Jesus asked the apostles who they thought He was and the Apostle Peter declared, "you are the Christ, the Son of the living God." Jesus told Peter that that declaration was the rock, or foundation upon which He would build His church, against which the gates of Hell could not prevail. If Jesus is the Christ, and if He is the son of the living God and if He is God in the flesh as John chapter 1 verses 1 and 14 declare, then Jesus cannot lie by definition because the Bible tells us emphatically in Titus 1:2 the God cannot lie. How, then, could any church or church leader claim that salvation is found in simply following your conscience regardless of whether one believes in God or not? Jesus declared of Himself that He was the Way, the Truth and the Life and that no man could come to the Father but by Him.
According to the current so called Vicar of Christ, Pope Francis, as long as you follow your conscience you will be saved even if you are an atheist. In fact, Francis has declared that sin is when a person simply does not follow their conscience. This declaration falls apart on so many theological levels that one would have to wonder if Francis has ever even read the Gospels much less the rest of the Bible. If the Pope is right, Jesus is a liar.
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/pope-francis-assures-sceptics-you-dont-have-to-believe-in-god-to-go-to-heaven-8810062.html
There is ample scriptural evidence to prove that Francis is an apostate fool at best and at worst an agent of Satan purposely working against the God he claims to represent. In the Old Testament we are told twice in the book of Proverbs, once in chapter 14 and once in chapter 16 "there is a way that seems right to a man but it's end is the way to death." That sounds like following your conscience can be a dangerous way to go, but according to the Pope, Proverbs is wrong. The prophet Jeremiah, speaking on behalf of God, stated, "the heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked, who can know it." Either Jeremiah is a false prophet and his book should be torn from our Bibles or the Pope is hopelessly wrong.
The entire message of the New Testament is about redemption through Christ. What do we need redemption for if we can just follow our conscience and go to heaven? Hebrews 11:6 declares Francis a liar:
Hebrews 11:6 But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.
The tragedy in all this is that millions of adherents to the Roman Catholic Church are being misled by their so called shepherd. The Bible has very clear admonitions for false teachers. James 3:1 tells us that those of us who endeavor to teach God's word need to beware because we will be judged more harshly. God will hold Francis responsible for his heretical teaching.
The fact that this pope is willing to pervert the Gospel he claims to be the guardian of is more evidence that we are living in the last days. Can Francis be the false prophet spoken of in the book of Revelation? Shame on Francis for denying his savior. Pray for Francis that he may come to a true understanding of faith through Christ. Pray that he may realize the error of his ways and come to repentance and salvation. Pray that his lies do not lead others to hell, giving false assurances of salvation to those who would choose to reject Christ. Pray for the true believers in the Roman Church to have the courage and ability to refute these heretical teachings from the Vatican.
Wednesday, September 11, 2013
Monday, September 9, 2013
HOW IGNORING SIN IN THE CHURCH HAS LED TO APSOTASY
The Bible is clear that in the last days there will be a falling away. In II Thessalonians, the Apostle Paul is dealing with issues concerning the time of the end. The Thessalonian church was concerned that they had missed the return of the Lord, so Paul assures them that they have not missed it and that there were certain events that must take place before Christ comes back. One of those things is what Paul referred to as "a falling away."
2 Thessalonians_2:3 Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition;
2 Thessalonians_2:3 Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition;
The man of perdition is obviously the Anti-Christ who will take control of the world, but what does the falling away refer to? Some believe it refers to the rapture of the church. While I do emphatically believe in the rapture of the church and that it will occur before the Anti-Christ comes to power, I do not believe this passage is referring to the rapture. I believe it is referring to apostasy within the church.
A simple definition of apostasy is basically a rejection of ones faith. In the context of the church, apostasy would be a description of what the Apostle Paul is referring to in his letter to Timothy, the young pastor of the church in Ephesus:
2Timothy 3:1-5 This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come.
For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,
Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good,
Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God;
Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.
The key verse is those that have a form of godliness but denying the power thereof. There are many who identify themselves as part of the church, but when it comes to the path to salvation, they do not believe that Jesus is the only way to the Father. In fact, there are many leaders within the church who teach a doctrine of works. As the church goes, so goes the culture, if the church is faithless, how can we expect the culture we are in to even care about God? The church has lost it's voice in society and unfortunately, society has begun to shape the church.
Obviously, there are still many redeemed believers in the church who are truly the Church, but unfortunately they have become marginalized in society and are becoming marginalized within the walls of the local church. How does this happen? I believe there are four steps to apostasy. The church, especially in America, seems to have reached that point. The steps to apostasy are directly related to how the church deals with sin within it's own midst.
Step one: Ignore sin. So often, within a church, people do not want to be offensive or to intrude, so we ignore sin, even blatant sin. Why is it that we do not care enough about each other to get involved, in a loving way, when our brother or sister falls into sin. Once we ignore sin, it is allowed to fester and leads to the next step toward apostasy.
Step two: Tolerate sin. Once we have ignored sin long enough, it becomes tolerated. We make excuses for the sinners and excuses for why we do not deal with the person who is sinning. The siren song of the world is tolerance and we develop a live and let live mentality. Unfortunately, sin is not satisfied with simply being tolerated. As we practice tolerance we easily slide into the next step towards apostasy.
Step three: Accept sin. The world understands that tolerance leads to acceptance. Once we accept sin in our midst, we lose our moral authority to confront any sin. We have no ability to engage society and have nothing to offer the lost. When the church accepts no fault divorce, premarital sex, cohabitation, homosexual activity, illicit gambling, drunkenness, or any other direct disobedience to the word of God, we have lost our saltiness, we have lost our ability to reach the lost and we have lost the ability to offer a better path to the lost. If we look just like the world, the world has no reason to turn to Christ. Acceptance leads to the final step on the path to apostasy.
Step four: Condone sin. Condoning sin moves us from the point of merely accepting sin to defending it. Once the church begins to defend sin in the congregation, the church is apostate. To defend sin is to actively work against Christ. Any church that actively works against Christ cannot possibly have any ability to transform lives.
I believe that many churches have become irrelevant because of sin that has been allowed to fester and grow into apostasy. This is what I believe is the meaning of the the verse in II Thessalonians stated above.
An in-depth study of the book of Jeremiah shows that most of the sins being committed by Israel which led to God's judgment are being committed by the so called church today.
The good news for true believers is that this is a major sign of the last days and we have the rapture to look forward to to rescue us from the wrath that is about to come upon the earth.
As believers, we must hold up the standard of Christ and not fall into the sin of the world around us. The Bible challenges us to "be Holy as your Father in heaven is holy."
