Thursday, December 30, 2010

Inheriting the Land

Isn't this a curious phrase to be in the Bible?  Is it speaking to the Jews of finally gaining the West Bank, or control of Gaza, and that entire region of the Middle East?  I think it means more.  Let's take a look.

7 Rest in the LORD and wait patiently for Him;

Do not fret because of him who prospers in his way,

Because of the man who carries out wicked schemes. 8 Cease from anger and forsake wrath;

Do not fret; it leads only to evildoing. 9 For evildoers will be cut off,

But those who wait for the LORD, they will inherit the land. 10 Yet a little while and the wicked man will be no more;

And you will look carefully for his place and he will not be there. 11 But the humble will inherit the land

And will delight themselves in abundant prosperity.

Psalms 37:7-11 (NASB95)

27 Depart from evil and do good,

So you will abide forever. 28 For the LORD loves justice

And does not forsake His godly ones;

They are preserved forever,

But the descendants of the wicked will be cut off. 29 The righteous will inherit the land

And dwell in it forever. 30 The mouth of the righteous utters wisdom,

And his tongue speaks justice. 31 The law of his God is in his heart;

His steps do not slip. 32 The wicked spies upon the righteous

And seeks to kill him. 33 The LORD will not leave him in his hand

Or let him be condemned when he is judged. 34 Wait for the LORD and keep His way,

And He will exalt you to inherit the land;

When the wicked are cut off, you will see it.

Psalms 37:27-34 (NASB95)

* One thing I love about the Hebrew word for land (aretz), it can also signify ‘earth.’ And I think that is a valid meaning in Ps. 37, as in v. 34: ‘Wait for YHWH and keep His way, and He will exalt you to inherit the earth.’ Amen! For that is how it is going to be during the Millenial reign of Messiah, and after the great judgment, the saints will dwell on the earth with YHWH, the Lord Jesus Himself, for all eternity!” (Zech 14:9; Rev. 21:1-2, 22:1-7)


9 And the LORD will be king over all the earth; in that day the LORD will be the only one, and His name the only one.

Zech 14:9 (NASB95)

1 Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth passed away, and there is no longer any sea. 2 And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, made ready as a bride adorned for her husband.

Rev 21:1-2 (NASB95)

1 Then he showed me a river of the water of life, clear as crystal, coming from the throne of God and of the Lamb, 2 in the middle of its street. On either side of the river was the tree of life, bearing twelve kinds of fruit, yielding its fruit every month; and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. 3 There will no longer be any curse; and the throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it, and His bond-servants will serve Him; 4 they will see His face, and His name will be on their foreheads. 5 And there will no longer be any night; and they will not have need of the light of a lamp nor the light of the sun, because the Lord God will illumine them; and they will reign forever and ever.

6 And he said to me, "These words are faithful and true"; and the Lord, the God of the spirits of the prophets, sent His angel to show to His bond-servants the things which must soon take place.

7 "And behold, I am coming quickly. Blessed is he who heeds the words of the prophecy of this book."

Rev 22:1-7 (NASB95)

We can see from these passages that the LORD, Yahweh, Jesus Himself is returning to rule on earth for a thousand years, in accordance with the words of the prophets. After the thousand years are up, and the great judgment has taken place, then the New Jerusalem comes down out of heaven to the earth, and the tri-une LORD God will dwell on earth together with redeemed, perfected man forevermore.

Truly, the quickly approaching second advent of Messiah will be the dawning of a new age the world has never known or seen, in which the world will be rule by complete righteousness and holiness (Isaiah 9:7).

Wednesday, December 29, 2010

Common Plants cure Gout

9 Out of the ground the LORD God caused to grow every tree that is pleasing to the sight and good for food;


Gen 2:9 (NASB95)
 
I know that this seems out of place in a blog like this, but my wife and I over the past year have been discovering the wonders of the plants around us that the LORD has given us, and the many uses they have that we previously thought couldn't be helped without the use of band-aids or medical visits.  We have been so industrialized, and forgotten the wonder of created nature, with so many herbal remedies and food supplies.

My mother in law has problems with gout, and as my wife is reading through one of her gardening books, she discovers that Cucumber juice is good for dissolving Uric acid which causes gout!  And the next entry, Currants, the leaves taken from the Currant plant, and made into tea is also good for dissolving the Uric acid as well as having carminative effects. 

Another good thing about Currants is that they never get old... they're always currant!  haha... 

Tuesday, December 28, 2010

Israel- How Can You Defend Her?

David Harris wrote a most interesting little article no the Huffington Post.  No, I don't read the blog, not regularly.  I read this in the observatins column of Daily Alert, prepared for the presidents of Jewish organizatins and corprations within the U.S. to keep them abreast of the world-situation.  I think he makes a very good point!

"How Can You Defend Israel?" - David Harris (Huffington Post)







After a lecture at a British university, an old acquaintance said to me: "I read the things you write about Israel. I hate them. How can you defend that country? What happened to the good liberal boy I knew 30 years ago?" I replied: "That good liberal boy hasn't changed his view. Israel is a liberal cause, and I am proud to speak up for it."


Sometimes it's the small things, the driving lesson in Jerusalem, with the student behind the wheel a devout Muslim woman, and the teacher an Israeli with a skullcap. It's the two gay men walking hand-in-hand along the Tel Aviv beachfront and no one looked at them. It's the Friday crowd at a mosque in Jaffa.


It's the central bus station in Tel Aviv where a free health clinic was set up for the thousands of Africans who have entered Israel, some illegally. While tiny Israel wonders how many such refugees it can absorb, Israeli medical professionals volunteer their time in the clinic.


It's Save a Child's Heart, an Israeli institution providing children from Iraq, the West Bank, Gaza, and other Arab places with world-class cardiac care for free.


It's the Israelis who, with quiet resolve and courage, are determined to defend their small sliver of land against every conceivable threat - the growing Hamas arsenal in Gaza; the dangerous build-up of missiles by Hizbullah in Lebanon; nuclear-aspiring Iran's calls for a world without Israel; Syria's hospitality to Hamas leaders and transshipment of weapons to Hizbullah; and enemies that shamelessly use civilians as human shields.






The writer is executive director of the American Jewish Committee.

Sunday, December 26, 2010

Celebration of Advent

Advent Prophecies:


Yesterday we just got to celebrate our Lord’s first coming to the earth, which is known as the first advent. We had just checked out a movie from the library called Messianic Prophecy Fulfilled. It was a really good Christian movie, and a real clear presentation of the gospel. It was about a Jewish family one year after Christ had been crucified, raised and ascended to the Father. This family, one year later, was celebrating the next Passover meal, and the eldest brother of this family, Yuda, was a rabbinic priest by training, but had believed Yeshusa is the Messiah, the fulfillment of scriptures. And in the movie, he leads his family and relatives through the Passover Seder, and describes how Jesus is the fulfillment of the Seder.

This was a very encouraging movie, only 50 minutes, but an excellent explanation of the gospel and how Jesus is God’s predicted Messiah.



Today many people talk about Jesus and seem to like the example of his life. In fact, heretical emerging church leaders, Dan Kimball wrote a book called They like Jesus but they Don’t like the Church. But the person these people are talking about is not a Jesus described in the Bible, but a new age Jesus who is a teacher only. Many new-agers, including Oprah Winfrey, tell us that Jesus came to show us how to reach the spark of divinity that is within all of us. He came to teach us that we are all God, they say.



But He didn’t come for that. He did come to open a way to be rightly restored in our relationships to God, but He did it in accordance with God’s Law given under the Old Covenant, or Testament, and in accord with the prophecies given by the Jewish prophets of old, who gave us the Old Testament. Romans 3:21 says 21 But now apart from the Law the righteousness of God has been manifested, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets.



When Jesus came the first time, he fulfilled many of the prophecies of Messiah, but not all of them. This is the reason why so many of the Jews did not believe Jesus was the true Messiah. He was not the political deliverer that they expected to deliver them from the Roman empire.



Let’s look at some of the prophecies that he did fulfill. Turn to Isaiah 7:14.



