Tag: Messiah

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Cycles of Unforgiveness

           

            This week, on June 28, we remember two anniversary dates which are linked together in a cycle of bloodshed and unforgiveness.

 

            On July 28, 1914, 99 years ago, a young Serbian terrorist assassinated the Archduke and Crown Prince of the great Austro-Hungarian Empire. The act led Austria-Hungary to revenge itself by declaring  war on Serbia. The Russians entered the blood feud to protect their fellow Slavs, the Serbians. The Germans came to the support of Austria-Hungary, France and England came to the aid of Russia, and Europe erupted into the massive slaughter we now call World War I. All because of a cycle of unforgivness.

 

            Five years and millions of deaths later, the war was officially brought to a close on June 28, 1919 in the Treaty of Versailles. Once again, unforgivness carried the day as the victorious Allies imposed draconian conditions on the defeated Germans. The resulting hardship and resentment created an opportunity for Adolph Hitler and his Nazi party to drive Europe into a second horrendous conflict which became the Second World War. Then, for another 50 years, the Russians extracted their revenge by turning the Eastern European nations into subservient police states. The First World War, called the “War to end all wars,” ended with the peace treaty of Versailles, which a critic called “The peace to end all peace.”

 

            It was up to the Americans to break the cycle of unforgiveness. With the Marshall Plan in Europe and a humane occupation of Japan, the Americans turned their German and Japanese enemies into friends. America has also forgiven its cold war enemies in China, Vietnam, Russia, and Eastern Europe, leading the World into a time of prosperity and relative peace, and making way for the unprecedented worldwide Christian revival.

 

            The American ability to forgive goes back to our history as a Christian nation. The Lord commands us to forgive our enemies, and the experience after the Second World War showed how the Biblical command to love our enemies produces Godly fruit of peace and revival. Forgiveness is perhaps the most powerful spiritual weapon to change the atmosphere and bring God’s answers into a situation.

 

            There will always be those who are driven to attack others, and we thank God for those who protect us (See our 5/22/2013 Blog “Honoring Our Defenders”). But we must also know that time is no true peace without forgiveness.

 

            Let us pray that we will remember that we are called to bless and not curse, and that we can use the spiritual weapon of forgiveness to end destructive cycles of unforgiveness.

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Summer is Near

 

            This week the Summer begins on June 21, the Summer Solstice.

             Astronomically, the Summer Solstice is the day when the sun reaches its highest point in the sky over the northern hemisphere. It is also the longest day of the year. The opposite solstice, the Winter Solstice, is the day when the sun is lowest in the heavens and the night is longest. The other seasonal markers, the Spring and Fall Equinoxes, occur when the sun is at mid point and day and night are of equal length.

 

            These important calendar dates are also important in God’s religious calendar. The first three Hebrew feasts, pointing to Christ’s death and resurrection, occur near the Spring Equinox, which the last three feats, picturing the second coming of Christ, occur near the Fall Equinox. The Spring and Winter are associated with the appearance of Christ in Hosea 6:3, and the story of Christ’s advent begins with the conception of John the Baptist which is believed to have occurred near the Winter Solstice in 7 BC. Summer is associated with the second coming of Christ (Matt 24:32), and we are told that the Summer is near when the fig tree (Israel) comes to life.

 

            These important spiritual times have also been hijacked by the followers of the religion of the False Messiah, the Pagans. The Winter Solstice came to symbolize the birth of the False Messiah, and structures like New Grange in Ireland are aligned with the sun on the Winter Solstice. Pagans celebrated the Spring Equinox as the beginning of the year, as in God’s calendar, and celebrated the harvest at the Fall Equinox. The Summer Solstice, when the sun is highest, marked the power of their Pagan False Messiahs, and temples like Stonehenge were aligned with the sun on the Summer Solstice.

