The article below by Jack Kelly, does a good job summing up what I have been feeling this Christmas season. I have felt this season more reflective, and a focus on savoring the small things.
Trying to focus on generosity instead of all of the stuff that usually surrounds holidays these days.
Kind of a back to the basics sort of approach.
Even more interesting is what I have not been feeling to the degree I have in years past. I have not felt anxious, or overwhelmed. I am saddened by all of the evil that is overwhelming the world but internally, I feel at peace, maybe even a little excited for what we are on the cusp of. If asked “what” we are on the edge of, I would have to say honestly I don’t know exactly, my blessed hope just like Paul is that Christ’s Return is near, the Rapture, but it could just be another series of sorrows. But it just feels different.
I feel an acceleration is coming, it feels like the calm right before the storm, where things are peaceful and then the 100 mph winds hit 2 minutes later.
Maybe it is just the time I took off from posting helped me step back from the barrage of signs and events. Maybe it is the realization of God’s true distinction of “good” people from saved. (more on that in a future article) But I think not, its more than that. It is a reassuring peace.
But it really does feel different this Christmas, it defies the “reality” of our world but maybe it is not a “peace” of this world.
God’s christmas gift is where our focus should be…
May God Bless each of you this Christmas season and may you remember what the true meaning is behind it all.
Whether you’re following commentaries by prophecy scholars on the nearness of the rapture or predictions by financial experts on the nearness of the world’s economic downfall, the message is the same. This could very well be the last time we celebrate Christmas as we’ve come to know it.
And that’s a good thing. Because for most of the world, Christmas has become little more than an annual exercise in spending money we don’t have to buy things they don’t need for the people on our list, some of whom we don’t even like. Add to that the sad fact that millions of American families are doing this from homes they no longer own, adding to a debt load they can hardly carry now, and you can see the level to which the world has sunk. And the saddest fact of all is they aren’t doing this out of any gratitude for what the Lord has given them. They’re doing this because for a brief period of time they can pretend everything’s OK.
For believers it should be a different story, although most of us are totally unaware that the greatest event in Church history is looming on our horizon. The coming rapture should be energizing the body of Christ and causing a massive reorientation of our priorities and yet current polls indicate that over 90% of us are still focused on the secular world and the fading illusion of happiness it offers, rather than the incredible promises of the Bible.
Revelation 13:7 – “And it was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them: and power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations.”
Zechariah 12:3 – “And in that day will I make Jerusalem a burdensome stone for all people: all that burden themselves with it shall be cut in pieces, though all the people of the earth be gathered together against it.”
Matthew 24:10-11 – “At that time many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other, and many false prophets will appear and deceive many people.”
None today
——————–
Days of Noah
Matthew 24:37-39 – “As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. For in the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day Noah entered the ark; and they knew nothing about what would happen until the flood came and took them all away. That is how it will be at the coming of the Son of Man.”
Matthew 24:4-5 – “Jesus answered: “Watch out that no one deceives you. For many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am the Messiah,’ and will deceive many.”
Ezekiel 38:8 – “…In future years you will invade a land that has recovered from war, whose people were gathered from many nations to the mountains of Israel, which had long been desolate. …”
Psalm 83:4 – “Come,” they say, “let us destroy them as a nation, so that Israel’s name is remembered no more.”
Revelation 13:16-17 -“It also forced all people, great and small, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on their right hands or on their foreheads, …”
None today
——————–
One World Currency
Revelation 13:17 – “…so that they could not buy or sell unless they had the mark, …”
2 Thessalonians 2:4 – “Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God.”
None today
——————–
Weather Signs
Luke 21:25 – ““There will be signs in the sun, moon and stars. On the earth, nations will be in anguish and perplexity at the roaring and tossing of the sea.”
In the last chapter of the last book of the Bible, Jesus says to the Church three times, “I come quickly”. (Revelation 22:7, 12, 20)
Many years ago, I realized that when a word or phrase was repeated in the Scriptures, it was a way of emphasizing the need of listening intently to that word or phrase, because of the importance of what is about to be said. For example, when Jesus said, “Verily, verily”, as He sometimes did, He was saying, “Listen up. Everyone pay attention. It is very important you hear this.” Today, we would probably underline the word or phrase, or put it in italics, or make it bold, or use an exclamation point, or all of the above.
Following are the actual words from Jesus, in this last chapter of Revelation, v.7 “Behold, I come quickly, v.12-13 And, behold, I come quickly, and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last. v.16 I, Jesus, have sent mine angel to testify unto you these things in the churches. I am the root and the offspring of David, and the bright and morning star. v.20 Surely, I come quickly. ”
Get this. He said the same thing previously to the Philadelphian church in Revelation 3:11, “Behold, I come quickly …” So this actually makes four times in this one book He made this statement to His Church.
This is an amazing speech that no doubt many of you have watched before. But as a precursor to next year, I thought I would go ahead and post it.
It’s funny, that within the first 5 minutes of this speech, as Reagan characterized what the left was saying in the 60′s, it sounds almost identical to what they are saying now. The left never changes it seems – it’s Socialism or bust.
The speech is 30 minutes long and well worth it. Reagan’s words really do echo into today with a surreal accuracy.
It was the single sign that God used to wake me up to Bible prophecy. I can not describe to you the intense feelings I had surrounding deception. It was everywhere I looked. I found myself saying, “I can’t believe it”, a couple hundred times a day when it finally dawned on me that something was not right, this was beyond man. I started this blog as a way to gather all of the deception that I saw and share it with others. It was so numerous that I just couldn’t keep up using email and word of mouth. It truly is everywhere these days and it is getting even stronger and more bold.
Terry does and excellent job laying out how we are being decieved and what Christ said about it, it was his first warning to us, we need to be watchful and on guard. We are truly surrounded…
A science fiction film of 1956 called Invasion of the Body Snatchers riveted me as a kid of fourteen or so. Sinister, unseen—even unknowable—diabolical entities were taking over the personhood, bodies and all, of earthlings. The protagonist, a physician, was frightened and frustrated as to how to deal with the situation, and was unable for most of the movie to convince those around him that something disastrous was being set up to destroy humanity.
