Q. Your response to the woman whose sister was gay but also a believer gave me pause…I guess I always have read 1 Cor 6:9-10 to mean that those who engage in such activities will not inherit the Kingdom of God. So I’m wondering how one who is living as a homosexual and is convicted but not repentant ,as she seems to be, would still be included in the Rapture of the Church? Doesn’t repentance mean literally, turning away from one’s sin and walking in a new way? Which leads me to now wonder if the Kingdom of God is different from the Kingdom of heaven. I’m having a very hard time reconciling your response to this woman’s question…and please understand, I’m not coming from the perspective that homosexual sin is greater or worse than any other sin. I hold fast to the fact that none of us is perfect and it’s only by His blood and His grace that any of us are saved..but I also believe I have some responsibilities in walking out my salvation with fear and trembling. I know salvation is not about works but shouldn’t our lives be expressed in Christian living that continues to look more like Christ and not like the rest of the world we’re living in? Would you please clarify?
A. Please forgive me in advance, because I’m probably not going to appear as diplomatic in answering your question as you have been in asking it. I’ve been asked about this several times and want to make certain that I’m absolutely clear, for you and for the others who’ve asked.
In 1 Cor. 6:9-10 the key phrase is “the unrighteous will not inherit the Kingdom”. Paul followed it with a partial list of behaviors that are exhibited by the unrighteous. The problem is that believers often exhibit this behavior too. You only have to read a little bit of the Sermon on the Mount to see that. How can this be? Because our righteousness is imputed to us by faith, in spite of our behavior. In God’s sight the old us has already gone and the new us has already come. (2 Cor 5:17) Accepting the Lord’s death as payment for our sins made us as righteous as God is (2 Cor. 5:21) We’re no longer part of the unrighteous who won’t inherit the Kingdom.
The writer said her sister is born again, and recognizes her behavior as sin. If so, that makes her repentant because to repent means to change your mind. It doesn’t mean to stop sinning. If it did then the Bible’s admonition to repent and be saved wouldn’t make sense because if we could stop sinning we wouldn’t need to be saved. Even Paul confessed that he couldn’t stop sinning, but was grateful that when He sinned, the Lord saw it as the sin nature living in him, and not he himself. (Romans 7:20)
And working (not walking) out your salvation with fear and trembling (Phil 2:12) means to come before the all powerful Creator of the Universe with absolutely nothing to your credit, and ask the one who has no reason at all to save you from your sins to do so anyway. Remember the word “therefore” in verse 12 ties it to verses 9-11 that preceded it. They talk about Jesus being the one before whom all will bow.
All through the New Testament we’re admonished to behave in a manner that pleases God as a way of saying thanks for our salvation, but nowhere are we threatened with the loss of it if we don’t. This woman is not living a victorious life on Earth and will miss out on blessings because of that, but the loss of her place in eternity is not one of them.
And if you’ve fallen for the heresy that some will be raptured only to spend 1000 years in the outer darkness, weeping and gnashing their teeth, then you’ve been misled by some of the sloppiest scholarship I’ve ever seen.
If the writer’s sister is born again then she’s already guaranteed a place in the Kingdom (Ephes. 1:13-14) and she’ll be taken in the Rapture. When she gets there she will be in a new perfect body and all her sins will be part of the dark and distant past, just like yours and mine. Until then the only difference between us is that her sins are more obvious to us than ours are to her.
Friday, November 28, 2008
Thursday, November 27, 2008
Thanksgiving Thoughts
There is so much bad news right now with the economy in recession and the prospect of more banks and major businesses failing. I have the feeling from what I read and see that this will not be like any recession in recent memory. When the dust settles it will be a different world for all of us.
But for a day let’s put that aside. We will have plenty of time to come back to it all. Let’s focus on the day of national Thanksgiving that is before us. This is a favorite holiday for my family. We all gather and spend several hours together eating, talking and experiencing.
I count my blessings at this time for our health and the love we share. As to count the things I don't have. I think of Jacob gathering his sons around him in Genesis 49 and telling them their future. That is one of the remarkable scenes in the Bible. A family gathering of twelve sons around their aging father and listening intently to the years of distilled wisdom.
Now I don't have any children, but nevertheless, I still love my nephews, as they were my chidlren.
Enjoy your day of thanksgiving. Think about where all our blessings come from and give God the credit.
But for a day let’s put that aside. We will have plenty of time to come back to it all. Let’s focus on the day of national Thanksgiving that is before us. This is a favorite holiday for my family. We all gather and spend several hours together eating, talking and experiencing.
I count my blessings at this time for our health and the love we share. As to count the things I don't have. I think of Jacob gathering his sons around him in Genesis 49 and telling them their future. That is one of the remarkable scenes in the Bible. A family gathering of twelve sons around their aging father and listening intently to the years of distilled wisdom.
Now I don't have any children, but nevertheless, I still love my nephews, as they were my chidlren.
Enjoy your day of thanksgiving. Think about where all our blessings come from and give God the credit.
Wednesday, November 26, 2008
Standing against the King
“And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell,” Matthew 10:28.
In the book of Daniel we’re told a very interesting story that involved three young Hebrew men who were taken from their families when King Nebuchadnezzar conquered their home land of Israel. These three devout, godly men stood against their new King and with boldness refused to bow to his false idol. Their names were Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah. The chief of the eunuchs of Babylon gave these three young men new names. Hananiah’s name was changed to Shadrach. Mishael to Meshach, and Azariah’s new name was Abednego.
In the beginning of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego’s captivity in Babylon they were made to endure a time of preparation before coming before the king. Finally when it was time they were brought to the king and after he had interviewed them, King Nebuchadnezzar was well pleased with them finding the young men to possess ten times the knowledge and wisdom than that of his own magicians and astrologers. God gave them the knowledge and wisdom the king witnessed and after some prompting by Daniel himself the king set them over the affairs of the province.
After a while, King Nebuchadnezzar became so full of himself that he commissioned a golden image to be set up which stood approximately ten stories high. Nebuchadnezzar commanded everyone, “that at the time you hear the sound of the horn, flute, harp, lyre, and psaltery, in symphony with all kinds of music, you shall fall down and worship the gold image that King Nebuchadnezzar has set up.” Daniel 3:5
Now the king received word from certain people of the province that his three favored young Jews, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, were being disobedient to his command and refused to bow down and worship the golden image. So the King sent for the three young men and explained to them that if their disobedience continued they would be thrown into a fiery furnace. In other words the king gave them one last chance to change their minds and bow down to the golden image.
They responded with the following declaration. “O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer you in this matter. If that [is] [the case], our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and He will deliver [us] from your hand, O king. But if not, let it be known to you, O king, that we do not serve your gods, nor will we worship the gold image which you have set up.” Basically the three young Jews were telling King Nebuchadnezzar in no uncertain words, “Up yours, O King”.
As you can well imagine this infuriated the king all the more and he had the furnace heated seven times hotter than normal. Then he commanded certain mighty men of valor to bind Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego and cast them into the fiery furnace. The heat was so intense that the mighty men by obeying the King’s orders were each consumed by the fire. Ultimately, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were thrown into what was supposed to be their fiery grave.
Most of us know the out come of that extremely hot day. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were supernaturally delivered unharmed and unscorched from the flames and intense heat of the furnace. We know that Jesus was right there in the midst of the furnace walking along side the three young Jews, and keeping them from harm.
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego aren’t the only ones who were miraculously assisted through terrible trouble. Daniel also had his time in the depths of peril because he refused to halt his prayer time to God, even for a thirty day period. Because Daniel remained true to God he was cast into the lion’s den for a night. The mouths of the lions were supernaturally shut up, and Daniel was saved just like his three young friends. Why? What gave them the ability to withstand evil, to completely with all boldness, and without fear, hold fast to their faith?
How many times have we read in our Bibles of various individuals being supernaturally escorted through what could have been terrible disasters? Many more than I dare try to fit within this commentary. If I were to place a few more within the lines of this text I’d certainly have to mention all of the patriarchs of the Old Testament. Noah, Abraham, Jacob, Joseph, David are all men who were joined by Jesus Himself as they traversed the perilous life God had set before them.
Consider Noah and his family. Noah was given instructions by God to build an ark, a huge floating zoo, and God told Noah that He would allow man one hundred and twenty more years to repent. While building that ark, Noah and his family remained obedient to God. Even though they spent days, weeks, months, and even decades surrounded by hoards of satanically evil, corrupted people, who undoubtedly persecuted that small godly family over and over again. Imagine, if you will, being one of eight people surrounded by millions of hate filled demonic controlled mongrels, it must have been similar to an older lady I read about recently in Palm Springs, California, who was just carrying her cross one day and found herself in the middle of a hoard of crazed homosexuals who smelled blood. She was certainly terrified for a short while. Remember, Noah and his family endured one hundred and twenty years of it.
Certainly we too have this supernatural covering as we face adversities in our walk with Jesus. In “Foxe’s Book of Martyrs” we can read of numerous occasions where Christians were being put through the most horrible of deaths, and eye witnesses exclaimed as they watched the faces of those being put to death “Their faces seemed as angels smiling to the end.” How is that possible? Only through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit can we Christians stand in the face of such horrendous tortures and persecutions.
I’m not saying I believe we are going to experience anything like those I’ve mentioned but I do believe persecution of the Christian Church is coming. It would be quite arrogant of us Christians living here in the U.S. to think we are immune. What kind of persecutions are coming you might ask? Well certainly we are already witnessing some of it today. Watch the news and you’ll see the agenda of the homosexuals hard at work persecuting the Church. Laws are being formulated and progressed to systematically eliminate God’s Holy Word from all venues in our public arenas. Never in the history of the English printed Bible has there been such a determination to remove it and deliver it to its final resting place, a heap of burning Bibles.
Around the world today Christians are being persecuted, abused, discriminated against, and martyred for adhering to their faith in Jesus Christ. Freedom of religion is of the past, intolerance toward Christians is the order of the day. Most country’s governments today are involved in silencing the Christian’s voice in one way or another. No they won’t admit it. None the less, they are hard at it and won’t be satisfied until their satanic mission is complete.
Shadrach, Meshach, Abednego, and the others mentioned did not bend or bow to evil pressures, or influences. They stood on God’s inerrant word. They were bold in their response to the king. They knew for sure that God would see them through whatever evil obstacle was placed before them. Believers can take heart in knowing that many Christian brothers and sisters have gone through countless trials and hardships, but God, through His Holy Spirit, went with them through their adversity and He will be right beside us, too.
I know you’ve heard it a million times; Jesus said “I will never leave you nor forsake you” Hebrews 13:5. But after reading about the escapades of Shadrach, Meshach, Abednego, and Daniel, along with all the others, shouldn’t we be even more fully assured that He means what He says? Jesus did not leave them to the evil intent of their captors, and He won’t leave us to the evil intent of a government bent on destroying this nation.
God will not be mocked, and if this new administration coming soon on the scene believes it can run the United States of America without God, they certainly have another thing coming, and I’m being very serious when I say this. God is in control and with His Church being under such pressure to assimilate into the new culture being promoted He will take drastic measures to free us from such bondage. Don’t be fooled into believing the lie of our newly elected president that we need change. When he makes that statement he’s talking about changing our current Christian nation into an atheistic, socialistic, humanistic, Satan following nation of fools.
Christians, hold on to God’s promises. Be as steadfast as Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were in their time and don’t let an evil king sway you in your beliefs. Our only King is King Jesus and we adhere to His word for our lives. Pray for our nation and our newly elected Presidential administration, but don’t be lulled to sleep; stay vigilant in your walk with Christ.
How do we believers occupy ‘til He comes? By holding fast to our faith in Christ. Never stop studying God’s word. Just as important, and imperative, is our continued witnessing to the lost. Even though we are growing closer to the Rapture of His Church, we are aware that Jesus is still saving lives and He will continue with or without a God fearing U.S. President.
In the book of Daniel we’re told a very interesting story that involved three young Hebrew men who were taken from their families when King Nebuchadnezzar conquered their home land of Israel. These three devout, godly men stood against their new King and with boldness refused to bow to his false idol. Their names were Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah. The chief of the eunuchs of Babylon gave these three young men new names. Hananiah’s name was changed to Shadrach. Mishael to Meshach, and Azariah’s new name was Abednego.
In the beginning of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego’s captivity in Babylon they were made to endure a time of preparation before coming before the king. Finally when it was time they were brought to the king and after he had interviewed them, King Nebuchadnezzar was well pleased with them finding the young men to possess ten times the knowledge and wisdom than that of his own magicians and astrologers. God gave them the knowledge and wisdom the king witnessed and after some prompting by Daniel himself the king set them over the affairs of the province.
After a while, King Nebuchadnezzar became so full of himself that he commissioned a golden image to be set up which stood approximately ten stories high. Nebuchadnezzar commanded everyone, “that at the time you hear the sound of the horn, flute, harp, lyre, and psaltery, in symphony with all kinds of music, you shall fall down and worship the gold image that King Nebuchadnezzar has set up.” Daniel 3:5
Now the king received word from certain people of the province that his three favored young Jews, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, were being disobedient to his command and refused to bow down and worship the golden image. So the King sent for the three young men and explained to them that if their disobedience continued they would be thrown into a fiery furnace. In other words the king gave them one last chance to change their minds and bow down to the golden image.
They responded with the following declaration. “O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer you in this matter. If that [is] [the case], our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and He will deliver [us] from your hand, O king. But if not, let it be known to you, O king, that we do not serve your gods, nor will we worship the gold image which you have set up.” Basically the three young Jews were telling King Nebuchadnezzar in no uncertain words, “Up yours, O King”.
As you can well imagine this infuriated the king all the more and he had the furnace heated seven times hotter than normal. Then he commanded certain mighty men of valor to bind Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego and cast them into the fiery furnace. The heat was so intense that the mighty men by obeying the King’s orders were each consumed by the fire. Ultimately, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were thrown into what was supposed to be their fiery grave.
Most of us know the out come of that extremely hot day. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were supernaturally delivered unharmed and unscorched from the flames and intense heat of the furnace. We know that Jesus was right there in the midst of the furnace walking along side the three young Jews, and keeping them from harm.
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego aren’t the only ones who were miraculously assisted through terrible trouble. Daniel also had his time in the depths of peril because he refused to halt his prayer time to God, even for a thirty day period. Because Daniel remained true to God he was cast into the lion’s den for a night. The mouths of the lions were supernaturally shut up, and Daniel was saved just like his three young friends. Why? What gave them the ability to withstand evil, to completely with all boldness, and without fear, hold fast to their faith?
How many times have we read in our Bibles of various individuals being supernaturally escorted through what could have been terrible disasters? Many more than I dare try to fit within this commentary. If I were to place a few more within the lines of this text I’d certainly have to mention all of the patriarchs of the Old Testament. Noah, Abraham, Jacob, Joseph, David are all men who were joined by Jesus Himself as they traversed the perilous life God had set before them.
Consider Noah and his family. Noah was given instructions by God to build an ark, a huge floating zoo, and God told Noah that He would allow man one hundred and twenty more years to repent. While building that ark, Noah and his family remained obedient to God. Even though they spent days, weeks, months, and even decades surrounded by hoards of satanically evil, corrupted people, who undoubtedly persecuted that small godly family over and over again. Imagine, if you will, being one of eight people surrounded by millions of hate filled demonic controlled mongrels, it must have been similar to an older lady I read about recently in Palm Springs, California, who was just carrying her cross one day and found herself in the middle of a hoard of crazed homosexuals who smelled blood. She was certainly terrified for a short while. Remember, Noah and his family endured one hundred and twenty years of it.
Certainly we too have this supernatural covering as we face adversities in our walk with Jesus. In “Foxe’s Book of Martyrs” we can read of numerous occasions where Christians were being put through the most horrible of deaths, and eye witnesses exclaimed as they watched the faces of those being put to death “Their faces seemed as angels smiling to the end.” How is that possible? Only through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit can we Christians stand in the face of such horrendous tortures and persecutions.
I’m not saying I believe we are going to experience anything like those I’ve mentioned but I do believe persecution of the Christian Church is coming. It would be quite arrogant of us Christians living here in the U.S. to think we are immune. What kind of persecutions are coming you might ask? Well certainly we are already witnessing some of it today. Watch the news and you’ll see the agenda of the homosexuals hard at work persecuting the Church. Laws are being formulated and progressed to systematically eliminate God’s Holy Word from all venues in our public arenas. Never in the history of the English printed Bible has there been such a determination to remove it and deliver it to its final resting place, a heap of burning Bibles.
Around the world today Christians are being persecuted, abused, discriminated against, and martyred for adhering to their faith in Jesus Christ. Freedom of religion is of the past, intolerance toward Christians is the order of the day. Most country’s governments today are involved in silencing the Christian’s voice in one way or another. No they won’t admit it. None the less, they are hard at it and won’t be satisfied until their satanic mission is complete.
Shadrach, Meshach, Abednego, and the others mentioned did not bend or bow to evil pressures, or influences. They stood on God’s inerrant word. They were bold in their response to the king. They knew for sure that God would see them through whatever evil obstacle was placed before them. Believers can take heart in knowing that many Christian brothers and sisters have gone through countless trials and hardships, but God, through His Holy Spirit, went with them through their adversity and He will be right beside us, too.
I know you’ve heard it a million times; Jesus said “I will never leave you nor forsake you” Hebrews 13:5. But after reading about the escapades of Shadrach, Meshach, Abednego, and Daniel, along with all the others, shouldn’t we be even more fully assured that He means what He says? Jesus did not leave them to the evil intent of their captors, and He won’t leave us to the evil intent of a government bent on destroying this nation.
