Events are Cascading:
The Middle East is heating up.
The Gospel is all but ignored and/or marginalized in the West.
Christianity is becoming more entertainment than spiritual strength / hope.
Societies are becoming more crude and crass.
Life is becoming less valuable, at every level.
Morality is becoming increasingly more subjective.
Sex is dominating our attention and our lives.
Education is evermore critical and fewer are being educated.
Digital communities [Facebook, etc] are robbing us of real connectedness.
Natural disasters are making us more uneasy.
Everything is revolving around computers and numbers.
The cashless society bankers and law enforcement favor, is becoming a reality.
The bad economy is pushing us into a global society.
Is all this simply the natural evolution of societies? Or is it being orchestrated by intelligent forces?
The cumulative effect is to decentralize the individual, desensitize him in the critical areas of life, deconstruct our traditional support systems and push us toward a global dependency, without national identity.
And it just so happens this is exactly what The Bible predicts will be the situation at the End of the Age!
Showing posts with label Tribulation. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Tribulation. Show all posts
Wednesday, June 2, 2010
Wednesday, May 5, 2010
The World Is Descending Into Chaos!
It is the nature of man to seek improvement of his world. In this effort he often comes up with "solutions" that create more problems than they solve. He is not aware that they will do such, or he would not choose them. But, man cannot improve upon God's plan.
Take, for example, those guiding our economic plight. We are told that a large part of our problem came about as people ran up large, unsecured, debt. In addition, people borrowed money they could not afford in order to purchase a home. Home ownership is the proverbial "passport" to wealth.
Now, our government is seeking to "solve" the economic crises, created this way, by borrowing and spending our way into stability and prosperity. If all goes as planned, we will run a $1.6 trillion deficit in 2010. By 2020, they hope to borrow $18 Tril, with a National Debt of $8.5 trillion. THEN we'll be solvent?
Then there's the environment. Human beings are selfish, greedy and wasteful. We are destroying the delicate balance of nature and something must be done to stop it.
In the 1970's an effort was made to cowl us into submission with the warning that the world was descending into a global ice age. When that did not appear, we were told that it was global warming and man was responsible through his destructive practice of burning carbon-based fuels.
Now, the earth's average temperatures are moderating and the ice is building up in the antarctic. But we're still going to proceed with carbon credits and the monitoring of energy usage in every home. One can't be too careful with an eco-system.
Then came the eruption of a volcano in Iceland! How much carbon was spewed into the atmosphere, no one will ever know. What we do know is it closed down most of Northern Europe for weeks! It cost airlines hundreds of millions of dollars and has put pressure on both business and governments.
Then there was an explosion on an oil rig in the Gulf of Mexico! That, right after the president opened the door to off-shore drilling! How ironic.
The safe-guards were not in place. The well-head did not close as it is designed to do, and efforts to cap it or diminish it have failed. BP estimates 2 to 3 months, to drill new wells in order to reduce the pressure and stem the flow of oil. Livelihoods along the Gulf Coast are in jeopardy, as well as the eco-system in the area and even up the Atlantic Coast.
This week a man tried to set off a car bomb in Times Square. He bought a ticket to Dubai and boarded a plane at JFK. The door to the plane was shut and the pilots were preparing to taxi out when the call came to wait. Law Enforcement personnel boarded the plane and escorted Faisal Shahzad off! It seems someone didn't check the most recent "Do Not Fly" list.
Human governments just can't catch a break! There's just too much going on. But increased monitoring of financial transactions as well as energy usage will go a long way toward bringing this world under control. We need more and greater computerization, as well as camera and other forms of surveillance. Every move, of every person, must be monitored and controlled. Your privacy is not as important as your security!
But, then, that's what The Bible predicted, 2000 years ago! "For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape." [1Thess 5:3] Not to mention the infamous Mark of the Beast, 666. A system for tracking and approving all financial transactions, numerically.
Take, for example, those guiding our economic plight. We are told that a large part of our problem came about as people ran up large, unsecured, debt. In addition, people borrowed money they could not afford in order to purchase a home. Home ownership is the proverbial "passport" to wealth.
Now, our government is seeking to "solve" the economic crises, created this way, by borrowing and spending our way into stability and prosperity. If all goes as planned, we will run a $1.6 trillion deficit in 2010. By 2020, they hope to borrow $18 Tril, with a National Debt of $8.5 trillion. THEN we'll be solvent?
Then there's the environment. Human beings are selfish, greedy and wasteful. We are destroying the delicate balance of nature and something must be done to stop it.
In the 1970's an effort was made to cowl us into submission with the warning that the world was descending into a global ice age. When that did not appear, we were told that it was global warming and man was responsible through his destructive practice of burning carbon-based fuels.
Now, the earth's average temperatures are moderating and the ice is building up in the antarctic. But we're still going to proceed with carbon credits and the monitoring of energy usage in every home. One can't be too careful with an eco-system.
Then came the eruption of a volcano in Iceland! How much carbon was spewed into the atmosphere, no one will ever know. What we do know is it closed down most of Northern Europe for weeks! It cost airlines hundreds of millions of dollars and has put pressure on both business and governments.
Then there was an explosion on an oil rig in the Gulf of Mexico! That, right after the president opened the door to off-shore drilling! How ironic.
The safe-guards were not in place. The well-head did not close as it is designed to do, and efforts to cap it or diminish it have failed. BP estimates 2 to 3 months, to drill new wells in order to reduce the pressure and stem the flow of oil. Livelihoods along the Gulf Coast are in jeopardy, as well as the eco-system in the area and even up the Atlantic Coast.
