.....Why So Weak?

Webster’s Dictionary defines weakness as - 1: lacking strength, feeble 2: not able to sustain or resist much weight, pressure, or strain 3: deficient in vigor of mind or character. Quite frankly, I would say this word, weak(ness), is an accurate description of the church today. Weak. Wimpy. Impotent.

Edmund Burke was an English statesman in the House of Commons in Great Britain in the 1700’s. He was an ardent supporter of the American Revolution and famously observed that, "All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing." OK kids, can you say "Laodicea?"

Jesus gave this church His strongest rebuke in Revelations 3:15-17 - "I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. I could wish you were cold or hot. So then, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of My mouth. Because you say, 'I am rich, have become wealthy, and have need of nothing' - and do not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked..."

So what does the Laodicean church and the premise that evil will triumph if good people sit by and do nothing, have in common? They fit hand in glove, if you ask me. The moral atmosphere of America grows darker and more sinister every day. You can almost reach out and physically touch the evil swirling in the air.

Of course, there are still Christians out there trying to make a positive difference in whatever way they can. Some quietly share Christ while ministering in the community. Some serve faithfully in their church week after week, year in and year out with little recognition for their efforts. There are missionaries preaching in other countries, sometimes risking their freedom or even their lives to share the Gospel in the darkest corners of the earth. These kinds of ministries share Agape love to help attract the lost to Christ.

And some of us are called to speak out against the flagrant influx of evil and ungodliness of our day. Some speak in gentle, persuasive voices and some have a burning in their bones to stand up and strongly condemn sin and urge repentance before we are snatched off this earth. I am not ashamed in the least to count myself a part of the latter group!

Jesus rebuked the Laodicean church for being self absorbed and sitting back, enjoying the blessings God had given them, to the point of blind arrogance. They were too busy to do good works for the kingdom, and Jesus found them so disgusting he said he would spit them out of His mouth. If you think about it, something has to be pretty foul and distasteful to make us spit it out.

When good people are so consumed with daily living that they basically ignore what is going on around them, evil grows like a cancer and eventually triumphs. Evil, sin and sinful people must be opposed, especially in this day when they are so pushy and obnoxious. Yet, most of the time, Christians sit idly by and are spectators of the work their brothers and sisters are doing.

They won’t lift a finger, yet if some instance of goodness wins they are right there rejoicing, even though they did nothing to contribute to that victory. Most of the time, however, they are busy sanctimoniously attacking the worker bees of the kingdom for doing what they are commanded by God to do. Too many in the church fail to speak out against evil men and refute the erroneous teaching of the plethora of cults spreading across our nation. Most are too dang lazy to even hold God’s servants up in prayer!

Many in the church have the idea that good is simply the absence of doing evil. Not so according to the Bible! 1Peter 3:11 states "Let him turn away from evil and do good..." James 4:17 says, "Therefore, to him who knows to do good and does not do it, to him it is sin." OUCH! That’s gotta sting for some of you!

We aren’t simply to avoid the sin around us but actively oppose it. Christians are to "...have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather expose them." - Ephesians 5:11. Those who sit on their ample merits on those cushioned pews every Sunday should remember that by their very silence on moral issues, God considers them complicit in committing them.

There is no gray area here. Never has been, but especially in these last days! You cannot remain silent and please the Father. Those who are not actively and vigorously fighting sinfulness are literally assisting evil to grow stronger, become more accepted and commonplace in society. Gee, that’s SO judgmental of me! Well, Jesus warned in Matthew 12:30 - "He who is not with Me is against Me, and he who does not gather with Me scatters abroad." 

Are you beginning to get the picture? You will have to stand before your Savior and, like the parable teaches, explain why you buried your talent instead of at least insuring it made a little interest while it was in your possession. Jesus called such people "...wicked and lazy servant..." - Matthew 25:26. How humiliating will it be when your fellow Christians witness that scene in heaven with you as the star of the show?

Those claiming to be Christians as well as unbelievers who insist they are 'good people' seem to outnumber the evil doers among us yet, only rarely do these bastions of moral excellence put their money where their mouths are. They are seldom courageous enough to risk their egotistical self-esteem to stand up and almost literally fight for what they know to be right.

I do not consider myself to be some self-appointed prophet of judgment. I am a black hearted sinner saved and made righteous only by the grace, mercy and blood of Christ. But I have been called to unabashedly speak against the evil in our society and those who arrogantly practice it. I am to even warn those leaders in the church who teach heresies and false doctrines that lead their congregations away from salvation by grace alone.

Because America is so brainwashed with political correctness, the use of sarcasm and exaggeration stands out and can admittedly be offensive. This is the style of writing I use for that very reason. I consider the moral decline of our government, churches and culture in general to be a caricature of post modernism, and it simply makes itself an easy target. I call 'em like I see 'em.

I speak the truth, straight from the Word of God and frankly, the truth can be very offensive to those living their lives on the foundation of secular, worldly, unbiblical lies and propaganda. I use sarcasm as a tool to highlight the shocking absurdities of political correctness and the staggering damage it has wreaked on this country. I want to draw attention to the heinous abuse of the pulpit by today’s celebrity pastors and the nonsensical heresies they vomit on their followers.

Do I know everything? Nope. But if I cannot support my criticism with scripture I keep my mouth shut. There are many readers, Christian and non Christians, who write to bitterly complain and chide me for the things I say and the way I express myself and they are welcome to their opinions. However, what I say and the manner in which I write will most likely not change, so all I can recommend is they don’t read my articles.

There are many of us in the trenches every day, doing our best to serve our Savior and warn the lost that time is very short and they must repent and accept the pardon Jesus died to provide to them. There is a time for gentle persuasion and there is a time for blunt confrontation and Christ modeled both approaches when dealing with people.

If for whatever reason you are unable to join us in this last day effort to reach the lost and dying, then we would at least appreciate your prayers of support instead of your attacks of spiritual cannibalism.

In other words, lead, follow or get out of the way. We have work to do and we answer only to Almighty God.

Maranatha!                                                                                                                                                      

.....The United States Of Religion!

AOL recently printed an article on the religiosity of America as a whole. A Gallup poll taken in 2011 separated people into three main categories: very religious, moderately religious and nonreligious. I'll give you an overview of the information gathered.

People who stated that religion is an important part of their daily life and who attend religious services every week or nearly every week were considered 'very religious' and comprised 40% of the population. Those who said they were 'moderately religious' were classified in two ways. Either they said religion is important but they don't usually attend services or they attend church services but don't consider religion to be important. These folks comprised 28% of the population.

Why one would bother going to church if religion was not important to them beats me! Maybe it's the let's-go-to-church-to-be-seen-because-that-is-what-a-good-person-does crowd, and therefore they feel content that they did their duty to God and can live like hell the rest of the week. After all, we know that "I'm a good person" will absolutely cut it with a Holy God when "I'm a good person" stands before Him. And, boy oh boy, there are a bazillion "I'm a good person" kind of folks in America. That's about the only kind of person I talk to!

Then there is the last category. These people are probably the most truthful of the bunch. Religion is not an important part of their daily life and they seldom or never attend religious services and are, of course considered 'nonreligious.' They made up 32% of the American population.

As expected, 8 of the 10 most religious states are located in the Bible Belt of the South and are Alabama, Louisiana, Arkansas, South Carolina, Tennessee, North Carolina and Georgia with Mississippi ranking as the 'most religious state' in the Union. The other 2 states in this category are Oklahoma and Utah, the majority of whose residents are Mormon. They were awarded the honor of being 'the most religious group in America today.' Oh yay. A twisted, mishmash of bizarre beliefs and blasphemous statements about Jesus Christ represents the most religious group in this country. No wonder the USA is going to hell in a hand- basket!

There are 12 'least religious states' and 6 are in New England. These are New Hampshire, Maine, Massachusetts, Connecticut and Rhode Island with Vermont nabbing the 'most heathen' award for the whole country. I guess those folks in Vermont are too busy sucking syrup out of Maple trees to give God much thought.

Other states in the 'least religious' category are, Alaska (next door to Russia, what can you expect?), Oregon (The Wicca State), Nevada and Washington (The let's worship a tree State). The last 2 are the District of Columbia (completely Godless!) and, surprise, surprise, New York.

So what does all this mean? According to Gallup, America remains a generally religious nation, with more than 2/3 of the residents classified as very or moderately religious. These statistics bring up some interesting questions.

What does Gallup even mean when they use the term 'religious?' I suppose that would encompass all Christian beliefs which would include the many Protestant denominations and 'non-denominational' congregations. Apparently they consider Mormonism to be a religion. What about Scientology and their mother ship? Are they including Muslims? What about Buddhists or Hindus? The Wiccans? The luciferians and plain 'ol satanists?