Virgin Birth

14 "Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, a virgin will be with child and bear a son, and she will call His name Immanuel . Isaiah 7:14 (NASB95)



- Jesus is described in the Gospels as being born of the young, virgin girl Mary, and being the Son of God. So it can literally be understood that He is “God with Us.”



Born in Bethlehem

2 "But as for you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, Too little to be among the clans of Judah, From you One will go forth for Me to be ruler in Israel. His goings forth are from long ago, From the days of eternity." Micah 5:2 (NASB95)



- Matt. 2:5-6 credit Christ’s birth in Bethlehem as a fulfillment of Micah’s prediction.



Born of the tribe of Judah:

10 "The scepter shall not depart from Judah, Nor the ruler's staff from between his feet, Until Shiloh comes, And to him shall be the obedience of the peoples. Gen 49:10



- Being born of the tribe of Judah is shown fulfilled in Luke 3:23-24 and in Matt. 1:1-16.



Messiah a Descendent of King David

"The days are coming," declares the LORD, "when I will raise up to David a righteous Branch, a King who will reign wisely and do what is just and right in the land. Jer. 23:5



- We see this fulfilled in the genealogies in Matthew in Luke. Some scholars think Matt. is Jesus’ legal line through his adoptive father Joseph, while Luke is through his mother Mary.



It was prophesied that He would work many Miracles: 5 Then the eyes of the blind will be opened and the ears of the deaf will be unstopped. 6 Then the lame will leap like a deer, And the tongue of the mute will shout for joy. Isaiah 35:5-6 (NASB95)

Fulfillments:

John 4:46-54 – Healing of Royal Officals son

Mark 1:21-28; Luke 4:33-37 – Healing of a Demon Possessed Man

Matt. 8:1-3; Mk. 1:40-42 – Healing a Leper

Matt. 9:1-8; Mk. 2:1-2; Lk. 5:18-26 – Healing of a Paralytic

So we see some of the predictions that Christ fulfilled with his birth and life. There are more fulfilled by his death on the cross, such as Ps. 22 that speaks of his crucifixion and the gambling for his clothes, Ps. 16:10 that speaks of his resurrection, and probably one of the greatest that is not completely fulfilled yet, is Isaiah 52:13 through the end of 53, which foretells in some detail of his substitutionary death on the cross, and the justification of many sinners through this act on the cross. This is probably the greatest prophesy of the Messiah as what is known as a “suffering servant.” The Jews could not reconcile how their Messiah could be a king and political ruler, ruling with such impressive majesty and justice over the entire world, and yet be a suffering servant, suffering affliction at the hands of sinful men. And when the Jewish rulers of his day looked at Jesus, they did not see a king who was earnest to establish Jewish rule.

But we are blessed, who live at the end of the ages. We look around us, and see all the prophecies being fulfilled leading to the Messiah’s second coming. If you remember the time-line I made for you, showing the events leading up to the Messiah’s final return according to the Bible. Scripture indicates a war that will set Israel above the enemy nations around her, give Israel security, and expand her borders. This is Psalm 83. It could be the same as the famed “battle of Magog,” which scholars down through the centuries have believed will be Russia coming out of the north, allied with Muslim countries to rule Israel. The groundwork for Ezek. 38 is quickly falling into place as well. So it could turn out to be one Ginormous battle of the ages, to usher in a brief time of peace unknown to the Jews for centuries, ruled by one man we know as Antichrist.

So let’s look at some of the prophecies containing the Messiah’s second advent, or coming. Turn with me if you will to Micah chapter 4:1-4:

Micah 4:1-4

Isaiah 9:6-7

Zechariah 8:1-8, 20-23

Zech. 14:9-11

We can see in these passages why the Jews had such trouble believing that Yeshua was Messiah, or why his disciples were confused why He didn’t restore the kingdom from Roman rule. These passages speak of a glorious reign of Messiah over the nations in peace and righteousness, and for the most part, most of the world will follow Messiah’s rule. Isaiah 11 also describes the conditions living under the rule of Messiah, and verse 10 tells us:



10 Then in that day The nations will resort to the root of Jesse, Who will stand as a signal for the peoples; And His resting place will be glorious. Isaiah 11:10 (NASB95)

Under the rule of Messiah Yeshua, we see that the effects of the curse are largely going to be reversed. We are told in Isaiah 65:20-22

20 "No longer will there be in it an infant who lives but a few days, Or an old man who does not live out his days; For the youth will die at the age of one hundred And the one who does not reach the age of one hundred Will be thought accursed. 21 "They will build houses and inhabit them; They will also plant vineyards and eat their fruit. 22 "They will not build and another inhabit, They will not plant and another eat; For as the lifetime of a tree, so will be the days of My people, And My chosen ones will wear out the work of their hands. Isaiah 65:20-22 (NASB95)

But earlier in the chapter, He speaks of those who forsake His ways, and do not regard His word:

11 "But you who forsake the LORD,

Who forget My holy mountain,

Who set a table for Fortune ,

And who fill cups with mixed wine for Destiny , 12 I will destine you for the sword,

And all of you will bow down to the slaughter.

Because I called, but you did not answer;

I spoke, but you did not hear.

And you did evil in My sight

And chose that in which I did not delight."

Isaiah 65:11-12 (NASB95)

And as is fitting, the last chapter of Isaiah closes with a summary picture of the Messiah’s rule, and the dreadful fate that awaits those who have not been born-again by the Lord’s grace. There is a picture of Hell unparalleled in the scriptures:

23 "And it shall be from new moon to new moon

And from sabbath to sabbath,

All mankind will come to bow down before Me," says the LORD. 24 "Then they will go forth and look

On the corpses of the men

Who have transgressed against Me.

For their worm will not die

And their fire will not be quenched;

And they will be an abhorrence to all mankind ."

Isaiah 66:22-24 (NASB95)

The LORD’s return is near, though none of us are promised tomorrow. Last weekend Tara and I almost lost little Elijah!

If you have never been born again, you need to seek the LORD in His word, and pray that He might save you from the eternal terrors of hell. Jesus Himself said that “unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God!” The wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. And God demonstrates His love for us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us! “Every man who is in Christ is a new creation; the old has gone, behold, all things have become new!” (2 Cor. 5:17) One who is born again can say, “I have been crucified with Christ, and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God who loved me nad gave Himself for me!” Gal. 2:20.







Friday, December 24, 2010

The Birth of Jesus - Luke 2: 1-20

Merry Christmas to everyone!  This is a cute little presentation, hope you enjoy it!




Thursday, December 23, 2010

Reiki energy: Coming to a Hospital near you!

Lighthuse Trails published this article updating us of the permeation of a demonic/spiritual phenomenon which connects people to the spiritual world through contact with the demonic who disguise themselves as forces of good, universal healing based n Eastern views of an impersonal pantheistic god that underlines all things.
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from http://www.lighthousetrailsresearch.com/

According to an article written by the "guru" of Reiki, William Lee Rand, the popularity of Reiki (and other energy healing techniques) is growing by leaps and bounds and is becoming common in many US hospitals. "At hospitals and clinics across America, Reiki is beginning to gain acceptance as a meaningful and cost-effective way to improve patient care," Rand explains. "Personal interviews conducted with medical professionals corroborate this view," (1) he adds.







Rand says that the general public is "turning with ever-increasing interest to complementary health care, including Reiki," and according to one study, one in every three Americans has used this type of "care." Another survey showed that "1.2 million adults and 161,000 children in the U.S. received one or more energy healing sessions such as Reiki."






For those who understand the nature of Reiki and other energy healing methods (e.g: therapeutic touch, healing touch, quantum touch, Pranic healing, and Brennan Healing Science), these figures are alarming.






