Choose Your Predestination Wisely

“Do you walk to school or carry a lunch?”  My husband loved to torture our kids with this question when they were younger.  It’s a nonsensical query, guaranteed to result in smoke coming out of your brain chip processor. 

In theological circles today, we have a similar mind-bender question.  How do we have Free Will while also accepting scripture that states God’s people have been “chosen,” “elected” and “set apart” from the beginning of all time? 

Predestination is a concept most often associated with Calvinists.  If you are a regular reader of this blog, you will already know that I no longer ascribe to any particular brand of Christianity.  However, I was raised Protestant. The very word Protestant means a “protester”.  How ironic that the base of our foundational Protestant Faith proudly proclaims by name to be in Rebellion against the original Church.  Rebellion is at the very core of sin as shown with Lucifer and the Fall of mankind through Adam.  

In my “God journey” I’ve come to realize the problems with the current state of our Christian Church schism which began at the birth of Protestantism. Protestantism got its start with the advent of Martin Luther’s posting of his 95 Theses to the Catholic Church door in 1517.  While I believe the Catholic Church was in serious need of reform in Luther’s time, the end result of his Rebellion splintered us into dozens and dozens of factions which continues to weaken Christianity overall to this very day. Protestants persist in this tradition of division as our multiple denominations still split hairs about doctrine, sacraments and methodologies.  While I am not taking any sides in these issues, I know one thing for sure…Jesus could not possibly be pleased with this disunity.

There is a similar analogy to be found in the Old Testament when Israel splintered into two Kingdoms.  The Northern Kingdom was known simply as Israel, while the Southern Kingdom was called Judah.  (See 1 Kings 16:21).  This division, like the Catholic/Protestant split, had the effect of weakening the Israelites overall against their enemies.

Luther eventually dissolved, at the end of his life, into writing rambling, vengeful Anti-Semitic rants in his book “On the Jews and Their Lies”.  Luther is also the spiritual Father of the heretical “Replacement Theology” mindset that claims Gentiles have replaced Jews as God’s chosen people. 

Does this not amaze you?  Think about it:  The man who is credited with being the spiritual Father for all Protestant denominations is also the SAME person who wrote a book that the Nazis often used to justify their evil Anti-Jewish philosophies!

Yet undeniably, Luther brought about major good developments.  He was instrumental in translating and disseminating scripture to the common man.  Because of Martin Luther, the average, every day person, would get their hands on scripture unlike any other time in history. 

Like ALL of us, Luther was a “mixed bag” of polar opposites—Evil and Good fighting for the upper hand.  This thought brings me to my knees more than any other.  That such opposing forces can reside in one individual is nothing short of truly chilling.  I sincerely pray:  “Lord, Help me not to screw up Your Message and, in doing so, become an unwitting tool for the Enemy.”  Nothing, absolutely nothing, strikes more terror in my heart than this:  The possibility, that by lack of maintaining an exceedingly close relationship to God, become a “useful idiot” for Evil.  Such is the seed in all of us…the seed for Great Good and the seed for Devastating Harm. 

Apparently following God can’t be reduced to X# of manmade points posted to a church door. This is the descent into Pride.  Interestingly, he changed his original birth name from Luder to Luther.  Like many name changes in the Bible, I believe this one had deep spiritual significance.  Luder means “alluring Sacrifice”, while Luther means “Wolf”.  Just a few small letter changes and we can go from a Holy life of pleasing sacrifice to a Wolf in Sheep’s clothing—a very unnerving idea.

Such is the capacity for Great Good along with Great Evil existing within one “simple” human being.  Maybe we are not so “simple” after all. This should cause everyone to stop, ponder and reflect.  Or as the Bible says in Hebrew “Selah”…pause…and think about that.  Hmmmmm….. 

Now...back to why I no longer call myself a “Protestant” or any brand thereof.  I humbly believe that much of Protestant America has lost the mystery, majesty and wonderment of God that still can be found in many (not all) Catholic Churches today and some sects of Judaism. We have swapped the awe for the ascetic.  It is austere self discipline that leads to apostasy as we become self-focused instead of God-focused. 

The Catholic Church has a whole office dedicated to interpreting scripture called The Magisterium.  I love that word.  Broken down in Latin it has roots of Magis (more), magical, majesty, mystery.  So, interestingly, the very name actually contradicts the function it serves!—it seeks to explain the inexplicable! 

Do you remember the Disney movie Mary Poppins?  She had some very inexplicable behavior.  When the butler demanded an explanation: “Miss Poppins—Please DO explain yourself!”  She replied: “Why, I never explain anything.”  Just how do you fully explain the mysteries of God?  Spoiler/Answer:  We cannot.  We CAN ponder, expostulate, theorize, reflect, meditate, but do not make this mistake:  We CANNOT EVER have God all figured out.  In fact, this is the VERY FIRST sin…desiring to eat from the Tree of Good and Evil/the Tree of Knowledge.  If we were ever able to figure out God…we would BE God.  This is impossible and the root cause of ALL sin…Pride.  Humbly accept that for much of your life, your spiritual requirement is like this line from the famous Alfred, Lord Tennyson poem Charge of the Light Brigade:

Theirs not to make reply,
Theirs not to reason why,
Theirs but to do & die

However, there is still quite a bit in the Bible about volition, will and submission by man to God’s calling.  Even Mary had to say “Yes, Lord” before He could proceed. 