The remedy for this is discipleship. When we are busy about the work of discipleship, we will be very conscious of and sensitive to sin in the lives of the people whom we are investing time in. We will naturally be accountable to one another and we will have the relationships necessary to confront sin in each other's lives. Apostasy is the result of not loving and caring for each other enough to be involved in each others lives.
The remedy for this is discipleship. When we are busy about the work of discipleship, we will be very conscious of and sensitive to sin in the lives of the people whom we are investing time in. We will naturally be accountable to one another and we will have the relationships necessary to confront sin in each other's lives. Apostasy is the result of not loving and caring for each other enough to be involved in each others lives.
Thursday, September 5, 2013
WHY AN ATTACK ON SYRIA MAY LEAD TO FULFILLMENT OF PSALM 83
Imagine being in a neighborhood, living in a house that is legally yours and all of your neighbors calling for your demise. Imagine living under constant threat of all your neighbors, one day, joining together to destroy you. Imagine that God told you that one day your neighbors would join together to destroy and erase your name from memory. If you can imagine this scenario, you are able to understand what it is like for the nation of Israel.
The tiny nation of Israel is surrounded by nations who want to see Israel pushed into the sea. Even as Israel is celebrating it's New Year celebration of Rosh Hashanah, fear of immanent attack looms.
As the U. S. deliberates attacking Syria, serious consequences may be set into motion. The first problem with interfering in Syria is that neither side is friendly to America, in fact, the current government is more friendly (I use this term very loosely) than the Al Qaeda backed rebels we would be defending. Our country never declared war on Syria or the Assad regime, but the last time I checked, we were at war with terror which includes stopping Al Qaeda. America's interests will not only not be served but will possibly be harmed by assisting the rebel forces in Syria. An Al Qaeda run government will be able to put vast resources towards terrorist endeavors aimed at the U. S and Israel.
Another major problem with attacking Syria is we risk igniting another cold war with Russia. Russia is supports the Assad government and is claiming to have proof that the chemical attacks were made by the rebels themselves. Further evidence is found in the following video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V5kda1KhqlU
After non existent WMD's in Iraq justified invasion there, hard questions need to be asked before taking sides in a civil war that has no right side.
The final problem with possibly attacking Syria in this instance is the instability it will cause in the whole region and the repercussions that will come upon Israel. The following article in the Jerusalem Post shows that the region will possibly erupt into an all out war, with Israel at the center.
http://www.jpost.com/Middle-East/Report-Hezbollah-preparing-to-defend-Damascus-strike-Israel-if-Syria-situation-worsens-325323
According to the above article, Hezbollah is waiting for Iran to give permission to attack Israel in light of a military strike by the United States. If Hezbollah attacks Israel with Iran's backing, Israel will be forced to respond and the region will unite together against Israel. Suddenly the scenario of imagining one's neighbors hating them and uniting together to destroy them becomes very real.
This brings us to Psalm 83:
Psa 83:1 A Song. A Psalm of Asaph. O God, do not keep silence; do not hold your peace or be still, O God!
Psa 83:2 For behold, your enemies make an uproar; those who hate you have raised their heads.
Psa 83:3 They lay crafty plans against your people; they consult together against your treasured ones.
Psa 83:4 They say, "Come, let us wipe them out as a nation; let the name of Israel be remembered no more!"
Psa 83:5 For they conspire with one accord; against you they make a covenant—
Psa 83:6 the tents of Edom and the Ishmaelites, Moab and the Hagrites,
Psa 83:7 Gebal and Ammon and Amalek, Philistia with the inhabitants of Tyre;
Psa 83:8 Asshur also has joined them; they are the strong arm of the children of Lot. Selah.
Psa 83:9 Do to them as you did to Midian, as to Sisera and Jabin at the river Kishon,
Psa 83:10 who were destroyed at En-dor, who became dung for the ground.
Psa 83:11 Make their nobles like Oreb and Zeeb, all their princes like Zebah and Zalmunna,
Psa 83:12 who said, "Let us take possession for ourselves of the pastures of God."
Psa 83:13 O my God, make them like whirling dust, like chaff before the wind.
Psa 83:14 As fire consumes the forest, as the flame sets the mountains ablaze,
Psa 83:15 so may you pursue them with your tempest and terrify them with your hurricane!
Psa 83:16 Fill their faces with shame, that they may seek your name, O LORD.
Psa 83:17 Let them be put to shame and dismayed forever; let them perish in disgrace,
Psa 83:18 that they may know that you alone, whose name is the LORD, are the Most High over all the earth.
God told Israel that one day her neighbors would unite and rise up against her to attack. Is it possible that U. S. involvement at this time could help facilitate this prophecy's fulfillment? See how this scenario compares to Ezekiel 38:
Ezekiel 38:1-8 The word of the LORD came to me:
"Son of man, set your face toward Gog, of the land of Magog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal, and prophesy against him
and say, Thus says the Lord GOD: Behold, I am against you, O Gog, chief prince of Meshech and Tubal.
And I will turn you about and put hooks into your jaws, and I will bring you out, and all your army, horses and horsemen, all of them clothed in full armor, a great host, all of them with buckler and shield, wielding swords.
Persia, Cush, and Put are with them, all of them with shield and helmet;
Gomer and all his hordes; Beth-togarmah from the uttermost parts of the north with all his hordes—many peoples are with you.
"Be ready and keep ready, you and all your hosts that are assembled about you, and be a guard for them. After many days you will be mustered. In the latter years you will go against the land that is restored from war, the land whose people were gathered from many peoples upon the mountains of Israel, which had been a continual waste. Its people were brought out from the peoples and now dwell securely, all of them.
Notice some of the key players - Magog the prince of Meshech and Tubal: Magog refers to Russia, Meshech = Moscow and Tubal refers to the republic of Georgia. Persia is modern Iran. I encourage you to read the rest of the chapter as God declares deliverance for Israel, but the question is not if but when do these events take place. Will the United States continue to be a friend to Israel and continue to enjoy God's blessing as such or will America play the role of Judas and betray Israel opening the door for the prophesied scenario to come to fruition?
Jesus warned against this as well in Matthew 18:
Mat 18:7 "Woe to the world for temptations to sin! For it is necessary that temptations come, but woe to the one by whom the temptation comes!
It is obvious that the scripture will be fulfilled, Israel will be attacked by her neighbors and God will deliver Israel but woe to the nation who sets these events in motion.
I hope this excites the readers about the Bible and the relevance of scripture in today's world. Please join me in praying for the peace of Jerusalem and looking for the immanent return of Christ to take His bride, the Church to Glory. Jesus told us to not let our hearts be troubled, so even in troubled times we can look to the author and finisher of our faith to deliver His people, both Israel and the church. Please pray for America and her leadership that we would be on the side of God.
