Saturday, May 31, 2008

THOUGHTS

Thoughts

Life is thought, and when we cease to think, we are not living. How we think, is the kind of life we live. Since we are able to control our thoughts, we can determine the course of our life and the way we feel during our time here.

"We are what we think."

It is very important to establish good thinking guidelines and follow them. Placing thoughts of peace and happiness in our minds will help to make our lives peaceful and happy. If we do not set our thoughts properly, we travel through life by way of places where we will wish we had not gone.

"It is the mind that maketh good or ill, that maketh wretch or happy, rich or poor." Our daily life includes thoughts associated with responsibilities concerning work, other people, and handling problems. If possible, try not to think of too many different things during your day, and don't move or think too quickly. Start your morning with a plan to come through to bedtime relaxed, contented, and ready for a restful night's sleep.

"Your own mind is a sacred enclosure into which nothing harmful can enter except by your permission."

Reflect about things that can improve your feelings - learning, completing tasks and duties, pleasant and relaxing experiences, kind words. Think about your happiness, goals, life and its pleasures, your principles and your conduct. Think about enjoying the moment.

"Garner up pleasant thoughts in your mind, for pleasant thoughts make pleasant lives."

What are you thinking about?

Friday, May 30, 2008

ANGRY

Anger

Most of us experience anger at one time or another. Others may get angry with us, justifiably or not. We may become angry at others, sometimes with very good reason, sometimes not. One thing is for sure, it is not a pleasant experience.

We cannot always reason with those that are bitter towards us and sometimes we may need to accept that it exists. To counteract this with retaliation is something that needs careful consideration.

"Consider how much more you often suffer from your anger and grief, than from those very things for which you are angry and grieved."

Perhaps we are guilty of hostility more than we would like to be. Greater interaction with people should reduce these feelings. Less anger should result in more confidence and less stress.

Is a discussion possible and is it worthwhile? A few words and an exchange of viewpoints might result in one or both sides having a change in attitude. Try to see another point of view no matter how unreasonable it appears.

Consider how you are feeling. It is common, perhaps good advice, to let anger be expressed, to not hold it inside. My personal experience is that sometimes I have regretted this because I was wrong or over reacted. Sometimes the anger still lingered. Avoiding anger in the first place, through conciliation or acceptance, can result in feeling better all around.

Hatred is a prolonged anger towards a fellow human. There are various forms of hatred, motivated in different ways, and mostly without cause. Prejudice, jealousy, gossip, bullying are hard to deal with. This is where friends can be a great help in trying to understand these harmful actions. They can offer comfort and foresight. Be a friend.

"Whatever is begun in anger, ends in shame." - Ben Franklin (1706-1790)

Angry or bitter

    * Romans 12:14-21
    * Ephesians 4:26-27

Thursday, May 29, 2008

ATTITUDE

Attitude

We all face situations in our lives that cannot be changed and that make us feel helpless and hopeless. Perhaps it is less serious than that, but we are stressed and worried. It might be an event that has happened, is happening, or will happen.

It should provide some immediate comfort to consider that these situations do not directly cause these awful feelings, but it is what we think of these situations. Changing our thoughts can have an enormous effect on how we are feeling. This has been stated by many great minds, over very many years.

"I had the blues because I had no shoes until upon the street, I met a man who had no feet." - Ancient Persian Saying

By reviewing some of the good things in our lives, past and present, we can feel good even in what appears to be a very disturbing situation. As long as there is nothing we can do to fix a problem, dwelling on the negative aspects of it will only make us feel worse and will do absolutely no good. Since it all depends on what is in our thoughts, we can control this. 

"The mind is its own place, and in itself can make a heaven of hell, a hell of heaven." -

John Milton (1608-1674)

So start listing the things in your life that make or have made you happy. Stuff your mind with other things that make you smile or laugh. Keep it up so as not to let the negative creep back in.

Study babies. They fall and get up and try again and again, and then they walk. They are usually always ready to laugh, at the littlest things. They are constantly interested in new things to learn about, and normally sleep well. If they brood about a bad experience it's not for long.

"Things turn out best for the people who make the best out of the way things turn out." - Art Linkletter

Attitude

    * Philippians 4:8
    * 1 Peter 4:10

Wednesday, May 28, 2008

Don't Worry

Worry 

The harm that worry causes in our lives has been well documented by health professionals and others. Worry can weaken and sicken us, and make our days unbearable. At the very least, it prevents us from living fully and happily the only life that we will ever have.

At its worse, it can destroy us.

"A god, invisible but omnipotent. It steals the bloom from the cheek and lightness from the pulse; it takes away the appetite and turns the hair gray." - Benjamin Disraeli (1804-1881)

It does a lot more than that, Benjamin!

But the worry disease can be cured and it certainly can be reduced. Of course it requires a change in our thinking - how to view and react to situations. Worrying over things that 'might' happen can waste large portions of our lives, considering that so often it is for nothing, and almost certainly does no good.

"If you can solve your problem, then what is the need of worrying? If you cannot solve it, then what is the use of worrying?" - 

Worrying about things that have happened will not turn back the hands of time to give you another try at doing it right. So that is a waste of time too. So many of our anxieties and fears are for nothing. Most of the rest can simply be discarded because worrying just isn't going to do any good. So let's spend our time thinking about the good and pleasant things

in our lives, and move on in a peaceful and contented state of mind. 

