO continue to grapple with Russia’s horrendous war on Ukraine. Turkey has experienced devastating earthquakes. Unrest continues ad infinitum with Israel and surrounding countries. China and America are at odds over spy balloons.

Please think about something. The world began in the Middle East. Over there between the Tigris and Euphrates River is where the Garden of Eden was likely located and where the Tower of Babel incident occurred. Where God started the world, is where it will end.

Russia and Turkey are part of the nations of Gog and Magog, a league of powers that will come against Israel in the end-times but will be utterly destroyed by a miraculous intervention of the Lord. (Ezekiel 38-39)

Turkey boasts the home of Mount Ararat, where Noah’s ark landed. Also, the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers are sourced in this country.

Ukraine is on the border of Russia and European nations. Russia will stand against the antichrist, who himself will be aligned with a western confederacy of leaders based in the area of Europe. Antichrist will temporarily protect Israel and promote the reinstatement of temple sacrifices in Jerusalem. Once Russia and other nations are defeated by the Lord, even as they come against Israel and antichrist, the door will be opened for antichrist to become a world leader during the second half of the tribulation, known as “The Great Tribulation.” (Revelation 13, Matthew 24:21)

China will no doubt be a part of “the kings of the east” who march over the newly dried Euphrates River for the Battle of Armageddon in Israel. (Revelation 16:12-16) Of course, King Jesus will utterly destroy all the powers that unite against Him in the end-time war. Then, comes the Millennial Reign of Christ!

It is incredible to realize how the Bible has prophesied events that are yet to happen, but as good as done. We see every piece sliding into place.

Read the news through the lens of the unchanging and eternal Word of God!

– Shelli Prindle

Shelli Prindle on YouTube (Revelation Playlist)

Only Two Options – January 25, 2023

Posted on January 25, 2023 by admin

Only Two Options

After an intense study of Scripture, including end-time prophecies, it occurs to me that we have only one of two options regarding the sword of the Spirit, God’s holy Word. Either 1) we use it as a weapon against the powers of darkness as we yield to Jesus, or 2) it is used by Jesus as a weapon against us, if we are on the side of darkness.

At the Battle of Armageddon:

“And the rest were slain by the sword that came from the mouth of him who was sitting on the horse, and all the birds were gorged with their flesh.” (Revelation 19:21)

For Believers Today:

“For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. . . Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm. . . and take . . . the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God …” (Ephesians 6:12-13, 17)

– Shelli Prindle

Why Did Jesus Not Know the Time of His Return – January 25, 2023

Posted on January 25, 2023 by admin

Why Did Jesus Not Know the Time of His Return

There is a Scripture that, at first glance, seems confusing. Matthew 24:36 declares about the day of the Lord’s return, “But concerning that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father only.”

We ask the question, “How could it be that Jesus Christ would not know the day or hour of His own return?” We must begin by remembering a few things. Jesus is and was one hundred percent God and one hundred percent human. In His first coming, Jesus came precisely to pay for our sins and provide salvation. In doing so, He limited Himself in many ways.

First of all, Jesus is God, so He is omnipresent. That means that He is all places at all times, and yet, Christ limited Himself to one body, to walk on this earth one place at a time. Jesus is omnipotent; He has all power. Yet, He did not use the power available to Him many times, as when He was nailed to the cross. He could have stopped all that, and He could have used His power in many ways, but He willingly chose not to, in order to provide our full salvation.

It is the same with the omniscience of Jesus. He knows everything, but He chose not to operate by that omniscience in every situation. The instance of Matthew 24:36 happens to be one of those situations. When He came the first time, He descended and lived here in order to make a way for us to be right with God. Jesus knew, that for Him to tell us the day and hour of His return, would be to stop us from being always prepared.

As a matter of fact, just a few verses after this, Jesus shares a parable to speak of the fact that somebody who thinks that Jesus will be delayed – that the Master is not returning soon – is somebody that is actually a hypocrite, who is not truly living for the Lord. (Matthew 24:48-51) We are to always be waiting for Jesus. We are not to know when the rapture of the church is going to take place, so that we are perpetually ready. That is called the imminent return of Christ.

Does Jesus know the point of His return, now that He has been restored to the glory of the Father in Heaven (John 17:5)? I believe that, yes, He does. However, on earth, He withheld that information from even Himself, so that He could instruct us in the way to live and be right with God.

– Shelli Prindle

Mark of the Beast / Seal of the Saved

Posted on September 30, 2017September 30, 2017 by admin

In studying Revelation and the mark of the beast, I am more appreciative of the truth of the seal that we believers have. Unlike the mark that worshippers of Antichrist will take (which in the Greek language, is a stamp, imprinted mark, brand, or carved image), the seal we have is the living third Person of the Trinity! We are sealed and secured by the Holy Spirit Himself living inside of us! The guarantee is that He will keep us through this life and through death in order to get us to Jesus and the heavenly reward we have in Him. The only “promise” that Satan makes through the mark of the beast is that one can buy and sell in that wicked economy. Food, however, will not prevent either the earthly or eternal wrath of God.

Thank you, Jesus, for securing our salvation and giving to us Your very Spirit as the promise!

