There is a growing hatred for anything that centers on Jesus Christ. Its like the world wants to promote a “god” idea that can fit all belief systems, but trashes the God of Christianity and the idea of the Son of God as a Savior of all men. There is an even greater hatred for the idea of a Rapture, where a large number of people are going to be caught up and supernaturally removed. More and more of the leading ministers in Biblical circles are denying the Rapture and turning to theological ideas that suggest a Christian dominion of the earth rather than escape from the earth. Much of the Evangelical world and all of the Catholic leadership are dead set against a sudden exodus of the chosen saints of God.
When you understand the multitude of different ideas relating to End Times events, it is challenging to describe the many different reactions that may well follow the great escape of the saints. The Rapture may well serve to unite the religious world and force them to forge a united reaction. There are not many religious leaders left that do not have a growing distaste for Bible-believing fundamentalism. Every major religious trend has served to build a consensus against what is being called “narrow-minded fundamentalism.” Building a broad-based movement to bring the Catholic, the Evangelical, and the Pentecostals together demands that no theology is important enough to divide the church world.
We now have a religious atmosphere that drives the fundamental truths to the back room. That is the crowd that is going to be the Raptured saints. It would be a great relief to many religious personalities if we would just disappear. We will! Holiness of lifestyle is hated. Ministers that still preach and teach separation from the trashy and carnal world are considered cultic and bothersome. The music of the average church in the acceptable church growth world is unclean and repulsive. The atmosphere in the Jewish synagogues when Jesus came the first time is a fair example of today’s church atmosphere. Genuine truth has fallen in the streets. Most ministers that still continue to preach the Rapture also trash solid Biblical holiness living.
“The Passion of the Christ” did not change anything, but it did reveal some things that had already changed. Suddenly, the last holdouts of the church world could join the Catholic Church world and start uniting with them without question. The main two church denominational holdouts to wild ecumenicalism were the Baptist and the Pentecostals. They are now beginning to lead the way into the greatest unity of the “Christian” church world in all of two thousand years. How are all of them going to explain that the Rapture has taken place and they are still here?
Immediately After the Rapture
The Rapture is going to make an incredible stir throughout the world. This is one of the greatest moments in human history and the result will be an incredible crisis. The media will explore every detail. Interviews will be granted to all sides and many different explanations will be given. The paranormal world will have a field day with many bizarre stories. Somehow the majority of the world will be convinced to carry on and to join the new day of liberty and license.
The Catholic Church Will Move to the Forefront
The best way to deal with a crisis is to celebrate it and the celebration will begin. The One World Church will quickly develop a speakers’ bureau to appear on all news channels. Let’s consider what may be their explanation. I believe they will proclaim that a supernatural miracle has occurred. Religious fanatics and rebellious fundamentalists have been removed by an act of God so that the world can finally experience peace. They will say that these people were no different than the terrorists within the Muslim world. They were like the Taliban of Afghanistan and we have been spared their hindrance to our planned wonderful world by this miracle of their removal.
Forerunners of the Antichrist will see this as their golden opportunity and they will join in with the religious One World Church. They will herald the coming revelation of their “Christ” and great paranormal events will become commonplace. As the idea that this “Christ” is waiting to be manifest begins to grip the world, great excitement to His coming will develop. Great speakers with demonic appeal will conduct rallies all over the world. They will build excitement to the point of hysteria. Incredible miracles of healing (i.e., blinded eyes opened) and mass healing events will occur. This new church world of the inclusive church will explode. It will be religious mania.
This new religion will be as emotionally real as the true Pentecost of the past. The only thing missing will be the restrictions of commandments and standards. It will be the greatest day of mass religious events in history. The music is already written, the singers have already trained, and these campaigns will feature the best. The present contemporary, rap, rock, funk, and other ungodly music are all the music of the Antichrist and are ready to inoculate the world. The multitudes will line up to be baptized and marked as the worshippers of this new “Christ.” They will actually believe that he is the true appearing of the real Christ.
While the One World Church is Worshipping
As hid from public view as possible, a genuine surrender to Jesus Christ will grip the world. Millions of people that knew very little about the faith of Jesus Christ will believe that the Rapture, which has just occurred, was the real thing. This great company will find private places to pray and devour the Holy Bible. They will help each other find food and survive as long as possible. Little children will be led to a living faith as moms and dads, sometimes only mothers and sometimes only dads, help their families prepare for the worst. Every person, who makes a complete surrender to Jesus Christ, will be signing his or her own death warrant by the worst possible form of death.
The great multitude that wash their garments in the Blood of the Son of man/Son of God will be hated by the liberal media, the Antichrist and his army of savages, and the New World Religion followers. The persecution of Christians will be worldwide and brutal. Human rights will not exist. There will be no “911” phone number for those that are being brutally hunted and slaughtered.
The death of these repentant and blood-washed souls is going to be so massive and vicious that the Great Creator and His divine Son set one of the seven seals to draw attention to this fact. These people will be champions. They will bear their testimony bravely before the world, while being hated and threatened by the entire One World system. These new saints do not have any weapons and no one is available to plead their call before the powers that be, but they are brave unto death. Listen to the Lord Jesus Christ in His Revelation to John describe them. “And when he had opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of them that were slain for the word of God, and for the testimony which they held: And they cried with a loud voice, saying, How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth? And white robes were given unto every one of them; and it was said unto them, that they should rest yet for a little season, until their fellowservants also and their brethren, that should be killed as they were, should be fulfilled.” (Revelation 6:9-11)
The Gospel will certainly be heard worldwide during the Seven Years of the Great Tribulation. The souls we just witnessed were condemned and killed for the Word of God and their testimonies. There will be two incredible prophets that proclaim God’s Word to the world and cannot be killed until their witness is complete. They will perform many genuine miracles and even shut the heavens so that it does not rain. Their testimony will be so effective that the Beast, the Leader of the One World Religion will make war with them. After three and one-half years of ministry, they will be killed and their death will cause a worldwide celebration by the wicked multitudes.
Look at a few descriptions of their ministry and effectiveness. “And I will give power unto my two witnesses … And if any man will hurt them, fire proceedeth out of their mouth … These have power to shut heaven … And their dead bodies shall lie in the street of the great city … where also our Lord was crucified … And after three days and an half the Spirit of life from God entered into them … and great fear fell upon them which saw them … the remnant were affrighted, and gave glory to the God of heaven.” (Revelation 11:3-13)
Even angels will fly through the Heavens proclaiming the everlasting gospel. No one that takes the Mark of the Beast or worships Satan, the Antichrist, or the Beast will have an excuse. The absolute proof that the God of Heaven is the source of these days of great judgment will be undeniable. The glory of God vs. the hideous nature of Satan and his entire deceived host will be evident for men to see.
The Wicked Will Be Wicked Still
The spirit of prophecy used Prophet Daniel to give us incredible information about the Seven Years of the Great Tribulation. The last chapter of his book speaks of the rapture and resurrection of the righteous, as well as the resurrection of the wicked. He described the first three and one-half years, placed the abomination of desolation in the middle, and then described the last three and one-half years. It’s a remarkable description. Along with placing the abomination in the middle, he also described a revival of righteousness. With that he also spoke of the company of the wicked that, in spite of judgment and the undercurrent of genuine revival, they would continue to be wicked and even grow into a level of wickedness never experienced. Look at Daniel’s anointed description of this coming hour after the Rapture. “And he said, Go thy way, Daniel: for the words are closed up and sealed till the time of the end. Many shall be purified, and made white, and tried; but the wicked shall do wickedly: and none of the wicked shall understand; but the wise shall understand.
And from the time that the daily sacrifice shall be taken away, and the abomination that maketh desolate set up, there shall be a thousand two hundred and ninety days (the last three and one-half years of the seven).” (Daniel 12:9-11) The wickedness of the wicked will reach a level of vileness that we do not yet understand. A human being can become a devil in nature just like Satan and his angels became devils. This is already happening, but will reach a new level during the Great Tribulation.
At the very beginning of the seven years, the sixth seal reveals something of men’s response to the judgments of God that are evident. Look at these words, “And the heaven departed as a scroll when it is rolled together; and every mountain and island were moved out of their places. And the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every bondman, and every free man, hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains; And said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb: For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?” (Revelation 6:14-17)
There is no evidence of repentance, just a stark reflection of their understanding that this is a judgment from the God of Heaven and His Son, Jesus Christ. By the time of the sixth trumpet, the hearts of men will have grown arrogant and obstinate. “And the rest of the men which were not killed by these plagues yet repented not of the works of their hands, that they should not worship devils, and idols of gold, and silver, and brass, and stone, and of wood: which neither can see, nor hear, nor walk: Neither repented they of their murders, nor of their sorceries, nor of their fornication, nor of their thefts.” (Revelation 9:20-21)
In the face of judgments that they dare not deny, the wickedness of those men left after the Rapture only grows more and more wicked. By the time the two prophets that had performed many miracles and proven themselves to be prophets from God have been killed, the multitudes of the wicked have the audacity to rejoice and send gifts celebrating the Beast’s victory over those men of God.
Now, as the Seven Years draw to a close, the time comes that Jesus Christ will appear in the Heavens on a great white stallion, along with a multitude of His saints with Him. The sight will be too awesome to describe. The wicked, who have arrogantly rejected every expression of truth or mercy, join themselves to the Antichrist as his army and gather to Armageddon to fight against the descending Christ and His army of the glorified saints. The devil, the Antichrist, the Beast, fallen angels, and the host of wicked men and women become as one to fight the Lamb of God and His host. But, the end of this rebellion has come. “And I saw an angel standing in the sun; and he cried with a loud voice, saying to all the fowls that fly in the midst of heaven, Come and gather yourselves together unto the supper of the great God; That ye may eat the flesh of kings, and the flesh of captains, and the flesh of mighty men, and the flesh of horses, and of them that sit on them, and the flesh of all men, both free and bond, both small and great.” (Revelation 19:17-18)
The Deluded That Knew But Rejected the Truth
I cannot end this article without remembering the multitude that were “Left Behind” but could not repent. They were turned to a reprobate mind to believe a lie and be damned. That lie of a false religion, a false Christ, and miracles to deceive will conclude by actually fighting against the returning Son of God. Imagine the men and women that once heard and knew the truth, but loved the world more. There will be multitudes of them that were raised in Bible-believing churches, heard the preaching about the Rapture, and were loved by the saints of God, but are now the companion of Satan to fight the Battle of Armageddon. The worse degree of the Lake of fire is reserved for those that knew but rejected the great Savior that came down to die.
Left Behind, Seven Years of Hell
This world will soon be Satan’s last stand. He is a master at deceit. With thousands of years of experience in fighting against God, he will certainly use his acquired skills to lead this world to war. With the restraining presence of the Holy Ghost removed, there will be nothing to hinder but the limits of prophesied truth. He and his host will fight to the finish. There will be schemes of deception unknown. Only those that wash themselves in the Blood of the Lamb and choose death over the mark will survive.
It’s foolish to wait and follow the love of self and sin. Turn wholly to Jesus Christ today. Tomorrow may be the sad day of the “Left Behind.”
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
Monday, March 30, 2009
What Should We Be Doing?
From the very beginning of the site, I determined that one of my main duties would be to motivate fellow Christians to be productive in their faith. Far too many prophecy sites have an exclusive fixation on dire news. I think it is foolhardy for people to be watching the end-time signs unfold, while at the same time divorcing themselves from any responsibility that comes with being a believer.
We are seeing spectacular signs of how close we are to the tribulation hour. Bible prophecy is advancing on all fronts. I’m particularly amazed at how the world is casually talking about creating a new global currency. I have noticed many long-time prophecy commentators have been writing, “I’ve never seen anything like this before” type articles. The interest in prophecy is showing up in our traffic. March will easily be Rapture Ready’s busiest month ever for bandwidth traffic.
Yes, all this end-time news is amazing, but what are doing about it?
We’ve all seen the headlines concerning the shaky state of the financial system. It makes me wonder where Christians have their priorities when they continue to put their faith in a system that is based on a mountain of IOUs . If believers could see the ultimate fate of their earthly treasures, they would probably be more inclined to invest in their heavenly accounts.
I get a lot of emails from Christians who express their frustration at having to watch the world slowly fall into the enemy’s hands. They want to go home and leave this wicked world. I think the best cure for the rapture blues is the realization that we are accountable for every second we spend here on earth. Someday, we will stand before the Lord and tell Him what we’ve done in His name.
After the rapture, it’s show and tell: “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad” (2 Cor. 5:10).
I don’t understand how Christians can believe so strongly in Bible prophecy, and yet have such a cloudy grasp of their role in the kingdom of God. I recently came across a website that lectures visitors about the importance of being busy about the Lord’s work. The site’s owner needs to take his or her own advice. The main page has a daily news log that has not been updated for two years. I’ve seen enough of these abandoned prophecy sites to know that laziness or boredom are the prime reasons a web venture becomes defunct.
What has kept me motivated to maintain this site for 22 year is the understanding that the only things that have lasting value are what I do in Jesus’ name. A couple of years ago, I retired from the Air Force after two decades of service. Even though I enjoyed serving my country, very little of my work in the military will translate to the life to come.
It is very important to regularly ask ourselves how dedicated we are to the cause of Christ. We can often tell when the rest of the Church is losing its focus, while at the same time, we overlook our own slothfulness. Here are few questions to test your motivation level:
How active is your prayer life?
Do you regularly study God’s Word?
Do you live a life of spiritual integrity?
When is the last time you shared your faith with someone else?
Do you support Christian causes?
One of the key things missing from the Church today is a sense of duty. The first century Christians weren’t willing to die for their faith simply because they joined a club. They were willing to suffer martyrdom because they had a hope that went beyond the cares of this world.
Our actions are what really define us as believers. The desire to spread the gospel message is something that should be on the hearts of all Christians. Charles Spurgeon once put it very bluntly, “Have you no wish for others to be saved? Then you are not saved yourself. Be sure of that."
Opportunity abounds here at Rapture Ready. We are probably the only major prophecy site that welcomes input from the public. Most prophetic websites are run by people who have a bias for featuring their own content. We’re so open to receiving anything that promotes the gospel message, we’ve even gone as far as editing some articles submitted by people with good ideas but a shortage of good grammar skills. Once we cleaned up and post their articles, they become productive witnessing tools to thousands of people each month.
The hardest part about doing something for the kingdom of God is getting started. If you decided to write a personal testimony and you only write two words a day, what does it matter if it takes you two years to complete the task? Once it’s finished, you will have accomplished something that 99.9 percent of your fellow believers will never do.
Another factor that keeps my nose to the grindstone is the realization that the opportunity to be productive in the Lord’s work is only for a limited time and will never be repeated. Once the rapture takes place, intercessory prayer, the sharing of our faith, and the ability to financially support godly causes will abruptly end.
“And behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to give to every one according to his work” (Rev 22:12).
We are seeing spectacular signs of how close we are to the tribulation hour. Bible prophecy is advancing on all fronts. I’m particularly amazed at how the world is casually talking about creating a new global currency. I have noticed many long-time prophecy commentators have been writing, “I’ve never seen anything like this before” type articles. The interest in prophecy is showing up in our traffic. March will easily be Rapture Ready’s busiest month ever for bandwidth traffic.
Yes, all this end-time news is amazing, but what are doing about it?
We’ve all seen the headlines concerning the shaky state of the financial system. It makes me wonder where Christians have their priorities when they continue to put their faith in a system that is based on a mountain of IOUs . If believers could see the ultimate fate of their earthly treasures, they would probably be more inclined to invest in their heavenly accounts.
I get a lot of emails from Christians who express their frustration at having to watch the world slowly fall into the enemy’s hands. They want to go home and leave this wicked world. I think the best cure for the rapture blues is the realization that we are accountable for every second we spend here on earth. Someday, we will stand before the Lord and tell Him what we’ve done in His name.
After the rapture, it’s show and tell: “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad” (2 Cor. 5:10).
I don’t understand how Christians can believe so strongly in Bible prophecy, and yet have such a cloudy grasp of their role in the kingdom of God. I recently came across a website that lectures visitors about the importance of being busy about the Lord’s work. The site’s owner needs to take his or her own advice. The main page has a daily news log that has not been updated for two years. I’ve seen enough of these abandoned prophecy sites to know that laziness or boredom are the prime reasons a web venture becomes defunct.
What has kept me motivated to maintain this site for 22 year is the understanding that the only things that have lasting value are what I do in Jesus’ name. A couple of years ago, I retired from the Air Force after two decades of service. Even though I enjoyed serving my country, very little of my work in the military will translate to the life to come.
It is very important to regularly ask ourselves how dedicated we are to the cause of Christ. We can often tell when the rest of the Church is losing its focus, while at the same time, we overlook our own slothfulness. Here are few questions to test your motivation level:
How active is your prayer life?
Do you regularly study God’s Word?
Do you live a life of spiritual integrity?
When is the last time you shared your faith with someone else?
Do you support Christian causes?
One of the key things missing from the Church today is a sense of duty. The first century Christians weren’t willing to die for their faith simply because they joined a club. They were willing to suffer martyrdom because they had a hope that went beyond the cares of this world.
Our actions are what really define us as believers. The desire to spread the gospel message is something that should be on the hearts of all Christians. Charles Spurgeon once put it very bluntly, “Have you no wish for others to be saved? Then you are not saved yourself. Be sure of that."