"I think these difficult times have helped me to understand better than before how infinitely rich and beautiful life is in every way and that so many things that one goes around worrying about are of no importance whatsoever."

A program to become knowledgeable on the subject of worry, through reading and other instruction, can help in turning our lives around. A life filled with contentment and lacking stress and worry are the goals to be achieved.

It's never too late to start eliminating worry.

Tuesday, May 27, 2008

ONCE SAVED, ALWAYS SAVED?

Once Saved, Always Saved?

One often hears the above phrase sated as, "A Christian cannot fall from grace." Or variations such as "If a Christian falls, then he wasn't saved in the first place." However, Scriptures reveals at least six different reasons why "Once saved Always Saved" is not biblically sound teachings.

     1. The Bible exhorts us to "be strong: and to put on the whole armor of God and to be alert with all perseverance, (Ephesians 6"10-18). The Apostle Peter tells us some things we must do and and then he says, "For as long as you practice these things, you will never stumble." (2 Peter 1:5-11)

     2. Our salvation is dependent upon our being faithful, and thus it stands to reason that we can be lost by becoming unfaithful. Jesus tells us "Not everyone who says to me Lord, Lord, will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven." (Matthew 7:21)

     3. The Scriptures speak of the dangers of falling from grace. Galatians 5:4 says out right "You have fallen from grace." We are warned to be on guard. Notice in 2 Peter 3:17 for us to "Be on your guard so that you are not carried away by the error of unprincipled men and fall from your own steadfastness." Consider Hebrews 3:12 which states, "Take care brethern, that there not be in any one of you an evil, unbelieving heart that falls away from the living God."

     4. The New Testament warns us against causing others to fall. Consider Romans 14:15-23 and 1 Corinthians 8.

     5. The Scriptures foretold that some would fall from grace as stated in 1 Timothy 4:1.

     6. The Scriptures tells us that some in the first century that did fall from grace as recorded in 1 Timothy 5:8, 1 Timothy 1:18-20 and 2 Peter 2:20-22.

All of these scriptures show that it is indeed possible for the saved to fall.

Therefore, we must be on our guard to keep this from happening. Lastly, in which is probably the most urgent message of all in the Scriptures,  "Therefore, let him who thinks he stands take heed that he does not fall." (1 Corinthians 10:12)

Sunday, May 25, 2008

The Fathers Love Letters.

http://www.fathersloveletter.com/fllpreviewlarge.html

Please try this link, promise you will like it.

ARE YOU SAVED?

Are you saved?

The Bible says "Test yourselves to see if you are in the faith; examine yourselves!" (2 Cor. 13:5).  Well, are you in the faith?  Have you examined yourself?  It is easy to ask and sometimes difficult to answer.

The Christian faith is as follows.  There is one God in all existence who is eternally existent from the past through to the future.  God is a Trinity of three persons:  Father, Son, and Holy Spirit (2 Cor. 13:14); they are not three gods, but one God (Is. 44:6-8).  Jesus is the Word who was God and was with God that became flesh (John 1:1,14) and was made under the Law (Gal. 4:4).  Because we are sinners (Rom. 3:23), who have broken God's law (James 2:11), and because we cannot be saved in anyway by our own works (Rom. 4:1-5), Jesus bore our sins in His body on the cross (1 Pet. 2:24), died, was buried, and rose again on the third day (1 Cor. 15:3-4), in the same body He died in (John 2:19-21) so that as many as receive Christ (John 1:12) are justified by faith (Rom. 5:1) and escape the righteous wrath of God (Rom. 5:9).

What a lot of people fail to realize is that Jesus is not saving us from sin.  Jesus is saving us from God!  You see, when a person breaks the Law of God, there is a punishment that must be carried out upon that person.  God is the one who carries out that punishment.  This punishment is eternal because God is eternally holy and righteous.  Our sins against God take on an infinite quality not because of who we are, but because of who God is -- because we have offended an eternal and infinite God.  Therefore, the sinner incurs an eternal and infinite offense against God.  This means there is absolutely no way that a finite, sinful creature can undo the offense against an infinitely pure Being.  This is why we need Jesus who is God in flesh.  This means that His sacrifice has eternal and infinite value and it is infinitely sufficient to save us from our sins.  Therefore, this means that it is only through Jesus that we can be saved and not by our own efforts in any way.

It is God who damns.  It is God who judges.  Sin does not send people to hell.  God does.  Of course, this is not a popular or "feel-good" notion that God is the one who is righteously judging the sinner and righteously condemning him to eternal hell.  But, that is the truth.  Yet, thanks be to God that because He loves us, He sent His son to save us from our sins so that we might escape the righteous judgment of God.  God is not some eternal ogre waiting to spit His wrath upon the weak and helpless.  Not at all.  He is loving and good and gracious and He desires that all be saved.  He offers the sacrifice of His Son as the loving and gracious means by which we may be saved.  It is a miraculous and wondrous act of love.

Now, what about you?  Have you completely trusted in Jesus and in nothing else for the forgiveness of your sins?  Have you received Christ?  Are you relying on Jesus and Him alone for your righteousness, for your safety, your forgiveness, or are you putting even the smallest bit of your works before God as part of the reason you are to be saved?  If you are relying in any way on your efforts, then you are in great danger of damnation, if not still unsaved.  Righteousness before God does not come by your efforts, but through the sacrifice of Christ; otherwise, Jesus died needlessly (Gal. 2:21).  If you could get to heaven by being good, then there was no need for Jesus to die for sins.

