We Can't Get Away Now

A PICTURE OF EARTH'S SATELLITES!

Ever heard of "Beast Technology?" I hear that all the time and recognize that everything needed for the Beast to take over is already here and ready to go. In fact, I hear it so much that I kind of ignore it. But every once in a while I'm snapped back into reality and something catches my attention that hadn't before and it becomes something worth revisiting. It's not that it becomes less important, especially in the grand scheme of things, it's just that it becomes very common place. Well, this is something worth talking about and revisiting.

I was listening to 700WLW today and the DJ was talking about tracking technology, smart phones, the newest apps., etc. He even interviewed the technology guy at "The Big One" and the point was made that we (society) make trade offs. We trade off our privacy for convenience. We all want GPS on our phones and other apps for our smart devices. We like having Google Earth, Games, and other stuff at the push of a button on our phones. But what we may not consider is that with every application we trade off a piece of our privacy. Have you considered how you can be tracked and accounted for?

Look at it this way. What can you do with just cash? You can't rent a car or a hotel room with just cash (unless you have a lot of it). You can't get cash without an ATM Debit Card or credit card. You can't pay most of your bills with cash or even check. As a society we have gone to electronic payments and credit card payments. Do you realize that your every move can be tracked. Think about the gas station you frequent or the ATM you use the most. How about the favorite restuarant you visit or bakery? Almost every move we make can now be tracked. Now I'm not wanting to sound like a conspiracy theorist or an extremely cynical person who thinks the government is out to get 'em. At least I don't think that's the case right now. But I do believe that the "conveniences" that we have thanks to credit cards, etc., have brought us to a point of no return. We will not go backwards as it relates to technology. Those who produce BlackBerry's, the Iphone, the Droid phones, the Ipad, the internet, they aren't going out of business.

I just believe that all of this stuff is bringing us closer to the day when the Antichrist will use these technologies to execute his plan and enslave mankind. The Bible tells us that a day is coming where we will be unable to buy or sell without a mark. What this mark will be is probably going to be an implantable device that is powered by the heat of our bodies. The use of satellites and infra-red technology will facilitate all of this.

The picture above is the earth with all of the satellites in orbit. To me, it looks like a bunch of junk. But the reality is that those are actual satellites that are used for surveillance, economic, and military reasons to name a few. They power our Garmins. Space travel is becoming more dangerous with every new satellite. It's like maneuvering through a mine field.

Beast Technology is here. It's becoming more and more prevalent. People are relying more and more on technology with each passing day. The elderly are even learning this stuff. My 2nd grader even has a blog. Well, I know where it's all leading. Soon, Jesus Christ will be coming for His church and then the antichrist will be free to do his thing and the world will suffer for it. If you don't know Jesus as your personal Savior then today is the day to change all that. Admit that you're a sinner and ask Him to forgive you and save you from your sins.

kev

Say it Ain't So

Don't Ask Don't Tell is no more with the stroke of a pen!!!

A picture says a thousand words, huh? Look at the excitement as our president uses his left hand to possibly seal the fate of the United States of America. Actions have consequences and what do you think the consequences are for a country who once again defies the Allmighty? Obama has thumbed his nose at God before but this feels different. Obama may as well have just thrust his middle finger up in the sky towards Heaven.

There are so many problems with this that I don't even know where to begin. The Bible is very clear on the practice of homosexuality. No better example of how God feels about this than Sodom and Gemorrah. I know the story takes place thousands and thousands of years ago but if we are to believe that God is eternal and never changing then are we to assume that He has changed His feelings on this all of a sudden? If so, then He owes the residents of those two cities a great big apology.

I just keep going back to the words God uses to describe this practice. He calls it an "abomination". Abomination is defined as, "intense aversion or loathing; detestation: a vile, shameful, or detestable action, condition, habit, etc." Now I know that it is our sin that will send us to hell without Jesus Christ and that homosexuality is no greater than any other sin. But the problem I have is that the Bible calls this particular sin out several times. God destroyed two cities over this sin. Shouldn't we consider these examples and stay as far away from this as possible?

Now that the door is open for homosexuals to openly serve I believe that recruitment will suffer and that will affect our national security. Christians and Muslims alike will be less inclined to enlist alongside men and women who are openly homosexual. Muslims and Christians are both taught that homosexuality is sinful and disgusting. Conservative Christians and Muslims will not want to expose themselves to that lifestyle. This will result in more friction and tension within the ranks than is necessary. A soldier has enough stress as it is. To add to that unnecessarily is wrong.

