Among the amazing changes going on in our world today is how quickly the U.S. government has embraced practices that the Antichrist will use to grow his power. Speaking of the Antichrist, Daniel 8:25 says, “Through his cunning he shall cause deceit to prosper under his rule; and he shall exalt himself in his heart. He shall destroy many in their prosperity” (NKJ).
The instances of deceit on the part of our governmental leaders are growing. Presidential candidate Obama promised that taxes would not be raised on any but the wealthy but his pursuing government-run health care insurance and cap-and-trade will raise taxes on all of us. Despite the mainstream press being in complete alignment with White House’s propaganda machine, alternative news sources are fortunately still able to bring us reports that show the power hungry corruption of our president… Obama’s Justice Department has decreed that his administration can legally pay ACORN for services performed under contracts before Congress banned the government from funding the group. ACORN has been exposed as a criminal enterprise; paying them off with tax dollars for helping Obama get elected is nothing more than old-fashioned cronyism.
Our President has certainly exalted himself in his heart. His speeches are legend for the use of the word “I” and reminding us of the historic nature of his administration. The fact that he thinks he can achieve peace just by befriending despots in the world and engaging them in conversation shows that he thinks very highly of himself. I guess three is basis for him to believe that since he certainly rose to power seemingly on the eloquence of his speeches.
And then there is the destruction of people in their prosperity. Certainly the debt-driven economic policies of our government has caused prosperity to evaporate and jobs to disappear. And we hear of rumblings of even more actions intended to give our government more centralized control such as this report on plans to take over the Federal Reserve. Every day we hear more reports on power grabs by our government. This is laying the groundwork for the ultimate big government when the Antichrist comes to power.
The rapid pace of these changes should encourage us that the Rapture of the Church can’t be that far off when we see the spirit of the Antichrist growing with such momentum.
Monday, November 30, 2009
Wednesday, November 25, 2009
Global Warming Hoax Exposed
Wow! We now have undeniable proof that global warming due to mankind putting carbon dioxide into the atmosphere is a hoax. It is a product of bad science. The prominent scientists conspiring to propagate this hoax are guilty of avoiding peer review, hiding conflicting data, and covering up their flawed methods. But will this result in our government giving up on its pursuit of draconian economic measures to curb carbon dioxide emissions? I doubt it; the global warming religion has way too much momentum behind it to be derailed now.
President Obama has recently decided to go to Copenhagen to participate in negotiations for a comprehensive climate accord during the United Nations global warming summit there. Originally Obama was not going to participate even though the conference is in the time-frame that he will be in neighboring Norway to receive the Nobel Peace Prize. I wonder how much the recent revelations about the bad ethics of the global warming scientist-priests have had to do with lighting a fire under him to hurry along the cap and trade tax that will pour cold water on the glowing embers of our economy? Obama and our Democratic Congress have been in a hurry to do as much damage to the U.S. economy before the public catch on and put a stop to them.
Watch what happens at Copenhagen. If Obama commits to a treaty, we will have a legally binding mandate in the eyes of the world to move forward with cap and trade legislation. The fix will be in and backing away from cap and trade will be next to impossible. There is a perfect storm coming to the U.S. economy and it is all been designed to render us impotent as a world leader. The U.S. must step aside to make way for the coming new world order. And forces in the world seem to be in a hurry to make that happen. As Revelation 12:12 says, "Woe to the inhabitants of the earth and the sea! For the devil has come down to you, having great wrath, because he knows that he has a short time" (NKJ).
The U.S. has a couple contenders to take over the role of leading the world; the European Community which has pioneered diverse nations being unified and China which has a rapidly growing red hot economy besides being a socialist state. Daniel 7:8 indicates that the Antichrist will neuter three world leaders as competitors for his world leadership role. Could the United States be one of the three along with Europe and China? If so, we are very close to the Antichrist being revealed which has to happen after the Rapture of the Church.
"And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching." (Hebrews 10:24-25, NKJ)
President Obama has recently decided to go to Copenhagen to participate in negotiations for a comprehensive climate accord during the United Nations global warming summit there. Originally Obama was not going to participate even though the conference is in the time-frame that he will be in neighboring Norway to receive the Nobel Peace Prize. I wonder how much the recent revelations about the bad ethics of the global warming scientist-priests have had to do with lighting a fire under him to hurry along the cap and trade tax that will pour cold water on the glowing embers of our economy? Obama and our Democratic Congress have been in a hurry to do as much damage to the U.S. economy before the public catch on and put a stop to them.
Watch what happens at Copenhagen. If Obama commits to a treaty, we will have a legally binding mandate in the eyes of the world to move forward with cap and trade legislation. The fix will be in and backing away from cap and trade will be next to impossible. There is a perfect storm coming to the U.S. economy and it is all been designed to render us impotent as a world leader. The U.S. must step aside to make way for the coming new world order. And forces in the world seem to be in a hurry to make that happen. As Revelation 12:12 says, "Woe to the inhabitants of the earth and the sea! For the devil has come down to you, having great wrath, because he knows that he has a short time" (NKJ).
The U.S. has a couple contenders to take over the role of leading the world; the European Community which has pioneered diverse nations being unified and China which has a rapidly growing red hot economy besides being a socialist state. Daniel 7:8 indicates that the Antichrist will neuter three world leaders as competitors for his world leadership role. Could the United States be one of the three along with Europe and China? If so, we are very close to the Antichrist being revealed which has to happen after the Rapture of the Church.
"And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching." (Hebrews 10:24-25, NKJ)
United States Debt
When I consider all the trends that will cause the United States to cease being a significant factor in world politics, the one that seems most likely to render us impotent is our huge and rapidly accelerating debt. Even the New York Times is sounding alarms and this Leftist publication is fully aligned with our government's socialist objectives.
We have heard that in President Obama's recent visit to China, the Chinese officials questioned him about his plans to reform health care. The Chinese made it clear that "the public option" was a bad idea because of what it would do to the U.S. debt load. China is the number one foreign holder of U.S. Treasury securities. If the Chinese decide not to continue financing our debt, the value of the dollar will plummet. Wealth would evaporate and as the Soviet Union found itself on the sidelines of the world stage virtually over night, such a loss of confidence in the dollar will cause the United States to join them there just as rapidly.
It is amazingly ironic that the communist Chinese are more concerned about the cost of socialized medicine than the President and the Congress. Certainly the Chinese have a lot invested in America so they don't want to see us fail. But if our government continues its reckless spending ways in the form of "health care reform," pork-laden stimulus bills, and government bail-outs; the Chinese will eventually have to say enough is enough and call in the debt.
Watch out if the Chinese government suddenly changes its position and starts encouraging the U.S. to take on more debt... this will be a sign that they are about to pull the plug on our debt and write off the loss. They don't need to defeat us militarily in order to replace us on the world stage.
I'd like to think that the looming U.S. financial reckoning will happen after the Rapture of the Church but at the rate in which world-shaking events are happening, it is very likely this will not be the case. God is watching us and will make an example of the United States if we don't soon repent of our sinful, gluttonous indebtedness. As Habakkuk 2:6-7 says, "Woe to him who increases what is not his-- how long? And to him who loads himself with many pledges? Will not your creditors rise up suddenly? Will they not awaken who oppress you? And you will become their booty." (NKJ)
On an individual level, the best preparation for the coming financial collapse that I can see is to buy gold... I'm just kidding but I couldn't resist. The gold investment hucksters are more active than I've ever seen. I don't know how long gold will hold up as a good investment but James 5:3 tells us that the time is coming when it will be a very bad investment. The Lord gave us sound investment advice in Luke 16:9: "make friends for yourselves by unrighteous mammon, that when you fail, they may receive you into an everlasting home" (NKJ).
The best advice for these days of financial uncertainty is to make sure we are applying the principles God gave us in His Word. This is not a time to "trust in uncertain riches but in the living God, who gives us richly all things to enjoy" (1 Timothy 6:17, NKJ).
We have heard that in President Obama's recent visit to China, the Chinese officials questioned him about his plans to reform health care. The Chinese made it clear that "the public option" was a bad idea because of what it would do to the U.S. debt load. China is the number one foreign holder of U.S. Treasury securities. If the Chinese decide not to continue financing our debt, the value of the dollar will plummet. Wealth would evaporate and as the Soviet Union found itself on the sidelines of the world stage virtually over night, such a loss of confidence in the dollar will cause the United States to join them there just as rapidly.
It is amazingly ironic that the communist Chinese are more concerned about the cost of socialized medicine than the President and the Congress. Certainly the Chinese have a lot invested in America so they don't want to see us fail. But if our government continues its reckless spending ways in the form of "health care reform," pork-laden stimulus bills, and government bail-outs; the Chinese will eventually have to say enough is enough and call in the debt.
Watch out if the Chinese government suddenly changes its position and starts encouraging the U.S. to take on more debt... this will be a sign that they are about to pull the plug on our debt and write off the loss. They don't need to defeat us militarily in order to replace us on the world stage.
I'd like to think that the looming U.S. financial reckoning will happen after the Rapture of the Church but at the rate in which world-shaking events are happening, it is very likely this will not be the case. God is watching us and will make an example of the United States if we don't soon repent of our sinful, gluttonous indebtedness. As Habakkuk 2:6-7 says, "Woe to him who increases what is not his-- how long? And to him who loads himself with many pledges? Will not your creditors rise up suddenly? Will they not awaken who oppress you? And you will become their booty." (NKJ)
On an individual level, the best preparation for the coming financial collapse that I can see is to buy gold... I'm just kidding but I couldn't resist. The gold investment hucksters are more active than I've ever seen. I don't know how long gold will hold up as a good investment but James 5:3 tells us that the time is coming when it will be a very bad investment. The Lord gave us sound investment advice in Luke 16:9: "make friends for yourselves by unrighteous mammon, that when you fail, they may receive you into an everlasting home" (NKJ).