You are to examine yourself, to test yourself to see if you are in the faith.  This means that you must first know what the Christian faith is and what it means that to enter into that faith.  Furthermore, you must know and acknowledge that there is only one God in all existence, that Jesus is God in flesh, that you are a sinner, that you need to repent of your sins, and that the only way to find forgiveness is to trust in Jesus alone, by faith alone, through grace alone.

Don't waste any time wondering.  If you aren't sure, ask Jesus to forgive you of your sins (1 Cor. 1:2).  Receive Him (John 1:12).  Turn from your sins and to Him.  Trust Him alone.

"No one can serve two masters; for a slave will either hate the one and love the other, or be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth. "Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air; they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? And can any of you by worrying add a single hour to your span of life? . . . "   Matthew 6:24-34

Saturday, May 24, 2008

The Beatitudes

This is a beautiful link, please try it, you will love it.

 

http://www.interviewwithgod.com/beatitudes/index.htm

FORGIVEN

Try this link, promise you will like it!

http://www.interviewwithgod.com/forgiven/highband.htm

Life

Life
"Be happy while you're living, for you're a long time dead." - Scottish Proverb

Everyone says, "How the time flies." The days go by and they are years, and the years finally become our whole life. Each daily portion can be wasted, or it can be a pleasure, before it is gone forever. If a bedtime review of the day concludes that we were too stressed, too busy, didn't accomplish anything, didn't have any fun, then it has been another lost piece of precious life. Perhaps we are putting off our enjoyment until we have more time, or money, or some other improved condition. The trouble with that is that it might never happen, or it may be too long in coming.  It's so important to accept this time, this very minute, as something of tremendous value that will very soon be gone forever. There are many ways to ensure that we make the best of our time here on earth.

In our daily routine let's include time to enjoy others and thus ourselves. Look and wonder at the trees, fields and mountains, smell the flowers, hear the birds, and watch the clouds in the sky.

"This world, after all our science and sciences, is still a miracle; wonderful, magical and more, to whosoever will think of it." - Thomas Carlyle (1795-1881)

Face your problems bravely, confidently, and improve on your situation, no matter what state it be in. Be good to feel good. Be active and improve your mind.

Laugh, relax, and sleep well.

Life is mostly froth and bubble;
Two things stand like stone:
Kindness in another's trouble,
Courage in our own. - Adam Gordon (1833-1870)

Friday, May 23, 2008

Blow The Trumpet

ARE WE LIVING IN THE LAST DAYS

This know also, that in the last days

perilous times shall come.

2 Timothy 3:1

    There was a time when people who warned that the end of the world was eminent were viewed as crazy. They were usually seen in public squares wildly shouting a message of gloom and doom or holding up signs that read, “REPENT! THE END IS NEAR.”  It was easy to dismiss their message for two reasons: first, those who delivered it almost always suffered from some mental defect. And secondly, the message itself made no sense. After all, our world with all its problems still appeared to be manageable.

    Today however, things seem very different. Our world no longer looks like a place where hope can thrive. Serious problems seem to be everywhere. The threat of global terrorism has now migrated from the pages of spy novels to the pages of newspapers. Additionally, issues like crime, racism, poverty, illiteracy, the environment, and even natural disasters appear to be gaining the upper hand on mankind. It would seem that civilization itself is poised for a total meltdown. So now the big question appears to be: where these religious quacks right? Are we living in the last days? Furthermore, is it possible that those who proclaimed such things on street corners just a few decades ago were actually inspired by the forces of darkness so that when the real warning came no one would believe?

How Can We Know for Sure?

     The God of the Bible has staked his reputation as the King of the Universe on His ability to predict the future. The book of Isaiah records His exact words.

     Remember the former things of old: for I am God, and there is none else; I am God, and there is none like me, Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure. (Isa. 46: 9-10)

    These words are clear and direct. They are not cloaked in some cryptic imagery. Here, God is declaring that the future described in the pages of your Bible is as real as He is. With that said what do the scriptures reveal about the end of the world and how do its pronouncements coincide with the world we live in today?

     The following are seven keys that identify what the scriptures refer to as the last days. Each key was revealed by Jesus Christ in response to His disciples query: “what shall be the sign of thy coming and of the end of the world” (Mt. 24:3)?  Additionally, each key is accompanied with a brief analysis of the world we live in today and how that world perfectly reflects Jesus’ warning about the time of the end.

  Key I

A Proliferation of False Religions

“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.”

Mt. 24:4-5

    We live in a world full of religions, with new faiths emerging every day. Today there are 20 different religions with at least 1 million members. Furthermore, In a study on contemporary beliefs in America conducted by Syracuse University in 1990, it was discovered that there were over 2,000 practicing religious leaders calling themselves Christ. Imagine the audacity.