“In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory.” (Ephesians 1:13-14)

“If anyone worships the beast and its image and receives a mark on his forehead or on his hand, he also will drink the wine of God’s wrath, poured full strength into the cup of his anger, and he will be tormented with fire and sulfur in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb.” (Revelation 14:9-10)

What a contrast. Wow.

– Shelli Prindle

The Most Dangerous Kind of Biblical Belief

Posted on August 30, 2016 by admin

The apostle Paul stood before the Roman governor, Festus, and proclaimed the truth of Jesus from the Old Testament scripture. Paul emphasized Jesus rising from the dead in order to be the light of the world. The response of Festus is not unfamiliar to many of us; the governor accused Paul of being “out of his mind” (Acts 26:24). Paul quickly replied that rather than being insane, his words were true and rational. Then, in a winsome turn to King Herod Agrippa I, who was listening to Paul alongside the governor, the great apostle declared, “For the king knows about these things, and to him I speak boldly. For I am persuaded that none of these things has escaped his notice, for this has not been done in a corner” (Acts 26:26).

This was a quite a strategic move by Paul. He appeals to the actual historical account of the death and resurrection of Jesus. Certainly the king of Judea knows of all that has happened in his time and in his region. When God acts, He acts in real history and real geography. Having brought the true account of Christ’s life, death, and resurrection to the forefront, Paul makes a critical connection. For, what a person does with facts concerning God’s working in this world of ours is of a life-or-death nature. King Agrippa must acknowledge the reality of the existence, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ of Nazareth. Now, what He does with these facts will determine his eternal destiny.

Paul goes for the jugular next, so to speak, in the hope of the king’s conversion. Having established the historicity of Jesus’ life, the apostle now looks directly at the king and asks, “King Agrippa, do you believe the prophets? I know that you believe” (Acts 26:27). Paul is able to ask this question because he knows of the king’s loose connection with Judaism. As the Bible commentator Matthew Henry once wrote, “For everyone knew that Agrippa professed the Jews’ religion, as his fathers had done, and therefore both knew the writings of the prophets and gave credit to them.” The apostle appeals to Agrippa’s background and professed religious beliefs. As a Jew, how could the king discount the Old Testament prophets? Of course King Agrippa held to the tenets of the Old Testament scriptures; he could not deny the reality of Paul’s statement from a purely mental standpoint.

It catches us off guard that Paul says to an unsaved man, “I know that you believe.” Certainly, Agrippa was not a Christian. Despite the fact that he was in the line of wicked Herod’s and also was married to his own sister, Agrippa could have come to salvation. But he did not. He only believed.

What? Yes … he only believed. He only gave mental ascent to the facts of Jesus Christ and all the prophecies of the Old Testament that the Son of God had fulfilled. He only held these beliefs in his mind, as they could not be denied. He only read and knew the Bible verses to the point of head knowledge; never did he lay his life on the truth of Jesus.

We read in the very next verse of this “AGRIPPing” account (you can laugh there) these scary words, “And Agrippa said to Paul, ‘In a short time would you persuade me to be a Christian?” (Acts 26:28) There you have it. The king, although given a concise opportunity to connect the dots of true Christian faith, decided to reject honest salvation. He was willing to believe the facts with his mind, but He was not willing to give his life as a follower of Christ and be called – in the most genuine sense of the word – a “CHRISTian.”

Do you know the facts of the Bible and the life of Jesus? So do the demons and Satan. Read Matthew 8:29 and realize that demons acknowledge Jesus as the Son of God and even understand that He has an appointed time in the future when he will torment them for their wickedness. I guess that is why James says in chapter 2, verse 19, “You believe that God is one; you do well. Even the demons believe – and shudder!” But then James goes on to tell us that faith without works is dead. Head knowledge without life application is pointless in terms of our safety. We are damned if we only give mental ascent to the things of Jesus and His Word but do not stake our very lives on Him. To believe with your brain is one thing, to live with your heart is another.

Let the account of Paul and King Agrippa be an intense reminder for us. Answering the question, “Do you believe?” is not just a “yes” or “no” task. The answer needs to be more like, “I believe both with my mind AND my life.”

– By Shelli S. Prindle

Gospel Blown to Smithereens

Posted on April 25, 2016 by admin

The heart of the Gospel of Jesus Christ was blown to smithereens in just a few minutes one morning over the airwaves. Just as I turned on the radio, I heard a man of Jewish heritage explain the highlights of the Seder meal that his wife would prepare and his family enjoy during the Passover season. As a part of that description, he was asked by the radio show’s host what exactly was the meaning of the Passover. The gentleman explained that it was a remembrance of the Jewish people “dragging themselves” out of Egypt. Yes. He went on for a few moments letting all the listeners know that back in the days of Moses, God’s people were finally able through much effort, hard work, and persistence, to somehow drag themselves out of Egypt. In all fairness, I must add that after a few sentences about this great human effort, the Jewish man tacked on at the end a brief statement in a lighthearted voice, “Of course, God did help them.”