The best advice for these days of financial uncertainty is to make sure we are applying the principles God gave us in His Word. This is not a time to "trust in uncertain riches but in the living God, who gives us richly all things to enjoy" (1 Timothy 6:17, NKJ).
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
Large Hadron Collider
Scientists have smashed together proton beams for the first time in a 27-kilometre tunnel under the French-Swiss border in an initial step toward discovering how the universe came into existence. This research is part of an effort to determine what happened at the beginning of the universe at an event called the "Big Bang." It is interesting to note that these secular scientists now acknowledge that the universe had a beginning. What they don't attempt to explain is how something can be created out of nothing. An act of God is still the best explanation of that.
The amazing discovery of modern science is that our physical universe is actually finite. But still there are those who feel the need to test that theory by seeing if they can discover even smaller particles that make up our material universe. The mission of the Large Hadron Collider is to investigate what happens when subatomic particles, like protons, are crashed into each other at velocities approaching the speed of light. Those funding the effort hope to find ever smaller particles making up the building blocks of matter. But what they are most likely to do is simply confirm what is already known about quantum physics.
Scientists have discovered the boundaries of our physical world in studying subatomic behavior. The amazing discovery of quantum physicists is that if you break matter into smaller and smaller pieces you eventually reach a point where the particles no longer act as matter. Although they can sometimes behave as if they were a particle, scientists have found that they have no dimension and can be manifested as either a particle or a wave. This has led to the smallest dimension that can be measured or divided call the Planck length, 10^(-33) centimeters.
So the most fascinating thing the scientists working with the $10B Large Hedron Collider will likely discover is to confirm that our universe is made up of particles of energy that can not be subdivided. Thus our material universe has limits which is further evidence that it was created. But this will not be enough to convince those who dismiss the Bible; if a person doesn't want to believe the truth about God, they will also dismiss the best evidence science can provide about the nature and wonder of God.
Those who will be disappointed with the results of the Large Hedron Collider will probably want to build an even more powerful super collider thinking that will reveal the truth... "always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth" (2 Timothy 3:77, NKJ). What they don't realize was that the truth was readily apparent right before them all the time; if there is a creation, there had to be a Creator.
"The wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, because what may be known of God is manifest in them, for God has shown it to them. For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse, because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened. Professing to be wise, they became fools..." (Romans 1:18-22, NKJ).
The amazing discovery of modern science is that our physical universe is actually finite. But still there are those who feel the need to test that theory by seeing if they can discover even smaller particles that make up our material universe. The mission of the Large Hadron Collider is to investigate what happens when subatomic particles, like protons, are crashed into each other at velocities approaching the speed of light. Those funding the effort hope to find ever smaller particles making up the building blocks of matter. But what they are most likely to do is simply confirm what is already known about quantum physics.
Scientists have discovered the boundaries of our physical world in studying subatomic behavior. The amazing discovery of quantum physicists is that if you break matter into smaller and smaller pieces you eventually reach a point where the particles no longer act as matter. Although they can sometimes behave as if they were a particle, scientists have found that they have no dimension and can be manifested as either a particle or a wave. This has led to the smallest dimension that can be measured or divided call the Planck length, 10^(-33) centimeters.
So the most fascinating thing the scientists working with the $10B Large Hedron Collider will likely discover is to confirm that our universe is made up of particles of energy that can not be subdivided. Thus our material universe has limits which is further evidence that it was created. But this will not be enough to convince those who dismiss the Bible; if a person doesn't want to believe the truth about God, they will also dismiss the best evidence science can provide about the nature and wonder of God.
Those who will be disappointed with the results of the Large Hedron Collider will probably want to build an even more powerful super collider thinking that will reveal the truth... "always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth" (2 Timothy 3:77, NKJ). What they don't realize was that the truth was readily apparent right before them all the time; if there is a creation, there had to be a Creator.
"The wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, because what may be known of God is manifest in them, for God has shown it to them. For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse, because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened. Professing to be wise, they became fools..." (Romans 1:18-22, NKJ).
Monday, November 23, 2009
Global Warming Chill
There is increasing hard evidence that the global warming crowd's claims that the sky is falling is based on bad science. By "bad science," I mean using science to justify a position that supports a particular agenda. I am convinced that the real purpose behind the leaders of the global warming crowd is to force the United States to transfer more of our wealth to developing nations. This will make more of a level playing field among the world community of nations which better accommodates a centralized worldwide government.
It is easy to scoff at the idea that we are headed toward a worldwide government but the Bible very clearly says that this will be the case in the time before Jesus returns and it explains a lot of the geopolitical trends we see today. Speaking of the Antichrist, Revelation 13:77 says, "authority was given him over every tribe, tongue, and nation" (NKJ).
No matter what unbiased science and reason tells us about the effect of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, the idea that it is an environmental bad thing is so pervasive that the fear of global warming will still be used to justify draconian measures that will further damage to the economy of the United States. We have a government in place that is doing what it can to take advantage of the global economic crisis to cause our economy to lose ground to other nations. Our rapidly accelerating debt causes the dollar to lose value and has gotten other nations to pursue alternatives to the dollar for trade and as a reserve currency. Health care reform is basically an excuse to foist more taxes on people and the "cap and trade" bill which is our government's solution for global warming is essentially a tax on everything that uses hydrocarbon-generated energy (90+% of all energy that is produced in the US).
More taxes will discourage businesses from manufacturing in the US. They will go to the developing nations that don't have the cap and trade style carbon tax to keep their costs down. The net result is that the high unemployment we have now will not get better and indeed could get worse. And when unemployment is high, consumers reduce spending which further impacts the economy. All this will have the net effect of reducing the economic superpower status of the United States, something our government is apparently trying to achieve. We are indeed very close to the age where, "these are of one mind, and they will give their power and authority to the beast" (Revelation 17:13, NKJ).
Mankind's attempts to manipulate the economy to serve Utopian agendas will culminate in a massive failure as described in Revelation 18. But Revelation 18 describes an event that is clearly in the tribulation period. While there will be periodic economic meltdowns that foreshadow the Revelation 18 crash, things will mostly "continue as they were from the beginning of creation" (2 Peter 3:44, NKJ).
Jesus said that the economy would be pretty much business as usual when He takes His followers out of this world... "For as in the days before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and did not know until the flood came and took them all away, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. Then two men will be in the field: one will be taken and the other left. Two women will be grinding at the mill: one will be taken and the other left. Watch therefore, for you do not know what hour your Lord is coming" (Matthew 24:38-42, NKJ). Now that is good news!
It is easy to scoff at the idea that we are headed toward a worldwide government but the Bible very clearly says that this will be the case in the time before Jesus returns and it explains a lot of the geopolitical trends we see today. Speaking of the Antichrist, Revelation 13:77 says, "authority was given him over every tribe, tongue, and nation" (NKJ).
No matter what unbiased science and reason tells us about the effect of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, the idea that it is an environmental bad thing is so pervasive that the fear of global warming will still be used to justify draconian measures that will further damage to the economy of the United States. We have a government in place that is doing what it can to take advantage of the global economic crisis to cause our economy to lose ground to other nations. Our rapidly accelerating debt causes the dollar to lose value and has gotten other nations to pursue alternatives to the dollar for trade and as a reserve currency. Health care reform is basically an excuse to foist more taxes on people and the "cap and trade" bill which is our government's solution for global warming is essentially a tax on everything that uses hydrocarbon-generated energy (90+% of all energy that is produced in the US).
More taxes will discourage businesses from manufacturing in the US. They will go to the developing nations that don't have the cap and trade style carbon tax to keep their costs down. The net result is that the high unemployment we have now will not get better and indeed could get worse. And when unemployment is high, consumers reduce spending which further impacts the economy. All this will have the net effect of reducing the economic superpower status of the United States, something our government is apparently trying to achieve. We are indeed very close to the age where, "these are of one mind, and they will give their power and authority to the beast" (Revelation 17:13, NKJ).
Mankind's attempts to manipulate the economy to serve Utopian agendas will culminate in a massive failure as described in Revelation 18. But Revelation 18 describes an event that is clearly in the tribulation period. While there will be periodic economic meltdowns that foreshadow the Revelation 18 crash, things will mostly "continue as they were from the beginning of creation" (2 Peter 3:44, NKJ).
Jesus said that the economy would be pretty much business as usual when He takes His followers out of this world... "For as in the days before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and did not know until the flood came and took them all away, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. Then two men will be in the field: one will be taken and the other left. Two women will be grinding at the mill: one will be taken and the other left. Watch therefore, for you do not know what hour your Lord is coming" (Matthew 24:38-42, NKJ). Now that is good news!
Friday, November 20, 2009
Government Idolatry
A US judge has ruled that negligence by the US Army Corps of Engineers led to massive floods in parts of New Orleans as Hurricane Katrina struck in 2005.
We live in an age where our government is believed to be our savior. If you do not believe that God is in control of this world, you need to find some entity that is and for an increasing number of people, that entity is the government. This no-doubt explains why more and more people are just fine with a bigger U.S. government and why people will embrace the coming world-wide government.
Idolatry is worshiping anything ahead of God. You are worshiping the government when you expect them to indemnify you against acts of God. God commissioned governments to act on His behalf to maintain order and see that justice is served (Genesis 9:6). Expecting anything beyond that is putting government ahead of God and is idolatry. The move toward government insured health care is idolatry. Any dependency on government beyond their keeping the peace is idolatry. As our system of entitlements grow, dependency on government grows and thus idolatry grows.
Idolatry is sin and sin always has consequences. God is long suffering and has mercy on us giving us an opportunity to repent but the day will come when it is clear that further waiting will not make any difference. When God warned about the coming world-wide flood in Noah's day, "the LORD said, 'My Spirit shall not strive with man forever, for he is indeed flesh'" (Genesis 6:3, NKJ).