Now back to Predestination.  While studying this topic, I was led to research one of the most powerful forces of nature:  Ionic Bonding.  Ionic bonding is what occurs when the negative charge of electrons is attracted to and joined up with the positive charge of protons.  The increasingly powerful vortex of tornadoes can be explained by ionic bonding.  In explaining ionic bonding Wikipedia states:  “Each successive ionization energy is markedly greater than the last.”

Our relationship with God is like this.  We lay down, he picks up.  This process continues until we, in conjunction with God’s power, become a “tour de force” for great good.

I contend, therefore, that our only job each and every day is to lay our lives down.  Submit.  Period.  Lay it down…God will pick it up.  Lose your life…you will find it.  Sacrifice yourself and you will live. And, in doing so, we become a powerful force for good.  A force to be reckoned with. 

Perhaps we are not supposed to fully understand the mysteries of God—just accept them by Faith and, in the process, have our Faith grow.  God can’t be reduced to a formula or a process.  God is not constrained by a Time disadvantage of seeing only from the present (like us).  He sees all from beginning to end. 

Therefore, I believe, humbly by scripture and revelation, that Pre-Destination and Free Will are a symbiotic mystery of two interrelated concepts.  God chooses his Elect and man submits by his own Volition. 

So, let's go back to the opening conundrum: 

Do we Choose or are we Chosen?   The answer is…

YES

O Lord, you persuaded me, and I allowed myself to be persuaded.

~Jeremiah 20: 7-9

It has been frequently remarked that it seems to have been reserved to the people of this country, by their conduct and example, to decide the important question, whether societies of men are really capable or not of establishing good government from reflection and choice, or whether they are forever destined to depend for their political constitutions on accident and force.

~Alexander Hamilton

NATIONAL REPENTANCE MOVEMENT:

www.dayofrepentance.org.

Visit National Day of Repentance on FaceBook:
http://www.facebook.com/TheNationalDayOfRepentance?ref=hl

Romancing the Stone

 “We will rebuild.”

~Tom Daschle

~John Edwards

~Chris Christie

~Barack Obama

Much of the Christian world is looking for the Temple to be rebuilt in Jerusalem before the Second Coming of the Messiah.  Jewish Orthodoxy also seeks to rebuild the Temple and there are several organizations in Israel devoted solely to this purpose.   

However, this doesn’t really make sense to me on an intellectual exegetical study of scripture as well as a theological spiritual level.  Here’s what Jesus said:

Jesus answered them, "Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up."

~John 2:19

Obviously He was talking about His eventual death and resurrection from the grave three days later.  If Jesus was referring to the restoration of a bodily Temple—why are we so obsessed today with a Temple made of “wood and stone?” 

“Wood and stone” in the Bible has very negative connotations.  Most every time “wood and stone” are mentioned, they are in reference to idols.  Or, in more common everyday vernacular…it refers to those things that we worship and exalt besides God.  Also, would not another Temple, will all the attendant sacrifices required, be a blasphemy to us in light of the “ultimate Sacrifice” which as already been given through Jesus Christ on the cross?

Moreover, if we are awaiting a Temple rebuilding prior to Jesus’ return, it would mean that Jesus could not come at any time—yet he talked of a sense of expectancy when “Signs of the Times” would become evident:

When these things begin to take place, stand up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near."

Luke 21:28

Today, we have lots of “wood and stone” idols.  Just listening to the clueless politicians tell us how “we will rebuild” after every disaster, confirms this wrong focus.  In fact, in The Harbinger, a best-selling apocalyptic book by Messianic Rabbi Jonathan Cahn, the author points out that stating these very words, “we will rebuild”, precedes serious judgment by God.  It is the equivalent of “raising a fist” in God’s face when He brings correction to sin.  So, based on man’s rebellious nature, it is not surprising that we continue to see some efforts or futile attempts to rebuild a Temple in Jerusalem.  Truly this is an attempt to create another Tower of Babel.

So, does the Bible say anything specifically about when there will be a Temple Restoration?  I predict that before the true Temple is rebuilt again in Jerusalem…Hell will have to freeze over…literally.  The Bible states that before the beginning of the Milennium, Satan will be bound and Hell sealed over for 1000 years.

And I saw an angel coming down out of heaven, having the key to the Abyss and holding in his hand a great chain. He seized the dragon, that ancient serpent, who is the devil, or Satan, and bound him for a thousand years. He threw him into the Abyss, and locked and sealed it over him, to keep him from deceiving the nations anymore until the thousand years were ended.

~Revelation 20: 1-3

It is during this time that there will be complete and total restoration of Jerusalem and The Temple Restoration which will be ruled by Jesus Christ Himself.  

One last thing we, as Christians, should be very aware of is the predicted “Abomination of Desolation”.  A False Christ will arise who will occupy the current Temple and declare himself as God.  Literally, that will be a time to “run for the hills”.

