Finally, we salute those Christian soldiers who have suffered at the hands of evil men who have been taken captive by the enemy to do his will. I think of those who have been separated from their families and cast into prison, many of them tormented, and awaiting execution, but have stood firm in their faith not denying the One who called them from darkness to light. For two millennia Christian soldiers of the Cross have been tortured, shot, hung, sawed into, drowned, burned at the stake, fed to lions, and hung on a cross, but through all of it most have remained resolute in their faith determined to emulate their Savior who also suffered greatly at the hands of cruel men. “He was oppressed and afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth; he was led like a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before his shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth” (Isaiah 53:7). There are many stories of old where those in prison continued in their prayers, reading their Bibles or quoting it from memory or writing treasured testimonies, theological treatise, highly acclaimed devotionals or letters to their fledging flocks. Many accounts have passed down about their continued love for their captors and their undying love and praise for their Lord. The saintly Madame Guyon, after spending ten years in the dungeon lying far below the surface of the ground, which was lit only by a candle at meal times, possessed this wisdom from God when she wrote: “A little bird I am, shut from the fields of air; yet in my cage I sit and sing to Him who placed me there; well pleased a prisoner to be, because, my God, it pleases thee. Nought have I else to do I sing the whole day long; and He whom most I love to please, doth listen to my song; He caught and bound my wandering wing but still He bends to hear me sing. My cage confines me round; abroad I cannot fly; but though my wing is closely bound, my heart’s at liberty. My prison walls cannot control the flight, the freedom of the soul. Ah! It is good to soar these bolts and bars above, to Him whose purpose I adore, whose providence I love; and in Thy mighty will to find the joy the freedom of the mind.”

In a special tribute to all Christian soldiers who have fought so gallantly throughout the centuries let us read the 91^st Psalm: “He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, ‘He is my refuge and my fortress, my God in whom I trust.’ Surely he will save you from the fowler’s snare and from the deadly pestilence. He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart. You will not fear the terror of the night, nor the arrow that flies by day, nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness, nor the plague that destroys at midday. A thousand may fall at your side, ten thousand at your right hand, but it will not come near you. You will only observe with your eyes and see the punishment of the wicked. If you make the Most High your dwelling – even the Lord, who is my refuge – then no harm will befall you, no disaster will come near your tent. For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways; they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone. You will tread upon the lion and the serpent. ‘Because he loves me,’ says the Lord, ‘I will rescue him; I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name. He will call upon me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble, I will deliver him and honor him and show him my salvation.’”

On this Memorial Day 2013 let us pay a special tribute to all Christian soldiers for taking shelter in the Most High, resting in the shadow of the Almighty, and standing resolute in their faith. Let me now encourage you to reach out to your brethren and show them how they too can join the fight by putting on the full armor of God. Set them an example on how to wage war against the real enemy that seeks to destroy every Christian prior to the glorious return of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. You know full well as we fast approach the end of days the enemy will only become more vicious capturing even more heathens to fight against God’s children. You have also seen the increase in demonic activity leading many to simply explain it away by affixing labels of psychological trauma on those who are in the process of being soundly defeated by the enemy. Remember my friends, “The weapons we fight with are not weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds” (II Corinthians 10:4) and send the enemy to flight. We need your help, oh Lord, in keeping our armor on at all times and using each piece effectively as we engage the real enemy.

Copyright © 2013 Rev. Daniel W. Blair

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As we approach Memorial Day indeed it is a time to honor our fallen soldiers in the many wars since the birth of this country, to help maintain peace at home. Well today, I would like to honor the Christian soldiers who have fought long and hard against the real enemy of our souls. They don’t carry machine guns or drive tanks, but they don the armor from heaven to stand firm against the wiles of the devil. They don’t seek glory of this world, but wage a secret war against the strongest advisory known to humanity. As the enemy…

Copyright © 2013 Rev. Daniel W. Blair

On the other hand, when we look at the face of evil we see evil manifested in selfish acts which almost always demands a very high cost to others.  We as a nation are still horrified about three Cleveland women who were kidnapped and held captive for a decade to be used in a “Self-gratifying and self-serving way” by a very wicked and detestable man. Most all of us will look at this and say quite candidly that we would never do such a thing – just the thought of it causes great anguish and a sickening in our spirit.  Or we may look at the woman who nearly decapitated her boyfriend perhaps out of jealousy driven by selfishness and have the same feelings. To look at the other horrendous crimes would be beyond the scope of this article, but hopefully we are beginning to see that these great evils start and end with selfish acts which always exact a cost to others. Yet, Jesus said that the love of “many” would grow cold, which tells me that selfishness will reign in the last days. I believe there will be more horrendous crimes against others that will shock our insensibility, but if we are honest then we will admit that selfishness has raised its ugly head in our life also seeking to control our behavior at every turn. The good Christian soldier must aggressively wage war against the enemy of our soul knowing that every selfish act has the ability to hurt others and drive us further away from the selfless love that God has called us to in Christ Jesus.

