.....Faith Compromised!

"For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek." - Romans 1:16. When a believer becomes ashamed of the Gospel he/she will display definite signs that they are embarrassment by what the Bible says. When this embarrassment becomes public the believer then feels it necessary to change, re-interpret, and corrupt the word of God. Many Christians do this so that they might remain a friend to the various religions of this world. In addition, many Christians continually attempt to fit themselves into a posture of political correctness (tolerance); in such a case the Gospel of Christ becomes an even bigger liability. There’s a new breed of Christian emerging and roaming earth who has found it convenient to line item veto the scriptures that don’t jive with their preconceptions.

When we say yes to Jesus Christ we’re saying "Yes I believe You, I believe Your word, I believe in what You did for me". Contrary to popular teaching, we aren’t given the option to believe one scripture verse while we dismiss others. If we are to stand up for Jesus we must have a solid and sound foundation to stand on. If we poke holes in the Bible then we are only destroying our own footing. Make no mistake, if your biblical foundation is wrought with holes, sooner or later you will fall for any deception.

As Christians attempt to appease those who are of a different faith by rejecting portions of God’s word, they are virtually thumbing their noses at God. We become compromisers of our faith when we publically proclaim that the God of the Bible is the same God of all faiths. This disobedience to God is reflected in the vocabularies of many who claim to be Christians. How can we claim a relationship with the Son of God when we stand opposed to His written word? I submit that there is no discernable difference between the Christian that corrupts, ignores, or refuses to believe God’s word and those Pharisees who referred to our Lord as Satan "Now when the Pharisees heard it they said, "This fellow does not cast out demons except by Beelzebub, the ruler of the demons." - Matthew 12:24. At that point Israel as a Nation was in full rejection of her Messiah. When we claim a relationship with that same Messiah but dismiss His word as obscure, unnecessary, or as having little or no remaining authority over us, then be assured, Lucifer has taken over and Jesus has been dismissed. When Christians become hostile to the word of God by voiding various truths, these folks can be guaranteed that our God will not take that abuse of His word lightly. God is longsuffering, but still He’s God. He’s not to be mocked. God’s word will stand and those who reject it, or change it, or even minimize its authority as something that should be relegated to past generations will be greatly surprised at the end result of their foolishness.

Man creates his very own god; all he need do to conjure up a god is to focus his mind on that goal. Oh wait a minute; wouldn’t that be demonic? This is a perfect example of how demonic entities wind up masquerading as a god. They are invited to take the throne man has created for them and they are more than happy to facilitate man’s desires. "To whom will you liken Me, and make Me equal and compare Me, that we should be alike?" - Isaiah 46:5. God is asking those who insist on creating their own god out of some nonliving material, to whom are they comparing Him?

These false gods consist of the god of Islam, the god of the Mormons, the god of the Jehovah Witnesses, and any other man-created god. Have you ever noticed that all manmade gods deny the deity of Jesus Christ? I can’t speak for every born again believer in Christ, but these religions all sounds demonic to me. God makes the following statement which should put all people who worship false gods in their place. "They lavish gold out of the bag, and weigh silver on the scales; they hire a goldsmith, and he makes it a god; they prostrate themselves, yes, they worship." - Isaiah 46:6. Are we beginning to see the absurdity of such folly? To compromise our faith so we can be more presentable to the other faiths of this world is absurd. It’s blatant disrespect for the Creator of the universe. God, the God of the Holy Bible, makes it plain as day that there is no other God but Him.

Is there any difference between those people in Isaiah’s day and the purveyors of falsehoods who are bent on creating their own god and establishing their own religion from nothing? Satan takes control over the minds of the rebellious who find it necessary to negate the God of the Bible. Then with control over their minds he plants the seed that they are worshiping the same god as the Christians and Jews. Take Islam for instance. George Bush claimed everyone, even Muslims, worshiped the same God, the God of the Bible. Barack Obama declares this same lie, and many evangelical Christians agree. But all it takes is a minimal amount of research to discover that the religion of Islam established its foundation based on a manmade lie. God authenticates His word by giving us history lessons in advance. What religion can boast of that? For a Christian to agree with the two individuals above something must be compromised – that would be their faith.

God declares that He alone is God "Remember this, and show yourselves men; recall to mind, O you transgressors. Remember the former things of old, for I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like Me, declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times things that are not yet done, saying, 'My counsel shall stand, and I will do all My pleasure...'" - Isaiah 46:8-10. If we take God at His word then how can we neglect these passages? Standing firm on God’s precepts is the exact opposite of a faith-compromising Christian.

There is a huge difference between "religion" and Jesus our Messiah. All who practice a religion must find a way to come before God through their own good works. Religions are all works based. But Jesus requires zero works as a prerequisite to obtaining salvation, and since Jesus is God Almighty, He won’t have anything to do with false religions. He’s not a part of the "bridge builders" whose pursuit it is to connect all of earth’s religions together by insisting everyone worships the same God. Our Creator God says otherwise. All attempts to unite the world under one ecumenical system are satanic. The only Name that will secure us our own personal Heavenly inheritance is Jesus Christ, the one and only God of all creation.

"...It is hard for you to kick against the goads." - Acts 9:5b. All of earth’s "religions" are the same in that they are all kicking against the goads. Let me put it in simple terms everyone can understand. Religion is akin to paddling a canoe up a 1000 ft waterfall. These adherents to false religions paddling their canoes must reach the top of the waterfall to keep from drowning. Impossible you say? Think about it, these foolish people have nothing to rely on save a paddle and their own strength. All religions are in this same predicament. All of their efforts to reach God are impossible without Jesus Christ. For those of us who’ve placed our faith and trust in Him we become Christ like, taking on the characteristics of Christ. Jesus then becomes our strength; "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." - Philippians 4:13. We, those who are born again, didn’t have to prove ourselves worthy before we were allotted salvation. We didn’t need to knock on doors or become righteous first, we don’t need to die in jihad to enter Heaven – Jesus did the dying – we’re given life everlasting. All we had to do was believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and God immediately justified us. All we did to get to the Father was believe on the One He sent "Then they said to Him, "What shall we do, that we may work the works of God?" Jesus answered and said to them, "This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He sent." - John 6:28-29.

