Worthy to Escape . . .

Our salvation cannot be obtained by works, but our rewards certainly are.  One of the most coveted rewards in the near future may be to be ‘accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass’ . . . And how can we be ‘accounted worthy’?  Jesus tells us:

‘Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man.’  (Luke 21:36)

Watch and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy.

‘But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.

[Seeing] then [that] all these things shall be dissolved, what manner [of persons] OUGHT YE TO BE IN [ALL] HOLY CONVERSATION AND GODLINESS, Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat? Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness.

WHEREFORE, BELOVED, seeing that ye look for such things, BE DILIGENT THAT YE MAY BE FOUND OF HIM IN PEACE, WITHOUT SPOT, AND BLAMELESS.’  (2 Peter 3:10-14)

‘FOLLOW PEACE with all [men], AND HOLINESS, without which no man shall see the Lord: LOOKING DILIGENTLY lest any man fail of the grace of God; LEST ANY ROOT OF BITTERNESS SPRINGING UP trouble [you], and thereby many be defiled . . .  let us HAVE GRACE, whereby we may serve God acceptably with REVERENCE and GODLY FEAR: For our God [is] a consuming fire.  (Hebrews 12:14-15, 28-29)

Jesus would not give us false hope.  There WILL be a remnant who are spared, saved, and protected from the things that are coming to pass.

‘And the woman fled into the wilderness, where she hath a place prepared of God, that they should feed her there a thousand two hundred [and] threescore days.’  (Revelation 12:6)

‘And when the dragon saw that he was cast unto the earth, he persecuted the woman which brought forth the man [child]. And to the woman were given two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness, into her place, where she is nourished for a time, and times, and half a time, from the face of the serpent.’ (Revelation 12:13-14)

‘My sheep wandered through all the mountains, and upon every high hill: yea, my flock was scattered upon all the face of the earth, and none did search or seek [after them]. . . For thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I, [even] I, will both search my sheep, and seek them out.

As a shepherd seeketh out his flock in the day that he is among his sheep [that are] scattered; so will I seek out my sheep, and will deliver them out of all places where they have been scattered in the cloudy and dark day. And I will bring them out from the people, and gather them from the countries, and will bring them to their own land, and feed them upon the mountains of Israel by the rivers, and in all the inhabited places of the country.

I will feed them in a good pasture, and upon the high mountains of Israel shall their fold be: there shall they lie in a good fold, and [in] a fat pasture shall they feed upon the mountains of Israel.  I will feed my flock, and I will cause them to lie down, saith the Lord GOD. I will seek that which was lost, and bring again that which was driven away, and will bind up [that which was] broken, and will strengthen that which was sick . . .’  (Ezekiel 34:6, 11-16)

‘Therefore will I save my flock, and they shall no more be a prey . . . And I will set up one shepherd over them, and he shall feed them, [even] my servant David; he shall feed them, and he shall be their shepherd. And I the LORD will be their God, and my servant David a prince among them; I the LORD have spoken [it].

And I will make with them a covenant of peace, and will cause the evil beasts to cease out of the land: and they shall dwell safely in the wilderness, and sleep in the woods. And I will make them and the places round about my hill a blessing; and I will cause the shower to come down in his season; there shall be showers of blessing. And the tree of the field shall yield her fruit, and the earth shall yield her increase, and they shall be safe in their land, and shall know that I [am] the LORD, when I have broken the bands of their yoke, and delivered them out of the hand of those that served themselves of them.

And they shall no more be a prey to the heathen, neither shall the beast of the land devour them; but they shall dwell safely, and none shall make [them] afraid. And I will raise up for them a plant of renown, and they shall be no more consumed with hunger in the land, neither bear the shame of the heathen any more.  Thus shall they know that I the LORD their God [am] with them, and [that] they, [even] the house of Israel, [are] my people, saith the Lord GOD. And ye my flock, the flock of my pasture, [are] men, [and] I [am] your God, saith the Lord GOD.’  (Ezekiel 34:22-31)

And now we can understand the full meaning, and timing, of the 23rd Psalm:

”[[A Psalm of David.]] The LORD [is] my shepherd; I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters. He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou [art] with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me. Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever.’

Are They Protecting Us . . . Or Themselves?

Because of a handful of Al Qaida terrorists and an overwhelming desire not to deal with anything unpleasant, we have let our government have carte blanche to fix the problem.  However, when was the last time we did our due diligence to reevaluate the problem and assess how well the government is taking care of it?

When is the last time you stepped back and assessed the terrorism problem, or the danger to the average American citizen?  Is the threat really as big as what we are being led to believe?

How about the solutions the government is implementing?  Are TSA patdowns of little children really necessary?  Must  we all be treated as potential terrorists?

