Rufus: The Red-Haired Master Shepherd

B. C. Ministries just released a new book. The title is The Red-Haired Master Shepherd. It is a fictional account of a Biblical character, Rufus, who is mentioned only twice in the New Testament.
Is it possible that the two mentions of a man named Rufus is the same person? We have taken the stance that it is. There is even some archaeological evidence that could bear significance to the answer.
Paul mentions Rufus and his mother at the end of the book of Romans. Therefore, Paul knew Rufus and his family.
Follow Rufus journey from a simple shepherd boy in Cyrene to a shepherd of Jesus' early church in Jerusalem and Rome. Rufus meets Jesus in Jerusalem during Christ's passion week. Rufus is never the same after his encounter with the Master. Actually, neither is anyone else!
You can order the book from this page. Simply email us and ask for your copy. You can even get a copy for free by recommending the book to five others who send for their copy.
As always, you may leave comments and questions for us.

The Significance of the Scroll in Revelation 5

Revelation 5 depicts a scroll, but does not offer any significance for it. Since John is still on earth and is only seeing the scroll in a vision, he becomes sorely distraught when no one in heaven, earth or under the earth can open the seals on the scroll.

Perhaps, John’s reaction gives you a clue as to the significance of the scroll in Revelation chapter 5. Could it be that the scroll is the title deed to the earth that Adam gave to Satan when he rebelled in the Garden? Since no one could open the seals on the title deed, John became distraught because the earth would always belong to Satan.

Without the scroll’s being opened, the battle for earth’s supremacy could never begin. The breaking of the seals begins the last seven years of tribulation of the earth. In order for Jesus to return and take ownership for the planet that is rightfully his, the seals must be broken.

Therefore, it is believed that the significance of the scroll in Revelation 5 is because it contains the title deed to Christ’s earth. Without being able to break the seals, the title to the earth could never be obtained.

As always if you have questions or comments, please post them. We will respond to them.

Could Christ Return in 2012

2012 has begun which means you are one day closer to the return of Christ. His return could happen in eleven months, one year as the year ends or not at all. Either way you are closer to Christ’s return than you were in 2011.

Does the prospect excite you or make you sad? You do know that Jesus is coming. I wish I could give you an exact date, but Jesus said, “But of that day and hour no one knows. . .” (Matthew 24:36a).

If Jesus tells you that even the angels in heaven do not know when He is coming back, then trying to predict when Jesus returns would be committing intellectual suicide. I do not believe that I or any person alive on the planet today can tell you when Jesus will come back.

However, I know He is coming back. Even our modern day scientists tell you that the world can not withstand the thrust of the population that currently inhabits it, and that all signs point to a time real soon that we are nearing the earth’s physical end.

Could 2012 be the year that Christ will return? No one can tell you for sure, but what if it is? Are you ready? Will His return find you meeting Him in the air for an eternal celebration, or will you be left behind here on earth to face heartbreaks, tribulations that have never been known on earth before and a one-world government rule by the adversary, Satan?

Please leave questions or comments. We will get respond to them.

The Rise and Fall of the Old Roman Empire

The Bible calls her Babylon, however, the text is actually about the rise and fall of the Old Roman Empire (Revelation 17, 18). That’s right! You will see a renewal of the old empire that ruled the known world at that time.

When the rise of the Old Roman Empire begins, it will have 7 years before it will fall again. The concept of an emperor from one of the Old Roman countries seems far fetched; however, the Bible predicts the events.

The anti-christ comes on the scene at the beginning of the tribulation period. He comes from one of a federated nation of 10 nations in the Old Roman Empire. Revelation 6:1, 2 gives you the beginning of this emperor’s reign. He rides into history on a white horse looking like one of the good guys.

In his hand you find a bow, and he has a crown. He goes forth “conquering, and to conquer.” However, he doesn’t have an arrow for his bow. Therefore, this king will use non-conventional warfare, which most likely will be through economic reforms. Could the countries of the world use economic reforms today?

However, this king conquers three (3) of the Old Roman Empire nations (Daniel 7:24-26). At the end three-and-one-half (31/2) years, he turns his attention to the whole world and conquers it. At this time the new king of the world will turn against the Jewish people and Christians (Matthew 24:16-22). He will have them killed unless they worship him (Revelation 14:9-12).

Yet then in Chapters 17 and 18 of Revelation, you read about the destruction of “Babylon,” an economy, a religious system and a representation of the Old Roman Empire. When she has outlived her usefulness, she crumbles. The powerful world emperor can not hold her together.

Many more details for this exists, and you may find them in an article in Ezine Articles by Howard Coffey.

If you have questions or comments, please leave them and we will respond to them.

The Life Is in the Vine

In John 15:1, 2b Jesus says, “I am the vine and My Father is the vinedresser. . .and every branch that bears fruit, He prunes it so that it may bear more fruit.”

Although Jesus could have used any plant He so chose as an example, He chose a grapevine to illustrate His point. An interesting thing about a grapevine, the life of the plant is in the vine.

You can take a cutting from a branch of a grapevine, and it will not grow. Once you detach the branch from the vine, there’s no life in it.

