Mystery Babylon Theater

II Thessalonians 2:7-10 "For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way. And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming: 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."

As I was typing in that familiar passage of scripture, the words "love of the truth" came to mind. If you're born again and you love the Lord, you must develop such a deep love for truth, that you'll pursue it unconditionally through prayer and study of the word of God. A desire to be rooted in truth that won't allow you to simply follow any teaching without checking it out for yourself. You'll develop a discernment as you wholeheartedly seek the Lord and seek to be in his perfect will. Taking a persons word at face value is dangerous to be sure.

The year 2007 just arrived in the eastern time zone of the United States. When I came out here to post, I saw a news headline stating "As 2006 comes to a close, the American death toll in Iraq reaches 3000." Three thousand souls who went forth, never to return. This number is small in comparison to the more than fifty thousand names that are etched into the Vietnam Memorial. Nonetheless, a soul is priceless. A single soul being lost is a tragedy. This situation in Iraq is growing increasingly unstable and our troops are caught in the middle of it. The prophetic significance is undeniable as the stage is being set for the man of sin to make his move.

As you read through scripture, one will often come across the question "when shall these things be?" This question is one that's repeated throughout the ages and is still asked today. Even in Revelation, when the fifth seal is opened, those in heaven who were slain for the word of God ask "how long O Lord, holy and true?" Several generations have believed themselves to be the last generation, so one might observantly ask "what makes this time any different than all of the other times?" One will contend that we've always had wars and rumors of wars, earthquakes, floods, famines and a host of events that appear apocalyptic. While this is true, it's also true that there are a host of issues that set this generation apart from any other. Here's a few.

( 1 ) GLOBAL VILLAGE. The fact that the nations of the world is so interconnected into an economic colossus is very telling. Billions of dollars trade hands and shift from one country to another; not by physical means, but through a series of electronic signals that proclaim "we're the equivelent of this number of currency units." This global village is also demonstrated right here in the land of Blog. While I think it to be really cool to communicate with saints from other countries whom I'll never meet in this life, I also know that such an aparatus as the internet is a despots "dream come true." Everyone placing their innermost thoughts onto the web for all to see. Right now, it can be used to further the gospel or any agenda that one may wish to further. Eventually, it'll be used to "round up" the terrorists. At some point, christians will fall into the category of "terrorists."

Revelation 13:7 "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."

It must be remembered that in this hour of temptation, we will be prevailed over in the physical realm. The trial of your faith works patience and a far more exceeding weight of glory.

( 2 ) YOU'RE ON CANDID CAMERA. I recently read a report that in the UK, the average citizen will appear on a surveillance camera an average of 300 times per day. I'm certain that the US is catching up as the department of homeland security implements the agenda of those in power. This doesn't take into account all of the camera phones that are in circulation. Years ago, (in the eighties) the police force in south Bend IN started up a program in which average citizens would receive a cash reward for information leading to the arrest of a fugitive. This sounds like a nice idea, and indeed it has been responsible for the capturing of thousands of criminals. This aspect is good, however, the very nature of implementing an "informant" mentality is unbelievably dangerous. With these camera phones everywhere that people are, there's no more privacy and I can only imagine a nationwide program such as the one in South Bend and a number of other cities. Big brother has eyes everywhere.

( 3 ) THE GOD OF FORCES. There will be the coming together of a world religion. Already the ecumenical movement and the general "can't we all just get along" mentality are moving this process forward. Pastors who place numbers in fron of accuracy when it comes to what they proclaim or to whom they'll bid godspeed. I remember reading recently about a church in the Pittsburgh area that invited a Muslim cleric to deliver a message. Truth has become a "thing of the past; a token of a bygone era" in too many instances. The one world religion will not be christian in any way. It will draw folks away from Jesus and will have great signs and lying wonders accompanying it. The lie will overwhelm those who know not God and obeyed not the gospel. In the book of Daniel we see a glimpse of this religious system.

Daniel 8:25 "And through his policy also he shall cause craft to prosper in his hand; and he shall magnify himself in his heart, and by peace shall destroy many: he shall also stand up against the Prince of princes; but he shall be broken without hand."

I think that this will be an earth-based wiccan style religion that will dominate the earth as "he shall cause craft to prosper." The groundwork for such a system is already done. Ours is a generation that's fascinated by "shock and awe." This fascination with incredible sights will be the undoing of millions. The antichrist and false prophet will have plenty of shock and awe as they put on the "show to end all shows." (The devil knows how to put on a show and draw a crowd.) It'll be like watching a supernatural fireworks display as the simple proclaim "Ooooooh! Aaaaaaah! WOW! Did you see that? Who can make war with him?"

Daniel 11:32 "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."

( 4 ) CHIPS AHOY. As if cameras in the corner of every public space isn't enough, the implementation of "chips" the size of a grain of rice is invasive to the uttermost. With these chips you will be able to take part in commerce, hold a job, get medical care for you and your household, unlock your door, start your car, keep your identity secure, and most of all; if ever, the government needs to find you, they'll know exactly where you are, every minute of every day. The time will come when without this chip, you'll be completely cut off from the economic infrustructure. The technological hurdles have been cleared and the programs are moving ahead at full throttle. You may say to yourself, "I'll never take that." I hope that you maintain this same resolve, regardless of the consequences in the physical realm. This is hard to talk about, but it is a prophetic event. I have four kids and I love them dearly as any father does. Nonetheless, I know that when the mark arrives; be it a chip or something even more invasive, you cannot take it. No matter what the cost is in the land of the physical. The Lord has given me peace concerning these events as I know that he'll never leave us nor forsake us. When the moment of trying arrives, his grace will be sufficient.

( 5 ) NEW WORLD ORDER / SHADOW GOVERNMENT. Our governing officials seem to speak increasingly with globalist rhetoric. It doesn't matter what party is in charge. This has been going on for some time, but during the past ten years, incredible leaps forward by the globalists have trabspired. David J Meyer talked about a visit to the cencus bureau website. It displayed the next cencus questionaire, and it asked questions such as "what time do you go to work? When do you get home? 72 questions in all concerning every aspect of life. The fine for partial or total non-compliance is $1000 per unanswered question.

One more observation before I fall asleep. (I can't fall asleep; I still want to post on www.timbob.wordpress.com if I can stay awake) Why is there a Luciferian all-seeing eye on the back of our dollar bill? I've always wondered as to why that symbol was chosen. Perhaps, the designers of the dollar bill finished up with their presentation when they saw a blank space that needed something. So they chose a Luciferian "all seeing eye." I cannot believe that this is a coincidence. While our founding fathers were mostly men who professed to be christians, there were also tares that sought a more sinister agenda. In due time, everything that was done insecret will be manifest in the light.

Well, time to go. Happy 2007 to all. I don't know what the year has in store, but I know that very soon, this illusion of peace and safety will come crashing down. When that happens, it'll be the wrong time to decide to stop following the Lord Jesus from afar. We all must strive to draw nigh unto him today and every day that remains. With this, I'll leave with one final verse.

I Peter 4:7-8 "But the end of all things is at hand: be ye therefore sober, and watch unto prayer. And above all things have fervent charity among yourselves: for charity shall cover the multitude of sins."

