Whose Identity is More Important, the Man, or His Lawlessness?

In recent months, something has become more and more apparent to me, as countless people through the pas decades and centuries have been named or considered as candidates of the Antichrist, that there are any number of people who could be that person... but to what avail is identifying him before hand?  In that day it will be evident enough!


What is more important, I think, is being able to identify the Lawlessness to which he is ascribed (2 Thess. 2:3).  This seems to be a topic that is largely untouched by the mainstream church, and much to its own detriment!  Biblically speaking, this is not a hard topic to figure out.  But I think because of its blinders towards the Law of Yahweh, the modern church cannot see it, and again, much to its peril!


For the student of scripture, they know that Law, as translated in most English bibles, is the translation of the word "Torah" in Hebrew, which more accurately means, "Instruction" rather than "Law".  Through certainly the past century, there has been a gradual drifting away from the Law within the church as binding upon believers lives.  Gradually people began less and less to see the world upheld and governed by the Laws of God, and more and more of a Gentile understanding that Jesus came to set us free from the Law, because it is a "ministry of death, written on tablets of stone" (2 Cor. 3:7).


This is an example of a Gentile (non-Hebraic) misunderstanding of scriptures.  Of course the Law (Torah) is a ministry of death to people, because of our sinful nature and attitudes.  We would much rather follow the law of Crawley, "Do as thou wilt..." rather than keep the Law of Yahweh, whose very words are life:


Deuteronomy 30:15-20 ¹⁵ "See, I have set before you today life and prosperity, and death and adversity; ¹⁶ in that I command you today to love the LORD your God, to walk in His ways and to keep His commandments and His statutes and His judgments, that you may live and multiply, and that the LORD your God may bless you in the land where you are entering to possess it. ¹⁷ "But if your heart turns away and you will not obey, but are drawn away and worship other gods and serve them, ¹⁸ I declare to you today that you shall surely perish. You will not prolong your days in the land where you are crossing the Jordan to enter and possess it. ¹⁹ "I call heaven and earth to witness against you today, that I have set before you life and death, the blessing and the curse. So choose life in order that you may live, you and your descendants, ²⁰ by loving the LORD your God, by obeying His voice, and by holding fast to Him; for this is your life and the length of your days, that you may live in the land which the LORD swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, to give them."


So we see from the Torah, in Dt. 30, that Yahweh commands his covenant people, the Israelites, and the sojourners among them, that His word is life!  To obey Yahweh's word is life and prosperity, and to deny it, to disobey it, is death and adversity.  And so we see the proclaimed Church in the world, proclaiming that we have been set free from the Law by the very one who claimed to be the Word of Elohim in the flesh, the Messiah, Son of David.


But what did Yeshua teach?  He taught:


Matthew 5:17-19 ¹⁷ "Do not think that I came to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I did not come to abolish but to fulfill. ¹⁸ "For truly I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or stroke shall pass from the Law until all is accomplished. ¹⁹ "Whoever then annuls one of the least of these commandments, and teaches others to do the same, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever keeps and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.


Yeshua said that He did not come to abolish the Torah, but to fulfill it.  And he did fulfill some of it, known as the Spring feasts (mo'edim).  But he is still to fulfill the Fall feasts!  That is, "until heaven and earth pass away, not the [least part] shall pass from the Torah, till all is accomplished!


Did anyone see if heaven and earth passed away yet?  Oh wait, ok, we're all sitting here, the heavens and earth are still all around us.  Ok, it didn't pass away.  Whew!  I'm so relieved!  Aren't you?  So why then do we think the Torah passed away?  Can anyone say Gentile Dummies?  Yes, that is what we are, and have been for the past two thousand years! Because in our anti-Semitic bias, we have refused to see it, and we have spurned, and kicked against the word of God, all the while proclaiming a love for God and his people (except the Jews, His people).


For two thousand years, we have had Gentile leaders of a Semitic religion.  The Gentiles really did hi-jack Christianity, and morphed it into our anti-Semitic, Greek/Roman/Babylonian form!  And so that brings me back around to the theme of the blog, whose identity is more important, the man, or his lawlessness?


I think as a follower of Messiah Yeshua, my brother and king from Judah (yes, he was a Jew, not a Palestinian), that identifying the Lawlessness is far more important, especially when God's word, and obedience to it are life!  Didn't Peter say to his rabbi, "To whom shall we go?  You have the words of life!"  For the orthodox Jew, this has the ring of Torah (Deuternomy 30) to it, and again, a Messianic confession!