Opportunity abounds here at Rapture Ready. We are probably the only major prophecy site that welcomes input from the public. Most prophetic websites are run by people who have a bias for featuring their own content. We’re so open to receiving anything that promotes the gospel message, we’ve even gone as far as editing some articles submitted by people with good ideas but a shortage of good grammar skills. Once we cleaned up and post their articles, they become productive witnessing tools to thousands of people each month.
The hardest part about doing something for the kingdom of God is getting started. If you decided to write a personal testimony and you only write two words a day, what does it matter if it takes you two years to complete the task? Once it’s finished, you will have accomplished something that 99.9 percent of your fellow believers will never do.
Another factor that keeps my nose to the grindstone is the realization that the opportunity to be productive in the Lord’s work is only for a limited time and will never be repeated. Once the rapture takes place, intercessory prayer, the sharing of our faith, and the ability to financially support godly causes will abruptly end.
“And behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to give to every one according to his work” (Rev 22:12).
Friday, March 27, 2009
Russian Roulette
Russia has an evil intent, and she is going to be seriously wounded when she perpetrates it. Russia is regaining her old aggressiveness and brutality. White House correspondent Bill Koenig and I discussed it on air Saturday, March 21, on my live broadcast. We know this for sure: The Russian invasion of Israel has not yet happened. It is a future event but we don't know how future. It is often called the Gog-Magog War. According to Josephus, the ancient Scythians inhabited the land of Magog that is now Russia.
Here's what else we know from Ezekiel 38. Many Islamic nations will participate (verse 5). It is in the "latter days" (verses 8 and 16). Israel is "living securely" (verse 8). A major motive will be to seize Israel's wealth (verse 12). Many nations will object but will not get involved (verse 13). God is angry because forces are invading His land (verse 16). God raises severe judgment on the invaders (verse 22). Many nations are awed at this and recognize that He is Lord (verse 23).
The scenario in chapter 39 states that the devastation of the enemy will be great (verse 4). God will send fire upon the lands of some of those involved in this invasion of Israel (verse 6). God's holy name is made known in Israel, and they will know He is the Holy One of Israel (verse 7). Israel will burn weapons for seven years, which may indicate this is a Tribulation war (verse 9). Russia and her allies will be buried in Israel for seven months (verse 12). Israel will know that the Lord God of Israel orchestrated this. His glory is set among the nations and in Israel (verse 21). Israel will have some kind of spiritual awakening (verse 22). God will not hide His face from them any longer for He will pour out His Spirit on the house of Israel (verse 29). This should not be confused with "all Israel saved" at the Second Coming.
Since Bible prophecy is in a fast-forward mode, we need to be paying attention to major events taking place. One of the issues that those with their eye on the sky have wondered about is what is the wealth Israel possesses that is so vital that Gog (Russia) and her allies are willing to invade Israel to seize it. A story many seem to think significant is the fact that Israel has just discovered five trillion feet of natural gas off the shore of Haifa. And that is just for starters. It is believed there is much more soon to be tapped into, as well as oil not yet discovered in various parts of the country. Oil may be a speculation but the natural gas is a reality.
Russia needs natural gas! That was, in part, her reason for invading the former Soviet state of Georgia. Additionally, Russia is building seaports in Syria and Libya. Libya is one of the participants in this forthcoming war. Another participant -- Turkey -- is now more aligned with Russia than ever before. A primary participant in the Gog-Magog war is Iran who is always strengthening her ties with Russia.
As for other items of wealth or a "spoil" in Israel, we should include her Dead Sea assets and technological wealth. But it is the natural gas find that everyone should keep an eye on. This was the missing piece of the puzzle! And hardly anyone is paying attention to it. The media just says this will be a great asset for Israel as they are clueless about the Ezekiel 38-39 passage and how this find might apply to biblical prophecy.
Returning to the theme of the rapid escalation of events today, Dr. Thomas Ice says, "Things are moving so fast in the last six months that stage-setting events are happening at a speed no one person can keep up with. Prophecy is on fast-forward!"
Dr. Ice also says, "God's plan for history always moves forward in relation to what He is doing with Israel. Thus, the fact that Israel has been and continues to be reconstituted as a nation is prophetically significant, so significant that it makes Israel God's 'super-sign' of the end-times. Were Israel not a nation again it would be impossible for events of the end-time to occur since so many of them take place in that tiny country or in reference to her. But she has returned and so it is that all other aspects of Bible prophecy are also being prepared for the grand finale of history."
Yes, it is a tragedy that the church today does not care about this topic, but the Bible predicted scoffers near the end (II Peter 3:4). Too bad much of the scoffing is coming from church pulpits. And it grieves many of us that once-solid denominations and churches now embrace Replacement Theology that says the church is the new Israel. Nonetheless, in this dark day, keep looking up -- even if you get a stiff neck. Keep listening for the sound of a glorious trumpet! Stage-setting signs have never been so prolific! Not everyone has this blessed hope!
Here's what else we know from Ezekiel 38. Many Islamic nations will participate (verse 5). It is in the "latter days" (verses 8 and 16). Israel is "living securely" (verse 8). A major motive will be to seize Israel's wealth (verse 12). Many nations will object but will not get involved (verse 13). God is angry because forces are invading His land (verse 16). God raises severe judgment on the invaders (verse 22). Many nations are awed at this and recognize that He is Lord (verse 23).
The scenario in chapter 39 states that the devastation of the enemy will be great (verse 4). God will send fire upon the lands of some of those involved in this invasion of Israel (verse 6). God's holy name is made known in Israel, and they will know He is the Holy One of Israel (verse 7). Israel will burn weapons for seven years, which may indicate this is a Tribulation war (verse 9). Russia and her allies will be buried in Israel for seven months (verse 12). Israel will know that the Lord God of Israel orchestrated this. His glory is set among the nations and in Israel (verse 21). Israel will have some kind of spiritual awakening (verse 22). God will not hide His face from them any longer for He will pour out His Spirit on the house of Israel (verse 29). This should not be confused with "all Israel saved" at the Second Coming.
Since Bible prophecy is in a fast-forward mode, we need to be paying attention to major events taking place. One of the issues that those with their eye on the sky have wondered about is what is the wealth Israel possesses that is so vital that Gog (Russia) and her allies are willing to invade Israel to seize it. A story many seem to think significant is the fact that Israel has just discovered five trillion feet of natural gas off the shore of Haifa. And that is just for starters. It is believed there is much more soon to be tapped into, as well as oil not yet discovered in various parts of the country. Oil may be a speculation but the natural gas is a reality.
Russia needs natural gas! That was, in part, her reason for invading the former Soviet state of Georgia. Additionally, Russia is building seaports in Syria and Libya. Libya is one of the participants in this forthcoming war. Another participant -- Turkey -- is now more aligned with Russia than ever before. A primary participant in the Gog-Magog war is Iran who is always strengthening her ties with Russia.
As for other items of wealth or a "spoil" in Israel, we should include her Dead Sea assets and technological wealth. But it is the natural gas find that everyone should keep an eye on. This was the missing piece of the puzzle! And hardly anyone is paying attention to it. The media just says this will be a great asset for Israel as they are clueless about the Ezekiel 38-39 passage and how this find might apply to biblical prophecy.
Returning to the theme of the rapid escalation of events today, Dr. Thomas Ice says, "Things are moving so fast in the last six months that stage-setting events are happening at a speed no one person can keep up with. Prophecy is on fast-forward!"
Dr. Ice also says, "God's plan for history always moves forward in relation to what He is doing with Israel. Thus, the fact that Israel has been and continues to be reconstituted as a nation is prophetically significant, so significant that it makes Israel God's 'super-sign' of the end-times. Were Israel not a nation again it would be impossible for events of the end-time to occur since so many of them take place in that tiny country or in reference to her. But she has returned and so it is that all other aspects of Bible prophecy are also being prepared for the grand finale of history."
Yes, it is a tragedy that the church today does not care about this topic, but the Bible predicted scoffers near the end (II Peter 3:4). Too bad much of the scoffing is coming from church pulpits. And it grieves many of us that once-solid denominations and churches now embrace Replacement Theology that says the church is the new Israel. Nonetheless, in this dark day, keep looking up -- even if you get a stiff neck. Keep listening for the sound of a glorious trumpet! Stage-setting signs have never been so prolific! Not everyone has this blessed hope!
Thursday, March 26, 2009
A timeline of prophetic events-things to watch for...
The following is a listing of events assembled from various books of the Bible, things we can expect to happen starting probably in the near future, or in coming years. My knowledge of Bible prophecy is at best incomplete, and things may not happen in the exact order listed here. It also is not all-inclusive, and I may have missed some events. But this should give you a pretty good idea of what's coming, and the general order of things.
Lest we forget and lose sight of the accuracy of God's prophecies, let us consider past prophecies that have been fulfilled to the letter, first those concerning Jesus Christ. To name a few...
[Event (Prophecy—Fulfillment)]
He would be born of a virgin (Isaiah 7:14—Matthew 1:18, Luke 1:25-38)
He would not be of any extraordinary appearance. (Isaiah 53:2)
He would be of the lineage of David (Isaiah 11:1 [Jesse was the father of David]—Matthew 1:1-16, Luke 3:23-37)
He would be despised and rejected by men (Psalm 22:6-7, Isaiah 53:3—John 1:10-11)
He would be silent before His accusers (Isaiah 53:7—Mark 14:61)
He would be crucified, His hands and feet pierced (Psalm 22:16, Isiah 53:5--)
He would be executed as though a criminal, with criminals (Isaiah 53:9)
though he did nothing to deserve it (53:9b)
He died for the sins of others—our sins—He had no sin (Isaiah 53:5-6—Romans 4:25, 2 Corinthians 5:21)
By His wounds we would be healed (Isaiah 53:5—1 Peter 2:24-25)
He would be spat upon and his beard pulled out (Isaiah 50:6—Matthew 26:67)
The soldiers who crucified Him gambled for His clothes (Psalm 2:18—John 19:23-24)
Not a bone of His body would be broken (Psalm 34:20—John 20:36)
His body would not see corruption (Psalm 16:10—Acts 2:27, 31)
He would rise again from the dead (Psalm 16:10—Matthew 28:5, Mark 16:6, Luke 24:1-6, John 20:1-19, Acts 1:3, 1 Corinthians 15:3-8)
There were over 100 such details of prophecy such as the above given concerning the first coming of Christ, and each one was fulfilled to the letter. The odds against even a few of these being fulfilled by chance are enormous; the odds against all of them being literally fulfilled are astronomical. But they were, every one to the letter.
Now let's consider another prophecy, that of the destruction of the city of Tyre, a wealthy seaport. The prophet Ezekiel prophesied that Tyre would be destroyed, that the timbers and the rock of the city would be dumped into the water and that the city would be scraped bare like the top of a rock, and would become a place for fishermen to dry their nets (Ezekiel 26). It was also prophesied that Nebuchadnezzar would come against the city and destroy it, which he did not too many years after Ezekiel made this prophecy. But it was only the mainland city that was destroyed, the remaining inhabitants moved to an island somewhere around a mile out in the Mediterranean Sea. Since Nebuchadnezzar didn't have a navy and the island city was heavily fortified, it was left alone and continued to exist for perhaps another 400 years. But then Alexander the Great came along, determined to conquer the world, and he didn't have a navy either. But he wasn't going to let that stop him. So he had an army of workers tear down the remains of the mainland, dump the rubble in the water, and build a broad causeway out to the island. From there he eventually overpowered the city's defenses and ravaged it, slaughtering a great many of its inhabitants and enslaving others. The site of the mainland city had been literally scraped to bare rock, and came to be used by fishermen as a place to dry their nets, thus fulfilling this prophecy to the letter in a very literal sense.
With so many Bible prophecies having been so accurately and literally fulfilled, what would make us think that prophecies of events yet future will not be fulfilled just as literally as those which have already been fulfilled? With that in mind, let's take a look at some of these prophecies of events soon to come.
Happening now- World financial markets in turmoil. This very well could be setting the stage for one world government and the Beast financial system prophesied in Revelation.
Likely—Syria attacks Israel. Could happen any time.
Damascus is destroyed (Isaiah 17:1), most likely by a nuclear attack by Israel.
Israel will fight a war in which they will take control of much of the middle East (Psalm 83).
Israel becomes richest nation in the world, dwells in peace in villages without walls (Psalm 83, Ezekiel 38).
Russia along with certain Islamic nations invades Israel (Ezekiel 38). Other nations only offer a feeble protest (Ezekiel 38:13), none come to Israel's aid.
The invaders are destroyed by supernatural events, earthquakes, fire, great hailstones, floods etc. (Ezekiel 38:17-23)
Israel spends seven months burying the dead, seven years burning weapons of war (Ezekiel 39).
Somewhere in all of this, the rapture occurs. The dead saints are resurrected and every living born again Christian is changed and given an immortal body, and all are caught up together to meet Jesus in the air (1 Thessalonians 4:13-18, 1 Corinthians 15). The exact time is known only to God the Father, but Jesus said we will know when the time is near (Matthew 24:32-36). All who are unsaved, dead and alive, will be left behind on Earth.
The antichrist rises from a minor political figure to world leader, asserts himself (Daniel 8:9-12).
Israel signs a seven year peace treaty with antichrist, signaling start of the Great Tribulation (Daniel 11-12). There could be period of peace and prosperity following, for a time.
Seal judgments begin (Revelation 6-7).
After three and a half years the antichrist breaks his covenant with Israel, places abomination of desolation in the rebuilt temple, stops sacrifices and offerings and declares himself to be God (Daniel 9:27, Revelation 13).
The antichrist requires all to receive his mark on their forehead or their hand, and anyone who refuses will be killed. Without this mark no one will be able to buy or sell. Anyone who receives this mark dooms his soul eternally, to be tormented day and night forever (Revelation 13:16-18, 14:9-10). This mark will embody the number 666 in some manner.
The wrath of God is poured out-trumpet judgments, bowl judgments (Revelation 8-9, 16).
Babylon the Great is destroyed, never to rise again (Revelation 18).
Somewhere during this time, in whatever location raptured saints have been taken to, their works will be tested at the Judgment Seat of Christ, and the saints rewarded according to the outcome (1 Corinthians 3, Romans 14:10).
Marriage supper of the Lamb takes place. All the saints become collectively the bride of Christ (Revelation 19).
All the armies of the world gather together to fight against Christ at the battle of Armageddon (Zechariah 12, Revelation 19:19).
Jesus returns to Earth along with all the saints, all riding on white horses (Revelation 19:11-18).
The armies gathered at Megiddo are destroyed by sword from Jesus' mouth, He speaks the word and they all are destroyed right where they stand (Revelation 19:15-17, 21, Zechariah 14:12-15).
The beast (antichrist) and the false prophet are thrown alive into the lake of fire (Revelation 19:19-20).
Satan is bound and imprisoned in the bottomless pit for 1000 years (Revelation 20:1-3).
Killed tribulation saints are resurrected to reign with Jesus for 1000 years (Revelation 20).
Sheep and Goats judgment takes place on Earth for tribulation survivors. The righteous are separated from the wicked and ushered into the Kingdom, while the wicked are banished into everlasting fire reserved for the devil and his angels (Matthew 25:31-46).
Jesus rules the earth for 1000 years in perfect righteousness. Satan is imprisoned in the bottomless pit for the entire 1000 years, unable to deceive the nations any more. Sin and wickedness are no longer tolerated. Even wild and domestic animals are at peace with one another (Isaiah 11, Revelation 20:4).
At the end of 1000 years Satan is released for a short time and gathers an army as the sands of the sea. Satan brings his army against the camp of the saints (Jerusalem?) and surrounds it. Fire from heaven destroys the rebels, and Satan is cast into the lake of fire (Revelation 20:7-9).
The great white throne judgment takes place for the unsaved of all ages. All are judged according to their works and cast into the lake of fire (Revelation 20:10). Only the unsaved are judged here, all believers (saints) have already had their sins judged and paid for on the cross by Jesus. Location: Somewhere away from the current Heavens and Earth.
New Jerusalem, the eternal home of all the saints, descends to the new Earth, illuminated by Jesus Himself. Cubical in shape, it is huge, some 1400 miles on a side (Revelation 21-22).
One of the greatest prophecies of all times has been fulfilled in recent years, the restoration of the nation Israel to its land. Never before in the history of the world has a nation been dispersed to the ends of the Earth as Israel was and retained its identity. Its people have been assimilated into the nations to which they were scattered. But the Jews have not only maintained their identity, in this end of days they have once again been regathered into the sovereign nation of Israel.
In His Olivet discourse Jesus gave his disciples some signs whereby they could know when the time was at hand. He gave the sign of the fig tree, a symbol of the nation Israel. He said when the fig tree buds and puts forth leaves, you know summer time is nearing. Likewise when you see all these things begin to come to pass, know that it is near, even at the doors. Then Jesus stated, the generation which sees these things begin to come to pass will not pass away until all is fulfilled that He prophesied in that discourse. Israel became a nation again in 1947. It is now 2009, over 60 years since this beginning sign came to pass. Surely the return of Jesus must be very, very near.
Keep in mind through all of this, that none of us are saved by our own righteousness. The prophet Isaiah says we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags in the sight of God (Isaiah 64:6). None of us in our natural state are fit to stand before God. It is only the shed blood of Jesus Christ that makes any of us worthy to stand in God's presence, and Jesus voluntarily let his blood be shed on the cross that we might be saved and made worthy to stand in His presence.