Almost the whole town was replaced by the invaders before…well, you will have to see the movie—I don’t want to spoil it for you.
The storyline was a grand scheme of delusion and deception. You wanted to shout at the big screen for the people to recognize what was going on. You are being set up for falling victim to the body snatchers! But, the course of the storyline could not be changed. It was inevitable that the other-worldly beings would soon take over, as they say, lock, stock, and barrel.
“How do you reason with someone that wants to kill you?”
It defies logic, but then again, we are living in a world where 2+2=3 for a lot of people.
It is an area where you can really see the “hardening of the heart” that God talks about. No matter what the outcome or results you are seeing, those that believe in appeasement, continue more of the same. The words of Ezekiel echo in my head “have you come to plunder and take spoils?”
It is a result of history repeating itself. And ultimately, our own fault for not valuing history and instead only what is new and progressive.
Todd does a great job laying out what the outcome has been and where it is leading us.
America’s longstanding policy of Muslim appeasement has been a complete failure. We started on this path thinking that acts of kindness will somehow separate the good Muslims from the extremists. Our efforts have only made maters worse. The Middle East has become more radicalized than at any point in the past.
Afghanistan is a prime example of our failed labors. We have spent over $440 billion trying to make that nation a better place, and intolerance has only gotten worse under our watch. The post-Taliban was even nice enough to pass a constitution that ensures the free exercise of religion. It was as pointless as having a fox put his paw print on a contract that guarantees he won’t eat the chickens he’s left to guard. According to the U.S. State Department, there is not a single public Christian church left in Afghanistan. They have all been destroyed by various Muslim forces. The State Department also said there is only one Jewish resident left in Afghanistan. At one time, there were thousands of Jews in that land.
So many end times prophecies involve Israel. It was the super sign that jump started the birth pains and lets us know for certain that we are part of the generation that will see Christ return. One of the other leading indicators that we are accelerating toward the final hour is the increased isolation the Israel is experiencing. Who would have thought even 4 years ago that the US would not be a friend that Israel could count on?
Terry from raptureready.com lays out this rapidly increasing path of isolation that Israel finds itself on.
Even the headlines this week, show how quick the isolation is occuring, from the open mic comments by our President and the French President, to not supporting Israel and their warnings about a nuclear Iran. It is truly a breath-taking pace.
Israel continues to be made the hold-up to peace in the Middle East, thus the stumbling block to peace for the whole world. That nation’s isolation is being maneuvered and manipulated by pressures from every direction.
The Islamist nations of the region hate the Jewish state–while at the same time refusing to acknowledge it even exists. They surround Israel on all sides except the Mediterranean side. Submarines of Israel’s enemies even lurk in those waters, awaiting the right time to strike. The countries within the United Nations, led by the Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, are for the most part overwhelmingly opposed to Israel in every vote taken that involves Israel’s right to exist and thrive in that land the UN antagonists proclaim belongs to the Palestinians.
The European Union (EU) consistently comes down on the side of the Palestinian Authority’s (PA) demands that Israel give up whatever territory necessary to accommodate the two-state solution–thus to construct a homeland for the Palestinian refugees. This is demanded, although the refugees are from the surrounding Arab states, nations that prefer to keep the hapless refugees in geographical limbo so hatred of the Jews and accusations that the Jews are cruel occupiers can continue to spew forth.
Every day that passes, we see the alliances discussed in prophecy taking form. The nations represented by the 10 kings from revelation and the Gog/Magog alliances. Russia will play a major role in many of the prophecies that are at our door.
Todd from raptureready.com laid out a good summary of what is unfolding in his Nearing Midnight commentary a few weeks back.
From day one, I’ve had deep suspicions of Russian leader Vladimir Putin. He first emerged on the Russian political stage in 1999, when President Boris Yeltsin resigned in a surprising move. Putin won the 2000 presidential election and has been in control of Russia ever since.
Putin is someone who likes to operate in the shadows. As a former KGB agent, he is skilled in building secret political alliances. Putin will appoint cronies into key positions and depend on them for his power base.
The greatest example of Putin’s handiwork would have to be President Dmitry Medvedev. As it stands right now, Medvedev is the official head of Russia’s government. Everyone knows that Putin is still in control. In 2008, the two men switched titles when Putin was barred by the Russian constitution from running for a third consecutive term. Now that Medvedev’s reign is up, the two plan to switch back, allowing Putin to serve two more terms as the official president of Russia. It shows an amazing amount of confidence on Putin’s part for him to allow one of his underlings to sit on his throne.
Apostasy! It is a major sign of the last days. Are we experiencing it?
A good test is to ask your friends and family about Christ’s Second Coming or the Rapture this weekend.
What a great time, thanksgiving, to bring it up? You might be surprised at what you hear and feel coming back your way. Even those that wear the name christian, seem to be shrugging off the second coming or the rapture or the end time signs.
It is a good test to see how attached we are to this world. Are we looking forward to Christ’s return, or do we feel it would mess up our plans? Do we have to many things yet to do in this world?
The video/audio below is a grouping of portions of sermons that are very pointed and probably what most don’t want to think about. They speak in love, to fellow brothers and sisters, it is not being said based on growing their congregation, but to wake us up to what Jesus has called us to do.
The part that really hit home for me was his statement about when was the last time you spent an hour with Jesus. Have we set aside an hour each day to spend with Christ, the number one priority in our lives. Is he? I was guilty. Maybe if you pieced together all of my 5-10 minute segments, but is that quality time. We use that argument with our kids and loved ones, how about Christ Jesus?
When was the last time you heard a sermon as pointed as the ones in the video. Think about that as you listen. It is the Truth! It is pointed, but it is the Truth, the Word of God!
God Bless, let us hear the Truth and take it to heart…
In the past two weeks two members of my own family who claim they are Christians have said the following: “You have been saying the Lord is coming back soon for years, they were saying the same thing 2000 years ago and Jesus still hasn’t returned”. Over the years I have noticed more people saying the same thing. These people who say these things aren’t reading the Word of God, and they are unaware that what they stated was actually a fulfillment of prophecy for the last days. Why is this important? Watch the video below.