Major World Religions
Religion
Size

Catholic
1 billion

Christian
1 billion

Islam
1.3 billion

Hinduism
900 million

Secular/ Agnostic
850 million

Buddhism
360 million

Chinese Traditional
225 million

primal-indigenous
150 million

African Traditional
95 million

Sikhism
23 million

Juche
19 million

Spiritism
14 million

Judaism
14 million

Baha'i
6 million

Jainism
4 million

Shinto
4 million

Cao Dai
3 million

Tenrikyo
2.4 million

Neo-Paganism
1 million

Unitarian
800 thousand

Rastafarianism
700 thousand

Scientology
600 thousand

Zoroastrianism
150 thousand

     However, when Jesus spoke of religious deception He was addressing something most professing Christians today find nearly impossible to believe. Jesus was warning that in the last days there would emerge false religions that asserted a belief in Him: “Many will come saying I (Jesus) am the Christ and shall deceive many.” He actually warned of false ministers on three different occasions during this message. The Messiah even indicated that these “Christ professing” movements would attract large followings but would be false none-the-less (see also: Matthew 24:11).

    Today there are literally hundreds of “Christian” denominations in the world. Furthermore, each of these faiths claim that Jesus is the Christ. However, despite this claim, very few of them actually follow the Messiah’s example with respect to their walk of faith. And as difficult as this might be to grasp, most of these “believers” proclaim a message of deception.

    How is this possible? How can those who profess Jesus Christ be guilty of misleading others? The answer is simple. The vast majority of professing Christians today are not true Christians. They do not teach what Jesus taught, believe what Jesus believed, or do what Jesus did. Instead, most Christians believe they have the right to decide for themselves how they will worship God and His Son. As a result, most “believers” have embraced a faith that is light years away from that found in the scriptures. The apostle Paul understood this reality and wrote of it to the evangelist Timothy. Notice what Paul observed.

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

    With this in mind think of how many practices and beliefs exist in mainstream Christianity today that are found nowhere in the Bible. For example: the Bible does not say the soul is immortal, that the saved go to heaven or the condemned suffer for all eternity in an ever-burning hell. Nowhere do the scriptures claim that God is trying to save all mankind at this time or that God accepts you just as you are. Furthermore, festivals like Christmas and Easter are not enjoined in the scriptures but rather come from ancient pagan rites and traditions. But these beliefs and festivals are taught from the pulpits of Christian churches every week. If true believers in the first century church were alive today, they would be astonished at where the faith has gone.

    The apostle Paul repeatedly warned God’s church to beware of those preaching another Jesus (2Cor. 11:4). He actually pronounced to the churches in Galatia a curse on anyone who would preach another gospel (Gal. 1:8-9). Peter not only dealt with men who were willing to pay for the power of the Holy Spirit (see Acts 8:19-22), but warned in an epistle that “there shall be false teachers... who bring in damnable heresies” (2Pet. 2:1). The apostle John warned Christians to “try the spirits whether they are of God... because many false prophets are gone out into the world” (1Jn 4:1). See also Jude 3-4.

    When Jesus warned of religious deception thriving in the last days He was proclaiming that man-made faiths would be everywhere with a doctrine to fit anyone’s way of thinking. And although false teachings infested the true faith in the first century, such teachings have literally consumed the world today. They are everywhere.

Key II

A Fascination with the Occult

“Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times

some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits,

and doctrines of devils.”

1Tim. 4:1

    In the western world today there is a significant rise in curiosity about spiritism, psychic phenomena, and even demonology and witchcraft. The Manchester (England) Guardian Weekly reported in the late 1990's that there were an estimated 60,000 witches in England. Today that number has grown to 80,000. This growth has been called a "renaissance in witchcraft". Furthermore, there are now open schools in witchcraft that teach "psychic self-defense" as well as the history of witchcraft. “Paganism is also becoming prominent in the United States. There are approximately 2 million Americans who adhere to some form of the occult. Additionally, although the Bible and prayer were officially banned from U.S. public schools in 1962, many of these same institutions offer their pupils accredited courses in witchcraft and other pagan practices.

    Furthermore, the demonic religion of Satanism has dramatically increased among teenagers. According to Rick Hatfield, director of Bry Lin Hospital’s adult and adolescent inpatient chemical dependency treatment facility near Buffalo, New York, "Satanism is one of the greatest and most prevalent threats facing kids today." Hatfield, who has worked in drug treatment programs throughout the United States, said during the last six years he has seen a dramatic increase in the number of adolescents lured into Satanism.

    Some authorities believe that a major cause of people getting caught up in the "dark side" of the spirit world is that they’ve been disillusioned by the apparent absence of spiritual reality in traditional religions. One such authority is Colonel Kobus Jonker, the head of the police’s Occult Investigations Unit in Pretoria, South Africa. Colonel Jonker blames what he calls the “spiritual bankruptcy” of established churches in South Africa for the tendency of teenagers to dabble in the occult. He went on to say, "You can actually feel the deadness in many of our churches. There’s nothing going on.” As a result, "Satanism is increasing, especially the serious cases; murder, assaults."

    To many Satan is viewed as a fascinating creature with a genuine interest in mankind and his carnal existence. According to Anton LaVey, Satanist High Priest of the First Church of Satan in San Francisco in his book The Satanic Bible: “We hold Satan as a symbolic personal savior, who takes care of mundane, fleshly, carnal things.” LaVey went on to say that "God exists as a universal force, a balancing factor in nature, too impersonal to care one whit whether we live or die. Therefore, the Judeo-Christian God is inaccessible and has no compassion. Thus, Satan becomes the solution to man's deepest needs.”

