Wednesday, December 31, 2008

Grieving over Gaza


When Ariel Sharon led an operation inside the Gaza Strip in 1971, that should have finished the matter of Palestinian terrorism. The Israel Defense Forces, including elite commando units, rooted-out PLO/Fatah and calm prevailed there for some time. Of course, any time in the last decades when Israel was not vigilant militarily in Gaza, chaos reigns.

Besides the military/terror threat to Israel emanating from that cesspool, there has been a steady campaign to take away Israel’s legitimacy from the area. Up until the time of the painful withdrawal of thousands of Jewish citizens in Gaza communities in 2005, it was being said that the Jews had no historical claim to the area, anyway.

Wrong. Of course.

The place is promised to the tribe of Judah eternally by our Creator. Look at a map in the back of your Bible; there you’ll see the inheritance. Samson was from Gaza. The region is part of the Land of Israel.

Needless to say, this is a laughingstock in our culture today, this idea. “Greater Israel” is an idea that has been discredited by scholars, politicians, media figures, even Christian leaders! The History Channel, newsmagazines (propaganda rags), and even Christian publications constantly attempt to marginalize Israel, in order to shrink her geographically.

Rockets are fired from Gaza every day into Israel. The world is silent. Now, Israel is forced to contemplate another venture into Gaza, into the teeth of millions of angry Muslims. Hamas now has a 16,000-man virtual army, with sophisticated equipment and 50 miles of tunnels for the carrying of ammunition and weaponry.

It is supremely ironic that Sharon himself carried out the withdrawal from Gaza over three years ago. No one knows the terrain of the country better than “The Bulldozer.” Sharon fought in all Israel’s wars and was staunchly committed to her security. Then, for reasons known only to him, it was decided that no Jew would live in Gaza; the hothouses and homes and farms would be abandoned, left to a sick enemy.

Sharon now lies in the twilight of a coma that has finally taken his 80-year-old body. He knows nothing of the chaos fostered by Hamas.

Yet Sharon, reviled by so many Jewish and Christian Zionists, rescued his people time and again before beginning his fateful premiership. His political heirs, Ehud Olmert and Tzipi Livni, have bungled Israel’s deterrent ability and now her enemies sit in the night, licking their lips in anticipation of finally defeating the “Zionist Entity.”

You know the situation must be dire when lame-ducks like Olmert and Livni mull a military operation.

But here I would caution my pro Israel friends not to judge too harshly. Even if Bibi Netanyahu wins the February elections (and indications are that he will), even the only strong leader Israel has will be tested like few can comprehend.

None of us know or understand even a little the intense international pressure brought to bear on Israeli leaders, whenever her satanic enemies threaten to wipe her out.

Notice, though, this irony that cannot be mere historical coincidence.

A decade ago, when Netanyahu was prime minister, his “equal” in the White House was none other than that good Southern Baptist boy, Bill Clinton. The latter schemed against Netanyahu for three years, harming Israel’s security and bolstering the terrorists like Hamas, Islamic Jihad, and Hezbollah. Squeezing Israel is always a favorite pastime for diplomats and the morally bankrupt leaders we’ve suffered under.

We had a strong Israeli leader paired with a weak American president.

When George Bush took office, he dealt with Sharon and Olmert, who led the disastrous expulsion from Gaza and war in Lebanon in 2006. (Of course, my premise here is predicated on the idea that Bush was a “strong” leader.)

A strong American president versus incompetence in Jerusalem.

Now that Bibi stands on the edge of the prime minister’s chair again…we have Barack Obama entering the Oval Office.

The pendulum swings again: a strong Israeli leader opposite a president who is either naïve or dangerous.

Is this coincidence, that we humans can’t get two leaders together who can finally put an end to the seemingly eternal war between the Palestinians and the Jews?

It is no coincidence. Time and again in the Bible, which is all true, God tells us that He alone will save His people. Man cannot save himself. He can only destroy himself. God will protect Israel and He doesn’t need the right combination of principled leaders in high places.

How marvelous to see yet again the intervening Hand of the Creator of the Universe. What doesn’t make sense to the world — an inability to solve the Arab-Israeli crisis — makes perfect sense to the person who understands reality, which is found in the Bible. It is as I always say: “If the Bible were true, what would you expect to see in the real world today?”

You would expect not peace or the dominionism of a Rick Warren, who believes man can usher in a glorious earth for the Messiah. You would expect chaos and strife and utter failure in the diplomatic community.

This is exactly what we see, as we grieve in a way over the mess of Gaza, but look forward to the glorious conclusion brought by the Prince of Peace, who will come with His own brand of dominionism.

Gaza will have peace, not when it is emptied of Jews, but when they return for good.

Tuesday, December 30, 2008

Satan's Doom




"How you have fallen from heaven, O morning star, son of the dawn! You have been cast down to the earth, you who once laid low the nations! You said in your heart, “I will ascend to heaven; I will raise my throne above the stars of God; I will sit enthroned on the mount of assembly, on the utmost heights of the sacred mountain? I will ascend above the tops of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High.” But you are brought down to the grave, to the depths of the pit" (Isa. 14:12-15).

The Bible provides a wealth of helpful advice to apply to our spiritual lives. Much of this instruction comes from the trials and failures of others. Paul made reference to the teaching power of the biblical examples, saying, "Now all these things happened to them as examples, and they were written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the ages have come. Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall" (1 Corinthians 10:11-12). The one thing that makes the Bible unique from all other religious texts is that God chose not to whitewash accounts of people who turned their back on Him.

Lucifer’s downfall is the greatest example of failure. Judas is another relevant example. Judas is infamous for betraying Jesus for money. We are told that he was a devil from the beginning (John 6:70), so he never was a true follower of Christ. Lucifer was created perfect, and he served God directly in His holy temple. Despite that perfect environment, he chose rebellion.

The Bible gives no time frame for when Lucifer fell and became Satan. I've never understood why so many Christian leaders seem to assume that the creation and downfall of Lucifer was within a few years of man's creation. God exists forever. To say that at some point He had a falling-out with His lead angel leaves open the possibility that this event could have occurred a very long time ago.

The judgment against Satan is at least 6,000 years ago. With the last days drawing near, Satan must realize that the vast majority of his time of being free to do his devilish work has now run out. The fact that he may only have a few more years left must constantly gnaw at his mind.



Downfall I - Satan Gets Fired

Pride caused Satan's downfall. God created him with such splendor that Lucifer looked in the mirror one day and said, "I should be running things around here." He conspired with a third of the angelic host to launch a coup against the Lord of hosts.

The Bible gives a wonderful illustration of the hopeless nature of Satan's insurrection. When he made his move, God cast him out of heaven so fast, his ejection resembled a bolt of lightning streaking across the sky. Jesus said, "I was watching Satan fall like lightning from heaven" (Luke 10:18).

Even though God cast Satan out of heaven, He did not forever ban him from re-entering the heavenly realm. The account of Job tells us that the devil is still able to enter the gates of paradise.

“One day the angels came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan also came with them. The LORD said to Satan, 'Where have you come from?’ Satan answered the LORD, ‘From roaming through the earth and going back and forth in it’" (Job 1:6-7).

What really happened is that Satan got fired. He lost his rank, beauty, power, and--most importantly--his relationship with God. The bitterness from his dismissal is likely what has transformed him into a being of pure evil.

Satan’s removal from office also came with a promise of future punishment. God, at some point, created hell and a lake of fire. The latter had the Devil’s name written on it.



Downfall II - His Fate Is Sealed at Calvary

Having lost his position in heaven, Satan took up residence on earth. Several passages describe him as the god of this world. He and the legion of fellow angels that fell with him are the driving force behind many world empires.

Satan received a temporary boost when he caused Adam and Eve to fall from grace. By polluting the world with sin, the devil thought that he had bought himself some time.

Jesus came into this world to defeat Satan, but it wasn’t clear how He would accomplish this goal. Satan knew that the arrival of the Messiah spelled trouble for him. When Christ was still a child, the devil tried to kill him. Jesus latter validated Satan’s reason for fear when He said, "now shall the prince of this world be cast out" (John 12:31).

The demons who encountered the Lord were scared out of their minds. They thought Jesus was coming to set up His kingdom and imprison them in hell. They were very direct, saying, "Let us alone; what have we to do with thee, thou Jesus of Nazareth? art thou come to destroy us? I know thee who thou art; the Holy One of God" (Luke 4:34). Other demons begged that he would not "torment' them (Mark 5:7).

Satan and his demonic underlings didn't know that the cross was God’s chosen method of redemption. One of the reasons Satan hates the cross is that he played an active role in sealing his own fate. When Jesus rose from the grave, the bondage of sin was broken and the countdown to Satan’s doom resumed.

"Which none of the princes of this world knew: for had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory" (Cor. 2:8).



Downfall III - Kicked Out of Heaven

Satan will be forcefully removed from heaven at some point during the tribulation. God will decide that the devil is no longer welcome in His presence, and He will order Michael and His angels to show him the door.

Satan’s permanent banishment from heaven does not occur until the latter part of the seven-year tribulation. It is possible that the raptured Christians will witness this eviction battle first hand. Because Satan spends most of his time accusing saints before God, it will be a joyous relief to have such an evil pest removed from heaven.

