March 2 to 5 God granted us another opportunity to visit our brothers and sisters in the church of Plastun. Victor Korotkov, assistant pastor, gives his first-hand account on the journey.

I took the morning bus to Plastun planning to reach the destination at 10 p.m. I preferred it to the option of taking the next bus at 3.30 p.m arriving at Plastun at 6 a.m. The idea of jogging in the bus all night did not  appeal to me very much.

So, on March 2 at 7.30 a.m. sharp, the South-Korean Grandbird headed the north to Plastun. With the almost 15 hours’ journey ahead of me, I had an excellent opportunity to meditate on the great things of God. (read more…)

Is there proof of life after death? The experience that we call life encompasses so much and is tenaciously embraced by every human being. It seems unfathomable that this wonder could ever cease, since everything in the living experience suggests that it must go on. Memories, legacies, and classical creative works lend to this notion. Enormous efforts - both medical and social - are exerted to maintain and prolong life so that humans are healthier, mentally and physically, and to ensure that the environment is safe and stable to accommodate the living.

But eventually all living creatures die, despite any and all efforts. Believers in a vast majority of religions subscribe to an after-life existence and an actual place where the eternal soul may reside. Preparations are made in the present for the future state, and to secure a good location. Grief at the loss of those dear to us provokes within us a longing, “Is this the end? Will I never see my loved one again?” (read more…)

When we think of our mortality, the most difficult part is often not thinking of death itself, but of what happens after death.

We are deluged with opinions on the subject. Some say we will be immediately plunged into heaven or hell. Some say we will be reincarnated. Others say death is the end of all existence.

Even Christians - who agree that God will ultimately judge each person, sending the good to heaven and the bad to hell - may disagree over when that judgment will occur.

There are two basic views on what happens to a person when he or see dies. The first view is a kind of sleep or unconsciousness - one that may last thousands of years, ending on Judgment Day. Daniel 12:12 says, “Multitudes who sleep in the dust of the earth will awake: some to everlasting life, others to shame and everlasting contempt.” (read more…)

Perhaps one of the most daunting premises of Christianity and the Bible is the question: Do heaven and hell really exist?

Many people think of heaven and hell as places, removed from the Earth. They may see heaven as a place where “good” people go when they die. Many see hell as another place, possibly underground, where “bad” people face endless torture in burning pits of fire and brimstone.

The Bible describes a heaven where Jesus has ascended and where angels worship God. Jesus tells His disciples about heaven in John 14:2, saying, “In my Father’s house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you.”

The Apostle Paul tells us, “Now we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, an eternal house in heaven, not built by human hands” (2 Corinthians 5:1).

In 2 Kings 2, the Prophet Elijah is swept into heaven in a whirlwind. And in Mark 12:25, Jesus tells the Pharisees what happens when married people enter heaven, saying, “When the dead rise, they will neither marry nor be given in marriage; they will be like the angels in heaven.” (read more…)

To determine whether or not people will burn in hell, we look to the authority on heaven and hell. The answer is in the Bible. If one believes God and His offer for eternal life in heaven for believers, then we must believe His Word concerning hell and its eternity for those who reject Jesus Christ.

According to the Bible, “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23) and “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 6:23).

God desires all people to come to Him and gives us every opportunity to do so. He sacrificed His Son Jesus as the way of atonement for our sins. However, God will not force anyone and created us with a free will to choose Him. But there are consequences for those who do not. Jesus tells Nicodemus in John 3:20 that everyone that does evil and hates the light [of Christ] will be reproved, which means admonished or convicted. (read more…)

This is a fairly common question of those with a vague interest in end times prophecy (eschatology), particularly the book of Revelation. The Mark of the beast is referred to several times and is directly stated as being the number of man or 666. Revelation 13:16-18 says, “He also forced everyone, small and great, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on his right hand or on his forehead, so that no one could buy or sell unless he had the mark, which is the name of the beast or the number of his name. This calls for wisdom. If anyone has insight, let him calculate the number of the beast, for it is man’s number. His number is 666.” (read more…)

The number of the beast or 666 is spoken of in the following verses:

Revelation 13:16-18: “He also forced everyone, small and great, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on his right hand or on his forehead, so that no one could buy or sell unless he had the mark, which is the name of the beast or the number of his name. This calls for wisdom. If anyone has insight, let him calculate the number of the beast, for it is man’s number. His number is 666.”