The apostle John, the beloved of Yeshua, warned his readers about the spirit of lawlessness in his day:


1 John 2:18-19 ¹⁸ Children, it is the last hour; and just as you heard that antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have appeared; from this we know that it is the last hour. ¹⁹ They went out from us, but they were not really of us; for if they had been of us, they would have remained with us; but they went out, so that it would be shown that they all are not of us.
1 John 2:22 ²² Who is the liar but the one who denies that Jesus is the Christ? This is the antichrist, the one who denies the Father and the Son.


In my Gentile understanding, brought in a Southern Baptist church, I used to think that this meant those who had left the Church, that is, the Protestant Church.  Now, understanding that "the secret of Yhwh is for those who fear Him, and to them He makes known His Covenant (Ps. 25:14)," I see that the Jewish apostle was writing of those who were "leaving the Church" of his day, those who were turning away from the sound doctrines of scripture, that is, Torah/Tanak.  John tells us that they had/have a spirit of antichrist!  He tells us in 3:4 that sin is lawlessness (torah-lessness)! 


So today, what do we have in most churches across America?  We have the spirit of antichrist, the spirit of lawlessness, where the pastors proclaim confidently and unashamedly to turn people away from the Law of the Most High, through which He will reign again upon His return (cf. Ezek. 40-48).


The Great Deceiver in our midst has already proclaimed that the Cross is to no avail, and it "did not work!"  And he is gathering all his children to him already! 


So how about you?  Are you in a church where they proclaim Jesus set us free from following the Law (Torah)?  You should flee from there, get yourself into a congregation of believers who want to keep the instruction of Yahweh, who want to keep His word, His Sabbath, and His Mo'edim, as He proclaims in His word!  Are you a pastor preparing people to accept the anti-Messiah, and his doctrine of lawlessness?  Even most of America's big-name, celebrity preachers are doing so, leading people astray, they are wolves in sheeps clothing, ravening the sheep.

Jim Staley - Identity Crisis

This teaching by Jim Staley will blow your mind if you are a protestant follower of Yeshua.  It has rocked I and my wife's world, but so much more of the Bible fits into place.

Good News from Egypt

The Media has shown mass repeated footage of rioting, fighting, protesting in the streets, and victims of the violence.  Since the people began to call for the resignation of Mubarak, this has been the focus of the news.  With all the negative images coming from the Middle-East, it could be tempting for an individual to despair.

But there is some good news coming out of Egypt, which of course the mainstream media is not going to cover.  The body of Christ in the country of Egypt is seeing an expansion.  Tom Doyle, VP and Middle-East Director for e3 partners tells us of some of the information that he is receiving from within Egypt.

Actually, many ministries in that Biblical country are seeing God moving in very powerful ways in recent years. Egyptians are coming to faith in Christ, growing in their faith, pastors are being trained and encouraged, and the Church as a whole is growing. One ministry, for example, saw some 3,100 people pray to receive Christ and numerous churches planted throughout the country in 2010 alone. An medical ministry team serving in Egypt recently saw over 100 people become followers of Jesus. And these young national believers are committed to reaching even the most remote villages with the Gospel and to also leave behind a life-giving church that disciples the believers. God is clearly moving powerfully in the land of the Pharaohs.




We have been talking with friends and allies in Egypt during this new political and economic crisis and they are thankful for all the prayers of believers from around the world. Please continue to pray for their families and the rest of the great young leaders who have been discipled and are now church leaders in Egypt. Nine of our Egyptian workers went to prison last year for sharing Christ. But by God’s grace and the prayers of the saints, they were released soon after and remain deeply committed to serving the Lord. They thank God for the persecution and tell us: "When we believers are persecuted we go underground, and while we are there our roots grow strong and healthy. We then emerge more fit to be Christ's ambassadors and more willing to stand firm in the midst of the persecution."



Many of the believers are calling the church to more prayer and fasting all throughout Egypt. Let’s join them.


Amen.  Often when the riches of the world are taken from people, or these empty promises of fulfillment and satisfaction collapse, only then can they be opened to realize their true need for salvation through Jesus Christ.  It is when the riches of the world fail us that God rises and shows His majesty and His power, His salvation through the crucified and resurrected Lord Jesus. 

To read Mr. Doyle's full article, go to Joshua Fund: http://www.joshuafund.net/index.php/media/the_joshua_fund_blog/is_there_any_good_news_in_egypt/

Can a Mormon lead the Saints of God?

Can a Mormon lead the Saints of God?


