Prototypes of the Beast

Though tyrants and murderous despots have plagued the world since the beginning of time, not all of them have risen to power through violence and bloodshed. Rather, some have assumed power through deception and flattery.

Certainly, the previous century had its share of brutal tyrants such as Adolf Hitler, Benito Mussolini and Josef Stalin. However, unlike Mussolini and Stalin, Hitler rose to power through fraud and deceit. He literally conned millions of Germans into electing him Germany's chancellor in 1933.

How did that happen? How did a nation of educated people become so deceived as to elect one of the most evil men who ever lived? That happened because millions of people allowed their feelings to dictate their actions. They fell for Hitler's charm, wit and propaganda. And they willingly chose to ignore his past.

That past included a rambling, paranoid manifesto titled; Mein Kampf  that was published in 1925. In his book, Hitler spelled out his worldview and his political philosophy. That philosophy demonized the Jews as human devils that controlled the global banking system and were determined to take over the world.

And Hitler revealed what he would do with the Jews if he ever gained political power.
Mein Kampf should've been a warning to the German people that Adolf Hitler was an extremely dangerous man who embraced bizarre ideas.

Tragically, they ignored his past and allowed the Fuhrer to mesmerize them with his hypnotic speeches and utopian promises to transform Germany into an elite nation that would lead the world into a new age.

Instead, Hitler led Germany and much of Europe into a nightmarish hell. Not only did 11 million people perish in his Holocaust, including six million Jews, but over 50 million people died in the second world war that he instigated. Many Germans subsequently claimed that if they had been aware of Hitler's bizarre views, they never would have voted for him. However, his ideas were well known by then. Millions of people simply chose to ignore the evidence.

We saw a similar occurrence six years ago with the election of Barack Obama as America's 44th president. Though he was already known as a far left Marxist radical who associated with racists, Obama fooled millions of people in the run up to the 2008 election by promoting himself as a church-going Christian and a political centrist.

The "Christian" church he attended was led by an arch-racist pastor named Jeremiah Wright who was a disciple of James Cone who is considered to be the father of the racist Black Liberation theology. Obama's "centrist" political views were garnered from radical terrorists such as Bill Ayers and Bernardine Dohrn, and from communists such as Frank Marshall Davis and Harvard Professor Derrick Bell.

Like millions of Germans who willingly ignored Adolf Hitler's past, millions of Americans ignored Obama's past and elected a wicked man who was determined to impose his radical Marxist agenda upon the United States. And like millions of Germans who expressed bitter disappointment and shock at Hitler's wickedness, millions of Americans have expressed remorse at Obama's evil. And yet, the people were the ones who chose these wicked leaders. Thus, they got what they deserved.

Barack Obama isn't Adolf Hitler. He's not a mass murderer, but he's a clever con artist who understands that if one speaks well and presents the right image, many people will ignore their past and embrace whatever they're told. Just as millions of Germans ignored Hitler's past and elected him in 1933.

The elections of wicked men such as Adolf Hitler and Barack Obama reveal a very serious problem that has plagued human beings since the dawn of history, and that problem is their penchant for idolatry. Both Hitler and Obama became idols to millions of people who worshiped them as gods.

Both men also exploited terrible economic conditions to promote their con and get themselves elected. And by doing so, both of these men became prototypes of the coming Antichrist.

What does the Bible tell us about this coming dreaded world ruler? It reveals that he will appear to the world as a benevolent man of peace who will be an elaborate counterfeit of Jesus Christ. The apostle Paul warned that people who are most vulnerable to being deceived are those who refuse to examine the evidence and believe whatever they're told: "By smooth talk and flattery they (deceivers) deceive the minds of naive people." (Romans 16:18)

Concerning the Antichrist, he will arrive on the world stage as a peacemaker (Revelation 13:11); he will perform incredible miracles (Revelation 13:13); he will suffer a mortal wound and then recover (Revelation 13:3); he will have an advance prophet as Christ did with John the Baptist (Revelation 19:20) and he will be empowered by Satan (Revelation 13:2).

The Bible also tells us that he will be a "a stern-faced king, a master of intrigue..." (Daniel 8:23) who will "become very strong, but not by his own power. He will cause astounding devastation and succeed in whatever he does." (Revelation 8:24) And scripture reveals that he will persecute Christians and Jews: "he will destroy the mighty men and the holy people. He will cause deceit to prosper, and he will consider himself superior." (Daniel 8:25)

And the Bible reveals that when the world least expects it, this evil ruler will commit mass murder on a scale that no one has ever witnessed: "When they (world residents) feel secure, he will destroy many and take his stand against the Prince of princes (Jesus Christ). Yet he will be destroyed, but not by his own power." (Daniel 8:25)

Both Christ and the apostle Paul echoed the murderous and destructive nature of this coming world ruler. Christ said this: "For then there will be great distress, unequaled from the beginning of the world until now--and never to be equaled again. If those days had not been cut short, no one would survive, but for the sake of the elect those days will be shortened." (Matthew 24:22)

And Paul wrote this: "While people are saying, 'Peace and Safety,' destruction will come on them suddenly, as labor pains on a pregnant woman, and they will not escape." (1 Thessalonians 5:3)
Obviously, such a wicked man can only gain power through massive deceit. No one would willingly support such a destructive person, even if that person possesses a charismatic personality and performs miracles.

And so, this man won't be a world leader who suddenly turns to corruption--he will be a vile person from the beginning whose evil past will be overlooked by many because he will tell people "what their itching ears want to hear." (2 Timothy 4:3)

It was author Tom Robbins who said it best: "Those who willingly accept being conned are as corrupt as those who con them." Thus, wicked people elect wicked leaders after their own hearts. Wicked people think with their emotions because if something feels good to them, they believe that it must be good.

