Understanding Revelation

When I started studying Revelation, I was sure that it could be unraveled logically. I have learned a lot since then, and my whole perspective has changed. What I'm going to say isn't a copout--believe me, because I don't give up easily (and that's an understatement)!--but it's what I feel God has taught me.

Here's what I know now:

• We each need to read Revelation for ourself, and pray that God will teach us what He wants us to know.
• If we want to understand Revelation, we need to read it a lot and know it well (not the same as understanding--more like memorization). You may read it and learn it this Spring, and it may not be until next Fall that God chooses to reveal something to you. He will bring the Scripture to your remembrance--but you can't remember what you never knew.
  
• Don't be discouraged. Be content with knowing, but not understanding. When the time is right, you'll understand.
  
• Do pray and ask God to teach you, and guide you, as you study.
  
• Revelation is given on a 'need to know' basis.
  
• Revelation is just that--something that God will reveal to each of us, in His own time and His own way.
  
• You may study for hours, yet walk away with just one little nugget of understanding--but this is good!
  
• The book is purposely complicated, to make it impossible to interpret merely using logic. The only way to understand Revelation, is by the Holy Spirit revealing it to us. The Holy Spirit will only reveal it to Christians.
  
• The awesomeness of that is that it doesn't depend on our intelligence! I'm fairly smart and there are things I have tried for years to understand, but can't--but then, in an instant, God has opened my eyes to something that was right there all the time, and suddenly I understand! Contrary to what some churches have taught-you don't have to be a priest to read and understand Scripture. God reveals things in a way that any of us can understand, no matter how smart we are--or aren't. We're all on a level playing field here!

These are my general opinions:

• It seems the people who claim to understand Revelation the most, are actually the ones that understand it the least.
  
• The prophecy 'experts' make certain assumptions, upon which they base the rest of their interpretation. Very few of them seem to question these assumptions, and the 'rules' they have set up for how to interpret prophecy. If these assumptions or ways of interpreting are wrong, then the foundation of their interpreting is wrong, and they may end up misunderstanding much, or most, of the prophecies.
  
• In reality, right now there is no way we can know for sure how it will all play out. Only God knows the specifics, and although He is revealing things a little at a time, He has not yet made it all clear to us.
  
• He may not give us the full interpretation before it is fulfilled. There may be things we only see later, in hindsight, as having been the fulfillment of prophecy.
  
• It is tempting to latch onto the first interpretation that fits but, in studying with a completely open mind, I have found that each portion of prophecy in Revelation could potentially be fulfilled in many different ways.
  
• I believe the reason God has not revealed it all, is because there are many possible outcomes, depending on what choices we make (our generation, the Church, America, etc.).
  
• I believe if God revealed what would happen, it would cause it to turn out that way, violating our free will to some degree. I believe He wants us to do all that we can, until we breathe our last breath. MUCH of the ending has not yet been written!
  
• A lot of people have a fatalistic attitude--that we really have little to do with the outcome, that it is predestined; some people even go so far as to say that God will make things happen a certain way, no matter what we do. But I believe that the time, and the way, the prophecies will be fulfilled, is completely dependent upon the choices of mankind.
  
• God always prefers to show mercy and, if we repent in time, He may turn aside His wrath. These things could all come to pass in the next few years (that's the road we're on right now)--or, if we repent, God may intervene and 'pause the clock' by tens or even hundreds of years.
  
• Because it is Satan that is behind the events in Revelation, and because his overall battle plan has not changed, we will see the same sort of events happen again and again, until he finally gains control of a global government.

These are my specific opinions:

• I am not convinced that all of these events will be confined to a 7 year period.
  
• Things do not necessarily happen in the order in which they are written. Yes, there is an overall chronology to the events--but there are a lot of 'flashbacks' (as in the movies), that go back to an earlier time and show the events that happened to bring you back to the 'present', in order to understand things that were just mentioned.
  
• The same event may be explained from several different perspectives--rather than those being separate events.
  
• I am not convinced that the bowl judgments follow the trumpet judgments, and they follow the seven seals. I strongly suspect that there is overlap here-that things are happening simultaneously, or even that what are commonly believed to be separate events, are actually the same event.
  
• It is important to differentiate between what John saw in the spirit realm, and what he saw in the physical realm. In other words, when an angel sounds his trumpet and 'hail and fire mixed with blood' is hurled down upon the Earth--that is probably how it appears in the spirit realm. It may not literally be hail and fire mixed with blood when seen in the physical realm. The result: 'A third of the Earth was burned up . . . ' is what we would actually see. So, we should not necessarily expect to see or hear, in the physical realm, everything that is described in Revelation.
  
• I believe it is possible for God to have mercy on us, at any point, if we repent. Therefore, I believe it may be possible that the 'clock' could be paused at almost any point.
  
• Although I believe the clock could be paused, there are certain things that cannot be undone. I believe this explains the significance of the three 'woes'. The fifth, sixth, and seventh trumpet judgments involve releasing demonic entities that have been bound and prevented from interacting with mankind. I believe that once they are released, they cannot again be bound. These woes are:
     * the angel of the abyss, and hordes of spirits that physically torment people (for 5 months)
     * four angels, with 200,000,000 troops that have the authority to kill 1/3 of mankind
     * satan and his followers are hurled to Earth
  
• If you understand that once these spirits are unleashed, we are stuck with them from then on (even if we repent and God pauses the clock), then it becomes even more apparent why these events would be called 'woes'.
  
