by pastor Mike Taylor
“Ye have feared the sword; and I will bring a sword upon you, saith the Lord GOD.
“So I will choose their punishments And will bring on them what they dread. Because I called, but no one answered; I spoke, but they did not listen. And they did evil in My sight And chose that in which I did not delight." (Isaiah 66:4)
The Bible is full of lessons written for us today. The Bible is our handbook for living and what was recorded by the Holy Spirit direction upon prophets of old, speaks of what happened to them, will happen also to us. It speaks to us in our time, as the Bible is eternal. Here we see judgments that came upon Israel because of their not following the God of the Universe. They wandered away from the true God, which their father's knew and fell into idolatry, sins of the flesh, and the love of their brethren became cold with their sins rising to the nostrils of God as a foul odor. Their sins surely found them out, when God's wrath fell upon them. Prophet after prophet came to them to warn them of their sins and it's folly to ignore God and His commandments.
What did God eventually do to these people because of their lawlessness and sinful ways? A little history lesson here. First came the downfall of the northern Kingdom of Israel. The Assyrian captivity or (Assyrian exile) in the period in the history ofAncient Israel and Judah during which several thousand Israelites of ancient Samaria were resettled as captives by Assyria. The Northern Kingdom of Israel was conquered by the Neo-Assyrian monarchs, Tiglath-Pileser III (Pul) and Shalmaneser V. The later Assyrian rulers Sargon II and his son and successor, Sennacherib, were responsible for finishing the twenty-year demise of Israel's northern ten-tribe kingdom, although they did not overtake the Southern Kingdom. Jerusalem was besieged, but not taken. The tribes exiled by Assyria later became known as the Ten Lost Tribes in 722 B.C. And no one has been able to pin point where these Ten Tribes migrated to, as the Assyrian Empire dispersed them into every corner of their land. And then Israel was no more as the Northern Kingdom was conquered by the sword of a pagan people who worshiped idols as they did, but God used them to bring judgment on His people for their refusal to follow the ways of God that they knew, but rejected.
According to 2nd Chronicles, Chapter 30, there is evidence that at least some people of the Northern Kingdom of Israel were not exiled. These were invited by kingHezekiah to keep the Passover in a feast at Jerusalem with the Judean population. (The holiday was set one month forward from its original date.) Hezekiah sent his posts to spread the word among the remnant of the Northern kingdom; the posts were mocked during their visit to the country of Ephraim, Manasseh and Zebulun. However, some people of Asher and Manasseh and of Zebulun humbled themselves and came to Jerusalem. In a later part of the chapter, even people from the Tribe of Issachar and the strangers that "came out from the land of Israel" were said to take part in the passover event. Biblical scholars such as Umberto Cassuto claimed that Hezekiah might have annexed these territories, in which inhabitants of the Kingdom of Israel remained, into his own kingdom.
SOUTHERN KINGDOM OF JUDAH IGNORES GOD'S WRATH
Following the righteous rule of King Hezekiah, there came evil kings that fell into more idolatry just as their sister state of Israel to the north in Samaria had practiced and God sent prophets such as Jeremiah to warn them repeatedly of their coming destruction. Jeremiah complained to God about how an evil and wicked people can prosper, a people without scruples who take advantage of others and circumstances for their own gain. Jeremiah could not understand a maelstrom of turbulent events that swirled all around him and the destruction that always comes when a nation is unraveling. Sound like anybody we know today? Think America!!
Again, God sent a pagan king to bring judgment on a people who had forsaken Him...He used King Nebuchadnezzer of Babylon to bring a sword upon the land and destroy the temple of God, carry away it's riches, and enslave the people of those he left alive and did not destroy utterly.
“And this shall be a sign unto you, saith the LORD, that I will punish you in this place, that ye may know that my words shall surely stand against you for evil:
Thus saith the LORD; Behold, I will give Pharaoh Hophra king of Egypt into the hand of his enemies, and into the hand of them that seek his life; as I gave Zedekiah king of Judah into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, his enemy, and that sought his life.” (Jeremiah 44:29-30)
History and archaeological records prove that Assyria destroyed the Northern Kingdom of Israel and Babylon with King Nebuchadnezzer destroyed Judah and enslaved the Hebrew people for 70 years for their wicked ways.
This is a short recap of what is known by historians and theological students of the Bible. The evidence is without dispute that God passed judgment and His wrath upon the people that He choose to be His people above all nations, but when they fell into idolatry, God used men of other nations, men of pagan practices to enact judgment on a godless nation that knew better, but squandered the blessings of God and were judged and virtually destroyed or enslaved. So what? What does that have to do with us today?
THE SWORD OF ISLAM
I look around at our nation. A nation blessed like no other nation upon this earth has ever been blessed. We came from a source of blessing that made this countries foundation built upon the Word of God and His Ten Commandments. The Constitution was written, in part, to codify biblical precepts into law. There are no significant conflicts between the Bible and the Constitution. We have not been perfect, much as Israel was never perfect, but we have done what they have done in Ancient times. We have turned away from the true God of the Bible and instead of believing “In God We Trust” we trust in ourselves, in our own abilities. We don't need God, at least as a Federal and State Governments and their leaders have driven home the unconstitutional claim of “separation of church and state”...as it's not found in the Constitution or any other founding document that shaped this land we call the USA, our home, but a great number of people stand by and believe what this government spews as law. The present administration has moved us farther down the road in the name of “hope and change”..For my part, you I'll keep my God given freedoms and you can keep your “change” as they have no hope in them. Europe is farther down the road to destruction of their population that even we are, as we haven't seen the carnage displayed on your TV's of what's going on in every European nation that has a Muslim population and is now being overrun by “refugees”. At least not yet to that extent, but we're getting there. The latest mass shootings prove it.