God will not be mocked, and if this new administration coming soon on the scene believes it can run the United States of America without God, they certainly have another thing coming, and I’m being very serious when I say this. God is in control and with His Church being under such pressure to assimilate into the new culture being promoted He will take drastic measures to free us from such bondage. Don’t be fooled into believing the lie of our newly elected president that we need change. When he makes that statement he’s talking about changing our current Christian nation into an atheistic, socialistic, humanistic, Satan following nation of fools.
Christians, hold on to God’s promises. Be as steadfast as Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were in their time and don’t let an evil king sway you in your beliefs. Our only King is King Jesus and we adhere to His word for our lives. Pray for our nation and our newly elected Presidential administration, but don’t be lulled to sleep; stay vigilant in your walk with Christ.
How do we believers occupy ‘til He comes? By holding fast to our faith in Christ. Never stop studying God’s word. Just as important, and imperative, is our continued witnessing to the lost. Even though we are growing closer to the Rapture of His Church, we are aware that Jesus is still saving lives and He will continue with or without a God fearing U.S. President.
Tuesday, November 25, 2008
The Anti-Christ and Mr. Obama, Part 2
Last week's article has quickly become one of the most widely read of any we've ever posted. It has also generated several questions and some wild information I had never heard before. Among these are excerpts from secular news sources containing two non-Biblical prophecies that I will offer first. Since they both opened with rhetorical questions, I've arranged them in our familiar Q and A format, but post them as written. The remaining questions are all reader submitted.
Two Non-Biblical Prophecies
The first one is very controversial and I offer no opinion as to its validity, except that I've received it from several independent news sources. I have been able to confirm that Johanwa Owalo was who this prophecy says he was and that it apparently came from a document copyrighted in 1915. Readers are cautioned to conduct their own research before accepting it as authentic.
“Q. Is Barak Obama the “Son of Kenya” foretold by the great 19th Century Kenyan Prophet, Johanwa Owalo, the founder of Kenya’s Nomiya Luo Church?
A. Among the Kenyan people of the Luo religion Owalo is believed to be a prophet similar to Jesus Christ and Muhammad, and who in 1912 made this horrific prophecy about the United States:
'So far have they [the United States] strayed into wickedness in those [future] times that their destruction has been sealed by my [father]. Their great cities will burn, their crops and cattle will suffer disease and death, their children will perish from diseases never seen upon this Earth, and I reveal to you the greatest [mystery] of all as I have been allowed to see that their [the United States] destruction will come about through the vengeful hands of one of our very own sons.' “
The next one comes from a Forbes.com article dated 10-26-08 by Amir Taheri, author of 10 books on Iran, the Middle East and Islam.
“Q. Is Barack Obama the "promised warrior" coming to help the Hidden Imam of Shiite Muslims conquer the world?
A. This question has made the rounds in Iran since last month, when a pro-government Web site published a Hadith (or tradition) from a Shiite text of the 17th century. The tradition comes from Bahar al-Anvar (meaning Oceans of Light) by Mullah Majlisi, a magnum opus in 132 volumes and the basis of modern Shiite Islam.
According to the tradition, Imam Ali Ibn Abi-Talib (the prophet's cousin and son-in-law) prophesied that at the End of Times and just before the return of the Mahdi, the Ultimate Saviour, a "tall black man will assume the reins of government in the West." Commanding "the strongest army on earth," the new ruler in the West will carry "a clear sign" from the third imam, whose name was Hussein Ibn Ali. The tradition concludes: "Shiites should have no doubt that he is with us."
In a curious coincidence Obama's first and second names--Barack Hussein--mean "the blessing of Hussein" in Arabic and Persian. His family name, Obama, written in the Persian alphabet, reads O Ba Ma, which means "he is with us," the magic formula in Majlisi's tradition.”
From these secular sources it appears that people from diverse backgrounds believe that a leader matching Mr. Obama's description could appear in the last days, and that his impact will not be good for America. Time will tell.
Reader Submitted Questions
Now we'll begin our reader submitted questions. In the interest of time and space, I've summarized them all into three basic questions that speak to Mr. Obama's qualification to be the anti-Christ.
Q. Re: The people of the leader who will come will destroy the city and the sanctuary (Daniel 9:26) How can Mr. Obama be the fulfillment of Daniel 9:26 if he was born in Hawaii, or Kenya for that matter?
A. When Daniel wrote these words from the Angel Gabriel, the Babylonians were about to be conquered by the Medes and Persians. The Romans wouldn't arrive on the scene for several hundred years yet so Gabriel needed a way to identify them. He told Daniel the coming leader would be from the people who would destroy the city and sanctuary following the Messiah's rejection. The Jewish Temple and the City of Jerusalem were destroyed separately. The Roman General Titus Vespasian led the troops who burned the Temple and tore its ruins apart stone by stone in either 68 or 69 AD depending on who's account you favor. He did this under orders from his father Vespasian who was the Emperor of Rome. Then in 135 AD another Roman Emperor, Hadrian, ordered the complete destruction of Jerusalem as a consequence of the bar Kochba rebellion. These two separate events bear witness that Gabriel was referring to the Romans. Together they meet the standard that a matter must be established by the testimony of 2 or 3 witnesses. (Deut. 19:15)
Brittainia (Great Britain) first came to the notice of the Romans in 55BC and by 43 AD had been assimilated into the Roman Empire, well before the City and Sanctuary were destroyed. Therefore the Roman Empire of the time stretched from Great Britain in the west across southern Europe and Northern Africa to the Caspian Sea and Persian Gulf in the East. Romans called the Mediterranean sea “Mare Nostrum” (our sea) because the Roman Empire pretty much surrounded it.
Many students of prophecy agree that almost anyone of Middle Eastern or European descent could meet the qualification of Daniel 9:26 to be the anti-Christ providing he also becomes a world leader. They say this is even true of many Americans because of our prior status as a British Colony and the fact that our country was founded in large part by Europeans whose ancestors dwelt in the Roman Empire of Biblical times.
Mr. Obama is almost certainly of European descent through His mother, and those who claim to have done the research say that on his father's side he's much more Arab than African. In fact Mr. Obama Sr.'s birth certificate identifies him as an Arab. They say Mr. Obama Jr.'s genealogy shows him to be 50% Caucasian, 43.75% Arab and 6.25% African. And in an interesting side note, Great Britain is one of the countries Mr. Obama is being asked to prove he's not a citizen of in at least one of the lawsuits that have been filed. If he was born in Kenya in 1961 he would likely be a British citizen, because Kenya's independence from Great Britain didn't take place until 1963. The Supreme Court Justices will review one of these suits on Dec. 5,2008 to determine if they want to hear oral arguments. It is still unclear to everyone why Mr. Obama doesn't just release his original birth certificate and put an end to all the speculation.
Q. Since the soldiers who destroyed the Temple were actually Assyrian mercenaries, and since Isaiah mentions an Assyrian enemy of Israel (Isaiah 10:5), doesn't this mean the anti Christ has to be Assyrian? Wouldn't that exclude Mr. Obama?
A. In my answer above I showed that the Angel Gabriel had to be referring to Rome when he spoke of the people who would destroy the city and the sanctuary. Remember, they were two different events, almost 70 years apart, and both times the soldiers were under Roman command following Roman orders. Also, the Assyrian Empire had been assimilated into Rome by territorial conquest, so there was no official Assyrian presence at the time. And had the passage referred to the Assyrians, Gabriel could have just mentioned them by name, since everyone in Daniel's day knew of them.
Isaiah 10:1-19 is a judgment against Assyria. The Hebrew word translated Assyrian in verse 5 is Asshur, the name of the second son of Shem. This means it's a reference to the Assyrian people, the descendants of Asshur, not to an individual. When the Assyrian King Sennacherib conquered Damascus and the Northern Kingdom, his army was bringing God's judgment against godless people (verse 6). But when they set their sights on Jerusalem (verse 11) they exceeded God's intention. In one night God sent the angel of death into the Assyrian camp and by morning 185,000 Assyrian soldiers were dead. Isaiah compared it to a fire burning through thorns and briers. (verses 17-18) The remaining Assyrians went home in shame and later Sennacherib's own sons killed him. (Isaiah 37:36-38) Based on these things, I am not convinced that the Scriptures require the anti-Christ to be of Assyrian descent.
Q. The Bible seems to say that the anti-Christ will be asexual. Since Mr. Obama is happily married with two daughters why wouldn't this exclude him?
A. This question refers to Daniel 11:37 which in the KJV reads;
Neither shall he regard the God of his fathers, nor the desire of women, nor regard any god: for he shall magnify himself above all.
According to tradition, the phrase “desire of women” refers to the Messiah, not to the anti-Christ's sexual orientation. From the time of Eve it was every Jewish woman's desire to be the mother of the Messiah, so one of the informal names of the Messiah was “the desire of women”. This whole idea stems from the phrase “seed of the woman”, a reference to the promised redeemer from Genesis 3:15. The idea that the anti-Christ will be asexual can not be supported from Scripture.
What's The Point Of All this?
My purpose in this study has been to separate Biblical fact from human opinion on the issue of the anti-Christ, specifically in support of my claim that there's no Biblical reason Mr. Obama couldn't one day be revealed as the anti-Christ. By the way, much this information could be used to support the opinion that Bill Clinton, Prince Charles, or a number of others could turn out to be the anti-Christ as easily as Barack Obama, but he's the one I've been asked about.
In part one of this study, I said that I don't think it's time for the anti-Christ to be introduced yet, and that the Church will not be here when he is. In 2 Thes.2:1-8 Paul gave a summary of End Times events in sequence. A careful reading reveals that Paul identified three specific things that will have to happen before the Day of the Lord (Great Tribulation) can come. There will have to be a falling away, a rebellion against the truth. This is when the believers in name only will be drawn out of the true Church into one of the various apostate movements we see springing up in our midst. The restraining force that's holding the secret power of lawlessness back will also have to be taken out of the way. That's the Holy Spirit contained in the Church, a reference to the Rapture. Then the man of lawlessness will be revealed and will stand in God's Temple proclaiming himself to be God. That's the abomination of Desolation that kicks off the Great Tribulation, and that's when the world will know for certain just who the anti-Christ is.
For us it's enough to know that the signs pointing to the End of the Age are appearing all around us. This is not happening so that we can hunker down and prepare for the storm. It's happening so we can begin making preparations for our departure. Whether it's several months or several years is also immaterial. The sooner we act the better prepared we'll be. No one on Earth will be able to tell you in advance when we'll be leaving. There will be no specific warning. One moment we'll be here and the next we'll be there. Jesus said we won't know the day or hour, but He had Paul tell us that we should not be taken by surprise. Fore warned is fore armed, they say, and we've been forewarned. You can almost hear the footsteps of the Messiah.
Two Non-Biblical Prophecies
The first one is very controversial and I offer no opinion as to its validity, except that I've received it from several independent news sources. I have been able to confirm that Johanwa Owalo was who this prophecy says he was and that it apparently came from a document copyrighted in 1915. Readers are cautioned to conduct their own research before accepting it as authentic.
“Q. Is Barak Obama the “Son of Kenya” foretold by the great 19th Century Kenyan Prophet, Johanwa Owalo, the founder of Kenya’s Nomiya Luo Church?
A. Among the Kenyan people of the Luo religion Owalo is believed to be a prophet similar to Jesus Christ and Muhammad, and who in 1912 made this horrific prophecy about the United States:
'So far have they [the United States] strayed into wickedness in those [future] times that their destruction has been sealed by my [father]. Their great cities will burn, their crops and cattle will suffer disease and death, their children will perish from diseases never seen upon this Earth, and I reveal to you the greatest [mystery] of all as I have been allowed to see that their [the United States] destruction will come about through the vengeful hands of one of our very own sons.' “
The next one comes from a Forbes.com article dated 10-26-08 by Amir Taheri, author of 10 books on Iran, the Middle East and Islam.
“Q. Is Barack Obama the "promised warrior" coming to help the Hidden Imam of Shiite Muslims conquer the world?
A. This question has made the rounds in Iran since last month, when a pro-government Web site published a Hadith (or tradition) from a Shiite text of the 17th century. The tradition comes from Bahar al-Anvar (meaning Oceans of Light) by Mullah Majlisi, a magnum opus in 132 volumes and the basis of modern Shiite Islam.
According to the tradition, Imam Ali Ibn Abi-Talib (the prophet's cousin and son-in-law) prophesied that at the End of Times and just before the return of the Mahdi, the Ultimate Saviour, a "tall black man will assume the reins of government in the West." Commanding "the strongest army on earth," the new ruler in the West will carry "a clear sign" from the third imam, whose name was Hussein Ibn Ali. The tradition concludes: "Shiites should have no doubt that he is with us."
In a curious coincidence Obama's first and second names--Barack Hussein--mean "the blessing of Hussein" in Arabic and Persian. His family name, Obama, written in the Persian alphabet, reads O Ba Ma, which means "he is with us," the magic formula in Majlisi's tradition.”
From these secular sources it appears that people from diverse backgrounds believe that a leader matching Mr. Obama's description could appear in the last days, and that his impact will not be good for America. Time will tell.
Reader Submitted Questions
Now we'll begin our reader submitted questions. In the interest of time and space, I've summarized them all into three basic questions that speak to Mr. Obama's qualification to be the anti-Christ.
Q. Re: The people of the leader who will come will destroy the city and the sanctuary (Daniel 9:26) How can Mr. Obama be the fulfillment of Daniel 9:26 if he was born in Hawaii, or Kenya for that matter?
A. When Daniel wrote these words from the Angel Gabriel, the Babylonians were about to be conquered by the Medes and Persians. The Romans wouldn't arrive on the scene for several hundred years yet so Gabriel needed a way to identify them. He told Daniel the coming leader would be from the people who would destroy the city and sanctuary following the Messiah's rejection. The Jewish Temple and the City of Jerusalem were destroyed separately. The Roman General Titus Vespasian led the troops who burned the Temple and tore its ruins apart stone by stone in either 68 or 69 AD depending on who's account you favor. He did this under orders from his father Vespasian who was the Emperor of Rome. Then in 135 AD another Roman Emperor, Hadrian, ordered the complete destruction of Jerusalem as a consequence of the bar Kochba rebellion. These two separate events bear witness that Gabriel was referring to the Romans. Together they meet the standard that a matter must be established by the testimony of 2 or 3 witnesses. (Deut. 19:15)
Brittainia (Great Britain) first came to the notice of the Romans in 55BC and by 43 AD had been assimilated into the Roman Empire, well before the City and Sanctuary were destroyed. Therefore the Roman Empire of the time stretched from Great Britain in the west across southern Europe and Northern Africa to the Caspian Sea and Persian Gulf in the East. Romans called the Mediterranean sea “Mare Nostrum” (our sea) because the Roman Empire pretty much surrounded it.
Many students of prophecy agree that almost anyone of Middle Eastern or European descent could meet the qualification of Daniel 9:26 to be the anti-Christ providing he also becomes a world leader. They say this is even true of many Americans because of our prior status as a British Colony and the fact that our country was founded in large part by Europeans whose ancestors dwelt in the Roman Empire of Biblical times.
Mr. Obama is almost certainly of European descent through His mother, and those who claim to have done the research say that on his father's side he's much more Arab than African. In fact Mr. Obama Sr.'s birth certificate identifies him as an Arab. They say Mr. Obama Jr.'s genealogy shows him to be 50% Caucasian, 43.75% Arab and 6.25% African. And in an interesting side note, Great Britain is one of the countries Mr. Obama is being asked to prove he's not a citizen of in at least one of the lawsuits that have been filed. If he was born in Kenya in 1961 he would likely be a British citizen, because Kenya's independence from Great Britain didn't take place until 1963. The Supreme Court Justices will review one of these suits on Dec. 5,2008 to determine if they want to hear oral arguments. It is still unclear to everyone why Mr. Obama doesn't just release his original birth certificate and put an end to all the speculation.
Q. Since the soldiers who destroyed the Temple were actually Assyrian mercenaries, and since Isaiah mentions an Assyrian enemy of Israel (Isaiah 10:5), doesn't this mean the anti Christ has to be Assyrian? Wouldn't that exclude Mr. Obama?
A. In my answer above I showed that the Angel Gabriel had to be referring to Rome when he spoke of the people who would destroy the city and the sanctuary. Remember, they were two different events, almost 70 years apart, and both times the soldiers were under Roman command following Roman orders. Also, the Assyrian Empire had been assimilated into Rome by territorial conquest, so there was no official Assyrian presence at the time. And had the passage referred to the Assyrians, Gabriel could have just mentioned them by name, since everyone in Daniel's day knew of them.
Isaiah 10:1-19 is a judgment against Assyria. The Hebrew word translated Assyrian in verse 5 is Asshur, the name of the second son of Shem. This means it's a reference to the Assyrian people, the descendants of Asshur, not to an individual. When the Assyrian King Sennacherib conquered Damascus and the Northern Kingdom, his army was bringing God's judgment against godless people (verse 6). But when they set their sights on Jerusalem (verse 11) they exceeded God's intention. In one night God sent the angel of death into the Assyrian camp and by morning 185,000 Assyrian soldiers were dead. Isaiah compared it to a fire burning through thorns and briers. (verses 17-18) The remaining Assyrians went home in shame and later Sennacherib's own sons killed him. (Isaiah 37:36-38) Based on these things, I am not convinced that the Scriptures require the anti-Christ to be of Assyrian descent.
Q. The Bible seems to say that the anti-Christ will be asexual. Since Mr. Obama is happily married with two daughters why wouldn't this exclude him?