“So when you see standing in the holy place ‘the abomination that causes desolation, spoken of through the prophet Daniel—let the reader understand—then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains.

Matthew 24: 15-16

. 

So clearly God is talking about a human temple.  Why would the Most High God revert back to inhabiting wood and stone after making a flesh and blood appearance?  As noted, the prophet Daniel says this is a move that we should expect of the ultimate “AntiChrist”. 

The Old Testament Ark of the Covenant was symbolic of our eventual relationship with the Lord where He not only would dwell AMONG us but WITHIN us.  I expectantly believe that we are on the crux of mass Messianic Revival, especially in Jerusalem (Israel).  I pray for this in the United States as well…a fourth “Great Awakening”.  When we have the Holy Spirit within, God’s laws are written on our hearts, not on tablets of stone:

written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts.

~2 Corinthians 3:3

Here in the United States, if we don’t put God back into His proper place…the center of our “Temples”…expect continued atrocities and disasters like Newtown Connecticut and Hurricane Sandy (and worse) to be the norm in 2013.  We’ve asked God to leave…now we are witnessing the horrific and terrifying results of a God-less society gone mad and under judgment. 

No amount of oblivious politicians declaring a remake of society or a “rebuilding” of our culture will fix this.  We will trip over ourselves in confusion and disarray.  Our society desperately needs “Temple Restoration”.  Let’s start by removing the stones in our hearts and minds, preparing the soil, and planting the Seed of Faith.

In America and worldwide, we truly need a major “Temple” overhaul…

a complete heart and soul restoration.

He [Jesus] is “the stone you builders rejected, which has become the capstone”.

Acts 4:11

The Bible is the cornerstone of Liberty.

~Thomas Jefferson

NATIONAL REPENTANCE MOVEMENT:

www.dayofrepentance.org.

Visit National Day of Repentance on FaceBook:
http://www.facebook.com/TheNationalDayOfRepentance?ref=hl

Can We Handle The Truth?

Remember the 1992 movie A Few Good Men starring Tom Cruise and Jack Nicholson?  In the climax of the film’s courtroom drama, Tom Cruise shouts at Jack Nicholson on the witness stand:  “I want the Truth!”  Jack Nicholson loudly yells back “You can’t handle the Truth!”  There are days when, like Jack Nicholson, someone needs to confront us with this realization.  Here’s some Truth Americans just can’t seem to handle:

1)      Abortion is Murder.  This Truth gradually appears to be dawning on some of us slowly as our darkened brains attempt to keep up with the increasingly clear science.  The statistics now show that a little more than half of the American populace is Pro-life.  Even just making that statement seems absurd.  I guess the other roughly half of Americans are “Pro-Death”.  Now with public funded abortion and employers forced to provide abortifacients, won’t we all be equally culpable in the 60 million American-Child Holocaust?  Each and every one of us will factually become a murder accomplice.  It seems that Obama’s HHS mandate purposefully wants to force every American citizen to have hands drenched in innocent blood.  In the generation that has grown up since the Roe v. Wade decision 40 years ago, is it any wonder that we have birthed a culture of school shooters and violent criminals?  Truly our youth have learned our cultural lesson well to place little or no value on the Sanctity of Life.  Truth #1:  Unless we overturn this barbaric law, our society will continue to slide down the “slippery slope” of truth relativism which results in a permanent searing of our national conscience.

2)      Marriage is a God-ordained Holy Sacrament between a Man and Woman.  The State has no intrinsic right to “ordain” a marriage.  You know, in a strange way…I sort of agree with the statement from the LGBT community that they are “born this way”.  In essence, like the absurd Lady Gaga lyrics, we are, indeed, ALL “born this way”.  As sinful, fallen human beings, we are natural born killers, adulterers, thieves, liars, fornicators, and blasphemers.  However, with the help and grace of God, we must not give into our natural evil instincts. Once we not only start embracing these evil impulses, but ELEVATING them to the status of a Holy Sacrament—we commit the ultimate apostasy which is turning ourselves into God.  “Ordaining” Gay marriage is no different, theologically speaking, than if we legally approved child sacrifice as a Holy Sacrament.  On second thought…perhaps we already do this as our children are slaughtered daily on the ungodly altar of Human Secularism.  Truth #2:  If we continue to redefine long standing social and moral norms we will ultimately cause the demise of our nation through cultural implosion. 

  

3)      The Majority of Christian America is Apostate.  In an earlier blog, I defined exactly what apostate means.  By any measure of the word, most people who call themselves Christian today in America are apostate.  That is to say, they CLAIM to believe or acknowledge that their Faith requires a certain code of conduct or behavior from them--Yet they willingly and knowingly choose NOT to follow it.  Here’s some eye-popping statistics from the 2012 election:

Catholics:  Despite having every level of their clergy loudly condemn the horrific evil and sin of abortion, 50% of American Catholic voters pulled the lever for Obama.  An almost equal amount of Catholics didn’t bother to vote at all!  Now we’ve all heard the name CINO before (Catholics in Name Only).  May I humbly propose a new one? Catholics in Need Of Repentance.