God is not willing that any should perish, but would have all people to turn to Him and receive His salvation. But god will not force anyone to receive Christ, you must make that decision for yourself. God cannot allow sin in His presence. When Jesus died on the cross, God placed all our sins on Him and He died in our place, to make full payment for our sins, indeed the sins of the whole world, and to buy our pardon. But like a prisoner offered a pardon, we must receive it before it will be effective. Jesus offers all of us pardon for our sins today, but we still must voluntarily receive it by receiving Him into our lives and our hearts. When we do this, God sees all our sins paid for by Jesus, and sees the righteousness of Christ in us, and it is by Christ's righteousness in us we are saved and made worthy to stand in the presence of God.
For all who refuse or neglect to receive this pardon, it is a whole different story. While all who receive Christ now will be ushered into the very presence of God at the rapture, those who didn't will be left behind to experience the horrors of the Great Tribulation. Most likely most of these will be killed and end up in the flames of Hades, reserved for the judgment of the Great White Throne where they will hear their doom pronounced before being cast into the lake of fire for all of eternity. And all who receive the mark of the beast to try to buy some time on Earth will seal their doom eternally.
Yes it will be possible to be saved during the Tribulation, but it will be much more difficult then than now, and will probably be at the cost of your life. Even so, better to receive Jesus and get your head chopped off, and to stand in His presence after that, than to die without Him and go to an eternal hell. Still better, receive Jesus now, and you will go into His presence immediately when you die, or when you go in the rapture.
Why not do it now, before you find yourself left behind to go through the horrors of the great tribulation, or to die in your sins and go into eternal torment?
Lest we forget and lose sight of the accuracy of God's prophecies, let us consider past prophecies that have been fulfilled to the letter, first those concerning Jesus Christ. To name a few...
[Event (Prophecy—Fulfillment)]
He would be born of a virgin (Isaiah 7:14—Matthew 1:18, Luke 1:25-38)
He would not be of any extraordinary appearance. (Isaiah 53:2)
He would be of the lineage of David (Isaiah 11:1 [Jesse was the father of David]—Matthew 1:1-16, Luke 3:23-37)
He would be despised and rejected by men (Psalm 22:6-7, Isaiah 53:3—John 1:10-11)
He would be silent before His accusers (Isaiah 53:7—Mark 14:61)
He would be crucified, His hands and feet pierced (Psalm 22:16, Isiah 53:5--)
He would be executed as though a criminal, with criminals (Isaiah 53:9)
though he did nothing to deserve it (53:9b)
He died for the sins of others—our sins—He had no sin (Isaiah 53:5-6—Romans 4:25, 2 Corinthians 5:21)
By His wounds we would be healed (Isaiah 53:5—1 Peter 2:24-25)
He would be spat upon and his beard pulled out (Isaiah 50:6—Matthew 26:67)
The soldiers who crucified Him gambled for His clothes (Psalm 2:18—John 19:23-24)
Not a bone of His body would be broken (Psalm 34:20—John 20:36)
His body would not see corruption (Psalm 16:10—Acts 2:27, 31)
He would rise again from the dead (Psalm 16:10—Matthew 28:5, Mark 16:6, Luke 24:1-6, John 20:1-19, Acts 1:3, 1 Corinthians 15:3-8)
There were over 100 such details of prophecy such as the above given concerning the first coming of Christ, and each one was fulfilled to the letter. The odds against even a few of these being fulfilled by chance are enormous; the odds against all of them being literally fulfilled are astronomical. But they were, every one to the letter.
Now let's consider another prophecy, that of the destruction of the city of Tyre, a wealthy seaport. The prophet Ezekiel prophesied that Tyre would be destroyed, that the timbers and the rock of the city would be dumped into the water and that the city would be scraped bare like the top of a rock, and would become a place for fishermen to dry their nets (Ezekiel 26). It was also prophesied that Nebuchadnezzar would come against the city and destroy it, which he did not too many years after Ezekiel made this prophecy. But it was only the mainland city that was destroyed, the remaining inhabitants moved to an island somewhere around a mile out in the Mediterranean Sea. Since Nebuchadnezzar didn't have a navy and the island city was heavily fortified, it was left alone and continued to exist for perhaps another 400 years. But then Alexander the Great came along, determined to conquer the world, and he didn't have a navy either. But he wasn't going to let that stop him. So he had an army of workers tear down the remains of the mainland, dump the rubble in the water, and build a broad causeway out to the island. From there he eventually overpowered the city's defenses and ravaged it, slaughtering a great many of its inhabitants and enslaving others. The site of the mainland city had been literally scraped to bare rock, and came to be used by fishermen as a place to dry their nets, thus fulfilling this prophecy to the letter in a very literal sense.
With so many Bible prophecies having been so accurately and literally fulfilled, what would make us think that prophecies of events yet future will not be fulfilled just as literally as those which have already been fulfilled? With that in mind, let's take a look at some of these prophecies of events soon to come.
Happening now- World financial markets in turmoil. This very well could be setting the stage for one world government and the Beast financial system prophesied in Revelation.
Likely—Syria attacks Israel. Could happen any time.
Damascus is destroyed (Isaiah 17:1), most likely by a nuclear attack by Israel.
Israel will fight a war in which they will take control of much of the middle East (Psalm 83).
Israel becomes richest nation in the world, dwells in peace in villages without walls (Psalm 83, Ezekiel 38).
Russia along with certain Islamic nations invades Israel (Ezekiel 38). Other nations only offer a feeble protest (Ezekiel 38:13), none come to Israel's aid.
The invaders are destroyed by supernatural events, earthquakes, fire, great hailstones, floods etc. (Ezekiel 38:17-23)
Israel spends seven months burying the dead, seven years burning weapons of war (Ezekiel 39).
Somewhere in all of this, the rapture occurs. The dead saints are resurrected and every living born again Christian is changed and given an immortal body, and all are caught up together to meet Jesus in the air (1 Thessalonians 4:13-18, 1 Corinthians 15). The exact time is known only to God the Father, but Jesus said we will know when the time is near (Matthew 24:32-36). All who are unsaved, dead and alive, will be left behind on Earth.
The antichrist rises from a minor political figure to world leader, asserts himself (Daniel 8:9-12).
Israel signs a seven year peace treaty with antichrist, signaling start of the Great Tribulation (Daniel 11-12). There could be period of peace and prosperity following, for a time.
Seal judgments begin (Revelation 6-7).
After three and a half years the antichrist breaks his covenant with Israel, places abomination of desolation in the rebuilt temple, stops sacrifices and offerings and declares himself to be God (Daniel 9:27, Revelation 13).
The antichrist requires all to receive his mark on their forehead or their hand, and anyone who refuses will be killed. Without this mark no one will be able to buy or sell. Anyone who receives this mark dooms his soul eternally, to be tormented day and night forever (Revelation 13:16-18, 14:9-10). This mark will embody the number 666 in some manner.
The wrath of God is poured out-trumpet judgments, bowl judgments (Revelation 8-9, 16).
Babylon the Great is destroyed, never to rise again (Revelation 18).
Somewhere during this time, in whatever location raptured saints have been taken to, their works will be tested at the Judgment Seat of Christ, and the saints rewarded according to the outcome (1 Corinthians 3, Romans 14:10).
Marriage supper of the Lamb takes place. All the saints become collectively the bride of Christ (Revelation 19).
All the armies of the world gather together to fight against Christ at the battle of Armageddon (Zechariah 12, Revelation 19:19).
Jesus returns to Earth along with all the saints, all riding on white horses (Revelation 19:11-18).
The armies gathered at Megiddo are destroyed by sword from Jesus' mouth, He speaks the word and they all are destroyed right where they stand (Revelation 19:15-17, 21, Zechariah 14:12-15).
The beast (antichrist) and the false prophet are thrown alive into the lake of fire (Revelation 19:19-20).
Satan is bound and imprisoned in the bottomless pit for 1000 years (Revelation 20:1-3).
Killed tribulation saints are resurrected to reign with Jesus for 1000 years (Revelation 20).
Sheep and Goats judgment takes place on Earth for tribulation survivors. The righteous are separated from the wicked and ushered into the Kingdom, while the wicked are banished into everlasting fire reserved for the devil and his angels (Matthew 25:31-46).
Jesus rules the earth for 1000 years in perfect righteousness. Satan is imprisoned in the bottomless pit for the entire 1000 years, unable to deceive the nations any more. Sin and wickedness are no longer tolerated. Even wild and domestic animals are at peace with one another (Isaiah 11, Revelation 20:4).
At the end of 1000 years Satan is released for a short time and gathers an army as the sands of the sea. Satan brings his army against the camp of the saints (Jerusalem?) and surrounds it. Fire from heaven destroys the rebels, and Satan is cast into the lake of fire (Revelation 20:7-9).
The great white throne judgment takes place for the unsaved of all ages. All are judged according to their works and cast into the lake of fire (Revelation 20:10). Only the unsaved are judged here, all believers (saints) have already had their sins judged and paid for on the cross by Jesus. Location: Somewhere away from the current Heavens and Earth.
New Jerusalem, the eternal home of all the saints, descends to the new Earth, illuminated by Jesus Himself. Cubical in shape, it is huge, some 1400 miles on a side (Revelation 21-22).
One of the greatest prophecies of all times has been fulfilled in recent years, the restoration of the nation Israel to its land. Never before in the history of the world has a nation been dispersed to the ends of the Earth as Israel was and retained its identity. Its people have been assimilated into the nations to which they were scattered. But the Jews have not only maintained their identity, in this end of days they have once again been regathered into the sovereign nation of Israel.
In His Olivet discourse Jesus gave his disciples some signs whereby they could know when the time was at hand. He gave the sign of the fig tree, a symbol of the nation Israel. He said when the fig tree buds and puts forth leaves, you know summer time is nearing. Likewise when you see all these things begin to come to pass, know that it is near, even at the doors. Then Jesus stated, the generation which sees these things begin to come to pass will not pass away until all is fulfilled that He prophesied in that discourse. Israel became a nation again in 1947. It is now 2009, over 60 years since this beginning sign came to pass. Surely the return of Jesus must be very, very near.
Keep in mind through all of this, that none of us are saved by our own righteousness. The prophet Isaiah says we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags in the sight of God (Isaiah 64:6). None of us in our natural state are fit to stand before God. It is only the shed blood of Jesus Christ that makes any of us worthy to stand in God's presence, and Jesus voluntarily let his blood be shed on the cross that we might be saved and made worthy to stand in His presence.
God is not willing that any should perish, but would have all people to turn to Him and receive His salvation. But god will not force anyone to receive Christ, you must make that decision for yourself. God cannot allow sin in His presence. When Jesus died on the cross, God placed all our sins on Him and He died in our place, to make full payment for our sins, indeed the sins of the whole world, and to buy our pardon. But like a prisoner offered a pardon, we must receive it before it will be effective. Jesus offers all of us pardon for our sins today, but we still must voluntarily receive it by receiving Him into our lives and our hearts. When we do this, God sees all our sins paid for by Jesus, and sees the righteousness of Christ in us, and it is by Christ's righteousness in us we are saved and made worthy to stand in the presence of God.
For all who refuse or neglect to receive this pardon, it is a whole different story. While all who receive Christ now will be ushered into the very presence of God at the rapture, those who didn't will be left behind to experience the horrors of the Great Tribulation. Most likely most of these will be killed and end up in the flames of Hades, reserved for the judgment of the Great White Throne where they will hear their doom pronounced before being cast into the lake of fire for all of eternity. And all who receive the mark of the beast to try to buy some time on Earth will seal their doom eternally.
Yes it will be possible to be saved during the Tribulation, but it will be much more difficult then than now, and will probably be at the cost of your life. Even so, better to receive Jesus and get your head chopped off, and to stand in His presence after that, than to die without Him and go to an eternal hell. Still better, receive Jesus now, and you will go into His presence immediately when you die, or when you go in the rapture.
Why not do it now, before you find yourself left behind to go through the horrors of the great tribulation, or to die in your sins and go into eternal torment?
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
Crashing Times of Crisis
Well we just past the 60 day mark for Obama as our president. I am amazed at everything he is doing, and not in a good way.
Many speculated, even myself that he would do the standard wait for his first four years to be over then push through what he wanted.
Nope, no waiting here.
Just in the last sixty days he has signed an Executive Order reversing Bush's stand on stem cell research.
He is spending this nation very quickly into a 4th world nation via his "stimulus" bill.
He and his democrat buds are trying to make gardening and raising livestock for one’s own use against the law HR 875, while all the time Michelle Obama plants her own little garden at the white house.
Create (reinstate with more regulation) a draconian gun ban; which almost outlaws everything except a black powder flint lock and musket.
Recanted the ban on abortions overseas and is now footed by the tax payer.
Sending millions to Israel’s enemies and helping them build a terrorist training camp.
This is just a short list, there is a lot more that could be covered.
He is doing a fine job of literally killing this nation. In fact I would be very surprised that this nation is still this nation by the end of his first four years and it is replaced with a Marxist socialist form of government.
Folks, I bring all of this up because most likely laws will be created to shut the mouths of Christians and in most cases make the Christian a second rate citizen.
On September 17 2003, Canada's House of Commons passed a bill that adds sexual orientation as a protected category in Canada's genocide and hate-crimes legislation. The bill criminalized public expression, including Sunday sermons, against homosexual behavior. Those convicted of violating the new law face up to five years in prison.
Canada has already been prosecuting pastors and Christians who are standing upon scripture.
Do you know that there was a time when the bible was banned and burned by none other than the Christian Church itself?
"Canon 14. We prohibit also that the laity should not be permitted to have the books of the Old or New Testament; we most strictly forbid their having any translation of these books." - The Church Council of Toulouse 1229 AD Source: Heresy and Authority in Medieval Europe,Scolar Press, London, England copyright 1980 by Edward Peters, ISBN 0-85967-621-8, pp. 194-195
The Council of Tarragona of 1234, in its second canon, ruled that:
"No one may possess the books of the Old and New Testaments, and if anyone possesses them he must turn them over to the local bishop within eight days, so that they may be burned..." - The Church Council of Tarragona 1234 AD; 2nd Cannon - Source : D. Lortsch, Historie de la Bible en France, 1910, p.14.
Pope Pius IV had a list of the forbidden books compiled and officially prohibited them in the Index of Trent (Index Librorum Prohibitorum) of 1559.
This is an excerpt :
"Whoever reads or has such a translation in his possession... cannot be absolved from his sins until he has turned in these Bibles...Books in the vernacular dealing with the controversies between Catholics and the heretics of our time are not to be generally permitted, but are to be handled in the same way as Bible translations..." - Rule IV & Rule VI Die Indices Librorum Prohibitorum des sechzehnten Jahrhunderts (Tübingen, 1886), page 246f. Source: The Reformation, by Hans J. Hillerbrand, copyright 1964 by SCM Press Ltd and Harper and Row,Inc., Library of Congress Catalog Card Number 64-15480, pages 474, 475.
Can you imagine the seeker sensitive church today, which stands with Obama and the rest of this pluralistic world, turning against bible believing Christians?
I can and as I have pointed out above, it has happened before.
J. Vernon McGee, one of my favorite pastors and a student of Bible Prophecy stated that eventually the Christian church in America will have to go underground and that the attack against them will come from denominational churches.
With all the modern versions of the bible out there, I can honestly see the powers that be out law only one bible, the King James Version. The KJV is what I use and what I stand upon and I have many issues with modern versions. Some of you may disagree with me, but the way God’s word speaks to me through the KJV is like none other. There is power and conviction in the KJV that I do not see in any other version of the bible out there.
I do not know if you really realize something. The enemy has done a very good job of watering down the truth and has caused millions to say “hath God said” and even caused many to not even have the need to pick up God’s Word at all anymore.
It amazes me how many pastors no longer ask their congregation to “open God’s Word with me and go to___________”
Why should they when they have everything on an overhead projector.
What amazes me more is how many pastors use multiple versions to get their point across.
Want to make homosexuality ok, use the “gay bible.”
Want to make paganism and goddess worship ok, use the “gender neutral” bible
Got a pet sin, there is a bible out there that will help you condone that sin before man.
The church is in very bad shape, and they have forgotten their first love.
But those who have not forgotten their first love are now being persecuted and some are now giving their lives for the Lord all over the world.
How much longer do we have here in this nation before it is against the law to own and read God’s Word and be a bible believing Christian?
But what really stands out in my mind, how many people who claim the title will capitulate and go along with it?
That is what frightens me.
Many speculated, even myself that he would do the standard wait for his first four years to be over then push through what he wanted.
Nope, no waiting here.
Just in the last sixty days he has signed an Executive Order reversing Bush's stand on stem cell research.
He is spending this nation very quickly into a 4th world nation via his "stimulus" bill.
He and his democrat buds are trying to make gardening and raising livestock for one’s own use against the law HR 875, while all the time Michelle Obama plants her own little garden at the white house.
Create (reinstate with more regulation) a draconian gun ban; which almost outlaws everything except a black powder flint lock and musket.
Recanted the ban on abortions overseas and is now footed by the tax payer.
Sending millions to Israel’s enemies and helping them build a terrorist training camp.
This is just a short list, there is a lot more that could be covered.
He is doing a fine job of literally killing this nation. In fact I would be very surprised that this nation is still this nation by the end of his first four years and it is replaced with a Marxist socialist form of government.
Folks, I bring all of this up because most likely laws will be created to shut the mouths of Christians and in most cases make the Christian a second rate citizen.