For the Christian soldier to truly fight and win this war we must always strive to be other centered rather than self centered. This axiomatic change is so desperately needed especially in the Christian church. For most, I am afraid; this will be a completely different way of thinking. Instead of asking what can I do for myself I must ask what can I do for others. To ask and answer this question will put you on the path to loving others unconditionally. Every single person that you come into contact is deserving of this self giving love without ever expecting anything in return. Jesus Christ made this so abundantly clear in His teaching from the Sermon on the Mount, which I have covered exhaustively in my new book: “Stand Firm.” For example, the man who was encouraged to go the second mile in carrying the belongings of a, no doubt ruthless and demanding, Roman soldier would understand clearly the message of loving others unconditionally without expecting anything in return. From giving your inner garment to those who wish to take your outer garment to giving to all who ask, step by step Jesus Christ was driving home the point that true love is a selfless act of courage. Now here is the beauty of it – God wants to love others through you.Dear friends, let’s not follow the world where the love of most will grow cold, rather let’s reignite the love within each of us to do good to all and especially to those of the household of faith.

Furthermore, in the Church God has gifted every Christian to express their love to others by utilizing their Spiritual gift. Clearly our gifts are never meant to elevate our pride and make us more self centered. On the other hand, Spiritual gifts are given to edify and build up the body of Christ. That’s it – to build up and edify others in the Church. Having said that, it’s imperative that we discover our gifts. Take time to read through all the Spiritual gifts in the Bible and you will soon discover that each gift is used for others not for our own glory and pride. Therefore, it’s absolutely essential that we extend our love by using all the gifts in each local church so that the whole body becomes healthy. The health of a church is never measured by the number of its members, but by the use of the Spiritual gifts one to another so that we all grow up in Christ so as not to be tossed about by every wind of doctrine. Here is a test. If your Spiritual gift does nothing to build others up in love by displaying a selfless act of courage, but only manages to magnify your pride then you are not using the gift for which Christ has given you. If you are not on the path of selfless love to others then you are walking too close to the world, influenced by the enemy, and will eventually display the face of evil. Dear friends, we must not allow our love to grow cold because of the increase in wickedness. Stand firm.

Copyright © 2013 Rev. Daniel W. Blair

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When I think about all the evil up front and in our face these past six months I can’t help from thinking about the words of Jesus who said concerning the last days, “Because of the increase in wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, but he who stands firm to the end will be saved” (Matthew 24: 12-13). You might say that the horrific acts of lawlessness were so despicable that it would…

Copyright © 2013 Rev. Daniel W. Blair

At the other end of the spectrum there are many Christians who fear all Muslims lumping them into the same basket of radical Islam. Clearly there is a radical element that seeks to destroy all Christians or convert them to their devilish faith. Personally, I don’t believe they will ever have a chance in succeeding, but in time will either join the ranks of growing secularism, as described above, or be annihilated by the coming new world order. In the mean time we live in a very dangerous world where bombs can be detonated in our inner cities killing and maiming innocent civilians. In confronting radical Islam we must allow the governing authorities to bring the full weight of their sword on the evil doer or the perspective evil doer. Without limiting the power of God we must not think that simply love for our neighbor and the sharing of our faith can stop the bomb of a radicalized jihadist. Jesus warned about this very thing when He said, “Do not give dogs what is sacred; do not throw your pearls to pigs. If you do, they may trample them under their feet, and then turn and tear you to pieces” (Matthew 7:6). Having said all that, I don’t limit the power of God to convert even the radicalized Muslim through the sharing of the Gospel, but I would caution you to confirm the leading of the Holy Spirit and your willingness to suffer martyrdom at the hands of the infidel.