And like all classical con artists, the Antichrist will exploit the instincts of wicked people who base their decisions on feelings and emotions.  He will make the world feel good through powerful hypnotic speeches coupled with incredible miracles that science won't be able to explain away.

In fact, Paul warned that this wicked ruler will rise to power through the supernatural: "The coming of the lawless one will be in accordance with the work of Satan displayed in all kinds of counterfeit miracles, signs and wonders and in every sort of evil that deceives those who are perishing." (2 Thessalonians 2:9-10)

And why will these people perish? Because like all folks throughout history who have perished at the hands of wicked con artists, they allow their feelings to overrule their intellects. Paul continued: "They perish because they refused to love the truth and so be saved. For this reason God sends them a powerful delusion so that they will believe the lie and so that all will be condemned who have not believed the truth but have delighted in wickedness." (2 Thessalonians 2:10-12)

Tragically, many people are most vulnerable to deception when things are bad. Biblical prophecy reveals that the Antichrist will rise to power when evil and violence are rampant on the earth. Millions will seek a savior who will promise to bring an end to strife and restore law and order on the planet. And that "savior", without any biblical credentials, will appear and claim to be Jesus Christ who has returned from heaven to establish his kingdom on earth.

Christ warned: "At that time if anyone says to you, 'Look, here is the Christ!' or, 'There he is!' do not believe it. For false Christs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and miracles to deceive even the elect--if that were possible. See, I have told you ahead of time." (Matthew 24:23-25)

But is anyone listening?

Russia and The Last Days III

Members of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization

What is the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO)? It's a Eurasian political, economic and military organization that was founded in 2001. What's its purpose? To provide the eastern world with an effective counterpart to the European Union and NATO.

The SCO consists of 17 nations: Six members (China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan); five observer states (Afghanistan, India, Iran, Mongolia, Pakistan); three dialogue partners (Belarus, Sri Lanka, Turkey) and three guest attendees (ASEAN, CIS, Turkmenistan). 

What's so significant about the SCO? It's the progenitor of the coming eastern world power that the Bible identifies as Gog, Magog. (Ezekiel 38-39) 

Who are Gog and Magog? Gog is Russia and Magog will initially consist of Austria, Germany, Hungary, Romania, Poland and Slovakia. 

Eventually, the Russian alliance will grow to include Switzerland, France, Belgium, Turkey, Armenia, Georgia, Azerbaijan and the United Kingdom. 

Some of these nations are current members of NATO. NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization) consists of 28 members and was formed in 1949 to defend the world against tyrants such as Adolf Hitler and Josef Stalin who possessed visions of world supremacy. 

NATO was also created to provide a wedge against the old Soviet Union in order to prevent the Communist leviathan from spreading its influence across the globe. 

In response to NATO, the Soviet Union instituted the Warsaw Pact in 1955 to prevent NATO and the western world from encroaching into its territory. Thus, the Cold War waged between the west and the east until the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991.

Since the collapse of the Soviet Union, the world's police force has grown bored and lazy. Despite the threat that's risen from Islamic fundamentalism that seeks to export Islam across the world with the goal of establishing a global caliphate, many NATO members now refuse to take Islamic fundamentalism seriously.

As such, a growing portion of the western world is slowly and methodically succumbing to Islam. Many of the emerging nations in the eastern world have taken notice and want nothing to do with Islam. Russian president Vladimir Putin has emphatically stated that "we had better learn from the suicides of America, England, Holland and France, if we are to survive as a nation. The Muslims are taking over those countries and they will not take over Russia." 

http://www.prophecyreviewonline.org/apps/articles

But Russia is destined to take over Europe, the Middle East, much of Asia and Northern Africa. And when the Bear does, Islam will go away and for good.

And what will Russia replace Islam with? Orthodox Christianity that has its historical roots in the Roman Catholic Church. And the "Christianity" that Russia will impose over her empire will be similar to the Catholicism that was imposed by Rome over the Holy Roman Empire for nearly 1,000 years; very legalistic, paternalistic and authoritarian.

In other words, those who are citizens of the coming Russian empire will be given a choice to either convert to Christianity or go elsewhere. The end time global religion identified in the Bible isn't Islam. Rather, it's a counterfeit form of Christianity that forces everyone to worship the Antichrist as God.

And the Bible reveals that Gog and her military alliance Magog will attempt to invade Israel at some point in the future at an event the Bible identifies as Armageddon: "In the latter years you will come into the land of those brought back from the sword and gathered from many people on the mountains of Israel, which had long been desolate; they were brought out of the nations, and now all of them dwell safely. You will ascend, coming like a storm, covering the land like a cloud, you and all your troops and many peoples with you." (Ezekiel 38:8-9)

And then the Lord will return to rescue Israel and destroy Gog and Magog: "And it will come to pass at the same time, when Gog comes against the land of Israel," says the Lord God, "that My fury will show in My face. For in My jealousy and in the fire of My wrath I have spoken: Surely in that day there shall be a great earthquake in the land of Israel, so that the fish of the sea, the birds of the heavens, the beasts of the field, all creeping things that creep on the earth, and all men who are on the face of the earth shall shake at My presence. The mountains shall be thrown down, the steep places shall fall, and every wall shall fall to the ground. I will call for a sword against Gog throughout all My mountains," says the Lord God. "Every man’s sword will be against his brother. And I will bring him to judgment with pestilence and bloodshed; I will rain down on him, on his troops, and on the many peoples who are with him, flooding rain, great hailstones, fire, and brimstone. Thus I will magnify Myself and sanctify Myself, and I will be known in the eyes of many nations. Then they shall know that I am the Lord." (Ezekiel 38:18-23)

Indeed, the future belongs not to the west, but to Russia and her military alliance. The current economic sanctions against Russia won't last. And Russia will remember who tried to hurt her.