    Another field in which witchcraft and Satanism have made tremendous inroads is our contemporary culture—especially music. One only has to see the avalanche of album covers and rock videos that promote the symbols, liturgies, and rituals of witchcraft and the occult to draw this conclusion. Many display an open worship of Satan and the netherworld. These brazen acts of simulated evil are now socially acceptable and defended in the name of "freedom of expression." However, the Bible sees them quite differently. They are manifestations of a very dark spirit world—a world bent on destroying man and God’s plan for him. Is it any wonder that at the time of the end the forces of darkness would exert such pressure on mankind to reject the God who made him? 

Key III

  War and Violence

"You will hear of wars and rumors of wars. … For nation will

rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom." (Mt.24:6-7)

    When giving the Olivet Prophecy, Jesus identified a series of events that would define the end of the world. Furthermore, He exhorted His followers to be mindful of conditions in the world and how they would play out. Early in this extraordinary message, Jesus indicated that in the last days the world would be filled with war and conflict.

    The term “nation” used by Matthew when recording Jesus’ words is very interesting. It comes from the Greek word ethnos. It is where we get the terms “ethnic” and “ethnicity.” Ethnos is a term that pertains to race or nationality, not to country or realm. Here, almost 2000 years ago, Jesus was warning that in the last days, great racial strife would punctuate a significant part of our world.

    Today, race is at the center of almost all political discourse and the emotions run deep. In the United States, racial tensions have fractured what was once a great melting pot, and if Jesus’ words come to pass, the emotions will move from words and escalate to full-blown violence.

    But it is not just the United States that faces increased racial conflict.

     According to the Associated Press (AP) murders perpetrated by dominant clans or ethnic groups in nations against other clans or ethnic groups in their own countries have exceeded the deaths caused by wars with rivals outside their borders. In the seven years following the end of the Cold War in 1989, an estimated 101 conflicts raged. Most were wars not between states but within states. They were fought by opposing groups with unsophisticated weapons. In Rwanda, for example, much of the killing was done with machetes. The following reveals the scope of death suffered as a result of internal conflicts within nations.

Estimated death tolls resulting from

civil wars fought in the 1990's.

Nation
Year(s)
Casualties

Algeria
1992-1993
75,000

Berundi
1993-1999
200,000

Guatamala
1960-1996
200,000

Kosovo
1998
Ukn

Liberia
1989-1997
150,000

Nothern Ireland
1968-1998
3,250

Rwanda
1994
500,000-1,000,00

Sierra Leone
1992-1999
14,000

Sri Lanka
1983-1999
57,000

Sudan
1983-1999
1.5 million

Turkey
1984-1999
37,000

“Kingdom [shall rise] against kingdom”

    Although war has been a part of human history down through the ages nothing matches the destructive power it has unleashed on our planet during the 20th century. According to the International Red Cross over 100 million people have been killed in wars during this period.

    Prior to 1914, war had never been global. However, in both World War I and II, that all changed. In WW II only 12 small nations on earth were not militarily or technically involved. During that period 93 million people served in the armed forces of both sides. Of those, a staggering 25 million lost their lives. Additionally, civilian casualties were unprecedented: In the Soviet Union alone, over 20 million civilians died as a result of the war.

    Military conflicts in the 20th century have reached an unprecedented level. One leading journalist characterized such conflicts as “total war on total population for total stakes”—and for good reason. Since World War II, which was supposed to be "the war to end all wars," there have been over 150 major wars (conflicts resulting in over 1,000 deaths a year), as well as hundreds of smaller conflicts, armed rebellions and revolutions. The death toll in armed conflicts since the end of World War II is more than 23,000,000 people. The barbarian wars of centuries past were alley fights by comparison. 

The Threat of Extinction

    No matter how leaders try to masquerade it, we are a world at war. Violence now manifests itself in every corner of the globe. And the causalities are growing by the day. The threat of terrorism is so real that experts are now regarding it as immanent. Some have even suggested that in the next few months the United States may suffer an attack that will be far more devastating than the one it experienced on 9-11. Imagine the impact such a thing would have on our nation.

    Additionally, America and some of its allies are still entrenched in a bloody war in Iraq. And although its motives may be honorable, the price it must pay may be greater than it can bear. Since coalition forces inaugurated the war to liberate Iraq over 1,500 US servicemen have lost their lives in that region, not to mention tens of thousands of Iraqis.

    Furthermore, pro Saddam factions as well as terrorist sympathizers within Iraq have resorted to barbaric savagery in an attempt to win the hearts of fanatics throughout the Middle East, as well as to strike fear in the hearts of America and its allies. Who can block out the images of people like Nicholas Berg, Jack Hensley, Eugene Armstrong, and Daniel Pearl whose grizzly executions now appear on the Internet for all to see?

    The real tragedy here is that there is no evidence things are getting better. By all indications things may actually be getting worse. While the U.S. is embroiled in mortal combat in Iraq, other nations may pose an even bigger threat. In addition to countries like the United States, England, Russia and even Israel having nuclear capabilities, new players have now emerged on the nuclear scene. Places like North Korea, Iran, India and its mortal enemy Pakistan each have aggressive nuclear weapons programs that may pose a clear and present danger to what little stability exists in the Middle East.