She Blinded Me with Science

Proverbs 1:7 "The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction.

Websters offers us the following definitions:

EDUCATION: the action or process of educating or of being educated to

KNOWLEDGE: the fact or condition of knowing something with familiarity gained through experience of familiarity.

WISDOM: ( A ) accumulated philosophic or scientific learning ( B ) ability to discern inner qualities and relationships: INSIGHT

AUTHENTIC KNOWLEDGE. In these days of unparalleled deceptions and shifting sands of doctrine, it has never been more important to discern between true knowledge and fallacy; between truth and that which is counterfeit. For example, if a person goes to college and earns an electronic engineering degree, this would constitute legitimate knowledge. It would provide one with a skill in which they would be able to provide a service and secure an income. In such instances, the biggest pitfall (and it is a big one; make no mistake) is that this knowledge would puff them up and cause them to not see the need for God. But the knowledge itself is neutral; it can be used either for good or for evil.

FALSE KNOWLEDGE. This would be anything that runs in direct opposition to the word of God, such as the theory that every living thing on the face of the earth evolved from single cell organisms via the process known as "natural selection." This is the theory which is embraced by many to explain how amoebas transformed themselves into multi-cell organisms, developed a brain, acquired the ability to swim, grew lungs, moved onto the beach, sprouted legs, developed coats of fur, learned to walk upright, developed complex language structures, figured out how to write down events and ponderings, formed communities, invented the internal combustion engine, merged into a "global village" and began blogging on the very network that will one day be instrumental in the enslavement of the whole population. They place this theory into a context of 4 billion years in an attempt to obscure the rediculousity of it all.

Websters offers us another definition:

MODERNISM 1: a practice, usage, or expression peculiar to modern times 2: a tendancy in theology to accomodate traditional religious teaching to contemporary thought and especially to devalue supernatural elements.

Ours is a culture that's doing everything in it's power to remove from memory the God who inhabits eternity.

I Timothy 6:20-21 "O Timothy, keep that which is commited to thy trust, avoiding profane and vain babblings, and oppositions of science falsely so called: Which some professing have erred concerning the faith. Grace be with thee. Amen"

THE ELEMENT OF FAITH. This is an ever present factor. For example, it takes real faith to believe in evolution. It takes a real commitment to the big bang theory to believe that everything in the universe started out as a unit of matter the size of a baseball which exploded and formed all that one can observe and that which must be there because of the way that the universe behaves but cannot be seen. (dark matter, dark enegy etc) The wall of faith begins when something has to come about from nothing. For example, "where did the baseball sized mass come from. Another universe? OK. How did it all get started? There's no formula to explain how something comes from nothing and yet we have an entire universe of "something."

Many will use the hundreds of billions of galaxies to proclaim that "God couldn't possibly have done all of this" when, in fact, those hundreds of billions of galaxies declare that "God is; and his ways are past finding out."

John 5:39 "Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me."

SPIRITUAL WISDOM. This wisdom, when based on truth, is above all other wisdom. You can become the greatest quantum physics professor that the world has ever known, have rooms in your house devoted to the display of your trophies and certificates, but if you die in your sins, you'll spend eternity in a lake of fire along side everyone else who rejected the gift of salvation. You can survive without understanding the laws of physics. You can get by without a college education or without having a handle on algebra. You can manage in life without being able to locate Ireland on a map of Ireland. But you CANNOT inherit eternal life without repenting of your sins and accepting Jesus Christ as your Savior.

Matthew 16: 26 "For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?"

II Timothy 2:15-16 "Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. But shun profane and vain babblings: for they will increase unto more ungodliness."

II Timothy 3:15-17 "And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Jesus Christ. All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness. That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works."

The biggest pitfall is that knowledge will tend to pull a man away from his Creator, who holds in his hand the very breath of life, and false knowledge will cause a man to deny that his

creator even exists. False knowledge will always have physical backing as it appeals only to the natural man. Even the false religions of the world will ultimately pander to the flesh. A good example of this would be Mormonism. They believe that you are married to your mate in eternity just as you are here. This is a blatent pandering to the physical nature of folks but is contrary to the word of God. (I'm not trying to single out mormons; but my sister is a mormon and as a result, I've learned some things about them)

Mark 12:25 "For when they shall rise from the dead, they neither marry, nor are given in marriage; but are as the angels which are in heaven."

Through the lens of scripture and the infilling of the Holy Ghost, discernment between truth and fallacy is obtained. This is truth; that GOD IS. He has always been God and he will always be God. "How can this be?" Well, when you can figure out how billions of galaxies emerged from a baseball size piece of matter; you'll still be unable to figure it out in the natural. There's no formula in the linear universe to explain such a phenomenon; it has to be accepted by faith.

Hebrews 11:6 "But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him."

God reveals himself through his word. A visit to Luke 16:19-31 will provide a perfect example of the authority that God places in his word. This rich man probably had a wealth of earthlt knowledge, but he neglected the councel of God. In hell (I'm power paraphrasing here for the sake of time) he asked that one would go back to warn his brothers about hell. Abraham told him that they had Moses and the prophets.

Luke 16:31 "And he said unto him, If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead."

Gods word is forever settled in heaven and shall never pass away. His word surpasses all that folks think they understand. I would urge any passer by to examine these things as you will be held accountable. That rich man has been in hell for over two thousand years with no end in sight; all because he neglected the councel of God. I pray that you will take heed to this. Jesus died for your sins and will save you if you call upon him and ask him to. All have sinned and all of us deserve hell. Jesus went to the cross on Calvary to pay for your sin with his own blood. Please don't put this off.

Let the Dead Bury Their Dead

This reply that Jesus gave to the grieving son in Matthew 8:22 must have caught all of those within earshot completely off guard. This man had just lost his father; the man who raised him and molded him into the kind of citizen that he was. He must have had great respect for his father who was now gone, and he went about planning for his burial. This is the case in any instance when a loved one leaves this world. He wanted to follow Jesus, but asked to be allowed to take care of this piece of business first. Let me go to Matthew to give a better illustration of this and its significance in these final hours of the age. (The status quo is coming down quickly)

Matthew 8:18 Now when Jesus saw great multitudes about him, he gave commandment to depart unto the other side.

In short, Jesus was on the move and he told his followers, "Let's go over there. This meant that he wasn't lingering; he wasn't waiting for anyone to go and tend to some last minute business or to bid someone farewell.

Matthew 19-20 And a certain scribe came, and said unto him, Master, I will follow thee whithersoever thou goest. And Jesus said unto him, The foxes have holes, and the birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head.

In other words, he told the scribe that it wouldn't be business as usual. He wouldn't have a certain dwelling place night after night and he would have to live by faith alone.

Matthew 8:21-22 "And another of his disciples said unto him, Lord, suffer me first to go and bury my father. But Jesus said unto him, Follow me; and let the dead bury their dead.

This man made what would appear to be a very common request. He was already a disciple, however, he wanted to honor his father who had raised him up, but was now gone. Jesus instructs this man to follow him and let others tend to that. It of utmost importance that we put our relationship with the Lord Jesus above everything; even the events that we think are monumental. Jesus was departing to the other side of the Sea of Galilee and if this disciple had gone to bury his father, he would have returned to find Jesus gone. When the Lord instructs us to do something, it's for a reason. The next verse sums it up.