Well, chalk another bad idea up to Obama I guess. Sodom and Gemorrah were the only two cities to bless homosexuality and look what happened to them. The Greeks and Romans were very into homosexuality but it was never blessed by the State. The United States is on the precipice of blessing this vile act. We have removed the barriers to serving in the military, have allowed adoption, and have started the process of blessing weddings/unions. There are several states who now recognize gay marriage and who force benefits to be provided to partners by employers. We have begun the slide down the slippery slope. There is no turning back.

How long can we expect a just God to continue to bless us when we continue to violate His laws and commandments? How long can we expect Him to protect us from threats to our security and from things like the weather? Anyone see what's going on in California and Arizona? How about the terrible weather in 2010? Maybe we should heed the warning...

kev

Tired of Being Targeted

Iraqi army soldiers stand near a massive crater outside the office of the Al-Arabiya television station in Baghdad after a suicide bomber driving a minibus struck. Iraqi authorities say al Qaeda is now planning suicide attacks in the West this Christmas season. (AP PHOTO)

I've really done my best to try and not let this kind of stuff get on my nerves but it's really taking a toll. We are 1 week away from Christmas, the Holiest Holiday in Christianity and al-Qaeda is planning more attacks. Whatever happened to Islam being a religion of "peace". I suppose it is a religion of peace if you're Muslim and happen to adhere completely to what the radicals believe. That doesn't sound like faith to me. That sounds like slavery.

There have been so many different things going on lately. The one thing that really comes to mind is the IMF report on the global currency, BANCOR. This was a report by the IMF that is calling for the world to adopt a global currency and it is named in honor of John Keynes. This is one of those, "are you serious", moments. It is so blatant and obvious and has so much prophetic meaning that volumes of things can be said about this. Truly it's as though someone opened up the Book of Daniel and said, "ahh, this is a great idea, let's do this." I still may post something on this but it's just one of those overwhelming topics that it would require a great deal of time and thought. Let's get back to the terrorism thing, ok?

The enemies of God are selecting the time of the celebration of Christ's birth as a time to go on the offensive. To target and kill innocent Christians as they celebrate their Savior is one of the most evil things you can imagine. These radical Muslims have become the fists of Satan. They are under his control and if given the opportunity will kill many innocent people without regard to their race or station in life. They will have no mercy as they slaughter the elderly and children. All this from a religion of peace!?!?

Another thing that is startling about this is how the media has always played this off as a radical and fundamentalist group within Islam that makes up only a small percentage of practicing Muslims. While I agree with the statement that it's a small percentage, 5-10% at most, the scary thing is the actual number that we're dealing with. By some estimation there are 1.2 to 1.6 billion people who are practicing Muslims. Do the math! That is 1/5 of mankind. Another way to look at it is that 5% of 1.2 billion is 60 million radical Muslims! Yes, 60 million. That is the population of California, Ohio, and Pennsylvania COMBINED. See what we're up against?

This has become something that is absolutely uncontrollable. The world is being taken hostage by a radical element within a religion that is growing and festering with each passing day. It won't be long until there is another terrorist attack against the US. It's not a matter of "if" but only a matter of "when." The goal is to create as much damage and death as possible.

When are people going to wake up to this undeniable fact? Are we just going to lay down like sheep before the slaughter? How are we going to respond to this growing threat? I know how I will answer that question. My answer is "..and for me and my house, we will serve the Lord." There is nothing left to be said. My wife, my children, and I will continue to worship our God and we will continue to celebrate the birth of Jesus. We know that He won the battle at Calvary and we're proud to be His followers, His children. The terrorists can have this world because the Bible says that I'm a stranger in a strange land. My home and my future is in Heaven. My destiny is to spend eternity with God the Father and His ONLY begotten Son, Jesus Christ. Their future is something totally different....

kev

Rapture Timing

I had a very good conversation the other day with a close friend of mine. Our topic was the timing of the rapture (pre-trib, post-trib, or mid-trib) and why. I am definitely a pre-tribulation rapturist. There are several reasons for this belief. I'm sure there are volumes that can be written on this subject by those much smarter than I am but I think it's worth it for me to toss my little "nugget" out there for those who may someday care enough to read this. At least you know where I stand!!!