The tiny nation of Israel is surrounded by nations who want to see Israel pushed into the sea. Even as Israel is celebrating it's New Year celebration of Rosh Hashanah, fear of immanent attack looms.
As the U. S. deliberates attacking Syria, serious consequences may be set into motion. The first problem with interfering in Syria is that neither side is friendly to America, in fact, the current government is more friendly (I use this term very loosely) than the Al Qaeda backed rebels we would be defending. Our country never declared war on Syria or the Assad regime, but the last time I checked, we were at war with terror which includes stopping Al Qaeda. America's interests will not only not be served but will possibly be harmed by assisting the rebel forces in Syria. An Al Qaeda run government will be able to put vast resources towards terrorist endeavors aimed at the U. S and Israel.
Another major problem with attacking Syria is we risk igniting another cold war with Russia. Russia is supports the Assad government and is claiming to have proof that the chemical attacks were made by the rebels themselves. Further evidence is found in the following video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V5kda1KhqlU
After non existent WMD's in Iraq justified invasion there, hard questions need to be asked before taking sides in a civil war that has no right side.
The final problem with possibly attacking Syria in this instance is the instability it will cause in the whole region and the repercussions that will come upon Israel. The following article in the Jerusalem Post shows that the region will possibly erupt into an all out war, with Israel at the center.
http://www.jpost.com/Middle-East/Report-Hezbollah-preparing-to-defend-Damascus-strike-Israel-if-Syria-situation-worsens-325323
According to the above article, Hezbollah is waiting for Iran to give permission to attack Israel in light of a military strike by the United States. If Hezbollah attacks Israel with Iran's backing, Israel will be forced to respond and the region will unite together against Israel. Suddenly the scenario of imagining one's neighbors hating them and uniting together to destroy them becomes very real.
This brings us to Psalm 83:
Psa 83:1 A Song. A Psalm of Asaph. O God, do not keep silence; do not hold your peace or be still, O God!
Psa 83:2 For behold, your enemies make an uproar; those who hate you have raised their heads.
Psa 83:3 They lay crafty plans against your people; they consult together against your treasured ones.
Psa 83:4 They say, "Come, let us wipe them out as a nation; let the name of Israel be remembered no more!"
Psa 83:5 For they conspire with one accord; against you they make a covenant—
Psa 83:6 the tents of Edom and the Ishmaelites, Moab and the Hagrites,
Psa 83:7 Gebal and Ammon and Amalek, Philistia with the inhabitants of Tyre;
Psa 83:8 Asshur also has joined them; they are the strong arm of the children of Lot. Selah.
Psa 83:9 Do to them as you did to Midian, as to Sisera and Jabin at the river Kishon,
Psa 83:10 who were destroyed at En-dor, who became dung for the ground.
Psa 83:11 Make their nobles like Oreb and Zeeb, all their princes like Zebah and Zalmunna,
Psa 83:12 who said, "Let us take possession for ourselves of the pastures of God."
Psa 83:13 O my God, make them like whirling dust, like chaff before the wind.
Psa 83:14 As fire consumes the forest, as the flame sets the mountains ablaze,
Psa 83:15 so may you pursue them with your tempest and terrify them with your hurricane!
Psa 83:16 Fill their faces with shame, that they may seek your name, O LORD.
Psa 83:17 Let them be put to shame and dismayed forever; let them perish in disgrace,
Psa 83:18 that they may know that you alone, whose name is the LORD, are the Most High over all the earth.
God told Israel that one day her neighbors would unite and rise up against her to attack. Is it possible that U. S. involvement at this time could help facilitate this prophecy's fulfillment? See how this scenario compares to Ezekiel 38:
Ezekiel 38:1-8 The word of the LORD came to me:
"Son of man, set your face toward Gog, of the land of Magog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal, and prophesy against him
and say, Thus says the Lord GOD: Behold, I am against you, O Gog, chief prince of Meshech and Tubal.
And I will turn you about and put hooks into your jaws, and I will bring you out, and all your army, horses and horsemen, all of them clothed in full armor, a great host, all of them with buckler and shield, wielding swords.
Persia, Cush, and Put are with them, all of them with shield and helmet;
Gomer and all his hordes; Beth-togarmah from the uttermost parts of the north with all his hordes—many peoples are with you.
"Be ready and keep ready, you and all your hosts that are assembled about you, and be a guard for them. After many days you will be mustered. In the latter years you will go against the land that is restored from war, the land whose people were gathered from many peoples upon the mountains of Israel, which had been a continual waste. Its people were brought out from the peoples and now dwell securely, all of them.
Notice some of the key players - Magog the prince of Meshech and Tubal: Magog refers to Russia, Meshech = Moscow and Tubal refers to the republic of Georgia. Persia is modern Iran. I encourage you to read the rest of the chapter as God declares deliverance for Israel, but the question is not if but when do these events take place. Will the United States continue to be a friend to Israel and continue to enjoy God's blessing as such or will America play the role of Judas and betray Israel opening the door for the prophesied scenario to come to fruition?
Jesus warned against this as well in Matthew 18:
Mat 18:7 "Woe to the world for temptations to sin! For it is necessary that temptations come, but woe to the one by whom the temptation comes!
It is obvious that the scripture will be fulfilled, Israel will be attacked by her neighbors and God will deliver Israel but woe to the nation who sets these events in motion.
I hope this excites the readers about the Bible and the relevance of scripture in today's world. Please join me in praying for the peace of Jerusalem and looking for the immanent return of Christ to take His bride, the Church to Glory. Jesus told us to not let our hearts be troubled, so even in troubled times we can look to the author and finisher of our faith to deliver His people, both Israel and the church. Please pray for America and her leadership that we would be on the side of God.
Monday, September 2, 2013
IS ISAIAH 17 ABOUT TO BE FULFILLED IN SYRIA?
Much ado is currently being made concerning events in Syria and possible U. S. military involvement. Many scholars and Bible students are wondering if the events of Isaiah 17 are about to be fulfilled by a military strike in Syria. I believe that current events will not fulfill Isaiah 17 for a few reasons. I do believe we are in the last days, I do believe that Bible prophecy has been and is being fulfilled since 1948 as is evident in my blog on Egypt and Isaiah 19, but I do not believe that Isaiah 17 can be fulfilled now as the rest of the chapter seems to deal with events that will be taking place during the Great Tribulation.
Could Damascus be destroyed in a military strike led by U. S. forces? Only if we drop a nuclear bomb. Obviously that is not going to happen. Clues as to when the actual destruction of Damascus takes place are found in the rest of the passage.