Matthew 8:23 "And when he was entered into a ship, his disciples followed him."

His disciples followed him. When Jesus got on board the ship, they got on board too. Wherever he went, they went to unless instructed by him to go to a specific place for a certain span of time. They didn't take vacations or have days off. Their relationshiop with the Lord was ongoing and ares should be the same. The concept that we are not our own is lost in much of the preaching today. We all dwell in a vessel of clay and have a different law working in our members. We all strive to die daily to our old nature and become increasingly Christlike. Yet many not only struggle with these battles, they feast on teachings of prosperity and name it and claim it. Last week the pastor of the largest church in America was interviewed by Larry King. He says, basically that God wants you to have it all. Forget that it may take your heart off of the eternal. Forget all of the warnings throughout scripture that warn of the pitfalls associated with prosperity. (Some folks can handle wealth; most cannot.) I listened to this guy for five minutes and went about other business.

As you read the gospels; as you spend time in them meditatively, you learn of just how radical Jesus was as he called men to discipleship. He was the particularly hard on the religious folks who took pride in their years of study and their status among the citizenry. (Actually he was just honest) He turned the world upside down as he called men to "forsake all and follow him. This steadfast commitment is of the utmost importance. Any lingering idols within our hearts will cause us to stumble when things are going nutty. The example of the man who had lost his father displays the level of commitment required of us and the importance of ensuring that our commitment is steadfast. Another familiar example of this can be found in the parable of the ten virgins.

Matthew 25:1-4 "Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins, which took their lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom. And five of them were wise, and five were foolish. They that were foolish took their lamps, and took no oil with them: But the wise took oil in their vessels with the lamps."

Two things of interest here. The oil is representative of the infiling of the Holy Ghost. The lamp gives off light in a dark space. A lamp that has no oil in it will be useless in a dark space. It will cause the one holding it to look as though they're prepared, but when the time of trying arrives, the lack of preparedness will become blatently obvious. It is urgent like never before to ensure that we're walking in the Spirit at all times. (The importace of this cannot be stressed enough as the consequences are eternal)

Matthew 25:5 "And while the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept.

This verse gives us a picture of the church at the end of 2006. Everyone is asleep; even those who ponder these things daily struggle to not become overcharged by the temporal things of this life. I really believe that when things begin comming apart at the seams, the saints with oil in their lamps will be prepared; even the ones who may have been thinking along pre-tribulation rapture doctrines. Those who neglected time with the Lord and were following afar off will be woefully unprepared for the hour of temptation that will come upon the whole earth.

Matthew 25:6-8 "And at midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him. Then all those virgins arose, and trimmed their lamps. And the foolish said unto the wise, Give us of your oil; for our lamps are gone out."

This passage ought to be sobering to any who is atuned to the times that we are in. These are times in which the great falling underway has begun and will pick up steam in the days ahead. This is no time to be walking about with an empty lamp as Jesus warned us that the days just prior to his return would be more traumatic than any other time in history. Thesie are times when you absolutely must follow the Lord Jesus completely; regardless of what family members think, regardless of what neioghbors think, and even, regardless of what the brethren think. We must have oil in our lamps or we will stumble.

Matthew 25:9 "But the wise answered, saying Not so; lest there be not enough for us and you: but go ye rather to them that sell and buy for yourselves."

The wise don't have enough for another; they cannot carry one who isn't prepared.

Matthew 25:10-13 "And while they went out to buy, the bridegroom came; and they that were ready went in with him to the marriage: and the door was shut. Afterward came also the other virgins, saying, Lord, Lord, open to us. But he answered and said, Verily I say unto you, I know you not. Watch ye therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh."

As I was copying these verses down, the term "go and buy" kept coming to mind and I remembered the verse in Revelation in which the Lord Jesus offers councel to the Laodiceans.

Revelation 3:17-18 "Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked.

I councel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white rainment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and annoint thine eyes with eye-salve, that thou mayest see."

There's several potential posts rolled up into these two verses. These folks in Laodicea were content; they had riches and goodly things in abundance. They became half-hearted in their relationship with the Lord. I have often wondered what happened to this church after they received the letter from John. We have no way of knowing, but I hope that they came to repentance. Riches will pierce you through with many sorrows and these preachers who teach nothing but success in this life (prophets of profit; another future post) are causing millions to not prepare for the times ahead. "Your Best Life Now" is a book that you can find in almost any store. The title tells me enough to not mess with it as the focus is here instead of the hereafter.

The conclusion is this; follow Jesus with all of your heart and all of your being. If he reveals to you that you are to leave your city, travel to Ouagadougou, stand in the city square, and wait for an elderly widow woman to come by and give you instruction, DO IT. "Whatsoever he saith unto you, do it."

As I write this tonight, I see many areas in which I need to grow. I see many areas of my life in which the Lord still has a lot of work to do. I praise him for all that he has done in my heart and I know that he is faithful to complete the good work that he has started. I pray that you're seeking him ever so fervently and that your heart is stablished. This age is coming to an end and the glorious appearing of our Savior and Lord, Jesus Christ is at hand. The great and terrible day of the Lord will soon come to pass. Great for those who are born again and watching. Terrible for those who seemed to have "more important things" to do instead of seeking the Lord while he may be found. I pray that you're fully trusting in the blood of Jesus this hour.

Coyote Stew

Luke 6:25-26 "woe unto you that are full! for ye shall hunger. Woe unto you that laugh now! for ye shall mourn and weep. Woe unto you, when all men shall speak well of you! for so did they of the false prophets."

This passage of scripture could lead into the discussion of a number of issues, ranging from "living to eat" to the pitfalls of being "popular" in the world. (Here is wisdom; if everybody's doing it, don't do it) I'm going to focus on the excess part as Americans heep to themselves treasures for the last days like no other nation. As a whole, we spend more than we earn and we have a national debt that reaches to the stars. Today we're going to give presents one to another, and rejoice in the incredible increase of trappings. Folks will claim that "Jesus is the reason for the season," however I think it would be more honest for many to proclaim "The Season is the Reason for the Season" as it would be more reflective of the general attitude. (a couple of days ago I read a post that said "the tilt of the earth is the reason for the season") I think that many will place a nativity scene in their yard but their heart is far from the Lord Jesus Christ who came into the world to save sinners. They sing Jingle Bells, Winter Wonderland, and Frosty the Snowman, while decking the halls and engaging in "combat shopping." They cover the house with lights and decorate the Baal bush...er...I mean...Christmas tree in an attempt to recreate the ambience of Christmases long long ago.

My family and I are as guilty as anyone of this materialistic approach to things; more than we would like to admit. The attitudes that one acquires when everything has always been readily available. Few in this country have any idea of what it means to go without; to not know where their next meal is going to come from. (Not all of us, but most of us.) The title for this post comes from a phrase that's common in our particular household. Whenever leftovers go unconsumed, we'll take them out past the fence and dump them in the field behind the house. We call this "feeding the coyotes;" knowing that these leftovers will be gone in the morning. We have the chunkiest coyotes in Michigan living in the fields and woods surrounding our property. Sometimes when you clean out the refrigerator, you'll find the meat loaf from last week, the tuna cassarole from last month, and the grey fuzzy thing, sitting on a plate that growls when you go to remove it. This becomes the coyote stew that keeps the canines coming back for more. It amazes me that a family of six can throw out so much food. We're not overly careless and yet a lot of stuff goes to waste while millions in the world have no idea of what it feels like to have a full stomach. I don't want to sound like a socialist or a promoter of any political agenda. This is simply a casual observation of a condition that Jesus told us would exist until his return.