This week Terry had a great article in the Nearing Midnight section of RaptureReady.com.
Events are happening so very fast now that it is hard to keep up, let alone keep your head from spinning. Just as Christ has predicted, end times prophecies are nearing completion at a stunning rate, all the pieces falling together one right after another, and yet the world acts as if nothing out of the normal is happening. In fact, if you try to bring up the predictions from the Bible, you are mocked. (Which in and of itself fulfills prophecy – ironically!)
I don’t know about you but I can feel this sense of something imminent. I can sense that evil is accelerating and enveloping the planet. People’s sense of right and wrong seem to be reversing themselves as deception rises to unprecedented levels. The Truth, the Word of God, seems to be getting nudged out. This world no longer has a need for it.
The hour feels late, but do you sense the world expects anything big will happen? Or is it a day like any other day?
Matthew 24:36-44
36 “But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, but My Father only. 37 But as the days of Noah were, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. 38 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, 39 and did not know until the flood came and took them all away, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. 40 Then two men will be in the field: one will be taken and the other left. 41 Two women will be grinding at the mill: one will be taken and the other left. 42 Watch therefore, for you do not know what hour your Lord is coming. 43 But know this, that if the master of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched and not allowed his house to be broken into. 44 Therefore you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.
Jude 1:16-19
16 These are grumblers, complainers, walking according to their own lusts; and they mouth great swelling words, flattering people to gain advantage. 17 But you, beloved, remember the words which were spoken before by the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ: 18 how they told you that there would be mockers in the last time who would walk according to their own ungodly lusts. 19 These are sensual persons, who cause divisions, not having the Spirit.
Every week I find in my email inbox a number of predictions for this or for that concerning Bible prophecy. Many involve the writer’s prediction of the time of the Rapture, based upon a specific formula he or she has figured out, or has adopted from someone else’s thoughts.
Some, such as the particular writer I’m thinking about in writing this commentary, send out each year a dozen or more predictions of the time of the Rapture to various forums, including Todd and me. His predictions usually revolve around traditional Jewish holy days. Although every prediction has thus far failed to come to pass, the writer is persistent, becoming more adamant about the validity of his date-setting with each succeeding “forth telling.”
I must admit that I’ve come to sort of look forward to unwrapping these missives to peek at what we might have, kind of like opening a surprise package. One thing sure…it’s never a disappointing exercise. He always has something new and unusual to spring upon the recipient. If he remains so persistent–based upon the way world events are shaping up–he is bound to be at least nearly right about the timing of the Rapture at some point.
I had heard that alternate title once before long ago, but was reminded of it in Jack Kelly’s article “Wisdom of the Ages”.
The Bible is the most amazing book. The more you read it, the more Truth and wisdom you can glean.
Satan’s plan over the centuries to move us from knowing our history, to being so focused on the future, is quite cunning. You hear it said all the time, that everything you need to know about life is in the Bible, well maybe you don’t hear that as much these days but the statement is still as true today as it was when it was written.
Jack does a superb job at laying out how contorted our world view has become. Not only have we just been taught little by little, that our past (history) is not important, but we have in fact seen much of it re-written.
The one constant in our world has been the Bible, but even that is under attack as new interpretations are developed under the goal of “modernizing” the language so that it can be “better” understood. That is false! Spend some time reading the Bible and it will come to life! To better understand that deception check out my previous post on changes that are being made through translations. (Is your Bible uncorrupted?)
Enjoy the article below, it was a very enlightening and refreshing read! It will also give you some great tools, straight from scripture, that God wanted us to know and use daily. It is better than any self-help book currently published.
Recently, I was reminded of a video I had watched some years ago on the life of Abraham. First shown on one of the cable networks, it was surprisingly faithful to the Bible’s account of Abraham’s life.
The late Richard Harris portrayed Abraham as a man of great sensitivity, with a yearning to know God. Eventually he was successful, for the Bible describes him as God’s friend (Isaiah 41:8). It does not tell us why Abraham sought God, or how he even knew there was a God. Although Abraham’s early ancestors had obviously known of Him, the people of Abraham’s time were not followers of this God. How did Abraham find out about Him?
Creation Chronology
Genesis 5 is a chronology of the first 10 generations of man. It’s given without explanation or embellishment and covers the period from Adam through Noah. Since the chronology is specific, calculating the life span of each man is simple, as is the total time from Adam’s creation to Noah’s death – 2006 years. Genesis 6 – 9 then shifts gears to describe the Great Flood, which occurred 1656 years after Adam’s creation. Chapter 10 is about the Tower of Babel.
Then in Genesis 11: 9 the chronology abruptly begins again with Noah’s son Shem and continues through Abraham (then called Abram) in Genesis 11:26. Once again we can calculate both the individual life spans and the total elapsed time of 10 generations. By putting the two lists together you come to the amazing discovery that Noah was still alive when Abram was born and died when Abram was 58.
You can also see that if Adam recounted the story of his origin to his son Seth and his grandson son Enosh, (seems likely, since Adam’s origin was pretty unique) then Enosh could have told Noah. In fact 8 out of the first 10 family heads were still alive and well during most of Noah’s life. Only Adam and Seth had died. Since they all lived in the same general vicinity, Mesopotamia, it’s likely they all knew Adam’s story and could have passed it along.
Hello Noah? This is Abraham
Only Noah and his three sons survived the flood, but any of them could have talked with Abram. In fact Noah’s son Shem, still around when Abram’s son Isaac was born, actually out lived Abram. (Some say Shem was the one called Melchizedek in Genesis 14:18-20, the King of Salem to whom Abram paid a tithe on the spoil he had taken while rescuing Lot.)
The notion that the Creation story came from fables told by illiterate primitives around campfires at night just isn’t so. The chain of information from Creation to Abraham needed only 3 links; Adam, Enosh (Adam’s grandson) and Noah. It is no stretch of the imagination to conclude that Abram had heard about the Creator of the Universe through this chain and then sought Him out. You see, in those days there was great interest in the lessons of the past; the wisdom of the ages.