• There is no 'Rapture' per se. Jesus will return (as warrior, judge and king) near the very end of the Tribulation. There will be a great earthquake, the dead in Christ will be raised, the 'two witnesses' will be taken up to heaven, any remaining believers will be taken up, and we will meet Him in the clouds.

So, again, I think the best way to understand the Bible, is to read the Bible. We are promised that the Holy Spirit will teach us what the Scriptures mean. Some of that teaching happens on a subconscious level. God-inspired writings are much deeper and carry much more information than when people write.

The more you read the Bible, the more you learn the many ways that God conveys truth to us. You learn His 'voice', His style, how He uses patterns and foreshadowing, how much meaning a passage can carry on many different levels, etc., etc. There is so much deception these days, I think it is far better that we ask God to teach us, than men.

(In God's kingdom, no one is 'better than' anyone else. How much you understand will depend on how much you read the Bible, spend time contemplating God's word, and pray.)


And one more thing:
"Blessed is the one who reads the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear it and take to heart what is written in it, because the time is near."
Rev. 1:3

Should We Be Thinking About Coming Out?

The day that our tax money begins to pay into a health care system that subsidizes abortion will be a momentous occasion in the spiritual realm.  It will be one of those days that history looks back on, as being a point on which the fate of a nation turned.

If our tax money goes to pay for abortions, or other grievous actions, and we are aware yet continue to pay into the system, we will be guilty of 'partaking of its sins'.

Whether or not you are aware of the importance of that day, God is going to be watching us closely.  On that day, each of us is faced with a decision.  Will we passively 'go with the flow' and become undeniably complicit in this national sin--or will we do whatever it takes to see that we are not involved? 

To not make a decision IS a decision! Will we, as individuals, have the courage and character to repent of our national sin of abortion by resisting this policy and refusing to participate or enable it in any way?  At what point will we begin to take sin seriously enough to put aside our personal comfort and safety to be reconciled to God through repentance? Nothing will change if we keep going with the flow!

Evolution does not occur! But disintegration does! Time and inaction will not bring about improvement! At some point we have to dig in our heels and say: 'I will not go one step further in this direction'!  If you find yourself on the wrong train, don't you stand up and ask the conductor to stop the train so that you can get off?

Who do you fear more, God or the government?

Will we do the right thing, and trust Him who is able to protect us to look out for our safety--or will we follow the path of least resistance, surrendering our integrity for a security that, I guarantee you, will not last?

God is testing our character--individually, and as a nation.  He is allowing each of us to be brought to this place of decision--and the decisions we make will decide our national and personal destinies.

Although we may personally be able to avoid judgment for actions our government takes that we are unaware of, and don't directly participate in--we are aware now, and will be personally guilty of participating if we continue to provide tax dollars to a government that murders.


Lightning may not strike the White House on that day, but our country will surely begin to suffer God's judgment, if we continue to proceed in that direction.  Without His blessing upon us, we will suffer at the hands of our own government, our enemies, the weather, and natural disasters.  Mark my words.

Nationally, we have been deserving of  judgment from the time of the passage of the Roe v. Wade decision that legalized abortion, but God has been patient with us and has given us time to repent.  We haven't.  If our nation doesn't soon change course, our nation will bear God's judgment: hunger, plagues, and wars (that we lose . . . on American soil. . . ).


I believe the time is fast approaching when God will call upon His people to 'come out of' our corrupt economic system (Babylon the Great). I don't know exactly how we go about this ('coming out of' the system). We will each have to seek God's wisdom as to how to proceed.  But perhaps that call pertains to this day as well.  If every devout Christian and pro-life citizen in America would go on strike beginning that day, as a matter of conscience, perhaps things would begin to turn. 
 
Maybe the time has arrived, to start thinking about coming out.

'Gold, a safe investment'--are you sure about that?

Consider this:


Presidential Executive Order 6102 Issued by President Franklin D. Roosevelt on April 5, 1933

(For Fair Use and Educational Purposes Only)

---

Confiscation of Gold and Silver and All Bank Safe Deposit Boxes Sealed by Law "I, as President do declare that the national emergency still exists; that the continued private hoarding of gold and silver by subjects of the United States poses a grave threat to peace, equal justice, and well-being of the United States; and that appropriate measures must be taken immediately to protect the interest of our people. Therefore, pursuant to the above authority, I hereby proclaim that such gold and silver holdings are prohibited, and that all such coin, bullion or other possessions of gold and silver be tendered within fourteen days to agents of the Government of the United States for compensation at the official price, in the legal tender of the Government. All safe deposit boxes in banks or financial institutions have been sealed pending action in the due course of the law. All sales or purchases or movements of such gold and silver within the borders of the Untied States and its territories, and all foreign exchange transactions or movements of such metals across the border are hereby prohibited..." Proclamation by President Franklin D. Roosevelt.

Source: A Simultaneous Worldwide Depression, and a Worldwide Famine, and World War III by Robert Wayne Atkins, P.E.

Folks, our current economic problems have been planned, and carried out, with the deliberate intention of transferring your wealth to the government and the international banking cartel. Do you really think they forgot that you might invest in gold? Or, in this high-stakes game of strategy, is it possible that's exactly what they wanted you to do . . . ?

