Was Judas set up . . . by Jesus?

Have you ever wondered about Judas? I have. Why did Jesus choose Judas, knowing that he would betray Him? Yes, in order to fulfill Scripture, Jesus needed to be betrayed . . . but wasn't it kind of a setup to choose someone for that role? After all, Judas ended up hanging himself. It's pretty well certain he went into eternity without forgiveness. How do we know? Well, no mention is ever made of him seeking forgiveness from Jesus--or even from the other disciples.

So how could Jesus choose someone to betray Him and be damned? Because that's NOT what Jesus did. Jesus chose Judas, a man who was at the doorstep of damnation, whose only hope of salvation was divine intervention in his life. Judas was very bad on the inside. He was just like you and me. Jesus chose him, to save him.

Before Jesus died to save all mankind, he worked intimately in the lives of twelve men, molding and shaping them. He put each of them in situations that tested and tried them, that gave them the opportunity to overcome their own personal sins and issues.

Peter, for example, came face to face with his pride, over and over again. He learned to live by faith, rather than by his own strength and abilities. Do you think it was by chance that Jesus came to him, walking on water that night? Surely it was confidence that caused Peter to step out of the boat--as well as his love for Jesus. But it was confidence in the power of his love for Jesus, not faith in Jesus Himself. And so, becoming aware of the wind, he began to sink--an object lesson for sure. When Jesus reached out to save Him, He chided him 'You of little faith, why did you doubt'? Little faith? He stepped out of a boat, in a storm, to walk on the water to Jesus! Great love, great confidence, great bravery--but little faith. God knows our hearts.

Again Peter had to face his pride, when Jesus was betrayed. We know the story. At the 'last supper' Jesus shared with His disciples, He told them that they would all leave Him, that very night. Peter was the most vehement in promising that he would not forsake Him, even after Jesus specifically told him that he would deny Him three times that night! Of course, that's how it turned out, and Peter's pride was finally broken. Regret is the hardest thing to live with. It is the closest thing to eternal punishment that we have in this life.

Jesus said that He had not come to condemn man. So, why did He tell the disciples they would forsake Him that night, if it was not to condemn them? (He had also told them that one of them would betray Him.) He wanted them to search their hearts. We know that eleven of them did. (Did Judas?) And yet, even after twice searching their hearts, they all declared with Peter, that they would not forsake Him, but they did. They could not truly see what was within their own hearts.

Scripture tells us that the heart of man is desperately wicked, and that if we would judge ourselves, we would all find ourselves innocent. The lesson here is that we need to let God judge our hearts, and then listen to what He tells us! Jesus specifically told Judas that he was the one who would betray Him (even then, the plans had been made), and told Peter that 3 times he would deny Him.* Yet, apparently, neither believed Him. We so badly want to believe we are good!

It is not what is outside of us that destroys us--it is what lives within us!! We should fear our own hearts most of all!! How dangerous, to have within us something wicked, to which we are totally blind, that can so easily lead us astray!! Scripture tells us to work out our own salvation--with fear and trembling!! (Fear and trembling, in my opinion, of how we aren't really as good as we may believe, and of the trouble our hearts can lead us into.)

So, we have two examples here, where Jesus personally dealt with a disciple, regarding what was hidden in his heart that could destroy him. And we see two examples of men, totally blind to the sinfulness of their own hearts, that pay no heed to Jesus' warning.

Back to Judas, and my contention that Jesus chose him to save him.

What will most surely bring a man to his knees? That which has the power to destroy him. While adultery or alcoholism may finally bring some men to their knees, true regret can break the pride of ALL men.

Judas was a man whose heart was not in the right place. Although that's obvious to us now, in hindsight, it wasn't obvious to anyone then. No fingers were pointed at Judas when Jesus said that one of them would betray Him. In fact, when Jesus specifically identified him as the one, the other disciples seemed oblivious to what He was saying. The chief priests and elders didn't approach Judas, seeing he was a wicked man (he went to them). No one knew what lived within his heart. He put on a very good outward show. But, as I've said before, if you deal in dishonesty for too long, you lose the ability to discern the truth from a lie altogether. I believe that Judas had convinced everyone, including Judas, that he was a good man.

Jesus chose Judas, knowing that he was a thief and a traitor, and knowing his motives and his issues. He called him into His inner circle and treated him just like the other eleven disciples. Judas heard the same teachings, saw the same miracles, took part in the same conversations--yet none of this opened his eyes to the sinfulness in his own heart.

So, Jesus put him in charge of the money bag, knowing he was a thief. Surely there was opportunity to feel remorse, walking with Jesus while stealing from it. Did Jesus set him up? Yes. Jesus gave Judas the opportunity to sin, feel convicted and repent, so that He could save him!**

But, apparently Judas felt righteous in what he was doing. Here was God, in the flesh, divinely intervening in his life--and Judas was unable to discern, in contrast, the wickedness within himself! How powerful is sin, to harden our hearts, and blind us to truth and love!

Judas' next opportunity for repentance came, at the 'last supper'. Scripture tells that Jesus said that the man who would betray Him 'is the one to whom I will give this piece of bread when I have dipped it in the dish'. Then, dipping the piece of bread, He gave it to Judas Iscariot. As soon as Judas took the bread, Satan entered into him.

It is important to know that Satan cannot just enter a man at will--the man must allow him entrance. What true follower of Jesus would even take the piece of bread from Jesus' hand, after what He had said?! Yet Judas felt justified (righteous) in what he was doing. And, with his perspective distorted by his sinfulness, he probably thought that this is what Jesus wanted him to do!! Surely the Scripture makes it clear that this wasn't the case.

Another opportunity, when Jesus tells Judas 'What you are about to do, do quickly'. If Judas had any misgivings, Jesus' words should have pierced his heart and caused him to beg His forgiveness.

It wasn't until after the deed was done, after Satan was done using him and had departed, that Judas was finally able to see what he had done, and he was seized with remorse. But remorse is a feeling--true repentance is action. Judas' remorse did not lead him to Jesus or the disciples to beg forgiveness.

Instead, feeling guilty, he tried to return the money and undo the deed. He went back to the corrupt priests and elders, and gave his confession to them. He had 'betrayed innocent blood' he said. Even then, he was unable to recognize Jesus as more than just an innocent man! For over three years he had walked with Jesus, yet was still unable to discern that He was God.

We don't know what motivated Judas to betray Jesus. Perhaps it was the fear of persecution--after all, Jesus was telling the disciples what was on the horizon. Maybe Judas, seeing bad times ahead, sensed that the time had come to decide where his loyalties lay--that it was time to 'get off the fence', so to speak, and save himself. Unfortunately, he got off on the wrong side. But even his remorse did not wake him up to that.

Yes, Jesus set Judas up--even giving him the final opportunity of betraying Him . . . because if anything could have driven him to his knees, could have caused him to repent and be saved, it would have been the torment of remorse over betraying his Lord. But his heart was so hardened by years of sin and deceitfulness, and justifying his actions to himself, that he was no longer able to repent.

That is a sobering thought! If it could happen to a man who walked, for over three years, with Jesus--who seemed righteous, to others, in his outward appearance--who saw himself as a righteous man--could it happen to you . . . or me?

Certainly!! Fear what may be hidden within your own heart--and fear your heart itself, for it is desperately wicked! Fear sin--for it has the power to take root in your heart, deceive your mind, and harden you to the point that you are no longer able to repent!!

We are all so worried about the bogey man outside--'The Beast', 'The Antichrist', 666 . . . the real enemy is within each of us!!

The Scriptures contain many parallels and foreshadowings, to help us understand. In the 'latter days' (in which we are now living), this story will be played out again--countless times. True believers, like Jesus, will be betrayed by those closest to them, and put to death. And like Judas, 'followers of Jesus' ('Christians') will be the ones to betray them, while believing they are acting righteously.

Satan takes a perverse delight in turning man against his brother: from Cain against Abel, his eleven brothers against Joseph, Judas against Jesus, the Jews against the early Christian Jews, the Catholic church against Protestants--to, in the future, the apostate church ('Christians') against true Christians ('radicals'?, 'extremists'?).

As I look at history, the 'unsaved world' hasn't proven to be the enemy of God's people to anywhere near the degree that 'God's people' have! All the striving seems to be from within! Sure, God's people may not be popular with the 'unsaved world', but the rest of the world looks a lot more like spectators to me, as those who call themselves by His name kill one another!