Have you stopped to consider how many of your rights you have surrendered to the government to keep us safe?  Are we being ‘overcharged’?

Lets look at it like this:

Say you don’t like doing yard work, so you hire a guy to take care of your lawn.  Since you really don’t like doing yard work, you pay him a really good price.  You sign a contract for 6 months. Your new yard guy is so thrilled with the contract that he celebrates by buying a boat on payments.

As the contract nears its end, your yard guy starts bringing new problems to your attention–your grass is dying in one area, and you have a tree that is suddenly, inexplicably dying.  You agree to extend the contract, and he reseeds the lawn and cuts down the tree.

As the contract nears its end, he brings new problems to your attention–you have kudzu climbing up the south wall of your house and it is loosening the window shutters from the wall.  So you extend the contract and he removes the kudzu, but while he’s doing so, he notices that your windows need recaulked.  Reluctantly, you expand and extend your contract, and he recaulks your windows.

While recaulking your windows, he notices that your carpet needs cleaned and offers his services.  You rearrange your budget and agree that he can clean your carpet . . .

Are you getting the picture?  This guy just keeps pushing the limits.  He is making himself indispensable to you, but he’s becoming ever more intrusive.  He’s fixing problems, but somehow it seems that you now have more problems than before.  He’s draining you financially, yet you are afraid you can’t deal with all of this work yourself, if you let him go.  This is what our government is doing, now that we’ve given them our unsupervised approval to ‘keep us safe’ from the ambiguous threat of ‘terror’.

Let me ask you again:

Is the government creating ‘job security’ for itself?  Is there really a balance between the rights we are surrendering and the protection that is being provided?  Is the threat really as big as what we are being led to believe? or Has the government become our biggest threat?

A job well done has a beginning and an end.  If the United States would cancel it’s empire-building agenda and adopt an international policy of ‘do no harm’.  If it would instead hold American corporations and bankers responsible for what they do overseas  . . .  we would have little to fear.

When all is said and done, it is the American government, in collusion with Wall Street, that has created the provocation for terrorism against Americans.  Why are we entrusting them to provide us with the solution ?!!

American Empire–Sowing The Seeds Of Hatred

Did We Do This?  (Haiti Earthquake, part 2)

A Big Bank Is Working For The Government

Another ‘oh my gosh’ moment . . .

Please take a moment to check out the short article here, before going any further.

I guess, once again, I had made an assumption without realizing it.  I thought that foodstamps were completely administered by the federal government (USDA).  I don’t know whether I’m more surprised–or appalled–to learn that they are being processed by a ‘global investment bank’.

As a reminder–JP Morgan was an investor in Enron and a recipient of TARP funds. This is just one more example of the marriage between the ‘kings of the earth’ (governments) and the ‘merchants’ (and bankers) that constitutes what Scripture refers to as ‘The Whore of Babylon’.

I would imagine that this government contract provides a lot of protection for JP Morgan.  Now, in addition to the federal government’s opinion on whether or not JP Morgan is ‘too big to fail’, you can add the opinion of the tens of millions of Americans who receive food stamp benefits, child support and/or unemployment payments through their processing centers.

On the other hand, if there is another banking crisis, will the federal government take over JP Morgan to prevent a disaster for those receiving benefits?

The United States now has four big banks:

1. Wells Fargo
2. Bank of America
3. JP Morgan Chase
4. Citigroup

Some other thoughts:

• How long until the Federal Government, via JP Morgan, begins accessing food stamp recipients’ credit reports (in order to reduce fraud, of course)
• Now that free checking accounts are going the way of the dinosaurs, will JP Morgan offer free checking to benefit recipients?  (This would also be a way to monitor the financial activities of recipients.)

I’m sure there are other things to consider, but my thoughts are going a different direction now.

I am  not saying that such ideas would be without merit.  It is ‘necessity’ that is drawing us, step by step, into creating the technology-based economy and society that will eventually be able to monitor our every move and deny us membership if we will not conform.  More and more, those who resist its implementation will seem like superstitious fools.

Like every other freedom-loving being, I hate and feel resistance towards the trap I see us being herded into.  As a Christian, I know the end result of it all, and dread that day.  I am not advocating for this system, but I do want to talk about our attitude towards it.

The Antichrist’s ascent to power is part of God’s plan. The ‘Beast’ empire that the Antichrist heads, is permitted by God. (It is a strange irony that Satan’s plan is God’s plan–for a season, and a reason.)  It WILL come to pass, and there will be justification for every brick that is laid in building it.

For instance–today, every event that occurs spawns new laws to prevent it in the future.  Yes, it is reactionary (or over-reactionary in many cases), but we live in a day where men are ungodly and immoral, and refuse to take responsibility for their actions or exercise self control.  In the face of that, what other choice is there? Anarchy?  The law of the jungle?