What’s The Point?
Today in almost every field, great emphasis is placed on new thought. Nothing wrong with that per se, but in our quest for the “latest thing” are we losing our grounding in the wisdom of the ages?
Through out history, every society has relied on the wisdom of its elders to instruct the young, guaranteeing that its heritage would remain intact and that simple truths would not be lost. Because for the most part western society no longer venerates its elders and their wisdom, we live in a revisionist world, where even the past is becoming uncertain. (Was Columbus a good guy or a bad guy? Was the Holocaust real? Who was JFK?)
Many of life’s simple truths are no longer passed along, yet they have always been effective in building successful lives. They were first written down for us in the Bible, confirmed in the biographies of successful people, and documented by society’s observers. Here’s an example.
This is a tough area and topic to discuss, it is almost as charged as the abortion topic, but I think it is a key sign that we are living in the last days – the Days of Noah.
Did you know that the only other time in history that same-sex marriage was legal was in the days of Noah? It is true. Christ warned us to be watchful, and look for it to be like the days of Noah and the days of Lot, then we would know we were in the End Times.
I have always struggled with the fact that everywhere you turn these days you can not escape the media putting the “Alternate Lifestyle” in our face. It is not that I want it banished to some dark corner but maybe just a little perspective. If they are truly a minority (an alternate lifestyle), one that needs extra protections evidently, then why is it treated as if it is as common as a successful marriage between a man and a women. I might argue that if you assessed our society based on our media, you would get the reverse impression, that the healthy marriage was really the minority, but that is another topic.
There is obviously an agenda but that agenda has consequences. And it is those consequences that are almost always overlooked by our current society and especially the media. God warned us of all sins, He did that as a loving father. He does not want to see any of us get hurt and He wants to protect us from this evil world. Homosexuality is a sin just like all of the others it is listed with in 1 Corinthians. It is just as destructive as adultery or idolatry or theft. We all struggle with our own portfolio of sins, being christians of flesh this is our cross to bear until Christ comes back for us. God gave us the tools to help combat it the best we can, some days successfully, some days not. But it is through keeping our eyes on Christ that we gain the strength over time to resist more successfully, even thought the sin never truly departs us. Through faith in Christ, we are of the spirit and not flesh as Paul stated.
Dr David Reagan does a great job laying out the truth, as disturbing and painful as it is. We can not ignore God’s Word, or pick and choose which parts of His Word we want to believe, we must have faith and trust in Him, modeling ourselves after His Son, Jesus Christ.
Let’s consider for a moment the homosexual political agenda. It’s a radical one that most people are not really aware of. If enacted, it would serve to undermine the Biblical concept of the family.
The first goal, of course, is to repeal all state laws against sodomy. Until 1961 every state in the Union had a law against sodomy. Since that time, state after state has repealed its anti-sodomy law due to pressure and threats from homosexual activists and organizations like the ACLU despite the fact that the Supreme Court has consistently upheld the constitutional right of states to pass such laws.
Another goal high on the political agenda is to get special laws enacted that would prohibit any kind of discrimination against homosexuals. The proposed laws are broad in scope. Some would prohibit a person from refusing to rent a room in his home to a homosexual. Others would go so far as to penalize a church for refusing to hire a homosexual, and organizations like the Boy Scouts would be required to recruit homosexual leaders. The most ominous laws are those that would classify verbal attacks on the homosexual lifestyle as “hate crimes.” The latter laws could be applied to media ministers as well as preachers in the pulpit.
Revelation 13:7 – “And it was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them: and power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations.”
Zechariah 12:3 – “And in that day will I make Jerusalem a burdensome stone for all people: all that burden themselves with it shall be cut in pieces, though all the people of the earth be gathered together against it.”
Matthew 24:10-11 – “At that time many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other, and many false prophets will appear and deceive many people.”
None today
——————–
Days of Noah
Matthew 24:37-39 – “As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. For in the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day Noah entered the ark; and they knew nothing about what would happen until the flood came and took them all away. That is how it will be at the coming of the Son of Man.”
Matthew 24:4-5 – “Jesus answered: “Watch out that no one deceives you. For many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am the Messiah,’ and will deceive many.”
None today
——————–
Earthquakes
Matthew 24:7-8 – “…There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. All these are the beginning of birth pains.”
Ezekiel 38:8 – “…In future years you will invade a land that has recovered from war, whose people were gathered from many nations to the mountains of Israel, which had long been desolate. …”
Psalm 83:4 – “Come,” they say, “let us destroy them as a nation, so that Israel’s name is remembered no more.”
Revelation 13:16-17 -“It also forced all people, great and small, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on their right hands or on their foreheads, …”
None today
——————–
One World Currency
Revelation 13:17 – “…so that they could not buy or sell unless they had the mark, …”
Revelation 13:8 – “All inhabitants of the earth will worship the beast…”
None today
——————–
Peace Process / Peace Talks
Daniel 9:27 – “And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week…”
None today
——————–
Pestilence
Luke 21:11 – “There will be great earthquakes, famines and pestilences in various places, and fearful events and great signs from heaven.”
None today
——————–
Rebuilding the temple
2 Thessalonians 2:4 – “Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God.”
None today
——————–
Weather Signs
Luke 21:25 – ““There will be signs in the sun, moon and stars. On the earth, nations will be in anguish and perplexity at the roaring and tossing of the sea.”
Great article by Joel Rosenberg on what we face with Iran, our administration may be deceving themselves on how they can deal with Iran. Things are heating up with the war drums getting louder and louder, Psalms 83 and Ezekiel 38 prophecy signs are visible on the horizon. Which means Paul’s “Blessed Hope” must be near indeed…
Why would Iran authorize a major terrorist operation on American soil? Skeptics say the much-discussed “foiled” Iranian plot makes no sense. We will know soon enough if the Feds have sufficient evidence related to this specific plot. But Iranian leaders may, in fact, have a motive to accelerate direct attacks on the U.S.: Shia Islamic eschatology, or “End Times” theology.
