Biblical Self-Defense

by Bill Rudge

I warned a young man I knew to stop his violent behavior and to quit hanging out in places where violence was likely to erupt. He failed to heed that advice and was soon charged with involuntary manslaughter.

Much later, I saw him following his release from prison.Before we parted, I advised him to stop hanging out at bars and to control his temper before another tragedy happened. But a few months later, at the age of 27, while drinking late at night in a bar, he became involved in an argument and punched a man in the face. The man pulled out a gun and fired several shots, striking him in the torso as he ran outside into the parking lot. He was pronounced dead an hour later at the hospital. He who is slow to anger is better than the mighty, and he who rules his spirit, than he who captures a city (Proverbs 16:32).

You can go out and conquer a city—even conquer the world—but if you cannot tame your spirit, you have not developed the strength that God wants you to have! Controlling your own spirit, temper, desires, thoughts and behavior is better than achieving great accomplishments.

I have known those capable of doing phenomenal—almost superhuman—feats, yet were unable to restrain their tongues or their tempers. They were powerless to control their lusts, jealousy, hatred, bitterness, worry or fear. Again, not strength but weakness. Like a city that is broken into and without walls is a man who has no control over his spirit (Proverbs 25:28).

In biblical days, cities often had walls built around them which made them strong and defensible fortresses. But if the walls were broken down, the inhabitants were vulnerable and defenseless against an enemy’s attack. So, God is saying, “If you have self-control, it’s like having a wall around the city—you are strong. However, a person lacking self-control is weak, defenseless and vulnerable.”

Assertive

God’s Word does not teach us to be passive or aggressive, but to be assertive. For example, when Saul threw the spear at
him, David was not passive—he did not just sit there and remain a target. Nor was he aggressive – he did not throw it back. He was assertive—he moved to avoid being hit.

Moses was more humble than anyone else on the face of the earth during his time (Numbers 12:3). Yet when the rebellious people he led out of Egyptian bondage opposed him on several occasions, he did not passively submit to them. Nor did he aggressively exert his authority and seek their destruction. Instead, he fell on his face before the Lord and assertively trusted the Lord to defend him and fight his battles. Likewise, when the Jews sought to throw Jesus off a cliff, He did not passively allow them to do so. Nor did He aggressively try to defend Himself or take some of them down with Him. He assertively walked right through the crowd and went His way (Luke 4:29-30).

The magistrates in Acts 16:22-23 ordered Paul and Silas to be beaten and thrown into prison. They sent their officers the next day to release them, but Paul and Silas did not passively and quietly leave. Nor did they aggressively retaliate and seek revenge. They assertively insisted that, since they as Roman citizens were publicly beaten without a trial, the magistrates themselves must come and escort them from the prison (verses 35-39).

Whenever I am in a confrontation, being threatened or in a volatile situation, I always try to respond from a position of love, wisdom and self-control. Then, I believe I am following the example set by Jesus and fulfilling His instruction of going the second mile and turning the other cheek.

If someone attacks me for no reason, breaks into my house to harm my family or if I see someone being beaten up or raped, I would use whatever force necessary to resist or intervene. However, if I am being persecuted for my faith, then I will not use force to resist.

“Vengeance Is Mine” Says the Lord

Not only did Jesus say it, but Paul echoes similar words in Romans 12:17-21:

Never repay evil for evil to anyone. Respect what is right in the sight of all people. If possible, so far as it depends on you, be at peace with all people. Never take your own revenge, beloved, but leave room for the wrath of God, for it is written: “VENGEANCE IS MINE, I WILL REPAY,” says the Lord. “BUT IF YOUR ENEMY IS HUNGRY, FEED HIM; IF HE IS THIRSTY, GIVE HIM A DRINK; FOR IN SO DOING YOU WILL HEAP BURNING COALS ON HIS HEAD.” Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

One thing is certain from Jesus’ words in Matthew 5:38-40 and the Apostle Paul’s words in Romans 12:17-21: personal revenge is taken out of our hands. Do people get away with unfair aggression, animosity, antagonism and attacks? Definitely not. Justice will be meted out in this life or the next by a righteous, just and all-knowing God.

For the ways of a man are before the eyes of the LORD, and He watches all his paths (Proverbs 5:21).

While my witness was having an impact on the program manager at a local radio station, another staff member there was trying to undermine everything I said behind my back. His hostility was all a smoke screen to the real issue. He was offended because I did several radio broadcasts on overcoming sexual immorality. A few years later, he was arrested for child pornography. He opposed the light of the Gospel, so it would not expose the darkness in his life. Undermining my integrity and witness backfired because the program manager became a Christian, while the staff member ended up in prison. I pray he truly repents and accepts Christ.

Over the years, several people have attempted to destroy me or the ministry. These were often battles I could not
fight—let alone win—but the Lord ultimately did. Those who persisted in their sinister schemes and wicked ways eventually caused their own demise.

He who digs a pit will fall into it, and he who rolls a stone, it will come back on him (Proverbs 26:27).

Freedom to Choose

I choose to adopt the attitude that you cannot kill me because I am already dead to self and alive in Christ. You cannot steal from me, because I do not own anything—it is all the Lord’s anyway. You can throw me in prison for my testimony of Jesus and the Word of God, but you cannot control or defeat me because, like Paul and Silas in Acts 16:25, I can still sing praises to the Lord. You can beat and hate me, but I can still choose to love you. You can curse and gossip, but I can pray for you.

But I say to you who hear, love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you (Luke 6:27-28).

After the apostles were beaten for refusing to stop testifying about Jesus, Acts 5:41-42 states:

So they went on their way from the presence of the Council [Sanhedrin], rejoicing that they had been considered worthy to suffer shame for His name. And every day, in the temple and from house to house, they kept right on teaching and preaching Jesus as the Christ.

The Essence of Strength

A man was once promoted as “the deadliest man alive,” claiming he taught the “deadliest and most terrifying fighting art known to man.” I was greatly impressed in my early teens by his ads in comic books. However, he spent much of his time near the end of his life living in fear, sitting behind a locked door with a gun on his lap. He died at age 36 in his sleep of internal hemorrhaging caused by a bleeding peptic ulcer and was buried in an unmarked grave.

