Archive for September 2010

Cataclysmic Earth Changes Are Coming

“Behold, the Lord maketh the earth empty, and maketh it waste, and turneth in upside down, and scattereth abroad the inhabitants thereof.” The earth is also defiled under the inhabitants thereof; because they have transgressed the laws, changed the ordinance, broken the everlasting covenant.” “… therefore the inhabitants of the earth are burned, and few men left.”          —Isaiah 24: 1, 5 and 6 KJV

I have always had a keen interest in how the universe, our solar system, and the earth came into existence.  My mind finds it hard to phantom that there is anything at all much less there is a God who created everything.  Yet, I know in my heart there is a God.  But still, there lingers in my mind the age-old question of, “Just who is God, where is He and has He always been?”

My intellect is not great enough to answer these questions, but I am satisfied that the biblical answers given in the Genesis account of how our heaven and earth were created is true.  Because I believe and trust in the God of the Bible—the God of Abram, Isaac and Jacob—and the God that lives in me through His Holly Spirit, I find evidence enough to answers my questions.  I look forward to the time when the mysteries of life, and the answers to all questions are revealed.

Follow me now as I try to explain the story of the earth, from a simple man’s perspective, of its beginning until its end; of course I will be considering both scientific facts and biblical text to tell the story of earth’s creation and restoral from cataclysmic changes.  The “ancients” warned of the coming catastrophes.  Why not accept them?  The warnings are factual!

The Genesis account is simplistic, but provides an understandable explanation of the creative acts that occurred over millenniums of years.  The people of the earth in antiquity were not prepared to understand scientific evidence that is available to twenty-first century man or so we think.  Men of antiquity may have lived in a more advanced civilization than the present, but no one really knows.  Their lives may have been “snuffed out” by  “earth changes” in the dateless past and all evidence erased.  In God’s wisdom He chose to reveal His creative acts in language and terms that would be discernable throughout history for those who chose to believe.

There should be no doubt about the expanse of the universe.  Astrologers have mapped its galaxies to the extent that their knowledge permits. How it originated and its vastness is still undeterminable givens man’s present knowledge, although theories have been postulated and explanations given. 

It is not a stretch of the imagination to refer to the period of the creation of the universe as being in the Alpha Age; the name is taken from Revelation 1:8 KJV, “I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty.”  For now accept as fact that there is a God, or “forces of evolution,” if you so desire, that account for the creation of our solar system as told in Genesis 1:1 KJV,  “In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.”

The earth has gone through many changes since it was formed some four and one-half billion years ago. The time frame is mind-boggling.  I started my search for information on the earth’s age in Wikipedia and branched out from there.  You can spend a “lifetime” reading fascinating accounts and looking at charts that lend credibility to explanations given. Don’t you just love this modern age of computers?  But for now, consider the following synopsis of major events that have shaped and will in the future reshape the earth:

ALPHA AGE:

Events prior to the creation of our heaven and earth are placed in this age since the vastness of the universe is too great for our “small” brains to fully comprehend and understand.  Why there is anything at all will remain a mystery until God reveals it to mankind at the end of our existence on earth.  It is my personal belief that there are other “earths” in the universe with life more or less developed as compared to the planet called earth.  If you believe in nothing what do you have to live for other than yourself.  Believe in God, it is the only prudent choice.

Phase 1: Creation of Heaven and Earth:

Genesis 1:1 KJV, “In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.”

The age of our heaven and earth in what I am calling “its beginning phase of life” spans millenniums of years, and there is ample evidence of this phase in fossil and bone remains; who is not familiar with the age of dinosaurs?   I am not going to speculate on how all of this came about other than to accept the Bible’s explanation that God created the heavens and the earth.  How He did this I will leave to the scientists to discover, analyze and argue over until the entire minutia of events, whether they are by designed evolution, chance or whatever is known.

After the earth and our present solar system were created, the earth’s first period, pure speculation on my part, brought about plant and animal life. We have evidence of this period in the remains of fossils of animal, sea and plant life. Dinosaur bones and their skeletal reconstruction leave no doubt that this period existed.  Evidence exists to show this period ended abruptly some sixty-five million years ago.  Wikipedia dinosaur and you will find a good explanation of this period and its theorized destruction.

Did man exist at that time?  I believe that some form of man did exist during this period.  We know conclusively that animal and plant life existed so why has there been no skeletal remains of man.  Did it take longer for man to evolve; perhaps the remains of early man’s evolution from apes (HA! HA!) are from this period.  Would Darwin evolutionist be satisfied if they were?  Just something for you to think about on those long and cold evenings as you sit by the fire enduring nuclear winters.

This period ended abruptly (In may have taken days, years or decades) through some catastrophic event; it could have been by an asteroid or perhaps a poll shift or platonic plate upheaval.  Evidence of this is seen in impact craters and in sea fossils found in various areas of the world where land now exists.  At the end of this period the earth was covered in water (the really big flood?). So, we know that forces were in play to have caused such changes.  As this period ended an “interval of time” brought about the renewal of the earth.

Phase 2: Seven Days of Creation

Genesis 1:2 through Genesis 6 NIV, “And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters (my emphasis).”