Satan will not take his eviction from heaven very well. He will go into a fit of rage and focus all his energy on causing as much death and destruction on earth as possible. Satan will know that his time is short, and that will fuel his wrath.

"And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels, And prevailed not; neither was their place found any more in heaven. And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him. And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night. And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death. Therefore rejoice, ye heavens, and ye that dwell in them. Woe to the inhabiters of the earth and of the sea! for the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time" (Rev. 12:7-12).



Downfall IV - Locked Up for 1000 Years

At the end of the tribulation, Satan will be captured by an unnamed angel and locked in the bottomless pit for 1000 years. For the first time ever, he will be subjected to personal punishment. If the bottomless pit is the same one described in Revelation 9, Satan will face a millennium of hellish conditions.

"And I saw an angel come down from heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand. And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years, And cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal upon him, that he should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years should be fulfilled: and after that he must be loosed a little season" (Rev. 20:1-3).

SSatan's mind during his 1000 years of imprisonment will be consumed with plans for what he will do to deceive the mortal nations living during the millennial reign of Christ.



Downfall V - Eternal Torment

Satan will be released from the bottomless pit at the end of the 1000-year reign of Christ. He will immediately make his final attempt to attack God. Having already failed four times, and with Bible prophecy predicting he will fall short a fifth time, a sane person would think that Satan would give up. The devil keeps trying because he is totally depraved in his thinking.

&"And when the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison, And shall go out to deceive the nations which are in the four quarters of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle: the number of whom [is] as the sand of the sea. And they went up on the breadth of the earth, and compassed the camp of the saints about, and the beloved city: and fire came down from God out of heaven, and devoured them" (Rev. 20:7-9).

Satan will be pitched into the lake of fire once the final rebellion is vanquished. The greatest murderer of all time will be tormented and humiliated for all eternity. The devil, after the Great White Throne Judgment, will be joined by billions of people who followed him in the millennial rebellion. Satan’s final insult will come when he is stripped of all of his glory, and will be left a mere shell of his former self. The difference will be so striking, all those who see Satan will marvel that he is the one who once had the power to rule over kingdoms.

"And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever" (Rev. 20:10).

&"Yet thou shalt be brought down to hell, to the sides of the pit. They that see thee shall narrowly look upon thee, and consider thee, saying, Is this the man that made the earth to tremble, that did shake kingdoms?" (Isa. 14:15-6).



Avoiding Satan's Doom

The vast majority of people have a negative view of Satan. What they don't realize is that they are doomed to share his fate unless they turn to Christ. Sin has made us all contaminated with the same corruption that afflicts the evil one./span>

The blood of Christ is the only cure that will break that bond and make us children of the Living God. Jesus said: "I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father but by me" (John 14:6).

"For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast" (Ephesians 2:8-9).

Unlike Satan, whose fate is forever sealed, we have the option of choosing Jesus as our Savior. One accomplishes this by repenting and making Christ Lord of his or her life.

"For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord" (Romans 6:23).

Monday, December 29, 2008

The World in Review

1. Canada:

Gas dipped to a four-year low across the nation. According to Calgary-based consulting firm MJ Ervin & Associates Inc., the average price of gas decreased 1.4 cents since last week. “‘I don't think in the decades of data that we’ve been looking at pump and crude prices, we’ve seen such a dramatic drop in such a short period of time ever,’ said Michael Ervin, president of MJ Ervin & Associates Inc.” (CBC News).

The country’s internal political turmoil has most likely ended and Prime Minister Steven Harper will remain in power for now, said David Wilkins, the outgoing U.S. Ambassador to Canada. Mr. Harper and his government are set to introduce a new budget when Parliament resumes on Jan. 26. (See related article: “The Great Canadian Shift”)

A new Alberta study revealed that the rate of pregnant women smokers in the province exceeds the national average, with up to a third of women developing the habit once they become pregnant. (See related article: “The Truth About Smoking”)
“The economy retreated slightly in October, giving yet another strong indication that Canada has entered a recession expected to last the better part of a year” (The Canadian Press).

2. United States:

New York Times reported that its advertising revenue dropped 20% in November. (See related news brief: “The Future of Newspaper, Magazine Industry Grows Dim”)

“The United States has fallen deeper into recession…with the number of people filing unemployment claims reaching a 26-year high and consumers cutting spending for the fifth successive month” (Reuters).

“Crude prices tumbled Wednesday following a raft of economic news that painted an ugly picture of the nation’s economy, suggesting demand for energy will continue to erode…It was the ninth straight day that crude has fallen” (Associated Press).
A recently divorced California man dressed as Santa Claus opened fire at a Christmas Eve party hosted by his former in-laws, then set the house on fire, killing nine people. He later committed suicide at his brother’s residence. (See related article: “And the Earth was Filled with Violence…”)

“Rates on 30-year fixed-rate mortgages have fallen to a record low for the second consecutive week, a month after the Federal Reserve pledged to channel billions to prop up the sinking U.S. housing market…Freddie Mac, the mortgage company, reported Wednesday that average rates on 30-year fixed-rate mortgages dropped to 5.14 percent this week, down from the previous record of 5.19 percent, set last week. The rate was the lowest since Freddie Mac's weekly mortgage rate survey began in April 1971 and the eighth week in a row of declines” (San Jose Mercury News). (See related news brief: “U.S. Housing Market Riddled With Uncertainty”)

New research published in the Journal of the American Medical Association showed that sleep deprivation could be a factor in the onset of heart attacks. According to researchers, the hours one spends sleeping protect against calcium build up, or the hardening of the arteries, thus allowing blood to move more effectively to the heart muscle.

Thiery Magon de La Villehuchet, co-founder of Access International Advisors, one of the companies that invested $1.4 billion with Bernard Madoff, the billionaire investor accused of orchestrating a $50 billion Ponzi scheme, reportedly committed suicide in his office in Manhattan. Mr. de La Villehuchet was one of many investors that lost millions in funds as a result of Mr. Madoff’s financial hoax. (See related article: “Corruption – A Worldwide Scourge Soon to End!”)

U.S. authorities arrested 39 people accused of forming part of a smuggling ring responsible for the yearly transportation of up to 200 tons of marijuana to Arizona from the Mexican state of Sinaloa since 2003. The arrests included the seizure of other drugs including cocaine and methamphetamine, and thousands of dollars in U.S. currency, firearms and stolen vehicles.

3. Mexico: Mexican authorities found eight bodies in black garbage bags in the southeastern state of Chiapas, near the Guatemalan border. Since the beginning of 2008, President Felipe Calderon has deployed thousands of troops to combat the violence as gangs routinely battle for drug routes into the United States. This year alone there have been close to 5,400 deaths—a 117% increase over last year. (See related news brief: “Police Killings Mark Increase in Mexican Drug Violence”)

4. Honduras: “Mexican drug gang violence is spilling over into neighboring Honduras, driving up murder rates as cartels fight over routes used to smuggle cocaine to the United States, a UN-backed study said on Monday…The number of homicides in Honduras jumped by one-fourth to 3,262 between January and September of 2008, including execution-style group killings committed by cartels, according to a report by the National Autonomous University of Honduras sponsored by the United Nations Development Program” (Reuters).

5. Brazil: Brazil has signed an 8.6 billion euros ($12 billion USD) defense deal with France to buy 50 helicopters and five submarines, one of which will be nuclear. French President Nicolas Sarkozy signed the deal at the end of a two-day visit to Brazil. The deal includes transfers of technology intended to help Brazil develop its own arms industry (BBC).

6. Guinea: After 24 years of rulership, President Lansana Conte died after a long illness, presumably linked to chronic diabetes and leukemia. He was 74. Hours later, a military officer appeared on television and announced that the government, the courts and the parliament had been dissolved and the “National Council for Democracy” was taking over.

7. United Kingdom:

“Public buildings in England and Wales are pumping out 11m tonnes of carbon dioxide a year, more than Kenya’s entire carbon footprint,” the Guardian revealed.

The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors predicted house prices would drop an additional 10% in 2009. This means a total of a 25% decrease since prices peaked at an all-time high in 2007.

8. Italy: In his end-of-the-year speech, Pope Benedict III incensed homosexual activists by remarking that protecting humanity from homosexual and transgender behavior was equally important to preserving the environment.

9. Egypt: An Australian man was arrested at Cairo airport after security staff found ancient Egyptian 2,000-year old animal mummies in his luggage (BBC).

10. Israel: Hamas formally announced the end of its truce with the Israeli government, with Palestinian militants in the Gaza Strip firing four rockets into southern Israel. Hamas said it was Israel that had ended the truce by imposing an economic blockade on Gaza, carrying out military strikes and hunting down Hamas operatives in the West Bank. Thousands of Gazans rallied in Khan Yunis in support of the militant group Islamic Jihad (New York Times).

11. Tanzania: At Arusha, a senior Rwandan military officer charged with being one of the masterminds of the 1994 genocide in Rwanda was convicted by a United Nations court in Tanzania of genocide and sentenced to life in prison (New York Times).

12. Somalia: After being appointed to replace Prime Minister Nur Hassan Hussein, whom the president had dismissed, Mohamoud Mohamed Gouled has resigned, “so that I am not seen as a stumbling block to the peace process which is going well now,” he said (BBC).

13. Russia: “Britain was given a sharp reminder of the dangers to its energy supplies...when Gazprom warned Western Europe could be hit by gas shortages. The Russian gas provider said a long-running row with Ukraine could disrupt supplies to Europe this winter” (Guardian).