So what do we have in common with the Europeans? God has been removed from our courts, our schools, our institutions of law, and their halls of higher learning. I have feared for this country for a long time and events that are playing out right now, prove that the fear I had was justified. Now I am just resigned that judgment is beginning on America and I'm not sure that anything can hold it back. Nobody, not even a political candidate for the POTUS can stop what is coming. But one of them can hasten it and it's eventual disaster. Many use the verses that call for repentance:
"If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.” II (Chronicles 7:14)
So how has that worked out for us? After 9/11, the churches were stuffed, with people crying out to God for protection and His helping hand. How long did that last? 6 months? At the most, it was a short lived repentance by a people who caught their collective breath and went back to the same old life they had had before, but became more and more wicked as time went by.
God is a merciful and loving God and not willing that any should perish, but I believe there is a time in our lives, when God says, “Enough”.
“The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.” (2 Peter 3:9)...
Yes, God is longsuffering, but when reading this verse, you have to read the next passage to get what God is talking about here.
“But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; (translated: judgment) in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.
11, Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness,
12, Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat?” (2 Peter 3:10-12)
God is talking about judgment, about making a reckoning of lawless behavior and unrepentant sin. As God has used pagan nations to enact judgment upon a lawless and godless nation that has turned their back on Him for the sins of the flesh and idolatry. Would it be too far a stretch to say, that God is doing the same thing right now, beginning with a pagan theocracy that worships a false god, for control of the world known as Islam and their jihad?
Now Islam is not a nation in of itself, but it's 1.5 billion believers in a false god with anyone professing Islam being radicalized to kill those around him that don't bow to his perverted idea of what a “god” is and who is actually the true God of the universe are a force to be reckoned with. Note the latest mass killing of the “infidels” by one man who was born as a citizen in the USA to Afghan immigrants, one known as Omar Mateen. The gunman who went on a shooting rampage at a popular gay nightclub in Orlando shot nearly all of his victims in the first stages of the assault, then was utterly “cool and calm” while he talked by phone to law enforcement officials about further carnage, claimed allegiance to the Islamic State and praised the Boston Marathon bombers . This was an American citizen born here and raised just as you and I have been in a free country, but became radicalized because of the error of their religious thinking.
Now I don't condone or give a pass to anyone who kills another human being or acts like that are done by so called “pseudo-churches” such as Westboro Baptist church that protest with hateful words every chance they get, but look who the man was targeting. This was a gay bar where homosexuals and other members of the LBGT community were gathering to engage in revelry and hooking up with members of their own sex. Other attacks were mostly on the West Coast of California, or liberal outpost of New England like New York and Massachusetts. Note that the carnage is growing larger and stronger, as time passes by exponentially as our national sin grows. I wondered to myself, just how many attacks have been perpetrated by Islamic adherents on innocent individuals, so I went to this site:
http://thereligionofpeace.com/attacks/american-attacks.aspx
In the report it will show that crimes have 74 individual acts of terrorism starting as far back as 1972. The totals are those that of the 74 attacks that had fatalities, 3560 people have died with the largest total at 9/11, with many more maimed and wounded into the thousands. Of those killed, only one Muslim was killed in a revenge shooting for the many dead left by Islamic terrorist. Islamophobia is not evident in the body count, but the carnage is due to American tolerance to the extreme and being politically correct to our own hurt.
Does anyone at a large shopping mall, theater, baseball game, or anywhere a large number of people gather feel safe with this amount of carnage around them? Yes, I know that is their intent to bring terror and chaos to our lives, but could there be more of another reason? Is it even conceivable that God is using the “sword of Islam” to bring judgment in it's infancy upon a nation that has turned it's back on Him? If it is true, and God only knows, it will get only worse. Why? Because our government with it's head in the sand mentality are allowing refugees into our country that cannot be vetted to where they came from. Our southern border is a leaking sieve that immigrants pour through and no one can be sure if ISIS fighters, Al Qaeda or other Islamic terrorist are using our own democracy and our own stupidity to bring us harm and causing enough chaos that our system of government will implode from within. But these terrorist will not get away without repercussions of judgment on themselves for the barbaric lack of reverence for the sanctity of human life just as ancient Assyria and Babylon were judged, but God knows and is allowing such terrorism to come to our land.
CAN ISLAM PRIME THE USA FOR CONQUEST?
Understand, if we are weakened to the point of not being able to repel an enemy invasion because of our government's inability to protect us, is it conceivable that a foreign nation, much like Assyria or Babylon could walk right in and overpower what is left of this nation? I think of Russia or China who need more room for their bulging populations. I believe such a scenario could be in the future of those who see the wrath of God beginning, but do not wake up and turn their lives around.
The article I gave URL address to, has this to say about Muslims that live in this country.
“As the Muslim population increases in the United States, so too will the number of Islamic terror attacks. This is because the pool from which the radicals recruit grows bigger. Studies show that between 5 - 25% of Muslims in America believe that violence in defense of Islam is justified. The number of potential terrorists therefore grows proportionately with the overall number, even if only a small minority actually plot terror.
