PEOPLE GET READY....JESUS IS COMING SOON.

 

In 1965 a song was released by a Rhythm & Blues musical group called The Impressions. The song was written by their lead singer, Curtis Mayfield.  Mayfield's background was singing church gospel music. He wrote a lot of songs in the gospel style. The song was titled, "People Get Ready."

 

Looking at the lyrics from a biblical view, the song encourages believers to hold tight to their beliefs when times get bad, and promises victory for the good guys, and punishment for the bad.

 

Well, please let me tell you, dear readers, that it is most definitely time to "get ready."

 

We need to do this right now. And quickly. We can no longer "get ready" at our leisure. Our world is so totally out of control that you cannot even begin to keep up with the news because at least hourly, things across the globe are drastically changing. AND, the things that are constantly in flux all seem to have the potential for determining life, or death.

 

Whether you are a believer or a non-believer, the questions resonating around the globe seem to be focused on the end-times. Are the Bible's words really true?  Jesus really the Son of God? Is Jesus really coming back to earth? Can He really save us from destruction?  How can I be saved? Is there really such a time period called the end-times? And, are we really there now?

 

Let me offer some answers and some Scriptures to help you with these questions:

 

Yes, what the Bible says is really true. How do I know this? Because I know God the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.  If you do not know God personally, you can validate the Bible through archaeology, and through manuscripts authored by other individuals documenting the history of the times. The Bible was written by the hands of a number of men, but every word in the Bible is inspired by God. (One good research tool would be for example, The Works of Josephus by Flavius Josephus.)

 

Yes, Jesus really is the Son of God. How do I know this? Because I know Him! Let's look at:

 

1 John 4:9 - "In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him.

 

We are also told in John 3:16 - "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.

 

We can also read in Matthew 16:15-16  -  "He saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am? And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God."

 

Yes, Jesus really is coming back to earth. After He was crucified, died and was buried, He  rose again! His death on the cross signified the end of the beginning. His resurrection was the beginning of the end. After Jesus' resurrection, he was talking with his apostles, and telling them that He was leaving to be with His Father, but that He would return.

 

John 14:1-3 - "Let not your heart be troubled; ye believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father's house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you unto Myself; that where I am, there ye may be also."

 

We also read in 1 Corinthians 15:22-24: " For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ all shall be made alive.  But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ's at His coming. Then cometh the end, when He shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father; when He shall have put down all rule and all authority and power."

 

Yes, He really can save us from destruction. Yes, He can, and He will.  He has all power to do as He purposes, but saving us from the destruction coming in the end times does not involve saving our mortal bodies (we will live with Him with new, incorruptible bodies)...it involves saving our immortal souls. The Church is the Bride of Christ, and He does not wish for us to go through the days of the Tribulation.

 

We get a glimpse into the wrath of the Day of the Lord when we read Isaiah 13:9-11:

 

"Behold, the day of the Lord cometh, cruel both with wrath and fierce anger, to lay the land desolate: and he shall destroy the sinners thereof out of it. For the stars of heaven and the constellations thereof shall not give their light: the sun shall be darkened in his going forth, and the moon shall not cause her light to shine. And I will punish the world for their evil, and the wicked for their iniquity; and I will cause the arrogancy of the proud to cease, and will lay low the haughtiness of the terrible."

 

Then we can read how the Lord will snatch away (the Harpazo, Rapture) His believers, the Church-up to be with Him before the terrible judgment comes upon the unsaved sinners remaining on the earth:

 

1 Thessalonians 4:16 -18: "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: 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. Wherefore comfort one another with these words."

 

How can you be saved?  There is only one way:

 

John 3:16 " 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."

 

Jesus Himself tells us in John 14:6: "Jesus saith unto him, 'I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by Me."

 

Again, Jesus tells us in Revelation 3:20 - "Behold, I stand at the door and knock: if any man hears My voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and sup with him, and he with Me."

 

Call out to Him and listen for the voice of the Lord!

 

Well, if there might possibly be any shred of doubt left in your mind, please let me put that to rest...we are there!  How do I know this? Because Jesus warns us about that in the Bible. He gives us things to watch for so we will know His coming is near - even at the door!  Let's look at some Scriptures to help us understand this:

 

2 Timothy 3:1-5 - "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;  having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away."

 

Matthew 24:3-14 - "And as he sat upon the mount of Olives, the disciples came unto him privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world? And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you.

 

For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many.

 

And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet.

 

 For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places. All these are the beginning of sorrows.