14. Kashmir Region: The contested state was relatively peaceful during polls, which ended Dec. 24, largely due to a new generation using technology, not weapons, to protest Indian control (Christian Science Monitor).

15. North Korea: The country will receive 21,000 metric tons of U.S. food aid this month as part of an assistance agreement, the State Department said (Bloomberg). (See related article: “Can We Solve the Global Food Crisis?”)

16. Japan:

Toyota, Japan’s biggest carmaker, forecast its first annual loss in 71 years due to plummeting sales and a surge in the value of the yen (BBC).

“Beset by economic worries and loneliness, elderly Japanese are turning to petty crime in increasing numbers, the nation’s Justice Ministry reports” (CNN).

The government approved a record high budget, vowing to take “unprecedented” action to weather a painful recession which it expected would only get worse in the New Year (ABC News).

17. Australia:

The drug “Grievous Bodily Harm,” also known as GBH, was blamed for 30 life-threatening collapses at a dance party in Melbourne.

“A federal Nationals MP is worried the Commonwealth Government will allow live samples of the foot-and-mouth virus into Australia for research purposes” (ABC News).

18. Marshall Islands: A state of emergency was declared as widespread flooding displaced hundreds of people (BBC).

Saturday, December 27, 2008

The Year in Review: Lessons from 2008

Another year passes and a new one takes its place, bringing us deeper into the 21st century. So what have we learned?


2008 was the year of nations assuming greater roles on the international stage of influence and prestige, as America continues its downhill slide.

Standing guard: A paramilitary policeman keeps watch during the opening ceremony of the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games in Beijing, China (Aug. 8, 2008).

Source: China Photos/Getty Images
Take Russia, for instance. On August 8, it sent troops into Georgia, a former Soviet satellite nation, capturing territory and crippling the Georgian military. Meantime, the European Union and the United States could do nothing other than issue strong statements.

Yet Russia’s quick and decisive clash with Georgia was in itself a strong statement. To Europe: We control the oil flowing into the continent; do not oppose our national interests. To other former Soviet satellite nations: We will not tolerate unrest on our borders. To the rest of the world: We will take matters into our own hands, when necessary.

Until the recent global financial crisis, the Russian markets boomed. The nation now has more billionaires than any country other than the U.S. Russia’s state-owned oil monopoly, Gazprom, controls the flow of oil into Europe. Its national leaders, Prime Minister Vladimir Putin and President Dmitry Medvedev, are highly popular among the Russian citizens, despite fears of the democratic Russian Federal returning to totalitarianism. Largely in response to Washington’s determination to station U.S. missiles in NATO nations bordering Russia, Moscow is building strong ties with national leaders in America’s backyard, regional players such as Cuba and Venezuela who openly oppose U.S. interests. In a move analysts and government leaders view as a thumb-to-the-nose gesture to Washington, Moscow deployed its fleet to South America to conduct naval exercises, where it received a more-than-warm reception from outspoken Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez.

Russian troops on the march: A Russian soldier shows a V-sign as his tank leaves a checkpoint on the Gori-Tbilisi road near the village of Khurvaleti, on their way toward Tskhinvali, the South Ossetian capital (Aug. 22, 2008).

Source: Dimitar Dilkoff/AFP/Getty Images
All this begs the question: What will the Russian bear do when—not if—America is no longer the world’s lone superpower?

Elsewhere, another emerging world power is China, which has produced fiscal success in a strange, polar opposite mixture of communism and capitalism. Having labored to change its image and improve relations with neighboring countries, China plays a tremendous role in Asia (including strengthening its ties with Taiwan), Africa and beyond. It is far easier for the typical U.S. shopper to see “Made in China” labels than “Made in the USA.”

Beijing cemented a grand, long-lasting impression before an international audience when the Chinese capital hosted the 2008 Summer Olympics.

The developing nation of just a generation or two ago, where daily traffic was comprised of an endless sea of commuters riding bicycles instead of cars, is gone, replaced with a fast-rising economic counterweight to the United States. China’s success has proven that a nation need not follow America’s lead in embracing democracy—of “one man, one vote”—to achieve national prosperity.

And let’s not forget India. Though it still grapples with illiteracy, a stringent caste tradition, extreme poverty and other problems, India has taken moves to ensure a brighter future: pursuing peaceful ties with Pakistan—benefiting from U.S. businesses outsourcing American jobs—sending spacecraft to the moon and planting the Indian flag on the lunar surface.

We must ask: What leading international roles will China, Russia and India play once global markets no longer “catch a cold” whenever the U.S. economy “sneezes”?…

Governments in Turmoil
It was also the year of failing governments void of lasting solutions: economies on the brink of collapse; empty store shelves; clashes with rebel troops; the poor going without; the wealthy accumulating far more than they need.

Months have passed since Kenya’s presidential elections, yet opposing sides contested the results, and bloodshed ensued among the masses. While both candidates have finally agreed to work together and share power, each side is concerned with how much power the other will gain.

Zimbabwe suffers from runaway inflation and the scarcity of vital goods, foodstuffs and other necessary supplies. Decades ago, Zimbabwe was held as a beacon of hope; with the removal of colonial masters and a new government in place, prosperity and justice for all was in reach. Yet it has been a hope unfulfilled.

Elsewhere, Thailand, Myanmar (Burma) and Pakistan have recently had governments in which the military held the reigns.

Since the Tower of Babel, governments from dictatorships to democracies become crippled with the four basic components of human nature: pride, vanity, greed and lust. Unless man’s nature changes, the problems that plague nations will always exist…

Growing Tide of Lawlessness
Teen murders in London: Girls look at floral tributes for a murdered school boy.

Source: Peter Macdiarmid/Getty Images
A girl carries flowers in tribute of a school girl who was murdered.

Source: Peter Macdiarmid/Getty Images
2008 was the year of disregard for law, morality and the value of life, of the strong preying upon the weak, of wanton violence and thievery both within and among nations.

In a land once known for civility, duty and protocol, of drinking afternoon tea and exhibiting bulldog resolve, Britain’s teenagers murder one another. A 15-year-old boy is stabbed the moment he opens the front door of his home. A 14-year-old girl is pummeled to death by a gang of hooligans who think nothing of ending a life. The world would expect this from the United States, home of drive-by shootings, domestic killings and school massacres—but youth murdering youth in Britain?

Now let’s step back and see an international crime becoming prevalent: piracy. Pirates exist worldwide, striking with speed and ruthlessness, particularly in the waters of Somalia. Small boats have seized tankers, freighters, cruise ships and other large vessels, holding hostages, ships and precious cargo for ransom. It’s a lucrative “business.”

But what do the escalating murder rate of British youth and piracy have in common? The unleashed desire to get, to control, to seize power at all costs.

The Bible points to the heart of all crimes, small and great: “From whence come wars and fightings among you? Come they not hence, even of your lusts that war in your members? You lust, and have not: you kill, and desire to have, and cannot obtain: you fight and war, yet you have not, because you ask not. You ask, and receive not, because you ask amiss, that you may consume it upon your lusts” (James 4:1-3).

Jesus Christ foretold of a day when “iniquity [lawlessness] shall abound [because] the love of many shall wax cold” (Matt. 24:12). That time is now…

Consequences for Fiscal Recklessness
In search of solutions: World leaders meet during the “Summit on Financial Markets and the World Economy” at the National Building Museum in Washington, D.C. (Nov. 15, 2008).

Source: Tolga Adanali/Abaca Press/MCT
Of course, 2008 was also the year of global financial crisis, leaving many wondering about the future. Housing foreclosures—the collapse of financial institutions—government bailouts—falling world markets—sluggish economies—what’s next? Many wonder, “Are we at the threshold of another Great Depression?”

While experts and analysts strive for answers to repair the physical effects, all ignore the root cause: pride, vanity, lust and greed. Lust led people to buy homes they could not afford, and greed motivated banks to provide them mortgages. Government leaders, swayed by vanity to believe they knew what was best for society, pressured banks into providing mortgages for those who had neither the credit nor the funds to provide a sizeable down payment toward buying property. And, when the financial bubble finally burst, pride kept these same leaders from accepting personal responsibility.

Perhaps our article “The Global Credit Crunch! – How You Can Protect Yourself” stated it best: “There is a cause for every effect. The scales tipped when the first set of interest rate increases (resets) kicked in. Around the same time, house prices fell slightly, resulting from the glut in the market. Suddenly, millions of homeowners were faced with much higher mortgage payments they could not pay. Loan delinquencies soared. Repossessions of homes skyrocketed. Investors backed away from risky bonds. Stuck with loans they could not sell, banks began to fail.

“The financial carnage has been sobering. Great names from the past—Bear Stearns, Countrywide Financial and now Lehman Brothers—no longer exist.

“The International Monetary Fund (IMF) estimated that losses by U.S. banks could reach as high as $1 trillion; some industry experts believe this number could even reach as high as $2 trillion. Since the beginning of 2008, over ten U.S. banks have gone bankrupt, and it is believed that number could exceed 100 financial institutions within the next 12 months (Daily Telegraph). Famous investor Wilbur Ross has placed the figure at 1,000 (Reuters)!

“A grim scenario is rapidly unfolding, a financial catastrophe of epic proportions. Millions of people in Europe, the United States and the rest of the world will likely lose their homes, jobs and savings. This could include you!”

