Happy Christmas in the Lord!!

I had a great time with my two boys, my daughter-in-law, Haley and grandkids last night in Highland Village, Texas. I miss my parents, brothers, relatives other three grandkids that live far away. I wish I could be there to encourage them. It was great to hear my wife Liney reading through a gospel Christmas book with my granddaughter Chloe. Liney never shrinks back.

Please pray for my dad. Kim who recently at age 88 took a bad fall and broke his hip. He's tough and so far recovering well (due to the physical therapy and care of my mom, Betty and brother Kyle) but he, they do need your prayers.

Over 2,000 years ago in the town of Bethlehem, the most extraordinary event in human history unfolded in the most ordinary place—a humble manger. Bible prophecy was fulfilled, and the long-awaited Messiah arrived. The real meaning of Christmas is about the birth of Christ, which was for the death of Christ, which was for the resurrection of Christ.

And because He rose from the dead, everyone who believes in Him will never die spiritually—we have eternal life! That is the “good tidings of great joy” the Bible speaks of in Luke 2:10.

Christmas Is Really About God Sending a Savior

In Luke 2:11, we read, “For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord” (NKJV). The real message of Christmas is about God sending a Savior.

For many people, December is a time of loneliness, stress, or painful memories instead of joy. But here’s the thing: While the tree, the gifts, and the parties can all be wonderful, that’s not why Jesus came. He came to save us from the power and penalty of sin. The true message of Christmas reminds us that there is hope and a future.

God Meets Us Where We Are, I'll meet you right where you are so don't hide anything from him. Be candid. Come clean, telling yourself if you need to. Repent.

We get two beautiful pictures of the first Christmas in Luke 2 and Matthew 2. One is filled with lowly shepherds and angels; the other with wise men and a star.

To the shepherds, He sent an angel, who was then “joined by a vast host of others,” while they were in the fields. To the wise men, He sent a star that moved and directed them straight to Jesus.

He spoke to each in a language they could understand. Within the Christmas story is a reminder that God will always reach us where we are.

These two groups of people could not have been more different. The shepherds were at the bottom of the social ladder in the culture, while the wise men were very powerful, educated, and influential people. And yet God still spoke to both.

Jesus Came for All People

The greatest news in history was first told to ordinary, working-class people—just like most of us. The angel said to the shepherds: “‘Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord’” (Luke 2:10–11 NKJV).

The apostle Paul later wrote this (I see the whole context):

“God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty; and the base things of the world and the things which are despised God has chosen, and the things which are not, to bring to nothing the things that are, that no flesh should glory in His presence” (1 Corinthians 1:27–29 NKJV).

God deliberately chose people the culture overlooked. We see that throughout Jesus’ ministry, where He reached out to tax collectors, adulterers, and the list goes on.

Jesus didn’t only come for the elite, the famous, or the powerful. He came for you. He came for me. The message of Christmas is one for all people. It’s like the apostle Paul said: Jesus loved me and gave Himself for me (see Galatians 2:20). And because Jesus came, there is a future and a hope for every one of us who follows Him.

Because of Jesus, we can have a second chance; we can be born again. We can be completely forgiven and spared the judgment we deserve.

We Should Share the Real Christmas Message

In a culture drowning in emptiness, hurry, and hopelessness, people desperately need to hear the gospel message.

The Christmas season hands you the perfect open door to share it. Hearts are more open at this time of year, and more people attend church during this holiday—especially on Christmas Eve—than any other typical day.

Why not try this simple conversation starter: “Hey, how’s your Christmas going?” Many people are stressed and trying to manage it all right now: presents, parties, family. . . This is a moment to remind people of the real message of Christmas: Jesus came to earth to save us from sin because God loves us.

The Bible says in 2 Peter 3:9 that the Lord is “not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance” (NKJV). And in Revelation 22:17, “‘Whoever desires, let him take the water of life freely’” (NKJV).

This Christmas, be the voice that tells one more person the Savior has come; and the invitation is still open. As you share the gospel lit, people hear the Spirit's Bible loyal voice within your voice.

Spiritual momentum is building up and edifying others! You can do this and we could pray for each other. Send me any prayer requests you might have.

Find Christmas Eve Services at a Bible teaching local church.

Do you know the Lord intimately, obediently, fruitfully? Are you spiritually well spiritually sick so to speak or spiritually dead? Are you already regenerated by his Holy Spirit inside and regularly sowing in the word of God and prayer?

Choose to: Know the Lord well, and make Him well known.

More than two thousand years ago, in the quiet village of Bethlehem, history pivoted on a moment that looked anything but historic. Heaven touched earth not in a palace, but in a borrowed stable; not on a throne, but in a manger. Ancient prophecy breathed its final syllable, and the long-awaited Messiah arrived—silently, humbly, yet with eternal consequence.

This is the heart of Christmas: the birth of Christ, given for the death of Christ, which made possible the resurrection of Christ. And because He rose from the grave, all who believe in Him will never die spiritually. Eternal life is now ours. That, Scripture tells us, is the true meaning of “good tidings of great joy” (Luke 2:10).

Christmas Is God Sending a Savior

The angel’s announcement could not have been clearer:

“For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord” (Luke 2:11 NKJV).

Christmas is not sentiment—it is salvation. It is God stepping into human history with rescue in His hands.

For many, December brings loneliness, anxiety, or the ache of memories that refuse to fade. The lights may sparkle, the gifts may pile up, and the calendars may fill, yet hearts can remain empty. Jesus did not come for decorations or distractions. He came to save us from the power and penalty of sin. Christmas declares that hope is real, forgiveness is possible, and a future is secure.

As Isaiah foretold, “For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given” (Isaiah 9:6). And as the angel explained to Joseph, His name would be Jesus, “for He will save His people from their sins” (Matthew 1:21).

Charles Spurgeon once said, “If Christ were born a thousand times in Bethlehem and not within you, you would still be lost.” Christmas presses us beyond nostalgia to transformation.

God Meets Us Where We Are

The first Christmas unfolds before us in two complementary scenes—Luke 2 and Matthew 2. One is illuminated by angels announcing good news to shepherds in open fields. The other is guided by a star drawing wise men across deserts and borders.

To the shepherds, God sent an angel, and then “a multitude of the heavenly host” praising God. To the wise men, He sent a star—steady, purposeful, unmistakable—leading them straight to Jesus.

God spoke to each group in a language they understood. And within that story is a promise: God still meets people exactly where they are.

The contrast could not have been sharper. Shepherds were marginalized, overlooked, and dismissed by society. Wise men were powerful, educated, and influential. Yet heaven sought both. No one was beneath the invitation; no one was beyond it.

Greg Laurie has said, “God is not looking for ability; He is looking for availability.” Christmas proves it.

Jesus Came for All People 

The greatest news the world has ever heard was first entrusted to ordinary, working people—just like most of us. The angel declared:

“‘Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord’” (Luke 2:10–11 NKJV).

Later, the apostle Paul would explain God’s pattern:

“God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty; and the base things of the world and the things which are despised God has chosen… that no flesh should glory in His presence” (1 Corinthians 1:27–29 NKJV).

Throughout His ministry, Jesus consistently reached those society ignored—tax collectors, adulterers, the broken, the forgotten. He did not come only for the elite, the powerful, or the admired. He came for you. He came for me.

As Paul testified, “The Son of God… loved me and gave Himself for me” (Galatians 2:20). Because Jesus came, there is hope. Because Jesus came, there is a future. Because Jesus came, forgiveness and new life are available to all who follow Him.

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation” (2 Corinthians 5:17). Christmas is the doorway to new birth.

We Are Called to Share the Real Message of Christmas

Our culture is saturated with noise, hurry, and exhaustion—yet starved for meaning. People are aching for hope, often without knowing how to name it.

Christmas creates a rare opening. Hearts are softer. Conversations are more natural. More people attend church—especially on Christmas Eve—than almost any other time of year.

Sometimes all it takes is a simple question: “How is your Christmas going?” Beneath the polite answers are often weary souls juggling expectations, family tensions, and silent fears. This is where the real message of Christmas shines: Jesus came because God loves us.