 

Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for my name's sake.

 

And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another.

 

And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many. And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold. But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved. And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come."

 

Please continue to read, in your Bible, on through Matthew 24:15-51, where Jesus gives many details about what is coming.

 

Additional details about the end times are given in Luke 21:25-27: "And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity, the sea and the waves roaring;  men's hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth: for the powers of heaven shall be shaken. And then shall they see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory.

 

Let us not be deceived. Let us always watch and be ready.  We do not know exactly when Jesus will come. Matthew 24:36 tells us, "But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only."

 

Again we are told this in Mark 13:32: "But of that day and that hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels which are in heaven, neither the Son, but the Father."

 

We have already seen many signs, and there are more for which to watch. We hear people say that these things have all happened before, and the answer to that statement is this: "Indeed, many have." There is nothing new under the sun. But the key issue to remember here is that all of these things will begin to happen together when it is time. They will all begin to happen...at the same time...converging on one another. NOW is the time to seriously watch!

 

Please, also go to the book of Revelation and read that wonderful book. Yes, it is scary, and often hard to understand, but you will want to know. God sent us His Word, so that we would know

 

So, these facts being established, where does that leave us with the state of the world today?  I do not write about politics - although they play a large part in the way things unfold in our world.  But I ask you to realize (and it is my opinion) that it doesn't matter what political party is in power in any given country or nation in the world, and it doesn't matter who is president or prime minister or chief-in-charge of the countries and nations in the world.

 

It does not matter who is the aggressor or the one who rescues or the super power.  The real Super Power is God.  He alone is Sovereign, and He alone is in complete control of everything that happens. He raises up kings, and He takes down kings. He allows things to happen in order to bring about His perfect will to fulfill His perfect purpose.

 

As I write this, the United States has launched missiles into Syria from US Navy destroyers in the Mediterranean Sea and destroyed the air bases that launched the chemical attack on Syria's own people. Russia is not pleased. Russia is sending a warship to the Mediterranean where the missiles were launched from. This is all that the news media will tell us at this time

 

The next step is not clear, but by the time you read this, it will all be old news. Whatever the outcome of this will be, it will all be allowed and directed by God.  We need not fear if we belong to Him!

 

This earthly situation is certainly not our only concern. The entire globe is boiling over with hatred.  Wars (or rumors of wars) are everywhere. Destruction, murders, suicide attacks, dissention, lies, persecution, deception and unrest stretch from one end of our world to the other.  Violent weather, earthquakes and volcanoes rock the globe.  Diseases, pestilences and famines abound.

 

Things are disintegrating quickly, and the spiral is definitely downward. Not a very hopeful scenario, is it?  How can we cope with all of this uncertainty?  How do we get through day to day?  Where is our hope?  Our hope is in the Lord. Stay focused only on Him. He tells us to be of good cheer, for He has overcome the world!  That means that we are to know in our hearts that we will be okay, no matter what comes, if we belong to Him. He has overcome the world (Satan's world), and all power and glory belong to Him!  He will return for us, and we will live for eternity in the place He has prepared for us. It doesn't get any better than that.

 

God created the world in which we live, and thankfully, He also gave us an instruction book to go along with it.  The Bible tells us how it all began, and how it will all end.  Jesus outlines the end times for us, so we will not be caught unaware, and we will know exactly what to expect. If you haven't read it, it is the best Book out there. Hurry and get your copy today. Time is very quickly running out. People, get ready!

Maranatha!

A DECEIVED FLEA CRIES, "THERE IS NO DOG"..

BY JACK KINSELLA

Oftentimes the first objection raised by the skeptic when introduced to the God of the Bible is the argument that God is not fair.   It is an argument for which I can offer no rebuttal.  Godisn't fair, which is a good thing for the rest of humanity.

But that isn't something that the carnal mind can understand because it is spiritually discerned.   So to them, God isn't fair because a loving God wouldn't send people to hell.  

A petulant, angry and unfair God could not simultaneously be the loving God of Christianity - -therefore God cannot exist.

If God really loved the world so much that He would send His Son to die for it,  why did He create sin in the first place?  God is the Creator of all, isn't He?  So He created hell, right?  So that means He created sin, doesn't it?   

To the carnal mind, these questions make perfect sense, since they confirm the skeptic's own mental caricature of God.

"Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be" (Romans 8:7)

The challenge facing the skeptic is that his judgment of God is rendered according to the skeptic's own limited understanding.  Sort of like a flea issuing the solemn evaluation that, because he can't see him, "there is no Dog."