'Spiritual Wickedness In High Places' by Chuck Baldwin

"Spiritual Wickedness In High Places"
By Chuck Baldwin
February 17, 2010

This column is archived at
http://www.chuckbaldwinlive.com/c2010/cbarchive_20100217.html

Almost immediately after Adam's fall, Lucifer and his minions collaborated with evil men to usurp God's authority and sovereignty. And nowhere is God more sovereign than in the heart and conscience of man. In the spirit world, the First Commandment ("Thou shalt have no other gods before me") is the
battleground that is most fought over. The war for man's heart and soul is never-ending.

Nimrod was the first would-be tyrant to try and bring the world into a global "New World Order." His handiwork produced the Tower of Babel, which brought about a cataclysmic judgment from Jehovah. However, while Nimrod was the first globalist to try and unify the nations against God, he was certainly not the last. The Pharaohs, Darius, Artaxerxes, Cyrus, Alexander, Nebuchadnezzar, the Caesars, and hundreds like them have all brought their tyrannical rule over the hearts of men. And their ideas and passions are as alive and active in the world today as ever.

With every would-be world tyrant, there is one constant: the unholy marriage between a supranational government and Big Religion. If Jehovah God made anything clear in the Mosaic model of government, it was the fact that--until Christ Himself comes to occupy both offices--the offices of Priest and King were to be eternally separate. At least one Old Testament Jewish king learned that lesson the hard way.

Yet, Big Government and Big Religion have always come together for the purpose of enslaving the masses. The devilish duo of Big Government and Big Religion killed the Old Testament prophets. They hung Jesus on the cross and persecuted the early Church. They murdered masses during the Dark Ages; they managed the Holocaust; and their obnoxious offspring are still at work today. This criminal cabal has been the bane of genuine faith and personal liberty since the beginning of time.

When Colonial America fired that shot heard around the world and fought their way to independence, they broke free, not only from the political domination of the Crown, but also from the religious domination of a State Church. No longer would citizens be required to join a particular church in order to hold public office. No longer would citizens be required to financially support churches and institutions they deemed to be offensive to their spiritual convictions. No longer could a religious institution use the power and force of civil government to subjugate men to its tenets and, yes, tentacles. Indeed, the apostate kingdom created by Constantine's spiritual whoredom ended at the eastern shore of America!


And dare I say that I am proud of my Anabaptist forebears for helping to embed the principle of religious liberty into American law and jurisprudence? Indeed, I am! What many Americans do not know (and what many militant secularists refuse to acknowledge) is that it was the influence of the Colonial Baptists--most notably, the Baptist minister John Leland--that was most responsible for the First Amendment being added to the US Constitution.

Therefore, it is more than disturbing when I see evangelical Christians being seduced by the ancient Big Government/Big Religion whorish union today. How can any true Gospel preacher accept federal Faith-Based Initiative monies, except that he has either lost all understanding of what freedom truly means, or is willing to sacrifice the sacred principles of liberty upon the altar of his own selfish interests?

How can any true Gospel preacher not realize that Big Religion has always conspired with tyrannical governmental forces against the true Gospel message? Why are they so blind to these devilish conspiracies? At the highest levels of virtually every major religion, the conspiracy to hijack truth and enslave the masses is constantly at work, whether it is Catholicism, Judaism, or Protestantism.

This is what the Apostle Paul warned about in Ephesians 6:12. "For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places."

Of course, the "rulers of the darkness of this world" are demonic. But it is also an absolute certainty that these demonic forces accomplish their devilish deeds through evil men who are given to "spiritual wickedness in high places."

Was not the spiritual netherworld complicit in helping to construct Nimrod's Tower of Babel? Was not spiritual wickedness at work when Pharaoh murdered the little children of the Hebrews? Were not dark principalities at work when Nebuchadnezzar ordered everyone to bow to the image of the Babylonian leader? When the Lord Jesus called Jewish King Herod a "fox," was not He acknowledging Herod's complicity with evil? Were not spiritual powers aiding and abetting the Jewish Sanhedrin when they moved the crowd to crucify the Son of God? When the early Church was being persecuted, was not spiritual wickedness at work? When nonconforming Christians were thrown to the lions and sawn asunder, were not their tormentors influenced by these same rulers of darkness? Of course they were!

Then, why is it so difficult for modern Christians--especially our pastors and preachers--to understand that this unholy union of Big Government and Big Religion is as evil and sinful today as it ever was? Why are they unwilling to recognize that the same devilish system that plagued the Church throughout the ages--suspended only temporarily by the successful revolution for American independence--is rearing its ugly head again? Why are they unwilling to believe that many of America's leaders (from both parties) routinely give themselves to luciferian rituals, such as those annual dances around the fire at the Bohemian Grove? Why is it so hard to believe that we have leaders (from both parties) who have given themselves to dark, secret societies, such as Skull and Bones? Why are they not suspicious when certain religious schools and institutions repeatedly produce many of the leaders (from both parties) who seem to universally take America down the same path
of globalism?

As most Christians should know, The Beast of Revelation is as much a SYSTEM as it is a person. As the Apostle John warned, the "spirit of antichrist . . . even now already is it in the world." (I John 4:3) He also warned, "Even now are there many antichrists." (I John 2:18)

Any Big Government/Big Religion system that seeks to bring nations into global unity, enshrine a politically correct theology of universalism, establish Church/State uniformity, and marginalize independent, nonconformist ideology is nothing more than the emergence of another Tower of Babel or Beast-like system! And, dear Christian friend, has it occurred to you that our central government in Washington, D.C., is currently engaged in all of the above?