Matthew 26:11 "For ye have the poor always with you; but me ye have not always."

As I write this post tonight, I'm getting on my own case as our household doesn't do all that it could do when it comes to being charitable. This is a condition that needs to be corrected in our household along with many others. Many of us are like the rich men that were, out of their abundance, casting in to the treasury. We tend to give God the leftovers. They might be big leftovers; depending upon the reserves that one has available, but they're leftovers just the same. The heart attitude is one of "I don't need this" instead of "somebody needs this." The attitude of the heart is what God looks at. He made heaven and earth; he's not impressed by the stuff that you think is yours that you think you're giving back to him. He is pleased, however, when you just give because you have true compassion for another. I don't know how this post got steered into this direction but lets run with it.

Luke 21:1-4 "And he looked up, and saw the rich men casting their gifts into the treasury. And he saw also a certain poor widow casting in hither two mites. And he said, Of a truth, I say unto you, that this poor widow hath cast in more than they all: For all these have of their abundance cast in unto the offerings of God: but she of her penury hath cast in all the living that she had."

This is such a priceless lesson if we can grasp the significance of it. This lady, first of all, loved the Holy One of Israel. By casting in all that she had, she may very well have gone without food for a time. She forfeited "basic necessities" to help out a stranger. She had no idea as to what those two mites would go to but she had a heart to please God and she was faithful in a way that few would be. This falls into the catagory of not loving the things of this world even more so than tithing. For this I turn to another familiar event.

Luke 18:18-21 "And a certain ruler asked him, saying, Good Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life? And Jesus said unto him, why callest thou me good? none is good, save one, that is, God. Thou knowest the commandments, Do not commit adultery, Do not kill, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Honour thy father and thy mother. And he said, All these have I kept from my youth up."

This guy really wanted to please God. He had kept the commandments from the time of his youth. You don't do that if you have no reverence for God. The fact that he came to Jesus and asked such a question indicated that this was something that he thought on much. "Where am I lacking?" He had, however, an idol in his heart; a weight and sin that beset him when Jesus brought it to light..

Luke 18:22-23 "Now when Jesus heard these things, he said unto him, Yet lackest thou one thing: sell all that thou hast, and distribute to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, follow me. And when he heard this, he was very sorrowful: for he was very rich.

He loved his stuff more than God. I have to wonder to myself if I'm as sold out as I think. If the Lord revealed to me that I was to work tons of overtime in January and give the entire amount of the months income to an orphanage in Guatamala, how would I react. It would be a test to be sure and I can't honestly say that I would definatly pass. To just say "OK Lord; I love you no matter what and you know what you're doing." And then do it. I fear that most of us would fail such a test. Jesus was trying to do something for that young ruler; to bring him in to a closer walk with the God who is from everlasting to everlasting. To bring him to a sweet place of total trust in the Lord; regardless of the physical situation or the shrill voice of conventional wisdom.

Luke 18:24-27 "And when Jesus saw that he was very sorrowful, he said, How hardly shall they that have riches enter into the kingdom of God! For it is easier for a camel to go through a needles eye, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God. And they that heard it said, Who then can be saved? And he said, The things which are impossible with men are possible with God."

That last verse encourages us to keep pressing on. This is one of the reasons that I tend to get on the cases of the prosperity preachers. A couple of days ago, one was on Larry King proclaiming "God wants you to have it all." He was focusing on this world and causing his followers to pierce themselves through withn many sorrows. Riches will change you; this is an unavoidable fact and why we're told to love not the world.

Psalm 62:10 "Trust not in oppression, and become not vain in robbery: if riches increase, set not your heart upon them"

Just imagine for a moment that tomorrow morning, a guy comes to your door with one of those giant cardboard checks for 500 million dollars. All yours! You would be physically unable to maintain the same mindset that you had prior to that moment. It's simply impossible. Praise God that he doesn't allow us to be tempted above what we are able. I for one couldn't handle that kind of money. I have a "standing prayer" if you will; asking the Lord to not allow anything in my life that will take my focus away from him. I'm most likely not a Job. It's easy to proclaim "though he slay me, yet will I trust him" but when the heat is on, you find out if you really believe it.

Matthew 6:19-21 "Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through and steal: for where your treasure is, there will your heart be also."

God wants you to have eternal life in the world without ending. This world is temporal, along with its "time honored traditions of men" and stockpiles of wealth. I need to close this out as it's 5:20 AM and I haven't been to bed yet. I pray that these things would be taken into consideration and that we all would strive to remove anything from our lives that would cause us to stumble. That we would draw closer to the Lord Jesus Christ with each passing day; even when those around us think it strange that we run not with them to the same excess of riot.

OH! ONE MORE THING! A few hours ago, I heard about a shooting in a shopping mall in Florida. One person went into eternity as a result. They interviewed this lady who said "It's terrible that this had to happen on the day before Christmas." OH; so if it had happened in May, it would have been better? A soul going into eternity is serious; regardless of what day it takes place on. You may say "Well you know what she meant." Yes I know what she meant. She meant that if this had happened in May it wouldn't have been as noticable. We place an excessive amount of emphasis on a date. The virgin birth is an intregal part of the gospel on every single say. Jesus came into the world to save sinners.

At the Twilights Last Gleaming

John 9:4 "I must work the works of him that sent me, while it is day: the night cometh when no man can work."

Any casual observation of world events; be it cultural trends, political upheaval, distress of nations, economic pitfalls (such as "what happens when then Chinese dump all of their greenbacks) or a general unspoken consensus that the status quo will always be, reveals that we are heading into some very turbulant times. This conclusion isn't simply the result of a guy with a non-mentally stimulating job allowing his mind to wander in the wee-hours of the morning. (Wee? I have no idea if that's the proper spelling as I've never in fourty two years had a situation where it was called upon in print) This is a condition that is prophesied of throughout scripture. During the captivity of the children of Israel in Babylon, the prophet Daniel saw these events in a series of visions. He had no idea as to their meaning, but he understood that the final generation would need the information that he was shown. He faithfully recorded everything that the Lord showed him.

Daniel 12:13 "But go thy way till the end be: for thou shalt rest, and stand in thy lot at the end of the days."

This final verse in Daniel tells us specifically when the visions would come to pass. The book of Daniel is, in a way, the old testament version of Revelation in that it deals primarily with the end of days; insofar as this dispensation is concerned.