And, of course, we can't forget the Catholics, because NO one can put on some religion like the Catholics! The robes. The ceremonies. The metal thingy's with incense and smoke being waved about. Genuflecting to a graven image of Christ on the cross. Sprinkling holy water on the faithful. Sitting in a little wooden hut, confessing your sins to some unseen voice who thinks he has the ability to forgive you, along with the seemingly endless hour and a half of men with funny hats, mumbling Latin which no one in the building can understand. Mmmm, Lord knows I love me some Catholics! Now THAT'S what I call a good show of religion!

But, if the majority of America is religious and all these people of varying beliefs are trying to find their way to God or their concept of a transcendent Being, why are we acting so wicked and aborting 4000-5000 babies a day? How does that fit in with the definition of 'religion?' Of raising ourselves up to a higher level of being and enlightenment?

What about all the murders, rapes, robberies, cheating, adulteries, gossiping, lying, hating, cruelties, coveting, bullying, making our own gods and on and on? What about all that stuff? How can we say we're a religious country? We threw God out of our schools in 1962 and we've spent the years since trying our best to eradicate any mark or memory of His involvement in the founding of our country.

What precisely is all this religion about if we are overwhelmingly turning our backs on God and even on His chosen people, Israel? We've always had Israel's back, but not now! No, we've succumbed to the brain dead lies of revisionist history authored by the Arabs, and are feeling so sorry for the poor, poor displaced Palestinians. If we were truly religious and still worshipping God, we wouldn't dare abandon the Jews!

I don't know who this Gallup guy is or why he's never asked me any questions, but I have to wholeheartedly agree with his poll. America used to be a Godly country, which is much different than being a 'religious' people. A good definition of 'religion' is mankind's arrogant, worthless attempt to make himself acceptable to a Holy God by his own efforts or works. Religion is one of the greatest and most destructive lies satan ever hatched in that putrid little brain of his. It is anything but Godly.

No, America has fallen from being Godly to being religious. We have a plethora of gods to worship, command and control. The gods of our religions don't tell us how to live and don't expect anything from us so we can toddle off to our churches every Sunday and feel good about ourselves because we're 'a good person.' Somehow, I don’t think America's gods will be able to save us from the approaching and well deserved wrath of the one true God. You know; the one we used to have before we became religious.


Lord God...forgive us!

.....For Shame!

Oh my goodness, Urban Outfitters, a popular clothing and home furnishing retailer, has gone and upset the uber-sensitive Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender (LGBT) advocates and may have even caused a few of them to cry! You see, the company is selling a greeting card that LGBT feels is 'transphobic' and this has hurt their oh-so-tender little feelings. Shame on them!

The greeting card features an updated version of the Jack and Jill nursery rhyme written in the entertaining form of a very bawdy limerick. Although I found it to be quite vulgar, I must admit it was funny but I can see absolutely no reason why the transgender crowd should wave their g-strings in the air. After all, what the limerick describes happening has, undoubtedly, been the shocking experience of numerous men the world over. Hey, you'd think they'd be happy! It's like free advertising!

But apparently the LGBT doesn't consider that to be the case. I think they haven’t had enough news coverage lately, so they needed to manufacture something to be offended about to draw attention to themselves like the prima-donnas they are. However, to their horror, the official Urban Outfitters website has sold out of the cards! They're obviously hitting the funny bone of quite a few people who are probably weary of being told what they can think and say about those who insist normal society accept their aberrant lifestyle as normal.

In 2008, This is Money UK printed an article stating that Richard Hayne, the co-founder and now former CEO of Urban Outfitters "views on homosexuality are both bizarre and old-fashioned," and said, "Buying his clothes is like giving cash to George Bush." Wait a minute.

For an opinion to be considered old-fashioned it has, by definition, to have been an accepted belief for an extended period of time. When a new belief challenges that established, commonly accepted opinion, the new belief is the one considered to be 'bizarre.' So how could Mr. Hayne have an opinion of homosexuality that was both bizarre and old-fashioned at the same time?

Honestly, if the LGBT community continues to insist on lobbing insults on those who reject their choices, the least they could do is compose attacks that make some sense. Come on people, put some brains into it!

Carl W. Bushong, PhD established the Tampa Center Identity Program which provides a variety of transition services including hormone therapy, electrolysis and guidance counseling. He states that, "Gender is a recent concept in our culture. (5000+ years of human civilization is 'recent'?) John Money, PhD first used the term 'gender' in 1955 to discuss sexual roles. Then in 1966, he added the term 'gender identity' while conducting his gender research at Johns Hopkins."

"In 1974, Dr. N.W. Fisk fabricated the diagnosis of 'gender dysphoria'. Previously, the male or female sexual role was considered one of two non-overlapping congenital attributes, determined by one's external genitals."

Really? I had no idea! For thousands of years, all midwives or doctors had to do to figure out this deep mystery of gender was take one look at the newborn and identify the obvious. There, all settled. See how easy that has been? But NOooooo, the liberal doofuses in academia couldn't leave society alone. They just HAD to plant the idea of abnormality where there had never been a problem before!

Most of the general public are, I hate to admit, basically sheeple, content to have someone else take care of their needs and tell them what to do, where to go and what to think. I suppose God made us to have these somewhat child-like qualities because He wanted us to look to Him as our Father who would perpetually love and care for all our needs. Just a theory.

But, isn't it interesting that before the 1950's you never heard of anyone questioning their own sexual identity or gender? It was only when these morons introduced their theories of aberrant gender issues that the general public began wondering if something was, indeed, wrong within them. "Here, little sheeple, listen to us. We're the intellectual elite and we say you should begin to examine whether you were born in the right body."

"Baaa-baaa, oh no! I should have been born a girl! I need to destroy what God has made and tinker with my wonderfully balanced hormones, get sacks of saline surgically implanted in my chest, tie the old man down and start wearing dresses and high heels. There, I feel SO much better and more fulfilled now! Baaa."

I'm a huge proponent of the, "if it ain't broke, don't fix it", mindset. Now, don't get me wrong. There is nothing wrong with innovation and improvement on things that will make life easier and more pleasant. But for thousands of years of human history, what gender we are has never been in dispute. This isn't a matter of not liking your hair color or wanting to try a new style of clothing to make yourself feel more confident and attractive. This goes WAY beyond that.

The problem with people who are so miserable inside they question the very basics of whom and what they are has nothing to do with being the wrong gender! They aren't gonna like this but truth is truth. It boils down to the very simple, original sin of wanting to be our own god. Make our own decisions about how we live our lives. They are listening to and believing the same slick lie Eve fell for. 'God is holding out on you.'

"Pssst! Did God really mean to make you a boy? Didn't your parents want a girl all along? They must be pretty disappointed they had you. I bet you're ashamed of what you are. You can undo what God has made, you know. They have the technology now..."

How sad. What an abomination those brainiacs came up with. I think of all the men and women who have tried to remake themselves; who have endured unnecessary, painful surgeries and hormone treatments. All the ones who got so depressed and lived in such misery they committed suicide. Their blood is on the hands of those men who came up with the question of being the 'right' gender and on the hands of the people who continue to perpetuate and support this lie today.

This is just one more brick in the wall of God's coming judgment. They should have just left well enough alone.


Maranatha!

....."Accepting" Christ!

To the question "What must I do to be saved?" we must learn the correct answer. To fail here is not to gamble with our souls: it is to guarantee eternal banishment from the face of God. Here we must be right or be finally lost. To this anxious question evangelical Christians provide three answers, "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ," "Receive Christ as your personal Saviour," and "Accept Christ." Two of the answers are drawn almost verbatim from the Scriptures (Acts 16:31, John 1:12), while the third is a kind of paraphrase meant to sum up the other two. They are therefore not three but one. Being spiritually lazy we naturally tend to gravitate toward the easiest way of settling our religious questions for ourselves and others; hence the formula "Accept Christ" has become a panacea of universal application, and I believe it has been fatal to many. . . . The trouble is that the whole "Accept Christ" attitude is likely to be wrong. It shows Christ applying to us rather than us to Him. It makes Him stand hat-in-hand awaiting our verdict on Him, instead of our kneeling with troubled hearts awaiting His verdict on us. It may even permit us to accept Christ by an impulse of mind or emotions, painlessly, at no loss to our ego and no inconvenience to our usual way of life. For this ineffectual manner of dealing with a vital matter we might imagine some parallels; as if, for instance, . . . the prodigal son had "accepted" his father's forgiveness and stayed on among the swine in the far country. Is it not plain that if accepting Christ is to mean anything there must be moral action that accords with it?