Clearly, the flea is something of a fool, since the evidence that Dog exists is everywhere around him.  The thick fur that shelters him comes from Dog. The food that he eats comes from Dog.  Without Dog, he would surely die.

Dog is everywhere in his universe, but our flea can only see his tiny piece of it.  And from his limited perspective,  there is no Dog.   But whether or not Dog exists is not dependent on the flea's opinion -- other than to the flea.   

The skeptic's judgments about God are rooting in a litany of similarly false assumptions. The first false assumption about God is that, because God loves us so much, He ought to let us do what we want.  That is nothing less than deliberate, willful ignorance.

The same kind of permissive kind of love that they insist would characterize a "loving God" -- when applied to children, doesn't produce loving children. It produces spoiled brats.

God's moral laws have a purpose and are as necessary to the development of human civilization as the laws of physics are to the development of scientific understanding.  But the main purpose of God's moral laws are to teach us what God requires for us to enter into His kingdom.

It is our obvious failure to keep these moral laws that leads humans to seek redemption and salvation in the first place. We can't help it. Even an atheist, if he is honest, will admit that at some time in his life, he did or said something he was sorry for. Humans are built that way. 

The second false assumption is that we are qualified to judge what constitutes "fair."

That gives rise to the question; "So why doesn't God make everyone into perfect beings and allow them all into heaven?"   But that would be totally unfair to all concerned.  It would actually be cruel if God were to do this, since that would force them to accept what their free will choices rejected.

The people who end up going to hell will have done so because they believe they would prefer hell to being forced into the presence of God for all eternity. It is their choice to make, and many make it with eyes wide open.

People like to live in their favorite sins and be accountable to no one for their choices.

They fear that if they accept Jesus as Lord and Savior that God will want them to change their lives and they might have to give up some of their autonomy.

We've all witnessed to somebody at some time who said something like, "I've a window seat reserved in hell" or, "I don't mind going to hell. All my friends will be there." 

God isn't SENDING them to hell.  He is instead honoring their own deliberate choice.  While God  provided a way for man to avoid hell, but He also gave man free will to choose.

Being compelled to worship God isn't 'worship' -- it is slavery.

Since God created spiritual beings for the purpose of expressing love, those beings must have complete free will in order to express that love.  But free will allows for the possibility of rejecting God's mercy and instead demanding (and receiving) judgment by a God of "fairness."

They protest, "It isn't fair that only some people will get to go to heaven, while the rest will go to hell." 

In a limited sense, they are right. If God were fair, EVERYBODY would go to hell. Nobody can live a sinless life, even after they are saved and their sins are washed away. The struggle with sin continues until one draws his last breath.  

Therefore, God has made a provision to erase all sins that we have committed in this life and to perfect us by experience so that we will not be tempted to sin in the next life. That vicarious payment for sin is through the sacrifice of God's Son, Jesus Christ.

Jesus lived the sinless life that God expects of me, then paid the penalty that my sins required on my behalf. That is mercy, not fairness.  Fairness demands equal punishment for believer and unbeliever alike. 

Upon accepting Jesus as Lord and Savior, all our sins are erased, and Jesus begins the work of changing us to conform to His image.

Obviously, 'fairness' demands that everyone who has sinned and come short of the glory of Godbe judged according to their works. Instead of fairness, God extends mercy -- but only to those who ask for it.  That is where God is 'fair'. 

It is the atheist and the skeptic who will experience their own definition of'fairness' when they stand before Him.

The skeptic and the atheist scoff at the nature of salvation, saying anything that is 'free' is worth what you pay for it. While salvation is a gift of grace and not of works, one can't exactly say that salvation is free.

There is a cost. 

It will cost you your sin. It will cost you your pride. It will cost you your sense of self, or your selfishness. None of these character traits exist in heaven. 

But the skeptic or atheist who prefers to hang onto these traits can choose to go to where these traits will continue to  exist. Every human was created in God's Image, with an eternal, spiritual component.

We will all spend eternity somewhere. If not heaven, there is only one choice remaining. That is hell. 

Does a loving God send people to hell? No. 

What a loving God does is allow us all to make our own choice and then honor the choice we make. People CHOOSE hell.  The atheist or skeptic can choose to stand before a fair God, or a merciful One.

In either case, they can't blame God then for the consequences of choices that they make now.  That wouldn't be fair.

