 November 8th is approaching quickly - what to do - what to do!? That is the scenario that most of us face as we watch the time when we will step into a voting booth and express our right and responsibility to be patriots. The problem we also face is how to be both a patriot in the United States and also be a Christian in our conscience. To be perfectly honest with you - I am also in the throes of such a decision. I continue to pray about it - read to become better informed - and maybe - just maybe fret about it a little more than I should (Told you I was going to be honest).
First of all, I need to be candid. I will not under any circumstances vote for the Democrat Party or their standard bearer Hillary Clinton. The Bible teaches us that the life in the womb does have rights. It may not have rights in the eyes of the Democrat party or in the eyes of their presidential candidate - but God’s authority is infinitely higher than theirs - and He says that the precious baby in the womb is His masterpiece. God forbid that I would do anything to strengthen the hands of those who add innocent blood through abortion to the massive amount we’ve already spilt advancing erotic freedom without responsibility. I also cannot vote for this agenda because I am not in agreement with giving the LGBT community a carte blanche to rewrite the first amendment to the Constitution so that religious freedom is stamped out via the revisionist decisions made by the Supreme Court. There are a host of other reasons that would take too long to list here, but suffice it to say that until the agenda in the Democrat party changes - I will be casting no votes for any of their candidates. Now to the much harder part of the coming election. Can I vote for a man like Donald Trump - who if he said and acted toward my wife or daughters in the manner in which he has - I wouldn’t want him to be in charge of anything - other than his own reformation of character? If I can do this - what would I be sacrificing as a believer and as someone who holds to a biblical definition of character? (all the time knowing that I don’t even measure up in some areas myself - thank God for His grace and gift of righteousness through Jesus Christ!) That is where I am having such a difficult time - even today. These are matters that I will have to continue to wrestle with for a few more weeks. Eventually I will go into a booth and vote my conscience - and hopefully support someone who will lead our country, albeit haltingly, in a somewhat better direction that it is currently being led. Each time I consider that - I am no more excited than I was before. If you began reading this hoping I would come up with some magic formula to make this easier - I’m sorry that you will be disappointed. God has begun taking me in another direction - even as I continue in the quandary over how to cast a vote that will in some way honor Him. It has always been a comfort to me to remember God’s sovereignty in this world. That sovereignty can both change the direction of a nation toward righteousness - or allow a nation that turns from Him to descend into ruin. Both are seen clearly in Scripture - especially when it refers to His people. God began putting the question into my heart, “What are we going to be doing on November 9th?” If Trump is elected, and that is a big “if” will all our problems be solved? I am so glad to see so many prayer meetings and special times of prayer being called. It is an encouraging thing to watch God’s people pray. But can I ask if we will be praying after the election? Will we have the same passion to pray - when maybe, and it is a big “maybe” Hillary Clinton may be elected president of the United States? Are our hopes so set on electing one candidate over the other that we are blind to the spiritually desolate condition of the church in the United States of America? Are we so set on protecting our Constitutional rights that we are deaf to God’s call for bus to lay down all our rights for the sake of His gospel and His kingdom? Will we be so depressed that Christians were so divided over - and let’s be honest about this - such a divisive candidate that we don’t see our need to come together over a greater need of loving one another and living to glorify God and advance His gospel - no matter what form or perversion of our government that will exists after this election? Will the upward call of God in Christ Jesus be enough to motivate us to pray as passionately after the election as the political call to win an election over the ungodly agenda of the Democrat party? I hope and pray the answer to such questions is that we will pursue God with greater passion - knowing that no government has ever been able to extinguish the glorious light of the gospel of Jesus Christ. The early church and the persecuted church have shown us that regardless of those who reign in the realms of men - God still reigns over the hearts of His people. They had no political standing and yet turned the world upside down. They advanced the gospel through their willingness to lay down the lives for Jesus Christ. They advanced the work of God with no favor in the courts - no favor with the emperor - and often with great persecution from others within their society. Yet God prevailed. The one thing God is graciously allowing me to begin to see is that when it comes to His gospel and His plan and purpose - neither Donald Trump or Hillary Clinton will prevail over it. God is sovereign - and His eternal purpose WILL PREVAIL. I hope you will forgive me for quoting such a long section of Scripture as I close this article - and engage in a little exegesis as well - but here we go. Paul wrote something we need to grasp - prior to a call for prayer. We might need to see it again - in light of our current circumstances. To me, the very least of all saints, this grace was given, to preach to the Gentiles the unfathomable riches of Christ, 9 and to bring to light what is the administration of the mystery which for ages has been hidden in God who created all things; 10 so that the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known through the church to the rulers and the authorities in the heavenly places. 11 This was in accordance with the eternal purpose which He carried out in Christ Jesus our Lord, 12 in whom we have boldness and confident access through faith in Him. Paul makes it clear that our purpose is to “preach the unfathomable riches of Christ” which is the riches made available to us in His gospel. This glorious message has been being presented to our world since it began. It truly began to mean something to us at the Fall - when our sin meant separation from God - and the prospect of eternal punishment for such a foolish rebellion. This message is called the “manifold wisdom of God” which is supposed to be being made known to all “through the church.” This plan and purpose - that the gospel be proclaimed through the church is in accordance with God’s eternal purpose. LET ME PUT THIS IN ALL CAPS - NOT BECAUSE I’M MAD - BUT BECAUSE IT IS IMPORTANT. GOD’S ETERNAL PURPOSE IS THAT THE CHURCH LIVE AND PREACH THE GOSPEL TO THE WORLD. According to Paul it is through the relationship we have with Christ Jesus our Lord - that we have boldness and a confident access to God - so that we might carry out this purpose! 13 Therefore I ask you not to lose heart at my tribulations on your behalf, for they are your glory. Paul also states. in one small sentence, the reality of his life as he lives to accomplish God’s eternal purpose of preaching the gospel to the world. He is facing tribulations - troubles - trials - hardships - beatings - all because he chooses to embrace God’s eternal purpose. He tells them, “not to lose heart” at the tribulations he is facing. Instead he says that those tribulation are for your glory! What?! Yes - it is our glory to see that living for and preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ will involve tribulations. In fact Jesus Himself told us that we would be treated just like He was if we embraced true discipleship. So where does this lead us? Paul had to preach the gospel in a hostile environment - without political support - facing persecution and difficulty. Yet he spoke of boldness and confidence in the midst of it. HOW!? 14 For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, 15 from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name, 16 that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with power through His Spirit in the inner man, 17 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; and that you, being rooted and grounded in love, 18 may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, 19 and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled up to all the fullness of God. 20 Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us, 21 to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever. Amen. - Ephesians 3:8-21 Paul knew the true battle was not for a political win over society - but over the manifestation of Christ dwelling in the hearts of His people. He knew the true battle was that we all would be rooted and grounded in love for God and one another. He knew the true battle would be to know the breadth, length, height, and depth of the love for Christ. This is a love for the Father. This is a love for one another. This is a love for the lost. It is even a love for those who hate us, persecute us, and speak evil falsely of us on account of our embrace of Jesus as Lord. And this battle was so that we might be filled up to all the fullness of God Himself - as His Holy Spirit works in and through us to preach the gospel, speaking the truth in love. Paul also promised that this battle was going to be won on our knees as we trusted in the one who as able to do far more abundantly than all we ask or imagine - according to the power with which God will work in us and through us. This battle was to see God glorified in the church and in Christ Jesus forever and ever! Dearest precious saints of God - on November 9th our calling will be the same as it was prior to the election. It will be to love the Lord our God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength. It will be to love one another as Christ has loved us. It will be to take the gospel of Jesus Christ to the ends of the earth for the glory of God. It will be to see the glory of God shine ever brighter THROUGH His church! So - regardless of whether Trump or Clinton become president - our purpose remains an eternal one. And just as Paul has indicated through the Spirit in Ephesians - HOW MUCH MORE DOES THAT CAUSE CALL US TO PASSIONATE PRAYER! Oh pray, dear saints - pray prior to this election. But please, I beg you, please don’t think all is lost if it does not turn out as you hope and pray. Regardless of who is our president - our Lord still reigns supreme! So, therefore, let us be bold, be loving, be prayerful, and always be abounding with hope that our work in the Lord is NOT in vain! And may that work always be to take the gospel of Jesus Christ everywhere for the glory of God!
