Tag: Christianity

23
Aug 2022
AUTHOR Eric Flickinger

Caring in the Caribbean: Puerto Rico Mission Report

The Horn/Vargas family, from Michigan, donates books to the church school to replace the ones lost during Hurricane Maria.

The island of Vieques lies seven miles off the eastern coast of Puerto Rico, the “Island of Enchantment.” It’s what you’d call a tropical island, with mango trees, coconut palms, beautiful beaches, and the brightest bioluminescent bay on the planet. Wild horses roam the streets, and green iguanas soak up the sun as they laze about on branches and low stone walls. It’s a place where people go on vacation, to get away from the hustle and bustle of life in the city.

It’s also an island with a great deal of need. While the party crowd comes and goes daily by ferry, the local populace of Vieques has a hard time taking care of their basic needs. Hurricane Maria devastated the island in 2017. The only hospital on the island was destroyed, leaving the 8,500 people who reside there with just a poorly-equipped emergency medical clinic that is open a few hours each day. There are two small gas stations on the island and only one grocery store. The bars and nightclubs abound, but opportunities for people to find true health and peace are in short supply.

Because of this great need, It Is Written partnered with the East Puerto Rico Conference to bring a group of 22 missionaries to the island of Vieques. The team of doctors, nurses, preachers, and support staff arrived in the town of Isabel Segunda on July 25 and began making preparations to open a free medical clinic at the church the next day. Exam rooms were set up, a triage area was established, translators were prepped, a pharmacy was organized, and spiritual material was lined up to distribute to the children and adults who would soon be arriving at the clinic. 

The Vieques mission group

Over the following days, scores of people came through the doors of the church to get help for themselves, their children, and their parents. Patients came with musculoskeletal pain, rashes, diabetes, and a variety of other health challenges. One man shared that he had been trying to get an appointment to be seen by a local doctor for over six months without success. He was elated to find that he could see a doctor at the medical clinic—and receive his needed medications—for free! And each patient who came received spiritual material to connect them with Escrito Está, the Spanish-language arm of It Is Written.

It Is Written Partners Dr. Sotero Escarza and his wife, Patti, said, “It was our first mission trip and we were struck with the fact that so many people would pay good money, take time out from their lives, and give up some creature comforts to help out people they don’t know with some basic medical needs and to give them literature about the Good News. It gave us comfort that God is in control and He has His remnant that will reflect His character.”

Keiton Bahnmiller, another first-time missionary, put his experience with construction into practice by helping to find and repair leaks in the church school’s roof and windows. He also helped pressure-wash the exterior walls and prepared them for painting. The only private school on the island, the school is a great outreach opportunity for the church.

Dr. Raul Vila, an It Is Written Partner who has joined the ministry on six mission trips, said, We encountered multiple challenges during this trip, however, we all were blessed as we cared for some of the needs of the people we served. I remember one man in particular who came with a case of shingles on his trunk and how in between acyclovir and some natural remedies, he could find relief. I’m glad that we could be there for him. Each patient seen carried new hope and a prayer sent to heaven.”

Would you like to let God use you on a mission trip? Visit itiswritten.com/missiontrips to learn how you can partner with us on an upcoming trip.

 

17
Aug 2022
AUTHOR Cassie Hernandez

It Is Written Announces Grounded, A New Revival Series Airing in October

From October 19 to 22, It Is Written will present Grounded. Grounded is a revival series focused on leading viewers into a deeper, more meaningful relationship with God. Presented by John Bradshaw, Grounded will broadcast live from Knoxville, Tennessee. Grounded will air on It Is Written TV, 3ABN, Facebook, and YouTube. Churches and small groups are encouraged to sign up to stream the series. Register and find free promotional materials at grounded.study.

Each session will consist of a one-hour topic presentation, followed by a half-hour Bible study. Churches and small groups can watch the broadcasted Bible study or purchase the It Is Written Bible Study Guides and conduct their own Bible study in-person.

“Grounded is an excellent opportunity to grow your faith in God, and to invite others to do the same,” says Bradshaw, It Is Written president. “Grounded is specially designed for both people of faith and people who are only beginning their journey with Jesus. Grounded will give us an opportunity to strengthen our walk with Christ, settle deeply into the teachings of the Bible, receive more of the Holy Spirit, and prepare for the momentous times just before us.”