MODERN DAY NIMROD BRINGS A NEW WORLD ORDER

The concept of a 'global' government is not new -- except, perhaps, in the sense of it being 'global'.  Until relatively recently, 'global' government meant a pan-European government, since Europe constituted the ''known'' world.

But the perceived 'need' for some form of global, supra-national authority goes all the way back to the plains of Shinar in the land of the Chaldeans.

"And the whole earth was of one language, and of one speech. And it came to pass, as they journeyed from the east, that they found a plain in the land of Shinar; and they dwelt there. And they said one to another, Go to, let us make brick, and burn them thoroughly. And they had brick for stone, and slime had they for mortar. And they said, Go to, let us build us a city and a tower, whose top may reach unto heaven; and let us make us a name, lest we be scattered abroad upon the face of the whole earth." (Genesis 11:1-4)

The Bible not only tells us that Nimrod, the great-grandson of Noah was the first to come up with the concept of a universal government, but it also tells us why.  The 'whys' behind the concept of global government are as old as the idea; "lest be be scattered abroad upon the face of the whole earth."

Genesis says that Nimrod "began to be a mighty one in the earth" as Noah's descendants began to repopulate, build cities and settled down in what is modern day Iraq.

"And the beginning of his kingdom was Babel, and Erech, and Accad, and Calneh, in the land of Shinar. Out of that land went forth Asshur, and builded Nineveh, and the city Rehoboth, and Calah . . ." (Genesis 10:10)

The remains of "Babel" are still visible today outside the city of Babylon, which is located about 40 miles from Baghdad.  Asshur's Nineveh is today located in northern Iraq just outside Mosul.

But it is the 'why' that I find interesting -- 'lest we be scattered abroad upon the face of the whole earth.'

The English word 'scattered' is translated from the root word "puwts" which literally means, "to dash in pieces" -- so it would be equally accurate to render it, "lest we be dashed to pieces upon the face of the earth."

That was the argument in favor of global government four thousand years ago.  It is the same argument being advanced today.

Moving along through Genesis, the narrative tells us that the Lord then 'confounded' their language, preventing them from forming a universal government, saying;

"Behold, the people is one, and they have all one language; and this they begin to do: and now nothing will be restrained from them, which they have imagined to do." (Genesis 11:6)

Assessment:

So, why would the Lord oppose the idea of a global government from its inception?  (Especially when the 'globe' in question was no larger than Iraq?)  And why has virtually every effort to reinstate the plan collapsed under the weight of its own ambition?

"Little children, it is the last time: and as ye have heard that antichrist shall come, even now are there many antichrists; whereby we know that it is the last time." (1st John 2:18)

Ever since the days of Nimrod, mankind has sought to recreate Babel for precisely the same reasons articulated in Genesis 11 -- collective security -- "lest we be dashed upon the face of the earth".

The problem with global government, then as now, is that when there is only one authority, then "nothing is restrained."  As the Babylonian Empire reached its zenith, Nebuchadnezzar declared himself a god and demanded worship.

The succeeding Medo-Perisan Empire reached its height under King Xerxes, who also declared himself to be a god and demanded worship.

Alexander the Great believed himself to be the son of Zeus, chief among the Greek pantheon of gods, and a direct descendent of the god Achilles (on his mother's side).

The Roman Emperors believed themselves to be gods, with the Emperor Domitian claiming for himself the blasphemous title; "The Lord God."

The Roman Empire eventually collapsed as a physical empire, going 'underground' so to speak, and re-emerging as a spiritual kingdom, with the papacy replacing Caesar as "Pontifus Maximus".

It wasn't long before the Pope claimed the authority of Jesus Christ, including many of the Divine attributes, such as infallibility.

In the 8th century, King Charles the Great of France, (known to history as 'Charlemagne') attempted to reunite the old Roman Empire politically under the papacy.

In 799, Charlemagne was crowned by Pope Leo III "Imperator Romanorum" ("Emperor of the Romans") and the head of the "Holy Roman Empire."

The closest thing history actually had to a truly 'global' government, however, was the British Empire.  At its peak, the British Empire encompassed a quarter of the world's landmass and ruled a third of the world's population.

Henry the VIII claimed the titles; King of England, Lord of Ireland, and claimed the title of King of France. In 1534, Henry VIII declared himself the head of the Church of England, replacing the Pope as 'Christ's visible representative on earth.'

Napoleon attempted to revive the Roman Empire under his leadership, and in 1804, was crowned Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire at Notre Dame by Pope Pius VII, comparing himself at various times to Jesus Christ.