Iran’s Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad are convinced that the End of Days has come. They believe the Shia messiah known as the “Twelfth Imam” or the “Mahdi” will appear soon to establish a global Islamic kingdom known as the caliphate.
What’s more, they believe the way to hasten the coming of the Twelfth Imam is to annihilate Israel (which they call the “Little Satan”), and the United States (which they call the “Great Satan”). We should not, therefore, be surprised that Iran is probing for weaknesses in American intelligence and homeland security.
Khamenei told Iranians in July 2010 that he personally met with the Twelfth Imam. He also claimed to be the personal representative of the Mahdi on earth, and said all Muslims must “obey him.” Meanwhile, Western intelligence agencies say he continues to work with Ahmadinejad and the Iranian military to develop nuclear warheads and the ballistic missiles to deliver them.
Much of the media has focused on Iran’s threats to wipe Israel “off the map.” But journalists have generally ignored the fact that the Iranian regime is equally determined to destroy the United States.
On October 26, 2005, for example, Ahmadinejad said, “God willing, with the force of God behind it, we shall soon experience a world without the United States and Zionism.”
On June 2, 2008, Ahmadinejad said, “Today, the time for the fall of the satanic power of the United States has come, and the countdown to the annihilation of the emperor of power and wealth has started.”
Iran’s leaders actually believe that the destruction of the U.S. is foreordained, just as the Soviet Union’s implosion was predetermined. They see U.S. economic weakness as a sign that the end of America is near.
Other signs include President Obama’s political weakness in the polls and his unwillingness to use force against Iran even after the Iranian murder of Americans in Iraq, Afghanistan, Saudi Arabia and Lebanon over the years.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu sees the gravity of the situation. “The Obama presidency has two great missions: fixing the economy, and preventing Iran from gaining nuclear weapons,” he told The Atlantic magazine in March 2009. “You don’t want a messianic apocalyptic cult controlling atomic bombs,” Netanyahu said of the Iranian leadership. “When the wide-eyed believer gets hold of the reins of power and the weapons of mass death, then the entire world should start worrying, and that is what is happening in Iran.”’
Unfortunately, Netanyahu hasn’t seen the Obama administration strengthen the American economy or take decisive measures to stop Iran from getting the Bomb, and he is getting anxious. “The international community must stop Iran before it’s too late,” Netanyahu warned in his United Nations speech last month. “If Iran is not stopped, we will all face the specter of nuclear terrorism, and the Arab Spring could soon become an Iranian winter….The world around Israel is definitely becoming more dangerous.”
To truly understand how just how dangerous Iran’s regime really is, American leaders need to better understand Shia eschatology.
The Twelfth Imam was a real, flesh-and-blood person who, like the eleven Shia leaders who went before him, was an Arab male, a direct descendent of the founder of Islam, and was thought to have been divinely chosen to be the spiritual guide and ultimate human authority of the Muslim people. His actual name was Muhammad Ibn Hasan Ibn Ali, and it is generally believed by Shias that he was born in Samarra, Iraq, in AD 868.
At a very young age, however, Ali vanished from society. Some say he was four years old, while others say five and some say six. Some believe he fell into a well in Samarra but his body was never recovered. Others believe the Mahdi’s mother placed him in the well to prevent evil rulers from capturing him and killing him, and that little Ali subsequently became supernaturally invisible. This is where the term “Hidden Imam” is derived, as Shias believe that Ali is not dead but has simply been hidden from the sight of mankind – Shias refer to this as “occultation” – until the End of Days, when Allah will reveal him once again.
Shias believe the Mahdi will return in the last days to establish righteousness, justice, and peace. When he comes, they say, the Mahdi will bring Jesus with him. Jesus will be a Muslim and will serve as his deputy, not as King of kings and Lord of lords as the Bible teaches, and he will force non-Muslims to choose between following the Mahdi or death.
By most accounts, Shia scholars believe the Mahdi will first appear in Mecca and conquer the Middle East, then establish the headquarters of his global Islamic government—or caliphate—in Iraq. But there is not universal agreement. Some believe he will emerge from the well at the Jamkaran Mosque in Iran and then travel to Mecca and Iraq. Some say that he will conquer Jerusalem before establishing his caliphate in Iraq. Others believe Jerusalem must be conquered as a prerequisite to his return.
None of this is actually written in the Kuran, and Sunnis reject this eschatology.
But one thing that is fairly well agreed upon among devout “Twelvers” is that the Mahdi will end apostasy and purify corruption within Islam. He is expected to conquer the Arabian Peninsula, Jordan, Syria, “Palestine,” Egypt and North Africa, and eventually the entire world. During this time, he and Jesus will kill between 60 and 80 percent of the world’s population, specifically those who refuse to convert to Islam.
Ayatollah Ibrahim Amini, a professor at the Religious Learning Centre in Qom, wrote a noteworthy book entitled, Al-Imam al-Mahdi, the Just Leader of Humanity, describing the connection between Shia eschatology and Iranian foreign policy. “Those who persist in their disbelief and wickedness shall be killed by the soldiers of the Mahdi,” wrote Amini. “The only victorious government in the entire world will be that of Islam, and people will devotedly endeavor to protect it. Islam will be the religion of everyone, and will enter all the nations of the world. . . .The Mahdi will offer the religion of Islam to the Jews and the Christians; if they accept it they will be spared, otherwise they will be killed. . . . It seems unlikely that this catastrophe can be avoided. . . . Warfare and bloodshed [are] inevitable. . . The Imam of the Age and his supporters will overcome the forces of disbelief and godless materialism by undertaking jihad.”
In light of such End Times theology, we shouldn’t be surprised that the Iranian regime is taking a more aggressive posture towards the U.S. and Israel. Instead, we should be taking decisive measures to prevent Iran from blind-siding us in the not-too-distant future with a nuclear terrorist attack or even an electromagnetic pulse (EMP) attack.
Unfortunately, most of Washington and the world’s leadership is asleep to the prospect of this gathering storm. It is time to wake up, before it’s too late.