If our government has to start fully compensating those with losses from Katrina in New Orleans, this will be just one more factor causing our debt to spiral out of control. This is the result of a debased mind. Any rational person can see that such pay-outs are unsustainable. Our excessive national debt will have consequences. Our government is spending like there is no tomorrow and everyone seems to be OK with this. The general attitude appears to be: "Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die!" (1 Corinthians 15:32, NKJ)
Well tomorrow will come, and we will suffer the consequences of our sins. Thank God we have a Savior so that we do not have to suffer the worst consequence of our personal sin. So worship God, not Gov!
We live in an age where our government is believed to be our savior. If you do not believe that God is in control of this world, you need to find some entity that is and for an increasing number of people, that entity is the government. This no-doubt explains why more and more people are just fine with a bigger U.S. government and why people will embrace the coming world-wide government.
Idolatry is worshiping anything ahead of God. You are worshiping the government when you expect them to indemnify you against acts of God. God commissioned governments to act on His behalf to maintain order and see that justice is served (Genesis 9:6). Expecting anything beyond that is putting government ahead of God and is idolatry. The move toward government insured health care is idolatry. Any dependency on government beyond their keeping the peace is idolatry. As our system of entitlements grow, dependency on government grows and thus idolatry grows.
Idolatry is sin and sin always has consequences. God is long suffering and has mercy on us giving us an opportunity to repent but the day will come when it is clear that further waiting will not make any difference. When God warned about the coming world-wide flood in Noah's day, "the LORD said, 'My Spirit shall not strive with man forever, for he is indeed flesh'" (Genesis 6:3, NKJ).
If our government has to start fully compensating those with losses from Katrina in New Orleans, this will be just one more factor causing our debt to spiral out of control. This is the result of a debased mind. Any rational person can see that such pay-outs are unsustainable. Our excessive national debt will have consequences. Our government is spending like there is no tomorrow and everyone seems to be OK with this. The general attitude appears to be: "Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die!" (1 Corinthians 15:32, NKJ)
Well tomorrow will come, and we will suffer the consequences of our sins. Thank God we have a Savior so that we do not have to suffer the worst consequence of our personal sin. So worship God, not Gov!
Thursday, November 19, 2009
Turkey Aligning with Islamic Block
On the heals of being snubbed by the European Community, Turkey is now working hard on enhancing their Islamic world credentials by going public with more criticism of Israel. Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said that Israel's "threats to use violence" and its military might will ensure that tension in the Middle East continues.
Turkey is a key country to watch because the Ottoman Empire is the most likely candidate for the "seventh kingdom" of Revelation 17:10. As Revelation 17:11 indicates, the kingdom of the Antichrist will be "of the seventh kingdom." Daniel 9:26 reinforces the idea that the Antichrist will come from the people that destroyed the Temple in Jerusalem in 70 A.D. The Ottoman Empire replaced the Byzantine Empire which was a direct descendant from the Roman Empire (the sixth kingdom to rule over Jerusalem).
Turkey is also the most likely country of Gog in Ezekiel 38 because the terms used for several of the countries mentioned are best explained by describing parts of Turkey. It seems likely that the Antichrist could then come from Turkey when you consider the fact that the only other use of the term Gog in the Bible is in Revelation 20:8 where he is clearly filling the role of the Antichrist.
So we should watch for signs of a revived Ottoman Empire that is in a unique position to unite the Sunnis and Shiites. As the United States is a secular, "cultural" Christian nation, Turkey is a secular, "cultural" Islamic nation. What better moderator to unite the Islamic world. And that is the role that the Ottoman Empire had in the early days of Islam which was the home of the Caliphate which is the Islamic equivalent of the Catholic Pope. The unifying factor here is making Islam a more significant agent of change in the world. Islam already has significant momentum in this regard, it just needs unification to accelerate progress. By criticising Israel, Turkey is demonstrating that they are a candidate for this role.
"Do not keep silent, O God! Do not hold Your peace, and do not be still, O God! For behold, Your enemies make a tumult; and those who hate You have lifted up their head. They have taken crafty counsel against Your people, and consulted together against Your sheltered ones. They have said, "Come, and let us cut them off from being a nation, that the name of Israel may be remembered no more." For they have consulted together with one consent; they form a confederacy against You..." (Psalm 83:1-5, NKJ)
Turkey is a key country to watch because the Ottoman Empire is the most likely candidate for the "seventh kingdom" of Revelation 17:10. As Revelation 17:11 indicates, the kingdom of the Antichrist will be "of the seventh kingdom." Daniel 9:26 reinforces the idea that the Antichrist will come from the people that destroyed the Temple in Jerusalem in 70 A.D. The Ottoman Empire replaced the Byzantine Empire which was a direct descendant from the Roman Empire (the sixth kingdom to rule over Jerusalem).
Turkey is also the most likely country of Gog in Ezekiel 38 because the terms used for several of the countries mentioned are best explained by describing parts of Turkey. It seems likely that the Antichrist could then come from Turkey when you consider the fact that the only other use of the term Gog in the Bible is in Revelation 20:8 where he is clearly filling the role of the Antichrist.
So we should watch for signs of a revived Ottoman Empire that is in a unique position to unite the Sunnis and Shiites. As the United States is a secular, "cultural" Christian nation, Turkey is a secular, "cultural" Islamic nation. What better moderator to unite the Islamic world. And that is the role that the Ottoman Empire had in the early days of Islam which was the home of the Caliphate which is the Islamic equivalent of the Catholic Pope. The unifying factor here is making Islam a more significant agent of change in the world. Islam already has significant momentum in this regard, it just needs unification to accelerate progress. By criticising Israel, Turkey is demonstrating that they are a candidate for this role.
"Do not keep silent, O God! Do not hold Your peace, and do not be still, O God! For behold, Your enemies make a tumult; and those who hate You have lifted up their head. They have taken crafty counsel against Your people, and consulted together against Your sheltered ones. They have said, "Come, and let us cut them off from being a nation, that the name of Israel may be remembered no more." For they have consulted together with one consent; they form a confederacy against You..." (Psalm 83:1-5, NKJ)
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
Reaching Out to Muslims
President Obama has been pursuing a policy of “reaching out to Muslims” by appointing them to key security posts while ignoring Muslim terrorism like recent mass murder at Fort Hood.
Are such actions ignorance of the goals of Islam or does it reveal compatibility with the aim of Islam to undermine the "Great Satan" of the United States? Since President Obama has demonstrated a pattern of this, I think it must be the latter. One way to "fundamentally change" the U.S. is to cause us to lose our superpower status.
What ever the reason, our government appears to be doing what he can to boost Islam and help Muslims achieve their goals. This is irrational if the fruits of Islam are considered, death and bondage (submission). But it also foreshadows how Islam will be able to sweep the world as the religion of the Antichrist. Revelation 13:4 says, "So they worshiped the dragon who gave authority to the beast; and they worshiped the beast, saying, "Who is like the beast? Who is able to make war with him?" (NKJ)
President Obama has been wavering over what to do in Afghanistan. I'm sure he'd like to pull out; he certainly doesn't want to act like he wants to win or he'd have already agreed with his generals to send more troops over there. But President Obama made a big deal during his campaign about Afghanistan being the "righteous" war while Iraq was not. I'm not convinced he really believed that; I think he just wanted to bash Bush without looking like a complete dove.
Given that the spirit of Antichrist is growing in our world today and that our president has demonstrated his being aligned with it, I predict that we will begin ratcheting back our involvement in Afghanistan. Having one more place that radical Islamists can flourish is compatible with the end result our government wants to see in the United States.
If my comments sound harsh, let's just wait and see what happens. Bible prophecy is very practical in helping us see why things happen the way they do in the world.
Are such actions ignorance of the goals of Islam or does it reveal compatibility with the aim of Islam to undermine the "Great Satan" of the United States? Since President Obama has demonstrated a pattern of this, I think it must be the latter. One way to "fundamentally change" the U.S. is to cause us to lose our superpower status.
What ever the reason, our government appears to be doing what he can to boost Islam and help Muslims achieve their goals. This is irrational if the fruits of Islam are considered, death and bondage (submission). But it also foreshadows how Islam will be able to sweep the world as the religion of the Antichrist. Revelation 13:4 says, "So they worshiped the dragon who gave authority to the beast; and they worshiped the beast, saying, "Who is like the beast? Who is able to make war with him?" (NKJ)
President Obama has been wavering over what to do in Afghanistan. I'm sure he'd like to pull out; he certainly doesn't want to act like he wants to win or he'd have already agreed with his generals to send more troops over there. But President Obama made a big deal during his campaign about Afghanistan being the "righteous" war while Iraq was not. I'm not convinced he really believed that; I think he just wanted to bash Bush without looking like a complete dove.
Given that the spirit of Antichrist is growing in our world today and that our president has demonstrated his being aligned with it, I predict that we will begin ratcheting back our involvement in Afghanistan. Having one more place that radical Islamists can flourish is compatible with the end result our government wants to see in the United States.
If my comments sound harsh, let's just wait and see what happens. Bible prophecy is very practical in helping us see why things happen the way they do in the world.
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
Debased Minds
Things seem to be rocking along pretty good in this country with only hints of problems on the horizon. But to the discerning with a biblical world view, these hints of problems speak volumes. Every day there is a new revelation of someone given power in our government that has radical Leftist views and wants to change life as we have known it in this country. I am convinced that they will eventually get their wish and it will not be pretty.
The latest news of a governmental Leftist we are learning about is President Barack Obama's first judicial nominee, Judge David Hamilton. Hamilton has served as a fundraiser for ACORN, and he also once gave the order to stop prayers at the Indiana State House in the name of Jesus, but later stated that praying in the name of Allah was okay. Hamilton thinks it is OK to worship the god of jihad but not the Prince of Peace. This is clearly the spirit of the Antichrist and I'm sure such revelations are just a tip of the iceberg.
