Category: Resource Notes

On Monday, January 21 the U.S. celebrates the Martin Luther King holiday, honoring the life of an American hero and a Christian martyr.

Dr. King grew up in a world where many people believed that the black African people were inferior to the white Europeans. This belief, which was used to support slavery in the U.S. and the colonization of Africa by Europe, directly contradicts Biblical teaching that all humans are from the same family and that God commands us to love our brothers. However, the rise of Secularism and a Darwinistic view of the human race gave a scientific veneer to the myth of racial superiority. To their shame, even some Churches went along with the lie. Modern science has now proven that all humans came from the same mother, as the Bible teaches, and that there is more genetic difference within the races than between them.

So Thomas Jefferson was right when he said all men are created equal. But making that statement a reality has been a long battle in the U.S. We fought the Civil War to end slavery, and the war brought God’s judgment, as one soldier died for each person left in slavery after the American Revolution, and the slaveholding South was devastated. Nevertheless, racial inequality was reborn in the “Jim Crow” system of laws which discriminated against black people in the South. After the Second World War black servicemen who had proven themselves the equal of their white brothers found it more and more difficult to accept their oppression.

In many countries oppressed minorities had taken up arms, but the U.S. was spared from this fate. Instead, a black Baptist pastor called on his people to use nonviolent Christian principles to bring about change. Dr. King’s Civil Rights crusade eventually bought an end to the Jim Crow laws and led to a broad level of reconciliation between the races. Sadly, he and many others gave their lives to bring about the nonviolent Civil Rights revolution.
We still have some work to do to reach Dr. King’s goal of a color blind society and full racial reconciliation. But on this day we celebrate a Baptist pastor who used Christian principles and his Christian faith to bring his white and black brothers together.
Let us pray that Dr. King’s memory will be honored by reconciliation and unity, and that those who would divide and promote hatred, whether white or black, will be exposed and repudiated.

This week on January 2, 3, and 4 the morning stars tell their story just before sunrise.

The “Morning Star” Mercury is one of the “Seven Planets” which were visible to the ancients. The fourth day of the week, Wednesday, is named in English after the Norse god corresponding to Roman Mercury and Greek Hermes. The planet Mercury is symbolic of Satan in the Star Bible and is mentioned in a passage in the Bible about Satan (Isaiah 14:12), where he is described as the Morning Star Laid Low. The Greek name Hermes, meaning “The Burnt One”, also adds to the picture of Mercury as representing Satan.

The planet Mercury is very close to the sun and can only be seen as a morning or evening star. Most of the time it is too “laid low” near the sun to be seen at all. However, in early January it will be visible just before Sunrise. Then it will disappear into the fire of the sun, reminding us that Satan will one day be thrown into the fire.

The other Moring Star, Venus, is named for the pagan mother of the Seed of Woman (See Genesis 3:15) and the sixth day of the week is named for Venus. However, Venus represents the Seed of Woman Himself, Christ, and He describes Himself as the Bright Morning Star (Revelation 22:16). Venus is the brightest of the planets and shines brightly high in the Eastern sky dominating the Morning Star Laid Low as Christ dominates Satan.

About 30 minutes before sunrise there will be an impressive sight in the eastern sky as Mercury (Representing Satan) appears below Jupiter (representing Jesus the Suffering Savior). And both appear below Venus, the Bright Morning Star.

Adding to the picture is the waning crescent Moon, representing Believers (Psalms 89:37), passing next to Venus, Jupiter and Mercury, near to the bright star Antares (the Wounded) in the constellation Scorpio (the Scorpion), which represents the Rebellion of Men (Ezekiel 2:6). The Moon reminds us that the Church will overcome the rebellion of men and Jupiter shows how it was done through Christ’s sacrifice. So the Moon and Jupiter add to the picture of the defeat of the Morning Star Laid Low. It is worth remembering that, while the Moon often appears partly dark to us, from the vantage point of Mercury the Moon is always bright and white, reflecting the light of the sun, as the Church reflects the light of Jesus, the Light of the World.

So take some time to enjoy the story of Satan laid low, the dominance of Christ the Bright Morning Star, and the overcoming Church reflecting the light of Jesus.

According to a story published in the Wall Street Journal (“India’s Biometric Feat: Big Boon or Big Brother” by Newly Purnell, December 22, 2018), the nation of India has implemented an electronic data system which can control access to goods and services for India’s 1.3 billion people.

If this sounds like the basis of a system where “No one could buy or sell unless he had the mark” (Revelation 13:17), read on.

In 2010 India set out to develop a system which would provide national identification numbers to allow citizens to have access to government welfare. Many Indians are illiterate and are so poor that they have no electricity. So, to reach people living in primitive conditions, the Indian government turned to the rapidly developing science of biometrics. Using eye scanners for iris patterns and finger print readers, even the poorest and least educated can now be read into the most sophisticated data system in the world.