Both political parties--including most of our national leaders and news media--actively promote globalism; universalism is, without a doubt, the unofficial--but clearly understood--national religion; and anyone who holds nonconformist views (i.e., pro-life, Jesus-only theology, anti-UN, anti-illegal immigration, questioning official government explanations of national tragedies, etc.) is being viciously ridiculed, impugned, and
marginalized by virtually everyone in the national press corps and central government. Yes, I am saying it, THE BEAST IS EMERGING IN WASHINGTON, D.C.!

The powers that be in both Big Government and Big Religion want to control both our hearts and our minds. They cannot tolerate dissent. Mind you: they do not care if one is Republican or Democrat, because at the national level, both major parties are marching in the same beastly direction. They do not care if one is conservative or liberal, because the leaders of both camps are, likewise, marching in lockstep to the tune being played by The Beast. They do not care if one is Jewish, Catholic, or Protestant, because at the highest levels, these religions are committing whoredom with The Beast.

If a pastor or preacher is going to be true to his calling today, he must be willing to adopt the philosophy of the late, great Charles Haddon Spurgeon, who said, "The more prominent you are in Christ's service, the more certain are you to be the butt of calumny [slander]. I have long ago said farewell to my character. I lost it in the earlier days of my ministry by being a little more zealous than suited a slumbering age. And I have never been able to regain it except in the sight of Him who judges all the earth, and in the hearts of those who love me for my work's sake."

Any desire for promotion, pleasure, riches, or fame will quickly make one a servant of The Beast. And, I'm afraid, that is exactly what many of today's pastors and preachers have become. The fight for independence was as much for the freedom of the heart and mind as it was for the freedom of a State or nation. In fact, one cannot enslave the latter until he first enslaves the former. And this is what is currently at stake: the freedom of the heart and soul to be governed by God and no other! And this battle will never be won--at least not nationally--as long as Christians and pastors are unwilling to recognize the enemy for what it
is: "spiritual wickedness in high places."


*If you appreciate this column and want to help me distribute these editorial opinions to an ever-growing audience, donations may now be made by credit card, check, or Money Order. Use this link:

http://www.chuckbaldwinlive.com/donate.php

(c) Chuck Baldwin

NOTE TO THE READER:

Chuck Baldwin is a syndicated columnist, radio broadcaster, author, and pastor dedicated to preserving the historic principles upon which America was founded. He was the 2008 Presidential candidate for the Constitution Party. He and his wife, Connie, have been married for 37 years and have 3 children and 7 grandchildren. See Chuck's complete bio at:

http://www.chuckbaldwinlive.com/sketch.html

The Philosophy of Liberty

This is great! Check it out! Pass it on!


 "At times some people use force or fraud to take from others without voluntary consent . . . the initiation of force or fraud . . . to take liberty is slavery.

You have the right to protect your own life, liberty, and justly acquired property from the forceful aggression of others.

(Elected) officials have no right to murder, to enslave, or to steal."

Only One Way? How Intolerant!

How can I say there's only one way to God?  Because it's true.

• The truth stands alone, but it takes a million lies to cover it up.
• The truth is simple, but the lies become more and more elaborate.
• The truth is unchanging, but the lies bend to conform themselves to every shift in society.
• Contrary to popular opinion, there is only one explanation that is 100% truth.
  

Consider these things:

• If there is a God, and if He is good--would He give people free will, or would he control and manipulate them?

That may seem pretty straightforward, He'd give them free will--but have you ever stopped to think about this:

• How would He prevent bad things from happening, yet not interfere with anyone's free will?

I don't believe that's possible.  So, bad things happen to us all.

And how could everyone NOT love Him, if nothing bad ever happened to any of us?

Lets put it in human terms.  Suppose someone is obsessed with you, but you don't know it.  They want you to love them, because they 'love' you.  So, they lure you into a date, a nice daylong cruise on their private yacht.  But, through a series of unfortunate events, the boat sinks and they save you from drowning.  You end up stranded, alone on a desert island with this person--and for some reason, there is no hope of rescue, ever.

Not knowing that this was all staged, you eventually come to love this person, who is brave and strong and always looking out for you.  You come to depend on them, and they go out of their way to provide what you need.  Yet, it is love based on a lie.

If this person is manipulating and deceiving you, they don't really love you, aren't looking out for your best interests, and can't be trusted. They are not who you thought they were-they are the worst kind of person.   This person has robbed you, for the most part, of your right to choose!  Knowing that, your love would turn to hate.

What kind of a person would be so desperate for your love, that they would go to such great lengths to entrap you?  In fact, don't we become a bit suspicious of someone who is nothing but devoted to us?  Don't we eventually perceive their desperation?

Now, if the God who created Heaven and Earth never let anything bad happen to us, and so completely sheltered us--isn't it possible that we would begin to see Him as desperate and needy, and capable of manipulating and deceiving us?  Could we really trust Him?

And what kind of character would that show Him to have, if He would do that to you?  He would not be a good God, worthy of love and devotion--He would be a desperate, needy, lying, deceiving, evil 'god'.  (Oh wait, there is someone like that . . . ever heard of someone 'making a deal with the devil'?  That's when someone trades in their free will for the promise of all their dreams coming true . . . )

Yet, how many of you blame God when bad things happen to you?  What do you want--free will, or a perfect life that's free from pain?  If He chooses to give you free will, you're angry when bad things happen.  But, if He took away your free will in order to spare you pain, could you love or respect Him then?