Wow. The Hebrew people were somehow able to pull themselves up by the bootstraps and manage to limp out of Egypt by their own hard work, though they were so completely bedraggled? I think not! The book of Exodus (part of the Jewish scriptures and, of course, part of the Christian Bible) tells us the reality of the Hebrews’ desperate situation in chapter 2, verses 23-25, “During those many days the king of Egypt died, and the people of Israel groaned because of their slavery and cried out for help. Their cry for rescue from slavery came up to God. And God heard their groaning, and God remembered his covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob. God saw the people of Israel – and God knew.”

Clearly, the Hebrews were downtrodden beyond belief, and they needed rescued by God. This was not a work of human effort. Their miraculous deliverance would be the direct result of God’s keeping His Word. He would keep His covenant that was originally made to Abraham and passed down through the generations. The exodus of God’s people was all the result of Him keeping His promise, and not vice versa. For we, even as His people today, continue to fail Him. It is as the Apostle Paul proclaims in 2 Timothy 2:13 (ESV), “If we are faithless, he remains faithful – for he cannot deny himself.”

In fact, Exodus 6:6-9 (ESV) really gets to the heart of the matter by letting us know how helpless God’s people were, how mighty God’s salvation is, how lame the enemy is compared to the Savior, and how lacking in faith and hope the Hebrews remained even on the precipice of deliverance. We read God’s Word spoken to Moses, “Say therefore to the people of Israel, ‘I am the LORD, and I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians, and I will deliver you from slavery to them, and I will redeem you with an outstretched arm and with great acts of judgment. I will take you to be my people, and I will be your God, and you shall know that I am the LORD your God, who has brought you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians. I will bring you into the land that I swore to give to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob. I will give it to you for a possession. I am the LORD.’ Moses spoke thus to the people of Israel, but they did not listen to Moses, because of their broken spirit and harsh slavery.” This passage of the Bible makes it abundantly clear that the work of the exodus was all of God. In fact, the Lord tells His people that they would know it was Him who brought them out, because the work would be so miraculous. Despite the reiteration of God’s promise, the people still did not listen. This was definitely not a group of people who were pulling themselves up by the bootstraps and dragging themselves out of a bad situation; rather, this was a nation that was about to be thrown out of Egypt after a series of supernatural interventions by the Lord!

When we think of the plagues – the blood, the frogs, the gnats, the flies, the death of livestock, the boils, the hail, the locusts, the darkness, and the death of the firstborn – how can we imagine that the exodus was the result of human endeavor with a little bit of God’s help? The only thing we see in this historical account is the incomprehensible work of a God who never fails to keep His promises. The Israelites could in no way cause any of the plagues of judgment; it was all a work of the Lord.

The most disturbing part of what happened over the airwaves the day this gentleman talked with the radio host is how the reality of the Gospel was distorted by this discussion from the Old Testament. Not only was the truth of the book of Exodus not brought to light accurately, but the message of Jesus Christ as Savior was greatly harmed. You see, the New Testament is built upon the Old Testament. Jesus Christ did not come to destroy the law (of the Old Testament), but to fulfill it. (Matthew 5:17) Jesus made clear that the Bible’s purpose is to point people to Him for eternal life. He said to the Jews in John 5:39 (ESV), “You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that bear witness about me.” The historical account of the exodus, therefore, points to Jesus Christ! It is a beautiful picture of how God saves us. Remember that Ephesians 2:8-9 (ESV) declares, “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.” The Israelites in Moses’ day had no reason to brag about their own efforts in the exodus. In the same way, Christians today have no reason to boast about our salvation; it is all God’s work!

When God sent the tenth plague, the death of the firstborn, after wearing the Egyptians down with the other nine, it was a picture of the necessity of the blood of Jesus Christ to forgive our sins. The only way that Hebrew people could be spared death during this plague was to put the blood of a lamb without blemish over the doorposts of their homes. (Exodus 12:1-13) In the same way, we are saved today by applying the blood of Jesus Christ, the sinless One, to our hearts. (1 Peter 1:18-19) In all this narrative and theology, we notice that God is the one bringing deliverance through judgment of Egypt by plagues and that He is the one prescribing the only hope His people have for surviving that judgment.

The final plague struck the heart of Pharaoh and his nation, provoking him to throw the Hebrews out of His country. Exodus 12:30-32 (ESV) explains, “And Pharaoh rose up in the night, he and all his servants and all the Egyptians. And there was a great cry in Egypt, for there was not a house where someone was not dead. Then he summoned Moses and Aaron by night and said, ‘Up, go out from among my people, both you and the people of Israel; and go, serve the LORD, as you have said. Take your flocks and your herds, as you have said, and be gone, and bless me also!’” There you have it. Pharaoh effectively threw out the Hebrews from his land. Why? Because the Lord sent plagues, culminating in the last one that put Pharaoh over the edge. God’s people could not initiate nor carry out their deliverance – except for their calling out to God. The same is true today. The only part we play in our salvation is calling out to God to save us.