The renewal phase begins in the biblical account of the seven days of creation found in Genesis 1:2 through 2.  The period of time is given in days but the actual time is not known, and it may have been a millennium or so;  “But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day” (2 Peter 3:8 KJV). 

For my explanation it does not matter.  I believe God brought about the renewal of the earth and the time and methods do not concern me.  The explanation given in Genesis is correct in its order of events.  How would men of this era have know of the correct order of the creative acts, whether they were of God or evolution, unless they were instructed.

It is at this phase that the biblical account of man’s creation is given. The story of Adam and Eve and their tenure in the Garden of Eden begins man’s journey on earth. It was a period when God walked and communed with man and no evil was found.  Think of it as paradise. 

Man at this point did not have what is referred to as, self will.  He was programmed to do as he had been instructed (my thought).  In the story of Adam and Eve, God had forbidden them from eating from the tree of good and evil. Genesis 2:16-17 KJV, “And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.”  But, of course they did. 

There was also another tree mentioned, the tree of life (Genesis 3:22), which if eaten by Adam would have allowed him to live forever.  At the end time judgment of the Great White Throne, no one whose name is not found written in the book of life will be spared from the second death. You will find this account in Revelation 20:15 KJV, “And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.”

We are told that Satan (See Genesis chapter 3 for story) deceived Eve, Eve deceived Adam and God was not pleased.   This period of time ends with the casting out of Adam and Eve from the Garden of Eden.  Think about the simplicity of this story. No great scientific evidence is offered or required for ancient (and modern) man to understand the progression of civilizations and their evil pursuits.

Satan was also cursed. Satan is a created angel of God, and he once walked with God.  “How you have fallen from heaven, O morning star, son of the dawn! You have been cast down to earth, you who once laid low the nations! You said in your heart, “For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascent into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north: I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High.” Isaiah 14:12-13 KJV is given as the reason Lucifer (Satan) fell from grace and the heaven of God.

When created he was perfect.  My theory is that Satan originally did not have self-will, but once given self-will he,  “ate the apple,” and was cast from God’s heaven.  His casting out of heaven could be in the Alpha, dinosaur or some future age; there is no explanation of this period, and it is pure speculation on my part.  Satan was given the earth and its heavens to rule.The book of Genesis presents a great explanation of how evil evolved once man was given the ability to decide for himself how he would live—like the animals of the world or on a higher plane.  Unfortunately, man prefers sexual gratification, lust and greed to a peaceful and loving walk with God.

At any rate, with the casting out of Adam and Eve from the garden of Eden there is another time period of unknown duration, my speculation again, until we enter the period where man has re-populated the earth.  It is during this period that Sons of God visit earth and cohabitated (Did they rape the women?) with the women of the earth. (Genesis 6:2) Who these Sons of God were we are not told.  They could have been angels of Satan or Satan himself. From these unions came giants (Genesis 6:4) and other variants of man; maybe like Cyclops in Homer’s epics. The earth also become evil and degenerate, and God decides to wipe man from the face of the earth and start over once again. 

Phase 3: The Flood

Genesis 7:1 KJV, “And the Lord said unto Noah, Come thou and all thy house into the ark; for thee have I seen righteous before me in this generation.”

The flood of Noah’s time was God’s method of eliminating evil in the world, and the account of Noah and the Ark describes this period.  In the account a rain and the opening of the fountains of water of the deep flood the earth and kill every man and animal except for Noah, his wife and three sons, and his son’s wives; a total of eight people in all.  Animals, two of their kind, came to Noah and were also saved.

This was another catastrophic event.  Water remained upon the earth for 150 days (Genesis 7:24) The time period is given as days, but the actual period may have been longer and the means of man and animals survival may have been by other means, but I take the account by faith, and I am not concerned about the details but only about the actual occurrence.  I have in my earlier writing speculated about the ARK being a floating lab of DNA from which animal life was created after the flood, but we will not go there at this time.

Phase 4: Earth’s Restoration Following The Flood 

Genesis 9:1 KJV, “And God blessed Noah and his sons, and said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth.”

With earth’s recovery once again we move into the next period of time.  Before moving on, however, lets recap what has happened so far.  We started with the Alpha Age, which is described as the period before the creation of heaven and earth.  From this period we next enter what I call Phase 1, the creation of the heaven and earth period, which we know as the period of the dinosaur.  Following the destruction of this period we enter, Phase 2, the seven-day creation story of Adam and plant and animal life in the Garden of Eden.  From here we move to Phase 3 where we find man cast from paradise into another period, but this time of work and toil.  During this period sons of God interact with the daughters of man, and their interactions result in evil that God decides must be destroyed. 

Beginning in, Phase 4, we have an interval of time and man once again begins to populate the earth, and we are told of periods of man’s rise and downfall.  It is during the early period of this phase that man seeks to build a tower to heaven.  The tower of Babel was never finished as God confused the commonality of one language and scattered the people across the face of the earth.  Read the account in Genesis chapter eleven.  This is the biblical explanation of why there exist many variants of language and the migrations of people over the earth. 