On September 17 2003, Canada's House of Commons passed a bill that adds sexual orientation as a protected category in Canada's genocide and hate-crimes legislation. The bill criminalized public expression, including Sunday sermons, against homosexual behavior. Those convicted of violating the new law face up to five years in prison.
Canada has already been prosecuting pastors and Christians who are standing upon scripture.
Do you know that there was a time when the bible was banned and burned by none other than the Christian Church itself?
"Canon 14. We prohibit also that the laity should not be permitted to have the books of the Old or New Testament; we most strictly forbid their having any translation of these books." - The Church Council of Toulouse 1229 AD Source: Heresy and Authority in Medieval Europe,Scolar Press, London, England copyright 1980 by Edward Peters, ISBN 0-85967-621-8, pp. 194-195
The Council of Tarragona of 1234, in its second canon, ruled that:
"No one may possess the books of the Old and New Testaments, and if anyone possesses them he must turn them over to the local bishop within eight days, so that they may be burned..." - The Church Council of Tarragona 1234 AD; 2nd Cannon - Source : D. Lortsch, Historie de la Bible en France, 1910, p.14.
Pope Pius IV had a list of the forbidden books compiled and officially prohibited them in the Index of Trent (Index Librorum Prohibitorum) of 1559.
This is an excerpt :
"Whoever reads or has such a translation in his possession... cannot be absolved from his sins until he has turned in these Bibles...Books in the vernacular dealing with the controversies between Catholics and the heretics of our time are not to be generally permitted, but are to be handled in the same way as Bible translations..." - Rule IV & Rule VI Die Indices Librorum Prohibitorum des sechzehnten Jahrhunderts (Tübingen, 1886), page 246f. Source: The Reformation, by Hans J. Hillerbrand, copyright 1964 by SCM Press Ltd and Harper and Row,Inc., Library of Congress Catalog Card Number 64-15480, pages 474, 475.
Can you imagine the seeker sensitive church today, which stands with Obama and the rest of this pluralistic world, turning against bible believing Christians?
I can and as I have pointed out above, it has happened before.
J. Vernon McGee, one of my favorite pastors and a student of Bible Prophecy stated that eventually the Christian church in America will have to go underground and that the attack against them will come from denominational churches.
With all the modern versions of the bible out there, I can honestly see the powers that be out law only one bible, the King James Version. The KJV is what I use and what I stand upon and I have many issues with modern versions. Some of you may disagree with me, but the way God’s word speaks to me through the KJV is like none other. There is power and conviction in the KJV that I do not see in any other version of the bible out there.
I do not know if you really realize something. The enemy has done a very good job of watering down the truth and has caused millions to say “hath God said” and even caused many to not even have the need to pick up God’s Word at all anymore.
It amazes me how many pastors no longer ask their congregation to “open God’s Word with me and go to___________”
Why should they when they have everything on an overhead projector.
What amazes me more is how many pastors use multiple versions to get their point across.
Want to make homosexuality ok, use the “gay bible.”
Want to make paganism and goddess worship ok, use the “gender neutral” bible
Got a pet sin, there is a bible out there that will help you condone that sin before man.
The church is in very bad shape, and they have forgotten their first love.
But those who have not forgotten their first love are now being persecuted and some are now giving their lives for the Lord all over the world.
How much longer do we have here in this nation before it is against the law to own and read God’s Word and be a bible believing Christian?
But what really stands out in my mind, how many people who claim the title will capitulate and go along with it?
That is what frightens me.
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
Prophecy is on fast-forward
I recall a conservative political commentator saying that the Democratic Party was the "A" team, while the Republicans were the "B" team on the road to socialism. Boy, oh boy was that a truism. Things are moving so fast in the last six months that stage-setting events are happening so fast that no one person can keep up with events. Prophecy is on fast-forward!
Stage Setting
Virtually all future prophecy will start to be fulfilled when the rapture occurs ending the church age. Then the world will enter the time when the birth pangs that Jesus spoke of begin to be fulfilled (Matt. 24:8). This post-rapture period known in the Old Testament as the "latter days" (Deut. 4:30; Jer. 30:24; 48:47; Dan. 2:28; 10:14), the "last days" (Jer. 23:20; 49:39; Ezek. 38:16), and the "latter years" (Ezek. 38:8) will last for seven years (Dan. 9:24–27; compare with Rev. 11:2, 3; 12:6; 13:5). None of what is happening today indicates that the rapture is near since that event is a signless event that could happen at any moment. Are you ready for the rapture?
The signs of the times that are occurring today relate to Israel as God is preparing the world for the time when He will resume His plan for Israel and that will then involve the fulfillment of times and seasons. One major indicator that we are likely near the beginning of the tribulation is the clear fact that national Israel has been reconstituted after almost 2,000 years. The signs also relate to what is happening in the Gentile world as we move toward a global government centered in the Revived Roman Empire, which is mainly Europe. Dr. John Walvoord explains the significance of signs occurring in our own day as follows:
But if there are no signs for the Rapture itself, what are the legitimate grounds for believing that the Rapture could be especially near of this generation? The answer is not found in any prophetic events predicted before the Rapture but in understanding the events that will follow the Rapture. Just as history was prepared for Christ's first coming, in a similar way history is preparing for the events leading up to His Second Coming. . . . If this is the case, it leads to the inevitable conclusion that the Rapture may be excitingly near.[1]
Signs For Our Day
In every generation since Christ's ascension there have been Christians who thought that there was reason for His return in their lifetime. However, almost all of these past expectations were derived from the belief that they were experiencing events of the tribulation in their own day. Only in the last 200 years have some interpreters begun to return to a literal, futurist understanding of the impending events of the tribulation, as generally held by most in the early Church. Thus, while so many have believed that Christ's return was near, the basis for such an understanding has not always been the same down through the history of the church—that the church was in the tribulation. The fact that Israel became a nation in 1948 is an undeniable fact of history that indicates that God is up to something in history in our day that could not be said in previous times.
God's plan for history always moves forward in relation to what He is doing with Israel. Thus, the fact that Israel has been and continues to be reconstituted as a nation is prophetically significant, so significant that it makes Israel God's "super-sign" of the end times. Were Israel not a nation again it would be impossible for events of the end time to occur since so many of them take place in that tiny country or in reference to her. But she has returned and so it is that all other aspects of Bible prophecy are also being prepared for the grand finale of history.
Recently we have seen that the European Union threatened and warned Israel about not being open to the so-called "two-state solution" of the Arab-Israeli conflict in their effort to impose a human solution to the conflict.
The prospect of a new hawkish government, with Israel Beiteinu chairman Avigdor Lieberman as a possible foreign minister, will be seen in Europe as a setback to the Middle East peace process.
"Let me say very clearly that the way the European Union will relate to an [Israeli] government that is not committed to a two-state solution will be very, very different," said Javier Solana, the EU's foreign and security affairs chief.[2]
New Israeli Prime Minister, Binyamin Netanyahu, is opposed to the two-state solution, which is the EU's framework for dealing with the problem. Whatever the supposed human solution affixed to this crisis will bring, the situation will not be genuinely solved until our Lord returns and imposes His will as the ultimate solution to the situation.
Since the election of Obama to the White House, we also see the United States changing from a sympathetic supporter of Israel to one who will be pressing for an imposed solution. New Secretary of State, Hilary Clinton is said by observers of the Mid-East Conflict to have shifted her pro Israel position she displayed as a U. S. Senator from New York.
Morton A. Klein, President of the Zionist Organization of America, is just one of many supporters of Israel who say that Hillary Clinton, an outspoken supporter of a Palestinian state, has made an anti-Israel switch of late. Klein writes that the U.S. Secretary of State, once a "reliable and vocal supporter of Israel," has now taken many positions that are not in Israel's interest.[3]
Globalism
When George W. Bush was president he was ostracized and viciously attacked for acting upon the national interests of the United States within the now dominate global environment. As a pronounced citizen of the world, Obama instead insists that we must all shoulder "the burdens of global citizenship."[4] Thus, the United States of America, the last major holdout against global governance, has under President Obama joined efforts to deal with most matters within the framework of globalism. Whatever reluctance was shown in the past, America has now officially under the Obama administration joined the global community lock, stock, and barrel.
Scripture teaches that the Antichrist will rise to power out of a federation of nations that correlate in some way with the Roman Empire of two thousand years ago. Dr. J. Dwight Pentecost explains:
Now, when we turn to the prophecies of Daniel 2 and 7 and to Revelation 13 and 17 and other parallel passages, we find that at the end time, during the Tribulation period, the final form of Gentile world power is a federation of ten separate nations, the ten toes or ten horns. It seems as though Europe's leaders are advocating that which Daniel prophesied hundreds of years before Christ, when he said that the final form of Roman world power would be a federation of independent states who elect one man to take authority over them while maintaining their own sovereign authority. The more movement we see in Europe for a common market and a federation of nations, the closer the coming of our Lord must be.[5]
One would have to be totally ignorant of developments within the world of our day to not admit that through the efforts of the European Union, Humpty Dumpty is finally being put back together again. This is occurring, like all of the other needed developments of prophecy, at just the right time to be in place for the coming tribulation period. Prophecy popularizer, Hal Lindsey tells us:
"A generation ago, no one could have dreamed that an empire formed of the nations that were part of old Rome could possibly be revived. But today, as Europe is on the advent of real unity, we see the potential fulfillment of another vital prophecy leading to the return of our Lord Jesus Christ."[6]
Conclusion
British Prime Minister Gordon Brown has recently said concerning the global economic downturn that we all should seek global solutions. He further said that the world has never been more willing to see globalism as the answer to our problems, to which he also promised a bright future if we join arms and march in this direction. Henry Kissinger has recently said on multiple occasions that President Obama has a tremendous opportunity to steer America toward globalism in an effort to deal with our problems. Kissinger has further opined that only globalists can solve these problems in the area of economics, environment, agriculture, religion, political, and so on.
It may be true that mankind without God and His word cannot figure out how to solve the pressing problems of humanity without some kind of global governance. However, the realities concerning these matters are always and only found in the Bible and in our Lord's plan for the future as outlined through biblical prophecy. Some critics say that we become fatalists because we trust the veracity of Bible prophecy and thereby contribute to the decline of culture and society. Yet, how can we expect people to find biblical solutions to their problems when they are clearly and vocally in rebellion against God? What Bible-believing Christian would want the unbelieving world to succeed in solving the world's problems apart from God and His word? The Bible predicts this kind of direction and outcome because man is sinful and God is righteous. However, for any individual who will listen to God's word, He has provided a way of salvation through faith in our Lord Jesus Christ. Listen to Him. Maranatha!
Stage Setting
Virtually all future prophecy will start to be fulfilled when the rapture occurs ending the church age. Then the world will enter the time when the birth pangs that Jesus spoke of begin to be fulfilled (Matt. 24:8). This post-rapture period known in the Old Testament as the "latter days" (Deut. 4:30; Jer. 30:24; 48:47; Dan. 2:28; 10:14), the "last days" (Jer. 23:20; 49:39; Ezek. 38:16), and the "latter years" (Ezek. 38:8) will last for seven years (Dan. 9:24–27; compare with Rev. 11:2, 3; 12:6; 13:5). None of what is happening today indicates that the rapture is near since that event is a signless event that could happen at any moment. Are you ready for the rapture?
The signs of the times that are occurring today relate to Israel as God is preparing the world for the time when He will resume His plan for Israel and that will then involve the fulfillment of times and seasons. One major indicator that we are likely near the beginning of the tribulation is the clear fact that national Israel has been reconstituted after almost 2,000 years. The signs also relate to what is happening in the Gentile world as we move toward a global government centered in the Revived Roman Empire, which is mainly Europe. Dr. John Walvoord explains the significance of signs occurring in our own day as follows:
But if there are no signs for the Rapture itself, what are the legitimate grounds for believing that the Rapture could be especially near of this generation? The answer is not found in any prophetic events predicted before the Rapture but in understanding the events that will follow the Rapture. Just as history was prepared for Christ's first coming, in a similar way history is preparing for the events leading up to His Second Coming. . . . If this is the case, it leads to the inevitable conclusion that the Rapture may be excitingly near.[1]
Signs For Our Day
In every generation since Christ's ascension there have been Christians who thought that there was reason for His return in their lifetime. However, almost all of these past expectations were derived from the belief that they were experiencing events of the tribulation in their own day. Only in the last 200 years have some interpreters begun to return to a literal, futurist understanding of the impending events of the tribulation, as generally held by most in the early Church. Thus, while so many have believed that Christ's return was near, the basis for such an understanding has not always been the same down through the history of the church—that the church was in the tribulation. The fact that Israel became a nation in 1948 is an undeniable fact of history that indicates that God is up to something in history in our day that could not be said in previous times.
God's plan for history always moves forward in relation to what He is doing with Israel. Thus, the fact that Israel has been and continues to be reconstituted as a nation is prophetically significant, so significant that it makes Israel God's "super-sign" of the end times. Were Israel not a nation again it would be impossible for events of the end time to occur since so many of them take place in that tiny country or in reference to her. But she has returned and so it is that all other aspects of Bible prophecy are also being prepared for the grand finale of history.
Recently we have seen that the European Union threatened and warned Israel about not being open to the so-called "two-state solution" of the Arab-Israeli conflict in their effort to impose a human solution to the conflict.
The prospect of a new hawkish government, with Israel Beiteinu chairman Avigdor Lieberman as a possible foreign minister, will be seen in Europe as a setback to the Middle East peace process.
"Let me say very clearly that the way the European Union will relate to an [Israeli] government that is not committed to a two-state solution will be very, very different," said Javier Solana, the EU's foreign and security affairs chief.[2]
New Israeli Prime Minister, Binyamin Netanyahu, is opposed to the two-state solution, which is the EU's framework for dealing with the problem. Whatever the supposed human solution affixed to this crisis will bring, the situation will not be genuinely solved until our Lord returns and imposes His will as the ultimate solution to the situation.
Since the election of Obama to the White House, we also see the United States changing from a sympathetic supporter of Israel to one who will be pressing for an imposed solution. New Secretary of State, Hilary Clinton is said by observers of the Mid-East Conflict to have shifted her pro Israel position she displayed as a U. S. Senator from New York.
Morton A. Klein, President of the Zionist Organization of America, is just one of many supporters of Israel who say that Hillary Clinton, an outspoken supporter of a Palestinian state, has made an anti-Israel switch of late. Klein writes that the U.S. Secretary of State, once a "reliable and vocal supporter of Israel," has now taken many positions that are not in Israel's interest.[3]
Globalism
When George W. Bush was president he was ostracized and viciously attacked for acting upon the national interests of the United States within the now dominate global environment. As a pronounced citizen of the world, Obama instead insists that we must all shoulder "the burdens of global citizenship."[4] Thus, the United States of America, the last major holdout against global governance, has under President Obama joined efforts to deal with most matters within the framework of globalism. Whatever reluctance was shown in the past, America has now officially under the Obama administration joined the global community lock, stock, and barrel.
Scripture teaches that the Antichrist will rise to power out of a federation of nations that correlate in some way with the Roman Empire of two thousand years ago. Dr. J. Dwight Pentecost explains:
Now, when we turn to the prophecies of Daniel 2 and 7 and to Revelation 13 and 17 and other parallel passages, we find that at the end time, during the Tribulation period, the final form of Gentile world power is a federation of ten separate nations, the ten toes or ten horns. It seems as though Europe's leaders are advocating that which Daniel prophesied hundreds of years before Christ, when he said that the final form of Roman world power would be a federation of independent states who elect one man to take authority over them while maintaining their own sovereign authority. The more movement we see in Europe for a common market and a federation of nations, the closer the coming of our Lord must be.[5]
One would have to be totally ignorant of developments within the world of our day to not admit that through the efforts of the European Union, Humpty Dumpty is finally being put back together again. This is occurring, like all of the other needed developments of prophecy, at just the right time to be in place for the coming tribulation period. Prophecy popularizer, Hal Lindsey tells us:
"A generation ago, no one could have dreamed that an empire formed of the nations that were part of old Rome could possibly be revived. But today, as Europe is on the advent of real unity, we see the potential fulfillment of another vital prophecy leading to the return of our Lord Jesus Christ."[6]
Conclusion
British Prime Minister Gordon Brown has recently said concerning the global economic downturn that we all should seek global solutions. He further said that the world has never been more willing to see globalism as the answer to our problems, to which he also promised a bright future if we join arms and march in this direction. Henry Kissinger has recently said on multiple occasions that President Obama has a tremendous opportunity to steer America toward globalism in an effort to deal with our problems. Kissinger has further opined that only globalists can solve these problems in the area of economics, environment, agriculture, religion, political, and so on.
It may be true that mankind without God and His word cannot figure out how to solve the pressing problems of humanity without some kind of global governance. However, the realities concerning these matters are always and only found in the Bible and in our Lord's plan for the future as outlined through biblical prophecy. Some critics say that we become fatalists because we trust the veracity of Bible prophecy and thereby contribute to the decline of culture and society. Yet, how can we expect people to find biblical solutions to their problems when they are clearly and vocally in rebellion against God? What Bible-believing Christian would want the unbelieving world to succeed in solving the world's problems apart from God and His word? The Bible predicts this kind of direction and outcome because man is sinful and God is righteous. However, for any individual who will listen to God's word, He has provided a way of salvation through faith in our Lord Jesus Christ. Listen to Him. Maranatha!