The damage done on the radio by a person who was referring to the Bible – but inaccurately so – is devastating. In deemphasizing the work of the Lord and pointing rather to the work of humans, one man gave the impression that human achievement is what saves us. “Every word of God proves true” (Proverbs 30:5, ESV), so we must take into account every detail of every part of the Bible. When any portion is distorted or misrepresented, untold spiritual damage occurs. I am sure that the devil was pleased with this particular instance of the work of Jesus Christ being minimized. The devil cannot create anything of his own, and so he works ardently to pervert what God has already said. This has been the devil’s method of operation from the beginning. He is the “father of lies” (John 8:44), and he is at work all of the time trying to twist God’s Word so that people will not be saved.

Be aware. Be watchful. (1 Peter 5:8) Know God’s Word for yourself. Do not let anyone misdirect your understanding of God’s truth. My experience with an “innocent” radio program is a grand example. The enemy is always at work to distort the message of God’s salvation. There is nothing more important than your eternal life, and there is no other source for understanding the salvation that Jesus Christ provides other than the Bible – exactly as it is written.

Who Said Israel Should Be Wiped Off the Earth?

Posted on March 12, 2016 by admin

“Israel should be wiped off the Earth.” These were the stark words etched on two ballistic missiles launched by the country of Iran on March 9, 2016. In fact, Amir Ali Hajizadeh, the head of the Revolutionary Guard’s aerospace division, declared, “Israel is surrounded by Islamic countries and it will not last long in a war. It will collapse even before being hit by these missiles.” (1)

The hatred of Israel by many people and nations is evident. And though it is distressing to Christians, the very existence of such extreme animosity only serves to lend credence to the truth of God’s Word. In fact, when I read the headlines marked so boldly with this anti-Semitic message, my heart leaps to think of how the enemies behind this provocation are only proving the Bible’s veracity. Let me explain.

God gave the land of Israel (which is bigger than its current political borders) to His chosen people, the Israelites. The promise began with Abraham (then “Abram”), the father of our faith. Genesis 12:7 (ESV) declares, “Then the LORD appeared to Abram and said, ‘To your offspring I will give this land.'” God reiterated this promise over and over. We find it emphasized again when the Israelites were in the worst of circumstances – as slaves to the Egyptians. In the midst of seeming hopelessness, God firmly reminded them, “I will take you to be my people, and I will be your God, and you shall know that I am the LORD your God, who has brought you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians. I will bring you into the land that I swore to give to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob. I will give it to you for a possession. I am the LORD” (Exodus 6:7-8, ESV).

God’s chosen people have struggled throughout history with the promise of their inheritance. They battled with the Canaanites, the Assyrians, the Babylonians, and the Romans during Bible times. They have been assaulted throughout modern history in obvious ways, including that of the Nazis. The hellish attacks notwithstanding, God’s promise remains. The fiendish attacks serve only to demonstrate that there exists something most peculiar and supernatural about this people and this land. Such pointed hatred can only come from an established reality, for no such loathing is the result of fairy tales or light-hearted belief. Our archenemy, Satan, stands behind every plot to abolish God’s people and God’s Promised Land.

The Scripture that jumped out to me when I first heard of the missiles marked with the threat, “Israel should be wiped off the Earth,” is Zechariah 14:2-3 (ESV): “For I will gather all the nations against Jerusalem to battle, and the city shall be taken and the houses plundered and the women raped. Half of the city shall go out into exile, but the rest of the people shall not be cut off from the city. Then the LORD will go out and fight against those nations as when he fights on a day of battle.” Unbelievably, the Lord predicted 2,500 years ago that “all the nations” will eventually go to war against Jerusalem. The attack will culminate just before the visible second coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus will return to the very same mountain from which He left (as recorded in Acts 1:9-12), the Mount of Olives. His toes will hit the mountain, and the mountain will split, and the Lord will conquer His enemies! Hear Zechariah 14:4-5b (ESV): “On that day his feet shall stand on the Mount of Olives that lies before Jerusalem on the east, and the Mount of Olives shall be split in two from east to west by a very wide valley, so that on half of the Mount shall move northward, and the other half southward … Then the LORD my God will come, and all the holy ones with him.”

The culmination of Christ’s victory over the enemies of Israel is explained in Zechariah 14:11b (ESV), “Jerusalem shall dwell in security.” No more will she be subject to war and degradation. Apparently, Amir Ali Hajizadeh is right in predicting a violent war with Israel, but he is certainly wrong about the ultimate result! God wins, and God keeps His vows.

After all end times events have taken place and the devil and all His worshippers have been deposited in the lake of fire (Revelation 20:7-15), we hear the amazing words of the Apostle John in Revelation 21:1-2a (ESV), “Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem coming down out of heaven from God, …” Not only a portion of land in the Middle East, but all lands and all the universe will be inhabited by God and His people, with the New Jerusalem as our capital. Amen!

As we are barraged with world news, we are encouraged to see than in trying to destroy God’s plan, His enemies are actually proving the Bible. Iran’s declaration to attempt to wipe Israel off the Earth only demonstrates that everything God has said is unequivocally accurate. Is not God incredible, that He uses even His adversaries to fulfill His plan and show His Word to be firm and timeless?