Isaiah 17:4 - 5 And in that day the glory of Jacob will be brought low, and the fat of his flesh will grow lean.
And it shall be as when the reaper gathers standing grain and his arm harvests the ears, and as when one gleans the ears of grain in the Valley of Rephaim.
Currently, Israel, the glory of Jacob, is flourishing as a nation, despite the fact that it is surrounded by hostile enemies. So by this verse we know that Damascus will be destroyed during a time when Israel is not doing very well as a nation.
Also, the verse preceding the above passage has a curious line:
Isaiah 17:3 The fortress will disappear from Ephraim, and the kingdom from Damascus; and the remnant of Syria will be like the glory of the children of Israel, declares the LORD of hosts.
This passage tells us that Israel's protection will be gone in the day that Damascus loses it's kingdom. We do not know exactly what the fortress of Ephraim refers to but Ephraim absolutely refers to Israel as it is the name of one of her prominent tribes. Could the United States be the fortress of Ephraim or possibly Israel's nuclear capabilities? Only time will tell, but assuredly, Israel has not lost her protection at this point in history. Even though the current administration is not nearly as friendly towards Israel as past administrations, when push comes to shove, America still has Israel's back.
Also curious in the above passage is the mention of the remnant of Syria being like the glory of the children of Israel. During the tribulation period spoken of by the prophet Daniel and the Apostle John, people of all tongues, tribes, and nations will turn to God through Jesus Christ. The remnant spoken of in the above passage has to refer to believers during the Great Tribulation as it is at the conclusion of that time that Christ will return and gather all the faithful to Himself and lift them up. Any believers currently in Syria will be raptured out before these events take place(if I am reading this right) and cannot be the remnant spoken of here.
It is very possible and quite probable that the events in Syria are leading up to the war spoken of in Ezekiel 38.
As far as Damascus being destroyed by America, there is very little danger of that happening, especially since public opinion and international sentiment is against U. S. intervention.
I continue to look for end time events to manifest in current events, but I believe, based on the context of Isaiah 17, that this passage is not going to be fulfilled anytime soon, at least not until Anti-Christ comes to power and begins to persecute Israel.
I hope you enjoy searching the scriptures for our blessed hope of redemption as I do!
Could Damascus be destroyed in a military strike led by U. S. forces? Only if we drop a nuclear bomb. Obviously that is not going to happen. Clues as to when the actual destruction of Damascus takes place are found in the rest of the passage.
Isaiah 17:4 - 5 And in that day the glory of Jacob will be brought low, and the fat of his flesh will grow lean.
And it shall be as when the reaper gathers standing grain and his arm harvests the ears, and as when one gleans the ears of grain in the Valley of Rephaim.
Currently, Israel, the glory of Jacob, is flourishing as a nation, despite the fact that it is surrounded by hostile enemies. So by this verse we know that Damascus will be destroyed during a time when Israel is not doing very well as a nation.
Also, the verse preceding the above passage has a curious line:
Isaiah 17:3 The fortress will disappear from Ephraim, and the kingdom from Damascus; and the remnant of Syria will be like the glory of the children of Israel, declares the LORD of hosts.
This passage tells us that Israel's protection will be gone in the day that Damascus loses it's kingdom. We do not know exactly what the fortress of Ephraim refers to but Ephraim absolutely refers to Israel as it is the name of one of her prominent tribes. Could the United States be the fortress of Ephraim or possibly Israel's nuclear capabilities? Only time will tell, but assuredly, Israel has not lost her protection at this point in history. Even though the current administration is not nearly as friendly towards Israel as past administrations, when push comes to shove, America still has Israel's back.
Also curious in the above passage is the mention of the remnant of Syria being like the glory of the children of Israel. During the tribulation period spoken of by the prophet Daniel and the Apostle John, people of all tongues, tribes, and nations will turn to God through Jesus Christ. The remnant spoken of in the above passage has to refer to believers during the Great Tribulation as it is at the conclusion of that time that Christ will return and gather all the faithful to Himself and lift them up. Any believers currently in Syria will be raptured out before these events take place(if I am reading this right) and cannot be the remnant spoken of here.
It is very possible and quite probable that the events in Syria are leading up to the war spoken of in Ezekiel 38.
As far as Damascus being destroyed by America, there is very little danger of that happening, especially since public opinion and international sentiment is against U. S. intervention.
I continue to look for end time events to manifest in current events, but I believe, based on the context of Isaiah 17, that this passage is not going to be fulfilled anytime soon, at least not until Anti-Christ comes to power and begins to persecute Israel.
I hope you enjoy searching the scriptures for our blessed hope of redemption as I do!
Thursday, August 29, 2013
INSPIRATION OF SCRIPTURE
The importance of the
inspiration of the Bible is foundational to the Christian faith. If
the Bible were just a collection of writings by men, without God's
authorship, it would be spiritually worthless. The inspiration of
the Word of God is the very basis for referring to the Bible as the
Word of God. Through the fact of the inspiration of scripture we are
able to know that the words contained therein are true and reliable.
There are many proofs to verify the inspiration of the Bible.
One such proof is
the fact that the Bible accurately deals with prophetic content. No
other religious writing even dares forecast future events while the
Bible not only predicts the future, but does so inerrantly. The Old
Testament is filled with prophecy concerning the coming Messiah.
Every one of those prophecies have either been fulfilled by the life
of Jesus Christ or will be fulfilled at His second coming. One such
example is found in Psalm 22 where we find David giving a very
detailed description of a death by crucifixion hundreds of years
before this type of capitol punishment even existed.
Another proof of
the inspiration of the Bible is the cohesiveness of each of it's 66
books. Imagine endeavoring to put together a compilation of writings
written over a 1500 year period by over 40 different authors and all
of it with one common theme, the redemption of mankind through one
person, the God/man, Jesus Christ. This would be an impossible
undertaking if it were attempted by the power of man, but as Jesus
told us Matthew 19:26 - “with men this is impossible but with God
all things are possible. It is difficult to get four people together
who agree theologically, yet the Bible was written by over 40
authors, most of whom never met, and yet were able to put forth the
same message with out contradiction or error. This could only be
accomplished by the power and inspiration of God.
Historical and
Archaeological evidence also supports the inspiration of scripture.
Indeed the Bible was written over a 1500 year period by over 40
different authors and amazingly does not contain one historical flaw
or archaeological inaccuracy. In fact, many archaeological
discoveries have been made by the direction of the Bible. One such
discovery is the real Mt. Sinai discovered by archaeologist Ron
Wyatt, in what is now Saudi Arabia. Wyatt used the Biblical account
of the Exodus to discover the location of the Israeli camp in which
Moses received the 10 commandments from God.