A. This question refers to Daniel 11:37 which in the KJV reads;
Neither shall he regard the God of his fathers, nor the desire of women, nor regard any god: for he shall magnify himself above all.
According to tradition, the phrase “desire of women” refers to the Messiah, not to the anti-Christ's sexual orientation. From the time of Eve it was every Jewish woman's desire to be the mother of the Messiah, so one of the informal names of the Messiah was “the desire of women”. This whole idea stems from the phrase “seed of the woman”, a reference to the promised redeemer from Genesis 3:15. The idea that the anti-Christ will be asexual can not be supported from Scripture.
What's The Point Of All this?
My purpose in this study has been to separate Biblical fact from human opinion on the issue of the anti-Christ, specifically in support of my claim that there's no Biblical reason Mr. Obama couldn't one day be revealed as the anti-Christ. By the way, much this information could be used to support the opinion that Bill Clinton, Prince Charles, or a number of others could turn out to be the anti-Christ as easily as Barack Obama, but he's the one I've been asked about.
In part one of this study, I said that I don't think it's time for the anti-Christ to be introduced yet, and that the Church will not be here when he is. In 2 Thes.2:1-8 Paul gave a summary of End Times events in sequence. A careful reading reveals that Paul identified three specific things that will have to happen before the Day of the Lord (Great Tribulation) can come. There will have to be a falling away, a rebellion against the truth. This is when the believers in name only will be drawn out of the true Church into one of the various apostate movements we see springing up in our midst. The restraining force that's holding the secret power of lawlessness back will also have to be taken out of the way. That's the Holy Spirit contained in the Church, a reference to the Rapture. Then the man of lawlessness will be revealed and will stand in God's Temple proclaiming himself to be God. That's the abomination of Desolation that kicks off the Great Tribulation, and that's when the world will know for certain just who the anti-Christ is.
For us it's enough to know that the signs pointing to the End of the Age are appearing all around us. This is not happening so that we can hunker down and prepare for the storm. It's happening so we can begin making preparations for our departure. Whether it's several months or several years is also immaterial. The sooner we act the better prepared we'll be. No one on Earth will be able to tell you in advance when we'll be leaving. There will be no specific warning. One moment we'll be here and the next we'll be there. Jesus said we won't know the day or hour, but He had Paul tell us that we should not be taken by surprise. Fore warned is fore armed, they say, and we've been forewarned. You can almost hear the footsteps of the Messiah.
Monday, November 24, 2008
"In the Blink of an Eye”
Working out has never been something I have looked forward to in the course of trying–as they say—to prevent the temple from becoming a coliseum. So, I surround myself with audio that helps take my mind off of the discomfort–even the fleeting pains—that come with the sweat equity one must put into keeping this flesh useable for as long as possible in striving for quality of life.
Radio talk shows are usually the format I choose to take my mind from the physical exertion I’ve never found particularly a thing of joy. So, it was with welcome surprise that I heard a week or so ago the well-known talk host, Glenn Beck, filling the airways on my radio at a convenient morning hour. I have since been listening to His syndicated show that recently was chosen to replace other programming on the station to which I’ve tuned for a number of years.
Beck’s religious belief system is Mormonism, and that system doesn’t include any of the beliefs we of the premillennial, pre-trib eschatological view hold. I preface the balance of this commentary with this because of the profound nature of Mr. Beck’s talking points on the strange, troubling times in which America and the world are embroiled.
He believes, I infer from listening to him for these past days, as do I and many of my colleagues and others, that the changes proposed by the impending Obama administration, combined with the national and international economic meltdown, portend something of an apocalyptic future for the planet, should things continue in the same direction. The talk show host seems, as a matter of fact, even more pessimistic in his outlook than many of the pre-trib Christian emailers Todd and I hear from on a daily basis. His thoughts are downright morose in some instances, while he pontificates on things of the future.
Beck was one of the few public voices that predicted (in 1999) that if Osama bin Laden wasn’t captured or killed, New York City skyscrapers would soon have dead bodies in them. This, I’m sure, he based upon the bombing of the twin Trade towers by bin Laden’s cohorts in 1993.
We know, of course, what happened on September 11, 2001.
It was with a chill running down my spine while showering after the workout that I listened to Glenn Beck talk about what he sees for this nation in the near future. While the content of his talk was on the surface disturbing, I have to admit a part of what he said–one line—confirmed in my mind that what he spoke was Holy Spirit engendered and intended to comfort. This, totally without the talk host having any idea of the astounding thing he had just said, I’m almost certain.
Mr. Beck said (I paraphrase) that America is on a track that is taking it at phenomenal speed toward the darkest hours of its history. He said further that he believed that by this time next year–by Christmas, as he refined his thoughts, America will be unrecognizable as she has been known.
He then said something that caused the chill down the spine to feel like “the Tingler” was portrayed to feel in that old Vincent Price horror movie, if anyone remembers that film. Beck said that America’s and the world’s move into that darkest time of history would not come incrementally. That is, things would not simply get worse and worse morally and economically until the point is reached that the world is irretrievably lost. He said that he believed that the country and the world would experience a great cataclysmic event that would be greater than the attacks of 9/11/01. The great, all-consuming crash into the abyss of calamity will come in an instant. I inferred that Mr. Beck was talking along the lines of the geopolitical, not the supernatural.
But, it was his next words that were the most chilling. He said he believed that the event would happen suddenly, and forever change the world for the worse. He said that it would happen–and now I quote him—“in the blink of an eye.”
The Apostle Paul gave the same prediction nearly two millennia ago. He knew nothing of stock markets that could crash, nuclear weapons that are capable of ending all human life on earth, of a nation so blessed--both materially and spiritually--that it far surpasses any civilization in history in ability to disseminate the gospel through technologies that make living life exponentially better than anything Solomon experienced...a nation that continues to degenerate morally into one over which its forefathers would weep bitterly, should they see the levels of debauchery and antithesis to U.S. constitutional governance to which it has fallen.
Paul prophesied a “blink-of-the-eye” moment of change that will disastrously alter forever life on this planet of rebellious earth-dwellers, which is what the KJV calls those who will not accept Christ and turn from their wicked ways: “Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed” (1 Cor. 15:51-52).
Radio talk shows are usually the format I choose to take my mind from the physical exertion I’ve never found particularly a thing of joy. So, it was with welcome surprise that I heard a week or so ago the well-known talk host, Glenn Beck, filling the airways on my radio at a convenient morning hour. I have since been listening to His syndicated show that recently was chosen to replace other programming on the station to which I’ve tuned for a number of years.
Beck’s religious belief system is Mormonism, and that system doesn’t include any of the beliefs we of the premillennial, pre-trib eschatological view hold. I preface the balance of this commentary with this because of the profound nature of Mr. Beck’s talking points on the strange, troubling times in which America and the world are embroiled.
He believes, I infer from listening to him for these past days, as do I and many of my colleagues and others, that the changes proposed by the impending Obama administration, combined with the national and international economic meltdown, portend something of an apocalyptic future for the planet, should things continue in the same direction. The talk show host seems, as a matter of fact, even more pessimistic in his outlook than many of the pre-trib Christian emailers Todd and I hear from on a daily basis. His thoughts are downright morose in some instances, while he pontificates on things of the future.
Beck was one of the few public voices that predicted (in 1999) that if Osama bin Laden wasn’t captured or killed, New York City skyscrapers would soon have dead bodies in them. This, I’m sure, he based upon the bombing of the twin Trade towers by bin Laden’s cohorts in 1993.
We know, of course, what happened on September 11, 2001.
It was with a chill running down my spine while showering after the workout that I listened to Glenn Beck talk about what he sees for this nation in the near future. While the content of his talk was on the surface disturbing, I have to admit a part of what he said–one line—confirmed in my mind that what he spoke was Holy Spirit engendered and intended to comfort. This, totally without the talk host having any idea of the astounding thing he had just said, I’m almost certain.
Mr. Beck said (I paraphrase) that America is on a track that is taking it at phenomenal speed toward the darkest hours of its history. He said further that he believed that by this time next year–by Christmas, as he refined his thoughts, America will be unrecognizable as she has been known.
He then said something that caused the chill down the spine to feel like “the Tingler” was portrayed to feel in that old Vincent Price horror movie, if anyone remembers that film. Beck said that America’s and the world’s move into that darkest time of history would not come incrementally. That is, things would not simply get worse and worse morally and economically until the point is reached that the world is irretrievably lost. He said that he believed that the country and the world would experience a great cataclysmic event that would be greater than the attacks of 9/11/01. The great, all-consuming crash into the abyss of calamity will come in an instant. I inferred that Mr. Beck was talking along the lines of the geopolitical, not the supernatural.
But, it was his next words that were the most chilling. He said he believed that the event would happen suddenly, and forever change the world for the worse. He said that it would happen–and now I quote him—“in the blink of an eye.”
The Apostle Paul gave the same prediction nearly two millennia ago. He knew nothing of stock markets that could crash, nuclear weapons that are capable of ending all human life on earth, of a nation so blessed--both materially and spiritually--that it far surpasses any civilization in history in ability to disseminate the gospel through technologies that make living life exponentially better than anything Solomon experienced...a nation that continues to degenerate morally into one over which its forefathers would weep bitterly, should they see the levels of debauchery and antithesis to U.S. constitutional governance to which it has fallen.
Paul prophesied a “blink-of-the-eye” moment of change that will disastrously alter forever life on this planet of rebellious earth-dwellers, which is what the KJV calls those who will not accept Christ and turn from their wicked ways: “Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed” (1 Cor. 15:51-52).
Friday, November 21, 2008
The Eschatology Equation
(Psalm 83 + Ezekiel 38) x 100 = Greater Israel
This article presents a basic mathematical model of the Middle East, considered in light of two coming significant end times events, and in the process hypothesizes the likely economic and geopolitical setting that occurs as a result. For those of you unfamiliar with the term Eschatology, which is listed in the title of this article, it comes from the pairing of two Greek words Eschatos, referring to “last” and -ology meaning “the study of”. Thus theologically the term refers to the study of the last days.
On the near horizon is the dawn of the next new era. The tiny Middle East nation of Israel that presently struggles to maintain sovereignty over a meager 9000 square miles is about to victoriously face off with two world changing prophetic events. In the aftermath of these enormous episodes described in Psalm 83 and Ezekiel 38, Israel will undoubtedly be catapulted into Superpower Status!
Destined to someday possess the Promised Land from the Nile to the Euphrates Rivers according to Genesis 15:18, Israel has been cooped up like a canary in a cage for 60 years too long. While Israel’s Arab enemies seek to blow up the birdcage, the Bible has seemingly flipped open to its final pages.
These two looming events are soon to find their final fulfillment and in the end, an entirely new atlas of the region will need to be redrawn. Subsequently, in accordance with scriptural specifications, Israel’s borders should be enlarged to about one hundred times their present size. The chess match presently unfolding in the greater Fertile Crescent today perfectly positions the Jewish State to put its enemies in checkmate, thereby advancing itself into this foretold period of prosperity.
Conversely, in America’s zeal to create calm in the Middle East, its superpower stature seems to steadily spiral downward. Some suggest that poor U.S. Mideast foreign policy may partially be the culprit. According to prophecy Israel will not be limited much longer to its present size, as the present two-state solution Roadmap Plan endorses; rather the Jewish State is poised to soon become listed among the largest and wealthiest nations of the world.
Current international proposals that encourage the cessation of, or evacuation from, Jewish settlements will, according to scripture eventuate into failed foreign policy, and potentially result in adverse consequences to its misguided proponents.
America should promptly change its course of foreign policy direction and give Israel the necessary support and elbowroom it needs to burst out of its territorial seams and emerge as the world’s next Super-State. Such a greater Israel will ultimately be a blessing to the United States.
First on the calendar comes Psalm 83, which informs us that the Palestinians, Syrians, Saudis, Jordanians, Egyptians, Lebanese and affiliated terrorist entities like the Hamas, Hezbollah and Al-Qaeda, will confederate together to destroy Modern Day Israel. As specified in my recently released book Isralestine, The Ancient Blueprints of the Future Middle East, in fulfillment of Ezekiel 37:10 the Israeli Defense Forces will soundly defeat this advance and achieve the title of being an “exceedingly great army”.
In a post Psalm 83 world, Israel should be freed from further Arab terror torment, bring down its 403 mile long wall currently under construction, and dwell securely, resembling the “latter years” nation described in Ezekiel 38:8-13. World Jews will make massive Aliyah into Israel and the nation will expand its borders, and likely exploit at least the affected Saudi portion of the OPEC oil supply, as well as many other related resources of their defeated Arab foes.
Then in the subsequent second event, Russia and Iran will look upon Israel as if it was a ripe carrot dangling upon a reachable string, and they will covet a piece of the plunder. All that will stand between them and their desired world empire stature will be the rapidly rising Middle East star, the nation of Israel. The Russians and Iranians will lick their chops, and assemble their nuclear equipped nine member coalition, and in what is commonly referred to as the “Magog Invasion”, invade this future regionally superior Jewish State.
The accolades of the exceedingly great I.D.F. will promptly become yester-years news, as they will not match up, with what then commences to march against them. As the Ezekiel story goes, their God will divinely save the day. The Russian – Iranian led nuclear equipped consortia will drop dead in their Middle East tracks, and world headlines will read like Old Testament fire and brimstone passages.
According to Ezekiel 39:9-14; at the end of the bloody rainbow, will sit Israel’s pot of gold. They will receive seven years of nuclear fuel, more land for the taking, and prominent International stature. Their ancient King Solomon in all of his splendor, riches, and glory will but pale in comparison.
So, hypothetically speaking, the tiny nation of Israel that today can’t even call Jerusalem its capitol is about to be the centerpiece of current world events. Humanity is called to caution and set its sights on the ancient story about to unfold. Israel of today is likely to be acknowledged as the world’s Super-State of tomorrow.
This article presents a basic mathematical model of the Middle East, considered in light of two coming significant end times events, and in the process hypothesizes the likely economic and geopolitical setting that occurs as a result. For those of you unfamiliar with the term Eschatology, which is listed in the title of this article, it comes from the pairing of two Greek words Eschatos, referring to “last” and -ology meaning “the study of”. Thus theologically the term refers to the study of the last days.
On the near horizon is the dawn of the next new era. The tiny Middle East nation of Israel that presently struggles to maintain sovereignty over a meager 9000 square miles is about to victoriously face off with two world changing prophetic events. In the aftermath of these enormous episodes described in Psalm 83 and Ezekiel 38, Israel will undoubtedly be catapulted into Superpower Status!
Destined to someday possess the Promised Land from the Nile to the Euphrates Rivers according to Genesis 15:18, Israel has been cooped up like a canary in a cage for 60 years too long. While Israel’s Arab enemies seek to blow up the birdcage, the Bible has seemingly flipped open to its final pages.
These two looming events are soon to find their final fulfillment and in the end, an entirely new atlas of the region will need to be redrawn. Subsequently, in accordance with scriptural specifications, Israel’s borders should be enlarged to about one hundred times their present size. The chess match presently unfolding in the greater Fertile Crescent today perfectly positions the Jewish State to put its enemies in checkmate, thereby advancing itself into this foretold period of prosperity.
Conversely, in America’s zeal to create calm in the Middle East, its superpower stature seems to steadily spiral downward. Some suggest that poor U.S. Mideast foreign policy may partially be the culprit. According to prophecy Israel will not be limited much longer to its present size, as the present two-state solution Roadmap Plan endorses; rather the Jewish State is poised to soon become listed among the largest and wealthiest nations of the world.
Current international proposals that encourage the cessation of, or evacuation from, Jewish settlements will, according to scripture eventuate into failed foreign policy, and potentially result in adverse consequences to its misguided proponents.
America should promptly change its course of foreign policy direction and give Israel the necessary support and elbowroom it needs to burst out of its territorial seams and emerge as the world’s next Super-State. Such a greater Israel will ultimately be a blessing to the United States.
First on the calendar comes Psalm 83, which informs us that the Palestinians, Syrians, Saudis, Jordanians, Egyptians, Lebanese and affiliated terrorist entities like the Hamas, Hezbollah and Al-Qaeda, will confederate together to destroy Modern Day Israel. As specified in my recently released book Isralestine, The Ancient Blueprints of the Future Middle East, in fulfillment of Ezekiel 37:10 the Israeli Defense Forces will soundly defeat this advance and achieve the title of being an “exceedingly great army”.
In a post Psalm 83 world, Israel should be freed from further Arab terror torment, bring down its 403 mile long wall currently under construction, and dwell securely, resembling the “latter years” nation described in Ezekiel 38:8-13. World Jews will make massive Aliyah into Israel and the nation will expand its borders, and likely exploit at least the affected Saudi portion of the OPEC oil supply, as well as many other related resources of their defeated Arab foes.
Then in the subsequent second event, Russia and Iran will look upon Israel as if it was a ripe carrot dangling upon a reachable string, and they will covet a piece of the plunder. All that will stand between them and their desired world empire stature will be the rapidly rising Middle East star, the nation of Israel. The Russians and Iranians will lick their chops, and assemble their nuclear equipped nine member coalition, and in what is commonly referred to as the “Magog Invasion”, invade this future regionally superior Jewish State.
The accolades of the exceedingly great I.D.F. will promptly become yester-years news, as they will not match up, with what then commences to march against them. As the Ezekiel story goes, their God will divinely save the day. The Russian – Iranian led nuclear equipped consortia will drop dead in their Middle East tracks, and world headlines will read like Old Testament fire and brimstone passages.
According to Ezekiel 39:9-14; at the end of the bloody rainbow, will sit Israel’s pot of gold. They will receive seven years of nuclear fuel, more land for the taking, and prominent International stature. Their ancient King Solomon in all of his splendor, riches, and glory will but pale in comparison.