Although you know what will ultimately happen when the Antichrist takes the throne–stop and think before you use that as your rationale for fighting every new measure that is implemented!   We must be people of faith, who see things from God’s perspective and align ourselves with Him. Why are we reacting fearfully to events that are part of God’s plan?

People without God are afraid.  They are fearful enough that they are willing to surrender their freedom for security.  How sad is the condition of those who don’t know God’s peace and protection.  Unbelievers fear more for their present safety and survival than they fear what they consider to be a myth or silly superstition:  God’s Word.

We live in a culture where people put themselves first and rarely consider the well-being of others unless there is something in it for them.  For that reason, those who don’t know God simply cannot understand why you would be concerned for their eternal welfare.  Therefore, they dismiss that as being what motivates you, and try to figure out what your REAL motive is.  When they can’t figure one out, they either assign one to you or call you crazy or superstitious.

As Christians, we can be confident in God’s protection and provision for us.  We need not fight ‘the Beast’ on our own behalf.  Nor should we fight (God’s plan) on behalf of unbelievers. It has not been effective to fight on their behalf.  It has merely caused them to distrust our motives and reject our message.

Some people are ‘hardheads’.  If they don’t respond to God’s grace and love, He will deal with them more sternly.  We should understand that there are some people who will only respond to stern discipline, and God still wishes to give them opportunity to repent.

For all these reasons I urge you to reconsider how you respond to the changes that are occurring.  But, most importantly, I urge you to reconsider because of God’s perspective on the latter days.

A global government, headed by the Antichrist (Satan, the Father of Lies) is part of God’s plan.  It is time for people to make a decision as to what ‘side’ they are on.  It is time to let sin and evil fully develop, then God will purge it from the Earth.  In the darkest hour, Christ will return.  He will come to do battle against those who oppose Him, and take possession of the nations.  At the darkest hour, His reign will begin.  Perhaps some Christians don’t fully realize this.

Yes, it is frightening to think of the persecution that will come to Christians . . . to think of the choices that we will have to make–but this has ALWAYS been the nature of Christianity!!  Only in America, by the grace of the God we have betrayed, have we had such peace and safety.  And, I would argue, nowhere is there more corruption and sin amongst those who consider themselves Christians!  How much sin and impurity must American Christians be cleansed of, before He returns!!

When we think of the end times, we tend to have tunnel vision surrounding one event we may face: someday we may have to stand up and say we won’t take a mark that says 666, then we will either be killed or left to starve to death.  I can’t think of anything, in my lifetime, that has stricken terror in the hearts of more people than the dread of that event.

So much more could be said about that–exactly what The Mark will be, how or when it will be imposed, etc.  But I want to say: that’s not the point!!! For many people ‘taking The Mark’ is not something they will even encounter!  Many, many people will die before that day arrives–from disasters, from sickness, from war, from persecution, from starvation.  If you arrive at that day, and still have not realized the grace of God in your life, that allowed you to survive that long . . . then I suppose your heart would already be extremely hardened against God. Refusing The Mark, in that day, will not save you!* Yet how many people are solely focused on recognizing and rejecting The Mark?

If you aren’t walking with God, I advise you to deal with the hardness of your heart now–while there is yet time.  Every hardship you encounter will either soften your heart . . . or harden it.  Every difficulty will either draw  you closer to God . . . or cause you to push Him further away.  Whether or not a person takes The Mark is more like a footnote to their biography . . . a comment at the end, that could more or less have been inferred from the way the story unfolded.

*although accepting The Mark condemns a person forever, refusing The Mark does not save a person.  Jesus is still THE way, THE truth, THE life, and the ONLY way to salvation.

 

The God Factor

The Gates of Hell Shall Not Prevail Against Us

 

Noah’s Ark

Amazing video proof of the discovery (over 30 years ago) of  Noah’s Ark.

http://www.arkdiscovery.com/noah%27s_ark.htm

In light of all the dark warnings that are going forth, I hope this video will be an encouragement to you, and a confirmation of God’s faithfulness.

 

 

We Will Turn The World Upside Down!!

Was Judas Set Up . . . By Jesus?

Is God Judging America?

Christians:

“For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship. And by him we cry, “Abba, Father.””  Romans 8: 15

If you are a Christian, and you have to avoid learning the truth about things that are currently going on in our world because they scare you–I would argue that you have not been ‘made perfect’ in Christ’s love.  As God’s child, you should feel safe and secure when you draw near to Him.

It was never God’s intention for Christians to ‘bury their head in the sand’.  God reveals truth, however disturbing, to Christians, so that they can share it with the world!  How else will the world (who can’t ‘hear’ God) ever hear the truth?