Scripture reminds us that the Lord is “not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance” (2 Peter 3:9 NKJV). And the final invitation of the Bible still stands:

“‘Whoever desires, let him take the water of life freely’” (Revelation 22:17 NKJV).

Billy Graham often said, “The coming of Christ was the greatest event in the history of the world, and His return will be the next.” Until then, the invitation remains open.

This Christmas, be the voice that tells one more person the Savior has come.

Spiritual momentum grows when faith is shared, and hearts are strengthened when believers pray for one another. If you have prayer needs, share them. Let us lift one another before the Lord.

Seriously choose early today. Consider attending a Christmas Eve service at a Bible-teaching church. More importantly, examine the deeper questions:

Do you know the Lord intimately, obediently, fruitfully?

Are you spiritually well—regenerated by His Holy Spirit, grounded in His Word, and growing in prayer?

I was Asked..Will the coming Antichrist Be Islamic. Good Question huh. Ever Wondered 'boit That..if He'd Be a Muslim? It Sure looks Like He Could Be.

ISLAM: started by Muhammad claiming an angel gave him a message.

MORMONISM: started by Joseph Smith claiming an angel gave him a message. 

BIBLE TRUTH: "even if an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to what we have preached to you, a curse be on him" (Gal. 1:8)!

“The Coming Man of Sin..” (In the Bible), who could he be? 

I'm not looking to find him, but Q: Will Biblical Discernment kind of be needed in the near future? Uhh, yes. This is really needed even now.

Many want no end to playing pin-the-tail on the Antichrist, but not me. They study, study, study Biblical prophecy and it ends there with nose in the books. I like to study this too, but I won't be pinning a name on him (at least not yet), or ever set a date for the return of Christ (the Lord being my helper cuz that is stupid). 

I don't need any conversations with the devil like some so-called Christians do. I need zero focus on him. You don't either. Many want to keep intensively learn Bible Prophecy as an end in itself. Not me. I say we study the word to be prepared and equipped in Jesus to go win more people to Christ while we still have time. I want to be busy seeking His truth and looking for Jesus Christ, rather than being overoccupied or distracted by the anti-Christ. Let's all study yet not worried about the Anti-Christ. 

The Bible describes the Antichrist as a future leader who will arise from the revived Roman Empire and play a central role in end-time events (Daniel 7:7-8; Revelation 13:1-8). He will initially make peace with Israel and oversee the rebuilding of the Jewish temple but will later reveal himself as a deceiver and a despot (Daniel 8:23, 9:27; 2 Thessalonians 2:3-4). Some speculate the Antichrist could be the Twelfth Imam in Islam and be hailed by Muslims as their awaited leader. However, the Antichrist’s positive relationship with Israel makes it unlikely that he will be a Muslim, given historical tensions.

The Bible emphasizes that the Antichrist will be a master of deceit and self-exaltation, not a righteous prophet (Daniel 8:25; 2 Thessalonians 2:9-10). Ultimately, no one can know for certain who he will be, and believers are called to test the spirits and remain anchored in Christ (Matthew 24:23-25; 1 John 4:1). The focus remains on discerning truth and staying faithful to Jesus rather than trying to predict the identity of the Antichrist (Matthew 24:42; Hebrews 12:2).

"The Mahdi will be a Messianic figure. He will be a descendant of Muhammad. It will be an unparalleled, unequal leader. He will come out of a crisis of turmoil. He will take control of the world. He will establish a new world order. He will destroy all who resist him. He will invade many nations. He will make a seven year peace treaty with the Jews. He will conquer Israel and massacre the Jews. He will establish Islamic world headquarters at Jerusalem. He will rule for seven years. Establish Islam as the only religion he will come on. A white horse with Supernatural power. He will be loved by all (the world) people on Earth. It does sounds familiar. That is a precise description of the biblical Antichrist. We know that the writer on the White Horse in Revelation 6 is the Antichrist. They use that verse. To describe their Mahdi, you go into any kind of a study of that, and you will find that all the details match up perfectly. The the Bible's Antichrist is Islam's Savior." ~ John MacArthur

If you check in Islamic eschatology, their Mahdi, is also called the Twelfth Imam meaning “the Guided One.” (Guided really by demons). He is presented as the long-awaited savior of the world. He is not merely some reformer or spiritual leader. He is portrayed as the conquering ruler who establishes the final caliphate and demands the full submission of the nations. The choice set before humanity, according to their own texts of violence, is very stark. You will submit, or be enslaved and destroyed. What they call a Holy War is what accompanies his coming, and the unbelieving world is subdued by force. 

The Mahdi does not arrive all alone. He comes with his army, vast and militant, moving from nation to nation to punish all unbelievers. Islamic writings describe this army as carrying black flags. Have you seen those in the Middle East before? Upon those flags is a single word: punishment. It is not incidental symbolism. It is central to the vision.

It is worth noting, without any exaggeration or alarmism, that modern Iran has publicly employed black flags as part of its military symbolism, explicitly tying them to readiness for their Mahdi’s arrival. In Islamic tradition, this army first marches toward Israel who they hate. Of course he does! The literature speaks plainly of this. The Jews are then slaughtered (Satan and his thugs have always hated the Jews), and the Mahdi establishes his rule in Jerusalem, specifically on the Temple Mount. From there, he governs the whole world.

Their texts further claim that the Mahdi will bring rain, wind, agricultural abundance, wealth, and prosperity. Under his rule, the earth flourishes. Happiness becomes universal. He is adored. Conversation itself narrows, so that no one speaks of anyone but him (Satan has longed for the adoration and worship that only God deserves).

According to these writings, the Mahdi initially makes a seven-year peace agreement with the Jews and the West. His reign itself lasts seven years, during which Islam is established across the earth. Remarkably, Islamic texts describe him as arriving on a white horse. Some even explicitly reference Revelation 6:1–2 when doing so. Saddam Hussein famously commissioned murals across Baghdad depicting the Mahdi on a white horse, sword raised, advancing to destroy the infidels.

When the Mahdi appears, he is said to uncover hidden scriptures near the Sea of Galilee. These include secret gospels and a concealed Torah. These texts, supposedly the true scriptures, are used to prove that Jews and Christians were wrong, and that the Bible as we have it is false.

Again, to summarize their portrait, their Mahdi is a messianic type of figure, a so called descendant of Muhammad, and an unparalleled leader. He emerges from great global crisis and turmoil. He seizes control of the world by force. He establishes a new world order on earth. He will destroys all those who resist him. He will invade many nations. He will broker a seven-year peace treaty with Israel (a lie, he'll break his promise). He later conquers Israel and massacres the Jews. He rules from Jerusalem. He reigns on earth for seven years. He enforces Islam as the sole religion of the whole world. He arrives on a white horse with supernatural power. He is loved by the worldly people.

If this sounds familiar, it should. It is, point by point, the biblical description of the real Antichrist who is to come.

Scripture tells us that the rider on the white horse in Revelation 6 is not Christ, but a deceiver who imitates Him. 

The crown is given, not earned or deserved. The conquest is bloodless at first. This figure corresponds precisely with the Mahdi as described in Islamic eschatology. The beast of Revelation 13 and the Mahdi are mirror images. When one studies the details carefully, the parallels are unmistakable.

What Scripture calls the Antichrist, Islam presents as its savior and world conqueror, the one who establishes a universal Islamic kingdom. Yet there is a second figure in this system, and that figure is Jesus.

The Mahdi is absolutely not the real Jesus Christ, and in Islamic theology, he is greater than Jesus. This distinction matters. If someone greater than Jesus appears, then Christianity must be all wrong. Islam therefore does affirms the return of Jesus, but not the Jesus of the Bible.

The Jesus who returns in Islamic teaching is not God at all. He did not die. He wasn't killed on a cross. He did not rise -- no physical resurrection. He did not atone for any sin. He returns only as a so-called prophet and servant. His sole purpose (to Muslims) is to assist and affirm the Mahdi.