 

            In modern times, the believers in the Godhead religion (i.e. we are all Gods) have latched onto the Pagan calendar in an attempt to get in touch with the spirits behind Paganism. They have also tried to revitalize the ancient Pagan sites with their New Age religion. They can be seen at Stonehenge, New Grange, Chitzen Itza, Angkor Wat, Chaco Canyon, and other sites trying to bring back the demon spirits. And, of course, the High Holy Day for many is the Summer Solstice.

 

            As Christians, we need to pray for those poor New Age souls who are falling into demonic bondage. We also need to remember that dates like the Summer Solstice were created by God for his glory, and we can celebrate them as Christians.

 

            Yes, the Summer is near, and we should be telling folks the real meaning: the return of Christ is near.

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The Inquisition Spirit

 

            The Nation has been rocked by revelations that the Government has been persecuting people for their political and religious views. And now we’ve learned that our phone records and internet communications are being collected by the National Security Agency. These activities contradict our Declaration of Independence and the “Spirit of 1776” and in fact take us back to the Spirit of the infamous Spanish Inquisition.

 

            The Inquisition was the prototype of totalitarian systems designed to eliminate all belief contrary to the Politically Correct beliefs of the authorities. In the case of the Inquisition, the Politically Correct belief was a form of Roman Catholicism. Later emulators of the Inquisition Spirit tried to force compliance with the French Revolution, Nazism, and Communism.  Today the Spirit of Inquisition is rising in places like Venezuela, Argentina, Turkey, and Russia where Democracies are being converted into authoritarian Governments. And the same trend is beginning to appear in the U.S., where the Politically Correct “Progressive” beliefs in Big Government, sexual “freedom”, and secularism are targeting those who believe in limited Government and who hold Christian views.

 

                 The methods of the Inquisition Spirit have varied little down through History. First, the authorities gain control of the Law Enforcement mechanisms society either directly, as in the case of the Communists, or indirectly as in the Spanish Inquisition. Secondly, the power of Government is used to find those who may have opposing views. Those who come to the attention of the Government, whether “Guilty” or not, are then made into an example to terrorize the population into compliance. Often the victims of the Inquisition Spirit are not told why they were targeted and, like the Tea Party IRS applicants, simply left in legal limbo.

 

            Sad to say, even in a country like the U.S., with its legacy of freedom, the Inquisition Spirit is never far away. The current American manifestation began on college campuses, whose “Progressives” have ended academic freedom and used the Inquisition Spirit to eliminate all politically incorrect speech. It should not be too surprising that a whole generation of college graduates have taken the Inquisition Spirit from the universities to the halls of Government.   

 

            As intercessors, we must realize that we do not struggle against the individuals, but against the Inquisition Spirit itself. We must pray that the Lord will bless our enemies with the knowledge of the Lord and a desire for freedom. We pray that the Spirit of Inquisition will be turned back in our Government, and we pray for a revival of Christianity and freedom on the college campuses where it began.

 

            Above all we pray that America will remain a free country where we can worship God without Government persecution.

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The Age of Pentecost

            This Sunday May 19, the Church celebrates its birthday and the infilling of the Holy Spirit on Pentecost Sunday in 30 AD.

            Pentecost was one of the Seven Feasts of Israel which formed the religious calendar of the Torah and served as Prophetic signposts of God’s plan of redemption. The first three, Passover, Unleavened Bread, and First Fruits look back to the Exodus, but foreshadow the death and resurrection of Christ during these feasts in 30 AD. The last three, Trumpets, Atonement, and Tabernacles celebrated the final ingathering of the Harvest (Ex 23:16) and looked forward to the Second Coming of Christ. Pentecost, also known as the Feast of Harvest, celebrated the sowing of the crops in preparation of Harvest. (See Ex 23:16), and represents the beginning of the Harvest of believers by the Church in 30 AD.