The Christian who compromises his/her faith by promoting the false assumption that the God of the Bible is the same God of all religions is not only calling God a liar, but they are also giving false hope to those false religions. Look at it this way; picture a cheerleader standing on the shore of the river where those in the canoe are trying to ascend that 1,000 ft waterfall. The cheerleader is calling for them to paddle harder, paddle harder, faster, faster, but it’s all to no avail. The people in the canoe can’t get anywhere – and they’re drowning. The impossibility of ascending that waterfall is the same as believing we can get to Heaven without Jesus as our Savior. We can do nothing by our own merit to earn our way into Heaven – Jesus already did it.

If you want to strike up a friendship with a person who is following after the enemy’s lie that everyone worships that same god, that’s fine; but there should be no misunderstanding on that person’s part as to just where you stand concerning false religions. If you stand on God’s inerrant word then you must be honest with those folks about where God sees them and their religion. "...I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me." - John 14:6. By the words of that verse we must conclude that if we don’t know Jesus Christ as the way, the truth, and the life, that He alone is the only possible way to the Father, then we are in the same canoe as those folks who are attempting to get to God by some other means than through faith in His only begotten Son, Jesus the Christ. In the canoe or cheerleading on the shore, we are wallowing in hopelessness. If we say we follow Jesus Christ but we deny He’s the only way to the Father then we’ve diminished Christ’s deity and made void His work on the cross and His resurrection. This would mean our faith is in vain. "And if Christ is not risen, then our preaching is empty and your faith is also empty.....And if Christ is not risen, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins!" - 1 Corinthians 15:14, 17b. These people who adhere to false religions remain in their sins.

The idea that all faiths worship the same God originates in the deepest darkest depths of Hell and is a blatant attempt to create a vacuum that will suck every adherent of every false religion straight down to the abyss. A Christian who promotes this satanic lie is nothing more than a willing advocate of the devil. Only Satan could have come up with such a deception. As this malevolent supernatural being continues his opposition to God we see his focus is on the Church to create confusion while establishing friction among the followers of Jesus Christ; all to facilitate his agenda of death and destruction.

When a Christian compromises his/her faith they are walking with the devil. Help us Father to see the truth. Think about it – do you really think Jesus "I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End," says the Lord, "who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty." - Revelation 1:8 is apt to share His Throne with any man-invented god?

Maranatha!

.....I Thought I Saw It Coming!

It is incredible, yet true. We are witnessing the unfolding of events long prophesied to take place during the last generation before the return of Christ. We knew that it was coming - we were almost eager to see this day because it means the Rapture is that much closer.

But as the day approaches, it becomes less an abstract notion and more a crushingly painful reality. It has made that transition from theoretical possibility to actual fact.

We always knew, in theory that, one day Christians would be marginalized to the point of insignificance.

We always knew that one day, some new religion having two horns like a lamb but speaking as a dragon would overspread Planet Earth. For decades we've made a guessing game out of what it would look like and who would be its leader.

As we see the hard-and-fast answers crowding out our best guesses, the game isn't as much fun as it used to be. In fact, it isn't any fun at all, any more.

This IS what we've been expecting. It is what the Bible forecast for the last days. Jesus said the Tribulation Period would be a time so terrible that if He didn't return to put a stop to it, there would be no flesh saved out of it.

So it is entirely reasonable to expect that the period leading up to it would be, ah, unpleasant, to say the least. Jesus prophesied that the time will come when those who kill you will think they do God service.

He reminded us that the world MUST hate us because it hates Him - but that doesn't make it any easier when it happens.

There are two competing sets of values here and it is out of that conflict that all the angst arises. If we are where I believe that we are on Bible prophecy's timeline, then America's (and the West's) days are numbered.

If we are where I believe we are, then the decline we are experiencing is both inevitable and unstoppable. This is only part of the Big Picture - there are other, bigger and scarier parts yet to come.

Why are they scarier today than they were, say, ten years ago? It isn't as if Bible prophecy changed in the last ten years. What we are experiencing is the realization of our expectations.

Did anybody really think that witnessing the unfolding of last days prophecy would be fun?

If you did, now you know.

You also know why you were but one of only a tiny handful of 'prophecy nuts' in your church. I say 'were' because as we move forward on the Bible timeline, prophecy doesn't seem so nuts anymore.

In the grand scheme of things, very few Christians in these last days have been called as watchmen. Even fewer have responded to the calling. It's not for everybody - for some it is too much. That is why we are necessary - to give the warning.

God has set each of us in the place He wants us to be for this time and place in human history. That doesn't mean it is a pleasant place - we had our pleasant time. But God in His wisdom, and for reasons known only to Him, has called us - you and me and others like us - as witnesses.

He promises a special crown for us at the Bema Seat. There are only FIVE crowns and this is one of them. So what made you think that earning it would be easy? It is supposed to be hard.

Out of all the living Christians on this planet, God called YOU to bear witness for all those too afraid to look.

Yes, it is frustrating. Yes, it is infuriating. Yes, it is frightening. And YES - it is unfair. Why can't YOU be one of those Christians just strolling through life, tra-la-la-la-la, in blissful ignorance?

I dunno. Because you can't. God called you and you answered the phone. Sorry. This is a bell that you can't unring. Read through your assignment again - note in particular the parts in italics.

"I charge you therefore before God and the Lord Jesus Christ, who will judge the living and the dead at His appearing and His kingdom: Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables. But you be watchful in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry." - 2 Timothy 4:1-5

Somebody has to watch in all things, do the work of an evangelist and make full proof of the ministry to which God called them. That's the charge. You accepted it - or you wouldn't be reading these words now.

