He Hangeth the Earth on Nothing

I usually arrive home from work between 11:30pm and 4:30am, based on how much overtime I do on a given night. I really like coming home on clear nights, looking up into the heavens for a while and talking with the Lord before going inside. Like all who love the Lord Jesus, I strive to stay in a state of continuous fellowship with him, but there's something about a clear, star-filled night that's special. I don't worship the host of heaven, of course, but when you look up there, you realize just how incredibally awesome God is and how seemingly insignificant we are. (I say "seemingly" because God made us in his image and sent his Son, Jesus, to die for our sins when we were altogether contrary.) In fact, all that we see; the mountains, oceans, planets, even the hundreds of billions of galaxies spread out as far as our technology will permit us to see (the farthest being so red-shifted as to suggest that they're fleeing from us at nearly the speed of light) are a mere "blip" in the ocean of eternity. Isaiah 57:15 declares "For thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy; I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones." Time is as nothing with God and when we enter eternity, time will be as nothing to us. Our mind cannot even begin to comprehend such "deep things of God" In this physical realm that we live, everything has a beginning, goes through a cycle of maturity, and then perishes. I Peter 1:24-25 states "For all flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of grass. The grass withereth, and the flower thereof falleth away: But the word of the Lord endureth forever. And this is the word which by the gospel is preached unto you." The more that you think on just how awesome God is and just how great a salvation we have, you begin to understand just how insignificant most of the things of this life really are. We get totally occupied with this life, bedazzled by the latest technology, obesessed by sports teams, plotting to secure material goods, and engrossed in our careers. We work our entire lives so that we can retire, grow old, end up in a nursing home where our survival is dependant upon people working insane hours at insufficient wages, and eventually die. (That's your positive thinking quote for the day.) If the world is merely a blip in the ocean of eternity, your life is merely a blip in the blip. And when that blip ends, the only thing that will matter is "Do you know Jesus as your Savior?" From this day forward, you are only going to get older and older. (well Duh!) NOTHING in this world is more important than where you spend eternity. If you know Jesus as your Savior you can look forward to that day that "will" come sooner or later, when you leave this world and go to be with the Lord. Forever in his kingdom where nothing offends and no sorrow can enter. Where you never have to say goodbye and you'll never have to be alone. Where tears never fall and pain is a distant (very distant) memory. If you have never been born again, I would urge you to give your heart to Jesus now. If you're born again and know it, get your affections on things above. The more that you think on the world to come, the less that things in this life will "get to you" and the better your testimony will be. (Not to mention how much more joy and peace you'll have.) We serve a God who is so incredibally awesome that mortal words can't even begin to give him all of the honor and praise that he is worthy of. We can never thank him enough for saving us from eternal death, but we can certainly praise him forever in a world that will never end.

Cold Cash

The easiest way to figure out what's in a persons heart is to simply listen to them for a while. If you meet someone for the first time and within a few moments they begin to talk about baseball; the standings of every team along with the names of various players, it can be assumed that this individual has a liking for baseball. It's obviously a subject that occupies a considerable portion of their thinking. You can tell a great deal about a person by their conversation. I state this because it seems that most professing christians have their hearts planted firmly on planet earth and their conversation gears toward the things of this life. As ambassadors for Christ, we are supposed to be very much in the world, but very much NOT OF the world. When you love the Lord wholeheartedly, you'll think on things above. It seems to me that a whole lot of teaching these days is geared toward this life and being financialy prosperous in it. As mentioned before, financial prosperity is no problem for someone who can keep it in perspective. I would venture to say that the majority of us, including myself, don't fall into that catagory. A common statement is "well the Lord wants us to have nice things. He wants us to have fun." Jesus came that we may have life; that we may have joy unspeakable. When you have that joy unspeakable; when you have rivers of living water bubbling up from within, the things of this world don't hold the importance that they once did. The apostle Paul stated in Philippians 4:11 "Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content." His joy wasn't determined on the physical environment surrounding him or the acccumulation of "stuff." (Again, the stuff isn't the problem, it's the way that you set your heart upon it.) I Timothy 6:7-10 states For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. And having food and rainment let us be therewith content. But they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition. For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith and pierced themselves through with many sorrows." The name it and claim it crowd will take the first part of verse 10, highlight it, put it on a banner and proclaim "see, it's the LOVE of money not the money." They then will launch into a scripted prosperity message that leaves the ears itching for more and the heart lusting for all manner of material possesions that may provide fun cannot offer fulfillment. The rest of that chapter is ignored such as the "supposing that gain is godliness" statement in verse 5. Jesus told the church in Smyrna in Revelation 2:9-10 "I know thy works, and tribulation, and poverty, (but thou art rich) and I know the blasphemy of them which say they are Jews, and are not, but are the synagogue of Satan. Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer: behold the devil shall cast some of you into prison, that ye may be tried; and ye shall have tribulation ten days: be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life." Try preaching on that at the United Form of Godliness Church and see how it's received. This is a little off the rabbit trail, but there is a purpose for trials. I Peter 1:7 states "That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ:" I have determined in my heart that if riches should increase, my heart belongs to Jesus. If we lose everything in this world, my heart belongs to Jesus. If trials and persecution come this way (they will) my heart belongs to Jesus. He came that we might have life and have it more abundantly. At the risk of sounding redundant, set your affections on things above; not on the things of this world. And one final thought, don't tithe for the lone purpose of being blessed. The Lord has indeed promised give back to us pressed down, shaken together, and running over and he will. But I think that many of us tithe for that reason and not out of a desire to be a blessing to others. Our motivation is amiss if were not careful. Having your affections on the Lord Jesus completly will keep that from being a problem. If you get a chance check out II corinthians 4:17-18. They are very familiar verses but very timely.

The Armies of the Aliens

If there is one pitfall that one could consider to be the "mother of all pitfalls" it would have to be deception. The most dangerous element of deception is that it looks like truth; it makes sense to the natural mind. It goes down smooth and causes one to take comfort in something that's contrary to that which actually is. The bible is full of warnings concerning this and Jesus said that there would be false signs in the last days that were so convincing as to deceive the very elect. I was thinking on this and what may come to pass that would make the masses believe a big lie and totally disregard the truth. When I was growing up in the seventies, I was always fasinated with paranormal phenomenon. Anything from ghosts to the Bermuda triangle; bigfoot to extraterrestrials which were, at the time, my delusion of choice. I was unsaved at the time and it only stood to reason that among the "billions and billions" of stars that Carl Sagan spoke of repeatedly, there had to be thousands of civilizations. It also stood to reason that many would have the technological ability to reach earth and so I was convinced that we were being visited by reptilians, greys, and all the rest. First of all, there's one major problem with this. The bible states that God made man in his image. We are the only created beings inhabiting a fleshly body that were made in his image. So if you encounter a seemingly intelligent being that has a different image BEWARE! It's not who it says it is. I don't know for certain, but with all of the conditioning of the populace thats gone on throughout the last century up until now (Roswell, abduction accounts, etc.) I think that sooner or later, an incident of "disclosure" will be fabricated in which the existance of ETs will be wheeled out before the cameras of CNN and the rest. This would seem to disprove christianity once and for all and would seem to make anyone who still believes "that stuff" a backward thinking person in need of psychological help. The deception will be so lifelike that saying it isn't so would be like saying that the earth is flat. A christian who is weak in the faith would be incredibally vulnerable and an unsaved person wouldn't stand a chance. Again, I don't know if this is how the big lie will be manifest, however, I believe that it may be a piece of the picture. The devil is good at customizing lies to fit every need. Revelation 13:5-8 states "And there was given unto him a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies; and power was given unto him to continue forty and two months. And he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme his name, and his tabernacle, and them that dwell in heaven. And it was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them: and power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations. And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world." In short, the antichrist will speak out against the things of God and the people of God and the whole world will believe it. II Thessalonians 2:9-11 states "Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders. And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie." These are the days that we live in. This is why I talk about it so much; because the end is here, now, and most people (even most christians) are completly unaware. Most christians have no problem believing that we're in the end times; so long as you talk in ambiguous terms which allow them to continue planning for retirement and engage in the accumulation of atoms. (material goods) They don't like the idea of it being at the door and they despise the idea that we may have to go through the tribulation. I wasn't planning to go here but it has to be stated. Daniel and Revelation both tell us about tribulation saints. The common thought is that either it's only talking about Israel or it's those who weren't watching and missed the rapture so now they will have to go to the gillotine to be saved. IF YOU CANNOT LIVE FOR JESUS NOW, HOW ARE YOU EVER GOING TO DIE FOR HIM THEN? I try to not dwell too much about this as it will soon be a moot point, but the pre-tribulation rapture is a dangerous teaching. Please pray and search this out for yourself. Don't take anybodys word at face value. Jesus said in Luke 21:19 "In your patience, posess ye your souls." Don't put your own eternity in the hands of another man. I can say for a fact that I have much more peace and contentment now than I ever had before. The pre-tribulation rapture doctrine appeals to the flesh (smooth things) but is contrary to scripture and contrary to the pattern that has exixted throughout history. It will cause you to not prepare your heart and to not lay aside every weight and sin. And finally, when you see Larry King interviewing the Reptilian commander, you'll be in danger of swallowing it "hook, line, and sinker." Please pray and understand the urgency of the hour. I don't mean to be a proverbial "broken record" but your eternal soul is priceless and if you lose it, you've lost everything. We are watching the final moments of this age play out before our eyes. Get close to the Lord and become sensitive to his Spirit. It's not just a matter of being victorious in this place; it's a matter of life and death. I pray that we would all use the remaining time wisely and draw closer to the Lord Jesus hour by hour and day by day. The old song "I Need Thee Every Hour" has never been more appropriate than it is now.