    Meanwhile, sales in the world arms trade continue to soar with estimates approaching over 50 billion dollars. Furthermore, global military budgets are in excess of 850 billion dollars with the United States consuming nearly half.

A Culture of Violence

    Another condition Jesus said would be prevalent immediately prior to His return would be unrestrained violence: "As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man" (Mt.24:37). According to the book of Genesis the days of Noah were punctuated with unspeakable violence, "the earth was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence" (Genesis 6:11).

    Tragically, society today is replaying the savagery that filled the earth nearly 5,000 years ago. One only has to read the headlines of any newspaper to see the escalation of horrible acts of carnage man commits with seeming impunity. In the U.S. alone, the statistics for violent crime are staggering. According to the FBI, on average a person is murdered every 22 minutes; someone is raped every four minutes, and a robbery is committed every 26 seconds.

    The Reuters News agency reported that U.S. crime levels are skyrocketing. "America is a ticking violent crime bomb, and there is little time remaining to prepare for the blast," said the report, which noted the rise in youth violence. Reuters went on to report that official FBI statistics on crime were only the tips of the iceberg. The research indicates that based on surveys of victims and not just crimes reported to the police, violent crime — including murder, rape, assault and burglary — was 5.6 times higher than those reported.

    According to the Washington Post, Murders and suicides [in the U.S.] are now occurring at a rate of more than 145 a day. In the past 30 years alone, the total exceeds 1,200,000 people, more than all the men killed in all the wars in the history of the United States. And many of these recent victims are not men and women; they are children.

    Jack Levin, a sociology professor at Northeastern University in Boston, warned that the current increase in homicides by juveniles as young as 14 and 15 is a precursor of worse things to come: "They are in the leading edge of the mini-baby boom of children of the original post-World War II baby boomers, and they haven’t yet reached the 18- to 24-year-old age group that traditionally commits the overwhelming majority of murders.” Levin went on to say "They aren’t even there yet, but they’re committing homicide. What are they going to do for an encore?"

    Furthermore, in the United States, simulated killing has become a part of its obsession with violence. It has been estimated that the average child will witness over 25,000 acts of violence via movies, television and video games before he or she reaches 18. Consider what our children are learning: One of the most popular video games in America requires players to steal cars, fornicate with a prostitute, then kill the prostitute in order to retrieve the money paid for her “services.” One mother who purchased this game stated, “I don’t think it’s wrong because that is not where my child learns morals.” When her 13-year-old son was interviewed regarding the game his mother had purchased for him, he said, “I think it’s cool. It’s the closest thing to killing someone without really doing it.”

    Today, America is more violent than at any time in its history. Whether it’s talk of war, gangs, domestic violence, crime, recreation, or abortion, we have become a nation obsessed with blood. This obsession has driven a wedge between America and the God of Heaven. The great prophet Isaiah was inspired to proclaim that Israel was estranged from its Creator because of their sins. And specifically mentioned were acts of violence.

“But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid His face from you, that He will not hear. For your hands are defiled with blood, and your fingers with iniquity; your lips have spoken lies, your tongue has muttered perverseness.” (Isa. 59:2-3)

    Consider these words in light of America’s position on abortion. Since the Supreme Court handed down its decision (Roe v. Wade) in 1973, over 46 million have been performed. This practice which was once viewed as heinous is defended in the name of liberty. If the United States and its people truly wish to be reconnected to a God who is perfectly capable of protecting them from terrorist attacks or any other threat, then perhaps they should stop engaging in such acts themselves. Americans can shout to the top of their lungs that they are lovers of freedom if they wish. But when that freedom means the right to destroy the unborn, the voice of the King of the Universe also thunders. And His words are clear: “CHOOSE LIFE” (Dt. 30:19).

    Meanwhile as America proclaims that murder can be treated as a game or an expression of freedom, Arab nations around the world teach their children to aspire to become “suicide bombers.” They actually sing songs in primary schools that proclaim the nobility of strapping on explosives and going out to kill the “apes and pigs” (Jews).

    When Jesus likened the last days to those in the time of Noah, He wasn’t just guessing. He knew full well that mankind would reach a state when once again the world would be full of violence. When that time arrived, the end would be near. 

Key IV

Hunger and Famine

"And there shall be famines ..."

Mt.24:7

    When speaking of the last days, Jesus warned that famine would exact a horrible blow to mankind and that the effects would cause untold suffering. Today, man battles hunger and despite his best efforts, hunger seems to be gaining the advantage. Despite all the technological advancement this world has produced, more people die of starvation than perish in war.

    The World Bank reported in September 1996 that more than 800 million people go hungry every day, and more than 500 million children do not get enough food to fully develop mentally and physically. Additionally, 40,000 hunger-related deaths occur every day.

    Lester Brown, president of the Washington think-tank, Worldwatch Institute, said, "Ironically, in an era of high technology, of space exploration, the World Wide Web, and organ transplants, humanity was suddenly struggling in 1996 with one of the most ancient of challenges — how to make it to the next harvest."