But how do we respond to the Muslim who has become secularized, especially when you consider that 80% of the Muslim population lives outside of the Middle East. With the growing population of Muslims in this country they will eventually become your neighbor, employee, employer, or fellow student. So how does the Christian respond to his or her Muslim neighbor? Before I answer that question let’s assume for a moment that nothing happens by accident. Perhaps it has been God’s divine plan all along to scatter the Muslim population among the secularized nations of the world to bring them into contact with the Christian and the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Do we not as Christians pray daily for His Kingdom to come and for His will to be done on earth as it is in heaven? For God’s will to be done on earth as it is in heaven then one must be in the Kingdom, filled with the Holy Spirit, and following the risen Lord Jesus Christ. If we pray that prayer then we must take the commission of Jesus Christ seriously and witness our faith to everyone on the planet and that includes the Muslims who live amongst us. The first essential step in witnessing our faith believes that Christ is with us (See Matthew 28:20 b) and that all fear of the Muslim must be jettisoned. We must not fear the Muslim who has no power over you in the secularized nations of the world. We must not fear the Muslim thinking that his faith is stronger than ours or that he has the ability to covert us to his way of thinking. Once we have removed all fear by putting our trust in our all powerful God then we are ready for the next step.

Friends, in the next step we must not witness on our own strength but wait upon the Spirit to fill us with His power and His infallible Word – the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Meet them where they are for they believe in Jesus Christ as a Prophet and a holy man but they don’t believe in the resurrection of Jesus Christ. It is this resurrection power that enables us to have a new life in Him – a transformed life where old things pass away and behold all things are new (See II Corinthians 5:17). God’s forgiveness has allowed you to forget about the old life and press on to your upward calling in Christ Jesus. It is imperative that they see this new life in you! Unlike the heathen we don’t beat our wife and children into submission. Unlike the infidel we don’t put our trust in the psychologist and his array of psychotropic drugs to deliver us from our emotional and psychological problems. Unlike the Muslim we are saved by grace and not by works of a man made law. Unlike the heathen we are filled with the Spirit of the living God that brings us comfort in the time of affliction, wisdom in the time of indecision, and strength in the time of weakness. Unlike the infidel our prayers are answered through a manifold of seen and unseen miracles. The glorious Gospel of Jesus Christ stresses the resurrection of Jesus Christ, the forgiveness of a loving God, and the inner power to live a wonderful new life in Christ. Dear friends, be powerful in your witness to the Muslim, because if we truly love our neighbor then we will do everything possible to keep him from spending eternity in hell.

Copyright © 2013 Rev. Daniel W. Blair

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There is much confusion concerning our response to the Muslims living amongst us, especially since the recent bombings at the Boston Marathon. To unravel this confusion we must not allow our culture norms to cloud our thinking. In our Western culture which is radically turning more secular every day it grants equality and a limited…

Copyright © 2013 Rev. Daniel W. Blair

THIS OFFER WILL END: May 6, 2013

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The most dangerous threat to Christianity is secularism. You might object and say quite forcefully that Communism is the greatest threat. I would argue that it’s really not because the deception of secularism is more dangerous and has already led many astray, whereas communism in its purest form allows no voice to the people, no freedom of expression, and no religious tolerance. Therefore, Christians in a communist country know that they are being oppressed. In 1844 Karl Marx…

Copyright © 2013 Rev. Daniel W. Blair

North Korea as a closed society denies all voice to her people thus following a stricter form of communism to forcefully remove the “opiate of the masses.” Any causal mention of God will either land you in prison or in front of a firing squad. As we have seen in Russia and beginning to see in China communism will inevitably change. It will either be dismissed by her people or removed by another great power in the world to make room for the secular state in its rush toward world dominance and the institution of a new world order. The downfall of communism is inevitable to make room for secularism a philosophy that practices religious tolerance and adheres to the rules of global government. The social engineers know full well to reshape our world into a secular utopia and to galvanize all nations to accept their destiny they must not appear to rob the masses of their age old religions. To allow the people to keep their God even if they are unable to bring Him into the public sphere will satisfy most. To give the veiled appearance that the people still have a voice in the public domain will keep them obedient to the socioeconomic demands placed upon them. To promise peace and prosperity to all by spreading the wealth through their social programs and maintaining world dominance will keep the majority financially content. To care for all the people through their secular counseling programs will keep most happy that they appear to be getting better and the perception that someone cares.

Yet through all this there is great danger on the horizon. Any push to secularize the entire world will eventually push Christianity behind closed doors and totally dependent upon the State for their welfare. As European socialist countries moved further to the right by accepting all religions equally they also adopted secularism more than a philosophy to run their countries without the involvement of religion. As secularism spreads throughout Europe after the last Great War Christians no longer remain totally dependent upon God to solve their problems but turn to the State. As the State ministers to the people every emotional, psychological, and physical need through their social programs and secular counseling by the professionals God became less relevant to the masses. Over time the churches became empty driving thousands of believers from both the Catholic and evangelical churches. Now secularism has crossed the Atlantic to invade our hemisphere and this country in particular. Perhaps this is the greatest deception because most Christians will never recognize the invasion but simply proceed on their merry way thinking all is well.