You can’t depend on the media to be the world’s watchmen! Very few people, who are in spiritual darkness, are going to be willing to expose the unfruitful (destructive) works of darkness.  You can expect them to be slaves of darkness, through fear, because they have not been given the protection and power of God.  But you  have been given that Spirit of courage and power–and you  have an obligation!

Even if the media discovered, and were willing to report on, all that happens in the world–they do not share God’s unique perspective on the meaning of these events!

How can the world see their need for repentance, if Christians are too timid to warn them that what they are doing is wrong, and they are being judged by God?

And by ‘warn’, I don’t mean to try to scare–that doesn’t work anyway.   You’ll have to find a way to share your peace and faith that, even through perilous times, God will protect His children.  (If you don’t have that peace or assurance, it is time to draw close to God and find it.)

Your obligation is not to twist arms or persuade men to accept truth.  Your obligation is merely to lay it before them and let them decide. Will they listen?  Most won’t.  But still, you are obligated!

” . . . From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked.”  Luke 12: 48

As Americans, we have been ‘given much’!  As Christians, we have been given everything!!

When Jesus commissioned Christians to go to all the world and make disciples, He wasn’t saying to go and compel them to become disciples.  Entry into God’s kingdom is always by free will!!   He meant that we should continue to mentor those who want to become disciples.

In fact I believe that many today, who profess to be Christians, made that decision while under duress.  I would argue that God is still patiently waiting for them to make their decision from a pure heart, that feels no compulsion from fear or from men.  (In our justice system, confessions made under duress do not have legal standing.)

It is the work of the Holy Spirit to draw men to God, and that drawing by the Spirit reveals the nature of God–much as ‘courtship’ should reveal the nature of one’s suitor.

It is no wonder that many who say they are Christians do not live as Christians, or reflect the character of God.  If they were drawn to God by men, using fear to motivate them, then their understanding of God’s nature is warped.   Therefore I believe that they do not truly know God (nor trust Him).

 

If you are a Christian, you should not be burying your head in the sand about things that are happening today.  How will you follow Jesus’ admonition to “let no man deceive you” if you spend your days in willful ignorance?

It is the fear of what you hear that you must battle–not the truth itself!  Jesus did not teach us to run from things that scare us, but rather to be bold and confront the forces of darkness.  Courage is not a feeling, it is a choice–a choice to act in spite of fear.

So, what is the point of my sharing all these things, for the last 15 months?  Is it to incite fear?  No!

What is the point of my telling you these things if you are not going to be here when they happen? Because you ARE going to be here for an awful lot of difficult events that will unfold in the coming months!

Knowing the truth will hopefully accomplish three things:

1. It will cause you to repent and draw near to God
2. It will cause you to seek God, as to what course of action you should take, on behalf of yourself and your family
3. It will cause you to warn, and intercede for, those you love

If you refuse to listen to the warnings that God is giving to His watchmen, because the truth scares you, you will go on being numb, ignorant, and complacent–and disaster will overtake you like a flood!!  This is not God’s will for His people!

Now that America has shoved God aside, and most Christians have gone along with it, God has withdrawn His protection that covered America.

Yes, America was founded on Christian principles–but Christianity is not a ‘state religion’.  It is the right of America to ‘show God the door’ (at their own peril), but God is looking to Christians to stand firm in the practice of their faith.

Instead, Christians have gone along with the new rules, setting aside their conscience, and putting more importance upon being ‘politically correct’ and obeying men, rather than God.  We should have ‘drawn a line in the sand’ a LONG time ago!

Repentance begins with the people of God. Intercession for a nation begins with the people of God.  God’s favor rests upon the actions of His people within the nation. When God was ‘shown the door’, He looked back over His shoulder on His way out.  Christians stood still and shrugged.  Then God shook His head and shut the door behind Him.

God is not coming back to America.  Now, anyone who still wants to live under His blessing will have to (spiritually) come out of America.  You will now have to choose whether to continue living your comfortable life (without the presence of God) or whether you will pursue God, though it may cost you everything.

Fear is not something to try to escape.  It IS appropriate to fear God, and to fear His judgment.  When God judges a nation, it touches everyone.

Because God has departed, many things are converging on America.  I can see why people want to deny this: it is too hard to believe how many things are coming at once, and the impending disasters are too huge to comprehend

Our paradigm (understanding of how life ‘is’), as Americans, has been built on a 200 year history of living under the protection and blessing of God.  Most of us have no comprehension of how it is to live in any other way.  As Americans, we have been blessed with peace, safety, abundance, knowledge, justice and opportunity.