Now the evil days are upon us and somehow, we are surprised to find we don't like it. I am not saying that sarcastically - I am as surprised as anybody at how surprised I am, if you can follow my drift.

I thought I was made of sterner stuff than that.

So, what are we to do as Christians? Our job. Be witnesses. Watch and observe and give the warning. You know, the Bible says that Noah preached for one hundred and twenty years and never made a single convert.

But when the rains came down, Noah still got to ride out the storm in the ark.

It is easy to become discouraged, frustrated and even angry. It's natural. But it is part of a plan that the God of the Universe has not only let you in on, He has included you as a necessary part.

"Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, and to present you faultless before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy, to God our Savior, who alone is wise, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and forever. Amen." - Jude 1:24-25

He can keep you from falling. He will present you faultless before the Throne with exceeding joy. He knows what He is doing, and He has let you in on some of the details.

Here's what we know - and we know it for sure. There is lots to be scared of. But nothing to be worried about. Because He is able. And He loves you more than you know.


Maranatha!

.....The Folly Of God-Denial!

As the political season heats up it occurs to me that, as important as elections are, unless the hearts of men are changed, the heart of a nation cannot awaken. Our nation is experiencing heart failure. It needs an awakening – a spiritual awakening. Desperately.

Every year secular-"progressives" and obnoxious atheist pressure groups exponentially ramp up demands that all traces of Christianity be purged from the public sphere; particularly at Christmas time. This is like demanding the abolition of penicillin during an outbreak of Typhoid Fever.

I’ve never quite understood this. Scripture admonishes: "The fool has said in his heart 'there is no God.'" Secularists need to relax. They already have their own holiday: April First.

Albert Einstein, who is often falsely characterized as having been an atheist, once said of non-believers: "The fanatical atheists are like slaves who are still feeling the weight of their chains which they have thrown off after hard struggle. They are creatures who – in their grudge against traditional religion as the 'opium of the masses' – cannot hear the music of the spheres."

Indeed, Psalm 19:1 observes: "The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament shows His handiwork."

Einstein addressed the inherent hubris associated with God-denial:

I’m not an atheist. I don’t think I can call myself a pantheist. The problem involved is too vast for our limited minds. We are in the position of a little child entering a huge library filled with books in many languages. The child knows someone must have written those books. It does not know how. It does not understand the languages in which they are written. The child dimly suspects a mysterious order in the arrangement of the books but doesn’t know what it is. That, it seems to me, is the attitude of even the most intelligent human being toward God. We see the universe marvelously arranged and obeying certain laws but only dimly understand these laws.

Although there is no evidence that, in life, Albert Einstein accepted the lordship of Jesus Christ, when asked if he believed in Jesus the historical figure, he responded: "Unquestionably! No one can read the Gospels without feeling the actual presence of Jesus. His personality pulsates in every word. No myth is filled with such life."

Undeniably, Jesus' existence, teachings – even many of the miracles He performed while on earth – are corroborated through a multitude of non-Christian historical sources.

Still, the mere belief in a creator God, or an admission that Jesus walked the earth, is altogether insufficient to recompense the debt owed for the fruits of wickedness, sown and harvested throughout our lives. As James 2:19 declares: "You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe - and tremble!"

So there is a question of principal importance to every human, and it is this: Is Jesus who He claimed to be: God, Creator of the heavens and earth; the singular path to salvation? Or was He something else? As with any yes-or-no question, there is a yes-or-no answer. There must be.

As author and Christian apologist C.S. Lewis observed, Christ could have been only one of three things: A lunatic, a liar, or – as He often claimed and as billions have believed – the sovereign Lord and Creator of the universe. Lewis wrote in "Mere Christianity":

A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher. He would either be a lunatic – on a level with the man who says he is a poached egg – or else he would be the Devil of Hell. You must make your choice. Either this man was, and is, the Son of God; or else a madman or something worse. You can shut Him up for a fool, you can spit at Him and kill him as a demon; or you can fall at His feet and call Him Lord and God. But let us not come with any patronizing nonsense about His being a great human teacher. He has not left that open to us. He did not intend to.

I write this with complete confidence: Albert Einstein presently acknowledges the deity of Jesus Christ. Every atheist, Muslim and Buddhist; every Wiccan, Hindu and Jew; every man, woman and child will bow before His nail-pierced feet. Whether we do it in this life or the next may determine where and how we spend eternity.

Philippians 2:10-11 assures us, "that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father."

John 3:36 warns: "He who believes in the Son has everlasting life; and he who does not believe the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him."

Christ was both tolerant and intolerant – utterly exclusive and wholly inclusive. He said in no uncertain terms: "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me." (John 14:6)

Note that, rather conspicuously, Jesus did not say: "No one comes to the Father except through me, the Buddha, Muhammad, Ganesh or L. Ron Hubbard."

Utterly exclusive.

Yet He also promised us this: "Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light." (Matthew 11:28-30)

Romans 10:13 is even more direct: "...whoever calls on the name of the LORD shall be saved."

Wholly inclusive.

The Bible is one of two things: it’s either simply an ancient text chock-full of creative tales and loose philosophies no more relevant to our daily lives than a Tony Robbins self-help book, or it is what it says it is: the inerrant, inspired Word of God. It can be nothing else.

If it is the former, then today’s secular fundamentalists have it right. The Bible should be taken with a grain of salt, enjoyed simply for its literary and historical value, or ignored altogether. However, if it is the latter – if the Bible really is the inerrant, inspired Word of God as it purports to be – then we ignore or reject it at our own peril.

Any philosophy that embraces relativism is a philosophy in conflict with objective, universal truth. A society that demands all things "inclusive" and enshrines unqualified "tolerance" for all cultures, behaviors or faith traditions has run afoul of reality. Pluralism and truth are incompatible.