"So they said, "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and your household." - Acts 16:31

"For "whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved." - Romans 10:13

Thank You that You have received me; forgiven me; made me a new person; come to live in my heart. May my heart commitment to You deepen and grow day by day...Amen!

.....Five Minutes After The Rapture!

"For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord." - 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17

What then? What happens after the first initial shock of a catastrophic event and just before the search and rescue begins? The demonic thugs begin to loot, ravage, destroy, and terrorize those remaining victims. News coverage of past events has shown us this greed of truth.

What would make the Rapture of the church any different? In a world where we hear so much about the quest for equality; five minutes after the Rapture will definitely bring equality for all those left behind. Those evil ones not rummaging through unmanned houses and vehicles will be scavenging through open graves, with no second thought as to why the graves are suddenly opened and the dead gone.

Equality would begin with "every man for himself". No more enemies or friends, both so called friends and your enemies will be equally willing to betray you or kill you for anything that you may have - that would be of some value to them.

I often think about those persons who are in desperate preparation for the end (yet, never mention the Rapture as the only absolutely sure way of escape); who will say they are preparing so much as to be able to help those in their community. Five minutes after the Rapture, they will not remember your name, let alone offer you canned food and water. Evil will overtake every good intention.

If you happen upon a church, don’t expect to find a Crucifix on any other Holy Element that once would have tugged at your soul. Most likely those things will have been stolen and sold for something as small at bread. Ironically, just minutes/a day earlier with a simple "Here I am, Lord" you would be sharing eternity with the Bread of Life.

Five minutes after the Rapture, there will be no one to witness to you about the price Jesus paid for your sins. Sinner to sinner, those left will equally have to figure it out for themselves. This will truly be a time of working out your own salvation; and if finding it only to be killed by those destined to be eternally lost.

Five minutes before the Rapture and five minutes after the Rapture are unmistakably the difference between eternal life and death - it is just a matter of win or lose. And, since no man knows the day or the hour; is a five minute gamble worth it? Jesus spent approximately thirty-three years teaching His love on earth; roughly six-seven hours on an Old Rugged Cross to prove that love; three days in a tomb to give us a hope of resurrection. He did rise from the dead and ascend into heaven; and almost two thousand years later, His offer still stands for Amazing Grace. A love that is so simple, simply there, can be obtained by whosoever will come - all in less than five minutes. Equally as simple as one of the most repeated and so often ignored verse in the Holy Bible…

"For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life." - John 3:16

.....Will The Church Go Through The Tribulation?

The Church will not go through the Tribulation. There is a distinct difference between the Rapture and the Second Coming. Some may disagree with me, and that is perfectly okay. Whether you and I, do or do not agree about the Rapture, it will have no effect on our salvation in Jesus Christ. However, for those who disagree, I strongly believe that rather than my being sorely disappointed, you will be pleasantly surprised.

There are many differences in these two events as shown here:

 - Rapture: Jesus comes FOR His Church.

- 2nd Coming: Jesus comes back WITH His Church.

- Rapture: Jesus waits in the air for His Church.

- 2nd Coming: Jesus comes to the earth.

- Rapture: Church removed and unbelievers left behind.

- 2nd Coming: Unbelievers removed but Tribulation saints left behind.

- Rapture: He comes to present His bride to the Father.

- 2nd Coming: He comes to judge and set up His kingdom.

- Rapture: The marriage of the Lamb in Heaven follows the Rapture.

- 2nd Coming: The marriage is followed by war on earth.

- Rapture: It happens in the twinkling of an eye.

- 2nd Coming: Will be a steady view of His return.

- Rapture: Only the Church will see Him.

- 2nd Coming: Every eye will see Him.

- Rapture: Jesus descends with a shout.

- 2nd Coming: No shout is mentioned.

- Rapture: A resurrection takes place.

- 2nd Coming: No resurrection is mentioned.

- Rapture: It can happen at any time.

- 2nd Coming: Can only happen at the end of the Tribulation.

- Rapture: Angels are not sent. Jesus comes Himself.

- 2nd Coming: Angels are sent to gather people for judgment.

- Rapture: Earthly bodies are changed to Heavenly bodies.

- 2nd Coming: The Church returns with Heavenly bodies.

- Rapture: Jesus does not return on a white horse.

- 2nd Coming: Jesus does return on a white horse.

- Rapture: Jesus’ return is for His Church (His bride).

- 2nd Coming: Jesus returns for redeemed Israel and Tribulation saints.

- Rapture: It is a message of hope and comfort.

- 2nd Coming: It is a message of judgment.

I’m sure this is not an exhaustive listing, but with it we can see that the Rapture and the Second Coming are not one and the same.

The seven year period of Tribulation on earth will be a time of God’s wrath on earth like never before. He will judge the nations and through this self-same judgment bring Israel back in faith believing. "For the great day of His wrath has come, and who is able to stand?" (Revelation 6:17) But concerning His bride, the Church, He says, "...and to wait for His Son from heaven, whom He raised from the dead, even Jesus who delivers us from the wrath to come." (1 Thessalonians 1:10) He promised again in, "Because you have kept My command to persevere, I also will keep you from the hour of trial which shall come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell on the earth." (Revelation 3:10)

Also, some see Revelation chapter four verse one as a clear reference to the Church being raptured. On the other hand, some do not, even though they believe in the Rapture. Personally, it is very clear to me that this passage is most definitely referring to the Church being taken up to Heaven via the Rapture. This verse is shown below in four reliable English translations.

"After these things I looked, and behold, a door standing open in heaven. And the first voice which I heard was like a trumpet speaking with me, saying, “Come up here, and I will show you things which must take place after this." (NKJV)

"After this I looked, and, behold, a door was opened in heaven: and the first voice which I heard was as it were of a trumpet talking with me; which said, Come up hither, and I will shew thee things which must be hereafter." (KJV)

"After this I looked, and behold, a door standing open in heaven! And the first voice, which I had heard speaking to me like a trumpet, said, “Come up here, and I will show you what must take place after this." (ESV)

"After these things I looked, and behold, a door standing open in heaven, and the first voice which I had heard, like the sound of a trumpet speaking with me, said, “Come up here, and I will show you what must take place after these things." (NASB)

Note that in every instance verse one begins with the word "after" and ends the same. In chapter one of Revelation we see Jesus revealed (revelation) in His glory. In chapters two and three Jesus is speaking to the church. He then transfers the Apostle John to Heaven in chapter four verse one to continue the prophecy. In chapter one, we see the eternal "I Am." In chapters two and three, we see the present day and age of the church period. Then beginning at chapter four, verse one He immediately takes us past the church age to the future.

If I go to see a play and there are three acts to the play, I will see one act after the other, not all three at once. Neither do they overlap in any way. If I attend a concert, I will listen to one song after the other, not all at one time. Neither do they overlap in any way. Neither do the church age and the Tribulation period co-exist or overlap in any way. One follows the other. As in a play, Act 1 comes BEFORE Act 2. Act 2 comes AFTER Act 1 and BEFORE Act 3. Act 3 comes AFTER Act 2. The Apostle John is shown the church age, and then he is raptured up to Heaven to see what follows the end of the church age. To me, you just can’t get any clearer than that. After means after.

Some say that the word "Rapture" is not in the Bible. That is true, and neither are the words "Bible" or "Trinity" found in the Bible, but they are just as true as the Rapture.

The word "Rapture" is derived from the Latin translation of "caught up" in 1 Thessalonians 4:17, "Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord." The Latin translation uses the word "rapturo," and this is where the word "rapture" is derived. The Greek word is "harpazo," and it means:

1.     To seize, carry off by force

2.     To seize on, claim for one’s self eagerly

3.     To snatch out or away

A few other verses where “harpazo” is used are:

"Now when they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord caught Philip away, so that the eunuch saw him no more; and he went on his way rejoicing." (Acts 8:39)

"Now when there arose a great dissension, the commander, fearing lest Paul might be pulled to pieces by them, commanded the soldiers to go down and take him by force from among them, and bring him into the barracks." (Acts 23:10)

"I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago - whether in the body I do not know, or whether out of the body I do not know, God knows - such a one was caught up to the third heaven. And I know such a man - whether in the body or out of the body I do not know, God knows - how he was caught up into Paradise and heard inexpressible words, which it is not lawful for a man to utter." (2 Corinthians 12:2-4)

So there is no doubt that Jesus will come in the clouds and eagerly claim His bride the Church for Himself, by seizing her and snatching her away by force to Heaven at the end of the church age. The next act will be the Tribulation, AFTER the Rapture.