Researcher Ray Yungen explains that energy healing "is a force or energy pouring out of the practitioner's hands into the client or subject. This energy always has a spiritual component and is supposed to alleviate a variety of ills and problems" (For Many Shall Come in My Name, p. 53). Yungen describes the nature of energy healing:


Occultists [i.e., New Agers] believe that man has more than one body, that there are other invisible bodies superimposed on the physical body. They refer to one of these as the etheric body and believe there lies within it energy centers called chakras (pronounced shock-ras). The term chakra means whirling wheel in Sanskrit, the ancient Hindu language. They were seen by those with clairvoyant powers as spinning balls of psychic energy. It is taught that there are seven chakras, which start at the base of the spine and end at the crown chakra at the top of the head.






Each chakra is supposed to have a different function corresponding to certain levels of awareness. The chakras act as conduits or conductors for what is called kundalini or serpent energy. They say this force lies coiled but dormant at the base of the spine like a snake. When awakened during meditation, it is supposed to travel up the spine activating each chakra as it surges upward. When the kundalini force hits the crown chakra, the person experiences enlightenment or Self-realization. This mystical current results in the person knowing himself to be God. That is why kundalini is sometimes referred to as the divine energy. According to New Age proponents, all meditative methods involve energy and power, and the greater the power, the greater the experience.






Basically, what all energy healing entails is opening up the chakras through meditation or transferring the kundalini power from someone already attuned to it. (FMSC, pp. 76-77).


While Reiki is clearly a "spiritual" practice, one involving New Age components, efforts to convince Christians, along with mainstream society, that Reiki is legitimate, religiously neutral (a person from any religion can practice it) and safe are being made. In an article titled "Explaining Reiki to Christians," William Lee Rand tells readers to visit a website called Reiki for Christians. The website says that even Jesus practiced this kind of energy healing and suggests that we can become more compassionate if we practice Reiki.


Ray Yungen explains the "power" that is behind Reiki and how even children are being introduced to it:






"One practitioner describes the [Reiki] experience in the following way:


When doing it, I become a channel through which this force, this juice of the universe, comes pouring from my palms into the body of the person I am touching, sometimes lightly, almost imperceptibly, sometimes in famished sucking drafts. I get it even as I'm giving it. It surrounds the two of us, patient and practitioner.2






"One obtains this power to perform Reiki by being attuned by a Reiki master. This is done in four sessions in which the master activates the chakras, creating an open channel for the energy. The attunement process is not made known for general information, but is held in secrecy for only those being initiated. . . .






"New Age teaching is that once someone is attuned he or she can never lose the power; it is for life. Even distance is not a barrier for the Reiki energy, for the channeler may engage in something called absentee healing, in which the energy is sent over long distances, even thousands of miles. One master relates:


Just by having the name or an object of the person or perhaps even a picture in your hand, you can send Reiki to them to wherever they are in the world.3


"What Reiki is really about is using this power to transform others into New Age consciousness. As one Reiki leader states:






[I]t also makes a level of spiritual transformation available to non-meditators, that is usually reserved for those with a meditative path.4


"Statements like this reveal that Reiki is in line with all the other New Age transformation efforts. It changes the way people perceive reality. Most practitioners acknowledge the truth of this. A German Reiki channeler makes this comment:






It frequently happens that patients will come into contact with new ideas after a few Reiki treatments. Some will start doing yoga or autogenous training or start to meditate or practise [sic] some other kind of spiritual method. . . .






Fundamental changes will set in and new things will start to develop. You will find it easier to cast off old, outlived structures and you will notice that you are being led and guided more and more.5






"What concerns me is that Reiki apparently can be combined with regular massage techniques without the recipient even knowing it. A letter in the Reiki Journal reveals:






Reiki is a whole new experience when used in my massage therapy practice. Massage, I thought, would be an excellent tool to spread the radiance of this universal energy and a client would benefit and really not realize what a wonderful growth was happening in his or her being .6


"Of all the New Age practices and modalities, Reiki holds the title to being the most intriguing and perhaps eerie one. This is brought out in the following observations made by one of the leading Reiki masters in the country. He reveals:


When I looked psychically at the energy, I could often see it as thousands of small particles of light, like "corpuscles" filled with radiant Reiki energy flowing through me and out of my hands. It was as though these Reiki "corpuscles" of light had a purpose and intelligence.7


"Since Reiki is not something taught intellectually even children can be brought into it. In one Reiki magazine, I found an ad that was offering aChildren's Reiki Handbook: A Guide to Energy Healing for Kids. The book is described as a 'guide that provides kids with what they need to prepare for their first Reiki Attunement.'"8 (from FMSC, Ray Yungen, chapter 6)






If you or someone you know will be staying in a hospital anytime soon, it would be a good idea to tell your doctor and nurses that you do not want Reiki performed on you during your stay.










William Lee Rand says that there are over 1 million people in the US alone now practicing Reiki.9 This is not something that should be taken lightly. Sooner or later, you or family members will come across Reiki. And the results could be detrimental.






Notes:


2."Healing Hands," p. 78.


3. "Vincent J. Barra Psychic Healer Transmits Reiki Energy" (Meditation Magazine, Summer 1991), p. 31.


4. Paula Horan, Empowerment Through Reiki(Wilmot, WI: Lotus Light Publications, 1990), p. 9.


5. Bodo J. Baginski and Shalila Sharamon, Reiki Universal Life Energy (Mendocino, CA: Life Rhythm, 1988), pp. 33, 49-50.


6. "Sharings" (The Reiki Journal, Vol. VI, No. 4, October/December 1986), p. 17.


7. William Lee Rand, "The Nature of Reiki Energy" (The Reik News, Autumn 2000, p. 5.


8. The Reiki News, Spring 2006, p. 43.


9. William Lee Rand, "Keeping Reiki Free" (Reiki News Magazine, Spring 2005), p. 37






More on Reiki


Energy Healing: Reiki, and Therapeutic Touch - Entertaining Devils Unaware


The "Creeping" Effect - The New Age and Evangelical Christianity


Dr. Oz Tells Millions of Americans: "Try Reiki!"

Tuesday, December 21, 2010

Economic Collapse Near?

The Economic Collapse Blog (http://www.theeconomiccollapseblog.com/) had a great post detailing many of the disturbing signs that America's, and the world's econom[ies] is very near collapse.  This post is free for sharing, so I thought I'd re-post it here.
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Tipping Point: 25 Signs That The Coming Financial Collapse Is Now Closer Than Ever


The financial collapse that so many of us have been anticipating is seemingly closer then ever. Over the past several weeks, there have been a host of ominous signs for the U.S. economy. Yields on U.S. Treasuries have moved up rapidly and Moody's is publicly warning that it may have to cut the rating on U.S. government debt soon. Mortgage rates are also moving up aggressively. The euro and the U.S. dollar both look incredibly shaky. Jobs continue to be shipped out of the United States at a blistering pace as our politicians stand by and do nothing. Confidence in U.S. government debt around the globe continues to decline. State and local governments that are drowning in debt across the United States are savagely cutting back on even essential social services and are coming up with increasingly "creative" ways of getting more money out of all of us. Meanwhile, tremor after tremor continues to strike the world financial system. So does this mean that we have almost reached a tipping point? Is the world on the verge of a major financial collapse?



Let's hope not, but with each passing week the financial news just seems to get eve worse. Not only is U.S. government debt spinning wildly toward a breaking point, but many U.S. states (such as California) are in such horrific financial condition that they are beginning to resemble banana republics.



But it is not just the United States that is in trouble. Nightmarish debt problems in Greece, Spain, Portugal, Ireland, Italy, Belgium and several other European nations threaten to crash the euro at any time. In fact, many economists are now openly debating which will collapse first - the euro or the U.S. dollar.



Sadly, this is the inevitable result of constructing a global financial system on debt. All debt bubbles eventually collapse. Currently we are living in the biggest debt bubble in the history of the world, and when this one bursts it is going to be a disaster of truly historic proportions.



So will we reach a tipping point soon? Well, the following are 25 signs that the financial collapse is rapidly getting closer....



#1 The official U.S. unemployment rate has not been beneath 9 percent since April 2009.



#2 According to the U.S. Census Bureau, there are currently 6.3 million vacant homes in the United States that are either for sale or for rent.



#3 It is being projected that the U.S. trade deficit with China could hit 270 billion dollars for the entire year of 2010.