Now, I’m very sorry that most liberals, universalists and non-believers feel that Christianity is deficiently "tolerant" or "inclusive" of various manmade religions, attitudes of materialism or lifestyle choices. But it’s not our call. Truth remains that, regardless of whether we choose to acknowledge it.

Christ Himself reveals over and again that the pathway to heaven is a very narrow one, requiring membership in an exclusive corporate body – membership of which belief in Him and repentance from sin are the only requirements. But they are requirements.

We are on notice. We have no excuse. The end of our temporal lives marks the beginning of our eternal ones. We each have a choice. We either choose to spend eternity bathed in the magnificent glory that is the light of Jesus Christ; or we choose complete separation from Him. We choose indescribable hopelessness; darkness without end; eternal torment of a kind our finite minds cannot fathom.

John 3:16 reveals the greatest gift ever offered unto man: "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." If you have yet done so, I pray in the New Year that you will resolve to accept the gift of eternal life. With it, you are reborn. With it, a great nation is reborn.


Praise Him!

.....Goliath!

"And a champion went out from the camp of the Philistines, named Goliath..." - 1 Samuel 17:4

Pretend you don't know how the story ends. Pretend you don't know what happens to Goliath as he brazenly and boldly flexed his muscles in full view of Israel's army. Pretend you're still in the nightmare with them...and it is a nightmare.

On the conservative side, Goliath was anywhere between nine and ten feet tall, and his might was every bit as impressive as his height. He wasn't just tall; he was also strong enough to wear a coat of armor weighing 125 pounds. He carried an enormous spear with a head on it that weighed 15 pounds.

We toss around the words "invincible" and "untouchable" quite a bit, but if there was ever a worthy application of these terms, it was Goliath's physical prowess. No other man was anywhere close to him. He had no peers, no rivals, and he probably started to doubt he would ever find anyone or anything that would even remotely challenge his strength. Like the polar bear in its natural habitat, there was nothing for Goliath to fear because nothing was a match for him. He was at the absolute top of the food chain!

Whether we want to admit it or not, a lot of us can be filled with that same sense of arrogance. If it's not our physical strength, it can affect us in a multitude of other ways. Our pride can deceive us into thinking we're invincible or untouchable. We think we have a situation under control or that we're the sole exception to a rule that applies to everyone else.

When that happens, we lose touch with the reality that we're actually very vulnerable and touchable. We can be brought down really quickly if God desires to do so in order to humble us and remind us that we're nothing apart from Him.

Goliath gives us a graphic picture of how destructive it is to be self-deceived by our own strength.

Father, may his story be a constant reminder to us that our real strength is in You and nowhere else...Amen!

.....Living As Relatives To Humankind!

"The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance." - 2 Peter 3:9

We human beings were made for each other, and what any of us is doing at any time cannot be a matter of indifference to the rest of us. On the human plane all men are brothers. The Son of Man never denied this sweet tie with humankind. Over a stubborn and sinful Jerusalem He frankly shed tears and, in the hour of death, prayed for men who were so blind as to nail their God on a tree. And Paul, who burned always to be like his Lord, wept over the unbelieving Israel with an anguish that goaded him to an utterance so daring as to cause the ages to wonder: "I have great sorrow and continual grief in my heart. For I could wish that I myself were accursed from Christ for my brethren, my countrymen according to the flesh." Peace of heart that is won by refusing to bear the common yoke of human sympathy is a peace unworthy of a Christian. To seek tranquility by stopping our ears to the cries of human pain is to make ourselves not Christians but a kind of degenerate stoic having no relation either to stoicism or Christianity. We Christians should never try to escape from the burdens and woes of life among men. The hermit and the anchorite sound good in poetry, but stripped of their artificial romance, they are not good examples of what the followers of Christ should be. True peace comes not by a retreat from the world but by the overpowering presence of Christ in the heart. "Christ in you" is the answer to our cry for peace. The Salvation Army lassie distributing gospel literature in a saloon is a better example of the separated life than a prim and cold-faced saint who has long ago fled the world to take refuge in the barren caverns of her soul.

The Lord does not want anyone to perish. Do I? Do I care enough to pray and to reach out in His name?

Father, to the extent I can bear it, will You enable me to see people as You see them...Amen!

.....What Do You Worship?

Everyone and I DO mean everyone, worships something. Even if you are not literally getting on your knees to venerate a person, object, activity or even an idea, there is still something in your life that you put on a pedestal above everything else. That 'thing' is what you live for and where you derive your greatest satisfaction.

Most people associate the word 'worship' with religion but Webster’s Dictionary carries the meaning a bit further. It says when we worship, we express intense devotion, esteem, love and admiration to a person or thing. We were designed to be in a love relationship with and worship our Creator and as a result, the ancient, overwhelming compulsion to pay homage to something other than ourselves is wired into our being.

We cannot help but do so, even when we aren’t aware we are doing just that! It seems that most people worship that which they’ve been taught by their parents or their culture. For instance, most people in India have been raised to give recognition and honor to the gods of Hinduism. They give offerings to these gods in exchange for the hope of good weather for their crops or protection from disease or other calamity. It would most likely not ever occur to them to question why this is so, and if what they believe is true. They just do it because it is what they are expected to do by their elders.

The same principle applies to different religions all over the world. You tend to stick with what your parents taught you, even if you don’t fully understand the reason or logic behind the ceremonies. This explains why blindly practicing religion leaves people so empty. Of course, there are a large number of people who don’t believe God exists at all and if there is a God, which one is the 'right' one?

Those who don’t subscribe to any particular supreme being are still involved in worship. In America, the god of money and prosperity is quite popular. People will sacrifice their families or integrity to this 'god' in order to be as successful as possible and get ahead in business. They want to climb that corporate ladder all the way to the top. Unfortunately, they end up realizing there is no 'top' and no prize. They end up with loads of money and material things but find themselves alone because they neglected the relationships they were blessed with.