I know many of you were aware of what happened this past weekend. Glenn Beck leading the national mall full of Chrisitans and professing Christians in a call for spiritual revival! A Mormon! Glenn Beck believes Jesus' brother is Lucifer, and that God the Father had sex with Mary to give birth to the incarnated spirit-brother of Lucifer.

It sickens me to see what happened. But it reveals how close the end is for the true believers. Hallellujah. Brannonn Howse has an article on this event at his blog worldviewweekend.com


I know Mormonism real well. There is a Mormon prophecy that America was going to be nearly destroyed with the Constitution hanging by a thread. A Mormon savior would arrive and lead the Mormon church to save America. I can see this coming into play real soon. Maybe the revival Beck is talking about is a massive conversion to Mormonism! Glen Beck does not preach Mormonism from his show that I can tell; however, it is lurking in the background. How does the LORD feel about Mormonism, which teaches the Lord Jesus Christ, the ONLY begotten Son of God is Satan's brother? Mormonism is full of doctrines like this.


The church is now so weak and without discernment that maybe the shallow Christians would turn to Mormonism while many pastors and church leaders are safe in the tall grass. I hope this never happens.


The danger is now all around us and closing fast. This includes: the Hard Left, Muslims, Mormon national leadership, militant homosexuals, totally collapsing economy, huge war in the Middle East, and the pastors hiding safely in the tall grass.

http://www.worldviewweekend.com/worldview-times/article.php?articleid=6465

Howse writes in another article:

Mormon Theology at Beck's 8-28 rally came out within the first few minutes that Glenn stepped on to the stage. Beck proclaims; "God's chosen people, the Native Americans and the Pilgrims." Mormon theology says that Native Americans are a lost tribe of Israel that came to America and that Jesus appeared to them after the resurrection in the Americas in the Western Hemisphere. The teachings that "Jesus" gave them are what Joseph Smith claimed to have found on the gold tablets when he was a teenager. Smith was directed to the golden plates by an angle of light. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=47V-dpiLM78 (Quote by Beck on the Native Americans can be found at the 4:30 mark on this clip) ...

Reverend Jim Wallis is pushing a liberal, leftist, man- centered, Godless, good works, social justice and Beck is pushing a conservative, right-wing, Godless, man-centered, good works, social justice. Both Wallis and Beck want a revolution in America and they both are basing their revolution on humanistic thinking. One is coming from the left and one is coming from the right. Both Wallis and Beck are both pushing for an earthly kingdom based on humanism and paganism mixed with their individual versions of social justice. I believe that Wallis and Beck both reject the God of the Bible and the salvation that is only found through the Jesus Christ of the Bible. In the end Beck and Wallis are on the same team as Jesus Christ Himself declared in John 8:42-47:


"If God were your Father, you would love Me, for I proceeded forth and came from God." In verse 44 He continues, "You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it." Then in verse 47: "He who is of God hears God's words; therefore you do not hear, because you are not of God."
http://www.worldviewweekend.com/worldview-times/article.php?articleid=6462

For the Christian, he should not take direction from a godless Mormon. Glenn Beck is lost and blinded by Satan (2 Cor.4:4). If you belong to Christ, taking your cues from Glenn Beck is like taking them from Satan, for that is who Beck belongs to. Politics should not matter for the believer, ultimately. Our citizenship is in heaven (Phil 3:20). We are slaves of righteousness (Rom. 6:16,18).


My wife reminds me of the confrontation Beck had with Mike Huckabee in the airport, where he asked Huckabee to apologize for his remarks borne out of his Chirstian convictions. When Huckabee refused to apologize, Beck called him the equivalent of a 9-11 jihadist! For all you who know salvation is only through the name of Jesus (Jn. 14:6; Acts 4:12), by grace alone through faith alone (Eph. 2:8,9), get ready. Our time is coming, and it may be led by Glenn Beck.

Dear children, guard yourselves from idolatry.  1 Jn. 5:21

Does the Eucharist make one a Christian?

Ours is an age of spiritual confusion and amnesia. There are so many religions and beliefs out there, how can they all be wrong? There is a growing acceptance of religious ecumenism, allowing that all religions are equal paths to God (never mind they don’t agree on what or who or what gender God is). Paul warns Timothy in his first letter to his young protégé:



1 Timothy 4:1 But the Spirit explicitly says that in later times some will fall away from the faith, paying attention to deceitful spirits and doctrines of demons,



In one of our church association meetings last year, we had a guest speaker from the State Office, come, and he was presenting a book to us on ministry, by Ken Blanchard. Blanchard is a New Age sympathizer with many New Age affinities, and friendship with Rick Warren. This book presented some good ministry principles derived from the life of Jesus, but in the section dealing with prayer, Blanchard subtly introduces mysticism, teaching readers to (unknowingly) take part in transcendental meditation.