It was the Jews who called for Jesus' death, as the Romans tried to extricate themselves from the situation; it was the most religious of the Jews that called for the deaths of Jesus and the early Christians; it was 'The (Catholic) Church' (Christianity infiltrated and subverted by paganism) that persecuted true Christians during The Inquisition and the Protestant Reformation; Hitler (a Jew) that exterminated six million Jews; Ahmadinejad (a Jew) who wants to destroy the country of Israel.

(I am not anti-Jewish. If the truth were known about all who descend from all of the twelve tribes of Israel [not just the Jews/Judah] there would surely be much more to tell. My point is simply that Satan delights in turning people who claim to be God's people against each other.)


So, like a suspenseful movie with a twist of irony at the end, here's one way things may play out in the days ahead:

• WHO: 'mainstream Christians' / the 'lukewarm church' in the book of Revelation / the 'apostate church' / 'Christians' / 'followers of Jesus'
• WHY: believing themselves righteous, blind to their sin, eager to maintain a good reputation in 'the world', fearful because of prophecies they don't understand, fearful of persecution, believing they are in danger from 'the beast' and 'the antichrist', eager to compromise to have peace and safety, believing 'radical Christians' are going to get them in trouble too, believing it will ensure their safety
• WHAT: distance themselves from 'radical Christians' (Christians who actually want to live in obedience to Christ), verbally separate themselves from 'radical Christians' , vehemently and publicly disown them (think of Peter disowning Jesus)
• WHEN: when they start to become unpopular, when they feel persecuted verbally
• HOW: play into Satan's hand by betraying true Christians, handing them over to be arrested

Ok, so maybe now you're starting to worry about who will betray you and turn you in . . . but that's not the point!! If you ARE a true Christian (and we all think we are, don't we?) . . . being betrayed, arrested and/or killed will not destroy you. But acting out of your fear, rather than faith, might.


The real question is . . . might you be a Judas, and not realize it? 

  After all, in the end, it was Judas that was damned . . . by a life of little 'secret sins', justifications and dishonesty. . . unaware that his heart was so hardened that he could no longer tell right from wrong, or discern the truth from a lie, or know he needed to repent . . . blinded to his own sinfulness . . . pawn of the devil . . . sorry and miserable at the end yet, nevertheless, unwilling or unable to repent.

As the saying goes: 'be afraid . . . be very afraid' . . . of what lurks within.


*I think it should be instructive to us, that Jesus didn't plead with them, or warn them of the consequences for what they were about to do. He did not 'prolong the altar call', so to speak.

When a person is confronted, before they are sufficiently broken, instead of repenting they will harden their heart and create justifications for themself that serve to further entrap them in their sin.

I know America needs to repent, and I say so--but I have not felt a prompting, from God, to really put out a call for repentance yet. Instead, He has shown me that America is not ready for that call--that it would do more harm than good to put out the call now, by serving to harden people's hearts to the call, so that they would not heed it now, or later.

Something will happen to break America's pride, and then an even greater calamity will be on the horizon--at that point, people will be ready to repent. At that point, God will lead His watchmen to give the call.


** Likewise, the purpose of the law was not to save men, but to cause them to realize their sinfulness, by their inability to keep it, so that they could repent and be saved.

Haiti 7.0

I had recently heard someone speaking of God's judgments, and one of the things they said was that God always puts His signature on His judgments--and a lot of times that signature is the number 7.

When I heard about the earthquake in Haiti, and the magnitude being 7.0--I had to stop and wonder if it might have been judgment from God.  Then I wondered what it would be judgment for--and I thought of the widespread practice of voodoo in Haiti.

It shows no compassion to speak of disaster being judgment from God, after the fact.  And I can't say for sure whether it was or not.  In other posts, I have speculated about whether the earthquake may have been caused by our government.  If it was, it certainly would add to the cruelty, to say it was God's judgment and we were the 'hand of God' in causing it (if we did).

But the mere fact that it may have been caused by man, doesn't rule out the possibility of it being God's judgment.  God uses evil nations to carry out His judgment on other nations.  Hear me--he uses EVIL nations, and then He punishes them as well.

In the end, it is the meek who will inherit the earth--not the evil, reprobate souls who would take the life of another to further their own ends.

As I was reading news of the damage after the Haiti quake, there was mention of a woman.  She was walking around, with her hands in the air, looking up toward heaven and crying 'God have mercy on us, we are sinners!'. 

It made me cry.  I believe God's heart was moved with compassion too.

The God Factor

One sunny morning, a pilot sets off across the ocean for a distant land. His fuel tank is just large enough to hold enough fuel for the voyage, and maybe a hundred miles extra. Early into his flight, it comes to his attention that he has erred in his navigation, and is a couple of degrees off course. When do you suppose that pilot will make the necessary correction?

 If he corrects soon enough, he will only have flown a small distance more than planned. However, if he waits until later to correct, he will have to make a major change, and will have wasted much fuel going in the wrong direction. In fact, if he waits too long to correct, he will run out of fuel and meet destiny at the bottom of the ocean!

 America is on the wrong course! As Christians, we are losing our freedoms and rights at an amazing pace! The assault on our liberties was designed to be a blitz attack--so that by the time we figured out what was going on, it would be too late.
 
We had better start using all the freedoms we have!! For too long we have been voluntarily coerced to refrain from speaking, by the doctrine of 'political correctness'. Now, we are facing the likely prospect of 'hate speech' legislation. There seems to be a principle, that what you give up voluntarily, will later be 'set in stone' as law.  People, we can see the storm clouds gathering on the horizon--the time for denial is past!

If you are thinking that, by speaking out and exercising your liberties, it will just draw attention to you and create the persecution you would rather avoid, you may be right--but consider this: we have been quiet, we have been polite, we have been politically correct, yet we have been continually pressured to retreat, to 'cede more ground'. Now we are expected to be silent in the face of all sorts of abominations!
 
The hour is late, but speaking out now is better than speaking out never!  Sure, there is much opposition now--but do you think it will lessen in time?  

 If you find it too hard to speak out now, when it is merely unpopular--how will you have the courage to speak out later, when it is illegal? Don't count on being courageous tomorrow, if you won't act with courage today! Courage is built, gradually, upon past experience in being courageous. Conversely, giving in to fear and intimidation only tend to reinforce your tendency to be fearful and intimidated!
 
And, as Christians, there is one other important factor to consider--the most important one--the God factor!  It pleases God when people act for truth and righteousness, against overwhelming odds, relying on Him for help!!  God can do amazing things! 

 Do you realize, that if enough people in America repent, and plead with God for mercy, He may relent of judging America now?  Be it that He spares America, as an island in the midst of worldwide suffering, or that He postpones the inevitable--it is worth a try people!!  Do not give up hope in the mercy and compassion of our God!!  Have the audacity to trust in Him and ask great things of Him!!


We have failed Him and brought dishonor to His name!  Lets repent and act courageously!  Lets turn things around in America!! Lets wage war on ungodliness!  Lets make abortion illegal!  Lets turn the tide on homosexuality and the indoctrination of our children in the public schools!  Lets push back the unholy tide of Islam and restore Christianity to our schools and our courts!  God is big enough!!  He is the God of David,  not Goliath!  He is with the small and weak, that are courageous enough to try great things for His glory!!  Let us go forth to battle, with faith in Him!

 
Even so, we may die--but better to die honorably, in His service, than to die as cowards and faithless!  Mark my words, the days are coming when you will either deny God (by your words or your actions) or you will be put to death.  Your silence and retreat will not hide you--they will only serve to hasten the arrival of that day.

We Will Turn The World Upside Down!!

I was listening to a speaker, who was relating the story of a legion of Christian Roman soldiers who turned the Roman Empire upside down because they held to the truth and died for it. Instantly I compared that to what those of us who are living will endure. In typical 'woe is me' style, I said to myself "yeah, but we won't be turning anything upside down" (when we die as martyrs)--because I know that human civilization, as it has been, is in the last pages of the last chapter. I see no indication in Scripture, that the deaths of all the many martyrs (that will happen under the rule of 'The Beast') are going to bring about a great revival of faith, or change of heart. Sometimes it seems almost pointless, from a strategic perspective. (I am not always brave . . .)

So, as I was hearing this story of great courage and bravery that was, no doubt, meant to encourage me, I said in my heart "yeah, but we won't be turning anything upside down". And, instantly, the Lord spoke to my heart "you'll be turning the whole world upside down."

Then He brought to my remembrance, the Scripture that says there will be a new heaven and a new earth, and I realized that this final outpouring of 'The Faithful', will seal the fate of this sinful world, bringing about the return of Jesus Christ, to judge the wicked, and will usher in the Kingdom of Jesus Christ.