Islamic tradition teaches that Jesus returns as a radical Muslim. He descends near Damascus, arriving at a minaret, supported by two angels. He joins the army of black flags. He prays behind the Mahdi, acknowledging him as his lord. He makes a pilgrimage to Mecca, and then He worships Allah. It's all wrong. Satan has been a counterfeiter. 

Through this figure, Christians are told that they were wrong. The real gospel is wrong (when in reality it is completely right). The New Testament is wrong (though it is all true). Jesus did not die (when he really did). He did not rise (though there were over 500 eyewitnesses). He is not God (though he is the second person of the Godhead). He is not the Son of God (but he always will be the Father's sinless Son). 

Their returning Jesus becomes the greatest Muslim evangelist in all of history, enforcing their Sharia law worldwide and standing as the final witness against all non-Muslims on the Day of Judgment.

Islamic texts state that he will shatter all crosses, a symbolic destruction of Christianity itself. He will kill pigs. They still hate bacon! He will abolish the tax on non-Muslims, because there will be no non-Muslims left to tax. Finally, he will kill the Islamic Antichrist, the figure they call Dajjal.

Only after destroying Christianity by revealing who he “really is” does this Jesus die, to be buried by (false prophet) Muhammad.

When this figure is compared to Scripture, the alignment is again striking. Revelation chapters 13, 16, 19, and 20 describe the false prophet, the beast who comes out of the earth, who aids and enforces the rule of the Antichrist. As the Mahdi parallels the Antichrist, so the Islamic Jesus parallels the false prophet.

One Islamic writing states that this Jesus espouses the cause of the Mahdi, acts as his enforcer, his executioner, his prophet, and ultimately kills the Antichrist. Yet here is the final reversal. The Islamic Antichrist, Dajjal, is said to claim that he is Jesus, the Son of God. He claims deity. He performs false miracles. He is opposed by the Mahdi and the Islamic Jesus, who together destroy him.

Do not miss the inversion. Our Jesus is their Antichrist. Their redeemer is our Antichrist. It is a complete satanic counterfeit, precisely what Scripture warns us to expect.

Jesus Himself said, “For false christs and false prophets will arise and will show great signs and wonders, so as to deceive, if possible, even the elect” (Matthew 24:24). Paul wrote that the coming of the lawless one is “by the activity of Satan with all power and false signs and wonders” (2 Thessalonians 2:9).

The true Jesus will destroy the Antichrist and the false prophet and establish His kingdom forever, as Revelation 19 makes clear. Satan’s counterfeit always imitates before it opposes.

Ezekiel 38 presents Gog as the leader of a coalition of nations aligned against Israel. The nations listed are overwhelmingly Muslim and encircle the Mediterranean, reaching as far as Libya. Revelation 17:9–11 speaks of a succession of kingdoms, six fallen, a seventh, and then an eighth. Many scholars have noted that the Ottoman Empire, the last caliphate, ruled for five centuries and officially ended in 1923. Islamic expectation still looks for its restoration when the Mahdi comes.

At the end, someone will say, “I am Jesus.” Someone else will say the same. Jesus warned us plainly, “See that no one leads you astray” (Matthew 24:4). Deception will not be crude. It will be religious. It will be persuasive. It will be global.

There are millions today who sincerely believe in a Jesus who is not the Jesus of Scripture. One cannot affirm that as faithfulness. Any Jesus other than the Jesus who is God incarnate, crucified, risen, and reigning is not Jesus at all. Paul was unambiguous. “If anyone is preaching to you a gospel contrary to the one you received, let him be accursed” (Galatians 1:9).

Jesus said that nation would rise against nation and kingdom against kingdom (Matthew 24:7). This has marked all of human history. Nearly ninety-five percent of societies have engaged in war. As technology increases, so does the capacity to kill. Humanity does not evolve upward. Scripture foresaw a moral, social, and spiritual descent.

C. S. Lewis observed that fallen humanity does not merely fail to obey truth, but resents it when confronted by it. Scripture agrees. “Evil people and impostors will go on from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived” (2 Timothy 3:13).

The issue, then, is not curiosity or comparison. It is truth. Jesus of Nazareth is not one voice among many. He is the only “way, and the truth, and the life” (John 14:6. Jesus is still the only way the Father has provided for sinners to enter His holy heaven). At the end of the age, clarity will matter more than ever. The good news, Jesus Christ Himself has already told us how the story ends. He wins, and we believers win. 

From the Old Testament

• Daniel 7—8 speaks of four world empires. The final one, ruling in the last days, will be the revived Roman Empire. Daniel says the leader of this last empire will be "a master of intrigue," and "he will cause deceit to prosper, and he will consider himself superior" (Daniel 8:23, 25 NIV). This man appears to be synonymous with the Antichrist in Revelation. If so, there are a couple of arguments against the Antichrist being the Twelfth Imam, or even being a Muslim.

• The first argument is geographical. If the Antichrist emerges from the revived Roman Empire, then he most likely will be found within the nations of the old Roman Empire (Daniel 7:23-24; see Revelation 13:1-2). These lands include major portions of Europe as well as North Africa, yet Europeans rather than Arabs have traditionally led the Roman Empire.

• Daniel prophesies a positive relationship between the Antichrist and Israel, at least initially. The Antichrist confirms a peace agreement with Israel for seven years (Daniel 9:27), and the Jewish temple will be rebuilt. Due to the traditional hostility between Muslims and Jews, it is unlikely that a Muslim would be in this position.

From the New Testament

• Shi'itic Islam believes in the prophecy concerning the return of the Twelfth Imam, Abu al-Qasim Muhammad (aka, Muhammad al Mahdi; born 868 AD) just before the Day of Judgment. The Bible also speaks of a future leader who will come shortly before the Day of Judgment. He is called "the beast" in Revelation 13:4. This ruler will promise peace with Israel for seven years, but he will break the treaty in the middle of the seven-year period. He will then declare himself God and rule as a despot during a time of judgment before Christ's second coming. Based on these prophecies, some believe that, when the beast, or the Antichrist, comes, he will be hailed by the Muslim world as the Twelfth Imam.

• Jesus speaks of many “false christs and false prophets [who] will arise and perform great signs and wonders, so as to lead astray, if possible, even the elect” (Matthew 24:23-25). He doesn’t specify which group these will come from.

• Rather than trying to figure out who the antichrist is, believers are called to keep our focus on Jesus (Hebrews 12:2).

No one really knows for certain who the future Antichrist will turn out to be. He could very well be an Arab or a man of mixed Muslim and Jewish descent. He will be hailed by all the world as the man who finally brought peace to the Middle East.  

Until we see the fulfillment of these things, we must heed the words of 1 John 4:1-4 to "test the spirits to see whether they are from God." Jesus noted that many “false christs and false prophets” would arise (Matthew 24:23-25); He didn’t indicate one specific person.

The Apostle Paul explains how Satan wants to shake the saints and make them lose their confidence, and one of his chief weapons is deception. Someone claimed to have a letter from Paul saying that the day of the Lord was present, and others said they had messages through the Spirit (1 Thess. 5:21). The believers forgot what Paul had taught them (v. 5), so they were trapped by the lies of the enemy.
The “times and seasons” of God’s prophetic plan are in God’s hands (Acts 1:6–8), and He has everything in control. A sequence of events is sketched here to assure us that the church is destined for salvation and not judgment (v. 13; 1 Thess. 1:10; 5:9). The Spirit of God in this world is keeping God’s program on schedule.
Beware “prophets” who contradict what God has already said in His Word (v. 15). If you stand on the Word, you will not fall for the devil’s lies. God’s people can face the future with assurance, hope, and comfort because of the unfailing grace of God (vv. 13–17).

The Bible says (in 2 Thes. 2:1-12), "Now we request you, abrethren, with regard to the 1bcoming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our cgathering together to Him,

2 that you not be quickly shaken from your 1composure or be disturbed either by a aspirit or a 2bmessage or a cletter as if from us, to the effect that dthe day of the Lord ehas come.

3 aLet no one in any way deceive you, for it will not come unless the 1bapostasy comes first, and the cman of lawlessness is revealed, the dson of destruction,

4 who opposes and exalts himself above 1aevery so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, bdisplaying himself as being God.