Aside from a few brief periods, we have laid our heads on our pillows at night without fear of an enemy’s attack.  Aside from a few economic downturns, most Americans have had food.  The justice system, until recent years, has worked for most of us.

We forget, that this is not the case everywhere in the world.  It is not because Americans are ‘special’ that we have had these blessings–it is because, for the most part, we were obedient to God’s laws and sought to uphold those laws!  Although it was by no means perfect, we made America a place where a holy God was content to dwell.

“The Lord is good, a refuge in times of trouble. He cares for those who trust in him”  Nahum 1: 7

But, our system was meant to govern a people that were moral.  We became complacent and discontent and, over time, we allowed those who were immoral to lead us in their ways.

Through the generations, our focus turned from God to our community–then from our community to ourselves.  We became a godless people who sought to satisfy our own appetites and lusts.  The ‘me generation’ then gave birth to a generation who seek to exalt themselves as gods and goddesses.

In their attempts to infuse this generation of children with a positive self esteem, they raised a generation of prideful, arrogant fools.  They not only indulge all of their appetites and lusts, but see themselves as invincible and infallible.  A deep sense of entitlement is pervasive.  In their attempts to be gods, they war with one another.  This generation will be America’s leaders tomorrow!

Meanwhile, behind the scenes, the multinational corporate elite and wealthy political families have taken their ‘robber baron’ mentality and exploited people around the globe. These elite comprise the majority of our government, which operates now, not for the good of the American people, but for their own profit.

“You have increased the number of your merchants till they are more than the stars of the sky, but like locusts they strip the land and then fly away.”  Nahum 3: 16

Simultaneously, and fueled by the injustices committed by these emissaries of ‘Christian’ America, radical Islam has spread as an opponent to the American version of capitalism and Christianity.

And, last but not least,  our government has been seized by rebels, who seek to overturn the elite.  But their war is not just with the elite–they are also against middle and upper class Americans, whom they feel have been complicit in the schemes of the elite and have profited from having an unfair advantage, based on centuries of exploiting others.

In their attempt to ‘even the playing field’ they are bringing America under international authority vs. treaties, taking control of private corporations, and nullifying our Constitutional rights.  They are creating a government that will rule by fear and force.

 

America has many enemies.  They have been circling, like vultures, awaiting their opportunity.  That day is at  hand.

“The shields of his soldiers are red; the warriors are clad in scarlet. The metal on the chariots flashes on the day they are made ready; the horsemen rush to and fro.  The chariots storm through the streets, rushing back and forth through the squares. They look like flaming torches; they dart about like lightning.”  Nahum 2: 3-4

“The river gates are thrown open and the palace collapses.”  Nahum 2: 6

“Nineveh is like a pool, and its water is draining away. “Stop! Stop!” they cry, but no one turns back. Plunder the silver! Plunder the gold! The supply is endless, the wealth from all its treasures! She is pillaged, plundered, stripped! Hearts melt, knees give way, bodies tremble, every face grows pale.” Nahum 2: 8-10

What we took for granted, when we laid our heads on our pillows each night, was that God was there to watch over us while we slept.

FOR THIS REASON God is calling His watchmen to spread the word that He is no longer watching over America!

“I am against you,” declares the Lord Almighty. “I will lift your skirts over your face. I will show the nations your nakedness and the kingdoms your shame.I will pelt you with filth, I will treat you with contempt and make you a spectacle.”  Nahum 3: 5-6

But, this is only one aspect of the ‘perfect storm’ that is converging on America!

God’s is a fourfold judgment:

1. famine–drought, flooding, problems with food distribution, poverty
2. sword–attacks on our troops overseas, increased violence in homes and communities, terrorist attacks, war on our own soil
3. pestilence–pandemics (manmade and natural), food borne illness, water borne illness, STDs, plagues on agricultural crops and animals
4. wild beasts  (one watchman believes this refers to demonic entities)

And, as Revelation spells out, there will be ‘natural’ disasters as well:  tremendous earthquakes, volcanoes, tsunamis, fierce storms, changes in the sun . . .

How can we comprehend what we have never known?  Most of us have a paradigm of peace, safety and abundance (this is why we experience ‘culture shock’ when we go to other places that aren’t under God’s protection).  And how can we conceive of all these things happening simultaneously?

Nevertheless, the wise one heeds the watchmen.  The wise man sees, and prepares.  But there is no way we can prepare for all of these things! So, what is the point of knowing–especially if it just frightens us?  And doesn’t God protect His people anyhow?

Your knowing what is coming is a matter of life and death!! I can say, with near certainty, that you love people who are not children of God!!  Will their blood be upon your hands?

You need to see how much is coming, and how there is no way we can save ourselves–so that you can see how IMPERATIVE it is that we Christians repent, intercede and warn!! God is listening for His people to repent and intercede.  Perhaps then He will turn back His wrath!

