Thoughts from Gary

  As new believers in Christ and young parents, my wife and I really struggled with Halloween and whether we would allow our kids to participate in it or not.   While growing up, Halloween was such an intriguing time of the year, with ghosts, witches, goblins, ghouls and all sorts of eerie stuff, how fun, since I was taught all these things weren’t real.   As I got older, and a little too old to roam about town looking for treats and tricks, I would help my parents hand out treats for the Trick or Treaters that came to our house.   It was fun putting candy into their bags, looking at all the clever and creative costumes, and trying to guess who was behind the masks.   Sometimes we would even recognize neighborhood kids who were way too old to be out Trick or Treating! I also have a memory of another side of our innocent candy collecting adventures.   It was when my friend Jack and I were invited in by a man with the promise of candy.   He kept stalli...

Did you know that judgement is a basic teaching of Christianity and the Jewish faith? Here is what the New Testament writer of the Book of Hebrews said; “Therefore let us move beyond the elementary teachings about Christ and be taken forward to maturity, not laying again the foundation of repentance from acts that lead to death, and of faith in God, instruction about cleansing rites (baptisms), the laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment. And God permitting, we will do so.” Hebrews 6:1-3 You may have noticed that this is not a common topic in today’s church! Personally, I do not think I have ever heard a sermon on it, though books have been written that cover the topic quite well. (For example Derek Prince’s book on Eternal Judgement is exceptionally good.) But, in the past this was not always the case, as we can see when the Apostle Paul stood before Governor Felix and his wife Drusilla explaining “faith in Christ Jesus”. “He sent for Paul and listened t...

  Though the evidence of Secular Humanism can be found everywhere in our culture few individuals seem to be able to define it or identify its pernicious presence. Many do not recognize that Secular Humanism has become America’s new religion; for this very reason we must learn what it is and how it is affecting us. We need to seek answers to these questions: What is it? What does it teach? Where is it at work in our society today? First let us define it: (I have taken the liberty to copy this brief definition from a commentary of the late Bible scholar Dr. Donald C. Stamps.) “Secular humanism teaches that humanity, the universe and all that exists consist only of matter and energy shaped into their present form by impersonal chance. It teaches that humans have not been created by a personal God, but are the product of a chance process of evolution. It rejects belief in a personal, infinite God and denies that the Bible is God’s inspired revelation to the human race (atheis...

  This is the 4th article in my End Time series. The Apostle Paul wrote these words of scripture to the church in Thessalonica. “Concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered to him, we ask you, brothers and sisters, not to become easily unsettled or alarmed by the teaching allegedly from us—whether by a prophecy or by word of mouth or by letter—asserting that the day of the Lord has already come. Don’t let anyone deceive you in any way, for that day will not come until the rebellion occurs and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the man doomed to destruction. He will oppose and will exalt himself over everything that is called God or is worshiped, so that he sets himself up in God’s temple, proclaiming himself to be God.” “Don’t you remember that when I was with you I used to tell you these things? And now you know what is holding him back, so that he may be revealed at the proper time. For the secret power of lawlessness is already at work; but the one who...

T his is the 3rd article on the End Time, let’s begin by going back to look at the Rapture in more detail. “For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall always be with the Lord.” 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17 The word rapture comes from the Latin word raptu, which means “caught up” or “caught away”. This is when Jesus “catches up” His Bride from the world to be with Him. It is a scriptural event and will happen; however, when it will happen has been the source of great confusion within the Church for many years. Perhaps you have heard people teac h that there will be a Pre-Trib (tribulation) Rapture, or a Mid-Trib, Post-Trib or even a Pan Rapture. There is lots of confusion! In brief: • Pre-Trib is believing that Jesus comes for His Bride before t...

  As was stated in the first blog this is only a “bare bones” look. It is not meant to cover every facet and every detail, my purpose is to help us get a better understanding of the series of events that will take place and the order we can expect them to come in. Since some events leave some ambiguity as to details and timing, I ask for grace from my readers. I think the most important thing is that each individual searches their heart and the Bible truths to determine whether their soul and heart is prepared for Jesus Christ’s rapturing of His unspotted Bride. We each must be ready for Him or we will be left behind! The many events of the End Time can be very difficult to keep track of as well as confusing and even intimidating to many people. What really helped me understand these times was having the events put in chronological order, that way I could see the timeline and begin to understand how it fit together. So, I will try to make a timeline by outlining the events ...

  The world is getting crazier and so is America. I don’t have to mention all the things that are going on in our own country – you already know what I am referring to. So much confusion and as predicted in the Bible, “Good is being called evil and evil is being called good”! So, many of you are wondering, “What’s going on?” “Are we in the End Times?” “Is Jesus coming back soon?” “Are we in the Tribulation?” The answer is yes, we are in the End Times, and yes, Jesus is coming back soon, and no, we are not in the Tribulation – yet. There are so many questions about the sequence of what will happen in the End Times, so I will try to write periodically in order to help us gain some understanding. Here is what is and will be happening in a “nutshell”. The Twentieth Century started the beginnings of the birthing pangs that Jesus referred to in Matthew 24, “There will be wars and rumors of wars. See to it you are not frightened for those things must take place, but that is not t...