Who do you Love?

In a moment a person, upon realizing that they are lost and undone (all have sinned) and that Jesus shed his innocent blood on calvarys cross to pay for their sin (regardless of how nasty or how ungodly they've been,) will ask him to forgive them and to save them from eternal death. In a moment, their name is written down in glory and they escape the hell bound train. Each one of us who have been born again had a day where we woke up that morning lost and undone and went to bed a new creature in Christ Jesus. When you truly turn to him, you will be different; your desires will start to change and your attitude will begin to transform into his image. This takes a lifetime of putting to death the old man and striving to be more Christlike each day. (If you truly have given your heart to him you will want to live for him.) I think that sometimes, one of the hardest things is the second great commandment that Jesus gave us. Matthew 22:37-40 reads "Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets." In other words we have to love those around us regardless of how nasty some of them might be or what kind of a contrary demeanor they may have. (Remember NONE of us deserve eternal life.) Do you remember the incident with Andrea Yates? This is a lady in Houston who systematically drowned her five children in a bathtub; an unbelievably wicked act to be sure. You may also remember that her husband forgave her before the press. This seemed to cause almost as much uproar as the crime itself. I don't know of the mans background, but that's how we have to be. You can't do it in your own power. That's a supernatural power; to forgive someone who has robbed you and others of so much. I praise God that he'll not allow us to be tempted above what we are able because that would be unimaginably hard. We all love our families very dearly as this is natural affection. (If you don't love them there's a very serious problem in your heart.) But to forgive someone after such a situation would take the love of God in us. I know that in the given example, the two people had been married and that probably played a role in this situation. Just suppose that a complete stranger with a history of like behavior was involved. How would you react then? I'm asking myself on this because it would be a very trying situation. This is a hard thing to think on and yet Jesus said that if we don't forgive men their tresspasses, our Father won't forgive us ours. Regardless of the circumstances, we cannot hold on to unforgiveness. I pray that none of us would have to go through such an ordeal. We tend to catagorize sin, and indeed taking a life is more serious than calling in sick when we're not, but all sin is sin. (And telling a lie is sin, regardless of how small it may seem.) First John 1:-8-9 states "If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." If you're feeling like you've done so many vile things that you can't be saved, Jesus came into the world to save sinners. He came to call all; whosoever will , to repentance. As christians, we spend a lifetime learning to forgive others; to just "let it go" when someone rubs us the wrong way. The world looks at such an attitude as "wimpy" but such is not the case. It's easy to retaliate; "to get even" with someone when they've ill-treated you. A quick glance into your local bar and you'll see all kinds of scores being settled. (What are you looking at?) That takes absolutly no self control whatsoever; just a couple of beers to get loosened up. But to forgive and forget (because there's no such thing as "I'll forgive but I won't forget") takes the love of Christ. One time in Virginia, a couple of guys took advantage of my then lack of street smarts and "separated me from my supply of cash." I had to wrestle with my attitude for some time but forgave them and I pray that today they are saved. Total love void of selfish conditions is crucial and today more than ever, this world needs the love of Jesus. Remember the old song "You're the only Jesus some may ever see." (there's a few posts right there) As we draw increasingly nearer to our Savior we'll increasingly see them through his eyes. To look past the demeanor and see the eternal soul in desperate need of a Savior. In other words, they're just like you in me.

When Babylon is Fallen

Anyone who takes even a passing glance at the world situation today will admit that things are heading in a less-than-optimal direction. Of course, it seems that the vast majority of folks are so wrapped up in their own lives that they won't see anything until they go to the grocery store and find nothing left. There is a spirit of slumber in this land that's hard to fathom. Earlier this summer, my son Ryan and I were heading into Detroit. As we proceeded eastbound on I94 and began approaching Ypsilanti, I couldn't help but notice all of the semis on the freeway. They seemed to outnumber passenger vehicles. As a christian, my observations are usually in a context of the times that are upon us and I wondered "what will it be like in that city when the trucks stop rolling. Think about this. It would only take a skirmish in the Persian Gulf region to stop the flow of oil through the Straits of Hormuz. If, at the same time Hugo Chavez decided to turn off the tap to Venezuellan oil, we would have an economic disaster on our hands. (There are a lot of world leaders who really dislike us. Many will meet with our president, and the two will "speak lies at one table" but they don't like us) The trucks would stop rolling and one can only imagine how long it would take before mob-rule set in. We learned from the Hurricane Katrina ordeal, that, under strenuous situations, people are capable of unimaginable acts upon their neighbors. We fail to realize just how vulnerable this country is. This summer, 60% of the country was under drought conditions. We have more people pursuing fewer jobs and a deficit that, by OMB numbers, (office of managment and budget) totals 49 trillion. Soon our interest spending will be higher than all of our domestic spending combined. We are bogged down in Mesopotamia in a conflict that has seen 2600+ Americans enter eternity along with countless numbers of Iraqis and is draining the financial life out of us. Before I continue let me say that this is not about being "for" or "against" the invasion. Saddam Hussein brutally killed tens of thousands. A soul is priceless regardless if it is an Iraqi, a Persian and American or anyone. Nonetheless, we are now entrenched between the Euphrates and Hiddekel (Tigris) rivers indefinatly. By now you're probably thinking "This guy must spend all night at work thinking up depressing things to write about." The fact is that reality isn't always pleasent. (that's why they make "reality shows" lol) The simple truth is that Jesus told us that prior to his return things would get so bad that except those days would be shortened, there would be nobody left alive. In other words, if he didn't return at the appointed time, the population of the world would go from over 6 billion down to zero. If you don't know Jesus, the time to turn to him is now. The time to repent (be truly sorry for) your sin, ask him to forgive you and to save you is now. As bad as things are soon to get here, eternity in a lake of fire is far worse than your wildest imagination. I talk about such things because it's the truth and burying your head, plugging your ears, or cranking up the radio won't change scripture. Scripture thus far has a 100% accuracy rating so I wouldn't count on it changing. If this kind of thinking is scary, I pray that it will scare you into the arms of Jesus who shed his own innocent blood to pay for your sin and desires that you would have eternal life. If you are a child of the most high God, don't fear. You have not been given the spirit of fear and your name is written down in glory. Don't get wrapped up in this place. Jesus has promised to never leave us or forsake us. No matter what we may have to go through his grace will be sufficient. Read about the early christians in the book of Acts. Read the stories of saints throughout the ages who had to endure terrible persecution and lay down their lives. They didn't do that on their own strength (it wouldn't have been possible) and we won't have to either. If you visit www.endtimepilgrim.org you'll find the testimony of Corrie Ten Boom who survived the Nazi concentration camps. (The ones that Ahmadinajad claims didn't exist.) Gods grace is truly sufficient; we just have to believe that. In this country we're not really prepared for hard times and the hearts of many will fail them for fear. If we stay close to the Lord and trust him, he will take care of things. I know that I'm repeating previous posts but this is extremely important. Stop worrying about the timing of the rapture and stablish your heart now. I pray that anyone who reads this would be awakened and examine themselves as we all must do. We have to hold the fort and keep the faith. Sometime I want to post about strong delusions as they will be upon us and will be so convincing as to deceive "if it were possible even the very elect." I sat down here planning to do it tonight, but this came up instead. Jesus truly is coming!