As for man, his days are like grass; as a flower of the field, so he flourishes. When the wind has passed over it, it is no more, and its place acknowledges it no longer. But the lovingkindness of the LORD is from everlasting to everlasting on those who fear [revere] Him… (Psalm 103:15-18).

Walk the Second Mile

During His famous Sermon on the Mount, Jesus said:

Whoever forces you to go one mile, go with him two (Matthew 5:41).

Roman soldiers not only walked almost everywhere they went, they carried heavy packs, weighing up to 100 pounds. Just as they forced Simon of Cyrene to carry Jesus’ cross (Matthew 27:32), Roman law allowed military personnel to order those who were not Roman citizens to carry their equipment one Roman mile (estimated to have been around 4,850 feet).

If the civilian refused, he could be prosecuted under Roman law, which imposed harsh punishments to anyone who defied it. Once having reached the milestone marker, the civilian had no further obligation. When a Jew who was forced to carry a Roman soldier’s weighty gear reached the milestone marker, they could drop the baggage and say, “This is as far as I go. I fulfilled what Roman law requires.” If the soldier tried to force him to carry his pack farther, the soldier would be subject to punishment under the same Roman law.

Jesus said, “If they ask you to go one mile, go two.” Why? One reason is that when a Roman soldier made them go one mile, the Roman was in control, but when they willingly chose to carry the gear one more mile, they were saying, “You might have forced me to carry your load the first mile, but now I choose to carry it another mile.” Instead of being victimized, the Christian shows himself to be the master of the situation, willingly and with a right attitude of heart, going the second mile.

The preceding was excerpted from Bill’s new book Self Defense from a Biblical Perspective.

Evidence For Faith

The Photo That Started It All – Karen Blair Rudge

by Darlinda McDonald

Karen Blair selling tickets at Columbia Theatre.

Who would have thought that a yearbook photo would open the door to a lifetime relationship? Karen Blair went to Hickory High School, Bill Rudge to Sharon. One night, however, Karen was with some friends at a party in Hermitage when Bill and some friends from Ohio walked in uninvited. Apparently, Karen caught Bill’s eye because he invited her for a short walk outside where he said he would “take her on a date sometime,” though he never followed through with his promise.

Then it happened. Several weeks later, Karen learned that a photo of her selling tickets at the Columbia Theatre to Sharon High School’s senior class vice president and his date was printed in Sharon’s High School yearbook. Wanting to see the photo, her mother took her to the Rudges because both Karen’s and Bill’s sisters were in Debulets (a baton twirling group) together. When Bill saw Karen he said, “Hey, I asked you out at that party. Do you still want to go?” “Sure,” she replied, and that was the beginning.

In January 1971, after dating regularly for about six months, Karen became a Christian. Bill, however, didn’t want anything to do with God and decided to hitchhike across the country. God, in His faithfulness, pursued him and on May 23, after returning home, Bill gave his life to Christ. A few weeks after his conversion, on June 5, 1971, Bill and Karen ran away and were married. That was 50 years ago, and so the story continues!

Bill Rudge football picture in the high school yearbook.

Bill’s picture (left) appeared in the football section of that yearbook underneath the team photo. The caption beside his picture exemplified other experiences that shaped Bill’s life: “In late August, the football team began its two-a-day workouts, which lasted for two torturous weeks. The air was filled with the most terrifying grunts and groans as the players were pushed to the brink of exhaustion ….

From Planned Suicide to Salvation

The Bob Davis Story

by Darlinda McDonald

Bill Rudge and Bob Davis sparring at Mt. Vernon YMCA in 1975.

The seeds of faith that Bill Rudge planted in the 1970s bore fruit when one Sunday morning Bob Davis laid down his gun and decided to go to church. That very day he found salvation.

It has been 10 years this month since Bob Davis’ plan to end his life was foiled. Bob tells it this way:

In the summer of 2007, my wife Sally had started going to a local church in Mount Vernon, Ohio (Grace Community) but I chose not to go. I had started planning my own demise early in 2007 as I was just fed up with life. About two miles outside of town in the semi-flat farmland is a beautiful road known as Green Valley Road.

There is a one-mile stretch that is straight and then does a very hard 90-degree right turn. At the end of the straight stretch was a very large old tree and I figured that 85 miles per hour into that tree would solve all my problems. I decided to do a test run and much to my dismay discovered the tree had been cut down.

Later that summer, September 16 to be exact, after my wife Sally had gone to church, I headed out of town with one 9mm round that I had hand-loaded into my gun and written my name on with a Sharpie pen. As I reached the edge of town I suddenly began to wonder, “What am I trying to prove?” I turned around and headed to Grace Community Church. Three times I stopped but got there just as the service began. After the service I met with the pastor and found salvation.

Later that day the church was having a dinner in the park, which happened to be across the street from our house. I approached the pastor and gave him my “personalized 9mm round” which he still has and uses its story to help others.

Bob says there were three important “seed planters” in his life – his grandmother, his friend Jerry, and Bill Rudge. Bob’s grandmother planted seeds of faith throughout his life and often told her grandson that she knew he would be saved. However, she died in the 1980s and, unfortunately, did not live to see his conversion.

In the 1960s, Bob’s best friend Jerry asked him to join him in starting a band. Bob played the drums and Jerry sang in what evolved into the very successful band, Nomads. Jerry was another Christian who was a seed planter in Bob’s life.

It was in the mid-1970s that Bob met Bill Rudge. Bob was seeking a karate instructor at the time. When a friend told him about Bill, he said, “Who’s Bill Rudge?” Bob’s friend replied that Bill was a student at Mt. Vernon Bible College so Bob drove out to Bill and Karen’s mobile home right away. He took lessons from Bill who tried to “turn him onto Christ” but Bob says he didn’t care to hear about God at that time. Bill and Bob practiced martial arts together for several months as Bill continued to plant seeds of faith. These seeds took some time to grow but they did grow.

Bill graduated from Bible college and moved to North Carolina and then Pennsylvania. Bill would visit Bob every so often and give him the latest books he had written. Bob continued his martial arts training and became a Black Belt instructor before quitting years later.