Take heart. Although a single drop of water can not do much by itself, many drops of water carved the Grand Canyon . . .

Prelude To: Did We Do This?

Where do I even begin?

Several months ago, the question occured to me "I wonder if earthquakes can be created?". Of course, I was thinking along the lines of underground nuclear explosions, etc. Well, I found a lot more than I bargained for. Granted, a lot of it sounds far-fetched to the average person, but I do have a college degree in science and I think I have learned enough to at least rule out the utterly ridiculous. Of course, I am not an expert, and can not say with absolute certainty that any of what I've learned is true--but based on what I know, and my intuition, and prayers for God to guide me, I believe that it is.

The amount of 'stuff' that is going on behind the scenes is incredible! I have never ruled out conspiracy theories simply because they were theories of conspiracies. (Some people seem to think conspiracies can't possibly be true.) As far as I understand, a conspiracy is a plan, between two or more people, to do something that is wrong. How can that be impossible?--we see it happen every day!! So, I weigh any conspiracy theory on its own merits. (Even so, there are some that seem so far-fetched that I dread looking into them!)

A few years back, the Lord pulled the blinders off my eyes. Up until that time, I had always looked for the best in everyone, believed whatever I was told, and given everyone the benefit of the doubt. However, I learned that no one can be completely trusted, mankind is not inherently good and, in fact, some people are just plain evil! In spite of all the corruption that has been revealed, in our leaders, in the last couple of years, some of you have not yet had that revelation--you will probably not believe the things that I will be sharing with you.

One other thing you should know about me--I have never been one to follow the crowd. A lot of what I write about is probably not news to some of you--but others of you may think I'm just one more person in some kind of community of wackos, where all of us are just saying the same thing. (In fact, I have that opinion, true or not, of some of the people who are sharing the information I'm learning from! And I don't agree with everything everyone says--I measure it against my knowledge of God's word, what I already know, etc.)

However, the only communication I have with anyone else who shares any of these beliefs, is through several comments I've received through this site and my responses to them, which are posted on this site. I am a virtual hermit. I have a few friends I see on rare occasion, and I have some family. To the best of my knowledge, of these people, only one friend reads my blogs. My family and friends are either not interested in, or are too distressed by the things I am learning, to discuss them with me. The only sites I visit regularly are posted as links, in the right column of this page--and I watch Glenn Beck, although I disagree with a little bit of what he says.

In fact, my 'education' in all of what is going on, began about a year and a half ago with him. I had been watching Fox News regularly, but grew VERY tired of all the political commentary and speculation. Feeling like I wasn't getting the real news of what was going on in the world, I started looking elsewhere and discovered Glenn Beck on CNN. I remember being surprised, because I was of the opinion that CNN was not a conservative news source, and yet he shared most of my opinions! He was also revealing things that I was learning about elsewhere.

The other main source of learning for me comes from Steven Collins' website (to which I have a link in the right column). I was asleep one morning when suddenly Fox News came on my computer (I have no idea how. I had watched it the night before online, and the browser page was still open, but the video connection had been shut off). Anyhow--the news came on and woke me, with the commentator saying something that caused me to jump out of bed. To the best of my recollection, it was about 2 countries that were conducting joint military exercises. I had to 'google' the names of these 2 countries, along with the word 'prophecy', because I had a feeling it was something that I had heard before, regarding events prophesied to happen in the 'end times'. I had no idea of the journey I was about to embark upon.

When the Google search results came back, I realized I had a potential problem--how could I know which site(s) would actually have accurate information? I prayed for God to lead me, and chose Stephen Collins' site. Neverthless, I didn't throw out my discernment.

In subsequent days, I read and learned a lot, but I was still skeptical. He apparently believes that the US is descended from the 'lost' 10 tribes of Israel. This is something I had learned about (and believed) as a teenager--before I ever found Christ--by reading Herbert W. Armstrong materials (The Worldwide Church of God). My mother told me it was a cult. I don't know if that is true or not, but at the time I believed her and threw the things away.

So, when I read these assertions on his site, I was skeptical and I worried about his credibility, and possible connection to the WWCoG. (I decided to get more info about Herbert W. Armstrong, and I have to say that I would still be skeptical of any of his teachings. However, Mr. Collins, as far as I can tell, is not a follower of Mr. Armstrong. Because of what I've read of his writings, and additional information I have found, I am about 98% convinced that the 10 'lost' tribes of Israel are not really lost at all, and that the US represents the tribe of Manasseh.)

I continued to read his articles and posts, with caution. Eventually I became convinced (although I am not absolutely sure of everything he proposes) that his site is probably 'safe', and I have learned a lot there. As with any site, if you decide to check it out, use your own discretion and prayer. Mainly he keeps up with current happenings, that you may not get news of elsewhere--and correlates these events with prophecy.

So, I've said all that to illustrate that I don't have an agenda, and I am not just parroting the beliefs of some cult or bunch of wackos. I have felt, from the beginning, that it has been God leading me to what I am learning, because of the way that it started--and has continued. There is not one single website where I have gone and learned all of this. It has been a journey, with God taking me from one site to another, teaching me the right things at the right time.

In fact--some of what I have learned is from movies I watched, for entertainment sake, that ended up confirming things I had learned or leading me to the next thing. One of those movies--a story of two illusionists, introduced me to Nikola Tesla. When I found reference to him, a little further along in my journey, I already had knowledge of him and his work. When God is leading you, you know it--not by where you arrive, but by how He leads you along the way.

I feel I need to make that clear, because it looks to me, like a lot of the things I'll be talking about in the future would be easy to dismiss out of hand. Of course you need to pray and use your discernment regarding the truth of what I'm saying, and how it all fits together, but I hope I have explained myself enough that you will at least be willing to listen to what I have to say.

It was never my intention to start a blog--I just had to vent. The more I learned about things that were happening, the more upset I became. So, I started blogging. I have always enjoyed teaching about things that interest me, so I have continued with this. I know there are only about fifteen (at most) of you reading this, but that's fine. (Jesus said there would be 'few' that actually find the way, that 'many' travel the broad path to destruction, so I don't underestimate the value of reaching only a few.) I also know that He leads people to what He wants to teach them, so I trust that if you are here, He has led you. You may only visit my site to learn one thing, or He may park you here for awhile.

I don't claim to be a prophet--a watchman perhaps. I have just seen, throughout my life, that in many things I happen to be a step ahead of the crowd. I am not saying I should be followed. I'm not saying I'm special at all. I'm just saying I tend to become aware of things a little bit sooner than most people--and right now, time is of the essence. So, I'll share what I am learning with you, and trust that you will use prayer and discretion to decide for yourself.

The last couple of days I have looked into a lot of things, and I've learned a lot. So much in fact, that yesterday I had to just shut everything off and have silence for a few hours--because I was so overwhelmed with what I had learned. I just couldn't absorb anymore. I don't think I've ever felt that way before. There were several things I wanted to write posts about, but I just couldn't. I had no idea where to begin.

Today I received an e-newsletter from Chuck Baldwin. It ties in with some of what I have just learned, so I'm going to write another post and link this one to it. It concerns earthquakes, Indonesia, Venezuela and more--I won't know for sure until I write it!! Please check it out:

Did We Do This? (Haiti Earthquake, part 1)

Truly, ignorance IS bliss. However, the hour is late, so--may your eyes be opened to the truth, and may the truth set you free!

Did We Do This? (Haiti Earthquake, part 1)

Continued from Prelude To: Did We Do This?
 
Today I received an e-newsletter from Chuck Baldwin. It fits in with what I wanted to blog about, so to start out, I will post his column, in its entirety (as he requests). My comments will follow.

What's Really Going On In Haiti?
By Chuck Baldwin
January 26, 2010

This column is archived at

http://www.chuckbaldwinlive.com/c2010/cbarchive_20100126.html

People of goodwill everywhere are rightly sympathetic to the plight of hundreds of thousands of innocent Haitians in the aftermath of the terrible earthquake that rocked the island country. Private donations and volunteer efforts are pouring into Haiti from all over the globe--especially from the United States. This is a good thing, right? So, why am I troubled?

Simply put, I cannot remember such an all-out "relief effort" by our nation's military and government forces following a natural disaster anywhere--ever! Not even New Orleans, Louisiana, and surrounding Gulf Coast communities here in the homeland received the kind of attention from Washington, D.C., that Haiti is receiving.

According to Agence France-Press (AFP), "The US military is ramping up its mission in quake-hit Haiti, with 20,000 US troops expected to operate on ground and offshore by Sunday [January 24], the US commander overseeing the region said."