Bells, alarms, buzzers, sirens, and whistles

This is not my usual blogging time but I wanted to mention a prophesy that can be read at www.stevequayle.com (Click on the giant "Q" which will go to a listing of news stories.) Halfway down the list is a prophetic word on the second coming of Christ. While there are always things such as this in cyberspace and many on Steve Quayles website, this one really alerted me. It tells how the Lords return is closer than we realize and unimaginable perils lie ahead. This prophesy states how the bride of Christ must prepare herself for the days ahead as perils abound from false brethren and world calamities. (Sounde like Matthew 24) The middle east will erupt and persecution of the Jewish people which is already underway, will intensify. Anyone with ears to hear, PLEASE be aware of the times that we're in; it's going to get rocky beyond what you can possibly imagine but the people who do know their God shall be strong and do exploits as the book of Daniel tells us. Take to heart the parable that Jesus gave us of the ten virgins. Have your lamps full all of the time. When things fall apart in this world, you may very well find yourself isolated from those of like faith. You may very well have to stand alone. That's the wrongest time (I know that "wrongest" is not a word) to be carnal and unprepared. The Lord has been dealing with me on being serious these last few days and to not get sidetracked by things that are irrelevant in nature. The prophesy goes on to tell that the two witnesses are alive and preparing as are the 144,000. The antichrist is also alive and surrounded by his agents. The great falling away has begun; PLEASE KEEP YOUR HEART WITH ALL DILIGENCE!!! I know from experience what can (will) happen if you get negligent in the things of God. I also know that we are all being pressed out of measure at this very hour and we have to stand fast (fasting is a very good idea) and pray without ceasoing. There's nothing new in this post that you shouldn't already be aware of, but the urgency has NEVER been greater. Search your heart; lay aside every little weight and sin, and get as close to the Lord as you can. There's a false sense of peace and safety that has most christians in a state of slumber. We are too cozy with the world and way too involved with the affairs of this life. We have no continuing city here, but we seek one to come. Please let this sink deep into your heart. Please be sensitive to the Holy Ghost as things are moving fast and the days are being shortened. Look up; our redemption draweth nigh.

My testimony in very condensed form

Greetings to anyone who may pass by. Tonight has been one of reflection. I work, second shift, at a plant which makes prop shafts and axles for General Motors, until the money fails. The work is by no means rocket science and one has time to ponder things. I was thinking about the journey; both past and that which is to come. The Lord Jesus saved me in September of 1983, on a Friday, at around 11:30 am. I was, at the age of 18, one really messed up midwestern farm boy with unbelievably screwed up ideas. Step by step he began to guide me into truth, through prayer, reading the word of God and varous preachers; primarily Lester Sumerall. I went into the navy in December (I'm super fast-forwarding here) and in June, I reported aboard the USS Guam in Norfolk Virginia. Two months later, I ran into Bro. Mark and found out that I was not alone on that ship. On a wednesday evening I went to a small pentecostal church with Bro Mark where, during prayer time before the meeting began, I received the baptism in the Holy Ghost with the evidence of speaking in other tongues. The stagnation that had been setting in was over as the Lord endured me with power from on high. Of course I was still lacking in wisdom and a lot of growing lay ahead. We really had a good fellowship on the Guam and there was no doubt that the Lord had put me in a good place to grow. Tonight, I was thinking on all of the times that the Lord has put me in the right place at the right time; of all the times that he's undone my screwups; of all the times that he's had to get my attention when I started to drift. The most dangerous time was when I returned to Michigan in 1989 and began to get around old friends and backslide. I got into a condition that I wouldn't have thought possible just two years prior. I had a lot of spiritual pride before leaving Virginia and when I returned to my hometown, I was a disaster waiting to happen. Little by little, the stagnation got worse; just slow enough that I wouldn't notice it happening. In 1992, Kimberly and I were married. I love her dearly, and we've been together now for 14 and a half years. We have four kids and while our family is far stronger than most these days there were problems. Our oldest son is autistic and we went through a lot of financial turmoil, including a bankrupcy. I was backslidden and knew that the Lord was trying to get my attention. Well fast forward again (without getting dizzy) to February of 2004. I was in a spiritual state that I can only describe as "standing on the edge of a cliff about to lose my balance and fall off. When you're not saved, you probably don't realize it, but when you're backslidden, you know it every day. One night, I found my old church on the internet. That night, while in bed, I began to think about the old paths. I asked the question mentioned in Jeremiah 8:6 "what have I done?" The next day, while on my way to work, I repented of the backslidden state and asked the Lord to once again, straighten up the unbelievable mess that I had made. I can say without a second of hesitation that he has been more than faithful. I've had to battle doubt and I've had to deal with a lot of turmoil that never would have been if I had just remained faithful. I can also say that the last two and a half years have been more awesome than ever. I have learned to trust the Lord in ways that I never had before. I have learned that in whatsoever state I am in, therewith to be content. The "worrying problem" that I had never been able to shake before, is now gone. I have peace and complete restoration. The only biblical example that I can think of concerning the season of rebellion is when Nebuchadnezzar had the kingdom rent from him and he ate grass like the oxen until seven times passed over him. (that's probably not a good example) When the Lord restored me, it was suddenly, and I praise him for it. I don't know exactly how the end time senario will play out in detail, but I know that he'll be with all who have put their trust totally in him, regardless of how everything happens. The tribulation used to be " scary," especially the idea of going through it, but now I know that Jesus will be with us "alway; even unto the end of the world." And when trials come, as they will, his grace will be sufficient. It's kind of interesting. As mentioned earlier, I have a tendancy to goof off too much. At the same time, my affections are on things above like never before. This world truly is not my home and my biggest concern is that folks would come to know Jesus as their Savior. When you know Jesus and he reigns in your heart you truly learn how to "love your neighbor as yourself."