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 Just musing on the future . . .
I am a pastor - and one who holds ultimate value in the Word of God and the Lordship of Jesus Christ in my life. As such I cannot compromise how I teach God's Word to fit how my culture views what God calls sin. I also cannot adopt how many in the church are altering the message of the Gospel to fit our culture's sexual revolution. (Just a note - that revolution began in the 60's when heterosexual immorality was embraced - not just in the 2000's with the most recent downward step into homosexual marriage and its legalization last summer by the courts). This places me squarely in the sites of those who at one time said all they wanted was tolerance - but who now have made it clear that they will not tolerate God's revelation on these matters. I am writing this now because the day will come when such things cannot be spoken or written without censure, severe fines, and eventually arrest. That is where our culture is going - that is where our nation is going - and that is what I am viewing at present in my mind's eye. I am neither a prophet nor a son of a prophet. But I am a student of history - both secular and biblical. Therefore here is what I see as I muse on the future. We are already living in a day when they will not put up with sound doctrine - but will gather to themselves teachers according to their own lusts. This will grow steadily worse - to the point where sexual immorality (especially "living together" and homosexuality) will rarely be mentioned. It will all be about love and tolerance and acceptance. There will be little mention of sin and how God points out exactly what sin is - and how He responds to it. Judgment will be a dirty word. In many ways the apostate church will be a tool in the hand of the enemy to attack the remnant on these matters. The statement will be something like this. "We need reasonable churches - not ones that dogmatically judge everyone according to 'their interpretation' of what the Bible means." This will be a rallying cry to shut down free speech not only in the public sector - but even within the walls of church itself. There will be a growing list of laws that hem in Biblical believers so that they cannot express their views in public. Those that do will find themselves facing the wrath of a legal system that no longer protects religious freedom when it comes to holding Biblical beliefs dealing with sin. There will be fines, re-education, and for those who continue to resist arrests. Businesses will be forced to conform to a "way of doing business" that is inclusive, except for how they treat biblical believers. Churches will be facing several changes that will soon be coming to us via the courts. There will be challenges to freedom of religion as the state forces itself into situations where the need for "thought conformity" is necessary. This will lead to first the church being told it can only preach within its walls - that internet access can be denied on the basis of hate speech (i.e. saying heterosexual and homosexual sin is wrong, gender is something assigned by God at birth). The air waves will slowly be shut down to churches as well, based on these same things. There will also be challenges to the tax exempt status of churches and gifts to them. Eventually tax exempt status and tax deductions for gifts will be either restricted (to government accepted churches) or done away with all together. The state will hold title to all benevolent giving - which will be based on their accepted guidelines (which will be politically motivated and doled out as reward for conformity to the state agenda). Eventually the psychiatric community will join the state in condemning outright those who hold to sexual immorality being sin. This will be seen as a mental disorder - making the way for some to be institutionalized for their beliefs. Pastor's sermons will become subject to law suits - if they are deemed by the state courts to contain the new definitions of hate speech. This will lead to bankruptcy for some churches - while others will accept court rulings to either fire their pastor or face serious fines and government backlash. Pastors who preach such things will be sent off to prison for "speech violations" or for re-education in some sort of internment camp. Many godly men will be detained, arrested, and will disappear in these situations. The true church will go underground in America. Facing these things - facing the loss of their leader(s) - facing the loss of their facilities - and facing the specter of losing their freedom - many will show their true colors and become apostate. They will either flock to government sanctioned churches - or will leave the things of God altogether. The church will shrink back to a size that matches those who are truly born again. It will seem sad and discouraging - but it will be a much godlier church - given to intercessory prayer - and willing to suffer for Christ any cost. There will be a brokenness that will prevail with the true remnant - and will lead to churches underground who glorify God in all they do. Many will risk gave danger to witness to others of the gospel - but oh what a glorious church it will be! Some may think I've lost my mind saying such things. Others may criticize for this sounding so defeatist. But I would only remind them that what I've described here is what has happened in the communist countries of the Soviet Union (now Russia), China, countries behind the former Iron and Bamboo curtain, and now is happening slowly in Europe and Canada. These countries are further down the road to Socialism than we are presently - but we seem to be gaining steam (Ominously so with the candidacy and success of Bernie Sanders at present). This actually is not any kind of prophecy - it is a history lesson. It is one that is NOT being taught to our children, because we've forgotten what sacrifices were made on our behalf to fight Communism and Socialism. As far as "negativism" or "defeatist" rhetoric - I can only answer that any true rallying cry needs to first swallow a cup full of realism first. I am about to issue a rallying cry - but it is one that will most likely be rejected - as it was throughout history - both biblical and secular. Church awake! These are not days in which we should falter or get lost in the midst of what is going on around us. These are days much like those Paul spoke of when he said this in Romans 13:11-14, "And this do, knowing the time, that it is already the hour for you to awaken from sleep; for now salvation is nearer to us than when we believed. The night is almost gone, and the day is at hand. Let us therefore lay aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light. Let us behave properly as in the day, not in carousing and drunkenness, not in sexual promiscuity and sensuality, not in strife and jealousy. But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh in regard to its lusts." (NASB77) Repent and return to Jesus Christ precious saints. The day is late - very late in our nation. The stakes are enormously high in an hour in which we must prepare our hearts to be "strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might." This should not shock us that the world hates us - because it hated Him and still does. It is a day to remember the height from which we have fallen, repent, and do the first works again. Works of seeking God's face - confession of sin - submission to the Lordship of Jesus Christ - humbling ourselves and praying - and seeing our first love restored so that there is nothing - ABSOLUTELY NOTHING more precious to us than the Lord Jesus Christ. We are to remember that our battle is not against flesh and blood so violence is to be repudiated in our cause. We are to return to a white hot love for Jesus - a white hot love for one another in the church. We are to return to holiness, mortification of sin (our own), and a selfless, self-giving, gospel-centered, gospel-proclaiming life lived for the glory of God in all things. Saints - I am in the same place as all of you. Such things shake me and cause me to tremble. May it be that we tremble in fear of God and not in fear of man. May it be that our trembling and fear bring us back to Him - back to seeking, loving, and knowing Him as the greatest of all things in our lives. I dearly love all of you and only hope to be found, along with you, faithful to Him in this hour. May God have mercy on the church in the United States. - PJ -  Prophecy/News Update 2016