I suppose I should briefly describe what each possibility is just so you know what I'm talking about. The pre-trib theory contends that Jesus Christ will come back for His church some time PRIOR to the Tribulation. Of course we don't know when that will be other than it's before the Tribulation. The mid-trib theory states that the rapture of the church will happen in the middle of the tribulation which is 3 1/2 years into the tribulation and since the tribulation is 2520 (7 years X 360 days) days the half way point is 1260 days. Oh, the 360 days in a year is for a Jewish year and since the point of the Tribulation is to reach the JEWS then it only makes sense to use their calendar. Well, as you can now imagine the post-trib viewpoint states that the rapture will happen at the end of the 7 year tribulation.

As I said before I am a pre-tribber for a couple of reasons. Let me first state that my fundamental belief is that the Bible makes absolute sense! It flows perfectly because it came from the mind of a perfect Creator. From the creation to the fall of man to the provision. All of it points to Jesus Christ. The parables, the literal interpretations, it all makes sense. You must start from that viewpoint to get what I'm talking about. Jesus sacrificed Himself for our sin. Those of us who have accepted that sacrifice are the true church or the bride of Christ. Jesus said Himself, "if I go to prepare a place for you then I will come again and receive you unto myself. That where I am there you will be also." See, this goes along perfectly with the Jewish custom of marriage. Once the proposal is accepted the groom goes off to prepare a place where the couple will live. Once the home is prepared he will return unannounced and will take the bride away. This is what Jesus has promised. He is preparing a place for His bride and He will one day come again to claim His bride. The pre-trib viewpoint is the only viewpoint who doesn't know when this event will take place. That's one reason.

Another reason for the pre-trib viewpoint has to do with the restrainer. Paul wrote to the Thessalonian church that the restrainer would have to be taken out of the way before the man of lawlessness could be revealed. That's the antichrist for those who don't know. The Holy Spirit is now restraining a level of evil that has not been seen. The antichrist will start the tribulation by signing a peace agreement with Israel that will be for 7 years. But this cannot happen if the Holy Spirit is restraining the AC from doing his job. The Holy Spirit resides in every believer. A pre-trib viewpoint is the only one that makes sense here. Once the church is removed from the scene the Holy Spirit is removed also which would allow the AC to step forward and get the ball rolling. Another reason for the pre-trib view is because there are things that are supposed to go on in Heaven during the Tribulation here on earth. During the Tribulation the church will go through the Judgment Seat of Christ where rewards will be given and crowns will be laid down at the feet of Jesus. Also, the marriage supper of the Lamb will take place. These things are not possible (time wise) if the rapture were to take place at the end of the Tribulation.

There are several other reasons but these should suffice. Hopefully this will strengthen your faith and most importantly will cause you to realize that time is running out. The world continues to spiral out of control and lost people are dying every day. Hopefully this will place a burden in your heart for the lost. Witness to people, don't waste any more time. We have so little of it left.

God bless you!

kev

A New Perversion

What does this look like to you? To me, it looks like a picture of someone's lost crucifix that landed on an ant hill. I would never look at this and think this is a representation of an AIDS patient. Well, that is exactly what your tax payer funded Smithsonian wants you to be reminded of. Martin Sullivan, the director of the museum had this to say, "I regret that some reports about the exhibit have created an impression that the video is intentionally sacrilegious," the statement read. "In fact, the artists's intention was to depict the suffering of an AIDS victim. It was not the museum's intention to offend. We are removing the video today. The museum's statement at the exhibition's entrance, 'This exhibition contains mature themes,' will remain in place." REALLY?????

The Smithsonian has hired an "artist" to produce a video celebrating Gays & Lesbians. The video depicts a crucifix with ants all over, Ellen Degeneres grabbing her breasts, naked brothers kissing, and men in chains. Does it seem odd to anyone that this is happening during the Christmas season?

I'm sick and disgusted by this. There is no other way to interpret something like this. This is an attack on Christianity. Now I'm not one who is really all too thrilled with a crucifix. Truth be told, Jesus is no longer on the cross and any depiction of Him still hanging there is missing the point of the Gospel. That aside, I definitely understand a crucifux to be a symbol of Christianity.
I don't know what else to say other than I hope those involved with this "art" really finds out who Jesus truly is. I'm sure that if they really knew then they wouldn't even consider being a part of something so blasphemous and disgusting. Here is what the Bible has to say about this kind of thing.