Adolf Hitler's 1000 Year Reich was modeled after the Roman Empire and he was worshipped by the Nazis as a god.

On 16 March 1934, German school children wrote out the following dictation approved by Hitler's Ministry of Enlightenment and Propaganda:

"Jesus and Hitler. As Jesus freed men from sin and Hell, so Hitler freed the German people from destruction. Jesus and Hitler were persecuted, but while Jesus was crucified Hitler was raised to the Chancellorship ... Jesus strove for Heaven, Hitler for the German earth."

It should be obvious by now that there is an historical pattern that remained unchanged since the days of Nimrod.  In the secular sense, it could be expressed as "absolute power corrupts absolutely."

According to the Bible, there will be one more pretender to the throne.

He comes to power by acclamation; John pictures him as a rider carrying a bow, but no arrows, indicating a peaceful conquest.  Daniel says of him, "by peace he shall destroy many."

John says the seat of his power will be in Rome, but the scope of his power is both universal and centralized.

It is so centralized, in fact, that he will be able to restrict the ability to buy or sell on an individual basis, depending on the single condition that his followers worship him as a god.

But until this generation, that was impossible.  Now that we are here, it is inevitable.  The only thing restraining him now is the same Force that restrained the previous pretenders.

Never in the history of mankind has the perceived need for a global government been stronger or the reasons more compelling than exist at this particular moment in history.

But notice what happened back in 1990 when then-President George Bush uttered his famous "Thousand Points of Light" speech in which he uttered the phrase, "New World Order."

The UN was delighted.  The Europeans, then in the final throes of unification, welcomed the speech as an endorsement of their unification efforts.  Even the Russians were enthralled.

Christians immediately connected the "New World Order" with the one world government of antichrist and George Bush was the last US president to ever utter the phrase in public.

As long as the Church remains on the earth, the antichrist cannot make his appearance.  The Restrainer indwells us, and through us, restrains his power to deceive.

Paul says that He will continue restrain until He is taken out of the way . . And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the Spirit of His mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of His coming. (2nd Thessalonians 2:7-8)

But, at some point, before the antichrist makes his appearance, an event that will undoubtedly throw the whole world into a state of panic, (possibly handing him his 'strong delusion' on a silver platter, so to speak) will take the Restrainer's restraining influence 'out of the way.'

"For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. 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: 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."

"Wherefore comfort one another with these words." (1st Thessalonians 4:15-18)

THE ANTICHRIST IS A MASTER DECEIVER

by Joseph Chambers

There has never been a deceiver more subtle than the Antichrist. He is "right now" preparing our world for the greatest deception in human history. The church world that the misses the Rapture will actually take Satan's mark and believe it is of God.

The Antichrist will convince a multitude that he is the true Christ and they will happily take his mark. The mark will be a badge of honor to those that sell him their souls. The  church world is probably 95% lost at this time and going in the direction of an even greater deception.

The mark of the Antichrist has more to do with his "nature" than the tattoo he will demand on your forehead or right hand. The Bible clearly identifies five aspects of the Antichrist that will deceive the world and cause an incredible multitude to be eternally damned. Many are concerned about his "MARK 666" but never give a thought to his nature.

Notice how the Bible clearly warns us of this truth. As John watches he sees "... the third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, if any man worship the beast and his image, and receive his mark in his forehead, or in his hand... And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name" (Revelation 14:9, 11).

In both verses, we are warned that men will follow him in worship and receive his mark. There is no question but that our world is experiencing a deluge of the nature of this future beast. This article has one goal of helping you identify his nature. When the Rapture occurs, the world left behind will have already been prepared for his "MARK".

HIS NATURE IS THE PRELUDE TO HIS MARK OR TATTOO. We call his nature that is gripping our world, "THE SPIRIT OF THE ANTICHRIST."

The Scripture says, "... this is that spirit of Antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world" (1 John 4:3).

We must recognize the spirit of this beast that is preparing our world for his mark. There are millions that have so surrendered to the nature that it will make no difference when they take the mark. The mark cannot be received until the man of sin, the beast himself, is revealed, but the nature and his worship can be experienced already. Let's try to identify his nature to the best of our understanding of truth

Revelation 13:11-13: "And I beheld another beast coming up out of the earth; and he had two horns like a lamb, and he spake as a dragon. And he exerciseth all the power of the first beast before him, and causeth the earth and them which dwell therein to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed. And he doeth great wonders, so that he maketh fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men."

