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Catechism #52

Q. Where is Christ now? A. Christ sits in heaven at the right hand of the Father, making intercession for the saints. Forty days after Jesus rose from the dead He ascended back into heaven. His absence from earth made way for the Holy Spirit to indwell believers, so Jesus told His disciples it was good that He left (John 16:7). When Jesus left He didn’t retire to South Florida, nor did He go to heaven to twiddle His thumbs and wait for the rapture. He is busy today sitting at the right hand of the Father, serving as our advocate. Romans 8:34 says Jesus, “indeed is interceding for us (also see Hebrews 7:25).” This work of intercession means Jesus speaks to God on our behalf. This is comparable to the role of a defense attorney. Why do we need an attorney? Because there is a prosecutor bringing horrible charges against us, and unfortunately, the charges are all true. Revelation 12:10 says Satan is “the accuser of the brethren” who has been accusing us “day and night

Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act

I want to let you know about the Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act. This proposed legislation would protect from abortion all unborn children who are capable of feeling pain. There is substantial medical evidence that demonstrates the ability of unborn children to feel pain from at least 20 weeks after conception. What we know 1.       By 20 weeks after fertilization all the physical structures necessary to experience pain have developed. 2.       Unborn children react to painful stimuli, and their hormonal reactions consistent with pain can be measured. 3.       For the purpose of surgery with unborn children, fetal anesthesia is routinely administered. 4.       Abortion methods used on babies are painful. What we need 1.       10 states have passed the Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act. 2.       Last year South Carolina’s House of Representatives passed the bill, but it died in the Senate when the clock ran out. 3.       This year the bill as b

Catechism #51

Q. Will believers be judged when they die? A. Believers will stand in the Bema Seat, a place of rewards and loss of rewards. When believers die they will stand before the Lord in judgment. Hebrews 9:27 says, “it is appointed unto men to die once, and after this the judgment.” Before we enter heaven we will face the Lord in judgment. Those who refused God’s free gift of salvation will be cast into hell (Matthew 7:21-23), while those saved by God will hear, “Well done, good and faithful servant (Matthew 25:21, 23).” There is, however, more to the believer’s judgment than just admittance into heaven. The Bible speaks of rewards that will be bestowed upon believers for their work on earth. There are five crowns recorded in the New Testament that will be given out for different reasons, and these crowns will eventually be cast at the feet of Jesus in worship (Revelation 4:10). The Greek work used for judgment is bema , which referred to the place where the judge stood

Catechism #50

Q. Will Jesus ever come back to earth? A. Jesus will not come back to earth during the rapture, but He will at the Second Coming .   There is a common misconception that Jesus’ second coming and the rapture are the same event. People make comments about when “Jesus comes back to earth at the rapture,” but that will not actually happen. When describing the rapture Paul said we will “meet the Lord in the air (1 Thessalonians 4:17).” Jesus’ feet will not touch down on this planet; instead, we will be “caught up” (which is what rapture means) with Him in the clouds and taken to heaven. Different people have different views about when the rapture will occur in relation to the Great Tribulation described in Revelation. Some believe the rapture will occur before the Tribulation begins (pre-tribulation), some believe it will occur at the midpoint (mid-tribulation), and others believe it will be after the tribulation has ended (post-tribulation). Despite the differences, it i

Virgin Doesn't Mean Virgin

One of the most common facts about the Christmas story and the birth of the baby Jesus is the miraculous nature in which He was born—to a virgin. In both Testaments of the Bible the virgin birth is mentioned; it is prophesied in Isaiah 7:14, then fulfilled in Matthew 1:23. The word virgin is peppered throughout Matthew and Luke’s account of the birth, as well as in Isaiah’s prophecy. Some like to point out that the word virgin doesn’t just refer to a person who has never had intercourse, but that it can also simply mean a young girl or bride. Does this present a problem to the biblical account? If Mary was not a virgin then the birth of Jesus doesn’t involve the supernatural elements of divinity. But the truth is that it really doesn’t matter what the word virgin means. Consider a few things. First, since it was against the law for any unmarried people to engage in intercourse, all young girls were virgins. The terms were interchangeable, and Mary would have been