2 Timothy 3
1This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come.

2For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,

3Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good,

4Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God;

5Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.

Verse 3 "Without natural affection..." is speaking directly about homosexuality.

There is no doubt in my mind that we are truly living in the last days. Time is running out for people like Ellen. Soon it will be too late and she will have condemned herself to an eternity of torment in Hell. I pray that she finds Jesus before it's too late. I pray that those who took part in this, including the museum director who was fine with it until Christians like Boehner found out about it are won over and get saved. This is just too disgusting. It is a mockery of my Lord and one day all will bow before Him.

kev

The Prophetic Rollercoaster

There are times when you just shake your head and pray you don't live anywhere near people like this. Let me introduce you to Mr. Muhamed. He is a 19 year old Somali born citizen of the United States. His goal in life is to blow up a van full of explosives at a tree lighting ceremony in Oregon. Hmmm, who attends tree lighting ceremonies? Men, women, CHILDREN, all types of people who want to celebrate the Holidays (sorry, I should say Christmas). This kid wanted to blow up a bunch of people wanting to celebrate Christmas. He said he basically picked Portland becaus you wouldn't expect anything to happen there. That really makes me rethink any plans to attend a public events where I live.

There are several questions about this that immediately come to mind. Why would a naturalized citizen want to do this? Where are his parents? If a 19 year old can get this far imagine what an experienced, well organized, well planned, and well funded small group of individuals can do? That may be the scariest question of all. The terror threat has not diminished at all. It is only a matter of time before one of their plans is realized.

One thing I've come to understand as someone who watches these "prophetic indicators" is that it is really easy to get caught up on the roller coaster of events. Over the last several days we've seen this terror attempt, the Korean situation deteriorating, China and Russia quitting the dollar, Dept of Homeland Security indicating its intent to expand pat downs and body scanners to maritime ports and bus stations, not to mention the continued violence so pervasive in our society. We've also seen a steady decline in our relationship with Israel. All things that were once considered immoral and sinful are now considered ok and if you disagree with society on this then you are a hate monger and bigot. Oh, Heaven forbid you may be called a conservative Christian.

When you see these spikes in activity your natural inclination is to think "pack your bags, we're outta here!" Don't get me wrong, I would love for that to be true. The truth is this, we don't know when the rapture of the church will happen and it very well may be today. Believe me, I'm totally fine with this. I don't belong here, my home is somewhere else. But we shouldn't confuse the timing of the rapture with the 2nd coming of Jesus because that's an event where He physically sets foot on the Mt. of Olives. We know based on Matthew 24 that the events described above are things that have to take place before Christ comes back physically to earth. So dont' get all caught up in the stuff going on around us. To take it in the proper perspective is to understand that all these "end time" indicators point to Christ's physical return to Israel which is at least 7 years away. For the Christian we need to see these things going on around us and know that the rapture will take place before that 7 year period BEGINS! We need to witness to the lost without ceasing. We can't stress enough that Jesus is the ONLY way to Heaven. He says, "I am the WAY, the TRUTH, and the LIFE. No man comes to the FATHER except by ME."

kev

Korea, World Markets, etc., etc.

As Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately. “Tell us,” they said, “when will this happen, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?”

4 Jesus answered: “Watch out that no one deceives you. 5 For many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am the Messiah,’ and will deceive many. 6 You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. 7 Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. 8 All these are the beginning of birth pains. Matthew 24: 3-8

Don't anybody panic. This Korea thing isn't going to be the end of the world. Jesus said so. Now, it may end up very violent with lots of death and destruction. A renewed conflict will have a very negative impact on markets around the world but again, it won't be the end of the world. Jesus said so. The Korean Conflict isn't technically over anyway. 'Ole Kim Jong Il is crazy and always has been. They have just named his son as his successor so maybe this is just a little saber rattling but with teeth. Hopefully this blows over and this is the end of hostilities. But, it doesn't matter because ultimately God is in control and Jesus's words are not only final but are soothing.