We have to stop and ask ourselves why God is allowing people like Judge Hamilton to be empowered over us. This is the fruit of electing a president who is more interested in bringing the United States under the will of the world community of nations than furthering the liberties and opportunities that we have enjoyed for so long. After all, what should we expect from a president who spent 20 years under a pastor who neglected the good news of Christ to preach hatred of the United States for not giving Black Americans enough opportunities.
Ultimately, we are getting the government we deserve. When people turn away from God, there will be consequences. Romans 1:28 says, "and even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a debased mind, to do those things which are not fitting" (NKJ). More and more people in this country are being given over to a debased mind. We can see the impact of this in the ideologues that are being installed in our government. This is a warning to us that if we don't start turning back to God as a nation, our ungodly governors will oppress us beyond what we ever thought possible in this country.
We know that governmental oppression is coming on a worldwide scale but that does not have to occur until after the Rapture of the Church. Up until that point, this country can be an exception. More than any other country in the world, the United States has the potential for turning back to the Christ. So it will behove us to get on board with what God is doing around us and help our associates wake up to the spiritual aspects of what is going on in this country and the world.
While it is true that professing followers of Christ will abandon their faith in droves prior to Christ's return, we don't need need to suffer the consequence of that because the pouring out of God's wrath "will not come unless the falling away comes first, and the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition" (2 Thessalonians 2:3, NKJ). It is comforting to remember that as we see those with debased minds being put in power over us.
The latest news of a governmental Leftist we are learning about is President Barack Obama's first judicial nominee, Judge David Hamilton. Hamilton has served as a fundraiser for ACORN, and he also once gave the order to stop prayers at the Indiana State House in the name of Jesus, but later stated that praying in the name of Allah was okay. Hamilton thinks it is OK to worship the god of jihad but not the Prince of Peace. This is clearly the spirit of the Antichrist and I'm sure such revelations are just a tip of the iceberg.
We have to stop and ask ourselves why God is allowing people like Judge Hamilton to be empowered over us. This is the fruit of electing a president who is more interested in bringing the United States under the will of the world community of nations than furthering the liberties and opportunities that we have enjoyed for so long. After all, what should we expect from a president who spent 20 years under a pastor who neglected the good news of Christ to preach hatred of the United States for not giving Black Americans enough opportunities.
Ultimately, we are getting the government we deserve. When people turn away from God, there will be consequences. Romans 1:28 says, "and even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a debased mind, to do those things which are not fitting" (NKJ). More and more people in this country are being given over to a debased mind. We can see the impact of this in the ideologues that are being installed in our government. This is a warning to us that if we don't start turning back to God as a nation, our ungodly governors will oppress us beyond what we ever thought possible in this country.
We know that governmental oppression is coming on a worldwide scale but that does not have to occur until after the Rapture of the Church. Up until that point, this country can be an exception. More than any other country in the world, the United States has the potential for turning back to the Christ. So it will behove us to get on board with what God is doing around us and help our associates wake up to the spiritual aspects of what is going on in this country and the world.
While it is true that professing followers of Christ will abandon their faith in droves prior to Christ's return, we don't need need to suffer the consequence of that because the pouring out of God's wrath "will not come unless the falling away comes first, and the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition" (2 Thessalonians 2:3, NKJ). It is comforting to remember that as we see those with debased minds being put in power over us.
Monday, November 16, 2009
Politics Trumps Security
To demonstrate progress in fulfilling his campaign promise to close the terrorist detention center at Guantánamo Bay, President Obama's administration said Friday that it would prosecute Khalid Shaikh Mohammed, the self-described mastermind of the Sept. 11 attacks, in a Manhattan federal courtroom.
The result of this trial should be inevitable; Khalid Shaikh Mohammed will be found guilty and executed. The outcome should be the same whether the trial happened in a military tribunal or in the United States criminal justice system. The difference is that in our government's utopian effort to show the world that we are fair so that terrorist sympathizers will change their minds about hating us, we are actually damaging our security. A public trial will reveal how we were able to obtain our anti-terrorism intelligence. We are telling our enemies how they can avoid being caught by us before they can carry out their next mission to attack us.
The Obama administration also wants a public trial of Mohammad to appease it's radical Left base who wants to expose things they believe can be used to pursue war crimes charges against Bush administration officials. They persist in hating President Bush more than the Islamic terrorists who seek to end our way of life in the United States. This is amazingly irrational and the only way it can be explained is spiritual warfare.
It is pretty disturbing to realize that playing politics is a higher priority for our government than protecting this country from terrorists. There was a time when such activities were considered treason. But I guess the reasoning is that if elected public officials are engaged in revealing state secrets then it can't be called treason. However, I would expect God to consider it treason, "for there is no partiality with God" (Romans 2:11, NKJ). It doesn't matter whether a person is elected or not, wrong is wrong. It is interesting to note that treason is listed among the signs of "the last days perilous times" in 2 Timothy 3:1-5.
We live in an age when the end justifies the means and there appears to be no brakes on the runaway train of globalization. What used to be treason is now "transparency" in pursuit of more cooperation between nations. This sounds good but it turns people away from God which caused Him to take action over the Tower of Babel. The coming global government will cause him to take action as well. It is good to remember that Jesus will come for His bride before He pours out His wrath on earth.
The result of this trial should be inevitable; Khalid Shaikh Mohammed will be found guilty and executed. The outcome should be the same whether the trial happened in a military tribunal or in the United States criminal justice system. The difference is that in our government's utopian effort to show the world that we are fair so that terrorist sympathizers will change their minds about hating us, we are actually damaging our security. A public trial will reveal how we were able to obtain our anti-terrorism intelligence. We are telling our enemies how they can avoid being caught by us before they can carry out their next mission to attack us.
The Obama administration also wants a public trial of Mohammad to appease it's radical Left base who wants to expose things they believe can be used to pursue war crimes charges against Bush administration officials. They persist in hating President Bush more than the Islamic terrorists who seek to end our way of life in the United States. This is amazingly irrational and the only way it can be explained is spiritual warfare.
It is pretty disturbing to realize that playing politics is a higher priority for our government than protecting this country from terrorists. There was a time when such activities were considered treason. But I guess the reasoning is that if elected public officials are engaged in revealing state secrets then it can't be called treason. However, I would expect God to consider it treason, "for there is no partiality with God" (Romans 2:11, NKJ). It doesn't matter whether a person is elected or not, wrong is wrong. It is interesting to note that treason is listed among the signs of "the last days perilous times" in 2 Timothy 3:1-5.
We live in an age when the end justifies the means and there appears to be no brakes on the runaway train of globalization. What used to be treason is now "transparency" in pursuit of more cooperation between nations. This sounds good but it turns people away from God which caused Him to take action over the Tower of Babel. The coming global government will cause him to take action as well. It is good to remember that Jesus will come for His bride before He pours out His wrath on earth.
Friday, November 13, 2009
Jobs Summit
President Obama announced a December jobs summit in the wake of the Labor Department reported another 502,000 new jobless claims and the unemployment rate growing to 10.2 percent. Our president got elected due in large part to his eloquent oratory and seems to think that community organizing style talk will inspire people to do something that magically creates more jobs.
While mesmerizing speech making will likely fail to create more jobs, it certainly did help Barack Obama get elected president. I was fascinated during the election by how he could say so much so well without really imparting anything of substance; yet the public was so enthralled by his speeches. I am convinced that the reason the Obama oratory was so successful in bringing him into power is that the public is now more easily swayed by this characteristic.
The rapid rise to power of Barack Obama shows that conditions are favorable for the Antichrist to come to power because this is how it will happen... "I was considering the horns, and there was another horn, a little one, coming up among them, before whom three of the first horns were plucked out by the roots. And there, in this horn, were eyes like the eyes of a man, and a mouth speaking pompous words" (Daniel 7:8, NKJ). The Antichrist will also be a charismatic speech maker; and he will use that skill to come into power... "And in his place shall arise a vile person, to whom they will not give the honor of royalty; but he shall come in peaceably, and seize the kingdom by intrigue" (Daniel 11:21).
I am skeptical that our president really wants to create jobs. He has to talk about it because so many people are hurting by being out of work. I'm sure he will claim progress by saying how many jobs have been "saved" because as bad as the economy is it could have been worse. This is classic no-substance rhetoric which can not be proven. The President has demonstrated that the objective to increase jobs will have to take a back seat to his agenda of fundamentally transforming the United States to be a socialist society. Reducing the tax burden is a proven way to stimulate job creation but this is in direct competition with growing the size and reach of the government.
While resisting the evil growth of government using all the political tools at our disposal is a good thing, we need to recognize that our time will be better spent helping people see that Jesus is the Savior they need, not the government. The growth of the government is inevitable. Speaking of the coming world ruler, Revelation 13:7 says, "authority was given him over every tribe, tongue, and nation" (NKJ). And we know how human run big government will turn out... "all the birds were filled with their flesh" (Revelation 19:21, NKJ).
It has never been more important to be aligned with the Kingdom of God rather than the kingdom of men.
While mesmerizing speech making will likely fail to create more jobs, it certainly did help Barack Obama get elected president. I was fascinated during the election by how he could say so much so well without really imparting anything of substance; yet the public was so enthralled by his speeches. I am convinced that the reason the Obama oratory was so successful in bringing him into power is that the public is now more easily swayed by this characteristic.
The rapid rise to power of Barack Obama shows that conditions are favorable for the Antichrist to come to power because this is how it will happen... "I was considering the horns, and there was another horn, a little one, coming up among them, before whom three of the first horns were plucked out by the roots. And there, in this horn, were eyes like the eyes of a man, and a mouth speaking pompous words" (Daniel 7:8, NKJ). The Antichrist will also be a charismatic speech maker; and he will use that skill to come into power... "And in his place shall arise a vile person, to whom they will not give the honor of royalty; but he shall come in peaceably, and seize the kingdom by intrigue" (Daniel 11:21).