#4 Back in 2000, 7.2 percent of blue collar workers were either unemployed or underemployed. Today that figure is up to 19.5 percent.



#5 The Chinese government has accumulated approximately $2.65 trillion in total foreign exchange reserves. They have drained this wealth from the economies of other nations (such as the United States) and instead of reinvesting all of it they are just sitting on much of it. This is creating tremendous imbalances in the global economy.



#6 Since the year 2000, we have lost 10% of our middle class jobs. In the year 2000 there were approximately 72 million middle class jobs in the United States but today there are only about 65 million middle class jobs.



#7 The United States now employs about the same number of people in manufacturing as it did back in 1940. Considering the fact that we had 132 million people living in this country in 1940 and that we have well over 300 million people living in this country today, that is a very sobering statistic.



#8 According to CoreLogic, U.S. housing prices have now declined for three months in a row.



#9 The average rate on a 30 year fixed rate mortgage soared 11 basis points just this past week. As mortgage rates continue to push higher it is going to make it even more difficult for American families to afford homes.



#10 22.5 percent of all residential mortgages in the United States were in negative equity as of the end of the third quarter of 2010.



#11 The U.S. monetary base has more than doubled since the beginning of the most recent recession.



#12 U.S. Treasury yields have been rising steadily during the 4th quarter of 2010 and recently hit a six-month high.



#13 Incoming governor Jerry Brown is scrambling to find $29 billion more to cut from the California state budget. The following quote from Brown about the desperate condition of California state finances is not going to do much to inspire confidence in California's financial situation around the globe....



"We've been living in fantasy land. It is much worse than I thought. I'm shocked."

#14 24.3 percent of the residents of El Centro, California are currently unemployed.



#15 The average home in Merced, California has declined in value by 63 percent over the past four years.



#16 Detroit Mayor Dave Bing has come up with a new way to save money. He wants to cut 20 percent of Detroit off from essential social services such as road repairs, police patrols, functioning street lights and garbage collection.



#17 The second most dangerous city in the United States - Camden, New Jersey - is about to lay off about half its police in a desperate attempt to save money.



#18 In 2010, 55 percent of Americans between the ages of 60 and 64 were in the labor market. Ten years ago, that number was just 47 percent. More older Americans than ever find that they have to keep working just to survive.



#19 Back in 1998, the United States had 25 percent of the world’s high-tech export market and China had just 10 percent. Ten years later, the United States had less than 15 percent and China's share had soared to 20 percent.



#20 The U.S. government budget deficit increased to a whopping $150.4 billion last month, which represented the biggest November budget deficit on record.



#21 The U.S. government is somehow going to have to roll over existing debt and finance new debt that is equivalent to 27.8 percent of GDP in 2011.



#22 The United States had been the leading consumer of energy on the globe for about 100 years, but this past summer China took over the number one spot.



#23 According to an absolutely stunning new poll, 40 percent of all U.S. doctors plan to bail out of the profession over the next three years.



#24 As 2007 began, there were just over 1 million Americans that had been unemployed for half a year or longer. Today, there are over 6 million Americans that have been unemployed for half a year or longer.



#25 All over the United States, local governments have begun instituting "police response fees". For example, New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg has come up with a plan under which a fee of $365 would be charged if police are called to respond to an automobile accident where no injuries are involved. If there are injuries as a result of the crash that is going to cost extra.



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Tags: Debt, Debts, Economy, Finance, Financial, Financial Collapse, Investing, The Debt, Tipping Point
Category: The Next Great Depression, Trade

Monday, December 13, 2010

Somali Girl, 17, Shot to Death for Embracing Christ

"They will make you outcasts from the synagogue, but an hour is coming for everyone who kills you to think that he is offering service to God. 3 "These things they will do because they have not known the Father or Me.  John 16:2-3 2

It seems another young person, this time a 17 year old Somali girl, has been tortured, and then put to death in an "honor killing" by her parents for leaving Islam and embracing Christ.  Christian post reports that:

“Reports reached the relatives in Galgadud that Nurta Farah had converted to Christianity,” one source said. “The suspicion that the family is responsible is a solid one. The sister was killed in Abudwaq, a district in Galgadud Region, and the place where the incident took place is about 200 meters from where the sister was staying with relatives.”


Relatives buried Farah, sources said. Her parents had severely beaten her for leaving Islam and regularly shackled her to a tree at their home, Christian sources said. She had been confined to her home in Gedo region in southern Somalia since May 10, when her family found out that she had embraced Christianity, said a Christian leader who visited the area.

http://www.christianpost.com/article/20101204/somali-teenage-girl-shot-to-death-for-embracing-christ/

Another example of this "religion of peace."  But fortunately for Nurta, she found true peace, the only lasting, eternal peace.  And when she stand before her God, she will have the honor of her Lord Jesus Christ, who died for her, shed His own blood as a propitiation, for her sins. 

"And God made Him who knew no sin, to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in HIm."  2 Cor. 5:21







Sunday, December 12, 2010

Angels and Demons

Angels & Demons




Last week in our study, we talked some about demons and spiritual attack, spiritual warfare, and how that’s happening, and has happened in our lives around us. Today I want us to look at some of the scriptural teachings on it, so be prepared to flip through your Bibles as we look into this topic.



11 He said to me, "O Daniel, man of high esteem, understand the words that I am about to tell you and stand upright , for I have now been sent to you." And when he had spoken this word to me, I stood up trembling. 12 Then he said to me, "Do not be afraid, Daniel, for from the first day that you set your heart on understanding this and on humbling yourself before your God, your words were heard, and I have come in response to your words. 13 "But the prince of the kingdom of Persia was withstanding me for twenty-one days; then behold, Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me, for I had been left there with the kings of Persia. Dan 10:11-13 (NASB95)



20 Then he said, "Do you understand why I came to you? But I shall now return to fight against the prince of Persia; so I am going forth, and behold, the prince of Greece is about to come.

Dan 10:19-20 (NASB95)

1 "Now at that time Michael, the great prince who stands guard over the sons of your people, will arise. And there will be a time of distress such as never occurred since there was a nation until that time; and at that time your people, everyone who is found written in the book, will be rescued.

Dan 12:1 (NASB95)

We see from these passages that angels indeed do have a role to play among the nations, and for protecting and aiding those who serve God. But the righteous, elect angels, wage battle against the angels of darkness, which we know as demons. Since the day that Adam and Eve fell in the garden of Eden, Satan, that ancient serpent, has had legal control over humanity and the affairs of this world. When Adam and Eve acted on Satan’s temptation, and willingly disobeyed God, they forfeited their right to rule over the earth (Rom. 5:12, 6:16).



You remember when Satan tempted Jesus in the wilderness, after his baptism? Satan offered Jesus all the kingdoms of the world, if Jesus would but bow to Satan. Thank God Christ didn’t submit to that temptation the way Adam and Eve did!



We can see from this angels playing roles over nations of the world, and Gabriel, an archangel of the highest order, is speaking to Daniel, and telling him his response to Daniel’s prayer was delayed because he was fighting the angel of darkness that was ruling over the nation of Persia, which we know today as Iraq and Iran. Persia is the country where Nimrod, the first human tyrant, established an empire, and the tower of Babel was built for humans to make a name for themselves. This tower was to be a temple, “built to the heavens,” “to make a name for themselves,” in fulfillment of what Satan told Adam and Eve, that you shall be as God.



Humanity was building a temple, that they might have access to the heavens, and worship themselves (or their ruler) as gods. And historically it was very much like this when the sons of God came down and had children by the daughters of man, which were giants of old, known as the Nephilim. And in much mythology, you have humans who were semi-divine, born of gods and women. That’s where this tradition comes from, when the powerful angels left their rightful abode, and married women, of which Jude 6 tells us that these angels have been kept in prisons awaiting judgment of the great day.