Bob has experienced much pain in his life. Four of his six stepchildren have died, two before Bob became a Christian. His son, Kerry, was involved in drugs and committed suicide soon after he had an argument with Bob. In 1997, his son Greg died from lung cancer, 13 years after he was cured of thymus gland cancer. Bob became a Christian before his son Ted died of a heart attack in 2008. Then, on January 13, 2015, his daughter Gretchen died suddenly at work. An autopsy revealed a previously undetected defective heart valve. Over 1300 people attended her calling hours.

Earlier this year Bob had been praying that God would give him a sign that He was still with him. The next morning Bill unexpectedly showed up at Bob and Sally’s house in Mount Vernon. Bill had “suddenly” changed travel plans because he felt led to see Bob. In hindsight, Bob realizes that God has always had His hand on him and is grateful for the part that Bill Rudge has played in his life. Bob commented that Bill and Karen are two of the most faithful he has ever met and he thanks these “farmers” – sowers of seeds.

But Bill is even more amazed by the way Jesus has transformed Bob’s life. God’s grace has kept Bob and Sally steadfast through all their trials and tribulations. In spite of the many heartaches, Bob and Sally Davis faithfully serve Jesus Christ as they excitedly await His soon return.

A Life Transformed

Bill’s testimony of miraculous transformation: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6s728W9h6ro&t=1s.

A Mother and Grandmother’s Prayer

by Karen Rudge

Looking at the ministry and all that the Lord has done through it and our staff, I can’t help but praise God! The prayers of Bill’s mother, Florence, were a primary influence in bringing it about. Florence’s dad, John Bombeck, wanted to be a minister and went to The Moody Bible Institute, but his voice was too soft. His daughter, Florence, prayed that one of her children might be a minister to fulfill her father’s calling. She also prayed that all her children would come to know the Lord.

Out of her five sons and one daughter, Bill would be the one to follow in his grandfather’s steps by going to Bible college to become a minister and start this ministry. Florence’s prayers began to bear fruit, like Timothy’s mother and grandmother in the Bible: “When I call to remembrance the genuine faith that is in you, which dwelt first in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice, and I am persuaded is in you also” (2 Timothy 1:5),

When Bill and I met as teenagers at a party, we were two young people raised in the church but who did not have a relationship with Jesus. We never even thought, at that time, about living for the Lord, but within a year, all that would change. I accepted the Lord at a Jesus Festival and brought Bill to church. A few months later, he surrendered his life to the Lord and was called to Bible college.

After graduating and serving as a youth pastor in North Carolina, he was asked to go to New Jersey to train with Youth for Christ. However, the Lord had other plans. I contracted a life-threatening liver disease, so we moved back to Pennsylvania to be close to our families. The Lord impressed upon Bill’s heart to start this ministry, and shortly thereafter, the Lord healed me, enabling me to assist him for over 45 years. Our son and daughter have worked for the ministry and now our granddaughter Caeleana is working with us, as well as several of our other grandchildren who volunteer: all this from the prayers of a mother and grandmother.

The Lord hears your prayers! You may never know, like Florence, who is with the Lord now, how and when your prayers will be answered, or how many lives will be touched and brought into the kingdom. We know that the Lord’s return is soon, so we keep on spreading His Good News to those who are lost (John 9:4).

On A Journey… Who is This Christ?

Prophetic Ponderings

Bill Rudge

Photo by Bill Rudge

Coming Collision

We are on the verge of a collision that will change America and the entire world forever. Is it an asteroid striking Earth? Will it be an invasion by China or a nuclear strike from Iran, North Korea or Russia? Could terrorists overwhelm our Southern border spreading acts of terrorism across America? Perhaps an economic collapse due to skyrocketing debt? How about an alien invasion or takeover by Artificial Intelligence? Maybe massive earthquakes or other natural disasters?

No! I am not referring to any of these potential scenarios, but a collision of worldviews that is accelerating across America and the world: a growing hostility toward those who refuse to accept the “new morality” and who are obeying God’s command to evangelize the world.

The day is coming – and is almost upon us – when quoting certain “offensive” verses in the Bible, standing for righteousness or leading someone to faith in Jesus Christ as the only way of salvation will be more severely punished than robbery, rape or even murder.

Opposition toward those who adhere to biblical values is already happening and will intensify – even by those claiming Christianity.

What Have We Done?

• The Creator reveals Himself in Scripture as the one true God, but much of the world refuses to give Him honor and instead “creates” other gods – or no god.
• We are commanded to not take the name of the Lord our God in vain, yet in most movies, casual conversation and in many work places, His name is profaned and blasphemed.
• God intended marital purity between one man and one woman; He forbids fornication and adultery, yet sexual immorality is rampant.
• God is the author of life. He forms the infant in its mother’s womb, but millions of babies are murdered by abortion every year.
• The Bible tells us not to steal or bear false witness. However, lying, stealing and deceit permeate our society. Many political, corporate and even religious leaders are corrupt.

What has become of us and this nation? So many of our people have turned to atheism and the occult; we are blasphemers, live immoral lives and pursue pleasure rather than seek after God. The most powerful nation in the history of the world is being dramatically weakened from moral and political corruption.

There are pockets of integrity and personal repentance, but the overall moral and spiritual state of America is worsening. We are progressively rejecting God’s standard for sexuality, marriage, gender, justice and morals. The words of the ancient prophet Isaiah are accurate for today: “Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil; who substitute darkness for light and light for darkness” (Isaiah 5:20).

The very sins referred to in Revelation for which the end-times generation refuses to repent are rampant today: immorality, violence, murder, sorcery, lying, stealing and profaning and blaspheming the Name of the Lord. Some believe the greatest days for the United States are still ahead. However, in light of every form of wickedness imaginable increasing across our land and with continuous effort to push God out of every sector of our society, unless there is widespread, genuine and rapid repentance, God’s hand of judgment on this nation will intensify. When all is said and done, the final words will be,“true and righteous are Your judgments…” (Revelation 16:7; 19:2).

Moaning in the Streets

Our nation and the world at large are increasingly dangerous, dark, deadly, destructive, deceptive and depressing. Our only hope is in Jesus Christ.

Moaning and crying in the streets of America will become more pronounced and more widespread. No! I did not have a dream or see a vision; I wasn’t visited by an angel, but I assure you, it is coming! Scripture and history clearly foretell the future of a nation that is blessed by God but forsakes Him and His commandments.