After some interval, God selects Abram (later to be renamed Abraham) and promises him that his decedents will become a great nation.  Here we find “And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee; and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed” (Genesis 12:3 KJV).  This begins the Hebrew nation (Israel) of God’s chosen people.  Generation’s pass and the events are recorded in the stories found in the Old Testament of the Bible.  Stephen’s speech to the Sanhedrin recorded in Acts chapter seven gives an account from Abraham through Moses, and Paul’s accounting of acts of faith from Abel through the prophets is recorded in Hebrews, chapter 11.  Both accountings provide a brief synopsis of this period.

With the birth of Jesus Christ there begins a new beginning with a promise. Both Jew and Gentile will share in the blessings of God—The salvation of man can be found in the Gospel Message of Jesus Christ and is presented in the Bible as man’s only hope and promise of a future afterlife.

From the time of Jesus and forward to our present date and time, man has once again been allowed to exercise his own self-will.  When man relied on God, we have periods of good, but when man relies on himself we have periods of evil.  We are now entering a period when man once again will be eliminated or almost eliminated except for the one’s God allows to live.

Phase 5: The Tribulation Period

Prior to Jesus Christ’s second coming, Satan will attempt to once again try to be greater than God.  He will do this through a person called the Antichrist. The Antichrist will declare himself as God and require that all men worship him.  This will occur during a seven-year period call the Tribulation.  At the end of the Tribulation period, Jesus Christ will return to the earth.  It is during this Tribulation period, that cataclysmic changes will once again change the face of the earth. 

Phase 6: Jesus’ Thousand Year Reign

With Jesus’ return to earth another cataclysmic change will take place and very few people will be left.  A restoration period will make the earth habitable once again, and Jesus will reign on earth for a period of 1000 years.  During this time there will be peace. Satan, will be chained and cast into what is called the Abyss and the Antichrist and False Prophet will have been thrown into the lake of fire.  At the end of the 1000-year reign, Satan will be feed to once again test the people of the earth.  The people will fail the test, and Satan will gather the armies of the world to fight against Jesus at Jerusalem; the story of good versus evil and evil loses again.

Phase 7: The Earth Destroyed by Fire

At the end of Phase 6 a major cataclysmic event will occur and the earth will be virtually destroyed by fire preparing it to once again to be conditioned for habitation: presumably for man, animal and plant life.  A remnant, those who chose Jesus Christ, will be placed on the new earth (speculation on my part).

This final phase we call the Omega Age, and it will last forever and forever.  How long is forever?  Forever is forever.

If you have followed my explanations, you should now have a basic understanding of the various creative, restorative and cataclysmic periods the earth has gone through and in the future will go through.  Or, you may be utterly confused and dismayed.  Find a Bible and read the stores of earth’s beginning in the book of Genesis.  It is the history of man’s beginning, the giving of the law and God’s interaction with His creation. The Bible is a living document and is remarkable in its stories of the good and evil that can be found in man.  It is also remarkable in that it tells of earth’s ending from the beginning.  Only God, the creator could have done this. 

The important concept is this: The earth will soon go through another period of cataclysmic changes.  These changes will occur throughout the Tribulation period and are described as judgments—Seal, Trumpet and Bowl.  Included throughout the Bible are prophecies written to forewarn the inhabitants of the earth of what future events will occur and to prepare man for this period.  However, man is not listening because man sees the Biblical scriptures as non-relevant to his day and time. 

Something worse than global warming is about to come to pass. The ancients knew of this time because of their knowledge of the solar system, earth’s orbit in future years and physical changes to be brought about by Asteroids/Comets/Poll Shifts/Earth Crust Displacement (an interesting theory) and man’s proliferation of atomic weapons.  Too bad man’s “superior intelligence” is inferior to the intelligence God gave to His prophets of old millennium of years ago; otherwise they would heed the warnings that are in store for earth and its people.

Rather than placing the Bible to the fiction section of the library, why not heed its prophecies.  The Bible gives to man in simplistic stories the origin of the universe, earth and its people.  They are scientifically accurate but are presented as understandable stories of people and events.  Read in faith and belief; hope is made sure for earth’s inhabitants.  Through faith and a belief in the Gospel Message of Jesus Christ, lives can be changed and saved. 

What other religion offers what Jesus Christ can provide.  There is no other that can provide “Truth” to answer man’s quest for love, peace, joy and understanding. 

What a great time to have accepted the Gospel message of Jesus Christ; to have allowed the Holy Spirit of God to direct your path; and to be a disciple of Jesus Christ.  Your will be raptured from this earth, and you will be with Jesus and miss out on the greatest cataclysmic changes that will change the face of the earth in millennium of years.

May God bless the souls of those who will be left to endure the death and pestilences that will soon overtake the earth and its inhabitants. 

Comments to: bt@northloopcottage.com

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Are You Possessed by The Holy Spirit or a Demonic Spirit?

“And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost (Holy Spirit), and began to speak with other tongues (languages), as the Spirit gave them utterance.” (Emphasis added)— Acts 2:3- 4 KJV.

