WARNING TO THE LAST CHRISTIAN NATION

by Pastor Mike Taylor

Isaiah 1:18 “ Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.1:19  If ye be willing and obedient, ye shall eat the good of the land:1:20  But if ye refuse and rebel, ye shall be devoured with the sword: for the mouth of the LORD hath spoken it.”

I have been reading a very interesting, although controversial book by Rabbi Jonathan Cahn by the title “Mysteries of the Shemitah”. It is an expansion on his first book that I also read, the “Harbinger”.  In the first book of the “Harbinger” Jonathan Cahn analyzes the parallels of what happened to Israel and the “harbingers” of impending national collapse and what is happening right now in America. The parallels are uncanny and can only be said beyond coincidence. Oh, there are many critics of the first book, as there are critics of this book I’ve been reading, but let us explore what Rabbi Cahn is trying to convey to all who will listen with the spiritual mind, instead of just dismissing without discernment.

So what is this “Mystery of the Shemitah” and what does it mean? For the Israelite, it was given by God to use the land for 6 years, but each 7th year, the land was to lay fallow, or resting and anything that grew of its own was for whomever wished to gather it. That included the poor, the widow, or the average man on the street. The products were for everyone.  We know by reading our Bibles that Israel was sent into exile for not following God’s command and disobeyed the law of God for 70 consecutive Sabbath years, or for a total of 490 years and were warned by Jeremiah and other prophets that judgment was coming.  But Israel rebuffed their words that came from God and persecuted and even killed the prophets for their warning, until God sent them into exile for 70 years.  Now the critics emphasize that this covenant was for the nation of Israel and not for anyone else. So they scoff at the idea that God could use the same test for any other nation. But are they right? Let me state a few obvious things here:

-Is our God the same yesterday, today and forever? Of course, He is.

-Does God use the Old and the New Testament as learning tools for us today on how he deals with individuals and even nations who obey Him and those who disobey? Yes, He does.

=If God dealt harshly with Israel, a nation that He was the center of their culture and they wandered away from His laws and commandments for living, then will He deal harshly with any other nation that does the same? Maybe, since God has not changed.

-Are the Ten Commandments still in force today of how any individual is to live their life and if they are, what other commandments are still in force? (Matthew 5:18-19)5:18 “ For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.5:19  Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.”

-Finally, what were the Sabbath rest for the land designed for in the first place?

Let us consider what the last question, as the first  four are obvious to the follower of Jesus Christ, even though most theologians can’t grasp their eternal meaning. But what was the Year of the Shemitah, or a Sabbath rest for the land designed for? It was designed to let mankind know that their substance, their living, and their very breath came from God.

These were major economic laws given by God, designed to prevent undue wealth acquired through acquisition of farm land from accumulating in the hands of the rich while the poor become further impoverished. God repeatedly emphasizes that people are not to oppress one another (Leviticus 25:14, 17). Deuteronomy 15 says that following these economic laws would bring God's blessing (verses 4, 6, 10). God wants people to learn to be generous and compassionate—to have a "give" attitude rather than one of "get." So every 50th year (the year after 7x7 sabbatical years), men were set free, debts were forgiven, and every man was equal in that they owed no one, but God. It was the year of Jubilee. But greed and the pursuit of wealth and money clouds and interferes with giving thanks to God as men look to themselves to be their own god, and they don’t need God Almighty. The nation of America has been blessed, and we have used the economic theory of Capitalism, and it has served us well, as men are in charge of their own destiny, and we don't reward sloven behavior in the past, but note that this has all changed, especially in the last 8 years of the “usurper in chief” that turned our economy into a product of welfare and the social state.

The above example instituted by God shows what it required even further by repentance of sinning against God and humbling yourself before Him and growing close to Him, instead of growing further and further from following His way of life. That was the sin that Israel committed during those 490 years. The land rest was a symbol of national repentance and getting right with God. As Israel grew further and further from God and rejected God, they fell further and further into idolatry to even to burn their children in the fires of pagan gods. Finally, God had enough and banished them from their homeland for a national lesson in repentance and being humbled by force by an invading, foreign army of Babylon....Hence, we have gone the way of ancient Israel and have allowed our greed and pursuit of “stuff” to cloud our vision and ability to see to put God first in our economic dealings with other men.

BUT ISRAEL IS NOT THE U.S.A?

Israel was the only nation that was commanded to observe this year of the Shemitah and true we, the USA is NOT Israel, as many have pointed out, and never will be. We are NOT the New Israel or descendants of a scattered 10 lost tribes as some religions have so erroneously believed, BUT is there a lesson in something that is so prophetic in nature that can be applied to modern times we live in? Can this be used as a prophetic sign from God  Almighty to any nation either in blessings or in curses as God warned?

Let me take a few points that jumped out at me when I read Rabbi Cahn’s book and I wish to address them here and I'm paraphrasing in my own words. Such a prophetic sign could be given to any nation that in any way, matches the description and the attributes of ancient Israel. Those attributes would include the following:

-Any nation that is in defiance of God’s ways or judgments would be a candidate. Course that could cover a lot of nations, no matter what their religious practices be, whether Muslim, Hindu, Buddhist, or totally secular. But let’s narrow it down a bit.