It has been said that those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it. All we have to do is look back over the corridors of time to see what fate awaits a nation who disparages the Lord God Almighty and perverts His precepts.

America was built upon Judeo-Christian values and biblical principles which have kept her strong. However, our nation has increasingly forsaken its heritage and our God. The blessings we received as the greatest nation in the history of the world are being systematically lost.

Past generations and those who fought and died for the freedoms of this nation will one day rise to condemn this generation for what has befallen America – both the ones who have propagated it and the ones who tolerate it.

Chaos

• The more the Bible is removed from our society and God is expelled from our schools and universities, the more our police are needed to protect students and teachers and to patrol the streets.
• The more we violate the principles of God’s Word, the more we need therapists to deal with depression, with devastated lives and dysfunctional families.
• The more we redefine the biblical concept of marriage, sexuality and gender, the more confusion and trauma young people experience.
• The more we push God away, the more evil rushes in.
• The more we dim the light of the Gospel, the more darkness and demonic phenomena emerge.
• Someone astutely said, “The more we resist reaching up to Heaven, the more our world falls into chaos and despair.”

Former president Franklin Roosevelt said:

We cannot read the history of our rise and development as a nation without reckoning with the place the Bible has occupied in shaping the advances of the Republic. Where we have been the truest and most consistent in obeying its precepts, we have attained the greatest measure of contentment and prosperity.

The psalmist stated: “Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD, the people whom He has chosen for His own inheritance” (Psalm 33:12).

Widespread violence has infiltrated virtually every facet of life in America – schools, workplace, shopping centers, theatres, city streets, neighborhoods, homes and churches. Suicide, as well as addiction to, and death from, drug usage is impacting untold numbers of families with pain and grief. Lies, deception and thefts permeate our society. Sorcery and nature worship (venerating the creation rather than the Creator) is the form of new spirituality. Occultism has infiltrated every aspect of our culture and apostasy (falling away from the faith) has permeated and impacted the Church.

Scared or Prepared?

It is hard to believe that even as undeniable prophetic signs occur, few pastors teach and preach on the end times to prepare their congregations for what is assuredly on the way.

Christians who know there is a coming Tribulation period, Battle of Armageddon and Second Coming as described in Revelation and are familiar with other prophetic Scripture in both the Old and New Testaments, are not terrified of “doomsday.” The real doom and gloom people are those who do not know the Bible and end-times scenario, so they are distraught over every potential global catastrophe.

These are the ones who panicked and thought all life on earth might be destroyed when scientists were experimenting to create black holes. These are the ones who were terrified when scientists predicted an asteroid could strike the earth and annihilate all life. These were the ones who thought the invasions of Desert Storm, the Iraqi war, the invasion of Israel by Hamas and the attack from Iran were Armageddon and the end of the world. These are the ones who fear that a pandemic, a nuclear holocaust, aliens or generative artificial intelligence will mark the end of humanity. These are the ones fearful that climate change will make our planet uninhabitable – it is not climate change, it is biblical prophecy.

We who know God’s prophetic timetable know that the world is not going to end in these ways. If you don’t want to be confused and frightened by all the hype and cataclysmic headlines in the media, then study Bible prophecy! You will have insight and discernment to understand what is going to happen in the near future. The purpose of studying God’s prophetic Word is not to scare you but to prepare you as the Lord’s coming draws near. Reading God’s Word will give you peace, hope and assurance that God is in control and fulfilling what He has foretold.

As You See the Day Approaching

What should you be doing as you see the day of Christ’s return approaching? Following are some pivotal admonitions in these end times:

Repent: In His great mercy and long-suffering, the Lord has given America additional time and opportunities to turn back to Him, but we have failed to produce fruit of repentance. During the Tribulation period, God’s global judgments will bring multitudes to their knees in repentance even as the whole earth abounds in wickedness. May our confession be: “Lord, we have perverted Your truth, profaned Your name and provoked Your wrath. We repent and turn from our ways that displease and dishonor you. Please forgive us and restore Your presence in this nation!” The prayer Daniel prayed in the book of Daniel 9:1-19 is crucial for all of us today. Take time to read and pray it this day.

Love His appearing: Some Christians seem indifferent with little interest in end time prophecy, but God’s Word promises “the crown of righteousness … to all who have loved His appearing” (2 Timothy 4:8). We should be eagerly awaiting our Lord’s return because as Hebrews 9:28 says, Christ “will appear a second time for salvation without reference to sin, to those who eagerly await Him.”

Be ready: Stay awake and “be on the alert, for you do not know which day your Lord is coming” (Matthew 24:42).

Study the Bible: Recognize the signs of the times (Matthew 16:3). “Blessed is he who reads, and those who hear the words of the prophecy, and keep the things which are written in it; for the time is near” (Revelation 1:3). God will fulfill all of His prophecies and promises. He will establish His millennial and eternal kingdom of righteousness, peace and joy.

Pray daily: Pray for strength to remain steadfast during difficulties and persecution. Like Israel, Christians have no one who will defend and support them – we must rely completely on the Lord. May our love and light for the Lord shine all the brighter in an increasingly dark and troubled world. May we pray for all our leaders and people to come to know Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord and be guided by His Word and Spirit…and “Pray for the peace of Jerusalem” (Psalm 122:6).

Develop discernment: Do not be deceived by the deception Jesus warned about (Matthew 24:24), and the apostasy and deluding influence foretold by the Apostle Paul (2 Thessalonians 2:3-11).

Attend church: “not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another; and all the more as you see the day drawing near” (Hebrew 10:25).

Persevere and be faithful: Remain steadfast in your commitment to the Lord all the remaining days of your life. Be faithful even unto death (Revelation 2:10). While opposition and persecution may lie ahead for those who remain faithful to Jesus Christ, in the not too distant future, those who refuse to repent of their sin will mourn and wail because all they built their lives (and eternity) on is destroyed. Yet, God’s people and Heaven will rejoice as Christ’s kingdom triumphs over all the kingdoms of this world:

Rejoice over her, O heaven, and you saints and apostles and prophets, because God has pronounced judgment for you against her (Revelation 18:20; also see Revelation 17:18 – 19:7). Difficulties, tribulations and persecution may lie ahead but those who remain faithful to Jesus Christ will inherit all God has prepared for those who love Him and obey His commandments.