The Bible itself
testifies as to it's own inspiration. II Timothy 3:16 tells us that
“all scripture is given by the inspiration of God...” Although a
self description does not usually hold any veracity, that is not the
case in this instance. As the Bible has been tested and tried by
almost every generation, it has maintained it's integrity under heavy
scrutiny. This scrutiny testifies to the truth of the above verse.
When the Bible has been found true under every verifiable measure,
that which is not verifiable becomes acceptable by default.
What we
find ourselves with is a solid accounting of God's plan and dealings
with mankind, given to us by God Himself as He inspired ordinary men
who made themselves available to His will. The Bible has been
unsuccessfully attacked by it's critics for ages past and has stood
up to all scrutiny. God continues to remove the evidence of those
who would claim He does not exist or that His word is not true
because that evidence is nothing more than false claims and baseless
accusations.
BOOK REVIEW - THE LAST TEMPLAR BY RAYMOND KHOURY
SPOILERS - SPOILERS - SPOILERS
This was the second book I have read by Raymond Khoury. I came across Raymond Khoury at a library sale where two of his books were in the religious fiction category. Overall I enjoyed the story very much as well as the subject matter. As a conspiracy buff, I was definitely attracted to the secret society verses the Roman Church plot line. As a student of the Bible, I felt the author was a little sloppy with his Biblical history. On page 92 we read a very sketchy version of the building of the two Temples in Jerusalem. The book states that the first Temple was started by David after God's command and completed by Solomon. In reality, according to the only historical account, David desired to build a Temple for God but God would not allow it as David had shed too much blood. God declared that Solomon would build the Temple. David did gather the building materials and began the manufacturing of the items used in the Temple, but the Temple itself was completely constructed under Solomon's command. The book also leads the reader to believe that immediately after Solomon's death, Israel was invaded. This did not happen for hundred's of years after the death of Solomon. Also, the book inaccurately states that the second Temple was built by King Herod. The second Temple was constructed under the command of Ezra the priest as recorded in the Old Testament account of Ezra. Herod later added on to the existing Temple. While this may seem nit picky on my part, a book dealing with history should at least get it's facts straight. When I read this mishandling of history I was unable to fully rely on the veracity of the rest of the historical content of the book.
The basic story is the power struggle between the Vatican and the Knight's Templar, during the middle ages. The knights had supposedly uncovered a writing of Jesus Christ in which proved that He was only a man and never claimed divinity nor Messiahship. High ranking members of the Roman Church find out about the writing and due to unbelief on their part, believe it to be genuine without verification and embark on a deadly mission to suppress any knowledge of the book before it destroys the faith of all believers.
The book deals with some very important issues of faith. Also highlighted is the greed and corruption of the Vatican. Unfortunately, Khoury completely ignores protestant Christianity as if it does not exist. Khoury gives the impression that the Roman Church is the only voice in Christianity. Khoury does a great job of exposing the faithlessness of the leadership of the Vatican while being sensitive to the adherents of the Catholic faith, many of whom are devout believers. What Khoury does not handle well is the Bible itself. Presented throughout the book are arguments against the canon of scripture and especially the Gospel accounts. Charges are made concerning the reliability of the 4 gospel accounts in the New Testament. These arguments against the authenticity of the Gospels are easily destroyed by just a little bit of research into the early church. The Gospels were written during a time when many eyewitnesses were still alive who could have, and would have, exposed the writings as fraudulent. The fact that each of the 11 disciples who witnessed Christ's resurrection were killed for their testimony should prove that the testimony of the Gospel writers is true. Who would die defending a lie, certainly not 11 people telling the same lie. Khoury also attempts to bring up other "gospel" accounts that have been proven to be counterfeit writings produced many years after the first apostles were dead.
Overall I enjoyed the story and the plot line. I was pleasantly surprised by the ending. One item I felt was unnecessary was the gratuitous sex between the two main characters, it did not drive the plot or contribute to the story in any way, it was disappointing behavior by the male character who made much of his so called faith and relationship with God.
I do not necessarily recommend this book based on the liberal use of foul language and the one sexual encounter that could have definitely been left out. Otherwise, The Last Templar is a fast paced read that will satisfy any mystery/thriller fan.
This was the second book I have read by Raymond Khoury. I came across Raymond Khoury at a library sale where two of his books were in the religious fiction category. Overall I enjoyed the story very much as well as the subject matter. As a conspiracy buff, I was definitely attracted to the secret society verses the Roman Church plot line. As a student of the Bible, I felt the author was a little sloppy with his Biblical history. On page 92 we read a very sketchy version of the building of the two Temples in Jerusalem. The book states that the first Temple was started by David after God's command and completed by Solomon. In reality, according to the only historical account, David desired to build a Temple for God but God would not allow it as David had shed too much blood. God declared that Solomon would build the Temple. David did gather the building materials and began the manufacturing of the items used in the Temple, but the Temple itself was completely constructed under Solomon's command. The book also leads the reader to believe that immediately after Solomon's death, Israel was invaded. This did not happen for hundred's of years after the death of Solomon. Also, the book inaccurately states that the second Temple was built by King Herod. The second Temple was constructed under the command of Ezra the priest as recorded in the Old Testament account of Ezra. Herod later added on to the existing Temple. While this may seem nit picky on my part, a book dealing with history should at least get it's facts straight. When I read this mishandling of history I was unable to fully rely on the veracity of the rest of the historical content of the book.
The basic story is the power struggle between the Vatican and the Knight's Templar, during the middle ages. The knights had supposedly uncovered a writing of Jesus Christ in which proved that He was only a man and never claimed divinity nor Messiahship. High ranking members of the Roman Church find out about the writing and due to unbelief on their part, believe it to be genuine without verification and embark on a deadly mission to suppress any knowledge of the book before it destroys the faith of all believers.
The book deals with some very important issues of faith. Also highlighted is the greed and corruption of the Vatican. Unfortunately, Khoury completely ignores protestant Christianity as if it does not exist. Khoury gives the impression that the Roman Church is the only voice in Christianity. Khoury does a great job of exposing the faithlessness of the leadership of the Vatican while being sensitive to the adherents of the Catholic faith, many of whom are devout believers. What Khoury does not handle well is the Bible itself. Presented throughout the book are arguments against the canon of scripture and especially the Gospel accounts. Charges are made concerning the reliability of the 4 gospel accounts in the New Testament. These arguments against the authenticity of the Gospels are easily destroyed by just a little bit of research into the early church. The Gospels were written during a time when many eyewitnesses were still alive who could have, and would have, exposed the writings as fraudulent. The fact that each of the 11 disciples who witnessed Christ's resurrection were killed for their testimony should prove that the testimony of the Gospel writers is true. Who would die defending a lie, certainly not 11 people telling the same lie. Khoury also attempts to bring up other "gospel" accounts that have been proven to be counterfeit writings produced many years after the first apostles were dead.