This week a man tried to set off a car bomb in Times Square. He bought a ticket to Dubai and boarded a plane at JFK. The door to the plane was shut and the pilots were preparing to taxi out when the call came to wait. Law Enforcement personnel boarded the plane and escorted Faisal Shahzad off! It seems someone didn't check the most recent "Do Not Fly" list.
Human governments just can't catch a break! There's just too much going on. But increased monitoring of financial transactions as well as energy usage will go a long way toward bringing this world under control. We need more and greater computerization, as well as camera and other forms of surveillance. Every move, of every person, must be monitored and controlled. Your privacy is not as important as your security!
But, then, that's what The Bible predicted, 2000 years ago! "For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape." [1Thess 5:3] Not to mention the infamous Mark of the Beast, 666. A system for tracking and approving all financial transactions, numerically.
Thursday, February 25, 2010
Will The Church Go Through The Tribulation?
The answer to this question is either YES or NO, or MAYBE, depending on who you ask.
Beware the person who makes elaborate efforts at defining words or explaining grammar, to make his point. The answer is not that hard, nor is it that complicated.
The Church is a unique organism. It is called a "Mystery" because it was unknown until God revealed it to us, through Christ. It is the "wild olive branch" which is "grafted in," now that Israel has been "cut off" for a while. [Rom 11]
It is called the Body of Christ, as each member is baptized into it at the moment of salvation [I Cor. 12:13].
It is called The Bride of Christ [Eph. 5], with Jesus her Bridegroom.
And it is called a Temple: the temple of God on earth. [Eph. 2:21,22]
The Church is said to be 'saved from wrath' through justification [Rom. 5:9]
And...not appointed unto wrath [I Thess. 5:9]. The wrath which God has "revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men... [Rom. 1:18]
Jesus promised another 'comforter' Whom The Father would send, once He was gone. This Comforter would indwell believers (The Church) to convict the world of sin. [Jn. 16:8]
In simple terms: This 'Mystery' had a beginning, with the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. It is now the 'holy nation' of God, which will be the focus of God's blessings until Israel is restored, when 'the times of the Gentiles be come in.' [Rom. 11:25,26] And thus all Israel shall be saved.
And it will have an ending:
Before Israel is saved
Before God's wrath is poured out on those who dwell upon the earth [Rev. 3]
When The Comforter is removed, revealing the Man of sin [II Thess. 2]
When Jesus 'descends from heaven' [I Thess 4]
There is no "Church Ministry" in the Great Tribulation.
The Gospel preached is not the same as that preached today.
During the Tribulation, God is not building His Church.
During the Tribulation, God is not dwelling upon the earth.
Tribulation wrath is for earth-dwellers: The nations & Israel.
Christians are not earth-dwellers [Col. 2:20; 3:1]
The doctrines which have to be corrupted to allow The Church to go through The Tribulation are many. The Doctrine of The Church, The Holy Spirit & Salvation are the main ones.
Paul wrote to the Thessalonians about the coming of Christ and told them not to worry. He said the coming of Christ is not something they should be concerned about. The "coming" in view, with 'times and seasons' is all about "them" not us. I Thess 5
It's all about your hermeneutic and whether or not you use a sound exegesis. Without this, you are able to make the scriptures say almost anything.
Beware the person who makes elaborate efforts at defining words or explaining grammar, to make his point. The answer is not that hard, nor is it that complicated.
The Church is a unique organism. It is called a "Mystery" because it was unknown until God revealed it to us, through Christ. It is the "wild olive branch" which is "grafted in," now that Israel has been "cut off" for a while. [Rom 11]
It is called the Body of Christ, as each member is baptized into it at the moment of salvation [I Cor. 12:13].
It is called The Bride of Christ [Eph. 5], with Jesus her Bridegroom.
And it is called a Temple: the temple of God on earth. [Eph. 2:21,22]
The Church is said to be 'saved from wrath' through justification [Rom. 5:9]
And...not appointed unto wrath [I Thess. 5:9]. The wrath which God has "revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men... [Rom. 1:18]
Jesus promised another 'comforter' Whom The Father would send, once He was gone. This Comforter would indwell believers (The Church) to convict the world of sin. [Jn. 16:8]
In simple terms: This 'Mystery' had a beginning, with the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. It is now the 'holy nation' of God, which will be the focus of God's blessings until Israel is restored, when 'the times of the Gentiles be come in.' [Rom. 11:25,26] And thus all Israel shall be saved.
And it will have an ending:
Before Israel is saved
Before God's wrath is poured out on those who dwell upon the earth [Rev. 3]
When The Comforter is removed, revealing the Man of sin [II Thess. 2]
When Jesus 'descends from heaven' [I Thess 4]
There is no "Church Ministry" in the Great Tribulation.
The Gospel preached is not the same as that preached today.
During the Tribulation, God is not building His Church.
During the Tribulation, God is not dwelling upon the earth.
Tribulation wrath is for earth-dwellers: The nations & Israel.
Christians are not earth-dwellers [Col. 2:20; 3:1]
The doctrines which have to be corrupted to allow The Church to go through The Tribulation are many. The Doctrine of The Church, The Holy Spirit & Salvation are the main ones.
Paul wrote to the Thessalonians about the coming of Christ and told them not to worry. He said the coming of Christ is not something they should be concerned about. The "coming" in view, with 'times and seasons' is all about "them" not us. I Thess 5
It's all about your hermeneutic and whether or not you use a sound exegesis. Without this, you are able to make the scriptures say almost anything.
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