It reminds me of wicked King Herod the Great of the first century. In order to try to destroy Jesus, He used the words of the Old Testament prophet Micah to determine the location of Jesus’ birth (see Micah 5:2 and Matthew 2:1-6). Herod must have actually believed that the Old Testament prophecy had something to it. And when He killed all the male children in the Bethlehem region who were two years old and younger, He fulfilled yet another prophecy of God! (See Jeremiah 31:15 and Matthew 2:18)

Even unbelievers and enemies bring glory to God’s Word by demonstrating in real time and space its accuracy. So, go ahead leaders of Iran. Go ahead all enemies of God. You seek to annihilate His sovereignty, but only end up proving it!

“I know that you can do all things, and that no purpose of yours can be thwarted.” (Job 42:2, ESV)

(1) Gambrell, Jon. Iran Fires Two Missiles Marked with “Israel Must Be Wiped Out.” abcnews.go.com. 9 March 2016.

– Shelli S. Prindle

Thy Word Have I Hid on My Smartphone

Posted on September 1, 2015 by admin

Many Christians are familiar with Psalm 119:11 in the King James Version, even if they do not know its reference, “Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee.” And if we have ever heard of these words from God, the question is, do we take them seriously? I mean to say that Psalm 119:11 is no less the Word of God than John 3:16. The command and promise of this verse written three thousand years ago are not archaic, but rather timeless and accurate. This precept is not inferior to any others; it stands as God’s eternal edict, and I believe we will see its main truth reverberate into the future – leading up to the last days of history.

With the advent of the laptop computer, the iPad, the tablet, the smartphone, etc., a phenomenon has arrived that is much like a two-edged sword – it cuts both ways – for good and bad. We use our electronic devices very often to reference needed information. At our fingertips – just one click away – lies a world of data. Access to worthy material can be a very profitable thing. Of course, much knowledge without wisdom can be dangerous, but that is a story for another day. In terms of our nearly instant access to Bibles through apps of various types, many Christians have grown accustomed to using their smartphones, tablets, or computers for regular study and irregular or casual interfacing with the Bible’s contents. This can be beneficial, and it can also prove detrimental if we lean too heavily on the constant and immediate availability of the information on which we are relying.

There is a reason that God said through his prophet, “Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee” (Psalm 119:11, KJV). Notice the Lord’s emphasis on the fact that the Word is hidden or stored up in the human heart. While the scrolls and parchment on which the original Scripture was written were materials outside of the human heart, the people of God understood that the text had to be taken from the material on which it was written and processed diligently by their minds in order to ultimately reach a place of rest in the heart. Without the printing press – let alone computers – God’s people relied heavily on oral transmission. They spoke about God’s Word and repeated it over and over in an attempt to pass it on to the generations to follow. But this oral practice was also a way to get the Word of God settled in the very neuronal pathways of their own brains. The Word was second nature to many of them. It flowed freely when needed, for God has rigged our brains in such a way that the more we rehearse and interact with information in varying ways, the deeper the pathway that is engraved in our brains becomes – like a well-worn trail. This makes it easier to pull that information out again when needed or prompted. All of this scientific data can be explored with an article I wrote during my study of educational leadership and brain function. The article can be found at our website: Dendrites and Deuteronomy: The Alignment of Brain Research and the Timeless Word of God, or in my book, “Living in Awe.”

One potential problem with ongoing, momentary access to the Bible is that we begin to rely too heavily on its availability outside our own hearts and minds. We may be lulled into a false sense of security that since we can get any verse of the Bible at any time we want, there is no need to memorize it or understand its context. This is a false assumption. If the Bible is only outside of you, then your mind is not able to make critical connections on the spot. All the processing happens on your computer or your phone. Since you don’t have God’s Word hidden in your own heart, your brain on its own cannot associate God’s promise to a need that arises, or God’s command to a situation that occurs. You will rely on a Google search to do the connecting. While it’s true that we have always had concordances to do the same type of thing, our dependence has grown by leaps and bounds due to immediate access and the convenience of carrying the small smartphone. However, if we make our brain the main computer and the smartphone only a tool, we will be able to connect God’s promises to everyday living in a way the Lord intended – as coming from our own heart’s storehouse of the Word!

The second potential dilemma we have with the Bible and other valuable literary works being primarily online is what may happen in the future. At the outset, I must mention that I enjoy and benefit greatly from technology. One of my published devotional books is also available in a Kindle version. God gives us creativity and innovation that we might honor Him. But in this broken world, what is intended for good may also be used for evil. Technology can be employed for building the kingdom of God, and technology can also be used to damage the kingdom of God. In the future, as the “last days” of which Jesus spoke progress, we may see technology manipulated for purposes against God. Nonetheless, the ultimate victory of Jesus is sure. Consider, though, what may happen according to how the Bible describes the nature of the Antichrist and the end times.

First, we know from Jesus that the order of the day for the end times will be deception. He proclaimed in Matthew 24:24 (ESV), “For false christs and false prophets will arise and perform great signs and wonders, so as to lead astray, if possible, even the elect.” The apostle Paul corroborates this concept in 2 Thessalonians 2:3-4, 9-10 (ESV, emphasis mine), “Let no one deceive you in any way. For that day will not come, unless the rebellion comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction, who opposes and exalts himself against every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, proclaiming himself to be God … The coming of the lawless one is by the activity of Satan with all power and false signs and wonders, and with all wicked deception for those who are perishing, because they refused to love the truth and so be saved.” In writing warnings to us about the coming of many with the spirit of antichrist, the Apostle John declares in 1 John 2:26 (ESV), “I write these things to you about those who are trying to deceive you.”