The most overlooked person of the Trinity—God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit—is the Holy Spirit.   Although many books have been written about the Holy Spirit (Spirit), an understanding of how the Spirit interacts with believers in their daily walk in the Christian faith varies among believers and religious denominations.  I have include at the end of this blog a list of books (The Holy Bible should be your number one source that you read and study daily.) that will provide additional insight into the workings of the Spirit; they will enlighten you to the working of the Spirit world better than my limited knowledge and writing ability would ever be possible. 

The Holy Spirit is the third person of the Trinity and was physically manifested to Jesus’ apostles on the day of Pentecost.  After Jesus’ death and resurrection, the apostles were waiting as previously instructed by Jesus; they were toll to wait in Jerusalem until the gift of the Holy Spirit would come upon them. I can only imagine the “filling” the apostles experienced that enabled and equipped them to be witnesses of Jesus, “even to the ends of the earth.”  They must have been frightened at first until their minds fully grasped what was promised had been revealed. 

Paul records in the book of Acts, chapter 2, the Spirit’s enabling powers of language, doctrine and converts the apostles received on that day:

  • The ability to speak and understand different languages that they previously had not spoken or understood.
  • They were emboldened to declare the wonders of God and the message of Jesus Christ to the people.
  • New converts, about three thousand, were made that day.
  •  “Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission (forgiveness) of sins and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost (Holy Spirit). For the promise is unto you, and to our children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call.” Acts: 2:38-39 KJV (emphasis mine).
  • The apostles were told they would be witnesses “to the ends of the earth.”

This was not the Spirits first appearing, however, as the Spirit is first seen in Genesis 1:2 KJV, “And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.” In Exodus 31:3 KJV we find, “And I have filled him with the spirit of God, in wisdom, and in understanding, and in knowledge, and in all manner of workmanship.” So, the Holy Spirit of God has been present since the beginning of time as a personage of the Trinity.

The coming of the Holy Spirit into the lives of individuals is a promised gift of God for the “equipping for service” those called to be disciples and witnesses for Jesus Christ. The Spirit may not be revealed to modern man in the spectacular way it was revealed to the apostles, but it will come no less just as strong and will likewise equip followers and disciples of Jesus Christ with “all that is required” for bearing witness of Him. Again, you can read about the power the Spirit gave to the apostles in Acts 1 and 2. 

As fellow believers in the Gospel of Jesus Christ, we also will be empowered by the Spirit when we surrender our self-will and accept the leadership of the Spirit into our lives. You simply have to accept and believe.  The Spirit will provide all that a disciple of Jesus will need to be a witness.  The Spirit is a “comforter and helper” to believers and is the “Spirit of Truth” that will guide a man’s walk on this earth. 

While the work of the Spirit within an individual is not fully understood, one must understand and exercise the Spirit in order to be able to recognize and be led by the Spirit in one’s daily life.  Just as physical exercise tones the human body, exercise of the Spirit will enable one to walk in the Spirit.  In other words, you have to learn to recognize the Spirit in order to understand when the Spirit is instructing you. 

Your conscience is not the Holy Spirit; however, the Spirit will use your conscience, if you allow Him, to “remake, so to speak” your conscience as an instrument of holiness for His purpose in cleansing and guidance in the daily activities of your life for His service.  In all my years of church attendance I do not recall receiving any instructions about how to accept the Spirit’s working power; I am sure most people who profess Christianity can say the same.  It was only when I surrendered my self-will in prayer that my mind began to be encouraged to intensely study the Holy Bible and seek understanding.  While the Spirit has been in my life from birth, I did not fully recognize, comprehend and understand fully His workings until late in life.

To be clear, I have never seen or talked with an angelic being, had a “Holy Ghost” experience with charismatic gifts, had an out of body experience (although I would like to), or engaged in any paranormal activity.  I do not discount any person’s experiences with the Spirit as I feel the Spirit works in different ways within individuals.  But note, unless you have believed in the Gospel Message of Jesus Christ, you have not had a Holy Spirit encounter as the Spirit only begins His working in individuals God has called for grace and salvation and who then confesses and accepts His offer.

God knows you as an individual, and He will equip you with the skills and abilities He knows you will need to fulfill whatever mission(s) in life He selects for you to do.  You should not pray and ask for gifts you feel you want.  Let God give you what He wants.  After all, He did create you, and I am sure He knows what is best.

For those who seek some outward sign to claim they are Spirit filled let me say this about the gift of tongues (You can read 1 Corinthians 12 if you have an interest in Spiritual Gifts.). I can teach you to speak in tongues in less than five minutes. No magical powers, no slight of hand, no down on the knee praying, shouting or such.  I will not discount that “tongues” are a gift promised in the Bible, but Lucifer can counterfeit this gift even among those who do not believe in God.  Be mindful of the Holy Spirits leading versus Lucifer’s spiritual leadings. As Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 14: 39-40 KJV, “Wherefore, brethren, covet to prophesy, and forbid not to speak with tongues.  Let all things be done decently and in order.” 

My experience with the Spirit is why I have placed my faith in Jesus Christ.  Some may question as to whether this was an actual encounter with the Holy Spirit (Can the Spirit act as a guardian angel also?), but the experience was so real that I can still recall the details some sixty-three years later, and for me there is no other explanation if you consider that I have had multiple encounters of a similar nature. Let me explain.