5 Do you not remember that awhile I was still with you, I was telling you these things?

6 And you know awhat restrains him now, so that in his time he will be revealed.

7 For athe mystery of lawlessness is already at work; only bhe who now restrains will do so until he is taken out of the way.

8 Then that lawless one awill be revealed whom the Lord will slay bwith the breath of His mouth and bring to an end by the cappearance of His 1coming;

9 that is, the one whose 1coming is in accord with the activity of aSatan, with all power and 2bsigns and false wonders,

10 and with 1all the deception of wickedness for athose who perish, because they did not receive the love of bthe truth so as to be saved.

11 For this reason aGod 1will send upon them 2a bdeluding influence so that they will believe 3what is false,

12 in order that they all may be 1judged who adid not believe the truth, but 2btook pleasure in wickedness." 2 Thessalonians 2:1–12

Paul's clearly gives the explanation about the Day of the Lord and the Man of Sin. Warren Wiersbe tells us all about this. The Christians were “shaken” instead of established (1 Thes. 3:2, 13) because they had been told (falsely) that the Day of the Lord was already upon them. “At hand” in v. 2 should be “already present.” Paul explains that certain events must take place before this day of wrath and judgment can come to the world. I. There'll be an Apostasy, a falling away from the Lord. It Must Take Place (2:1–3) That word “apostasy” actually means “a falling away.” In the Bible it refers to a falling away from the truth of the Word of God. While there were certainly false teachers in Paul’s day, the church at large was united on the truths of the Word of God. If you met another Christian, you knew he believed in the Word of God, the deity of Christ, and the salvation by faith in Christ. This is certainly not true today! We live in a day of “Christian unbelief “; people say they are Christians, yet deny the deity of Christ, the inspiration of the Bible, and so on. This apostasy, or falling away from the truth, is promised in 1 Tim. 4 and 2 Tim. 3. We are living in apostate days right now, which indicates that the coming of the Lord is near. The professing church (Christendom) has departed from the faith. II. There'll be a Temple. It Must Be Rebuilt (2:4–5) Paul promises the rise of a world dictator, the “man of sin.. son of perdition” (v. 3). He is not talking about a world system, but a person who will head up a world system. This “man of sin” contrasts with Christ, the Savior from sin. He is the son of perdition; Christ is the Son of God. He is the liar; Christ is the Truth. We commonly call this man “the Antichrist,” which means both “against Christ” as well as “instead of Christ.” This world ruler will be energized by the devil and will unite the nations of Europe in a great federation (the ten horns of Daniel’s image, Dan. 7). According to Rev. 17, the Antichrist will cooperate with the apostate world church in his rise to power, and then will destroy this religious system when he doesn’t need it anymore. The program is as follows: (1) the church will be raptured; (2) the Antichrist will begin his rise to power in a peaceful way; (3) he will unite Europe and make a seven-year covenant with Israel to protect it (see Dan. 9); (4) after three and one-half years he will break that covenant and invade Israel; (5) he will abolish all religion and set himself up to be worshiped (Rev. 13); (6) at the end of the seven-year tribulation period (Day of the Lord), Christ will return to earth and destroy the Antichrist and his system. Both the OT and NT predict the return of the Jews to Palestine and the rebuilding of the Jewish temple. When the Antichrist sets himself up in the temple, this will mark the “abomination of desolation” of Dan. 11:31 and Matt. 24:15. III. There'll be a Removal of the Spirit. The Restrainer Must Be Removed (2:6–12) Satan’s mystery of iniquity is already working in the world, and we can see its godless activities increasing rapidly. What, then, holds p 612 back Satan’s evil program and the rise of the Antichrist? God has a “restrainer” in the world, which we believe is the Holy Spirit working in and through the church. God has “times and seasons” marked out (1 Thes. 5:1), and even Satan cannot get God off schedule. The One who hinders in v. 7 is the Spirit, and He will continue to hinder Satan’s activities until He is taken “out of the midst” when the church is raptured. Of course, the Spirit will still work on earth, since people will believe and be saved after the rapture; but His hindering ministry through the body of Christ will end. This will give Satan free course to fill the cup of iniquity to the full.

Satan will work through the Antichrist in miraculous powers (vv. 9–10), just as the magicians in Egypt imitated Moses’ miracles. He will imitate Christ’s powers (see Acts 2:22) and get the world to accept and worship him. Men would rather believe a lie than the truth! Of course, true believers who are saved after the rapture will not be deceived; it is the lost who will be deluded and ultimately end up in hell. They will believe the lie, which is worshiping and serving the creature instead of the Creator (Rom. 1:25). IV. There'll be an Adding To. His Church Must Be Completed (2:13–17) The Day of the Lord applies to the Gentile nations and the Jews, but not to the church. It is a day of wrath, and the church is not destined for wrath (1 Thes. 1:10; 5:9). The purpose of the Tribulation is the punishment of the Gentiles and the purification of the Jewish nation, which by this time has returned to its own land in unbelief. But Antichrist cannot begin his rise to power until Christ has taken the church from the earth.

Who Actually Is the Antichrist?

The Final Rebel is all about arrogant rebellion, and this antichrist spirit has already been at work in our world.  

Scripture leaves no room for speculation untethered from revelation. The Antichrist is not a myth, a metaphor, or a vague force of evil. He is a real individual—yet also the final expression of a rebellion that has echoed through human history since Eden.

The apostle Paul names him plainly: “the man of lawlessness.. the son of destruction” (2 Thessalonians 2:3). This figure is no ordinary tyrant. He opposes God Himself, exalts himself above every object of worship, and seats himself in the very temple of God, displaying himself as God (2 Thess. 2:4). His rise is satanic; his reign is deceptive; his end is certain. “The Lord will slay him with the breath of His mouth and bring him to nothing by the appearance of His coming” (2 Thess. 2:8).

One Man — Many Precursors

John helps us understand the pattern. “You have heard that Antichrist is coming,” he writes, “even now many antichrists have appeared” (1 John 2:18). The final Antichrist does not emerge in a vacuum. He is the culmination of all who deny Christ—false messiahs, counterfeit teachers, religious deceivers, and self-appointed saviors who reject the Father and the Son (1 John 2:22).

This is not merely future tense theology (there have been several antichrists before the last days one). “The spirit of the antichrist.. is already in the world” (1 John 4:3). Wherever Christ is denied, minimized, redefined, or replaced, that spirit is active. The Antichrist will be its fullest incarnation—all rebellion rolled into one man.

As A.W. Tozer once warned, “What comes into our minds when we think about God is the most important thing about us.” The Antichrist will corrupt that very thought, offering himself in God’s place.

A Long War Against God

From Genesis onward, Satan has sought to undo God’s redemptive plan. In Eden, he tempted humanity into the fall. In Noah’s day, corruption filled the earth until judgment came by flood. In Egypt, male Hebrew infants were slaughtered to destroy the messianic line. In Judah, the royal lineage of David was nearly extinguished—reduced at one point to a single surviving child (2 Chronicles 21–22).

In Persia, the Jews were nearly annihilated—saved only because a pagan king could not sleep (Esther 6). Antiochus Epiphanes desecrated the temple, outlawed circumcision, and slaughtered thousands, foreshadowing the final tyrant. Herod murdered infants in Bethlehem, hoping to kill Christ. Satan tempted Jesus directly, urged Him away from the cross through Peter, and thought the tomb would silence Him forever. Yet every attempt failed.

As the hymn declares:
“The prince of darkness grim,
We tremble not for him;
His rage we can endure,
For lo, his doom is sure.”
(Song: A Mighty Fortress Is Our God)

A Modern Shadow: Why History Matters

History provides shadows—never equals, but warnings. Adolf Hitler stands as one of the clearest modern parallels. His global ambition, obsessive hatred of the Jews, and documented immersion in occult ideology reveal what happens when a man yields himself fully to demonic influence. Even secular historians have noted his mysticism, altered voice, and episodes of terror and possession.

Hitler was not the Antichrist—but he shows us what such a man can look like: charismatic, lawless, intoxicated with power, and willing to unleash hell on earth. As theologian R.C. Sproul observed, “When man refuses to worship God, he will not worship nothing—he will worship anything.”