Others are more pleasure oriented and worship the god of their appetite, whether that be some type of intellectualism, recreation, food, electronic entertainment, drugs, travel or sex. Whatever makes them feel good is what they pursue with passion and excitement. They are convinced that, other than the government and their bosses, they are in charge of their own lives and no one tells them what to do or what decisions to make. They feel they are accountable to no one. Unless they are attending a funeral or other memorial service, there is rarely any consideration of what will happen to them when they die. Why think about something so depressing? Besides, their 'worship' need is being met even though they don’t realize it.

Even in Christianity, there are a huge number of people who profess to be believers in Christ but are participating in the rituals by rote and without true understanding or interest in what they are doing. They attend church every week, making sure they are dressed in outfits that look 'churchy.' They bring the obligatory covered dish to the fellowships and volunteer in the nursery or kitchen as a good Christian should, but if someone in the congregation is experiencing tragedy, well, let someone else sacrifice money or time to help them. They are too busy with carpool and tennis lessons to assist or even pray for that person. They worship the god of pious religious appearance and reputation.

I have some mighty bad news for most of you and you’re not going to like what I am about to say, but I say it out of a burning need to warn as many people as I can while there is still time. It matters not to me what you think about me personally. You can discount this news and disparage it all you want. You can laugh in my face and scoff and call me every name in the book. I am past caring about temporal appearances or reputation. I am privileged to make a complete fool out of myself in your eyes for the name of Christ. BUT…what I tell you is truth.

I can state unequivocally that there indeed IS a God. He is known by the following names: Jehovah, YHWH, I AM, Almighty God, Father, Son, Holy Spirit and Jesus Christ. He is the "ancient of days" and has always existed, exists now and will always exist. He is the Creator of all things seen and unseen, and that includes YOU.

There are NOT many different paths to reach this God. He is NOT the same god as Allah, Buddha, nirvana, perfect nothingness or any other god mankind has come up with. Every single person is born a sinful creature, even that seemingly innocent little baby. I’ve had a child and was amazed to see the willful, rebellious nature rear its head when my son was just a couple of months old. It is what it is and we cannot fix it. Only God can.

Every single religion represents mankind’s instinctive need to reconcile with God. Deep down we know there is something bigger than ourselves ‘out there.’ The Bible says in Romans 1:20-22 - "For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse, because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened. Professing to be wise, they became fools..."

In other words, as far as God in concerned, He has provided plenty of sufficient evidence in the natural world to clearly prove His existence. If mankind willfully refuses to acknowledge that little tug of worship in his heart and open his eyes to obvious proof of intelligent design in all of nature, creatures and even the universe itself, then he is without excuse.

Every single one of us has an innate, nagging feeling that we will stand before Almighty God and answer for how we lived our lives. Those who have given themselves to the god of so called "intellectualism", cultured in the arrogant medium of liberal universities, are usually the ones with the biggest mouths, denying the existence of God. "Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools." For every intellectual, scientist, medical doctor, chemist, astrophysicist, etc. that denies the existence of God, there is a colleague of equal education and intellect who would refute their claim. I am not writing this to argue the point.

I am writing this to declare a stark warning. The only way to be made right before God is through Jesus Christ, who said, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me" (John 14:6). Period. Like it or not. Believe it or not. End of conversation.

Just about every adult on the planet has noticed in the past 10 years or so, an increase in natural disasters, some of which have been of "Biblical" proportions. You see the moral degradation of society and the increase in crime, particularly violent crime. Every night on the news, you hear of yet another war and the escalation of tensions between countries and cultures. You worry about the financial collapse of the Euro and the Dollar, which would ruin the economies of all nations. Record droughts. Record floods. Famine. Disease once thought eradicated rearing its head. What is going on?

The Bible is quite clear about the signs portending the end of civilization as we know it. We are living in Disney World compared to what is coming. God is incredibly patient and does not want anyone to be lost to hell, so He has allowed society to toddle on for centuries enjoying prosperity, advances in technology and travel, giving mankind time to turn to Him. BUT, you must understand this; God is not only love. He is also perfectly just.

The rejection of His Son’s sacrificial death to cleanse us from all sin so we can be presented to God and live up to His Holy standards, has just about caught up with this world. God is eminently just and His patience has about run out. The Bible tells us of the wrath that Christ will pour out on this earth and sinful mankind. But first Jesus will snatch those whose hearts and minds belong to Him up to heaven to spare us from the mind boggling horrors to come. The signs that this 'snatching' will take place VERY soon is all too clear. There is not much time left for you to choose this day whom you will worship.

We ALL will end up worshipping Jesus Christ. Some of us will do so with endless joy and adoration. The rest of you will bow your knee and be forced to confess Jesus is Lord.

Yes, it’s all real. It is really true. And whether you choose to believe it and accept the pardon Christ died to provide you or scoff and go your own way, these things WILL take place. Mark my words…if you choose to laugh this message off as the ranting of some evangelical Christian nut-case, be my guest. But there will come a day when you find yourself face to face with an Almighty God, and you’ll remember my warning. And for all of eternity, you will live with the knowledge that you flagrantly threw away your chance to live in heaven.

I’ll be blunt. Don’t be stupid, people. DON’T. BE. STUPID.

Maranatha!

.....Ominous Black Friday And The December 21, 2012 Event!

They call it "Black Friday", and it has a varied history. Some say the origin of the name comes from the Philadelphia Police Department's uncomplimentary appraisal of the first day of the Christmas shopping season back in 1966. In recent years it refers to that busy Friday after Thanksgiving that puts retailers "in the black".

Each year it seems the day is punctuated with incidents of trampling, fights, robberies, shootings and all sorts of anti-social behavior. Seems that "peace on earth" thing we like to sing about just can't seem to make it to the retail level.