The Tribulation period is a time of intense judgment by God. What groom would beat the living daylights out of his bride and then say, "Okay, now let’s go get married." It ain’t going to happen.

Some say that the Church has suffered persecution down through the years, so why would she not suffer during the Tribulation? The reason is quite simple. "Persecution" has come from evil men who carry out the deeds of their father, the Devil. Judgment comes from God. The Tribulation, as I have already stated, is not persecution. It is judgment. God is not going to judge those who He has already promised will be protected from His wrath to come. (See verses above.) Conclusion; the Church will not go through any part whatsoever of the Tribulation. She will be raptured (LT-rapturo), snatched up (GK-harpazo), BEFORE the Tribulation, and the Tribulation will commence AFTER the Rapture.

"Look up!"

.....Forgiveness!

There is a common teaching among Christians that claims we are to offer unconditional forgiveness to all who do evil against us (and others), followed by reconciliation. Some teach that we are to allow this cycle of offense, forgiveness, then reconciliation to continue forever (70 times 7). Is this really what Jesus commands us to do?

To forgive sin under all circumstances, unconditionally, and to reconcile with the unrepentant offender communicates a false gospel. It is not biblical. This is not what God does, nor is it what He commands us to do. However, to be unforgiving of sins against us by others also communicates a false gospel. So what is a believer to do?

In an attempt to answer these questions, I ask you to consider forgiveness and reconciliation in the most radical sense in order to put these teachings into perspective. Cast off petty offenses such as forgetting to bring a pie to a long-ago Christmas dinner or being late for an appointment. Instead, think of something truly wicked that has been done to you, or to someone you love, not unknowingly, but with premeditation and malice a situation in which you have come face to face with evil. With that in mind, imagine the perpetrator pridefully denying his or her wrongdoing and refusing to repent, yet demanding your forgiveness and reconciliation because, "After all, you are a Christian, and this is your obligation." Now what?

Forgiveness Defined

Before we delve into the subject, let's determine what forgiveness really means. Some definitions include:

Merriam-Webster Dictionary: To pardon, absolve
To give up resentment of
To grant relief from payment of
Strong's Hebrew Definition: salach (saw-lakh)
To forgive:--forgive, pardon, spare
Strong's Greek Definition: aphiemi (af-ee-ay-mee)
To cry, forgive, forsake, lay aside, leave, let (alone, be, go, have), omit, put (send) away, remit, suffer, yield up

Perhaps it is more helpful to define what forgiveness is NOT:

Forgiveness is not ignoring, disregarding, tolerating, excusing, overlooking, or closing one's eyes to the sin of another person. It is not simply letting time pass after the offense has been committed and then "getting over it." It is not resigning one's self to the other person's sinful actions by saying, "Well, that's just the way s/he is and I"m stuck with her/him for life, so I'll just accept it." It is not letting things "roll off our backs"or agreeing to make a "fresh start" without confronting the problem. To engage in these behaviors not only condones sin, but also perpetuates it, and as Christians, we are forbidden to do so.

The Biblical Model of Forgiveness

Jesus himself gave us a three-step model of forgiveness among believers in the Gospel of Luke. He said: "Take heed to yourselves. If your brother sins against you, rebuke him; and if he repents, forgive him. And if he sins against you seven times in a day, and seven times in a day returns to you, saying, 'I repent,' you shall forgive him" (Luke 17:3-4).

Step One: Rebuke - Jesus clearly tells us that if a "brother," meaning a believer, sins against us, we are first to rebuke him. What does this mean? To rebuke is to criticize sharply, to reprimand. This plays nicely into the Christian principle of speaking the truth in love. To rebuke a brother is not an act done with a hateful or prideful heart. No. In fact, it could easily be compared to the behavior of a loving mother correcting her child for a behavior that will bring harm to her child and/or others. She may raise her voice and speak sternly, but she does so with a loving heart and tongue. We are to rebuke our brothers privately, and with humble hearts.

Step Two: Repentance - Jesus tells us that our forgiveness is conditional upon the brother's repentance after the rebuke. To repent in the broad biblical sense is to turn away from sin. Repentance is not simply a reform of one's behavior, although genuine repentance ultimately results in reformed behavior. Instead, repentance is the sincere feeling of remorse, and a heartfelt search for forgiveness. A believer does not get to that place without first feeling the burden of Holy Spirit conviction. The natural response of a believer to Holy Spirit conviction is acknowledgement that one has sinned, followed by true remorse and repentance. The kind of repentance God demands, knowing the interaction of the indwelling Holy Spirit with His children, is one that has visible results to others: fruits. The great Apostle Paul discussed his gospel with King Agrippa, saying "...that they should repent, turn to God, and do works befitting repentance" (Acts 26:20). Also, John the Baptist said, "Therefore bear fruits worthy of repentance..." (Luke 3:8). True repentance is always evident and visible through the changed hearts and fruit bearing works of the repentant. That kind of transformation is evident to believers and unbelievers alike. It's obvious to all who interact with the person and witness his or her daily conduct. Jesus gives us more insight into this dilemma when he spoke these words:

"Moreover if your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault between you and him alone. If he hears you, you have gained your brother. But if he will not hear, take with you one or two more, that 'by the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established.' And if he refuses to hear them, tell it to the church. But if he refuses even to hear the church, let him be to you like a heathen and a tax collector. "Assuredly, I say to you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven. "Again I say to you that if two of you agree on earth concerning anything that they ask, it will be done for them by My Father in heaven. For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them" (Matthew 18:15-20).

In the practical and relational sense, repentance begins with the offender recognizing his or her wrongdoing. This recognition always includes an admission of guilt to the offended party. The person who has committed the offense is required to confess the wrongdoing and express remorse to the offended person for the sinful acts. Afterwards, the offender is to make a commitment not to repeat the offense. Ultimately, the purpose of this process is to express guilt and remorse to the offended person in an attempt to gain forgiveness so that the two people can repair the relationship. Without this process being fulfilled in its entirety, forgiveness is impossible.

Step Three: Forgiveness - If the first two steps have been completed, and the fruits of sincere repentance have been observed, Jesus commands the offended party to forgive his brother, as He has forgiven us.

What about the unbeliever?

This is what the Scriptures say about how we are to conduct ourselves among unbelievers:

"After these things the Lord appointed seventy others also, and sent them two by two before His face into every city and place where He Himself was about to go. Then He said to them, "The harvest truly is great, but the laborers are few; therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest. Go your way; behold, I send you out as lambs among wolves. Carry neither money bag, knapsack, nor sandals; and greet no one along the road. But whatever house you enter, first say, 'Peace to this house.' And if a son of peace is there, your peace will rest on it; if not, it will return to you. And remain in the same house, eating and drinking such things as they give, for the laborer is worthy of his wages. Do not go from house to house. Whatever city you enter, and they receive you, eat such things as are set before you. And heal the sick there, and say to them, 'The kingdom of God has come near to you.' But whatever city you enter, and they do not receive you, go out into its streets and say, 'The very dust of your city which clings to us we wipe off against you. Nevertheless know this, that the kingdom of God has come near you.' But I say to you that it will be more tolerable in that Day for Sodom than for that city" (Luke 10:1-12).

We must be very careful here because we are commanded never to judge the hearts of others with regard to their salvation. To do so would be assuming godship, which is a sin. Even so, the Lord has given us permission, in Holy Spirit discernment, to shake the dust from our sandals and to move on, when we don't meet with peace in His name. God has given us specific instruction in this regard, and we should obey His words. He even warns us about how we are to interact with unbelievers: in wisdom and with gentleness; to be in the world but not of the world, because we are His chosen, and are set apart as the salt and light of the world. He explains this concept in the following passage:

"Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience. Therefore do not be partakers with them. For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light (for the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness, righteousness, and truth), finding out what is acceptable to the Lord. And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather expose them. For it is shameful even to speak of those things which are done by them in secret. But all things that are exposed are made manifest by the light, for whatever makes manifest is light. Therefore He says: "Awake, you who sleep, arise from the dead, and Christ will give you light. See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be unwise, but understand what the will of the Lord is" (Ephesians 5:6-17).

Back to the Original Issue of Forgiveness

Unconditional forgiveness is canceling a debt to all those who intentionally offend us, whether or not they own up to what they have done and repent. Offering forgiveness without repentance, however, does not follow the biblical model of forgiveness, as previously outlined in Luke 17:3-4.