Overall I enjoyed the story and the plot line. I was pleasantly surprised by the ending. One item I felt was unnecessary was the gratuitous sex between the two main characters, it did not drive the plot or contribute to the story in any way, it was disappointing behavior by the male character who made much of his so called faith and relationship with God.
I do not necessarily recommend this book based on the liberal use of foul language and the one sexual encounter that could have definitely been left out. Otherwise, The Last Templar is a fast paced read that will satisfy any mystery/thriller fan.
Sunday, August 18, 2013
UNHOLY TURMOIL IN EGYPT - PROPHECY IN THE NEWS
The turmoil in the nation of Egypt has been a central news story for some time now. These events are also, seemingly, central to Bible prophecy and remind us that we are living in the last days. First, a revolution that unseated long time president and one time ally of the United States, Hosni Mubarak, next the installation of he Muslim Brotherhood leader, Mohamed Morsi, and now a bloody military coup in which Egyptians are killing Egyptians for control of the government. Prior to these events, Egypt has had a stabilizing effect in the Middle East. Though a mostly Muslim country, Egypt has a large, and until recently, unpersecuted, Christian population. For the most part, Egypt was a friend to the America, and peaceful toward Israel.
The trouble started when as President Mubarak consolidated control over the country and became more of a dictator than a president, much as the the Shaw of Iran did back in the 1970's. As in the case of the Shaw, the people wanted Mubarak out and instead of the U S defending it's friend and ally and attempting to negotiate for better conditions in the country, bad foreign policy led to an extremist Islamic group taking control of the country. In Iran, the Ayatollah, a Muslim pope, in a sense, runs the country, and in Egypt, Morsi, of the extremist group, the Muslim Brotherhood took over.
The Muslim Brotherhood is an extremist Islamic group that advocates Sharia law. What once began as a humanitarian group, has now, almost 100 years later, become an advocate of Jihad. The creed of the Muslim Brotherhood is: Allah is our objective. The Prophet is our leader. Qur'an is our law. Jihad is our way. Dying in the way of Allah is our highest hope. (emphasis added) The Muslim Brotherhood is not a friend to America nor it's belief in personal freedom. The Muslim Brotherhood does seem to be a friend to our president, which is somewhat disconcerting.
Unrest in Islamic countries is nothing new, anyone who reads the paper or watches national news knows that unrest in the Middle East is almost the norm. What is notable is the fact that today's headlines concerning Egypt seem to be taken right from the pages of Bible prophecy. The prophet Isaiah foretold these events almost 3 thousand years ago as they were revealed to him by God. Look with me, if you would, at this passage from Isaiah 19:
Isaiah 19:2-4 And I will stir up Egyptians against Egyptians, and they will fight, each against another and each against his neighbor, city against city, kingdom against kingdom;
and the spirit of the Egyptians within them will be emptied out, and I will confound their counsel; and they will inquire of the idols and the sorcerers, and the mediums and the necromancers; and I will give over the Egyptians into the hand of a hard master, and a fierce king will rule over them, declares the Lord GOD of hosts.
The next several verses pertain to the Nile river being dried up and having "bare spots". Interestingly, there is much turmoil over the Nile river as other nations are utilizing it's waters for agriculture and even low cost energy production, causing consternation in Egypt concerning the loss of water in the river itself. Speaking of the Nile river going dry just a few years ago would have been laughable, but today is a growing concern as water rights treaties are being ignored or revisited.
The passage in Isaiah continues :
Isaiah 19:12-16 Where then are your wise men? Let them tell you that they might know what the LORD of hosts has purposed against Egypt.
The princes of Zoan have become fools, and the princes of Memphis are deluded; those who are the cornerstones of her tribes have made Egypt stagger.
The LORD has mingled within her a spirit of confusion, and they will make Egypt stagger in all its deeds, as a drunken man staggers in his vomit.
And there will be nothing for Egypt that head or tail, palm branch or reed, may do.
In that day the Egyptians will be like women, and tremble with fear before the hand that the LORD of hosts shakes over them.
This passage shows two notable things, first, the leaders of Egypt are the cause of the turmoil and confusion, which evident and second, that this turmoil will continue until the Lord returns. If the events in Egypt today are indeed the fulfillment of this prophecy, there will be no quick solution. Interestingly, verse 17 of the above passage refers to Judah being a terror to Egypt, could it be that these events are a build up to the events that would cause a world leader to broker a treaty between Israel and "the many" as the Bible tells us will happen just prior the the Great Tribulation?
We are certainly living in exciting times, as events foretold thousands of years ago are beginning to unfold before our very eyes. Since 1948, the world seems to be back on the prophetic timeline and events are happening at an escalating pace. We need to pray for the people of Egypt, especially the Coptic Christians who are experiencing escalated persecution. As of this writing over 800 people have been killed due to government instability and the influence of the Muslim Brotherhood. As in all things, faith in the God of the Bible through Jesus Christ is the only answer to true peace.
I encourage you to read the whole of Isaiah 19, especially the last verses that pertain to God bringing Egypt into a time of peace after the return of Christ. Please join me in praying for our persecuted brothers and sisters in the Egyptian church and as always for the peace of Jerusalem. I quote John the Revelator: "amen, come Lord Jesus!"
The trouble started when as President Mubarak consolidated control over the country and became more of a dictator than a president, much as the the Shaw of Iran did back in the 1970's. As in the case of the Shaw, the people wanted Mubarak out and instead of the U S defending it's friend and ally and attempting to negotiate for better conditions in the country, bad foreign policy led to an extremist Islamic group taking control of the country. In Iran, the Ayatollah, a Muslim pope, in a sense, runs the country, and in Egypt, Morsi, of the extremist group, the Muslim Brotherhood took over.
The Muslim Brotherhood is an extremist Islamic group that advocates Sharia law. What once began as a humanitarian group, has now, almost 100 years later, become an advocate of Jihad. The creed of the Muslim Brotherhood is: Allah is our objective. The Prophet is our leader. Qur'an is our law. Jihad is our way. Dying in the way of Allah is our highest hope. (emphasis added) The Muslim Brotherhood is not a friend to America nor it's belief in personal freedom. The Muslim Brotherhood does seem to be a friend to our president, which is somewhat disconcerting.