Protestants:  44% of “Mainline” Protestants and 94% of Black Protestants voted Democratic.  This is despite the fact that 70% of Blacks came out in strong Biblical opposition to gay marriage AND despite a disproportionate amount of black babies being slaughtered in the womb.  Religious “convictions” cannot be very strong if they are readily ditched for want of a free ObamaPhone.  Is this all it takes to approve of scriptural abominations and genocide?  This must be a new sect of Protestants not previously identified before.  For lack of a better term, let’s call it the “Phone”y Protestant denomination, shall we?

Mormons:  With 94% of Black Protestants remaining loyal to Obama, despite their self-proclaimed religious beliefs, you would think the Mormon vote was a “shoe-in” for Mitt Romney.  Think again!  TWENTY-ONE PERCENT of MORMONS voted for the Democratic Party planks!  The Ordinance of Sealing (Marriage) is probably one of THE fundamental doctrines underlying the Mormon Church—but apparently not in the voting booth.  These Mormons must be a segment known as the “SHAM’s”:  Shameless Hypocrites As Mormons.   

Evangelicals:  Now surely…Bible thumpin’ Protestants would be a united voting block for scriptural values, right?  WRONG.  20% of self described Evangelicals voted FOR a party that BOOED God during its convention.  Maybe we should send our next donation check to a new mission field that desperately needs to be “evangelized”—the United States! 

Truth #3:  Christian Apostasy is a huge problem in America.  National Repentance and another “Great Awakening” is the only hope.

4)      The Majority of American Jews don’t truly support Israel.  If you are an American Jew, you may be feeling pretty smug right about now:  “Boy, those American Christians really are a mess!”  However, this segment of our citizenry does not get a free pass today either.  In Israel, Obama garners only 20-25% approval ratings.  However, here in the U.S, he received a whopping 60-70% support from American Jewish voters.  Simply stated, the majority of Jews in America are rather indifferent to the problems plaguing their native homeland despite their indignant rhetoric.  When the “rubber meets the road”, like the 2012 elections—American Jews voted to preserve their own comfy political ideologies, while their Israeli counterparts dodge rockets and terrorist attacks.  Isn’t this exactly the same sort of apathy prevalent by the German citizenry in WWII that caused deep public shame after the War ended?   Just this week Obama approved the shipment of twenty F-16 American fighter jets to Egypt’s “evolving Dictator” Morsi and the Muslim Brotherhood.  Will American Jews sleep well tonight knowing that their tax dollars may be used to bomb their brethren and possibly cause the next Holocaust?  If this Truth causes serious indignation—please go back and re-read the title of this blog.

Truth #4:  Statistics show that Israel’s most ardent supporters in America are seriously practicing, church attending Evangelicals or Messianic Jews.     

5)  Finally…the Ultimate Truth.  Contrary to the pathetically ignorant, ill-informed and scientifically unproven American Atheists logic, God is our Creator and “intelligently designed” the entire Universe.  Since this is a blog about Truth, no matter how unpopular…let’s mention the most “unpopular” person to ever have lived on the planet:  Jesus Christ.  For those of us who believe that Jesus is Lord and Savior, King of Kings, and The Messiah, we are no longer interested in having our Faith pushed to the sidelines.  I realize that this Truth is not considered “politically correct” or not “inclusive” and not “tolerant” enough according to the current high standard of American morals.  I am sure this belief ticks many Americans off.  However, they certainly don’t seem to care if they tick off Jesus-loving Christians by their offensive campaigns, lawsuits, billboards, movies and best-selling novels.  I’m equally sure the majority of people offended right now at the certainty of Truth in this statement have: a) Never taken five minutes to study this out for themselves. b) Never completely read the Bible. c) Never investigated the Old Testament prophecies.  d) Never studied the abundant and independent historical data on Jesus.  e) Never earnestly or prayerfully asked God to reveal Himself to them.  Don’t you think something as important as your eternal outcome should at least be fully investigated? 

Truth #5:  There is no proven scientific rationale for not believing in God.  All societies that have removed God from their central core are either very oppressive to human rights or have eventually collapsed. Societies with the most freedoms, liberties and highest standards of living are most often those with deep Biblical underpinnings.

So, will our country continue its downward spiral of tragic mass murder shootings, class tensions, selfish entitlements, wholesale baby murder, social redefinitions, God-less schools and looming economic disasters?  The moral and fiscal cliffs begin in January…Do we blindly keep moving “Forward” or do we finally get a handle on Truth?  

Truth is like fire.  It can purify and refine or it can utterly obliterate and destroy. 

Can you handle it?

Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.

~John 8:32

"It is when people forget God that tyrants forge their chains."

~Patrick Henry

NATIONAL REPENTANCE MOVEMENT:

www.dayofrepentance.org.

Visit National Day of Repentance on FaceBook:
http://www.facebook.com/TheNationalDayOfRepentance?ref=hl

Losing Our Religion

That's me in the corner, That's me in the spotlight Losing my religion.
~R.E.M. Lyrics, 1991

Probably one of the top 5 sermons I ever heard in my life was one in which the Pastor made this statement:  “Religion is Man’s attempt to reconcile himself to God, Jesus is God’s answer to reconcile Man to Him.”  As you can imagine, I’m not a big fan of “religion”.  Usually when describing someone who has gone off the deep end, we sarcastically say “He got religion”.