Thus, bad times are ahead for the west. And bad times are also ahead for the entire world when Gog and Magog rise to power.

Russia and The Last Days II

The final world empire: Gog and Magog

Even those who disdain the Bible and dismiss its prophecies concerning the end times admit that the United States and the western world are in very serious trouble. The United States has been the world's unmatched superpower since the end of World War II, but that's about to change.

How so? A nation is only as strong as its moral foundation. When that foundation begins to erode, then unless it's fixed, a nation's collapse is inevitable.  

Ironically, it was the late Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev who stated in 1962 following the infamous Cuban Missile Crisis that Soviet ICBMs wouldn't be needed to conquer the U.S. Rather, he predicted that America would destroy herself from within.

Whether Khrushchev was a prophet or just a moral philosopher is debatable. But what isn't debatable is his prediction that's coming true. The United States is indeed destroying itself from within. 

America was once considered the most Christian nation on earth. But no more. The U.S. has become a post-Christian nation where hedonism, debauchery, sexual perversion and infanticide are celebrated. 

America has also become a nation plagued by violence, sectarian unrest and on the brink of a race war. The sectarian unrest and potential race war are being encouraged by influential folks who embrace Charles Darwin as their prophet and Karl Marx as their messiah. 

Who are these folks? They include wealthy leftists, media moguls, educational elites and celebrity politicians who want to eliminate capitalism and replace it with communism. America's shift toward fascism isn't a recent phenomenon; it's been going on since the days of Franklin D. Roosevelt. 

Thus, biblical prophecy reveals that the U.S. has one more mission left in the world before it falls from power. And that mission will be to overthrow the Islamic government of Iran and destroy its nuclear program. 

http://prophecyreviewtoday.blogspot.com/2014/11/iran-and-2016.html

The emerging powers in the eastern world have been paying close attention to the demise of America and the west. While Islam has been slowly and steadily destroying many nations in Western Europe like a deadly cancer, the emerging eastern powers have decided that Islam has no place in their world or in the coming new world order that they will eventually control. 

Who are some of these nations? They include China, Russia, India, South Korea and Germany. But the big players are China and Russia that possess the natural and financial resources to bury the west. They understand just how dangerous Islam is and they want to eradicate it.

In a 2013 speech to the Duma, Russian President Vladimir Putin stated the obvious: "In Russia, we live as Russians. Any minority, from anywhere, if it wants to live in Russia, to work and eat in Russia, should speak Russian, and should respect the Russian laws. If they prefer Sharia Law, and live the life of Muslims, then we advise them to go to those places where that's the state law. Russia does not need Muslim minorities. Minorities need Russia, and we will not grant them special privileges, or try to change our laws to fit their desires, no matter how loud they yell discrimination."

http://www.snopes.com/politics

And then, Putin took a swipe at the U.S. and the west with this comment: "We will not tolerate disrespect of our Russian culture. We had better learn from the suicides of America, England, Holland and France, if we are to survive as a nation. The Muslims are taking over those countries and they will not take over Russia. The Russian customs and traditions are not compatible with the lack of culture or the primitive ways of Sharia Law and Muslims. When this honorable legislative body thinks of creating new laws, it should have in mind the Russian national interest first, observing that the Muslim minorities are not Russians." 

Those aren't the comments of a tinpot dictator such as Robert Mugabe who rules an impoverished third-world outhouse like Zimbabwe. Rather, they're the comments of a powerful man who controls a vast amount of natural resources and the world's largest--and growing--nuclear arsenal. 

Many folks believe that once Putin is gone, Russia will become a more benevolent nation. But that's a foolish assumption because Vladimir Putin speaks the language of not only Russia, but a growing part of the eastern world that wants nothing to do with Islam and its violent heritage. 

Whoever succeeds Putin is likely to pursue Putin's vision for a Russia that dominates not only the eastern world, but the entire world as well.

And biblical prophecy reveals that Russia is indeed going to dominate not only the east, but the west as well. The prophet Ezekiel, who lived about 2,500 years ago, revealed that the end time world will be ruled by Russia and her political coalition. (Ezekiel 38-39)

In Part III, the rise of Gog and Magog.  

Russia and the Last Days

Russia's latest killing machine: The RS-26

When the United States and the European Union slapped economic sanctions against Russia for her annexation of Crimea and military incursions into the Ukraine, many folks believed that the Bear had finally been tamed.

Indeed, the sanctions, along with a glut of cheap crude oil on the international market inflicted serious pain on the Russian Ruble. While the sanctions had some effect on the Russian economy, the glut of cheap crude had a much greater effect. 

Why? Because Russia is one of the largest petroleum producing nations in the world. And her economy does well when the price of crude oil is high. 

But the price of crude is low and the U.S. is a big reason for that because the Obama administration has allowed the American oil industry to flood the global market with oil via fracking. 

Was that done intentionally to hurt Russia's economy? Does the sun rise in the east? Of course, the Obama administration allowed the American oil companies to turn up the spigots in order to tank the price of oil on the global market and hurt Russia.

But Russia doesn't figure to remain down economically for too long because the Bear recently signed a $400 billion deal with China to supply its southern neighbor with natural gas for the next 30 years.

From bloomberg.com: China and Russia deepened their energy ties with a second blockbuster deal that lessens Russian reliance on Europe and would secure almost a fifth of the gas supplies China needs by the end of the decade. Russian oil firm OAO Gazprom is negotiating the supply of as much as 30 billion cubic meters of gas annually from developments in West Siberia to China over 30 years, it said. At the same time, another Russian producer, OAO Rosneft, agreed to sell a 10 percent stake in a Siberian unit to state-owned China National Petroleum Corp.