Unrest in Islamic countries is nothing new, anyone who reads the paper or watches national news knows that unrest in the Middle East is almost the norm. What is notable is the fact that today's headlines concerning Egypt seem to be taken right from the pages of Bible prophecy. The prophet Isaiah foretold these events almost 3 thousand years ago as they were revealed to him by God. Look with me, if you would, at this passage from Isaiah 19:
Isaiah 19:2-4 And I will stir up Egyptians against Egyptians, and they will fight, each against another and each against his neighbor, city against city, kingdom against kingdom;
and the spirit of the Egyptians within them will be emptied out, and I will confound their counsel; and they will inquire of the idols and the sorcerers, and the mediums and the necromancers; and I will give over the Egyptians into the hand of a hard master, and a fierce king will rule over them, declares the Lord GOD of hosts.
The next several verses pertain to the Nile river being dried up and having "bare spots". Interestingly, there is much turmoil over the Nile river as other nations are utilizing it's waters for agriculture and even low cost energy production, causing consternation in Egypt concerning the loss of water in the river itself. Speaking of the Nile river going dry just a few years ago would have been laughable, but today is a growing concern as water rights treaties are being ignored or revisited.
The passage in Isaiah continues :
Isaiah 19:12-16 Where then are your wise men? Let them tell you that they might know what the LORD of hosts has purposed against Egypt.
The princes of Zoan have become fools, and the princes of Memphis are deluded; those who are the cornerstones of her tribes have made Egypt stagger.
The LORD has mingled within her a spirit of confusion, and they will make Egypt stagger in all its deeds, as a drunken man staggers in his vomit.
And there will be nothing for Egypt that head or tail, palm branch or reed, may do.
In that day the Egyptians will be like women, and tremble with fear before the hand that the LORD of hosts shakes over them.
This passage shows two notable things, first, the leaders of Egypt are the cause of the turmoil and confusion, which evident and second, that this turmoil will continue until the Lord returns. If the events in Egypt today are indeed the fulfillment of this prophecy, there will be no quick solution. Interestingly, verse 17 of the above passage refers to Judah being a terror to Egypt, could it be that these events are a build up to the events that would cause a world leader to broker a treaty between Israel and "the many" as the Bible tells us will happen just prior the the Great Tribulation?
We are certainly living in exciting times, as events foretold thousands of years ago are beginning to unfold before our very eyes. Since 1948, the world seems to be back on the prophetic timeline and events are happening at an escalating pace. We need to pray for the people of Egypt, especially the Coptic Christians who are experiencing escalated persecution. As of this writing over 800 people have been killed due to government instability and the influence of the Muslim Brotherhood. As in all things, faith in the God of the Bible through Jesus Christ is the only answer to true peace.
I encourage you to read the whole of Isaiah 19, especially the last verses that pertain to God bringing Egypt into a time of peace after the return of Christ. Please join me in praying for our persecuted brothers and sisters in the Egyptian church and as always for the peace of Jerusalem. I quote John the Revelator: "amen, come Lord Jesus!"
Sunday, August 4, 2013
PERSON AND NATURE OF CHRIST - A THUMBNAIL SKETCH
The following essay is part of my exam for Systematic Theology as is the preceding essay An Overview of the Ministry of the Holy Spirit.
The person and nature
of Christ, very simply put, is He is 100% God and 100% man. John 1:1
tells us that in the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God
and the Word was God. John further explains, in verse 14, that the
Word became flesh and dwelt amongst us. The Gospels of Luke and
Matthew demonstrate the human ancestry of Christ while the Gospel of
John and most of the New Testament writers demonstrate the deity of
Christ. As demonstrated above, John specifically declares that Jesus
is God in the flesh.
We find in the
person of Christ all the attributes of God that are exclusive to God.
In His omniscience,
Christ knows all things as demonstrated by Jesus revealing His
knowledge of the Samaritan woman in John chapter 11. In His
omnipresence, Christ is all places at all times as demonstrated in
Matthew 18:20 when He declared that when 2 or 3 are gathered
together, He is in their midst. If two or three are gathered in
multiple places, then Jesus would have to be in more than one place
at at a time in order for this to be truthful. In His omnipotence,
Christ is all-powerful.
This is revealed to us
in Matthew 28:18 when Jesus Himself declares that “all power is
given unto me.” Paul also testifies to the power of Christ in
relation to his own weakness, in 2 Corinthians 12:9. In His
immutability, we see that Christ does not change. Hebrews 13:8 tells
us that Jesus is the same “today, yesterday, and forever.”
These attributes
are exclusive to God and all attributable to Christ, demonstrating
that He is indeed God. His humanity cannot be denied due to the fact
that He is born of a woman, descended from a specific family line
traceable back to Adam, the fact that He is shown eating and
drinking, the fact that he suffered pain and the fact that He was
killed. All the evidence of scripture demonstrates that Jesus is God
and man in every sense.
AN OVERVIEW OF THE MINISTRY OF THE HOLY SPIRIT
The Holy Spirit is the
active agent of the God-head in the salvation of the lost. Prior to
salvation, the ministry of the Holy Spirit is to convict the sinner
of his lost state. In John 16 Jesus explains the ministry of the
Holy Spirit to the lost. Jesus stated that the Holy Spirit will
reprove the world of sin. This means that the work of the Holy
Spirit amongst unbelievers is to reveal their sin and cause them to
recognize a need for salvation through Christ. The Spirit
accomplishes this through a number of ways. One such way is when the
Spirit of God quietly speaks to the heart of an unbeliever, pointing
out short-comings and failures. This is one reason why the self
esteem movement is so dangerous as it deceives people into believing
that they are good in and of themselves and there is no need for God
or salvation. Self esteem teaching becomes the antithesis of the
work of the Holy Spirit in the life of an unbeliever.
Another way
the Spirit works in the hearts and minds of unbelievers is through
the lives of believers of whom the Spirit dwells. As we are
tabernacles of the living God, we are indwelt by the Spirit of God
and are used to convey the message of God in both word and deed. I
Peter 1:1 demonstrates this in the life of a believing wife as she
bears witness of her faith through her godly lifestyle. This verse
points out that at wife through her actions will demonstrate God to
her unbelieving husband and that will supplant the Word of God in his
life when he does not read the Word. As believers we are called to
bear witness to Christ by the power of the Holy Spirit. In Luke
12:11-12 Jesus tells the disciples that they need not worry about
what to say when they are brought before rulers and questioned but
that the Spirit would tell them what to say. We too must be in tune
with the Spirit of God that we may be able to hear and speak the
words He places in our hearts for the lost.
The work of the
Spirit does not end when a person comes to salvation, the Spirit then
indwells the believer and becomes a comforter, a guide and a
counselor, bringing about the work of sanctification in our lives.
Romans 8:29 tells us that we have been predestined to be transformed
into the very image of Christ. That is the work of sanctification,
the Spirit making us useful for kingdom work.