Grounded will air at 7:00 p.m. EDT October 19-22, with a replay each night at 10:00 p.m. EDT on It Is Written TV. A Saturday presentation will also be broadcast at 11:00 a.m. EDT. Viewers may watch live on 3ABN, the It Is Written Facebook and YouTube pages, or It Is Written TV. It Is Written TV is available at itiswritten.tv, Roku, Fire TV, Apple TV, and Google Play. Archives will be available on demand on Facebook and YouTube after the livestream.

For more information, visit grounded.study or call 844-974-8836 (844-WRITTEN).

1
Aug 2022
AUTHOR John Bradshaw

This Is Your Time: God’s Spirit Withdrawn

In recent times, the world has witnessed events that just a few years ago might have seemed unbelievable.

Flooding, record temperatures, and devastating fires have given evidence that our planet is fragile. Traditional moral values have been turned upside down, while defenders of biblical standards have been ridiculed. Social media has become an ocean of unbridled anger and malice. Cancel culture ruins lives, careers, and reputations. Politics has become openly hostile, seemingly devoid of the collegiality which once characterized political discourse. The lingering COVID-19 crisis revealed that in no time at all the attention of the entire world can be fixed on a single, polarizing issue. A raft of restrictions was swiftly implemented, impacting everything from one’s ability to work to a congregation’s ability to assemble for worship. Riots in our nation’s streets left a trail of damage and death. Recent data from the CDC states that the U.S. has just experienced its largest single-year murder rate increase in more than a century, rising 30 percent between 2019 and 2020.¹

The logical question to ask is, “What in the world is going on?” While murder, immorality, abortion, and natural disasters are almost as old as our planet itself, what we are witnessing today is a fulfillment of Jesus’ words in Matthew 24. Speaking of the signs of His return, Jesus said in Matthew 24:8, “All these are the beginning of birth pains” (NASB). Just as contractions increase in frequency and intensity prior to the arrival of a baby, the signs of Jesus’ return are increasing as we approach the second advent.

For years thinking people have asked where society was heading. We now know. Yet as sinfulness increases, it is vital to remember that what we see around us reflects a solemn truth. The Holy Spirit is being withdrawn from the earth, just as He was in Noah’s day (Genesis 6:3-5). History is repeating.

The temptation for Christian believers today is to seek political, civil, or economic solutions for the serious challenges the world faces. However, elections, protests, and legal decisions cannot remedy what currently ails our world. Paul wrote in 2 Corinthians 10:3–4, “For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh: (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds).” We wrestle today, “not with flesh and blood” (Ephesians 6:12), but with a jealous devil whose millennia-long campaign against God is rapidly gaining ground. Caught in the midst of a great controversy, as the Spirit of God is being withdrawn from the world, Planet Earth sinks ever deeper into the morass of sin.

The vital question we must now ask ourselves is, “What character are we manifesting in this time of crisis?”

The larger question is no longer, “What can we do about the state of our world?” The world is on a trajectory that cannot and will not be altered. Before long we will face “a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation” (Daniel 12:1). Recognizing that it is in a crisis that character is revealed, the vital question we must now ask ourselves is, “What character are we manifesting in this time of crisis?” Revelation 18:1 says, “And after these things I saw another angel come down from heaven, having great power; and the earth was lightened with his glory.” The nearer we draw to the return of Jesus, the nearer we approach that time when God’s people will demonstrate to the world the character (glory) of Jesus.

Though it may be easy to become frustrated with the condition of the world, we must remember where we are in the stream of time. The same people who have excitedly looked forward to the return of Jesus must bear in mind that Scripture has only ever promised that society will decline in earth’s last days. Jesus assured us that prior to His return, “iniquity shall abound” and “the love of many shall wax cold,” (Matthew 24:12). Paul said people in earth’s last days would be “covetous,” “blasphemers,” “unholy,” “without natural affections,” “despisers of those that are good,” and “lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God” (2 Timothy 3:2-4). Now that we are witnessing the fulfillment of 2,000-year-old promises, the appropriate response is not anger and despair, but hope and assurance in the God whose Word has again proven unerring. 