Immigrants to America have killed and have plotted to kill. However, the real threat comes from successive generations of Muslims living in the West, which have proven to be more radical and more dangerous than their parents. Muslim immigration thus means that more Americans will eventually die.”(What Makes Islam so Different?)
Unfortunately, I have to agree with the author. The threat grows larger and more pronounced as days rush onward to the coming Tribulation.
Remember me saying that the Bible gives lessons and instructions to us in our day of what God expects from each of us? Know that our God does not change, and these words were not written just for them, but FOR US...today, our time and our departure from the Words of God:
7, “Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD; Because ye multiplied more than the nations that are round about you, and have not walked in my statutes, neither have kept my judgments, neither have done according to the judgments of the nations that are round about you;
8, Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I, even I, am against thee, and will execute judgments in the midst of thee in the sight of the nations.
9,And I will do in thee that which I have not done, and whereunto I will not do any more the like, because of all thine abominations.” (Ezekiel 5:7-9)
What abominations? Let's number a few of them. Sins like homosexuality, same sex marriage, abortions of millions of babies, idolatry to anything and everything that we worship that neither speak, or can hear. Growing atheism, agnostics, Satanist, and crime against other men as murder statistics soar, removing God, who made this country great from every annals of our thinking or social beliefs.
God begins judgment with the actions of men and using them as His instruments of judgment on a people who knew better. WE KNEW BETTER!!
But alas, as a nation, look how far we have fallen. You and I do not know how much more carnage we will see. I pray you are not a victim covorting around with sins of this world in a gay bar, or defrauding your neighbor in business, or stealing his wife, or living a life of an unbeliever, atheist, or agnostic, as if any of the attacks are pointed at sinful living, then you have a target on your back, and God will NOT protect you.
I call on those who truly believe the Word of God to hold promises and articles of faith close to your heart. When troubles are all around me, I proclaim Psalm 91, which is just one of the promises from God to protect that that right up against His altar and doing His will.
“He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.
2 I will say of the Lord, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust.
3 Surely he shall deliver thee from the snare of the fowler, and from the noisome pestilence.
4 He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust: his truth shall be thy shield and buckler.
5 Thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by night; nor for the arrow that flieth by day;
6 Nor for the pestilence that walketh in darkness; nor for the destruction that wasteth at noonday.
7 A thousand shall fall at thy side, and ten thousand at thy right hand; but it shall not come nigh thee.”
Notice that you are in the shadow of the Almighty, doing His will as humanly possible in this life and having faith in His provisions of safety and protection. Note that nothing can come upon you unless your Father in Heaven allows it, and if you're His child, it will be for your growth in Him to do His will or to teach you. He does nothing for your hurt, but for your ultimate good.
“For we know that all things work together for good to those who love God and are the called, according to His purpose”. Romans 8:28
Just these two promises out of many that God gives in His Word, shows that a born again believer has nothing to fear, as long as he stays close to God.
YOU AIN'T SEEN NOTHING YET!!
Those of this nation's citizens that see what is going on in the news..all the attacks, all the senseless killing, and the state of terror that is starting to grip those, especially in larger Metropolitan cesspools of sinful living are becoming more and more complacent and adjusting to the new “norm”. It's not normal what is happening in this country. It's not only Islam, but it's the latest carnage on your news hour broadcast. It's everywhere as far as the eye can see. There are few Oasis of calm and righteous living in this country and it's dwindling fast. The “modern church” is no answer, and has no solution to this problem, as they have left their first love...much as Jesus warned of the last portion of this Church age, known as the Laodecian Church. America is the embodiment of that cry from Jesus as He prophesied to John in Revelation 3:
“I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot.
16, So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth.
17, Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked:” (Revelation 3:15-17)
But God has made a promise to those who profess the Name of His Son, Jesus Christ and have made our confidence, our faith, and our worship placed upon Him, and Him alone:
“Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth.
11, Behold, I come quickly: hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown. (Revelation 3:10-11)
God's wrath is coming, real wrath. Not the wrath of man, which God may be using to try and get our attention. Or He may be executing judgment on those He knows will never accept His free gift of salvation....only God knows.
A much quoted verse that says we will not receive any of this coming wrath. When I say we, I mean born again believers by the blood and water of repentance and the cross of Jesus Christ. It doesn't apply as a blanket for everyone:
“For we are not appointed to wrath, but to receive salvation through Jesus Christ our Lord.”(1st Thessalonians 5:9)
That's a comfort, as to do so God will have to physically, spiritually remove us clean out of the way, as God's wrath will be 100% covering all the earth...
“For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:
17, Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.
18, Wherefore comfort one another with these words.” (1st Thessalonians 4:16-18)
In all my days of ministry, I have never seen a time like this, that is lining up with God's Word. I only know that it's going to get worse from here. We will see many horrible deeds by men, but I cling to God's promises of safety and protection. I put complete faith in God removing His chosen Church, born from the foundation of the world, to be removed from this earth at the beginning of the coming Tribulation. Keep your wits about you, your bible in your hand, your staff in the other hand, and your sandals upon your feet, because when God says move out, we will move out to a better place.
“Now when these things begin to happen, look up and lift up your heads, because your redemption draws near.” (Luke 21:28)
“for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day.” (2nd Timothy 1:12b)
Can you who read this, say with confidence that you know in whom you believe?