-A nation that has known God, but has rejected His ways and turned away from Him. That could apply to many “Western” nations that have had the label “Christian”, or is largely  post-Christian. But let us narrow it down even further.

-A nation that its foundation was laid upon the precepts of Almighty God found in the Ten Commandments and their laws were governed by His Word for the sole purpose of His glory and His attributes  and to establish a nation “Under God”. Now that narrows it down a whole lot. There are only TWO nations that have built their society, their government, their laws upon God’s law. That would be Israel, and the United States of America!! If you can think of another, because I can't.

Our forefathers came to this land and envisioned a new government built upon the precepts of Almighty God when it was a fledgling colony in Massachusetts and from there, through the War of Independence and our founding documents beginning with the  Declaration of Independence and then our Constitution, God and His Word was the mold that shaped our new nation, under God.

President Ronald Reagan spoke of that very important fact, who is but one of the leaders of our country, down through our history that recognized the importance of God in our society. He said “ If we ever forget that we are a nation under God, then we will be a nation gone under”.( AMEN.)

For the last 200 years, God has blessed this nation beyond any nation in all of history and the wealth of this nation has surpassed all nations upon this earth, past and present. But times have changed in the last 50 years (and as noted especially the last 8 years), as our slide into idolatry has grown more pronounced and more anti-God in our schools, our universities, our halls of government, and in our very lives. God has been legislated out of the very foundation of our republic and “progressively” (I use that term tongue in cheek) God has been told that He is not welcome. We don’t need God, we can handle ourselves. Oh, really and how has that been working out for you in the years of this nations last dictator in chief who thought he was above the law. (thank God he is gone..or is he?)

HAS GOD REMOVED HIS HAND FROM AMERICA?

Let us think for a moment, what would it look like in a society that has kicked God out of our everyday affairs. Since the beginning of our founding, God has had His hand on this nation and blessed us in business, in resources, in national security, militarily in our wars with victory, and every aspect that makes up the USA. No question of that, as the history books speak of how this nation became a lone superpower, and not by its own might, but by the very Hand of God. Why was that? Because we honored Him, we prayed to Him, and we looked to Him for guidance in the majority of the population. What would happen if God removed that protective hand and removed the protective hedge that He has placed around us? As Jonathan Cahn wrote in his book:

“What if God released “His grip” on the United States and He pulled away His protection from that nation, even for a moment? What if He allowed a nation so deafened and hardened itself to His calling voice, would now allow it to be “shaken”?

IMAGINE HOW GOD MIGHT GET THAT NATIONS ATTENTION

To a nation that has driven the God it once had known out of its life (as this nation has), rejected His ways, defied His will, and hardened itself to His call, a Shemitah would be the opposite of blessing, it would be judgment. In Leviticus chapter 26, God gives blessings for following after God, but He also gives curses if they do not:26:14  “But if ye will not hearken unto me, and will not do all these commandments;26:15  And if ye shall despise my statutes, or if your soul abhor my judgments, so that ye will not do all my commandments, but that ye break my covenant:26:16  I also will do this unto you;…….”

God listed all the curses He would level at Israel in the next few verses, and as a warning, an example to us, (as the Bible was written down for the last days for us, read the curses for yourselves), as He said that He will utterly destroy that nation who does not fear or respect Him. But God is a merciful God, and before He passes judgment, He gives us warnings. Folks, since the 1960s, God has been trying to get our attention and in the leaders of this country and the elite, they have turned a blind eye and led the population down a torturous road bound for most certain destruction.

It was shown that every 7 years of our modern time, since 1973, in a cycle of every 7 years, there has been an economic downturn that has affected the nations business found in the stock market on Wall Street and our financial structure. And the amazing thing, it all happened on the very year of remission of debts, and the freeing of obligations to another person, the year of the Shemitah. Each and every instance, Wall Street has taken a hit, and in some years, a huge smack-down of losing near half of it’s worth. The cycle has been ominious in its destruction of a major portion of our national wealth and our GNP (Gross National Product), including prices for goods, and unemployment with major losses of jobs, due to businesses being forced to close.

These warnings have been growing louder and louder, as America has been isolated and protected on our shores through two World Wars and many foreign conflicts, as those conflicts never saw an attack on our soil, until…..you guessed it…September 11, 2001 (9/11).  America’s security and feelings of invincibility were shattered on that day. What once was the symbol of our economic might and wealth, lay in rubble as so many bricks and mangled steel  upon itself, as the Twin Towers fell to the earth. Would it concern you that this was the Year of the Shemitah? Yes, 2001 was a Sabbath Year rest and I believe, a call to repentance for national idolatry. On the following days, the stock market crashed, due to the shaking of the economy and the fall of the Twin Towers due to this terrorist attack. Not only has the cycle of economic instability happened every 7 years, but now God was letting evil come against even our infrastructure and leveled one of the tallest buildings on earth, as a warning. America was shaken and filled the churches of the land, but it lasted only a few weeks and we went back to sleep. We continued in unrepentance and ignored a physical warning, I believe was allowed by God.