The Bible says we are to forgive as God forgave us. It is written in Ephesians 4:32, "And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you" and Colossians 3:13 states, "...bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do."

However, God withholds His forgiveness until we repent: "...and saying, "The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel" (Mark 1:15). "I tell you, no; but unless you repent you will all likewise perish. Or those eighteen on whom the tower in Siloam fell and killed them, do you think that they were worse sinners than all other men who dwelt in Jerusalem? I tell you, no; but unless you repent you will all likewise perish" (Luke 13:3-5). "Repent therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord..." (Acts 3:19).

God does not grant forgiveness to those of us who continue to act with prideful arrogance against Him, and against our brothers and sisters in Christ. We must recognize our sin and repent to receive and enjoy God's merciful forgiveness. We must exhibit this same behavior in our relationships in the Body. God requires repentance and so must we.

An unrepentant person maintains a false sense of control over his life through pride, which inevitably leads to destruction, violence, and animosity. This is because an unrepentant heart is conceived in the child of the devil: "The fear of the Lord is to hate evil; pride and arrogance and the evil way and the perverse mouth I hate" (Proverbs 8:13). "Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall" (Proverbs 16:18). "A man’s pride will bring him low, but the humble in spirit will retain honor"
(Proverbs 29:23).

Turning toward God is necessary to break the cycle of destructive behaviors and patterns of relating to others. If, as believers, we don't require repentance on the part of the offender, we stand in the way of that person coming to see his or her need for God and experiencing His forgiveness. To put it simply, forgiveness is a two-way process: repentance on the part of the offender and pardon on the part of the offended.

How To Deal with the Unrepentant

The ultimate purpose of forgiveness is the healing of a relationship. This healing occurs only when the offender repents and demonstrates remorse, and when the offended one grants a pardon and demonstrates loving acceptance.

When the offender does not take the first step, we have no other choice but to exercise inward forgiveness for the sake of our own peace of mind and tranquility. This is when we choose to no longer be a party to the unfavorable emotions we experience when we think of the malicious behavior.

Although we are not required to forgive the unrepentant offender, we are commanded to pray that our enemies would come to repentance, especially of their sins before Christ, if they are not saved. "But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. For if you love those who love you, what reward have you? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? And if you greet your brethren only, what do you do more than others? Do not even the tax collectors do so? Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect" (Matthew 5:44-48).

Outward forgiveness, in the case of an unrepentant offender, is something we turn over to God himself. Outwardly, only God can extend forgiveness to our enemies. This is a burden He gladly accepts on our behalf if we will simply allow Him to deliver us from the pain of this burden.


Maranatha!

.....President's Day!

God Bless America!

.....My Testimony!

I grew up during the 50's and 60's, and had a fairly normal childhood. My dad was a salesman for a major dairy company, and my mom was a home-maker. I had two older brothers as well. I didn't realize it then, but my family was heading for certain destruction. My dad was a very violent man. He abused my mother terribly, and he abused my brothers and I as well. There were many very nasty confrontations in our home, and one day my mother had finally had enough. My dad was told to leave. It was 1965, I was twelve years old. My brothers had both moved out long before this, and I was now left with just my mom.

From this moment on it was shear torment. My mom constantly told me how horrible my dad was, and that everything was his fault. My dad constantly told me it was all my mom's fault. I was somewhere in the middle falling through the cracks, thinking I was horrible and that it was all my fault.

My mother had become very depressed. She began to take prescription drugs, and she started drinking a lot as well. She tried a few times to take her own life, but unsuccessfully. My dad started investing in businesses. He poured his life into making money, and hiding it from my mom. Me? I was pretty much forgotten about. My oldest brother came to my rescue. We started sharing a love for hot rods, and custom cars. We did many things together. He became my dad during those years. He was the man I looked up to. The man I wanted to be like.

I got my first job at the age of fourteen. I worked in a small warehouse loading trucks. That job allowed me to save for my first car. It was a 1949 Chevy, and cost me $35! The next few years were hard. I watched my brother get kicked out of the military. He ended up with a dishonorable discharge. A short time later he found himself in a federal prison for car theft. I stood by him through everything, after all, he was the man I looked up to, and wanted to be like. One night I visited my brother, and his family. I was fifteen. They were smoking pot, and asked me if I cared to join in. Of course I did. If my brother was doing it, it had to be okay. He also allowed me to drink at his home. This was the beginning of my nightmare!

Home life for me? There was none any longer. I did pretty much as I pleased. No one cared anymore. Well I started smoking. My use of street drugs grew. I was smoking pot daily. I used LSD at least once per week, often it was more than that. I smoked opium, and hash. I really fell in love with uppers (speed). But then I needed downers to bring me back from my speed high. It was a horrible cycle. I also began to drink very heavily. By the time I was seventeen I was an alcoholic. By the time I was nineteen I was addicted to cocaine, amphetamines, and heroin. Where was my brother in all of this? The man I wanted to be like? He wanted nothing to do with me anymore. He said I was useless. He wanted nothing to do with someone who did drugs, drank, was in jail, etc.

I was a mess. I was in jail several times for theft. I stole things in order to sell them and get money for drugs. I truly didn't care anymore who I hurt. Mainly, I was hurting myself. At this point in my life I blamed everyone for what I had become. I blamed my dad. I blamed my mom. I mostly blamed my brother. He started me on drugs, and drinking, but then when the drugs and drinking took control of me, he abandoned me. He turned his back on me when I needed him most. He never cared how much he hurt me. He was the only person I trusted anymore, and he just dumped me like yesterdays trash. I haven't spoken with my brother now in more than twenty-three years. I miss him a lot sometimes!

My life was such a total mess. I used women for only one thing - to satisfy my desires. I continued my drug use, and drinking for a few more years. I came very close to death many times. No one knew. My life had become meaningless. I was an empty shell just wandering through life. I went on day after day, week after week, month after month, year after year. I was alone, and I didn't care. My drug friends had deserted me. My drinking buddies had deserted me. I was turning very mean and violent. I didn't care. I truly didn't care anymore if I lived or died. I had no hope. Even though I wasn't aware of it, God's Spirit was calling me. Even through my darkest hours, God was reaching out to me. I wasn't ready yet. I hurt so many people. I guess I felt so hurt and betrayed, I just wanted to hurt back.

It is now 1978. By now, God has cleaned me of some of my addictions. He was making me ready for something He had in mind. I had now met the love of my life. We were married in June of 1979, and in July of the same year we had our first child...a girl. I had no idea what was going on. Things were beginning to change, and at the time I didn't know why. Our marriage was anything but loving and good. We fought constantly. I was very abusive. This went on for several years. We had our second child in 1983...a boy. He was born with very severe birth defects and passed away in 1985. We had another boy in 1988, and another girl in 1989. During these years I was able to quit all drugs, and give up drinking. Our marriage was still rocky. I wasn't a good husband or dad. Something I will always be ashamed of. During all this my health was failing. I suffer with severe back problems. I had open heart surgery in 2000 to replace my aortic valve. While the immediate concerns were taken care of, I will still suffer the rest of my life with a less than perfect heart. There will always be a certain amount of heart disease present. God was still tugging at my heart through all these things. In February of 2002 someone shared some Scripture with me. At that very moment my heart was opened, and so were my eyes. I was given a bible. I was referred to a local church. Within a few short weeks, I had given my life to Jesus Christ, and nothing has been the same since. During all those years God was calling me, but I refused to hear it. I shrugged it off. But God had been bringing change to my life even though I didn't realize it. He was remaking me from the inside out. So many times He pulled me back from the brink of death. I could not have quit drinking and drugs if not for Him. I no longer blame anyone for who I had been. I made the choices. I placed my trust in people and things, instead of God. People and things will always let you down. They will always disappoint. We are all sinners. All of us. There is none righteous, no not one. But I found out God loves me. Maybe my mom and dad never loved me. Maybe my brothers never loved me. Maybe no one ever loved me. But my heavenly Father loves me so much, He gave His only Son that I might have life (John 3:16).

My wife and I, and our son have fully committed our lives to Jesus Christ. Our Lord, Savior, King, and Friend. We can be found on Sunday mornings at Calvary Chapel, worshipping and praising Him with fellow believers. My wife stuck with me through it all, and I thank God for that. God stuck with me too. Thank you Father, for never giving up on me. Such a weight has been removed from me. My mom died in 1997 from cancer, and my dad died in 1993 from a self-inflicted gunshot wound (suicide). My brother still won't talk with me. Bro...I love you! While all these things still hurt at times, what really matters to me is Jesus! He is first in my heart, and always will be. Don't misunderstand me, I'm not perfect. I still stumble and fall at times. But Jesus lifts me back up and helps me to start anew. I no longer lay blame on anyone. For anything. I made my choices in life, and I accept all responsibility for them. I have forgiven and moved on.