The FIRST expression of his nature is to dilute the Bible so that truth becomes relative instead of authoritative. Almost the entire church world has bought into the new Bible versions that shatter the infallible source of His glorious truth. This is clearly Satan's design. The devil does not want to destroy the Bible, that would cause a revolution; he wants to create a spirit of denial of numerous parts of the Scripture.

The Antichrist does not need for you to reject the entire Bible, just a small part of it. You will be just as eternally lost by turning away from some Scripture that you call cultural, outdated, or some other adjective as if you rejected the whole. This nature of the beast is on a binge to get you questioning God's absolute Truth.

SECOND: The beast nature is to destroy the beautiful sense of our sacred temple of the human body. The body or the temple of every living person is a sacred creation intended to be the temple of His Holy Spirit.

"If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are" (1 Corinthians 3:17).

The appearance, the dress, the morality, the language and the treatment of your body as a holy temple is a biblical requirement; and you cannot serve God if you treat this truth lightly.

"Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness? And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel? And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols?

For ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you." (1 Corinthians 6:4-17).

"Meats for the belly, and the belly for meats: but God shall destroy both it and them. Now the body is not for fornication, but for the Lord; and the Lord for the body. What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?" (1 Corinthians 6:13, 19).

The church world has rejected the beauty of a godly life lived so tenderly that the temple/body is filled with His glory and power and looks like a light from His transforming grace. The world cannot see inside the temple, they can only see the outside reflection.

2  John:9-11: "Whosoever transgresseth, and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ, hath not God. He that abideth in the doctrine of Christ, he hath both the Father and the Son. If there come any unto you, and bring not this doctrine, receive him not into your house, neither bid him God speed: For he that biddeth him God speed is partaker of his evil deeds."

THIRD: The Antichrist nature is to deny all of the laws of God, and His commandments. The new religious philosophy says, "Free as a breeze to do as you please." It is from the enemy of truth, the beast. I call this "religious philosophy" because it surely is not "religious theology." It's the nature of the beast.

The Bible says, "And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments. He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him" (1 John 2:3-4).

Those words are utterly rejected by most of the church world because of the spirit of the Antichrist. This Antichrist spirit wants everyone free of any restrictions because restrictions are how we discern right from wrong, good from bad and darkness from light.

FOURTH: His nature is to promote biblical knowledge without a Biblical experience. Our world is full of religious people that know a lot about the Bible but have no experience with the person of Jesus Christ. Religious colleges and universities are abounding. Religious books line the walls of religious bookstores and all types of communication methods are flooded with religious teachings.

All of this is empty until the soul has a transforming experience of being born again - a radical change - and surrenders to a cross-bearing life with Jesus Christ. Satan and his beast love religion, but they are terrified by the Holy Spirit's transformed relationship with the Lord of the church. Satan and his angels have never ceased to be religious. The Beast that gives life to the image has a nature of false religion.

"And I beheld another beast coming up out of the earth; and he had two horns like a lamb, and he spake as a dragon" (Revelation 13:11).

"Horns on a lamb" is the exact opposite of the Lamb of God.

The FIFTH nature of the new beast and his new religion is righteousness without godliness. Righteousness is imputed; it is the work of grace; and no amount of good works can earn righteousness. The saving grace is His gift and we come to Him without trusting anything of ourselves.

But, the new theology flooding the church is to deny the effect of that righteousness and to leave the religious man free of the radical change demanded by Scripture. Christ's righteousness is not a head matter, it's a heart matter; and it will totally alter your life.

"For if we sin willfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins" (Hebrews 10:26).

"Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord" (Hebrews 12:14).

Our churches are full of religion but very few are living examples of Jesus Christ. This is the design of the Antichrist. Can you hear it in John's description of the Beast: "Horns like a lamb but sounding like a dragon?"

Zechariah 14:12-13: "And this shall be the plague wherewith the Lord will smite all the people that have fought against Jerusalem; Their flesh shall consume away while they stand upon their feet, and their eyes shall consume away in their holes, and their tongue shall consume away in their mouth. And it shall come to pass in that day, that a great tumult from the Lord shall be among them; and they shall lay hold everyone on the hand of his neighbor, and his hand shall rise up against the hand of his neighbor."

The nature of the beast is to promote programs without power and emotions without the supernatural works of His Holy Spirit. The life of the church is the resurrection life of Jesus Christ and that life is supernatural. The Church must be alive with His presence or it becomes a tool of the new religion that the coming beast loves. It's amazing to watch how quickly the Church begins to welcome the strange fire of psychology, psychiatry, and even false spirits of witchcraft.