            Throughout history Christians looking for the return of Christ, as represented by the Feast of Ingathering, have thought that the Age of Pentecost, represented by the Feast of Harvest, was coming to an end. From the generation after Christ to the predictions of 1000 AD, 1844, 1914, 1988, 2000, and numerous others, people who predicted the end of the Age of the Harvest have been proven wrong. Now we have a new batch of Doomsday predictions based on the writings of an Irish monk who listed the future Popes, ending with the current Pope. Some even suggest that he may be the Antichrist.

            Just for the record, Pope Francis is a remarkable Christian who has participated in some of God’s most important movements in the Earth. As Archbishop of Buenos Aries, he supported the Charismatic Catholics, who have brought millions into the Kingdom of God, and promoted the Reconciliation Movement which is responding to Christ’s prayer for unity of believers. We wish Pope Francis a long and blessed life until God takes him home and the election of the next Pope exposes the foolishness of the “Last Pope” prophets.

            The real damage done by these false Doomsday prophets extends far beyond their foolishness and slander of a good Christian. The focus on gloom and fear is a distraction from our mission to bring good news and hope to the world. Attacks on fellow Christians are not only a form of rebellion against Christ’s command to love our brothers, but also create divisions which undermine the Gospel.

            We must leave foolish controversies behind and get about our business of making disciples throughout the world (See our Special Report “The Age We Live In”).  
            We still live in the Age of Pentecost. Celebrate it on Sunday. Live it on Monday

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The Peace of Jerusalem

            On May 14 the Nation of Israel will celebrate its 65th year as an independent nation.

 

            The rebirth of Israel after almost two thousand years stands as an amazing fulfillment of Bible prophecy.  Numerous scriptures refer to an end time role for the Nation of Israel. Even the date of Israel’s formation can be calculated from the scripture in Revelation 11: 1,2 which speaks of a “42 month”, or 1260 year, “Age of the Gentiles” which is  measured from the time the Temple Mount was lost to unbelievers. From the time the Dome of the Rock was constructed on the Temple Mount, 687, until 1947, the year the U.N. voted to establish Israel, exactly 1260 years had passed.

 

            The survival of Israel against overwhelming forces is one of the greatest modern miracles of God. Israel has fought wars in 1948, 1956, 1967, and 1973, and has emerged victorious every time. She has fought many smaller engagements and has endured sustained terrorist activities. The Hand of God has been evident, as described by The Prophet Zechariah, who speaks of Jerusalem as an “Immovable Rock” and a “Cup that sends the surrounding peoples reeling” (Zechariah 12:2,3).

 

            Yet today Israel is still surrounded by its enemies. Hamas, Hezbollah, and Iran are sworn to Israel’s destruction. Egyptian Islamists are pushing for an end to their peace with Israel. For those who subscribe to a historical interpretation of Revelation, the situation is described in Rev 9:1-11, the fifth trumpet, as a 150 year war with the Arabs (See our special report “The Times We Live In”). We can expect not peace, but another 85 years of warfare in the Middle East.

 

            The end will come after Israel is defeated by the Antichrist (Zechariah 14:2 and Rev 11:7). But Jerusalem will rebel against the Antichrist and he will gather the nations to fight at Armageddon (Megiddo, in Israel) (Rev 16:16). Then, when all seems lost, Christ will return to the Mount of Olives (Zechariah 14:4 and Acts 1:11, 12) and destroy His enemies (Zechariah 14:3 and Revelation 19:19-21). Only then will peace come to the Middle East and the world (Zechariah 14:9 and Revelation 20:1-6).

 

            Nevertheless, we must continue to pray for the Peace of Jerusalem. When they have peace so will we.

 

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Carbon 14 and The Bible

For years some scientists have been using Carbon 14 dating to undermine the Biblical timeline of History and attack the truthfullness of the Bible. Now they are having to rethink their arguments.

  The Carbon 14 dating method measures the amount of the radioactive Carbon 14 isotope in organic material and, comparing it with modern levels of Carbon 14, productes an age based on the radioactive decay of Carbon 14. This dating method is assumed to be good for 40,000 years, and produces very old dates for archeological sites.  However, it also produces dates which clash with historical dates derived both from Biblical information and other historical and archeological sources.