Would you like to know Jesus? You can have a loving relationship with Him this very day! You have a choice to make. Search your heart, and if you have not yet done so, please call on the name of the Lord! If you would like help with a prayer, you may use the following:

Dear Heavenly Father, I confess that I have sinned against heaven and in your sight and need forgiveness. Thank you for sending your Son Jesus to die on the cross for my sins, according to the Scriptures, and I thank you for raising Him from the dead. Today I ask Him to come into my heart to cleanse me from my sin and become my Lord and Savior. I give myself to you. In Jesus name I pray. Amen!

It is my hope that God led you to my story, and that you are ready to put your faith in Jesus. Remember always, God loves you, and He wants you to come back to His loving arms! Jesus died on the cross. He offers salvation to us all, and all we have to do is accept it! What a loving, and glorious God we have!

"One thing I know: that though I was blind, now I see." - John 9:25

"For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life." - John 3:16

"And Jesus said to them, "I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst." - John 6:35

"...whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved." - Romans 10:13


Praise Him!

.....Breaking Away!

"And God said to Noah, "The end of all flesh has come before Me, for the earth is filled with violence through them; and behold, I will destroy them with the earth." - Genesis 6:13

In the days before the flood, mankind turned from God and lived as though He did not exist. Morals failed. Men's minds were corrupted and they embraced abnormal sexual activity. Violence covered the face of the earth and men began living like animals. And it was upon these conditions that God looked and said, "My Spirit shall not strive with man forever" (Genesis 6:3).

You see, the time eventually comes when God's patience is exhausted.

We, too, live in a world filled with violence and corruption. It is only a matter of time before God again says, "That's it." Matthew 24:37 tells us, "But as the days of Noah were, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be." As He did the first time, God will tell His people, "Come on into the ark." Thank God He has provided that place of refuge for us. That ark today is Jesus Christ.

God has established absolute standards of righteousness, and we must submit ourselves to His authority, because Jesus is coming very soon to judge the world in righteousness.

Father, may we heed those things which we have heard, lest we drift away from them. Help us make a definite, decisive break with this corrupt world, that we might stand and be numbered with those who love and serve You. In Jesus' name...Amen!

.....Being Holy In All We Do!

"...but as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, because it is written, "Be holy, for I am holy." - 1 Peter 1:15-16

It is the privilege of every Christian to live so fully in God that he never gets out of the experienced Presence for one moment. When we have so learned to live in God and to experience His continual Presence, everything in our lives becomes spiritually significant. The old dividing line between the spiritual and the secular is removed, and every act becomes spiritual. What before had seemed mundane and nonspiritual now shines with a new light. God is found to be inhabiting our simplest acts as surely as our most lofty ones. All of life becomes good and acceptable to God through Jesus Christ our Lord. A life lived in Christ becomes in the true sense a life of unceasing prayer. The whole life becomes a prayer: words are verbal prayers, thoughts become mental prayers, deeds become prayers in action and even sleep may be but unconscious prayer. Psychology acknowledges a deep-down stratum of the mind which it calls the subconscious. It is that part which is in control during sleep and while we are under the power of an anesthetic. It may be the part of us that receives spiritual impressions first, becoming consciously aware of them only after they have first been received and registered in that mysterious depth of the mind which lies immediately below consciousness. Whether or not that is the correct explanation for things, it is still true that the whole mind may be placed so fully under the control of Christ that even sleep and forgetfulness work on our side to bless and help us in our practical waking lives. Whatever the explanation, the fact is known to every Spirit-filled Christian. We are only trying to state the familiar truth in less familiar language.

"be holy in all your conduct." When we open to the Holy Spirit everything-all rooms of our heart, all the closets, the crevices-everything, those secular/sacred compartmental dividers disappear. We allow the Spirit control of everything!

O Spirit of God, I throw open to You my whole heart and life. Change me. Change my thinking. Wholly cleanse me. Fill me!

.....You Chose This All By Yourself!

As of late, I have been noticing a very disturbing situation going on. As I am usually writing or talking about the "Nearness of the Rapture" and "The Salvation through Jesus Christ", I find that most are saying things like "Your Right" or maybe "You really have something there"! Obviously, these statements are not disturbing and for a while some will tell me, I'm doing a good job. Others smile and walk away, endeavoring to continue their daily lives, as they have done for a while, don't want any sort of "bumps in the road". What IS disturbing...no one seems to be doing anything, about what they have heard! I have written these things in other Blogs or articles, I have told others of what is happening and now it seems they are tired of hearing this! They show no sign that they have Looked to the Lord, or that they are even thinking about these things, much less giving their lives to Jesus!

 

We are not talking about "Valentine's day" here, we're talking about the "Rapture" and the "Lateness of the Hour"! I am saying what the Bible says, what I read in Gods Word, that Time is very, very short! People don't seem to understand, the "Rapture" by Jesus Christ...IS...going to take place! It IS going to take place very, very, soon!! Then I have people telling me, "You need to be a little easier on the "Push" part, concerning Salvation"! I Beg your pardon?! Do you want me to tone-it-down a little?!?! "Well....it just seems like your pushing this issue a little too stringently"!! Noooo...I do NOT see that!!! As a matter of fact, I don't feel anyone is "Pushing" this issue "Hard Enough"!! We are running around like crazy people ringing the alarm bells, setting off the sirens, doing whatever it takes to "Get Peoples attention"!! To wake them up!! To get them to see the dire situation is upon us!!

 

Here is the fact as I see it! First Jesus Christ is coming very soon to take HIS church (The True Believers) out of this world and it's called "The Rapture of the Church of Jesus Christ"! The Bible is telling us to "Prepare" ourselves, for we know not what hour the Master will come, but for YOU to be ready and waiting!! This is like preparing the passengers of a sinking ship to evacuate! IF no one is paying any attention...the vast majority of the passengers are going to die by drowning! So then the question IS...WHO are the ones that WANT to die...and WHO are the ones that want to LIVE?! Those that want to LIVE must get into the LIFE RAFTS! IS this not simple enough?? Satan does not want you to go in the "Rapture" (Life Raft)! He wants YOU to DIE in Eternal Destruction with him! Therefore, this Idiot of Idiots (Satan) is putting earplugs in your ears and telling you everything is just fine, there is nothing to worry about, what could possibly go wrong on such a wonderful ship as this?? (The World as we know it) Whoa...!!! What a minute here, Stop the Presses, Hold your horses, here hold the phone for a second!!!! SATAN is a LIAR!!! Doesn't anyone realize this FACT? Then why...is everyone listening to him, putting the earplugs in their ears, they can't hear the sirens and the alarm bells?!?! Everyone already KNOWS...everything has an end, so does this world...and it's almost upon us!!

 

It's as the Bible says, "But know this, that if the master of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched and not allowed his house to be broken into" - Luke 12:39. We have banks and vaults, we have safety deposit boxes, we have security alarm systems, we have armed guards...do you see what I am talking about here?? We have all these things against thieves, but no one can hear the "Alarm bells and Sirens" going off about the "Rapture"?? Satan is going to do everything in his power...to steal away YOUR soul and go with him to Hell for Eternity!! Tell me I'm wrong here! Tell me I am up to my ears in horse hockey! Then...and only then...will I stop saying anything! Otherwise I am going to shout it from the rooftop and everyone will hear it!! The Bible says, "the master of that servant will come on a day when he is not looking for him and at an hour that he is not aware of, and will cut him in two and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites. There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth" - Matthew 24:50-51. Straight from the Word of God...to you and to me!! There is NO leniency here, NO way other than straight down the middle of the path!!

 

So...tell me again why I should NOT be pushy?! Oh...don't want to upset the mood of the party...right?! WRONG!!! There is NO sign in the Bible of God being a wimp, nothing there that tells me God is going to be careful with what HE says either! As the Marines say, "It's do or die!" This is what is so disturbing today!! It is true, Jesus Christ asks us to give this information and then HE will save them! I understand that! Jesus Christ never bowed out because HE was afraid of offending someone. Jesus Christ told it like it was and is and shall ever be! Jesus Christ tells us to go out and tell the world, "They are dying in their trespass and SIN!!" Jesus Christ is saying, "They are Dying" and why? Because of their "Trespass and SIN!" IF you do NOT come to the Cross of Jesus Christ and ask for HIS forgiveness of your sin and be washed in HIS blood...YOU WILL DIE FOR YOUR SIN!! That means a quick trip to Hell!! And to think...your going to be there forever...Eternally!!