Monday, March 23, 2009
Four in 10 U.S. Births Out-of-wedlock
Approximately 39.7 percent—1.7 million—of all U.S. births in 2007 were to unmarried women ages 15 to 44, a 22 percent increase from 2002.
The number of registered births in the United States—in excess of 4.3 million—is the highest the nation has ever seen, according to a report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. After a 14-year lull, U.S. teen births surged two years in a row. In addition, births increased for women ages 20 to early 40s.
The CDC report added statistics showing a successive yearly rise in Cesarean delivery, which grew 2 percent in 2007, to 31.8 percent.
In a Reuters article, Pam Udy, president of the International Cesarean Awareness Network, stated, “Every pregnant woman in the U.S. should be alarmed by this rate.”
She added, “Half or more of Cesareans are avoidable and over-using major surgery on otherwise healthy women and babies is taking a toll.”
John Santelli, an adolescent medicine specialist at Columbia University, said, “It’s a true reversal at this point. The increase in the birth rate lines up very well with changes in teen sexual behaviors that lead to pregnancy” (USA Today).
The number of registered births in the United States—in excess of 4.3 million—is the highest the nation has ever seen, according to a report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. After a 14-year lull, U.S. teen births surged two years in a row. In addition, births increased for women ages 20 to early 40s.
The CDC report added statistics showing a successive yearly rise in Cesarean delivery, which grew 2 percent in 2007, to 31.8 percent.
In a Reuters article, Pam Udy, president of the International Cesarean Awareness Network, stated, “Every pregnant woman in the U.S. should be alarmed by this rate.”
She added, “Half or more of Cesareans are avoidable and over-using major surgery on otherwise healthy women and babies is taking a toll.”
John Santelli, an adolescent medicine specialist at Columbia University, said, “It’s a true reversal at this point. The increase in the birth rate lines up very well with changes in teen sexual behaviors that lead to pregnancy” (USA Today).
Friday, March 20, 2009
Warfare Praying
Praying is a waste of time until the Prayer Warrior is willing to engage Satan in combat. The Son of God made one of his greatest proclamations about prayer in Matthew’s Gospel. His words took my breath when I read them again a few days ago. My soul has been longing for a prayer life like John Knox, Duncan Campbell, or John Wesley. The king of England declared that he feared the prayers of John Knox more than all the armies of his enemies. Today, it is clear that our politicians fear nobody, not even God.
That is about to change. Here is what Jesus Christ said about prayer, “But if I cast out devils by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God is come unto you. Or else how can one enter into a strong man's house, and spoil his goods, except he first bind the strong man? and then he will spoil his house” (Matthew 12:28-29). Praying for a change in our churches, homes, or communities is hopeless until we move beyond just making petitions to God about the needs. “In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds…” (2 Corinthians 4:4a). Satan must be defeated by saints that engage him in combat. Satan has to be cast out of a situation before prayer can change that situation.
The Father is ready for you and me to learn that we can bind Satan and every evil spirit under his command. Never has our world been more overwhelmed with the spirit of the Antichrist. Our children are deeply troubled by dark forces of the night. Music of this generation is straight out of the pit. Rock, rap, and most contemporary music are soulical at best and often diabolical. This music creates bondage and spiritual blindness. Even small children are terribly troubled by spirits of fear and selfishness. Only in defeating these spirits can these lives be liberated.
Satan is nothing but a fallen angel. Jesus Christ has provided His church with authority to bind Satan and his powers so that Satan can do nothing but yield. The Son of God said “And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven” (Matthew 16:19).
This statement was made to Peter. Some might say that it does not apply to the church. Our Lord of His church was careful to eliminate that possible argument. Later, He speaks to the church about brother sinning against brother and the authority of the church to deal with such situations. He then tells the church, clearly identified as the church, “Verily I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. Again I say unto you, That if two of you shall agree on earth as touching any thing that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven”(Matthew 18:18-19). The church is His authority on earth, which includes the very realm of Lucifer. The very word church means “called out and set in authority.”
The Apostle Paul gave us the picture of warfare in the spiritual realm and warned us that it was like “hand-to-hand” combat. He said by the Spirit, “Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places” (Ephesians 6:11-12). Using the term “wrestle” reminds us of a personal engagement. It’s a spiritual war that we are called to be part of in this Christian life. Many years ago, the church used terms with a military ring, but our modern church is passive and resents such terminology. Their helplessness is the result of this lost of a warfare mentality.
This kind of warfare is not for the adult babies in our churches. The church is full of worldly, emotionally titillated people trying to use spiritualistic powers to bind spirits. They are making things worse, not better. The seven sons of Sceva were of the same nature as these spiritual weaklings. Seven of his sons tried to use the name of Jesus whom Paul preached and prayed over a possessed man. The result was a perfect picture of our church world today. “And the evil spirit answered and said, Jesus I know, and Paul I know; but who are ye? And the man in whom the evil spirit was leaped on them, and overcame them, and prevailed against them, so that they fled out of that house naked and wounded” (Acts 19:15-16). Does Satan know our names like he knew Apostle Paul’s name?
Do not think to move quickly into this warfare with hell. Prepare your life by separation from the world and a great period of consecration to a life hid in Christ. Seek His righteousness and holiness until there is a broken and humble spirit before the Lord. Obey every Biblical restriction of Godliness and learn how to utterly depend on Christ and His Holy Spirit.
“Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints” (Ephesians 6:18). But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost” (Jude1:20). “…but the people that do know their God shall be strong, and do exploits.” (Daniel 11:32b).
That is about to change. Here is what Jesus Christ said about prayer, “But if I cast out devils by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God is come unto you. Or else how can one enter into a strong man's house, and spoil his goods, except he first bind the strong man? and then he will spoil his house” (Matthew 12:28-29). Praying for a change in our churches, homes, or communities is hopeless until we move beyond just making petitions to God about the needs. “In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds…” (2 Corinthians 4:4a). Satan must be defeated by saints that engage him in combat. Satan has to be cast out of a situation before prayer can change that situation.
The Father is ready for you and me to learn that we can bind Satan and every evil spirit under his command. Never has our world been more overwhelmed with the spirit of the Antichrist. Our children are deeply troubled by dark forces of the night. Music of this generation is straight out of the pit. Rock, rap, and most contemporary music are soulical at best and often diabolical. This music creates bondage and spiritual blindness. Even small children are terribly troubled by spirits of fear and selfishness. Only in defeating these spirits can these lives be liberated.
Satan is nothing but a fallen angel. Jesus Christ has provided His church with authority to bind Satan and his powers so that Satan can do nothing but yield. The Son of God said “And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven” (Matthew 16:19).
This statement was made to Peter. Some might say that it does not apply to the church. Our Lord of His church was careful to eliminate that possible argument. Later, He speaks to the church about brother sinning against brother and the authority of the church to deal with such situations. He then tells the church, clearly identified as the church, “Verily I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. Again I say unto you, That if two of you shall agree on earth as touching any thing that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven”(Matthew 18:18-19). The church is His authority on earth, which includes the very realm of Lucifer. The very word church means “called out and set in authority.”
The Apostle Paul gave us the picture of warfare in the spiritual realm and warned us that it was like “hand-to-hand” combat. He said by the Spirit, “Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places” (Ephesians 6:11-12). Using the term “wrestle” reminds us of a personal engagement. It’s a spiritual war that we are called to be part of in this Christian life. Many years ago, the church used terms with a military ring, but our modern church is passive and resents such terminology. Their helplessness is the result of this lost of a warfare mentality.
This kind of warfare is not for the adult babies in our churches. The church is full of worldly, emotionally titillated people trying to use spiritualistic powers to bind spirits. They are making things worse, not better. The seven sons of Sceva were of the same nature as these spiritual weaklings. Seven of his sons tried to use the name of Jesus whom Paul preached and prayed over a possessed man. The result was a perfect picture of our church world today. “And the evil spirit answered and said, Jesus I know, and Paul I know; but who are ye? And the man in whom the evil spirit was leaped on them, and overcame them, and prevailed against them, so that they fled out of that house naked and wounded” (Acts 19:15-16). Does Satan know our names like he knew Apostle Paul’s name?
Do not think to move quickly into this warfare with hell. Prepare your life by separation from the world and a great period of consecration to a life hid in Christ. Seek His righteousness and holiness until there is a broken and humble spirit before the Lord. Obey every Biblical restriction of Godliness and learn how to utterly depend on Christ and His Holy Spirit.
“Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints” (Ephesians 6:18). But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost” (Jude1:20). “…but the people that do know their God shall be strong, and do exploits.” (Daniel 11:32b).
Thursday, March 19, 2009
USA Technologies Extends Leadership in Unattended Cashless Transactions and Networking Technology
USA Technologies (NASDAQ:USAT) announced today it had been issued its 69th patent, relating to the ePort® product line which accepts both magnetic swipe cards and emerging RFID payment solutions.
USA Technologies has another 26 patents pending, bringing the total number of pending and issued patents to nearly 100, supporting the company’s leadership in designing cashless payment, telematics, and energy management technologies.
The US Patent and Trademark Office has issued Patent # US 7,464,867 B1 for a Cashless Vending System with Tethered Payment Interface.
The invention relates to a cashless vending system that utilizes a tethered payment interface. The tethered payment interface is mountable on the external surface of a vending machine while the payment module portion of the system resides inside the vending machine. An advantage of this system is that when a bill validator slot opening in the vending machine is available, the tethered payment interface can be secured to an adapter plate and mounted in the available slot. However, when a slot opening in the vending machine is not available, then the tethered payment interface can be located and secured on the external surface of the vending machine.
In addition, the tethered payment interface is configured to be user accessible, provide an informational display, accept magnetic cards (i.e. credit cards, employee badges, hotel room keys, others), and accept RFID device data (i.e. FOBS, touch, RFID credit cards, others).
entire article:
http://uk.sys-con.com/node/880409
USA Technologies has another 26 patents pending, bringing the total number of pending and issued patents to nearly 100, supporting the company’s leadership in designing cashless payment, telematics, and energy management technologies.
The US Patent and Trademark Office has issued Patent # US 7,464,867 B1 for a Cashless Vending System with Tethered Payment Interface.
The invention relates to a cashless vending system that utilizes a tethered payment interface. The tethered payment interface is mountable on the external surface of a vending machine while the payment module portion of the system resides inside the vending machine. An advantage of this system is that when a bill validator slot opening in the vending machine is available, the tethered payment interface can be secured to an adapter plate and mounted in the available slot. However, when a slot opening in the vending machine is not available, then the tethered payment interface can be located and secured on the external surface of the vending machine.
In addition, the tethered payment interface is configured to be user accessible, provide an informational display, accept magnetic cards (i.e. credit cards, employee badges, hotel room keys, others), and accept RFID device data (i.e. FOBS, touch, RFID credit cards, others).
entire article:
http://uk.sys-con.com/node/880409
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
Mass Rodent Surge in United Kingdom
According to a survey by the National Pest Technician Association (NPTA), the United Kingdom’s rat and mouse population is spreading across the nation, reaching its highest level since the pest control organization’s first survey nine years ago.
In the NPTA report, survey coordinator Barrie Sheard stated, “In total, the councils reported over 378,000 rat treatments. That’s fully 44% up on the previous year. At the same time, mouse treatments—at over 147,000—were 39% higher than 2006-07, bringing overall treatment levels to well above those seen in our previous record year of 2005-06.”
Flamborough, in East Yorkshire, is one of the nation’s most affected areas. Local residents say they have seen hundreds of rodents running in from fields and scurrying through the streets.
Authorities estimate the region’s rodent population to be 60 to 100 million and growing—at least one rodent for every person.
Mr. Sheard said that rodents in the UK “have recently tested positive for Ljungam virus, first isolated in Northern Sweden several years ago and implicated in a number of human health problems, including diabetes, still births and sudden infant deaths” (ibid.).
He added, “This is even more essential as recessionary pressures bite and growing financial pressures on households, businesses and local authorities reduce the incentive for professional pest control services to be used as early or effectively enough as they need to be to stop rodent problems escalating even further.”
In the NPTA report, survey coordinator Barrie Sheard stated, “In total, the councils reported over 378,000 rat treatments. That’s fully 44% up on the previous year. At the same time, mouse treatments—at over 147,000—were 39% higher than 2006-07, bringing overall treatment levels to well above those seen in our previous record year of 2005-06.”
Flamborough, in East Yorkshire, is one of the nation’s most affected areas. Local residents say they have seen hundreds of rodents running in from fields and scurrying through the streets.
Authorities estimate the region’s rodent population to be 60 to 100 million and growing—at least one rodent for every person.
Mr. Sheard said that rodents in the UK “have recently tested positive for Ljungam virus, first isolated in Northern Sweden several years ago and implicated in a number of human health problems, including diabetes, still births and sudden infant deaths” (ibid.).
He added, “This is even more essential as recessionary pressures bite and growing financial pressures on households, businesses and local authorities reduce the incentive for professional pest control services to be used as early or effectively enough as they need to be to stop rodent problems escalating even further.”
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
Judge Not
I receive numerous emails from folks condemning me for my strong stance against Obama’s agendas. Most of these emails I just ignore. The words that are contained in these emails, along with the all capital “shouting”, tells me that they are already so infuriated with me that if we were in the same room I’m certain they would try to do me harm. And all but one so far have been from professing Christians. What a wonderful world we live in. Over and over again I’m given the scripture verse that says “Judge not, that ye be not judged.” Matthew 7:1. Excuse me, but Jesus also gives the following admonition: “Do not judge according to appearance, but judge with righteous judgment.” John 7:24. That one they conveniently omit.
The Greek word for judge is “krino” and it means “to call into question”. This is what Jesus means when He says “judge with righteous judgment”. We are to call into question the unbiblical actions of individuals and discern for ourselves whether or not to follow such a person or persons. This is something that is sorely lacking in the Christian community and mindset today. Everyone is afraid of being accused of judging others. When that verse is used it is always in relationship to someone condemning someone else. Christians aren’t to condemn but we are to judge/call into question the actions of others and use biblical discernment to do so.
If we look at the world through the lens of the Bible we can navigate much more responsibly our lives here on earth. Using God’s word as our guide through life isn’t something I take lightly.
Here’s the truth of the matter, if you are an Obama supporter you are also a supporter of abortion. If you are an Obama supporter you are a full-fledged supporter of the homosexual movement in this country. Sending me emails claiming I am judgmental and a bigot isn’t going to change the fact that you agree with Obama and you support his agendas. Whether or not you agree with my stance is inconsequential, it’s God’s stance on the issues that concerns me and that is where I take my stand using biblical discernment.
God’s Stance on Abortion
“I was cast upon thee from the womb: thou art my God from my mother's belly.” Psalm 22:10.
“Lo, children are an heritage of the LORD: and the fruit of the womb is his reward.” Psalm 127:3.
“For thou hast possessed my reins: thou hast covered me in my mother's womb.” Psalm 139:13.
“Thus saith the LORD that made thee, and formed thee from the womb...” Isaiah 44:2.
“Listen, O isles, unto me; and hearken, ye people, from far; The LORD hath called me from the womb; from the bowels of my mother hath he made mention of my name.” Isaiah 49:1.
“Can a woman forget her sucking child, that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb? yea, they may forget, yet will I not forget thee.” Isaiah 49:15.
“Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee...” Jeremiah 1:5.
“Thou shalt not kill” Exodus 20:13. The word “Kill” here means a pre-meditated act such as abortion.
We Americans have now placed into the Oval Office a man who is giving us everything he said he would. His first action as president was to re-enable abortion on demand; he’s now attempting to repeal all laws across this nation both, State and Federal, which put any restrictions on the abortion fanatics and their evil agendas, and completely destroying the laws that were so fearlessly fought for over the past eight years. Obama is now going full steam ahead with his plan.
God’s Stance on Homosexuality
“Thou shalt not lie with mankind, as with womankind: it is abomination. Neither shalt thou lie with any beast to defile thyself therewith: neither shall any woman stand before a beast to lie down thereto: it is confusion. Defile not ye yourselves in any of these things: for in all these the nations are defiled which I cast out before you: Leviticus 18:22-24
“Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves: ... For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature: ... And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error which was meet.” Romans 1:24, 26, 27. Too many professing Christians consider these verses to be obsolete, although we are told by the writer of the book of Hebrews that “Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever.” Hebrews 13:8. In other words, Jesus never changes and He never changes His mind about how these scripture verses are to be interpreted even by our current generation. So for those of you who believe these verses to be obsolete, you better think again.
Obama seems bound and determined to aggressively promote homosexuals and their lifestyle and he’s doing so to the fullest extent of his abilities and from the most privileged office in the land. Because of Obama, the homosexual agenda has been advanced to new heights, the likes of which were unheard of in the previous administrations.
My stance on both abortion and homosexuality are biblical. I don’t stand on my feelings but on God’s words. When I discuss Obama with my readership I always quote Scripture verses to show the authority by which I write these commentaries. God’s word is the final authority. If you disagree with the scripture verses in the Bible you need to take that up with God, He put them there not I. When those readers lash out at me they are only proving they are against God. These new friends of mine never seem to be able to supply scripture verses that would place me at odds with the word of God.
God’s Stance on the Wicked
“The way of the wicked is an abomination unto the LORD: but He loveth him that followeth after righteousness.” Proverbs 15:9. God hates wickedness and He considers homosexuality wickedness.
“He that justifieth the wicked, and he that condemneth the just, even they both are abomination to the LORD.” Proverbs 17:15. For those who try and condone this wickedness God has a message for you, you are an abomination to Him.