I am skeptical that our president really wants to create jobs. He has to talk about it because so many people are hurting by being out of work. I'm sure he will claim progress by saying how many jobs have been "saved" because as bad as the economy is it could have been worse. This is classic no-substance rhetoric which can not be proven. The President has demonstrated that the objective to increase jobs will have to take a back seat to his agenda of fundamentally transforming the United States to be a socialist society. Reducing the tax burden is a proven way to stimulate job creation but this is in direct competition with growing the size and reach of the government.
While resisting the evil growth of government using all the political tools at our disposal is a good thing, we need to recognize that our time will be better spent helping people see that Jesus is the Savior they need, not the government. The growth of the government is inevitable. Speaking of the coming world ruler, Revelation 13:7 says, "authority was given him over every tribe, tongue, and nation" (NKJ). And we know how human run big government will turn out... "all the birds were filled with their flesh" (Revelation 19:21, NKJ).
It has never been more important to be aligned with the Kingdom of God rather than the kingdom of men.
Thursday, November 12, 2009
Irrational Islam
In the wake of the Fort Hood mass murder by an Islamic Jihadist, most conservative commentators have pointed out the political correctness of our government and media toward Islam. For example, Jonah Goldberg noted that our government apparently has not learned the lesson of the need to "connect the dots" which should have prevented the 9-11-01 attack on the U.S.
Among the factors that cause people to have a politically correct attitude toward Islam is a post modern humanist world view. If you think all religions are equally valid, you have no problem with Islam. If you think that people are good by nature, there is no reason to suspect people with dubious behavior. If you think all cultures have inherent value, we should not condemn those who use terrorism to have their way. After all, survival of the fittest is a natural process of evolution; isn't it?
While these factors are all valid, I think the biggest cause of Islam being embraced as legitimate by the masses is an irrational mind. Romans 1:28 says, "even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a debased mind, to do those things which are not fitting" (NKJ). Anyone with an unclouded mind looking critically at Islam should easily see that it is a very flawed...
Believing that the Qur’an is inspired by God is pretty irrational due to its many contradictions. This is such a problem that Muslims have a way of dealing with it called the Doctrine of Abrogation. In situations where Qur'an verses contradict one another, the early verses are considered to be overridden by the latter verses. The chronological timing in which a verse was written determines its authority to establish policies within Islam.
It has occurred to me that these contradictions may actually be as much by design as they are errors from a less-than-perfect person. Muslims cite early verses to convince non-Muslims they are peaceful; such deception to further the interests of Islam is actually a sanctioned practice within the religion. The Father of Lies (John 8:44) is a very crafty leader to have come up with a way to mask and even benefit from his own failings.
As more people in the world turn away from God, the more they will be given over to a debased mind to embrace Islam despite its irrationality. I have become convinced that Islam will be the official religion of the Antichrist and that the harlot "Mystery Babylon" of Revelation 17 refers to the religion he uses to enslave the masses. Given the growth of Islam and the political correctness associated with it among many other things, this interpretation fits better than any other alternative including the traditional view of regarding Mystery Babylon to be an apostate ecumenical form of Christianity.
Addressing the political correctness of Islam, Revelation 17:1-2 says, "the great harlot... with whom the kings of the earth committed fornication, and the inhabitants of the earth were made drunk with the wine of her fornication" (NKJ). As drunks do, those with a politically correct view of Islam make irrational self destructive decisions in the interests of appeasing Muslims.
Islamic drunkenness is sure to grow as we get closer to the Lord's return.
Among the factors that cause people to have a politically correct attitude toward Islam is a post modern humanist world view. If you think all religions are equally valid, you have no problem with Islam. If you think that people are good by nature, there is no reason to suspect people with dubious behavior. If you think all cultures have inherent value, we should not condemn those who use terrorism to have their way. After all, survival of the fittest is a natural process of evolution; isn't it?
While these factors are all valid, I think the biggest cause of Islam being embraced as legitimate by the masses is an irrational mind. Romans 1:28 says, "even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a debased mind, to do those things which are not fitting" (NKJ). Anyone with an unclouded mind looking critically at Islam should easily see that it is a very flawed...
Believing that the Qur’an is inspired by God is pretty irrational due to its many contradictions. This is such a problem that Muslims have a way of dealing with it called the Doctrine of Abrogation. In situations where Qur'an verses contradict one another, the early verses are considered to be overridden by the latter verses. The chronological timing in which a verse was written determines its authority to establish policies within Islam.
It has occurred to me that these contradictions may actually be as much by design as they are errors from a less-than-perfect person. Muslims cite early verses to convince non-Muslims they are peaceful; such deception to further the interests of Islam is actually a sanctioned practice within the religion. The Father of Lies (John 8:44) is a very crafty leader to have come up with a way to mask and even benefit from his own failings.
As more people in the world turn away from God, the more they will be given over to a debased mind to embrace Islam despite its irrationality. I have become convinced that Islam will be the official religion of the Antichrist and that the harlot "Mystery Babylon" of Revelation 17 refers to the religion he uses to enslave the masses. Given the growth of Islam and the political correctness associated with it among many other things, this interpretation fits better than any other alternative including the traditional view of regarding Mystery Babylon to be an apostate ecumenical form of Christianity.
Addressing the political correctness of Islam, Revelation 17:1-2 says, "the great harlot... with whom the kings of the earth committed fornication, and the inhabitants of the earth were made drunk with the wine of her fornication" (NKJ). As drunks do, those with a politically correct view of Islam make irrational self destructive decisions in the interests of appeasing Muslims.
Islamic drunkenness is sure to grow as we get closer to the Lord's return.
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
The Hidden Agenda of the Left
Well it looks like the House of Representatives passed a health care bill that puts the government in competition with private insurance companies. Since the insurance companies will not be able to compete with the government, eventually the government will be the single provider of al health care in this country. No one knows what other little nuggets are hidden in this 2,000+ page bill since it was voted on without anyone reading it.
The health care bill is not actually law yet, it still needs to be harmonized with whatever the Democrats in the Senate have in mind. But it is inevitable, we will have government run health care.
Most of the opposition to government run health care bill is focused on how it will be paid for. The Leftists running our government really don’t care what things cost, the more debt they can put the US into the better. For those who want to fundamentally change the US; the best way to do that is to crash the value of the dollar so that we are on the same level as an emerging nation. As the saying goes you can’t make an omelet without breaking eggs.
Another hidden agenda item behind the health care legislation is power. It takes control from the private sector and transfers it to the government. This means it takes away individual freedoms. Liberals talk like they want more freedoms such as the choices to have an abortion, smoke marijuana, and have a gay marriage. Indeed the term “Liberal” sounds like it stands for more freedoms but it is a deception. Liberals really want to take away individual freedoms…
The Liberals love big government, the bigger the better. The problem with a bigger government is that it comes with more taxes to pay for all their “services.” When more taxes are taken from individuals, they lose the opportunity to make decisions on the use of that money thus losing freedom. Those who love the power of a bloated government will do what they can to grab more power so that they can make more decisions for more people.
The health care legislation is a huge power grab. Eventually the government will tell what we should and shouldn’t eat, behaviors that are and are not acceptable, etcetera all in the interest of reducing the cost of health care. They really don’t want to reduce the cost of health care but they do want more control over people.
What we are seeing our Leftist government do as fast as they can is twofold: (1) reduce the power of the US in the world and (2) increase the power of the government over the people of the US. The personal impact of our government is greater than it has ever been in history. Most people have not figured out the ramifications of this and instead think that “all things continue as they were from the beginning” (2 Peter 3:4, NKJ).
The changes that are underway are amazing to watch. And the pace of change is accelerating. Most people are oblivious to the ramifications of these changes. As God told the prophet Daniel, “the end of it shall be with a flood” (Daniel 9:26) meaning that it will overwhelm people suddenly. Jesus gave even more details saying, “as the days of Noah were, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be… they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark and did not know until the flood came and took them all away” (Matthew 24:37-39).
This is not a time to put off following Jesus.
The health care bill is not actually law yet, it still needs to be harmonized with whatever the Democrats in the Senate have in mind. But it is inevitable, we will have government run health care.
Most of the opposition to government run health care bill is focused on how it will be paid for. The Leftists running our government really don’t care what things cost, the more debt they can put the US into the better. For those who want to fundamentally change the US; the best way to do that is to crash the value of the dollar so that we are on the same level as an emerging nation. As the saying goes you can’t make an omelet without breaking eggs.
Another hidden agenda item behind the health care legislation is power. It takes control from the private sector and transfers it to the government. This means it takes away individual freedoms. Liberals talk like they want more freedoms such as the choices to have an abortion, smoke marijuana, and have a gay marriage. Indeed the term “Liberal” sounds like it stands for more freedoms but it is a deception. Liberals really want to take away individual freedoms…
The Liberals love big government, the bigger the better. The problem with a bigger government is that it comes with more taxes to pay for all their “services.” When more taxes are taken from individuals, they lose the opportunity to make decisions on the use of that money thus losing freedom. Those who love the power of a bloated government will do what they can to grab more power so that they can make more decisions for more people.
The health care legislation is a huge power grab. Eventually the government will tell what we should and shouldn’t eat, behaviors that are and are not acceptable, etcetera all in the interest of reducing the cost of health care. They really don’t want to reduce the cost of health care but they do want more control over people.
What we are seeing our Leftist government do as fast as they can is twofold: (1) reduce the power of the US in the world and (2) increase the power of the government over the people of the US. The personal impact of our government is greater than it has ever been in history. Most people have not figured out the ramifications of this and instead think that “all things continue as they were from the beginning” (2 Peter 3:4, NKJ).
The changes that are underway are amazing to watch. And the pace of change is accelerating. Most people are oblivious to the ramifications of these changes. As God told the prophet Daniel, “the end of it shall be with a flood” (Daniel 9:26) meaning that it will overwhelm people suddenly. Jesus gave even more details saying, “as the days of Noah were, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be… they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark and did not know until the flood came and took them all away” (Matthew 24:37-39).