Falling Apart or Falling Together? Greetings in the name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ! As this New Year begins I want to begin it by saying, maranatha! For those of you who are not familiar with this word, it means, “O Lord, come!” in Aramaic. It was a phrase that was used by the early church – and was used by Paul in the New Testament. The word or phrase was used to speak of a strong desire for the return of the Lord Jesus Christ. I mention this because like never before I want to pray daily, maranatha! Next Sunday I will be sharing the 2016 Prophecy/News Update message. This year has been filled with events that involve Israel, and that possibly foreshadow the fulfillment of biblical prophecy. World events are definitely heating up and many, even in the secular world, are predicting that we may be on the verge of World War III. It was also a year in which the United States Supreme Court legalized homosexual marriage. This decision has set up a monumental battle between the newly fashioned erotic rights of our age with the constitutional right to religious liberty. That battle will be fought right before our eyes in the courts of our land and the court of public opinion. In light of how scary this can be – I want to begin this week with an encouraging word to the saints. Things that are going in our world can be very frightening. We are definitely watching our world become more and more volatile before our very eyes. Things in the Middle East continue to degenerate almost daily. The ongoing Syrian civil war is a flashpoint for the entire world as superpowers like Russia, China, and the United States get involved in that conflict. The rise of ISIS (The Islamic State in Iran and Syria) and the ongoing fight to remove them from large portions of Syria and Iraq are causing a destabilization of the entire region. The daily rocket fire on Israel continues (those it is a situation almost completely ignored by the mainstream news media) – as does the daily threat to Israel from Hezbollah, ISIS, Hamas, and Iran. Add to this the uptick in terrorist activity in Europe, Africa, and the United States – and we have a world that is ready to blow up in a worldwide war between various factions and nations. In the midst of all this it would be easy to want to throw your hands up and say, “The world is falling apart!” Things are also scary when it comes to the changes in our nation. The battle between religious liberty and erotic liberty is heating up every day. It is no surprise that the world system is standing firmly behind erotic liberty. What we were told was a quest for tolerance has become a very intolerant attack on the church for holding to a biblical view of sexuality and marriage. Close on the heels of the recent victories for gay marriage we watched as the next battle began concerning gender confusion. The speed at which the sexual revolution is happening is dizzying – and frightening. It is as if nothing is either sacred or stable in our culture any longer. On top of all this there is a growing racial tension in our nation as we watch police shootings being questioned and riots erupting that engulf entire cities in flames and lawlessness. In light of all that is happening around us it would be easy to say, “Our nation is falling apart!” Those with a Christian/Biblical worldview understand this differently. First of all we know that the world has been falling apart ever since the “fall.” When man chose to sin against the Lord – everything began to fall apart. The descent into chaos and destruction began in that moment – and for those who forget the narrative of Genesis – resulted in the whole earth being flooded to address the wickedness of man just 10 chapters later. Shortly after Noah and his family departed from the ark – Noah got drunk – and the whole process started all over again. Our current situation is not any more wicked than others in history – it is just that we are given vastly more information about the results of godlessness in our day. Sin has always been destructive – wars and devastation have always either been ongoing – or on the horizon as mankind continues to reject God and live according to their own sinful nature and inclinations. A Biblical understanding of the chaos that happens as a nation turns away from God is also nothing radically new. The history of nations recorded for us in Scripture makes it clear that when a nation rejects God and godly principles bad things happen. The history of Israel and Judah’s kings as recorded by the historical record as well as the prophecies spoken against them for their rejection of God is clear. Just as a nation is blessed when it submits to God – it will be under a curse when it rejects and turns from Him. Our nation is rejecting not only godly principles – but God Himself as it rebels against what the Scriptures say. When we take a few minutes to refocus our thinking with Scripture, we may come to a different realization about the current state of affairs in the world. Things have always been falling apart due to sin – but God is working so that things are falling together for the return of Christ. Mark chapter 13 and Luke chapter 21 are accounts of Jesus’ teaching about the last days. In this teaching Jesus presents the things that will be happening before His second coming. Many of these things match events that are taking place in our time. Jesus closes this section of both gospels with the following words, “Even so, you too, when you see these things happening, recognize that He is near, right at the door.” (Mark 13:29, NASB) When you read through the previous verses to this one, you will see that what is happening in our day was foretold by our Lord Jesus. He spoke of wars and rumors of wars – earthquakes – famines – and a wholesale rejection of God by humanity. What is equally fascinating is that passages that speak of future prophetic events, which require a certain aligning of the nations against Israel, are being fulfilled before our eyes. Truly things are falling together just as God said – even as they fall apart because of mankind’s rejection of Him. The more they fight against Him – the more they are unwitting accomplices to do what He said would be done. Take courage saints, none of what has happened has taken God by surprise. All of it was foretold 2000 or more years ago. Anyone even remotely aware of what the Bible says about the last days knows that the return of our Lord Jesus Christ will be at a time when the world is falling apart. You cannot read of what the prophets foretold and imagine a world getting better and better. You cannot be familiar with the seal judgments of Revelation 6, the trumpet judgments of Revelation 8 and 9, and the bowl judgments of Revelation 16 and think that things will be at an all time best at the second coming of Christ. All the nations, all the prophetic predictions, all the things necessary to see all thing fulfilled just as God spoke – are falling together as if God were sovereign over the affairs of men (which, by the way, He is). Based on this knowledge, then, we need to live in reality concerning where the world is headed. This is not our home, saints – it is the place where God has been rejected. We await the kingdom of our God and of His Christ. And as that falls together the world itself will fall apart. But take courage dear ones of God – He has overcome the world – and by His grace and the power of His Spirit – He will grant to us the ability to be overcomers even in this difficult hour! This morning I am beginning the arduous work of putting together the 2015 Prophecy News Update. This may be a difficult task, yet it is one that I actually enjoy as I look over what is to come in 2015. Just a reminder to all those who will hear this update. I do not intend to update what God has prophesied - as that is not something anyone can do. We need to be reminded of this because there are those who unfortunately think that their own statements can prophesy the future.