The inquiring world is to know that God’s people possess assurance, not malice and bitterness. As difficult as it is to digest current events, the God who is “upholding all things by the word of his power” (Hebrews 1:3) can uphold you. As Jesus fills your life with His presence, the universe will see the final and full display of the power of the gospel in all who have continued to surrender their lives to Him. 

Christian believer, this is your time. We were told what to expect from our world. Now that we are seeing that which was promised long ago, it is time to let the world witness the power of God in the lives of His people.

¹https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2021/10/27/what-we-know-about-the-increase-in-u-s-murders-in-2020/

3
Feb 2015
AUTHOR John Bradshaw

Heavenly Hoax

Some years ago I stopped to use a pay phone and found the phone booth had been virtually wallpapered with pink tracts, which turned out to be excerpts from a book written by someone claiming to have visited hell. The author’s description of hell was partly graphic, somewhat entertaining, quite incredible and entirely un-Biblical.

In 2010, a book was published which claimed to be the story of a young boy who had visited not hell, but heaven. The Boy Who Came Back From Heaven was the spectacular story of a child’s visit to heaven after he “died” in a car wreck that left him a quadriplegic. Alex Malarkey’s story sold over a million copies and was developed into a TV movie, gripping hearts around the world. But several days ago Alex admitted that his story was nothing more than a heavenly hoax.

Following the accident which almost claimed his life, Alex – six years old at the time of the accident – spent two months in a coma. The wonder of Alex regaining consciousness was overshadowed by the incredible account he gave of what he experienced while he was unconscious. He claimed angels had escorted him through the gates of heaven, that he heard heavenly music, saw the devil and talked with Jesus Himself.

But Alex recently wrote an open letter that was published on the Pulpit and Pen website in which he flatly said, “It was all a lie.” Alex now says he didn’t “die” in he accident, and he never at any time went to heaven.

“I said I went to heaven because I thought it would get me attention,” Alex said in a brief statement. “When I made the claims I did, I had never read the Bible. People have profited from lies, and continue to.”

The book has been taken out of print by its publisher, and bookstores have stopped carrying the book.

Of course the bigger question is, “Should the book have been published in the first place?”

From a Biblical point of view, the clear answer is No.

The Bible speaks nothing of people dying, going to heaven and returning to the Earth to tell people what they have seen. Paul spoke about his own experience of seeing heaven in vision (2 Corinthians 12:2-4), and the prophets Daniel and John wrote of visions of heaven they had experienced (Daniel 7:9,10; Revelation 4:1-11). Jesus returned from heaven to Earth, but like Moses – the only other person the Bible discusses who died, went to heaven and returned to Earth – He was silent about what heaven is like.

What’s alarming about The Boy Who Came Back From Heaven and stories like it is that they directly contradict the plain testimony of the Bible. The Bible clearly states that death is a sleep, not a condition in which people can travel to heaven or any other place. Jesus spoke of Lazarus as being asleep (John 11:11), which he clearly interpreted as meaning “Lazarus is dead” (John 11:14). The Bible is remarkably consistent on the subject. Paul wrote that the dead sleep until Jesus wakes them at the second coming (1 Corinthians 15:51,52), and that the saved who are alive when Jesus returns will go to heaven at that time, along with those who had previously died in faith and slept the sleep of death. While such a view may come as a surprise to someone who has not carefully investigated this subject, it is certainly biblical.

Numerous times the Bible refers to death as a dreamless sleep which lasts from the moment of death until the first resurrection takes place (Revelation 14:13; John 5:28,29).

Over the years there has been a very deliberate and carefully-orchestrated campaign conducted by the enemy of souls to confuse people regarding death and life after death. Like the majority of Christian believers, I was taught as a child to believe that those who die are ushered immediately into either heaven or hell (or in certain other cases, purgatory or limbo). And rather than this being a minor theological point of debate or discussion, the twisting of truth on this subject leads to at least two extremely serious theological problems: the marginalizing of Jesus, and the opening of the door to spiritualism.

Spiritualism is serious business – literally and figuratively. Millions are spent on psychics and mediums and related materials. And a person who entertains thoughts of contacting a spiritist medium is entertaining thoughts of getting into very close contact with the devil himself. Such was the experience of King Saul (see 1 Samuel 28).