This is not a time to put off following Jesus.
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
Financial Armageddon
I read a Newsweek article this weekend that had a very bearish outlook on the economy.
It calls the recent stock market rally a ghost bubble that will burst. Apparently this is historically a common phenomenon. It does seem that the recent gains in the stock market are based on wishful thinking and can not be sustained because none of the problems that caused the market crash have really been corrected. The stimulus money that the government injected is a band aid that doesn’t address the root problems of toxic assets among other things.
With many people thinking the stock market is poised to crash again, they have driven the price of gold up to record levels. It is certainly tempting to pull out of the stock market and buy gold but it is simply a commodity that is prone to boom and bust as well. And given what God has said about the value of gold prior to His return, this seems especially risky… “Come now, you rich, weep and howl for your miseries that are coming upon you! Your riches are corrupted, and your garments are moth-eaten. Your gold and silver are corroded, and their corrosion will be a witness against you and will eat your flesh like fire. You have heaped up treasure in the last days.” (James 5:1-3, NKJ)
Another investment alternative is the money market which is based on U.S. Treasury securities. But with the debt our government is taking on and the value of the dollar being under assault around the world, this may be the biggest risk of all.
So what to do? I think that the Lord is allowing all this to happen to remind His followers not to put their trust in things of this world. Now more than ever, we need to trust in Christ and Him alone. As Jesus said, “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal” (Matthew 6:19-20, NKJ).
Jesus also told us how to lay up treasure in heaven… “make friends for yourselves by unrighteous mammon, that when you fail, they may receive you into an everlasting home” (Luke 16:9, NKJ). Making decisions about the fleeting resources we have with an eternal perspective is liberating.
So we should make deposits into the eternal treasury “while it is day; the night is coming when no one can work” (John 9:4), NKJ). It sure seems like we don’t have long to labor until we’ll be experiencing the treasures in heaven.
It calls the recent stock market rally a ghost bubble that will burst. Apparently this is historically a common phenomenon. It does seem that the recent gains in the stock market are based on wishful thinking and can not be sustained because none of the problems that caused the market crash have really been corrected. The stimulus money that the government injected is a band aid that doesn’t address the root problems of toxic assets among other things.
With many people thinking the stock market is poised to crash again, they have driven the price of gold up to record levels. It is certainly tempting to pull out of the stock market and buy gold but it is simply a commodity that is prone to boom and bust as well. And given what God has said about the value of gold prior to His return, this seems especially risky… “Come now, you rich, weep and howl for your miseries that are coming upon you! Your riches are corrupted, and your garments are moth-eaten. Your gold and silver are corroded, and their corrosion will be a witness against you and will eat your flesh like fire. You have heaped up treasure in the last days.” (James 5:1-3, NKJ)
Another investment alternative is the money market which is based on U.S. Treasury securities. But with the debt our government is taking on and the value of the dollar being under assault around the world, this may be the biggest risk of all.
So what to do? I think that the Lord is allowing all this to happen to remind His followers not to put their trust in things of this world. Now more than ever, we need to trust in Christ and Him alone. As Jesus said, “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal” (Matthew 6:19-20, NKJ).
Jesus also told us how to lay up treasure in heaven… “make friends for yourselves by unrighteous mammon, that when you fail, they may receive you into an everlasting home” (Luke 16:9, NKJ). Making decisions about the fleeting resources we have with an eternal perspective is liberating.
So we should make deposits into the eternal treasury “while it is day; the night is coming when no one can work” (John 9:4), NKJ). It sure seems like we don’t have long to labor until we’ll be experiencing the treasures in heaven.
Monday, November 9, 2009
The Berlin Wall
Twenty years ago today, the Berlin Wall came down. Within two years the Soviet Union broke up virtually over night. This was a critical event in my life because the Lord used it to lead me to Christ.
The Berlin Wall was a symbol of the Cold War that had existed my entire life. I had been a Cold War warrior spending nine years of my life preparing to repulse the Soviets as a US Army officer in a nuclear-capable field artillery battalion. It made no sense that the Cold War could just end over night without a shot being fired.
I had been reading a book my father-in-law gave me called, “The End of the Days.” Yes, it was a book on Bible prophecy which I considered to be a crack-pot-concept. But I read it to humor the old guy because he let me marry his dazzling daughter.
The book I read was essentially a commentary on the biblical book of Daniel which includes prophecies of the nations that would rule the world from the Babylonian Empire until the Messiah returns. These prophecies are in such detail that I became convinced the Bible had to be from God because only He can “declare the end from the beginning.”
What happened to the Soviet Union could be explained by Bible prophecy; the superpower stand-off had to be resolved to make way for the world-wide government that will be in place when the Messiah returns.
I was discussing these things with the fetching Mrs. Huckaby one evening when it occurred to me, if the Bible could help me understand the reason current events happened the way they did, it had to also be right about the need to have Jesus in my life. It was like a light going on in my head… If I didn’t start following Jesus at that moment; I knew I was going to spend eternity in hell. It was a classic “no brainer;” I immediately committed to studying the Bible to learn more about Jesus in order to follow Him.
Since then, the Lord has been changing my world view from a materialistic orientation to His eternal perspective… and this has helped me deal with difficulties in my life as well as all the craziness that is so pervasive in the world today.
There are a lot of similarities between the event God used to wake me up to Him and what is going on now. Anyone who seriously considers today's trends in the economy, politics and society would have to conclude that history is headed toward some sort of culmination.
As the U.S. - Soviet superpower stand off had to be resolved, so too does the last remaining superpower have to become history. The looming demise of the United States is the source of a lot of pain that has given me many opportunities to discuss spiritual matters with coworkers and friends.
The Bible can help us make sense of perplexing current events. The more we can point this truth out to our associates, the more others will be drawn to Christ. 2 Peter 3:12 says we should be “looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God” (NKJ). The only way I know we can hasten the return of the Lord is to help more people know Him. When the number of people Jesus has in mind for the Church is complete, He will come for us. Maranatha!
The Berlin Wall was a symbol of the Cold War that had existed my entire life. I had been a Cold War warrior spending nine years of my life preparing to repulse the Soviets as a US Army officer in a nuclear-capable field artillery battalion. It made no sense that the Cold War could just end over night without a shot being fired.
I had been reading a book my father-in-law gave me called, “The End of the Days.” Yes, it was a book on Bible prophecy which I considered to be a crack-pot-concept. But I read it to humor the old guy because he let me marry his dazzling daughter.
The book I read was essentially a commentary on the biblical book of Daniel which includes prophecies of the nations that would rule the world from the Babylonian Empire until the Messiah returns. These prophecies are in such detail that I became convinced the Bible had to be from God because only He can “declare the end from the beginning.”
What happened to the Soviet Union could be explained by Bible prophecy; the superpower stand-off had to be resolved to make way for the world-wide government that will be in place when the Messiah returns.
I was discussing these things with the fetching Mrs. Huckaby one evening when it occurred to me, if the Bible could help me understand the reason current events happened the way they did, it had to also be right about the need to have Jesus in my life. It was like a light going on in my head… If I didn’t start following Jesus at that moment; I knew I was going to spend eternity in hell. It was a classic “no brainer;” I immediately committed to studying the Bible to learn more about Jesus in order to follow Him.
Since then, the Lord has been changing my world view from a materialistic orientation to His eternal perspective… and this has helped me deal with difficulties in my life as well as all the craziness that is so pervasive in the world today.
There are a lot of similarities between the event God used to wake me up to Him and what is going on now. Anyone who seriously considers today's trends in the economy, politics and society would have to conclude that history is headed toward some sort of culmination.
As the U.S. - Soviet superpower stand off had to be resolved, so too does the last remaining superpower have to become history. The looming demise of the United States is the source of a lot of pain that has given me many opportunities to discuss spiritual matters with coworkers and friends.
The Bible can help us make sense of perplexing current events. The more we can point this truth out to our associates, the more others will be drawn to Christ. 2 Peter 3:12 says we should be “looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God” (NKJ). The only way I know we can hasten the return of the Lord is to help more people know Him. When the number of people Jesus has in mind for the Church is complete, He will come for us. Maranatha!
Friday, November 6, 2009
Islamic Mass Murderers
I have a special affinity for Fort Hood since I was stationed there for my tour of active duty in the Army. As soon as I heard of the mass shooting there I know that a Muslim had to be involved. The media was quick to proclaim that “No evidence emerged immediately after Thursday's murderous rampage to suggest any link to terrorist groups.”
The media is proposing all kinds of alternative explanations attempting to explain why Major Hasan went on a murderous rampage such as to keep from deploying to Iraq. They even have implied that the pressure of warfare made him commit suicide by police… the rationale being that if you are going to kill yourself why not go out with a splash by taking a lot of people with you? It is obvious to thinking people that Hasan did not crack due to the stress of war, he was a psychiatrist who had never been in a combat role.
Rational people know that Islam is what drove Maj. Hasan to be a mass murder because Islam is the religion of terrorism. People refuse to make the connection that in recent history virtually all mass murdering terrorists have been Islamic.
It seems that people are fearful of saying anything that could stir up Muslims. I noticed yesterday that the filmmaker of "2012" said he enjoyed orchestrating the visual disintegration of the world's religious symbols, such as the Vatican and the statue of Jesus overlooking Rio de Janeiro. But he left Islamic symbols alone because he feared the reaction from the Muslim world.
I used to think that in order to get the world to hate Christians enough to target us as enemies of society, that Satan would inspire people claiming to be Christians to commit acts of terror. He may still do that but he really doesn’t need to; people are so intimidated by Islam, they will fall in line with whatever their leaders tell them. Hitler was a master of propaganda and proved that the masses can be duped by feeding them the “Big Lie” which he explained in his manifesto Mein Kampf.
