Pastor Marc Bertrand

Visions of the apocalypse. "What is the little horn in the book of Daniel?" In one of his visions, the prophet Daniel sees a “little horn” that grows out of a terrible beast (Daniel 7:8). The emergence of the little horn, its unusual form, and its behavior cause Daniel to wonder greatly. Fortunately for him and for us, the vision is explained. Before we examine the little horn, we’ll take a quick look at the whole of Daniel’s vision. The prophet sees four beasts (Daniel 7:1–7) representing four kingdoms (verse 17). The first three beasts represent Babylon, Medo-Persia, and Greece. The fourth and final beast that Daniel sees is the most dreadful—“terrifying and frightening and very powerful” (Daniel 7:7). This fourth beast has “bronze claws” (verse 19) and “large iron teeth” with which it annihilates its prey (verse 7). Daniel sees that the terrible beast has ten horns. As he ponders the meaning of the horns, a little horn begins to grow from the midst of the ten. This little...

Michael Cutting Through Fear. "What does the Bible mean when it refers to a sound mind?" We encounter the expression sound mind in 2 Timothy 1:7: “For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind” (KJV). The original Greek word translated “sound mind” here is sophronismos, and it appears in the Bible only this one time. In other Bible translations, the word sophronismos is rendered “self-control” (ESV), “self-discipline” (NIV, NLT), “discipline” (NASB), “good judgment” (GW), and “sound judgment” (CSB). These various interpretations seem to convey different meanings. What exactly does sophronismos mean? And what is Paul referring to when he tells Timothy that God has given us the spirit of a sound mind? Paul is writing to Timothy from prison. Knowing the time of his execution is drawing near, Paul pens Timothy this profoundly intimate letter filled with love, concern, and encouragement. Timothy would need courage and determination t...

The Angel appears to Joshua on the road to Jericho Who is the man of Joshua 5:13-15? Who is the “man” mentioned in Joshua 5:13-15, “Now it came about when Joshua was by Jericho, that he lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, a man was standing opposite him with his sword drawn in his hand”? The Angel of God. On the eve of Israel’s attack on Jericho, as Joshua searched the area around the city and the city itself, he lifted his eyes and saw a man standing before him with his sword drawn in his hand. Joshua went to him and said to him, “Are you for us or for our adversaries?” He said, “No; rather I indeed come now as captain of the host of the Lord.” And Joshua fell on his face to the earth, and bowed down, and said to him, “What has my lord to say to his servant?” The captain of the Lord’s host said to Joshua, “Remove your sandals from your feet, for the place where you are standing is holy.” And Joshua did so. (Joshua 5:13-15, NASB) The man seen by Joshua is not an ordinary man. H...

Bible Prophecy and You False Predictions - How to Separate Truth from Counterfeits. "The Transfiguration of Christ" In this study you'll see how very cautious we need to be when we hear someone making predictions about the future! . Welcome to “Bible Prophecy and You .” The closer we get to the actual end of this age, meaning the end of man’s rule of the world under Satan’s influence, the more it seems we see would-be prophets making their own predictions about end-time events—about Armageddon, the second coming of Christ or “the end of the world”! Religious authors make lots of money from books , movies and websites with a focus on the “end of days.” Incidentally, the Bible assures us that the human race will not be completely destroyed. That is comforting since many doomsday prophets predict that we will be wiped out by nuclear war, by global warming or cooling, by an asteroid or comet, or by an attack from extraterrestrial aliens! Instead of studying God’s revelation,...

What is the one-world religion described in Revelation? What will be the one-world religion of the end times?. Revelation 17 speaks of a "great prostitute" (or "great harlot") that is generally understood as a metaphor for a false religion that will exist during the tribulation period. Many have debated the identity of this religion, with some arguing the Roman Catholic Church, Islam, or another  large religious movement will be the end-times, one-world religion. However, it is more likely that the false religion of the last days will consist of an inclusive religion that allows for a pluralistic view of God. This would include even liberal monotheistic groups that see "all religions as one" and are willing to worship the Antichrist in the last days. Whatever this religion is, it will certainly exclude any faith that is exclusive and refuses to worship the Antichrist or his image. Revelation 17:6 states, "And I saw the woman, drunk with the blood of ...

"Godly Presence",Presence of God" What Is God's Presence? God's presence carries a wide range of meaning. It may be something people fear. Adam and Eve's sinfulness drove them to hide from the Lord in the garden of Eden (Genesis 3:8). God's holiness cast light on Isaiah's sinfulness (Isaiah 6:5). Many people who encountered God or His angel feared for their lives (Judges 13:22; Luke 1:11-12;2:9) . Others tried unsuccessfully to escape His presence (Jon 1:3). As God displays His presence through His great power, the whole earth trembles (Judges 5:5; Psalm 68:8). False gods also become powerless before Him (Isaiah 19:1). Fear and trembling are proper responses before the One who controls all creation (Jer 5:22).God's presence provides comfort in times of trouble or anxiety (Joshua 1:5). The downcast seek Him and find encouragement and strength to praise Him (Psalm 42:5). Although our feelings tell us that at times, we shouldn't be driven by our...

"Young King David in the Caves of Adullum. Rising Out of the Cave of Adullam. David’s defeat of Goliath was only the beginning of what would be a rapid upward rise for the youth. The ultimate victory of faith not only assured Philistines would think twice before insulting the God of Israel again, but it also landed David with quite a few perks. David had become the hero of an anthem sung by the women of Israel, declaring that he had killed ten times more Philistines than Saul. The song that was so popular, it was even known in Philistia. Saul then sent David on military campaign after military campaign each of which David returned successful, garnering even more fame than before. Not only that, David, a shepherd boy from Bethlehem, a virtual nobody, married Saul's daughter Michal, and became son-in-law to the king. Little did David suspect the king was actively trying to sabotage his newfound fame and glory. Saul sent David out on military missions in hopes that David would b...