It is both sad and shocking that the official American day of Thanksgiving to God has become the eve of what is arguably the year's most illustrative day of thanklessness and greed. More important than its origin, and even more important than its economic impact is its crystal clear portrayal of the greed and violence that can be so quickly and easily launched from the depths of the human heart. Not a pretty sight to behold.

But, there is something more here. Something ominous that is lurking in the dark shadow of this often violent day of materialistic greed. In short, it sets a precedent, though very limited in comparison, for what is going to happen in America, and all over the world, very soon. It is the coming time of tribulation spoken of by the ancient Hebrew prophets, and a time described by Jesus in Matthew 24 as one of unprecedented trouble. A time when the human race will show just how debauched it can be when God is dismissed and man is left to himself.

Amos said it will be a time of darkness, "...as though a man fled from a lion, and a bear met him! Or as though he went into the house, leaned his hand on the wall, and a serpent bit him!" (Amos 5:19). Just when a man thinks he is safe and stops to catch his breath, he is instantly face-to-face with another form of horrible death. The deep and continuous anxiety and fear of the tribulation period will break many of those left behind emotionally, mentally and physically. Soon, most civility will be gone, and the ultimate result will be a world with many of its inhabitants living on the verge of barbarism.

After the anti-Christ imposes "order", the compulsion for survival will even undermine martial law when necessary. Further, his demand for control and worship will push the criminal justice system and its former stabilizing influence to the back burner. You see, he will have no concern for escalating lawlessness, because he will have no concern for the sanctity of life.

In those spiritually dark days the damning mark of the beast will be necessary for anyone to buy or sell goods and services. Refusing his mark will be a terrifying thing, for it will cost a person his head under the blade of the guillotine (Revelation 20:4). It is absolutely impossible to imagine, or in any way visualize the horrors that will fall upon this Christ-rejecting world. Sobering is the fact that this coming day is not in the distant future. It will begin very soon after the rapture which, by the way, could happen today.

So, what does all this have to do with Black Friday? Simple. The materialism and violence of that day is but a microcosm of what will happen in the tribulation. We are seeing movement in that direction now, but it will get much worse.

First, a worldwide economic crash will be part of God's judgment (Revelation 18) which means fiat money (paper money) will be hyper-inflated, or will become worthless. This has happened before. Further, the so-called "safeguards" designed to prevent a market crash and which are overseen by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission are futile. Oh, yeah? Yeah. Note the recently admitted inability of the SEC to prevent the massive Bernard Madoff fraud of upwards of $20 billion. Scripture says that trust in any government's ability to protect its citizens from certain threats is foolish. In those days there will be little government protection, whether you call the SEC about your money, or 911 about your life and property. More importantly though, is the fact that people will need protection from the government itself, a nightmare many believe is already here. Note Jeremiah 17:5-6.

Second, events will quickly escalate to a level of severe desperation. By the breaking of the 4th seal in Revelation 6 a full 25% of the earth's post-rapture population will die from violence, famine, disease and wild animals. The world's population is currently 7 billion. To illustrate, say 2 billion are taken at the rapture with 5 billion left on earth. That means 1,250,000,000 people will die in the early part of the 7 year tribulation. Those are not good odds when the ante is not just death, but a hideous kind of death at that.

Third, terrible disasters will happen in the form of terrestrial and cosmic disturbances. Devastating earthquakes will disrupt local and worldwide communication, air and ground transportation, pipelines, utilities, production and distribution of goods and services like food and fuel, etc. (Revelation 6:12). The cosmic instability listed seems to be meteorite and asteroid impacts upon the earth. But, whatever they will be, they will be sufficient to drive kings, presidents and other renown, God-hating world leaders into caves and holes in the ground like so many fearful, scurrying vermin.

Presently, America and other developed countries have disaster sensors in place. Meteorologists examine atmospheric conditions, predict the weather systems they will produce and issue warnings. People can have severe weather alert systems in their homes, and programed into their phones. Volcanologists and seismologists closely monitor movements in the earth's crust to predict eruptions and earthquakes. In those days ahead such monitoring will be of no value. In fact, even in the 21st Century scientists are sometimes mistaken about such things as they were about Fourpeaked Volcano in Alaska, thought to be extinct for 10,000 years. That is, until it came to life in 2006. The experts were wrong. Imagine that.

Fourth, the Holy Spirit will be removed from the earth when the church is removed (2 Thessalonians 2:6). That is not to say He will not be involved in the salvation of multitudes during the tribulation, but it is to say His overruling hand will be gone. The God-hating world will get what it wants - a world without God! The result, however, will be anything but peace. As with oil and water, man's independent governance and real peace cannot occupy the same space at the same time.

The real issue with the absence of the Holy Spirit during the tribulation will be the hellish corruption of every aspect of human life as the result of the uninhibited influence of Satan upon men's hearts. Contrary to what kids are led to believe in college humanities curricula, the human heart is indeed evil (Jeremiah 17:9).

Presently, the outpouring of such evil is held in check by the presence of God's Spirit in believers. That is true despite the horrors some men perpetuate upon other men. This emphasizes the broad contrast between the present evil actions of men and the hyper-evil they will become capable of in that day. When Jesus said this future time of suffering is unprecedented those words left His tongue with their full meaning and impact intended.

A few days ago on Black Friday some people struck, trampled, pepper-sprayed, robbed and even murdered other people for toys, play-things and other trinkets. Imagine every day for seven years being like Black Friday, but on steroids. What do you think those left behind will do when they experience real needs like food, water, shelter, medicine and other necessities for survival, and their backs are against the wall?

Imagine a time when disasters happen everywhere. Imagine living in urban and suburban areas where there is no fresh water, no sewage and garbage disposal, no food, no electricity, no anything. What do you suppose will be the limitations on human conduct when people believe their only hope of survival is in what they can take by force? An evil heart combined with an empty stomach will produce unbelievable violence.