Next came 2008, and yet another Sabbath year. What happened then? We had another stock market crash that pretty well destroyed most of people’s retirement that were based in the stock market. The stock market fell from over 14,000 points to a little more than 600 in days. It spelled an economic recession and the scrambling of the government to save businesses “too big to fail”. Since then we have printed money out of thin air and the stock market is soaring again. We think all is well...is it? But if  you think that, you lie to yourself and many people can feel something coming, a foreboding of doom. I watch in amazement as the stock market has soared to unprecedented heights that give the nation a false sense of security. I have just watched and waiting for the air to be let out of this bubble that is built on “funny money” and the total collapse of this nations economic might. We are well overdue for a correction in the stock market.

WHAT MAY BE COMING?

Understand, I make no predictions or set dates of when God will do anything, but the coincidences keep building and a person that has money in the stock market might be feeling a little trepidation, right about now. Why? One indicator of our economic condition is our energy sector. That major source of energy is oil. Now oil has been upwards of 100+ bucks a barrel, and I didn’t like it much, as gas has been expensive, but in the historical aspect of the price of oil that drops its price precipitously, (like a rock to the bottom of the lake fast), spells economic woes for a nation dependent on that energy source. Remember 2008, and 2001 as the price of oil did about the same as a precursor to a stock market crash? Oil prices are pretty steady right now, but will it last? Now we all know, or should that the level of the stock market in 2017 is nothing but a bubble based on cheap money and interest rates. It’s a house of cards that could implode any moment and the stock market will make a drastic correction. Investors are making a sucker's bet that they can read the market. As in the past, it will catch them flat footed. First thing, these events have been extremely precise in 2001 and 2008 and for that matter, every stock market downturn has happened during the fall of the year, in what is called the month of Tishri, or the beginning day of the Feast of Trumpets, a Holy Day and month given to Israel. It’s all happened either in September or October during that month with the end of the Sabbath year, or the Shemitah on the Elul 29 or the end of the Jewish year and Rosh Hashanah, or the Feast of Trumpets being the first day of the new Jewish year calendar.

We are now in the year 2017 and we see the stock market doing a zig-zag of up and down losses and increases, much like the last crashes that happened. When will the correction begin? If it does come, then how deep will it slide? How long will God allow us to continue in our idolatry to the god of wealth and greed? If the falling of the World Trade Center was a physical warning, along with monetary losses in the stock market, what could be a even more powerful warning? Since 1960s, America has been going down a slippery road and it became even more slippery, when we let the Supreme Court let stand a ruling called Roe V. Wade and the subsequent murder of now 60 million babies, inside and outside the womb. What in the past we called evil, we now call good. What was abhorred in the past, we now celebrate. Homosexual marriage, or that lifestyle was an a abomination that was not spoke of in public circles, but now we have parades for “Gay Pride” in all parts of the this country. and what was considered abnormal is now an "alternative lifestyle" and is glorified. Both are evil in the eyes of God and His Word condemns both. We are being warned.

Isaiah 5:20-26 King James Version (KJV)20 “Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!21 Woe unto them that are wise in their own eyes, and prudent in their own sight!22 Woe unto them that are mighty to drink wine, and men of strength to mingle strong drink:23 Which justify the wicked for reward, and take away the righteousness of the righteous from him!24 Therefore as the fire devoureth the stubble, and the flame consumeth the chaff, so their root shall be as rottenness, and their blossom shall go up as dust: because they have cast away the law of the Lord of hosts, and despised the word of the Holy One of Israel.”

As Jonathan Cahn testifies in his book, it is not about the land’s Sabbath rest per se, but a call to repentance, a time of humbling, and a time to understand that God is the source of your very existence. As a nation, we must turn away from the path that we are on. God is a God of being unchangeable and what He has done in the past to any nation, so shall may He also do to ours.

I breathed a heavy sigh of relief when a former first lady did NOT get into the White House, this last election cycle, as her election would have given the elite of this world, their One World Government in a handbasket...with our present POTUS, I believe we have been given a short reprieve. Oh, it hasn't stopped our slide, just slowed it down. And note the total resistance from the Liberal left found in our dereliction of duty we call the “Free Press” and the Political left of the “Communist Democrat Party” that is not the party of JFK any longer, but they have sold their soul to the devil. Now any nation on earth is deserving of the wrath of God, and believe me, brother, it is coming as the Tribulation drum beats grow louder and louder, but even as Israel was scourged and disciplined most severely by Almighty God, so may the USA be scourged and disciplined just as severely. I believe the ONLY think holding back the complete destruction of this nation, are God's people who hold onto His Word with both hands and will NOT stop praying for this nation until they are removed from this planet in what is popularly called “the Rapture, or the HARPAZO” ...then all bets are off. If you should still be here, those who read this and have an ear to hear, you will see this nation fall with such a loud crash, it will make many commit suicide, much like they did in 1929 market crash and causing the Great Depression.

WHY IS THIS SO FOR THE WESTERN NATION OF AMERICA?

Why, you ask, would this be so? Because like Israel, the USA knows better. Of all lands upon the earth, we were the producers of missionaries, Bibles, and distributed the Word of  God from one corner of the globe to the other. But now all we are famous for is pornography and lewd living. Our crime statistics are rampant. Race relations are to the point of a civil war between people of color and the white majority. We murder our unborn. The family, the foundation of a Christian society has been all but torn asunder and when the foundation goes, the nation goes as well. As Paul wrote and God warned us in 2nd Timothy:3:1  “This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come.
3:2  For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,
3:3  Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, de'spisers of those that are good,
3:4  Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God;
3:5  Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.
3:6  For of this sort are they which creep into houses, and lead captive silly women laden with sins, led away with divers lusts,
3:7  Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.”