The energy deal not only provides Russia with badly needed cash to rejuvenate her sagging economy, it also moves China ahead of Germany as the Bear's biggest natural gas customer. What's the big deal about that? 

The big deal is this: Germany is a member of the EU and NATO while China isn't. Thus, if the Germans decide to hurt Russia by buying natural gas from someone else, it won't hurt the Bear much at all. In fact, as the Shanghai Cooperation Organization continues to grow, the European Union and NATO will continue to decline in influence and power. 

What's the Shanghai Cooperation Organization? The SCO is a Eurasian political, economic and military organization made up of China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan. One of the SCO's goals is to counterbalance and ultimately overcome the power of the EU and NATO. 

And that will happen when global economic and military power shifts to the eastern world. The Chinese hold the key to the transfer of economic power while the Russians hold the key to the transfer of military power.

In fact, the Russians recently announced the development of their latest long range ICBM, dubbed the RS-26. According to Russia's Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin, the RS-26 is unstoppable: "Neither modern nor prospective American missile defenses will be able to prevent this missile from being able to hit the bull's eye." infowars.com  

As with many of Russia's current ICBMs, the RS-26 will be launch capable from silos, mobile vehicles and nuclear subs. If Rogozin isn't blowing smoke about Russia's newest missile, then the Russians will have the capability of blowing up a lot of places on earth. And according to Russia's Strategic Missile Force Commander, Lt. Gen. Sergey Karakayev, the RS-26 will be fully operational in 2016.

Will the Russians use the RS-26 and other ICBMs against their enemies? Only time will tell. However, nearly 2,600 years ago the Hebrew prophet Daniel saw a vision of the end times proceeding the return of Jesus Christ. 

What he saw was mass devastation. Concerning the coming Antichrist who'll head a world government, Daniel wrote this: "He will cause astounding devastation and succeed in whatever he does." (Daniel 8:24) 

The apostle Paul wrote this concerning the devastation that will be caused by the coming world government: "While people are saying peace and safety, destruction will come on them suddenly, as labor pains on a pregnant woman, and they will not escape." (1 Thessalonians 5:3) 

And Christ issued His own caveat concerning the last days: "For then there will be great distress, unequaled from the beginning of the world until now--and never to be equaled again. If those days had not been cut short, no one would survive, but for the sake of the elect those days will be shortened." (Matthew 24:21-22)

The type of devastation that Daniel, Paul and Christ described can only come from nuclear weapons. And while the United States continues to emasculate its military and dispose of its nuclear arsenal, the Russians and Chinese are increasing theirs. 

And the rise of Russia and China as world powers is prophetic. What about the U.S.? According to prophecy, America's days as a global power are numbered. When will the U.S. fall? Stay tuned for Part II.

Christmas and Christ

Unfortunately, for many people who identify themselves as Christians, December 25 is about the only day of the year where they even acknowledge the name of Jesus Christ. How sad.

What's also sad is the fact that December 25 isn't the true birthday of Jesus Christ. That date was assigned to the Messiah's birth sometime during the 4th Century A.D. when the early Catholic Church decided to combine the Saturnalia with the birth of Jesus Christ.

The Saturnalia was a pagan festival celebrated in honor of the Roman god Saturn. The fledgling Catholic Church got the idea that it could attract many new members by changing the name of the pagan celebration to the Mass of Christ or Christmas.

Stephen Nissenbaum, a professor of history at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, writes: "In return for ensuring massive observance of the anniversary of the Savior’s birth by assigning it to this resonant date, the Church for its part tacitly agreed to allow the holiday to be celebrated more or less the way it had always been. The earliest Christmas holidays were celebrated by drinking, sexual indulgence, singing naked in the streets (a precursor of modern caroling), etc."
http://www.simpletoremember.com/vitals/Christmas

Not exactly the way you'd expect our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ to be honored. And yet, that's where Christmas came from.

What day was Christ actually born on? We don't know. However, based on Luke's gospel, we can get a good idea of the approximate time. Luke mentions that the angel Gabriel appeared to Mary "in the sixth month" (Luke 1:26) to inform her that she would give birth to the Messiah.

The sixth month on the Hebrew calendar coincides with August-September on the Gregorian calendar that we follow. Assuming (and this is merely an assumption) that Mary conceived shortly thereafter, Christ would've been born the following May or June. But again, we don't know.

However, what we do know, based on Luke's account, was that Christ couldn't have been born in late December. First of all, Emperor Caesar Augustus ordered a census to be taken of the Roman world at that time. (Luke 2:1-3)

That meant that all Roman citizens--including Joseph and Mary--had to return to their hometowns to be counted. Caesar Augustus never would've ordered the census in late December because that was during the rainy season that muddied the ancient roads and made travel practically impossible.

Secondly, Luke recounts that God's angels appeared to several shepherds to announce the birth of Christ. (Luke 2:8-20) According to Luke, the shepherds "were living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night." (Luke 2:8) No doubt, the shepherds were in the fields at night to guard against poachers, predatory animals and sheep that tried to wander off.

But the shepherds weren't in the fields at night during the month of December. It was too cold and wet. So again, Luke's account betrays the December 25th narrative.

And so, Jesus Christ wasn't born on December 25. Is it wrong then for the world to celebrate Christmas?

Yes and no. Yes from the standpoint that December 25 is not the historical birthday of Christ and shouldn't be promoted as such. And no from the standpoint that folks should celebrate the Messiah's birth because Christ's appearance in the world forever changed the course of human history. Christ said this: "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life." (John 3:16)

It's more important to celebrate the life, ministry, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ than it is to hold a birthday celebration for the Messiah on a day that's not his birthday. And sadly, for millions of people across the world, Christmas is nothing but a commercial holiday fueled by greed and lust for material things. They couldn't care less about Christ.