Every action of Satan is only slightly removed from its original beauty in the Creator. Hypnotism is a counterfeit of the gifts of discernment, the strange fires of the Charismatic world are only slightly removed from the pure gifts of the Holy Spirit. Satan is a deceiver and can imitate the real very cleverly. The Word of God must always be the basis of discernment.

Conclusion: We are living on the edge of His return, and deception is everywhere. A pure Bible and a faithful church to that Word is our guide and hope. Be a radical Christian and cling to truth with all your life. The coming of our Lord can be expected at any moment. John saw this dark Antichrist spirit and a wide-awake Christian can certainly see the "lurking" presence now spreading his venom.

SYRIA AND THE END TIMES

BY BRITT GILLETTE

With all the events taking place in Syria right now, many people are asking, "What does the Bible have to say about Syria and the end times? 

Is this the beginning of World War III and Armageddon?" Those are legitimate questions, but let me assure you, this is not the end. How can I be so sure? 

Because the Bible says Armageddon takes place at the end of the seven-year Tribulation (Revelation 16:16), and the Tribulation has yet to begin.

That said, I believe recent events in Syria have great significance when it comes to the study of bible prophecy. 

This doesn't mean you're guaranteed to see the immediate fulfillment of any specific bible prophecy. However, it does mean you should pay close attention. 

Why? Because, at the very least, these events are setting the table for the fulfillment of multiple bible prophecies.

Just look around you. The signs of the Second Coming are everywhere. The restoration of Israel (Isaiah 11:12)... The Jews back in Jerusalem (Luke 21:24-28)... The Gospel preached to the world (Matthew 24:14)... An increase in travel and knowledge (Daniel 12:4)... The rise of the European Union (Daniel 2:43)... And many more. 

Jesus says once you see all these signs come together, His return is near (Luke 21:28). This means the Tribulation is close, and you should expect to see the fulfillment of many end times prophecies in the near future.

Below are two prophetic events especially relevant to the ongoing events in Syria. The first could take place at any moment. 

I believe a careful study of the Bible reveals the second event will take place sometime after the war foretold in Psalm 83. 

Either way, both events could be very close to fulfillment. While both could still be several years away, breaking events could lead to their fulfillment in this very hour.

1) The Destruction of Damascus (Isaiah 17)

Chapter 17 in the Book of Isaiah paints a sobering picture. In it, the city of Damascus is a pile of rubble. The Bible says it will disappear from the face of the earth and become a heap of ruins (Isaiah 17:1). 

At the same time, large parts of northern Israel will also lie in ruin (Isaiah 17:3). Now, before you say this prophecy was fulfilled during Old Testament times, keep this in mind... This passage says Damascus will cease to be a city (Isaiah 17:1). 

It will be utterly and completely destroyed. Yet, Damascus is one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities on record. Its history goes back more than 5,000 years. At 2,600 years old, the Book of Isaiah itself is new compared to Damascus! This prophecy is yet to be fulfilled.

So how do current events in Syria relate to Isaiah 17? Following the U.S. strike on the Syrian airfield Shayrat, Syria's allies issued a joint statement saying, "What America waged in an aggression on Syria is a crossing of red lines. From now on we will respond with force to any aggressor or any breach of red lines from whoever it is and America knows our ability to respond well". 

While this statement was clearly in response to a U.S. bombing, these nations made it clear they will respond to any nation they view as an aggressor. 

This includes Israel. While it hasn't been a major news story, Israel has also been bombing Syria. They're bombing Iranian-backed Hezbollah terrorists operating on the northern border of Israel. 

If Syria and its allies view their situation as desperate, they may decide to use these bombing raids as an excuse to launch a chemical attack on Israel. 

This is because drawing Israel into the war could rally the Muslim world to Syria's side. Saddam Hussein tried this same tactic during the first Gulf War. In 1991, he fired Scud missiles at Israel in an effort to draw them into the war and break up the coalition aligned against him.

If Syria, Hezbollah, or any of their allies managed to strike Israel with a weapon of mass destruction, the response would be swift. Israel would most likely respond in kind. If their intelligence revealed the Assad regime was behind such an attack, nuclear retaliation on Damascus would not be out of the question.

While this is all speculation, and not necessary how Isaiah 17 will be fulfilled, it shows how realistic a near-term fulfillment of this prophecy could be. With current instability in the region, and so many warring factions in Syria, events could spiral out of control very quickly. 