No doubt, this would include ships and personnel from the USS Carl Vinson carrier group. Cost to US taxpayers to send an entire carrier group--along with more than 20,000 (so far) military personnel--to Haiti already numbers in the multiplied millions of dollars. It is also almost certain that there will be no quick exit from the island nation. There never is. In other words, our military presence (dare I say occupation?) in Haiti will doubtless last for years. At least, that's the way Latin American and European countries see it. And they are probably right.

Suffice it to say that the United States military is now completely in charge in Haiti. At this point, it would be very enlightening for everyone to read Walter Williams' column dated January 20, 2010, entitled "Haiti's Avoidable Death Toll." See Walter's column at:

http://tinyurl.com/haiti-avoidable-death

In short, Williams notes that the high death toll in Haiti is directly related to the inferior political/economic philosophies of the Haitian government. There is no economic liberty, which has relegated it to being one of the world's poorest nations, with no opportunity to build the kind of homes and businesses that can withstand natural disasters.

Williams is right when he says, "President Barack Obama called the quake 'especially cruel and incomprehensible.' He would be closer to the truth if he had said that the Haitian political and economic climate that make Haitians helpless in the face of natural disasters are 'especially cruel and incomprehensible.'"

Williams also observes, "Corruption is rampant" in Haiti. Crime is, likewise, ubiquitous in Haiti, with little real law enforcement. Private property rights are nonexistent. Like many (if not most) third world countries, people live in tyranny and bondage to insensitive, power-mad strongmen who use up the country's resources for their own selfish purposes. Tyranny always impoverishes people; freedom enriches them.

Williams rightly concludes, "Haiti's disaster demands immediate Western assistance but it's only the Haitian people who can relieve themselves of the deeper tragedy of self-inflicted poverty." Amen.

All of that said, however, there are still several things bugging me about the Haiti story.

For one thing, why was an earthquake of this magnitude not felt beyond Port-au-Prince? (The only reports saying tremors were felt out of Haiti belong to US-controlled sources.) All of the testimonies that I have read from people living in the adjoining country of the Dominican Republic (which shares the same island with Haiti) that were quoted by French, British, or Spanish outlets universally say they felt nothing. If the foreign press is reporting the story accurately, the devastation was almost exclusively contained in and around Port-au-Prince. That is very strange to me. Even most of the roads reportedly remained open after the quake.

Another oddity is the fact that this earthquake did not produce a tsunami. It is being called "miraculous" that an earthquake measuring 7.0 on the Richter Scale did not produce a colossal tsunami, which would have affected everyone in the region.

Furthermore, does the French government know something that we don't--but should? According to a report of the Global Analysis International Intelligence (GAII), "Not coincidentally, Agence France-Press (AFP), which of course is closely affiliated with French intelligence, filed a report on 14th January which contained the following concluding sentence:

"'On Wednesday, Obama ordered a "swift, coordinated and aggressive effort to save lives" in Haiti following the murderous quake, as a massive US aid mission swung into action, using troops, naval forces, aircraft and rescue teams.'

"FACT: An 'act of God,' or natural calamity, is NOT a 'murderous quake.' "The use of the word MURDEROUS here implies that someone is doing the MURDERING."

GAII further speculates that the earthquake may have been the work of US Black Ops, which "flattened the French embassy and many of its officials, imploded the United Nations' own establishments in the Haitian capital, and no doubt obliterated evidence of US Government and rogue official drug-running complicity . . . channeled through the Haitian capital for many years." See the intelligence report at:

http://tinyurl.com/gaii-haiti

Intelligence reports are also circulating about the possible disruption of liens and seizures of trillions of dollars by the international community relative to past crimes committed by former Presidents George Bush I and II, and Bill Clinton, which were being channeled through Haiti's Central Bank.

If any of this is even remotely true, it is certainly more than convenient that the Haitian capital was destroyed.

This particular part of the story is a real sore spot with me. And I know if I broach this topic, many readers (especially my Christian brethren who live under the delusion that the Bush family can do no wrong) will refuse to believe anything I report and will even take their anger and umbrage out on me. So be it.

I am personally convinced that certain members of the Bush and Clinton families have been involved in the international smuggling of illicit drugs for decades. I have spoken in confidence with those who were in positions to know, and they have emphatically told me that both then-Arkansas Governor Bill Clinton and then-President George H.W. Bush were complicit in CIA-assisted drug running out of Mena, Arkansas. (You don't think I would say this if I did not have absolute confidence in the integrity and credibility of these sources, do you? Plus, why would they tell me this at potential great harm to themselves, if it were not true? And, no, I cannot divulge their names, for obvious reasons.) And there is absolutely no reason to believe that similar operations are not ongoing. In my opinion, it would be utterly naïve to think otherwise.

After all, it has been often reported that the CIA used Army Special Forces troops to facilitate the smuggling of drugs out of Indochina during the Vietnam War, has it not? Yes, it has. That rogue elements within the US government would use war--or even earthquakes--as cover and facilitation for illegal drug smuggling or money laundering would not surprise me one bit.

I realize it is extremely difficult for many Americans to contemplate that members of their own federal government could be evil enough to be involved in anything such as is implied above. According to the thinking of many Americans, evil people only live in Iraq, Afghanistan, Iran, or North Korea. And, of course, that is exactly what government propagandists want us to believe.

The truth is, no country or people has a monopoly on sin. As the prophet Jeremiah was inspired to say, "The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?" (Jeremiah 17:9) The Apostle Paul agreed. He told the Philippians, "We . . . have no confidence in the flesh." (Philippians 3:3)

Thomas Jefferson said virtually the same thing when he said, "In questions of power, then, let no more be heard of confidence in man, but bind him down from mischief by the chains of the Constitution."

This is why Jefferson and the rest of America's founders insisted that we should be diligent to hold our civil magistrates accountable to the limits and protections of the US Constitution. They well understood the sentiments so wisely expressed by Lord Acton, "Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely. Great men are almost always bad men." Christians, of all people, should understand this.

So, why are so many of us so quick to believe everything our government and their toadies in the national media are telling us? Are we so naïve as to believe that unregenerate politicians in Washington, D.C., are incapable of the same evil acts of barbarity and savagery that might be found in other parts of the world? Are sinners less sinful because they happened to receive their fallen nature from American bloodlines?

Am I saying that Black Ops personnel manufactured the earthquake in Haiti--and killed tens of thousands of people in the process--for the purpose of hiding or facilitating illegal activity? No, I am not. How in the world would I know it, even if it were true?

What I am saying is that, once again, for me, there are many things that do not add up regarding what is going on in Haiti. The way the earthquake behaved; the lack of related seismic and tsunamic activity usually associated with earthquakes of this magnitude; the unprecedented involvement of US military forces being used for "relief efforts" even as commanders are desperate to fill combat theaters in Iraq and Afghanistan; the occupation of another independent nation, which occurred at lightning speed; the vast sums of US taxpayer dollars being expended; the devastation done to key Haitian governmental and banking institutions--which were known to be conduits for international financial disbursements--with virtually no devastation experienced anywhere else; and intelligence reports of surreptitious activity circulating all over Europe and Latin America all add up to one big question, What's really going on in Haiti?

*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


My opinions on Chuck Baldwin's column:

• I don't think that the use of the word 'murderous' to describe the earthquake, in and of itself, implies anything. It could simply be a way of attributing blame for the deaths to God, 'Mother Nature', or the earthquake itself.


• I was not aware that the damage was confined to such a small area, and that the quake was not felt throughout the island. To me, that seems very suspicious indeed.


• Just yesterday I had read elsewhere, that the day before the quake, the Department of Defense had held simulations pertaining to the impacts of a hurricane in Haiti, in order to rehearse relief operations.

http://libertynewsradio.com/wire/news/2010/01/00413_A_Haiti_Disaster_Relief_Scenario_Was_Envisaged_by_the_US_Military_One_Day_Before_the_Earthquake_025124.php

• Also, yesterday, I heard, for the first time, the allegation that the CIA was involved in drug dealing.

http://libertynewsradio.com/wire/news/2010/01/00414_Ron_Paul_After_CIA_coup_agency_runs_military_025532.php

• 'Rogue Elements'? I'll go a step further and say that our government authorizes and funds these 'rogue elements', but makes every effort to cover their connection to them. How many years have we been hearing about US involvement in assassinations, regime change, etc.? Come on--if these were just 'rogue elements', don't you think there would be an investigation, arrests, and a front page story?