The Bible makes clear that spiritualism will be a major influence in Earth’s final days in preparing people to accept Satan’s final deceptions (Revelation 16:13). A friend recently told me that following the tragic death of his 23-year-old daughter, if he had not understood what the Bible says about death, he would undoubtedly have sought to contact his daughter through a spiritist medium. Such involvement with the enemy has disastrous consequences.

And while a misunderstanding of death opens the door to spiritualism, it also reduces Jesus to being less than He actually is. In John 11:25, Jesus explained to the sister of Lazarus that He is “the resurrection and the life”. Without Jesus the dead have no hope of life beyond the grave. Only through Jesus’ direct intervention at the time of the second coming can anyone be raised from the dead. Without Jesus waking the sleeping dead, the grave will never release its prisoners. Even the giants of faith listed in Hebrews 11 – with the exception of Moses and Enoch – “did not receive the promise (Hebrews 11:39.)” They also wait for the return of Jesus to take place before they can be raised from their various places of rest (see verse 40).

If people go to heaven immediately upon dying then a resurrection is unnecessary, and Jesus is no longer “the resurrection and the life.” Paul’s question in 1 Corinthians 15:55 KJV – “O grave, where is thy victory?” – is a question not worth asking. We can travel to heaven without a resurrection having taken place.

Stories like that of Alex Malarkey are extremely popular. 90 Minutes in Heaven, published in 2004, spent over 5 years on the New York Times bestsellers’ list and sold over six million copies. Heaven is for Real – the story of a four year old who visited heaven – has sold over ten million copies. A 2014 movie based on Heaven is for Real has grossed over one hundred million dollars. This publishing phenomenon is now a genre of its own, having been dubbed “Heavenly Tourism.”

A story published by National Public Radio quoted a blog post written by Alex’s mother, Beth, in which she said, “There are many who are scamming and using the Word of God to do it. They are good, especially if you are not digging into your Bible and truly studying it. They study their audience and even read ‘success’ books to try to build bigger and better… ‘ministries/businesses.’ “ And Phil Johnson, the Executive Director of the media ministry led by author and broadcaster John MacArthur said, quoted in the Washington Post, “The idea that Alex suddenly recanted is just not true. There was proof everywhere that he did not stand behind the content of this book. But it was a bestselling book. Nobody in the industry wanted to kill it.”

The publisher of the now-recalled book said at the time of publishing that the story was “a supernatural encounter that will give you new insights on Heaven, angels, and hearing the voice of God.” Alex Malarkey is now saying something very different.

So how could this heavenly hoax have happened? Some say Alex’s father – the co-author of the book – saw an opportunity to make money from his son’s vivid imagination. There seems to be little doubt that Alex was a genuine soul who had no idea of the harm his creativity was going to cause. But informed by a flawed belief system, Alex was able to believe that an out-of-body escape to heaven is entirely possible. Multiplied millions believe the same thing around the world.

Similar stories have been prominent in pop culture and within religious circles. Moves dealing with out-of-body and other paranormal experiences have played to audiences in all corners of the planet. And claims of mystical occurrences such as apparitions of the Virgin Mary continue to encourage the faithful, even though they have gain no support whatsoever from Scripture.

A number of years ago while I was praying in a small group at a convention for Catholic youth, my eyes opened wide when a young man from my church started ‘prophesying.’

“My people,” he began. “I have a message for you, my people…” It was well known that Peter was a plumber. What was not known was that he was a prophet. Few of us were convinced. Several of us tasked a young nun with talking to Peter about his ‘prophesying’, but before she had a chance to approach Peter, Peter came and spoke with our small group and admitted his ‘prophesying’ was nothing more than a case of misjudged wishful thinking.

“I just wanted it to be real, and… I’m sorry. That won’t happen again.” As far as I know, it never did. Peter had been exposed to Pentecostal worship services where ‘prophesying’ is common or even expected. His desire to possess this type of spiritual gift got the better of him.

Alex Malarkey admits his desire for attention prompted him to tell a story that simply wasn’t true. Now 16 years old, Alex offers some sound advice. “[People] should read the Bible, which is enough. The Bible is the only source of truth. Anything written by man cannot be infallible.”

The hope is that many will take his take his counsel as seriously as they took his story.

(Originally published in the Adventist Review online)