The final Antichrist will be worse—far worse.

What's The Biblical Profile?

Daniel gives us the clearest composite portrait. The Antichrist begins small—a “little horn”—then rises to global dominance (Daniel 7:8). He is intelligent, articulate, arrogant, and blasphemous. He persecutes God’s people, reshapes law and worship, and demands allegiance to himself (Daniel 7:21–25).

He rules the world for a brief but terrifying window—“a time, times, and half a time”—three and a half years of unprecedented oppression (Daniel 7:25). Jesus called it “great tribulation” (Matthew 24:21). But it ends abruptly. Heaven convenes court. Dominion is stripped away. Christ returns.

“The kingdom and the dominion.. shall be given to the people of the saints of the Most High” (Daniel 7:27).

Is the Antichrist a Muslim?

Scripture does not identify the Antichrist by ethnicity or religion but by theology. He denies the Father and the Son. He exalts himself as God. He demands worship. Any system—religious or secular—that rejects the biblical Christ participates in the spirit of antichrist. The final man will transcend current categories, uniting deception, power, and blasphemy in a way the world has never seen.

Why This Matters Now

Barna research consistently shows that fewer than half of professing Christians hold a biblical worldview, and many deny core doctrines about Christ’s nature and authority. Deception is not coming—it is already here.

Yet Scripture does not call believers to fear, but to discernment, faithfulness, and hope.

As Billy Graham said, “I’ve read the last page of the Bible. It all turns out all right.”

The Antichrist will rise. He will deceive many. He will rage briefly. And then—he will fall.

Christ will reign.

And the kingdom of this world will become “the kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ, and He shall reign forever and ever” (Revelation 11:15).

The Antichrist, the Day of the Lord, and the Comfort of the Church

Daniel’s vision grows darker—and clearer—in chapter 8. Here the coming Antichrist is no vague symbol but a terrifyingly real man. Daniel describes him as “insolent” and “fierce of face” (Daniel 8:23), a ruler whose very presence intimidates. He does not merely conquer by armies; he subdues through fear, manipulation, and deception. “He will be skilled in intrigue” (Daniel 8:25)—a master strategist, a political genius, a spiritual fraud.

Yet Scripture pulls back the curtain further. His power is not his own. “His power will be mighty, but not by his own power” (Daniel 8:24). Satan himself energizes this man, just as Paul later explains that the lawless one comes “in accordance with the activity of Satan, with all power and signs and false wonders” (2 Thessalonians 2:9). Pride defines him: “He will magnify himself in his heart” (Daniel 8:25). Violence marks his reign—not merely in wartime, but against unsuspecting people living at ease. He destroys simply to destroy.

Most horrifying of all, “he will oppose the Prince of princes” (Daniel 8:25). This is no mere political rebellion; it is cosmic blasphemy. And yet Daniel ends with hope: “He will be broken without human agency.” God Himself will end him—fulfilled when Christ returns and destroys him “with the breath of His mouth” (2 Thessalonians 2:8).

The Covenant, the Betrayal, and the Abomination

Daniel 9 reveals how this deception unfolds. At the outset of the final seven years, Israel enters a covenant with this ruler—a pact promising security and peace (Daniel 9:27). He appears as protector, peacemaker, savior. For the first half, the world applauds. This is the age-old lie: “Peace and safety” (1 Thessalonians 5:3).

But halfway through, the mask falls. He desecrates the temple in what Jesus called “the abomination of desolation” (Matthew 24:15). He turns violently against Israel and against all who belong to Christ, launching what Scripture calls the great tribulation. What begins in diplomacy ends in bloodshed.

Daniel 11 completes the portrait. This king “will do as he pleases” (Daniel 11:36)—utterly unrestrained. He magnifies himself above every god, speaks monstrous blasphemies, and shows no regard for the faith of his fathers. He abandons his ancestral religion altogether, for his religion becomes self-worship. Even his personal desires are subordinated to power. Whatever Daniel means by saying he shows “no regard for the desire of women” (Daniel 11:37), the point is clear: nothing human restrains him.

Yet his end is certain. “He will come to his end, and no one will help him” (Daniel 11:45). The King of kings will personally intervene.

Why Paul Taught This: Fear, Confusion, and Comfort

Why does Paul rehearse all this for the Thessalonians?

Because fear had seized them.

They had been taught—clearly—that Christ would come first to gather His church. “The Lord Himself will descend from heaven.. and we shall be caught up together with them… to meet the Lord in the air” (1 Thessalonians 4:16–17). Paul’s command was unmistakable: “Comfort one another with these words.”

Then comes chapter 5: the day of the Lord—a day not of comfort, but of catastrophic judgment. It comes “like a thief in the night”, bringing sudden destruction upon a world lulled by false peace (1 Thessalonians 5:2–3). But Paul reassured believers: “You are not in darkness.. you are sons of light” (1 Thessalonians 5:4–5).

Yet somewhere between those teachings, confusion still entered their ranks.

By the time Paul writes 2 Thessalonians, the church is panicked. They believe the day of the Lord has already begun. Why? Paul lists three sources of deception: a supposed spiritual revelation, a persuasive sermon, and worst of all, a forged letter claiming apostolic authority (2 Thessalonians 2:2). Their minds were shaken—unmoored—like a ship in a storm. Fear replaced hope.

And that fear proves something crucial: they expected to be raptured before the day of the Lord, not after it. If they believed in a post-tribulation rapture, the day of the Lord would have meant deliverance was near. Instead, they were terrified—because they believed they had missed the rapture and were now facing divine wrath. Paul writes to steady them.

The Anchor of Truth

His reassurance is simple and decisive: “That day will not come unless the apostasy comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed” (2 Thessalonians 2:3). You have not seen him. Therefore, you are not in the day of the Lord.

Then Paul lifts their eyes higher—not to timelines, but to grace. “God has chosen you from the beginning for salvation… that you may gain the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ” (2 Thessalonians 2:13–14). Chosen not for wrath, but for glory. Not for judgment, but for comfort.

So he exhorts them: “Stand firm.” Hold fast to apostolic truth. Reject counterfeit revelations. Rest in the promises of Christ.

And he closes with one of the most tender benedictions in Scripture:
“Our Lord Jesus Christ Himself… has loved us and given us eternal comfort and good hope by grace” (2 Thessalonians 2:16).

The Church’s Posture: Hope, Not Horror

The church is not waiting for the Antichrist—we are waiting for Christ. “Looking for the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ” (Titus 2:13).

The day of the Lord is real. Its horrors are unimaginable. Revelation 6–19 makes that plain. But that day is not our destiny. Our hope is deliverance, not devastation.

As Chuck Smith once said, “The tribulation is God’s judgment on a Christ-rejecting world—not His punishment of a Christ-redeemed church.”

So Paul comforts the trembling believers then—and us now—with the same truth:

You are not appointed to wrath.

You are appointed to glory in this relationship.

And Christ will not forget to come for His own.

“Therefore comfort one another with these words” of truth in the Scriptures

 

With discernment be critiquing ideologies and messages, without dehumanizing individuals. The Bereans checked these things out against the true word of God. Do like they did.

When Compassion Loses Discernment, YIKES! 

Want to Talk about Truth, Tolerance, and the Crisis of Our Moment?

The spiritual battle more and more.. is arriving in Western Countries and the enemies are: Woke-ism or Marxism, combining with Islamism to go after what we call the American way of life.

At first glance, the tripartide alliance seems so surreal—hyper-liberal Woke activism, strands of Marxism, and Islamist movements marching beneath the same banners. These groups that champion their "free radical sexual autonomy" align with ideologies that would silence, imprison, or execute them if given the chance or authority. It feels irrational. Yet history reminds us that moral confusion often masquerades as moral clarity.

Scripture warns us plainly: “Woe to those who call evil good and good evil” (Isaiah 5:20). When compassion is severed from truth, it does not liberate—it blinds.

This strange coalition is not driven by coherence but by two powerful forces.