Religion, in and of itself, can sometimes be the source of some of our world’s worst problems.  The Salem witch-hunters had “religion”.  The 9/11 terrorists had “religion”.  The Pharisees and Sadducees in Jesus’ time had “religion”.  Perhaps the harshest words Jesus ever spoke on Earth were directed at “religious” people:

“You snakes! You brood of vipers! How will you escape being condemned to hell?”

~Matthew 23:33

To understand the full fury of Jesus’ wrath against the religious leaders of that day—take the time to read the entire Chapter of Matthew 23.  He lets loose with a scathing diatribe against their audacious hypocrisies ending with seven “Woe unto you” statements.  Make no mistake…when Jesus Christ says “Woe unto you” not once, not twice but SEVEN times…you better sit up and take notice.  It will not go well for you. 

Here’s the only kind of “religion” that God finds fully acceptable:   

Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.

~James 1:27

All other religious justification is simply for YOUR sake, not for HIS sake.  Some of it, He actually finds repugnant, bordering on blasphemy.  It is your pitiful attempt to sanctify or atone for yourself.  Truthfully, it is an affront to God to suggest that you can add anything to His Ultimate Sacrifice on the Cross.  We must remember, we are beggars—we bring NOTHING to the table---NOTHING.

Living then, as every one of you does, in pure grace, it’s important that you not misinterpret yourselves as people who are bringing this goodness to God. No, God brings it all to you.

~Romans 12:3 (The Message Bible)

Perhaps this scripture in Isaiah says it best.  The Israelites were touting their piousness in front of God—proudly talking about all the “religious stuff” that they were doing.  God was not pleased:

What I’m interested in seeing you do is:  sharing your food with the hungry, inviting the homeless poor into your homes, putting clothes on the shivering ill-clad, being available to your own families.

~Isaiah 58:7 (The Message Bible) 

So, in some small way, there is a seed of legitimacy in America’s obsessive desire to rid our public square of any traces of religion.  The Human secularists believe that if we could just have a society completely devoid of any references to God, the Bible and “religion” we would enter into this Nirvana state of ultimate bliss outlined by John Lennon’s song “Imagine”. 

However, as any good police detective will tell you—If you want to get away with murder, mix as much Truth as possible in with your story to cover over the “Big Lie”.  Here’s the “Big Lie”:  God = man-made religion.   

Unless we really grasp the vast difference between the two, we will never truly understand our American Heritage.  We will continue to have mindless conversations about whether the Founding Fathers were Deists or Christians or Secular Humanists.  We will continue to accuse the early settlers of killing off the American Indians and of being genocidal racists.  We will continue to equate the ugliness of fallible mankind with the Perfection and Beauty of God.    

Removing God from the fabric of our American society is like removing the Chemistry Table of Elements from all matter.  It’s just not possible.  When you do this—everything has no framework, no substance and will disintegrate into nothingness.  What will be left is a Big Black Hole.  It’s a horrific fantasy that, unlike John Lennon, I do not wish to “Imagine”.       

 

 

For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things.

~Romans 11:36

 

I beg you be persuaded that no one would be more zealous than myself to establish effectual barriers against the horrors of spiritual tyranny, and every species of religious persecution.

 ~George Washington

NATIONAL REPENTANCE MOVEMENT:

www.dayofrepentance.org.

Visit National Day of Repentance on FaceBook:
http://www.facebook.com/TheNationalDayOfRepentance?ref=hl

   

War Cry: Forward or Onward?

“Onward Christian Soldiers, marching as to war…”

~19^th century hymn

Remember that old Sunday School hymn growing up as a child?  It always sounded so quaint.  After all, what was there to fight about?  No one was oppressing Christians during the 1960’s and 1970’s in our idyllic little suburb just outside of New York City.  As kids we simply accepted these lyrics as some corny metaphor for “soldiering” on in good works.  For the most part, we were harmoniously living together with other religions and races in the freest country in recorded history.  No one wanted to go to “war” with our fellow citizens.   

Have you ever watched a movie plot that starts out all sweet and dreamy, but slowly… very slowly, as the drama progresses the creepy tension rises?  Remember Glenn Close and Michael Douglas in Fatal Attraction?  She seemed normal enough in the beginning, but gradually the depth of this woman’s madness increased in dramatic intensity throughout the film.  The viewer actually begins to feel sorry for Michael Douglas--the unfaithful adulterer.  Just a little “fling with sin” and, before you know it, you have the family pet rabbit boiling on your stove. 

I think this is a good analogy for the social climate we face today as devout believers in America.  For “bone-deep” Christians and seriously practicing Jews, the election outcome was “the Great Disappointment”--a somber referendum on the future of our country.  As we are shoved “Forward”, we are slowly beginning to realize the true impact of this hideous phrase.  Will we be shepherded like stupid sheep into a God-less society where we are forced to compromise our deepest held beliefs?   