"PEOPLE IN MOTION" I been hearing a news report over the last several days where in Briton, the vast majority youth surveyed, listed celebrities and sports stars as the people that they most "look up to." I don't know what the statistics are here but we cannot be far behind . A trip to your locat supermarket is evidence of this. Almost every supermarket checkout that I've ever gone through has on display the same magazines. This tells me that these things sell. You have "People Magazine," where you can learn about the movie star who is cheating on their spouse and is now carrying the baby of the rock star who is now in therapy for cocaine use. Or if you're feeling adventurous, you can pick up "Weekly world News" (or whatever it's called) and read about the aliens who landed in Washington and have taken over the bodies of all of the democrats and are now plotting to annihilate us all. You NEVER see such magazines as Scientific American, Popular Mechanics, or anything of a really serious topic. Even the so-called "news magazines" are more about entertainment than substance. (Not to mention that their "substance" is only feeding the mindset that will cause folks to accept the man of sin.) You'll find almost nothing that will cause a person to ponder things of significance. You will, however, be able to read about Miss USA and her wild time or whatever. CNN can't drop it. Every time I go into the break room, there it is again. Folks fill their minds with the latest hollywood gossip while the last vestiges of the republic are being swept away. The worlds population is dancing to a satanic orchestra while the "mother of all deceptions" is soon to carry away millions who considered "entertainment news" to be real news. (Seriously; news about celebrities is reported as though the fate of the world rests with Brittany Spears or Michael Jackson.)

A recent example of this mentality took place at work. Last summer, management determined that the monster radios (the ones with their own wheels) that folks were keeping at work as to ensure that they could hear it in every part of their particular department, needed to be removed as the noise level had gotten out of hand. A few weeks later, a shift wide meeting was held in which the state of business (precarious in the automotive industry) was talked about. They talked about the importance of double checking every component that goes out, the general outlook of the indusrty and the build schedules which determine how much work is available or who must take a layoff. In other words, issues that will determine whether or not we can all make our mortgage payments next year. The enthusiasm was mediocre at best. That is, until, during the question and answer time, someone asked about when the monster radios would be allowed back in. Suddenly everyone was awake as this topic dominated the remainder of the meeting. I was surprised that Channel 3 out of Kalamazoo didn't have a camera crew there. "This just in; Monster Radios are staging a comeback at American Axle!" It seems trivial, but it's just another example of the American mindset in the year 2006. (This mindset is actually shared by only a segment of the plants workforce, however, that segment is very vocal. Incidentally, the radios are back and louder than ever. Truly Gods grace is sufficient for any situation; no matter how annoying the situation is)

II Thessalonians 2:7-12 "For the mystery if iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way. And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the Spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming: 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: That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness."

That sounds harsh! Don't look at me; I didn't write it. If I had written it, you could simply blow it off. But the fact that it appears in scripture means that it's 100% accurate. Anything in biblical prophesy that hasn't yet come to pass you can be certain that it will. There WILL be a one world beast government that will, for a time, make war with the saints and prevail against them. As I was copying the above verse, a thought came to me. When the Restrainer is taken out of the way, the door of grace will close. The saints will have to hold to their faith like never before as the antichrist and false prophet deceive the whole world. This means that if you're waiting for things to get bad before you give your heart to Jesus, you are playing a very dangerous game. When the antichrist appears, the saints who have the Holy Ghost abiding within, will recognize him and have their hearts established. The world will "wonder after him" as he will have all of the common sense solutions to all of the problems facing the world. He will use common sense, coupled with false signs and wonders to "debunk christianity" and set himself up as the savior of mankind. He will seduce the whole earth and everyone will proclaim "Who is like unto the beast? who is able to make war with him?" He won't have to force people to receive his mark; they'll line up for it in order to buy groceries for their household. The english language doesn't contain adequate words as to describe just how perilous these times are.

Revelation 13:16-18 "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."

This is all coming down faster than you can imagine. The daylight is almost gone. I want to touch on something, even though 98% of the church disagrees with it. These delusions which the antichrist will roll out before the world, will be so strong "insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect." A lukewarm christian who was following the Lord Jesus afar off would be hard pressed to suddenly "get right with God and be willing to lay down their life for him. This is another reason as to why I don't subscribe to the pre-tribulation rapture doctrine. It's a smooth thing, but an error that's causing millions to live half-hearted lives. One more passage of scripture (unless something else comes up) and I'll close.

Matthew 24:21-22 "For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be. And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elects sake those days shall be shortened."

That's not talking about lukewarm christians who were sitting in a bar when the rapture took place. That's talking about those who love God wholeheartedly and have kept the faith of Jesus Christ despite all of the devices of Satan. If these folks were raptured out before the tribulation, why do the days have to be shortened for the elects sake? Just something to think on. Please think on this along with the times that were in and the soon return of our Lord Jesus Christ. Of the vast array of topics that cause folks to think, ponder, and tell their friends, this is the one event that really matters. JESUS IS RETURNING AND EVERY EYE SHALL BEHOLD HIM!

Please check these events out in scripture as they are coming to pass. This is merely a list of the most familiar passages of scripture.

Daniel chapters 7-12, Zechariah chapter 14

Matthew chapters 10 and 24, Mark chapter 13, Luke chapters 17 and 21

II Thessalonians chapter 2, I Timothy chapter 6, II timothy chapter 3

Revelation

As the Waters Cover the Sea

Jeremiah 31:34 "And they shall teach no more every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the LORD: for they shall all know me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them, saith the LORD: for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more."

Without a doubt, you have, at one time or another, heard someone ask the question, "If God is real and he's so loving, how come there's so much violence and suffering in the world?" How can he allow such things to go on?" This is a question that's almost as old as human history and one that has a very simple answer. The answer is sin. Since the fall in the garden of Eden, Satan has been the god of this world and he walks about as a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour. He is the father of lies and is the architect of every wicked contraption.

I Peter 5:8 "Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour."

When Jesus went to calvary, he paid the sin debt of the world. When he entered the center of the earth, he stripped Satan of all authority once and for all. When he rose from the dead three days later, he took the keys of hell and of death with him. Satan has been defeated once and for all and soon this architect of rebellion will take up his eternal abode in the lake of fire. The only thing that he can do presently is play the role of "spoiler." The devil and his minions work tirelessly to keep folks from coming to the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ, thereby inheriting the eternal fellowship with God that they forfeited. This dispensation will soon end at the battle of Armageddon when Jesus returns in the clouds of glory. The beast and the false prophet which, by this time, will have deceived the whole world, shall be cast into the lake of fire. Satan will be bound for a thousand years in the bottomless pit during which time he will be unable to deceive the nations.

Something that is never talked about much, because it's more than a thousand years away, is that Satan will be loosed for a little season following the millenial reign. He will go out and deceive the nations one final time and folks who never before experienced temptation will begin to think evil thoughts against God and the saints. Many of them will rebel and compass the saints about. At this time, fire will come down from God out of heaven to devour them and Satan will join the beast and false prophet in the lake of fire. The telling of the millenial reign of Christ, the short season of temptation, and the white throne judgment can be found in Revelation chapter 20.

Isaiah 9:6 "For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Councellor, The Mighty God, The Everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace."

This verse prophesies of the coming of Messiah and gives us a picture of just what kind of a ruler he will be when his kingdom is established on the earth. Today, in the world, you find heads of state which have differing agendas. Some are socialistic and some have a theocratic view. Some ask for "clarification" of the Geneva Convention, while others are "classic despots." There are a few who are ligitimately concerned for those under their authority. When Jesus rules, he will be the perfect King. (He is perfect in every way) He was tempted in all points as we are and yet never sinned. He is pure, just, and truly loves us. If you read the sermon on the mount in Matther chapters 5 through 7, you gain incredible insight as to the nature of God and a good picture of what the millenial reign will be like with our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ in complete control. Can you imagine for a moment, what it would be like to have a president with such qualities? We've never had one because all have sinned, including politicians. (really? lol) The whole world will operate on the basis of the two great commandments which are as follows.