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1. The Seduction-Use of Victimhood

Modern progressive ideology often measures moral authority by victim status. Whoever is perceived as oppressed is assumed righteous; whoever is perceived as powerful is assumed guilty. Over decades, Islamist movements have mastered the language of grievance—framing themselves as perpetually colonized, marginalized, and silenced.

To many on the far Left, this creates an emotional shortcut: “We are victims; they are victims; therefore, they must be our allies.”

But Scripture calls us to discern spirits (and what they say) against the word of God (1 John 4:1). In places like Gaza or Tehran, the same activists chanting slogans in Western streets would face swift persecution. This is not solidarity—it is sentimentality without sight.

Dietrich Bonhoeffer warned of this moral fog when he wrote, “Stupidity is a more dangerous enemy of the good than malice.” History proves him right.

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2. A Shared Hatred of the West

Though their worldviews are mutually incompatible, Islamist ideology and Marxist revolution share a common adversary: Western civilization shaped by Judeo-Christian truth.

Ever heard: "First comes Saturday, then comes Sunday" (in Arabic that's: Min sallaf es-sabt lāqā el-ḥadd qiddāmūh). That's an Islamist slogan of their conquest goals and crazy-rad-goals and aim. 

For Islamism, the goal is conquest and submission—domination in the name of Allah.
For Marxist and neo-Communist movements, the goal is demolition—dismantling capitalism, biblical morality, the traditional family, and national sovereignty.

Their partnership is not philosophical harmony but strategic convenience. As Mosab Hassan Yousef, son of Hamas’s founder, bluntly observed, the radical Left serves as “useful idiots.” One side imagines friendship; the other sees leverage.

Scripture is clear: “Can two walk together, unless they are agreed?” (Amos 3:3). This alliance walks together only long enough to burn the same house.

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There's Indeed a Civilizational Divide

Christianity makes a singular, audacious claim: truth is ultimate. Jesus Christ is the truth and the only way into God the Father's holy heaven. Come to Him as you are here and now.

Jesus did not merely speak truth—He is Truth. “The Word became flesh” (John 1:14). “I am the way, the truth, and the life” (John 14:6). Truth stands above power, above politics, above coercion.

Islamist ideology, by contrast, does not elevate truth as its highest value. Power is ultimate. Expansion is sacred. Deception is permitted if it advances the cause. That is a foreign moral universe to historic Christianity, which commands: “Therefore, having put away falsehood, let each one of you speak the truth” (Ephesians 4:25).

Christians are commanded to follow Jesus. To know the Lord well, and make Him well known, to make disciples—not by force win people to Him, but by persuasion, love, respectful explanation, proclamation, prayer, and transformed lives (Matthew 28:19–20). The gospel advances by obedient witnesses empowered by the Holy Spirit, not by fear and the sword.

That is why civilizations shaped by biblical Christianity birthed and protect freedom of speech, freedom of conscience, and freedom of religion—principles that Islamism explicitly rejects. You may question Christ. You may mock the church. You may disagree openly. Truth does not fear scrutiny. We will still pray for you to be blessed, saved, and helped in Christ. 

We don't want our worst human enemies to spend all eternity in that real place called Hell or the Lake of Fire! 

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The Dangerous Lie of “Tolerance”

One of the most corrosive ideas of our age is the tolerance of intolerance. It's been the vogue theme of the decade, it seems. 

Emily Schrader rightly observed:

“The tolerance of intolerance is one of the most dangerous trends of the last two years. Left-leaning governments have conflated cracking down on Muslim Brotherhood Islamism with Islamophobia—and that failure protects extremists while endangering Jews, Christians, and Muslims alike.”

If Arab Muslim nations have outlawed the Muslim Brotherhood (terrorists), why have Western democracies hesitated with this?

Scripture answers soberly: “A little leaven leavens the whole lump” (Galatians 5:9). Don't let any sin grow like an algy in your life, town or nation -- it'll grow so ugly, destructive and out of control! 

True tolerance does not mean moral surrender. Timothy Keller wisely noted, “Tolerance isn’t about not having beliefs. It’s about how your beliefs lead you to treat people who disagree with you.”

To tolerate evil is simply not mercy. Adam Smith warned, “Mercy to the guilty is cruelty to the innocent.” Abraham Lincoln echoed this same truth: “The caring shepherd drives the wolf from the sheep’s throat.”

Or as the ancient Jewish Midrash puts it: “He who is merciful to the cruel will end up being cruel to the merciful.”

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Our Response for This Hour? Start on Your Knees in Prayer, Discern and Act Wisely. Know the Worldview God wants You to Have and Clearly Articulate it. 

George Barna research consistently shows that large numbers of professing Christians struggle to articulate their own biblical worldview. That vacuum is quickly filled by strange cultural ideologies. If the Church and local churches do not teach Bible truth clearly, the world will catechize relentlessly starting with your children..even in their schools.

Yet our call is not panic, to fear into paralysis, or to live all agitated inside, or anxious, or hesitant with trepidation, all jittery-nervous with panicky paranoia. — but God's call for you and me is to Himself, to fruitfulness and faithfulness in His Son.

We must speak legally, constructively, kindly, and courageously. Voltaire’s famous line still resonates: “I do not like what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it.” That principle flows not from secularism, but from a Christian view of conscience.

We are to pray for and respectfully show love to our neighbors (wisely)—including Muslims (with their clear agenda)—while refusing to baptize ideologies that oppose God's truth, liberty, and the gospel message. We distinguish between individuals made in God’s image and belief systems that deny God’s truth. I have Muslim friends I want to win who are far from radicalized. Not yet are they, I hope they never are. My dear friends seem primarily focused on gaining luxury items and wealth right now (that perishable stuff will only leave them empty inside). I really don't want them to miss Jesus and heaven. 

“Truth forever on the scaffold,
Wrong forever on the throne;
Yet that scaffold sways the future,
And behind the dim unknown,
Standeth God within the shadow,
Keeping watch above His own.”

This is not merely political. It is spiritual. “We do not wrestle against flesh and blood” (Ephesians 6:12). The battle is for truth, for conscience, for the soul of civilization.

Christians must be neither cruel nor naïve—neither silent nor shrill. No time for any folly. We speak the truth in love, guard the flock, protect our families, or Nation, and welcome the stranger who is legal. We choose to resist all deception and proclaim Christ without any apology.

Because in the end, truth does not need physical force to prevail—only faithful witnesses in Christ.

“Buy the truth, and do not sell it” (Proverbs 23:23). 

Q: Like me have you asked yourself: Why are the Democrats in the USA all-in with combining their Liberalism with Wokeism, Marxism and Islamism to go after our American way of life here in the West? 

Charlie Kirk spoke about this stuff as it relates to reborn Christians here in the West, but this subject is also much broader than that. He said:

"Islam is not compatible in Western Countries. It's not compatible with reference to civilizations. We're talking about the macro-ideology, where many of them gather together and what that metastasizes into. So, I want you to try to filter out any individual interactions because that is a distraction from what is happening. Civilizationally, how is it incompatible number one?

We, as Christians, believe in freedom of speech; we believe that it is our Birthright. Islamists do not believe in freedom of speech. {Period}, you cannot question Muhammad. You cannot make fun of them. You cannot question this day, number two. They do not believe in Freedom, expression, or freedom of religion in Islam.

In their verses (Islamic Koran Surahs) you are allowed to lie, you are allowed to deceive. In front of God, as long as it advances the aims and goals of Islam. You are allowed to masquerade a different version of yourself a foreign concept to those of us as Christians. Because what is the ultimate value claim of Christianity?

It is truth. Because our Lord and savior is truth and truth became flesh. At the top of all of it, it is truth. In Islam, it is not truth. Truth is not the ultimate Islamic value. It's not, it's power. It's domination, subjugation, conquer and conquest. Islam is taking over. By force.

There's a reason why it is a religion of the sword to create a global caliphate. Islam is not compatible with Western Civilization, period. I'm not talking about an individual. We're talking about the macro ideology where many of them gather together and what that metastasizes into." ~ Charlie Kirk

Please be where you live legally, constructively, kindly, and respectfully and say all the ideas you want to speak about.