And what is more amazing, is that when this was brought to the light, it was laughed off by those in higher authority. Our churches are being compromised by mysticism which is new age spirituality.



Because Chrisitans have forgotten our past, and the past persecutions, men and women giving their lives for the Biblical principles of Sola Scriptura (Scripture Alone), Sola Fida (Faith Alone) and Sola Gratis (Grace Alone), we believe it’s okay to join with other religions.



What does it mean to be of the Protestant Faith? It means that you are a person who denies the authority or legitimacy of the Roman Catholic Church or the Pope. In fact, many Protestant Theologians labeled the Pope as Antichrist or the Church as the Whore that sits upon the Great Beast, who was drunk with the blood of the Saints (Rev. 17:6). The reason for this identification by Protest-ant believers of Scripture Alone, is because the Roman Church put to death anyone who believe the Bible contains sole authority for the Christian life, and anyone who taught salvation by Faith Alone by Grace Alone through Scripture Alone. Foxe’s Book of Martyrs details the executions of thousands of the faithful by the Roman Church, through Inquisitions and Crusades.



More Bible-Believing Protestants have been put to death by the Roman Catholic Church than any other institution or religion in history, though now Islam may be making up for that. But the Roman Catholic Church, which teaches salvation by works, by doing or observing the sacraments and worshipping the Eucharist.



We read in Scripture that salvation is “by grace, through faith and that not of yourselves. It is the gift of God, not of works, lest any man should boast” (Eph 2:8,9). Observing the sacraments in order to be saved is works. Works is defined by “anything we work or can merit to earn or achieve our own salvation.” Paul says repeatedly in his New Testament letters that salvation is NOT obtained through works or law.



Galatians 2:16 16 nevertheless knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the Law but through faith in Christ Jesus, even we have believed in Christ Jesus, so that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the Law; since by the works of the Law no flesh will be justified.



Romans 3:20 20 because by the works of the Law no flesh will be justified in His sight; for through the Law comes the knowledge of sin.



Word is that now Joseph Prince is starting to teach that the bread and wine become the body and blood of Christ once it is received. He’s introducing an element of mysticism into the Lord’s supper, as normally observed by Protestants. Lighthouse trails did an article back in 2007 reporting on the New Evangelization strategy that the Roman Catholic Church has to bring Protestants “back into the fold.”

This new method of Evangelism is to place new emphasis upon the Eucharist, which they teach is the second coming of Christ “All Catholics are expected to worship the host (Eucharistic Adoration of the transformed wafer), and church leadership says it is anathema (to be accursed) to reject this teaching….”

When I worked for Campus Crusade for Christ in the Slovak Republic, one of my favorite historic cities to go to was nearby Prague. They had such beautiful old European architecture, grand palaces and Cathedrals. But right in the historic old city square, there was a statute of a man being burned at the stake. His name was John Huss. He came to Prague under the pretence of safe travel given to him by Roman Catholic authorities. When he arrived, the Catholics seized Huss and tied him to a stake, put wood under and around him, and lit him to burn as a heretic, according to Roman Catholic proclamation.



What was his crime? He taught authority and belief in the Bible alone, and not in the immoral Roman Popes or clergy. He taught that salvation is by grace through faith in Christ alone. He also taught (along with other Protest-ant Reformers) that there is no such thing as indulgences to buy time off purgatory, and that purgatory is not a Biblical teaching.



Protestant Christians, we know salvation is by grace alone, through faith alone, and that God’s word alone is the inerrant, infallible revelation that gives us all that we need for salvation, apart from human authority. The Roman Catholic Church, today as always, is a false religion, that teaches salvation by works, and sends millions of people straight to hell.

If you’re reading this and are Catholic, You should read the Bible, especially the gospel of John, if you want to find out how to be saved. You do not have to confess your sins to a priest. You don’t have to perform any rites or rituals to get into the kingdom of heaven. All you have to do is believe the Gospel give in the pages of scripture:



Romans 10:9-13 9 that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; 10 for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation.

11 For the Scripture says, "WHOEVER BELIEVES IN HIM WILL NOT BE DISAPPOINTED." 12 For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, abounding in riches for all who call on Him; 13 for "WHOEVER WILL CALL ON THE NAME OF THE LORD WILL BE SAVED."