Well, dear friend all is not well. Don’t fear North Korea’s idiotic threats of a nuclear launch against this country, but beware of the new world order preparing to destroy this invader and spread its secularism. Even if North Korea makes a successful launch or invades South Korea they will be met with such a tremendous force, for which the world has never seen. I feel confident that China will not sacrifice its economy that has become ever so dependent upon our country expressed in so many words by her president, Xi jinping in a speech on April 7^th at the BOAO Forum for Asia Annual Conference 2013.  He said, “That the global village should be a stage for common development rather than an area where gladiators fight each other.” No matter what happens dear friend my concern has always been that Christians learn how to stand firm in these uncertain days by realizing the real enemy that’s spreading its form of secularism and the host of evil attacking each and every Christian with the wiles of the devil.  Although it’s important to think globally it’s even more important to understand the wiles of the devil and learn how to fight against them by using God’s Word and not allowing yourself to become dependent upon the professionals of psychology – the new world religion.

Copyright © 2013 Rev. Daniel W. Blair

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This will be a series of articles to help Christians to think globally. To do so will immediately recognize that there are powerful forces at work reshaping our world into a secular utopia galvanizing all nations to accept its destiny. The world population is spoon fed bits and pieces of world events by a media that keeps them blind to a larger truth. Although facts are reported, some correctly, the big picture is never realized even by their best commentators. Prophets, seers, and religious academia have…

Copyright © 2013 Rev. Daniel W. Blair

Most Christians believe that eventually there will be a new world order revealing the dreaded Antichrist to persecute Christians. But how do we get to that point has always been a matter of great debate looking at every world event attempting to fit it into an eschatological puzzle. The problem with this way of thinking is there is so much concentration on each piece of the puzzle it’s quite easy to miss the big picture thus unable to see how that individual piece relates with the entire world. Again, we must learn to think globally. If I just look at the events that’s happening in North Korea, then I might see South Korea, China, and the United States, but what about the rest of the world. If I just look at the events that’s happening in the Middle East, then I might see Egypt, Iran, Syria, Israel, and the United States, but what about the rest of the world. We have had many regional conflicts in the history of man and two great world wars. In fact the last world war was said to be “the war to end all wars.” Well we all know that this last great war did not end all wars, nor did it unite the entire world into a new world order. In fact, it was not long before the world was divided once again into nations following mostly the age old common denominator of religious, social, economic and political beliefs. Not much has really changed since the last Great War, but now there is change in the wind.

To build a new world order then understandably religious, social, economic and political beliefs must not only be considered but adequately dealt with in the matrix of civilization. Since the last great empire of Rome civilization has experimented with different forms of government to address the religious, social, and economic needs of its people. From the far left we have in times past seen the emergence of communism that embraced no religion with a pure socialistic agenda to advance its secular state at home and abroad. On the far right we have in times past seen democracies and dictatorships emerge with the belief in one God to establish social, economic, and political beliefs to control its people. In this later group or experimentation we have witnessed an imperialistic and evangelistic zeal to promote its beliefs. In the middle we have seen recently a new wave of secularism with a forward looking world domination emerge and take the world stage. This form of secularism allows every man’s religion to exist with an ever increasing degree of tolerance mirrored much after the old Roman Empire. As each of these world movements’ of experimentation web and flow throughout history it’s the later philosophy of secularism that has taken root primarily in the West with a new imperialistic drive to convert every country into a secular state, practicing religious tolerance, and adhering to the rules of global government.

As we shall see in later articles any country unwilling to follow this form of secularism and join the global community will be deeply sanctioned and eventually overthrown. Quite clearly the days of communism and world dictatorships are numbered along with every country unwilling to practice religious tolerance.  This new form of secularism that does not embrace any one religion must produce a secular religion to be practiced and accepted by all. To remove God from His central role as Savior and Provider for humanity then they must put forth a religion that will meet the psychological, emotional, and behavior needs of the population. Furthermore, they must adopt a socialistic society that will care for the physical needs of its people. Step by step the wealth will be spread causing a universal equality among all people who accept this form of secularism. To deny this form of world government and hold tenaciously to your old faith and dependence on God alone in its exclusiveness will eventually put you in a position of being unable to buy or sell, persecution, and death.