Do you believe in other men, yourself, or your tenacity to survive painful events...let me assure you, when it gets bad, really bad, and the whole world around you is sinking into a big sink hole, who will you turn to? Who will you hold onto for protection and guidance when the whole world is going to a literal hell on earth? There will be no one there for you.
It's coming folks. You don't believe it? Then disbelieve at your own peril...you'll remember these words when you think back, “Why didn't I listen? Why didn't I follow the call given and give my life to Jesus Christ before this world around me is imploding and I'm forever in peril of my life?”
It's not too late, yet!!....There is still time, as you are alive and reading this and a huge amount of people haven't suddenly disappeared. But when that is in the news, then buddy, you're on your own....You'll either save your life for a short time, but spend eternity in a devil's hell, or believe what I'm about to quote and reap life everlasting, but you'll likely die a martyr for your belief in Christ.
“For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him, should not perish, but have everlasting life.” John 3:16.
Why do you need God's only begotten Son? Because you're a sinner, just as I am..only difference, I'm a forgiven sinner and maybe you're not.
“For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;
24, Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus:
25, Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation (substitution) through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God;” (Romans 3:23-25)
Friend, the sword of Islam is rampaging right now on anyone they can send to hell by whatever means that they have at their disposal...that's men being evil to other men. It may be God using their evil ways to enact judgment on a godless nation. But make no mistake about it...this evil world will only get worse and worse, and when God pours out His judgment on you and all that are around you, you'll pray your had made those verses quoted above a part of your heart and spirit. Don't wait...time is growing very short and the door of opportunity will suddenly shut and you will live a terrifying existence known as the Tribulation, or the Great Tribulation. Find out what that means and make that decision that you don't want to see any of it...because Jesus is the only Answer to this world of sin.
“Jesus saitheth unto him, 'I AM the Way, the Truth and the Life, no man cometh to the Father, but by Me.” (John 14:6)
“That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.” (Romans 10:9)
Admit you're a sinner, repent of those sins and put your trust in Jesus as the author of your salvation. It's so easy, a babe can do it. But it takes guts and becoming humble to believe something that is so simple, and free for the asking. Take that act of faith and believe on Jesus right now....as the judgment of God is just beginning with the “Sword of Islam”.
This is pastor Mike Taylor, praying that I have introduced you to the only hope you have in this life for the next one coming, Jesus Christ, my Lord. If you need counseling, prayer, or just a listening ear, email me at realteam1999@sbcglobal.net, God bless you all.
TILL WE MEET AT JESUS FEET
“Ye have feared the sword; and I will bring a sword upon you, saith the Lord GOD.
“So I will choose their punishments And will bring on them what they dread. Because I called, but no one answered; I spoke, but they did not listen. And they did evil in My sight And chose that in which I did not delight." (Isaiah 66:4)
The Bible is full of lessons written for us today. The Bible is our handbook for living and what was recorded by the Holy Spirit direction upon prophets of old, speaks of what happened to them, will happen also to us. It speaks to us in our time, as the Bible is eternal. Here we see judgments that came upon Israel because of their not following the God of the Universe. They wandered away from the true God, which their father's knew and fell into idolatry, sins of the flesh, and the love of their brethren became cold with their sins rising to the nostrils of God as a foul odor. Their sins surely found them out, when God's wrath fell upon them. Prophet after prophet came to them to warn them of their sins and it's folly to ignore God and His commandments.
What did God eventually do to these people because of their lawlessness and sinful ways? A little history lesson here. First came the downfall of the northern Kingdom of Israel. The Assyrian captivity or (Assyrian exile) in the period in the history ofAncient Israel and Judah during which several thousand Israelites of ancient Samaria were resettled as captives by Assyria. The Northern Kingdom of Israel was conquered by the Neo-Assyrian monarchs, Tiglath-Pileser III (Pul) and Shalmaneser V. The later Assyrian rulers Sargon II and his son and successor, Sennacherib, were responsible for finishing the twenty-year demise of Israel's northern ten-tribe kingdom, although they did not overtake the Southern Kingdom. Jerusalem was besieged, but not taken. The tribes exiled by Assyria later became known as the Ten Lost Tribes in 722 B.C. And no one has been able to pin point where these Ten Tribes migrated to, as the Assyrian Empire dispersed them into every corner of their land. And then Israel was no more as the Northern Kingdom was conquered by the sword of a pagan people who worshiped idols as they did, but God used them to bring judgment on His people for their refusal to follow the ways of God that they knew, but rejected.
According to 2nd Chronicles, Chapter 30, there is evidence that at least some people of the Northern Kingdom of Israel were not exiled. These were invited by kingHezekiah to keep the Passover in a feast at Jerusalem with the Judean population. (The holiday was set one month forward from its original date.) Hezekiah sent his posts to spread the word among the remnant of the Northern kingdom; the posts were mocked during their visit to the country of Ephraim, Manasseh and Zebulun. However, some people of Asher and Manasseh and of Zebulun humbled themselves and came to Jerusalem. In a later part of the chapter, even people from the Tribe of Issachar and the strangers that "came out from the land of Israel" were said to take part in the passover event. Biblical scholars such as Umberto Cassuto claimed that Hezekiah might have annexed these territories, in which inhabitants of the Kingdom of Israel remained, into his own kingdom.