The system is named “Aadhaar”, a Hindu word meaning “Foundation”. True to its name, other uses beyond the intended welfare payment controls are being built on the “Foundation”. Aadhaar twelve digit personal ID numbers are now required to open a bank account or obtain medical treatment. In many cases the number is now required for school enrollment, train tickets, telephone purchases and even admission to sporting events. The “Foundation” has indeed been put in place for total government surveillance and economic control as described in Revelation 13:17.

Other governments have been watching the Indian program and are already using biometrics to control their populations. China uses finger print and facial recognition technology to suppress the Uighur people in Xinjiang province. They are planning a national system of ratings to limit or deny services and opportunities to those who are out of favor with the Government, including Christians who are coming under increased persecution. Authoritarian regimes around the world can be expected to follow.

So far the democracies of the U.S. and Europe have not joined in the rush to use biometric data for economic control purposes. However, pressure for a “cashless” society continues to build from tech companies and big government advocates, and some businesses are now refusing to take cash. We must pray that our leaders will continue to stand for individual rights and against biometric controls.

Let us not be fearful but instead remind ourselves that we live in the greatest revival in history, when millions and millions of people are being added to the Kingdom of God. Our prayers must also be focused on the Great Harvest.

But we must also be aware that before Christ returns the anti-Christ will come. His tool for economic control is in place in India, and we should watch the expansion of these biometric surveillance systems as another sign of Christ’s Second Coming

Even so, come Lord Jesus.

There are many reasons to celebrate Christmas and the Advent of Christ. One of the best reasons for us is the celebration of how God kept His promises about sending Christ to Earth:

* God promised Adam and Eve He would be born miraculously to a virgin, (Gen 3:15), and He was.
*God promised Abraham that Christ would be a descendant of his (Gen 12:2), and He was.
* God promised Jacob that Christ would come from the line of his son Judah (Gen 49:10), and He did.
* God promised David that Christ would come from his Line (2 Sa 7:16), and He did.
* God told Micah that Christ would be born in Bethlehem (Mi 5:2), and He was.
* God told Daniel when Jesus would begin His ministry 483 years after the decree to rebuild Jerusalem (Da 9:25), and He did, in 26 AD.
* God told Isaiah where Christ would begin His ministry, in Galilee (Is 9:1), and He did.

There are over 300 of specific prophecies recorded about Jesus, His ministry, and His resurrection. All have been fulfilled, giving us confidence that God’s promises to us will also be fulfilled.

So as we gather to thank God for the greatest Christmas present of all, Jesus Christ, let us also rest secure in the knowledge that God can be trusted to keep all of His promises.

That trust is the source of our peace which passes understanding.

So have a merry, peaceful Christmas.

It has been said that those who do not understand history are doomed to repeat it.

We at Corporate Prayer Resources have found that history and its cousin archaeology are invaluable resources for the Church to draw on. That is why we have made the book Babylon: A Spiritual Journey Through Time and The Nations available as a free download at:

https://www.dropbox.com/sh/duyynypn4cdde8t/AAC5LM68I1jfVq7KBv36VG5-a?dl=0

Over the past two centuries our knowledge of ancient history has expanded greatly. We can now verify some Biblical events with hard evidence, such as the fallen walls of Jericho. Evidence gathered from outside the Holy Land confirms the historicity of many Bible texts, such as the Assyrian failure to take Jerusalem. Science has now found that all humans have a common mother (Eve), that there was a catastrophic decrease in the human population (Noah’s Flood), and that at one time humans spoke a single language (Tower of Babel). Thus, science and history teach us that we can trust in the accuracy of the Bible.

History and the Bible teach us much about God’s dealings with humans. God judged the Egyptians by humiliating their gods, and He struck Assyria at its greatest point of pride, its army. The remains of sacrificed children found in Canaan have shed light on why God decreed the total destruction of the Canaanites. But we also find that God is merciful, as when he gave evil King Ahab a second chance after he repented. God’s ultimate act of mercy, sending us the Christ, echoes down through history as the Kingdom of God expanded throughout the Roman Empire and then throughout the earth.

Our knowledge of the past helps us to focus our prayers by revealing the spiritual roots of the forces acting against the expansion of the Kingdom. Some years back a group of intercessors went to Ephesus to confront the pagan “Queen of Heaven”, failing in their mission because Ephesus is now controlled by the Islamic spirit, not the pagan spirit. Others have mistaken the Freemasons for a pagan institution when in fact they are dominated by the secular spirit. On the other hand, we have seen breakthroughs on prayer journeys where we have understood the history of spiritual bondage in the nations.

Finally, understanding the past is a key to understanding Bible prophecy. For example, Daniel’s prophecy of the “70 7’s” can be traced with historical data to confirm the start of Jesus’ ministry in 26 AD. Many of the prophecies in the book of Revelation can be matched with historical events to help us understand the times we live in. One of those prophecies, The Woman Riding the Beast in Revelation chapter 17, is a picture of the history of the world from Babylon to the Antichrist, and forms the outline of our Babylon book.