Matthew 22:37-40 "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."

Ponder that for a moment. Each person loving their neighbor just as they do themselves. No more "It's all about me" attitude; no more incidents of people securing selfish desires at someone elses expence. EVERYONE will love their neighbor as themselves. It sounds too good to be true, but when Jesus rules and Satan is bound in the bottomless pit, this will be the reality of life on earth. I know that in these posts I talk often about the coming tribulation. I do this because very few are even "thinking about," let alone "preparing for" the deceptive times ahead. In this post, however, I want to focus on the time just after the tribulation because it's going to be beyond awesome.

I Corinthians 2:9-10 "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."

The more that you think about the goodness of God; the love that he has toward us and the incredible times to come, this world, with all of its empty promises becomes increasingly strange and "desolate." You begin to feel like a sojourner who's just passing through; looking for a city "which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God." The frivilous things of this life lose their appeal as you begin to grasp the concept of the world to come. Forever with Jesus who gave his life for us so that we could be with him for all of eternity.

Revelation 20:4 "And I saw thrones, and they that sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years."

The overcomers; those remnant saints who remain faithful to the Lord Jesus despite all of the deceptiveness of this world, will reign with Jesus during this time. This is why I consistantly talk about having our affections on the world to come and not loving this present world. It's not a matter of legalism or that of trying to bring folks under control. It's a matter of life and death; not only in this world, but in the world to come. If you love this world, you'll sell your birthright for a morsel of bread. Loving this world not only seperates you from the supernatural joy of being in fellowship with the Lord Jesus, it hinders your ability to make proper choices in the times of temptation. I would encourage every saint to lay aside every weight and sin and to make your calling and election sure.

Habakkuk 2:14 "For the earth shall be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea."

During the millenial reign of Jesus, there will be no need for missionaries or evangelists as the knowledge of the God of heaven will be everywhere. There is one thing that will need to be taught to those who are born during the time of the millenium. These folks will never face temptation as you and I do. To them, thoughts of rebellion will be totally alien and they will need to be aware that a time will come in which such thoughts will enter into their minds. I want to cover this briefly, although, as mentioned earlier, it's over a thousand years away.

Revelatio0n 20:7-9 "
And when the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison, And shall go out to deceive the nations which are in the four quarters of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle: the number of whom is as the sand of the sea. And they went up on the bredth of the earth, and compassed the camp of the saints about, and the beloved city: and fire came down from God out of heaven, and devoured them."

From these verses, it sounds as though most of the population will fall for the deceptions of Satan and will rebel against the wonderful kingdom that has been in place for a thousand years. They will rebel against the rule of Christ and set themselves in array against the saints. This will be the absolute final rebellion as Satan is cast into the lake of fire along with the beast and false prophet, who up until now, were the only two in there. Following this will be the great white throne judgment.

Revelation 20:12-15 "And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works. And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire."

All of the things of this life that men hold in high esteem will amount to nothing on that day. It wont matter how popular you were or how much education you acquired. It wont matter how much money you made or how big your house was. The only thing that will matter on that day will be "DOES YOUR NAME APPEAR IN THE BOOK OF LIFE?" If you have never accepted Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, PLEASE do it today. Tomorrow is not a promise and eternity is a long long time to be sorry. Nothing in this world is more serious than your standing with the God of all eternity. He will save you if you ask. Jesus died to save you, but he can only save you if you ask him to. PLEASE CHOOSE WISELY.

Revelation 3:20 "Behold, I stand at the door and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me."

The Girl Next Door

I venture into this post tonight with apprehension; knowing that the potential for being misundertood is great. When discussing issues; especially those in which deeply entrenched traditions are involved, one must abide totally within the context of scripture. One must allow the word of God to go forth as his word is truth and life. The thoughts of men are shifting sand, but the word of God is steadfast and unchanging.

Psalm 119:105 "Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path."

This is the time of year when Christmas cards are sent between acquaintances and our family is no exception to this. One arrived this morning and I couldn't help but notice the stamp. It featured a familiar "renaissance style" picture of Mary holding the child Jesus. In this picture, Mary is featured wearing a mystical looking blue and gold hooded garment and the area behind her head was illuminated. It's a picture; the likes of which we have all seen countless times throughout our lives. While this picture is well known, it likewise demonstrates some traditions which are contrary to scripture and this is where I want to be really careful as I progress into this post.

Oftentimes, scriptural truths are compromised as the traditions of men get mingled with fact and thus creating a perception that's not entirely accurate. Christmas is just such a situation in which a number of unscriptural things are intertwined with truth. A prime example of this is when you see a nativity scene and the wise men from the east are present also. The wise men of the east show up sometime later as the following verse will attest.

Matthew 2:11 "And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and fell down, and worshipped him: and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto him gifts; gold, and frankincense, and myrrh."

Another example is that which was depicted in the stamp; giving glory to Mary instead of the Lord Jesus. Mary was indeed a chosen vessel and lived in accordance with the law, but she was a person just like everyone else. She was to be married to Joseph and was probably in her teens at the time of the angels appearing as this was the common age for marriage to take place. Joseph and Mary were very average people who would never stand out in a crowd. This next verse takes place when Mary goes to visit her cousin Elisabeth who was, at that time carrying John the Baptist. As you know, upon hearing of Mary, the babe leaped in her womb, Elisabeth was filled with the Holy Ghost, and she speaks the words in Luke 1:42-45. Mary responds to this as follows:

Luke 1:46-48 "And Mary said, My soul doth magnify the Lord, And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour. For he hath regarded the low estate of his handmaiden: for behold, from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed."

As you read on through verse 55, one can't help but think that this was the moment in which Mary really began to grasp the scope of what was taking place. (Oftentimes, a person can know of something without actually grasping the significance of it.) The time of Messiahs appearing was at hand. The hope of Israel and the world was leaping from the pages of prophesy and into the realm of the here and now.

The virgin birth was a supernatural event in every sense of the word. This is a truth that many have tampered with in some really contrary ways. Nonetheless, it did take place as was prophesied. This had to be the case in order for Jesus to be able to pay for our sins.

Matthew 1:23 "Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us."

This is a truth that has been under asault ever since the days that Jesus walked upon the earth. The fact that Jesus is God manifest in the flesh; and that his birth into the world was a supernatural event. This is the reason that I often bring up I John chapter 4 in which we are admonished to "try the spirits to see if they be of God."

Luke 2:19 "But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart."

Mary was a ponderer. She observed, and made mental notes of the events that were taking place. In the above verse, she ponders the words of the shepherds. In Luke 1:29, she wonders of the angels salutation. (Up until that moment, her life had been 100% average) In Luke 2:33, Joseph and Mary both marvel at the words spoken by Simeon. One can only imagine that such was the case when the wise men arrived and in every instance where something transpired which was contrary to "average." Another truth that's not readily known is that Mary had other children later on. We don't know how many, but it was enough that the family went a days journey as they returned from jerusalem, before realizing that Jesus wasn't with them. One can almost hear the ensuing conversation.