SOUTHERN KINGDOM OF JUDAH IGNORES GOD'S WRATH
Following the righteous rule of King Hezekiah, there came evil kings that fell into more idolatry just as their sister state of Israel to the north in Samaria had practiced and God sent prophets such as Jeremiah to warn them repeatedly of their coming destruction. Jeremiah complained to God about how an evil and wicked people can prosper, a people without scruples who take advantage of others and circumstances for their own gain. Jeremiah could not understand a maelstrom of turbulent events that swirled all around him and the destruction that always comes when a nation is unraveling. Sound like anybody we know today? Think America!!
Again, God sent a pagan king to bring judgment on a people who had forsaken Him...He used King Nebuchadnezzer of Babylon to bring a sword upon the land and destroy the temple of God, carry away it's riches, and enslave the people of those he left alive and did not destroy utterly.
“And this shall be a sign unto you, saith the LORD, that I will punish you in this place, that ye may know that my words shall surely stand against you for evil:
Thus saith the LORD; Behold, I will give Pharaoh Hophra king of Egypt into the hand of his enemies, and into the hand of them that seek his life; as I gave Zedekiah king of Judah into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, his enemy, and that sought his life.” (Jeremiah 44:29-30)
History and archaeological records prove that Assyria destroyed the Northern Kingdom of Israel and Babylon with King Nebuchadnezzer destroyed Judah and enslaved the Hebrew people for 70 years for their wicked ways.
This is a short recap of what is known by historians and theological students of the Bible. The evidence is without dispute that God passed judgment and His wrath upon the people that He choose to be His people above all nations, but when they fell into idolatry, God used men of other nations, men of pagan practices to enact judgment on a godless nation that knew better, but squandered the blessings of God and were judged and virtually destroyed or enslaved. So what? What does that have to do with us today?
THE SWORD OF ISLAM
I look around at our nation. A nation blessed like no other nation upon this earth has ever been blessed. We came from a source of blessing that made this countries foundation built upon the Word of God and His Ten Commandments. The Constitution was written, in part, to codify biblical precepts into law. There are no significant conflicts between the Bible and the Constitution. We have not been perfect, much as Israel was never perfect, but we have done what they have done in Ancient times. We have turned away from the true God of the Bible and instead of believing “In God We Trust” we trust in ourselves, in our own abilities. We don't need God, at least as a Federal and State Governments and their leaders have driven home the unconstitutional claim of “separation of church and state”...as it's not found in the Constitution or any other founding document that shaped this land we call the USA, our home, but a great number of people stand by and believe what this government spews as law. The present administration has moved us farther down the road in the name of “hope and change”..For my part, you I'll keep my God given freedoms and you can keep your “change” as they have no hope in them. Europe is farther down the road to destruction of their population that even we are, as we haven't seen the carnage displayed on your TV's of what's going on in every European nation that has a Muslim population and is now being overrun by “refugees”. At least not yet to that extent, but we're getting there. The latest mass shootings prove it.
So what do we have in common with the Europeans? God has been removed from our courts, our schools, our institutions of law, and their halls of higher learning. I have feared for this country for a long time and events that are playing out right now, prove that the fear I had was justified. Now I am just resigned that judgment is beginning on America and I'm not sure that anything can hold it back. Nobody, not even a political candidate for the POTUS can stop what is coming. But one of them can hasten it and it's eventual disaster. Many use the verses that call for repentance:
"If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.” II (Chronicles 7:14)
So how has that worked out for us? After 9/11, the churches were stuffed, with people crying out to God for protection and His helping hand. How long did that last? 6 months? At the most, it was a short lived repentance by a people who caught their collective breath and went back to the same old life they had had before, but became more and more wicked as time went by.
God is a merciful and loving God and not willing that any should perish, but I believe there is a time in our lives, when God says, “Enough”.
“The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.” (2 Peter 3:9)...
Yes, God is longsuffering, but when reading this verse, you have to read the next passage to get what God is talking about here.
“But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; (translated: judgment) in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.
11, Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness,
12, Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat?” (2 Peter 3:10-12)
God is talking about judgment, about making a reckoning of lawless behavior and unrepentant sin. As God has used pagan nations to enact judgment upon a lawless and godless nation that has turned their back on Him for the sins of the flesh and idolatry. Would it be too far a stretch to say, that God is doing the same thing right now, beginning with a pagan theocracy that worships a false god, for control of the world known as Islam and their jihad?
Now Islam is not a nation in of itself, but it's 1.5 billion believers in a false god with anyone professing Islam being radicalized to kill those around him that don't bow to his perverted idea of what a “god” is and who is actually the true God of the universe are a force to be reckoned with. Note the latest mass killing of the “infidels” by one man who was born as a citizen in the USA to Afghan immigrants, one known as Omar Mateen. The gunman who went on a shooting rampage at a popular gay nightclub in Orlando shot nearly all of his victims in the first stages of the assault, then was utterly “cool and calm” while he talked by phone to law enforcement officials about further carnage, claimed allegiance to the Islamic State and praised the Boston Marathon bombers . This was an American citizen born here and raised just as you and I have been in a free country, but became radicalized because of the error of their religious thinking.