Make no mistake my friends there is a great power at work spreading this form of secularism and no country will be able to withstand it. Next week I will write specifically about China and North Korea and the demise of communism as its being led astray to make the inevitable mistake of attacking the West. In the following weeks I will write about the Muslim Brotherhood and how it’s been orchestrated by this world power to convert the Muslim world into acceptance of this new world philosophy of secularism. Dear friends, it’s time to stand firm for the whole world will be cast into convulsions to bring forth this new world order or secularism.

Copyright © 2013 Rev. Daniel W. Blair

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On Easter morn we are drawn back to the message of the Cross that all encompassing will of God. We are catapulted beyond the simple historical message of Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection to the infinite heights of God’s will for our life in Christ Jesus. If we only see the historical event steeped in tradition then we have missed the message. In the Apostle Paul’s…

Copyright © 2013 Rev. Daniel W. Blair

The good news is we are no longer held in bondage to the old life. Old sins are forgiven by the precious blood of the Lamb. As Christ hung on the Cross of Calvary all of our sins, past, present and future have been laid on Him removing that eternal barrier between us and a holy God. “As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us” (Psalm 103:12 KJV). Through faith in Christ all of our sins are forgiven and its power broken. Satan was soundly defeated at the Cross and no longer has power over those who have put their faith and trust in Jesus Christ. Only by following Christ in His death on the Cross can this power of sin and the devil be broken forever in the life of the believer. Don’t let another Easter pass you by without making a conscious decision to pick up your cross and follow Him. Don’t fear death to self, because on the other side there is real life in Christ. Dying to self and putting off the old life is only the first part of the journey. We must continue to understand the full will of God.

Christians from around the world will celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ because without it we are still trapped in our sin, in bondage to the old life, and resting under the power of Satan. On that glorious Easter morn as the rock was rolled back and Christ rose from the dead a new and living way was opened to all those who would now put their faith in Him. How magnificent is this new life in Christ is beyond our finite comprehension. For those who have journeyed deep into the new life in Christ will confirm that every day becomes more glorious. Unfortunately many have not journeyed much further than the door and have rested contently on the milk of God’s Word. As mere infants they delight in retelling the same old stories over and over again believing somehow that they alone will bring forth spiritual fruit and a deeper life in Christ. They pass over the commands of God as mere suggestions or only relevant for some future dispensation. They pass over the gifts of the Spirit as if they only appeared in the first century. Tragically many Christians never really experience the new life in Christ thus celebrating the resurrection as mere tradition reenacting its historical event.

He is risen! Christ has risen from the dead! In faith we follow Christ in His resurrection putting off the old life by dying to self and putting on the new life by becoming obedient to His commands. Let’s be clear commands are not works. We have been saved by faith and all of our good works will not get us one inch closer to heaven or a deeper life in Christ. On the other hand, the commands of God teach us how to live this new life in Him. Through our faith in Christ we have already been made into a new creation. The old has gone, behold all things are new. (See II Corinthians 5:17) When we put off the old life then we are empty and ready for the Master’s use. Self and tradition cannot put on the new life, but only Christ through His wonderful commands demonstrating the will of God in us. Do you want to grow spiritually from one degree of glory to another? Do you want that deeper life in Christ? Then be filled with the Holy Spirit of God and allow Him to lead you step by step to become obedient to the whole counsel of God through His holy commands written on your heart. As you celebrate the resurrection this Easter morn let me encourage you to leave the elementary teachings about Christ and go on to maturity. How marvelous to be in Christ growing into a deeper relationship with Him. Thank you Lord for your death and resurrection all praise honor and glory to your Name.

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I am dedicated to helping Christians to stand firm in an unpredictable world. While most of my video blogs were produced from timeless articles to help Christians to stand firm, I am also committed to producing video blogs to shed light on the encroaching evil all around us to both warn and equip the fainthearted.

As we fast approach the end of days it will be extremely difficult to stand firm. Standing firm will be especially difficult for those who have wasted their time on meaningless debates and have not developed a solid theological belief system. Core beliefs have been completely ignored while … endless arguments are waged over mere words (See II Timothy 2:14, 23). Their false humility and unspiritual minds puff them up capturing weak Christians and casting them into a bed of greater confusion. They go to great length to explain their slant on Christianity while overlooking the historic doctrines believed and practiced by devout Christians from ages past.

As more people flee from the local church no longer resting under the authority and protection of their spiritual fathers they have become easy prey for the devil and his league of false teachers (See I Corinthians 4:15; Hebrews 13:17). As the online community grows exponentially and communication is established with many people who claim to be Christians there is no way to really examine their spiritual fruit (See Matthew 7:15-16). And for those who have not properly developed a solid theological belief system they will be easily swayed by every wind of doctrine, always debating, always arguing, and never arriving at the truth (See Ephesians 4:11-14).