So, hypothetically speaking, the tiny nation of Israel that today can’t even call Jerusalem its capitol is about to be the centerpiece of current world events. Humanity is called to caution and set its sights on the ancient story about to unfold. Israel of today is likely to be acknowledged as the world’s Super-State of tomorrow.
Thursday, November 20, 2008
Pottersville and the Church
Many of you will remember a movie that was released some decades ago, but is still viewed every year around Christmas. It deals with a small, sleepy little hamlet in upper New York state, but can be a useful analogy representing our times and the Christian Church today. In this little town there lived a man who ran a building and loan company. This small but functional business was the only barrier standing against the big, bad, greedy, and quite wealthy old ogre living in the town, who, being filled with hatred for his fellow man, was bent on destroying the lives of the town folk by running things his own way. Without George Bailey and the building and loan, old evil Mr. Potter would have corrupted the entire city and turned it into a den of immorality filled with every kind of vice imaginable.
The movie setting begins just before the Great Depression here in the U.S. and ends just after WWII. The small business struggles but through it all does a fine job of keeping the ogre at bay, until one day that little business underwent a serious financial crisis. As the story unfolds, George Bailey, the man running the building and loan, realizes he is unable to save the small business from ruin and collapse, and comes to a place in his seemingly insignificant life where he believes his family and friends would be better off if he had never been born. Of course it would please old Mr. Potter to no end to finally be rid of this little pebble in his shoe once and for all.
Out of nowhere appears an angel named Clarence who, after some hair raising and torturous escapades, convinces this man that his life has value, much more so than he could ever realize on his own. George Bailey was given a gift by God to see what his sleepy little town, Bedford Falls, would be like if he had never been born, and instead it was named Pottersville after the old ogre, Henry F. Potter.
The town George Bailey had grown up in had taken on a completely different characteristic because George wasn’t there. It was now a den of inequity, bustling with all forms of perverse pleasure palaces and seething with greed and malice. His sleepy little hamlet was now completely unrecognizable, and George himself was a non-entity in Pottersville.
As Clarence brings George back to reality he starts to realize that he and his ways, his morals and lifestyle, along with his building and loan business is the only thing that is restraining evil from taking over his city. He was exuberant about being returned to face the music of whatever was to happen to him, and he didn’t even think twice about it. He just knew his place was in that town, with his family, running that little business and keeping the evil Potter at bay.
Christians, we are that man living in that sleepy little hamlet, and it’s us, the Church, the body of Christ, who are the only barriers, as was that little building and loan business, that are to keep evil from completely taking over our land. We may lose elections, and experience all types of disappointments, and become discouraged, and like George Bailey being in such financial turmoil, become so despondent that we feel like giving up. We might even associate with George in that we come to believe we too have lost our usefulness. For the Christian, giving up is not an option. We must go back and face the consequences of our past decisions.
No matter who wins elections, God’s plan is not finished. We are still here and will remain until He is through with us. Believers are the only thing that is restraining the pervasiveness of evil from permeating our land and this world as a whole. Nothing else can do what we are doing and we are only able to be that restraining force through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit.
Once George realized his purpose in life he no longer wanted to run from his responsibilities. We too have responsibilities here on earth. As Christians we’ve taken on God’s name and are now held accountable to do our part for His kingdom. We are all in our little hamlets and working at restraining evil. This isn’t an easy task, and there is almost no glory involved. We aren’t going to be recognized by man for continuing our steadfastness in our faith, but God sees all we do and is pleased as we stand firm on His name, unashamed and relentless in our pursuit of righteousness.
Christians can see things that the unbelieving world is blind to. This phenomenon is called discernment and it is a great asset to us in our walk with Christ while we remain here in this world. This phenomenon comes to those of us who have completely turned our lives over to Christ. The more of yourself you give Him the more He’ll give you in the form of discernment. We don’t need an angel to come and tell us where we’ve gone wrong, or in what direction to head now, although that would be wonderful. We have God’s word to study; His word gives us the insight and His Holy Spirit gives us all the power we need to walk with boldness in the face of adversity.
George Bailey experienced a fictional supernatural phenomenon but we believers can look at the story and we can substitute ourselves in that story. The supernatural phenomenon we experience will be true and powerful. George was tempted by old man Potter to come to work for him for a huge amount of money, but this offer was only a ruse to get rid of what was restraining evil Mr. Potter from owning and running the town his way. As George was nearly persuaded to accept Potters offer and was reaching to seal the deal by shaking old evil Mr. Potter’s hand something told him he was making a huge mistake, George didn’t fall for Potters chicanery. This is exactly what happens to believers as we are tempted to take the easy road that leads to destruction; we are convicted by the Holy Spirit to say no to the ogre (Satan) and follow God instead.
By now, everyone should know I’m speaking about the movie “It’s a Wonderful Life”. I watch this movie every year as Christmas approaches, but this year it dawned on me how similar it was to our own life adventures. I see the enemy approaching our town with his temptations and trappings, and many of my brethren are completely unaware of the evil intent in his heart. Unlike George Bailey, the owner of the building and loan, many of my brethren are falling for the good life offered by the evil tempter.
So what comes next for my town and yours? Will we be sucked into the deception as others who profess to be followers of Christ have been? I hope and pray that a remnant will stand fast on the faith once and for all delivered to the saints.
First of all, we must continue steadfast in our prayer life. We must not think for a moment that God isn’t listening to our prayers. He is listening to them and answering them as well. We may not take comfort in the majority of citizens of our town making the choice they did of a new leader, but the Christian Church is still the restrainer doing its part to uphold God’s laws and precepts. And as such, He will continue to use us in extraordinary ways.
I’m not fooled by all the hoopla from the far left media pundits and activists, and I know there are many like me who will stand for Jesus. I’m not in any way advocating revolution or any other type of anarchy. All I’m saying is use your God given talents to discern the truth of what’s happening now, in this increasingly foreign country, and stand fast on your faith. I’m convinced, as I’m sure many of you are, that very soon now God will remove His Church from this world. When that happens, all Hell will break lose. The restrainer will accompany us to Heaven and there will be nothing holding back evil from spreading like wildfire across the late great planet earth. As the man and his little business temporarily disappeared and was replaced by Pottersville, so shall the Church temporarily disappear from this world, being replaced by the antichrist and all forms of evil.
Don’t get caught up in the excitement of a new leader coming to town and let down your guard. Stay close to your Savior Jesus and keep reading your Bibles, and lest ye forget, “…then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh.” Luke 21:28.
The movie setting begins just before the Great Depression here in the U.S. and ends just after WWII. The small business struggles but through it all does a fine job of keeping the ogre at bay, until one day that little business underwent a serious financial crisis. As the story unfolds, George Bailey, the man running the building and loan, realizes he is unable to save the small business from ruin and collapse, and comes to a place in his seemingly insignificant life where he believes his family and friends would be better off if he had never been born. Of course it would please old Mr. Potter to no end to finally be rid of this little pebble in his shoe once and for all.
Out of nowhere appears an angel named Clarence who, after some hair raising and torturous escapades, convinces this man that his life has value, much more so than he could ever realize on his own. George Bailey was given a gift by God to see what his sleepy little town, Bedford Falls, would be like if he had never been born, and instead it was named Pottersville after the old ogre, Henry F. Potter.
The town George Bailey had grown up in had taken on a completely different characteristic because George wasn’t there. It was now a den of inequity, bustling with all forms of perverse pleasure palaces and seething with greed and malice. His sleepy little hamlet was now completely unrecognizable, and George himself was a non-entity in Pottersville.
As Clarence brings George back to reality he starts to realize that he and his ways, his morals and lifestyle, along with his building and loan business is the only thing that is restraining evil from taking over his city. He was exuberant about being returned to face the music of whatever was to happen to him, and he didn’t even think twice about it. He just knew his place was in that town, with his family, running that little business and keeping the evil Potter at bay.
Christians, we are that man living in that sleepy little hamlet, and it’s us, the Church, the body of Christ, who are the only barriers, as was that little building and loan business, that are to keep evil from completely taking over our land. We may lose elections, and experience all types of disappointments, and become discouraged, and like George Bailey being in such financial turmoil, become so despondent that we feel like giving up. We might even associate with George in that we come to believe we too have lost our usefulness. For the Christian, giving up is not an option. We must go back and face the consequences of our past decisions.
No matter who wins elections, God’s plan is not finished. We are still here and will remain until He is through with us. Believers are the only thing that is restraining the pervasiveness of evil from permeating our land and this world as a whole. Nothing else can do what we are doing and we are only able to be that restraining force through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit.
Once George realized his purpose in life he no longer wanted to run from his responsibilities. We too have responsibilities here on earth. As Christians we’ve taken on God’s name and are now held accountable to do our part for His kingdom. We are all in our little hamlets and working at restraining evil. This isn’t an easy task, and there is almost no glory involved. We aren’t going to be recognized by man for continuing our steadfastness in our faith, but God sees all we do and is pleased as we stand firm on His name, unashamed and relentless in our pursuit of righteousness.
Christians can see things that the unbelieving world is blind to. This phenomenon is called discernment and it is a great asset to us in our walk with Christ while we remain here in this world. This phenomenon comes to those of us who have completely turned our lives over to Christ. The more of yourself you give Him the more He’ll give you in the form of discernment. We don’t need an angel to come and tell us where we’ve gone wrong, or in what direction to head now, although that would be wonderful. We have God’s word to study; His word gives us the insight and His Holy Spirit gives us all the power we need to walk with boldness in the face of adversity.
George Bailey experienced a fictional supernatural phenomenon but we believers can look at the story and we can substitute ourselves in that story. The supernatural phenomenon we experience will be true and powerful. George was tempted by old man Potter to come to work for him for a huge amount of money, but this offer was only a ruse to get rid of what was restraining evil Mr. Potter from owning and running the town his way. As George was nearly persuaded to accept Potters offer and was reaching to seal the deal by shaking old evil Mr. Potter’s hand something told him he was making a huge mistake, George didn’t fall for Potters chicanery. This is exactly what happens to believers as we are tempted to take the easy road that leads to destruction; we are convicted by the Holy Spirit to say no to the ogre (Satan) and follow God instead.
By now, everyone should know I’m speaking about the movie “It’s a Wonderful Life”. I watch this movie every year as Christmas approaches, but this year it dawned on me how similar it was to our own life adventures. I see the enemy approaching our town with his temptations and trappings, and many of my brethren are completely unaware of the evil intent in his heart. Unlike George Bailey, the owner of the building and loan, many of my brethren are falling for the good life offered by the evil tempter.
So what comes next for my town and yours? Will we be sucked into the deception as others who profess to be followers of Christ have been? I hope and pray that a remnant will stand fast on the faith once and for all delivered to the saints.
First of all, we must continue steadfast in our prayer life. We must not think for a moment that God isn’t listening to our prayers. He is listening to them and answering them as well. We may not take comfort in the majority of citizens of our town making the choice they did of a new leader, but the Christian Church is still the restrainer doing its part to uphold God’s laws and precepts. And as such, He will continue to use us in extraordinary ways.
I’m not fooled by all the hoopla from the far left media pundits and activists, and I know there are many like me who will stand for Jesus. I’m not in any way advocating revolution or any other type of anarchy. All I’m saying is use your God given talents to discern the truth of what’s happening now, in this increasingly foreign country, and stand fast on your faith. I’m convinced, as I’m sure many of you are, that very soon now God will remove His Church from this world. When that happens, all Hell will break lose. The restrainer will accompany us to Heaven and there will be nothing holding back evil from spreading like wildfire across the late great planet earth. As the man and his little business temporarily disappeared and was replaced by Pottersville, so shall the Church temporarily disappear from this world, being replaced by the antichrist and all forms of evil.
Don’t get caught up in the excitement of a new leader coming to town and let down your guard. Stay close to your Savior Jesus and keep reading your Bibles, and lest ye forget, “…then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh.” Luke 21:28.
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
What Chances a Global Financial Apocalypse Now? – Part I
Over the past year or so, much of the high-income region of the world has been gripped in a growing and fearsome anxiety. Lately, the entire world has been swept into this calamitous vortex. Global financial systems and markets have encountered unsettling declines. In fact, at one point, the entire global stock market (measured in US dollars) had more than halved in value. Imagine. To date, financial institutions at large — whether smaller or greater — have sustained enormous losses. Fanning these fears, secular analysts now forecast that total losses amongst all financial players could yet broach $2.5 trillion and more. As such, the very integrity of global financial and credit systems has been threatened.
There is real fear that a global financial meltdown might yet ensue that will thrust the entire world back in the Dark Ages. Could this happen? In North America, such fears are understandable. The “perfect storm” of falling real estate and financial asset prices, higher energy prices (though now again crashing), the high debt-servicing costs of many households due to over-indebtedness, and now an economic slowdown compounded by a reluctance to lend, has the doomsayers in full bloom. Indeed, housing markets are falling the fastest since the Great Depression, and more banks are expected to fail over the next several years than in that prior, infamous time.
The questions beckon: Will there yet be a total financial collapse? If so, just what will happen to America’s economic position in the world? And, surely a question on the lips of many: Is the financial security of our very households at risk?
We’ll stop with the questions and next attempt some answers. Foundational here is a premillennial perspective on global collapse. Scripture provides clear guidance on this topic. While this perspective will likely not provide the near-term reassurance that most North Americans are looking for, the Bible does not fail to provide us with reasons for an attitude of contentedness, peace as well as hope.
At the very least, we can conclude that a global financial collapse is not unfolding at present. Though it may certainly seem terrible, and that economic conditions could yet get much worse, the great big apocalyptic collapse is yet to occur in the future. We will explain.
America: What Vantage Point to Adopt?
Without a doubt, America’s current troubles “have not been sleeping” (2 Peter 2:3). These are the product of choices … those of corrupt leaders as well as households and individuals. A progressive slide toward materialism, various kinds of idolatry, and greedy lawlessness has been documented for many decades. In fact, this beginning slide was already detected by both Christian and non-Christian writers 150 years ago and more. In recent years, there have been clear warnings that any common-sense observer could have discerned for themselves. So why should there be surprise that finally the “chickens have come home to roost”?
The Bible clearly says, “Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows” (Galatians 6:7). Of course, there has been a long line of false prophets and soothsayers that have popularized the ideas that there are no consequences of revelry, “that you can eat your cake and have it, too,” and that there is no such thing as sin and wrongdoing. This message offered pleasing license to complacently rush down the broad road to the difficulties that America and the world are experiencing today. That being so, wouldn’t it be reasonable to see America’s troubles as a catalyst for the final global collapse? We argue, not at this time, for several reasons. But, to be clear, that is not to say that America could not suffer horrid economic conditions in the near future.
Explaining our perspectives further, let’s first focus on America’s perceived role in relation to recent financial calamities. Here, a number of religious persuasions interestingly color the view. For example, in Christian circles U.S. economic and financial challenges of late — deserved as they are — are commonly being seen as divine interventions or as validation of other interpretational systems of prophetic Scripture.
Some place significance in the fact that the Dow Jones Industrials stock market index fell exactly 777 points on September 29th; Or, that the massive stock market declines of October, which were greater than the infamous October of 1987, occurred exactly 21 years prior; Or, that the demise of the financial firm of Lehman Brothers (widely considered by many to have been the catalyst for the disastrous stock market crashes around the world over the following 2 months) was announced to regulators precisely 7 after the 9/11 attacks. As the number 7 is considered to be a number of divine significance in Scripture, some interpret these occurrences as more than just coincidence. It would be impossible to prove this, although there would be no harm in taking admonition from these alignments. Yet, one must wonder why God would use such subtle omens, if at all. The number 7 would be only of significance to Bible-studying Christians, in any case (and slot-machine gamblers on an upside day, rather than one of a crash). One wonders why the number 6 didn’t come up more frequently.
There are other perspectives that do not depend on numerical odds. For example, consider the Dominion Theology theorists (also called Reconstructionists), who, among other beliefs, hold that Christians will yet reform the entire world before Christ returns. They are a group gaining in influence. And, they are feeling triumphal at present. Various proponents of this view have long predicted that a global financial and economic collapse will occur. Recent financial tremors — as already mentioned, in some ways already exceeding conditions of the Great Depression of the 1930s — are taken as evidence that such predictions are finally upon the world.
The problem here is not so much that Reconstructionist predictions will not prove true eventually. It is that the Reconstructionists generally take an amillennial or post-millennial stance, and therefore are waiting for the collapse to occur so that they can seize supremacy over world systems that have proven themselves to be morally bankrupt. Not surprisingly, these theorists are known to display glee at every hint of financial crises. Are they right that the final, definitive global collapse is now underway?
Also, the lately re-proliferating offshoots of British Israelism (or Armstrongism) are also feeling strengthened in their views. Many of the organizations in this varied movement that quite prolific in disseminating their views (for example the Philadelphia Church of God, and the Living Church of God, among others). Generally, they take the view that America and other Celtic-related nations are really offshoots of the supposedly long-lost tribes of the House of Israel. These groups take differing stances on the Rapture, Historicism (the belief that some historical events during the Church Age are literal prophetic fulfillment of Bible prophecy … i.e. the identity of the 7 heads on the beast, the 10 kings, etc.) and various ordinances. Yet, their interpretation of Bible prophecy generally produces the view that all the members of the House of Israel will face a severe disciplining and weakening prior to the Tribulation and the return of Christ. This group identifies the United States as being the modern manifestation of the Manasseh branch of Ephraim (or, better described as the first son of Joseph, who was given the double portion). As such, recent financial troubles to them are further proofs of America’s prophesied decline on the world stage. Are they right?