“An unjust man is an abomination to the just: and he that is upright in the way is abomination to the wicked.” Proverbs 29:27. Those of you who condemn me because of my stance against these abominations are proving the Bible’s accuracy.
Some have called me a bigot because Obama has dark skin and they say that’s why I stand against him. Actually I don’t really care what a person’s skin tone is; it’s their heart and attitude towards God’s word that I’m concerned with. Do they take His word seriously and literally, or do they consider God’s word to be full of obsolete verses and myths. I will always stand up for my Savior and Lord and it doesn’t matter to me if people want to condemn my biblical stance, that stance won’t change. God’s truth is the only measuring line for our lives and nothing else comes close, therefore nothing else matters.
Many in this country voted for Obama because they didn’t like the alternative. Biblically speaking, though, voting for Obama was the same as slapping God in the face. God gave us an alternative to an abortion activist and a homosexuality promoter, but America refused His alternative and voted into office God’s nemesis. Those of you who email me and call me names such as homophobic and bigot and then misquote scripture are only lashing out at what you don’t understand about God’s word. You are actually angry at God because His word is concise and without error and you don’t like that. Especially you don’t want anyone quoting scripture verses that clearly stand against your views. Many would rather live in darkness than come out into the light. “But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost: In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them,” 2 Corinthians 4:3, 4.
Our economy:
Global government, global economy, and global ecumenicalism are all catch phrases being tossed around these days. We know it wasn’t Obama who started this steam roller effect of the downfall of the American economy, but it seems to be his intent to cause that steam roller to be converted into light speed. Warren Buffet made a statement the other day that the American economy is in freefall mode. Wow, that from one of the savviest traders on Wall Street; a statement like that coming from a man who probably stands to lose more of his personal wealth than any other human being on this planet. That statement comes after the biggest bank “bail out” debacles ever to hit this continent. Buffet believes there is no let up in sight for the freefall of this economy. Hmm
As we head into the next four years of an Obama presidency we will see and feel the temperature rising under our seats. The stage is being set for the grand unveiling of the New World Order. Our Bibles speak of this phenomenon happening in the very last days before Christ’s return.
I feel a kind of peace as I watch the current worldwide events unfolding and know that they are completely biblical and that they were indeed foretold by the prophets thousands of years ago. We’ve read about the end times by now and the events that are to happen and we’ve been taught many different scenarios on how those events would unfold, but to actually witness the physical unveiling of the word of God before our eyes has a peaceful yet eerie feeling, like something huge is about to happen.
For those who think I’m picking on our new president unjustifiably, get out your Bibles and blow off all those layers of dust, then study the scriptures I’ve placed in this commentary for yourselves. Become Bereans, look up Acts 17:11 and place that verse at the forefront of your studies. I’ve heard many professing Christians claiming they are sure God placed Obama in that office, and because they believe he is ordained by God he must have been placed there to bring America out of these terrible times we seem to be stuck in. In a culture and society bent on the total rejection of Christ, and where God is outlawed from every aspect of our government, why would God ordain a man whose main goal as president is the godless agendas I’ve mentioned? Perhaps God is trying to get our attention before His hammer falls?
At any rate I’m not the person following Satan’s agenda for the world. I’m not the one sitting in that Oval Office promoting the vilest of atrocities ever hurled against the unborn. By signing into law an executive order repealing all restrictions on stem cell research, and by opening up the financing of abortions worldwide Obama is certainly following Satan’s agenda for mankind.
Honestly, apart from his homosexual agenda which he is pushing forward with the full force of the US government behind him, the man seems obsessed with the destruction of the unborn and all for the advancement of embryonic stem cell research? Research that for years has been known to be nothing more than a complete failure; to those researchers it’s all about the money honey. Friends, there’s something more sinister behind all this than meets the eye.
Did God allow Obama to become president of this once great nation? Yes. How do I know that? Because Obama now sits in the highest office this nation has to offer. Did God allow Obama to occupy that office for the good of this nation? Let me reiterate, here we sit doing all we can as a nation to give God the boot and you still need to ask that question?
On the statue of Liberty, the words etched into that grand lady’s base are these, “Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, the wretched refuse of your teeming shore. Send these, the homeless, tempest-tossed, to me: “I lift my lamp beside the golden door”.
I see an addendum to those words coming very soon “But our golden doors are shut to your Christian God, America only worships at the altar of Baal.”
The Greek word for judge is “krino” and it means “to call into question”. This is what Jesus means when He says “judge with righteous judgment”. We are to call into question the unbiblical actions of individuals and discern for ourselves whether or not to follow such a person or persons. This is something that is sorely lacking in the Christian community and mindset today. Everyone is afraid of being accused of judging others. When that verse is used it is always in relationship to someone condemning someone else. Christians aren’t to condemn but we are to judge/call into question the actions of others and use biblical discernment to do so.
If we look at the world through the lens of the Bible we can navigate much more responsibly our lives here on earth. Using God’s word as our guide through life isn’t something I take lightly.
Here’s the truth of the matter, if you are an Obama supporter you are also a supporter of abortion. If you are an Obama supporter you are a full-fledged supporter of the homosexual movement in this country. Sending me emails claiming I am judgmental and a bigot isn’t going to change the fact that you agree with Obama and you support his agendas. Whether or not you agree with my stance is inconsequential, it’s God’s stance on the issues that concerns me and that is where I take my stand using biblical discernment.
God’s Stance on Abortion
“I was cast upon thee from the womb: thou art my God from my mother's belly.” Psalm 22:10.
“Lo, children are an heritage of the LORD: and the fruit of the womb is his reward.” Psalm 127:3.
“For thou hast possessed my reins: thou hast covered me in my mother's womb.” Psalm 139:13.
“Thus saith the LORD that made thee, and formed thee from the womb...” Isaiah 44:2.
“Listen, O isles, unto me; and hearken, ye people, from far; The LORD hath called me from the womb; from the bowels of my mother hath he made mention of my name.” Isaiah 49:1.
“Can a woman forget her sucking child, that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb? yea, they may forget, yet will I not forget thee.” Isaiah 49:15.
“Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee...” Jeremiah 1:5.
“Thou shalt not kill” Exodus 20:13. The word “Kill” here means a pre-meditated act such as abortion.
We Americans have now placed into the Oval Office a man who is giving us everything he said he would. His first action as president was to re-enable abortion on demand; he’s now attempting to repeal all laws across this nation both, State and Federal, which put any restrictions on the abortion fanatics and their evil agendas, and completely destroying the laws that were so fearlessly fought for over the past eight years. Obama is now going full steam ahead with his plan.
God’s Stance on Homosexuality
“Thou shalt not lie with mankind, as with womankind: it is abomination. Neither shalt thou lie with any beast to defile thyself therewith: neither shall any woman stand before a beast to lie down thereto: it is confusion. Defile not ye yourselves in any of these things: for in all these the nations are defiled which I cast out before you: Leviticus 18:22-24
“Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves: ... For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature: ... And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error which was meet.” Romans 1:24, 26, 27. Too many professing Christians consider these verses to be obsolete, although we are told by the writer of the book of Hebrews that “Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever.” Hebrews 13:8. In other words, Jesus never changes and He never changes His mind about how these scripture verses are to be interpreted even by our current generation. So for those of you who believe these verses to be obsolete, you better think again.
Obama seems bound and determined to aggressively promote homosexuals and their lifestyle and he’s doing so to the fullest extent of his abilities and from the most privileged office in the land. Because of Obama, the homosexual agenda has been advanced to new heights, the likes of which were unheard of in the previous administrations.
My stance on both abortion and homosexuality are biblical. I don’t stand on my feelings but on God’s words. When I discuss Obama with my readership I always quote Scripture verses to show the authority by which I write these commentaries. God’s word is the final authority. If you disagree with the scripture verses in the Bible you need to take that up with God, He put them there not I. When those readers lash out at me they are only proving they are against God. These new friends of mine never seem to be able to supply scripture verses that would place me at odds with the word of God.
God’s Stance on the Wicked
“The way of the wicked is an abomination unto the LORD: but He loveth him that followeth after righteousness.” Proverbs 15:9. God hates wickedness and He considers homosexuality wickedness.
“He that justifieth the wicked, and he that condemneth the just, even they both are abomination to the LORD.” Proverbs 17:15. For those who try and condone this wickedness God has a message for you, you are an abomination to Him.
“An unjust man is an abomination to the just: and he that is upright in the way is abomination to the wicked.” Proverbs 29:27. Those of you who condemn me because of my stance against these abominations are proving the Bible’s accuracy.
Some have called me a bigot because Obama has dark skin and they say that’s why I stand against him. Actually I don’t really care what a person’s skin tone is; it’s their heart and attitude towards God’s word that I’m concerned with. Do they take His word seriously and literally, or do they consider God’s word to be full of obsolete verses and myths. I will always stand up for my Savior and Lord and it doesn’t matter to me if people want to condemn my biblical stance, that stance won’t change. God’s truth is the only measuring line for our lives and nothing else comes close, therefore nothing else matters.
Many in this country voted for Obama because they didn’t like the alternative. Biblically speaking, though, voting for Obama was the same as slapping God in the face. God gave us an alternative to an abortion activist and a homosexuality promoter, but America refused His alternative and voted into office God’s nemesis. Those of you who email me and call me names such as homophobic and bigot and then misquote scripture are only lashing out at what you don’t understand about God’s word. You are actually angry at God because His word is concise and without error and you don’t like that. Especially you don’t want anyone quoting scripture verses that clearly stand against your views. Many would rather live in darkness than come out into the light. “But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost: In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them,” 2 Corinthians 4:3, 4.
Our economy:
Global government, global economy, and global ecumenicalism are all catch phrases being tossed around these days. We know it wasn’t Obama who started this steam roller effect of the downfall of the American economy, but it seems to be his intent to cause that steam roller to be converted into light speed. Warren Buffet made a statement the other day that the American economy is in freefall mode. Wow, that from one of the savviest traders on Wall Street; a statement like that coming from a man who probably stands to lose more of his personal wealth than any other human being on this planet. That statement comes after the biggest bank “bail out” debacles ever to hit this continent. Buffet believes there is no let up in sight for the freefall of this economy. Hmm
As we head into the next four years of an Obama presidency we will see and feel the temperature rising under our seats. The stage is being set for the grand unveiling of the New World Order. Our Bibles speak of this phenomenon happening in the very last days before Christ’s return.
I feel a kind of peace as I watch the current worldwide events unfolding and know that they are completely biblical and that they were indeed foretold by the prophets thousands of years ago. We’ve read about the end times by now and the events that are to happen and we’ve been taught many different scenarios on how those events would unfold, but to actually witness the physical unveiling of the word of God before our eyes has a peaceful yet eerie feeling, like something huge is about to happen.
For those who think I’m picking on our new president unjustifiably, get out your Bibles and blow off all those layers of dust, then study the scriptures I’ve placed in this commentary for yourselves. Become Bereans, look up Acts 17:11 and place that verse at the forefront of your studies. I’ve heard many professing Christians claiming they are sure God placed Obama in that office, and because they believe he is ordained by God he must have been placed there to bring America out of these terrible times we seem to be stuck in. In a culture and society bent on the total rejection of Christ, and where God is outlawed from every aspect of our government, why would God ordain a man whose main goal as president is the godless agendas I’ve mentioned? Perhaps God is trying to get our attention before His hammer falls?
At any rate I’m not the person following Satan’s agenda for the world. I’m not the one sitting in that Oval Office promoting the vilest of atrocities ever hurled against the unborn. By signing into law an executive order repealing all restrictions on stem cell research, and by opening up the financing of abortions worldwide Obama is certainly following Satan’s agenda for mankind.
Honestly, apart from his homosexual agenda which he is pushing forward with the full force of the US government behind him, the man seems obsessed with the destruction of the unborn and all for the advancement of embryonic stem cell research? Research that for years has been known to be nothing more than a complete failure; to those researchers it’s all about the money honey. Friends, there’s something more sinister behind all this than meets the eye.
Did God allow Obama to become president of this once great nation? Yes. How do I know that? Because Obama now sits in the highest office this nation has to offer. Did God allow Obama to occupy that office for the good of this nation? Let me reiterate, here we sit doing all we can as a nation to give God the boot and you still need to ask that question?
On the statue of Liberty, the words etched into that grand lady’s base are these, “Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, the wretched refuse of your teeming shore. Send these, the homeless, tempest-tossed, to me: “I lift my lamp beside the golden door”.
I see an addendum to those words coming very soon “But our golden doors are shut to your Christian God, America only worships at the altar of Baal.”
Monday, March 16, 2009
The World Today: News at a Glance
A Grisly Discovery: Law enforcement officers in the central state of Jalisco, Mexico, discovered five severed heads inside ice chests that were left by a road leading to Guadalajara. Along with the heads, police found “messages addressed to rivals of the killers, who were assumed to be involved in Mexico’s bitter and violent drug war” (BBC). (See related article: “Mexico’s Drug Cartel War – Who Is to Blame?”)
Papal Visit to Israel: The Jerusalem Post reported that during his visit to the Holy Land in May, Pope Benedict XVI intends to enter Jerusalem’s al-Aqsa mosque, participate in four masses (in Amman, Jerusalem, Bethlehem and Nazareth), visit the Yad Vashem Holocaust Museum, and meet with representatives of local Christian communities, as well as with Jordan’s King Abdullah, Israel’s President Shimon Peres, and Mahmoud Abbas, president of the Palestinian Authority. (See related article: “The World Looks to a New Pope – What Will the Future Bring?”)
Storming an Islamic Site: Masquerading as tourists, 30 Israeli extremists rushed into the courtyard of the al-Aqsa mosque—Islam’s third holiest site—in Jerusalem. The extremists attempted to conduct prayers for Purim, a Jewish holiday, but Israeli soldiers and police moved them away.
The Emergence of Tent Cities: As the rate of foreclosures, business closings and job losses increases throughout the United States, a growing number of “economic homeless”—people who have lost jobs and homes, and have nowhere else to go—are dwelling in makeshift “tent cities.” In California—one of the country’s wealthiest states and one of the largest economies in the world—Sacramento, the state capital, is estimated to have 1,200 to 2,000 people inhabiting a tent city. Other tent cities have emerged in Los Angeles, Seattle, New Orleans and parts of Florida. (See related articles: “Lessons From the Great Depression” and “What Unprecedented Wealth Reveals About a Nation’s Character”)
Shooting Sprees: In the southern United States, a gunman in Alabama unleashed a murder rampage, allegedly killing his mother, grandparents, aunt, uncle and girlfriend, and wounding others, before committing suicide. The victims ranged from age 18 months to 74 years old. And in Germany, a former pupil returned to his school in Winnenden and shot and killed nine students, two teachers, a gardener and two bystanders. The 17-year-old gunman later died in a shootout with police.
Papal Visit to Israel: The Jerusalem Post reported that during his visit to the Holy Land in May, Pope Benedict XVI intends to enter Jerusalem’s al-Aqsa mosque, participate in four masses (in Amman, Jerusalem, Bethlehem and Nazareth), visit the Yad Vashem Holocaust Museum, and meet with representatives of local Christian communities, as well as with Jordan’s King Abdullah, Israel’s President Shimon Peres, and Mahmoud Abbas, president of the Palestinian Authority. (See related article: “The World Looks to a New Pope – What Will the Future Bring?”)
Storming an Islamic Site: Masquerading as tourists, 30 Israeli extremists rushed into the courtyard of the al-Aqsa mosque—Islam’s third holiest site—in Jerusalem. The extremists attempted to conduct prayers for Purim, a Jewish holiday, but Israeli soldiers and police moved them away.
The Emergence of Tent Cities: As the rate of foreclosures, business closings and job losses increases throughout the United States, a growing number of “economic homeless”—people who have lost jobs and homes, and have nowhere else to go—are dwelling in makeshift “tent cities.” In California—one of the country’s wealthiest states and one of the largest economies in the world—Sacramento, the state capital, is estimated to have 1,200 to 2,000 people inhabiting a tent city. Other tent cities have emerged in Los Angeles, Seattle, New Orleans and parts of Florida. (See related articles: “Lessons From the Great Depression” and “What Unprecedented Wealth Reveals About a Nation’s Character”)
Shooting Sprees: In the southern United States, a gunman in Alabama unleashed a murder rampage, allegedly killing his mother, grandparents, aunt, uncle and girlfriend, and wounding others, before committing suicide. The victims ranged from age 18 months to 74 years old. And in Germany, a former pupil returned to his school in Winnenden and shot and killed nine students, two teachers, a gardener and two bystanders. The 17-year-old gunman later died in a shootout with police.
Friday, March 13, 2009
Playing Chess With The Devil
I have always been terrible at the game of chess. It's not that I don't understand how the game is played--I perfectly understand the rules and moves. The problem is my inability to think ahead. If I make a move on the board that seems to be prudent, three moves later, it usually turns out to have been a fatal mistake.
When I play against a computer, I normally get beat like a rented mule. The only way I've been able to win at the game is by cheating. I have one program that allows me to turn one of my pawns into an extra queen. Sadly, even with this unfair advantage, the devilish program still finds a way to overcome the shortfall and checkmate me.
Chess is often depicted as a sport for wimps, but this label is incorrect. A son once asked his dad why chess is not an Olympic game. His father’s response was brief and to the point: "Chess is not a noble sport. When you play chess, your object is to crush the opponent's mind. In today's world, a man's mind is his most precious commodity. Proving to your opponent that his most precious commodity is useless can be devastating for him."