Concerning the celebration and worship of Christ, the apostle Paul said it best: "Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!" (Philippians 4:4) Or, as the Psalmist wrote about 1,000 years before Christ was born: "Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever." (Psalm 118:1)

Will the world celebrate Christmas when Christ comes back? That's unlikely. Jesus Christ is all about truth and love. He's not about falsehood. And He will never lend His name to something that is rooted in paganism, no matter how much it's promoted as a Christian holiday.

The Via Dolorosa 2015

A young Christian Iraqi: Getting schooled early in persecution 

For millions of folks across the world, Christmas is a joyous time of peace and the celebration of the birth of the Messiah Jesus Christ.

But for many others--too many others--Christmas is just another day of misery on earth. Unless you've been living in some remote place that's cut off from modern civilization, then you know what I mean.

Christians are being brutally persecuted throughout the world from the Middle East to Asia to Africa. And the persecution has now reached the western world that was once considered a bastion of Christianity. But no more.

Certainly, Christians aren't losing their homes, possessions and their heads in the West as they are in various parts of the Middle East. But the storm clouds of persecution are gathering. And they look ominous.

For example, when U.S. Army Chaplain Joseph Lawhorn recently shared his Christian faith with a troubled soldier who was battling depression, he was disciplined by the U.S. military for "crossing the line." 

Why did Lawhorn share his faith with the soldier? Because he related that his faith in Christ helped him overcome his own bout with depression. 

But to the U.S. military, sharing one's Christian faith is now considered a criminal act and Lawhorn was punished, even though he's a chaplain. 

And military chaplains used to be able to share their Christian faith until the antagonistic Obama administration ordered the military to shut their mouths. From frontpagemag.com: A single soldier was “offended” by Lawhorn’s presentation and reported him to the Military Association of Atheists and Freethinkers (MAAF). Writing on behalf the MAAF, former Army Captain Jason Torpy characterized Lawhorn’s presentation as “an abuse of power and a violation of regulations.” He further accused Lawhorn of engaging in “conscience protection” which he defined as “an insidious legal tool designed to allow military chaplains to use their power and authority to evangelize vulnerable military populations.” 

The U.S. military's discipline of Chaplain Lawhorn isn't an isolated incident. Recently, the Air National Guard removed a column from one of its publications that was written by Col. Florencio Marquinez because Col. Marquinez used the column to share his faith in Jesus Christ. 

http://www.foxnews.com/opinion/2014/10/31/does-military-have-problem-with-jesus/?

Col. Marquinez's column was taken down after the Military Religious Freedom Foundation--a misnomer--filed a complaint with the Pentagon. 

The Military Religious Freedom Foundation was founded by Mikey Weinstein and serves as the Obama administration's Gestapo in silencing the Christian witness in the U.S. military. To give you an idea just how much Weinstein hates Christianity, here's a quote: "We are at war with a subset of evangelical Christianity. How many? Roughly 12.6 percent of the American public or 38 million people."

http://www.prayinjesusname.org/2010/04/mikeyquotes/

Persecution of Christians in America certainly isn't limited to the Christian men and women who serve in the U.S. military. Likely a deadly cancer, it's metastasized into the media, educational system, entertainment industry and into all levels of government. 

ACLJ senior counsel David French said this: "One of the most strident examples: the misuse of the Establishment Clause to attempt to ban any mention of God from historical markers, monuments or even museum exhibits. This represents an effort to whitewash God from American history and change our national identity." 

http://www.worthynews.com/11755-rising-persecution-of-u-s-christians

And Liberty Institute Founder Kelly Shackleford said this: "There are children being prohibited from writing Merry Christmas to the soldiers, senior citizens being banned from praying over their meals in the Senior Center, the VA banning the mention of God in military funerals, numerous attempts to have veterans memorials torn down if they have any religious symbols, such as a cross, and I could go on and on." 

Skeptics will argue that the type of persecution Christians are facing in America is minuscule compared to the persecution they're experiencing elsewhere in the world. And they're correct.

However, physical persecution inevitably begins with intellectual degradation. Once a group of people has been marginalized, then it becomes easy to dehumanize them. And once they've been dehumanized, then it becomes easy to brutalize them. If you don't believe that, then you probably don't remember the Holocaust and how that nightmarish period came to be.

Is there a coming Christian Holocaust? It's already happening in certain parts of the world. Will it come to the West? Remember how the Jews were treated in Europe prior to the rise of Hitler's Third Reich? Yes, it could happen here.

The end time persecution of Christians is prophetic. Christ warned us: "Then you will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of me." (Matthew 24:9) And the apostle Paul wrote this: "In fact, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ will be persecuted..." (2 Timothy 3:12)

And why are Christians so hated by the world? Christ said this: "If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world." (John 15:18-19)

Christians have experienced persecution throughout the centuries in varying degrees. And they've even been persecuted by false Christians in the name of a counterfeit Christ. 

But sadly, the worst is yet to come. And when it comes, who will have the courage to stand with Christ and refuse to renounce their faith?

Bad Times and The End Times

An all-too familiar scene in the 21st century

If biblical prophecy interests you at all, then pay special attention to this prophecy recorded by the apostle Paul 2,000 years ago: "But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days." (2 Timothy 3:1)

For those who believe that Paul received that revelation directly from God, they're convinced Paul's prophecy is being fulfilled today right before their eyes. 

But for those who view the Bible as just another religious book written by primitive men who lacked the scientific knowledge that men possess today, nothing will convince them that Paul's prophecy is now being realized. And so, this message has no value for them. 