"Isn't he with you?"

"I thought he was with you."

"Is he in a desert place?"

"There goes our shot at the parents of the year award." They return to Jerusalem and after three days, they find him in the temple, talking with the doctors who are stunned with his knowledge of scripture. As I was writing here, I was doing my own pondering. They spent three days searching Jerusalem. I wonder if, during that time, Mary was thinking on the things that transpired at Jesus birth until it dawned on her; "The Temple! We need to go check the temple!" Scripture doesn't give the details of the search, only what Mary said when they finally found him.

Luke 2:48 "And when they saw him, they were amazed: and his mother said unto him, Son why hast thou thus dealt with us? Behold thy father and I have sought thee sorrowing."

The doctors, who had studied the law since the time of their youth were fascinated as this twelve year old boy ran scriptural circles around them. Joseph and Mary were equally amazed.

Luke 2:49 "And he said unto them, How is it that ye sought me? wist ye not that I must be about my Fathers business?"

John 1:14 "And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth."

One more verse and I'll close. This scene takes place at a wedding feast in which there is no wine. Mary instructs the servants as follows:

John 2:5 "His mother saith unto the servants, Whatsoever he saith unto you, do it."

Those words would apply to us all "whatsoever he saith unto you, do it." Mary was undoubtedly a lady with a sweet and curious spirit, but she was just like all of us. She never sought her own will and in scripture, all glory is given to Jesus who is the Son of God. He alone was tempted in all points as we are and was yet without sin. He alone was able to shed his blood for us. Three days later, he rose from the dead, and he has the keys of hell and death at this very moment. While Mary was indeed a godly lady, she was never prayed to or worshipped. This is why the picture that was on the stamp that I mentioned at the beginning of this post is contrary to scripture.

The word of God, the Holy Bible, will never lead you astray. It's the gauge by which we screen everything; to determine if it's truth or error. In this age of strong delusions and well entrenched traditions, we must give all diligence to ensuring that we're lining up with scripture and not with something that's contrary in nature.

One more observation before closing this. It takes place as Jesus is on the cross.

Luke 19:26-27 "When Jesus therefore saw his mother, and the disciple standing by, whom he loved, he saith unto his mother, Woman, behold thy son! Then he saith to the disciple, Behold thy mother! And from that hour that disciple took her unto his own home."

It's not clear from scripture, what has happened to Joseph, but Jesus ensures that someone takes care of Mary after his departure. In those days, being a widow was an incredibally rough life and this disciple took care of Mary from that day on. Actually, little is written of the physical relatives of Jesus. We know of James, the Lords brother, and we also know that he had brethren who didn't believe on him at the time mentioned in John 7:3-5. The primary focus is to be on the Lord Jesus Christ, who is from everlasting to everlasting, and who paid for our sins with his own blood at Calvary. Jesus Christ is the Alpha and the Omega; the first and the last.

Shadow People (The Remnant)

Revelation 13:15-18 "And he had power to give life unto the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak, and cause that as many as should not worship the image of the beast should be killed. 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 forehead: 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."

Every ten years, the United States performs a census on the population which is used as the basis for drawing congressional districts, alloting financial resources, and what have you. Every time that this process is undertaken, the questionaires become more intrusive as to the information that is requested. Another problem that takes place is the effort to count all of the homeless, all of the aliens, and those who slip under the governments radar. These folks are in the population, but they don't show up on paper. Counting the homeless and those who are in this country illegally is a nearly impossible task. Many of the homeless are drifters and many of the illegal aliens work for cash; conducting business just beyond the all-seeing eye of big brother.

Every tyranny strives to bring the population under complete control as to remove any resistance to its being. Weapons will be confiscated, contrary literature destroyed, and "papers will be issued." In Nazi Germany, you couldn't travel anywhere without papers as the regime tried to keep track of those residing within its borders. Today, in 2006, the methods of tracking the population are far more intrusive. (Joseph Stalin and Erik Honecker would have been delighted to have had such an array of devices at their disposal.) Cameras are at every corner in nearly every town; in fact I recently saw a statistic in which the average British citizen appears on camera 300 times a day, as they go about their business. I don't know what the average is in the US but I'm certain that were catching up with our "ally in the war on terror" as we must "protect the citizens from the threat of Islamic extremists." As the years have come and gone, a culture of surveillance has been quietly established under the banner of "security." Folks will do anything for a little peace and safety; a little "peace of mind" if you will. This desire will play into the hands of the man of sin, the "antichrist" perfectlly when he makes his move to control the world and become the object of mens "worship.

Daniel 8:23 "And in the latter time of their kingdom, when the transgressors are come to the full, a king of fierce countenance, and understanding dark sentances, shall stand up. And his power shall be mighty, but not by his own power: and he shall destroy wonderfully, and shall prosper, and practise, and shall destroy the mighty and holy people. And through his policy also he shall cause craft to prosper in his hand; and he shall magnify himself in his heart, and by peace shall destroy many: he shall also stand up against the Prince of princes; but he shall be broken without hand."

Revelation 13:4 "And they worshipped the dragon which gave power unto the beast: and they worshiped the beast, saying, Who is like unto the beast? who is able to make war with him?"

Just a note concerning this verse. Worship "cannot" be forced because it is a condition which exists in the heart. It really has little to do with words themselves, however, words will usually reflect the content of the heart. Worship is the voluntary adoration of someone or something.

When this man of sin is in power, he will have control of the whole earth for a short season. (until he is broken without hand at the return of Jesus Christ) He will cause all to receive a mark; without which they will be unable to partake of the economic system. A person who receives the mark has "sold his birthright for a loaf of bread." A person who partakes of this system has sealed their doom as they "love their life in this world." CAN YOU SEE WHY THE BIBLE TELLS US TO LOVE NOT THE WORLD? Love of the world will cause a person to make REALLY BAD CHOICES, such as bowing down to Lucifer in order to take part in what appears to be "prosperity under the new world leaders regime." This is why I write so much about this; because the saints are not preparing for the days ahead. Most believe that God is going to give them a pass that no other generation of saints had and take them out of here before anything "hard on the flesh" comes into play. I know that in many other places, the church is undergoing incredible persecution; specifically in Eritrea, Uzbekistan, Darfur, and throughout the middle east. In the United States, however, the church is fat, lazy, comfortable, lukewarm, and heaping unto themselves teachers who constantly tell them "Don't worry, we're not appointed unto wrath and we'll just name it and claim it until Jesus comes."

Right now, the wheat and the tares are growing together. Soon, when everything is shaken to its core and the man of sin makes his move, the wheat and the tares will forever part company. I feel like a broken record; I wasn't even planning to post this morning as I need to go get hay for the goats. But this is too much on my heart to let go. We're primed to see a falling away of biblical proportions "LITERALLY" and the saints in America are primarily concerned with making sure that their christmas play is a success.