The fear of offending Muslims is the spirit of the Antichrist at work. The same unseen influence that makes people cower at stirring up the ire of the Muslims is what will draw them to follow the Antichrist. As Revelation 13:4 says, “they worshiped the beast, saying, ‘Who is like the beast? Who is able to make war with him?’” (NKJ)
Brace yourself for more Islamic mass-murders. They may not be connected to recognized terror groups like al-Qa'ida, Abu Nidal, Hamas, or Hezbollah; but they have the same Satanic inspiration. Thus it is still terrorism and rational people know this.
The media is proposing all kinds of alternative explanations attempting to explain why Major Hasan went on a murderous rampage such as to keep from deploying to Iraq. They even have implied that the pressure of warfare made him commit suicide by police… the rationale being that if you are going to kill yourself why not go out with a splash by taking a lot of people with you? It is obvious to thinking people that Hasan did not crack due to the stress of war, he was a psychiatrist who had never been in a combat role.
Rational people know that Islam is what drove Maj. Hasan to be a mass murder because Islam is the religion of terrorism. People refuse to make the connection that in recent history virtually all mass murdering terrorists have been Islamic.
It seems that people are fearful of saying anything that could stir up Muslims. I noticed yesterday that the filmmaker of "2012" said he enjoyed orchestrating the visual disintegration of the world's religious symbols, such as the Vatican and the statue of Jesus overlooking Rio de Janeiro. But he left Islamic symbols alone because he feared the reaction from the Muslim world.
I used to think that in order to get the world to hate Christians enough to target us as enemies of society, that Satan would inspire people claiming to be Christians to commit acts of terror. He may still do that but he really doesn’t need to; people are so intimidated by Islam, they will fall in line with whatever their leaders tell them. Hitler was a master of propaganda and proved that the masses can be duped by feeding them the “Big Lie” which he explained in his manifesto Mein Kampf.
The fear of offending Muslims is the spirit of the Antichrist at work. The same unseen influence that makes people cower at stirring up the ire of the Muslims is what will draw them to follow the Antichrist. As Revelation 13:4 says, “they worshiped the beast, saying, ‘Who is like the beast? Who is able to make war with him?’” (NKJ)
Brace yourself for more Islamic mass-murders. They may not be connected to recognized terror groups like al-Qa'ida, Abu Nidal, Hamas, or Hezbollah; but they have the same Satanic inspiration. Thus it is still terrorism and rational people know this.
Thursday, November 5, 2009
Demise of Damascus
The Israeli navy seized hundreds of tons of weaponry in a raid on a 140-meter ship near Cyprus. The ship was carrying arms sent by Iran to Syria and no-doubt their proxy Hezbollah. This kind of makes you wonder how many similar such ships Iran managed to get through to Syria. Unbeknown to Syria, their alliance with Iran against Israel will not turn out well for them.
Syria’s capital city of Damascus boasts of being “the oldest continuously inhabited city in the world.” So that means that the Bible prophecy of the destiny of Damascus is yet future… “Behold, Damascus will cease from being a city, and it will be a ruinous heap” (Isaiah 17:1, NKJ).
Iran is no-doubt arming up their allies so that Israel will think twice about dealing with their nuclear weapon potential. Hezbollah has up to 40,000 rockets, including ground-to-ground missiles capable of hitting Tel Aviv.
Hezbollah being able to hit Tel Aviv is an existential threat to Israel. It is clear that if Israel has to do something about Iran’s nuclear weapon capacity, they will also have to deal with the Hezbollah missiles in Syria. When the destruction of Israel as promised by their Islamic enemies becomes imminent, they will use every resource at their disposal to prevent it. Any nation would. And in the case of Israel, that includes their nuclear weapons.
The last time nuclear weapons were used it only took two of them to end the bloodiest war in history. I’m sure that reasoning will be applied when Israel uses one to put an end to the Hezbollah missiles raining down on them from Syria. You kill a snake by chopping off its head. You stop Syria from aiding and abetting terrorists by nuking Damascus.
The choices are tough for Israel so they will put off taking action against Iran (and Syria) until it is clear that all other options have failed. But the Bible is clear; the day will come when Damascus will cease to be “the oldest continuously inhabited city in the world.”
The use of a nuclear weapon will shock the world and force it to make peace with Israel albeit a short-lived, false peace. I think it likely that the destruction of Damascus will be the tipping point for a charismatic world leader to come on the scene to broker a peace treaty that enables Israel to build their much anticipated temple in Jerusalem… “Then he shall confirm a covenant with many for one week; but in the middle of the week he shall bring an end to sacrifice and offering” (Daniel 9:27, NKJ).
Fortunately for followers of Christ, we will be taken to be with the Lord before the coming world leader reveals himself when he guarantees the 7-year peace pact with Israel… “Let no one deceive you by any means; for that Day will not come unless the falling away comes first, and the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition” (2 Thessalonians 2:3, NKJ). The “falling away” here in context is referring to the Rapture of the church where we will fall away from planet earth.
“Let not your hear be troubled” (John 14:27, NKJ)… we don’t have long to wait!
Syria’s capital city of Damascus boasts of being “the oldest continuously inhabited city in the world.” So that means that the Bible prophecy of the destiny of Damascus is yet future… “Behold, Damascus will cease from being a city, and it will be a ruinous heap” (Isaiah 17:1, NKJ).
Iran is no-doubt arming up their allies so that Israel will think twice about dealing with their nuclear weapon potential. Hezbollah has up to 40,000 rockets, including ground-to-ground missiles capable of hitting Tel Aviv.
Hezbollah being able to hit Tel Aviv is an existential threat to Israel. It is clear that if Israel has to do something about Iran’s nuclear weapon capacity, they will also have to deal with the Hezbollah missiles in Syria. When the destruction of Israel as promised by their Islamic enemies becomes imminent, they will use every resource at their disposal to prevent it. Any nation would. And in the case of Israel, that includes their nuclear weapons.
The last time nuclear weapons were used it only took two of them to end the bloodiest war in history. I’m sure that reasoning will be applied when Israel uses one to put an end to the Hezbollah missiles raining down on them from Syria. You kill a snake by chopping off its head. You stop Syria from aiding and abetting terrorists by nuking Damascus.
The choices are tough for Israel so they will put off taking action against Iran (and Syria) until it is clear that all other options have failed. But the Bible is clear; the day will come when Damascus will cease to be “the oldest continuously inhabited city in the world.”
The use of a nuclear weapon will shock the world and force it to make peace with Israel albeit a short-lived, false peace. I think it likely that the destruction of Damascus will be the tipping point for a charismatic world leader to come on the scene to broker a peace treaty that enables Israel to build their much anticipated temple in Jerusalem… “Then he shall confirm a covenant with many for one week; but in the middle of the week he shall bring an end to sacrifice and offering” (Daniel 9:27, NKJ).
Fortunately for followers of Christ, we will be taken to be with the Lord before the coming world leader reveals himself when he guarantees the 7-year peace pact with Israel… “Let no one deceive you by any means; for that Day will not come unless the falling away comes first, and the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition” (2 Thessalonians 2:3, NKJ). The “falling away” here in context is referring to the Rapture of the church where we will fall away from planet earth.
“Let not your hear be troubled” (John 14:27, NKJ)… we don’t have long to wait!
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
Hate Speech
A coalition of religious organizations is petitioning the Federal Communications Commission for an investigation into "hate speech in the media" and how telecommunications might play a role in "hate crimes." The move comes just one week after President Obama signed a new "hate crimes" law providing special protections to people who live homosexual and other "alternative" sexual lifestyles.
It is inevitable that “hate crimes” would be associated with “hate speech” but amazing that the bridge would be made this fast. Those promoting evil have to move fast because they know God will close their window of opportunity. These actions are sure to snowball into a full-fledged assault on the constitutional freedom of speech by our government. We have already seen the rhetoric from the White House attacking Fox News and talk radio. It is just a matter of time before they take actions to silence these voices of opposition.
It is amazing that we could find ourselves on this path in this country because silencing voices of opposition in the media is what totalitarian dictators do. But as the spirit of Antichrist grows stronger in the world, losing our freedom of speech is inevitable.
The very concept of freedom finds its roots in the Bible: “you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free” (John 8:32, NKJ). Having freedom is necessary for us to have happy and fulfilled lives. God created people to have a free will so we are called to make choices between good or evil. But God’s enemies seek to remove the truth so that we will have no choice but to join them in their evil agenda.
The pace of prophetic developments really do take your breath away when you pause to consider them. But God said this would be the case; “the end of it shall be with a flood, and till the end of the war desolations are determined” (Daniel 9:26, NKJ). It is good to remember that there will be an “end of it.”
It is inevitable that “hate crimes” would be associated with “hate speech” but amazing that the bridge would be made this fast. Those promoting evil have to move fast because they know God will close their window of opportunity. These actions are sure to snowball into a full-fledged assault on the constitutional freedom of speech by our government. We have already seen the rhetoric from the White House attacking Fox News and talk radio. It is just a matter of time before they take actions to silence these voices of opposition.
It is amazing that we could find ourselves on this path in this country because silencing voices of opposition in the media is what totalitarian dictators do. But as the spirit of Antichrist grows stronger in the world, losing our freedom of speech is inevitable.
The very concept of freedom finds its roots in the Bible: “you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free” (John 8:32, NKJ). Having freedom is necessary for us to have happy and fulfilled lives. God created people to have a free will so we are called to make choices between good or evil. But God’s enemies seek to remove the truth so that we will have no choice but to join them in their evil agenda.
The pace of prophetic developments really do take your breath away when you pause to consider them. But God said this would be the case; “the end of it shall be with a flood, and till the end of the war desolations are determined” (Daniel 9:26, NKJ). It is good to remember that there will be an “end of it.”
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
Bloody Islam
It seems like every day there is a new report of a suicide bombing in some Islamic country or the foiling of some potential terrorist attack in a non-Islamic country. Today’s news includes a report of an honor killing in Arizona where an Iraqi expatriate ran over his 20 year old daughter with his car because she had become too westernized. Of course the CNN story did not mention that the man was Muslim. I guess they didn’t feel the need to because it is common knowledge that virtually all honor killings are usually done by Islamic men.