We Christians are going to be ok. Jesus said so. If we have truly committed ourselves to Him and are truly relying on Him as our provider and our Lord then why should we give any thought to what this world is turning into? What we should worry about instead are the lost. There are too many people who don't know Jesus and sadly, many who don't want to know Him. Jesus, in His Word, talks of two possible roads for mankind. One is the wide road which leads to destruction and the other is the narrow road which leads to salvation. The wide road is "wide" because it has to accommodate all the people that are going to travel on it towards hell. The narrow road is for those of us who have accepted Jesus as their Savior. Not people who claim to be Christian but those of us who truly are. It's narrow because there aren't that many of us. Sad! As we see these things happening we should know that "...the sign of your coming..." isn't here yet. Jesus says the world has to endure these things first. Of course this passage is talking about His physical return to earth. What every Christian needs to remember is that if we can see these "birth pains" then we know that our redemption (rapture) is that much closer.

Look Up Christian!

Jesus is coming for us soon. Take every opportunity to spread the Gospel, don't delay. Don't wait and be afraid of what people will think. Our train is soon leaving the station.

kev

Looking for Holes

This week Jack Kelley wrote an article about the 3rd Seal Judgment of Reveleation. This is the Black Horse Judgment.

5 When the Lamb opened the third seal, I heard the third living creature say, “Come!” I looked, and there before me was a black horse! Its rider was holding a pair of scales in his hand. 6 Then I heard what sounded like a voice among the four living creatures, saying, “Two pounds[a] of wheat for a day’s wages,[b] and six pounds[c] of barley for a day’s wages,[d] and do not damage the oil and the wine!”Rev 6:5-6

Of course this passage of Scripture is talking about a day when a person will have to spend a day's wage in order to buy 2lbs of wheat or 6lbs of barley. What does this mean? How can we apply this to our lives? These are questions that most Christians ask when studying the Scirptures. This one seems to be pretty straight forward. The question is do we have a practical application for "two pounds of wheat for a days wage?" I would say, "absolutely YES." We call the phenomena described in these verses inflation. This is where you have lost so much value of your currency that it's practically worthless and takes a whole lot of it to buy basics and essentials (i.e. food).

What Kelley is suggesting is that you can see signs of this Judgment beginning to take shape. Kelley is quite clear though that he does not believe we are in the Tribulation and affirms the idea that the Seal Judgments will be sequential. I absolutely agree with this.

I'm not the type of person to just adopt every writer's opinion because there are alot of goofy people out there. :-) This is especially true as it relates to eschatology. I respect Kelley a great deal but wouldn't be doing my job if I didn't look for holes in his theory. When you look at the current economic landscape around the world you can't help but shutter. Europe is in absolute chaos as the EUs member states have dug themselves an economic hole that many won't be able to get out of without a HUGE bailout. Greece seems like it's in a perpetual riot, Ireland is in deep trouble as well as Spain. Germany has major issues with immigration and they're all suffering from the same security threats as the US, terrorism. The US has put itself in a very dangerous situation as we've spent more money in the last 2-3 years than at any point in our history. Why is it that our lawmakers and our President can't understand that you can't spend yourself into prosperity?

Through its spending the US has damaged the dollar in a way that I don't see how it can recover. The world is mad at how the dollar has fallen. There is a group who represents the 400 largest banks in the world and it is now calling for a world currency because the dollar is a little above "junk" status. The truth is this, the dollar isn't as valuable as it was which by definition means inflation.

Kelley says that it's this inflationary environment combined with crop prices that represent the elements of the black horse. Food is becoming more and more expensive. The dollar is dropping. Could there be a more clear example that the Black Horse is taking shape? After a lot of consideration I have to say, "no, it couldn't be more clear."

What I love most about what Kelley said in his latest article is that as the black horse gets more and more into focus that means tha the Rapture is that much closer!

Maranatha!!

kevin

4th Amendment and TSA

Wow!!! This has certainly turned into a hot topic pretty quickly. I think it had a lot to do with the guy who talked about his "junk" and the picture posted on Drudge which showed the nun getting a nice little pat down....

Where to start on this one? There are probably a few more "nun jokes" in the world as a result of the picture but I won't get into any of that. It does however bring a major issue to the forefront of our National Consciousness. See, most people don't worry about things that happen to other people, generally, until it happens to them. Take the nun and the "junk guy" for example. The whole enhanced pat down never got the exposure it merited until these two stories went national (thank you Matt Drudge). Now all of a sudden there are unions wanting exemptions, lawsuits being filed, and Senators introducing bills. What I want to know is where has the scrutiny been? I mean this garbage has been going on for a while...