In America, and around the free world, persecution of Judeo-Christian values is slowly, yet steadily picking up steam.  I’m not talking about in oppressive Islamic or Communist countries.  Sadly this persecution is taking place in former freedom-loving countries such as the United States, Canada, Belgium, England, and France, just to name a few.  

Here’s just a small sampling of the literally hundreds of recent examples:

United States:  In California parents are legally prohibited from offering their children Christian based treatment for sexual identity crises if this treatment includes assisting them in overcoming their same sex proclivities.

Canada:  In Alberta Canada a Pastor was persecuted for seven years on a “hate speech” charge because he dared to call the Homosexual agenda “wicked” from the pulpit.  He ultimately prevailed but only after a long, protracted and expensive witch hunt.  The hate-speech law is STILL on the books and can easily happen again to the next Pastor or outspoken citizen.  This is a chilling reminder of the “thought police” concept alive in well in our Northern “democratic” neighbor.

Belgium:  Euthanasia was signed into law in 2002.  Since that time 2-3% of ALL DEATHS in the country are now assisted suicide.  DO YOU GRASP THE TOTALITY OF THIS HORROR?  But here’s an even more gruesome fact:  Doctors and medical staff are now admitting that they are HARVESTING ORGANS from these depressed or ill patients “opting out” of life.  Investigations into this chilling “brave, new world” confirm that the medical staff is “operating beyond the legal margins of their profession”.  This is grisly, ghastly, ghoulish and frightening.  Have we lost our ability to be shocked?

England:  In 2012 British courts have upheld and asserted that Christians have no right to wear a cross or crucifix to work—which is now legally BANNED at the option of the employer. 

France:  This country is currently experiencing perhaps the worst example of “Shariah-creep” as they continue to integrate Islamic law into their legal and financial systems.  There are ENTIRE NEIGHBORHOODS in France where the police admit they have lost control of their ability to enforce French laws.  These communities are de-facto mini-Islamic pockets that are ruled under oppressive Shariah laws and customs.  The result has been an explosion of rapes and abuses of women including “honor” killings which go unsolved or under-reported.   

Before being martyred, the Christians in first century Rome were given one last opportunity to appease the state.  If they were willing to make a public sacrifice at the altar of the gods, they could get their sentence overturned.  However, they chose to face the lions instead and got ripped apart in a bloody sport as their fellow citizens cheered and clapped.  Their unflinching resolve was true evidence of unswerving faith in Jesus Christ as their Messiah.     

Just this week the multi-chain retail craft store, Hobby Lobby, lost its case in Court.  They refuse to offer abortifacients to their employees (which is required beginning on January 1^st, 2013 under the ObamaCare HHS mandate) based on their deeply held religious convictions. Unless they win their next appeal, on January 1^st they will “face the lions”.  Comply or Die.

Hobby Lobby owners literally MUST make that choice in a few weeks or face steep, economically fatal decisions.  Despite my deep trust and faith in God, it is very disconcerting to see the people on the front lines start taking bullets although I am not in the first battalion. Sort of like the canary in the coal mine—will Hobby Lobby make it out “alive”?  When will I or my loved ones be required to step on this minefield?

So the American social schizophrenia slowly increases in intensity.  We worship at the altar of “tolerance” as the intolerance of Christianity and Judeo-Christian values heats up with each passing day.  Like the choice given to the Roman martyrs, Christians will soon be asked whether they are willing to compromise their faith in order to appease the state.  Will they give in to the temptation to make a “public sacrifice” on the altar of the human secularist gods?  The State whispers:  “Just give the abortifacients to your employees—You’re not making them abort their children—that’s their “choice”.  I’m sure the German public in WWII had similar evil whisperers in their heads:  “Go ahead and accept that job with the Nazi government—You’re not directly responsible for putting the Jews in the oven—they did it”.  Ah Yes…the ubiquitous “they”.  “They” are always responsible for everything.  Never US.  Never YOU.  Somehow, 6 million Jews were annihilated in WWII and NO ONE admitted to having anything to do with it.  Go figure.    

  

At what point, like Michael Douglas, do we recognize that we are in deep, deep trouble? 

Let’s hope it’s before we find that our American foray into “unfaithfulness” has unleashed an unmitigated disaster of social lunacy that boils over on our very own kitchen stove.    

Make no mistake—whether you want to acknowledge it or not…

We are at War.

Then the dragon was enraged at the woman and went off to wage war against the rest of her offspring—those who keep God’s commands and hold fast their testimony about Jesus.

~Revelation 12:17

When Winston Churchill and Franklin Roosevelt met in 1941 on the battleship HMS Prince of Wales, Prime Minister Churchill chose the hymns. He chose "Onward, Christian Soldiers" and afterwards made a radio broadcast explaining his choice:

We sang "Onward, Christian Soldiers" indeed, and I felt that this was no vain presumption, but that we had the right to feel that we serving a cause for the sake of which a trumpet has sounded from on high. ... it swept across me that here was the only hope, but also the sure hope, of saving the world from measureless degradation.

—Winston Churchill

NATIONAL REPENTANCE MOVEMENT:

www.dayofrepentance.org.