In fact, skeletons of beings and even fossilized footprints have been found the world over, of beings of enormous size, the smaller ones being eight or seven feet in length, but the larger ones being anywhere from nine to twelve feet in length. In Australia, there have been fossilized human tracks that based upon the size of these tracks, would make the person some twenty feet tall! Some of the ancient cuneiform writings on tablets will show a king sitting on the throne, and he is depicted as being twice as big as his subjects before him. A secularist would say that that is how the Egyptians depicted royalty, but I believe that those kings and semi-divine beings we have tales of today were actual Nephilim, descendents of angels and humans, un-natural relationships God did not create us for.



In fact, even in North America, there have been discoveries of Indian burial mounds where they have found skeletons of enormous size. There are numbers of Indian burial mounds throughout North America where extremely large human skeletons have been discoved?



So what does the Bible say that angels are? Well, there are many descriptions and designations of angels. Ps. 103:20 and other places tell us that one of their main purposes in heaven is the ministry of worshipping God and in general they are sent to declare God’s word (Ps. 103:20; Lk 1:19); and Heb. 1:14 tells us they serve as ministers to the elect Angels were created at some point before the creation of the world, though the Bible is silent as to its timing and that of the rebellion of Satan. But Rev. 12:4 tells us Satan had a following of about a third of the angels of heaven.



Ephesians 6:12 tells us that our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places. For this reason, we are told in Ephesians 6:13 take up the full armor of God, so that you will be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm. If 1 Peter 5:8 tells us, “Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour,” then we may assume that his demons are moving around the world, doing Satan’s work to deceive the masses.



Angels are powerful beings, and they are intelligent, but let us remember that they are created beings like us. Angels are not divine. They are finite beings with limited intelligence, power and ability. In fact, in the book of Job, when Satan comes before God from roaming the earth, we see that whatever Satan does must have God’s permission. And we see from the reaction of the demons in the demon possessed man known as Legion, who was found across the sea of Galillea, the demons are terrified of Jesus Christ.



But demons have had millenia of practice deceiving humans and appealing to their fleshly desires. They can’t read your thoughts… but they can sound like your own thoughts, and whisper thoughts into your head. I think this is one reason why Paul tells us to no longer be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of our minds, so that you can prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.



Those who are in Christ, Satan can not harm. But demons will seek to destroy and neutralize believers’ lives. They can torment believers mentally, seek to bring discouragement and guilt, and keep you from being an effective witness for God’s glory and the gospel. They want to keep you from focusing on the fact that you are forgiven and loved perfectly by God, and that you have been given authority over the enemy.



Believers have authority over demons in Christ, and the demons must obey them. This is where we learn some lessons from Christ, and the lives of the disciples. (Mt. 28:18; Mar 3:15; Acts 19:13-16)



Matthew 28:18 8 And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, "All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.



Mark 3:14-15 14 And He appointed twelve, so that they would be with Him and that He could send them out to preach, 15 and to have authority to cast out the demons.



Luke 10:19 19 "Behold, I have given you authority to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing will injure you.



Acts 19:13-16 13 But also some of the Jewish exorcists, who went from place to place, attempted to name over those who had the evil spirits the name of the Lord Jesus, saying, "I adjure you by Jesus whom Paul preaches." 14 Seven sons of one Sceva, a Jewish chief priest, were doing this. 15 And the evil spirit answered and said to them, "I recognize Jesus, and I know about Paul, but who are you?" 16 And the man, in whom was the evil spirit, leaped on them and subdued all of them and overpowered them, so that they fled out of that house naked and wounded.



Now if a person has not been crucified with Christ, and does not have the Spirit of Christ living in them, then legally, the Bible say they are children of the devil (Jn 8:44). This does not mean that the person is literally the offspring of the devil, but that Satan has legal domain over their lives, and access to their lives, if it suits his purpose.



If people have been involved in the occult in a particular way, whether through ouiji boards, having took part in magic, casting spells, immoral relationships, it even comes through music you listen to. Any of these things can give demons access to your life, or to an object in your home. Another thing that will put many people in contact with demons is consulting a Psychic (which is promoted in shows on TV – TV teaches the doctrines of the world), or the newest rage sweeping the Church is yoga and contemplative prayer of lectio divina. Lectio divina is where a person will sit with legs crossed, and utter a word or phrase over and over for a period of twenty or so minutes, till they supposedly “come to know the mind of God!”



Christians may also have objects in their home that have been consecrated to evil spirits in their homes, and this would give the demons access into the home. I’ve known of missionaries would had picked up little idols as souvenirs to decorate their mantle, but when they brought them into their home, all sorts of weird things began happening. Finally, after realizing what was happening, the missionaries got rid of the idols within their homes.



Other times, Christians will come under spiritual attack, especially if they are serving God, walking in obedience to the gospel, they can expect spiritual attack! 1 Peter 3:12 says that “everyone who wants to live godly in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.” But Peter does not state where the persecution will come from, though in chapter 5 Peter speaks of Satan prowling the earth, seeking whom he may devour. So for the person who seeks to live in godliness and live out and teach the Word of God, they should expect opposition, though it will come in many forms.



Prov 4:23 tells us to “guard our hearts with all diligence, for out of it flows the springs of life.” We guard our heats, by keeping it filled with God’s word. How does a man keep his way pure? By living it according to your word. I have hid your word in my heart, that I may not sin against you. When Paul admonishes us to take up the whole Armour of God, those pieces f Armour cannot be complete without knowing the Word of God. In fact, Paul tells us that the one offensive weapon in spiritual battles is the Sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God!



If you have wonder whether or not you are saved, one of the most sure signs is that you have a passion for reading and knowing the word of God, and living your life in obedience to its commands. Jesus said, “This is love for God, obedience to His commands.” If we do not read and study God’s word, then we are living a life of disobedience. Yes, reading the Bible is a command of God 2 Timothy 2:15 says: 2 Timothy 2:15 15 Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, accurately handling the word of truth.



If you are reading this today, and you do not have a relationship with the Jesus of the Bible, the Bible teaches that you belong to the devil. And so at the end of the ages, when demonic deceptions is at such a high rate, you will not stand against the schemes of the evil one. In fact, scripture says in 2 Thessalonians, that after the church is taken from the earth, all those who refused to love the truth will be given over to believe the delusion that is coming on the whole world.

How do you escape this fate?  Read your Bible every day, or if you don't have one, go to http://www.biblegateway.com/ and start reading in the gospel of John.  Repent (turn from) your sins
and seek the LORD to forgive you and save you, and tell Him that you will follow His truth.

Thursday, December 9, 2010

A Response to Social Justice

On a newsletter mailing from Lighthouser Trails Publishing, they make a reprint of a missionary lady in Kenya.  I think thiks is a great answer to those who say we need social justice, and the eradication of poverty, espeically those in the Church.  Let's focus our eyes on what is truly important.
*****

I keep being told poverty must be eradicated. Everything is geared to that point of view. But, how can you convince a man who has "nothing" in the eyes of the world, that he is poor, when he sees his small garden is producing, his cow is giving milk, his children are healthy, his wife is happy and the chickens are laying? Well, his house may be made of mud with a thatched or iron sheet roof, the floors may just be dirt, he doesn't even have electricity and you wonder how can he live without a TV or a car. He doesn't have indoor plumbing and has to gather firewood to cook, but he is HAPPY!! What is wrong with this man? Well, this man is a Christian living deep in the interior of Kenya and though the world doesn't understand, he is a very happy man because he has in his possession something no amount of money can buy! A treasure above all treasures, and he is at peace and content just the way he is. I think poverty depends on how you understand it.




What is this wonderful treasure? Why, it is the BIBLE! The very Word of the One who created everything. The Bible has treasures beyond any human wealth.Those who understand this are truly the richest people in the world!! They can abase and they can abound. Their course is steady and they know the one they follow is faithful and true and that he will never leave them nor forsake them. He is a friend who sticks closer than a brother. When your mother and father forsake you He will take you up...a nursing mother may forget her child but he will never forget you. He has engraved you upon the palm of his hand.



The Word of God tells us that God KNOWS our every need and that we are to seek His Kingdom first. He will supply our NEEDS . . . food, clothing, something to drink. He tells us not to worry about these things, we are to cast every care upon Him for He careth for us.