I personally believe this falls under the 4th Amendment and my right to be protected against unreasonable searches. What probable cause do the agents of the TSA have against me to warrant the use of these methods of search against my person? What evidence do they have? The truth of the matter is this: they don't have a way to do what needs to be done. Patting down nuns, children, old women, etc., should not be tolerated.

But here is the issue. If we were to look at the people who commit acts of terrorism on aircraft then you have to look at a specific group, age, and the afiliations. We look at the shared characteristics of these people and call that profiling. Of course we have written laws against profiling and have therefore handcuffed ourselves without making us more secure. Maybe we should consider more secure means of identification. The use of biometrics is gaining steam among other things. The truth of the matter is this, until we have removed our handcuffs and look at this issue seriously then we'll never truly be safe. Yes, some will be inconvenienced and offended if they are scrutinized at a higher level than others because they fall into certain "profiles." My response to that is "sorry, it's not male caucasian Christians blowing up airplanes."

kev

Been Away for a Bit

There are good and bad points about having a blog. The good is that it can be a great place to vent. The bad is that if you happen to get anyone who reads your blog and if you don't keeep it up (me) then you've let those readers down. Well, I'm gonna try to post at least once a week and see how things go. If there is alot going on then rest assured I will have something to say as I am a pretty opinionated person and it's just my way.

I do want to reaffirm that I will be posting and using a whole lot of Biblical perspective behind my posts. God is in everything so why not talk about Him particularly since this will be a cureent events type blog.

See, already have 1 blog for the day.

Be posting again in a minute.

kev

Iran's Threats

I'm really getting sick and tired of the US being threatened. It's not only Iran but it drove me crazy when North Korea would "saber rattle" during the Bush Administration. I don't care who's in Office but just once I would love to see a President get on tv and reply to a threat like the one Iran issued today. I would be won over if a President ever responded with something like this, "I want to be absolutely clear about these threats to our existence. Everything is on the table and you know what I mean. You will be completely destroyed if you attack the United States of America. I have complete discretion as to what form a retaliatory strike would look like. Make no mistake, you are very close to inviting the destruction that we are capable of invoking." I want the US to issue a response similar to that. Or, how about this for a response? "Do you know how close we are to allowing Israel to wipe you off the planet? You know they want to and better yet, are capable of it". That's something I could see myself saying as President. Maybe it's a good thing for everyone that I'm not! :-)

We are so close to being called Home. I'm longing for Heaven! It has turned into a home sickness of sorts. Nothing is getting better. In fact, it's getting worse with each passing day. Look up Christians for our redemption draweth nigh.

Kev

Strange Day

Sorry, no pictures today as there's no way to really describe my mood. Afterall, pictures are meant to enhance the post. Have you ever felt like you have so much to say but don't feel like you can organize your thoughts well enough for others to understand where you're coming from or afraid that if you just start writing that you'll look like a blathering idiot? Well, that's how I feel now!

I feel like something should be said about the Koran burnings, the Imam's threats, his unwillingness to move the Mosque, the storms on the horizon, our economy, our spiritual condition as whole. See, I've got a ton of stuff on my mind.

My plan is to take things one at a time because I want this to be meaningful. I want this blog to glorify God.

I plan is to post at least two times a week and maybe even more depending on what's going on.

Stay tuned, these are exciting times and I will be reporting...

Kev

Birth Pains

6You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. 7Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. 8All these are the beginning of birth pains. Matt 24:6-8

This is a very important passage of Scripture and to be honest one that should stay in the forefront of any conversation whenever a natural disaster strikes. I don't believe that any recent natural disaster carries any prophetic significance by itself. In these cases you need to take a step back and look at the totality of these disasters in order to get an idea of where we are on God's prophetic clock. That's what Christ was saying when he compared these things to birth pains. Labor pains and contractions intensify as the moment of the birth approaches. As we all know, the birthing process is not always quick and could take many many hours before the baby is born. We have to examine natural disasters, wars, famines, etc., through these lenses first. The worst thing we can do after an earthquake or hurricane is to start setting the clock and claiming a major prophetic sign.