At a very early age the Holy Spirit made His presence know in my body, soul and spirit.  I have written extensively about my Spiritual experiences so I will not go into detail here, but I will only generalize.  At the age of five I walked to a neighborhood playground by myself. In disobedience to my mother, I walked six or seven blocks up the street to a church playground to play on a “big sliding board” that my mother had not let me play on earlier in the day; “it was too tall and dangerous,” she said.  I had never been on a sliding board before, and I wanted to slide! 

Once at the park, I climbed to the top and as I stood there looking down I lost my balance and fell backwards.  As I was falling backwards, headfirst, a voice within me told me to “wrap my legs around the handrails.”  My body responded to that command, and I ended up suspended by my legs upside down with one leg on one handrail and the other leg on another.  My head was only inches away from the stone step at the bottom.   After I righted myself I left the playground and headed home; I never told of this incident to my parents. No one else was in the park, and the voice I heard came from within.  By all accounts I should have died that day, but I was saved to fulfill my future calling that was planned (predestination?) at my beginning.

Throughout my life I have heard this voice; more so when danger was present but not just when it was present.  When I disobeyed this voice, bad things have happened; likewise, when I obeyed this voice, good things resulted.  You can read more in my writings on this topic, which I have entitled, “My Testimony, The Dark Years.” It is available by request. 

The Spirit has also been an encourager in my life.  When negative thoughts or when harsh undeserved criticism was directed to me, the Spirit was there to comfort and protect my mental attributes; the result has been that I have not needed drugs, alcohol, vices, psychiatric drug treatment or counseling in my life. 

As a protector, the Spirit has led others around me to offer assistance and help in times of need.  I call these offers of assistance and help, “Encounters with Good Samaritans,” and there have been many.

The Spirit has encouraged me to read and study biblical scriptures. Scripture speaks to me and reveals correct paths and principles as I read and study.   I was ten years old before I received my first bible and began to read in earnest and to be part of a Christian fellowship.  I do have church documents showing that my grandmother enrolled me, at six months of age, in the nursery “Cradle Roll” at the Maple Street Baptist Church.  In my heart and soul, I may have surrendered or encountered Jesus Christ at a very young age but I do not recall.  The prayers of a grandmother (moms and dads too) are truly powerful so be mindful to remember your loved ones in prayer everyday—Especially when your Spirit is directing you to pray for them.  Once the Spirit is working in your life you will understand what I am writing about. 

I could go on and I do in my Testimony, but let me say that the encounters I have experienced have been too numerous to just be by chance alone.  There is a Spiritual force that I have allowed to operate within me that has made me who I am as a Spirit filled follower of Jesus Christ. 

But, you say, “I do not believe in spirits.” Whether you believe or not is up to you.  No one can force you to believe, but will you consider this?  There are two spirits at work in our universe; one is the Holy Spirit of God and the other is the Evil Spirit of Lucifer (Satan).  The Holy Spirit delivers “Truth” and the Evil Spirit delivers a “delusion of truth.”  Look at the situation in our world today, and you can see both in action.  To deny that there are spiritual forces guarantees that you will be a child of Lucifer.

Children of Lucifer are not necessarily evil.  They can be everyday people with a good conscience, and they may go about life doing good things.  But, being a good person and doing good works is not what the Gospel Message of Jesus Christ is all about. Lucifer will tell you otherwise.  After all, his ultimate destination is in the “lake of fire and brimstone” (Revelation 20:10 KJV) / “lake of fire” (Revelation 20:15 KJV) and he desires company—he will not be a leader in the lake of fire but will only be a fallen angel who is being punished, as will all others who reject the message of Jesus.  Note: “Hell” is often referred to by the Christian church as the final destination of all who do not confess Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. 

Lucifer (Satan) is the father of delusion.  While there is but one Holy Spirit, there are many evil spirits that are working in this world through their leader, Lucifer.  These spirits will tell you that: all religions are the same, and they lead to the same heaven or afterlife; the humanity of man and his goodness can build a great civilization and save individuals; Lucifer is a god himself, and he will one day sit in the rebuilt Temple of God in Jerusalem; abortion is an acceptable means of birth control; homosexuality (although a vehicle for the spread of AID’s and other sexually transmitted diseases (STD’s)) is an acceptable lifestyle (rejected by God but approved by man); a one world government, economy and religion is man’s answer for the betterment of the world, and the list could go on and on. 

Lucifer claims to be a god but his ultimate doom has already been declared by his creator, God.  Let me repeat, Lucifer’s final destination and for all who have followed him and his world system, will be the “lake of fire and brimstone,” Revelation 20:10 KJV, where he will not be in charge but where he will be tormented forever and forever just like an ordinary person who rejected the deity of the Trinity.  But why did Lucifer become the embodiment of evil?  Let’s start with his creation. 

Lucifer is a created angel, and he lives today.  It is written that he was: the “model of perfection;” “full of wisdom and perfect in beauty;” “he was in Eden, the garden of God;” “he was adorned with precious stones with mountings of gold;” “he was anointed a guardian cherub (an angel being);” he was on the holy mount of God; he was blameless in his ways;” That is, until wickedness was found in him, and he was filled with violence. Read all of the account in Ezekiel 28:12-19. 