The Word of God tells is IF we be risen with Christ our eyes will be on the things above, not on the things of this earth.



I must be faithful to speak the Word of God and to point people to Jesus Christ and the Kingdom of God, not to the material things of this world no matter how much better it will make their present life. So, yes, "some" people see the material and physical needs of others and are more concerned about their present condition in THIS world. Well, I'm sorry, but I will do what I can to help you, but my most important focus is on where you stand in your relationship with Jesus Christ FIRST.


I keep being told poverty must be eradicated. Everything is geared to that point of view. But, how can you convince a man who has "nothing" in the eyes of the world, that he is poor, when he sees his small garden is producing, his cow is giving milk, his children are healthy, his wife is happy and the chickens are laying? Well, his house may be made of mud with a thatched or iron sheet roof, the floors may just be dirt, he doesn't even have electricity and you wonder how can he live without a TV or a car. He doesn't have indoor plumbing and has to gather firewood to cook, but he is HAPPY!! What is wrong with this man? Well, this man is a Christian living deep in the interior of Kenya and though the world doesn't understand, he is a very happy man because he has in his possession something no amount of money can buy! A treasure above all treasures, and he is at peace and content just the way he is. I think poverty depends on how you understand it.




What is this wonderful treasure? Why, it is the BIBLE! The very Word of the One who created everything. The Bible has treasures beyond any human wealth.Those who understand this are truly the richest people in the world!! They can abase and they can abound. Their course is steady and they know the one they follow is faithful and true and that he will never leave them nor forsake them. He is a friend who sticks closer than a brother. When your mother and father forsake you He will take you up...a nursing mother may forget her child but he will never forget you. He has engraved you upon the palm of his hand.



The Word of God tells us that God KNOWS our every need and that we are to seek His Kingdom first. He will supply our NEEDS . . . food, clothing, something to drink. He tells us not to worry about these things, we are to cast every care upon Him for He careth for us.



The Word of God tells is IF we be risen with Christ our eyes will be on the things above, not on the things of this earth.



I must be faithful to speak the Word of God and to point people to Jesus Christ and the Kingdom of God, not to the material things of this world no matter how much better it will make their present life. So, yes, "some" people see the material and physical needs of others and are more concerned about their present condition in THIS world. Well, I'm sorry, but I will do what I can to help you, but my most important focus is on where you stand in your relationship with Jesus Christ FIRST.



I want people to have the bread of life before they have the bread of this world, I want them to drink from the river of life, the living waters that you can drink and never thirst again, rather than a soda that will cost you money, ruin your health, and make you thirst again.

European Delegates Admit; A Mistake to Withdraw form Gaza!

In a recent visit by European delegates to Israel, which was ignored by almost all media outlets, the European delegates admitted that IT WAS A MISTAKE (!) for Israel to have withdrawn from Gaza, giving the land to the Musilms.

israel today Palestinian mortars pound southern Israel, 1 wounded


Thursday, December 2, 2010

Christmas Food Court Flash Mob, Hallelujah Chorus - Must See!



This is certainly one way to boost the Christmas Spirits!  We need to have more outbreaks of this across the nation!  Wouldn't that be great?

Tuesday, November 30, 2010

Destruction of Damascus

In an interview with Russian newspaper Moscow News, Moallem said "there is no doubt that closing the horizons to peace may lead to a possible war. This option always exists in our region, as Israel usually outrageously evades the commitment to peace." (emphasis mine)
http://www.jpost.com/MiddleEast/Article.aspx?id=196891&R=R3


Syrian FM made the remark that Israel "evades the commitment to peace."  Let's see, um... last time I heard, Netanyahu had agreed a couple of times to cease building settlements/housing for the countries increasing population (you know, so they don't have to live in the streets).  They have been giving supply and aid to the "Palestinians" (media code for Muslim, so you don't know of their REAL agenda), and treating and saving the lives of countless wounded/infirmed Palestinians in Jewish hospitals.  And what has been the response of the Muslims?  Hmmm... oh, yeah, Abbas keeps insisting that the settlement freeze is not long enough, or that it's in "Palestinian" Muslim territory.  Even now the Muslims are claiming that the great Wailing Wall of the first Jewish temple does not belong to nor have any connection with the Jewish temple that had been built by king Solomon.  Oh, and I guess king Solomon did not rule over the greatest extent of the Jewish empire in the B.C., nor did he have over 900 wives (with whom all the surrounding kings in the world gave their daughters for peace with such a powerful, wise rule, of whom it was apparent to all that God clearly favored)!  Of course not.

It is clear that tensions in the Middle East are growing, at least among the governmental leadership.  And as Damascus is the headquarters for Iranian backed Muslim groups, in a regional war, Syria is definitely going to be a target, if they are not an aggressor first (as the Muslim groups have been perpetually seeking to attack and invade Israel with missles and bombs).  The Bible has a prophecy about Damascus in Isaiah 17:1, that Damascus will become a heap of rubble:



"Behold, Damascus is about to be removed from being a city

And will become a fallen ruin.

Isaiah 17:1 (NASB95)


Historically, this prophecy has not been fulfilled, though many of the Biblical prophecies have been fulfilled, especially concerning Israel (and the World's) Messiah (see http://www.clarifyingchristianity.com/m_prophecies.shtml for more detail).  To see that all these specific, detailed prophecies have been fulfilled to the last letter, is comforting, knowing that the LORD, YHWH, is working out His plan for redeeming creation, and all those of humanity who have trusted in the revelation concerning His Son.

But as the tensions rise in the Middle-East, more and more of the pieces fall into place for the upcoming battle described in Ezekiel 38, known as the battle of Magog.  This is going to be a battle such as the world has not seen, and the "lamestream media" is going to have a hard time spinning to their Socialist (Leninist/Hitlerist) agenda.  It may be the battle that ends Atheism, and all the arguments of Christopher Hitchens, whose own brother was transformed by the gospel of peace (2 Cor. 5:17)!

Time is short, my friend.  Do you have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, revealed in the Bible?  He changed my life forever.  He'll change yours.  "This is eternal life, that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent" (Jn 17:3).  If you don't know Him, but want to be saved by the soon coming wrath of God, poured out upon the earth, repent of your sins, and read your Bible, starting with the gospel of John (just look in the table of contents at the front of the Bible).

Blessings to you, my friend.  My prayer for you is that you will escape the wrath to come, and find eternal life in a relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ, who was crucified for your sins (2 Cor. 5:21, Rom. 4:25).



Monday, November 29, 2010

ISRAEL IN AN “UNPRECEDENTED” PERIOD OF SECURITY, BUT IRAN CAN ALREADY PRODUCE A NUCLEAR BOMB « Joel Rosenberg’s Weblog

Joel Rosenberg on his blog monitoring developments in the Middle East, and especially with Israel, quotes Gen. Major Amos Yadlin as saying that the "recent security calm in Israel is unprecendented."
There is one major battle that must take place before the appearance of the lawless one, and a seven-year peace treaty with Israel, described in Ezek. 38. One condition that hadn't been met yet, though many have, is that Israel was not living securely. But apparently now they are. Could this be the time, Joel asks, that Ezek. 38 is referring to?

For a great blog and inidcations of the activities of Russia (Gog?), read his blog:

MILITARY INTELLIGENCE CHIEF: ISRAEL IN AN “UNPRECEDENTED” PERIOD OF SECURITY, BUT IRAN CAN ALREADY PRODUCE A NUCLEAR BOMB « Joel Rosenberg’s Weblog


Sunday, November 28, 2010

NewsReal Blog » Hot Post:Sarah Palin Shows Her Feminist Stripes » Print

Suzanne Venker has an excellent post discussing the disingeniousness of Sarah Palin, and her claims of being a conservative (and for what's more, of being evangelical Christian).


In an ever-changing society, one of the things we humans can depend on is that children don’t change. They come in to this world the same way they did one hundred years ago — with the exact same set of needs. Having a parent, particularly a mommy, at home to care for them is one of them.


But don’t tell Sarah Palin that. According to her, those who believe moms should stay home with their kids are “Neanderthals” who need to “get with it” and “evolve.”