    The WHO (World Health Organization) estimates that about 4 million people a year die of starvation, or about 30 people every minute. According to World Bank vice president Ismail Serageldin. It is estimated that one third of the world is well-fed, one third is under-fed, and one third is starving. More than 800 million people are chronically undernourished. (WHO)  Furthermore, water shortages in parts of the world in the next 25 years will pose the single greatest threat to food production and human health. 1.3 billion people worldwide have no access to clean water. (World Bank)

    The terrible irony is that the world can produce enough food to feed its expanding population. While some famines are caused by drought or other natural disasters, most starvation in the world today could be avoided were it not for man's selfishness and inhumanity. War, embargoes, government corruption and economic oppression are all symptoms of the real problem. While innocent children starve, some rich nations destroy millions of tons of food in order to keep prices artificially high. 

Key V

Natural Disasters

"And there shall be earthquakes, in divers places ..."
Mt. 24:7

    On December 26, 2004 Indonesia was hit with a massive tsunami stemming from a 9.0 earthquake in the Indian Ocean. When visiting the region, U.S. Secretary of State, Colin Powell said, “I have never seen anything like it.” Yehuda Meshi-Zahav, a leader of one of the rescue teams in Thailand described the scene this way. "Only during the great flood in Genesis have there been sights like this, so many corpses, so many. We are experiencing ... something from the days of Genesis."

    Although earthquakes seem like a common occurrence today, that hasn’t always been the case. According to the UNIVERSAL ALMANAC there were only 21 earthquakes of major strength between the years 1000 and 1800. Between 1800 and 1900 there were 18 major earthquakes. In the next 50 years, between 1900 and 1950, there were 33 major quakes — almost as many as the number in the preceding 850 years!

    However, between 1950 and 1991 there were 93 major earthquakes — almost triple the number of the previous half century — which claimed the lives of 1.3 million people around the world. This dramatic increase of severe quakes has led many scientists to predict that we are entering a new period of great seismic disturbances. Additionally, the devastation of high magnitude earthquakes is potentially much greater than in times past because of the high concentration of populations. According to Roger Bilham, Ph.D. and professor of Geological Sciences at the University of Colorado, "Fatality counts exceeding one million are not an unreasonable projection given that 50 percent of an urban population can be lost in a single earthquake." While major earthquakes "have generally spared the world’s urban centers in recent decades, this trend will not persist indefinitely.”

    The prophet Isaiah was inspired to write of massive earthquakes in the last days,

    "The foundations of the earth are shaken. The earth is ... shaken exceedingly. The earth shall reel to and fro like a drunkard, and shall totter like a hut … in the day of the great slaughter, when the towers fall" (Isa. 24:18-20; 30:35).

    The words of Isaiah were inspired by the same God who spoke them on the Mount of Olives over a half a millennium later. In the last days earthquakes will appear in all parts of the world. And when they do know that the end is near.

Key VI

Moral Depravity

"As it was in the days of Lot … even thus shall it be

in the day when the Son of Man is revealed"
Lk. 17:28-30

In the United States today there are three adult bookstores for every McDonald’s restaurant. Add to that the countless strip clubs, “massage parlors” and “escort services” and you begin to get a picture of our nation’s obsession with promiscuity. Furthermore, movies and magazines promoting every perversion imaginable number in the thousands. Today pornography is a multi- billion-dollar industry. It floods the internet and can even be accessed on cable television.

    The real tragedy is that smut is gaining respectability. Today it is marketed as a healthy recreation when done in moderation. We now have “gentlemen’s clubs” and “soft porn.” Even the Supreme Court has softened its position on sex trafficking. Last year it blocked the enforcement of the 1998 Child Protection Act. This legislation would have banned online pornography accessible to children, and set heavy penalties on those who would purvey it to any minor. The court concluded that such a law was unenforceable and therefore should be removed. Perhaps the greatest tragedy rendered by this esteemed community of jurists is revealed in what they did not do. Sadly, there were no votes asserting that pornography was horribly wrong and posed a clear and present danger to this country. But lo, it seems that these nine justices who preside over the judicial branch of our government believe that even smut is a protected form of speech.

    The Bible speaks with great force regarding sexual immorality (pornea) and to suggest that God simply opposes it is a huge understatement. God HATES this sin! He abhors it! He does so in part because it goes totally contrary to His purpose for mankind. God invented sex and revealed its proper use. Consider what Jesus Himself said when explaining why God created man and woman in the first place. When speaking to the religious leaders of His day, Jesus said: “Have you not read, that He which made them at the beginning made them male and female, For this reason shall a man leave his father and mother, and cleave unto his wife: and they twain shall be one flesh” (Mt.19:4-5). The words the Messiah used when speaking to the Pharisees at this time were taken from the very first marriage ceremony in history. They were used in the Garden of Eden when God joined Adam and Eve together as husband and wife (Gen. 2:24).

    Later the apostle Paul used the identical words spoken by Jesus, and explained that the God ordained purpose for marriage was to picture the relationship between Jesus Christ and His church (Eph.5:31-32). Imagine that! God designed sex and marriage to picture something divine. Marriage involves intimacy and trust and contrary to what some may argue, pornography doesn’t advance either of these wonderful qualities. Pornography is a wrecker of lives, a thief of innocence, and a destroyer of civilizations. It is an enemy that man would be wise to avoid because despite what so many contend, this is one thing that cannot be done in moderation. In the United States sexual addiction has reached epidemic proportions and the numbers keep growing. Despite this fact, our culture can’t seem to get enough of it. One only has to go to the Internet to find virtually thousands of examples of smut and filth laid “bare” in the name of freedom.