In the days to come, as in past generations, faith in the Lord Jesus Christ will mean physical death at the hands of wicked men; oftentimes as they claim to be serving God. This is not doom and gloom; this is something that Jesus talked about on a regular basis. Before he ascended into heaven, he told Peter specifically "Peter; when you're old, they're going to kill you." (I'm paraphrasing) From that moment on, Peter lived out his days knowing that he wouldn't die of "natural causes." If you read through the gospels, you'll see that Jesus consistantly steered toward the eternal. He preached the kingdom, healed the sick, cast out devils and "paid for our sins with his own innocent blood on an old rugged cross." He came to seek and to save that which was lost. He often warned of the pitfalls involving the love of this world. He admonished us to "let the dead bury their dead, and follow him." Really spend some quality time in the gospels. And then, try to imagine Jesus Christ, our Lord, preaching to the folks at any one of the "megachurches" that dot the American landscape.

Daniel 11:32-35 "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 understanding 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."

The remnant will be strong and do exploits. They will reside outside of the "powers that be" and will refuse to take the mark. The antichrist will make war with the saints and prevail against them for a short season. The remnant saints will keep the faith of Jesus Christ regardless of the physical consequences. These days will soon be upon us. The "war on terror" has provided a great opportunity for the installment of an intrusive surveillance system; the internet being an intregal component. You can be certain that every syllable ever typed into the system is stored somewhere. (Even the deleted stuff that you thought was gone forever.) The NSA monitors all activity on the internet along with all other communications in an effort to "identify terrorist activity." This information will inevitably be used against us as the global governing entity comes into its own. "Here is the patience of the saints" To endure unto the end and not be moved away from our first love. To keep our eyes and our hearts steadfast on our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ who is returning to set up his kingdom. To not be soon shaken by the events that will be unfolding before us in the very near future.

I read an article that told about how the implementation of chip implants will progress; beginning with felons and those with mental illnesses and progressing step by step through the rest of the population until EVERYBODY WILL NEED ONE in order to engage in society. I pray that every saint of God would be alert to the closeness of the hour. Don't think to yourselves that "they've been saying this stuff since I was a kid." The technology is now here and the cause is here also. It's happening even as I write this. THE CHIPS ARE HERE and soon, you're going to need one if you want to hold a job, buy groceries for your family, see a doctor, or operate a vehicle. Well, I need to go for now. Please draw close to the Lord like never before; abiding in him and being attentive. Eternity is in the balance and you must be ever so sober minded as things unfold. Two more "very familiar verses" and I'll close.

Isaiah 26:20 "Come my people, enter thou into thy chambers, and shut thy doors behind thee: hide thyself as it were for a little moment, until the indignation be overpast."

Luke 21:19 "In your patience possess ye your souls."

We Were Like Them That Dream

Revelation 22:1-5 "And he shewed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb. In the midst of the street of it, and on either side of the river, there was the tree of life, which bare all manner of fruits, and yielded her fruit every month: and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. And there shall be no more curse: but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it; and his servants shall serve him: And they shall see his face; and his name shall be in their foreheads. And there shall be no night there; and they need no candle, neither light of the sun; for the Lord God giveth them light: and they shall reign for ever and ever."

We live in a time of unparalleled lukewarmness and of "supposing that gain is godliness." An age in which we are witnessing the gathering of the tares into a one world religion and the remnant struggling to stay awake. The assault upon truth is relentless as the bible declares would be the case as the time of Christs appearing draws ever closer. I recently saw a listing of "alterations" that the "new king James" bible makes as it supposedly "Translates Gods word into modern English." The word "repent" is removed several times along with "Lord" and a host of others. Gods name of "Jehovah" mentioned throughout the old testament is removed all together. I cannot personally verify the list as I use only the King James version. (It has never failed yet) I do know, however, that Gods word has been twisted by would be deceivers ever since the beginning. In fact it started when Lucifer convinced a third of the angels to follow him instead of the One true God who is from everlasting.

Oftentimes it can be a struggle to keep from being caught up in the mechanics of religion and the traditions of men. It's ever so easy to become overcharged by the present reality; that which we interact with daily, and not remain focused on the Lord Jesus and the world to come. This is why I started off with the beginning of Revelation chapter 22. We absolutly must remain focused of the everlasting and not allow ourselves to be caught up in the sideshows of this generation. When you talk about the time when this world is no more, it's perceived as "doom and glom" by many. (Doom and gloom or not; this world has a limited number of days and almost all of those days have come and gone.) For those who have been to Calvary and acepted Jesus Christ as their Savior, the times to come are to be glorious beyond anything that we can ever imagine. A world without ending dwelling in the presence of the Lord for all of eternity. If thinking about this doesn't put a song in your heart, some heart searching is in order. In fact, heart searching should be an ongoing practice for us all as the smallest missteps can be disasterous. (We all have a different law working in our membrs and must "die daily" to self. It's a matter of life and death.)

Romans 8:16-19 "The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may also be glorified together. For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God."

How often do you find yourself thinking on the world to come? Usually when times of distress are upon us, we tend to think on it more than when things are running smoothly. Take a moment and just ponder the first moments in eternity. All of the trials of this age are over. None will be "wanting" for basic necessities. No more infirmity; no more bills, no more timepieces, no more heartache, no more being pressed out of measure. No more deadlines, interviews, or appointments. Never again having to run in circles tending to all of the tasks of living day to day. Never again will you have to lock a door or set an alarm. Never again to endure the grief of a loved one having been taken from you. Never again to be violated by another or to be outcast by those that are so close to you. No more lonely nights and no more days consumed by vanity.

Revelation 21:4-6 "and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the first things are passed away. And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write: for these things are true and faithful. And he said unto me, It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely.

True and faithful. You can be sure that if you have been born again, a most glorious eternity awaits you. In this life, tribulation will abound. In fact, the closer that you get to the Lord, the more that you will experience in the way of toil and trouble. The trial of our faith works patience and will never be that which is beyond our ability to endure. Even if you find yourself in a situation where the powers that be would put an end to you, Gods grace is sufficient. Jesus Christ is faithful and true; a friend that sticketh closer than a brother. A faithful creator who shed his blood, willingly, for us when we were in total rebellion. He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not. What a wonderful Savior we have and what an incredible eternity lies just beyond the realm of atoms; for those who know Jesus.

Today is December 10, 2006. This time of year, you will often see the proclamation "Wise men still seek him." If you have never been to Calvary; if you have never truly repented of your sins and asked the Lord Jesus to save you, please do it while there's still time. As you're reading this, there's still time, but you never know when time will expire. Salvation is yours for the asking, but you have to ask.

I Thessalonians 4:16-18 "For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. Wherefore comfort one another with these words."

So shall we ever be with the Lord! This is the glorious hope of the saints. This is the moment that we're all waiting for. Until then, we all should be busy about our Fathers business. When this life is over, our works will follow us and we'll all wish that we had done more. (I'm pointing a big finger at myself at this very moment.) To labor all the more diligently for those things of everlasting significance and not be overcharged with building earthly kingdoms. When we are in eternity gathered around the throne with the saints from every tribe and generation, all of the stuff in this life will seem as a distant dream that took place a long time ago. Like a dream, this world will pass away; nowhere to be found, but the world to come will be for ever and ever.

Daniel 12:2-3 "And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt. And they that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament; and they that turn many to righteousness as the stars for ever and ever."

James 5:8 "Be ye also patient; stablish your hearts: for the coming of the Lord draweth nigh."