Now I don't condone or give a pass to anyone who kills another human being or acts like that are done by so called “pseudo-churches” such as Westboro Baptist church that protest with hateful words every chance they get, but look who the man was targeting. This was a gay bar where homosexuals and other members of the LBGT community were gathering to engage in revelry and hooking up with members of their own sex. Other attacks were mostly on the West Coast of California, or liberal outpost of New England like New York and Massachusetts. Note that the carnage is growing larger and stronger, as time passes by exponentially as our national sin grows. I wondered to myself, just how many attacks have been perpetrated by Islamic adherents on innocent individuals, so I went to this site:
http://thereligionofpeace.com/attacks/american-attacks.aspx
In the report it will show that crimes have 74 individual acts of terrorism starting as far back as 1972. The totals are those that of the 74 attacks that had fatalities, 3560 people have died with the largest total at 9/11, with many more maimed and wounded into the thousands. Of those killed, only one Muslim was killed in a revenge shooting for the many dead left by Islamic terrorist. Islamophobia is not evident in the body count, but the carnage is due to American tolerance to the extreme and being politically correct to our own hurt.
Does anyone at a large shopping mall, theater, baseball game, or anywhere a large number of people gather feel safe with this amount of carnage around them? Yes, I know that is their intent to bring terror and chaos to our lives, but could there be more of another reason? Is it even conceivable that God is using the “sword of Islam” to bring judgment in it's infancy upon a nation that has turned it's back on Him? If it is true, and God only knows, it will get only worse. Why? Because our government with it's head in the sand mentality are allowing refugees into our country that cannot be vetted to where they came from. Our southern border is a leaking sieve that immigrants pour through and no one can be sure if ISIS fighters, Al Qaeda or other Islamic terrorist are using our own democracy and our own stupidity to bring us harm and causing enough chaos that our system of government will implode from within. But these terrorist will not get away without repercussions of judgment on themselves for the barbaric lack of reverence for the sanctity of human life just as ancient Assyria and Babylon were judged, but God knows and is allowing such terrorism to come to our land.
CAN ISLAM PRIME THE USA FOR CONQUEST?
Understand, if we are weakened to the point of not being able to repel an enemy invasion because of our government's inability to protect us, is it conceivable that a foreign nation, much like Assyria or Babylon could walk right in and overpower what is left of this nation? I think of Russia or China who need more room for their bulging populations. I believe such a scenario could be in the future of those who see the wrath of God beginning, but do not wake up and turn their lives around.
The article I gave URL address to, has this to say about Muslims that live in this country.
“As the Muslim population increases in the United States, so too will the number of Islamic terror attacks. This is because the pool from which the radicals recruit grows bigger. Studies show that between 5 - 25% of Muslims in America believe that violence in defense of Islam is justified. The number of potential terrorists therefore grows proportionately with the overall number, even if only a small minority actually plot terror.
Immigrants to America have killed and have plotted to kill. However, the real threat comes from successive generations of Muslims living in the West, which have proven to be more radical and more dangerous than their parents. Muslim immigration thus means that more Americans will eventually die.”(What Makes Islam so Different?)
Unfortunately, I have to agree with the author. The threat grows larger and more pronounced as days rush onward to the coming Tribulation.
Remember me saying that the Bible gives lessons and instructions to us in our day of what God expects from each of us? Know that our God does not change, and these words were not written just for them, but FOR US...today, our time and our departure from the Words of God:
7, “Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD; Because ye multiplied more than the nations that are round about you, and have not walked in my statutes, neither have kept my judgments, neither have done according to the judgments of the nations that are round about you;
8, Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I, even I, am against thee, and will execute judgments in the midst of thee in the sight of the nations.
9,And I will do in thee that which I have not done, and whereunto I will not do any more the like, because of all thine abominations.” (Ezekiel 5:7-9)
What abominations? Let's number a few of them. Sins like homosexuality, same sex marriage, abortions of millions of babies, idolatry to anything and everything that we worship that neither speak, or can hear. Growing atheism, agnostics, Satanist, and crime against other men as murder statistics soar, removing God, who made this country great from every annals of our thinking or social beliefs.
God begins judgment with the actions of men and using them as His instruments of judgment on a people who knew better. WE KNEW BETTER!!
But alas, as a nation, look how far we have fallen. You and I do not know how much more carnage we will see. I pray you are not a victim covorting around with sins of this world in a gay bar, or defrauding your neighbor in business, or stealing his wife, or living a life of an unbeliever, atheist, or agnostic, as if any of the attacks are pointed at sinful living, then you have a target on your back, and God will NOT protect you.
I call on those who truly believe the Word of God to hold promises and articles of faith close to your heart. When troubles are all around me, I proclaim Psalm 91, which is just one of the promises from God to protect that that right up against His altar and doing His will.
“He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.
2 I will say of the Lord, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust.
3 Surely he shall deliver thee from the snare of the fowler, and from the noisome pestilence.
4 He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust: his truth shall be thy shield and buckler.
5 Thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by night; nor for the arrow that flieth by day;
6 Nor for the pestilence that walketh in darkness; nor for the destruction that wasteth at noonday.
7 A thousand shall fall at thy side, and ten thousand at thy right hand; but it shall not come nigh thee.”
Notice that you are in the shadow of the Almighty, doing His will as humanly possible in this life and having faith in His provisions of safety and protection. Note that nothing can come upon you unless your Father in Heaven allows it, and if you're His child, it will be for your growth in Him to do His will or to teach you. He does nothing for your hurt, but for your ultimate good.
“For we know that all things work together for good to those who love God and are the called, according to His purpose”. Romans 8:28
Just these two promises out of many that God gives in His Word, shows that a born again believer has nothing to fear, as long as he stays close to God.