No one knows what will be the outcome of the global credit crunch, but one thing is certain: Until man’s nature changes, we can expect worse things to come…

New Leadership, High Expectations
A decisive victory: President-elect Barack Obama and Vice President-elect Joe Biden, along with their wives, Michelle and Jill, wave to supporters after Mr. Obama gave his acceptance speech at his Election Night Rally in Grant Park, Chicago, Ill. (Nov. 4, 2008).

Source: Olivier Douliery/Abaca Press/MCT
Throughout his long, grueling, yet ultimately successful, campaign, Barack Obama repeatedly delivered a message of unity, hope and determination, and addressed accusations of being a “hope-monger” full of “blind optimism,” of speaking “eloquent but empty” words.

He told voters, “Change only happens because of you. So this campaign is about you. About your dreams, your hopes, your courage, your readiness for change.”

Mr. Obama freely expressed his desire to change America’s tarnished global image, beginning with pulling U.S. troops from Iraq as soon as possible, and “sitting down with” enemies of the United States.

After 20 years of Bush-Clinton-Bush presidencies, a majority of American citizens voted for something new, different—“change.”

Now that he has decisively won the election, the inspirational messages of “hope” and “change” have brought not just the eyes of the nation, but also Europe and the rest of the world to fall upon President-elect Obama.

Will they expect the new president to heal the problems of America and the world—addressing not just the effects, but also the root causes, which are ultimately spiritual in nature? Will they expect him to turn back the growing tide of lawlessness and bring order, unity and peace to governments in turmoil?

Such towering expectations are unfair of any human being, but they are longed for nonetheless.

Friday, December 26, 2008

Satan's Little Helpers





The Bible describes the devil as the originator of sin. We all know he stays very busy. He appears to have a large mental capacity and he can be anywhere in the blink of an eye. Yet the devil is not omniscient nor is he omnipresent, so he requires underlings to do his bidding.

Although Satan has a host of demonic angels throughout the world, there is one area to which the devil finds himself mostly restricted. Satan and company are spiritual beings, which makes them incapable of acting in this physical realm. Satan's little helpers must be of flesh and bone. so this is where the need for human organizations comes in. In the nations where the devil has dictators in command, he can use them directly to control those countries. In the "free world," Satan has found the liberal media makes for an effective tool for guiding and controlling society.

The liberal media is not only the devil's best device for corrupting human society; it's his most diabolical device. The finger of blame is rarely ever pointed at the liberal media for society's ills. This is because the press is in charge of fixing the blame. Letting the liberal media decide if it’s partly to blame for our country's moral decline is like putting tobacco companies in charge of finding out what causes lung cancer.

If you were to ask Christians whom they believe to be the leading groups conspiring to bring about the one world government, many would cite groups like the Illuminati or the Trilateral Commission. Conspiracy theories sell a large number of books, and many of these organizations are pro-world government, but I don't foresee conspiracy groups ever gaining the clout to achieve this task. I honestly believe conspiracy theories just draw our attention away from the primary forces that are laboring to achieve the New World Order.

The liberal media will be a substantial player in end-time events. When the Antichrist finally does come to power, the liberal media will be tripping over itself to report his every word. The values that the press currently portrays will perfectly match the values of the forthcoming Antichrist. It will be love at first sight.

The liberal media's final act will be to broadcast the hatred of the Jews and nonconforming Christians. Even today, these two groups are constantly reported about a negative bias. As we draw closer to the tribulation, the negative media coverage will only increase.

When Jesus Christ returns to earth, He'll cast the liberal media into the pit of darkness. In hell, members of the media won’t be harassed by us Christians, so they'll have the freedom to follow whatever news stories they choose. They will be able to cover topics like, "Why is hell so hot?" or "Does a snowball really stand a chance down here?" I'm sure the liberal media, at that time, will conclude that hell is a racist and homophobic place, and the burning sulfur will certainly be noted as destructive to hell's environment.



After watching the liberal media in action over the years, I've detected several of the tricks of the trade used by the press. Following are some of its more popular tactics:


The Ranking The News
Without a doubt, the craftiest device the liberal media has at its disposal is the ability to manipulate public opinion by judging the value and importance of news. Every single day millions of events transpire in the world, and the press determines which news items are worthy of major coverage and which ones are not. The liberal media immediately gives top national billing to attacks on abortion clinics, yet leaves attacks on Christian churches to coverage by the local guys.

Picking and Choosing
In a step beyond ranking the news, the liberal media has sole authority to pick and choose which news stories receive press coverage. By selecting stories that are sympathetic to its line of thinking, the liberal media can help determine the direction this country will be heading.

Preferential Treatment
The liberal media has its friends and its enemies. Anyone who shares its liberal slant is considered to be a comrade, and anyone in the conservative camp is regarded as a foe. The best example of preferential treatment I can think of is the press’ treatment of two high-profile religious leaders: Jesse Jackson and Jerry Falwell. The left-leaning Jackson has repeatedly proven himself to be a man of grievous moral shortcomings. The godless press simply turns a blind eye to Jackson's transgressions; it even quickly set aside a sex scandal with a former secretary. Knowing how the press attacks Jerry Falwell any chance it gets, there is obviously a huge level of partiality on the part of the press.

Negative Spotlighting
When something occurs that threatens established liberal dogma, the media reports on this activity so they can alert counterparts in the various liberal activist groups. (The same warnings are not given for events that threaten conservative thinking.)

The Friendly Fool
The best turn of events the liberal media can hope for is when someone from the opposition does something it can use. If a liberal-minded person like the Unabomber commits a deadly act, the press can't really do anything with his act of terrorism that would be positive. Attacking him would mean attacking its own beliefs. When someone like Timothy McVeigh blows up a federal office building, the liberal media has the opportunity to turn that action into a high holy day for the pro big government and gun control forces.

The Team Player Ploy
Because everyone wants to be part of the establishment, the elite press has been able to win over enemies by encouraging them to be team players. Through the use of good and bad press coverage, even the hardest-to-reach people can be altered to a more liberal way of thinking. For example, when federal judges come to Washington, they're not subject to stand for reelection. These judges are appointed for life. The press, by using its carrot-and-stick approach, has been able to transform Republican-nominated judges into "respectable" liberal judges. This has happened several times.

The Name Game
This is when the press assigns names to groups in order to place a pro-liberal spin on them. The abortion issue is a good example. People who are in favor of abortion are called “pro-choice,” a phrase that transforms the act from the killing of the unborn to a rights issue. The pro-life folks are referred to as “anti-abortion.” “Anti-” is a negative prefix meaning “against.” Because most people would wish be on the positive side of an issue, the negative title puts one at a disadvantage. Here are some more examples of terminology used by the liberal media to put its agenda into a more positive light: gay rights, new morality, free speech (talking about porn), independent mothers, and judicial activism.

Rewriting History
The boldest of the liberal media's tricks is the brazen rewriting of history. It's a process that goes on at a constant pace. If history does not support liberalism, then liberals act to change history. The Reagan years are frequently targeted by the revisionist liberal media.

Comedy
Few people realize how strongly the monologues of NBC's "The Tonight Show" and CBS's "Late Show," along with skits from "Saturday Night Live," influence public opinion. In late 1992, I remember the pounding George Bush received from all the late-night jokes that pointed to a weak economy. After the election, it turned out that the economy was booming at a 4 percent annual growth rate. This news was too late to help Bush who, as we all know, lost the election. During President Clinton's second-term election, the growth rate was 2 percent. Did we hear any jokes about how bad the economy was? No, of course not.

Thursday, December 25, 2008

The War of Gog and Magog

As the greatest supernatural intervention of human history -- a defense right out of heaven above -- Israel's God is going to reveal Himself. When this Divine display is finished, the Muslim religion will be stripped of all its glory. It will no doubt cause great anger among the hard core Muslims that escape death but a turning to Jesus Christ of those honest individuals that see the glory of our Eternal God. The Muslim religion is a farce when it is seen for what it really represents. Already millions of former Muslims have turned to Christ and the harvest has barely begun. One Saudi sheikh says in disgust that six million Muslims are converting to Christ yearly.

This coming war will serve as the eternal design of Bible prophecy. Men may well look at such a catastrophic devastation as cruel and beyond the acts of a Holy God, but this expression of wrath has been building for many centuries. It will include judgments against many vile and Godless acts of terror, great hatred manifest against the Jewish people, and hatred toward God Himself. Germany will receive her final judgment for the Holocaust and Russia will be judged for her atheistic hatred against her own people, as well as against Israelis and Christians. The Muslim religion will answer for centuries of vileness and defiance against the true and living God. The catastrophic level of God's wrath will be in the exact proportion to the wicked history of the nations involved.

This war could not occur until the nation of Israel was back in a portion of the Promise Land. There is not enough military might in the entire armies of the world to change God's promises. Israel is already a rich nation and is becoming richer every day. Their military is without parallel. They have discovered massive reserves of oil and eventually that discovery will be greater than all the Arab nations combined. How do we know that their oil deposits will be the world's greatest? The Promise Land and her treasures were ordained to flow as "milk and honey."