Joel C. Rosenberg is the author of eight New York Times best-selling books about the Middle East. His most recent political thriller is “The Tehran Initiative.” Visit his website at www.joelrosenberg.com.
Revelation 13:7 – “And it was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them: and power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations.”
Zechariah 12:3 – “And in that day will I make Jerusalem a burdensome stone for all people: all that burden themselves with it shall be cut in pieces, though all the people of the earth be gathered together against it.”
Matthew 24:10-11 – “At that time many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other, and many false prophets will appear and deceive many people.”
Matthew 24:37-39 – “As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. For in the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day Noah entered the ark; and they knew nothing about what would happen until the flood came and took them all away. That is how it will be at the coming of the Son of Man.”
Matthew 24:4-5 – “Jesus answered: “Watch out that no one deceives you. For many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am the Messiah,’ and will deceive many.”
Ezekiel 38:8 – “…In future years you will invade a land that has recovered from war, whose people were gathered from many nations to the mountains of Israel, which had long been desolate. …”
Psalm 83:4 – “Come,” they say, “let us destroy them as a nation, so that Israel’s name is remembered no more.”
Revelation 13:16-17 -“It also forced all people, great and small, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on their right hands or on their foreheads, …”
None today
——————–
One World Currency
Revelation 13:17 – “…so that they could not buy or sell unless they had the mark, …”
2 Thessalonians 2:4 – “Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God.”
None today
——————–
Weather Signs
Luke 21:25 – ““There will be signs in the sun, moon and stars. On the earth, nations will be in anguish and perplexity at the roaring and tossing of the sea.”
Revelation 13:7 – “And it was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them: and power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations.”
Zechariah 12:3 – “And in that day will I make Jerusalem a burdensome stone for all people: all that burden themselves with it shall be cut in pieces, though all the people of the earth be gathered together against it.”
Matthew 24:10-11 – “At that time many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other, and many false prophets will appear and deceive many people.”
Matthew 24:37-39 – “As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. For in the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day Noah entered the ark; and they knew nothing about what would happen until the flood came and took them all away. That is how it will be at the coming of the Son of Man.”
Matthew 24:4-5 – “Jesus answered: “Watch out that no one deceives you. For many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am the Messiah,’ and will deceive many.”
Ezekiel 38:8 – “…In future years you will invade a land that has recovered from war, whose people were gathered from many nations to the mountains of Israel, which had long been desolate. …”
Psalm 83:4 – “Come,” they say, “let us destroy them as a nation, so that Israel’s name is remembered no more.”
Revelation 13:16-17 -“It also forced all people, great and small, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on their right hands or on their foreheads, …”
2 Thessalonians 2:4 – “Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God.”
Luke 21:25 – ““There will be signs in the sun, moon and stars. On the earth, nations will be in anguish and perplexity at the roaring and tossing of the sea.”
Revelation 13:7 – “And it was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them: and power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations.”
Zechariah 12:3 – “And in that day will I make Jerusalem a burdensome stone for all people: all that burden themselves with it shall be cut in pieces, though all the people of the earth be gathered together against it.”
Matthew 24:10-11 – “At that time many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other, and many false prophets will appear and deceive many people.”
None today
——————–
Days of Noah
Matthew 24:37-39 – “As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. For in the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day Noah entered the ark; and they knew nothing about what would happen until the flood came and took them all away. That is how it will be at the coming of the Son of Man.”
Matthew 24:4-5 – “Jesus answered: “Watch out that no one deceives you. For many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am the Messiah,’ and will deceive many.”
Ezekiel 38:8 – “…In future years you will invade a land that has recovered from war, whose people were gathered from many nations to the mountains of Israel, which had long been desolate. …”
Psalm 83:4 – “Come,” they say, “let us destroy them as a nation, so that Israel’s name is remembered no more.”
Revelation 13:16-17 -“It also forced all people, great and small, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on their right hands or on their foreheads, …”
None today
——————–
One World Currency
Revelation 13:17 – “…so that they could not buy or sell unless they had the mark, …”
2 Thessalonians 2:4 – “Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God.”
None today
——————–
Weather Signs
Luke 21:25 – ““There will be signs in the sun, moon and stars. On the earth, nations will be in anguish and perplexity at the roaring and tossing of the sea.”
First off, I believe that the Bible is the Word of God. It is 100% true and has never been proven wrong.
When I saw this post on Frank DiMora’s site, it peaked my interest but I did not think it would blow me away. I always knew there were differences in the translations, but I did not realize how insidious the corruption had gotten.
God warned us of the deception during these last days (the days since Israel became a nation). Jesus warned us in Revelation:
Revelation 22:16-19 (KJV)
16I Jesus have sent mine angel to testify unto you these things in the churches. I am the root and the offspring of David, and the bright and morning star.
17And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.
18For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book:
19And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book.
If you haven’t looked into what Agenda 21 is you should. It is something that is heading our way and picking up steam. Daymond included a web link to a site where you can look up to see if your city or county has signed up to be a part of this. It is really insidious.
I recently learned that a speaker would be discussing Agenda 21 at our local Tea Party meeting. Knowing that Agenda 21 was established by the United Nations to help bring in one-world government and that it has enjoyed the support of luminaries such as Pres. George H. W. Bush (1992 Earth Summit), Pres. Bill Clinton (Executive Order 12858) and Pres. Barack Obama (Executive Order 13575), I decided to attend.
This hideous idea has been around for more than a quarter of a century. For many of those years, it was in the discussion stage, but it has now moved to the implementation stage. In the United States, it has made its way into every state in the union. Those who want to know if it has come to their city, town or county can find out by going to www.iclei.org. At the top of the page, on the horizontal menu click on “Members.” In the left margin of the page that comes up, click on “Global Members.” When that page comes up, scroll down to “United States of America” and click. You will find more than five hundred places on a list that will soon be much larger.