It is crystal clear that a hallmark characteristic of the Antichrist is trickery. No wonder, for Jesus is the Truth, and the spirit of the antichrist is exactly that – against Christ – against the Truth embodied! Accordingly, Satan is known as “a liar and the father of lies,” a title applied to him by the Lord in John 8:44 (ESV). Another attribute of the Antichrist will be his temporary power. As we observed in 2 Thessalonians chapter 2, he will “exalt himself against every so-called god or object of worship,” and he will set himself up in the very temple of the true God! He will have a wicked and fading power to deceive many people. The dying world will look to him for hope and peace in their great fear. As Unger’s Bible Dictionary notes, “This sinister demon-inspired leader will rise to dominate the world in the end-time, persecute the saints, seek to destroy the Jew and banish the name of God and His Christ from the earth, and thus take over.”

All that being understood, it seems logical that the Antichrist will deceptively dominate all forms of communication possible. In order to beguile the nations, it makes sense that the Antichrist – operating at the fullest capacity that God will sovereignly allow before the return of Christ – will harness every viable option for his treachery. Is not the internet as it now stands a great thing for Satan to attempt to control in order to deceive the world if possible? Jesus told us in Matthew 24:14 (ESV), “And the gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.” The internet and satellites provide an easy way for everyone to hear, even simultaneously. Will not the master deceiver, the devil, use the same venue for his last attempt to destroy the coming of God’s kingdom?

As far back as 2008, Scholastic.com published an article titled, “The End of Textbooks?” The work informs us of all the reasons traditional textbooks in the classrooms of 8-12 grade students need to be replaced with electronic books, just as many of the college classrooms have done. What if the world community continues on in its “phasing out” of hard print? What if everything is moved to electronic version and most of our hard print books begin to disappear as they age? The history books and text books and hard print Bibles vanish. Then what? How easy would it be for the Antichrist, the great deceiver, to take over the internet and wipe away all information he then wants hidden? Or worse yet – and more in line with his nature – change the information to suit his purposes? A twisting of the truth is worse than its disappearance, for it is difficult to discern. Even now Satan tries to distort God’s Word among the Christian community. Can you image the grand distortion of that day of which God so carefully warned us?

What if we depended on all electronic Bibles and electronic forms of historical and scientific information? What if the Antichrist took control of that, and we had not enough hard copies with which to compare? And what if we had not truly “hidden His Word in our hearts” so that even we cannot discern the fraud?

What if the Holy Spirit really meant what He said – that the Word must be hidden in our hearts if we are counting on not sinning against God?

Take heart, and take God at His Word. Use every possible tool to grow in knowledge of Him. Also grow in wisdom. Know that it is not just a suggestion, but a command, that we hide God’s Word in our hearts so that we do not sin against Him. Read the Word. Ponder it. Talk about it in conversation. Write it. Apply it. Memorize it. Go to it over and over.

Oh, and hold onto your hard copy of the Bible!

References:

Merrill F. Unger, Unger’s Bible Dictionary (Chicago, IL: Moody Bible Institute, 1966), 68.

David Rapp, “The End of Textbooks?” Scholastic.com. Nov/Dec 2008. Web. Aug 31, 2015.

Misconceptions About Hell

Posted on May 21, 2015 by admin

[This comic strip appeared in the May 20, 2015 edition of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette]

Let’s use a comic strip to get serious about the concept of eternal Hell. “Non Sequitur” is a cartoon, and it is meant to be amusing. As a bird lover, I surely realize the frustration of the near impossibility of outwitting squirrels that are getting into bird feeders! However, as a believer in God and His perfect Word, I take most seriously the issue of eternal destiny. I am asking that you allow us to use this comic strip as a springboard to a deep discussion – one that has everything to do with our souls.

Please read and observe the cartoon carefully, and then ask yourself the question, “What does this comic teach about Hell that is actually incorrect information?” People take much of what they know about Hell for granted. But Hell is an issue of utmost importance. Should we not think it through?
Let’s review a few things about these funnies that may mislead us in regard to eternal damnation.

1) The devil is not in charge of Hell.

Although the picture of Satan standing behind the podium with his pitchfork in hand makes us think otherwise, it is detrimental to our understanding of God to believe that the devil could possibly be in charge of Hell. God is the Creator of all things. Specifically, Colossians 1: 16 (ESV) declares, “For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities – all things were created through him and for him.” All powers – those we can see and those we cannot see – were created by God. Satan is a fallen angel. He is a created being, albeit corrupted, but a created being nonetheless. Satan may have more power than a human does, but Satan has no power compared to the infinite strength of the Lord who made everything that exists out of absolutely nothing!