America to Face the Same Prophecies as Israel?
In addition to the above-mentioned theological interpretations, there has been a long-running tradition for America to see itself as a modern-day parallel to old Israel, either in terms of experiences or destiny (and also including prophetic influence in the world). This already began with the early Puritans, who saw themselves as Israel going to a new land, and subduing Canaanites in the form of North American Indians. Even connected global policy analysts are aware of this. Walter Russell Mead, a member of the Council on Foreign Relations (whose father was an Episcopal priest) 1[1] recently writing in Foreign Affairs, comments:
“The United States’ sense of its own identity and mission in the world has been shaped by readings of Hebrew history and thought. […] From the time of the Puritans to the present day, preachers, thinkers, and politicians in the United States — secular as well as religious, liberal as well as conservative — have seen the Americans as a chosen people, bound together less by ties of blood than by a set of beliefs and a destiny. Americans have believed that God (or history) has brought them into a new land and made them great and rich and that their continued prosperity depends on the fulfilling their obligations toward God or the principles that have blessed them so far. Ignore these principles — turn toward the golden calf — and the scourge will come. Both religious and nonreligious Americans have looked to the Hebrew Scriptures for an example of a people set apart by their mission and called to a world-changing destiny. 2[2]”
This perspective that Mead describes is still quite strong today. Troubles and disasters — from the 9/11 attacks in 2001, the effects of Hurricane Katrina upon New Orleans, to economic troubles — are popularly seen as direct divine interventions of warning. Moreover, America’s fate is seen as either dominating or determining the fate of the world. All the same, while many may be inclined to take the perspective that Mead describes, it doesn’t provide any specific insight to the question of premillennial global collapse. Yet, all of the above views intermingle with the bated question of whether indeed a global collapse has now started.
Global Financial Apocalypse Now?
Again stating our basic view, the great global collapse (and its various subsidiary judgments) that is prophesied in the Bible is not yet unfolding at present. The Bible has the final say as to when this collapse occurs, and that is yet in the future, as we will show in detail. That said, it remains true that at this time globalism and the vulnerabilities of the world’s systems continue to build toward that ultimate outcome (and in that way could be viewed as prophetic fulfillment). But the final collapse is not yet.
Not only can this view be proven from Scripture, it can also be logically deduced. After all, a functioning global financial and trading system is essential to bring the world to the apex of the Antichrist’s reign inside the Tribulation period. As prophetic events of the Great Tribulation are yet to occur, a widespread global collapse now would be before its time. As such, we can know that a crippling and terminal global financial collapse is not going to unfold at present. But what do we make of America now?
America’s Role in Global Collapse
There are at least two other conclusions we can settle upon that are of potential interest to North Americans. For one, America and other countries facing similar difficulties — such as Britain, Spain, and Australia, to name the major ones in this group — could very well face a long phase of decline and financial hardship … even to the point of being eclipsed economically by other nations in the world. Even respected secular analysts and mainstream publications are of the opinion that this is occurring, should trends not change. Therefore, though we can be sure that the final collapse is not yet upon the world, this offers no assurance for America and other affected countries over the near-term.
But what would happen to the world if the financial systems of the afore-mentioned bloc of nations were actually to collapse, as some observers fear? Isn’t America so large and economically influential that such a development would spell certain doom for the entire world … in other words, sure to trigger the prophesied, global economic breakdown? Actually, whether the US may possess a manifest destiny or not, financial troubles on this continent do not necessarily mean that the entire world must be fated for immediate collapse.
There are some persuasive arguments supporting this view, which we will present in Part II.
Thoughts to Ponder
We have only scratched the surface of what the Bible says about the great economic collapses that lay ahead for the world during the Tribulation period. There are different types of collapse, and the consequences are yet future. For example, the judgment befalling the wealth of Babylon the Great is different than that of the deceitful trading systems of Tyre and other wealthy nations throughout history, or the more general judgments mentioned by Isaiah (Isaiah 24) that apply to all nations. There is much detail in this regard that we will yet examine. However, for now, we can draw some key conclusions.
Firstly, the world’s systems are certainly and indelibly proceeding to an endpoint. In that sense, many of the trends that we are witnessing today (globalism and globalization, for example) could be viewed as prophetic preparation, in that they play a role in the continuing process towards the ultimate and literal events that are yet to come.
Overall world financial systems will not “melt down” before their time. They may suffer tremors, hair-raising crises, temporary panics and so on, but not incapacitating terminal meltdown. Why? It stands to reason that they must remain operational for at least the early stages of the Tribulation period.
That said, collapses of lesser types have occurred and can occur any time. In fact, this has been the normal course of history. Some nations have risen in power; others have fallen or been overturned. There have been recessions, even world-shaking depressions (as in the 1930s), and countless currency crises and individual country disasters.
Yet, the world’s systems, though battered, were patched together only to advance to a more heightened state of globalization. It does not counter Scripture nor violate the immediacy of Christ’s return to conclude that this pattern will continue. Even should the U.S. experience near calamitous conditions, an analytical argument can be made to support this view.
As anticipated at the outset, our conclusions are likely to disappoint some readers. We can provide no assurance that individuals or specific countries such as the United States might face even tougher times ahead. Yet, such a conclusion is entirely in alignment with Scripture, for we are counseled to place our entire hope in our Lord. That does not mean that we are to abdicate common sense or any responsibilities of stewardship, but simply not to fear other things more than God. “[…] do not fear what they fear, and do not dread it. The LORD Almighty is the one you are to regard as holy, he is the one you are to fear, he is the one you are to dread, and he will be a sanctuary […]” (Isaiah 8:12-14).
Notes
{1} Walter Russell Mead, biographical information. Wikipedia. Accessed Sept. 2, 2008.
{2} Walter Russell Mead, The New Israel and the Old: Why Gentile Americans Back the Jewish State. Foreign Affairs, Volume 87 No. 4, July/August 2008.
There is real fear that a global financial meltdown might yet ensue that will thrust the entire world back in the Dark Ages. Could this happen? In North America, such fears are understandable. The “perfect storm” of falling real estate and financial asset prices, higher energy prices (though now again crashing), the high debt-servicing costs of many households due to over-indebtedness, and now an economic slowdown compounded by a reluctance to lend, has the doomsayers in full bloom. Indeed, housing markets are falling the fastest since the Great Depression, and more banks are expected to fail over the next several years than in that prior, infamous time.
The questions beckon: Will there yet be a total financial collapse? If so, just what will happen to America’s economic position in the world? And, surely a question on the lips of many: Is the financial security of our very households at risk?
We’ll stop with the questions and next attempt some answers. Foundational here is a premillennial perspective on global collapse. Scripture provides clear guidance on this topic. While this perspective will likely not provide the near-term reassurance that most North Americans are looking for, the Bible does not fail to provide us with reasons for an attitude of contentedness, peace as well as hope.
At the very least, we can conclude that a global financial collapse is not unfolding at present. Though it may certainly seem terrible, and that economic conditions could yet get much worse, the great big apocalyptic collapse is yet to occur in the future. We will explain.
America: What Vantage Point to Adopt?
Without a doubt, America’s current troubles “have not been sleeping” (2 Peter 2:3). These are the product of choices … those of corrupt leaders as well as households and individuals. A progressive slide toward materialism, various kinds of idolatry, and greedy lawlessness has been documented for many decades. In fact, this beginning slide was already detected by both Christian and non-Christian writers 150 years ago and more. In recent years, there have been clear warnings that any common-sense observer could have discerned for themselves. So why should there be surprise that finally the “chickens have come home to roost”?
The Bible clearly says, “Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows” (Galatians 6:7). Of course, there has been a long line of false prophets and soothsayers that have popularized the ideas that there are no consequences of revelry, “that you can eat your cake and have it, too,” and that there is no such thing as sin and wrongdoing. This message offered pleasing license to complacently rush down the broad road to the difficulties that America and the world are experiencing today. That being so, wouldn’t it be reasonable to see America’s troubles as a catalyst for the final global collapse? We argue, not at this time, for several reasons. But, to be clear, that is not to say that America could not suffer horrid economic conditions in the near future.
Explaining our perspectives further, let’s first focus on America’s perceived role in relation to recent financial calamities. Here, a number of religious persuasions interestingly color the view. For example, in Christian circles U.S. economic and financial challenges of late — deserved as they are — are commonly being seen as divine interventions or as validation of other interpretational systems of prophetic Scripture.
Some place significance in the fact that the Dow Jones Industrials stock market index fell exactly 777 points on September 29th; Or, that the massive stock market declines of October, which were greater than the infamous October of 1987, occurred exactly 21 years prior; Or, that the demise of the financial firm of Lehman Brothers (widely considered by many to have been the catalyst for the disastrous stock market crashes around the world over the following 2 months) was announced to regulators precisely 7 after the 9/11 attacks. As the number 7 is considered to be a number of divine significance in Scripture, some interpret these occurrences as more than just coincidence. It would be impossible to prove this, although there would be no harm in taking admonition from these alignments. Yet, one must wonder why God would use such subtle omens, if at all. The number 7 would be only of significance to Bible-studying Christians, in any case (and slot-machine gamblers on an upside day, rather than one of a crash). One wonders why the number 6 didn’t come up more frequently.
There are other perspectives that do not depend on numerical odds. For example, consider the Dominion Theology theorists (also called Reconstructionists), who, among other beliefs, hold that Christians will yet reform the entire world before Christ returns. They are a group gaining in influence. And, they are feeling triumphal at present. Various proponents of this view have long predicted that a global financial and economic collapse will occur. Recent financial tremors — as already mentioned, in some ways already exceeding conditions of the Great Depression of the 1930s — are taken as evidence that such predictions are finally upon the world.
The problem here is not so much that Reconstructionist predictions will not prove true eventually. It is that the Reconstructionists generally take an amillennial or post-millennial stance, and therefore are waiting for the collapse to occur so that they can seize supremacy over world systems that have proven themselves to be morally bankrupt. Not surprisingly, these theorists are known to display glee at every hint of financial crises. Are they right that the final, definitive global collapse is now underway?
Also, the lately re-proliferating offshoots of British Israelism (or Armstrongism) are also feeling strengthened in their views. Many of the organizations in this varied movement that quite prolific in disseminating their views (for example the Philadelphia Church of God, and the Living Church of God, among others). Generally, they take the view that America and other Celtic-related nations are really offshoots of the supposedly long-lost tribes of the House of Israel. These groups take differing stances on the Rapture, Historicism (the belief that some historical events during the Church Age are literal prophetic fulfillment of Bible prophecy … i.e. the identity of the 7 heads on the beast, the 10 kings, etc.) and various ordinances. Yet, their interpretation of Bible prophecy generally produces the view that all the members of the House of Israel will face a severe disciplining and weakening prior to the Tribulation and the return of Christ. This group identifies the United States as being the modern manifestation of the Manasseh branch of Ephraim (or, better described as the first son of Joseph, who was given the double portion). As such, recent financial troubles to them are further proofs of America’s prophesied decline on the world stage. Are they right?
America to Face the Same Prophecies as Israel?
In addition to the above-mentioned theological interpretations, there has been a long-running tradition for America to see itself as a modern-day parallel to old Israel, either in terms of experiences or destiny (and also including prophetic influence in the world). This already began with the early Puritans, who saw themselves as Israel going to a new land, and subduing Canaanites in the form of North American Indians. Even connected global policy analysts are aware of this. Walter Russell Mead, a member of the Council on Foreign Relations (whose father was an Episcopal priest) 1[1] recently writing in Foreign Affairs, comments:
“The United States’ sense of its own identity and mission in the world has been shaped by readings of Hebrew history and thought. […] From the time of the Puritans to the present day, preachers, thinkers, and politicians in the United States — secular as well as religious, liberal as well as conservative — have seen the Americans as a chosen people, bound together less by ties of blood than by a set of beliefs and a destiny. Americans have believed that God (or history) has brought them into a new land and made them great and rich and that their continued prosperity depends on the fulfilling their obligations toward God or the principles that have blessed them so far. Ignore these principles — turn toward the golden calf — and the scourge will come. Both religious and nonreligious Americans have looked to the Hebrew Scriptures for an example of a people set apart by their mission and called to a world-changing destiny. 2[2]”
This perspective that Mead describes is still quite strong today. Troubles and disasters — from the 9/11 attacks in 2001, the effects of Hurricane Katrina upon New Orleans, to economic troubles — are popularly seen as direct divine interventions of warning. Moreover, America’s fate is seen as either dominating or determining the fate of the world. All the same, while many may be inclined to take the perspective that Mead describes, it doesn’t provide any specific insight to the question of premillennial global collapse. Yet, all of the above views intermingle with the bated question of whether indeed a global collapse has now started.
Global Financial Apocalypse Now?
Again stating our basic view, the great global collapse (and its various subsidiary judgments) that is prophesied in the Bible is not yet unfolding at present. The Bible has the final say as to when this collapse occurs, and that is yet in the future, as we will show in detail. That said, it remains true that at this time globalism and the vulnerabilities of the world’s systems continue to build toward that ultimate outcome (and in that way could be viewed as prophetic fulfillment). But the final collapse is not yet.
Not only can this view be proven from Scripture, it can also be logically deduced. After all, a functioning global financial and trading system is essential to bring the world to the apex of the Antichrist’s reign inside the Tribulation period. As prophetic events of the Great Tribulation are yet to occur, a widespread global collapse now would be before its time. As such, we can know that a crippling and terminal global financial collapse is not going to unfold at present. But what do we make of America now?
America’s Role in Global Collapse
There are at least two other conclusions we can settle upon that are of potential interest to North Americans. For one, America and other countries facing similar difficulties — such as Britain, Spain, and Australia, to name the major ones in this group — could very well face a long phase of decline and financial hardship … even to the point of being eclipsed economically by other nations in the world. Even respected secular analysts and mainstream publications are of the opinion that this is occurring, should trends not change. Therefore, though we can be sure that the final collapse is not yet upon the world, this offers no assurance for America and other affected countries over the near-term.
But what would happen to the world if the financial systems of the afore-mentioned bloc of nations were actually to collapse, as some observers fear? Isn’t America so large and economically influential that such a development would spell certain doom for the entire world … in other words, sure to trigger the prophesied, global economic breakdown? Actually, whether the US may possess a manifest destiny or not, financial troubles on this continent do not necessarily mean that the entire world must be fated for immediate collapse.
There are some persuasive arguments supporting this view, which we will present in Part II.
Thoughts to Ponder
We have only scratched the surface of what the Bible says about the great economic collapses that lay ahead for the world during the Tribulation period. There are different types of collapse, and the consequences are yet future. For example, the judgment befalling the wealth of Babylon the Great is different than that of the deceitful trading systems of Tyre and other wealthy nations throughout history, or the more general judgments mentioned by Isaiah (Isaiah 24) that apply to all nations. There is much detail in this regard that we will yet examine. However, for now, we can draw some key conclusions.
Firstly, the world’s systems are certainly and indelibly proceeding to an endpoint. In that sense, many of the trends that we are witnessing today (globalism and globalization, for example) could be viewed as prophetic preparation, in that they play a role in the continuing process towards the ultimate and literal events that are yet to come.
Overall world financial systems will not “melt down” before their time. They may suffer tremors, hair-raising crises, temporary panics and so on, but not incapacitating terminal meltdown. Why? It stands to reason that they must remain operational for at least the early stages of the Tribulation period.
That said, collapses of lesser types have occurred and can occur any time. In fact, this has been the normal course of history. Some nations have risen in power; others have fallen or been overturned. There have been recessions, even world-shaking depressions (as in the 1930s), and countless currency crises and individual country disasters.
Yet, the world’s systems, though battered, were patched together only to advance to a more heightened state of globalization. It does not counter Scripture nor violate the immediacy of Christ’s return to conclude that this pattern will continue. Even should the U.S. experience near calamitous conditions, an analytical argument can be made to support this view.
As anticipated at the outset, our conclusions are likely to disappoint some readers. We can provide no assurance that individuals or specific countries such as the United States might face even tougher times ahead. Yet, such a conclusion is entirely in alignment with Scripture, for we are counseled to place our entire hope in our Lord. That does not mean that we are to abdicate common sense or any responsibilities of stewardship, but simply not to fear other things more than God. “[…] do not fear what they fear, and do not dread it. The LORD Almighty is the one you are to regard as holy, he is the one you are to fear, he is the one you are to dread, and he will be a sanctuary […]” (Isaiah 8:12-14).
Notes
{1} Walter Russell Mead, biographical information. Wikipedia. Accessed Sept. 2, 2008.
{2} Walter Russell Mead, The New Israel and the Old: Why Gentile Americans Back the Jewish State. Foreign Affairs, Volume 87 No. 4, July/August 2008.
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
To Fear Or Not To Fear?
The week following this 2008 presidential election has left many feeling as if they have just walked through a cold mortuary filled with the post mortem remains of a once beautiful and blessed America. I’ve seen the solemn expressions of prophecy teachers and anointed preachers who have spoken since the election. I’ve seen the down cast faces of faithful believers who have passionately prayed for the healing and redemption of this nation. Many are disheartened and may even feel as if God has not heard their prayers.
David Wilkerson wrote in his book, God’s Plan To Protect His People In The Coming Depression that “Every serious follower of Christ has to realize America deserves the full fury of God’s wrath”. History is filled with examples of God’s judgment upon wicked nations. With the election of Obama, Christians in America see the ‘writing on the wall’ and know that God’s judgment on America is right at hand.