Satan: The Chess Master
It is anyone’s guess what Satan does for recreation in his spare time, but I imagine he would be very good at chess. For someone who spends most of his time devising strategies for ensnaring humanity with various vices, he would likely be a formidable chess opponent.
One of the greatest mistakes we can make is to underestimate Satan’s cunning. We tend to view him as a loser who ran afoul of God and got fired from his job. Unfortunately, he found new employment: the task of damning men's souls to hell.
The Bible certainly doesn't play down the devil's abilities. We are warned that he is an enemy who wishes to destroy all of us. In fact, 1 Peter 5:8-9 says, “Your enemy the Devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.”
A wise person is someone who realizes it is impossible to match wits with the devil. Just as I would have no chance of winning a game of chess against the world's most powerful computer, Satan can outmaneuver me with hardly any effort.
A good example of this can be found in the waning days of World War II. As Germany was losing the war, many Germans realized Adolf Hitler was a mad man who needed to be stopped by any means. At least 42 attempts were made to take his life, and all failed in preposterously inconvenient ways.
Once you read some examples of these attempts, you would have to conclude that some unseen agent was protecting Hitler from harm:
An Iron Cross recipient at Nuremberg was going to stab Hitler in front of 1,000 soldiers at an assembly. Hitler had a cold that day and decided to go home early.
A bomb that was intended to blow up the Nazi leader in mid-flight failed to go off because cold weather had hindered the reaction of the chemicals in the bomb.
An infantry captain made plans to explode a bomb while he demonstrated a new army winter overcoat to the German leader. The day before the bombing was to take place, a British air raid destroyed the uniforms.
One general tried to kill Hitler with a concealed bomb that was to be detonated by acid. Unfortunately, Hitler left the building before the acid could act.
A bomb finally did go off next to Hitler. The Fuehrer was spared by a heavy desk that shielded him from the blast.
Historians actually joke that Hitler had “Satan's luck.” The truth is, the devil's hand was as work, and the opposition was pursuing an impossible quest. Perhaps if the Nazi leaders had prayed for “God's luck,” they might have accomplished their goal and saved millions of lives.
Satan's Favorite Moves
Most professional chess players have a series of favorite ploys they like to use against their opponents. Satan has several tricks he regularly uses against us. By being aware of them, we can avoid his snares. Paul said, "Lest Satan should get an advantage of us: for we are not ignorant of his devices" (2 Cor. 2:11).
Here are six of the strategies that Satan uses. Because they all begin with letter "D," they should be easy to remember.
Divide - A standard strategy is to divide the enemy force in order to make it easier to conquer. Satan loves to create division so he can pick off the weak and weak-minded people.
Doubt - The Bible says, "Without faith it is impossible to please God." Once Satan can persuade people to question God's Word and His goodness, forgiveness, and love, he is ensured of victory.
Discourage - This strategy involves getting us to focus on our problems rather than entrusting God to provide a solution. It can also be someone else’s problem that creates discouragement in our own lives.
Diversion - Not all problems are equal. The enemy may come at us with an attack of lesser importance to distract us from his main attack. He may also distract us with good things. For example, parents may become too focused on their careers, enabling their children fall into rebellion.
Defeat - The devil is at his best when he causes people to feel so overwhelmed by failure that they don't even try to resist his onslaught. If we’re not resisting the devil, he will move in for the kill.
Delay - In the game of life, Satan wins by default. We are all born in a lost state, so unless we come to faith in Jesus Christ, we will perish. Because procrastination doesn't require doing anything, this strategy is an easy path for victory.
God: The Ultimate Chess Master
The rivalry between God and Satan is often seen as a battle between two equally skilled chess masters, playing against one another to see whose plan will be victorious. This vision is totally fictitious. There never was a real contest between God and Satan, and there never will be.
God is in charge of everything that happens. His level of control is so absolute, He sets the stage for everything that will happen in the universe. How can Satan compete against a Being who knows every move he is going to make ahead of time? God does more than just rule the chess board. He controls both the white and the black pieces.
The devil is so hopelessly outwitted, God published in the Bible many of Satan’s fatal mistakes far ahead of the time he made them. There are still some blunders yet to come. The Holy Word predicts that the devil will attempt to destroy the Jews and that he will make a stand against Jesus at the Battle of Armageddon. Both will end in total failure.
With God having proven himself unbeatable, one might wonder why Satan keeps challenging Him. The devil's problem is that he has such a depraved, arrogant mind, he is incapable of admitting defeat. There is no limit to the foolishness of a heart that is in rebellion against God. For this reason, Satan still thinks he has a chance to vanquish the Almighty.
The only reason we have the impression that God is in a fair contest with His adversary is the fact He grants His creation free will. Our decision to accept or reject God has no reflection on Him. We can make all the decisions we want, but in the end, they all fit into God's perfect plan.
Winning the Game by Following God's Will
One of the clearest indications of how vulnerable we are to Satan's willpower can be found in the warning Jesus gave Peter in Luke 22:31: "Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift you as wheat." At first, I thought this verse meant that Satan had asked for dominion over Peter and Jesus rebuffed the request. Jesus then said, "I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith may not fail..." (Luke 22:31). But I didn't pay attention to the last part. Jesus added "...And when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers," which means that God had allowed Satan to sift Peter.
Peter was the type of emotional person that made him easy pickings for the devil. In the space of one night, he rebuked Jesus when He told the disciple of His pending death, he turned to violence by cutting off the ear of the High Priest's servant, and he denied the Lord three times.
Peter met with failure because he was out of God's will. He trusted in his own strength, and Satan made mincemeat of him. When Peter realized his mistake and became totally dependent on God's guidance for his life, he then became a victorious leader of the Church.
I have been whipped by the devil several times because I failed to seek God's counsel on important issues. What has saved me from complete disaster is the belief that Jesus is Lord of life. Giving God credit didn't save me from having to seek His guidance on how to untangle problems that I allowed to come my way.
We generally fail to take our daily matters to prayer because we don't think it’s that important, we’re too lazy, or we just don’t think God will answer us. Because we live in an evil world with an enemy who drools at the thought of being able to destroy the lives of Christians, we can't afford to not seek God's direction.
I will end with these words of advice. Jesus Christ is our Eternal King, and He is Invincible--the ultimate Checkmate Master of this chess match of life in which we are engaged. If we put our trust in the Lord, He will lead us to victory.
"But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ" (1 Cor. 15:57).
When I play against a computer, I normally get beat like a rented mule. The only way I've been able to win at the game is by cheating. I have one program that allows me to turn one of my pawns into an extra queen. Sadly, even with this unfair advantage, the devilish program still finds a way to overcome the shortfall and checkmate me.
Chess is often depicted as a sport for wimps, but this label is incorrect. A son once asked his dad why chess is not an Olympic game. His father’s response was brief and to the point: "Chess is not a noble sport. When you play chess, your object is to crush the opponent's mind. In today's world, a man's mind is his most precious commodity. Proving to your opponent that his most precious commodity is useless can be devastating for him."
Satan: The Chess Master
It is anyone’s guess what Satan does for recreation in his spare time, but I imagine he would be very good at chess. For someone who spends most of his time devising strategies for ensnaring humanity with various vices, he would likely be a formidable chess opponent.
One of the greatest mistakes we can make is to underestimate Satan’s cunning. We tend to view him as a loser who ran afoul of God and got fired from his job. Unfortunately, he found new employment: the task of damning men's souls to hell.
The Bible certainly doesn't play down the devil's abilities. We are warned that he is an enemy who wishes to destroy all of us. In fact, 1 Peter 5:8-9 says, “Your enemy the Devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.”
A wise person is someone who realizes it is impossible to match wits with the devil. Just as I would have no chance of winning a game of chess against the world's most powerful computer, Satan can outmaneuver me with hardly any effort.
A good example of this can be found in the waning days of World War II. As Germany was losing the war, many Germans realized Adolf Hitler was a mad man who needed to be stopped by any means. At least 42 attempts were made to take his life, and all failed in preposterously inconvenient ways.
Once you read some examples of these attempts, you would have to conclude that some unseen agent was protecting Hitler from harm:
An Iron Cross recipient at Nuremberg was going to stab Hitler in front of 1,000 soldiers at an assembly. Hitler had a cold that day and decided to go home early.
A bomb that was intended to blow up the Nazi leader in mid-flight failed to go off because cold weather had hindered the reaction of the chemicals in the bomb.
An infantry captain made plans to explode a bomb while he demonstrated a new army winter overcoat to the German leader. The day before the bombing was to take place, a British air raid destroyed the uniforms.
One general tried to kill Hitler with a concealed bomb that was to be detonated by acid. Unfortunately, Hitler left the building before the acid could act.
A bomb finally did go off next to Hitler. The Fuehrer was spared by a heavy desk that shielded him from the blast.
Historians actually joke that Hitler had “Satan's luck.” The truth is, the devil's hand was as work, and the opposition was pursuing an impossible quest. Perhaps if the Nazi leaders had prayed for “God's luck,” they might have accomplished their goal and saved millions of lives.
Satan's Favorite Moves
Most professional chess players have a series of favorite ploys they like to use against their opponents. Satan has several tricks he regularly uses against us. By being aware of them, we can avoid his snares. Paul said, "Lest Satan should get an advantage of us: for we are not ignorant of his devices" (2 Cor. 2:11).
Here are six of the strategies that Satan uses. Because they all begin with letter "D," they should be easy to remember.
Divide - A standard strategy is to divide the enemy force in order to make it easier to conquer. Satan loves to create division so he can pick off the weak and weak-minded people.
Doubt - The Bible says, "Without faith it is impossible to please God." Once Satan can persuade people to question God's Word and His goodness, forgiveness, and love, he is ensured of victory.
Discourage - This strategy involves getting us to focus on our problems rather than entrusting God to provide a solution. It can also be someone else’s problem that creates discouragement in our own lives.
Diversion - Not all problems are equal. The enemy may come at us with an attack of lesser importance to distract us from his main attack. He may also distract us with good things. For example, parents may become too focused on their careers, enabling their children fall into rebellion.
Defeat - The devil is at his best when he causes people to feel so overwhelmed by failure that they don't even try to resist his onslaught. If we’re not resisting the devil, he will move in for the kill.
Delay - In the game of life, Satan wins by default. We are all born in a lost state, so unless we come to faith in Jesus Christ, we will perish. Because procrastination doesn't require doing anything, this strategy is an easy path for victory.
God: The Ultimate Chess Master
The rivalry between God and Satan is often seen as a battle between two equally skilled chess masters, playing against one another to see whose plan will be victorious. This vision is totally fictitious. There never was a real contest between God and Satan, and there never will be.
God is in charge of everything that happens. His level of control is so absolute, He sets the stage for everything that will happen in the universe. How can Satan compete against a Being who knows every move he is going to make ahead of time? God does more than just rule the chess board. He controls both the white and the black pieces.
The devil is so hopelessly outwitted, God published in the Bible many of Satan’s fatal mistakes far ahead of the time he made them. There are still some blunders yet to come. The Holy Word predicts that the devil will attempt to destroy the Jews and that he will make a stand against Jesus at the Battle of Armageddon. Both will end in total failure.
With God having proven himself unbeatable, one might wonder why Satan keeps challenging Him. The devil's problem is that he has such a depraved, arrogant mind, he is incapable of admitting defeat. There is no limit to the foolishness of a heart that is in rebellion against God. For this reason, Satan still thinks he has a chance to vanquish the Almighty.
The only reason we have the impression that God is in a fair contest with His adversary is the fact He grants His creation free will. Our decision to accept or reject God has no reflection on Him. We can make all the decisions we want, but in the end, they all fit into God's perfect plan.
Winning the Game by Following God's Will
One of the clearest indications of how vulnerable we are to Satan's willpower can be found in the warning Jesus gave Peter in Luke 22:31: "Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift you as wheat." At first, I thought this verse meant that Satan had asked for dominion over Peter and Jesus rebuffed the request. Jesus then said, "I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith may not fail..." (Luke 22:31). But I didn't pay attention to the last part. Jesus added "...And when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers," which means that God had allowed Satan to sift Peter.
Peter was the type of emotional person that made him easy pickings for the devil. In the space of one night, he rebuked Jesus when He told the disciple of His pending death, he turned to violence by cutting off the ear of the High Priest's servant, and he denied the Lord three times.
Peter met with failure because he was out of God's will. He trusted in his own strength, and Satan made mincemeat of him. When Peter realized his mistake and became totally dependent on God's guidance for his life, he then became a victorious leader of the Church.
I have been whipped by the devil several times because I failed to seek God's counsel on important issues. What has saved me from complete disaster is the belief that Jesus is Lord of life. Giving God credit didn't save me from having to seek His guidance on how to untangle problems that I allowed to come my way.
We generally fail to take our daily matters to prayer because we don't think it’s that important, we’re too lazy, or we just don’t think God will answer us. Because we live in an evil world with an enemy who drools at the thought of being able to destroy the lives of Christians, we can't afford to not seek God's direction.
I will end with these words of advice. Jesus Christ is our Eternal King, and He is Invincible--the ultimate Checkmate Master of this chess match of life in which we are engaged. If we put our trust in the Lord, He will lead us to victory.
"But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ" (1 Cor. 15:57).
Thursday, March 12, 2009
Satan: His Last Hoorah!
One of the most profound truths in Scripture is the total defeat of the devil. Actually, his defeat is historic, complete, and unquestionable. Even the devil knows he is defeated. The big problem is that most Christians do not understand this fact. Since Satan is still the “god of this world,” it appears that he operates as “business as usual.”
The signs of Bible prophecies that are either fulfilled or clearly being fulfilled leaves no doubt as to Satan’s demise. The Christian life should not be lived as someone striving toward victory. We do not live for the victory, but because of the victory. Our spiritual life is the result of a victory already won. The Son of God decimated every power of Satan, his destruction is complete.
We must learn to live our lives in this total victory while understanding that it is presently true only in the Spiritual realm. Satan’s defeat is not yet visible in the natural world of the fallen nature. The unclean system of the world is not yet cleansed of this dark and evil being. That’s the coming great judgment of the End Times that we see in the Book of Revelation.
Let’s review this victory that will soon occur. First, Satan will be cast out of the Second Heaven. This happens near the beginning of the Seven Years of Tribulation and after the Rapture. “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” (Revelation 20:7-9). At that point, Satan is confined to the earth and can never appear before the Father again to accuse the Saints of God.
Then, at the end of the seven years he will be cast out of the earth into the “bottomless pit” to be tormented by the judgments of God. This will be his finality except for a short period at the end of the one thousand years when he tempts the natural people born during that time. John wrote by the exact words Jesus Christ gave him, “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” (Revelation 20:10). This is his eternal abode and torments.
While we await this final defeat, we must learn to live in the Spiritual domain, not the physical. We have no defense against Satan in our flesh. If we live in the flesh, we will get decimated instead of the devil. Apostle Paul explained this carefully, “So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God. But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his” (Romans 8:8-9).
The average Christian today has never learned this incredible truth and the result is helplessness in both their walk with Christ and their prayer life. I feel angry at myself because I have failed to teach this level of spiritual victory. We should be storming the gates of hell when we are barely holding the fort. The present church world is more of a club than an army.
God’s faithful prophets warned us in Scripture to make no room for the devil. “Neither give place to the devil” (Ephesians 4:27). “(For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;) Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ” (2Corinthians 10:4-5).
When we face Satan in the Biblical provision of a Spirit-filled life, he is totally defeated. This kind of warfare is no longer just a privilege, but it is the only lasting victory for these End Times. Jesus Christ told us of this victory but our flesh is slow to learn. He stated… “Whatsoever ye shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. Again I say unto you, That if two of you shall agree on earth as touching any thing that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven” (Matthew 18:18b-19). He even said, “…. If ye had faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye might say unto this sycamine tree, Be thou plucked up by the root, and be thou planted in the sea; and it should obey you” (Luke 17:6).
The person of the Holy Ghost did not come to tickle our fancy, but to empower His church to perfect victory. We are a spiritual army or we are defeated pilgrims spending years in the wilderness. Let’s become His army as we await His appearance in the sky.
The signs of Bible prophecies that are either fulfilled or clearly being fulfilled leaves no doubt as to Satan’s demise. The Christian life should not be lived as someone striving toward victory. We do not live for the victory, but because of the victory. Our spiritual life is the result of a victory already won. The Son of God decimated every power of Satan, his destruction is complete.
We must learn to live our lives in this total victory while understanding that it is presently true only in the Spiritual realm. Satan’s defeat is not yet visible in the natural world of the fallen nature. The unclean system of the world is not yet cleansed of this dark and evil being. That’s the coming great judgment of the End Times that we see in the Book of Revelation.
Let’s review this victory that will soon occur. First, Satan will be cast out of the Second Heaven. This happens near the beginning of the Seven Years of Tribulation and after the Rapture. “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” (Revelation 20:7-9). At that point, Satan is confined to the earth and can never appear before the Father again to accuse the Saints of God.
Then, at the end of the seven years he will be cast out of the earth into the “bottomless pit” to be tormented by the judgments of God. This will be his finality except for a short period at the end of the one thousand years when he tempts the natural people born during that time. John wrote by the exact words Jesus Christ gave him, “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” (Revelation 20:10). This is his eternal abode and torments.