Visit National Day of Repentance on FaceBook:

http://www.facebook.com/TheNationalDayOfRepentance?ref=hl

Doomsday Prepping

Apparently, the world is scheduled to end on December 21, 2012.  Remind me to mark that down in my DayTimer.  It appears that the fever-pitch paranoia surrounding End Time theories is so severe that the U.S. Government (through NASA) actually felt it necessary to issue this statement:

“The world will not end in 2012… and credible scientists worldwide know of no threat associated with 2012"

Wow…As someone wryly and succinctly noted on Twitter:  “I wasn’t really worried about it UNTIL the government told me NOT to worry—NOW I’m really worried”. 

The other night on TV, Fox News Channel aired a special report.  It portrayed a captivating, albeit non-scriptural, documentary on the current fascination with Doomsday scenarios.  According to the report, much of the human race is living under the imminent feeling that the proverbial hammer is about to fall.  Highly “educated” PHD professors were interviewed, all concluding with the most dim-witted, outlandish theories I have ever heard in my life.  These included speculations about aliens from outer space and a black-hole time continuum.  No wonder all knowledge outside of the Bible is deemed to be utter nonsense:

Where is the wise man? Where is the scholar? Where is the philosopher of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world?

~1 Corinthians 1:20

The saddest part of the TV special showed real-life “doomsday preppers” themselves.  They constantly live in abject fear and terror.  Furthermore, their obsession with survival has decimated their bank accounts and caused major dysfunction within their families.  With ironic insight, I realized that even if doomsday never comes for them—they have already pre-doomed their present life right now!  Such is life “off the grid”. 

Then, I had another eye-opening revelation:  Besides ruining their present life, they were not going to be successful in preserving their future life either.  For instance, the EMP prepper would be dead meat in a nuclear attack.  The nuclear attack prepper would not be fully prepared for an EMP disaster.  ALL would be destroyed by an earthquake or tsunami flooding.  How in the world can you successfully doomsday prep for an unknown disaster?  What about multiple, simultaneous disasters like the one we just recently witnessed in Japan?  The Japanese people experienced an Earthquake, Tsunami and Nuclear Meltdown all in rapid succession!  Obviously, this was a real scenario played out in front of our very eyes on TV.  Doomsday Prepping, therefore, becomes completely absurd and impossible when confronted with the very real possibility of an unknown variable.

This year my family and I have begun to celebrate the Feasts in the Old Testament.  It occurred to me that God never said anywhere in the scripture to discontinue these Feasts.  It was like one of those “oh wow”….moments I have had since re-reading the Bible again last year without any preconceived notions.  Why we, as Christians, ever stopped these fantastic opportunities to commune with God Almighty—I cannot even begin to fathom.  Think about it:  The Most High God, Master of the Universe has decreed “You and I have an anointed rendezvous for special communion together on this exact day” and we have “stood Him up” for the last 2000 years or so.  What were we thinking???

Thankfully, there is a huge movement in the Christian and Messianic Community to recapture these precious pre-scheduled “dates with God”. In fact, Moses said that The Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur) shall be a statute forever:

This is to be a lasting ordinance for the generations to come, wherever you live.

~Lev 23:31

 Five days later, Sukkot, or the “Festival of Booths” is observed.  This is also a date that God said should continue for all generations:

This is to be a lasting ordinance for the generations to come

~Lev 23:41

Sukkot is also widely believed to be the true birthday of Jesus Christ by Biblical scholars and Messianic Jews.  If you are interested, continue studying this topic on the Internet along with scripture.  Trust me…You will be amazed when you discover the linkage between the Old Testament Feasts and the foreshadowing of the Messiah. 

Sukkot, or the Festival of Booths, is a Feast in which God’s people were required to construct fragile abodes in order that they might be able to see the sky through the palms and branches that comprised their covering.  This was to REMIND them, that any manmade structure would be flimsy indeed.  While observing Sukkot this past year (In 2012 it began at Sundown on September 30 through Nightfall on October 7th), my family and I appropriately enjoyed dinner at a semi-outdoor restaurant. This particular evening the torrential downpour included one of the WORST thunder and lightning displays I had ever seen.  Florida is considered the “thunderstorm capital of the world” but this one was a DOOZY, even my teenagers were actually frightened.  However, it was the perfect setting to teach them about Sukkot.  It was obvious to me that God was confirming to us through His dramatic light show that…There is NO SAFE PLACE except under God’s protection. 

So, fellow Americans:  don’t wait until disaster strikes.  Do the only truly effective “doomsday prepping” right now…

                                 Drop to your knees and repent.    

You are my hiding place; you will protect me from trouble

~Psalm 32:7


History fails to record a single precedent in which nations subject to moral decay have not passed into political and economic decline.  There has been either a spiritual awakening to overcome the moral lapse, or a progressive deterioration leading to ultimate national disaster.
 ~Douglas MacArthur (Army General, Medal of Honor Recipient)

NATIONAL REPENTANCE MOVEMENT:

www.dayofrepentance.org.