So the past is indeed a key to the future, as it confirms the Scriptures, teaches us God’s ways, shows us how to pray for the nations, and illuminates prophecy. It also shows us the terrible fate of those nations, from ancient Israel to Nazi Germany, who have abandoned God.

Let us pray that the Lord will help us use the past to help guide our footsteps in the year to come, repenting of our sins and drawing nearer to God.

And may you have a blessed New Year.

Yes, there really is a Saint Nicholas. He was a fourth century Bishop in Myra, in Asia
Minor. And he really was famous for his gift giving and his concern for the poor and for children. His feast day is tomorrow, December 6.

In the Middle Ages some enterprising citizens of the Italian city of Bari stole his remains and built a cathedral in his honor in Bari. Because of the importance of Saint Nicholas to both the Catholic and the Eastern Orthodox Church, the cathedral is one of the few places in the world where Catholic and Orthodox minister under the same roof. Pilgrims of both denominations are welcome there.

When the Charismatic renewal swept through the Catholic Church, one of the leaders in Bari, Matteo Calisi, wondered if the tolerance expressed at the Saint Nicholas Cathedral could grow into real reconciliation. He and Italian Evangelical pastor Giovanni Traettino reached across the divide and began a movement which has brought Catholics and Protestants together throughout Italy. Over the years the reconciliation movement has reached out from Bari to Protestants in North and South America, Africa, Europe, and Asia. In addition, the Orthodox and Messianic Jewish churches have also become involved.

One of Calisi’s major impacts was in Buenos Aires, where Cardinal Bergoglio opened the Catholic Church there to reconciliation with the Protestant leaders. We now know Cardinal Bergoglio as Pope Francis, and he has continued his historic outreach to other Christian traditions. In 2014 the Pope sent a historic video to Kenneth Copeland at a Pastor’s meeting which can be seen on Youtube under: https://youtu.be/b5TwrG8B3ME Since then many Church leaders have met with the Pope to heal the divisions between Christians.

During 2017, the 500th anniversary of the Protestant Reformation, many meetings were held around the world to promote the reconciliation of Christians. In October Matteo Calisi organized a meeting with Kenneth Copeland and Cardinal DiNardo, President of U.S. Bishops, and about 40 other Christian leaders including Lou Engle, Mike Bickle, and John Arnott in a visible show of unity at the Kairos 2017 conference in Kansas City. A similar meeting is planned for Dallas, Texas on October 3-5, 2019.

The reconciliation movement born in Bari seeks to bring Christians into genuine unity in our diversity. God realizes that we have different practices and beliefs, and we’re told to tolerate our brothers (see Ro14:1-4 and Ro 15:1-7). Our real unity is through Christ, for if we are each in Christ then we are also united in Christ. (see John 17:20-23).

So let us all join Christ in His prayer that we may be brought into complete unity (John
17:23).

And we need to thank Him for the gift of the reconciliation movement which was started in the Spirit of Saint Nicholas.

The Mystery of the Barbarian Invasions

One of the mysteries of history is why, after the Roman Empire accepted Christianity, God allowed the pagan Germanic people to overrun Christian Western Europe two hundred years later.

The Roman Empire was, of course, not fully Christianized and was suffering from demographic decline and corruption. The Empire was also weakened militarily and had shifted to defensive posture. But the real problem was the Church, which had also adopted defensive posture and was no longer focused on taking the Gospel to the ends of the earth.

With the Church unable and unwilling to move beyond its borders, God had to do something. So it appears that He allowed the barbarians to invade the Empire’s borders to bring them into contact with the Church. Amazingly, the pagan Germanic people came to accept Christianity and became the foundation of Christian Europe. Thus, the defeat of the Roman Empire actually led to the expansion of the Kingdom of God.

In America we have (so far) been spared from barbarian invasion. However, God is continuing to bring people who may be otherwise unreachable into contact with the Church through immigration, student visas, and now as refuges from Islamist terror and gang violence. For example, a Syrian Muslim who has been prevented from hearing the Gospel in his own country can be given the good news about Jesus while working or studying in the United States. Those who accept Christ can carry the Gospel back to their countrymen, expanding the Kingdom of God more efficiently than Americans could.

Many Christians have found that foreign students are responsive to fellowship from American families and are receptive to the gospel. There are also needy refugees who can be reached by showing God’s love and compassion.

An excellent tool to present the Gospel has been developed by a U.S. ministry, Christ for All People. They have made Jesus film DVD’s available in many immigrant languages, allowing our immigrant friends to learn about Jesus in their “heart” language. Check out their website at www.christforallpeoples.org

For our part we must remember Peter’s admonition to explain our faith with gentleness and respect. (I Peter 3:15) Christ For All Peoples suggests packaging the Jesus film with other goodies as a Christmas present.

What better time than Christmas to help an immigrant family learn why “Jesus is reason for the season.”