While we await this final defeat, we must learn to live in the Spiritual domain, not the physical. We have no defense against Satan in our flesh. If we live in the flesh, we will get decimated instead of the devil. Apostle Paul explained this carefully, “So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God. But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his” (Romans 8:8-9).
The average Christian today has never learned this incredible truth and the result is helplessness in both their walk with Christ and their prayer life. I feel angry at myself because I have failed to teach this level of spiritual victory. We should be storming the gates of hell when we are barely holding the fort. The present church world is more of a club than an army.
God’s faithful prophets warned us in Scripture to make no room for the devil. “Neither give place to the devil” (Ephesians 4:27). “(For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;) Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ” (2Corinthians 10:4-5).
When we face Satan in the Biblical provision of a Spirit-filled life, he is totally defeated. This kind of warfare is no longer just a privilege, but it is the only lasting victory for these End Times. Jesus Christ told us of this victory but our flesh is slow to learn. He stated… “Whatsoever ye shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. Again I say unto you, That if two of you shall agree on earth as touching any thing that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven” (Matthew 18:18b-19). He even said, “…. If ye had faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye might say unto this sycamine tree, Be thou plucked up by the root, and be thou planted in the sea; and it should obey you” (Luke 17:6).
The person of the Holy Ghost did not come to tickle our fancy, but to empower His church to perfect victory. We are a spiritual army or we are defeated pilgrims spending years in the wilderness. Let’s become His army as we await His appearance in the sky.
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
Global Financial Crisis: An International Snapshot
As the global economic crisis continues, nations, businesses and private citizens struggle to stay afloat financially.
DOW reaches six-year low: A trader takes a break following the close of trading in the Standard & Poor’s 500 stock index futures pit at the CME Group in Chicago, Illinois (Feb. 20, 2009). The major indexes closed down but well off their lows after the White House tried to calm worries that the government would nationalize crippled banks.
The U.S. Congress passed the White House-backed $787 billion stimulus package, whose bailout programs could cost $9.7 trillion tax-payer dollars over the next ten years—an amount just $1 trillion short of the total amount of national debt. The estimated budget plan by President Barack Obama would boost the deficit more than $1.75 trillion, the highest it has been since World War II. The Dow fell to its lowest level since 1997.
In February, Bloomberg reported, “U.S. consumer confidence collapsed this month and home values plunged in December, the latest evidence of a deepening economic slump that Federal Reserve Chairman Ben S. Bernanke today warned may last into 2010. The Conference Board’s confidence index dropped more than anticipated to 25, the lowest level since data began in 1967, the New York-based research group said today. Another report showed home prices dropped a record 18.5 percent from December 2007.”
Automakers, media outlets and other businesses face bankruptcy, job losses, closings and restructuring. The following is an international snapshot of the world-at-large:
Automakers: Germany announced it will lend funds to Opel, due to financial troubles at parent company General Motors (GM). According to German news media, the carmaker, which employs some 25,000 people, will face bankruptcy “as soon as May or June if it does not receive a credit boost from the state” (AFP). For Opel to survive, it reportedly needs at least 3.3 billion euros ($4.2 billion).
Swedish automaker Saab, also owned by GM, filed for bankruptcy protection so it can either restructure as a separate company or be sold off.
The British government turned down van maker LDV’s request for a $43.6 million bridge loan. The decision threatens to close the Birmingham manufacturing plant and eliminate 850 staff, including thousands of linked jobs.
Joblessness in China: Migrant workers, with their skills written on pieces of paper, try to find work at a labor market in Chengdu, the capital of China’s southwest Sichuan province (Feb. 5, 2009). As millions of the migrant workers across the nation returned to cities and manufacturing areas from Lunar New Year holidays this week, the government warned at least 20 million others were jobless due to the crisis.
Bankruptcy: With a dwindling readership, fewer advertisers and more people relying on the Internet for information, newspapers are shrinking their number of pages, downsizing staff, seeking bankruptcy protection and even going out of business.
In an attempt to restructure its debt, estimated at $390 million, the parent company of two major U.S. newspapers, the Philadelphia Inquirer and the Philadelphia Daily News, filed for bankruptcy protection. The E.W. Scripps Co., citing multi-million dollar losses, announced the closure of its Denver daily, Rocky Mountain News one day before the almost 150-year-old newspaper produced its last issue. The San Francisco Chronicle, owned by the Heart Corp. is also debating a possible shutdown, which could result in a loss of more than 200 jobs.
The Ritz Camera chain was another casualty of the changing times of instant technology, with film sales plummeting while digital cameras and related equipment rose. Ritz Camera filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection.
Even the world of glamour was not immune to the current economic downturn. Modeling agency Irene Marie Models, famous for launching the careers of several supermodels, closed its doors and is seeking bankruptcy protection.
Economic meetings: Prior to the G20 meeting in London on April 2, European leaders met at Berlin, Germany, and agreed that “all financial markets, products and participants must be subject to appropriate oversight or regulation” (Reuters).
Home prices and foreclosures: Toll Brothers slashed prices on condos by as much as 37percent following a housing downturn in the New York metropolitan area.
Evicted from their foreclosed home, a family of four live in their van.
National, state and local government and private sector leaders worldwide continue to hold town hall meetings across the U.S. to discuss job opportunities and ways to avoid business and home foreclosures.
Joblessness: China saw its highest urban unemployment rate in five years, while the number of jobless claims in the U.S. reached an all-time high.
America’s largest tire maker, Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co., plans to cut nearly 5,000 jobs in 2009, while Germany is expected to lose 5,000 jobs and the European Union is projected to lose 3.5 million.
Property: The New York metropolitan area is seeing slashed prices on luxury condos. On the other hand, with fewer customers and less sales, more small businesses are receiving eviction notices due to failure to pay rent.
Upswing businesses and projects: Movie box office grosses were up 20 percent, theater attendance was up 16 percent over last year and secondhand stores increased their revenue. Gold prices hit $1,000 an ounce, as stock prices and real estate values continued to fall. UK pawnbrokers are seeing higher profits.
States are beginning to plan how to use their share of the stimulus package. Florida is developing a road-widening project, and part of New York’s money will be used to support public housing projects, and social welfare programs like Medicaid.
Economic outlook: Global analysts agree that infusing large monetary quantities into the world economy will help it to recover, but worry that the global community will not be able to repair itself quickly enough.
In response to the changing times, Media baron Rupert Murdoch warned his staff, “We are in the midst of a phase of history in which nations will be redefined and their futures fundamentally altered.”
DOW reaches six-year low: A trader takes a break following the close of trading in the Standard & Poor’s 500 stock index futures pit at the CME Group in Chicago, Illinois (Feb. 20, 2009). The major indexes closed down but well off their lows after the White House tried to calm worries that the government would nationalize crippled banks.
The U.S. Congress passed the White House-backed $787 billion stimulus package, whose bailout programs could cost $9.7 trillion tax-payer dollars over the next ten years—an amount just $1 trillion short of the total amount of national debt. The estimated budget plan by President Barack Obama would boost the deficit more than $1.75 trillion, the highest it has been since World War II. The Dow fell to its lowest level since 1997.
In February, Bloomberg reported, “U.S. consumer confidence collapsed this month and home values plunged in December, the latest evidence of a deepening economic slump that Federal Reserve Chairman Ben S. Bernanke today warned may last into 2010. The Conference Board’s confidence index dropped more than anticipated to 25, the lowest level since data began in 1967, the New York-based research group said today. Another report showed home prices dropped a record 18.5 percent from December 2007.”
Automakers, media outlets and other businesses face bankruptcy, job losses, closings and restructuring. The following is an international snapshot of the world-at-large:
Automakers: Germany announced it will lend funds to Opel, due to financial troubles at parent company General Motors (GM). According to German news media, the carmaker, which employs some 25,000 people, will face bankruptcy “as soon as May or June if it does not receive a credit boost from the state” (AFP). For Opel to survive, it reportedly needs at least 3.3 billion euros ($4.2 billion).
Swedish automaker Saab, also owned by GM, filed for bankruptcy protection so it can either restructure as a separate company or be sold off.
The British government turned down van maker LDV’s request for a $43.6 million bridge loan. The decision threatens to close the Birmingham manufacturing plant and eliminate 850 staff, including thousands of linked jobs.
Joblessness in China: Migrant workers, with their skills written on pieces of paper, try to find work at a labor market in Chengdu, the capital of China’s southwest Sichuan province (Feb. 5, 2009). As millions of the migrant workers across the nation returned to cities and manufacturing areas from Lunar New Year holidays this week, the government warned at least 20 million others were jobless due to the crisis.
Bankruptcy: With a dwindling readership, fewer advertisers and more people relying on the Internet for information, newspapers are shrinking their number of pages, downsizing staff, seeking bankruptcy protection and even going out of business.
In an attempt to restructure its debt, estimated at $390 million, the parent company of two major U.S. newspapers, the Philadelphia Inquirer and the Philadelphia Daily News, filed for bankruptcy protection. The E.W. Scripps Co., citing multi-million dollar losses, announced the closure of its Denver daily, Rocky Mountain News one day before the almost 150-year-old newspaper produced its last issue. The San Francisco Chronicle, owned by the Heart Corp. is also debating a possible shutdown, which could result in a loss of more than 200 jobs.
The Ritz Camera chain was another casualty of the changing times of instant technology, with film sales plummeting while digital cameras and related equipment rose. Ritz Camera filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection.
Even the world of glamour was not immune to the current economic downturn. Modeling agency Irene Marie Models, famous for launching the careers of several supermodels, closed its doors and is seeking bankruptcy protection.
Economic meetings: Prior to the G20 meeting in London on April 2, European leaders met at Berlin, Germany, and agreed that “all financial markets, products and participants must be subject to appropriate oversight or regulation” (Reuters).
Home prices and foreclosures: Toll Brothers slashed prices on condos by as much as 37percent following a housing downturn in the New York metropolitan area.
Evicted from their foreclosed home, a family of four live in their van.
National, state and local government and private sector leaders worldwide continue to hold town hall meetings across the U.S. to discuss job opportunities and ways to avoid business and home foreclosures.
Joblessness: China saw its highest urban unemployment rate in five years, while the number of jobless claims in the U.S. reached an all-time high.
America’s largest tire maker, Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co., plans to cut nearly 5,000 jobs in 2009, while Germany is expected to lose 5,000 jobs and the European Union is projected to lose 3.5 million.
Property: The New York metropolitan area is seeing slashed prices on luxury condos. On the other hand, with fewer customers and less sales, more small businesses are receiving eviction notices due to failure to pay rent.
Upswing businesses and projects: Movie box office grosses were up 20 percent, theater attendance was up 16 percent over last year and secondhand stores increased their revenue. Gold prices hit $1,000 an ounce, as stock prices and real estate values continued to fall. UK pawnbrokers are seeing higher profits.
States are beginning to plan how to use their share of the stimulus package. Florida is developing a road-widening project, and part of New York’s money will be used to support public housing projects, and social welfare programs like Medicaid.
Economic outlook: Global analysts agree that infusing large monetary quantities into the world economy will help it to recover, but worry that the global community will not be able to repair itself quickly enough.
In response to the changing times, Media baron Rupert Murdoch warned his staff, “We are in the midst of a phase of history in which nations will be redefined and their futures fundamentally altered.”
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
Desperate Sheep Without a Shepherd
The "New Age Movement" (NAM) has been around since the days of literal Babylon. It gained new strength in the late 1800s and even more in the 1960s, which was the "Age of Aquarius." While all participants are not occultists, they all do love the supernatural and experiential. They have many "gods." And they believe the delusion that mankind is getting better and better. Because they believe such a myriad of ideas, some call these misguided seekers "cosmic soup."
In the 1980s, I gave seminars on this "new spirituality," which it has been renamed in the 21st century. I studied it then and knew it almost as well as those who were enjoying their altered states of consciousness. Thankfully, I wasn't.
In more recent years, the cause has been furthered by the woman who never met a false teaching she didn't love --Oprah Winfrey. She has paraded one guru after another on her many platforms and made most of them wildly successful.
In 1982, I chuckled at who I thought was just another deluded crackpot, Benjamin Crème, who was taking out full-page ads in multiple newspapers announcing the soon-arrival of Lord Maitraya. This superhero was to come on the scene for the benefit of all religions and belief-systems. He was to be the new "messiah." And while these deceived followers of mystical enlightenment fully believed he could save the world, I wondered if he was just a fantasy in the esoteric minds of Crème -- a John the Baptist type -- and many NAM idealistic dreamers.
But now 25 years later, TV commercials are airing about Lord Maitraya! Why was I a doubter? One such commercial can be found here. As a matter of fact, Benjamin Crème and references to Maitraya are found all over the Internet's favorite pastime, YouTube. In the minds of Maitraya's followers, he is just over the horizon ready to appear in his mystical, Eastern glory. Another is here.
Once again we see the foundation for the one-world religious system forming. As Chuck Missler said on my radio program this past weekend (February 28), to be posted late Monday, the apparitions of Mary, which are all over the world now, will be a uniter of religions because so many respect her, including Islam. We carry both a book and a DVD of this found here. The Vatican, in fact, may become the infrastructure for the one-world religion.
Clearly this "New Age Movement" or "new spirituality" will play a prominent role in the global religion. The antichrist will allow the "false prophet" to have a lying-signs-and- wonders party for 3 ½ years and that's it. From then on, only "Mr. Fix-it" can have all the glory. Only the "man-with-a-plan" will have the spotlight after that.
In my study for my seminars some years ago, I learned quickly that almost all who are a part of the cults and false religious systems are like sheep without a shepherd. They are desperate, primed for deception, jumping from one costly therapy, seminar, technique, or group, all seeking the ever-illusive "higher self" and the "god within."
They would see themselves as "spiritual" people. They even refer to "the christ within" but it is a counter-christ. They may be shocked when they stand before the Lord and He says to them, "Not everyone who calls out to me, 'Lord, Lord' will enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Only those who do the will of my Father in Heaven will enter" (Matthew 7:21-23).
While there is time, share the gospel with them. Some have a Christian background and have twisted the terms you and I know. They will say they believe in God but it is the "god within." They will flaunt their "Christ consciousness."
This is just more end-time deception and delusion but souls are involved so don't write these people off without offering them new life! You are not responsible for their decision. And if you see the Lord Maitraya commercial on TV, use it as a reminder to pray without ceasing for the deception that abounds today.
It is also a reminder of the many "false christs" the Bible predicts for the last days. Whether or not there is any credibility in Creme and Maitraya really isn't the point. The point is that many are looking for false saviors today.
In the 1980s, I gave seminars on this "new spirituality," which it has been renamed in the 21st century. I studied it then and knew it almost as well as those who were enjoying their altered states of consciousness. Thankfully, I wasn't.
In more recent years, the cause has been furthered by the woman who never met a false teaching she didn't love --Oprah Winfrey. She has paraded one guru after another on her many platforms and made most of them wildly successful.
In 1982, I chuckled at who I thought was just another deluded crackpot, Benjamin Crème, who was taking out full-page ads in multiple newspapers announcing the soon-arrival of Lord Maitraya. This superhero was to come on the scene for the benefit of all religions and belief-systems. He was to be the new "messiah." And while these deceived followers of mystical enlightenment fully believed he could save the world, I wondered if he was just a fantasy in the esoteric minds of Crème -- a John the Baptist type -- and many NAM idealistic dreamers.
But now 25 years later, TV commercials are airing about Lord Maitraya! Why was I a doubter? One such commercial can be found here. As a matter of fact, Benjamin Crème and references to Maitraya are found all over the Internet's favorite pastime, YouTube. In the minds of Maitraya's followers, he is just over the horizon ready to appear in his mystical, Eastern glory. Another is here.
Once again we see the foundation for the one-world religious system forming. As Chuck Missler said on my radio program this past weekend (February 28), to be posted late Monday, the apparitions of Mary, which are all over the world now, will be a uniter of religions because so many respect her, including Islam. We carry both a book and a DVD of this found here. The Vatican, in fact, may become the infrastructure for the one-world religion.
Clearly this "New Age Movement" or "new spirituality" will play a prominent role in the global religion. The antichrist will allow the "false prophet" to have a lying-signs-and- wonders party for 3 ½ years and that's it. From then on, only "Mr. Fix-it" can have all the glory. Only the "man-with-a-plan" will have the spotlight after that.
In my study for my seminars some years ago, I learned quickly that almost all who are a part of the cults and false religious systems are like sheep without a shepherd. They are desperate, primed for deception, jumping from one costly therapy, seminar, technique, or group, all seeking the ever-illusive "higher self" and the "god within."
They would see themselves as "spiritual" people. They even refer to "the christ within" but it is a counter-christ. They may be shocked when they stand before the Lord and He says to them, "Not everyone who calls out to me, 'Lord, Lord' will enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Only those who do the will of my Father in Heaven will enter" (Matthew 7:21-23).
While there is time, share the gospel with them. Some have a Christian background and have twisted the terms you and I know. They will say they believe in God but it is the "god within." They will flaunt their "Christ consciousness."
This is just more end-time deception and delusion but souls are involved so don't write these people off without offering them new life! You are not responsible for their decision. And if you see the Lord Maitraya commercial on TV, use it as a reminder to pray without ceasing for the deception that abounds today.
It is also a reminder of the many "false christs" the Bible predicts for the last days. Whether or not there is any credibility in Creme and Maitraya really isn't the point. The point is that many are looking for false saviors today.
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