 

You know what is even worse to think about? YOU CHOSE THIS...YOU ARE GOING TO HELL!! I didn't say this, the Bible says this! All I'm trying to do is to get you to listen for a minute...so you don't go to hell...I'm trying to tell you that satan hates you with an everlasting hatred!! Jesus Christ is the ONLY way to Heaven and the Father!! If YOU are NOT paying any attention, YOU won't know what is going on...this is NOT an excuse that God will allow! My Job is to tell you what is going on and when...to give you the information on how to be saved from destruction! Problem is...NO ONE IS LISTENING!!! All that I can do now is to leave it to the Lord...if you won't listen to those like me...then Jesus Christ is the only answer left!! I have done everything I can think of to do or say, I have done what the Lord Jesus Christ has asked of me and I have tried to be an individual that looks out for others and is dependable, because Jesus Christ Loved me first! Each person is responsible for themselves and I can't stop thinking of what your going to say, as you stand at the Great White Throne of Judgement, as you look into the Eyes of Jesus Christ. YOU CHOSE THIS ALL BY YOURSELF!!

 

 

Come Lord Jesus!

.....America Celebrates 54 Million Abortions!

"These six things the Lord hates, yes, seven are an abomination to Him: a proud look, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked plans, feet that are swift in running to evil, a false witness who speaks lies, and one who sows discord among brethren." - Proverbs 6:16-19. People of the United States of America, you are on notice that your God, the God of the Bible, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob does not simply turn a "blind eye" to abortion - there will be consequences. Murder is very offensive to your God. Make no mistake, He is your God; whether or not you recognize Him as such is inconsequential to His judgment. You can't just wish Him away. He's here to stay. His creation is admonished to live by His precepts which are perfect, permanent, and everlasting - to be exact they were etched in stone with God's own finger. God gave the commandment "You shall not murder." - Exodus 20:13.

"I remain committed to protecting a woman's right to choose" - Barack Hussein Obama. President Obama, along with many Americans, just celebrated the murder of 54 million babies on January 22, 2012. I wonder how they celebrated. Did they pop the cork on some champagne bottles? Did they toast each other's murderous achievements? Did they put on a feast, and invite all their friends? Here's what they didn't do. They didn't visit the grave sites of the innocent murdered babies? They didn't repent for the biggest government sanctified mass murder of the ages? They didn't weep from broken hearts like God does every single time a baby is murdered in the womb? Apparently women have no remorse after this murderous deed is done, and men who encourage this murderous act know even less remorse.

Men and women make decisions; one of those decisions is to participate with one another in the act of sexual intercourse. This is where the choice ends. Once that act is accomplished they've made their choice. When pregnancy ensues, there is no further choice for the women or the man to make concerning that baby, other than what color to paint the baby's room. There's a God ordained life growing which must never be terminated by man. Man has no right to terminate a life that God has intended for His purpose. Abortion is the only crime where the innocent victim receives the death penalty, and the guilty go free.

God is perfect and His ways are not our ways and His thoughts are not our thoughts. When we consider it prudent to kill babies in the womb we would do well to consider God's position on that subject first. "Thus says the Lord, your Redeemer, and He who formed you from the womb: "I am the Lord, who makes all things, Who stretches out the heavens all alone, Who spreads abroad the earth by Myself..." - Isaiah 44:24. God has known every baby that's been murdered in the womb "Before I formed you in the womb I knew you..." - Jeremiah 1:5.

"...just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world..." - Ephesians 1:4. Before God laid the foundation of the world He knew every human being who would ever be formed in their mother's womb. Life is a gift from God, all aborted (murdered) babies are fully known by God. They are His children and He loves them - and His desire was that each of these babies would enjoy a life on earth filled with His innumerable blessings. But man made the decision to play god and took those lives away before they had a chance to see the world God had created for them.

To murder the innocent is an abomination in the sight of God - to murder 54 million means that particular nation is in for some very harsh judgment. In other words, God sees the murder of the unborn as a disgusting wickedness - evidence that He needs to cleanse the land of the murderous. Let there be no mistake, judgment is coming.

Abortion is the ending of a life through premeditated means. Abortion is murder in its ugliest form. These were babies not simply fetuses; they are human beings in developmental stages of life with God ordained rights. They were to live and grow, to learn and to love, to become what God wanted them to become, they were to be a meaningful part of society.

Satan has his hands in every aspect of the lives of mankind. Man murders babies in the womb to cut down on unwanted pregnancies? This is of course a lie. Genocide is at the heart of abortion, the genocide of the human race. The whole concept of abortion is satanic to the core. Anyone who would celebrate 54 million murders of innocent babies while these babies were still growing in their mother's womb resides fully in Satan's camp.

God knows the heart of every human being on this planet and there are many who are attempting to pull the wool over His eyes in many different aspects of life. But God cannot be fooled and those individuals who murder babies in the womb will pay for their wickedness. We might profess all day long that we are followers of Jesus Christ, but if our heart isn't in on that profession it will show by the fruit of our actions. (America celebrates 54 million abortions.) If we stand against God's precepts how then can we be following the Lord Jesus Christ? After becoming a born again believer in Christ there is always a change that followers; that change includes a repentant heart, because God doesn't just change our heart He gives us a new heart. Continuing to murder babies in the womb after claiming to be a Christian would be an indisputable sign certainly of the lack of repentance.

Love one another is one of God's paramount commandments. "If you love Me, keep My commandments." - John 14:15. What commandments, you might ask. "This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you." - John 15:12. If a person is to believe the Bible, and believe in its Author, then clearly the murder of innocent babies in the womb is in direct opposition to the above two verses. If we love Jesus the Christ, our Savior and Lord, then we must keep His commandments. We are to love one another unconditionally. That would, of course, include babies still in their mother's womb.

"And you shall not let any of your descendants pass through the fire to Molech..." - Leviticus 18:21. Molech was the god of the Ammonites and Phoenicians. They sacrificed their children to this god and some Israelites sacrificed their infants to this very same god in the valley of Hinnom. America celebrated the murder of 54 million babies sacrificed to this very same god of sex. Molech is just one of the names of the god of this world. Most of us recognize his name as Lucifer/Satan. When we study the history of various ancient civilizations we find many were very perverse in their nature as they participated in these incredibly sick rituals while appeasing their satanic god. Those who occupied the land that God gave to the Israelites were just this sort of people. "...(for all these abominations the men of the land have done, who were before you, and thus the land is defiled), lest the land vomit you out also when you defile it, as it vomited out the nations that were before you. For whoever commits any of these abominations, the persons who commit them shall be cut off from among their people." - Leviticus 18:27-29.

As America moves even further into the realm which God refers to as abominations she will soon see that as Chuck Missler likes to say, and I agree, "God says what He means and means what He says." We have defiled our land just like those people who were sacrificing their children to their god Molech. We have defiled our land by murdering 54 million innocent unborn babies, and make no mistake, in God's eyes there's no difference between abortion (murder) and sacrificing new born babies to the god Molech. Those ancient peoples were spued out of their land and God gave that land to the Israelites, while warning them not to participate in the same abominations or they too would be spued out of that land. Here's something interesting, those people who God had destroyed as He moved the Israelites in were in that land for over 400 years before the Israelites moved in. Here in America we murdered 54 million babies just since 1973. I doubt America will ever see 400 years of existence; quite frankly I have my doubts about even another year coming to pass.

If we are still here a year from now, then next year on January 22nd, we, as a nation will complete 40 years of government sanctioned murders. Throughout the past forty years pro-lifers have been unsuccessful in their attempts to bring a stop to all the carnage. But from what we just read concerning those who defile the land, God knows how to put a stop to those who cause abominations. We've defiled our land and God is about to show us the door. In Hebrew the phrase "cut off" actually means to "put to death". Those that lost their homes and land to the Israelites weren't just booted out of their own country they were completely wiped out - destroyed - to the last man, woman, and child. Why? Because they had become fully corrupted; generation after generation participated in the murdering of innocent babies and committing other abominations as well, such as homosexuality and bestiality. Does anyone else see any similarities in that ancient civilization and ours today? With a clear conscience and knowing that God says what He means and means what He says, can we honestly say God won't judge America?

Should Barack Obama be reelected to another term, next year in 2013 just two days after he's sworn into office, I'm sure he will be celebrating once again the murder of the unborn just as he does every year. With all the help he's given to the abortion mill America may be celebrating 60 million murders of unborn babies. Will that finally be the end of the longsuffering of our God and Savior, Jesus the Christ? Will justice prevail? Absolutely. Judgment is upon this defiled land, and a cleansing is imminent.