There are several promises for the discovery of oil by the Jewish people. God said, "For the precious things of heaven, for the dew, and for the deep that coucheth beneath…for they shall suck of the abundance of the seas, and of treasures hid in the sand…and let him dip his foot in oil" (Deuteronomy 33:13, 19, and 24). Someone can argue whether "the deep that coucheth beneath, treasures hid in the sand" or "dip his foot in oil" means oil deposits; but if we take these words literally, they are indeed powerful.

It is important that we know the Biblical reason for the War of Gog and Magog. It is Israel's riches and abundance that Russia covets. We know why the Muslims want to eliminate Israel, but Russia and much of her coalition forces want the treasures and wealth. If you study the unbelievable agricultural success, the technological brilliance, the military capabilities, and then add the possibility of billions of barrels of black gold, you will understand that Russia can see nothing but worldwide wealth and dominance.

One of their top politicians and advocates of this war to the south has left no room for guessing. Here are the words of Vladimir Volfovich Zhirinovsky, a strategic ally of Putin:

"The operation should be carried out using the code-name "Final Thrust to the South." Our army will carry out this task. It will be a means for the nation as a whole to survive and a way to restore the Russian army."
"Russia reaching the shores of the Indian Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea is a task that will be the salvation of the Russian nation. . . . Russia will grow rich."
"The Arabs and Europeans . . . have a vested interest in seeing to it Russia establishes her new borders . . . . Only in this way can they escape the Israeli trap."
"Can't Russia, mustn't Russia, make just one move, one little move southward? . . . The Germans want this . . . . The world will understand that if Russia needs it that means it's good. The Russian army needs this. It will let our boys flex their muscles instead of sitting around the barracks, worn out by hazing, in the depths of Russia, not knowing who and where the enemy is and what moral and physical preparations they should make."
"Only America would not be pleased, but she won't interfere. The alternative to this development of this situation is too grave for her if she interferes." (Epicenter, Joel C. Rosenburg, page 140-141.)
The mighty God of our Bible has allowed enough of His extension of grace. It's time for judgment and it's time to make all His glory visible to the human family. Listen to God's promise of intervention. "And thou shalt come up against my people of Israel, as a cloud to cover the land; it shall be in the latter days, and I will bring thee against my land, that the heathen may know me, when I shall be sanctified in thee, O Gog, before their eyes. Thus saith the Lord GOD; Art thou he of whom I have spoken in old time by my servants the prophets of Israel, which prophesied in those days many years that I would bring thee against them? And it shall come to pass at the same time when Gog shall come against the land of Israel, saith the Lord GOD, that my fury shall come up in my face" (Ezekiel 38:16-18).

I pray that America will be there to help in this hour, but we will not be needed. I actually believe, contrary to many, that we will be faithful to Israel to the end. That will be the reason God honors America as a sheep nation in Matthew chapter twenty-five. Regardless, this will end the worldwide threat from Muslim terrorists and will sweep the Temple Mount in Jerusalem of every semblance of the false sun-god, named Allah.

Unnamed pestilences and blood will rain on the army of millions. The rain will be overflowing and mixed with hailstones, fire, and brimstones. It will be massive and will actually fall from Heaven in such a manner that no one will doubt that it is God Himself that fights for Israel. The Bible is careful to state that the slaughter of this mob of wicked people extends back to their staging countries and capital cities. "And I will send a fire on Magog, and among them that dwell carelessly in the isles: and they shall know that I am the LORD. So will I make my holy name known in the midst of my people Israel; and I will not let them pollute my holy name any more: and the heathen shall know that I am the LORD, the Holy One in Israel" (Ezekiel 39:6-7).

Magog represents the Russian capital of Moscow and this Scripture includes the other nations which join this coalition. The judgment will leave no doubt about God's rejection of the Muslim Koran and religion. The world is trying to convince us that the Muslim god is identical to our Heavenly Father and His Son, Jesus Christ. This lie will die with Gog and Magog in the mountains of Israel and in the nations that join this end time war.

The glory of God will be manifest and the world will know. Out of this massive judgment will be a mighty visitation of Holy Ghost awakening. Joel settled the utter destruction of the Northern horde and promised the Latter Rain of God's Spirit. He said by the Holy Spirit, "But I will remove far off from you the northern army… Fear not, O land; be glad and rejoice: for the LORD will do great things" (Joel 2:20a, 21). He added the Latter Rain promise two verses later, "He will cause to come down for you the rain, the former rain, and the latter rain in the first month" (Joel 2:23b). The first month is the Feast of Trumpets, the next unfulfilled feast of Israel. It is also a Jewish type for the coming Rapture of Christ's Bride.

We are living in the golden age of the prophetic finishing of all things. Keep your eyes on the Holy Scripture and your heart in total surrender to the Lordship of our Savior and Captain, Jesus Christ.

Wednesday, December 24, 2008

Behold the Christ Child

Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel. Isaiah 7:14



For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. Isaiah 9:6



But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, [though] thou be little among the thousands of Judah, [yet] out of thee shall he come forth unto me [that is] to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth [have been] from of old, from everlasting. Micah 5:2



“And in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God unto a city of Galilee, named Nazareth, To a virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin's name was Mary. And the angel came in unto her, and said, Hail, thou that art highly favoured, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women. And when she saw [him], she was troubled at his saying, and cast in her mind what manner of salutation this should be. And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favour with God. And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS. He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David: And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end.” Luke 1:26-33.



The birth of our Lord is celebrated among Christians all over the world. It is a wonderful time of year. Here in America we observe a Christian tradition of the celebration of our Lord’s birth on the 25th of December. At one time, in the not so distant past, we made it a real Christ centered celebration, but in recent years it has become more of a pagan day of partying instead of giving thanks. It’s a day in which we look forward to getting up on Christmas day and opening presents with our families and then we have a big meal cooked and everyone gets stuffed.



Many people involve themselves in celebrating but never even give a second thought to Who they should be celebrating. Think of it this way, without the birth of Jesus Christ there would be no Christmas Day celebration, just another day, no free day from work, no presents given or received, no joining together with family and friends, and of course most importantly of all, no free gift of salvation.



What should we be thinking about as this special day approaches? Maybe we should give some thought to what Joseph and Mary went through as they traveled to and stayed in Bethlehem. “And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus, that all the world should be taxed.” Luke 2:1. To be counted and taxed everyone had to go to his birth city. Joseph’s hometown was Bethlehem, so he and Mary, his espoused wife, traveled from Nazareth to Bethlehem. This journey amounted to approximately eighty miles, a far piece to travel on the back of an ass especially with the imminent birth of Mary’s child on the way.



When they arrived in Bethlehem Mary was very close to giving birth, so Joseph tried to find suitable lodging, a peaceful and private place where Mary could deliver her child. All that was available was a stable with farm animals already taking up much of the room. There she gave birth to baby Jesus. “And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn,” Luke 2:7. No room for God at the Inn. Kind of reminds us of the U.S. nowadays, there’s no room for God in our public arena not to mention in many of our personal lives. Soon there will be no room for God in the U.S. That’s funny considering everything, that’s everything belongs to God.



Or perhaps we should think about those shepherds who were tending their flocks that night when the angel appeared to them. Maybe give some thought to being in their shoes, or sandals as it were, and just sitting around the campfire enjoying the peacefulness of the evening when suddenly out of nowhere there stood an angel from God. Just imagine, the shepherds being the lowest of the low in that society and the angel of God appeared to them, not to kings and queens or other dignitaries, but to shepherds. Wow. And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. And this [shall be] a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. Luke 2:9-12. Here’s the part that really floors me. “And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.” Luke 2:13, 14. These were angels wishing us lowly humans peace and good will. Wow, if that doesn’t bring chills to your body nothing will.



After they heard the proclamation by the angel and the singing of all the Heavenly hosts, the shepherds set out to find the manger where baby Jesus and Mary and Joseph had taken up residence. When they arrived they saw baby Jesus lying in the manger and shortly thereafter they set out once again to make known to everyone the strange events of that evening and about the wonderful savior of the world lying in a manger.



Jesus received His first distinguished quests:



The Magi came for a visit. These were men from a far off country who had studied a prophecy written hundreds of years earlier about the coming King to be born in Israel. The prophecy (probably given by Daniel) had been passed down from generation to generation and finally it was about to come true. They made the long journey by following a strange light in the sky. This guiding light was all they had and by it they found the Christ child. By this time He, Joseph and Mary were no longer living in a manger but in a house in the Bethlehem. Jesus was about two years old at this time.



By this time the censes had been completed so that the Roman soldiers and most of the people had left Bethlehem and gone back to their homes. This left plenty of room for Mary, Joseph, and baby Jesus to find more comfortable accommodations. When the Magi, or wise men, arrived in Bethlehem thy found the child Jesus and offered Him presents. We aren’t told how many Magi had actually made the journey, all we are told is that they brought gifts. The gifts included gold, frankincense, and myrrh. Church tradition tells us there were three wise men but that isn’t substantiated by the scriptures.



So this is the story of the birth of Christ as it is portrayed in the Bible. This is what we should be celebrating on the 25th of December. We would do so much better by recognizing the day for what it was meant to be, a celebration of the birth of the Savior of the world. Never mind if it was the exact date of His birth or not, that’s a mute point. It’s the reason behind the celebration that is important.