NewsReal Blog » Hot Post:Sarah Palin Shows Her Feminist Stripes » Print


Tuesday, November 23, 2010

Explain This - i DARE YOU !!! Sun Pulls a 360 on its axis !!!




Saturday, November 20, 2010

Hiding in Plain Sight: The One-World System

Pastor Joe Schimmel continues to fight the good fight. I was at his site, checking out his blog, Cup of Joe, and was reminded of this blog once again, and thought it deserved a re-posting, for all those who haven't seen it. For all of you who didn't notice at the 2009 Pittsburgh G-20 conference, the U.S.A. was placed under control of the Central Bankers of Europe.

The Bible predicted a one-world, totalitarian government, that would trample and crush the world under its feet. To see how this system is already in place, at least economically, read here:

Hiding in Plain Sight: The One-World System


Sunday, November 14, 2010

Calvinistic Cartoons: What If #3

For all those who love Barney Fife, please take a look at the cartoon at the link below:

Calvinistic Cartoons: What If #3





Russia Planning a War?

Something very interesting has come up recently.  Russia has ordered 5,000 new bomb shelters to be constructed in Moscow.

read here:  http://rt.com/news/prime-time/moscow-bomb-shelters-outskirts/

Of course they play it off saying that there is no war being planned... "it's just that the old shelters are out-date and only house half the city's population" (my paraphrase).  Yeah, right.

The pieces for Ezekiel 38 seem to come into place more and more...

Passionate Letter to an Old Friend

This is a letter I wrote to a friend, minus some personal family content; some evidences hopefully to help him believe.

Hasn't it been fascinating to watch the whole Middle-East situation? Doesn't it seem like Jerusalem is becoming a stone too heavy for the peoples to lift? Even many of the "evangelical churches" and many in the so-called Roman Catholic Church are turning against Israel. And these have been some of their closest allies. I'm not sure how much of the news you've seen, I know you're a bright, informed guy. ;-)



In fact, the prophet Zechariah, foretold that one day all the nations would come against the nation of Israel, that they would all gather against her to destroy her! That days is fast approaching!

2 "Behold, I am going to make Jerusalem a cup that causes reeling to all the peoples around; and when the siege is against Jerusalem, it will also be against Judah. 3 "It will come about in that day that I will make Jerusalem a heavy stone for all the peoples; all who lift it will be severely injured . And all the nations of the earth will be gathered against it.

Zech 12:2-3 (NASB95)



Isn't that so fascinating? The prophet declared this around 2400 yrs ago, and we see the prophesy of Almight God's word being fulfilled. In these verses, the "I" who is speaking is the LORD (all caps) which signifies Yahweh, the name God revealed to Moses, and the name by which He declared He would forever more be known. What's interesting is looking at this and reading Yahweh's persepective. We see all the hostilities and U.N. council meetings and flotillas and Gaza blockade incursions, and Israel bending over backwards to make concessions... but Yahweh says He is doing it!



And just why is He doing all this to His supposedly "chosen people"? Well, the Bible teaches us that everything that God does is for the glory of His great name. The reason that is good, and not entirely selfish and evil, is that His glory is in doing good to the people He has chosen, the elect. Now this doesn't include all of the Jews. Some of them, but even the apostle Paul says "Not all who are descended from Abraham are Jews, but only those who are of the faith of Abraham are Jews."



16 For this reason it is by faith, in order that it may be in accordance with grace, so that the promise will be guaranteed to all the descendants, not only to those who are of the Law, but also to those who are of the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all, Romans 4:16



2 For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not before God. 3 For what does the Scripture say? "ABRAHAM BELIEVED GOD, AND IT WAS CREDITED TO HIM AS RIGHTEOUSNESS." 4 Now to the one who works, his wage is not credited as a favor, but as what is due. 5 But to the one who does not work, but believes in Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is credited as righteousness, 6 just as David also speaks of the blessing on the man to whom God credits righteousness apart from works: 7 "BLESSED ARE THOSE WHOSE LAWLESS DEEDS HAVE BEEN FORGIVEN, AND WHOSE SINS HAVE BEEN COVERED. 8 "BLESSED IS THE MAN WHOSE SIN THE LORD WILL NOT TAKE INTO ACCOUNT." Romans 4:2-8



Ali... we can see from the prophets words, that the message they declared from the Holy Spirit is being fulfilled in our lives, even today in our lives. If these judgments that God has pronounced against the Jews (and the other nations) are coming true, shouldn't we assume the rest of His Word which He promised to defend, is coming true?

For You have magnified Your word according to all Your name. Psalms 138:2 (NASB95)



Zechariah goes on to tell us why Yahweh, our great God HImself, makes Israel, even Zion itself, as a stone on which the nations who try to lift get hurt. 2 For I will gather all the nations against Jerusalem to battle, and the city will be captured, the houses plundered, the women ravished and half of the city exiled, but the rest of the people will not be cut off from the city. 3 Then the LORD will go forth and fight against those nations, as when He fights on a day of battle. 4 In that day His feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, which is in front of Jerusalem on the east; and the Mount of Olives will be split in its middle from east to west by a very large valley, so that half of the mountain will move toward the north and the other half toward the south... 6 In that day there will be no light; the luminaries will dwindle. 7 For it will be a unique day which is known to the LORD, neither day nor night, but it will come about that at evening time there will be light. 8 And in that day living waters will flow out of Jerusalem, half of them toward the eastern sea and the other half toward the western sea; it will be in summer as well as in winter. 9 And YAHWH will be king over all the earth; in that day the YAHWEH will be the only one, and His name the only one.

Zech 14:2-4, 6-9 (NASB95)

And there you have it. That is why right now, God is letting the Muslim nations, Ahmad., Hizbullah, Al-Qaeda, Turkey, Syria, Lebanon, Russia, U.S., etc. gather against Israel. For His glory. He is gathering them to destroy and annihilate all His enemies in the confrontation of confrontations, in the valley of Armageddon, where He will destroy them, with blood to a horse's bridle flowing from the scene. He's doing it for His glory, to defend those who are His by faith in the resurrected Lord Jesus Christ.

Could you follow all of this as I try to explain it to you? Does this make sense to you? Please, friend, I want you to ask me questions. If you have sincere questions, my friend, I want you to understand what is happening, for the salvation of your soul. My friend, I am not concerned if you are on "my side" or whose side ethnically/politically, but I want you to get right with YAHWEH (God). I know that in Islam, there is no true wiping away (forgiveness) of sins, that you stand before Allah, and he weighs your good against the bad. Not so with Yahweh. Those who are of the faith of Abraham, who trust in God's Messiah, the resurrected and coming Christ Jesus, thier sins are wiped cleaned, and God credits to them the sinless righteousness of Jesus. "God made Him who had no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him." (2 Cor 5:21).



Blessings to you my friend. May you come to know Yahweh's righteousness.

"This is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Chriset whom You have sent." John 17:3


Tuesday, November 9, 2010

Will there be a 'Google implant' leading to the Mark of the Beast?

The news just keeps getting better and better, or scarier and scarier, depending on what sort of perspective you have about it. Google CEO announced last month that Google may invent a "implant" to put under the skin. Sound scary?

As the Book of Revelation says, in Chapter 13 verses 16-17:And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a MARK in their right hand, or in their foreheads: And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the MARK, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name.A mark in their right hand that allows people to buy and sell? The match is so close that it’s almost as if the proponents of the “Google implant” – which is just an idea, neither endorsed nor planned by the company – were going out of their way to fulfil the prophecy of Revelation.

...

At the same time, Schmidt envisions a future where we embrace a larger role for machines and technology. “With your permission you give us more information about you, about your friends, and we can improve the quality of our searches,” he said. “We don’t need you to type at all. We know where you are. We know where you’ve been. We can more or less know what you’re thinking about.”
Hmm. Judging by that last paragraph, I’m not sure I trust Schmidt to locate anyone’s creepy line. And why is he so relaxed about people naming the subcutaneous implant after Google? I have just two words of warning for him: Procter and Gamble.


to read the entire blog, go to:
Talk of the 'Google implant' will alarm fundamentalist Christians worried about the Mark of the Beast



Saturday, October 30, 2010

Satan - Prince of the Air; Have You Been Indoctrinated Lately?