Purify your life: You “ought to be in holy conduct and godliness, looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God” (2 Peter 3:11-12). We must fill our lives and homes with the presence and peace of the Lord Jesus Christ. Read the Bible, listen to hymns and/or praise music, watch wholesome and uplifting movies. Encourage one another. Pray for one another.

Be a witness: At one time, it was popular to profess faith in Jesus Christ and the Bible, but that is no longer the case. Scandals in churches and ministries, along with a growing hostility toward biblical Christianity, makes it increasingly less popular to be a committed Christian. Nevertheless, while we still have opportunity, we Christians must unashamedly and boldly share our faith and hope in Jesus Christ with others.

Instead of succumbing to the current state of affairs or becoming desensitized to our decadent society, we must rise and courageously proclaim to our families and friends, our communities and workplaces, and throughout our nation and to the world that turning our hearts and lives back to Jesus Christ is the only answer to the chaos, confusion, hopelessness, despair and devastation ravaging this nation and world.

We must focus our time, energy and resources on God’s priority in these end times: evangelism and missions. Nothing else has preeminence over this. Be a part of spreading the Gospel to the ends of the earth (Matthew 28:19-20; Acts 1:8).

End Times

Bill talks about Bible prophecy, Israel, and things to come in the near future!

Reaching Your Maximum Potential

Bill Rudge’s powerful message on the principles God used to transform his life.

Four Jumping Jacks (Whiz Kids) Floor Routine

The Whiz Kids (Four Jumping Jacks) with Ken Rudge (age 15) perform a floor routine on the Ted Mack’s Original Amateur Hour October 1, 1961.

Paradise Restored

Bill Rudge

The Tree of Life by David Miles. Used by permission.

Those who have gone on to be with the Lord are delighting endlessly in the glory of the Creator, exploring the incomprehensible splendor of the heavenly realm, meeting the heroes of the faith and being reunited with loved ones who have gone on before.

Just ponder for a few moments what God has prepared for those who love Him. The whole universe will be a magnificent paradise of beautiful sights, amazing sounds, awesome feelings, incredible tastes and indescribable wonders we cannot even begin to imagine at this time with our finite minds. The psalmist said that in God’s presence is fullness of joy and pleasures forever (Psalm 16:11). Jude 24 tells us that in His presence is great joy.

Can you imagine what the New Jerusalem (the capital city of the New Earth) will be like with an endless array of remarkable relationships, extraordinary experiences and astounding adventures to satisfy us for all eternity? You will have forever to enjoy God’s bountiful blessings. Those who have been redeemed by Christ, whose names are written in the Book of Life, will receive everything He has prepared for those who love Him.

As Moses was given a glimpse of the Promised Land before his death (Deuteronomy 34:1-4), God has given us His Spirit as a pledge, guaranteeing what is to come (2 Corinthians 5:5)—immortality and blessing beyond measure in a city whose architect and builder is God (Hebrews 11:10).

A New Heaven and a New Earth

Scientist and personal friend, Dr. T.V. Oommen, sent me the following article he wrote before he went home to be with the Lord:

The crowning act of God is the creation of man in His own Image. God created a beautiful Garden on the earth for Adam and Eve to enjoy. He came to visit them every day. Adam and Eve had fellowship with God, but then things changed. You know the rest of the story. Adam and Eve abandoned their God and went for the wisdom offered by the Serpent which was the impersonation of Satan. From that moment humankind came under the power of Satan who gained control of the world. God cursed the earth and it gradually filled with violence and other evils. After several hundred years the earth became an intolerable place to live. That is when God stepped in to destroy it with the Great Flood.

Initially, God considered the earth He had created in six days the “Good Earth.” Everything He created was “good” or “very good.” But our present earth is far from the ideal earth He originally created. The Good Earth had ideal climate and topography. It was a unified supercontinent. This is inferred from the statement that God commanded all the waters to be gathered into one place (Genesis 1:9). Islands are mentioned only after the Flood (Genesis 10:5). Men and animals all lived on one piece of land surrounded by one ocean. When the supercontinent split and moved apart violently (during Noah’s Flood), the crustal plates collided with each other and created mountains such as the Alps and the Himalayas.

The Book of Revelation reveals the ideal world of the future following the Second Coming of Christ and the Millennium the New Earth in combination with the New Heaven (Revelation 21:1). Let us rejoice in what God has planned for His people. May we all be partakers of His eternal Kingdom!

Paradise Restored

Imagine living in a beautiful paradise surrounded by the radiant light of God’s glory and enveloped in the warmth of His love. Envisage the ideal environment and climate. Everything you could ever need or want is provided. There will be no pollution, rust, weeds, cancer, pain, suffering, jealousy, anger, bitterness, hatred, violence nor murder. There will be no more terrorism, natural disasters, corrupt governments, lying, immorality nor countless other ills that have plagued humankind for six thousand years of history. Instead of false gods and religions, one LORD and His name the only name.

In Genesis, fallen man and woman are banished from the Garden of Eden and the tree of life (Genesis 3:22-24); in Revelation, redeemed men and women receive the New Jerusalem (Revelation 21:1-2, 10-27) and are given access to the tree of life (Revelation 22:2). In Genesis, death and suffering enter (Genesis 3:16-19); in Revelation, God wipes every tear from the eyes of His children and removes death, mourning, crying and pain (Revelation 21:4). In Genesis, disobedient Adam and Eve hid from the Lord God (Genesis 3:8); in Revelation, believers live with God (Revelation 21:3) and see His face (Revelation 22:4). We will be in Christ’s presence beholding His glory throughout all eternity.

Re-Materialized and Resurrected

Scripture informs us that the body of every person who ever lived on this planet will one day be raised from the dead to stand before God (Hebrews 9:27). Whether the body deteriorates in the ground, is cremated, consumed by wild animals, lost at sea or experiences any other fate—our physical bodies will be re-materialized and resurrected to stand before God.

As Scripture promises, the bodies of believers in Christ will be transformed into immortal, incorruptible, imperishable, indestructible, glorified bodies to eternally rule and reign with Christ over an Earth returned to its original paradise.