If that was ever a description of the majority of a population, this prophecy has been fulfilled in America.

Judgment is coming, my friend, make no mistake about that. When will it happen and what will lead up to it? Only God knows, but from historical accounts, and what is happening right now, I feel that like Rabbi Cahn, I am sounding a warning to all who will heed the trumpet call. It is time, no past time, to get right with God. What will happen in the end of 2017 and into the next year or two, only God knows. Will American collapse? Will her economy implode to where the ripple effect causes world-wide panic and other stock markets to also collapse? Will it usher in a “new world order” and be the trigger for a One World government? The puzzle of the end time events grows stronger and stronger.

What could be coming? Could it be war in the Middle East, leading to a possible 3rd World War? Could it be economic catastrophe to the USA homeland that puts the rest of the world into bankruptcy and chaos? Will the USA become a third world country that can’t afford to help Israel any longer when the Gog-Magog war prophecy is fulfilled? Will we be ripe for invasion from a foreign nation, much like Babylon invaded Israel and destroyed their nation and many lives? The symptoms of an end time prophecy coming to pass mount up to be unable to dismiss or ignore. I believe that what is being warned of, could possibly even happen this fall. Many prophetic teachers, pastors, and even laymen see something happening this fall...Why? Because we are at the end of a generation of the formation of Israel as a nation, and the fulfilling of the prophecy given by Jesus when He warned:

32 “Now learn a parable of the fig tree; When his branch is yet tender, and putteth forth leaves, ye know that summer is nigh:

33 So likewise ye, when ye shall see all these things, know that it is near, even at the doors.

34 Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled.

35 Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away.

36 But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only.” (Matthew 24:32-36)

We are at the end of a generation that will see the coming of the Lord Jesus in the clouds of heaven, that Jesus called “no man knoweth the day or the hour” and is exactly what the feast of Trumpets is called. Is it a clue to the coming of our Lord, based on His Feast of Trumpets and the next in line for fulfillment, much as He fulfilled His Spring “plan for mankind”?

If Jesus comes this fall, and only God knows, then my friend, you will witness all “hell on earth” begin and grow more destructive in a crescendo wave of the annihilation of most of mankind.

If what is suggested comes to pass, and friend, I use this in all humbleness, when literal “hell on earth” comes to roost in your own front yard, who will you call to? Will you cry out to your congressman, your senator, or even the president of the USA? Will your government help you, your senator, or your congressman? No, my friend, nobody will come to your aid. When this scenario or any part of it does come to fruition, then there is only One that can help you. He is the Holy One of Israel, the Great I AM that I AM. God Almighty, through His Son, Jesus Christ.

Isaiah 1:18  “Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.

John 3: 16-18 King James Version (KJV) 16 “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.17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.18 He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.”

Think not that you can weather the coming storm all by  yourself. The Son of Man, Jesus Christ could be on the very cusp of His return. I make no prediction, but  “No man knoweth the day or the hour” (Matthew 24:36) a term used for the ”Feast of Trumpets” the sign of the King…King Jesus. As He has warned us, we take Him seriously of all who call upon His name and will love His appearing. So come my Lord. We look up expecting our redemption as it draweth nigh.

This is Pastor Mike Taylor, praying that God reveals Himself to you, through His Son, Jesus Christ. If you need prayer, counseling, or just a listening ear, email me at realteam1999@sbcglobal.net. Or visit me at www.pastormiketaylor.blogspot.com, God bless you all, 

till we meet at Jesus feet…….soon.

SOARING APOSTASY POINTS TO THE RAPTURE, PART 2

An Expose of Disturbing Trends and How to Avoid Them

 

 "For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears;  and they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables" (2 Timothy 4:3-4).

 

 Scripture twisting is prevalent. It seems to be in perpetual motion-diluting, reinventing and confusing God's holy Word, especially when it comes to prophecy. One prophetic fad after another fades into obscurity and another one emerges. I recently spoke with the leader of a highly-respected Christian organization. He expressed his concern and disappointment regarding the disturbing contents of the emails he receives from some widely-promoted prophecy "teachers" and authors. He mentioned that one in particular sends him "the most convoluted nonsense." He added, "I think they come up with this stuff just to sell books."

 

And we have the "prosperity" gospel preachers (con-artists) getting richer by the day by fleecing their followers...Creflo Dollar.

 

Are you kidding me?

 

How can anyone be taken in by a charlatan with a name like that? Yet, thousands of gullible people follow him like brainwashed robots. They foolishly give their hard earned money to him, naively waiting for their "seed" money to sprout into riches. While they are waiting for the big payout, Creflo Dollar and his wife use the "harvest seed" money of their followers to live an extravagant lifestyle-which includes two multi-million dollar homes, expensive high-end cars, and even a private jet. [1]

 

One of Creflo Dollar's popular mantras which should catch your attention is this one:  "Harvest responds only to seed not to prayer, not fasting." Then he pleads with his followers to send their "seeds" (money) to his ministry.