Time is running out! Dear Christian it is absolutely essential to develop a solid theological belief system or you will be taken captive by the devil and step by step indoctrinated to worship the coming Antichrist. Satan has a new tactic to attack our core beliefs of exclusiveness, transformation and sufficiency. All three core beliefs are major themes that run throughout my new book: “Stand Firm.” Each of these beliefs holds a central part in our overall salvation experience.  If we no longer believe and practice the core beliefs then it’s impossible to really depend on God alone and if we don’t depend on God alone then we will depend on another which is nothing less than idolatry or spiritual adultery. Believe me, that is exactly where the Antichrist wants you when he arrives on the scene. I beseech you in the name of Christ to spend your time concentrating on the important beliefs and separate yourself from those who would have you chasing the proverbial rabbit. Dear children we must redeem the time.

I. Stand Firm by Believing in Exclusiveness” (John 14:6)

The Bible says, “Jesus answered, ‘I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.’” (John 14:6) Yet we live in a cosmopolitan world that is embracing every man’s religion for the sake of unanimity and peaceful coexistence. As immigrants flood the world’s cities from various countries, cultures, and religions the walls that had separated them for centuries come tumbling down as they meet, talk, and share a common social interest. While some of the older generation has stayed in their cultural confines, most of the young have ventured out to intermingle, share religious ideas, and even intermarry.

Unfortunately many in political and religious leadership no longer believe that there is only one way to heaven and have worked very hard to bridge the gap between all the world religions in order to bring forth a new world order. This new world order envisions that all religions are equal with no one religion having a corner on the truth. To have this equality among all world religions: Then there can no longer be absolute truth. There can no longer be just one path to heaven. There can no longer be one salvation. There can no longer be just one name given above all other names.

Without absolute truth everyone is free to believe whatever makes sense to them or whatever approves their sinful behavior. Is that not what we are seeing today? Everyone has their own belief system that includes modern psychology, philosophy, teachings from other world religions and even some new age thinking thrown in for good measure. You will never stand firm with a mixed bag of secular and theological beliefs. The whole spirit and tenor of the New Testament proclaims Jesus Christ as the Only Begotten Son of God, who is the only way to salvation. Reason with me for a moment. In no other religion does it say that God has been preparing a place for us since the creation of the world (See Matthew 25:34). In no other religion does it say that God already knows who will accept His invitation and have had their names written in the book of life (See Revelation 17:8). In no other religion does it say that our guide to the new life was chosen since the creation of the world (See I Peter 1:20). In no other religion does it say our Savior would come down from heaven to show us the way (See John 1:14). In no other world religion does it give specific detail about the One who would come describing what manner of death He would experience thousands of years in advance (See Psalm 22 and Isaiah 53). Clearly Jesus is the only way to heaven and all other ways will lead you straight to hell.

I implore you dear Christian to shun all the philosophies of man, all of his psychologies, and all other world religions. It is essential that we believe in the exclusiveness of Christianity. It’s critical that we develop a solid theological belief system if we hope to stand firm in the coming days. When you truly believe that Jesus Christ is the only way it opens up a whole new world of unlimited possibilities. Transformation is no longer just theoretical but it’s a reality.

II. Stand Firm by Believing in Transformation (II Corinthians 5:17)

The Bible says, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!” (II Corinthians 5:17) Our gospel is the gospel of transformation or it’s no gospel at all. We do not deny that forgiveness and the atonement for sin is absolutely essential, because without it man is still trapped in his sin and transformation is just an unfulfilled dream. The world believes that they can change people through their secular counseling, psychotropic drugs, and self-help manuals, but they are simply fooling themselves, which has been proven over and over again. In Colorado this past year we have seen once again a patient of psychological counseling and the use of prescription drugs do the unthinkable. You remember the young man who slaughtered many innocent people in a theater. Until a person is delivered from the power of sin then it’s impossible for them to really change. I know the world is doing its best to help people change, but tragically they are only making matters worse.  I will never doubt their sincerity, but I am convinced that their way will never work. Only God’s way will ever change man into the kind of person he was created to be.

Let’s take a look at God’s way. It’s not just putting on a new set of traditions or learning how to play church. On the other hand, it is all about following the Way. In following the Way man learns how to put off the old life and put on the new. He learns how to take all of God’s commandments seriously and put them into his life. Putting off the old life is dying to self, putting on the new life is learning obedience to His commands.  But, never underestimate the struggle with the old sin nature who simply does not want to die. It will be the most difficult thing you have ever done, but with God all things are possible. Amen.