The righteous will appear before the Judgment Seat of Christ to receive their eternal rewards, and the unrighteous will stand before the Great White Throne Judgment of God. From its final eternal verdict, there will be no appeal. At this point, their judgment is final; there is no reprieve, no second chance. There will be no opportunity to change one’s mind or reverse one’s destiny. Anyone whose name is not written in the Book of Life will be eternally separated from God’s presence.

The Greek word that is often translated hell (abode of the damned in the afterlife) in the New Testament is Gehenna. Gehenna is the Greek transliteration of the Hebrew Ge Hinnom, meaning “Valley of Hinnom,” located southwest of Jerusalem. In this valley, children were burned as sacrifices to the false god Molech and idolatry was practiced. During the reign of righteous King Josiah, the idolatrous sacrifices were stopped (2 Kings 23:10). The Valley of Hinnom became a location where every kind of garbage, even corpses of criminals, was dumped. It was infested with worms and maggots, and a foul-smelling smoke rose from the constantly burning fires. Jesus used the metaphor of Gehenna to describe the place of everlasting punishment (Mark 9:47-48), and, just as Gehenna was outside the gates of Jerusalem, the final fate of the unrighteous lies outside the gates of the New Jerusalem (Revelation 21:27; 22:15) where believers will dwell with the Lord.

Separated from God’s Presence

The darkness over the land and Jesus’ loud cry, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken me?” (Matthew 27:45-46) were the consequences of His temporary separation from God as He was taking on Himself the sins of the world, being abandoned by God. Sin separates us from God, and since Jesus was bearing the sins of the world, He was momentarily forsaken by God. His cry is representative of the awful reality of being separated from God for eternity.

Cynthia Seigart Bryan, a wonderful person I met while speaking at New Hope Baptist Church in Florida, writes in her compelling book, And the Name Wore Sandals:

What does it mean to be separated from God’s manifested presence? What would it look like to experience the undiluted absence of God? The absence of the Light of the World is a heavy, smothering darkness. The absence of the Living Water and Bread of Life will produce nothing but unquenchable thirst and insatiable hunger of soul, resulting in burning unfulfilled desire. The absence of the God of peace would mean unending restlessness and conflict. The absence of the God who heals would yield eternal torment and the anguish of disease from head to toe. The absence of the Holy God of Righteousness would produce the stench of unfathomable debauchery and evil. The absence of the God of reconciled relationships will bring about stifling solitude—heart-wrenching loneliness….That is why our Lord spared nothing to save those who were lost and spent more time warning about hell than any other subject.

Is Your Name in the Book?

It has been said: The first two chapters in the Bible (Genesis 1 and 2) and the last two chapters (Revelation 21 and 22) are about perfection. They reveal God’s intent for His creation and the restoration, after the Fall, of His creation. Everything between Genesis 2 and Revelation 21 is the story of redemption and reconciliation.

Those people who do not receive the holy and just God’s provision of salvation will be given what they chose in this life to remain eternally separated from their Creator.

If your name is written in the Book of Life, then you will inherit all that God has prepared for those who love and obey Him. If it is not, then you have ignored or rejected Christ’s tremendous sacrifice and gracious offer of salvation (1 John
5:11-13). Do you know Him? Is your name in the Book of Life?

The preceding was excerpted from Bill’s new book Death, Dying and Eternity. Free of charge upon request.

Ultimate Challenge Obstacle Course

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The Rapture

Messiah

Thomas C. Simcox

Many people don’t realize that Jesus’ name is not “Jesus Christ.” The word Christ is English for the Greek word Christos. Christos is Greek for the Hebrew word Mashiach. Messiah is English for Mashiach. All these words mean the same thing: “anointed.”

Saying “Jesus Christ” is the same as saying “Jesus Messiah” or Yeshua (Jesus) Hamashiach (“the Messiah”) in Hebrew. Christ is a title, not a name. Jesus is the Christ—the Messiah, the anointed One. Sixty-nine times in the New Testament He is called “Christ Jesus.” In today’s parlance, the title-name combination is the same as “President Lincoln,” for example.

Seeing the Messiah’s two advents in Scripture but unable to understand that both applied to the same Person, some Jewish scholars created a two-Messiah theory. The suffering servant they named “Messiah ben Joseph,” and the reigning and ruling Messiah they named “Messiah ben David.” The Hebrew word ben means “son.”

Interestingly, Jesus’ actual name would have been Yeshua ben Yoseph, meaning “Jesus son of Joseph.” Yet He is also “Jesus Son of David” because, in His incarnation, He was born a direct descendant of King David and the heir to the throne. So the names the rabbis picked both apply to Him.

Israel My Glory magazine, Copyright 2019 by The Friends of Israel Gospel Ministry. All rights reserved. Used by permission.

Warning About Angel Stories

Jim Weikal

The other day I searched the Amazon book section, and I put in the word “angels.” The search bar read out “1-16 of over 50,000 results.” The second book listed had the following title, Connecting with the Angels Made Easy: How to See, Hear, and Feel Your Angels.

My purpose here is not to disparage a specific book but to point out the popularity of angels and the amount of information out there promising you great insight about an order of beings that are higher than us and created before us by a sovereign God (Psalm 8; Job 38).

The apostle Paul warned the early believers to beware of those who promote the worship of angels and highlight their personal visions (Colossians 2:18).

As a believer, your Bible is the go-to source for an accurate understanding of the supernatural including these highly intelligent, physically superior, often intimidating and fear-inducing messengers of God. The biblical authors often describe these amazing beings as human in appearance, dressed in white linen, without wings who are also ministering spirits to those who love God (Daniel 10; Hebrews 1:14; compare Matthew 4:11).

Always keep focused on Jesus Christ, not angels “as He has inherited a more excellent name than they” (Hebrews 1:4).

Death, Dying and Eternity – part 2

Bill Rudge

Himalayan Mountains photo by Bill Rudge

Death Validates the Bible

Death is yet another proof of the truthfulness of Scripture. Because of the Fall of humankind as recorded in Genesis, God pronounced the judgment of death, and no one or nothing can revoke God’s verdict of aging and death. Surely, if there is no God and the Bible is not divinely inspired, someone, somehow, would be able to overcome this curse of death pronounced on human beings and nature. Yet, the endless and elusive quest for a “magic potion” to live forever always ends in futility.