Very interesting and thought-provoking discussion of what we are seeing in the headlines. The prophetic signs are so numerous and coming so quickly it can be overwhelming. We are certainly living in the last days Jesus spoke of…
I want to apologize for not posting very much this month. I have felt an overwhelming feeling with everything that is coming at me both from a prophetic as well as personal stand point. I am definitely back and will be posting quite a bit over the next couple of days, as I have quite a back log of draft articles and headlines to share.
This is a great sermon series that I think really solidifies God’s gift of grace in our lives and how we are truly saved through God’s grace, not our works. He touches on many of the stumbling blocks we as christians have run into as we manuever through this world.
Very positive and thought-provoking. It is a message you can listen to again and again.
My apologies for using another song I wrote, but here goes. I also wrote this one three years ago, and it is called “Rapture On Sunday”.
The Lord is coming soon and it could be at any day
We may be at work church home or at play
The time is up to Him but ready we should be
You should see it too I hope you do agree
I’ve often wondered if the churches in the US of A
Would miss many members on that glorious day
Would the preacher keep on preaching would the choir sing right on
Would the pews still be full and just the children all gone
I try to resist posting anything with even a hint politics here, but I feel the deception is just to great.
The message being fed to everyone by our current government is a sign of the end times.
I am so sick of hearing “take it from the rich!”
Bill Whittle does a great job of staying on the facts only, not political, and pointing out what is wrong with the current proposed strategy. Please pass this along to your friends and colleagues, this “logic” (illogical) has got to stop…
If you want to skip the hint of politics, start at the 2:20 minute mark…
Most of you by know know that I deal with facts, eviodence, and hard proof concerning events that are taking place in these last days. Since Jesus told us to look for signs in the sun, the moon, and the starsSome of you have asked me if I have any news about Comet Elenin? Some of you have asked me if anyone can see this comet yet? I have received emails from some people living in Australia telling me they can see it. I can only tell you what I am being told. Living in California I can tell you I can not see anything of Elenin yet! The person who took the video below was in North Wales.
This video was taken with a standard camera phone on 14th September 2011. Some people watching the video have said that the dot to the left is a result of not using a filter on the camera, and that the round dots are not a comet. You will see from the video that he actually moves the camera around and the reflections from the camera move around with it but the object to the left does not move a all. Watch the video and I want to ask you something?
I hope by now you understand I am always trying to get to the truth of the matters. So, may I ask everyone who have watched my International radio show at The Edge, this prophecy site, and my youtube video to do me a favor. I have people from just about all parts of the globe. If you can see Comet Elenin where you live could you take a picutre, or pictures of it and send them to me via the email. I will post them here at my site. If Elenin is that big and is truly headed for Earth as the thousands of have said on the Net than we all should be able to see it very soon. I will do my best to bring you the truth.
More on what is headed our way this Fall, Terry does an excellent job laying out some of the back ground and what is coming in his Nearing Midnight article on www.raptureready.com.
Modern Israel, as we consistently say, is the number-one signal of where this generation stands on God’s prophetic timeline. That nation is, therefore, the best example in the geopolitical arena to use for focusing on details of issues and events shaping the stage-setting for Bible prophecy fulfillment. The student who watches Bible prophecy develop from the premillennial, pretrib viewpoint has, with clarity others can’t see, I think, seen Israel come back into its own land, with its ancient national language restored. It did so following a miraculous rebirth into modernity on a single day, just as prophesied (Isa. 66: 6-9). The intricate details of the amazing rebirth are there to be gleaned by the hundreds, if not thousands.
One of the major birth pain signs are earthquakes. Christ warned that as we approached the last days these earthquakes would intensify in both number and size. Frank Dimora pulled together a summary list of what has occurred in the last seven days as well as historically what we are seeing. If there was ever a doubt in your mind that we are seeing an exponential increase check out the number below, and pull the numbers yourself. It is amazing! God’s word being fulfilled…
Prophecy Sign: For all you who just found my web site you need to know I have been warning my readers to watch for the big earth quakes that are going to come soon. I warned my readers about this because of what the Word of God warns in Luke 21:11 where Jesus said there would be “great earthquakes”. Christ also warned us to watch for the many earthquakes in Matthew 24:7. I am not sure if you are paying attention but if not you had better take a look at the number of good size quakes just this past 7 days!
The article below caught my attention this morning, partly because of its topic but also because of its author. I respect Jack Kelly, he is linked to all over my site and has written some of my favorite articles. His most recent article goes contrary to a lot of the articles I have posted here in the last few weeks. I think it is a great read and something we should all ponder.
I agree with him that the key to these end times is to take everything to God in prayer, ask for discernment to know what is truth and what is deception.
That is what I try to do with this site, is bring topics and my perspective on what I have discerned for you to ponder as you study the Bible, the Lord’s Word.
His main point is that Revelations 12 can not be fulfilled until the previous chapters are since Revelations is mainly chronological. I believe both his point and the previous posts can be correct. Let me explain.
Throughout the Bible, many scriptures have dual meanings and fulfillment. Revelations 12 speaks of things to come but also depicts a sign in the heavens.
Question? Do you think God knew we would be able to predict where the stars would be in the future as well as the past? Do you think the thought that those that are “watchful” would be checking for future times around his “feasts” or “holy appointments”? I do but ponder that. I also do not believe what these watchful souls are doing is astrology. They are only looking for how Bible prophecy (“signs in the heavens”) could be fulfilled. God told us to watch the heavens for signs. He created the heavens and all of the signs within it. Are we ignore them, not look at them or for them? I am not sure that is what Jack is saying but I think it is dangerous to label what these believers are doing as Astrology or a sin.
Leviticus 19:26 (KJV) – “You shall not eat anything with the blood, nor shall you practice divination or soothsaying.”
I do not think I would place the acts of those watchmen as “divination or soothsaying”. Maybe a bit harsh there.
God never said that the signs we would see in the heavens would occur this day and then the next day events would happen. He only said that once we see these “signs” his return is near, that we are in the season or nearing midnight.
Will Elenin fulfill prophecy? I don’t know, but it is an interesting exercise in looking at what effects it could have on our little planet. How those align with events described in the Bible and how much deception there is on earth to cover them up. Would Satan try to cover up and hide God’s signs of the times? You bet. Are these them? I don’t know but that is why we must pray for discernment.