• I knew that the Bushes were involved in many despicable things, including eugenics, Holocaust concentration camps, Saudi Arabia, etc. Information on some of that can be found in the book "Confessions Of An Economic Hitman". (This book was a real 'eye-opener' for me!) Here is a link to a video interview with the author:

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=808526880666247652#

As far as Clinton, I haven't learned much about him but, years ago, I formed the opinion that it was his goal to disarm the US and bring us under the authority of the United Nations--and then run for president of the UN! (His efforts were tame compared to what Obama has done!)

• Steven Collins had recently posted a blog about Obama's Executive Order regarding Interpol (International Police, I believe). He links to an article that asserts that Interpol is doing an in-depth audit of the Federal Reserve Bank, and investigating it and other criminal organizations.

http://stevenmcollins.com/WordPress/?p=1479

Remember also, that nearly a year ago, there were reports of a Spanish judge wanting Bush, et al. investigated in regards to breaking international law by torturing prisoners at Guantánamo Bay. And, it was discovered, late last summer, that Goldman Sachs had been using market manipulating software. Although virtually no American media covered the story, there was an international outcry over the discovery. The Senate was planning to investigate, but the story died. I don't know if it was ever resolved. If it wasn't (and it doesn't look like it was) there could be call for an investigation by an organization independent of the (apparently) widespread corruption throughout the US government and regulatory agencies. In other words, these things would tend to corroborate the idea that there may be an international investigation underway, into the Bush family and other influential people. One other note--although Obama is giving the impression of not being involved in such an investigation, I suspect he would be at the front of the pack of the accusers.

• I heard also, that Hugo Chavez (I think it was him), is alleging that we are using the Haiti earthquake as an excuse for military occupation of Haiti and eventually the invasion of Venezuela. (It has just been reported that Venezuelan oil deposits may be more than double the amount of oil in Saudi Arabia.)

http://www.topnews.in/venezuela-holds-vast-crude-reservoirs-usgc-2252378

While he is certainly villified in the conservative media, it doesn't necessarily follow that nothing Chavez says is true. I am not one of his supporters, and know nothing about him, but who knows? One day we may find out that Chavez told more truth than either our politicians or our news media!

• Also, with the amount of enmity that Venezuela and Cuba have towards the US, and in view of their increase in militarization, it would make sense, strategically, for the US to move into the region. I am not saying I agree! I am just saying decision makers could feel justified in occupying Haiti, for that reason. Frankly, I don't know where the money is coming from to continue expanding our 'presence'--especially when things are falling apart at home!

America is not just a nation--it is an empire. We are feared and hated throughout the world--for that reason. I go into the subject a little more in my post: American Empire

Here is a map that speaks volumes:

US military bases worldwide in 2007

Another important thing I want to point out, is that the American empire extends to the south and to the east. That correlates with a prophecy in Daniel, relating to a 4th kingdom/world empire that will rule in the latter days. This is the same empire spoken of as The Beast (the 'first beast') in the book of Revelation.

My gut feeling is that the US may either be the last world empire, or may be transforming into it. I still have a lot more study to do before I could put forth a reasonable argument for it though. I know it would be denied by almost all of our current 'Bible experts'--the same ones that will tell you that The Church is going to be 'raptured' before the Tribulation begins. I know, without a doubt, that isn't true.

I still need to do a post on that subject, but I'll spare you the suspense--based on my current understanding, I believe that the only people that might possibly be removed from the earth before death, prior to Christ's return, are 'The 144,000' and maybe 'The Two Witnesses'. The rest of us will rise to meet Him in the air when He returns.


Back to the column . . . if I understand correctly, people suspect that the US may have bombed certain buildings in Haiti, thus producing an earthquake. What is it investigators look for--motive, means & opportunity? (I think those are the three.)

• Motive: In his column, Chuck lays out a very plausible motive for doing such a thing--if it is true. (I'm just an 'average joe' who has no inside information, so I can't say if it is or not.)


• Means: If it was bombs, we certainly have the means to do that. There is also another possible means by which we could have caused an earthquake. That will be the subject of the continuation of this post. (Link below)


• Opportunity: I don't think we can rule that out. We already know that over 100 Americans died in the quake. (I am not implying that any of them were the people responsible--if anyone was responsible).

So, to wrap up this post . . . it certainly looks like certain powerful people, with ties to our government, may have a motive for creating an earthquake in Haiti (and yes, it is possible to do that), in order to cover past acts of corruption. If this is true--may God bring the whole thing out into the open, and may these people get the earthly judgment they deserve!

Be sure to check out part 2 of this post, detailing a likely weapon of massive mass destruction. Many believe these weapons (several in the world) are capable of producing earthquakes, as well as some of the other devastating events prophesied for the latter days--ones you may have assumed would be natural events!

Did We Do This? (Haiti Earthquake, part 2)

Did We Do This? (Haiti Earthquake, part 2)

Continued from Did We Do This? (Haiti Earthquake, part 1)

(Warning: there is definitely some nonsense on some of the sites I link to--especially references to 'Grays', aliens, UFOs,'disclosure', etc. Please see my previous post: Extraterrestrials. It is not just Christians that are interested in understanding what is going on behind the scenes. In fact, there are probably less Christians, relative to nonChristians, that delve into these things--perhaps because of the danger of deception (?). However, I think it is important for Christians to be aware of Satan's schemes--especially in these 'latter days'. I hope the information I provide is helpful.)

In this post, I am going to share information with you, regarding a weapon of massive mass destruction. Apparently this was connected with the Starwars Defense Initiative (SDI) anti-missile shield. The precursors to this powerful HAARP station in Alaska (High Frequency Active Auroral Research Program), were several stations worldwide, operating in conjunction with observatories and universities, that used a technology known as Incoherent Scatter Radar (ISR) to measure processes occurring in the ionosphere. These processes relate to weather, the Earth's magnetism, etc.

In time, it was determined that a more powerful station, with better measuring capabilities was needed. That is when the HAARP station was built. At some point, the Department of Defense took over the operation of this facility.

Spread out over about 33 acres are 180 antennas, atop towers that are 72 feet tall, spaced 80 feet apart. These antennas combine their power to send a single beam of high frequency radio waves upwards to the ionosphere. Measurements are taken as the waves bounce off the ionosphere and back to the earth.

Artist's rendition of beam from HAARP (the actual process in invisible)

Several different countries, mostly in the northern hemisphere, have stations where they conduct similar research. Locations of some of the others: Irkutsk, Russia; Kharkov, Ukraine; Söndreström, Greenland; Tromsø, Norway; Arecibo, Puerto Rico USA; Jicamarca, Peru; and Svalbard (according to Wikipedia 'an archipelago in the Arctic Ocean north of mainland Europe, about midway between mainland Norway and the North Pole').

Most stations have only a fraction of the power the Alaska (HAARP) station has, but at least 2 others (Tromsø, Norway and one in Russia) have powerful ionospheric heaters, as does HAARP.

Pravda (how credible is this?) claims that (as of 2005) there were only 3 facilities like this in the world, and boasts that Russia's SURA ionospheric heater is as powerful as the HAARP station in Alaska. Most sources say it can produce 190 MW 'Effective Radiated Power' (far less than HAARP).

The Tromsø, Norway heater can produce 1200 MW (1.2 Gigawatts) of ERP. The Alaska (HAARP) station was designed to emit 3.981 Gigawatts of ERP, but I've had a hard time verifying its actual output. The figure of 3.6 MW is openly revealed, but this is just the power it draws when operating. The antennas are designed to produce a 'gain' in power, which accounts for the actual output energy being much higher.

HAARP technology builds on the discoveries of Nikola Tesla. (For an entertaining, educational look at Tesla, watch the movie 'The Prestige'.) It has important applications to communication, navigation, and surveillance (from space to the depths of the sea), underground & deep sea detection and mapping (such as locating oil reserves, etc.), destroying satellites (and, presumably, incoming missiles), generating energy of different frequencies, and producing EMPs (ElectroMagnetic Pulses).

It is said that HAARP is capable of altering the weather, by creating drought or storms (even hurricanes), steering storms, etc. It is feared that the technology can be used to create earthquakes, and that it may facilitate mind control. (I know, that sounds far-fetched. If you are interested in the subject of mind control, you can google 'Blue Beam Project'. Even if it's not true, you may still be able to glean a kernel or two of useful information.)