God and Satan are not equal opposites. God is all-powerful, and the devil is ultimately under His control. Similarly, Hell is under God’s control. In fact, Hell was a place originally prepared for the punishment of Satan and his angels! Jesus announced in Matthew 25:41 (ESV), “Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.” The Holy Spirit tells us through the Apostle John in Revelation 20:9-10 (ESV), “And they marched up over the broad plain of the earth and surrounded the camp of the saints and the beloved city, but fire came down from heaven and consumed them, and the devil who had deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and sulfur where the beast and the false prophet were, and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.” As you can clearly see from God’s Word, Hell is a place of punishment for Satan and all who follow him. Rather than being in charge of what happens in Hell, the devil will be perpetually afflicted there.

Another solemn reminder given by Jesus Christ about God’s sovereignty versus the devil’s temporary power is found in Matthew 10:28 (ESV). In preparing His disciples for the impending persecution and martyrdom they would face, Jesus warned, “And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell.” You see here that there are two beings with power, but only One has infinite and eternal power. Satan can temporarily (and under the watchful and sovereign eye of God, I should add) work to destroy bodies through persecution, but only God has power over the body and the soul! Our eternal hearts are in the charge of the Creator, not the devil. The devil will be dealing with his own punishment, not having oversight of souls. The only Person who is in control of your soul is the One Who created you.

2) You are not given a choice of your type of punishment in Hell.

Nowhere does the Bible tell us that people are allowed to choose what type of punishment or what degree of retribution that they will bear in Hell. These are the decisions of God, the perfect Judge. God has full knowledge of our existence, our thoughts, our intentions, our actions, our opportunities, and our rebellion. Hebrews 4:12-13 (ESV) makes clear, “For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart. And no creature is hidden from his sight, but all are naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must give account.”

God also pronounces that His perfect Son, Jesus, is the One who will judge all humans. Jesus, the Son, is the One who died for us, and so He is the One to whom each person will answer for their rejection of His sacrifice. The Apostle Paul records in 2 Timothy 4:1 (ESV) “I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead …” Jesus Himself declares both the amazing promise of life for some and the horrific surety of judgment for others in John 5:26-29 (ESV), “For as the Father has life in himself, so he has granted the Son also to have life in himself. And he has given him authority to execute judgment, because he is the Son of Man. Do not marvel at this, for an hour is coming when all who are in the tombs will hear his voice and come out, those who have done good to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil to the resurrection of judqment.”

After our physical bodies have died, God will still be alive! He exists forever; He is timeless. When our strength is gone, we fall into the hands of the living God of the universe. We will have nothing to say in reply to His perfect judgment of us. He will declare our destiny, and we will receive it. “It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God” (Hebrews 10:31, ESV). It behooves us to pray to God now, to read His Word now, and to trust in the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ now.

3) The horror of Hell is nothing to make light of.

While the comic strip jokes of two eternal choices, “being locked in a room with your ex” or “shoveling snow,” the reality of eternal damnation boasts no such choices. These would indeed be coveted outcomes compared to actual separation from every hint of God’s grace, goodness, and hope. In fact, Jesus uses a hyperbole to give us at least a hint at how tortuous Hell will be. In Mark 9:43-48 (ESV), Jesus proclaims, “And if your hand causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life crippled than with two hands to go to hell, to the unquenchable fire. And if your foot causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life lame than with two feet to be thrown into hell. And if your eye causes you to sin, tear it out. It is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye than with two eyes to be thrown into hell, where their worm does not die and the fire is not quenched.” Our Lord is clearly trying to get us to understand that loss of physical function and comfort here is nothing compared to the loss and agony of hell. God tells us in several places, including Matthew 25:30 (ESV), that Hell is a place where there will be “weeping and gnashing of teeth.” In other words, people will be in a state of perpetual, painful regret.

As to whether the fire of Hell is literal or figurative, I appeal to both the Bible and our God-given logic. We humans were made as physical and emotional/spiritual. Our spirit is housed in a body. Our body needs our spirit to be who we are. God made us this way. The reality of Heaven includes a new and resurrected body (see Philippians 3:20-21 and all of 1 Corinthians 15). In the same way, the reality of Hell includes a resurrected body. Sadly though, the body of those condemned to Hell by God is a body that is resurrected for judgment (recall John 5:29). Our complete existence in God’s scheme of things is an existence of body and spirit. We can expect that Hell will be a place of both intense regret and guilt, but also a place of physical pain. Even in this life, our guilt and sadness can lead to physical symptoms. Imagine this multiplied to an infinite degree – with absolutely no hope of change.

4) There is no way out of Hell except for Jesus.

Solving the conundrum of door #3 cannot get you out of Hell, no matter what the cartoon implies. In the same way, your own best efforts in this life cannot get you out of Hell, no matter how much our culture or our human nature wants it to be so. Hell is a rejection of the God of the Bible. Hell is a refusal to recognize and/or deal with our own sinfulness. Hell is trust in ourselves instead of our Creator. Hell is a rejection of truth.
The surest thing in the universe (and outside the universe!) is God. What He says of our situation is the truth.