Saturday, August 3, 2013
THE CONJURING - A MOVIE REVIEW
CAUTION - MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS
This film is based on a true life case of supernatural investigators, Ed and Lorraine Warren. In 1971, they investigated a haunting in a farm house in Rhode Island that turned out to be a demonic manifestation that, according to the current homeowners, continues to this today. As far as movie quality goes, the film was well made, the acting was very good and the story moved along smoothly with not plot holes. I would give the production a high rating.
The content of the movie, however, is another story. I came out of the film with very mixed feelings. While the scenes of the actual haunting seemed authentic, the movie veered off, for me, when it got into the demonic possession of the Carolyn Perron. The basic plot of the film is the Perron family moves into a large farm house with a sinister past. The farm house is haunted by past occupants and other various ghosts who died in connection with the house. Famed demonologists, Ed and Lorrain Warren are called upon to help the family. The story progresses to the point where Carolyn Perron becomes possessed by the evil spirit of a witch who committed suicide after sacrificing her baby to Satan. Carolyn Perron then attempts to kill 2 of her 5 daughters as the Warrens race against time to rescue the children. The Warrens are able to prevent the murder of the little girls and exorcise the demon from Carolyn Perron and everyone lives happily ever after.
Normally, I would not give a film like this a second thought but due to the fact it was based on a true story, my wife, who hates horror movies, especially ones dealing with the demonic, showed an interest. I checked the content on Internet Movie Data Base, which is a great resource for checking inappropriate content in films (http://www.imdb.com/) and checked out the review on Christian Spotlight on Entertainment (http://www.christiananswers.net/spotlight/home.html) and decided that we could give the movie a shot.
The film deals with many Biblical themes such as God, demons, prayer, and baptism, and puts these subjects in the proper light, for the most part. To be honest, some scenes disturbed me to the point where I was actually wanting to get up and walk out of the theater on the ruse of using the rest room. I do not scare easily, nor do movies based on supernatural occurrences affect me, but this movie contained material that hit pretty close to home for me on a personal basis, any one who has lived in a home that was inhabited by an active demonic force would agree. The presentation of the haunting was extremely accurate and realistic. Where the film veers off into Hollywood fantasy was in the possession of Carolyn Perron. By this point in the film, reality had departed. The filmmakers knew that they needed to climatic ending so they wrote an exciting happy Hollywood ending.
The truth of the matter is that the Perron family lived in the house for 10 years and the activity never ended. No possession, no big exorcism, no big happy ending. Others have occupied the home and have also reported strange happenings. The film also failed to make the point that these manifestations were not the departed souls of dead people, but demons who had taken on the persona of those people to gain entry into the lives of the occupants of the home. Haunting is real, the spirit world is real, most people's idea of what haunting and spirits are is false. The Bible is very clear that to be absent from the body is to be present with the LORD. If one is to believe the Bible one has to conclude that the spirits of the dead are not trapped here unable to move on. The fact that the Warrens were called denonologists lends credence to the fact that they understood this truth.
I would not recommend this film to anyone unless they were grounded in the understanding that the demonic realm is very real and not to be dabbled in. I was pleased that Biblical themes were dealt with properly, but was very disappointed that the film went for the schlocky possession/exorcism ending. Overall I would give this film an A for production value, an A for entertainment value, and a C for redeeming content. I am not sorry I saw it, but it is not something I would run out and tell people to go see.
This film is based on a true life case of supernatural investigators, Ed and Lorraine Warren. In 1971, they investigated a haunting in a farm house in Rhode Island that turned out to be a demonic manifestation that, according to the current homeowners, continues to this today. As far as movie quality goes, the film was well made, the acting was very good and the story moved along smoothly with not plot holes. I would give the production a high rating.
The content of the movie, however, is another story. I came out of the film with very mixed feelings. While the scenes of the actual haunting seemed authentic, the movie veered off, for me, when it got into the demonic possession of the Carolyn Perron. The basic plot of the film is the Perron family moves into a large farm house with a sinister past. The farm house is haunted by past occupants and other various ghosts who died in connection with the house. Famed demonologists, Ed and Lorrain Warren are called upon to help the family. The story progresses to the point where Carolyn Perron becomes possessed by the evil spirit of a witch who committed suicide after sacrificing her baby to Satan. Carolyn Perron then attempts to kill 2 of her 5 daughters as the Warrens race against time to rescue the children. The Warrens are able to prevent the murder of the little girls and exorcise the demon from Carolyn Perron and everyone lives happily ever after.
Normally, I would not give a film like this a second thought but due to the fact it was based on a true story, my wife, who hates horror movies, especially ones dealing with the demonic, showed an interest. I checked the content on Internet Movie Data Base, which is a great resource for checking inappropriate content in films (http://www.imdb.com/) and checked out the review on Christian Spotlight on Entertainment (http://www.christiananswers.net/spotlight/home.html) and decided that we could give the movie a shot.
The film deals with many Biblical themes such as God, demons, prayer, and baptism, and puts these subjects in the proper light, for the most part. To be honest, some scenes disturbed me to the point where I was actually wanting to get up and walk out of the theater on the ruse of using the rest room. I do not scare easily, nor do movies based on supernatural occurrences affect me, but this movie contained material that hit pretty close to home for me on a personal basis, any one who has lived in a home that was inhabited by an active demonic force would agree. The presentation of the haunting was extremely accurate and realistic. Where the film veers off into Hollywood fantasy was in the possession of Carolyn Perron. By this point in the film, reality had departed. The filmmakers knew that they needed to climatic ending so they wrote an exciting happy Hollywood ending.
The truth of the matter is that the Perron family lived in the house for 10 years and the activity never ended. No possession, no big exorcism, no big happy ending. Others have occupied the home and have also reported strange happenings. The film also failed to make the point that these manifestations were not the departed souls of dead people, but demons who had taken on the persona of those people to gain entry into the lives of the occupants of the home. Haunting is real, the spirit world is real, most people's idea of what haunting and spirits are is false. The Bible is very clear that to be absent from the body is to be present with the LORD. If one is to believe the Bible one has to conclude that the spirits of the dead are not trapped here unable to move on. The fact that the Warrens were called denonologists lends credence to the fact that they understood this truth.
I would not recommend this film to anyone unless they were grounded in the understanding that the demonic realm is very real and not to be dabbled in. I was pleased that Biblical themes were dealt with properly, but was very disappointed that the film went for the schlocky possession/exorcism ending. Overall I would give this film an A for production value, an A for entertainment value, and a C for redeeming content. I am not sorry I saw it, but it is not something I would run out and tell people to go see.
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