Will many listen?  No.  Americans, including Christians, are so  skeptical, that it is nearly impossible to penetrate their hearts with the truth.

“First of all, you must understand that in the last days scoffers will come, scoffing and following their own evil desires.” II Peter 3: 3

Most Americans are so independent and self-sufficient that they proudly assume they can handle, by themselves, whatever comes along.  Others blindly put their unfailing trust in their leaders to take care of them.  Many believe that life will always revolve around them, that nothing bad can befall them, and that this is their entitlement.

And others, most ‘Christians‘ sadly, believe they are righteous and not deserving of any judgment, and  that God will whisk them away just as things really get difficult in America.  Never mind that their Christian brethren, all over the world, have been persecuted and martyred for their faith, for two thousand years!!  Their paradigm simply does not allow for that possibility in America.  Persecution will close on them like a trap! Those that they have bent over backwards not to offend will be hunting them in the streets!

If God’s people in America don’t repent and intercede then we are consigning America to the fate that God has planned.  At the very least, they should be warned–so that perhaps someone might repent and turn to God!

 

America’s judgment has begun in earnest, in two places:  Michigan and California.

Michigan is the seat of Islam in  America.  God’s first command is that we have no other gods before Him.  (Exodus 20:3)  Allah is not God.  When we take care not to offend Allah, or his followers, we are putting another god before our God.

Islam brings desolation everywhere it goes.  Part of this is because of the demonic entities associated with Islam–the other part is because it invites God’s judgment upon us.

California has consistently been at the forefront, introducing all manner of sexual perversion to America, and legislating for its acceptance.  Through its seductive spokesperson (Hollywood) it has spread the deviancy worldwide.

We have not yet felt the full impact of God’s judgment.  But through Michigan and California, He has warned us and given us a taste of what’s to come.  Through Hurricane Katrina, He has shown us that the unimaginable CAN happen–and without warning!

Is God Judging Indonesia and Pakistan?

Lets See What You’re Made Of

God created everything from ‘nothing’, yet it was formed of some substance.  That substance was not pure.  It was seeded with corruption.  Everything created from that substance had the ability to either mature into evil–which would eventually consume all good within it–or to mature into good.

When God created darkness and light, He ‘saw that the light was good.’  When he created the land and the seas; the plants; the stars, the sun and the moon; the birds and the animals; He ‘saw that [His creation] was good’.  And when He created man He ‘saw that [His creation] was very good’

Mankind has always interpreted that as ‘perfect’.  God’s creation was not perfect, because the substance from which He formed it was not perfect.  Neither was the Garden of Eden perfect.  But it was a place of protection.  A place of God’s absolute provision, peace, and safety.  Similarly, God’s promise to the Israelites was protection, provision, peace, and safety.

God’s hope for mankind was that they would choose Him, and be content with that–that they would not even learn about evil, much less experience it.  But, through disobedience, sin entered the world.

By the time of Noah, sin had become so rampant that only eight souls could be spared.  By the time of Abraham, only one man sought Him.  Years later, when God led the Israelites out of Egypt, He hoped they had seen enough evil that they would leave it behind and let Him lead them in the paths of righteousness.  But that was not to be.  Most of them died in the wilderness.

The real promise of the ‘Promised Land’ was that it would be a place set apart, a land of abundance, protection, peace, safety, and the presence of God–but first, evil had to be conquered.

The land itself was filled with evil–evil brought about by its inhabitants worshiping the spirit beings (principalities) that God had appointed to oversee the different areas of the earth.  Along with man, angels fell.

It was God’s plan to carve out a small place on the earth, for Himself and His people–a place to which others could come, who wanted to know Him.  God directed His people to purge the land of its inhabitants, because they were consumed with evil, and His angels did war in the spiritual realm, binding the principalities of darkness and preparing a place where He could reside.

There He lived among them.  The land flourished and the people became prosperous.  He gave them guidelines to live by, so that evil could not gain a foothold in their hearts.  He promised His protection, whenever evil would come against them.  But He could not abide evil within them.  God’s war has always been a war against evil, in whatever form it takes.  Woe to him who harbors evil inside himself, for he has made himself an enemy of God.

And there He lived among them–those whom  He had chosen to protect from the evil outside their borders, those whom He would teach to overcome the evil within themselves.

He allowed the light that emanated from that place to provoke the forces of darkness and evil to wrath.  Driven mad by their rage, they would come against the place of light, and the people of God, and He would execute judgment against them.  This is how He continually purged the land of evil.

Yet, even His people continued to gravitate towards sin, so He let them go into captivity.  They preferred evil, so He gave them over to it.  Too few chose righteousness, and they invited the gods of the surrounding nations into their land.  Eventually He withdrew His presence.