There are those who think that the current gift of prophecy can foretell the future in ways that are contrary to what is already given in Scripture. This is a false understanding of Scripture, as well as a dangerous one. Any choice that God may make concerning revealing the future to us through a prophetic utterance - is completely under the authority of what we currently have in the Scriptures. Anyone who contradicts what is given in the Word of God is a false prophet - as is anyone whose previous supposed prophetic statements have not come 100% true. Oh how we need to remember those two important things when dealing with any kind of statement concerning prophecy. What I endeavor to do each year is to take a look at what is happening in our world today, and then see how that fits into the prophetic events that God says will happen in the last days. This is difficult to do because there are differing views on how those events will unfold. That is why anyone who attempts this needs to be careful how specific they are concerning what is going to happen. Ultimately, the one thing we are certain of is that Jesus Christ will return again to judge the world. That is one thing we all can agree on concerning end times. Beyond that one pivotal truth, we need to be gracious with one another. This year's Prophecy/News Update will have the usual information about major events concerning Israel as well as the other players that Scripture indicates will be a part of the end times scenario. But this year's message will have more to do with what is happening in our own nation and how it will affect the church. This is an area that we need to be awakened to because it it going to radically affect the church in the months and years to come. The ongoing moral revolution in our nation when it comes to sexuality and now, even gender confusion, is about to have a radical affect on the church and how it operates. There are also rumblings of racial tensions as well as the battlefronts that multiculturalism will bring to the advance of the gospel in our culture. There is much that is happening news-wise that will truly change how the church will operate in our culture. There is much that will determine if the church will remain above ground in our culture as well. One last thing I want to comment upon before I close this article is the way that I desire for you to receive this year's Prophecy/News Update. Because of the nature of this information, some react in fear to what is said. Please understand that I do not mean to try to scare anyone with what is presented. The health/wealth and prosperity movement has mislead us concerning what the Bible has to say about this world and its future. The influence of the health/wealth and prosperity teaching has led many to believe that truly every day is supposed to be Friday for us. Forget that Jesus said that in this world we would have tribulation. Forget that Paul told us that if we desire to live godly in Christ Jesus we will suffer persecution. Forget that He told us that if He was rejected, we would be rejected as well. Forget all that the Scriptures tell us about a world that grows steadily worse in its wickedness and will one day be destroyed with fire. We have false teachers who promise that only good things are coming in our future. This has given rise to an entire generation of those in the church who reject the biblical teaching of the last days. They reject it because it is not positive enough for them. They reject it because it speaks of suffering - and even martyrdom for those who remain faithful to Christ in the last days. This has led to a very serious rejection of anything negative by those who hold to these heretical teachings. It has also led to a general rejection of the last days biblical narrative. The current teaching by those who teach these heresies is that because of our wonderful influence as Christians, the world will get better and better until Jesus comes back and takes over a world that we've redeemed by our corporate wonderfulness. Those who hold to this kind of teaching will embrace two things as our world moves toward its ultimate conclusion. First, they will have to utterly delude themselves as things grow steadily worse. Second, they will embrace compromise with the world as the world embraces an ever-worsening moral revolution against true biblical sexuality and morality. Unfortunately we are already seeing this as more and more abandon any biblically informed sexuality - and embrace the sexual and gender confusion of our day. Dear saints of God . . . we have the honor and the priviledge of standing and shining like stars in the midst of the morass of darkness and rebellion against God and His Word and ways. As we hold fast the Word of truth and the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ - we will be as lights and beacons of hope to those who watch the world crumbling under the weight of its rebellion against God. This is not a time to fear - a time to be timid - or a time to be frightened by the things the world fears. We are to fear God and hold forth the message of His salvation to a world that more desperately needs it than ever before. May God help us to be that people - that city set on a hill - that light, not under a basket, but on the lampstand giving light to all who see it. May our hearts be given fully to knowing and loving Jesus Christ. And may our testimony be to the grace that saved us - and that can save all those who come to Him in repentance and faith! PJ  May the Lord gives us boldness and wisdom as we speak in these interesting days in which we live. This week I want to make you aware of a ruling that should concern all of us who cherish our freedom of religious speech.