Add to this mix those who will take advantage of the chaos and diminished police presence to not only take what they want to survive, but to take whatever else they want from those who are vulnerable. And one more thing. Remember the "great sword" in Revelation 6:4? The blade described there is actually a short-sword, an assassin's weapon. Those terrible days will also be a time of vengeance. An opportunity to "get even" with whoever for whatever reason.

To a great degree those days of tribulation will produce a degree of change in the way people conduct business. It is true that there will be a powerful engine of commerce operating a global economy as seen in Revelation 18. But, on some levels certain disturbances will force a bartering system upon people. Will a man with several dependents who are hungry and have not had clean drinking water for weeks really want gold as a medium of exchange? If the man down the road has a fresh-water well and a milk cow, will he accept gold in exchange for his commodities? Gold cannot be eaten, drank, worn or lived in. Gold cannot run an engine, nor can it set a broken bone or kill a pathogen. Inflation, a growing black market and other influences will make money and precious metals values impossible to set. Those who possess necessities will barter for those goods and services they need. This will morph into a sub-economy far more suitable for survival than regular commerce. It has happened often before.

What this means is that those without commodities and services with which to barter will be in great desperation, and this will push the limits of their conduct past civilized lines. When people realize that the money they saved, their retirements, their collectibles, and their materialistic possessions are almost worthless they will drop all pretense of civilization and revert to any means of survival deemed necessary. Comparatively speaking, the worst Black Friday will be like a benign Sunday School class for centenarians.

Every analysis and depiction of the tribulation period is unpleasant, but it must be studied seriously. Thus, the main reason for considering these matters is to inform people of what is coming. It is hoped that current events seen through the lens of scripture would serve to open our eyes to the imminent reality of the rapture of the church followed by the most violent time of suffering in the history of humanity. But, that is not happening, unfortunately.

The eyes of unbelievers are blinded, and even the majority of Christians offer only a condescending smile and a dismissive wave of the hand at the mention of these things. It is true that the church will not go into the tribulation, and we thank God for that! But, it is also true that we are living in the shadow of these things and the precursors of unparalleled terror are staring us in the eye right now. Because there is more focus on the Baby in the cradle than the Man on the cross and His empty tomb, and because there is very little focus at all on His imminent coming for His church, people are simply not ready. From the portals of heaven Jesus is essentially screaming His warning, but hardly anyone is listening. Indeed, the rapture will surprise the secular world. Sadly, because of ignorance and apathy, even most Christians will be surprised.

What About December 21, 2012?

This is an important year for many people. While most of the hoop-la has died down, some are still mulling over that Mayan calendar thing about how the world might end on December 21st. Memories of Y2K come to mind as we hear of people making plans to escape doom by buying extra food staples, building bunkers and stockpiling water cans. And, no doubt we can expect an increase in interest as the day becomes nearer.

The idea that something unusual is going to happen is based upon that date being the end of a 5,125 year long calendar the Mayans developed. Since what follows that date is obscure some people believe it must obviously mean the end of the human race, or something similar. However, in order to believe this a person must first disbelieve in God, and thus necessarily reject the Bible's blueprint for the future.

Predictions about what will happen vary, depending upon the worldview of the one doing the predicting. New Agers believe this is the date the earth and its inhabitants will undergo some sort of physical and spiritual renewal. Others say the world will end in a cataclysmic event, the cause of which is still unknown. Still others say the earth will collide with a black hole, or be hit by an enormous asteroid, etc. The theories are limited only by an imagination that is both vivid in nature and void of any knowledge of God.

Unfortunately, most people get their information regarding the end of the world from places like "The Discovery Channel". It seems this popular program has become the supermarket tabloid of TV science channels. The general conclusion from TDC seems to be the possibility of a magnetic pole reversal, the explosion of super calderas, violent solar storms and a host of other calamitous events.

It is true that this world is going to be shaken to its core with disastrous events, and it is true that some of those could happen at any time. But, to relegate any of that to a date on a pagan calendar is absurd. It is amazing how otherwise intelligent people will reject out-of-hand the confirmed predictive reliability of the Bible, and at the same time accept, without critical analysis, the hullabaloo of pseudo-science. Yet, many do.

While Mexico is taking advantage of the excitement in order to cash in on some much-needed tourism, Christians can also exploit the situation, but for more important reasons. When a conversation turns to this subject, it could be an excellent opportunity to offer the truth to any who might accept it. Without becoming adversarial with unbelievers, it might be profitable to mention what God has said about the end of the world, and the events that precede it. Simple statements made without sensationalism often leave the hearer with a desire for more information. Then sit back and let the Holy Spirit do His work.

Of course, as believers we look forward to Jesus taking His church out of this world, perhaps before that date. When that happens the world will go into a tizzy, alright, but it will not be due to some date on a Mayan calendar. Buckle up, for 2012 could be the ride of our lives!

"Even so, come, Lord Jesus!" - Revelation 22:20

.....Are We Ready For His Return?

Jesus told us that we need to be ready for Him to call for us (Matthew 24:44). How well are we prepared for the Lord's return to call us to Him? I see several different mindsets among Christians based on many observations. These are characterized by the following, from the weakest to the strongest:

1) The State Of Sleepwalking. This group is "asleep", unconscious about the days we are living in, and don't seem to care a whit about Jesus' soon return. They are the kind of people who only live day to day, are caught up only in today's business of survival, their families, their personal concerns, their busy schedules, etc. The thought of Jesus' return is the last thing they want to think about. Frankly, it is an inconvenience because it interferes with their own plans for them and their families. They also tend to compromise and to be cozy with the world by seeking entertainment or "seeker sensitive", consumer theologies and watered-down gospels. They tend to regard the church they attend as a social club. Instead of being "salt of the earth" (Matthew 5:13), there is not much difference between them and the world. Consequently, Christians in this group generally don't have much interest in the things of God or in developing a full relationship with Him. They also do not really see Jesus, their Lord, as the Bridegroom and are not at all excited about being with Him. They also spend little or no time in their Bibles on a daily basis because they view that as an inconvenience or too tiring to fit into their crowded schedules.