I don’t know when the Lord will return to rapture His bride (the church), but I do feel it is drawing near. There are signs all around us. I believe one set of those signs are His holy feasts or appointments that he laid out for us. The first four Christ fulfilled through his coming, dying for our sins, and over coming death to take His place in heaven next to His Father. I believe He will fulfill the rest of them as well.
So in summary, please read through Jack’s article below, I believe it gives us some good thoughts to ponder. Take everything back to the Lord in prayer; praying for discernment of the truth, God’s word.
You can hear the Messiah’s footsteps, the signs are overwhelming!
Judging by the questions I’ve received, a youTube video and an online article have apparently convinced a lot of people that the fulfillment of Rev. 12 and the rapture of the Church will both occur on Sept 29th of this year, which is the annual celebration of Rosh Hashanah, also known as the Feast of Trumpets. Can this be true?
While Sept. 28-29 are the scheduled dates for Rosh Hashanah this year, and while the rapture could happen on any given day, Rev. 12 definitely can not be fulfilled on Sept. 29, nor on any other day this year or the next or the one after and here’s why.
Rev. 12 speaks primarily of three things. The first is an overview, given in signs, beginning with the time of the Lord’s birth. John used symbolism from Joseph’s 2nd dream (Genesis 37:9-11) to identify the pregnant woman in Rev. 12:1-2 as Israel (represented by Mary) about to give birth to the Messiah. An enormous dragon, identified as Satan in Rev. 12:9, was there waiting to devour the child the moment He was born. This means that from the beginning the Messiah was born to die, and when He did He was taken up to God’s throne. We know this as His crucifixion, resurrection, and ascension. (Rev. 12:1-6)
This is a good video that details what the effects of Elenin could be this September from a physics stand point.
It’s effects align almost exactly with those described in Revelations 6:12-14 down to the order of events.
Revelation 6:12-14
New International Version (NIV)
12 I watched as he opened the sixth seal. There was a great earthquake. The sun turned black like sackcloth made of goat hair, the whole moon turned blood red, 13 and the stars in the sky fell to earth, as figs drop from a fig tree when shaken by a strong wind. 14 The heavens receded like a scroll being rolled up, and every mountain and island was removed from its place.
Is it coincidence?
Note: I started the video at the 6:04 minute mark and the segment runs through the 10:34 minute mark. The rest of the video before and after is good, but the text does flash a bit fast as well as a major sound increase. (The middle four and a half minutes is well worth the time.)
Below is a series of studies that Jack Kelly did a while back on the Olivet Discourse and the parables Jesus tells regarding the last days.
These are often the topic of much debate as to their meaning and I think Jack does an excellent job at look at the grammar, customs/traditions of the period, timing, and context to discern who these parables are about.
They are meant to be read in order but have value as stand alone but some loss of context.
This topic came up over the weekend and I felt others would benefit from me dusting these off as well.
More prophecy is closing in on fulfillment. Each day we see more of the world turning on Israel. I believe it will climax at the UN meetings this month, when the Palestinians petition for statehood.
God was very clear on where we should stand!
The burden of the word of the LORD for Israel, saith the LORD, which stretcheth forth the heavens, and layeth the foundation of the earth, and formeth The spirit of man within him. Behold, I will make Jerusalem a cup of trembling unto all the people round about, when they shall be in the siege both against Judah and against Jerusalem. And in that day will I make Jerusalem a burdensome stone for all people: all that burden themselves with it shall be cut in pieces, though all the people of the earth be gathered together against it. (Zechariah 12:1-3)
I am afraid the United States as a nation has joined the crowd.
We as Christians must continue to voice our support!
A perhaps not-so-shocking, but certainly attention-getting, news item points to the ugly head of anti-Semitism arising in not-so-jolly old England these days. The stark growth of Israel and Jew-hating is front and center in the person of the kin of a prominent British leader you will recognize.
Laura Booth, sister-in-law of Quartet envoy Tony Blair, has called on “Lebanon, Jordan and Egypt liberate Al-Quds [Jerusalem].” The former British prime minister’s family member has previously sailed illegally to Gaza on a flotilla boat…During last week’s demonstration, Booth went on another rant against Israel. “We say here today to you, Israel , we see your crimes and we loathe your crimes. And to us your nation does not exist, because it is a criminal injustice against humanity. We want to see Lebanon , Jordan and Egypt go to the borders and stop this now. Liberate Al Quds! March to Al Quds!” (“Blair’s Sister-in-Law Incites Muslims to ‘Liberate’ Jerusalem,” http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/147264#.TlukeV3h98F)
Current issues and events that look to be harbingers of the biblically prophesied apocalypse bombard this generation of earth’s inhabitants. Jesus’ Olivet Discourse prophecies, foretelling things to come in the time of “great tribulation,” seem to leap from news reports that are becoming so routine that they no longer shock. No signal is more prophetically significant than present circumstances involving the city where Jesus was crucified nearly twenty centuries ago.
Below is a great article from Rapture Ready by Todd this week.
He does a good job outlining the deception and manipulation that is going on these days.
It is one of the major signs the Lord used to draw me into Bible Prophecy and it is escalating more every day to the point that today, they do not even try to hide it.
I have always maintained that the liberal media is Satan’s most effective tool for guiding and controlling society. It is the flesh and bone of spiritual forces that seek to guide and corrupt our society. In the past few years, the liberal media seems to have become more active in fulfilling the will of its master.
It is almost pointless to try to combat the social and political ills unless you take into consideration the liberal media. It has the power to set the rules. By putting its thumb on the scale, it can determine the winner of most public debates.
The finger of blame is rarely ever pointed at the liberal media for society’s ills. This is because the press is in charge of fixing the blame. Letting the liberal media decide if it’s partly to blame for our country’s moral decline is like putting tobacco companies in charge of finding out what causes lung cancer.
"For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith--and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God--not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do." -- Ephesians 2:8-10
myBlessedHope 