Eventually people covered the face of the earth, and sin abounded.  The time had come to send His son–as savior, and ambassador of the good news about Him.  Jesus came and sought out eleven men in whom He saw the desire for righteousness–and one more, who was locked in a life and death struggle with the powers of darkness, and needed His personal intervention.  He would teach them to overcome the evil within, and to battle the evil without.

He would not promise them His abundance and protection in the earthly realm, because shielding men from evil had only caused them to become complacent and proud.  He would not promise them peace, because it would be their duty to confront evil and battle it head on.  He would not promise them safety, because their motivations in serving Him must be pure. But He would promise them His presence, and power to overcome.

It would be their task to seek out others and teach them, and those would eventually go on to do the same.  He told them to go to the four corners of the earth to share the truth about good and evil, and how to be reconciled to Him.  And He postponed judgment on those who persecuted them, because He wanted to sift the souls and intentions of all men.

Again, as He had done with the nation of Israel, He used the light that emanated from them (‘the Church’ aka ‘Christians’) to provoke the forces of  evil to wrath.  Driven mad by their rage, they would come against the ambassadors of truth,  the people of God, and He would store up judgment against them.  This is how He would finally purge the earth of evil.

We are living in the final days of this part of God’s plan.  The forces of evil are rising up once again, to come against all of God’s people, in the hopes of erasing His presence, His name, and His people from the earth forever.

And, as He always has, God will let His light shine forth to infuriate the forces of darkness into attacking.  This will bring judgment upon them–but this time, judgment will be quick in coming!

Testing And Purging

How Can You Say Your Way Is The Only Way?

The New Year’s Gift

I have always been different from everyone around me, so it should come as no surprise that I celebrate New Year’s Eve differently too.  I really don’t give much thought to celebrating it.  Sure, I may turn on the TV and look at other people celebrating, but it doesn’t really move me.

I don’t know where I got the idea, but for at least the last dozen years I have had my own tradition.  I spend New Year’s Eve alone with God, and I ponder which spiritual attribute I lack the most–the one that would give me a closer walk with God, in the year(s) ahead, if I had it.  Then, I request it of God.

The most memorable was the year that I asked Him for faith.  I had already heard that one shouldn’t ask for faith because it would bring many trials.  But, that’s what I felt led to ask for, and I’m glad I didn’t let fear stop me.

When the spring semester ended, I was surprised to learn that I would have no financial aid for the summer . . . and my lease would end at the same time!  As a single parent of three kids, this was not a good situation to have looming on the horizon!

After much prayer, I decided that camping in the woods all summer was one option.  But, that a better option would be to buy a camper shell for my pickup truck, store our things somewhere, and travel the USA for the summer.  I realized we had what might be a ‘once-in-a-lifetime opportunity’!

That summer is one that none of us has ever forgotten!  A whole summer of ‘quality time’ together really bonded us deeply.  We had a couple of destinations in mind–relatives that we could visit, but mostly we had ‘time to kill’!  (I find that almost impossible to imagine these days!)

For $100 we bought a family pass to the National Parks, and we lived on $600 a month.  Every day I got behind the wheel and asked God to guide me.  I would set a jar of canned food on the dashboard and head east, driving and praying.

By midday we had a warm ‘meal’.  We ate very simply and very rarely paid to stay at a campground or eat at a restaurant.  We trusted God to show us a safe place to park each night, and prayed we could sleep unbothered.

We soaked in the beauty of God’s creation and rested–what a blessed thing that was!  We learned that California had a nearly magical forest of giant trees;  that in Michigan, blueberries grew on the ground; and that the mosquitos in Minnesota were something to be reckoned with!!  We fell asleep in the woods at dusk, serenaded by the most beautiful birdsong I had ever heard.

That summer, I learned that God can take a bad situation and turn it completely around; that He can be trusted to watch over me, even while I’m asleep; that He is always with me, even when I have no idea where I am; that some of His best gifts are free; and that a glimpse of blue sky, the song of a bird, or a gentle breeze can help me reconnect with Him when I feel alone and afraid.

In the days ahead, as the works of man grow more depraved and ugly, and as evil increases around us–remember to look up sometimes.  Let God’s creation remind you of who is eternal and who is really in charge.  Remember that the trials and tribulations that lie ahead are only temporary.  Life on earth has never been easy.  Although things will get a lot worse–it won’t last much longer!!  Ten years from now, it may all be behind us.

We have much to look forward to.  We will have a thousand years to live on earth, in peace and equity, with Jesus Himself in authority.  How I yearn for His truth and justice to be established upon the Earth; for righteousness to be the standard, and the law to be upheld; for things to finally be fair; for a chance to rest and walk with Him; for a time when evil is put to flight and goodness can prevail.