Please allow me to begin by making the following statement concerning our so-called protected religious speech in the United States of America. Our constitution protects the right of free speech – and part of the speech protected is religious speech. That being said, those of us who belong to Christ need to know that God’s command for us to preach the gospel is not abridged by any government or law that is written or established by man. Regardless of what the governments of men say – we are to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ and make disciples of all the nations. That command comes from a higher authority than that of mankind. It comes from God Himself. Therefore, it is imperative for us to remember that regardless of what decisions are reached by the IRS, the Supreme Court, or any other human entity, they do not trump the command of Jesus Christ in Matthew 28:18-20. We are to continue to proclaim the gospel – and if in the process we face punitive action by our governing authorities – we are to accept it gladly as we choose to obey God rather than men. This was the response made by the apostles as they were commanded by the governing authorities of their day not to speak or teach any longer in the name of Jesus. We should not respond any differently in our day. “What is all this about?” you may ask. It is about a ruling made a few days ago by the Internal Revenue Service in answer to a suit filed by the Freedom from Religion Foundation. They charged that the IRS was not investigating and punishing churches and pastors who preach politics from the pulpit. The law or ruling used for this invasion of our nation’s pulpits is actually not even from our Constitution, but rather is from an IRS ruling in 1954. At that time Senator Lyndon B. Johnson urged this measure so that he could use it against specific opponents of his agenda and that of the Democrat party. This provision was gradually extended to include religious groups and their speech in regard to specifically endorsing a candidate in an election from the pulpit. Some may read this and wonder why this has become a problem – and why I voice concern over it. That, my dear saints, has to do with where our government is going in regards to its moral stances being taken in our day. Many of these issues are not being decided in Congress, which is the only place laws are to be passed, but by executive decisions of the President – or by courts that are legislating from the bench. Because of decisions rendered over the past several decades, the sacred arena of religious speech has been invaded by the secular government. In 1973 the Roe vs. Wade Supreme Court decision attacked life in the womb. And more recently a wave of lower court decisions have attacked the sanctity of biblical marriage. As these decisions have been politicized, elections have included debates over whether these decisions are just or not. Such debates REQUIRE a response from the spiritual leaders in America. Those spiritual leaders are the pastors of local churches, who have found it necessary to teach what the Scriptures have to say about these issues of life and marriage. Here is where this issue is going to reach a head. Is the IRS going to rule in such a way that pastors are no longer allowed to teach certain passages that will be deemed “preaching politics?” Will we watch pastors be cited, fined, and possibly even arrested for teaching on Romans 1:18-25 (dealing with homosexuality) and Psalm 139 (dealing with the sanctity of the womb)? The day may come where we are forbidden by the state to teach such things without losing our tax exempt status. The day may also come when things far worse that this may result. Baring God moving in our country, the day will come when pastors will be fined or arrested for committing a hate crime because they dared teach these passages INSIDE the church. May God give us grace to stand and teach His Word, with grace and meekness, regardless of the consequences. May God strengthen us to hold fast the faithful Word He has given us – not surrendering to political correctness or even punitive threats to abandon it because it has become socially unpopular in our day to do so.  Prophecy News Update – March 6, 2014
The Fall of the United States, prologue Well . . . many of you who come here frequently may have noticed that I’ve not posted on this blog in a long time. That is not without purpose. Maybe a better way to express this is that it is more out of fear of what I would be writing than any purpose of God. Let me explain. Ever since the late 1980’s I’ve known in my heart that it would only be a matter of time until our country would fall. I am not sure that this was as much from some kind of prophetic foreknowledge as much as it was from being student of history. (By the way, before I write anything else know that I do not desire nor delight in this. I have always been a patriot, and love my country very much. My heart aches when I think of what we were given and where we've taken it over my lifetime. My hope is that very soon I can also say that my knees ache from prayer offered for the restoration of the church in this nation.) The three things that I knew would bring our country to its knees – or to destruction – was first the rejection of God and absolute truth that was an integral part of the agenda of multiculturalism. Second was the sexual revolution that took place in the 1960’s that had its foundation laid by the previous generation’s hypocrisy. That revolution, that many thought was relegated to the 1960’s has actually never stopped. It has had an ongoing incrementalism that has gained speed over the years to the point of overthrowing how we view sexuality, marriage, and family. We’ve moved from revolution to a fundamental transformation of our society. The third and final sphere of this fall is how our form of government has also been incrementally changing as well. That too has sped up over the years. We are now watching the government of our nation fundamentally changed as our founding documents are being openly ignored by our leaders. We are quickly becoming a nation of decrees rather than a nation of laws. I need to admit that for the past year or so I’ve watched this happen with gathering intensity and speed. My response has followed two directions – despair and disobedience. The despair has been because I have been slowly coming to the conclusion that this may be irreversible. It seems no matter what is done – the march toward destruction seems to be undeterred by both our people and our leaders. That led to the disobedience. I reached a point where I threw up my hands and said, “Oh well, what can I do?” It has only been as I’ve watched where this led me spiritually over the course of a year that I’ve seen it as a foolish thing to have done. The end of 2013 and the start of 2014 was a time of intense soul-searching. During that time I saw that hopelessness and despair only lead to abandoning the fact that God is sovereign over all time. That error – ignoring His ultimate sovereignty not just over history, but over MY history – led to a general carelessness spiritually. I thank Him that He did not abandon me, but has convicted me greatly of my sin – and has called me to back to Himself. That also means a call back to viewing history through the clear lens of His ultimate sovereignty as well as through His ultimate purpose. That purpose is clearly delineated for us in Scripture. With the Scriptures as my compass, therefore, it is my intent to once again begin looking at what is happening and possibly going to happen in the near future. Over the next several posts/articles it is my intent to share why I believe the fall of the United States is very near. I am aware that such a statement is highly inflammatory to many but I neither make it lightly, nor do I do so without Scriptural precedent. Please understand that these are not going to be politically motivated articles. Politics has long been a Trojan horse to the Christian community. We’ve been duped by political strategists who have promised change and action – but have delivered very little of either. In being so duped, the church has spent very little of her precious capital on spiritual renewal and revival. She has not turned to God in repentance and cries for His restoration. Repentance and prayer have been the things God has used to return His people to Himself – and yet these have been jettisoned and considered outdated for our days. The old paths are still there – abandoned – but still there. God’s intent, saints, is not to save our nation, but to call a people to Himself through the proclamation of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Two passages of Scripture will probably dominate these posts, so you might want to familiarize yourself with them. The first is Matthew 5:13 and the second is Romans 1:17-29. If you want to do any other advance reading, you can take a trip through the major and minor prophets as well. The passages in Matthew and Romans will explain our particular national predicament – or – how did we get here? The perusal of the prophets will give you information as to what God says to a nation in spiritual, moral, and therefore national decline. Please understand that my intent in writing these articles is not to place myself anywhere except among all of us. The “us” to which I refer is the church as Jesus and Scripture define and describe it. My need of what I write about is just as intense as anyone who reads this. Our ONLY HOPE is repentance and return to God. A revival in God’s church would be awesome – but know that it might not be a guarantee that our nation will be restored. God promises that if we repent and return we will get Him. We are not guaranteed that the good ole’ United States we once knew will be restored. But then again, if that is what we have in the forefront of our minds, could it be that a national idolatry might be part of the problem as well? Is not God Himself the prize which we seek? Is not a revived church, no matter what the eventual trajectory of our nation, what is in the best interests of all? Is not a return to gospel saltiness in our culture what will glorify God more than anything else? Nations have risen up and they have fallen since the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Daniel might remind us that as he watched – a stone cut without hands hit a statue that represented the greatest nations and cultures that would arise in history. They all crumbled, but that stone grew into a great mountain and dominated the scene for all eternity. That stone is Jesus Christ, before Whom all nations shall one day bow. Our place in history will NOT be ultimately related to the United States, but to Him. It would be wise for us to remember that – now and into the future – which may seem uncertain now – but if I read Scripture right – should not be if we hold fast to the Living Stone. This article originally appeared in the Calvary Chapel of Jonesboro Newsletter. It is being reprinted here for our friends on the church website.