Incidentally, if you heard about the 'Blue Spiral' in the night sky, over Norway, the day before Obama came to pick up his prize (said to have been a failed Russian missile test)--here is a video with documentation that supports it as having been a phenomenon caused by the Tromsø Ionospheric Heating Facility (some say it may have been a holographic image which, I would assume, would mean 3 different beams would have to be projected, or reflected, to the same spot):

There are many things to be concerned about, when using powerful instruments such as these, even if only for experimentation. What effect does it really have on the ozone layer? On the Earth's magnetic field? On our protective layer of atmosphere? On global warming? What about the massive amounts of energy required to fuel the equipment?

These don't even begin to touch on the most important issues--issues of morality. What are the possible repercussions of weapons such as this being in the hands of a greedy, rapacious empire--such as America has become? What kind of future does this spell out for humanity, if such destructive weapons are in the hands of people who subscribe to the philosophy of eugenics (genocide, depopulation, a master race, genetic engineering, etc.)? We have pretty good indications that these are the people currently in power-- the 'elite'.

If the allegations are true, and these stations can be used as powerful weapons, we are standing on the threshold of a brand new type of warfare. Can you imagine what future wars might look like if two (or more) countries were to wage war on each other with such devices? You could expect famines, fierce storms (horrific hurricanes and great hail?), many earthquakes (increasing in intensity as the war escalated)--maybe even having intensities that we are unable to imagine, virtually splitting the earth apart.

Of course, earthquakes that strong would have the added effect of unleashing volcanoes and producing massive tidal waves. Hmmm . . . perhaps some of the devastating events prophesied for the latter days will not be 'natural' events!

Consider these prophecies:

"On the earth, nations will be in anguish and perplexity at the roaring and tossing of the sea."

"I watched as he opened the sixth seal. There was a great earthquake. The sun turned black like sackcloth made of goat hair, the whole moon turned blood red, and the stars in the sky fell to earth, as late figs drop from a fig tree when shaken by a strong wind. The sky receded like a scroll, rolling up, and every mountain and island was removed from its place."

" . . . the kings of the earth, the princes, the generals, the rich, the mighty, and every slave and every free man hid in caves [and tunnels, and bunkers, and bomb shelters?] and among the rocks of the mountains . . . 'hide us from the face of [God] and from the wrath of [Jesus]! For the great day of their wrath has come, and who can stand?'"

". . . given the key to the shaft of the Abyss . . . smoke rose from it like the smoke from a gigantic furnace. The sun and sky were darkened by the smoke from the Abyss."

"At that very hour there was a severe earthquake and a tenth of the city collapsed. Seven thousand people were killed in the earthquake, and the survivors were terrified and gave glory to the God of heaven." (sounds small compared to the devastation in Haiti . . . )

"And there came flashes of lightning, rumblings, peals of thunder, an earthquake and a great hailstorm."

"Then there came flashes of lightning, rumblings, peals of thunder and a severe earthquake. No earthquake like it has ever occurred since man has been on earth, so tremendous was the quake. The great city split into three parts, and the cities of the nations collapsed. . . Every island fled away and the mountains could not be found. From the sky huge hailstones of about a hundred pounds each fell upon men."


We have been safely hidden away in the belly of the beast. Our paradigm is so different (due to the propaganda of the empire?) from that of the rest of the world! They stand in the path of this beast and watch it approach, as it devours everything in its path. What fear they must feel, watching the American empire approach and occupy one country after another, until it is at their doorstep!

I have no compassion for dictators--but perhaps there have been a few, throughout the years, that did have some concern for their people, that did fight on their behalf . . . ? What I'm saying is, some of these dictators first gained power by election. The people chose them . . . perhaps because they saw them as being strong enough to stand up to the U.S.? Knowing the great power and influence America has throughout the world, it would take great courage to stand up in defiance. Maybe the character of these men mattered less to them, than the security they hoped they could provide.

Make no mistake, I HATE Islam. I hate what terrorists (Islamic mostly) have done, and all the suffering they've left to the families of their victims. But when I put things in perspective, when I look at terrorists, I have to admire their bravery, in the face of overwhelming odds. They are like tiny mice, hurling themselves against the ankles of a Tyrannosaurus Rex. They are not going to have any effect on this empire. But even knowing that, they hate it enough to defy it, even though it costs them their life.

Oh comfortable American--if you can ever step outside the belly of the beast, for long enough to see things through the eyes of the rest of the world, you'll see 'what all the fuss is about'. The scenery is so different, from the privileged place where we sit!

Deep in your heart, many of you know that America does some really awful things--but as long as it doesn't touch us, as long as the empire can ensure that we'll have safe and prosperous lives, we look the other way. We are going to be shaken! This American empire is transforming into a global empire. Things are going to change drastically for Americans, as the empire 'cuts us down to size'. We thought our protection and prosperity were ensured. How surprised we'll be when the beast turns on us! There will be no sympathy for us, from all those whose cries we closed our ears to!
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LINKS:

* This article reveals that around 1987, Edward Teller (co-designer of the hydrogen bomb) met with Robert Hirsch (VP of ARCO,which was in charge of the HAARP program at that time). After that meeting, new secret initiatives began, to which even the founder and leader of the program (Bernard Eastlund) was not privy to. (Popular Science, 1995):
http://books.google.com/books?id=nSeBEQ2wGlUC&pg=PA79#v=onepage&q=&f=false

* Pretty good (sanitized) overview of the Alaska HAARP site:
http://www.haarp.alaska.edu/haarp/factSheet.html

* 'Conspiracy Theory' with Jesse Ventura:
http://dontbefooled666.wordpress.com/2010/01/27/conspiracy-theory-haarp-with-jesse-ventura-episode-1/

* It looks like this site has links to all the info that is available for the public:
http://www.haystack.mit.edu/atm/resources/index.html

* General HAARP info related to weather manipulation:
http://www.fromthewilderness.com/free/pandora/haarp.html

* Concerns regarding HAARP (written in 1995):
http://www.mediarare.com/haarp.html

* 'Encyclopedia' article (2007?):
http://www.statemaster.com/encyclopedia/High-Frequency-Active-Auroral-Research-Program

* More recent article on HAARP (2008):
http://sharonweinberger.com/docs/articles/Heating_up_the_Heavens.pdf

* Info on the European projects (written between mid 2005 and 2007):
http://e7.eiscat.se/groups/EISCAT_3D_info/Introduction%20and%20Brief%20Background.pdf

'Conspiracy Theory: HAARP' with Jesse Ventura (episode 1)

part 1
part 2
part 3
part 4
part 5
part 6

'Buy Gold From Me . . .' (Jesus, to the 'Lukewarm Church')

They want to drive us to our knees.

Well, actually, I don't think they care how it affects us.  (But maybe once we are 'on our knees' we will begin to repent . . .)  I have believed, for quite some time, that the plan of the elite has been to break and humble America.  And with the level of arrogance and sinfulness we display (and are virtually unaware of), it is probably warranted.  Here's a good article about the tanking of our economy by so many 'inept' leaders and 'bad luck' and 'coincidental events'.  Yeah, you get my drift.

http://www.lewrockwell.com/sardi/sardi146.html

(I know nothing about this author or website  and cannot confirm or deny anything found there.)



I believe we are living through the beginning of the fulfillment of the destruction of the capitalist world economy (Whore of Babylon). . . 'they will bring her to ruin and leave her naked; they will eat her flesh and burn her with fire.'

I believe that the prophecies will be fulfilled both figuratively and literally.  Keep in mind, what is happening can't happen without God's permission.  The sinfulness of our nation has become a stench to God and the time of His judgment has come to us.  Right now, we are in the  'eye of the storm'--a brief requiem of peace, a time for contemplation and, hopefully, repentance.

But 'brace yourself', 'hide yourself in God', because if America doesn't repent--and soon!--the world's capitalist economy will fail beyond remedy, and you will go down with it.

As The Beast (New World Order) rises up beneath the Whore of Babylon (capitalist world economy), in prophecy, the rest of the Scripture will also be fulfilled:  ' . . . they will eat her flesh and burn her with fire.  For God has put it into their hearts to accomplish his purpose . . .'

It seems that everyone is preaching investment in gold.  That's great--if our national economy goes back to the gold standard.  But as a personal hedge--I don't know.  I may very well be wrong, but my gut tells me gold will not be your savior.  I seem to recall a verse, somewhere in the Bible, about people throwing their worthless gold in the streets . . .


If this is an orchestrated collapse of our economy (which I believe it is) and judgment from God (which I believe it is)--those who put their trust in gold will be dismayed.  Neither God, nor the elite, is oblivious to the fact that many people are investing in gold--the very sort of middle and upper-middle class people the elite are deliberately trying to bankrupt.  My suspicion is that they will 'cut you off at the pass'.