YOU AIN'T SEEN NOTHING YET!!
Those of this nation's citizens that see what is going on in the news..all the attacks, all the senseless killing, and the state of terror that is starting to grip those, especially in larger Metropolitan cesspools of sinful living are becoming more and more complacent and adjusting to the new “norm”. It's not normal what is happening in this country. It's not only Islam, but it's the latest carnage on your news hour broadcast. It's everywhere as far as the eye can see. There are few Oasis of calm and righteous living in this country and it's dwindling fast. The “modern church” is no answer, and has no solution to this problem, as they have left their first love...much as Jesus warned of the last portion of this Church age, known as the Laodecian Church. America is the embodiment of that cry from Jesus as He prophesied to John in Revelation 3:
“I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot.
16, So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth.
17, Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked:” (Revelation 3:15-17)
But God has made a promise to those who profess the Name of His Son, Jesus Christ and have made our confidence, our faith, and our worship placed upon Him, and Him alone:
“Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth.
11, Behold, I come quickly: hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown. (Revelation 3:10-11)
God's wrath is coming, real wrath. Not the wrath of man, which God may be using to try and get our attention. Or He may be executing judgment on those He knows will never accept His free gift of salvation....only God knows.
A much quoted verse that says we will not receive any of this coming wrath. When I say we, I mean born again believers by the blood and water of repentance and the cross of Jesus Christ. It doesn't apply as a blanket for everyone:
“For we are not appointed to wrath, but to receive salvation through Jesus Christ our Lord.”(1st Thessalonians 5:9)
That's a comfort, as to do so God will have to physically, spiritually remove us clean out of the way, as God's wrath will be 100% covering all the earth...
“For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:
17, Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.
18, Wherefore comfort one another with these words.” (1st Thessalonians 4:16-18)
In all my days of ministry, I have never seen a time like this, that is lining up with God's Word. I only know that it's going to get worse from here. We will see many horrible deeds by men, but I cling to God's promises of safety and protection. I put complete faith in God removing His chosen Church, born from the foundation of the world, to be removed from this earth at the beginning of the coming Tribulation. Keep your wits about you, your bible in your hand, your staff in the other hand, and your sandals upon your feet, because when God says move out, we will move out to a better place.
“Now when these things begin to happen, look up and lift up your heads, because your redemption draws near.” (Luke 21:28)
“for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day.” (2nd Timothy 1:12b)
Can you who read this, say with confidence that you know in whom you believe?
Do you believe in other men, yourself, or your tenacity to survive painful events...let me assure you, when it gets bad, really bad, and the whole world around you is sinking into a big sink hole, who will you turn to? Who will you hold onto for protection and guidance when the whole world is going to a literal hell on earth? There will be no one there for you.
It's coming folks. You don't believe it? Then disbelieve at your own peril...you'll remember these words when you think back, “Why didn't I listen? Why didn't I follow the call given and give my life to Jesus Christ before this world around me is imploding and I'm forever in peril of my life?”
It's not too late, yet!!....There is still time, as you are alive and reading this and a huge amount of people haven't suddenly disappeared. But when that is in the news, then buddy, you're on your own....You'll either save your life for a short time, but spend eternity in a devil's hell, or believe what I'm about to quote and reap life everlasting, but you'll likely die a martyr for your belief in Christ.
“For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him, should not perish, but have everlasting life.” John 3:16.
Why do you need God's only begotten Son? Because you're a sinner, just as I am..only difference, I'm a forgiven sinner and maybe you're not.
“For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;
24, Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus:
25, Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation (substitution) through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God;” (Romans 3:23-25)
Friend, the sword of Islam is rampaging right now on anyone they can send to hell by whatever means that they have at their disposal...that's men being evil to other men. It may be God using their evil ways to enact judgment on a godless nation. But make no mistake about it...this evil world will only get worse and worse, and when God pours out His judgment on you and all that are around you, you'll pray your had made those verses quoted above a part of your heart and spirit. Don't wait...time is growing very short and the door of opportunity will suddenly shut and you will live a terrifying existence known as the Tribulation, or the Great Tribulation. Find out what that means and make that decision that you don't want to see any of it...because Jesus is the only Answer to this world of sin.
“Jesus saitheth unto him, 'I AM the Way, the Truth and the Life, no man cometh to the Father, but by Me.” (John 14:6)
“That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.” (Romans 10:9)
Admit you're a sinner, repent of those sins and put your trust in Jesus as the author of your salvation. It's so easy, a babe can do it. But it takes guts and becoming humble to believe something that is so simple, and free for the asking. Take that act of faith and believe on Jesus right now....as the judgment of God is just beginning with the “Sword of Islam”.
This is pastor Mike Taylor, praying that I have introduced you to the only hope you have in this life for the next one coming, Jesus Christ, my Lord. If you need counseling, prayer, or just a listening ear, email me at realteam1999@sbcglobal.net, God bless you all.
TILL WE MEET AT JESUS FEET
Comments
Thomas Hatt
06/23/2016 5:58pm
Thank you, Brother Mike!
That is a great word in due season! I've had that very same message upon my heart for awhile now, and I have to agree with you!
Keep up the excellent preaching of the pure Word of God! Thank you!
Thomas Hatt,
Nova Scotia, Canada
That is a great word in due season! I've had that very same message upon my heart for awhile now, and I have to agree with you!