 

If you watch him on YouTube in any video, he looks and sounds so shady it is tough to imagine how he can continue to get away with his charade. (He also considers himself to be one of God's "prophets.") Senator Chuck Grassley did attempt to investigate him but his ministry was very uncooperative. [1] [2]

 

A Christian British publisher with whom I worked for many years related to me her personal interactions with some Christians-how her experiences motivated her to start her own company publishing Christian books. She died unexpectedly last October; it was not long before she died that we had one of our lengthy discussions about the dynamics that are crippling the Christian church today.

 

I distinctly remember one of the first things she ever shared with me early on in our working relationship. She said she had been harmed by Christians more than anyone else-that the prevalent lack of trust and backstabbing amongst Christians had become heartbreakingly commonplace. She was very grieved by this. Every time she sent me a manuscript to edit and prepare for publishing, she was hoping and praying that one more person in the world would see goodness and kindness coming from a Christian ministry.

 

The treatment experienced and expressed by my colleague from those not-so-Christian Christians-is right on target, all part of the end-time scenario-just as the apostle Paul warned in 2 Timothy 3:1-4:

 

 "This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God."

 

Last week while I was shopping for produce at my favorite local grocer, one of the cashiers, apparently on a  break, walked by and greeted me. I asked her how she was doing and she replied, "My schedule is so hard, I never know my hours until the beginning of each week. But God will take care of me."

 

As soon as I heard the words, "But God will take care of me," I jumped on the opportunity to speak with her about the Lord. She said she was raised as a Christian but no longer has anything to do with other Christians and never goes to church-because she has been disappointed too many times and has found Christians to be hypocrites. When she said the word, "hypocrites" her eyes bulged out as in disgust.

 

 She poured her heart out to me right there in the produce aisle. After hearing some of her experiences I could totally understand why she did not want to be around other so-called Christians. We talked about having a personal relationship with the Lord Jesus; she seems very sincere and believes she is a Christian.

 

 I hope to be able to speak with her again soon, and give her some of my books and a Bible. She did say she reads "spiritual things" but has stopped reading the Bible-which really concerns me. She could drift into some "New Spirituality" types of false teachings without meaning to. It is in instances like this when people are vulnerable-that the devil hurries to the rescue! 

 

 "Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour" (1 Peter 5:8).

 

Many wonderful Christians and ministries steadfastly stay faithful to the Lord and His teachings. But unreliable teachings open the door wide for some people to ultimately lose hope and faith. When "prophecies" and "teachings" fail time and time again, and professing Christians behave like heathens, people get discouraged. They begin to question what they believe, which sometimes causes them to completely "fall  away from the faith."

 

"But beware lest somehow this liberty of yours become a stumbling block to those who are weak" (1 Corinthians 8:9).

 

 "Do you not know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump?" (1 Corinthians 5:6b).

 

 We must be careful as to what we accept as truth; a man or woman who is an effective speaker and acts like a friend may be very convincing but may not be worthy of your trust. As President Ronald Reagan used to say, "Trust but verify."

 

"Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves" (Matthew 10:6).

 

"And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many" (Matthew 24:11).

 

For example, if we hear about prophetic proclamations from self-appointed "prophets" who think God has given them a special "calling" and their predictions fail to come true, then of course we know they are false prophets and their prophecies are not from God-just as the Scriptures teach.

 

The situation becomes worse when these false prophets will not take responsibility for their failed predictions, when they don't think they need to repent, and instead, smugly flaunt spiritual superiority. Do these false prophets suffer from serious mental disorders with grandiose delusions thinking that they can accurately predict the future or are they on a power trip? Maybe both.

 

"And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many. And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold" (Matthew 24:11-12). 

 

Adding insult to injury-false prophets may irrationally blame the very people who entrusted them when they proclaimed that they are "never wrong." They cry foul as if they are being unfairly persecuted for being called out for their own failed "prophesies." One must wonder how many lives are harmed by these emotionally unstable and delusional false "prophets." People like this clearly cannot be trusted and are in serious need of spiritual counseling and repentance.

 

 "And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them" (Ephesians 5:11).

 

When the unsaved witness this type of hypocrisy, the cause for Christ is significantly damaged. Maybe these purveyors of falsehoods forget that God will hold them accountable for their unrepentant egregious behavior. Somehow I don't think that ever enters their minds; they are too obsessed with being self-righteous and attacking others to try to detract from their own failed predictions. Disgraceful. 

 

"Thus says the Lord of hosts: 'Do not listen to the words of the prophets who prophesy to you. They make you worthless; they speak a vision of their own heart, not from the mouth of the Lord" (Jeremiah 23:16 emphasis added). 

 

"Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves. Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles? Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit"  (Matthew 7:15-17 emphasis added).

 

In order to avoid becoming a victim of various questionable teachings and false prophecies, every believer would be wise to regularly study the Bible-with the guidance of the Holy Spirit, and see if what is being taught is in keeping with the Scriptures. But be sure it is the Holy Spirit guiding you and not something else. Seek out Bible teachers who are true systemic Bible expositors who can also help guide and teach you.