But for those who recognize that biblical prophecy comes from God and "never had its origin in the will of man" (2 Peter 1:21), then this message has great value to you.

Paul warned us that the end times or the last days on earth would be exceedingly evil. But every effect has its cause. And the effect of evil in the end times has two specific causes: (1) mankind's rebellion against God and (2) the decline and decay of the Christian church in the world.

Concerning mankind's multiplied rebellion against God in the last days, Paul explained why: "People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God--having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with them." (2 Timothy 3:2-5) 

Paul not only revealed the root cause for the explosion of evil in the last days--man's rejection of God--but the impotency of the end time church that encourages the root cause.

Since the mid-19th century, the Christian church throughout the world has increasingly abandoned the biblical gospel for the weak and worthless social gospel that emphasizes human works rather than the cross.

In other words, the redemptive power of the cross where Jesus Christ died for the sins of mankind is being substituted for good works, ecumenicism and social justice.

Without the cross, there is no power to redeem lost souls and change human hearts. Paul wrote: "I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile. For in the gospel a righteousness from God is revealed, a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: 'The righteous will live by faith.'" (Romans 1:16-17)

What does the gospel tell us? It tells us that without God, human beings are like ships drifting aimlessly at sea. It also tells us that apart from God, we become increasingly reprobate. And the gospel tells us that the only way back to God is through the redemptive power of Christ.

However, before we come to Christ, we need to repent of our sins. Unless we're willing to look at ourselves the way God looks at us--as fallen sinners in need of salvation--we'll never see the need for repentance. And without repentance, there can be no salvation.

The apostle James wrote: "Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Grieve, mourn and wail. Change your laughter to mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up." (James 4:7-10)

Had the Christian church continued to preach that message, then I don't think that we'd be witnessing the escalating crime, violence and human tragedies that we're seeing, like the recent tragedy that took place in Brooklyn, N.Y where two police officers were murdered in cold blood.

A world that either denies God or treats Him as some dusty old relic that sits forgotten on a mantel is a very dangerous place indeed.

God is not some historical figure who vanished 2,000 years ago after Christ went to Calvary. He's as alive today as He's always been. He hasn't gone anywhere. It's us who have turned our backs and left Him. 

Cuba and the New World Order

Cuba: In the center of the conflict

What's the real reason behind President Obama's recent decision to lift economic sanctions against Cuba?

Was it because of Obama's kindness and compassion toward the Cuban people? Hardly. Those are attributes that are completely foreign to Obama. Rather, it was because of the growing military threat from Russia and Cuba's geographical location to the United States.

Those who are old enough may remember the Cuban missile crisis that took place in 1962. That crisis was sparked by two events; (1) America's failed overthrow attempt of Cuban dictator Fidel Castro in 1961 that was known as the Bay of Pigs invasion and (2) U.S. ICBMs that were placed throughout Europe and in Turkey that were aimed at Moscow.

The Bay of Pigs invasion was designed to get rid of Castro and his communist government that had ousted President Fulgencio Batista in 1959 during the Cuban Revolution. The Cuban missile crisis resulted from Cuba's response to prevent further overthrow attempts by the U.S.

The Cuban government imported several potent Russian ICBMs with the intent of launching them against the U.S. in the event of another invasion. That crisis nearly led to a nuclear confrontation between Russia and the U.S. before diplomacy won out and the Russians agreed to remove and dismantle the missiles.

However, it's important to remember that the only reason why Cuba became a communist entity in 1959 was because of its geographical proximity to the United States.

Prior to the "revolution" that began in 1953, Cuba had been a free nation and a popular tourist destination. In fact, the city of Havana was home to several casinos that were built and managed by some of America's most notorious crime families.

But Cuba's proximity to the U.S. was extremely important to the Russians who viewed Cuba as a vital place to neutralize and threaten America militarily.

More importantly, if the U.S. was able to aim its nuclear missiles at Russia from Europe and Asia Minor, then the Russians needed to level the playing field. And Cuba was that playing field.

Hence, the Russians needed to overthrow Cuba's government and install a puppet regime that was loyal to Moscow. And in Castro; his brother Raul and a bloodthirsty murderer named Che Guevara, the Russians had found their puppets.

As they say, the rest is history. Once a beautiful nation, Cuba became a socialist sewer of poverty, starvation and oppression, not unlike North Korea. And when the Soviet Union finally collapsed in 1991, Cuba became even more desolate.

Certainly, the Castros survived as buffoonish tinpot dictators, ruling over an impoverished island. And only arch-idiots and deluded fools choose to believe that Cuba became a better place to live under the Castros.

America's economic embargo of Cuba, that was enacted in 1960, has largely been a farce. Goods, services and money have flowed freely to and from the island since then. But the Cuban people have continued to suffer because of the Castros rather than because of a paper economic boycott.

And so, Obama's lifting of economic sanctions is more rhetoric than compassion. What the Obama administration really seeks to accomplish is to make friends with Raul Castro and persuade him to keep the Russians away from his island.

You see, Vladimir Putin wants to rebuild a new Russian world empire that would replace the old Soviet Union that died in 1991. And he wants to include Cuba in that empire because of its proximity to America and because the U.S. is literally dismantling its military and nuclear arsenal under Obama.

Putin probably won't get his wish right away because Russia's economy is reeling. But eventually he or a successor will. Cuba will go to the Russians and America will go to the dogs.

Concerning the coming global government, biblical prophecy reveals that Russia is going to be the head of that government. (Daniel 11, Ezekiel 38-39) And the dreaded Antichrist is also going to come from Russia as well.

Thus, Obama's diplomatic move toward Cuba merely staves off the inevitable.