From an infant Jesus the Christ grew into a man. Jesus Christ was fully man and fully God. As He walked the shores of Galilee and the hills of Judea He taught folks how they should live, He performed many miracles. He was despised and rejected, beaten and put to death on a cross of wood, and yet He owned the hill on which it stood. But the grave couldn’t hold Him. He rose on the third day according to scriptures. This little baby of whose birth we celebrate on Christmas day is now seated at the right hand of the Majesty on High.



God bless you all and Merry Christ-mas.

Tuesday, December 23, 2008

Wise as Serpents

“Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves,” Matthew 10:16. So often today, we only see a section of this verse being adhered to, and that’s to be harmless as doves. Many Christians seemingly dismiss the part about being wise as serpents. Jesus was sending His disciples out into the world, a world full of evil. His commandment still stands, He sends every Christian out into the midst of that same evil world overwhelmingly inhabited by evil, devouring, satanic wolves.



I send you forth as sheep. Don’t misunderstand the meaning here. The sheep in this case are those of us who are called by His name, those belonging to the Lord. Jesus is our good shepherd. We are His Church, His flock, and as such He sends all Christians out into the world to be the light of the world. We’re not to hide from the wolves, but we are to witness to them and to spread the good news of Christ to all those who are perishing. Even the most fearsome of wolves need to hear the Gospel.



Many Christians are content with remaining as sheep no matter who becomes their shepherd. On November 4th of this year, many professing Christians exchanged their true Shepherd, who calls them by their name, for a false shepherd, who will only lead them astray. Sheepish Christians will be led to the slaughter as they continue in the mindset of this false shepherd being their new deliverer. If this false shepherd has his way, the Christians in this country will become the apostate Church spoken of in the Book of Revelation.



In the midst of wolves. Jesus used wolves as a metaphor referring to cruel, greedy, rapacious, destructive men. Jesus said “He that is not with me is against me; and he that gathereth not with me scattereth abroad, Matthew 12:30. Basically those who are the followers of Satan are the wolves in this case. Everyone – that’s everyone – who doesn’t follow Jesus Christ is a follower of Satan. Consider carefully Jesus’ statement above, Satan is utterly and emphatically against Jesus Christ. Satan spreads lies, because he is the father of all lies, and scatters people abroad. Jesus’ statement places everyone who is not with Him in the same category as Satan; Satan is already condemned and so are all who follow him. The difference being Satan can’t change his eternal destiny, but those deceived individuals who follow him can.



Many Christians today are so full of fear that they allow this evil world to dictate to them what they can do for Christ and what they can’t. My brothers and sisters, this should not be so. We are to be the example in a world of evil and we can only be an example if we are actually out in the world proclaiming the message of the Gospel of Christ. We have nothing to fear for “You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world,” 1John 4:4.



“Alas, how many are influenced by fear of men! Oh, you cowards, will you be damned out of fear? Will you sooner let your souls perish than show your manhood by telling a poor mortal that you defy his scorn? Dare you not follow the right though all men in the world should call you to do the wrong? Oh, you cowards! You cowards! How you deserve to perish who have not enough soul to call your souls your own, but cower down before the sneers of fools!”

Charles Spurgeon



Spurgeon certainly pulls no punches. As Luke, a friend my mine from Australia , so aptly puts it, “Straight down the line, no mucking about”. That was Spurgeon’s way, and why was that? Because that was our Lord’s way also. Jesus did not mince words and it’s not difficult to understand what He means by “Wise as serpents”.



Wise as serpents. The serpent was a symbol of cunning and wisdom. Jesus doesn’t want us to be complacent in our walk with Him but to be ever vigilant, prudent, and sensible as we confront this world and all its evils. The world is full of temptations that we Christians must, at all cost, avoid. The serpent was wise and cunning and Jesus expects His sheep to display at the very least those two characteristics, but to use them in a very different way than the serpents and the wolves of this world. We who are filled with His Holy Spirit use those characteristics with love and compassion as we confront the lost souls of this world.



“O that men were wise enough to see that suffering for Christ is honour, that loss for truth is gain, that the truest dignity rests in wearing the chain upon the arm rather than endure the chain upon the soul.”

Charles Spurgeon



Harmless as doves. The English word harmless is translated from the Greek word “akeraios” and refers to being of a pure mind, without a mixture of evil, free from guile, innocent, as in the case of a dove. Jesus isn’t saying we should be fearful but that we should be innocent as doves as we trust Him and step out in faith because it’s through His name, and through His power we do so.



Many of today’s prominent Christian leaders are admonishing their flocks, not to concern themselves with politics. They say spreading the Gospel is our concern and we can’t be harmless as doves if we are involved in politics. Yes, spreading the Gospel of Christ is number one on our list of priorities, and yet, every Christian in this country should know that if it hadn’t been for the overwhelming intervention of Christians when this nation was first established, there would be no United States of American as we know it today.



Many Christians today aren’t really following Christ’s commandment to preach the Gospel to all creatures and in that sense there’s no need to be wise as serpents, just harmless as doves, or a better description would be worthless as salt that has lost its saltiness.



Behold I send you forth. Simply put, God Almighty sends us forth to spread the Gospel of Christ to all who will give an ear. Sadly, many Christians today aren’t willing to spread the Gospel. As a matter of fact, many professing to have the love of Christ in them have no heart for the lost whatsoever. Spurgeon states that suffering for Christ is an honor. Is that our attitude today? Or are we merely going about our business unconcerned with the salvation of those who are so deceived that they follow Satan instead of Christ? What of their eternal destination?



“Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, "I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.” John 9:12. You and I once walked as those worldly wolves of today, which is after the lust of the flesh. No longer are we tied to this world in such a way as to follow those who are under Satan’s power. We should not be lusting after personal gain to obtain self-reliance. Being indwelt by the Holy Spirit means we aren’t motivated by the flesh as is the world. “The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations…” 2 Peter 2:9. Jesus will supply all the power we need to escape temptation if we will only trust Him.



As Christians we have been called by a Holy calling, and as such we are to be wise as serpents, cunning, and full of the wisdom that comes from God alone. As believers we are to approach each day as a child of the light, confronting evil and calling on the power of the Holy Spirit to bind evil from our midst as we spread the Gospel of Christ to a lost and perishing Christ rejecting world.



Be pure minded, innocent as doves, without a yearning to pursue evil desires, but still as wise as serpents. We’re in the world but not of the world, we are different, and that difference is what galls the world, they just can’t understand Christian behavior. They’re out there, those wolves, just around the next corner waiting to devour us. Thanks be to God we have nothing to fear from them.



Fear not is mentioned hundreds of times in the Bible. Clearly God’s wish for our lives is that we shouldn’t fear because we’ve placed our trust and faith in Him. True faith does not fear what we don’t know or can’t see, true faith and trust is allowing God to take care of all those little things. There’s an old adage that was passed around a few years ago and perhaps this is a good time to bring it back. It went something like this, “Don’t sweat the little things, and all things are little things to God”.



We have entered the last of the last days and Jesus will extract His Church very soon now, of that I’m sure. In the meantime, Christians are to be that light Jesus speaks about set on a hill, and most certainly we’re to be active in the governmental processes of our land. “No man, when he hath lighted a candle, putteth it in a secret place, neither under a bushel, but on a candlestick, that they which come in may see the light,” Luke 11:33.



Jesus promised us that if we be “wise as serpents” we would not be deceived, especially in these end times when He told us there would be so much deception being promoted as truth. Even those individuals you’d love to follow can be deceived. Be careful, be diligent, and be wise as a serpent.

Monday, December 22, 2008

The World in Review

1. Canada:

A police report revealed that hundreds of airline workers, with various connections to more than 60 active gangs, have used their security clearance in eight of the nation’s largest airports to smuggle drugs and people into the country.

Canada ranks last of 25 developed countries in child care, according to a study by the United Nation’s Children Fund. The report said Canada failed to meet nine out of 10 benchmark measures, which include providing subsidized care for children during their first years of life.

A Halifax teenager, accused of stabbing a man at a party in a fight between the two over how much time a frozen pizza should stay in the microwave, was sentenced to five years in prison. (See related article: “And the Earth Was Filled with Violence”)

2. United States:

“The number of Americans filing first-time claims for unemployment benefits surged more than forecast last week to a 26-year high, a sign companies are stepping up firings as the recession deepens…Initial jobless claims increased 58,000 to 573,000 in the week ended Dec. 6, the highest level since November 1982, from a revised 515,000 the previous week, the Labor Department...The number of workers staying on benefit rolls reached 4.429 million, also the most since 1982” (Bloomberg).

The House of Representatives approved a $14 billion government bailout plan to provide emergency loans to car giants, General Motors and Chrysler. The bill, which requires automakers to commit to drastic restructuring plans, has yet to be passed in the Senate.

The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities reported that 43 states, which have already made spending cutbacks, are facing budget shortfalls and will be unable to cover their expenses next year.

Chicago-based Tribune Co. became the first major newspaper publisher to file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. The company, which owns the Chicago Cubs baseball franchise, and several major metropolitan newspapers around the country, including the Los Angeles Times and The Sun of Baltimore, is $13 billion in debt and has experienced a severe drop in advertising revenue, leading to its inability to meet its credit obligations. (See related news brief: “The Future of Newspaper, Magazine Industry Grows Dim”)

Democratic Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich and his chief of staff were arrested on federal corruption charges after they were accused of trying to sell President-elect Barack Obama’s vacated Illinois senate seat. The corruption charges came after federal investigators obtained secret recordings of the governor discussing the potential benefits that he and his wife could receive from the sale of the position.