"... In which you formerly walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, of the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience."  Ephesians 2:2

A nefarious, in fact, the Diabolical being himself, Satan, once holding the title of Lucifer (Light-bearer), is very active in our world, and yes, even in our nation today.  Today our culture makes light of him, of his existence/reality and moving among our midst.  And most of the time, we don't recognize his work.  In fact, many who are reading this, have probably already classified this blog as "one for the looney bin." 

I wanted to take a minute to promote http://www.goodfight.org/.  I've mentioned the site before.  Pastor Joe has done some excellent research and putting information and facts together that are out there, but overlooked or dismissed by most of society.

My wife and I ordered one of the DVD sets after viewing the theater portion of his site.  TRULY, we were dumbfounded by what we saw!

Many of the music groups you listen to today have been influenced either directly or indirectly by the adversary and his minions.  In the late 1800s, Aleister Crowley, raised in a household of Plymouth Brethren Chrisitans, surrundered himself to the devil,and came to view himself as the devil's "chief of staff." 
Crowley went on to write a book, The Book of the Law (that is, Satan's Law) that goes on to say, "The whole of the Law is, 'Do what thou wilt.'"  Sound familiar?  You've heard it through many media and messages in our world/society.  "Have it your way!"  "Make your own decisions."  "Don't let someone else tell you what to do!" and the list could go on ad naseum (great little Latin phrase).  It sounds very much like the Humanist manifesto.  Hmmm... do you think Humanists and Satanists have the same values?   Hmmm.... naaaahhh.... nevermind.

In one of the clips, Pastor Joe features a interview with Elvis' stepbrother Rick Stanley.  Rick (and some of the other crew) discussed how Elvis viewed himself as the reincarnation of Jesus.  Though, I guess the second time, Jesus' morals were alot lower.  Stanley mentioned a time when they were on the road, between shows, and there was a dark rain storm, and Elivs had had enough, and said "That's it!" and he raised his arms through the sunroof much like Moses leading the Israelites through the red sea, and the clouds parted over the highway, still raining on the right side and the left.  His crew was amazed.  Elvis considered them his disciples. 

Elivis read a book by Madame Blavatsky called The Secret Doctrine.  Once at an intermission, he was reading form Blavatsky's book, and began speaking with her voice.  He had to get one of the band members to continue the reading!  Oh, by the way, Crowley said that he and Blavatsky were one.  Blavatsky also influenced Anne Bailey who went on to work for the U.N. and took dictation from a spirit called "The Tibetan," (a.k.a. Dwjahl Kuhl).  This dictation Bailey took from the Tibetan consisted of a "World Curriculum," a globalist educational document which the U.N. publishes and follows down to this day.

Back to Crowley... he has influenced people like the Beatles (remember Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band?  Guess who Sgt. Pepper was.  You guessed it, Mr. Crowley himself.)  He's also influenced the likes of Charles Manson (interestingly through the Beatles ~ all you need is love, right?), who set a great precedent historically in California.  Not to mention other bands like the Beach Boys; yes Brian Wilson himself received music from spirits that othewise normally tormented him as a "low-rumbling" noise in his head. 

Jimmi Hendrix's girlfriend mentioned Hendrix's torture of spirits in his mind.  Other notables like Carlos Santanya who've had great musical fame and reach have delievered to us angelic music.  Many of the heavy-metal/death-metal bands have much more pronounced linkages to the demonic/Satanic.  AD/DC, Van Halen, Mega-death... need I go on?  Other groups who produce albums with biblical themes like U2, and then go on to sing lyrics, "I still haven't found what I'm looking for!"  Really, why not?

Working as a substitute teacher, a yound child in one of my classes was delighting in the music group, Insane Clown Posse, also mentioned on the DVD, shown in a self-made video where they boast of having greater influence on your children than you do!  Scary?  I'd say.  Burn those albums!

The reason I write about this stuff is to raise a warning, to sound an alarm!  The Bible tells us about who is controlling world events:  1 John 5:19 We know that we are of God (Christians), and that the whole world lies in the power of the evil one


As a believer in the true Lord (John 20:28), who is returning for His creation in accord with the Biblical prophecies spoken by the prophets (yes, the Old Testament is still relevant), I can see there is a spiritual conspiracy leading us back to the days of Noah and afterwards when humanity came together as one, to build a temple reaching to the heavens to make a name for themselves.  And angels came and married women on earth.  Today, angles are still interacting with mankind on a daily basis, though their means have been modified. 

Those who took on human form have been thrown into hell (2 Peter 2:4; Jude 6).  The LORD God would not permit Satan and his minions to wreck His creation beyond salvation, by their tampering with the human gene pool.  The remaining demons do not want to hasten their time to hell, they fear it.  But they are deceiving humans through music, through movies, through internet websites, keekping us from looking around/enjoying God's creation, and being influenced by the witness of God's goodness (Rom. 1:19-20).  The LORD of all commands us to meditate on His word all the day (Jos. 1:8; 2 Tim. 2:15; Ps. 119:15, 48, 148), but these modern media that have so filled our lives keep us from thinking on/about, being filled with God's word.

The next time you hear Elvis, or listen to the radio, the music may indeed be angelic... but which angels inspired the song?  Music was created to glorify God, and point men to Him and His greatness and goodness (Jas. 1:17).  Let us guard ourselves, use music for its true nature.  If you do not have a relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ, and the thought of living under the rule of wicked spirits frightens you, Christ Jesus commands you to turn from your sin (anything opposed to the righteous will of God) to One who is Good, and trust Christ to be your Lord and Savior, and study your Bible every day (Rev. 22:6-17; 2 Tim. 2:15).

Jeremiah 29:11-13 11 'For I know the plans that I have for you,' declares the LORD, 'plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope. 12 'Then you will call upon Me and come and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. 13 'You will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart.

DUA Presents: A Shariah Tutorial

Joel Richardson presents an informative 15 min. documentary with Democracy Under Attack. He gives some great info to know with the upcoming elections. If you see this, please email it to people you think should know this. The imposition of Shariah law (Islamic law) will greatly reduce, or totally diminish the freedoms and nobility women have enjoyed under a Judeo-Chrisitan culture-ethic.

DUA Presents: A Shariah Tutorial





Wednesday, October 27, 2010

The Nephilim | GraceThruFaith

The Nephilim sounds like a far-off topic, but with all the supposed UFO sightings, and evidence, even some of the so-called historic evidence of alien contact. It makes it an interesting topic to consider. Jack Kelley is always a fair, balanced Bible teacher, and he gives an interesting treatment to the topic.


According to tradition, in addition to being very large and strong, the Nephilim had enormous psychic abilities. They performed out of body experiences, levitation, mind control, time travel, mind reading and remote viewing. They had the power of pronouncing and removing curses and diseases, and had ways of knowing and predicting the future. Having aligned themselves with Satan, the source of their powers, they controlled and enslaved mankind and perverted God’s creation almost beyond redemption.
They were also extremely intelligent. They knew all about science, architecture, and engineering. Some believe they combined these skills with their powers of levitation to build the Great Pyramid and other great monuments around the pre-flood world. They sacrificed human beings all over the planet in temples and pyramids they built in Central and South America, the Far East, the British Isles, Egypt and other places. They drank our blood and slaughtered our babies, and were almost certainly tampering with both human and animal gene pools to pervert the creation and make our redemption impossible. They were the heroes of old, the mighty men of renown, memorialized in every mythology, and the primary reason God had to destroy the world and all its inhabitants in the Great Flood.


The Nephilim GraceThruFaith

Could it be that these fallen angels are indeed working to raise up a race of super-humans to take over in the last days? Are the sightings of UFOs in fact demonic manifestations?

What do you think?

Tuesday, October 26, 2010

Baby Got Book (OFFICIAL)



An oldie, but a goodie!