The Believer’s Resurrection

This is the 21st in a series of excerpts from What Every Christian Should Know About the Return of Jesus, released by High Street Press and available at Amazon.com. 

It’s comforting to keep in mind that when Christ died, he redeemed our bodies, souls, and spirits. Our salvation doesn’t stop with the forgiveness of sins, the declaration of our right standing with God in Christ, and the sanctifying work of the Holy Spirit, although these are unfathomable gifts of grace. 

Rather, the redemptive work of Christ finds its ultimate fulfillment in future resurrection and glorification, when the effects of sin are completely removed, and believers are fully conformed to the image of Christ. 

Equally comforting is the Lord’s promise that neither death nor hades threatens his children again. John, who hears Christ assure him that Jesus holds the keys of death and hades, later bears witness to the fact that these enemies are thrown into the lake of fire (Rev. 20:14). 

In our glorified bodies, we no longer sin, nor are we drawn to rebellion against God. As a resulting benefit, we have no reason to fear death, for it is but a distant memory God banishes from the realm of possibility. 

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“If I Drive Out Demons …”

The following excerpt is taken from What Every Christian Should Know About Satan. Order your copy in print, Kindle, or Audible versions here.

Jesus engages in recurring conflict with the Pharisees throughout Matthew 12. After Jesus’ disciples are seen plucking and eating heads of grain on the Sabbath, the religious leaders scold Jesus for allowing his followers to “do what is not lawful to do on the Sabbath” (12:2). Jesus delivers a countercharge, accusing the Pharisees of condemning the innocent. And then he boldly proclaims his deity: “For the Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath” (12:8).

Next, Jesus enters the synagogue, where he meets a man with a shriveled hand. The Pharisees test Jesus, asking, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?” (12:10). Jesus replies, “Who among you, if he had a sheep that fell into a pit on the Sabbath, wouldn’t take hold of it and lift it out? A person is worth far more than a sheep; so it is lawful to do what is good on the Sabbath” (12:11-12). Then, Jesus heals the man’s shriveled hand. This enrages the Pharisees, who depart the synagogue and plot to kill Jesus (12:13-14).

After a short respite, in which Jesus continues his healing ministry, the Pharisees deliver their strongest attack on the Savior:

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All Who Are in the Graves

This is the 20th in a series of excerpts from What Every Christian Should Know About the Return of Jesus, released by High Street Press and available at Amazon.com. 

No matter how people consider death, we can’t escape the truth that one day we breathe our last. But what then? Everyone who’s thought seriously about this question has an answer – or at least an opinion. 

Those who embrace a naturalistic worldview say death is the end of our existence. We may live on in the memories of loved ones. Meanwhile, our contributions to mankind – or our crimes against humanity – may outlive us, but our consciousness ends permanently and irreversibly once we stop breathing.

Tibetan Buddhists believe the spirits of the departed embark on a journey lasting 49 days and divided into three stages. At the conclusion of the third stage, a person either enters nirvana – a place of liberation from the cravings that cause suffering – or returns to earth for rebirth.

Jehovah’s Witnesses believe most of the departed (except for the 144,000 of the anointed class) go into a state of soul sleep until a future date with destiny. At that time, many of the dead are resurrected and given an opportunity to prove themselves worthy to enter an eternal paradise on earth.

But Scripture paints a different picture. At physical death, the immaterial part of human beings – that is, our souls and spirits – enter an intermediate state, either with Jesus in heaven or in torment in hades. Meanwhile, our lifeless bodies await future resurrection, at which time our souls and spirits reunite with our resurrected bodies so we may stand before Jesus in final judgment. 

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Beelzebul: Prince of Demons

The following excerpt is taken from What Every Christian Should Know About Satan. Order your copy in print, Kindle, or Audible versions here.

When you think about crime bosses, whose name rises to the top? Perhaps your first impulse is to go with Vito Corleone. However, the character in Mario Puzo’s The Godfather is mostly a composite figure based on real Mafia kingpins Frank Costello, Don Joe Profaci, and Carlo Gambino. Besides, Vito Corleone fades into the shadows of his ascending son Michael, who eclipses his father at the top of the Corleone family and runs it with calculating brutality. 

Well then, let’s consider Vito Genovese, a real mobster who distinguished himself during Prohibition. Another good choice: Lucky Luciano, the father of modern organized crime. Or, take your pick of Al Capone, better known as “Scarface” and leader of the Valentine’s Day Massacre; Bugsy Siegel, the Jewish-American mobster who helped put Las Vegas on the map; Carlo Gambino, who took over the Mangano family and renamed it after himself; John Gotti, also known as “The Teflon Don” until throat cancer took his life; or Vincent Louis Gigante, a heavyweight boxer who became a brutal mob enforcer. Any of these colorful characters might lay claim to being the most feared crime boss in the underworld.

But they all take a back seat to Salvatore Toto Riina, perhaps the most notorious mobster of all time. Born in Corleone, Sicily, Riina became boss of the Sicilian Mafia. During his criminal career, Riina personally murdered at least forty people and ordered hits on hundreds of others, including several anti-Mafia prosecutors. Long after his death in Parma Prison, just a day after his eighty-seventh birthday, Riina is considered the most dangerous mob boss ever.

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Your Kingdom Come

This is the 19th in a series of excerpts from What Every Christian Should Know About the Return of Jesus, released by High Street Press and available at Amazon.com. 

In previous columns, we looked at the nature of Christ’s return. He’s coming personally, physically, victoriously, powerfully, and suddenly. Now, we turn our attention to the reasons for his return. First, Christ returns to establish his kingdom in fullness. 

So, what is the kingdom of God? Simply stated, the kingdom is God’s reign, his authority to rule over all. Jesus taught primarily about the nature of the kingdom so he followers would understand that in his first coming, he inaugurated God’s kingdom. Through the Holy Spirit, he’s expanding the kingdom. And one day, he returns to bring the complete and final consummation of the kingdom, at which time he judges all people, creates new heavens and a new earth, and eradicates sin and its stain.

The king’s agenda

As we look for the return of the king, it may help to briefly survey his unfinished business. 

1. The king returns in glory.

In his ascension, Jesus reclaims the glory he shared with the Father before the world existed (John 17:5). His coronation takes place as he ascends to the throne and sits at the Father’s right hand, with all authority given to him in heaven and earth (Matt. 28:18; Mark 16:19; Acts 2:33; Rom. 8:34; Heb. 12:2). When he returns, he bears that same divine glory as “King of Kings and Lord of Lords” (Rev. 19:16).

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