Surely, you can't be serious

I was laying in bed; my wife slumbering peacably, with seemingly thousands of thoughts running through my head. Thoughts of our Lords soon appearing, the perilosity (that's probably not a word) of the times that we're in, friends and family, whom I love dearly with a fervent desire that they would know Jesus, yet they don't see the urgency, just an array of things that will keep one awake. In the context of confessing your faults one to another, I'm as guilty as anyone about not taking things as seriously as I should. In fact, I feel incredibally inadequate even addressing a subject such as being serious. It's easy to be serious when you're posting as you just put down what's on your heart. But when you have a different law working in your members (Romans 7:23) that likes to goof off and make people laugh, it can be difficult to abide by I Peter 3:15 which says "But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear:" I don't know if anyone will see this or if anyone else needs this particular post, but I know that I need it. I often think on the times that we're in as I see the end approaching. Also unlike more than 90 percent of the christians in this country, I really believe that the rapture is a post-tribulation event due to scriptures in Daniel, Matthew, II Thessalonians, I Corinthians, II Peter, and Revelation. This means that we need to really be in right standing with the Lord as things unfold. Foolishness and light-hearted jesting cannot be allowed to continue in such a dominating way; to the point that it renders you ineffective concerning the things that really matter. I praise God that it's gradually getting under control in some critical areas, but I have a long way to go. As the apostle Paul said "I die daily." If one were to scan through the previous 26 posts on this site, they would see a continuous referencing to the end times events that are playing out before us. Jesus is coming and we need to strive to be found of him without spot and blameless. I pray that we would all be sober-minded and watchful. In Jeremiah chapter 23, there's a verse that has been working on me also. Verse 32 states "Behold, I am against them thay prophesy false dreams, saith the LORD, and to tell them, and cause my people to err by their lies, and by their lightness, yet I sent them not, nor commanded them: therefore they shall not profit this people at all, saith the LORD." While I have never prophesied falsely or given a false dream I do have a problem with lightness and it needs to be reigned in. Can you imagine how different we would conduct ourselves if we got a glimpse into eternity. If we actually got a glimpse of paradise (like the man that Paul told of in II Corinthians 12:2-4) we would have no problem in letting go of the love of this world. Likewise, if we were to get a glimpse of the lake of fire, knowing that people all around us are heading there, how much more serious and diligent we would be concerning the gospel. As you think on eternal matters, you begin to see how irrelevant most of the things are that we concern ourselves with. (such as "what will we do if the democrats take back the house?") Again, I'm not qualified to even begin addressing such matters, however commenting on them puts them into perspective. The Lord has brought me a long way in the past 23 years but I have a long way to go. Praise God for Jesus Christ; our High Priest forever who is able to save us to the uttermost. (We all need his uttermost) Well, I can go back to bed now; more focused and more determined to stand in the gap for family and friends. The thought of any in my household being lost is unbearable. The spiritual warfare goes on continuously as precious souls are in the balance. As long as we're in this world, we'll be fighting a war on two fronts; the battle against principalities and powers, and the battle against the old man that wants to just "goof around." I pray that we would give all diligence to the things that really count.

What Thinkest Thou?

I've had a lot of various thoughts on several things this evening and, as usual, I'm not sure as to where to go with this posting. I was thinking on what are the most pressing issues of the day; the things that we really need to give heed to and meditate on. One that comes to mind would be to keep our heart with all diligence. There are so many warnings about the days that we live in. II Thessalonians 2:3 states "Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition." We're in a time when we really must get in close with the Lord and "hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches." We absolutly cannot follow teachings of men without fervent prayer and checking to see if what they're saying is scriptural. Yet many of us after we come to accept Jesus as our Savior and Lord, will get into a church and just take in everything that's said without doing as the Bereans did in Acts 17:11. When you read about the apostle Paul, it seemed like he was constantly putting putting to rest erroneous teachings. One would be set straight and another one would pop up. He told the Ephesians in Acts 20:28-30 "Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood. For I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock. Also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them." In Galatians 1:6-7 he writes "I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you unto the grace of Christ unto another gospel: Which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ. Colossians 2:8-10 reads "Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ. For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily. And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power." The list goes on but the main point is to diligently check things out for yourself. These are days of strong delusions as the end draws ever closer. We each have to stand before the judgment deat of Christ. Just that fact alone ought to give you a fervent desire to be grounded in truth and speak the truth to your neighbor. (check Zechariah 8:16-17) This is a consistant prayer of mine; that I would not tell anyone something that is in error and if I have to please reveal it to me. Jeremiah chapter 23 warns about false prophets. I was going to paraphrase it but it's too involved; please check it out along with Isaiah 30:9-11. Getting grounded in truth isn't rocket science. We have the perfect word of God and the Lord will often bring scripture references to mind (sometimes four or five within seconds) when a situation comes up. Jesus said in John 14:26-27 "But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things and bring all things to your rememberance, whatsoever I have said unto you. Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid." If we humble ourselves and keep pride out (one could do dozens of blogs just on the dangers of pride) the Lord will guide us into the way that we ought to go. Jeremiah 33:3 reads "Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and show thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not." Let me close with I Corinthians 1:9-10 which states "But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him. But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God." We need to have a fervent desire for the understanding of the deep things of God. As you learn of him he just continues to become more awesome, more loving, more perfect, more longsuffering; it just gets better and better and sometimes you just have to look up and proclaim "WOW!" As the song goes "Our God is an awesome God!"

Far Far Away

It can be any place of your chosing; during the day or in the middle of the night. A most needful time when you lay aside all of the cares concerning unpaid bills, unobtained promotions and unappreciated enveavors. You seek out a place; perhaps a quiet room at home or a secluded pathway. Maybe a secret place in the desert or a lonely strand of beach. The address isn't important; so long as you get there. In that earthbound space your heart enters that most heavenly realm where nothing sinister can ever follow. In that place you commune with the Ancient of Days; the Lord Jesus who's always as close as the mention of his name. Here you find restoration and revival. In this place, you receive wisdom and council; direction for a life that runs in perpetual overdrive. It is here that strongholds turn to nothing and mountains are moved aside. You reclaim the peace that passes understanding; the peace of God that sustains you as the world is heading for a collective meltdown. Here, in the presence of the High and Lofty One who inhabits eternity, your cup is filled to overflowing and your song in the night echoes through the silence with a vocabulary untainted by human intervention. Here it is understood that life is ever so fleeting and soon; so very soon, there will be no more parting. A place far far away from this realm of desolate spaces where time has no standing and peace is unlimited. Here we will stay, forever with Jesus who gave his all at Calvary that we could partake of his kingdom. Here with the saints from every tribe and from every generation we'll forever sing the songs of Zion.

Are you, or have you ever been, a terrorist?

Following the attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon on Sept 11, 2001, our government launched a war on terror, created a new level of bureaucracy, called "homeland security," (because you can never have enough bureaucracy) and began the installation of massive surveilence networks to keep us in...I mean...safe. It was around this time that our president made the statement "You're either with us, or, your with the terrorists." In other words, "if you don't blindly go along with everything that we're doing in order to protect you, your children, and the great American dream, you're an ally of Islamic extremists. You may recall in 2002, the flak incurred by anybody who didn't comply with the presidents program; being called unpatriotic, liberal, mind-numbed robots, any non-flattering word that came to mind. In short, having an opinion or thinking for yourself was becoming unpatriotic in 2002. Of course, we all know about the shadow government, wiretaps, the limitless scope of the NSA, (nobody on the outside has any idea of how much power they wield. We have a better idea of how many people have crossed our borders illegally) and soon, a national ID card to keep us safe. They always have a cause. Now there is a debate on whether or not we should alter the laws governing the length of time that a person can be held before charges are filed. After all, the arguement goes, in the UK, they can hold them for nearly a month and "Just look at the success that they've had in stopping this latest attack." There are two things in operation here. First, there is a clear and present danger from Islamic extremists who want to destroy us. This is a legitimate danger and again, I praise God that the most recent attempt was stopped. Second, the existance of this extremist element is giving the global puppetmasters a "cause" to advance their plans for a one world government and look like the proverbial "knights in shining armor" while doing it. The terror plot, though foiled this time, served both purposes. For the Islamic extremists, it drained resources, and caused panic. For the globalists, it presented a reason to continue to install more cameras, employ more intrusive searching procedures and help the citizens feel insecure enough to go along with anything that comes along and has a "security" label on it. In other words, we are straining at a gnat, albeit a very dangerous gnat, and swallowing a camel. This world is being prepared to receive the antichrist. The sad thing is that most christians, who have read Daniel, Zechariah, Ezekiel, Matthew, Mark, Luke, II Thessalonians, and Revelation time after time, don't see the big picture. Most of us are still playing "save America from the evil liberals." We're so busy building earthly kingdoms and running to and fro, that we fail to see the lateness of the hour. It's just a matter of time before we also fall under the catagory of "terrorist." Daniel 8:24 states "And his power shall be mighty, but not by his own power: and he shall destroy wonderfully, and shall prosper, and practice, and shall destroy the mighty and the holy people." For a small space of time, the man of sin is going to prevail against the saints, until Jesus returns and defeats him completly. I can't remember the name, but a few months ago I heard a "republican stratagist" telling about how the christian right was damaging the party and was contrary to sound policy. The undercurrent is already in place. Persecution is coming even to this country, not because a republican stratagist made some remarks to Lou Dobbs, but because Jesus said that it would come to pass. (read Matthew chapter 24 , Mark chapter 13 and Luke chapter 21.) The arm of flesh is shifting sand but Jesus is a sure foundation and he will never fail nor will he leave us. He sataed in John 16:33 "These things I have spoken unto, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world."