2) Semi-Consciousness. These people are kind of awake, but not fully. They seek to be godly and to live godly lives; they are probably active in service work for their church; many probably go on mission trips or do other things to reach the lost. They also spend some time reading their Bibles and believe the Bible is inerrant, but some parts of the Bible they avoid or don't think is important to study, so they tend to be spotty in their understanding. They can't pronounce some of the words and sometimes don't know the location of the books contained in the Bible. All the above-mentioned activities are important for the cause of Christ. They are "treasures in heaven" that Christians lay up for eternal rewards. But the folks in this group don't seem to have a well-rounded spiritual diet; that is they exclude prophetic studies of the Bible as being as important as other parts. Maybe not 100%, but mostly. People of this group attend churches that emphasize evangelism and de-emphasize prophecy. So, even though prophecy is contained in 30% of the Bible and God intended for us to know and to be encouraged by it, it is largely not preached from the pulpit or taught in Sunday School classes. Consequently, the congregations of these churches do not have an excitement about the Return of Christ. Most of them, therefore, live day to day with the thought that the Rapture could take place whenever - now or 500 years from now. They quote Matthew 24:36 which says no one knows the day nor hour of His coming, using this verse as an excuse to not pay attention or bolster their own faulty logic. They live their lives like this world and life on this planet as we know it is just going to continue on and on. It doesn't even phase these people when they see what is actually happening in the world we're living in today; i.e., Israel, the Middle East, the European Union, RFID, the US. They completely disregard what is obvious to many - the reality it is all going to come crashing down very soon. They see little or no connection between what is going on in the world today as it potentially relates to the spectacular event which may well take place in our generation - the Rapture of the Church. Oh, yes, Christians in this group seek to evangelize the lost, and all over the world, but what do they tell them? I wonder how often the Rapture is even mentioned. My guess is it's spoken of rarely if at all, primarily because it is so seldom mentioned in these kinds of Christian circles. And then, when it is, people are sometimes uncomfortable and don't want to talk about it.

3) Fully Awake. The Christians in this group are awake, alive, on fire for Christ, and actively looking for His return. They attend a church which emphasizes prophecy and the Rapture as much as everything else. They don't treat their church like a social club or entertainment center but the Lord's House where they worship, glorify God, fulfill the Great Commission and teach the Full Counsel of God. People of this group are therefore very alert and discerning - seekers who study the Word regularly with vigor, treating it with the respect it deserves (2 Timothy 2:15). Many of them are in the habit of studying the classical preachers' works such as Spurgeon, Pink, Edwards, Whitefield, et al. They are not deceived by false teachers, gospels, programs or agendas. They don't care what the current, popular worldly trends are so they can join in. In fact, they usually mark these trends as evidence of apostasy in the last days and avoid them (Romans 16:17). They do the same with those who preach falsehood, ecumenism, compromise, and post-modern philosophy. They actively warn others who are in the dark, both Christians and non-Christians alike (Ezekiel 3:18). They don't compromise and preach a watered-down gospel, but preach the full counsel of God without wavering. They seek to obey God rather than men and to be faithful to the Lord (Acts 5:29). They see Jesus as their Faithful and True Bridegroom and themselves as the Bride looking with eager anticipation for her Bridegroom to arrive (Matthew 25:6,10). These people seek to be like Jesus and to be regarded as "salt and light" by others. They have a definite Biblical worldview and not a secular one.

In light of the above, what category do you fit in as a Christian? Can you truly say that you are ready for the Lord to call you to Him, or are you in the middle of doing your own thing? Maybe you are still living for Christ and living a godly life, but yet you're still not looking for Him fully because you think life is just going to continue on until whenever. Is there a chance you are going to actually be shocked to find yourself called to His abode and His judgment seat suddenly with no warning, BECAUSE YOU FAILED TO PAY ATTENTION TO THE WARNING SIGNS ALL AROUND US IN THE WORLD TODAY? If so, what are you going to tell Him?

Can you imagine any bridegroom whose bride simply doesn't care when or even if he returns? How sad it must make Jesus feel that so many of us who profess to be the Body of Christ are just that way! Yet, as our Bridegroom, Jesus is very eager and looking forward to calling us to be with Him (John 14:3).

People, if you are not looking for Him, you are not ready to meet Him! Wake up and pay attention!


Maranatha!

.....The Hourglass Is Running Out!

Prepare yourself for His soon return, and you will not be disappointed. For.....

"Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for those who love Him." - 1 Corinthians 2:9

Invite Jesus into your heart, and change your worldly perspective into a heavenly outlook.


God bless!

.....What Is The Rapture Of The Church?

The word "rapture" does not occur in the Bible. The concept of the rapture, though, is clearly taught in Scripture. The rapture of the church is the event in which God removes all believers from the earth in order to make way for His righteous judgment to be poured out on the earth during the tribulation period. The rapture is described primarily in (1 Thessalonians 4:13-18) and (1 Corinthians 15:50-54). God will resurrect all believers who have died, give them glorified bodies, and take them from the earth, along with those believers who are still alive and who will at that time also be given glorified bodies. "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).

The rapture will be instantaneous in nature, and we will receive glorified bodies at that time. "Behold, I tell you a mystery: We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed - in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed" (1 Corinthians 15:51-52). The rapture is the glorious event we should all be longing for. We will finally be free from sin. We will be in God's presence forever. There is far too much debate over the meaning and scope of the rapture. This is not God’s intent. Rather, in regard to the rapture, God wants us to "Therefore comfort one another with these words" (1 Thessalonians 4:18).


Maranatha!