Revelation 14:9-11 - “A third angel followed them and said in a loud voice: ‘If anyone worships the beast and his image and receives his mark on the forehead or on the hand, he, too, will drink of the wine of God’s fury, which has been poured full strength into the cup of his wrath. He will be tormented with burning sulfur in the presence of the holy angels and of the Lamb. And the smoke of their torment rises for ever and ever. There is no rest day or night for those who worship the beast and his image, or for anyone who receives the mark of his name.’” (read more…)

What is the Mark of the Beast and why would anyone be willing to accept the Mark? The Mark will be a visible number or sign, which is placed either on the forehead or on the right hand during the end times. The number is 666: “He [the Anti-Christ] also forced everyone, small and great, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on his right hand or on his forehead, so that no one could buy or sell unless he had the mark, which is the name of the beast or the number of his name. This calls for wisdom. If anyone has insight, let him calculate the number of the beast, for it is man’s number. His number is 666″ (Revelation 13:16-18).

Why would anyone accept the Mark? Perhaps those who accept it will be atheistic, agnostic, or simply do not believe in the existence of God. Perhaps they will hate God so much for what they had been made to endure. People may be afraid of the torture and punishment that will come to those who would not accept the Mark. (read more…)

The meaning of 666 - the number often referred to as the Mark of the Beast - is a highly contested concept. The number 666 is found in Revelation 13:16-18: “He also forced everyone, small and great, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on his right hand or on his forehead, so that no one could buy or sell unless he had the mark, which is the name of the beast or the number of his name. This calls for wisdom. If anyone has insight, let him calculate the number of the beast, for it is man’s number. His number is 666.”

John MacArthur explains the meaning of 666 this way: “The number represents the essential number of a man. The number 6 falls one short of God’s perfect number, 7, and thus points to human imperfection. Antichrist, the most powerful human the world will ever know, will still be a man - a 6. The ultimate in human and demonic power is a 6, not perfect, as God is.”1 (read more…)

Muslims certainly have a strong sense of mission. We can see this in the dedication and fervor of the Afghan “Mujahideen” and the Shiites in Iran and Lebanon, the proliferation of “fundamentalist” movements, and the effort to win the West over to Islam. But just how do they understand that mission?

Muslims believe that when God “called” Muhammad, he was given a mission, not just to call people to worship the One true God, but to establish a social order based on “the Law of God” (identified, of course, with Islamic law). To them, the first Islamic state at Medina represents a political model that is valid for all time. To their dismay, the Muslim world was in full decline by the end of the sixteenth century, but its fortune seems to have turned in recent years. (read more…)

Hell is real and it exists as a result of disobedience, jealousy, and acts of rebellion. Plainly, SIN necessitated hell’s creation. Sin is anything against God and His will.

The never-ending inferno was created for the devil, his angels and followers (Revelation 12:7-9). Yet they are not the only ones who inhabit the blazes of hell. For example, in Matthew 23 the Lord denounces the Scribes and Pharisees, who will not escape judgment for their ways. Everyone who rejects Jesus Christ will be condemned when his or her day of judgment comes. According to Matthew 25:41 Jesus will say, “…Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.” Luke 16:13 and Matthew 6:24 tell us that we cannot serve two masters. All of mankind chooses if they serve God or Satan. (read more…)

Yes! You can be safe from going to hell. In fact, it is so easy that many people have great difficulty believing that there is not more they need to do.

We are all sinners. Therefore, we need to acknowledge that, and agree with God that we have sinned. God’s Word says, “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). Since we are not able to make wise decisions on our own, we need to have someone who is much wiser than we are to help us through life’s struggles. There is only One who can do that and He is Jesus Christ, God’s one and only Son.

When we agree with God that we are sinners and ask for forgiveness, He forgives us! Jesus Christ, God’s only Son comes into our heart and life to change us and help us live the way He would have us live. The Bible tells us, “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16). (read more…)