“A daylong work stoppage during which employees were encouraged to ‘call in gay’ to express support for same-sex marriage drew spotty participation nationwide…Backers of ‘Day Without a Gay’ organized evening rallies in San Francisco, Austin, Texas, Logan, Utah, and other cities so supporters could gather to discuss the next steps. Rallies also were held earlier Wednesday in Chicago and on several college campuses in California” (FOX News). (See related article: “Homosexuality – Out of the Closet, Into the Mainstream”)

3. United Kingdom:

The pound sterling’s value fell to a record low of 1.14 euros.

“Britain’s remaining troops in Iraq will begin withdrawing from the country in March on a timetable that will aim to leave only a small training force of 300 to 400 by June, according to Defense Ministry officials quoted by the BBC and several of Britain’s major newspapers” (The New York Times).

A television station aired a documentary titled “Right to Die?”, which showed an assisted suicide being performed.

4. Germany: Berlin-based anti-corruption organization Transparency International “interviewed 2,742 senior business executives to see which firms would pay bribes in foreign countries. Russia, China, Mexico, India, Brazil and Italy were the worst of the 22 major economies ranked in the survey” (BBC).

5. Greece: Riots raged after a 15-year-old boy was killed in a confrontation with the police. Dozens of people were injured and substantial property damage resulted from fires started by rioters.

6. Ghana: Polling stations are seeing a massive, but peaceful, turnout for the presidential and parliamentary elections. President John Kufuor is stepping down after serving the maximum two terms (BBC).

7. Zimbabwe: The collapse of the country’s infrastructure has led to a cholera outbreak that has spread to the neighboring countries of South Africa, Mozambique, Botswana and Zambia. (See news brief: “Zimbabwe’s Cholera Outbreak Spreads”)

8. Uganda: There have been reports of a mysterious disease having killed 15 people in the last two months in the Bundibugyo District (AllAfrica.com).

9. Kenya: At least 300 girls, some as young as nine, in southwestern Kenya are seeking refuge in churches to escape forced female genital mutilation. Though female circumcision is banned nationwide, it is a popular practice in certain areas, used to initiate a girl into womanhood (BBC).

10. Somalia: According to a 104-page Human Rights Watch report, all parties in Somalia’s escalating conflict—the Somali Transitional Federal Government, Ethiopian forces that intervened in Somalia to support it, and insurgent forces—“have committed widespread and serious violations of the laws of war. Frequent violations include indiscriminate attacks, killings, rape, use of civilians as human shields, and looting. Since early 2007, the escalating conflict has claimed thousands of civilian lives, displaced more than a million people, and driven out most of the population of Mogadishu, the capital. Increasing attacks on aid workers in the past year have severely limited relief operations and contributed to an emerging humanitarian crisis.”

11. Saudi Arabia: “More than two million Muslim pilgrims performed a second round of stoning walls symbolizing the devil on Tuesday, as haj pilgrimage rituals neared their end without major incident…The Jamarat Bridge in the valley of Mena outside the holy city of Mecca, where pilgrims stone the walls three times over three to four days, has been the scene of numerous stampedes, including one which killed 362 in 2006. The haj has also been marred in previous years by deadly fires, hotel collapses and police clashes with protesters” (Reuters).

12. South Korea: The worldwide economic downturn led South Korea’s central bank to record interest rate cuts, a full percentage point to 3%, more than expected.

13. Japan: The national economy, the second-largest in the world after the U.S., shrank by 0.5%, for an annualized rate of 1.8%, significantly greater than expected (BBC).

14. Papua New Guinea: Giant tidal waves battered the northern coastline’s 500-mile stretch, resulting in flooding, sweeping away homes and displacing thousands of people.

15. Australia:

“Australia’s unemployment rate has risen to 4.4%, the highest in 12 months, as the economy shed 15,600 jobs in November” (Reuters).

South Australia, the nation’s driest state, decided to purchase additional water supplies amid fears it will run out next year (BBC).

Authorities have identified more than 200 suspects in 70 countries connected with a child pornography network. Australian Federal Police charged 19 men from New South Wales, Victoria and Queensland, and seized more than 15,000 videos and 500,000 images of child abuse during a 12-month investigation (ABC).

“Australia’s early childhood services are among the worst in the developed world, according to a UNICEF report that warns of the risk of placing children in care before the age of one. Among 25 developed countries Australia ranks third last, meeting only two of 10 benchmarks considered essential to protect children in their formative early years” (Sydney Morning Herald).

Friday, December 19, 2008

New Movie Answers Questions: "Are We Living In The End Times?"

http://www.movievine.com/interviews/article001028.shtml

Are We Living In The End Times is a documentary directed, produced, and written by Dr. Alfred Adams. The narration, along with the music score, was performed by international recording artist Steve Blaze of the wildly popular rock band Lillian Axe.

With the threat of war all around us and a push to a global government, one has to stop and think that it is absolutely impossible to make sense of this world unless a person takes the Bible prophecy into consideration.

Dr. Alfred Adams a world renowned expert on the scripture dealing with the end times gave us an inside look into the making of the documentary.

Rob Rath (RR) Dr. Adams could you tell us what prompted you to want to make such a film of this subject matter?

Dr. Adams (DA) I have always wanted to get the awareness out about the book of Revelation and how things that are happening around us is not just coincidence.

(RR) Every generation felt they were the last generation that the Bible talks about as "End Of Days" what makes this generation so different?

(DA) I don't think we are any different, I just think there is more proof or more Bible prophecy coming to pass right before our eyes.

(RR) In the documentary you asked people questions such as if they have heard of the RFID chip. I've seen this coming out on CNN but no one really pointed it to something that could or might be in Bible prophecy.

(DA) That is just it, the Bible does tell us that a "Mark" will be issued and that it will control all commerce. We are now heading to a social impact of a worldwide economic meltdown. RFID chips have already been FDA approved, and are in people. The read and write programs are not with banking information as of yet, but it would not be very hard to have that in place within days, if not hours if they already have not created the information data system.

(RR) Lou Dobbs from CNN covered the story on the "New North American Union" I was shock to see that people have not heard of this, and how would you put this into Biblical light?

(DA) It would be classified as a push to a one world government that is outline in the book of Revelation and Daniel.

(RR) The narration for the documentary was done by Steve Blaze of Lillian Axe, how did that come about.

(DA) I already asked Steve to be apart of the project from a music score perspective. The gentlemen I was working with never got back in touch with me so I asked Steve if he would be interested in doing the narration so we could keep the project moving forward, and he said yes.

(RR) I have been a long time fan of both the band Lillian Axe and of your work. How did the project come about for you two to work together, and have you two been friends for a long time?

(DA) Funny you should ask this I joke with Steve about this all the time. I sent him a cold e-mail telling him all about myself and the project and asking him if he would be interested in doing the music. I must have wrote like a thousand word e-mail to him, he wrote back "yes I would be interested". For a few days I was thinking there is no way I am having a conversation with this guy he never types out anything long. --Steve and I have been friends for about a year and a half, seems like forever though.

(RR) What is your time frame for this to hit the theatres and are there any other places this might be able to be seen?

(DA) We are looking at a late February early March of 2009 in theatres. I have had great discussions with both the National Geographic Channel, and Discovery, as well as pay-per-view about the project; they are all very enthused about it.

I have seen the trailer and I can’t wait to see the full documentary on this. If anyone has an interest in the trailer it can be viewed here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qgCEwiKBt9I

Thursday, December 18, 2008

A Time For Prayer

What makes 2009 such an ominous year are all the potential flash points. I've never seen a time marked by so much activity related to Bible prophecy. Here is a list of the main ones:


The threat of a major terrorist attack
The social impact of the worldwide economic meltdown
The drive towards the establishment of the global government
Russia becoming more like the old Soviet Union
Iran trying to develop an atomic bomb
Israel being threatened by several of its neighbors
America making a sharp political turn to the left

With so much activity taking place today, you would think that prophecy-minded believers would be very busy getting ready for the Lord's return. I've noticed that the abundance of prophetic activity has had the opposite effect on Christians: Most seem to be doing nothing. It’s rather ironic that apathy is so prevalent; Jesus said that it would be a major sign of the end times.

"Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh" (Mat. 24:44).

Right now, everyone seems to be watching for something big to happen. We might soon witness a major war in the Middle East, or the occurrence of some other calamity. Because the rapture could easily be the next event on God’s calendar, I would hate to have it occur while I was doing nothing.

There is no guarantee that Christians will be able to stand by as passive spectators. If our Lord tarries, hardship could be ahead as the current economic recession turns into a depression. As the world becomes more wicked, we may also find our religious freedoms soon coming under pressure.

Rather than just waiting around to see what happens, all Christians have the opportunity to take an active role in hastening our Lord's advent. Jesus Christ specifically told us to pray for His return. "After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven” (Mat. 6:9, 10).

Now that 2000 years have passed and all the signs point to the nearness of the last days, our prayers have the power to be more meaningful, more important, and more necessary than ever. God is still in control the prophetic time clock, but He will certainly listen to the voices of His children if they join together to call on Him.

I don't know why any believer wouldn't be crying out in prayer to "hasten the coming of the day of God" (2 Pet. 3:12). For many years, I've felt like a stranger in this land. Lately, I feel like Lot must have felt as he lived amongst the Sodomites. Many non-believers email each day, wishing I would indeed be raptured away, so my hope is that they soon get their wish.