As the butterfly struggles to free itself from the cocoon he metamorphoses into a beautiful new creation. It may take weeks or even years for the butterfly to accomplish its full transformation into a beautiful new creation. In the same way as we grow from one degree of glory to another, the barnacles of the old sin nature fall off and we too, step by step, become a beautiful new creation in Christ. Everything changes. Old personalities are changed into free loving, even tempered, outgoing children of God. No longer are you stuck in the static personality assigned to you by the world, but you have been set free by the power of God to a new dynamic personality. Old negative attitudes are exchanged for positive attitudes always seeing the best in others and in every situation. The heart of stone is exchanged for a heart of love giving to others without ever expecting anything in return. For the first time in your life you really learn the power of forgiveness and the joy of accepting others you once rejected.  Behold, all things are new!

So why does Satan attack our belief in transformation or the new life in Christ? He does so because he wants to keep you in captivity to the old life. He wants you to believe the lie that your past life will keep you from becoming a new person in Christ. Many remain in their self imposed bondage to the old life unable to experience their new life in Christ, because they have believed the lie. Satan wants you to believe the lie that emotional and psychological problems from your parents have been somehow passed onto you and that there is nothing you can do to escape that bondage.

The lie says if your father was a wife beater then you will most likely beat your wife; or if your mother was an alcoholic then you are also destined to become an alcoholic – the sins of the parents are passed on to the next generation. What a tragedy to see so many trapped by this lie of Satan. Clearly we can learn bad habits from our parents, but they cannot hold us in bondage indefinitely. If we come to Christ and allow Him to make us into a new creation then we are freed from our bondage.  Friend, if you don’t’ believe that Jesus Christ can really transform your life then you won’t believe it will transform anyone else’s life and then your gospel preaching is only empty rhetoric.

There is an old story about two seminary students eager to please the Lord who went downtown in a large city and found the filthiest and most detestable looking homeless person on the street. They took him home, cleaned him up, put medicine on his sores, bought him a new set of clothes, and fixed him a nice hot meal. They even found him a job he could do and then bid him farewell. Two months later while passing by the same location where they had originally found the man, they were both shocked. There he was again, sitting on the same street corner, clothes torn, unshaven, filthy, and in the same state as before. The two seminary students rightly concluded that the outside of the man was cleaned up, but his heart was never changed. With all of man’s wisdom, knowledge, strengths, and riches, he cannot change the heart of man. Only God can truly change man’s heart.

If we stop believing the lie of Satan and start believing the truth from God’s Word then you will be transformed into a beautiful new creation. The truth of God’s Word says, “Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is – his good, pleasing and perfect will.” (Romans 12:2) Stop being conformed. Stop believing the lie that you are trapped in the old life. Stop believing the lie that you will never amount to anything. Stop believing the lie that your past sins are so horrible that even God can’t find it in his heart to forgive you.

To believe these lies is to be conformed to the pattern of this world. What does the Bible say, “Be transformed by the renewing of your mind.” And to renew your mind is to follow the example of Paul who said, “Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it” (the perfect life in Christ). But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining toward what is ahead.” (Philippians 3:13)  “Forgetting what lies behind.” It’s letting go of the past; those old hurts that tend to weigh us down. It is letting go of the emotional trauma caused by others. It’s letting go of those times when you were the perfect monster. So how do we let go and forget? We do so by accepting God’s forgiveness, who even forgives the guilt of our transgressions. Yes, we must also forgive ourselves. True forgiveness leads to forgetting which leads to transformation the renewal of our minds.

Do you really want to be transformed by the power of God’s love and forgiveness? Do you really want a new life in Christ where old things pass away? Then let’s resist the enemy by rejecting the counsel of the world and accept the counsel of Jesus Christ – the Wonderful Counselor. Let’s reject the “how to” manuals of the world and accept the truth in God’s Word to make you into the kind of person that Christ wants you to be. Let’s reject psychotropic drugs and believe that God will bring both emotional and psychological healing to your bodies. Friends, God loves you. He loves the whole person. Stop believing the lie of Satan and start believing the truth that God wants to make you into a beautiful new creation. We must expect great possibilities. Can you see yourself as a new person in Christ?  In order to obtain transformation it is essential that we believe in the sufficiency of Scripture.