Visit National Day of Repentance on FaceBook:

http://www.facebook.com/TheNationalDayOfRepentance?ref=hl

O Come Let Us Adore Him

It seems the Season keeps coming upon us earlier and earlier each year.  It's difficult to get into the correct Holiday Spirit when Christmas trees start popping up at the same time as Halloween masks.  These are two celebrations that definitely should never abut one another!  Each year we all seem to suffer from the same stress—what to buy for everyone on our Christmas or Chanukah list.   

We Americans just keep wanting more and more.  Our most sacred holidays have become a relentless greedy quest for consumer goods.  This “Black Friday” (aptly named) was a disgraceful display indicative of the current state of our Country complete with fistfights, union protests and out-of-control gluttony.  I’m sure there’s an “ObamaPhone” under many a tree this year yet, like all of our entitlement programs, we still want more…always more.

Here’s God’s definition of “more”.  It’s the Latin word “magis”.  It comes from the Latin phrase “Ad majorem Dei gloriam.”  Translated it means “for the greater glory of God.”  

Wikipedia describes it best:

Magis refers to the philosophy of doing more, for Christ, and therefore for others. It is an expression of an aspiration and inspiration.  It relates to forming the ideal society centered around Jesus Christ.  The roots of the phrase are ascribed to St. Ignatius' exercise of doing more for God. He would encourage people around him during his time by asking:

"What have I done for God? What am I doing for God? and What MORE can I do for Him?"

That’s the only “more” that we should be asking for. 

This week in the news a NYC police office was filmed on a cell phone buying boots and socks for a homeless man who was sitting in the cold with his feet exposed.  Unaware that he was being recorded, the police officer graciously purchased the socks and boots and assisted the homeless man in putting them on.  Wow—now that’s a level of Christ-likeness that I can only aspire to attain.  I’m sure, like most people, I would have crossed the street and taken a wide berth around a scraggly, shoeless, homeless person.  Even just writing this sentence makes me cringe with self awareness of my own shallowness and inadequacies. 

I have always wondered about the Three Wise Men who visited Jesus when he was a child.  Seriously, what DO you get the Master of the Universe?  He’s got to be really hard to shop for.  He already owns everything and can create anything else He wants.  The Wise Men brought three very interesting gifts: Frankincense, Myrrh and Gold.

Frankincense represents Truth.  Frankincense is an incense which also connotes Deity and the sweet aroma of prayer.  They also brought myrrh.  I bet Mary was a little freaked out by that gift.  Myrrh in Hebrew culture was an anointing oil used to ritually prepare dead bodies for burial.  It represented Suffering and Death--not exactly what any mother wants to see at her baby shower.  Gold represents purity, value, refinement and Kingship. 

So put all this symbolism together and what is scripture trying to tell us?  These gifts indicated: 

Pure, refined, highly valuable Truth.  After much prayer and expectation, The Messiah has arrived on Earth as the ultimate Sacrifice for our sins. The King of Kings. Lord of Lords.

So, what specifically does God want?  We certainly don’t want to make the “Cain mistake” and have God declare our gift was unsatisfactory.  It would be pretty embarrassing to find our gift to the Almighty was returned.  What does the Bible say?  Scripture says we are supposed to bring him “Fire Gifts”:

“Offer Fire-Gifts to God”

~Leviticus 23:8

 Just what are “Fire-Gifts”?  After much research and prayer, I compiled this list:

Prayers

Obedience

Fasting (Food and and/or Activities in our life)

Praising

Worshipping/Musical Talents

Adoring

Glorifying

Magnifying

Meditating on Word

Giving of our Unique Individual Gifts (time, treasure, talents)

I foolishly used to think God must be a big Egomaniac.  Why does he need all this attention and “stroking”?  Then I got a revelation:  Like everything that God asks us to do it will ultimately benefit US if we would just stop being so selfish and withholding. When we meditate on how awesome, majestic, magnificent, all-powerful, amazing, wonderful, loving God is—all our problems seem puny in comparison.

Every Christmas Season, I put out a little Drummer Boy doll for display.  I don’t know if this story is even remotely true or if it is just an enduring legend, but I think the story of the Little Drummer Boy gets it right.  He had no idea what to give the Creator of the Universe either.  So, he gave praise and adoration.  He gave of his unique individual talent.  

God actually spells out for us in another scripture EXACTLY what is on his desired gift list.  You can say He has sort of “registered” his wish list already to make it easy for us. 

He says:

“So, here’s what I want”  …(it doesn’t get any clearer than this folks)

“Take your every day ordinary life—and place it before God as an offering.”

~Romans 12:1-2 (The Message Bible)

This sacred Holiday season—give the only gift that matters to the Messiah—

Yourself.

Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son

~Isaiah 7:14

I conceive we cannot better express ourselves than by humbly supplicating the Supreme Ruler of the world . . . that the confusions that are and have been among the nations may be overruled by the promoting and speedily bringing in the holy and happy period when the kingdoms of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ may be everywhere established, and the people willingly bow to the scepter of Him who is the Prince of Peace.

~Samuel Adams

NATIONAL REPENTANCE MOVEMENT:

www.dayofrepentance.org.

Visit National Day of Repentance on FaceBook:

http://www.facebook.com/TheNationalDayOfRepentance?ref=hl