    At this point, it is important to understand that mankind was created in the very image of God Himself. With this in mind, what does the exploitation of sex say to that Creator? Does it reinforce His purpose for love and family or does it mock that purpose? Does it show deference to the Eternal God of heaven or does it mock Him (Gal.6:7). Mankind may be ambivalent when it comes to sexual immorality but God most definitely is not. Here is what He says about such things: Jesus said adultery “defiles the man” (Matt.15:19). In the Old Testament God declared to Israel that it was a capital offense (Lev.20:10). In the New Testament the apostle Paul called it a work of the flesh (Gal.5:9).

    When it comes to fornication the scriptures are just as clear in their condemnation. Paul called it a sin against the body (1Cor.6:18). Jesus indicated that it was grounds for annulling a marriage (Mt.5:32). But it doesn’t end there. The Bible also speaks powerfully against other sexual sins that are frequently seen in pornography. Clearly the God of the Bible understands promiscuity to be a mortal threat to man’s happiness and as such condemns it in all its forms. Despite this truth, America leads the way in its disdain of morality.

    Today, organizations that espouse traditional values have actually been characterized as extremist. The Boy Scouts of America are just one example. This institution, which has long been regarded as a builder of character in millions of American boys is now labeled in the secular world as a “hate group” because of their position on homosexuality. They were actually booed at a national political convention when they came out as the designated honor guard carrying the American flag. But there is much more.

    Social engineers like the ACLU and People for the American Way, which exert tremendous political and cultural influence, will in one breath argue that the mention of God in a public setting poses a clear and present danger to the republic, and in the next, defend an artist’s right to display a work entitled Piss Christ as essential in preserving our liberties. Hot on the heels of this logic is an avalanche of smut and garbage posing as freedom of expression – but God forbid anyone call it what it really is.

        In 1992, The Sex Information and Education Council of the United States came up with national guidelines for sex education in America’s public schools. These guidelines, from one of the most prestigious private educational groups in the country, now teach that "no form of sexual orientation or family structure is morally superior to any other.

        When Jesus prophesied that the last days would be like those during the time of Lot, He was underscoring how much today’s world would be "without natural affection." Nothing more graphically illustrates this point than the prevalence and acceptance of homosexuality in our world. This practice is also known as sodomy (after the ancient city, Sodom, where "all the men from every part of the city, both young and old" attempted to have sex with the male angels who were visiting the home of Lot, the nephew of the great patriarch Abraham’s. That night the city was destroyed (Genesis 19:4-5). Tragically, our society’s view on sodomy is becoming more like that which prevailed in Sodom "in the days of Lot."

Key VII

The Gospel Shall be Preached  

"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"

Mt.24:14

      The gospel of the kingdom is something that links all the champions of the faith, from the Old Testament prophets to his end-time servants. Furthermore, unlike other warnings Jesus said would identify the last days, this particular announcement was specifically linked to His return to earth to subdue the nations.

    Never before in human history has the fulfillment of this prophecy been possible. Not only has advancements in technology opened doors that were once unavailable to God’s servants, but even the geopolitical landscape has changed as well. With the fall of places like the Soviet Union and East Germany as well as the emergence of democracies, religious freedom is far more prominent in the world today.

    According to most estimates almost two billion people on earth had never heard the phonetic utterance “Jesus Christ” let alone heard His gospel message just ten years ago. Today that has all changed. According to The Almanac of the Christian World  Christianity has touched virtually every country in the world. Furthermore, over 50 million Bibles are distributed every year, as well as nearly 80 million New Testaments. The entire Bible or parts thereof are now available to about 98 percent of the world’s population, having been translated partially or entirely into over 2,000 different languages.

    Additionally, there are over 3 billion books with Christian themes being printed every year by more than 1,500 presses and publishers. Additionally, over 3,000 radio and television stations carry messages pertaining to the Bible.

    Never in the course of history has it been possible to preach the Gospel in all the world to all nations as it is right now. — If not directly by God’s true servants, it is certainly being preached in part via modern mediums of radio, television, and telecommunications. This is a conclusive prophecy by Jesus that shows that we are now living in the time of the end! 
A Final Thought

    Are we living in the last days? If the answer to this question is “no” then Jesus Christ is a liar and the Bible cannot be trusted. Furthermore, God himself must be regarded as a fake. It is true that every generation has thought that it was the last, but no preceding one has ever matched Jesus warning with such precision. Every biblical pronouncement regarding the end of man’s rule on this planet coincides perfectly with the world we live in. We may not know the day or the hour of the Messiah’s return to this world, but we can know the season. And make no mistake about it, we are in that season.  

To the World

Help From Above!

"I will lift up my eyes to the mountains; from whence shall my help come? My help comes
from the Lord, who made heaven and earth," (Psalm 121:1-2).

Military Retired

My Name is Roger. I Spent 30 years in the United States Army and retired in December 1994.
Since then, I work with my Brother selling Motor Homes on Ebay.

I hope to create a Christian Blog Site. I want and plan to post something everyday, maybe it will be what you want to hear and will help in some way. My wife of 36 years died in 2005 and we had a Christian home, raised 4 wonderful children, and now have 3 beautiful grand daughters.

Again, I hope my site will help at least one person, if it does, it will be worth all the effort put into it.

Roger