He was driven from the mount of God and cast to the earth and with him a third of his angels. His heart had become proud because of his beauty, and his wisdom was corrupted because of his splendor.  As recorded in Isaiah 14:12-14 NIV, “How you have fallen from heaven, O morning star, son of the dawn! You have been cast down to the earth, you who once laid low the nations! You said in your heart, ‘I will ascent to heaven; I will raise my throne above the stars of God; I will sit enthroned on the mount of assembly, on the utmost heights of the sacred mountain. I will ascend above the tops of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High.’” 

Do you really want to serve a fallen angel whose doom has already been revealed?  You will either serve God or Lucifer, the angel of our worldly systems.  Lucifer is the prince of this earth, and as such he can control your destiny unless you claim the free salvation offered by Jesus Christ.  Satan offered the beauties of this earth to Jesus if He would only bow down and worship him.  But Jesus refused (Matthew 4:1-11). Jesus Christ came to the earth in human form as a man born of a woman to save individuals from their sins (transgressions and disobedience to the commands of God).  He could have claimed Satan’s offer but He refused.  After all, the Trinity (God: Father, Son and Holy Spirit) is Satan’s creator, and He rules throughout the universe.

The United States cannot be a Christian nation without Jesus Christ.  We now have a President who does not believe America is a Christian nation.  He may be correct judging by the actions of many of its citizens.  If enough (only God will decide how many are enough) individuals who have believed and accepted the Gospel Message of Jesus Christ will tell others and become participants in our Republic rather than “leaches who feel they are deserving“, America can be restored. 

Christians (Spirit filled believers) are, however, seen as the enemy by Hollywood, the news media, and the godless politician and people who like our President claim “Christianity” but a godless and powerless Christianity void of the person of Jesus Christ. No other way is possible and history bears this out, but man refutes history and believes the lie Lucifer comforts them with. 

You can continue to believe “the lie” or you can believe the truth.  Which will it be?   

 

If you are interested in knowing more about the Holy Spirit, I would recommend the following:

  1. The Holy Bible, any version, combined with prayer and listening to your Spirit should be your first (primary) resources. 
  2. Charles Stanley, The Wonderful Spirit-Filled Life, (Nashville, Tenn., Oliver-Nelson1992).

  3. Clarence Larkin, Dispensational Truth, (Glenside, Pa., Rev. Clarence Larkin Est., 1918-1920).
  4. Clarence Larkin, The Spirit World, (Glenside, Pa., Rev. Clarence Larkin Est., 1918-1920).

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“I’d Rather Have Jesus”

Do you recall the words to the old tune, “I’d Rather Have Jesus?”  Maybe you have never heard the song or you may have simply forgotten the words, but I heard anew the words today and was moved by the truth the words portray.  Wikipedia the song and read the words.

In today’s world of materialism, greed and false hope, Jesus Christ is your only “true hope.”  If you are battling depression and loneliness or you have abandoned all hope, there can be a tomorrow. 

 If you truly want the peace and joy that only Jesus Christ can provide, ask Him to come into your heart and be your Lord and Savior. 

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“Burn the Koran …day”

Would those spewing venomous rhetoric across the Internet and broadcast media be satisfied if America had a national: “Burn the Koran, Bible and American Flag day?”  I seriously doubt it.  Across America and the world there is a divide of hatred and religious intolerance that is spreading and deepening.  The only answer can be found in the one who is able to change the hearts of man, and that One is Jesus Christ.

Buy a Bible or open the one gathering dusk on your bookshelf and read the twenty-third chapter of Matthew; read the whole chapter if you are seeking to know more about Jesus’ teachings regarding religion and religious leaders.  Jesus taught about the hypocrisies of the religious leaders and teachers of His time, but His message also applies to the religious leaders and people of today.

Religion is an instrument of divisiveness and death when left in the hands of man alone.  Jesus Christ is the only one who:

·        Was born of a virgin through the “miraculous conception;”

·        Lived a perfect life without sin;

·        Taught love and not hatred;

·        Claimed to be the Son of God;

·        Died on a cross for the sins of man;

·        Was buried and raised from death and was seen by His followers and a multitude of others;

·        Defeated Lucifer (Satan), death and the grave;

·        Was seen ascending into heaven;

·        Promised to return for those who loved Him;

·        Sent the Holy Spirit to live in the hearts and souls of those who accepted him as their Lord and Savior until His return.

What other religion has a God like Jesus Christ.  There is no other.  Your salvation in Jesus Christ is by Grace and not by works; you do not have to kill yourself, do penitence’s, build Habitat homes or do other accomplishments to gain entrance into heaven and eternal life. The Bible is the “real truth” and was given to man as a manual for righteous living and as a guide to help man find the one true path to repentance and salvation. Follow that path—the pathway to the Gospel of Jesus Christ—to gain entrance to the kingdom of heaven; it will set you free from the religious rules and regulations established by man.  It is so simple, yet it is ”foolishness to those who are dying.”

Read my blog post of 09-11-2009 - “My reflections on 9/11/2009.” Nothing has changed and nothing will change until the hearts of people are changed, and only Jesus Christ can change the human heart.  May God bless America and its people.