Keep up the excellent preaching of the pure Word of God! Thank you!
Thomas Hatt,
Nova Scotia, Canada
Jeff
06/23/2016 6:02pm
Great article pastor Mike!
Come quickly Lord Jesus!
Come quickly Lord Jesus!
Pat Baunsgard
06/24/2016 9:08am
Please Pastor Mike, Help us oldsters to understand is this is a good thing or a bad thing, with the British voters out of the European Union, and how if any thing how it fits into Prophesy
mike pentycofe
07/10/2016 9:25am
Regarding Great Britans exit from the European Union ; This was spoken of by Herbert Armstrong back in 1956 , believe it or not . MR. Armstrong spoke of the implications that this would have on the European Union as well as the worlds economy.In the book of Revelation John speaks of the 7heads and 10 horns Rev:17vs.3 ,7 ,9 there are 7 kings,5 are fallen ,and one is ,and the other is not yet.In 1956 when Herbert Armstrong wrote about Britans exit from the UE. the kingdom refered to as the the one is not yet is the final kingdom often called the revised roman empire. The coming anti -christ will rise to power from within this revised roman empire Right now the EU has about 28 individual nations . But out of this coalition of nations it will trim itself down to 10 nations. In which Germany has been plotting to basically take charge of this coalition of nations due to their economic might. Germany started both world wars! John refers to these 10 horns as 10 kings. in REV17;12They will receive their power and kingdom 1 hour with the beast .This coalitio0n of kingdoms will have one mind and give their power and strength to the beast So the kingdoms of past history representing the image of a roman soldier in the dream of Nebuchadnezzar"s are the final copulation of these past kingdoms into one world system , one world government, as well as one world religion. Studying the book of Daniel might make this a little easier to understand and put it all together a little more clearly. mike pentycofe
07/10/2016 9:41am
I am not a proponent of the last HW Armstrong's teaching, as he got a lot of things wrong, but there a some things he got right. He was just a man, and men make mistakes. But Mike, your observation of the coming Revised Roman Empire could be found in Germany as the instigator of this empire spoken of in Daniel....knowing that they started 2 World Wars because of their quest for power, it would make sense that they would be in the thick of the coming Beast power...how, and in what form? We don't know, or do we know where the coming AC will come....many believe he will be Middle Eastern or Turkish, called the Assyrian, but with the world being such a melting pot of nationalities, I don't think we can know for sure, until the peace treaty is signed with Israel for 7 years...but I don't believe we will be here to witness it.....Funny that you should bring HWA, as he was not a believer in the Pre-Trib rapture...God bless,
YBIC,
Pastor MIke
YBIC,
Pastor MIke
mike pentycofe
07/10/2016 11:05am
Pastor Mike, just to let you know I to am not a fan of HW. Armstrong. As you said though he did get some things right . But anyone who argues against the pre-tribulation rapture has not truly studied the scripture. Scripture will only line up to a pre-trib rapture ! Gerald Flurry has made some statements that I cant agree with , but he does have some of it right ! mike pentycofe
Pat Baunsgard
06/24/2016 9:11am
Paster Mike, Is this a good thing or bad thing with the British voters out of the European Union?
Does it fit into Prophesy
Does it fit into Prophesy
06/29/2016 7:26pm
Pat,
this has implications concerning prophecy of the ten toes of Daniel's image and the forming of the revived Roman Empire and the coming of the Anti-Christ...How will it play out? WE have to stay watching, as God knows, but we can only be watchers and know the end if near....God bless,
YBIC,
Pastor Mike
this has implications concerning prophecy of the ten toes of Daniel's image and the forming of the revived Roman Empire and the coming of the Anti-Christ...How will it play out? WE have to stay watching, as God knows, but we can only be watchers and know the end if near....God bless,
YBIC,
Pastor Mike
mike pentycofe
06/27/2016 8:48pm
Pastor Mike ,beloved brother in Christ, Once again your message is spot on ! What really amazes me is that the unsuspecting world thinks it has all the time in the world . They seem to be oblivious to the events taking place around them ! But we must remember that they are spiritually blinded by the god of this world. I read a testimony of a Baptist preacher that died on the table and was taken into the 3rd Heaven. He had an angel as a guide . While there he saw people walking through a tunnel. He asked the angel who these people were . The angel told him these were born again believers who walking through the gates of Heaven. Then the angel gave this Baptist preacher a stunning revelation , he said 1 out of a 1000 would walk through the gates of Heaven. When ever I read a testimony like this I discern it by the power of the Holy Spirit. If I do the math it is staggering the small remnent that will be saved. With that being said , every soul that we can reach by the power of the Holy Spirit ,it precious before God. In these final moments of the age of grace we must endure afflictions , and proclaim the word of God in Spirit and in truth. I to stand on the promises of God in Psalm 91. Praise the mighty name of JESUS , Amen and Amen !!! your co-laborer and brother in Christ . mike pentycofe
06/29/2016 7:31pm
Yes, it will be a remnant of mankind. Jesus said the gate to destruction is wide and the way is wide, but the way of life is narrow and narrow is the gate that leads to life, and few that find it. Satan is working hard to deceive mankind, but in the end, his destruction is assured and those who put their faith in Jesus Christ..in the end...WIN. Praise God,
YBIC,
Pastor MIke
YBIC,
Pastor MIke