Last year was difficult.  Not the circumstances of my life, but the evil around us grinding on me, wearing me down.  I imagine that a year from now, 2009 will seem like ‘a piece of cake’ as evil continues to increase.  I’ve become polluted by our culture, taking on bad attitudes and values, picked up from TV and movies.  Anger has taken root inside me, and hatred has started to grow, as I have seen America stolen and our rights stripped away.

Learning that it is all part of God’s judgment has helped me put it in perspective.  I have long known America was provoking His judgment.  Realizing that the destruction of America that is now taking place is God’s will–because of our sin–my anger at the people involved diminishes.

Instead I cry bitter tears of regret.  We had it all, but knew it not!  We had such a priceless gift from God, but we threw it away.  We squandered our freedom, to indulge our lusts.  Oh how foolish we were!! America is forever lost.  We can never go back.

The anger and attitudes I have adopted have hardened my heart and made me more callous towards the pain and suffering of others.  Tonight, I need to repent of my anger, and my attitudes, and move beyond them.  I think what I need to ask for this year, is compassion.  Someone’s life may depend on it.

He Sent A Rainbow Made Of Corn

Unconditional Salvation?

American church, you have lost your way!  You are a ship, adrift at sea, cut loose from your moorings.  Great storms are coming, yet you have been rocked to sleep and are drifting unaware into the eye of the hurricane.

You call your prophets alarmists, and in your hearts you mock the messages God sends to you.  You shun words of correction, but chase after those who will flatter you and say what you want to hear.  You adore those who tell you that you can live as you wish and still inherit the kingdom of God.  (In this case, who is the God, and who is the servant?  By living this way, you exalt yourself to be God and relegate God to the position of a genie who grants your wishes whenever you rub his bottle in prayer!) You pick and choose what to believe, casting aside whatever doesn’t suit you.

Some of you have ‘chosen God’ as a means to wealth, power, unlimited blessings, unending grace and supernatural protection.  I’m not just speaking to the leaders!  Most of you see Christianity as the way to a blessed life here on Earth.  What will you do if He takes it all away?  If He strips you to your bare skin and all you have left is His outstretched hand and His invitation to walk with Him?

God is fully able to keep those who want to walk with Him.  He will guide them so that they stay on the path, and help them up when they stumble.  But, unlike the adversary, God holds no man against his will.

When you, who are Christians, choose to live in sin, you abuse the generosity of God and insult his gift of grace.  If you continue to live that way, His anger will burn hot against you.  You were chosen to be a cleansing, preserving salt, and a light of wisdom and hope to the world around you.  Many of you are neither.  Of what use are you then to God?  Step aside and let another take your place, lest He sweep you away in His anger!

You have been given the choicest meats, the finest grain, the most fertile and beautiful lands, yet you take it all for granted!  Many of you even think you deserve it.  On what grounds?  What makes you any better than the man in India who will never sleep one night in a bed?  Or the filthy little orphan children who dig their food out of a garbage dump, and are never rocked to sleep in the arms of a loving parent?

Don’t you know you are balanced on the head of a pin?  All that you hold dear was given you by the grace of God–yet  how many of you even remember to thank Him?  If a little breeze should blow, you would topple to the ground!  God chooses who to humble, and who to exalt.  Don’t make the mistake of thinking your position is secure!!

Do not practice sin, it will not release you from its grip. Make no mistake, it is ‘him who endures to the end’ who shall be saved.  If, after knowing Christ, you resume a life of sin–there is no sacrifice left that will cover your sins!

Examine your heart and your motives!  Do you really love God, or merely the gifts He gives His children?  At dusk, He will come and take His children by the hand.  They will gather up their toys and take them from you, then they will head for home.  All that will be left for you is silence, and the vision of their backs as they walk away into the deepening night.

If you have let your zeal for God grow cold, if you are living a life of sin, BEWARE!  You are standing on the edge of the abyss!  You are in very real danger of eternal damnation!

It is not that God cannot forgive your sin, it is that you may soon be unable to repent–unable to feel sorrow, shame or regret, or to even summon the motivation to seek forgiveness!

Sin deceives you, sears your conscience, takes away all shame and modesty, hardens your heart and mind, and closes your ears to the invitation of God to return to Him!  You don’t know which stab of guilt will be the last you feel–which will be your final call to repent, before sorrow can no longer penetrate the hardness of your heart, and ceases to strive with you, leaving you to practice your sin unbothered.

Don’t be deceived, God is not mocked–a man reaps what he sows.

A ‘Sleeper’ Doctrine?

‘Buy Gold From Me . . . ‘ (Jesus, To The ‘Lukewarm Church’)