Don't worry? Be happy? Are you serious?

II Corinthians states "Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty." This is going to sound really basic, because it is really basic, but we really have to learn to just trust that the Lord Jesus, who is able to save us to the uttermost, will meet every need and will not allow us to be tempted above what we are able to bear. This is all the more important in this age when everything that can be shaken will be shaken, to just trust the Lord regrdless of wars, famines, climate changes, pestilence, an emerging police state, societal collapse, or anything that may come at you from sources unexpected. We live in perilous times indeed but we cannot take our eyes off the Lord and start obsessing about the storm. It's a huge storm to be sure; don't worry about it. If there's one thing that we need to stop doing is concerning ourselves with the little stuff and the storm is in the "little stuff" catagory (regardless of what kind of a storm you may find yourself in.) We're going to have tribulation and we're going to be pressed out of measure at times. These things will try you; to find out "what you're made of" so to speak, and they should cause you to draw closer to the Lord. I remember two stories that came out of the aftermath of hurricane Katrina. One (I heard this secondhand) was about a lady being rescued from her home in New Orleans. A reporter asked her "what are you going to do now?" Her reply was "I've got Jesus; everything is going to be alright." That is indeed true and I believe that she was serious. That joy of the Lord; that contentment that you have when you get it settled in your heart that this world is not your home. Another story, the report of which I saw firsthand involved a lady who had lost her restaurant and while I don't know if she was a christian her attitude was interesting. Again, a reporter asked her that typical reporter question "What will you do now?" The lady replied "well, we lost the business, we lost our home, we've lost everything that we've been working so hard for; I'm going fishing!" This lady wasn't worried and seemed completly content. Paul stated in Philippians that he had learned that in whatsoever state he was in he was content. When you truly have your affections on the Lord and the world to come (you know, the one that will abide forever) things down here won't get to you. You'll have them in perspective. I work at a job, the likes of which our country doesn't create anymore and the ones that are still here are gradually going to China, Mexico and South America. It pays well, but, it's a chariot of Egypt and will eventually fail. (Aren't I a negative sounding guy; especially at 5:15 am after spending twelve hours in that chariot of Egypt.) It's so simple and yet we all struggle to one degree or another to get it into our heart. I like the book of Job as his attitude during his entire ordeal was steadfast. He stated in Job 13:15 "Though he slay me, yet will I trust him: but I will maintain mine own ways before him." Steadfast no matter what. And if he slays you "absent from the body present with the Lord." We have all of eternity ahead of us. While we're here we're to love the Lord Jesus wholeheartedy, trust him completly, and follow him unconditionally. Regardless of the situation that you're in; he'll never leave you nor forsake you. He is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother.

And he causeth all, both small and great

In May of 2008, the "Real ID act will go into effect. To the casual observer it will seem like little more than the latest in a series of identification such as drivers license, social security card, or any document that people use to prove that they are who they say they are. This card is sinister in nature far beyond any of the previous "preperatory" measures. Without this card, you will be unable to hold a bank account, drive, or travel. It will be required by anyone needing ID which means that you will most likely be "unemployable" without it. Do you realize what this means and how close to the "mark of the beast" we are? Your entire profile; your medical history, work history, any criminal information, everything about you will be on a little card. From there, it's just "one small step for man" to require it on a chip implant as to eliminate a whole host of problems such as identity theft, protecting the homeland, finding you whenever they want to...er...I mean....if you should be kidnapped. (Yeah, that's it; kidnapped!) You and I have a decision to make; one that could have eternal consequences if we take a misstep. Is this the mark of the beast? Well I think that it's so close that we ought to err on the side of caution. This means that in 21 months, I will be unemployed. I will be unable to pay the mortgage or buy groceries for my family. In other words, the mark is no longer in an obscure "sometime down the road" context. You put this into perspective with the North American Union coming together and the economy merely one small step from collapse despite what the robots on CNBC tell you, and you can see just how close this is. If you're a born again Holy Ghost filled christian and you long for the Lords appearing, use the time wisely. (I'm talking to myself too) The arm of flesh is about to fail and we will have to depend totally upon God who created all things and can take care of us despite the physical environment that we may be in. By the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ I am determined to not take this card as I really think erring on the side of caution is far far better than saying "oops" Oops carries no weight in this matter. Settle it in your heart now what you will do. Stablish your heart just in case the pre-tribulation rapture doctrine contains a timing error. All of eternity is ahead. Information on this is available at "spychips.com endtimeministries.org" and a host of other sites. The information here isn't new but the urgency of the hour is greater than ever. I urge you to spend time in the prayer closet and take this up with Jesus. He has promised to be with us always; even unto the end of the world.

Think on these things

When I come out here to post, usually I have no idea on where to go with it,and often when I do have a particular idea, I wind up on a rabbit trail far from where I initially intended. I have notepads of scriptures and ideas to talk on at some point. I write them down at work, in the truck and even while mowing the lawn. One thing that has been a real blessing has been a greater focusing on the things of God. I realize that very few, if anyone, will actually see it. Nonetheless, I pray over, and think on it, and this has helped to remain focused on the things that really matter during times of the day, (like at work) when it's incredibly easy to drift into a state of runaway foolishness. I have a "goof-off" problem and every day, sometimes several times a day, I have to reign it in. I also try to put things on here that any passer by can take and think on; something that will focus on the fact that "these things are all going to come to pass." Jesus stated that as it was in the days of Noah so would it be prior to his return. Any casual observer will notice that many folks today are just going about their business as though things are going to go on forever. Even christians who should have discernment on such matters get wrapped up in the mechanics of day to day life instead of watching and praying without ceasing. (Again, I'm as guilty as anyone else on this which is why it came up.) We get so wrapped up in our careers, our vacations, remodeling our desolate places (Job 3:14) landscaping our lawns, and most important, "what must we do to keep the republicans in office so that the space-time continuum doesn't collapse into a black hole?" We forget about the fact that at this very moment, there are souls in hell that, two hours ago, were walking, breathing, thinking about their careers, working on their lawns, and wondering" how can we keep the republicans in office?" Souls for whom Jesus shed his blood for; souls who didn't have to go to that place of perpetual torment. We (all of us; myself very much also) lose sight of the real battle; the principalities and powers that are working 24/7 to keep souls from coming to Jesus Christ; the only name under heaven, given among men whreby we must be saved. We all are overcharged with the affairs of this life to one degree or another. More than ever, we need to be soberminded and watchful as this age is coming to a close. This generation is being conditioned to receive the man of sin and we need to have our hearts stablished. You may possibly have to love not your life unto the death as Revelation 12:11 states. I know that sounds "scary" to some and it does make you think. It will also cause you to draw closer to the Lord and stablish your heart. In the days of the early church, and in most subsequent generations, following the Lord Jesus often meant losing your life. The idea that we're somehow "exempt" is not only erroneous, but dangerous. Jesus is coming! Prior to his glorious appearing the there will be unparalleled turmoil. If you're truly born again and walking in the Spirit, the Lord will be with you no matter what comes up. If you do indeed have to lay down your life he'll give you the strength to do so. I really believe that. Just read Stevens discourse. God hasn't changed; he's the same today as he was in the book of Acts, he's the same as he was when he brought the children of Israel out of Egypt, he's the same as he was when he laid the foundations of the earth, and he's the same as he will be in all of the eons of eternity. Psalm 46:10 is so very accurate as are all of the scriptures. It says "Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth."