I do believe that America is about to be judged. However, God wants to remind His children that He is still on the throne. Billy Graham once made the statement “God is unchanging in His love. He loves you. He has a plan for your life. Don’t let the newspaper headlines frighten you. God is still sovereign; He’s still on the throne.” God has not changed. Hebrews 13:8 “Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and today, and forever.” Malachi 3:6 “For I am the Lord, I change not.” None of the events of this old sinful world has taken God by surprise.
Multitudes of people are making preparations because they expect hard times are on the way--storing food and water; buying guns and ammunitions, etc. What preparations, if any, should we as Christians be making? Christians should be preparing their hearts. In Luke 21:28, Jesus tells the disciples “...then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh”. If you’re a backslidden Christian or if your love for Jesus has grown cold--then beloved, it is high time to get right with God. James 4:8 “Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded.” My mother used to use the term ‘straddling the fence’ when she talked about lukewarm Christians. Brothers and sisters look around you and open your eyes. Romans 13:11 “And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed”. It’s time to get off the fence! Stand up and be the man or woman of God that He would have you be.
You can’t have peace in this world unless you have committed your all to God. I John 4:18 “There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love.” And, we know that “God is love” (I John 4:16). God’s judgment will surely fall on America, but God promises His children that we will abide under the shadow of His wing. Psalms 91:1 “He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty”.
There’s a story about a mother hen who overshadowed her baby chick with her wing during a tall grass fire. Afterwards, the farmer walked over the burnt field to assess the damage of his property. He stood still when he saw something move underneath a hen that had died in the fire. He picked up the charred wing of the mother hen and there laid her baby chick untouched by the scorching flames. What a comfort to know that you abide under the shadow of God Almighty! Years ago, during an especially trying time in my life, I prayed “Oh God are You here?” Someone had threatened my life and ridiculed my relationship with God. I thought as James and John did in Luke chapter nine, that God would rain fire on this man, but He didn’t.
I couldn’t understand why God just didn’t strike this person dead or at least put him in a coma or something. Yet, God taught me many things while I walked through that valley. God reminded me that He loved us while we were yet unlovable. God was showing mercy to this ungodly man. God didn’t take me out of the trial immediately, but He protected my life and gave me the strength to endure. One terrible, lonely night, I sat at my piano, weeping and asking God for deliverance. With tenderness and compassion, God reached down and wrapped me in His arms and gave me this song:
The Ancient of Days
Who is my Father, He’s the Ancient of Days,
To Jesus my Saviour belongs all glory and praise.
God of Creation, Lord of Salvation,
Who is my Father? He’s the Ancient of Days.
Though a host encamps around me, my heart shall not fear
For Jesus is my Saviour and He is always near.
Who is my Father, He’s the Ancient of Days,
To Jesus my Saviour belongs all glory and praise.
God of Creation, Lord of Salvation,
Who is my Father? He’s the Ancient of Days.
If earthly parents forsake me, the Lord will take me up,
The goodness of His mercy overfills my cup.
Who is my Father, He’s the Ancient of Days,
To Jesus my Saviour belongs all glory and praise.
God of Creation, Lord of Salvation,
Who is my Father? He’s the Ancient of Days.
Nothing shall separate me from the love of the Lord,
For Jesus is my portion and he is my reward.
Who is my Father, He’s the Ancient of Days,
To Jesus my Saviour belongs all glory and praise.
God of Creation, Lord of Salvation,
Who is my Father? He’s the Ancient of Days.
There is no need to fear if you are washed in the blood of the Lamb and abiding with Jesus. Isaiah 41:13 “For I the Lord thy God will hold thy right hand, saying unto thee, Fear not; I will help thee”. However, for those who refuse to turn from their wicked ways, I think the tagline for the 1986 movie The Fly can apply to you... “Be afraid, be very afraid”. Hebrews 10:31 “It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God”.
David Wilkerson wrote in his book, God’s Plan To Protect His People In The Coming Depression that “Every serious follower of Christ has to realize America deserves the full fury of God’s wrath”. History is filled with examples of God’s judgment upon wicked nations. With the election of Obama, Christians in America see the ‘writing on the wall’ and know that God’s judgment on America is right at hand.
I do believe that America is about to be judged. However, God wants to remind His children that He is still on the throne. Billy Graham once made the statement “God is unchanging in His love. He loves you. He has a plan for your life. Don’t let the newspaper headlines frighten you. God is still sovereign; He’s still on the throne.” God has not changed. Hebrews 13:8 “Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and today, and forever.” Malachi 3:6 “For I am the Lord, I change not.” None of the events of this old sinful world has taken God by surprise.
Multitudes of people are making preparations because they expect hard times are on the way--storing food and water; buying guns and ammunitions, etc. What preparations, if any, should we as Christians be making? Christians should be preparing their hearts. In Luke 21:28, Jesus tells the disciples “...then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh”. If you’re a backslidden Christian or if your love for Jesus has grown cold--then beloved, it is high time to get right with God. James 4:8 “Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded.” My mother used to use the term ‘straddling the fence’ when she talked about lukewarm Christians. Brothers and sisters look around you and open your eyes. Romans 13:11 “And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed”. It’s time to get off the fence! Stand up and be the man or woman of God that He would have you be.
You can’t have peace in this world unless you have committed your all to God. I John 4:18 “There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love.” And, we know that “God is love” (I John 4:16). God’s judgment will surely fall on America, but God promises His children that we will abide under the shadow of His wing. Psalms 91:1 “He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty”.
There’s a story about a mother hen who overshadowed her baby chick with her wing during a tall grass fire. Afterwards, the farmer walked over the burnt field to assess the damage of his property. He stood still when he saw something move underneath a hen that had died in the fire. He picked up the charred wing of the mother hen and there laid her baby chick untouched by the scorching flames. What a comfort to know that you abide under the shadow of God Almighty! Years ago, during an especially trying time in my life, I prayed “Oh God are You here?” Someone had threatened my life and ridiculed my relationship with God. I thought as James and John did in Luke chapter nine, that God would rain fire on this man, but He didn’t.
I couldn’t understand why God just didn’t strike this person dead or at least put him in a coma or something. Yet, God taught me many things while I walked through that valley. God reminded me that He loved us while we were yet unlovable. God was showing mercy to this ungodly man. God didn’t take me out of the trial immediately, but He protected my life and gave me the strength to endure. One terrible, lonely night, I sat at my piano, weeping and asking God for deliverance. With tenderness and compassion, God reached down and wrapped me in His arms and gave me this song:
The Ancient of Days
Who is my Father, He’s the Ancient of Days,
To Jesus my Saviour belongs all glory and praise.
God of Creation, Lord of Salvation,
Who is my Father? He’s the Ancient of Days.
Though a host encamps around me, my heart shall not fear
For Jesus is my Saviour and He is always near.
Who is my Father, He’s the Ancient of Days,
To Jesus my Saviour belongs all glory and praise.
God of Creation, Lord of Salvation,
Who is my Father? He’s the Ancient of Days.
If earthly parents forsake me, the Lord will take me up,
The goodness of His mercy overfills my cup.
Who is my Father, He’s the Ancient of Days,
To Jesus my Saviour belongs all glory and praise.
God of Creation, Lord of Salvation,
Who is my Father? He’s the Ancient of Days.
Nothing shall separate me from the love of the Lord,
For Jesus is my portion and he is my reward.
Who is my Father, He’s the Ancient of Days,
To Jesus my Saviour belongs all glory and praise.
God of Creation, Lord of Salvation,
Who is my Father? He’s the Ancient of Days.
There is no need to fear if you are washed in the blood of the Lamb and abiding with Jesus. Isaiah 41:13 “For I the Lord thy God will hold thy right hand, saying unto thee, Fear not; I will help thee”. However, for those who refuse to turn from their wicked ways, I think the tagline for the 1986 movie The Fly can apply to you... “Be afraid, be very afraid”. Hebrews 10:31 “It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God”.
Monday, November 17, 2008
What Time Is It?
It is Possible that all of the End Times prophecies including the 2nd Coming could be fulfilled as early as 2018. This is base on the Lord’s promise that the generation being born at the time of the first End Times signs would still be alive when “all these things have happened” (Matt. 24:34) Most scholars view the re-birth of Israel in 1948 as the first of the end times signs. With an average lifespan being 70 years, according to Psalm 90:10, everything will have to come to pass by 2018. If the Rapture only just precedes the 70th Week of Daniel it could come 7 years earlier, in 2011, which is 2 ½ years from now, about half way through Mr. Obama’s first term, assuming the election stands.
So here’s how to tell if he’ll become the anti-Christ or not. If it seems like he can do no wrong, if people feel safe and it’s beginning to look like there’ll be peace in our time, then there’s a good chance he’s the one. But if Gerald Celente’s predictions are coming to pass, and the world’s in worse shape than ever, then he’s just another Jimmy Carter, an inexperienced outsider who had no business running for president in the first place, let alone being elected.
Time will tell, but either way we can look for some difficult days ahead for the Church. Because either way we are in the final phase of post Christian America and can expect the world around us to become more and more anti-Christian. And if the economy continues to self-destruct it will be just that much worse.
But whether Mr. Obama turns out to be the anti-Christ or not is really irrelevant to the Church. Our job in the short time we have left is to get ready to move to our new home. That means breaking our ties with the old one. Anything that can’t be put to kingdom use is excess baggage to us now. We should be sending whatever treasure we have up ahead. We should stop worrying about our career, our retirement fund, our lifestyle, and all those other worldly distractions and put all our resources to work for the benefit of our next life. After all it’s the real one. And one way or the other, this one is already gone.
Whether you believe in a pre-trib rapture or not you know my advice is sound. After all I’m not just making this up. Everything I ‘ve been saying is straight from the Lord’s own mouth. He’s the one who said to quit storing up treasure on Earth where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal. He’s the one who said to store up treasure in Heaven instead. (Matt. 6:19-20) And He’s the one who said not to worry about our lives here but seek first His Kingdom and His righteousness and he’ll provide all our needs. (Matt. 6:31-34) So whether you think we’re leaving here soon or not, it’s time to pay attention to what He’s been telling us. No matter how much time you think we have, you can almost hear the footsteps of the Messiah.
So here’s how to tell if he’ll become the anti-Christ or not. If it seems like he can do no wrong, if people feel safe and it’s beginning to look like there’ll be peace in our time, then there’s a good chance he’s the one. But if Gerald Celente’s predictions are coming to pass, and the world’s in worse shape than ever, then he’s just another Jimmy Carter, an inexperienced outsider who had no business running for president in the first place, let alone being elected.
Time will tell, but either way we can look for some difficult days ahead for the Church. Because either way we are in the final phase of post Christian America and can expect the world around us to become more and more anti-Christian. And if the economy continues to self-destruct it will be just that much worse.
But whether Mr. Obama turns out to be the anti-Christ or not is really irrelevant to the Church. Our job in the short time we have left is to get ready to move to our new home. That means breaking our ties with the old one. Anything that can’t be put to kingdom use is excess baggage to us now. We should be sending whatever treasure we have up ahead. We should stop worrying about our career, our retirement fund, our lifestyle, and all those other worldly distractions and put all our resources to work for the benefit of our next life. After all it’s the real one. And one way or the other, this one is already gone.
Whether you believe in a pre-trib rapture or not you know my advice is sound. After all I’m not just making this up. Everything I ‘ve been saying is straight from the Lord’s own mouth. He’s the one who said to quit storing up treasure on Earth where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal. He’s the one who said to store up treasure in Heaven instead. (Matt. 6:19-20) And He’s the one who said not to worry about our lives here but seek first His Kingdom and His righteousness and he’ll provide all our needs. (Matt. 6:31-34) So whether you think we’re leaving here soon or not, it’s time to pay attention to what He’s been telling us. No matter how much time you think we have, you can almost hear the footsteps of the Messiah.
Friday, November 14, 2008
This Is the Way..."In God We Trust"
Like many Americans, almost all of my life I have carried coins in my pocket. These small pieces of metal make a statement about trust. No, it's not trust in a bank or in what else lies in our pockets! For our readers who may not know or have forgotten, the statement engraved on American coins is just four simple words with profound ramifications, "In God We Trust."
Of course, the economic crisis is affecting nations around the world, not just the United States. Perhaps more than ever, at least in my lifetime, we are being dynamically challenged to turn our attention from what lies in our pockets to what lies in our hearts regarding the source of our ultimate provisions.
Long ago, the firebrand of the American Revolution, Thomas Paine, spoke of the times that he lived in as "the times that try men's souls." While Paine was talking about 1775, his words are still true today!
Time to talk!
Many of us see our financial retirement portfolios evaporating. Others are experiencing a job loss or a cutback in hours. Those on fixed incomes are trying to stretch their pennies yet further, but there may be nothing left to stretch or squeeze. These are amazing times in which we live! It is time to talk! And frankly there is nothing better to talk about than God's promises of a stable mooring in unsettled times.
Long ago, God offered certain promises to a people if they would honor Him and place Him first in their minds and hearts.
He told the newly established nation of Israel, "Now it shall come to pass, if you diligently obey the voice of the LORD your God, to observe carefully all His commandments which I command you today, that the LORD your God will set you high above all nations of the earth. And all these blessings shall come upon you and overtake you, because you obey the voice of the LORD your God: Blessed shall you in be in the city, and blessed shall you be in the country" (Deuteronomy 28:1-3).
The people of Israel were granted the privilege of collectively living out "In God We Trust." And God did bless ancient Israel ! But the people of Israel do not have a monopoly on God's attention. God honors all individuals, families and nations who honor Him. It is noteworthy that God states the blessings would "overtake you," indicating when God wants to bless you, there is no way of running away from His blessings.
A tale of two cities
Now, fast-forward to our time. The United States has been a "land of milk and honey." But now, why this dramatic turn of events? What is it within the American personality that has brought us to this financial mess? The answer lies in understanding the conflicting pulls within the American psyche symbolized by "a tale of two cities." No! Not London and Paris as in Charles Dickens' story, but Plymouth and New York City.
Religious separatists settled Plymouth as a religious haven devoted to the worship of God. On the other hand, New York (New Amsterdam) was founded as a gateway to trade, finance and pleasure.
Since those early times, America has always had a dual personality with conflicting drives. Amazingly, these opposite poles of spiritual heart and precious metal come together in American coins imprinted with "In God We Trust." The question is, which is more real? What we hold in our hands or what is imprinted in our hearts?
Today, we find America increasingly turning away from the values of the Scriptures. Unfortunately, the Ten Commandments have become the "Ten Suggestions" for far too many. Increasingly this God-blessed birthright nation has moved away from a society with freedom of religion to an increasingly sad country with freedom from religion. Thus, its moral fabric has weakened.
Rather than people living before their God and living within their means, we have chosen New York over Plymouth as a national model.
Let's realize for every cause there is an effect. We read in Deuteronomy 28:43-44 how a blessed nation that turns from its God-given birthright would have foreigners lending to them, and "he shall be the head, and you shall be the tail." Did I hear China?
What is made plain from the biblical record is that when God either withdraws His blessings or punishes a system that confronts Him, it can happen overnight. Revelation 18:10, 17, 19 mentions three times how the final culmination of the Babylonian system headed by "the beast" is going to fall in "one hour."
Much of this same chapter is devoted to describing the mercantile and voracious financial habits of this system opposed to God. It describes how those invested in this corrupt regime will weep over its demise and wonder how this could have happened.
Verse 17 chillingly describes how "in one hour such great riches came to nothing." Such words, right now, are almost too close to home, aren't they? But it shows how quickly matters can change (the implication of those words, "one hour").
No spiritual golden parachutes
What is equally loud in the Scriptures is the fact that God has not chosen to fully isolate His followers from this world. In His final prayer on the night of His betrayal, Christ plainly spoke these words: "I do not pray that You should take them out of this world, but that You should keep them from the evil one" (John 17:15).
What? No offer of a spiritual golden parachute from the ills of this corruptive society? Scripture reminds us of a different reality. The faithful patriarchs of Genesis had to endure famine and be on the move. The children of Israel went through the first three plagues visited upon Egypt. The apostolic Church of Jerusalem suffered from famine alongside their Jewish countrymen. Each in turn had to learn "In God We Trust."
Each generation of covenant people has to learn to pray for their "daily bread" (Matthew 6:11). Each generation of faith-driven folk has to come to grips with whether their riches are in God or in treasure they have laid up for themselves. Jesus advised that "he who lays up treasure for himself...is not rich toward God" (Luke 12:21).
The psalmist David makes a powerful observation regarding those who honor God and have "In God We Trust" embedded in their hearts and not only on the coins in their pocket. David comments, "The steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD, and He delights in his way. Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down; for the LORD upholds him with His hand. I have been young, and now am old; yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his descendants begging bread" (Psalm 37:23-25).
Please notice that David didn't say "begging for steak," but for bread. In other words, our basic life needs would be provided. This is the same David, who in utmost confidence, declared, "The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not want" (Psalm 23:1). He knew even in calamitous times that He was never alone or forgotten.
How's your faith temperature doing right now with so much stirring in this boiling cauldron of global financial insecurity?
Taking a "faith check"
Let's take a "faith check" by squarely facing the words of the greatest Shepherd of all. Jesus challenges and comforts us at the same time in Matthew 6:25-33:
"Do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? Which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature? So why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin and yet I say to you that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.
"Now if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? Therefore do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things.
"But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble."
When I mention a faith check, that doesn't mean that we will simply passively sit back and do nothing. Of course not! God helps those who help themselves. Neither does that mean that, as we are confronted with challenging circumstances, our knees won't be shaking. That's natural. But there is a difference between having shaky knees and a shaky heart. Because it is in such times we discover whether "In God We Trust" is simply engraved on our coins or etched into our character.