BLOG Post 09-11-09 – My reflections on 9/11

For many, yesterday was a day of remembrance and reflection on the events of September 11, 2001.  As my mind replays the events of that day, I give thanks to God, our creator, for the blessings He has bestowed on the United States of America since its founding. I am also reminded that there has never been another nation that has been as benevolent with its resources, that has been as strong in its defense of democracies throughout the world or that is the envy of the world and a destination that peoples from every country seek to abide.  No other nation even remotely compares to what America has been and still is to the rest of the world.

As I pause and give thanks for America’s greatness, I also remember the victims and families whose lives were forever changed on that day.  Just as we should never forget December 7, 1941, when Japan struck Pear Harbor, neither should we forget September 11, 2001, when Islamic terrorists struck New York, Washington and flight 93 over Pennsylvania.  We are at war with Islamic terrorists, and the only outcome must be total victory.  Anything other than total victory will ultimately leave America to experience another day of mourning.

America is at a crossroad.  We either continue with our Constitution and Republic or we throw it away and adopt another form of government being promoted by many of our own elected officials in the name of “change.”  America has been deceived and divided by political ideology.  Wake up America and defend your Constitution before it is too late.  We do not serve the government; It is there to serve us.

When American Christians allowed the one true God to be removed from its shores and allowed political correctness, political affiliation, greed, corruption, cheating and lying to replace the God of their founding fathers, God allowed them to have the “desires of their heart.”  Now, American citizens have only themselves to blame for the shameful theatrics being played out in Washington.

Many of our elected officials who took an oath of office to defend the Constitution of the United States of America lied.  Look at their voting record and their own words.  The bending of untruth to sound truthful is not the same as telling the truth.  Islam permits not telling the whole truth in an attempt to mislead or even lying if it will advance the cause of Islam. Do we have elected officials amongst us who are really followers of Islam and not followers of the God of our founding fathers?  I’ll let you and their words be the judge.

Prophetic books of the Bible have already predicted the future decline of the peoples of the earth. We are racing toward a one-world government, currency and religion all brought to us by a leader who will be called the antichrist. Most American’s have already been deceived and will happily accept the antichrist’s leadership.  The horror of September 11, 2001, will seem insignificant to the horrors that await America in the not too distant future.

There is hope and that hope can be found in Jesus Christ.  Find Him before it is too late.  Only Jesus can give you the peace that will sustain you through the horrors to come. May God bless our souls.

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The Real Hell

Stop for a moment and think about hell.  What do you think hell will be like?  For those who do not believe in an afterlife or hell you can go back to your meaningless lives and await your death to find out whether you were right or wrong.  For the rest of you ponder on this question, “Is hell Satan’s home and will you spend eternity with him if you are destined for hell and not the heaven of Jesus?”

Satan is commonly thought of as a red dragon with a long tail and a pitchfork.  This description of him is untrue.  He is referred to in the Bible by many names: Serpent, Devil, Satan, Beast, Evil One; his true name is Lucifer.  He is a created angel of God and is described as the Morning Star, son of the dawn in Isaiah 14:12. 

Lucifer can masquerade as light or as darkness and is like a roaring lion.  In 2 Peter 5:8 it is recorded, “Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prows around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.” Lucifer’s down fall was that he sought to rise to the level of his maker (God) and to make himself like the Most High, see Isaiah 14: 11-19 NIV.  For this offense he was cast from God’s presence.

The final resting place for those who die without God and the salvation of Jesus Christ is not hell but is called the lake of fire or the fiery lake of burning sulfur (Revelation 19:20).  The lake of fire, however, can be thought of as hell as it is described as a place of torment that will last forever and forever. 

Satan will spend eternity in the lake of fire just like the rest of humanity; all who die without Jesus Christ and whose names are not written in the book of life (Revelation 20:15) will be cast there after the Great White Throne Judgment.  But unlike the common assumption that Satan will be in charge, Satan will be just like everyone—tormented day and night forever and forever. He will not be a ruler, just another fallen one.

Just as the serpent (Satan) deceived Eve in the Garden of Eden, Satan can also deceive you by his craftiness.  You are not an equal of Satan; he is more powerful than mere man.  He is real! “Even Michael the archangel of God when contending with him did not make reviling accusations against him but only said, ‘The Lord rebuke you’.”  Paraphrased from Jude 1:9.  Do not scheme with him because you will come out the loser.

Turn you life to God.  He holds the key to your future.

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America’s Moral Decay

America is losing her way; she is abandoning the God of her founders and is trusting in the humanity of man to be her defender of truth and justice alone.   As Bibles gather dusk across America, decay quickens as its ugly tentacles ensnare those who have not accepted the good news of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  Only by returning to God can America reclaim the freedoms its founders fought to establish.  Our nation is in grave danger of losing what many feel was God ordained.  In no other form of government can these words ring true, “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.”

I was recently engaged in a conversation with my spiritual adviser and confident, let the reader understand, about the current state of moral decay that is running rampant across our airwaves disguised as “Truth in News and Commentary.”  If you can stomach to watch hour upon hour of Fox, MSNBC, ABC, CNN or CBS and read Internet postings the likes of the “The Huffington Post” in the search for truth, the truth you seek will elude you until you seek to know God—the only conveyor of truth “yesterday, today and tomorrow.”