Time Travellers

I've had a lot of things on my mind and don't know really where to begin. I've been thinking on the peace of God that passes understanding. That peace that will remain when the whole world seems to be collapsing upon itself. That supernatural "song in the night" that the Lord gives to all that put their trust totally in him and not in the chariots of Egypt. That joy from "knowing" that your sins are forgiven and you have eternal life with the Lord Jesus. We really can't comprehend just what "eternity" means. We know that it means "without ending" but actually grasping the concept is a different matter. We're born into the physical world that can be seen and interacted with. We mature, (some of us at least) we get old, and we die. The same is true for every living thing and non-living things too for that matter. The finite human mind cannot grasp a world where time has no authority. And yet all of us are going to live for all eternity somewhere. In other words when you were born, you became an eternal being. From the time of your birth on, into forever, there will never be another moment in which you don't exist. Your time on this earth is but a fraction of a split second compared to forever and even that is overstated. Given that fact, the one question that towers over all others is "where are you going to spend eternity?" Jesus stated in Mark 8:36-37 "For what shall it profit a man if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?" All that you assign value to in this life will come to pass. (You can't take it with you) You, however, will exist forever and ever. When you step into eternity, whether it's several years from now or before the sun rises tomorrow, it won't matter how successful you were in this life. It won't matter how popular you were, how good you were at golf, how many vehicles you owned, or how large your bank account was. The only thing that will matter will be "do you know Jesus Christ as your savior?" Have you accepted him as your savior and been born again? All have sinned and come short of the glory of God. We "all" deserve hell as God is completly holy and cannot allow sin in his presence. For this reason, Jesus came into the world; to pay for our sin with his own blood. Because he never sinned one time, he was able to taste death for all; for whosoever would call upon him in sincerety. He is as close as the mention of his name and will save you (will; not might) if you call upon him and ask. He said in John 6:37 "All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out." This is by far the MOST IMPORTANT decision that you will ever have to make. It will determine whether you spend forever in heaven with joy beyond what you can possibly imagine, or, in a lake of fire where the smoke of your torment will rise up forever. You are an eternal being and will never cease to exist. If you don't accept Jesus as your Savior, you will have to pay for your sin yourself. The worst part of being separated from God for all of eternity will be knowing that it didn't have to be so. Jesus hung on a cross to pay for your sin; so that you could have eternal life. The choice to receive it is up to each of us. It's my sincere prayer that you would turn to Jesus before it's too late. Regardless of how messed up you might think you are or what kind of rotton things you've done, you can be forgiven. II Corinthians 5:17 states "Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new." That's what it means to be "born again." I pray that when this age is over and all has been said and done that I'll see you; gathered with all of the saints from every tribe and every generation in the new Jerusalem. So shall we ever be with the Lord. (Revelation chapters 21 and 22 tell about what eternity will be like for those who know Jesus.)

The Persians Be Upon Thee (and other thoughts)

I'm not sure exactly where this post will end up so let's see what happens. Several hours ago, I heard a CNN report that among some neutralized Hezbollah fighters there were also Iranian revolutionary guard fighters. The Iranians have been training, equiping, and assisting Hezbollah for years in anticipation of such a moment as this. Without a doubt, this conflict is ramping up and where it ends we can only speculate at this time. Anyone who is familiar with islam will have an idea as to why these nations and their proxy terrorist groups are behaving as they are. Almost daily, Iranian President Ahmadinejad makes references to the twelth Imam or Mahdi who is to return and the whole world will convert to Islam. (It's more complex than I've stated; this is a quick summary.) They also believe that the existance of Israel is a major hinderance to this and must be destroyed. this explains President Ahmadinejads repeated statements of "removing Israel from the map." They also believe that there will be massive upheaval prior to the return of the Mahdi who many believe will emerge from a well in the Iranian city of Qom. (I am by no means an expert on Islam so my comments are very general.) This is why they are involved not only in Lebanon but in Iraq where a cival war is raging and the eagle nation of Daniel 7:4 is bogged down. I had a thought on this earlier. Currently, the going is unexpectedly rough for Israel as they battle Hezbollah. Today was a deadly day for them in fact. Ezekiel chapter 38:4 tells how the LORD will put hooks in the jaws of the nations around Israel and bring them forth. I wonder if the enemies of Israel will gain confidence from this situation and that could be the mechanism by which the "hooks" are made manifest. We know what is eventually going to happen; the battle of Armageddon is going to transpire; the Lord Jesus Christ is going to appear and every eye shall see him. We watch the current events that are going on and know that it's leading up to the return of Jesus Christ. As mentioned in an earlier post, at this point of the prophetic timeline, no war or rumor of war is without significance. Saints, be watching and praying always. We know that the scriptures will come to pass, even though not everything is clear as to the exact way that it will happen. I pray for the saints who are in the midst of this conflict that the peace of God would be with them. That they would be a powerful testimony to those around, (do exploits) and that souls would come to Jesus; the one who shed his blood on Calvary for the sins of all. When things are falling apart as they are in Lebanon, Iraq and very soon here in the eagle nation that "sits a queen and is no widow" many will think on things concerning eternity. They realize that the arm of flesh cannot deliver. Of course there are also many who won't as Revelation 9:20-21 states. (This refers to when the sixth angel sounds and the four angels which are bound in the river Euphrates are loosed.) Clearly things are falling into place quickly. Two other things of note. Today, supposedly, a bunch of Sodomites are to gather and demonstrate in Jerusalem. This also is not without significance. Sodomy is an abomination as explained in Leviticus 18:22 and Romans 1:26-32. Displaying such unnatural and inconvenient behavior in the city where the Lord will establish his name is a recipe for swift destruction. God is not mocked. Also there are eleven Egyptian students who entered the eagle nation, but never reported to the campus in Bozeman Montana as they were supposed to. (Three have now been located.) We don't know how this will play out, however, it's odd that all eleven failed to report. Well it's almost 4:30 am here in Constantine MI. I was initially hesitant to give this location out, however, the government already knows where most of us are at and if you carry a cell phone on you, they can locate you by sattelite within 200 feet. (approx) No matter what happens here the Lord will never leave us or forsake us. He is faithful and true to his word.

There be some standing here

It is the one moment that all who love the Lord Jesus have been, and are, waiting for. That is when the trumpet sounds, (Matthew 24:29-31 tells us at what moment the trumpet will sound) the dead in Christ will rise and those who remain will be changed in a moment to incorruption and will forever be with the Lord. One thing that saints of all ages have had in common is to earnestly desire the Lords appearing. I Peter 1:10-11 states "Of which salvation the prophets have enquired and searched diligently, who prophesied of the grace that should come unto you: Searching what, or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ which was in them did signify, when it testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ and the glory that should follow." In Genesis 49:10 we read where Jacob told of the time when Shiloh should come. The old testament is filled with prophecy of Christs coming and also of his second coming at which time he will set up the millenial reign on earth. Daniel asked the question in Daniel 12:8 "How long O Lord, what shall the end of these things be? If a person loves the Lord, they will also love his appearing. You could say that "How long O Lord?" is the question of every saint of every generation and if you don't ever contiplate it, some thorough examining of yourself is in order. To some, it may seem excessive or out of balance. The truth is, The return of Jesus Christ is to soon transpire. All of the wars; all of the earthquakes, climate changes and the abundance of iniquity are transpiring because this one event is at hand. Two things are in operation at this moment that will explain why there's so much turmoil in the world. First, the devil knows that his time is short and wickedness has been unleashed into the world like never before. All that you have to do is check into the news. (even the dumbed down American news) Here, you will see that the frequency of senseless murders, kidnappings and every form of evil that one person can inflict upon another has greatly increased. People seem to be "going nutty" and psychiatrists are busier than ever trying to apply physical solutions to spiritual problems. (When a person goes and kills another, that murder happened in the spiritual realm before manifesting in flesh.) The second thing is that the whole creation is groaning and travailing as Romans 8:22 tells us. This will increase in intensity. I've heard many so-called experts over the last few years tell "Oh, this is normal. We always have x number of volcanoes and x number of earthquakes and x number of hurricanes." They jump through hoops with an array of statistics in a vain effort to prove that "peace and safety" is still intact. The frequency has accelerated greatly to the point that you even see comments in the news at times. I remember after last years hurricane season there was a cartoon on the oped page of the paper. It showed a television with a weatherman on it. He was saying "Tomorrows forcast calls for a foot of frogs followed by lice, boils, locusts, hail, and darkness until the end of days" What I found fasinating is that people in the secular world seem to sometimes notice things while the saints who should be alert are oblivious to them. (Thus the term "biblical proportions") Well we need to stay awake in these times as they are treacherous indeed. Do you remember Simeon, told of in Luke? It was revealed to him by the Holy Ghost that he would not taste death before laying eyes on the Messiah. I imagine that he woke up every morning from that time on, wondering if that would be the day. He knew that it would arrive and it only stands to reason that he thought on it and searched scriptures concerning it continuously. People around him may have called him obsessive. (We've been hearing that for years.) Just like today and just as it was in the days of Noah. At some point in the future I'm thinking of a post entitled "betwixt". This will deal with our fervent desire to leave and be with the Lord, however having fervent desire for those whom we know are not ready to come to Jesus. I wanted to mention it now as it may sound contradictory to some. We know that when Jesus comes we shall be like him and we long greatly for that moment. Yet many (most) aren't ready and we desire that they would repent and give their heart to Jesus. If you don't know him, it's my fervent prayer that you would come to him.

