There is no place like home, at least for some Christians. In recent years the number of home-based churches and small group fellowships in the United States has risen exponentially. In January, Barna Research, found that about 11.5 million American adults - a full five percent -, say they attend a "house church or simple church, which is not associated in any way with a local, congregational type of church," at least weekly or monthly.  That number is up from 8.8 million adults in 2006.

This time, I call your attention back to 2 Thessalonians 2. Paul wrote this second epistle primarily to reiterate and explain the great truths of the rapture and the resurrection he had written about in his first letter to them.

Pastor Michael Hoggard explores the scriptures of the Old and New Testaments to paint a picture of what we can expect in the Last Days. He also explains the concept of the "Latter Rain" and where it comes from.  

I was a devotee of Guru Maharaj ji for about 4 years, before I became completely disillusioned with him. I was in my early 20′s at the time and I believed that Guru Maharj ji was God incarnate on the planet.  I write about this in my upcoming book, "The Cosmic Chess Match." Since I became a Christian, I have kept an eye on another guru, Sai Baba. He is one of many gurus that operate in India. These gurus are proclaimed by their followers as living gods.

As with Romans chapter 13, Jesus’ instructions recorded in Matthew 22:21, “Render therefore unto Caesar the things which are Caesar’s; and unto God the things that are God’s,” are likewise much misinterpreted. The same people who love to quote Romans 13 to justify their cowardice in the face of oppressive government also use Jesus’ words in Matthew 22 to do the same thing.

The Rapture debate will continue regardless of what we may believe, as it has for decades. We can only hope that our contribution to the dialogue will help to inform those whose interest lay in the topic and/or hopefully can allay the fears of those who suffer much anxiety in regards to the times we are experiencing. Many believe the return of Jesus Christ is imminent, based primarily on the ever increasing apocalyptical notions that permeate our highly advanced technological messenger-modus operandi.

John the Baptist wore camel's hair and ate locusts and wild honey (Matt 3:4). And by the Spirit, John recognized the true purpose of Jesus of Nazareth from the beginning, before Jesus' ministry had even started. John introduced Jesus to the crowds in John 1:29, saying, "Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world."  John understood.  He got it.

In our on-going study through the book of Revelation we have come to the 9th chapter. Here we see the trumpet judgments continuing to be unleashed on the earth. The fifth angel is about to sound his trumpet. Someone might ask, “Pastor Kevin, I thought you believed in a pre-tribulation rapture of the Church.” I certainly do. “Then why talk about the judgments of the Tribulation if the Church won't be here?”

This week Pastor Michael Hoggard examines Glenn Beck wearing Masonic symbols, the Mark of the Beast, the Man from Atlantis, a child who is born with a third strand of DNA, chimeras, the Tower of Babel, and entertainers who admit selling their souls to the Devil.

I would like to take an in-depth look at the second chapter of the second epistle of Paul to the saints at Thessalonica. This is very important in assessing the timing of the emergence of the Beast from the Abyss into the world and when the gathering together of the Church will happen.

What irks me almost as much as Easter - which is a Babylonian fertility goddess that has nothing to do with the resurrection… I’ll save this rant for next week -  is that even today, in most pulpits, the fulfilled prophecy of Daniel is not mentioned. If you do nothing else today, may I encourage you to read Daniel 9, as it’s that important! When He rides into the city he is fulfilling, to the day, the prophecy that was penned hundreds of years earlier, that foretold His coming.

Many authors and commentators and Bible teachers say that the Parable of the Ten Virgins has nothing to do with the Rapture and the Church of God. I decided to dig a little deeper into this parable and see if the Word can clear up any confusion regarding its interpretation. So let us go through the story as presented line-by-line with the help of a Greek scholar whom I have consulted and, by the grace of God, may we come to a better understanding of its true meaning.

In China and Zimbabwe, police raided the prayer services of congregations who gathered in the name of Jesus.  While religious freedom remains on paper in many countries of the world, there is little freedom in reality.

I have been an avid student of the Word of God for thirty years. In that period of time I have spent a great deal of time studying the prophetic Word. God not only moved upon men of old to record what has been, He revealed through His prophets what shall be. One of the greatest proofs for the divine inspiration of the Bible is prophecy.

As promised in my last posting, I am attaching Chapter 2 of our first book, The End Times Passover, that will detail the entire issue that is probably recognized by most Christians as the Left Behind doctrine, which in essence claims that believers in Jesus Christ are supposed to be taken to Heaven seven years before He returns to rule and reign on earth for 1000 years.

Pastor Michael Hoggard examines and exposes the symbolism that abounds in the world today. Watch the mystery of Mecca become unveiled.  Learn how Mystery Babylon permeates the world today and controls the minds of men.

Last time we examined chapter 7 and observed the first parenthetical chapter in the book of Revelation. It gave necessary background information from the vantage point of the spirit realm as to what was about to occur on the earth. The 7th chapter basically sets the stage for all that is going to occur from the opening of the 7th seal until the end of the Great Tribulation. The opening of the 7th seal unleashes the seven trumpet judgments and the seven vial judgments, which are more severe and intense than those which have come before.

Recently, a student from a prestigious university wrote me with a short list of questions for a thesis he is writing, which is entitled, “The Effect of the Evangelical Movement on the 2008 Presidential Election.” He reads my columns and was motivated to ask me to contribute to his report. I am using today’s column to answer his questions.

Perhaps this is a good time to discuss the parable of the ten virgins, as it has come to be known. This is a story which has baffled people. But when we examine it in the light of Revelation, I believe we can literally understand its meaning. I shall proceed by quoting the parable verbatim.

People often say that the God of the New Testament is a God of mercy and love, but the God of the Old Testament is vengeful and angry. Consider the fate of the Canaanites. The LORD didn't just tell the Israelites to take over the Promised Land. He had them destroy all the people, young and old, male and female. He even had them kill off all the animals (Deut 20:16-17; Josh 6:21-23).

Many of whom I refer to as, “rapture critics”; speak and write against what they call the, “Secret rapture.” They say that there will be no rapture prior to the tribulation period. There will, according to them, only be the Second Coming when Jesus returns to judge the Nations and set up His millennial reign from the city of Jerusalem. I of course disagree with this position. I believe that we get a glimpse of the, “secret rapture”, an event that will only involve the disciples of Jesus in Acts 1.

Today contributor Joe Ortiz will begin a series on the Rapture. The Christine doctrine of the Rapture holds that during a point in history, commonly referred to as the “end times”, Jesus will briefly return to gather his church and take them off the earth in a supernatural event. There is little argument that this will occur, but the timing of this event is unknown. Even Jesus himself did not know when this would happen during his earthly ministry.

The entire issue as to whether we are caught up to Heaven to escape ‘great tribulation’ or not has caused the most perplexity among many Christians, more than any other issue in the Bible. Not only perplexity; but the Rapture debate has caused a great amount of anxiety and fear among our fellow disciples, especially as we witness the increasing amount of horrendous events such as the Japan earthquake, wars in the Middle East, worldwide financial uncertainty, the specter of corrupt governments, and primarily as man’s hearts turn colder against each other.

I thought I knew what persecution and hardship were, but after my family and I moved to Montana late last year, I found out that I didn’t have a clue what they were. I do now! Furthermore, it was not the “devil’s crowd” that did the persecuting and who created the hardship; it was “God’s people.”

The Egyptian revolution has provided more than just the impetus for the Libyans to oust Gaddafi. It has brought to light Hebrew artifacts from the Sinai, hidden away by the Egyptians for more than thirty years.