III. Stand Firm by Believing in Sufficiency (II Peter 1:3)

The Bible says: “His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness” (II Peter 1:3).  When we ask someone for help we typically want to have the assurance that they can really help us. If I have a serious cold I don’t go to a baseball player, but I do go to a doctor. Or if I need someone to fix my automobile I don’t go to a doctor, but to an automobile mechanic. So in the same way we don’t go to the world’s counselors to fix our emotional and psychological problems, but we go to God. We can be assured when we go to God that His divine power is sufficient to meet all of our needs in this life along with everything needed to make us godly. This gift is made available to us through the knowledge of Jesus Christ. That is, through the ministry of His Son everything needed was given to us and was recorded in the Bible. Remember what Jesus Christ said, “I have much more to say to you, more than you can bear. But when he, the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all truth” (John 16:12-13). And so He did! All of this truth, more than His disciple could bear was written down and later published as our modern day Bibles. So if we know that’s where the knowledge is located to give us everything we need for life and godliness, then I think we would want to spend an enormous amount of time learning and applying that truth to our lives.

On the other hand, many people in the world seek answers to their psychological and emotional problems from the world’s counselors, because they no longer believe that God has the answer to their problems. They don’t believe the good news that God’s Word in the Bible is sufficient for all of life. When Satan cast his flaming arrows of depression, anxiety, loneliness, guilt, or many other psychological problems then we need to get our Bibles out, dust them off, and discover what it says about the problems that we are facing. The Bible says there is nothing new under the sun, which tells me people have been having these same kinds of problems for years.  Albeit we live in the modern age so the world now categorized our problems, renames them, and puts them into a book that only the professionals can understand. (I am afraid that prideful men have been doing that since the beginning.) There are over three hundred different (so-called) psychiatric disorders listed in the DSM-IV, which is called the psychiatric bible. The professionals of psychology use it mainly to just explain your condition which now has a new label and then he prescribes a psychotropic drug supposedly to cure your condition.

Well, God has His book too! And He calls it the Holy Bible and it has been used for thousands of years to help people overcome their problems not with the help of drugs but with the help of the indwelling Spirit. Why would God not give us a book for all of life and godliness – is He not the Alpha and the Omega – the beginning and the end? Do we believe that the stresses of the 21^st century really caught God off guard and that He’s not prepared to help us to overcome the problems of our age?

Well, I am afraid that a great many people believe that God and His Word are no longer valid for our age. Satan has risen up a counter religion in an attempt to explain man’s bad behavior and his horrific acts of lawlessness. Through many years of indoctrination the world is being led to believe that all bad behavior is an emotional or psychological problem caused by your parents, your upbringing, or your environment. In the midst of the great apostasy the world is no longer trusting in God to deliver them from their sin, but now turning to the professionals of psychology to solve their many problems. Just look at the statistics:  The Surgeon General has reported in 1994, “Consequently, about 28 to 30 percent of the population has either a mental or addictive disorder.” Presently in Marcia Angell’s review of Psychiatry, she wrote: “We are seeing an apparent epidemic of mental illness. 46% of adults are diagnosed with mental illness at some point in their lives.” Here is the tragedy, many of these are professed Christians who have not sought God’s counsel but have lined up at the counselor’s office like the rest of the world believing that God had not given them everything needed for life and godliness.

Are you not ready to put your trust in Him who cares for you?  Jesus said, “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you” (Matthew 7:7). Do you believe that? If we do then we need to ask God to help us with our emotional and psychological problems. And if we do, He will answer and lead us into all truth. I have done just that in my new book “Stand Firm” godly counsel for the last days. God’s Word deals with anxiety, depression, loneliness, guilt, and all the other besetting sins that keep us from experiencing the new life in Christ.

We have looked at three important beliefs that Christians need to tenaciously hold onto as we face the last days.  Do you believe that Jesus Christ is the only way to heaven? If not then you will open yourself up to other belief systems. Do you believe that God will transform you and grow you spiritually from one degree of glory to another? If not then you will remain in bondage to the old life. Do you believe that God has given us everything we need for life and godliness? If not then you will continue to line up at the counselor’s office and freely take their psychotropic drugs. Jesus Christ tells us we must believe if we are to have a new life in Him.

He also asked us to believe that He took your place on the Cross. As He hung on the Cross between heaven and hell all of your sins were cast on Him who paid the price in full. He cried out “Telesti” it is finished! His death on the Cross has forgiven you all your sins and His resurrection in three days has given you a new life in Him. Do you believe that – the simple Gospel of Jesus Christ?  If so then I am going to ask you to do something this morning. I am going to ask you to make this public. Jesus Christ once said if you do not profess me publicly before others then I will not profess you before my Father in heaven. So I am going to ask you to publicly come forward this morning believing the gospel of Jesus Christ asking Him to come into your heart, to forgive you of your sins, and to make you into a new creation.

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