I ask every child of God reading this week's Nearing Midnight Update to spend sometime this week praying for the Lord's soon return. At this late hour, the triggering point for the blessed hope may just require a few more Christians to say “Even so, come, Lord Jesus” (Rev. 22:20).

Wednesday, December 17, 2008

What Is Sin?

Judging from the feedback I've received lately, some of us don't know what sin is. The word comes from an old English archery term meaning “to miss the mark.” Jesus gave us the mark in Matt. 5:48 “Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.” Anything short of that is missing the mark, and whether by thought, word, or deed, is sin. The main purpose of His three chapter Sermon on the Mount (Matt. 5-7) was to change our perception of sin. The Pharisees thought that if they obeyed the commandments they weren't sinning and therefore didn't need a Savior. To achieve their position of authority, they had to have lived such an exemplary life as to appear nearly perfect. This focus on perfection in their behavior made them arrogant, unsympathetic toward their weaker brethren. It had made them worse than useless in advancing the Kingdom. They were actually driving people away.

He began by saying that in judging our behavior, God would not overlook even the smallest detail of the Law. He said that even our thoughts would be held against us. Anger is as bad as murder, He said, lust is as bad as adultery, and so on. He said that unless our righteousness exceeds that of the Pharisees we will certainly not enter the Kingdom. (Matt. 5:20) Later on He said that they were like whitewashed tombs which are beautiful on the outside but full of dead men's bones. He said in the same way they appeared to people as righteous but were full of hypocrisy. (Matt. 23:27-28) The Pharisees were compulsive about their behavior, applying the Law to the most minute things in their lives, even giving a tithe of the herbs and spices that grew in their gardens. (Matt. 23:23) And our righteousness needs to exceed theirs? In all of their behavior they had achieved perfection.

Where Did That Come From?
Then where does sin originate if not in our behavior? In Mark 7:20-23 Jesus said: "What comes out of a man is what makes him 'unclean.' For from within, out of men's hearts, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, greed, malice, deceit, lewdness, envy, slander, arrogance and folly. All these evils come from inside and make a man 'unclean.' "

Jeremiah said, “The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it?” (Jeremiah 17:9) This is what he meant. Satan brings evil thoughts to the threshold of our minds. If we immediately take these thoughts captive and make them obedient to Christ, there's no harm done. We've fended off an attack. (2 Cor. 10:3-5) But the moment we give them any consideration at all, we've sinned. Anger, jealousy, envy, lust, resentment, frustration, self-pity are some of the more obvious ones, but then there's admiration, pride, self-satisfaction, self-righteousness and a long list of others that give glory to someone or something other than God. Our hearts being incurably wicked we do two things that make us sinners. First, we harbor these thoughts, and second we think that because we don't act on them we haven't sinned. But whether acted upon or not, these and many more are all sins punishable by death. No one sees them, and they're so natural to us that often we ourselves are barely aware of them. To all outward appearances we appear to be fine, upstanding examples of Christian goodness, but inside we're rotten to the core.

Pastor Chuck Smith, the founder of Calvary Chapel, once said, “We aren't sinners because we sin, we sin because we're sinners.” It's our nature. Those who claim to have stopped sinning simply don't understand this. The best we can say about ourselves is that because of our conversion we're perhaps a little more aware of our sins, but the research has shown that by and large most of us live lives that aren't any freer of sin than our unbelieving neighbors. Like them, we're after bigger and better stuff for ourselves while ignoring the needs of people around us. Like them we're jealous of the success of others while crediting ourselves with our own success. Like them we get angry about little things. Like them, we wish our lives were different. Like them, we have a secular world view.

But what has been most instructive to me lately is the way so many people actually think they're no longer sinners, just because they're saved. I guess the old saying is true. We all want grace for ourselves while demanding justice for everyone else. We want to be judged by our intentions but we want others judged by their actions.

As the Bible clearly shows, there is no hierarchy of sin. All sin brings death. We don't think there's anything wrong with being angry or envying the possessions of our neighbors or entertaining a lustful thought now and then, but we demand others stop their sinning or else be condemned. Please don't misunderstand me. There's nothing wrong with being uncomfortable around sinful behavior. There's nothing wrong with deciding to withdraw from it. And there's nothing wrong with demanding that the leaders of our churches adhere to Biblical principles about sin. But when we start saying that certain forms of sin disqualify a person for salvation, then we've put ourselves in God's place and risk having the same measure we use in judging others, be used with us.

"Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.” (Matt. 7:1-2)

"Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven.” (Luke 6:37)

According to Biblical standards we all willingly, consciously and deliberately sin. The fact that some sins are more obvious to us than others is irrelevant. It's what's in our hearts that counts, and God sees them all. We forget that Jesus said every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven except blasphemy against the Holy Spirit. (Matt. 12:31) Every sin. And not just once. Enough to last a life time.

Repent And Be Saved
Having talked about sin, we should also take a look at repentance. The Greek word translated repent is metanoeo. Meta means after and noeo means to understand. To repent literally means to understand afterward. As it's used in the New Testament it means to change one's mind. The phrase “Repent and be saved” means change your mind about your behavior and realize that you're a sinner in need of a savior. It was first used with Jews who thought that keeping the Law would save them. When John the Baptist (Matt. 3:2), Jesus (Matt. 4:17), and Peter (Acts 2:38) told the people to repent, they were telling them to change their minds about believing that their own works could save them. Only people who know their behavior is sinful will realize their need for a Savior. Once it becomes clear to us that we're sinners and can't save ourselves, we're ready to ask for salvation. We've repented.

But nowhere in the Bible is anyone required to change their behavior before they can ask for salvation. The old hymn “Just as I Am” makes that clear. To say that the word repent implies that behavioral change is a condition of salvation is an incorrect understanding of the word. The notion that Christians stop sinning once we're saved is similarly incorrect. The fact that God chooses to see us as a new creation is a function of His ability to look ahead to what we'll be in the resurrection. It's not due to our suddenly exemplary behavior.

There was a time in ancient history when people looked forward to cloudy days, because they thought the Lord wouldn't be able to look down and catch them sinning. It was like a free day. Today we understand how absurd that was. When a person is caught in adultery, or theft, or homosexuality it's obvious to everyone that he or she has been sinning. But the person who secretly envies his neighbor's possessions, is jealous, harbors resentment, or is self righteous, is every bit as much a sinner. The only difference is that nobody knows. Nobody on Earth, that is.

And then there's the sin we're not even aware of. This is what caused David to write, “Who can discern His errors? Lord, forgive my hidden faults.” (Psalm 19:12) We can't even figure out our own motives and yet are often quick to judge the motives of others. We say they could stop their sinning whenever they want to, and are only doing it by choice, while we remain in our secret sins having convinced ourselves that we're not sinning, and seeing no need to stop.

Do we think that condemning others and questioning their salvation, as so many in the Church do, is helping them? With the woman caught in adultery, Jesus saved her life by exposing the secret sins of her accusers. Once they understood that He knew the hidden flaws in their behavior, they no longer had the stomach for condemning her. This was a demonstration of his admonition in Matt. 7:1-2 to avoid judging others unless we want to be judged in like manner. He said He would use the same measure on us that we use on others. When He said, “Let him who is without sin cast the first stone”(John 8:7) , He was saying in effect, “If you want to start killing people for their sins, are you willing to face the same judgment for yours?” He can expose our hypocrisy just as easily, you know. If we want other believers kicked out of the rapture for their sins, are we willing to be kicked out for ours? We've all sinned and fall short of the glory of God. It's true, Jesus said. "Not everyone who says to Me, Lord, Lord will enter the kingdom of Heaven." But He can do that. He's Jesus. We're not.

After they fled, Jesus asked "Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?" she said, No one, sir. "Then neither do I condemn you," Jesus declared. "Go now and leave your life of sin." (John 8:10-11) My guess is that she stopped committing adultery. Of course she also would have stopped if her accusers had killed her, but would she have been delivered from her sin?

The Pharisees were upset with Jesus because they considered Him “soft” on sin. After all, He palled around with “sinners”, had dinner in their homes, and said He came to save them, not to condemn them. I've noticed that the closer people came to Jesus, the more they became aware of their sins. They were often on their knees, weeping, pleading for mercy. The Pharisees stood in the back, scowling, arms folded across their chests, silently condemning. I think Paul was writing about such people when he said they show contempt for the riches of His kindness, tolerance and patience, not realizing that God's kindness leads you toward repentance. (Romans 2:4)

Jesus said that prostitutes and tax collectors would enter the Kingdom before the Pharisees did. Why? Because they knew they were sinners in need of a savior. They had repented, whereas the Pharisees had not. (Matt. 21:32)

I think you get the point of this, which is to remind us that we're all sinners who deserve only judgment. There's not a single one of us who has earned the right to go in the Rapture. We should be so thrilled to know He's going to take us anyway that we search high and low trying to find a way to say thanks, instead of looking around for people we want to have excluded. And those of you who think that you only sin occasionally, if at all, and others are just weak, it's time you repent. Admit you're a sinner and ask the Lord to forgive you. He will immediately agree, and perhaps for the first time you'll experience the full measure of God's Grace, because he who has been forgiven much, loves much.