Silencing of the Lambs

I was, for many years, even before I became a christian in september of 1983, a neo-conservative. From my high school days clear up to sometime in 2002, I looked at the world through republican lenses and it was my duty as an American to work diligently to save the nation from the "evil liberals." (All have sinned but that didn't seem to matter.) This is an idea; the folly of which I noticed first during the days of Bush 41. When he made the comments about the "new world order" it disturbed me. I was even more disturbed when people at church would say words to the effect "don"t worry about it; he's pro-life." It was an attitude similar to straining at a gnat and swallowing a camel. Such a phrase as "new world order" represented a very dangerous way of looking at things, and yet we were so busy trying to beat back the" evil liberals" that we totally missed the bigger picture. Well we fast forward to 2001 and we find that Islamic terrorists have attacked the United States. We also hear the president utter two words that put the first chip in my neo-con armor and forever opened my eyes to that much bigger picture. Those words were "homeland Security." It sounded like a good idea and yet the red flags all popped up. As things developed we saw an invasive system unfold on our citizens while our borders were left wide open; which, in turn put still another chip in my armor, followed by the "shadow Government" revelation. This is the infamous program to ensure government continuity while hidden from the public view and is "eerie" to be sure. The potential for abuse is unfathomable. Then the reports of prisoner abuse. We called them "hostile combatants" and set them up outside the continental US for interrorgation. And yet most christians are more concerned with keeping the republicans in office because if the democrats get back in power, the "space-time continuum will certainly collapse!" Then we had overseas calls being monitered, a president determined to forge together this North American Union, and the so-called National Security Agency which is probably adding to my file at this very moment. We have absolutly NO IDEA insofar as how sweeping this agency is as there are no watchers to watch the watchers. Our system of governmental checks and balances is seemingly paralyzed. The conclusion is that we indeed have a police state manifesting itself before our very eyes. Yet most of us go on in the same pattern of being overcharged with the affairs of this life while the players of the end-time senario are quietly taking up their positions. One more seemingly insignificant event took place in 2002. It was the fallout from the Dixie Chicks remarks as they were lambasted as unpatriotic along with anyone who went against the administration. While I'm not a country music-type person and didn't agree at the time with the comments, they still had the right to make them. Something to think on; if you were in Germany in the mid 1930s and made a derogitory comment about Hitler, you would have been turned in most likely by an average citizen. This man had captivated the nation in a way not unlike the antichrist will captivate the whole earth; by offering all the answers when it seems that all hope is lost. Freedom of speech means the right to voice your opinion and in that year that concept seemed in jeopardy. The first order of business for an athoritarian style of government is to silence the opposition. In May of 2008, the real ID act will be fully implemented. Tracking the citizenry is another athoritarian concept to keep them under control. The beast system is upon us. This is an appeal to anyone who doesn't know the Lord Jesus Christ. The window of grace is closing. The time to turn to him is now; not tomorrow. If you repent (be sorry for and turn from) your sin and ask him to save you, he will do so. He went to the cross to pay for your sin. As for the saints, be prepared to be betrayed by family members, false brethren, neighbors and strangers. Have the word of God stowed away in your heart and your lifeline (your relationship with the Lord Jesus) secure. You may be isolated; having no contact with other saints. I'm sure that the internet will be down when it's convenient for the government to eliminate it. In fact I'm somewhat convinced that the only reason it's allowed to go on is to gather information on the citizenry. (Can you imagine what Stalin or Hitler would have been able to do if the internet had been around in their time? PRAISE GOD that it wasn't.) Stablish your heart. It sounds repetitive but it's a must as Jesus return is at hand and every eye shall behold him. As for my political thinking, I still think low taxes and limited government are sound policies. Abortion is still murder and when you've devalued life to the state that America has the hand of the Lord will surely be upon us for evil and not for good. Sin is still a reproach. I now am focused on the bigger picture rather than trusting in the shadow of Pharaoh (read Isaiah 30:1-3) to bring about social change.

When the Chips are Down.

If there is one single thing that almost everyone on the face of the earth seems to know concerning bible prophesy, it's the number of the mark of the beast. Some are fearful and some make a mockery, however, the vast majority simply "know about it". The concept that it could come to fruition is just something that they don't have time to consider. After all, there are more important things to worry about like "who are the contestants on the next season of American Idolatry?" and "how much longer can I hide my extra-marital affair?" It falls under the label of complacency. Things have gone on in the same fashion for so long that the small incremental steps to global one-world government go unnoticed. In the last few years, this transition has accelerated dramatically without so much as a raised eye brow. The arguments in favor of the technology that will bring this about make sense to the vast majority of an uninformed population. Curently, RFID chips are used to track products under the premise of streamlined shipping. The Agricultural department is forging ahead with plans to implant chips in all livestock to track all livestock and "control the spread of disease." As things progress, food will become a weapon to control people. This is a tactic as old as warfare itself, but will take place on a global scale. As you can imagine the next logical step is people. It makes sense of course. If a child is kidnapped, they can be found right away. You won't have to worry about losing your keys or your ID. In fact "identity theft" will be a thing of the past. I don't like to make a stretch concerning conspiracy theories, but have you noticed the number of stories concerning banking firms losing records on millions of citizens? Have you noticed the number of news reports on missing persons? Not to mention voting irregularities, immigration problems; just an array of conditions that would make a chip implant seem like a "brilliant solution." Revelation 13:16-18 states "And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and .poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand or in their foreheads: And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name. Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast: for it is the number of a man; and his number is six hundred threescore and six." Ponder something for a minute. Suppose that tomorrow morning you are suddenly required to receive this mark. All of a sudden, you can't hold your job. You can,t buy anything. You can't sell anything. You are suddenly cut off from the entire economic system. You can't feed your household, or have access to medical care. The only way is to receive this mark but if you do that, there is no remedy and your eternal doom is sealed. This, again, is one of those things that the preacher at the United Form of Godliness church will never talk about and if it comes up, he'll simply tell you "Oh, don't worry, we're not going to be here." Do you see why the pre-tribulation rapture teaching is so dangerous. It is at this very moment causing millions to not prepare themselves for the days ahead. Walking in the Spirit is an absolute MUST! (I wasn't planning to get into the rapture doctrine but it came up and, well, there it is. Truth can be relentingly brutal at times, but a lie can kill you.) The bible is full of warnings concerning this place on the prophetic time line so that we'll be prepared and not perplexed. The time to get right with the Lord Jesus is now. This thing is coming to an end quicker than most imagine. In May of 2008, the REAL ID act takes affect. This bill, passed by congress and signed by the president to aid in the "war on Terror" will require everyone to have a national ID card. Well you can lose a card, so it's a very small step from a card to a chip. If you're born again this is by no means a time to be fearful. (fear causes people to make very bad choices.) Daniel 11:32-35 has been stuck in my head for weeks. It states "And such as do wickedly against the covenant shall he corrupt by flatteries: but the people that do know their God shall be strong and do exploits. And they that understand among the people shall instruct many: yet they shall fall by the sword, and by flame, by captivity, and by spoil many days. Now when they shall fall, they shall be holpen with a little help: but many shall cleave to them with flatteries. And some of them of undersatanding shall fall, to try them, and to purge, and to make them white, even to the time of the end: because it is yet for a time appointed." One more thing of note. The fiery trial of the saints has a purpose: to burn out all of the impurities; the carnal nature that we wrestle with every day. That's another thing that isn't talked about very often. We need to examine ourselves all the time. I have wondered in times past if I would be ready when these times arrive. The fact is you simply have to be. The Lord is doing a quick work and we must keep our hearts pure and remain as close to him as possible. I know that we hear these things over and over again but the fact is they are a matter of life and death. Plus I have a short memory and need to hear them over and over. To keep our affections on things above. JESUS IS COMING! Are you ready? This question we need to ask ourselves consistantly.