Oh yes, we have every privilege to be concerned and to responsibly respond where and as we can, but we have no God-given responsibility to be worried. That is homegrown down here below!
Herbert Lockyer dissects worry best when he says, "Worry produces doubt in a threefold direction. 1) God's love is doubted. Worry implies that He cares little for His blood-washed children. 2) God's wisdom is doubted. Worry indicates that He is not able to plan for His own, that He does not know what is best for them who belong to Him. 3) God's power is doubted. Worry says His grace is not sufficient for our needs."
Is your spiritual stock on the rise?
As the global markets turn and churn, please understand one thing. You are not lost in this picture and God knows right where you are. In fact, your stock may be on the rise. While our financial portfolios may shrink, it has given all of us an opportunity to raise our spiritual portfolios by dealing in the currency of faith underlined in the reality that indeed "In God We Trust." Yes, it has been a time for all of us to go back to basics and consider the foundation upon which we invest.
It is the words of David that offer us guidance on that path laid before us of "This is the way, walk in it" (Isaiah 30:21). He simply put it this way in Psalm 37:3: "Trust in the LORD, and do good; dwell in the land, and feed on His faithfulness." If you wanted to abbreviate it and put it on a coin, you might just say, "In God We Trust." Better still—etch it in your heart.
Of course, the economic crisis is affecting nations around the world, not just the United States. Perhaps more than ever, at least in my lifetime, we are being dynamically challenged to turn our attention from what lies in our pockets to what lies in our hearts regarding the source of our ultimate provisions.
Long ago, the firebrand of the American Revolution, Thomas Paine, spoke of the times that he lived in as "the times that try men's souls." While Paine was talking about 1775, his words are still true today!
Time to talk!
Many of us see our financial retirement portfolios evaporating. Others are experiencing a job loss or a cutback in hours. Those on fixed incomes are trying to stretch their pennies yet further, but there may be nothing left to stretch or squeeze. These are amazing times in which we live! It is time to talk! And frankly there is nothing better to talk about than God's promises of a stable mooring in unsettled times.
Long ago, God offered certain promises to a people if they would honor Him and place Him first in their minds and hearts.
He told the newly established nation of Israel, "Now it shall come to pass, if you diligently obey the voice of the LORD your God, to observe carefully all His commandments which I command you today, that the LORD your God will set you high above all nations of the earth. And all these blessings shall come upon you and overtake you, because you obey the voice of the LORD your God: Blessed shall you in be in the city, and blessed shall you be in the country" (Deuteronomy 28:1-3).
The people of Israel were granted the privilege of collectively living out "In God We Trust." And God did bless ancient Israel ! But the people of Israel do not have a monopoly on God's attention. God honors all individuals, families and nations who honor Him. It is noteworthy that God states the blessings would "overtake you," indicating when God wants to bless you, there is no way of running away from His blessings.
A tale of two cities
Now, fast-forward to our time. The United States has been a "land of milk and honey." But now, why this dramatic turn of events? What is it within the American personality that has brought us to this financial mess? The answer lies in understanding the conflicting pulls within the American psyche symbolized by "a tale of two cities." No! Not London and Paris as in Charles Dickens' story, but Plymouth and New York City.
Religious separatists settled Plymouth as a religious haven devoted to the worship of God. On the other hand, New York (New Amsterdam) was founded as a gateway to trade, finance and pleasure.
Since those early times, America has always had a dual personality with conflicting drives. Amazingly, these opposite poles of spiritual heart and precious metal come together in American coins imprinted with "In God We Trust." The question is, which is more real? What we hold in our hands or what is imprinted in our hearts?
Today, we find America increasingly turning away from the values of the Scriptures. Unfortunately, the Ten Commandments have become the "Ten Suggestions" for far too many. Increasingly this God-blessed birthright nation has moved away from a society with freedom of religion to an increasingly sad country with freedom from religion. Thus, its moral fabric has weakened.
Rather than people living before their God and living within their means, we have chosen New York over Plymouth as a national model.
Let's realize for every cause there is an effect. We read in Deuteronomy 28:43-44 how a blessed nation that turns from its God-given birthright would have foreigners lending to them, and "he shall be the head, and you shall be the tail." Did I hear China?
What is made plain from the biblical record is that when God either withdraws His blessings or punishes a system that confronts Him, it can happen overnight. Revelation 18:10, 17, 19 mentions three times how the final culmination of the Babylonian system headed by "the beast" is going to fall in "one hour."
Much of this same chapter is devoted to describing the mercantile and voracious financial habits of this system opposed to God. It describes how those invested in this corrupt regime will weep over its demise and wonder how this could have happened.
Verse 17 chillingly describes how "in one hour such great riches came to nothing." Such words, right now, are almost too close to home, aren't they? But it shows how quickly matters can change (the implication of those words, "one hour").
No spiritual golden parachutes
What is equally loud in the Scriptures is the fact that God has not chosen to fully isolate His followers from this world. In His final prayer on the night of His betrayal, Christ plainly spoke these words: "I do not pray that You should take them out of this world, but that You should keep them from the evil one" (John 17:15).
What? No offer of a spiritual golden parachute from the ills of this corruptive society? Scripture reminds us of a different reality. The faithful patriarchs of Genesis had to endure famine and be on the move. The children of Israel went through the first three plagues visited upon Egypt. The apostolic Church of Jerusalem suffered from famine alongside their Jewish countrymen. Each in turn had to learn "In God We Trust."
Each generation of covenant people has to learn to pray for their "daily bread" (Matthew 6:11). Each generation of faith-driven folk has to come to grips with whether their riches are in God or in treasure they have laid up for themselves. Jesus advised that "he who lays up treasure for himself...is not rich toward God" (Luke 12:21).
The psalmist David makes a powerful observation regarding those who honor God and have "In God We Trust" embedded in their hearts and not only on the coins in their pocket. David comments, "The steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD, and He delights in his way. Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down; for the LORD upholds him with His hand. I have been young, and now am old; yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his descendants begging bread" (Psalm 37:23-25).
Please notice that David didn't say "begging for steak," but for bread. In other words, our basic life needs would be provided. This is the same David, who in utmost confidence, declared, "The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not want" (Psalm 23:1). He knew even in calamitous times that He was never alone or forgotten.
How's your faith temperature doing right now with so much stirring in this boiling cauldron of global financial insecurity?
Taking a "faith check"
Let's take a "faith check" by squarely facing the words of the greatest Shepherd of all. Jesus challenges and comforts us at the same time in Matthew 6:25-33:
"Do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? Which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature? So why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin and yet I say to you that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.
"Now if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? Therefore do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things.
"But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble."
When I mention a faith check, that doesn't mean that we will simply passively sit back and do nothing. Of course not! God helps those who help themselves. Neither does that mean that, as we are confronted with challenging circumstances, our knees won't be shaking. That's natural. But there is a difference between having shaky knees and a shaky heart. Because it is in such times we discover whether "In God We Trust" is simply engraved on our coins or etched into our character.
Oh yes, we have every privilege to be concerned and to responsibly respond where and as we can, but we have no God-given responsibility to be worried. That is homegrown down here below!
Herbert Lockyer dissects worry best when he says, "Worry produces doubt in a threefold direction. 1) God's love is doubted. Worry implies that He cares little for His blood-washed children. 2) God's wisdom is doubted. Worry indicates that He is not able to plan for His own, that He does not know what is best for them who belong to Him. 3) God's power is doubted. Worry says His grace is not sufficient for our needs."
Is your spiritual stock on the rise?
As the global markets turn and churn, please understand one thing. You are not lost in this picture and God knows right where you are. In fact, your stock may be on the rise. While our financial portfolios may shrink, it has given all of us an opportunity to raise our spiritual portfolios by dealing in the currency of faith underlined in the reality that indeed "In God We Trust." Yes, it has been a time for all of us to go back to basics and consider the foundation upon which we invest.
It is the words of David that offer us guidance on that path laid before us of "This is the way, walk in it" (Isaiah 30:21). He simply put it this way in Psalm 37:3: "Trust in the LORD, and do good; dwell in the land, and feed on His faithfulness." If you wanted to abbreviate it and put it on a coin, you might just say, "In God We Trust." Better still—etch it in your heart.
Thursday, November 13, 2008
Ex-Hitler youth's warning to America
'Every day brings this nation closer to Nazi-style totalitarian abyss'
WASHINGTON – Because it has abandoned moral absolutes and its historic Christian faith, the U.S. is moving closer to a Nazi-style totalitarianism, warns a former German member of the Hitler Youth in a new book.
"Every day brings this nation closer to a Nazi-style totalitarian abyss," writes Hilmar von Campe, now a U.S. citizen, and author of "Defeating the Totalitarian Lie: A Former Hitler Youth Warns America."
Von Campe has founded the national Institute for Truth and Freedom to fight for a return to constitutional government in the U.S. – a key, he believes, to keeping America free.
"I lived the Nazi nightmare, and, as the old saying goes, 'A man with an experience is never at the mercy of a man with an argument,'" writes von Campe. "Everything I write is based on my personal experience in Nazi Germany. There is nothing theoretical about my description of what happens when a nation throws God out of government and society, and Christians become religious bystanders. I don't want to see a repetition. The role of God in human society is the decisive issue for this generation. My writing is part of my life of restitution for the crimes of a godless government, of the evil of which I was a part."
Von Campe grew up under the Nazis, served in the Hitler Youth and fought against the Red Army in the Yugoslavian theater as a tank gunner in the German army. He was captured at the end of the war and escaped five months later from a prisoner of war camp in Communist Yugoslavia.
"It took me a long time to understand and define the nature of National Socialism," says von Campe. "And, unfortunately, their philosophy continues to flourish under different labels remaining a menace to America and free human society."
He writes: "The most painful part of defining National Socialism was to recognize my own moral responsibility for the Nazi disaster and their crimes against humanity. It boiled down to accepting the truth that 'as I am, so is my nation,' and realizing that if every German was like me, it was no wonder that the nation became a cesspool of gangsters. This realization is as valid today for any person in any nation as it was then, and it is true for America and every American now."
Von Campe's message is that political freedom and democratic rules alone are not sufficient to govern humanity justly.
"Democratic procedures can be subverted and dishonest politicians are like sand in the gearbox, abundant, everywhere and destructive," he writes. "What I see in America today is people painting their cabins while the ship goes down. Today in America we are witnessing a repeat performance of the tragedy of 1933 when an entire nation let itself be led like a lamb to the Socialist slaughterhouse. This time, the end of freedom is inevitable unless America rises to her mission and destiny."
Von Campe says he sees spiritual parallels among Americans and his childhood Germany.
"The silence from our pulpits regarding the moral collapse of American society from within is not very different from the silence that echoed from the pulpits in Germany toward Nazi policies," he explains. "Our family lived through the Nazi years in Germany, an experience typical of millions of Europeans regardless of what side they were on. We paid a high price for the moral perversions of a German government, which excluded God and His Commandments from their policies. America must not continue following the same path to destruction, but instead heed the lessons of history and the warning I am giving."
Specifically, von Campe warns Americans their political leaders are on the wrong footing, "denying our cultural and traditional roots based on our unique Constitution and Christian orientation as a nation. Christians don't understand their mission."
WASHINGTON – Because it has abandoned moral absolutes and its historic Christian faith, the U.S. is moving closer to a Nazi-style totalitarianism, warns a former German member of the Hitler Youth in a new book.
"Every day brings this nation closer to a Nazi-style totalitarian abyss," writes Hilmar von Campe, now a U.S. citizen, and author of "Defeating the Totalitarian Lie: A Former Hitler Youth Warns America."
Von Campe has founded the national Institute for Truth and Freedom to fight for a return to constitutional government in the U.S. – a key, he believes, to keeping America free.
"I lived the Nazi nightmare, and, as the old saying goes, 'A man with an experience is never at the mercy of a man with an argument,'" writes von Campe. "Everything I write is based on my personal experience in Nazi Germany. There is nothing theoretical about my description of what happens when a nation throws God out of government and society, and Christians become religious bystanders. I don't want to see a repetition. The role of God in human society is the decisive issue for this generation. My writing is part of my life of restitution for the crimes of a godless government, of the evil of which I was a part."
Von Campe grew up under the Nazis, served in the Hitler Youth and fought against the Red Army in the Yugoslavian theater as a tank gunner in the German army. He was captured at the end of the war and escaped five months later from a prisoner of war camp in Communist Yugoslavia.
"It took me a long time to understand and define the nature of National Socialism," says von Campe. "And, unfortunately, their philosophy continues to flourish under different labels remaining a menace to America and free human society."
He writes: "The most painful part of defining National Socialism was to recognize my own moral responsibility for the Nazi disaster and their crimes against humanity. It boiled down to accepting the truth that 'as I am, so is my nation,' and realizing that if every German was like me, it was no wonder that the nation became a cesspool of gangsters. This realization is as valid today for any person in any nation as it was then, and it is true for America and every American now."
Von Campe's message is that political freedom and democratic rules alone are not sufficient to govern humanity justly.
"Democratic procedures can be subverted and dishonest politicians are like sand in the gearbox, abundant, everywhere and destructive," he writes. "What I see in America today is people painting their cabins while the ship goes down. Today in America we are witnessing a repeat performance of the tragedy of 1933 when an entire nation let itself be led like a lamb to the Socialist slaughterhouse. This time, the end of freedom is inevitable unless America rises to her mission and destiny."
Von Campe says he sees spiritual parallels among Americans and his childhood Germany.
"The silence from our pulpits regarding the moral collapse of American society from within is not very different from the silence that echoed from the pulpits in Germany toward Nazi policies," he explains. "Our family lived through the Nazi years in Germany, an experience typical of millions of Europeans regardless of what side they were on. We paid a high price for the moral perversions of a German government, which excluded God and His Commandments from their policies. America must not continue following the same path to destruction, but instead heed the lessons of history and the warning I am giving."
Specifically, von Campe warns Americans their political leaders are on the wrong footing, "denying our cultural and traditional roots based on our unique Constitution and Christian orientation as a nation. Christians don't understand their mission."
Wednesday, November 12, 2008
Georgia congressman warns of Obama dictatorship
WASHINGTON (AP) — A Republican congressman from Georgia said Monday he fears that President-elect Obama will establish a Gestapo-like security force to impose a Marxist or fascist dictatorship.
"It may sound a bit crazy and off base, but the thing is, he's the one who proposed this national security force," Rep. Paul Broun said of Obama in an interview Monday with The Associated Press. "I'm just trying to bring attention to the fact that we may — may not, I hope not — but we may have a problem with that type of philosophy of radical socialism or Marxism."
Broun cited a July speech by Obama that has circulated on the Internet in which the then-Democratic presidential candidate called for a civilian force to take some of the national security burden off the military.
"That's exactly what Hitler did in Nazi Germany and it's exactly what the Soviet Union did," Broun said. "When he's proposing to have a national security force that's answering to him, that is as strong as the U.S. military, he's showing me signs of being Marxist."
Obama's comments about a national security force came during a speech in Colorado about building a new civil service corps. Among other things, he called for expanding the nation's foreign service and doubling the size of the Peace Corps "to renew our diplomacy."
"We cannot continue to rely only on our military in order to achieve the national security objectives that we've set," Obama said in July. "We've got to have a civilian national security force that's just as powerful, just as strong, just as well-funded."
Broun said he also believes Obama likely will move to ban gun ownership if he does build a national police force.
Obama has said he respects the Second Amendment right to bear arms and favors "common sense" gun laws. Gun rights advocates interpret that as meaning he'll at least enact curbs on ownership of assault weapons and concealed weapons. As an Illinois state lawmaker, Obama supported a ban on semiautomatic weapons and tighter restrictions on firearms generally.
"We can't be lulled into complacency," Broun said. "You have to remember that Adolf Hitler was elected in a democratic Germany. I'm not comparing him to Adolf Hitler. What I'm saying is there is the potential."
Obama's transition office did not respond immediately to Broun's remarks.
Do you think this could happen? Let me hear your thoughts.....
"It may sound a bit crazy and off base, but the thing is, he's the one who proposed this national security force," Rep. Paul Broun said of Obama in an interview Monday with The Associated Press. "I'm just trying to bring attention to the fact that we may — may not, I hope not — but we may have a problem with that type of philosophy of radical socialism or Marxism."
Broun cited a July speech by Obama that has circulated on the Internet in which the then-Democratic presidential candidate called for a civilian force to take some of the national security burden off the military.
"That's exactly what Hitler did in Nazi Germany and it's exactly what the Soviet Union did," Broun said. "When he's proposing to have a national security force that's answering to him, that is as strong as the U.S. military, he's showing me signs of being Marxist."
Obama's comments about a national security force came during a speech in Colorado about building a new civil service corps. Among other things, he called for expanding the nation's foreign service and doubling the size of the Peace Corps "to renew our diplomacy."
"We cannot continue to rely only on our military in order to achieve the national security objectives that we've set," Obama said in July. "We've got to have a civilian national security force that's just as powerful, just as strong, just as well-funded."
Broun said he also believes Obama likely will move to ban gun ownership if he does build a national police force.
Obama has said he respects the Second Amendment right to bear arms and favors "common sense" gun laws. Gun rights advocates interpret that as meaning he'll at least enact curbs on ownership of assault weapons and concealed weapons. As an Illinois state lawmaker, Obama supported a ban on semiautomatic weapons and tighter restrictions on firearms generally.
"We can't be lulled into complacency," Broun said. "You have to remember that Adolf Hitler was elected in a democratic Germany. I'm not comparing him to Adolf Hitler. What I'm saying is there is the potential."
Obama's transition office did not respond immediately to Broun's remarks.