“I do not like what you say but I will defend to the death your right to say it.” ~ Voltaire

"Mercy to the guilty is cruelty to the innocent." ~ Adam Smith

"The (caring) shepherd drives the wolf from the sheep's throat..." ~ Abraham Lincoln

“Mercy to the wolves is cruelty to the sheep” ~ Dr. Tim Gray

“Tolerance isn't about not having beliefs. It's about how your beliefs lead you to treat people who disagree with you.” ~ Timothy Keller

"Tolerance becomes a crime when applied to evil." ~ Thomas Mann

"He who is merciful to the cruel will end up being cruel to the merciful." ~ Jewish, Midrash Tanhuma

To tolerate an injustice of which we are not a victim is not tolerance but indifference or selfishness.

“ Tolerance implies no lack of commitment to one's own beliefs. Rather, it condemns the oppression or persecution of others.” ~John F. Kennedy

"If civilization is to survive, we must cultivate the science of human relationships - the ability of all peoples, of all kinds, to live together, in the same world at peace." ~ Franklin D. Roosevelt

"If a profound gulf separates my neighbor's belief from mine, there is always the golden bridge of tolerance." ~ Anon.

"The tolerance of intolerance is one of the most dangerous trends of the last two years. Left-leaning governments have conflated cracking down on Muslim Brotherhood Islamism with Islamophobia and that failure protects extremists while endangering Jews, Christians, and Muslims alike. If Arab Muslim countries have outlawed the Muslim Brotherhood, then why haven’t the UK and Australia?" ~ Emily Schrader

It's a good question, huh: Why are the US Democrats all-in with combining their Liberalism with Wokeism, Marxism, and Islamism to go after our American way of life here in the West? They don't like being out of power now, but they too, want to dominate and control at any cost. Remember this:

"In Islam, in the Quran's verses, you are allowed to lie, you are allowed to deceive inn front of God, as long as it advances the aims and goals of Islam. Foreign concept to those of us as Christians. In front of God, as long as it advances the aims and goals of Islam. Foreign concept to those of us as Christians. Because what is the ultimate value claim of Christianity? It is truth. Because our Lord and Savior is truth and truth became flesh. At the top of all of it, it is truth. In Islam, it is not truth. Truth is not the ultimate Islamic value. It's not, it's power, it's domination, subjugation, conquer, Conquest. You see, we are called to make Disciples of all Nations. By winning them over by converting them with songs, praise teaching scripture prayer. Islam is taking over. By force. There's a reason why it is a religion of the sword." ~ Charlie Kirk

Plain and simple:  Sharia law is incompatible with American values and the U.S. Constitution. Let's simply say NO. And no to any politicians or religious folk pushing this. Plain and simple: Sharia law is incompatible with American values and the U.S. Constitution. It's not for here:

• Supplanting American Law: During his first presidential campaign and into his 2024 and 2025 terms, Trump has advocated for an "ideological screening test" for immigrants. He stated in August 2016: "Anyone who believes Sharia law supplants American law will not be given an immigrant visa. If you want to join our society, then you must embrace our society, our values and our tolerant way of life".
• Criticism of Western Allies: In a September 2025 address to the United Nations General Assembly, Trump accused European leaders of allowing their countries to "go to Sharia law," specifically targeting London Mayor Sadiq Khan. He warned, "Now they want to go to Sharia law. But you are in a different country, you can’t do that". He further described European immigration policies as "suicidal" and a threat to the survival of the West.
• Ideological Threat: President Trump’s administration officials, such as DNI Tulsi Gabbard, have echoed these true sentiments in 2025, describing Islamist ideology as a "direct threat to our freedom" that seeks to replace Western civilization with "governance by Sharia law".
• National Ban Proposal: In December 2025, reports surfaced that Trump proposed a nationwide ban on Sharia law inside the United States, arguing that parallel legal systems are not admissible in a democratic country. 

"Islam is as dangerous in a man as rabies in a dog" ~ Winston Churchill

Could Jesus Come Today? He Could. Not Scared. I Just Want to Live Ready Every Single Day.

I am praying today for my parents today, because my day fell down and he broke his hip bone. He just had surgery two nights ago. As the Lord leads you, thank you for praying for Kim and Betty as well. 

Jesus said this: “Heaven and earth shall pass away, but My words” – what? – “shall not pass away.” 

Honestly, I wouldn't at all mind beating my parents Home (with a Rapture event) to welcome them both there when the Rapture happens. Here steps and some good reasons why anyone sucking air can become ready and not have to fear their future (1. repent, 2. believe, 3. come to Christ right now). 

What's up, interesting terms.. beginning of birthpangs?

Jesus said, "Now learn this parable from the fig tree: When its branch has already become tender and puts forth leaves, you know that summer is near. So you also, when you see all these things, know that it is near—at the doors! Assuredly, I say to you, this generation will by no means pass away till all these things take place. Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away." Matthew 24:32-35 nkjv

Christ declared with unmistakable finality, “Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will never pass away.” His authority is unchanging, eternal, and absolute. Again and again He affirmed this truth: in Luke 16:17 He taught that it would be easier for the cosmos itself to dissolve than for even the smallest stroke of God’s Law to fail; in Matthew 5:18 He proclaimed that not one jot or tittle would pass away until all is fulfilled; and in John 10:35 He sealed it plainly—Scripture cannot be broken. The Word of God stands immovable, and therefore what it declares will surely come to pass.

That certainty presses a solemn and gracious question upon every heart: Are you ready? Ready to be gathered to Christ and dwell forever in His presence, or unprepared and left to face the judgment that follows? Knowing these things, Peter asks, “What manner of persons ought you to be?” The answer is clear—lives marked by holiness and godliness, eyes lifted in expectancy, hearts growing in grace, and souls anchored in hope. We are a redeemed people, living as pilgrims in a passing world, eagerly awaiting our Savior.

Father God, we thank You for Your living and enduring Word - Jesus. Take what is eternal from Your written word and bind it deeply to our hearts. Teach us to walk close with Jesus, to obey the word, to live with heaven in view, to hold very loosely to what is temporary, and to be fruitful and faithfully in the light of eternity too. We love you, Jesus. Amen.

Sup With Jesus Using His Olivet Discourse “Birth Pangs” Metaphor?

Well, it fits huh? Increasing intensity, ever closer proximity to the last pain felt, and more pain here until the time of birth. 

Core Passages (Explicit Use of Birth Pangs Language)

• Matthew 24:6–8 (NIV)
  “You will hear of wars and rumors of wars… but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come… All these are the beginning of birth pains.”

• Mark 13:7–8 (NIV)
  “Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be earthquakes in various places, and famines. These are the beginning of birth pains.”

Parallel Expansion

• Luke 21:9–11 – Wars, revolutions, earthquakes, famines, pestilences, fearful sights

• Luke 21:12–19 – Persecution precedes consummation

* Key Insight from Jesus
Birth pangs:

1. Increase in frequency

2. Increase in intensity

3. Do not equal the end

4. Guarantee an outcome — new life, not annihilation

Jesus deliberately chose a metaphor that ends in life, not death.

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II. Birth Pangs Across the Whole Bible

(This is not really some New Testament invention)

A. Old Testament Foundations

1. Creation & Curse

• Genesis 3:16 – Pain in childbirth introduced after the Fall
  → Physical labor mirrors cosmic redemption struggle

2. Israel as a Woman in Labor

• Isaiah 26:17–18
  “As a woman with child… writhes and cries out in her pangs…”

• Isaiah 66:7–9
  “Shall I bring to the point of birth and not cause to bring forth?”

• Jeremiah 30:6–7
  “Ask now, and see, can a man bear a child? … Alas! for that day is great… the time of Jacob’s trouble”

• Micah 4:9–10
  “Writhe and groan, O daughter of Zion, like a woman in labor”

* Key OT Pattern

Judgment → Travail → Restoration

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B. New Testament Expansion

1. Cosmic Birth Pangs

• Romans 8:22
  “The whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now.”

2. Sudden Onset

• 1 Thessalonians 5:3
  “Then sudden destruction will come upon them as labor pains upon a pregnant woman, and they will not escape.”