At this point in time, it's not difficult to imagine a scenario in which Damascus is completely destroyed.

2) The Gog of Magog War (Ezekiel 38-39)

Current events in Syria are also setting the stage for the Gog of Magog War. More than 2,600 years ago, the prophet Ezekiel warned of a future time when a vast coalition of nations will attack Israel. 

Ezekiel identifies these nations as "Magog, Rosh, Meschech, Tubal, Persia, Cush, Put, Gomer, and Beth-togarmah" (Ezekiel 38:1-6). These nations have since come to be known as the Gog of Magog alliance. 

Now, with the exception of Persia and Cush, I realize most people have never heard of these nations. 

But keep in mind Ezekiel used the names of these nations as they were known in his day. Each one is a clearly identifiable nation today. So who are these nations in our day and time?

Below is a list. The Old Testament name is listed first, followed by its modern day equivalent:

Rosh = Russia

Magog = Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Afghanistan

Persia = Iran

Cush = Sudan

Put = Libya

Meshech, Tubal, Gomer, and Beth-togarmah = Turkey

Collectively, these nations have never attacked Israel. In fact, in the history of the world, such an alliance of nations has never existed. 

But today we see it coming together right in front of us. Since 1989, Russia and Iran have gradually strengthened their diplomatic, military, and economic ties. 

Yet, in the first 2,600 years after Ezekiel recorded his prophecies, the nations of Russia and Persia (Iran) had never been part of any alliance of any sort. Never. Cooperation between Russia and Iran, especially military cooperation, didn't take place. 

This led many people to claim Ezekiel's prophecy was symbolic. Why? Because the idea of the Gog of Magog war seemed absurd. After all, at the dawn of the 20th Century, Russia was an orthodox Christian nation and Israel didn't exist! 

But those who believed in a literal interpretation of the Bible knew otherwise.  They knew all prophecy would come to pass. Because bible prophecy doesn't come from mere humans. It's God's Word (2 Peter 1:19-21).

In the years since, the stage has been set for the literal fulfillment of Ezekiel 38-39. A 1917 communist revolution transformed Russia from a Christian nation to an atheist nation. 

In 1948, Israel once again became a nation. And earlier this week, Russia and Iran issued a joint statement vowing to respond with force to any aggressor.

And Turkey? For decades, people have wondered how Turkey could be a part of this alliance. After all, Turkey is a member of NATO. 

And in late 2015, Turkey shot down a Russian jet when it strayed into Turkish airspace. Russia and Turkey seem to be at odds. 

So how could Turkey be a part of this alliance? At first glance, it seems unlikely. But in the summer of 2016, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan jailed thousands of political opponents. And just today (Easter Sunday 2017), Turkey voted to eliminate its parliamentary form of government and give expanded powers to Erdogan. 

Ultimately, this could be what pushes Turkey into the Russian sphere of influence. Erdogan is an anti-Western, pro-Islamist leader, and he's worked hard to strengthen Turkey's ties with Russia. 

In light of these developments, we can see the Gog of Magog alliance coming together for the first time in history. 

For the first time since Israel re-emerged on the world scene in May 1948, the main players of the Ezekiel 38-39 alliance are all working together. Even more important, they all have military personnel on Israel's northern border. The stage is set for the fulfillment of Ezekiel 38-39.

What Will Ultimately Happen?

While terrible destruction awaits Damascus (Isaiah 17:1), northern Israel (Isaiah 17:3), and the entire Gog of Magog Alliance (Ezekiel 38:19-22), we have reason to be hopeful. 

Because of these events, the Bible says people will soon look to and acknowledge their Creator - the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob (Isaiah 17:7). 

When He strikes down Israel's enemies, the whole world will know He is the God Israel (Ezekiel 38:23).

In the days and weeks ahead, we can't be certain what will happen in Syria. But in the long run, we can be absolutely certain the events of Isaiah 17 and Ezekiel 38-39 will be fulfilled. 

Damascus will lie in ruin, and the Gog of Magog Alliance will be destroyed. These events are certain. 

Because whatever He has declared, God will bring to pass (Isaiah 14:24). And when these things happen, the world will no longer be able to deny Him. He will destroy the enemies of Israel in plain view of the entire world.

"In this way," says the Lord. "I will show my greatness and holiness, and I will make myself known to all the nations of the world. Then they will know that I am the Lord." Ezekiel 38:23 (NLT)