So, assuming we've gotten past the question of God's character . . .

• Why would He only make one way? 

My question to you--why should He make more than one way?  If He is Lord of all, and good, doesn't He have a monopoly on the 'product'? (truth and eternal life)

Does Amtrak advertise?  No.  Why not?  Because there is no one else you can turn to for that product.  If you want to ride a train across the U.S., you have to go to Amtrak--on their terms!  You pay the price they require, and you accommodate your schedule to the times their train is going to where you want to go. 

And they know this, so why should they waste their effort trying to persuade you?  (And because they're government run, they don't really care if they make a profit, or if you're satisfied with the service--think Post Office, DMV, etc.)

Like Amtrak, and the Post Office, God has a monopoly.  If you want what He alone can provide, you'll go to Him on His terms.  Not to mention, you are a mere mortal, formed from the dust of the Earth--and He is the Creator and Lord of everything that exists!  Who are you anyway, to think you can negotiate the terms?

Among us Americans, the roots of capitalism are so deep in us, that we don't even realize it.

• 'There's no free lunch'--yes and no.  Someone has to pay, that's true--but it might not be you.
• We are used to dealing with companies that are needy, for us to choose them--because, if we don't, they die.
• We want to be convinced, persuaded, wooed--I am the one with the power (the $$ to spend)--beg me to spend it on your product.
• We are used to hearing lies and exaggerated claims.
• 'You get what you pay for'--this one causes us to judge the value of a product by what it costs us.  If it's free, it can't be worth much . . .

These are some of the attitudes that make it hard for us to accept the gospel of Jesus Christ.  But these attitudes don't apply in the relationship between God and man, because:

• God made everything--we were born into a world that contained everything we needed.  Is that not a 'free lunch'?  It is not God, but man, that has taken it upon himself to decide who is entitled to have, and who isn't.  God made enough of everything we need, for all of us.  It is men who refuse to share.
• God doesn't need us.  He is complete without us.  He is not needy.  He was, long before we were, and He will continue, even if we should all perish.  Because He does not need us, there is no reason for Him to beg, lie, woo, persuade, exaggerate or deceive us.  And, as I said before, He has a monopoly on the product.  If you choose God, you win.  If you don't, it's your loss, not His.
• You get what you pay for--maybe, where people are concerned (but most of the time you get less).  God is not greedy--everything* is His.  He can make more of whatever He chooses.  He has no costs to cover, no shortage of supplies.  He has no need to hoard.  It pleases Him to share freely.  He isn't going to gauge 'how much it's worth to you' to exact that much in payment from you,  for the things you need.  He doesn't deny you, based on your inability to pay.  He is not trying 'to create a brand for Himself', that He should only sell things to the highest bidder.  With Him, things are free--that's God's economy.  He only asks that you be a good steward of what He provides. 

*Actually, I wasn't completely accurate. . .  in saying that everything is His.  You aren't.  No man is, unless they choose to be.  Your spirit and your will belong to you--that was a gift to you from God.  You didn't ask to be born, and He won't burden you with eternal life, unless you ask for it. 

After you have worn out the body He loaned you for your life on this earth, you return it, along with your soul and spirit, to God.  He'll give your body back to the dust He made you from.  He'll judge you (by the laws He set down for mankind, and based on how you've lived your life). Then He'll dispose of what's left of you.

If, however, while you journey through this life, you come to love truth, righteousness and justice, and long for fellowship with God, there is a way.  One way.  And that should not surprise you.  After all, how many keys can open your front door?  Just one.  (Sure, you may  have some exact duplicates, but there is only one configuration of dips and ridges that will line up correctly inside the keyhole to open the lock.)


That way is through genuine repentance, and faith in Jesus' death on your behalf.  None of us is 'good enough' to get there without Him.  We have all sinned and 'missed the mark'.

An honorable man knocks at the front door--he doesn't look for a window he can sneak in through.  So it is with the kingdom of God.  If you truly seek God's mercy, you will go to Him in humbleness, and accept His terms (not with your head held high in haughty pride, demanding that He make you a way that appeals more to you).  And, if your repentance is genuine, the way you live the rest of your life will prove it.

Go to the one who died for you, and ask Him for mercy.  Once you leave this life, it will be too late.

Enduring What Is Coming--Mental Preparation

I believe, over a year ago, that the United States experienced a large influx of demonic spirits.  I can't prove that, or explain why that might be--I can only tell you that I feel it.

Something has radically changed in America.  There is a spiritual darkness present here now, as the darkness that envelopes the land before a great storm.  I don't know whether or  not you have sensed it too.

I'm sharing a list of suggestions, to help you protect yourself from things that are to come: deception and spiritual forces of evil (in whatever form they may manifest in our physical world).

Scripture tells us that a people without understanding (of God's ways) will come to ruin.  Jesus says that we are as sheep among wolves, yet we should be as wise as serpents and as gentle as doves. 