3. Church-Age Expectation

• John 16:20–22
  “A woman giving birth..has sorrow because her hour has come, but when she has delivered..she no longer remembers the anguish”

4. Apocalyptic Fulfillment

• Revelation 12:1–5 – The woman, the child, the dragon

• Revelation 6–19 – Seal, trumpet, and bowl judgments intensifying like labor contractions

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III. Events Explicitly Called “Birth Pangs” by Jesus

1. Global Conflict

• Wars and rumors of wars

• Ethnic and geopolitical instability
  (Matthew 24:6–7)

2. Natural Disasters

• Earthquakes “in various places”

• Famines and pestilence
  (Luke 21:11)

3. Moral & Spiritual Collapse

• Lawlessness increasing

• Love growing cold
  (Matthew 24:12)

4. Religious Deception

• False Christs and false prophets
  (Matthew 24:24)

5. Persecution

• Betrayal, hatred, martyrdom
  (Matthew 24:9–10)

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IV. Israel and Birth Pangs (Biblical & Observational)

Biblical Role of Israel

• Jeremiah 30:7 – “The time of Jacob’s trouble”

• Zechariah 12–14 – Jerusalem as a trembling stone

• Romans 11:25–29 – Israel’s partial hardening until fullness of Gentiles

Observational (Non-Sensational, Real Trends)

• Israel remains even more so:

  • A focal point of disproportionate global attention

  • A recurring epicenter of geopolitical tension

  • The only ancient people regathered to their land with preserved language and identity

* Biblical Lens
Israel is not the cause of any birth pangs—
Israel is basically the clock God placed for us in history.

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V. Christian Voices from the Early Church on Birth Pangs (Trusted & Timeless)

Augustine

“The earth is in travail, and from her pains the City of God is being born.”

Reformation

John Calvin

“God shakes the world, not to destroy His Church, but to awaken it.”

Modern Evangelical

A.W. Tozer

“God is always doing ten thousand things in your life, and you may be aware of three of them.”

John Walvoord

“The birth pangs are not signs of the end, but signs that the end is nearer.”

Chuck Smith Sr.

“Just as labor pains come closer together, so the events Jesus described would intensify as His return approaches.”

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VI. Theology of Hope (Why Jesus Chose This Metaphor)

Aspect	Meaning
Pain -	Real suffering
Increase -	Acceleration, not randomness
Inevitability	-  God’s plan cannot be stopped
Outcome -	New creation, not chaos

Birth pangs are painful, but they are purposeful.

Birth pangs are painful, but they are purposeful.

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VII. The Rapture, the Antichrist, and the Restrainer

(Pre-Tribulational Summary — as you outlined)

Key Passages

• 1 Thessalonians 4:13–18 – The catching away

• 1 Corinthians 15:51–52 – Instant transformation

• 2 Thessalonians 2:6–8 – The Restrainer removed

• Revelation 13 – Antichrist revealed mid-tribulation

• Revelation 19 – Christ returns in glory

Summary Theology

• The Church is removed before the 7 years of tribulation wrath on earth

• The Antichrist is revealed after the Restrainer (the Holy Spirit in the real Church) is removed from the earth. 

• Tribulation saints (many Jewish believers) endure and overcome

• Evil has a timetable

• Christ wins visibly and finally

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VIII. Closing Truths

Jesus did not give the birth pangs teaching to make His people fearful—but faithful.

• Not panic — preparedness

• Not date-setting — devotion

• Not despair — discernment

“When these things begin to take place, straighten up and lift your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.”
— Luke 21:28

“All these are the beginning of birth pains.”
— Jesus Christ, Matthew 24:8

Jesus did not choose His words casually. When He sat on the Mount of Olives and described wars, earthquakes, famines, deception, and persecution, He reached for one of the most profound metaphors in all of human experience—childbirth. Not collapse. Not extinction. Not chaos without meaning. But birth pangs.

Painful, yes indeed. Increasing, certainly. Yet purposeful—and leading somewhere glorious.

The world often interprets crisis as proof that everything is falling apart. Jesus tells us something far more hopeful: things are coming together, even when it feels like they are unraveling.

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When the pains were really intense, and the water broke, I didn't have to guess. I just knew that Liney and I were about to firsthand see what's often called the miracle of a brand new life! Exciting times! 

Why Jesus Spoke of Birth Pangs

I will one day ask Him. I think it's because birth pains are not the end of life; they are the threshold of a whole new beginning of a life. They increase in intensity and frequency, but they also signal inevitability—the birth will come. Once they begin, the outcome is no longer in doubt. 

Jesus explained it plainly:

“Nation will rise against nation.. There will be earthquakes in various places, and famines. These are but the beginning of birth pains.” — Mark 13:8

He wanted His disciples—and us—to understand three essential truths:

1. Escalation is normal

2. Suffering is not meaningless

3. Redemption is drawing near

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Groans, tears, frets, and sorrow. 

A Groaning World and yet God and His Promises Remain Faithful!

Scripture teaches that this labor is not limited to human history alone.

“The whole creation groans and labors with birth pangs together until now.” —Paul, Romans 8:22

Creation itself longs for release, restoration, and renewal. Earthquakes, environmental upheaval, and global instability are not random; they are symptoms of a fallen world yearning for resurrection.

Charles Spurgeon captured this beautifully when he said:

“The world is not a wreck drifting toward annihilation—it is a ship being guided by a wise hand toward a destined harbor.”

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Israel and the Clock of History

Throughout Scripture, Israel stands at the center of God’s redemptive timetable.

“Alas! For that day is great.. it is the time of Jacob’s trouble, but he shall be saved out of it.” — Jeremiah 30:7

From Isaiah to Zechariah to Romans 11, the Bible consistently presents Israel as both a signpost and a promise. Her preservation, regathering, and continued global focus are not accidents of history—they are reminders that God keeps covenant.

Chuck Smith Sr. reminded us believers there in Costa Mesa:

“When you see Israel back in the land, you are watching Bible prophecy move from the pages of Scripture onto the stage of history.”

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Not Fear—But Readiness

Jesus never intended prophecy to produce panic. He gave these signs so His people would remain steady, sober, and hopeful.

“When these things begin to happen, look up and lift up your heads, because your redemption draws near.” — Luke 21:28

Billy Graham echoed this pastoral balance:

“The Bible does not tell us to be alarmists; it tells us to be alert.”

And Greg Laurie often told us there in Orange County CA:

“Prophecy is not meant to scare us—it’s meant to prepare us.”

So become a praying soul-winner for God's glory. 

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False Peace vs. True Hope

The world continually promises peace without repentance, unity without truth, and salvation without Christ. Scripture warns us that such assurances will collapse suddenly.

“When they say, ‘Peace and safety!’ then sudden destruction comes upon them, as labor pains upon a pregnant woman.” — 1 Thessalonians 5:3

D.L. Moody put it plainly:

“This world is not getting better and better—it is getting riper and riper.”

Yet ripeness is not despair. It is readiness for harvest.

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The Blessed Hope of the Church

For believers in Christ, the increase of birth pangs does not mean we are appointed for wrath, but that we are nearing our blessed hope.

“The Lord Himself will descend from heaven.. and we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds.” — 1 Thessalonians 4:16–17

John MacArthur wisely notes:

“God has not destined the Church for judgment, but for glory. The tribulation is not the Church’s purifying fire—it is Israel’s refining furnace.”

This is why believers can watch world events with clarity without dread.

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Pain With a Purpose

Jesus reminded His disciples:

“A woman, when she is in labor, has sorrow because her hour has come; but when she has delivered the child, she no longer remembers the anguish, for joy that a human being has been born.” — John 16:21

Billy Sunday once said:

“If you’re looking for the grave, you won’t find it empty—but if you’re looking for Christ, you’ll find the grave empty every time.”

- The pain is temporary.
- The joy is eternal.
- The King Jesus is coming here soon. He said He'd return for His own.

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How Then Shall We Live?

• Not distracted, but devoted

• Not fearful, but faithful

• Not asleep, but awake

• Not angry at the darkness, but shining as light

C.H. Spurgeon summarized it best:

“Live as if Christ died yesterday, rose today, and is coming back tomorrow.”