Depression and Delusion

A terrible choice

Depression is a terrible malady that murders the soul and ruins lives. It holds its victims in an emotional vice-grip that's often difficult--if not impossible to escape.

Since the advent of humanistic psychology in the 19th century, depression has arguably become the greatest enemy of the human psyche. Billions of dollars have been spent on research and treatments for this nemesis. 

While progress has been made--some causes of depression are biological--it still remains a very serious problem. 

What is depression? It's a general feeling of hopelessness that's fueled by a number of factors such as defeatism, fear of the unknown, fear of failure, anxiety and a terrible self-image.

While the body's failure to produce sufficient levels of serotonin is a biological cause of depression, its emotional causes are deeply rooted in sin and mankind's separation from God.

How so? Is religion the answer to happiness and emotional well-being? Hardly. Human beings were created by God to have a personal relationship with Him. However, sin separated the human race from God and forced human beings to become dependent upon themselves rather than God.

Though that may sound hollow and trite to some folks, it isn't. Unless you've been born again through faith in Jesus Christ, you can't possibly even begin to understand what it means to know God personally and have fellowship with Him.

I know because I was once there. I viewed the universe as an empty place that lacked design, purpose and meaning. I believed that life had no purpose beyond the temporary gratification of the flesh. To me, hope was useless and valueless.

When you grow up and are indoctrinated into the lies of atheistic Darwinism via America's public educational system, you see absolutely no value in life and no purpose or reason for the universe. That's extremely depressing.

And when you're exposed to moribund religious systems that offer no answers as to why evil exists and where it came from, you become disillusioned and depressed.

And when you look at a chaotic world that's drowning in evil, you wonder whether God even exists. A world with any reason, clarity or justice is indeed a very miserable place.

Many folks grew up with the idea that happiness is to be found in vast wealth and material possessions. And many folks who achieved great wealth discovered otherwise. It was the late Charles Colson, the founder of Prison Fellowship who said it best: "The only advantage that a rich person has over a poor person is the knowledge that money doesn't buy happiness."

Indeed, it doesn't. No one can find true, permanent happiness and joy apart from Jesus Christ. The Bible says this: "And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." (Philippians 4:7)

The apostle Paul wrote this: "For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong." (2 Corinthians 12:10)

And Paul wrote this: "Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God." (2 Corinthians 1:3-4)

And the apostle Peter wrote this: "Cast all your anxiety on him (Christ) because he cares for you." (1 Peter 5:7)

To the many folks who are feeling hopeless and helpless, I urge you to turn to Christ. Ask Him to come into your life and allow Him to solve your problems. Trust me--He will.

Don't wallow in self pity and please don't ever contemplate suicide because that has eternal ramifications. (1 Corinthians 3:17) 

Just give Christ a chance. He'll never let you down. Trust me on that because I was once there.

Lone Wolfpack

Man Haron Monis, a.k.a. Sheikh Haron

Rest assured, according to western "experts" on Islam such as Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott: The latest terrorist attack that recently took place in a Sydney, Australia chocolate cafe had nothing to do with Islam.

That attack resulted in the death of two hostages and the gunman who was identified as Man Haron Monis or Sheikh Haron who police described as a "self-styled" Muslim cleric.

Though the "self-styled" cleric mouthed all the appropriate Koranic verses while the police tried to persuade him to release 17 hostages, he was appropriately described by the self-styled Islamic experts as just another radicalized nutcase.  

Abbott attempted to douse the flames of Islamic fundamentalism by claiming that the Sheikh had a "long history of violent crime, infatuation with extremism and mental instability."  

Furthermore, Abbott stuck to the West's politically correct script on Islam by claiming that the Sheikh's motives have yet to be discerned, even though the Sheikh displayed an Islamic flag in the cafe's window during the standoff. Said Abbott: "Understandably, there is a lot of speculation, but it will take time to clarify exactly what happened ... and why."

http://www.cnn.com/2014/12/15/world/asia/australia-sydney-hostage-situation/

Abbott's sophistry works on people who are ignorant of Islam and its historically violent nature. But it doesn't work on those who are familiar with that religion and its command to spread Islam by the sword. 

Remember Nidal Hasan? He was a U.S. Army Major who murdered 13 people and wounded 30 others at Ford Hood, Texas on November 5, 2009. Though Hasan was a Muslim who was devoted to the teachings of fire-breathing Imam Anwar al-Awlaki and had frequently boasted of his commitment to jihad, his atrocity was dismissed as "workplace" violence that had nothing to do with Islam.

Then there was the "lone-wolf" Islamic gunman named Michael Zehaf-Bibeau who struck in Ottawa back in October as well as Alton Nolen, the "lone-wolf" Muslim who hacked the head off of a former co-worker at an Oklahoma food-processing plant.

And then there was Zale Thompson, another Muslim who attacked four New York City cops with an ax before the police shot him dead. 

As with Sheikh Haron and Major Hasan, Zehaf-Bibeau, Nolen and Thompson were also appropriately described as having "mental" issues. 

Said Bibeau's mother Susan: "For me, he was an unhappy person at odds with the world. In his final days, I would add, mentally unbalanced. Religion and Islam was his way of trying to make sense of the world. I don’t think he succeeded. It did not bring him peace. For me, mental illness is at the center of this tragedy."    

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/northamerica/canada/11188436/Ottawa-gunman-was-mentally-ill-and-wanted-to-die-says-his-mother.html

It's amazing that of all the world's religions, Islam seems to attract the largest number of emotionally unstable people. 

And the reason for that is rather obvious to all except those who live in a world of fantasy: Islam is a religion that promotes violence and murder as its essential proselytizing tools. 