• There is another dimension-an unseen spiritual world-that is intricately tied in with everything that happens in our world   That world is eternal, ours is bound by time.  From that world, all dimensions are seen.  In our world, much that happens is not visible to us.  Our world is secondary to that world.  In that world, the story began--the story that never ends.  This world, as we know it, is coming to an end.  A new heavens and a new Earth will take its place, by the grace of God, because this one has been irreparably corrupted (no, I don't mean global warming).
• Everything really does boil down to the battle between good and evil   That is the whole reason 'our world' was even created.  It was chosen to be the theater for the great battle between good and evil.
• Don't be so sure that you know what is going on--nothing is as it seems  Many deceiving spirits are among us.  Theories abound.  Conspiracies abound.  A lot is going on, and a lot is being revealed.  God will show you what you need to know.  Be careful you don't get caught up in the confusion and start defining people as 'friends' or 'enemies' by whether or not they share your current beliefs about what is going on--they may just know more (or less) about it, than you.
• There is one force of good--spiritual forces of evil are attacking from many sides   There is only one force for good, and it is far more powerful than the force of evil.  However, the force of evil is desperate, and is attacking from every side.  Stand firm and wait for God's deliverance (no, not the 'Rapture') when you are besieged.  Have faith.  Resist evil and it will retreat.
• Get back to the basics   Don't let yourself be taken on a tangent by new and intriguing teachings. There is much deception swirling around us.  Go back to the basics that God teaches us in the Bible, and hold on tight.
• Search your heart often   Our hearts our desperately wicked, yet if we would judge ourselves, we'd all see ourselves as innocent.  God judges the intent of our hearts.  It is your heart that decides toward what direction to point your will.  It is your heart that falls into sin first.  None of us is righteous.  Our greatest enemy lies within us, and we are blind to its true condition, and to its power to lead us astray.
• Read your Bible & pray for understanding   The Bible is God's message to us, and is for God's people only--no one else can understand it.  But, the Holy Spirit must teach you what it means.  Equip yourself for the days ahead, by learning it now.
  
• Live by Biblical principles:  even if you don't understand them--they protect you   God's rules form a hedge around you--not a hedge to keep you in, but a hedge to keep evil out.
• Don't follow the crowd   Jesus told us that the path to destruction is wide and many people will go that way and, conversely, the way that leads to life is narrow, and few will find it.
• Don't be distracted by the trivial  God, and his people, are being attacked from every side.   Stay focused, there are many important issues right now--don't let the enemy distract you.
• Be very suspicious of 'miracles' and supernatural displays   Jesus promised that false messiahs and workers of miracles would abound in the latter days.  Don't be surprised, and don't be taken in, no matter how elaborate a 'miracle' may seem.  A lot can be done with money, technology, and demonic power.
• Deceptions come in all sizes  Don't think something is too big and powerful, or too little and unimportant, to be fake.
• Turn off your TV!   More than anything else, this is the tool that Satan uses to unify people in their beliefs and actions.  It's not about what shows you watch--it's the whole paradigm for life, the whole package of values and beliefs, that is presented over and over and over and over . . . molding you without you even being aware.
• Trust no one 100%   Sadly, unfortunately, we have come to this point.
• Be skeptical, think critically   Don't believe everything you see and hear, no matter  how often you see and hear it.  Don't believe everything you are told--no matter who tells you.
• Blindly follow no one   Think for yourself.  It is largely your choices that will determine the course of your life.  Everyone has an agenda.  As times get tougher, people will become more self protective, deceptive and manipulative--in a word: less trustworthy.
• Be responsible for yourself and your children   Start taking on the responsibilities God gave you, because soon you will have to fight tooth and nail for them.  Everyone's children will soon be taken away--because parental authority will be usurped by international treaty.  The irony is, you'll still have the expense and responsibility for raising them, they'll still live with you, but you will not have the freedom to choose what is in their best interest, or how you will raise or teach them.  (What do you think your family life will be like when your teenager realizes you have no legal authority over them?  Who will be running the show then?)
• Protect what is important to you   You are standing on the verge of losing everything that matters to you--and you don't even see it.  Trust me--you'd better wake up and stand up to protect what is important to you now, while you still can.  After that, you're going to have to decide which of your values and freedoms you are willing to die to hold onto, and which you'll learn to live without.
• Diligently protect your children!   The real battle is for the hearts and minds of your children.  If you don't believe me, look to history, look to other countries and their kidnapped child-soldiers, look to how our mandatory, liberal/progressive-run educational system is turning children against their parents.  'There is nothing new under the sun'--history repeats itself.  To see the future, examine the past.  Fight now, before it's too late!
• Teach your children   Equip your children now, to face the deceptions ahead of them.  Your window of opportunity is closing.  Not only will you not be legally able (your parental authority will be gone),  your children will be turned against you in the schools where they are spending 30 or more hours a week under intense pressure from people whose values are in direct opposition to your own--people who have already begun a revolution, against the values we represent.
• Think long and hard before surrendering your freedom for security  An enemy will say anything to get you to surrender--it's much easier on them than having to fight you!  They will even create a crisis, to convince you to surrender your freedom to them, in trade for the promise of peace and safety.
• Remember that what you agree to do voluntarily, will later become mandatory  Seems to be a basic principle in life.
• Remember that if you don't use self control, you will end up under someone else's control  Another seemingly basic principle in life.
• Don't be proud and arrogant  Pride comes before a fall.  It's pride and arrogance that got America into this mess.  It's pride and arrogance that God hates.
• Don't be sucked in by flattery  Oldest trick in the book.  It works most effectively on those with low self esteem, excessive pride and arrogance, or narcissism.

Pastors: Who Are You REALLY Looking Out For?