Who will be making the rules for the change to a new, world currency?  The same people that have orchestrated the dollar's collapse!  This is their plan to equalize standards of living worldwide while, of course, enriching themselves even more.  I don't think you're going to find a way around it!  Especially if it's a judgment from God!!

(Just a thought--who are you buying your gold from?  Might it be from wealthy bankers?  From the elite?  Who stands to profit now?  And who is the final winner if gold, somehow, loses its value before you can cash yours in?)

If people would spend half the time searching their hearts and praying, that they are now spending on trying to outsmart things they are seeing on the horizon . . .

Over and over again, God stresses that He will take care of those who put their trust in Him--that nothing else can be trusted.  He owns the cattle on a thousand hills . . . He feeds the sparrows and clothes the lilies . . . He fed Elijah in the wilderness . . . He brought water out of a rock-twice-for the children of Israel . . . and sent them manna every morning for forty years . . . He brings you rain . . .and sunshine . . . and causes all the processes that create soil, fertile soil, for you to grow your crops in . . .


Please wake up!  Part of what we are being judged for is our arrogance, and putting our faith in ourselves . . . not remembering the God that is above us.

'In her heart she boasts, 'I sit as queen; I am not a widow, and I will never mourn.'  Strange words . . . what do they mean?  How about this for a translation:

In her arrogant heart she believes, that because she is married to the king, she will see no hardship.

Can you see how this applies to America?  The western world is the origin of  The Whore of Babylon.  America is at her heart--American multinational corporations, our government (and our military, in the service of our economic 'interests'), our economy, etc.  America has seen great prosperity and blessing from God, for so long that we take it for granted.

I believe, deep in the American psyche, we have beliefs that we may not even be consciously aware of--but our actions and attitudes betray them.  We rightly believe we are married to the King of Heaven*.  We know He will never divorce us.  We know He will never die.  Therefore, we live as though we will never see hardship or judgment, because we know we are the 'apple of His eye'!  But we err greatly, because our hearts have strayed far from Him!

How long would a queen endure if she denied the king admittance to her chambers?  If she ran around with other lovers?  If she condoned horrible acts to be committed in his kingdom?  If she laughed, and scoffed, at the authority of her king?  If she exalted another as king, in his place?  (Think $$$$$ . . . )

So, to conclude the Scripture above:

'In her heart she boasts, 'I sit as queen; I am not a widow, and I will never mourn.'

Therefore in one day  her plagues will overtake her: death, mourning and famine.  She will be consumed by fire, for mighty is the Lord God who judges her.'

'When the kings of the earth who committed adultery with her and shared her luxury see the smoke of her burning, they will weep and mourn over her.  Terrified at her torment, they will stand far off and cry . . . They will say, "The fruit you longed for is gone from you.  All your riches and splendor have vanished, never to be recovered".

The merchants who sold these things and gained their wealth from her will stand far off, terrified at her torment.  They will weep and mourn and cry out:  "Woe!  Woe, O great city . . . in one hour such great wealth has been brought to ruin!"

Every sea captain and all who travel by ship, the sailors, and all who earn their living from the sea, will stand far off.  When they see the smoke of her burning, they will exclaim, "Was there ever a city like this great city?"

'This woman that you saw (The Whore of Babylon) is the great city that rules over the kings of the earth.'

And what is this great city, that rules over the kings of the earth (by way of the almighty dollar)?  Where was the 'World Trade Center'?  Where is Wall Street? New York City.  Not only is our economy going to crash and rise no more--great judgment is promised to the city where her power lies.  Today, that is New York City.

It is clear to me that New York City will perish in a nuclear attack.  Everyone will 'stand far off', 'terrified at her torment'.  'They will eat her flesh and burn her with fire'--an apt description of nuclear devastation.  'With such (great) violence the great city of Babylon will be thrown down, never to be found again.'

'. . . Give back to her as she has given; pay her back double for what she has done.  Mix her a double portion from her own cup.  Give her as much torture and grief as the glory and luxury she gave herself.'

note: the verse does not say 'the great city Babylon', it says 'the great city of Babylon'--Babylon being the corrupt, worldwide capitalist economy that is based in America.

I don't know how soon it will happen.  If you live in, or near New York City, God may have begun to speak to your heart:

'Come out of her, my people, so that you will not share in her sins, so that you will not receive any of her plagues; for her sins are piled up to heaven, and God has remembered her crimes.'

I have pondered whether this means to come out of New York City, or out of the capitalist money system.  I think it means both. (If you don't live near New York, yet God is speaking to your heart about depending less and less on the capitalist system, then that confirms it.) 

If God has been speaking to your heart about any of this, please comment.  What you say may be the confirmation someone has prayed to God for, about what they feel He is speaking to their heart.

It is clear that New York City, being the seat of the world capitalist economy, will sustain the physical attack--but not all the sins were committed in or by New York City.  I think, by being involved in the capitalist system (especially by way of Wall Street investments etc.) we become complicit in the crimes and atrocities committed by our multinational corporations, with the money we invest in them.  And, if we are involved, we will receive the plagues of judgment.

Now, to what extent do we need to 'come out' and when?  I don't know.  You will need to seek God for wisdom in that.  You already know, that at some point you will have to come out of it, if you don't want to take The Mark of the Beast'.  The first step of such a radical change in your life has to be making the decision to be willing, and getting used to the idea.  At the very least, I would say this warning reinforces the idea that you should not put your trust in gold but rather, in God.

It is always better to trust God sooner than later, and I believe there are blessings in store for those who do, that will be missed by those who wait until the last minute--if they are even able to discern what is going on, by that point.  (Remember, God will send a 'powerful delusion' upon those who don't love the truth.  How do you know that what I'm telling you today isn't the truth He is trying to send to you?)



* There is much evidence that America is descended from the 'lost' ten tribes of Israel.  If this is true, it confirms that we are most certainly experiencing God's judgment!

More info on that can be found here:
http://stevenmcollins.com/html/articles.html and
http://books.google.com/books?id=_7nnI5h_JU0C&dq=ten+tribes+genealogy&source=gbs_navlinks_s

(The book download is free)

(Again, I have no affiliation with these websites or the authors of these materials.  I make no profit from referring people to these sources.)

Beware Of The Second Beast!

(I know nothing about Scott Brown.  This is not a commentary on him in any way.)

As much of a relief as it is that another Democrat did not win the Massachusetts election--it is not time for 'back to business as usual'.  Never again should we let down our guard.  Although the win of a Republican was strategically important, it does not mean we are safe--not by any stretch of the imagination.

No matter how similar to us they may seem, there is something inherently different in most people that run for office--especially those that actually are elected.  That hunger for power and position is something that should be viewed with a certain amount of wariness on our part.  Besides that, they are human--and humans are fallible.  Power corrupts, and it spends a good bit of time prowling around the halls of our government, looking for an opportunity. 

Remember: there are two types of people, against whom no one can testify:

1. those who are innocent
2. those who leave no witnesses alive

We still live in perilous times.  No one can be trusted 100%.  I hope, through all the influential people whose corruption has been exposed--in politics, finance, etc.--over the last couple of years, that you will take the lesson to heart. 

The problem here is not one of political parties.  It is one of behind the scenes affiliations.  Hopefully you have learned from all that has been said about  'The Bilderbergers', the 'Trilateral Commission', and the 'Council on Foreign Relations', etc.  Hopefully you are now aware that there are powerful forces working behind the scenes.  The real problem is not Republican vs. Democrat.  The problem is with the elite that are behind them both.

I'm sure there is still MUCH more that could be exposed.  I imagine all that we have seen is only the tip of the iceberg.  There is something EXTREMELY suspicious about a bipartisan congress that would just go along with everything the president was putting forth--at least, at the beginning.  There is some kind of real power that brings that about--whether it be persuasion, bewitchment, or blackmail.  That power is still present in the halls of congress.  No matter who we elect, the real test will be what they DO when they get there.  In my belief, it is only the power of God that can truly stand against such evil and triumph. 

But don't be fooled!  The enemy (Satan) can pick a fine looking man, dress him up in robes, and give him a cross to hold out in front of him.  He may rant and rave against the powers of darkness, and give every appearance of being in opposition to them.  He may do miraculous things--signs and wonders. He may very well have the absolute endorsement of all the most respected religious leaders of our day.  But . . . that does not mean he is filled with the Spirit of God!!

The people behind the scenes will not relinquish power without a "hellacious" fight.  Nor will the enemy of our souls--who is the force that empowers these people.  His time is short, and he is desperate.  Never again--until Christ returns--will we be able to take a deep breath and relax.  We must always be on guard, vigilant, and discerning.