No life can exist for a grapevine except in the vine itself. Also, the vine doesn’t bear fruit. Only the branches grow grapes. The vine gives life so the branches can bear, but the vine has no fruit on it.

One other thing about a grapevine is that fruit is only born on new branches. New growth yields the fruit. That is why grapevines are pruned so drastically. When the branches are cut back, new growth appears. From the new growth, you get fruit.

God’s plan from the beginning of creation was to have Jesus supply the life, and He planned for the branches, you and me, to provide the fruit for the Kingdom. Sometimes the pruning feels a great deal like tribulation.

The Revelation Church Type of Ephesus

The church at Ephesus in the first few chapters of Revelation is one of seven church types that John discuses in his book. Characteristics of this church type can be seen in our churches today.

Ephesus as a church type had several things that were good. The members of this church type work hard, they persevere under great strain and they do not tolerate evil men. However, they have one major weakness, they, “. . .have left your first love” (Revelation 2:4b).

Leaving your first love is like Jesus’ teachings on the “true vine” in John 15.        In John 15:1, 2 b, Jesus says, “I am the true vine and My father is the vinedresser. . .and every branch that bears fruit, He prunes it so that it may bear more fruit.”

There are a couple great points here. One being that the life is in the vine. Although the branches have life, they have no life of their own. Their life comes from the vine.

You can take a grape branch and try to make a cutting from it, and it can’t live. It can only live when attached to the vine.

However, the vine can’t bear fruit. Only the branch bears grapes. The vine gives life to the branch so it can bear fruit.

In order to bear fruit, the grape branch must be trimmed or pruned way back. The reason is because fruit only grows on new wood. If the branch isn’t new, it won’t bear fruit.

Therefore, sometimes what you think of as persecution in your life could simply be God pruning you so that you can bear more fruit. Don’t confuse God’s pruning with Satan’s persecution.

Isaiah 5:2, “He dug it and cleared it of stones, and planted it with choice vines;

            he built a watchtower in the midst of it, and hewed out a wine vat in it;

            and he looked for it to yield grapes, but it yielded wild grapes.” (ESV).

All God received for His efforts were stinking or sour grapes. These are possible translations for “wild grapes” from this verse.

You learn that “what more” from Isaiah 5:4 that there are no more excuses for them to bear stinking or sour grapes. If the Jews had no excuse for bearing bad fruit, how much less excuse do we have for bearing no fruit or bad fruit?

Leave your questions or comments. We will get back with you.

2 Signs of the Coming Tribulation Period, End Times and Revelation

There are 2 signs that we live near the end times, the coming tribulation period and Revelation. We believe this to be in the very near future. Of course no one is able to predict when any of this can or will happen. There is no way to know when Jesus will come to “catch up” His bride.

However, there are two signs about end times, the coming tribulation period and Revelation that Jesus gave us. Several signs that Jesus prophesied have come true; therefore, you can expect that the following two will happen as well. So let’s look at the two signs that talk about His coming back for the church. Although the two signs are not given to predict His coming, they are indicators that we do live in the end times.

The first sign you can find about the end times comes from Matthew 24:6, “You will hear of wars and rumors of wars. . .” Before the end comes, there will be a world war. It took two world wars to get the Jews into their homeland, Israel. The end times can’t come if the Jews are not living in Israel.

When WWII ended, the United States convinced England to give Israel to the Jews. It was with pressure from the U.S. and other countries that England gave the Jews their homeland where they live today. This transaction happened in 1948, and it was a complete miracle from God. Until this time the Jews hadn’t been in complete control of their land since 586 B.C. when the Babylonians destroyed Jerusalem and burned the city and the temple.

What does the Jews being in Israel have anything to do with end times, the tribulation period or Revelation? Daniel writes that the anti-christ will make a peace pact with the Jews at the outset of the tribulation period (Daniel 9:27). However, in the middle of the seven year covenant of peace, the anti-christ moves his headquarters to Jerusalem.

When there in the Jews’ principal city of worship, the beast will enter into the temple and desecrate it. Since the anti-christ comes to power through diplomacy and by solving the economic woes of a global economy, his complete take over by the middle of the tribulation period brings us to our second sign.

The second sign Jesus mentions in Israel concerns the anti-christ’s cabinet members erecting a statute of him in the temple, and he will declare an all-out war against the Jews. By now anti-christ is in complete control of the countries of the whole world. The reason this sign is so important is because a one world government looms closer and closer every day.

Jesus tells the Jews in Matthew 24:15, when you see the abomination of desolation mentioned by the prophet Daniel standing in the temple—the erecting of the statue to the beast—flee from Jerusalem. Get as far away as you possibly can. Tribulation is coming on you such as has never been experienced in history.

These are only 2 signs of the coming tribulation period, end times and Revelation that would indicate that the times spoken of here are very close, even at the door. There are so many more signs in prophesy and Revelation that you will not wish to miss. We’ve provided a book about all this, Why Revelation? Why Now?. We want you to have a copy of it. So get your copy today.

You can order a free copy of my book, Revelation from this blog. Please leave questions or comments. We will respond to them.