Kurt Michaelson

A few months ago, I was asked by the women who lead the Women's Growth Group class at our church, to give a brief overview of a few of the world religions and how they compare to Christianity.

Last week, I taught about Islam, which was very interesting to read about and to listen to various sermons throughout the week regarding Islam.

A particularly great sermon that I listened to was by John MacArthur titled, "The Grim Reality of the Last Days," which MacArthur references the Koran and the Sunnah, another Islamic book that Muslims ascribe to and he says concerning the Mahdi,

The Mahdi will be a messianic figure. He will be a descendant of Mohammed. He will be an unparalleled, unequaled leader. He will come out of a crisis of turmoil. He will take control of the world. He will establish a new world order. He will destroy all who resist him. He will invade many nations. He will make a seven-year peace treaty with the Jews. He will conquer Israel and massacre the Jews. He will establish Islamic world headquarters at Jerusalem. He will rule for seven years, establish Islam as the only religion. He will come on a white horse with supernatural power. He will be loved by all people on earth.

If that sounds familiar, that is a precise description of the biblical Antichrist...absolutely step-by-step-by-step-by-step. The Bible’s Antichrist is their Mahdi. We know that the rider on the white horse in Revelation 6 is the Antichrist. They use that verse to describe their Mahdi.

Why am I giving you all this? Because the description of the Mahdi is exactly the description of the biblical Antichrist, the beast of Revelation 13, and you go into any kind of a study of that and you will find that all the details match up perfectly. The Bible’s Antichrist is Islam’s Savior and world conqueror who establishes a universal Islamic kingdom.

I would highly recommend listening to this sermon too.  This past Sunday, our topic was about Mormonism.

I think this outline of my notes will provide some benefit to those that read this post concerning Mormonism whenever they see a pair of guys wearing the traditional white shirt, black tie, black slacks and name badge on the left breast of their shirt, coming to bring the Good News of Jesus Christ, they may be able to more informed regarding what Mormons actually believe.

Hopefully, after reading through this and maybe even picking up a book from your local library about Mormonism, you'll realize that Mormons do not believe in the same Jesus Christ that is found in the Bible.

Each week on Sunday morning, I have the great privilege to teach one of our adult Sunday School bible study classes.

A couple from our church had decided to leave in December and I eagerly accepted the opportunity to teach this class beginning in January and continue with them, in their journey through the Book of Acts.

We began in Acts 13 and now we are in chapter 18.  Each week has been an expositional study of the passage for the week and we also look at some of the specific people, places and events that are taking place, so that we are able to gain a greater understanding of the passage.

Two weeks ago, we studied Acts 17:13-34 where the Apostle Paul was in Athens, reasoning from the Scriptures with the Jews in the synagogue for three Sabbaths and then he was preaching to the Epicureans and Stoics in the Areopagus. After that, he left and headed for Corinth.

Last Sunday, we looked at Acts 18:1-8 and the Apostle Paul had met Aquila and Priscilla, who had come from Rome because the Roman Emperor Claudius had ordered all Jews to leave because of anti-semitism that was occurring in the city.

This study was very exciting to prepare and teach because of how the text began to unfold before me, as I continued to read and study the passage and in it, I learned three points that were brought to the attention of the class, to learn about the Apostle Paul's work and ministry in this passage, which were:

1. Unashamed Work
2. Uncompromised Preaching
3. Unexpected Conversion

When Paul met Aquila and Priscilla, he learned that they were tentmakers too (Acts 18:3).

The word tentmaker in Greek is skēnopoios, meaning one that makes small portable tents, of leather or cloth of goat’s hair or linen, for the use of travellers.

In Eastern countries, where there was much travel, where there were no inns, and where many were shepherds, such a business might be useful, and a profitable source of living. It was an honorable occupation, and Paul was not ashamed to be employed in it.  Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible

This reminded me of when I first began working at The Home Depot in West Nyack, New York, three years ago.  When I began working there the Human Resources Coordinator informed me that there was another guy that was transferring in to the store and that he too was attending the same seminary as I was.