The Bible indicates death will continue throughout history until the Lord Jesus returns and the dead are raised. We have the assured promise that one day death will be forever eliminated (1 Corinthians 15:54-55).

Illusion or Reincarnation

As Satan tempted Eve to eat the fruit and rebel against God, he flagrantly altered God’s Word from, “You will surely die” (Genesis 2:17) to “You surely will not die!” (Genesis 3:4). Not only did Adam and Eve immediately die spiritually (separation from God), but they also eventually died physically. Satan’s lie seems so obvious and far removed from the visible evidence. To conceal his lie, two more fallacies are propagated.

The first false idea is that you do not really die; death is merely an illusion. However, if you go to a funeral and see the body lying there, it is obvious that person is dead. The second is reincarnation; your spirit leaves your body at death and is reborn into another body. We will not be reincarnated, but will die once, and after death, face God’s judgment (Hebrews 9:27). No second chances, no reincarnation.

Although most people innately know that after death comes some form of judgment, yet many endeavor to suppress it during their lifetime (Romans 1:18-19) by denying the very God who offers the only means of victory over death.

This Is Not Our Home

I talked to a Vietnam veteran whose life seemed hopeless. In an effort to give him some hope, I said, “When you were in Vietnam, your goal was to get home safely and to bring back alive as many buddies as possible. Just as Vietnam was not your home, this world is not your home, but like Vietnam, we are in the midst of an intense spiritual battle for our lives and families and facing many dangerous challenges and difficulties. You have an inner longing to get to your real home—your heavenly home—and bring as many loved ones and friends with you as you can.” That illustration resonated with him, and, for the remainder of his life, he kept his focus on Jesus Christ and His promise of a future home in Heaven.

Thank God this world is not our final home; we are merely passing through. Certainly, we face challenges, trials and spiritual warfare, but our faith in Christ transcends the troubles in this life. Our goal is to get our loved ones, friends and as many others as possible into Christ’s eternal Kingdom. John Wesley said, “I want to know one thing, the way to heaven; how to land safe on that happy shore.” C.S. Lewis wrote, “If I find in myself desires which nothing in this world can satisfy, the only logical explanation is that I was made for another world.”

Meet Your Maker

A hardened farmer, from whom I bought some fruit and vegetables, was undergoing dialysis and nearing the end of his life. Upon discovering that I was a minister, he sarcastically asked why God hadn’t taken him yet. I responded, “Just like you leave fruit on your trees until it is ready to be picked, the Good Lord is leaving you here until you are ready to meet Him.” His wife enthusiastically agreed. I gave him a book I wrote which hopefully prepared him for eternity because, a short time after that encounter, he met his Maker.

On another occasion, I was talking to a neighbor who had already lived several months beyond what the doctors expected. Jim said to me, “God must not be ready for me yet.” I replied, “The most important question is, ‘Are you ready to meet God?’ He may be keeping you alive until you are.” After a few more visits, he accepted Christ as his Savior. Not long thereafter, he departed this life to meet his Maker.

What If I Die Today?

Some of you reading this may depart this life sooner than anticipated. So let me get introspective with you. When it is time for you to die, what will your last words be? If you were going to die today, what eternal legacy will you leave behind? Where will the footprints of your life lead? What will your financial records reveal were the priorities of your life? What will the literature they find in your home reveal? What about the movies and television programs you watched? What will the sites you visited on your computer and the email and text messages disclose? Will you leave a legacy of fruitful faith or unrepentant failure?

Many rich and powerful people live to impress others—that is until their bodies and minds begin to degenerate. As their strength diminishes and their pain intensifies, with death appearing imminent, their proud and boastful words cease. Their former arrogant behavior seems like foolishness as their short-lived glory becomes nothing but a faded memory.

How foolish humans are to think that what we have is really ours. We might have built it, but we did not create the materials from which it was made—God did. And we definitely cannot take it with us when we die.

When facing imminent death, many people discover that what they previously thought was important is now irrelevant, and that which they had considered of little value becomes most precious.

When we die—or when Christ returns—none of our accomplishments, degrees, credentials, awards, accolades and possessions will matter (Philippians 3:7-8). What will really matter and be of utmost importance to you at the end of your life is your relationship with Jesus Christ.

Pandita Ramabai, a 19th century Indian scholar, social reformer, educator and Christian convert accurately said, “A life totally committed to God has nothing to fear, nothing to lose, nothing to regret.” Jim Elliot wisely stated, “He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose.” An unknown author said: “When you were born you cried while the world rejoiced. Live your life in such a way that when you die the world cries while you rejoice.”

Win-Win Situation

I have been with many dying people who knew the Lord and died in peace and joy. Even as their bodies began shutting down, they testified of God’s love and faithfulness.

MaryAnn was a kind and gentle person who served the Lord her entire life. She was a powerful prayer intercessor with a passion for biblical prophecy. Although her body weakened, her prayers and trust in Jesus remained strong until her final breath. Then, she was in the presence of the One to whom she prayed and so deeply loved.

One dying man, Karl, said he lived his whole life for that “last trip.” As I visited him near the end of his journey, he was in great physical pain but had tremendous peace spiritually and emotionally. While many people visited this man to bring comfort to him, they went away blessed because of his attitude and love for the Lord.

Being at the bedside of many dying saints reminded me of the patriarchs in the Bible. Their final recorded words were ones of faith, instruction and admonition to loved ones to remain faithful to the Lord. The final words of these committed believers in Christ were a reflection of their hearts; words from a voice that will never be heard again in this life.

Trapper John’s perspective was that if God healed him he would be a testimony for the Lord. If God took him home (as He did), he would be with the Lord in Heaven. Either way, he couldn’t lose! He had the “win-win” attitude of Romans 14:8: “for if we live, we live for the Lord, or if we die, we die for the Lord; therefore whether we live or die, we are the Lord’s.”

Closing Prayer

Oh Lord, until that Day when the dead are raised. Until that Day when we are given new resurrected bodies. Until that Day when we see You face to face. Until that Day when we are reunited with our loved ones. Until that Day when we inherit all You have prepared for those who love You. Until that Day when death and sorrow are forever banished. Until that Day… we ask for your comfort, strength and grace in the midst of any loss and temporary separation. May we cherish the blessed memories of our loved ones as we await that magnificent day when Christ returns and the dead will be raised from their graves to be transformed with new immortal, glorified bodies! In the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Amen.