He says that we are sinners by nature – turned against Him. In fact, God is careful to give us the damning diagnosis in order to declare the cure. He says in Romans 3:10-18 (ESV), “None is righteous, no, not one; no one understands; no one seeks for God. All have turned aside; together they have become worthless; no one does good, not even one. Their throat is an open grave; they use their tongues to deceive. The venom of asps is under their lips. Their mouth is full of curses and bitterness. Their feet are swift to shed blood; in their paths are ruin and misery, and the way of peace they have not known. There is no fear of God before their eyes.” Wow. This is an accurate description of both humanity collectively and each individual person. We are wicked inside, no matter how much we try to sugar coat things on the surface. I know my self-centered and nasty ways. I know my complaining and bitter attitude. I know my tendency to bring ruin and misery to people and situations. I know that I have no peace of my own.

Here is the good news. God brings righteousness to us as a gift. (Righteousness is a fancy word meaning “right functioning” or “the way things ought to be in God’s eyes.”) How does He bring this rightness to us? He does so by His Son, Jesus Christ. All of the Old Testament (the Law and the Prophets) points to Him, and all of the New Testament reveals Him. When we choose to stake our lives on Jesus Christ, we gain the righteousness of God as a gift. Here the words of Romans 3:21-24 (ESV), “But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it – the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction: for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.”

Jesus declared Himself to be “the Way” (John 14:6). He is the Way to God and, thereby, the Way to avoid Hell. To be near to God is to be far from Hell, because Hell is a place of torment where people get their ultimate wish of being away from the God Who clearly revealed Himself in the Bible. If people want to be separated from God, they will be. Sin will stand forever between them and God. Hell is the culmination of rebellion against God and the desire to be our own savior. God dignifies the person who says, “I don’t want You or Your Way,” by giving to them eternal separation from Him. This separation will be Hell.

Jesus, however, is the Way to God. Jesus died on the Cross to pay for our sin, and He rose from the grave to empower us to live in relationship with God.

5) Satan would like you to believe misconceptions about Hell. God wants you to know the Truth.

Please do not allow comics, fiction, or false belief systems to skew your thinking about the very real truth of Hell. The devil is hoping you will be confused and accepting of lies and half-truths. He is counting on the fact that you will not take time to investigate what God actually says about eternity. He is hoping you will just believe culture’s portrayal of Heaven and Hell.

God wants you to know the Truth – that is Truth with a capital “T” – and His name is Jesus.

By Shelli S. Prindle

Spinach in Your Teeth?

Posted on July 31, 2014 by admin

When you flash your pearly whites with a big piece of green spinach between two of them, it’s quite embarrassing. There’s that sinking feeling that comes when you’ve talked to a group of people and realize after the conversation that your smile had been compromised by a vegetable! Indeed, it’s a good idea to look in a mirror after certain kinds of meals (or at least consult a trusted friend).

Mirrors are important in life. We use them often, but we rarely stop to ponder their significance. I use a mirror to give me a realistic picture of what I look like … not what I wish to look like … but what I actually look like. And if – after peering in that glass – I find spinach in my teeth or a clump of hair sticking out, I fix myself. After all, isn’t that the point of looking in the mirror? What kind of fool would I be to walk away from a mirror after seeing spinach in my teeth and not do a thing about it?

Walking around all day with a glaring glitch in my appearance that could have been fixed after a consultation with the mirror is a ridiculous thing to do. An even more foolish thing to do is to look in the mirror of God’s Word and walk away unchanged. God has something specific to say about that in James 1:22-25 (ESV):

But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror. For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like. But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing.

It’s a simple precept. The Bible acts as a mirror for us; it shows us what we really look like – not what we wish we looked like. The only true standard for a right-functioning human is God’s standard. He made us, and He knows precisely how we need to be. His Word is the glass into which we gaze and get a true picture of our glitches. Only, let’s be honest, those glitches are sins. And sin leads to death (James 1:15).

When we open the Bible and find we are selfish, we need to change and dislodge ourselves from the center of our world. When the Lord shows us we are unforgiving, we need to forgive with the love of Jesus. When the Holy Spirit shows us as we read the Bible that we do not have the passion for God to which we are called, we need to pursue Him more…with all our heart. When Jesus shows us that a relationship is out of His will, we need to make changes. And the list goes on.

To walk around with spinach in your teeth is one thing, but to walk through your days with glaring sin in your life is dangerous. God has given us His Word to show us what we need to see about ourselves. And His command is clear, “Be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves” (James 1:22, ESV). In other words, we are lying to ourselves when we claim to follow Christ but refuse to act out the change that needs to take place based on the standard of God’s Word. As much as you want your friend to tell you there is spinach in your teeth before you talk in front of a crowd, you desperately need the Bible to point out your sin before you stand in front of God face to face.

The Lord promises freedom to those who “take the spinach out.” We will always be bound up inside as long as we refuse to deal with the sin to which God points in the mirror of His Word. We will be restless and tied up in emotional, spiritual, and even physical knots. The Bible is the “law of liberty” (James 1:25) that sets men and women free by enabling us to deal with the reality of our specific sins.

Be blessed today by looking into the Bible and reacting to the accurate reflection you see. The Bible promises that if you persevere each day in this, you will find God’s mysterious and abundant blessing.

You most likely don’t give up on checking your physical body in the mirror each day – even when it’s difficult to face! You react to what you see in order to look good. But what is the status of your spiritual self? That’s a life and death situation. Don’t give up looking in that mirror! Open up the Bible…and react. Pull out that spinach and be blessed!