My apologies to those who are dedicated, sacrificing Pastors who have the best interests of their people at heart.  To those of you who sincerely try:  God bless you.

However, some of you are being so helpful to the devil that he can leave your congregation alone and go on vacation!!

If you don't teach your people right from wrong, the truth from lies . . . if you don't preach about sin and repentance . . . who are you REALLY helping?

Sure, your attendance will be high, and you'll go through the motions of being a minister of the gospel . . . your political correctness will make you popular, but it will be an intricate dance to tell the truth without stepping on anyone's toes.  You'll be so busy with the latest program that you'll hardly notice that your old, faithful, Bible-thumping, Amen-corner Christians have departed.  The flurry of activity will distract you from the fact that you no longer feel God's presence in your church--or in your life.

Is your church 'lukewarm' towards God, towards truth, towards sanctification?  You are the one who sets the standard for your people.  They aren't going to achieve any more than you tell them you believe they can achieve.  If your church is lukewarm, it's because you allow them to be comfortable with being lukewarm!

Pastors:  If you don't teach your people right from wrong, don't maintain a higher standard for your congregation (and yourself), don't confront your people regarding their sins--do you really think you're helping them?

Don't you know, if you permit something, they think God permits it?  If you accept something, they think God accepts it?  If you remain silent about sin, if you don't point it out and call it for what it is--your congregation will assume that you condone it, and that God does likewise!

It would be nice if your people read the Bible--but you can't assume that they do!!  You need to shore up the foundations of their understanding--and then add the basic building blocks.  Forget the fancy trim and designer windows! Forget following the crowd!  Forget the latest fad!  Forget pleasing people--please God!!  Your people are falling into deception, and God is going to hold you accountable if you are not doing your job!

Satan has been waging a concerted attack against all that is foundational to the lives of human beings. He is setting the stage for his reign on Earth, as the head of a global government.  The day is fast approaching.  His reign won't last for long--but it will be devastating while it does.  How many of your people will be able to (spiritually) endure?  How many of their children have already been led far astray?

Unable to conquer truth, he is changing the definition and concept of truth, making it a relative term--something of little importance.  Unable to obliterate the family as fast as he'd like, he is attempting to redefine it as well, and make the family (as God designed it) obsolete.  He calls the idea of reality into question, teaching that it is something we create through our own will and imagination. 

When I say you need to get back to basics in your preaching--I mean the very foundations of our understanding of God and life!!  As obvious as these things may be to you--don't assume your congregation knows the difference!! They need to know there is a God!  There really is such a thing as absolute truth!  There are actions and beliefs that are right, and others that are wrong.  Jesus is the only way.  Etc., etc., etc.

If you don't teach your people what is sin, don't confront them when they sin, and don't hold them to a higher standard (because you don't want to make them uncomfortable?)--do you think you are acting in their best interest?  Sin and deception will ensnare them and pull them deep into bondage!  Which do you think is worse?  They trust you enough to put their spiritual well-being into your hands.  More than that--God thought highly enough of you, and trusted you enough, to place them in your care!!  Are you going to disappoint His faith in you?

Wake up and do what God has called you to do.  The hour is late!!  God is going to send a powerful delusion to those who do not love the truth . . . teach your people truth!! Teach them to love the truth, to search out the truth, to hold fast to the truth!!

You have labored long and hard--don't give up now that we are in the final stretch!  Forget what is behind and press forward with all your might!!  Your finest hour may be just around the bend!!

Homosexual Christians?

You can't be a follower of Jesus and be a homosexual.

I can't follow Jesus and be a thief, or a murderer.  If I am a thief and want to follow Jesus, I must leave stealing behind.  If I am a murderer and want to follow Jesus, I must leave killing behind. 

When we follow Jesus, we put our 'flesh' (sinful desires and actions) to death . . .  deny ourselves . . . 'die to' our old selves . . . are 'born again' . . . born of the spirit  . . . have a new life . . .  We become new creations! 

When we accept Jesus' death, on our behalf, we must come to Him on His terms. We confess our sins, repent of them, and don't practice them any longer.  He forgives our sins and washes them away, and we are made new.

You may argue that being a homosexual is who you are--I argue that is who you are because it is what you do.

Contrary to some people's arguments, people are not born homosexual.  If you have the normal XX or XY chromosomes, your gender is not in question.  (If you ARE a hermaphrodite, or have chromosomal problems, that's a different story.)

Here are reasons you may not feel comfortable with your gender:

• The way you are raised and treated.  
• The expectations or prejudices you are exposed to.  
• The popularity and promotion of homosexuality in our culture.
• Peer pressure.

But here are what I believe are the three most important factors:  being wounded in your early relationships, being molested by someone of the same gender (remembered or  not), demonic influence.

There are a number of ways these factors can work together, although any one of them can lead you to the conclusion, and feeling, that you are gay.  But, when they are combined, their effect is greatly multiplied, and you will feel an almost irresistible pull towards homosexuality.

One of the common ways it plays out is:

1. A child is rejected by his father (living with rejection is more damaging than being abandoned).  Young children trust adults and see them almost as gods.  If a young child is receiving the message, from an adult, that he is not worthy, he may disown himself (or aspects of himself).  If he is a bit older, he may hate the adult and vow not to be like him.  Either way, if a boy does not have a healthy relationship with his father (or an adult male), he will have an emptiness that will cause him to gravitate towards 'father figures' in his life.  This may be adult males, or boys that are older than him that seem more masculine to him than he feels. 