The preceding was excerpted from Bill’s new book Death, Dying and Eternity. Available in April 2024, free of charge upon request.

Death, Dying, and Eternity

Bill Rudge

Himalayan Mountains photo by Bill Rudge

Ecclesiastes 8:8 informs us that “no one has authority over the day of death.” In other words, there is nobody who has the power to hold back their spirit from departing on the day of their death. They may be vivacious until the last few months, or even days, of their life but eventually death will overtake them.

Increasing pain and decreasing strength often precede death. One moment there is independent movement and life, even if it is only shallow irregular breathing, the next moment there is total stillness. The body that was once able to move on its own can now only be moved by outside forces. Doctors might be able to explain what caused the physical body to no longer be able to pump blood to the brain and vital organs, but what really happened? We must look to the Bible for a full explanation.

God formed Adam from the dust of the ground. After he was created, Adam was a lifeless body until something significant happened: God breathed into Adam the breath of life and he became a living being (Genesis 2:7). Zechariah 12:1 tells us that it is “the Lord who stretches out the heavens, lays the foundation of the earth, and forms the spirit of man within him.” Luke 23:46 states: “And Jesus, crying out with a loud voice, said, ‘Father, into your hands I commit my spirit.’ Having said this, He breathed His last.” As Stephen was being stoned to death, he called on the Lord and said, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit!” (Acts 7:59).

When one’s spirit departs from the body, there is death. Scripture teaches that the spirits of the righteous dead go directly into the presence of God. It’s as though the spirit steps out of the body, out of this world and into another dimension. The Apostle Paul assures believers that to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord (2 Corinthians 5:6-8; Philippians 1:21-24).

In ancient Rome, a burial place was known as a necropolis, which stems from the ancient Greek meaning “city of the dead.” With the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, the understanding of death changed. Our English word cemetery comes from the Greek word “koimeterion” meaning “dormitory, sleeping place or resting place.” The domain of the dead is not referred to by Christians as a necropolis but as a cemetery, a resting or sleeping place for the body until it is reunited with the spirit on resurrection day.

Death Is Inescapable

Death is no respecter of persons; it is undeniable, inescapable and irreversible. Many people die unexpectedly—with little or no time to prepare for eternity. That is why you should live each day as if it were your last—for one day it will be. One speeding car, one errant bullet, one careless accident, one deadly disease, one silent aneurysm—and all your goals and dreams are ended. You are thrust into eternity.

Multitudes have tried almost every way imaginable to conquer death and gain immortality. Some have searched for the fountain of youth. Others have attempted to discover a miracle drug or invent a new technique to prolong life and restore youthfulness. Cryonics is the low-temperature freezing and storage of the whole body (or just the head and brain) to prevent tissue decomposition with the speculative hope that, at some time in the future, science and technology will advance to the stage where the deceased can be brought back to life. Digital immortality refers to uploading, storing or transferring a person’s personality in digital substrate, i.e., a computer, robot or cyberspace. It is intended to create a digital persona that can interact with people on your behalf after you are dead.

All attempts to conquer death have ended in futility. Throughout history, no one (other than Enoch and Elijah) has been able to evade the death angel. All have eventually succumbed to death.

Death is final. There is no reversing it. No coming back. No undoing what was done in life. No changing one’s eternal destiny. What was done is done! So make wise choices while you still have time and opportunity to do so.

Fear of the Unknown

Death escorts us into unforeseeable territory. The mystery of the unknown causes people to be frightened by death and fascinated with what lies beyond the grave. The Bible indicates that fear of death enslaves human beings throughout their lifetimes (Hebrews 2:15). In a never-ending attempt to know the future and discover what lies beyond the grave, many seekers resort to such occult practices as séances, trance channeling, fortunetelling, Ouija boards and astrology. Fear of death has brought the bravest of men and women to their knees. Many skeptics, who laugh at the concept of God, obtain a strong belief in the face of death. I have led several people to Christ who previously had disbelieved, rejected or spurned Him for most of their lives.

Continued next week

The preceding was excerpted from Bill’s new book Death, Dying and Eternity. Available in April 2024, free of charge upon request.

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Rest in God’s Peace

BJ Rudge, Ph.D.

An important principle to consider in knowing God’s will is to rest in His peace (Philippians 4:6-7). Following God’s will does not necessarily mean life is going to be easy. In fact, following Jesus usually comes with times when we will face trials, tribulations, and even persecution (Matthew 10:21-23; 2 Timothy 3:12). It is during these times when not only is the authenticity of our faith tested (1 Peter 1:6-7), but also when God can begin to teach us important spiritual truths (Romans 5:3-4; James 1:2-6).

The story of Joseph is a great reminder of the challenges we face when we live our lives in the center of the Lord’s will. After being sold into slavery by his brothers, Joseph is promoted as overseer of the house of Potiphar who was an officer of Pharaoh (king of Egypt). While in this position, Joseph not only served Potiphar faithfully, but most importantly, he served God faithfully. This faithfulness was on display as he refused all advances by Potiphar’s wife to have sexual relations with her, “There is no one greater in this house than I, and he [Potiphar] has withheld nothing from me except you, because you are his wife. How then could I do this great evil and sin against God?” (Genesis 39:9).

Despite his willingness to obey God and follow His will, we see that Joseph was put into prison, and as we find out in Genesis 40 and 41, he would remain there for over two years. After this time, Joseph is finally placed by God into the position of second highest in the Egyptian empire (Genesis 41:42-45). This was God’s will for Joseph as he was able to save his family from the severe famine that was in the land (Genesis 45:3-8). However, as we already saw, before this came to fruition, Joseph faced many challenges and trials along the way.

As I have learned in my own life, following God’s will brings unexpected twists and turns. If you want His peace, remember to keep your focus on Him:

You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You (Isaiah 26:3).

Knowing God’s Will and Hearing His Voice

An insightful new book, “Knowing God’s Will and Hearing His Voice,” is laced with Scripture and real-life experiences, and will inspire and enhance your journey with the LORD. Drawing upon many years of ministry experience, BJ and Bill Rudge lay out solid biblical and practical principles to help you live your life in the center of God’s will.

Available April 2024.