For full disclosure, the Fox and CNBC channels are my primary sources for news, commentary and market trends although I do view as time permits other Network programming.  The Weather Channel is my most trusted channel in that the weatherpersons do not intentionally distort their forecasts and programming for political purposes.   (Have you noticed that there is a high incident of pregnancy among weatherwomen; it refreshing to know that some women are not aborting their babies for their television careers.)

I record most of the programs I plan on viewing because of the viewing time wasted having to sit through seemingly unending commercials.  I fast forward through all the commercials although subliminally my mind is actively viewing those as well.  The “Glenn Beck Comedy Hour” is my barometer for comparing “honesty of programming” against the other networks commentators or propagandist, if you prefer.   No one has proven him wrong and I am sure the other networks are jealous of his ratings given the “untruth and spin” they give in reporting on his activities, but his message of God and country resonates with most Christians.

It really all boils down to this, people who believe in God are not afraid to talk about God and morality and are not judgmental of the actions of other who do not.  But, people who do not believe in God are quick to judge and criticize those who profess a religious faith.  For Christians, who represent a vast majority of the people of the United States, their Judea-Christian belief in the God of the Bible—the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob—and His commandments serve as the basic code of morality that is essential in maintaining America’s freedoms; freedoms that can be lost if godlessness is allowed to become prevalent. 

When you are a sinful person you do not like to be reminded of your worldly transgressions, but deep down you know you are guilty.  The godless, however, cannot remain silent when confronted with people of faith and a belief in God.    Their neck hairs bristle, like the hairs on a dog’s neck, when “God Talk” subconsciously begins to convict them of their acts of immorality.   Yes, they may claim to be agnostics, amoral, atheistic, godless or whatever, but there is a “genetic moral code” in play that convicts their hearts and souls.  Not to be allowed to do whatever they want to do to satisfy the desires of the flesh is an affront to their own code of conduct, “Do Unto Others Before They Do Unto You.”   Non-believers can be moral people but their reliance on their own humanity is a slippery slope that ultimately binds their soul and spirit and prevents them from ever being truly set free in their hearts and minds.

In the godless mind, there is nothing wrong with abortion if a fetus is “declared by the courts or society” not to be a living soul just as there is nothing wrong with: homosexuality, murder, witchcraft, idolatry, lying, cheating, adultery, lust and steeling, except they are all condemned by God as violations of His code of morality.   Without God, the acts listed above are permissible but unfortunately they will lead to a degenerate society expressing itself in extremisms of hatred and condemnation against those who refuse to practice or accept the godlessness of their “godless religion.” 

For depravity at its worse, look at the story of Sodom and Gomorrah found in Genesis 18-19.  As the story goes, God was going to destroy the cities because of their wickedness and sexual deviancy.  When God’s messengers (angels) entered the city of Sodom and became guest of Lot, the men of the city sought to have sex with them.  Lot, the nephew of Abraham, offered the men his daughters if they would not harm his guest, but the men of the city refused Lot’s offer and attempted to take the men who were staying with Lot by force. Lot’s guest blinded the men of the city and rescued Lot and his two daughters.  The cities were then destroyed.  I have abbreviated the story but the bottom line is this:  The abandonment of God will only lead to the deterioration of a nation into an ever-deepening state of immorality.  Look at your history, Rome for instance, and you will find moral decay the culprit for all prior great civilizations downfall.

Those without hope of an afterlife refuse to engage in a conversation with those who do.  While I am willing to overlook a godless person who wears a shirt with a statement such as, “God Sucks,” that person would be offended if I wore a shirt with, “Let me tell you about Jesus” written across the front or back.   Just what is it about the name of Jesus that offends so many people?

Jesus never did anything wrong.  It is true that many in the name of Christianity have committed horrific acts against their fellow man.  However, a true believer in Jesus Christ, who is led by His Spirit, does not commit acts in violation of His teachings.   Acts of atrocity done in the name of Christianity were not God ordained but were the acts of man done under the guise of Christianity.   Yes, it is true as recorded in the Old Testament that deviant cities and their population were ordered completely destroyed because of their pagan immoralities, child sacrifice for instant, so that its sinful people would not corrupt the Israelites as they journeyed to the promised land.

Believers in God know that one day they will be judged for their transgression but rewarded for their faithfulness.  Jesus Christ by His death on the cross and His victory over death by His resurrection, paid for the transgressions committed by those who accept Him as their Lord and Savior. 

Non-believers in God do not believe they will be judged for their transgressions.  If they are right, believers have been deceived.  If they are wrong, their ultimate reward is judgment and everlasting punishment in the “lake of fire” spoken of in Revelation 20: 15 (NIV).

These words will mean nothing to those who are enraged by the mere mention of God and the name of Jesus.   Let the “Heathen Rage” and enjoy their moments in the sun.  Their acts of greed, lust and immorality have been embraced before by the godless and like before, they will be defeated. Unfortunately for them, they will never be able to claim, “And the piece of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:7 (NIV).

Can you make that claim?  If not, claim Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior of your life today.    

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