Here is where a problem begins.  Young, wounded boys are very alluring to predatory men (including pedophiles) and delinquent boys.  A wounded boy is a magnet for sick and perverse males, and he is soon going to end up in bad company.  He doesn't have to be molested to become homosexual--he may idolize the man or boy he follows, to the extent that he falls in love with him.  The whole issue is that he doesn't love and accept himself.

The irony is--some well meaning single mothers introduce predatory men into their wounded son's life, without being aware of it. A single mother has her own issues, and she may be very relieved to have found a man who shows a fatherly interest in her son. 

These are the worst situations, because the boy is unable to extricate himself from the relationship, and is unlikely to tell his mother what is happening.  He will likely be at the man's mercy for many years.  This man, given enough time, will likely mold the boy into a replica of himself.  Undoing the damage, if the grown up boy is willing, may occupy much of the rest of his life.

2.  Wounded boys are needy and vulnerable, magnets for pedophiles, and very likely to be molested.  They pretty well have a sign on their forehead saying "victim", which predators quickly home in on.  Each molestation makes another one more likely. 

The boy is molded physically, mentally, and emotionally by these experiences, and logically forms an identity as inferior, a victim, and as a homosexual.  He does not realize that someone else appointed this identity to him, instead he believes they recognized what he already must have been--not true!!  The only thing he was is needy and vulnerable.

3.  Demonic influence--I think this is one of the biggest reasons that homosexuality is so commonplace today.  Demonic forces promote sin in every form.  Demonic forces actively deceive, tempt, and seduce people into sin.  Just as we may have 'guardian angels', people are accompanied by demonic spirits.  Demonic beings act persistently in a person's life, usually to the extent that they are successful in luring him into sin. 

Demonic spirits can gain entrance to a person's life (not the same as actually being possessed) through things they partake of (including music, movies, magazines, etc.), through interactions with other people (who 'entertain' demons in their life), and by chance.  MANY of these demonic beings are with us, in our sinful culture today, and they are a powerful force behind the promotion of homosexuality.


Homosexuality is neither normal nor natural.  God says it is an abomination to Him.  He also says that, when He is totally disgusted with a person (to paraphrase), He will give them over to a 'reprobate mind' and homosexuality. 

With that in mind, does homosexuality really sound like something people are born with?  Do you think God would create someone that way, so that He would turn His back on him from the day he was born?  No.  Absolutely not!!  The temptation to homosexuality, however, may find its way into your life at a very early age.

I believe that part of the recent increase in demonic activity in America, is a concerted Satanic attack on children.  With a culture that lies to us and says that homosexuality is normal and that speaking against it is hateful (or criminal)--how many parents are going to steer their young children away from homosexuality when they are being tempted and deceived by demonic spirits (or other kids, or society, etc. for that matter)?

By trying to be 'politically correct', we are leaving our vulnerable children open to the most vile temptations and influences.  These sins, that we are afraid to speak against, have the power to imprison our children in chains of heavy bondage, and open the door to other powerful delusions and doctrines of Satan.

Parents:  we live in perilous, vile, and deceptive times--you had better get serious about protecting your children from evil!!

'Christian parents':  if you won't teach your children right from wrong, and the truth from a lie--who do you think will?  And who do you think God will hold responsible?

Believe That 'Each Of Us Has Our Own Truth'?

You can't be a follower of Jesus and believe that 'each of us has our own truth'.

If you believe this, you are like the sleeping crew of a ship that has lost its anchor.  You are drifting, unaware, and have no idea where you really are!

'Truth' is one of the most basic, fundamental principles in life!  Truth, absolute truth, exists--and there is only one truth!!  God is the author and embodiment of truth.  The Bible is the portion of the truth that He has chosen to reveal to mankind, to guide us through our lives on Earth.

For years, Satan attacked one truth after another, yet he only succeeded in deceiving some of the people each time.  But his plan calls for everyone to believe him (and to eliminate the ones that don't.)  Now the hour is late, and his time is running out.

He couldn't conquer truth itself, so it is no wonder that he has finally decided to attack and subvert the very concept and definition of truth!

I don't even know how to address this one--it's completely absurd. 

We live in a world where common sense has all but died, and where people think reality is just a creation of their own imagination.  They believe that if they change their thinking they can change reality . . . that if they deny something, it will lose its power to exist . . . that if more people, who desire the same reality, will join together, they will have more power to make it exist . . . that people who don't desire the same reality will hinder their efforts.  (This is why they will first ignore 'the opposition', but when that doesn't work will feel they must eliminate it.)

I'm not a philosopher.  I can't contort my mind through the mental gymnastics that are necessary to understand this way of thinking.  All I can say is that I know they are wrong, because I have found truth.  Not just my truth, THE truth.  It exists.  It proves itself.  It remains constant.  It povides a sturdy anchor.  It doesn't conform to me or my opinions--rather, it causes me to change and conform my opinions to it. 

When I found THE truth, it was very different from the opinions I held as MY truth. Yet, when I put them in the ring together, THE truth won every round!

You can live in an alternate reality if you choose (we used to call that 'insanity' . . .).  You can define truth for yourself, and occupy your mind with the complex mental contortions of philosophy--but not if you are a follower of Jesus.  And, whether you are or not, someday you will come face to face with THE truth.  It will reveal itself and your eyes will be opened.  Hopefully, for you, the day that happens will not be judgment day.