As a Christian we yearn for Heaven. We look forward to being with our Savior in eternity. We are supposed to live on this earth but not be a part of it. We are supposed to be strangers in a strange land. It can be very difficult to live this way though. But those who do can get really caught up in individual events like Katrina, Earl, New Zealand Earthquake, 911, etc., etc.. They take the bait and start declaring this or that. They fall into the temptation of date setting. They make foolish statements that only wind up discrediting themselves. This only hurts the cause, it never helps it and more people tune out the Gospel as a result.

This recent quake in New Zealand was nothing more than another contraction. It was another birth pain. The fact that it happened in a town called Christchurch has no prophetic significance in and of itself. However, when you step back a bit and look at the world as a whole and include this earthquake along with the seven earthquakes to hit Oklahoma, the mulitple hurricanes experienced recently, the threats of violence, terrorist attacks, the Middle East peace process, the threats against Israel, then you get a better idea of where we are.

As time goes by the frequency of this stuff intensifies. Barely a week goes by without a prophetic indicator leading the headlines. There always seems to be an earthquake here, a hurricane there, a volcano erupting here, a Christian killed there, a terrorist attack here, another threat against Israel there, you get the picture... But no matter how many birth pains we see we need to remember what they're for. They're meant to motivate us to fulfill the Great Commission. Just as the Bible points to Jesus Christ so do these birth pains. Yes, they seem to indicate that we don't have much time left before Christ comes for His church. So we should endeavor to win as many people to Him as we possibly can before it's too late. We need to witness any chance we can. Take the opportunities, ask the Lord for strength, time is running out. Be vigilent.

PEACE at LAST?

It's so amusing to see this played out with every American Administration. Now that I'm an adult you can't help but laugh knowing that there will NEVER be a true peace in the Middle East until the Prince of Peace Himself arrives on the scene. Oh sure, leaders will grand stand and will have their "little summits" to no avail. I will say this though, there will be a signed peace agreement between Israel and her enemies but it won't last. The antichrist himself will broker that agreement and it will be for a period of 7 years. However, the antichrist will violate that agreement mid way through and thus begin the period of Great Tribulation.

There can be no peace without Jesus Christ. The Jews won't accept Him and the Muslims definitely won't. Heck, I doubt the spiritual condition of our current Administration so even we won't bring Christ to the table. Jesus is love and without that there can be no peace.

We're going to have to listen to all the posturing. Netanyahu is going to protect his people and Abbas is going to make his demands on Israel. Of course recently the US has sided with the Palestinians trying to force Israel into a position of weakness rather than strength. I have one thing to say about that. WE BETTER BE CAREFUL IN HOW WE DEAL WITH ISRAEL. God Almighty will protect His people and curse those who are against them. We've seen a pattern of American diplomacy where we've backed Israel into a corner and it's only a matter of time before God's wrath is poured out upon us.

God help us!

911, Still a Hot Topic!!!

It didn't take very long to find an image that depicted the utter devastation of 911. All of us remember. We are only a couple of days away from the anniversary of that terrible day 9 years ago. Of course we can't celebrate those who were murdered. We can't look at their children and say, "this country will make sure your college is paid for" or "your country stands behind you, always." Nope, not this country. We can't even keep such a sacred site clean of peddlers, vendors, or even Mosques.

It doesn't take much to know that historically speaking a Mosque is erected after a major victory. Usually it's built over a church, Jewish Holy Site, or after "infidels" have been conquered. We all know about the plans to build an 11 story Mosque only two blocks from the WTC. What proponents are saying is that those who want to build the Mosque are only exercising their Religious Freedoms which are protected in this country. They also want to steer you away from the importance of the site itself. They will say things like, "it's two blocks away, if you don't like two blocks then how far away is far enough?" The point is to misdirect you and to confuse the issue. What they don't want you to know is that the site of the new Mosque is not only two blocks away but is also ground zero. Yes, that's right, part of the landing gear and fuselage of the plane landed on this site making it ground zero.

Ok, so the proponents of this will argue about the religious freedoms regarding this issue and they're right. The right is there to build the Mosque if you want to. The opponents of this, myself incuded, believe that it is a matter of decency and what is right. Not a matter of right, as defined by the Constitution, but rather what is the right thing to do. Just because you CAN do something doesn't mean that you SHOULD.