Intelligent Design Past Finding Out

II Timothy 3:7 tells about a time when people would be "Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth." Currently, evolution is the common teaching of the day. It's called a" theory", however, it's presented in such a way as one would present established fact. While astronomers peer ever deeper into the universe, they continualy have to update their theories which eventually are accepted as so called "fact". They came up with the big bang theory to explain why the universe is expanding; why the galaxies are fleeing away from each other. When they discovered that the rate of accelleration was also increasing, they developed the theory of dark energy to explain it. In other words II timothy 3:7 is being fulfilled constantly. The evolution of quantum physics goes on as men try to explain things that had their beginnings in the spiritual realm. God spoke the elements into existance and the physical world that we see is the material manifestation of the words that God spoke in Genesis chapter one. (It's also interesting that the earth was formed and contained vegetation before the sun and the moon were created. Tell that to your science teacher the next time you want to have some fun.) Truly Gods ways are past finding out and I Corinthians chapter one tells us how God will bring to nothing the understaniing of the prudent. For those holding to evolution, it's necessary to find a physical explanation for things. The fact is that if there is a spiritual realm, all of the physical laws go out the window. You have heard of folks having near-death experiences and seeing doctors in the emergency room trying frantically to revive them. There's no physical law to explain how that could possibly happen and yet such reports are almost routine. The fact that a spiritual realm exists supercedes every physical law that we hold to. I Corinthians 2:14-15 says "But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. But he that is spiritual judgeth all things, yet he himself is judged of no man." This is why physicists with every degree obtainable will cleave to the idea that all of the matter in the universe began in a tiny compacted ball the size of a pea. (That takes faith.) To a person whose born again and filled with the Spirit Ghost, this may sound really basic, however, we wrestle with it ourselves every day; believing Gods word over what we see happening around us. We quote II Corinthians 5:7 and Hebrews 11:1 daily but struggle with actually believing it. We get into a place where we have no choice but to trust the Lord and our first reaction tends to be "oh no, not again." We look at the physical situation that we can see, hear, touch and occasionally smell and forget that God created every single atom and literally holds them together. It's like the song says; "Trust and obey, For there's no other way, To be happy in Jesus, than to trust and obey" Love him wholeheartedly, Trust him completly, and follow him unconditionally. As we enter the most perilous time the world has ever known, it's never been more important to let this concept sink into our hearts. To truly trust our faithful creator who has promised to never leave us nor forsake us. That promise supercedes anything that man can do to you. I was about to end this entry, however I just remembered something that I heard recently either at the local fellowship or on the radio. It was "You can't determine what people will do to you but you can determine how you react to it." The bible tells about the time when men will kill us and think that they're doing God a service." We can't control that, however, we can determine in our hearts (we had BETTER determine in our hearts) to keep the faith even unto death. Don't think to yourself that it can never happen here because the groundwork is already being laid. Stablish your heart and remember that, as christians, we subscribe to the "Post Big Bang" theory. II Peter 3:10 says "But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up." The universe didn"t begin with a big bang, however it will certainly end with one.

For the thing was done suddenly!

I'm not sure where to begin and so I'll just begin. It's early Wednesday and as I look out the window everything looks like it always has. In fact, it looks the same as it did when our forefathers were here other than the cosmetic changes of culture and technology. One could look out across the fields and woods and say to themselves "It'll always be as it's always been." This of course is a complete denial of reality and yet most people tend to live according to this concept. Even though history is filled with sudden, unexpected alterations of the status quo, (Sodom and Gomorrah, Pompeii, Titanic, crash of 1929, Pearl Harbor, September 11, 2001,) we tend to look at each day as though it will be just like the one before it. On the morning of September 11, 2001, I was on my way to work when I picked up a copy of the Detroit Free Press. (or maybe it was the Detroit News; it was one of them) It was about 8:30 in the morning and the big huge glaring earth shattering headline read "CHARLIE BATCH IS BENCHED" As you know, an hour later, the World Trade Center was meeting it's demise, and thousands of souls were entering eternity. Whether it was an inside job or not is irrelevant. The relevant truth is that it altered the course of the nation and set up the sequence of events that are happening now, such as the eagle nation of Daniel 7:4 being mired in an open-ended conflict in Mesopotamia while the phrase "war on terror" is being used to justify the implementation of the beast systyem. All of this is happening and yet people live one day to the next like nothing will ever change. Jesus said in Matthew 24:37-39 "But as the days of Noe were, so shall the coming of the Son of man be. For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark. And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall the coming of the Son of man be." In one respect, things are the same. The attitude of "same ol same ol" (I really don't like that phrase) marches on in the face of reality. Well, one thing is for sure; the winds of change are blowing today on every front with monumental earth changes ,(polar ice disappearing) distress of nations with perplexity, (all of them) and the emergence of a police state right before us. (Can you fathom the significance of the fact that we're having a national discussion on whether it's alright to torture prisoners; oh! I mean, "enemy combatants") Daniel 7:7-8 states "After this I saw in the night visions, and behold a fourth beast, dreadful and terrible, and strong exceedingly; and it had great iron teeth: it devoured and brake in pieces, and stamped the residue with the feet of it: and it was diverse from all the beasts that were before it; and it had ten horns. I considered the horns, and behold, there came up among them another little horn, before whom there were three of the first horns plucked up by the roots: and, behold, in this horn were eyes like the eyes of man, and a mouth speaking great things." If you, at this moment don't know Jesus, he shed his blood for you and will save you if you'll repent and ask him to in sincerety. This could be your last chance as tomorrow is not a promise to anyone. Saints, don't get overly wrapped up in the sideshow battles of this life. Occupy till he comes but don't become like the Ephesians in Revelation 2:4. Scripture will come to pass as it must. This is a good thing because I've read the end of the scriptures and eternity is awesome to be sure. As is stated in II Corinthians 4:18, "While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal. "

Do not faint! Please, saints, do not faint!

It seems as though we all are "pressed out of measure" as the conclusion of this age approaches. I just want, this morning, to encouage any saint of the Most High God who may stumble across this to not get discouraged and to keep pressing on. II Thessalonians warns of a great falling away and we must strive to keep our hearts with all diligence. Jesus said in Luke 21: 19 "In your patience posess ye your souls." Please don't get sidetracked no matter what. (I let it happen to me once for an extended period of time. It was the most unpleasent thing that I've ever been through and I praise the Lord Jesus for getting me back on track.) Today, I love the Lord more than ever and am more determined than ever to run the race that is set before us. We need to lift each other up and "pray without ceasing" for those with whom we have fellowship as we're all in this battle together. Without a doubt, the enemy is walking about seeking whom he may devour. We tend to take prayer lightly at times, but we need to keep in rememberance that we are indeed talking directly to God who is as close as the mention of his name, 24/7. Revelation 5:8 reads "And when he had taken the book, the four beasts and four and twenty elders fell down before the Lamb, having every one of them harps, and golden vials full of odours, which are the prayers of saints."