 

"Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth" (2 Timothy  2:15) 

 

"But shun profane and idle babblings, for they will increase to more ungodliness. And their message will spread like cancer" (2 Timothy 2:16) 

 

What does it mean to study the Bible?

 

 Some people "study" for decades yet do not understand that there are specific teachings that are God's truths. Their beliefs are often based on emotions and feelings rather than sound doctrine. The abundance of "Christian" cults are prime examples of this; they claim to study the Bible but have many erroneous teachings.

 

 We must consider the literal meaning of a passage, its historical and grammatical context, and how it harmonizes with the rest of Scripture. If we are perplexed by some Scriptures, we must keep studying until the intended meanings can be determined.

 

Bible prophecy found in Scripture is God-breathed. It gives us hope and glimpses of the future.

 

To say "We can't know Bible prophecy" shows a lack of willful understanding, a lack of solid biblical teaching resulting in poor discernment-reminiscent of a lukewarm church.

 

If we are to buy into the idea that "We can't know" then we must never take a strong stand on any prophetic truths, which would include the Pre-Tribulation Rapture, that the nation of Israel would be reborn as written, and that God is going to wipe-out the Russian-Muslim confederacy in the Gog-Magog war, etc.

 

God and His holy Word are intentional-not incidental. 

 

"We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts: Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation" (2 Peter 1:19-20 emphasis added).

 

 Why would God give us the Bible with so many prophetic Scriptures if we are not meant to understand them? We know that prophecy makes up about one third of the Bible and we are admonished to watch for signs taking us to the end of the age. 

 

"Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man" (Luke 21:36).

 

The "golden" rule for interpreting Scripture is a reliable guideline that takes us to the intended meaning of the Word of God. All Scripture must be taken literally with some exceptions. When something is obviously unclear that is when we can say, "We don't know."

 

Common sense tells us when Jesus is called the "Lamb of God" (John 1:29), that does not mean He is a literal lamb. It is symbolic of the fact that He is the Paschal Lamb sacrifice for the sins of the elect.

 

The late Dr. David Cooper, a brilliant scholar, taught a very precise reliable method of interpreting Scripture-the Golden Rule of Interpretation. In my book, Israel's Guaranteed Future Glory, I have a lengthy section titled "Understanding Bible Interpretation" which is a very useful guide.

 

The Golden Rule of Interpretation

 

When the plain sense of Scripture makes common sense, seek no other sense; therefore, take every word at its primary, ordinary, usual, literal meaning unless the facts of the immediate context studied in the light of related passages and axiomatic and fundamental truths, indicates clearly otherwise.

 

An example to show how this principle works can be found in Revelation 12:

 

"And there appeared another wonder in heaven; and behold a great red dragon, having seven heads and ten horns, and seven crowns upon his heads. And his tail drew the third part of the stars of heaven, and did cast them to the earth" (Revelation 12:3-4a).

 

There is not, and there will never be a literal dragon with seven heads and ten horns. If there were such a creature it could not sweep a third of the stars in space, and cast them down to earth. Therefore, the dragon and the stars are symbolic.

 

To further support this premise, later, in Revelation 12:9, the verse says that the devil-who is called a "great dragon," and his angels were cast down to earth. We can determine from this that the devil is the dragon and the angels are the stars.

 

We know that a physical dragon cannot cast one-third of the stars in space down to earth (Revelation 12:3-4), but the devil who is called the great dragon (Revelation 12:9) can lead one-third of the angels in heaven (Daniel 8:10) to rebel against God and wreck havoc on earth.

 

In chapter nine of Revelation there is a detailed description of demonic creatures. These demonic-like creatures are real and not symbolic. It is not impossible for there to be creatures as depicted in Revelation nine; they do not portray actions that are physically impossible for a creature to do.

 

The book of Revelation has often been referred to by many people as a book that cannot be understood. That belief is simply not true if we apply ourselves and understand basic principles of biblical hermeneutics.

 

Here is a helpful guide to study God's Word:

 

• Determine who the message is being given to and why.
• Determine if the message is to be understood as being literal or symbolic using the Golden Rule of Interpretation.
• Determine the context (what is the subject).
• Determine the dispensation and if the message is for us today.
• Find as many passages dealing with the subject as you can.
• Put together the message of all the passages to determine what is being said.
• Give clear statements far more importance than unclear statements.
• Base the message of an unclear statement on a clear one.

 

It is evident that many people who claim to study the Bible for even a lifetime often do not grasp the intended meanings of God's Word. All we have to do is look around and see one contradictory confusing teaching after another.

 

Pastors would do well to preach sound doctrine derived from the Word of God; sermons on repentance, sanctification, sin, heaven, hell and eternal punishment in the lake of fire. Too many sermons are "politically correct" so as not to offend anyone.

 

What about not offending the God of the universe who holds our lives in His hands?

 

"If you instruct the brethren in these things, you will be a good minister of Jesus Christ, nourished in the words of faith and good doctrine which you have carefully followed. But reject profane and old wives' fables, and exercise yourself toward godliness" (1 Timothy 4:6-7). 

 

Fulfilling the Great Commission can be greatly hindered when professing Christians and pastors offer weak testimonies due to their compromised behavior and lack of biblical acuity. Pastors and teachers who are true to God's Word are a greater blessing than they may realize. We need more of them to guide congregations with good solid teaching.