The pendulum swings both ways.  'The people have spoken!'  Expect to see more 'God fearing' candidates--more people running on religious ideals--and expect to see them winning.  Don't think that Satan, and the elites, won't make full use of that!  Expect them also to put forth candidates that are religious, that make claims of being Christians.  These are people without conscience--bodies without souls! 

The elite look at the people of the world without compassion--as mere problems to be solved, numbers to crunch, etc. They aim to purposely depopulate the world!  They are advocates of eugenics, genocide, euthanasia.  They see war as a means to prosperity!  This is nothing but a giant chess game to them.  They will put forth candidates that the people will vote for, and they count on the masses to be blind and gullible!  Expect a 'great awakening' of religious ideals to sweep the nation politically--but only some of it will be genuine! 

That being said--the real danger is that the one who does the most to unravel America may be a 'Christian'!!  Someone who claims to be a Christian.  But here is the problem:  there are more people claiming to be Christians today, than really are Christians, and we have been as naive as little lambs.  When someone tells us they are a Christian, we have taken them at their word--but 'by their fruit you will know them'!! 

If you look into the connections the Bush family has with the organizations mentioned above (and Prescott Bush with Auschwitz and Monowitz), you will see that they are among the elites.  They may call themselves Christians--and that is for God to decide--but I see them as wolves in sheep's clothing!  We believed we had a Christian president, but that is when the most of our liberties were stripped away--and we still have many people who haven't woken up to that!

Then along came Obama, claiming to be a Christian too.  Don't tell me, after all you've seen him do, that you don't believe he was a disciple of Reverend Wright!  He most certainly believes, and concurs wholeheartedly with, everything that man has to say!  Look at his voting record on abortion!  Look at his backing of the gay, lesbian, transgender agenda!  Etc., etc., etc.  He says he's a Christian--so what!!  HE'S A LIAR!!  Let the record show, this man has lied more than he has told the truth!!  If you want to know the real truth, you'd better look back on all he has promised--and expect the opposite to be in your future instead!  This man will look you in the eye and lie--and you'll believe it!  He has a powerful annointing of evil!

So, now the people have spoken and the pendulum will swing the other way.  Let me warn you of what may lie ahead.

Don't be surprised if our next president appears as a strong Christian, well respected, annointed--and maybe he has been, but somewhere along the way he fell into (or will fall into) 'secret sin'.  The enemy found a weakness and capitalized on it, seducing him into deep spiritual darkness.  Then, knowingly or not, he 'made a deal with the devil'.  And, let me tell you what--unless America has truly repented, this man will have God's endorsement to be our president. 

You can expect the 'Christian' leaders of the day to wholeheartedly back him.  A few Christians (there are Christians and there are 'Christians') will discern, by the Spirit, what he is and, in alarm, will try to warn people--but it will be of no use.  Today 'Christians' far outnumber Christians, and he will be one of them.  Today's backslidden, lukewarm 'Christians' will be completely comfortable with him, because that's the only kind of Christian most of them know.  It is said that 'we get the leaders we deserve'.

To add to the illusion--God's Watchmen may not speak.  If America does not repent, and God continues to visit judgment upon America, it may be, that at some point He instructs them not to speak.  Better it is for judgment to do its work and bring forth repentance, than for people to find a way to avoid it, and go to eternal destruction.

So now you know, and if your heart is right, you may discern it when it happens--you may even be one of the voices calling out a warning.  But if God has sent the judgment and the delusion, people will continue to blindly follow, and what is decreed will come to pass.  There is a time to speak--and a time to remain silent.  Let the Holy Spirit be your guide.


All that is just the prelude to what this post was to be about:  the second beast aka 'The False Prophet'.

Beware of the second beast!  All the attention these days is given to looking for the first beast and avoiding it.  The first beast will blaspheme God.  The first beast will make war against God's people.  The first beast will have authority over all the earth.  The first beast is an empire and whoever is its leader.

But it is the second beast that really causes men to be damned.  It seems to me that it is the second beast that takes center stage in world events. 

The second beast will exercise all the authority of the first beast.  The second beast makes the earth and its inhabitants worship the first beast.  It is the second beast that performs great and miraculous signs, even causing fire to come down from  heaven.  It is the second beast that deceives the inhabitants of the earth, by way of the signs he performs. It is the second beast who commands men to create an image in honor of the first beast.  It is the second beast who gives breath to the image of the first beast--so that it can speak and cause all who refuse to worship the image (itself) to be killed.   It is the second beast that causes everyone to receive a mark on their right hand or forehead in order to buy or sell--a mark which is the name of the beast (first or second?) or the number of his name (first or second beast?).

Especially take note of this:  The second beast has 'two horns like a lamb' but 'speaks like a dragon'.  We already know the dragon is Satan--but what about the 'two horns like a lamb'?  My interpretation of this (I could be  wrong) is that the second beast is a false Christianity, with two aspects (Protestant and Catholic?). 

With that possibility in mind, read over the paragraph above.  Keep in mind too, that the prophecy will be literally fulfilled--but perhaps not in the way we interpret and picture it, ahead of time.  Meaning: we tend to form a picture of how things will happen, based on our interpretation of what the verses say and, in hindsight, comparing events to the Scriptures, we will be able to see that things were literally fulfilled--but most likely, not at all how we had predicted!

I'll point out a few things that we might easily misinterpret, because they have many possible interpretations:

• will exercise all the authority of--in what manner will he exercise it?
  
• will exercise all the authority of--is this authority granted by man (such as by election), or is it granted by God, or both?
  
• makes the earth and its inhabitants worship--to what degree does he 'make' them do it?  Does he round them up in the night, or does he just say that they need to do it, or does he get them so riled up that they do it on their own (like at a concert?)?
  
• makes the earth and its inhabitants worship-- in what manner do they worship?  Do they physically bow down several times a day, as Muslims do?  Or do they just talk about it, and praise it all the time?
  
• fire to come down from heaven--is it real, literal fire coming down out of the sky?  Is it a fireball?  Is it lightning?
  
• commands men to create an image--how does he command it?  In an authoritative voice via television?  By passing a law? Does he command everyone?  Or does he just tell a few guys on his staff to do it, without fanfare?
  
• commands men to create an image--what is this image?  A statue?  A logo?  A hologram? Some marvel of future technology that we haven't seen yet?  Something so ordinary we wouldn't even think of it as fitting the Scripture?
  
• gives breath to the image--will it literally be alive, having its own consciousness? Will it be 'animated'? Will it just be something, powered by electricity, that gives the appearance of being alive?
  
• speak and cause all who refuse to worship the image to be killed--does it just stir up animosity against those who refuse, so that people hate and kill them?  Does it put a bounty on them?  Does it issue a fatwa?  Does it pass a law, that all must worship it, that carries the death penalty?
  
• cause all who refuse to worship the image to be killed-all who verbally say 'no'?  All who protest? Even those who just passively avoid it?
  
• causes everyone to receive a mark--endorses it?  Deceives them into it?  Shames them into it--calling them 'nuts', 'religious fanatics', 'superstitious'?  Legislates it?  Rounds them up in the night if they don't?

These are just some of the possibilities--ones I can think of. This should illustrate to you that there are MANY ways to misinterpret any or all of the things that will come.  The only way you will know is if God reveals it to you.  He may reveal the whole picture ahead of time, or He may only show us one step at a time--or He may keep it veiled and reveal events as having fulfilled prophecy after they happen!

I study, and pray, and seek the interpretation--but God has only revealed a few things to me.  What He has shown me instead is how many ways things could be interpreted, when looking ahead.  He has also shown me that even the most respected Bible scholars and 'prophets' have a lot of errors in their understanding.  I'm nobody special, so it's not surprising that He might not reveal it to me.  What is telling, is that no one really seems to know--at least, no one seems to know the whole picture.

So, if no one has the answers you are looking for--what do you do?  If, even at this late date, God has not opened the prophecies to our understanding, what are any of us to do?  What is important is to focus, not on events that you want to find a way to avoid, but on Him!  If you are serving Him, yet had never heard any of the prophecies, He would still show you the way to walk.  The people who will most quickly recognize 'The Beast', 'The Antichrist' and 'The Mark' are not the ones who spend the most time worrying about them, but rather those who dwell in His presence!  Trust that if you know Him and walk with Him daily, He will not let you be deceived, nor will you accidentally take The Mark!  He is fully able to guard what you have entrusted to Him!