Greetings in the name of our wonderful Savior Jesus Christ! May God bless you and prepare you for whatever it takes to maintain your testimony for Christ in our nation. I imagine that the opening for this week's article may seem a little stark. What could we be facing in the United States - the bastion of religious freedom - that would illicit an opening where we speak of persecution - and even laying down our lives for Christ? Unfortunately an incident has happened that is at the least - very disconcerting. That incident is what took place as an approved training event for the Pennsylvania Army Reserves. I've included in this week's article information from a WND article that reported on this event. "Soldiers in the U.S. military have been told in a training briefing that evangelical Christians are the No. 1 extremist threat to America – ahead of groups like the Muslim Brotherhood, KKK, Nation of Islam, al-Qaida, Hamas and others. “Men and women of faith who have served the Army faithfully for centuries shouldn’t be likened to those who have regularly threatened the peace and security of the United States,” said Col. (Ret.) Ron Crews, executive director of the Chaplain Alliance for Religious Liberty. “It is dishonorable for any U.S. military entity to allow this type of wrongheaded characterization. It also appears that some military entities are using definitions of ‘hate’ and ‘extreme’ from the lists of anti-Christian political organizations. That violates the apolitical stance appropriate for the military.” The briefing, which was given to an Army reserve unit in Pennsylvania, came from a U.S. Army Reserve Equal Opportunity training brief titled “Extremism and Extremist Organizations.” The material mentions neo-Nazis, the KKK and other white supremacist organizations. Pictures are shown on various slides of people in Klan attire and Nazi flags. The significance of gang tattoos, and racist acronyms and the significance of numbers were also discussed. While the material on gangs and racist organizations is similar to what one might receive from a local police briefing on gang issues, after teaching on neo-Nazis in the military such as Timothy McVeigh, the material makes an amazing link. A slide titled “Religious Extremism” lists multiple organizations such as the Muslim Brotherhood, al-Qaida, Hamas, the Nation of Islam, the Ku Klux Klan and the Christian Identity movement as examples of extremist groups. However, the first group on the list is evangelical Christianity. Catholicism and ultra-orthodox Judaism are also on the list of religious extremist organizations." (http://www.wnd.com/2013/04/military-warned-evangelicals-no-1-threat) Though I am saddened by this information that is being spread by our government - I am not shocked by it. I have known for a long time that this day was coming - and will be eclipsed by information even more incidiary and damaging to evangelical Christians. Let me attempt to explain why I am not shocked by this story in the news. The dominant worldview in our nation has not been that of Christian Theism for a long time. The worldview that has dominated our culture has been Humanistic Naturalism. This worldview gained strength through the teaching of evolution over the years. This view denies the existance of God - or so marginalizes Him to the point that He has no credible place in our society. God has not been seen as Creator for some time, and the Word of God is not viewed as credible on matters of science. When humanistic science gained this triumph over the Biblical account of creation, it was only a matter of time until Biblical morality and ethics would have to be jettisoned as well. For a brief period the rise of Humanistic Naturalism tolerated the morals of the Evangelical church - but have always desired to see them discarded. They did not want to see God and His revelation in the Bible as the authority in such matters, preferring instead for the "culture of humans" to make up their own morals - which would shift like the sand as time progressed and morals declined. The way Biblical morals would be overcome was by making them seem extreme rather than mainstream. This begin first in the arts - and then through mediums like televisioni sitcoms, dramas, and news programs. At first Christian morality would simply be mocked and put down. But In time Evangelical Christians would be compared to the most violent of religious movements. That is why Evangelical Christians, who have never been guilty of any terrorist act, are now being compared to al-qaida, the KKK, the Muslim Brotherhood, and Hamas. The goal was to say these things often enough that people would believe it. With their willing accomplices in the media and entertainment - the job is almost finished. One of the final steps would be to have a moral cause by which Evangelical Christians can be divided. This moral cause is now, and will be, homosexual marriage and the normalization of homosexuality as a morally, and biblically valid lifestyle. When this happens (and it is close to being done) those who hold to the biblical worldview will be called extremists, haters, and eventually verbal terrorists (a term or one like it that will refer to a Christian who holds to biblical texts like Romans 1:18-32 as well as others). Laws will be passed to make such speech illegal - arrests will be made (some during church services) and the true church will have to go underground. The United States military and other law enforcement officials will be used to do this job. Those within the military and law enforcement who will not comply - will be removed from their positions. I know that this is difficult to read - but I believe these things will not spell the end of the church. To the contrary, it will be the dawn of revival in the church. It will most likely happen after there has been devastating losses. But God's people will return to Him - and they will be revived to be a voice for the gospel in the midst of a wicked and perverse people. There is one possible alternative to this scenario. That is that God's people will wake up now - fall to their knees in prayer - and God will move in revival now. Whether that will happen or not, I do not know. But one thing I can assure you - the other scenario of which I have written in this article will continue to progress. It has been gaining speed in the past decade - and will begin moving with an even more alarming pace. The time for us to repent and return to God in brokenness and repentance is limited. May God help us to see - to repent - and to return to Him. May His mercies break forth with new passion and power among His people. May God have mercy on the Church in the United States.  Every year for the past 10-15 I’ve done what is called a “Prophecy Update” in January. Some have mistakenly thought that this meant I was going to update what God’s Word said about prophecy – and how God was going to bring things to an end on this earth. Scripture says that this is God summing up all things in Christ – which I like far better. During these updates I’ve not told people who the antichrist was – or when the rapture was going to happen – or even when the world was going to end. They have hopefully dealt with how the historical events of the past year look when placed against the statements of Scripture on the last days. The usual question I ask myself as I prepare for these messages is, “Has anything happened in the last year that seems to factor into my limited knowledge of the end-times scenario as presented in God’s Word.