 

Recently I discovered an outrage going on amongst some ministries because some previously traditional pastors are now defending Muslims. Evangelist Brannon Howse is up in arms as are some others that no one is challenging Minister James White, who has foolishly given a Jihadi Imam a platform to speak Islamic lies.

 

Brannon Howse considers this type of behavior a very serious threat to our country and is trying to bring attention to the problem. He refers to this growing dilemma as the "Coming Ecumenical Jihad." This situation is very much a part of the apostasy which is accelerating at record speed as we move toward the end of the Church age. [3]

 

 A prerequisite for biblical discernment and understanding is a contrite heart without malice:

 

  "And a servant of the Lord must not quarrel but be gentle to all, able to teach, patient, in humility correcting those who are in opposition, if God perhaps will grant them repentance, so that they may know the truth, and that they may come to their senses and escape the snare of the devil, having been taken captive by him to do his will" (2 Timothy 2:24-26).

 

 Some well-meaning individuals who sincerely want to learn God's truths are confused because they were never taught how to study the Bible. They totally rely on others to teach them. They search the Internet instead of their Bibles. Some latch onto the most talked about theories (group think) without even knowing if those ideas can pass a hermeneutical litmus test.

 

 This is from where much of their confusion stems. Much of what they are being taught in this way is not true to the Word of God. The Internet is a great tool for researching topics related to the Bible, but then it is up to each individual to take that research and see how it conforms with the Bible in its entirety.

 

 "...these were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of the mind, examining the scriptures daily, whether these things were so" (Acts 17:11).

 

 Surely at some point in every believer's life he or she will come across Scriptures that advocate biblical veracity-so there is no excuse for laziness. We are to study the whole counsel of God to become better equipped to grasp the true meanings of Scripture (Acts 20:27).

 

We should always keep in mind that every passage in the Bible is empowered by the Holy Spirit and has only one primary meaning. We are blessed to know that God offers absolute truth and therefore it follows that every passage of Scripture has only one intended meaning, and only one correct interpretation. However, there can be many applications.

 

That a single passage has one meaning and one meaning only has been a long-established principle of biblical interpretation. Among evangelicals, recent violations of that principle have multiplied.

 

The single-meaning principle is of foundational importance in understanding God's communication with mankind, just as it has been since the creation of the human race. The entrance of sin in Genesis 3 brought a confusion in this area that has continued ever since.

 

Bernard Ramm was a Baptist theologian  who wrote prolifically on biblical hermeneutics. He advocated the same principle in different words, "But here we must remember the old adage: 'Interpretation is one, application is many.' This means that there is only one meaning to a passage." [4]

 

Divide and Conquer

 

We must be mindful not to be caught off-guard by teachings that appeal to our flesh but cannot stand up to careful biblical scrutiny. The lack of discernment and irresponsibility in the Body of Christ is alarming at times. But then again, many who profess Christ are not authentic Christians;  they only think they have discernment, but in truth they are biblically weak-lacking a genuine  intimate enduring walk with the Lord Jesus; they cause divisions and have hidden motives that do not glorify God.

 

"Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them which cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and avoid them. For they that are such serve not our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly; and by good words and fair speeches deceive the hearts of the simple" (Romans 16:17-18).

 

 It is important to be extremely cautious every day choosing friends and associates wisely, and not be "tossed to and fro by every wind of doctrine" (Ephesians 4:14). Jude had this to say about  self-serving people in the last days:

 

"But you, beloved, ought to remember the words that were spoken beforehand by the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ,  that they were saying to you, 'In the last time there  will be mockers, following after their own ungodly lusts. These are the ones who cause divisions, worldly-minded, devoid of the Spirit'" (Jude 17-18).

 

Years ago, I wrote an article titled, "He Must Increase, but I Must Decrease." After we published it on Rapture Ready, someone who considers herself to be an upstanding Christian was bothered by it. She asked, "Why would you write something like that?" I was shocked by her lack of understanding regarding one of the most basic teachings of Christianity. The Lord Himself admonishes us to live lives placing Him first; at the very least we should aim for that kind of life.

 

Later, I learned that this same person is heavily into the teachings of T.D. Jakes. In an interview with Oprah Winfrey Jakes stated, "There has to be many paths to God." [5]

It is no secret that Oprah Winfrey believes the same thing. She has said so publicly many times. She and T.D. Jakes are indeed kindred "spirits" and those spirits are not of the true God of the Bible:

 

"Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, and the truth, and the life: no one cometh unto the Father, but  by me" (John 14:6) emphasis added).

 

T.D. Jakes epitomizes self-love along with a long list of other very troubling teachings. This very famous mega-church pastor teaches that there is nothing "more essential" than falling in love with yourself in his book titled, Falling in Love with Yourself, p.15.  [6]

 

"But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: For men will be lovers of themselves" (2 Timothy 3:1-2a).

 

The worldly wisdom (1 Corinthians 3:19) taught by T.D. Jakes is totally contrary to the doctrine of Christ, 2 John 9-11:

 

"Whoever transgresses and does not abide in the doctrine of Christ does not have God. He who abides in the doctrine of Christ has both the Father and the Son. If anyone comes to you and does not bring this doctrine, do not receive him into your house nor greet him;  for he who greets him shares in his evil deeds."