  The problem with Carbon 14 dating is simply that the current levels of Carbon 14 are much higher than past levels of Carbon 14, and this produces a much earlier date than the actual date.  Based on the more  accurate data about past Carbon 14 levels, one scientist documented 15,000 findings and found that none were over 7000 years old, and that many were about 4500 years old, the date of the worldwide catastrophe we call Noah’s Flood. Thus , for example, an American Indian artifact claimed to be over 11,000 years old may really be only 3,000 years old.

 Now archeologists are joining in the criticism of the Carbon 14 dating system. At a recent meeting, a noted archeologist observed that “In some circles it has been a crime to cast doubt on the accuracy of radiocarbon dating.” Nevertheless, this scientist showed conclusively that radiocarbon levels fluctuate from season to season and vary with location, providing erroneous age readings. When added to historical fluctuations in Carbon 14 levels, the whole Carbon 14 dating method becomes very suspect.

 The reason that some scientists cling to the inaccurate Carbon 14 system is simply that it produces results which are much older than actual. They fear that the real dates would be more in line with Bible history, and they would rather be wrong than give up their Anti-Biblical bias (See our Blog of 1/9/2013 “The Battle Over Biblical Archeology”). Their problem is that the more Science learns about the past, the more it supports the Bible (See our Blog 2/2/2013 “Looking Back to Look Forward”).

 We salute the courageous Scientists and Archeologists who challenge the Anti-Biblical Orthodoxy of their peers. Let us pray that God’s truth will prevail and that proofs of the accuracy of the Bible history will continue to be discovered by truth seeking Scientists.

 And may the attempts to destroy the faith of believers by false, Anti-Biblical, Pseudo-Scientific theories be exposed. Let no weapon formed against us prosper.

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The Other Francis

                A lot of attention has been focused on St Francis of Assisi after Cardinal  Bergoglio took the name of Francis upon his election as Pope. As well we should, because St Francis taught his followers to share the Gospel more by what they do than what they say.

                But this week, on April 8, we mark the life of another Francis who, it is believed, is also a role model for the new Pope. On that date in 1541 Francis Xavier began his extraordinary missionary journey to the East. Over the next ten years he traveled through 50 kingdoms and baptized over 1,000,000 people. He founded churches from India to Japan, earning the title “Apostle to the Indies.”

                 Francis Xavier lived in an age of upheaval, when Europeans had begun challenging the Pagan kingdoms of the East for commerce and, later, military supremacy.  The European traders were interested in gold, not God, but they undermined the power of the Pagan Kings and the Pagan Gods they claimed to represent. The traders also curtailed the power of the Islamic merchants and stopped the Islamic expansion into the Far East. As a result, societies which had been closed to Christianity became more open, and Christian missionaries were able to present the Gospel. For Francis Xavier, a million baptisms followed.

                These European powers eventually spread their empires throughout the world, replacing pagan kingdoms in the Americas, Africa, and Asia. While these nations were seldom, if ever, interested in spreading Christianity, many missionaries followed in the footsteps of Francis Xavier and brought Christianity to the colonized peoples. Today there are thriving Christian communities in the Americas, Africa, and Asia because of these missionary efforts.

                Also, today, we find that it is Europe which has abandoned  its Christian roots and fallen into darkness. So it seems somehow to be fitting that the new Pope taking the name Francis would come from a place which was Christianized by missionaries like Francis Xavier, and would now return to Europe to preach a new evangelism to the lost Europeans.
                We pray for Pope Francis, a man of the Spirit and a uniter Christians, that he will help lead the whole Church to challenge the European societies and open them to the Gospel like the Europeans did to the Pagan world 500 years ago. We pray also for the unity of the Church and a spiritual awakening of the Church to enable it to be faithful in our generation as Francis Xavier was in his.