Do you think this could happen? Let me hear your thoughts.....
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
Compromising With Morality
Even more serious and dangerous than our financial shortcomings is the American attitude of compromise toward sexual morality.
A recent long feature article in The Atlantic stated that "polls show that Americans are almost evenly divided on questions like whether porn is bad for relationships, whether it's an inevitable feature of male existence, and whether it's demeaning to women" (Ross Douthat, "Is Pornography Adultery?" October 2008).
Rather than viewing porn stars as tragic figures earning their money from illicit sex, they are often accorded minor celebrity status. U.S. porn revenue exceeds the combined revenues of ABC, CBS and NBC. Do we see how far we have descended downwards in the way we view God's law against adultery and fornication?
The Atlantic article also observed that "most Americans, devout or secular, are inclined to distinguish lustful thoughts from lustful actions…Intercourse, after all, involves physicality, a flesh and blood encounter that the Internet Explorer and the DVD player can't provide, no matter what sort of adultery the user happens to be committing in his heart."
Yet Jesus Christ said in the Sermon on the Mount: "You have heard that it was said to those of old, 'You shall not commit adultery.' But I say to you that whoever looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery in his heart" (Matthew 5:27-28). To whom are we ultimately going to have to give account? Transient societal views of this world? Or Jesus Christ Himself (Romans 14:10; 2 Corinthians 5:10)?
A recent long feature article in The Atlantic stated that "polls show that Americans are almost evenly divided on questions like whether porn is bad for relationships, whether it's an inevitable feature of male existence, and whether it's demeaning to women" (Ross Douthat, "Is Pornography Adultery?" October 2008).
Rather than viewing porn stars as tragic figures earning their money from illicit sex, they are often accorded minor celebrity status. U.S. porn revenue exceeds the combined revenues of ABC, CBS and NBC. Do we see how far we have descended downwards in the way we view God's law against adultery and fornication?
The Atlantic article also observed that "most Americans, devout or secular, are inclined to distinguish lustful thoughts from lustful actions…Intercourse, after all, involves physicality, a flesh and blood encounter that the Internet Explorer and the DVD player can't provide, no matter what sort of adultery the user happens to be committing in his heart."
Yet Jesus Christ said in the Sermon on the Mount: "You have heard that it was said to those of old, 'You shall not commit adultery.' But I say to you that whoever looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery in his heart" (Matthew 5:27-28). To whom are we ultimately going to have to give account? Transient societal views of this world? Or Jesus Christ Himself (Romans 14:10; 2 Corinthians 5:10)?
Monday, November 10, 2008
Fasten Your Seatbelts
The election of Barack Obama as the United States’ 44th President has generated a great deal of interest in what possible connections he may have to Bible prophecy. I can only recall 9/11/01 as the only other time when there was such a sudden rush of traffic to our site.
The number one question being asked: Is Barack Obama the antichrist? I've received dozens of emails pointing out the odd fact that the day after the election, the daily pick-three lottery number in Obama's home state of Illinois was "6-6-6."
At this point, I think it’s unlikely that Obama will be the antichrist. The beast of Revelation will come out Europe, and he will be a man of profound political skills.
What makes Obama potentially important to the end time is not the fact that he will be the most socially liberal president in our nation’s history; I think his prophetic significance will center on how he handles our relationship with the state of Israel.
The stability of our nation in part depends on our friendship with Israel. God said to Abraham, "I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee" (Gen. 12:3). I believe much of our current economic troubles can be traced to the pressure the Bush administration has placed on Israel. The coming Obama administration doesn’t look very promising.
The Bible warns us that the day will come when Israel is standing by itself against its enemies. For decades, prophecy scholars have wondered what will cause America to become isolated from Israel. Some have wondered if it will be a Russian nuclear attack, while others have thought it might be the impact of the rapture. We can now add the possibility of political change to the list.
With the election of Obama, we have reached a point where so many key players are active on the world stage, we could now see prophecy come together at an exponential rate. Because Obama will be taking the role of the leader of the free world, one should expect the prophetic time clock to tick away at a faster rate.
It’s also important to realize that prophecy is now moving on a multi-front. While the world was fixated on the U.S. elections, I was keeping an eye on events in Russia. Vladimir Putin is said to be working on a plan that would soon put him back in the Kremlin. Putin has already formed an alliance with Arab nations that is amazingly similar to what is described in Ezekiel 38 and 39.
The global financial crisis is rapidly pushing the world towards the one-world economic system the Bible predicts. Later this month, several key nations are going to come together for another strategy summit.
I don’t mean to pick on Obama before he has even taken office. I believe we are so close to the tribulation hour, there is a good reason to be apprehensive about policies he will seek to implement. During the campaign, I thought it was strange that one man could be friends with so many people with radical political views.
Prophetic events have progressed along so far, the only real choice we had between John McCain and Barack Obama in the election was the speed at which we would choose to move towards the end. Now that America has selected the more rapid option, it's time for prophecy-minded Christians to fasten their seat belts.
I don’t see anything shocking in last week’s election. I do believe strongly that a dark demonic cloud has swept over the land, but this is how we should expect the end times to play out. And, I foresee more negative events to come. The only thing that worries me is the Christians who fail to see the danger that comes from prophecy being fulfilled in our day.
I believe we are entering a time when Christians really need to set their priorities. Your last chance to do something for the kingdom of God may be sooner than you realize.
“And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be” (Rev. 22:12).
"So likewise ye, when ye shall see all these things, know that it is near, even at the doors. Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled" (Mat. 24:33-34).
Friday, November 7, 2008
What Will the Next President Face?
In the days of biblical Israel a king had various advisers in his court to advise him how to run the nation based on the Word of God. Samuel guided Saul. Nathan counseled David. The prophet Isaiah brought God's will to Hezekiah. These men of God were independent voices representing the word of God to the king.
Imagine the next president of the United States taking office on Jan. 20. It is the first full working day for the new chief executive. What might he hear if a servant of God entered the Oval Office with an analysis of the world and America, along with recommendations from the Bible of how God would expect the president to govern? Let's imagine.
Good morning, Mr. President. Let me congratulate you on your new responsibilities and may I offer sincere wishes for your success as you take the helm of the world's wealthiest and most powerful nation. Your inaugural speech yesterday made clear your intent to maintain that position for the nation while at the same time seeking to reach out to both friend and foe to forge a bond of respect and cooperation.
You are coming into office at perhaps the most critical time in America's existence. The financial crisis of recent months is the most severe in this generation. America's relative position in the world faces the greatest challenge since the end of World War II. Iran's nuclear program could soon produce a weapon capable of destabilizing the entire Middle East. Many wonder what your administration will do to counter this threat.
Other world problems demand your attention and leadership. The security and prosperity of this nation and the maintenance of the current world order are at stake. Many voices are offering advice on the way forward. Here is an analysis and counsel from God's Word. The choice is yours as to which way you, and the nation, will go.
Global financial crisis
Your administration is inheriting a global financial crisis that comes once in a lifetime—"once in 100 years" as former Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan said. The geography of Wall Street has changed. Financial institutions such as Lehman Brothers, Bear Stearns and Merrill Lynch have gone out of business or were forced to sell themselves to other banks to keep operating.
Investors have lost billions, if not trillions of dollars as the stock market has staggered. Shortsightedness, greed and speculation in housing and real estate by buyers, sellers and lenders, which led to the subprime mortgage fiasco, resulted in a global credit crisis. Billions of dollars in loans were repackaged and sold as investments on which no one could place a true value. Loss of confidence in these items led to a precipitous drop in the stock market and to a lockdown of credit. The contagion spread around the world, creating fear and uncertainty.
The speed and ferocity of this crisis makes it far different from others of the post-World War II world. Governments and banks have had no previous experience with the scope of the shock and stresses generated by this global financial storm. America has lurched toward more government control of the financial markets while Europe has been exposed as unprepared and ill-equipped to handle the crisis.
That the epicenter of this storm has been in the West, primarily the United States, has caused the rest of the world to reassess its relationship and dependence on America. Nations like India, China and Brazil have usually been on the receiving end of advice and sometimes aid from the ruling order, led by America.
This crisis is different. New and resurgent powers such as India, Brazil and Russia can now exert a great deal of influence. They have accumulated reserves of foreign currency, having learned lessons of the past. Their foresight is helping to lessen the impact this global crisis would otherwise have had on them.
Your fellow world leaders will tell you, Mr. President, that an era is ending. The United States must realize it can no longer dictate or control global order. The time when nations and regions can be made in America's image is over. For more than two centuries America and Great Britain have fashioned the world's financial, political and cultural order.
America is still vital to the global economy with its huge market, consumer culture and technical innovation. The world economy still needs America; it is too big to let fall. But the time when it was everything to the world is coming to a close. The rest of the world will form bonds and relationships to insure their continued growth and prosperity. They see that to continue a dependence on America to call the shots puts their well-being in jeopardy. It is not the end of the world, but it is the end of a world.
What does God expect you to do? Learn this lesson. Debt is not good. Debt as a way of life will lead to a multitude of sins and social ills that will bring a nation to its knees. America has wallowed in debt to a point that is nearly unbearable. To finance homes, goods and a lifestyle people could not afford required dependence on nations like China and Saudi Arabia to buy and hold bonds, treasury notes and dollars. They financed a drunken orgy of spending that has resulted in trillions of dollars of debt, thus mortgaging future generations.
Written in the law God gave to ancient Israel is a financial principle for the ages: "The borrower is servant to the lender" (Proverbs 22:7). Sir, it is time you worked to return this nation to financial ethics based on godly principles that will insure stability and prosperity for all. The nation is on the brink of a financial slavery that will break its power. It may not be too late, but time is running out.
Relations with the Islamic world
Mr. President, your predecessor was forced to focus his foreign policy on radical Islamic terrorists. The devastating attacks on the homeland on 9/11 stunned the country into the reality of terrorist activity aimed at America. American troops were committed to action in Afghanistan and Iraq, with Iraq becoming the center of attention.
The Taliban were driven from power in Afghanistan—at least temporarily—and Saddam Hussein was deposed by invading Iraq. Massive numbers of troops, more than 12 brigades, have been occupied in Iraq. At times it looked bleak, as if America might lose this battle as guerrilla insurgencies whittled away at both Iraqi civilians and American troops. But the past two years saw a renewed surge of troops and commitment that turned the tide and stabilized the country.
While it now appears troops can begin to be withdrawn, the long-term stability of the Iraqi government will no doubt be tested by Iran, Syria and other terrorist forces. Whether the American-delivered Iraqi-style of democracy can survive in the tough neighborhood of the Middle East is yet to be seen.
This success has not been without a cost. American prestige throughout the world has suffered. Directly intervening to topple a sovereign government, no matter how brutal and corrupt that government might be, carries a cost in today's world. It has been a costly war. Billions of dollars were spent in the sands of Iraq and whether that cost was justified is as yet unproven.
And there is the human cost. Whenever the lives of young men and women are spent on foreign soil, the anguish of their loss haunts their families, as well as the communities and towns from which they came. The country has yet to tally the full cost of the wars in human terms.
You, Mr. President, will be faced with deciding how many U.S. troops to withdraw and at what speed. You will be tempted to move those troops to Afghanistan to counter an insurgent Taliban.
The pressure and need to maintain stability in this region is strong. Pakistan, the world's only nuclear-armed Islamic nation, is walking a tightrope between support for the West and radical Islamist elements that would seize control given the opportunity.
With Afghanistan and Pakistan, the United States is walking into a bed of quicksand that has devoured other armies in the past. In the 19th century Great Britain could not control the area nor could the Soviet Union in the 20th—in spite of the Soviet's commitment of 120,000 troops. Even Alexander the Great, back in the fourth century B.C., could not fully subjugate this region.
The fact is that with all its other commitments (not to mention its budget deficits), America does not have enough military resources to commit to the region to make a lasting difference. It will be a challenge to know what to do and for how long. To withdraw too many troops too soon from this mountainous region would invite disaster, something the world does not need.
And then there is Iran.
The next nuclear power?
Mr. President, you have been left unfinished business with Iran. This radical Islamic state has been actively pursuing a nuclear weapon. Its president curses the state of Israel and threatens to wipe it off the map. Among its clerical leaders runs a strong messianic belief in the end of the world and the return of the Mahdi, a mystical religious leader who supposedly will usher in a reign of Islamic peace upon the world.
Many experts believe that when Iran develops a nuclear weapon its leaders will not hesitate to use it to advance their Islamic vision. To protect themselves, Sunni Muslim states will feel the need to develop or obtain their own nuclear arsenal. The entire region would face even greater instability.
A recently completed high-level task force, chaired by two former U.S. senators, stated that this would be the "first and most pressing national security issue the next president will face."
The committee concluded that "an Islamic Republic of Iran with nuclear weapons capability would be strategically untenable. It would threaten U.S. national security, regional peace and stability, energy security, the efficacy of multilateralism, and the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) regime. While a nuclear attack is the worst-case scenario, Iran would not need to employ a nuclear arsenal to threaten U.S. interests.
"Simply obtaining the ability to quickly assemble a nuclear weapon would effectively give Iran a nuclear deterrent and drastically multiply its influence in Iraq and the region…allowing the Middle East to fall under the dominance of a radical clerical regime that supports terrorism should not be considered a viable option" ("Stopping a Nuclear Tehran," Washington Post, Oct. 23, 2008).
It seems this group even recommends building up military assets in the region to provide the option of an American or allied military strike against Iran.
Permanent solutions to the problems of the Middle East have eluded every one of your predecessors. Events will draw you as well into this unique mixture of "faith, hope and fantasy." Before you make your decision about what to do, I suggest you understand what few will admit, that the God of all the earth guides the course of nations. He alone determines the rulers of the people and the boundaries of the nations. Carefully consider the following lessons before committing to any long-term policies.
A lesson from history and prophecy
You would be wise to read the prophecies of Daniel to understand what God has in store for this region. Focus on the pride that overcomes leaders when they do not recognize the power that God holds over the course of empires and peoples. It is the cardinal sin of world leaders when they see only the raw physical power of the state and cannot discern the spiritual dimension of world affairs.
I have taken the liberty of bringing a copy of the Bible today. Let's examine it here for a few minutes. Notice what God revealed to the prophet Daniel and what the prophet said to Babylon's King Nebuchadnezzar when Babylon was at the peak of power in the Middle East. God gave the king a symbolic dream about the future that troubled his spirit, and none of his counselors could interpret it.
It was a dream of a tall image "whose splendor was excellent…and its form was awesome" (Daniel 2:31).
"This image's head was of fine gold, its chest and arms of silver, its belly and thighs of bronze, its legs of iron, its feet partly of iron and partly of clay. You watched while a stone was cut out without hands, which struck the image on its feet of iron and clay, and broke them in pieces.
"Then the iron, the clay, the bronze, the silver, and the gold were crushed together, and became like chaff from the summer threshing floors; the wind carried them away so that no trace of them was found. And the stone that struck the image became a great mountain and filled the whole earth" (Daniel 2:32-35).
Mr. President, here in a few sentences Daniel traced the outline of history from the fifth century B.C. till the time ahead of us when Christ intervenes in world affairs to establish His Kingdom throughout the earth. God gave to Daniel special understanding in geopolitics that continues to teach us today. You can learn from this book of prophecy, but only if you adopt the perspective that Daniel held.
Daniel understood three principles that wise leaders will heed. Failure to learn these lessons could be costly to your new administration.
Three lessons
Before Daniel entered Nebuchadnezzar's throne room he consulted with his three closest friends and advisers, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah, asking that they join him in seeking God's understanding of this dream (Daniel 2:17-18).
God's answer was quick and it contains three principles (verse 21).
First, God changes the times and the seasons. God has power over history and the long-term course of world events. World empires, world wars and the destiny of nations are in His control. History can only be understood from this foundational truth.
Second, God removes kings and raises up kings. No world leader occupies his or her office without the consent of God. It is not the genius of a well-run political campaign that has brought you to the Oval Office. It is not the hundreds of millions of dollars spent over the many months of campaigning that led to your electoral victory. You, sir, sit at this desk this morning because God allowed it. It was not determined by your platform, policies or charisma. Remember this and you can avoid the great all-consuming sin committed by many in high office—pride.
Third, God gives wisdom, knowledge and understanding to the wise. Seek and trust in Him, look to His Word as the foundation of knowledge, and He will give you the wisdom necessary to chart a correct course for the nation during these turbulent times.
Mr. President, the reason this nation has prospered throughout its remarkable history is because of God's direct blessing. But whether that blessing will continue is contingent upon the attitude and the behavior of the country's leaders and its citizens.
Sir, if you will listen to and obey what God says and lead your people to listen and repent too, you can be assured of God's watchful care over this country. If you will call the nation to listen to these words and understand how far the country has fallen from this knowledge, then you can lead a turnaround that could preserve the country's blessings. The choice is yours. I can only place this before you for your action.
I have more to say on this but have exceeded my allotted time. I will come again and discuss more of what lies ahead for you and the United States.
With that, the man of God leaves the Oval Office. The president sits for a moment, thinking about what he has heard. These are hard sayings and they run counter to what he has always believed about the world of power he now handles. He has many questions about the man's advice tumbling through his thoughts.
The president rises and walks out into the Rose Garden. The air is brisk and cold; the sky a clear bright blue. The wind scatters a few leaves along the walk leading from the office to the executive mansion. Before he can fully gather his thoughts about what he just heard, a voice calls from the open doorway. "Mr. President, your national security adviser is here to give you the daily briefing." He turns and walks quickly back into his office. The questions he has will have to wait for the next visit.
End of Part 1
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