Some have called these messages, “How to scare a congregation to within an inch of their life in 45 minutes or less.” I would beg to differ with this – because several times I’ve gone past 45 minutes. Seriously though, I know that the information in these messages has been very rough – and often is difficult to hear. The reason for this is that my view of Biblical history is not Dominion-based – meaning that the church will make things get better and better through the gospel and our prayers – until Jesus comes back to a near perfect world. Even a basic reading of the book of Revelation should negate this view. Unfortunately, in this world, things are not going to get better and better – they are getting worse and worse. That is because of sin and mankind’s continued rebellion against God and His commands. But there is a larger issue that I want to address about the ‘scariness’ of these messages. That is the issue of what foundation we are building upon in our brief few years on this rock called earth. Matthew 7:27-28 speaks of two foundations upon which a life is built. One is a sand foundation that has no stability – which the other is called, “a rock” which will stand no matter what is thrown against it. Which foundation you are built upon is based in one major issue – are you obeying God’s Word in your life? If you are – then as the storms of this life come and beat and break upon your life – the foundation of obeying God’s Word will keep you strong and standing as the storm rages. If you are not listening to God’s Word and obeying – you will find that the sand foundations of this world cannot stand against the battering that will come with life itself. Now we come to the fulfillment of end-times prophecy. The things of this world are going to pass away. That sounds so peaceful – but when you examine how they are going to pass away – it scares you to within an inch of your life. The seal, trumpet, and bowl judgments of Revelation are horrific to read. They scared me half to death when I read them as a kid – and they pretty much shake me up even today. Here’s the well-kept secret . . . they were meant to do this! They were meant to awaken us to the transitory nature of the world we live in today. They were meant to remind us that all that we are so apt to build our lives upon as humans – is going to pass away with intense heat as they burn up in the midst of God’s wrath against sin. What will remain in the midst of all this is what is built upon obedience to God’s Word. What are those things? A life well built begins with the gospel of Jesus Christ. The foundation that will not be moved is Jesus Christ, crucified, buried, and resurrected three days later from the dead. We come to know God through the grace that was lavished upon us in the gospel. Next, is living for things that are eternal, rather than for this world and the things of this world. John tells us that the things of the world are passing away – but the one who does the will of the Father will endure forever. Therefore a life lived for stuff – is a life which will eventually end with you getting the ‘stuff-ing’ knocked out of you. Ok, that was pretty lame – but fairly accurate. We don’t live for the possessions we can gather – we live for God’s purposes and for God’s ways. That means we live first of all to know Him – which involves knowing His Word and walking in what it teaches us. Then we live for making Him known to others – by sharing the gospel – and then seeing them become disciples of Jesus Christ (which is what Jesus said were our marching orders in Matthew 28:18-20). What happens then when God’s eventual end-times plans start to come to fruition? That’s an easy one to answer – all the stuff gets destroyed. All the things that men and women live for in a worldly context gets burned up and no longer exists. Honestly – that is why I and others get so scared by this stuff – because it threatens our stuff – and makes us see that a life lived for stuff is pretty dumb. We are left seeing the sand beneath our feet start to either be blown away or eroded by the effect of the storms of life – and the ultimate storm at the end of the age. Almost every year I’ve done a “prophecy-update message” I have quoted the following verse as an encouragement to everyone who hears the message. It is from the book of 2 Peter. Since all these things are to be destroyed in this way, what sort of people ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness, looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be destroyed by burning, and the elements will melt with intense heat! But according to His promise we are looking for new heavens and a new earth, in which righteousness dwells. Therefore, beloved, since you look for these things, be diligent to be found by Him in peace, spotless and blameless, and regard the patience of our Lord as salvation; just as also our beloved brother Paul, according to the wisdom given him, wrote to you, as also in all his letters, speaking in them of these things, in which are some things hard to understand, which the untaught and unstable distort, as they do also the rest of the Scriptures, to their own destruction. You therefore, beloved, knowing this beforehand, be on your guard so that you are not carried away by the error of unprincipled men and fall from your own steadfastness, but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory, both now and to the day of eternity. Amen. (2 Peter 3:11-18, NASB) It may be an encouragement to you to know that Peter needed to issue the same kind of admonition to the people in the first century as we need today. Everything of this world is going to be destroyed. So in light of that, we need to live far different than the people of this world. Here’s a quick list of how we should live . . . · Seeking to live holy, godly lives · We should look for and want to hasten the coming of Jesus! · Look for a new heavens and earth – where righteousness rules! · Be at peace. · Live spotless, blameless lives before God. · If God tarries in bringing Jesus – that means He is being patient. Use that time to share the gospel of Jesus with as many people as you can! · Grow in grace. · Grow in a personal, intimate knowledge of Jesus (that’s what the word knowledge implies in the Greek language). It is not enough to know ‘about’ Jesus – KNOW JESUS! · Live for God’s glory – TODAY! Personally, I know that every year as I share this I am convicted that I need a far more “rock-based” foundation than I currently stand upon. The fact that I get scared and want to hold a little tighter to my “stuff” lets me know that I’m holding on to “stuff” too much. I’m reminded that the only foundation that is going to stand through these days is the one that is rock-solid in loving, obeying, and growing in a more intimate knowledge of Jesus Christ. So I close this post with a very simple question, “So, when it comes to the foundation of your life . . . sand or rock? Your answer will make all the difference in how you respond to what God says is going to happen in these last days. Where Do We Go From Here? Day 3 - Considering Our Marching Orders . . . and the State of the Church11/14/2012  Where Do We Go From Here?