Maranatha!

.....Good Luck!

"And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being." - Genesis 2:7. Both the Old and New Testaments make it clear that God created everything we see including people. It wasn’t "luck" that brought about the human race. All through God's word nothing is left to chance.

I suppose everyone has heard the phrase "good luck" and even used such a phrase themselves, I know I have. Repeating the phrase "good luck" has become a habit with most folks and habits are hard to break, but I'm trying.

Where in the world did such a phrase come from? Another similar expression is "by chance". Some say it came from Shakespeare's "The Merry Wives of Windsor". Regardless of where the phrase came from, its inception has its roots in paganism.

It's uncanny how commonplace it's now become to wish good luck on another person. I can understand the lost of this world expressing themselves in this fashion because they either don't believe in God or they don't understand the foolishness of such statements. The question is why Christian believers, in many instances, express themselves as the pagans do when they know there is no such thing as luck or chance? Those of us who know and believe God's word know that only through our God is it possible to receive blessings of goodness. Wishing someone luck, whether good or bad, has no place in a believer's vocabulary.

"Before the mountains were brought forth, Or ever You had formed the earth and the world, Even from everlasting to everlasting, You are God." - Psalm 90:2. Luck is nonexistent. Luck in any form is not of God. We don't get lucky. The dictionary describes luck as "success that seems to happen by chance". Good luck, good fortune, chance, bad luck, these are all derived from a pagan mindset. In paganism God is replaced by a lucky set of circumstances. Yet true Christians know nothing happens by chance. This is how the whole idea of evolution got started and promoted to the extent that it is today. People are overwhelmingly inclined to believe in chance because they've been so programmed.

Those of us who believe in an awesome God who created the universe and everything in it know that chance does not happen. Everything we know and see was predetermined before the foundation of the world. Jesus knew before the foundation of the world that He would die for His creation and He knew how He would die. Imagine knowing something as horrible as exactly how He would die and living with that knowledge, as Christ did, all the while watching His creation continually rebel and grow farther removed from Him with every passing day. "But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us." -  Romans 5:8.

God knew His creation would need a Savior so all mankind could be reconciled to Him. Human beings were at one time in a right and loving relationship with their Creator, but mankind rebelled against their Creator thus ending the awesome relationship which began in the Garden of Eden. Mankind could never expect to get "lucky" and obtain a reconciled relationship with God without God's intervention. Luck had nothing to do with what Jesus did for us.

It's interesting how many words are associated with luck, even a word like providence which is usually associated with God, is a synonym for luck in the dictionary. Divine providence is not luck, but again we have been programmed to associate luck with God. Yet luck plays no part in God's economy. "When its boughs are withered, they will be broken off; the women come and set them on fire. For it is a people of no understanding; therefore He who made them will not have mercy on them, and He who formed them will show them no favor." - Isaiah 27:11. Believing in luck or chance will play a very distinct role in the lives of the lost and the consequences of such belief will be severe.

Those of us who are born again need to be mindful of using the word "luck" or even the phrase "by chance". Anytime we use the word luck to describe an emotion, or any other word that relies on chance, we've just eliminated God. When believers, in Christ, invoke the word luck in their conversations instead of the truth, God is quietly but instantaneously relegated to a position not at all becoming of who He is. Why do we do this? Our witness becomes ineffectual each time we rely on the word luck as a form of expression especially if used during witnessing. Christians can't even bless one another when the word luck materializes in their conversations.

"God bless you" is the response we who are "In Christ" believers should practice and be unafraid to proclaim. Even when speaking to unbelievers "God bless you" is much more significant and effectual than the phrase "good luck". Saying God bless you to a non-believer will embed that phrase in their minds. We may get laughed at or hear snickers behind our backs, possibly even ridiculed, mocked and scorned, but it may take nothing more than a simple God bless you to jar those who do the ridiculing into hearing the Holy Spirit.

I've watched some older movies in the past, English and Irish and such, and have noticed in some of those movies when a character enters a house he/she announces themselves by saying "God bless all here". I thought this was a great way to begin a conversation. Can you imagine entering a home and wishing everyone there good luck. It just doesn't compute.

"I went fishing the other day and caught a big one; man did I get lucky". No you were blessed. That fish was just another of God's many blessings which pagans refer to as luck. How often do we take the honor and glory from God when we insert the word luck into our conversations? How often is God marginalized by the vocabulary of His own children? Think about it.

"Lucky you!" No, God blessed you. Why is that such a hard statement to make? If there is no such thing as luck, then there is no occasion to insert that word into our vocabulary. Everyone knows leprechauns are fictitious so how would it sound if we gave leprechauns the glory for all our blessings? "The leprechauns gave me good fortune". How would God look upon His creation as they insult Him with such a statement? Yet we do exactly that with every utterance of "good luck".

"The great God who formed everything gives the fool his hire and the transgressor his wages. As a dog returns to his own vomit, so a fool repeats his folly." - Proverbs 26:10-11. People will travel miles out of their way to reach a place known as a gambling casino, they park their cars and their brains outside, and as they enter that establishment they are completely reliant on the pagan idea of luck to win money. Luck is what gambling is all about. Yet, if luck is nonexistent then why do some win at gambling? ".....for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust." - Matthew 5:45. God's ways are far above man's ways. Why He allows some to win at gambling and others to lose is beyond me. But I can tell you this, if you come out ahead at gambling it's because God blessed you, God gets the glory, not luck. Statistics prove beyond the shadow of a doubt that losing is the order of the day for the huge majority of those who submit to such temptations. Why? Because God knows and you know that there are much better ways to use your funds than to throw them away at a gaming table.

Somehow the word luck wormed its way into the vocabulary of the human race. I believe it is satanic and should be avoided with extreme tenacity. Satan wants us to believe in luck and by doing so he's eliminating God from our lives. If everything that happens to us is pure luck then God had nothing to do with any part of our lives, thus He doesn't exist. This has been Satan's plan from the beginning. Get as many as possible to believe that lie and they will forget all about God, which is exactly what we see being promoted around the world.

In its past, England once had a bustling Christian culture. Currently though Christian’s make up approximately 2 percent of England's total population (that statistic can be found on numerous sits on the internet). Why has this phenomenon occurred in England? Because God's enemy and ours corrupted that island by convincing that population that chance had occurred billions of years ago and that God was not involved. Sadly, every nation on earth is now headed in that same direction, away from Christianity and fully embracing luck and chance.

Although America was founded on Christian principles, that foundation has been eroded through the teaching of evolution "chance". Everything we see happened by "chance" and we are very "lucky" to even be here after evolving out of pond scum. God? What God? Chance and luck is our god.

The big bang theory can be explained thusly: At first there was nothing, and then it exploded. We sure are lucky to have been in the path of that explosion so earth could evolve and life could appear on this meager planet, and all because of an explosion out of nothing. Never mind that scientists know that we live on a knife edge; with the slightest variation in atmosphere or temperatures life could not have come about or currently exist. But the Bible fully explains how this all came about, and it could only have been created by an all powerful God.

According to resources I've read lately, most secular scientists don't even believe in evolution yet they refuse to admit it in any public setting because most scientists derive their livelihoods from secular government funding. Apparently they would rather remain in their sins and not be accountable to God. Evolutionary "chance" is now looked upon as fact and taught as such in our public schools, as well as in most schools around the globe. Most people will attribute evolution to the "luck of the draw" instead of believing a loving and most merciful God could have created everything just with the power of His word.

Nothing creates nothing, just try adding 0+0 any way you want, you will still have nothing in the end. Life, planets, or even the universe could not come about without information, and only God can supply information. Thus, only God creates. God is responsible for life on this planet; it was not luck stirring a pot of pond scum that brought about life. "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth." - Genesis 1:1. In the very first verse of the Bible we see nothing left to chance or luck. God gave Moses the words to the first five books of the Bible so we who would follow would have the truth about creation at our fingertips and nothing would be left to chance.

I think by now everyone can see that placing ones faith in luck has had a devastating influence on planet earth. Satan planned his strategy prior to the fall of man and he has been hard at promoting his agenda for the last six thousand years. But God has His own agenda, and of course it includes Satan and all who follow him. They are those who will one day be the recipients of God's judgment. Nothing lucky about that.

Jesus Christ is our Creator God and our Savior. All who choose to believe in and follow Him will have everlasting life. All who follow Satan's luck will have everlasting damnation. So the question is, do you still feel lucky or blessed?


God bless you!