The media’s political correctness of not pointing out the Islamic motivation of terrorist perpetrators and honor murders amazes me. It is also fascinating to observe that Islam has actually grown in popularity as more of their acts of violence are reported. I once thought that Islam was doomed to fall out of favor when their Jihadists finally manage to use a weapon of mass destruction which is inevitable. But based on the obvious trend, I no longer believe that that will happen; indeed, it looks like the terrorist use of a nuke will only accelerate people jumping on-board the cause of Islam. The president of Iran has made it clear that he holds this perspective as well.
The universal willful ignorance that Islam is behind most of the growth of violence in the world today shows the degree to which Satan has control over this world. I’m convinced that Islam has a key role in Satan’s conspiracy to control the world. Yes, demonic influences are the real impetus behind all conspiracy theories.
As frustrating as it is to see Islam getting a free ride in the press, we can take heart that God sees what is happening and the day will come when justice will be done. With the accelerating pace of violence emboldening Satan’s faithful to engage in even more carnage, it doesn't look like we have long to wait before the Lord takes His bride. So, “we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age, looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ” (Titus 2:13, NKJ).
The media’s political correctness of not pointing out the Islamic motivation of terrorist perpetrators and honor murders amazes me. It is also fascinating to observe that Islam has actually grown in popularity as more of their acts of violence are reported. I once thought that Islam was doomed to fall out of favor when their Jihadists finally manage to use a weapon of mass destruction which is inevitable. But based on the obvious trend, I no longer believe that that will happen; indeed, it looks like the terrorist use of a nuke will only accelerate people jumping on-board the cause of Islam. The president of Iran has made it clear that he holds this perspective as well.
The universal willful ignorance that Islam is behind most of the growth of violence in the world today shows the degree to which Satan has control over this world. I’m convinced that Islam has a key role in Satan’s conspiracy to control the world. Yes, demonic influences are the real impetus behind all conspiracy theories.
As frustrating as it is to see Islam getting a free ride in the press, we can take heart that God sees what is happening and the day will come when justice will be done. With the accelerating pace of violence emboldening Satan’s faithful to engage in even more carnage, it doesn't look like we have long to wait before the Lord takes His bride. So, “we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age, looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ” (Titus 2:13, NKJ).
Monday, November 2, 2009
Islamic Antichrist
I just finished reading “The Islamic Antichrist” by Joel Richardson and have to admit that it makes a pretty good case that the Antichrist will be Muslim. I know this sounds like a case of associating the latest bogeyman with the worst tyrant the world will ever know but this interpretation does better explain a lot of what we see going on today. And given the rapid pace of prophetic developments these days, I’d say this is a case of better understanding passages related to the Lord’s return. As He said in Daniel 12:4, “seal the book until the time of the end; many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall increase” (NKJ).
Before I summarize the arguments in Joel Richardson’s book, I should point out that he never mentioned the Rapture once and expects the Church to go through the Tribulation. So while I disagree with his post-tribulation Rapture view, this does not detract from his position on the Antichrist. Indeed, I think a pre-tribulation Rapture strengthens the case for an Islamic Antichrist. When the true Bible believing Christians are gone, what better time for people to turn to the greatest religion on earth? Perhaps the “strong delusion” people will have explaining away the Rapture (2 Thessalonians 2:11) is that Allah removed the most radical Christians to make the way for Islam to grow into the world’s one religion.
What is most amazing about the idea that the Antichrist will be Islamic is that it fits so well with what Muslims themselves are expecting to happen. Despite differences in Islamic sects, all Muslims are expecting their Messiah to come to unify the world under Islam. The Muslim Messiah is known as the Mahdi or Twelfth Imam and represents their great hope. This belief is certainly compatible with the Antichrist unifying the world under one religion as described in the Bible. If the Quran and the commentaries interpreting it are inspired by fallen angels, Satan who has knowledge of Scripture would certainly put his own spin on how he'd like history to unfold.
Another interesting aspect of what Muslims expect is for Jesus to return. They don’t believe He was really crucified but was instead Raptured to heaven like Enoch and Elijah. The Muslims expect Jesus to come back to convince Christians that Muhammad was correct that he is not God and that they should instead worship Allah and follow the Mahdi. This perspective fits very well with what the Bible tells us to expect about the False Prophet. Indeed, Jesus warned in His Olivet Discourse about those coming in His name and deceiving many.
Joel Richardson points out that beheading their enemies is a traditional way of death in Islam. We have certainly seen this to be the case of the Islamic terrorists and in places like Saudi Arabia, beheading is the way they conduct state executions. The Bible says that this is what the government of the Antichrist will do to followers of Christ in Revelation 20:4.
Joel Richardson cites Ezekiel 38-39 as biblical proof that Islam is religion of the Antichrist. The best interpretation of the nations mentioned is that they are all Islamic. We have tried to make Russia out to be the main perpetrator but those holding that interpretation must use un-scholarly linguistic gymnastics to do so. Yes, our view has been tainted by Russia being the bogeyman of the West for so long so that is why we need to be careful casting Islam in that same role. But careful analysis of the nations mentioned in Ezekiel 38 reveal that Turkey is actually referenced in several different ways so it is really pretty obvious what country will be the main leader of the Islamic coalition against Israel. This certainly fits with recent developments regarding Turkey. Also, the only other reference to Gog is in Revelation which makes it clear that Gog is the leader of the world in opposition to Christ and is thus has to be another term for the Antichrist.
Joel Richardson also provides a good analysis of the “seven heads” representing the governments that have ruled over Jerusalem in Revelation 17:9-10. The five governments that have fallen at the time this Scripture was written were the Egyptians, Assyrians, Babylonians, Persians, and Greeks. Rome was the one that is, and the one that would come would also be the nation of the Antichrist would come from. In addition to ruling over Jerusalem, each of these governments would destroy or absorb the one that preceded it. The Roman government morphed into the Byzantine Empire but they were succeeded by the Turkish Ottoman Empire as the seventh head. So Turkey fits as the nation from which the Antichrist is most likely to come from.
I will not be able to help but view today’s developments in light of the view that the Antichrist will be the Mahdi that comes on the scene from the Islamic world. This is certainly not a time to be ignorant of Bible prophecy… “For false christs and false prophets will rise and show great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect” (Matthew 24:24, NKJ).
Before I summarize the arguments in Joel Richardson’s book, I should point out that he never mentioned the Rapture once and expects the Church to go through the Tribulation. So while I disagree with his post-tribulation Rapture view, this does not detract from his position on the Antichrist. Indeed, I think a pre-tribulation Rapture strengthens the case for an Islamic Antichrist. When the true Bible believing Christians are gone, what better time for people to turn to the greatest religion on earth? Perhaps the “strong delusion” people will have explaining away the Rapture (2 Thessalonians 2:11) is that Allah removed the most radical Christians to make the way for Islam to grow into the world’s one religion.
What is most amazing about the idea that the Antichrist will be Islamic is that it fits so well with what Muslims themselves are expecting to happen. Despite differences in Islamic sects, all Muslims are expecting their Messiah to come to unify the world under Islam. The Muslim Messiah is known as the Mahdi or Twelfth Imam and represents their great hope. This belief is certainly compatible with the Antichrist unifying the world under one religion as described in the Bible. If the Quran and the commentaries interpreting it are inspired by fallen angels, Satan who has knowledge of Scripture would certainly put his own spin on how he'd like history to unfold.
Another interesting aspect of what Muslims expect is for Jesus to return. They don’t believe He was really crucified but was instead Raptured to heaven like Enoch and Elijah. The Muslims expect Jesus to come back to convince Christians that Muhammad was correct that he is not God and that they should instead worship Allah and follow the Mahdi. This perspective fits very well with what the Bible tells us to expect about the False Prophet. Indeed, Jesus warned in His Olivet Discourse about those coming in His name and deceiving many.
Joel Richardson points out that beheading their enemies is a traditional way of death in Islam. We have certainly seen this to be the case of the Islamic terrorists and in places like Saudi Arabia, beheading is the way they conduct state executions. The Bible says that this is what the government of the Antichrist will do to followers of Christ in Revelation 20:4.
Joel Richardson cites Ezekiel 38-39 as biblical proof that Islam is religion of the Antichrist. The best interpretation of the nations mentioned is that they are all Islamic. We have tried to make Russia out to be the main perpetrator but those holding that interpretation must use un-scholarly linguistic gymnastics to do so. Yes, our view has been tainted by Russia being the bogeyman of the West for so long so that is why we need to be careful casting Islam in that same role. But careful analysis of the nations mentioned in Ezekiel 38 reveal that Turkey is actually referenced in several different ways so it is really pretty obvious what country will be the main leader of the Islamic coalition against Israel. This certainly fits with recent developments regarding Turkey. Also, the only other reference to Gog is in Revelation which makes it clear that Gog is the leader of the world in opposition to Christ and is thus has to be another term for the Antichrist.
Joel Richardson also provides a good analysis of the “seven heads” representing the governments that have ruled over Jerusalem in Revelation 17:9-10. The five governments that have fallen at the time this Scripture was written were the Egyptians, Assyrians, Babylonians, Persians, and Greeks. Rome was the one that is, and the one that would come would also be the nation of the Antichrist would come from. In addition to ruling over Jerusalem, each of these governments would destroy or absorb the one that preceded it. The Roman government morphed into the Byzantine Empire but they were succeeded by the Turkish Ottoman Empire as the seventh head. So Turkey fits as the nation from which the Antichrist is most likely to come from.
I will not be able to help but view today’s developments in light of the view that the Antichrist will be the Mahdi that comes on the scene from the Islamic world. This is certainly not a time to be ignorant of Bible prophecy… “For false christs and false prophets will rise and show great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect” (Matthew 24:24, NKJ).
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