It's kind of ironic that in the middle of all this there is a pastor in Florida who wants to burn copies of the Koran on the anniversary of 911. Farhana Khera, president of the Muslim Advocates had this to say about the book burnings, "While it my not be a violation of the law-it may be an act of free speech-it certainly violates our sense of decency". Hmm! Do you think she feels the same way about the WTC site and the plans to build a giant Mosque at ground zero? I'd be interested to see what she has to say about that. It goes back to an article I just wrote where the point is this: Muslims can't handle a bit of adversity and certainly can't handle it when the shoe is on the other foot.

A Double Standard that's too Offensive to Talk About

There are two articles on Drudgereport.com that talk about Muslim protests in Indonesia and Afghanistan. The protests are in response to a church in Florida who is planning on burning copies of the Koran on the 9th anniversary of 911. I do not condone the burning of any religious books, or any material for that matter, that any person holds dear. I wouldn't want anyone to do it to me so why would I want to do it to someone else? Remember, "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you."

The article about the Indonesian protest talks about thousands of protesters and how America should not let this happen. The article about the Afghanistan protest talks about how the protesters were shouting things like, "death to America." Well, my first reaction to that is, why? Why should someone die because a book is tossed into a fire? If your religion isn't more than the paper it was written on then you don't have much of a religion.

These articles are prime examples of why so many don't believe that Islam is a religion of peace. Now you may say that those protesting in Indonesia didn't advocate a violent response to the book burning. But I say that the fact that there were THOUSANDS of protesters over this is alarming in itself. The hundreds protesting in Afghanistan are terrorists in the making. They are the ones who will kill innocent people because a book was burned. How ignorant! Sadly, with WMDs the size of a backpack it only takes one willing person to wreak havoc on hundreds of thousands or millions.

Here's why it's tough to reconcile. As an American we have freedom of expression and freedom of speech. As a Christian I know that my faith is greater than the burning of a Bible. My faith is in a living Jesus Christ. The Creator, the Alpha and Omega. To me, He's greater than anything that any person, group, or religion can do. He laughs from His throne. So my inclination is not to kill someone when they make fun of God, take His name in vain, or depict His only Son Jesus in all manner of foolish and humiliating ways. See, I know that everyone who has ever lived will bend their knee before my Savior. All the atheists, agnostics, Muslims, Budhists, Protestants, Hindus, ALL MANKIND will proclaim Jesus as King of Kings so I don't need to defend Him by attacking and killing those who will mock Him. He is big enough to handle them without me.

But Muslims don't feel that way. That's why Americans don't believe that Islam is a religion of peace. It boils down to this, they can't handle a little adversity. They can't handle Mohammed in a cartoon or a parody. They can't handle a burnt Koran. They're so offended that it's worth killing someone. I'm sure that this post is probably offensive enough to some Muslims to want to kill me. That's ok because I know that no matter what, they will bow down to my Savior one day. I am a King's kid. What do I have to fear, death? Sorry, I'm just passing through this world anyway. I have a bigger a brighter eternity ahead of me.

God Bless You!

Beginnings

I have been away from this for quite some time. I'm one of those guys who has an opinion about everything, especially as it relates to Bible Prophecy and the World in which we currently live. I absolutely consider myself a Watchman. There are many of us, particularly these days. But, there is plenty of time for all of that later. It's important though to start with something basic and fundamental.

I want to start with a verse of Scripture that most Christians know about but either A: don't follow it's logical conclusions or B: are ashamed of it because it's not very politically correct. Of course I'm speaking about John 14:6 where Jesus says, "I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life. No man comes to the Father except through Me."

This is the verse where the gauntlet is thrown down. Where the line in the sand is drawn. Where the ultimate challenge is issued. Jesus has just dropped the bomb on mankind by saying, "you can't go Heaven without having Me." What a powerful thing to say! He's separated Himself from any religion that ever was or ever will be. There is no "wiggle" room.

Jesus Christ is the only way to Heaven guys. If there was another way then He wouldn't have had to sacrifice Himself at Calvary. If this is offensive to you then you're not saved and are a heartbeat from Hell. If this is uncomfortable for you then you need to get saved. If you think you're a Christian but don't agree with this then you need to get saved. Nothing is more important than your soul. Don't take this lightly. It's only YOUR eternity. Be sure. Remember, just a heartbeat away....