Day 3 – Considering Our Marching Orders . . . and the State of the Church After taking a week to digest some of my early thoughts, I want to come back today to address the Evangelical Christian Community on where we are to go after this election. Today, what I am going to offer is going to seem simple – yet it is something that the Christian community has yet to do. We need to return to our marching orders from Jesus Christ – and have them become of utmost importance to us. We find our marching orders in a couple of places in Scripture. The first I will turn to is found in Matthew 28:18-20. And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, "All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age." (Matthew 28:18-20, NASB) This is what Jesus told His disciples at the close of Matthew’s gospel. Let’s take a close look at this very familiar passage. First – This order comes from someone who has “all authority in heaven and on earth.” Therefore we can be assured that this command of Christ matters to us – or at least it should. The greater the authority – the more it should matter. Therefore since this statement comes from ALL AUTHORITY – it should matter MORE than anything else we hear. Second – He says to make disciples of all the nations. That involves leading them to Christ first – and then leading them to a worldview that is embraced in Scripture. We are to be teaching men and women to be “learners” of Christ. We also might want to get a better grasp on the breadth of our orders. “All the nations” are our target. We are not be become so focused on the United States that we forget we are to take the gospel everywhere to everyone! Third – We are to do this focusing on several things. We begin by baptizing them – which is a rite of identification. They are to fully identify with the Trinity – God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Then we are to teach them to actually obey all that Jesus commanded them. Finally, we are to make sure they know Jesus will be with them all the way to the end – even the end of the age! This means that these orders – remain in effect until it is all over – until Christ returns. At this point I will try to be brief – but considering all that God has been saying to me – something needs to be said. If we approached our call to disciple others with the passion many approached this past election – things would get awesome in the church in a hurry. There would also be a change in the world around us – because when true revival – true evangelism – and true discipleship are practiced – people change radically. When that happens with larger numbers of people – the whole society begins to change as well. The reason I say this is because of something I read recently in a book entitled, “Vertical Church” by James MacDonald. Let me fire away and list the things I read. The State of the Evangelical Church in 2012 • Six thousand churches close their doors every year. • Thirty-five hundred Americans leave the church every day. • Only one pastor in ten retires while still in ministry. • Less than 20 percent of Americans attend church regularly. • Only 15 percent of churches in the United States are growing numerically. • Only 2 percent of growing churches are effectively winning converts to Christ. [From MacDonald, James. Vertical Church: What Every Heart Longs for. What Every Church Can Be. David C Cook.] This is, as MacDonald puts it, epic failure. He goes on to say that in order to keep up with our current population – we would need 10,000 churches a year to be planted in the United States. Last year only about 900 were attempted. Here is the fact of our current situation. We are being overwhelmed by a lost world that could care less about our political opinions. And . . . to be brutally honest . . . we should care far less about their political opinions than we do about the state of their souls! Can we honestly say that the church is making a difference in our nation? Could it be that this past election IS an honest reflection of where our nation is? I’ve always held that we get the government that we deserve – because we get the one we choose. Let me ask some very hard questions to the church. 1. Is it a reflection of our effectiveness that a member of what theologically is defined as a cult (Mormon) was selected for the so-called conservative candidate? 2. Is it possible that the weak moral stances on abortion and homosexuality actually reflect how well we are speaking of and advancing Biblical morality? 3. Is it possible that our relevance to society is greatly diminished because we are reaching so few people with the gospel? 4. Could it be that this past election reflects on our lack of true life-on-life discipleship in the church? 5. Could it be that a focus on political change has blinded us to the fact that politics has NEVER changed a single human heart and made it possible for anyone to stand before God with their sins forgiven? 6. Are we called to establish a “Christian nation” through political means – or could it be that we’ve forgotten that Christ’s kingdom is “not of this world?” Now, having asked these questions – I want to offer some positive things for us to DO as we seriously consider where we go from here. I’ll list them below. 1. Commit to praying every day for revival in the church - and spiritual awakening in our nation. I’ve been doing this since January of this year. It is NOT easy – and God will work us over as we do it (revival always starts with our own heart first – and works out from there). 2. Commit to sharing the gospel with one person at least once a week. This may be difficult since many Christians don’t know how to share their faith. Then your first step may be to go to your pastor/church leaders and beg for them to offer not just teaching, but training for this. Once you have the training, make it a point to share Jesus with someone every week – and eventually get to where you do it just about every day – as a lifestyle! 3. Commit to either being discipled . . . or discipling someone else. I work with college students and youth in this area. It is often disturbing to hear where they were prior to this election. BUT – I had to ask myself a serious question. Was I doing anything to instruct them biblically – and to help them see why choosing leaders who take biblical stands on things like abortion and homosexual marriage is important? If I’m not willing to spend an hour or two a week with them – is anyone else going to either? If we want a younger generation who embrace godly conservatism – how are we going to get there? Political activism is not what they need – they need someone to sit down with them and consistently teach them the Bible – and how to walk with God! 4. Commit to glorifying God in all you do. Carry that attitude into how you view God’s kingdom. Is it expanding by churches being planted and Bible studies being started – or – are we just content with our own personal church being a nice place to go. If we want to see our world changed – we will once again have to embrace a radical, God-glorifying, Christ-exalting, evangelically-militant church that truly believes Jesus Christ is Lord – and that He is the only way of salvation from the wrath of God due to sinners. I cannot guarantee you that this will yield a different result politically in four years. It probably will land you in hot water with some who have become accustomed to your non-confrontational Christianity that is relatively quiet about the Gospel and about their destination if they remain in their sins. Actually, if we embrace these things – we will probably be persecuted – both inside and outside the church. Interesting though, when I read the Gospels and the book of Acts – they were persecuted for these things too? Maybe I ought to think about that as well? This is not supposed to be a recipe for a return to political power. It is meant to be a call for us to return to spiritual relevance and power. It is a call to matter in our lives – regardless of what happens in future elections. Neither the early church nor our forefathers glorified God for the purpose of winning elections and changing the course of a nation. They did these things because God is worthy of glory, honor, praise, and honestly – every single moment of our lives being lived for His will and purposes. It was just a blessing they received that as they did this – a godly nation was born as well. Maybe we should do more than just read the document they left us. Maybe we should emulate their lives and their purpose as well?  The Republican National Convention is being affected by a hurricane. They are having to delay the start of the convention - and there is a possibility that additional changes may happen as the hurricane develops.
What is truly strange - and I think beyond coincidence is that the day that Hurricane Issac formed as a tropical depression, that was the day that the Republican platform committee voted to put the "two-state" position concerning Israel's land for peace through the formal approval process at the convention. This all happened on Tuesday, August 21st. God has said that He would bless those who bless Israel - and that He would curse those who curse her. The two-state land for peace lie that had permeated the entire peace process in the Middle East has long been promoted as a viable solution. The problem is that as Israel has ceded more and more land - less and less peace has been the result. Now the Republican party has decided that this will be their official position toward Israel - one that is anything but friendly to a long-time ally. The radical Islamic groups that fill the Middle East see this as nothing more than protracted weakness - and an opportunity to continue to drive a wedge between the United States and Israel. This is because Israel cannot abide by an agreement that only requires movement and compromise from one side alone. God is not pleased with this - and to be honest - Hurricane Issac is only a harbinger of more things to come. This decision has far more to do with Islamic accomodation than it does any kind of biblical or political wisdom. We will NOT be blessed in the end for such decisions - and yet as Christ's coming draws nearer - we know that all nations will abandon Israel. It is just sad to watch our nation turn to be one of them in our generation. |
 What is the Prophecy/News Update?At Calvary Chapel of Jonesboro, we believe that history is moving toward fulfilling God's plans and purposes. In an effort to help us be prepared for His appearing - and also to chronicle news items you just won't see in the national media - this page is devoted to sharing those items and their possible significance to 
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