 

Christ teaches:

 

If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me (Luke 9:23 emphasis added).

 

Not all who are compromised individuals are obvious disrupters. Many are pretentious people who profess Christ, but have ulterior motives and have infiltrated the Christian church-usually to gain some sort of self-empowerment.

 

These irreverent wolves in sheep's clothing (Matthew 7:15) use biblically recognizable words and piously proclaim God in their lives-but what they are advocating is shallow "spiritual" fluff. The living God is a stranger to these unrepentant purveyors of confusion; what's worse-they are strangers to Him: 

 

 "Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven" (Matthew 7:21). 

 

Another very sad, troubling trend which feeds the apostasy and damages a Christian's witness is when we observe troublesome individuals seeking special attention by hovering around Christian ministries/churches with a groupie-like mentality-fawning over those who may or may not be reliable teachers-perhaps hoping that by some sort of osmosis they will become enlightened and popular; they may even cause disturbances if things don't go their way.

 

 These are often hyper-emotional co-dependent professing Christians who function by latching onto others in unsettling ways. Good solid Bible teachers, ministry leaders and pastors would never enable and encourage such dysfunctional behavior; they would reject flowery words of gushing adulation (idolatry). This happens in small ministries as well as much larger ones. I believe some people who create problems in ministries have varying degrees of mental and emotional illnesses, which cause them to be mean-spirited and behave irrationally. 

 

Idolizing a church leader has taken precedence over the Lord in many ministries. Take a look at some videos of mega-church services, especially those that teach the "prosperity" and "feel-good" messages; the congregations seem to be mesmerized-as if hypnotized, in awe of the person preaching at the pulpit.

 

You won't see much adulation for Jesus, if any. It's all about tapping into your own "instincts" or "awakening that power within you" to "get more" and "be more of you." These are New Age precepts that have infiltrated the Church, dangerously taking people away from the true Living God of the Bible.

 

The motives of imposters, of counterfeit Christians are selfish and insincere; many of them believe their own impaired ideas that they are "saved" and are "doing the Lord's work." The born-again benefit of 2 Corinthians 5:17-maturing into a "new creature in Christ" has somehow eluded these demanding, haughty histrionic-whiners.   

 

"Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates? And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God" (2 Corinthians 13:5; Romans 12:2). 

 

Individuals who peddle questionable and confusing Scripture-twisting ideas are dedicated to their own advancement, although they want people to believe they are sold-out for Christ. Tragically, huge numbers of people cannot discern false teachings and are deceived. The corruption is intensified when false teachers proclaim the "doctrines" of other false teachers, and those man-created doctrines become widely accepted as "truth."

 

In such cases that stamp of acceptance and approval is really a sign of the soaring apostasy,

 

and another giant step toward the Rapture and the Tribulation. As that time draws near, we can expect the apostasy to dramatically escalate. We should not be surprised and dismayed but rather encouraged-for our redemption draweth nigh (Luke 21:28).

 

When we keep an eternal perspective on life we will not be dragged down by matters that will be of no value or concern to us when we are finally with the Lord. If we are honest with ourselves, and choose balanced godly living over daily worldly distractions, the peace of God will surpass all understanding (Philippians 4:7).

 

 We should never assume someone is a true believer or has honorable intentions just because he or she seems cordial, and can give a speech referencing material relating to the Bible, or is popular.

 

Some of the wealthiest preachers who teach the "prosperity" gospel and the "feel-good" ecumenical universal god messages do not seriously teach the Word of God. Yet they are very popular, and have huge followings. Their followers for the most part live very ordinary lives, while the pastors live lavish lives of self-indulgence. These pastors are very skilled in soliciting money from their congregation for personal gain. In secular terms, I think that would be called a "snow job."

 

When professing Christians think they can live unscrupulously in private, mask their unsavory motives and actions with spiritual jargon, then use God's grace to rationalize and excuse their disingenuous shady behavior-it is a direct affront against the Living God and His precepts.

 

"These people draw near to Me with their mouth, and honor Me with their lips, but their heart is far from Me" (Matthew 5:8).

 

The points that have been made here are the same warnings that we find throughout all of Scripture-to be careful as to what we accept as God's truths-to learn what they are, and to pay attention to what kind of people are in our midst. Genuine believers who take their faith seriously must pray for the deliverance of those who are confused and misled, and also for the deliverance of the deceivers-the imposters, the false teachers and false prophets, the backstabbers who take advantage of others to further their own agendas to boost their already over-inflated egos.

 

The basic tenants of Christianity have been hijacked and perverted by the deceivers; their lives  will end in tragedy when they find themselves shut out of heaven. Counterfeit Christians play fast and loose with God's Word in order to achieve their selfish agendas, knocking over all those who are in their way. They too, will pay a high price for their perverse ways.

 

God did not step out of eternity and suffer a horrific torturous death so those who play games with our faith can claim some kind of cheap grace as an excuse for their reprehensible behavior. Integrity-including biblical integrity-is far more important than pleasing people and being popular.

 

 The spiritual war is heating up on many levels. Be sure you are well-armed and on God's side.

 

 "For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart" (Hebrews 4:12).