If you don't believe that, then read this: Quran (9:73) - "O Prophet! strive hard against the unbelievers and the hypocrites and be unyielding to them; and their abode is hell, and evil is the destination."   

Or, you can read this: Quran (8:67) - "It is not for a Prophet that he should have prisoners of war until he had made a great slaughter in the land..."

Or, this from the Hadith: Ibn Ishaq/Hisham 484: - "Allah said, 'A prophet must slaughter before collecting captives. A slaughtered enemy is driven from the land. Muhammad, you craved the desires of this world, its goods and the ransom captives would bring. But Allah desires killing them to manifest the religion.'"

Does that sound like a "Religion of Peace"? Rather, it's a religion of violence. And when those who take the Koran and Hadith seriously, bad things are likely to happen, lone wolves or not.

Satan's Prophet for a World Religion

Swami Vivekananda (center)

Though many consider the ecumenical movement to be a recent phenomenon, its roots trace back to the late 19th century.

That's when the first World Parliament of Religions was held in Chicago in 1893 at the World's Columbian Exposition. It was a Hindu Monk named Swami Vivekananda who gave the opening address at the gathering of over 5,000 leaders of various world religions.

What was so significant about that event and Vivekananda's speech? It opened up the western world to the eastern religions and their mystical practices. Until that time, religions such as Buddhism, Hinduism, Taoism and Shintoism had largely been confined to the eastern world.

Vivekananda became the major apostle of paganism to the west as Paul had been the major apostle of Christianity to the ancient world of Europe and Asia Minor. 

In one speech, the Hindu missionary laid the foundation for what would become the New Age Movement and its various mystical practices such as Yoga and Transcendental Meditation.

That's right; Yoga is popularly considered to be a form of physical exercise. But its roots come from Hinduism and it's named after the Hindu god Yogaswara. 

And Yoga is a religious practice utilized by Hindus to make contact with various Hindu deities. Many unsuspecting folks--including Christians--practice Yoga without knowing where it comes from and what it's intended to do. 

While most people certainly don't practice Yoga for spiritual reasons, they still engage in a practice that was designed to contact the spiritual realm. And certain types of Yoga such as Tantric and Kundalini Yoga can lead one into direct contact with the demonic.

What was so tragic about that first ecumenical gathering was the ignorance and silence of many Christian ministers, bishops and pastors who attended the event. By doing so, they not only lent their credibility to the gathering, but they betrayed Jesus Christ. It was Christ who said this: "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the (Heavenly) Father except through me." (John 14:6)

But that wasn't the message preached at that first parliament of religions in 1893. Vivekananda's message told the world that all paths lead to God. And many Christian leaders willingly agreed with the Hindu spiritual leader.

Here's a portion of Vivekananda's speech that sounds as though it was written by the Antichrist himself: "If the Parliament of Religions has shown anything to the world it is this: It has proved to the world that holiness, purity and charity are not the exclusive possessions of any church in the world, and that every system has produced men and women of the most exalted character. In the face of this evidence, if anybody dreams of the exclusive survival of his own religion and the destruction of the others, I pity him from the bottom of my heart, and point out to him that upon the banner of every religion will soon be written, in spite of resistance: 'Help and not Fight,' 'Assimilation and not Destruction,' 'Harmony and Peace and not Dissension.'" 

http://www.parliamentofreligions.org/news/index.php/category/previous-parliaments/1893-parliament-chicago/

If Paul witnessed that event and saw the Christians in attendance, he would've gotten sick. And if he came back today and saw how compromised the modern church has become with the world, he'd be devastated. 

And though the world remains sectarian 121 years after Vivekananda gave his speech in Chicago, a global religion is indeed coming. It won't come together by the ecumenical consensus of religious leaders. Rather, it will come together via the greatest counterfeit religious revival the world will ever see.

And it all began in 1893 when Swami Vivekananda became Satan's first prophet for a one-world religion. 

Tragically, many more false prophets are yet to come. And when they arrive, they'll be embraced by sellout Christians just as the first one was 121 years ago.

Real Jews and Phony Jews

Max Blumenthal: A real Jew or a phony Jew?

What's the biblical definition of a Jew?

Let the apostle Paul explain it: "A person is not a Jew who is one only outwardly, nor is circumcision merely outward and physical. No, a person is a Jew who is one inwardly; and circumcision is circumcision of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the written code. Such a person’s praise is not from other people, but from God." (Romans 2:28-29)

Why was Paul qualified to define a Jew? Because he was once a Pharisee which was the ancient equivalent of a modern Orthodox Jew.  

And Paul understood that the Jews were chosen by God to be His priesthood to the nations of the world. God chose them to reveal His presence to the nations and to teach them His laws and commandments.

He didn't choose them because they were better, smarter or more clever than anyone else on the planet. Rather, He chose them because they were the least of all the ancient peoples on earth. (Deuteronomy 7:7)

The popular definition of a Jew is a person who's descended from one of Israel's 12 ancient tribes. The term Jew comes from Judean; a person who belonged to the tribe of Judah. Judah was the tribe that the Messiah Jesus Christ came from.

But the genuine spiritual definition of a Jew--the definition that Paul referred to--is a person who truly praises God from the heart. And only a person who's been born again by faith in Christ's death on the cross for his or her sins and His resurrection from the dead can truly praise God from the heart.

Thus, in God's eyes, a genuine Jew is anyone--Jew or Gentile--who's been born again in Jesus Christ. All others may consider themselves to be Jewish by birth and lineage, but they aren't considered Jews by God unless they've been born again in Christ.

And so, people such as Max Blumenthal, Noam Chomsky and Barbara Streisand, who are identified as Jews, aren't. They're cultural Jews that can trace their lineage all the way back to Abraham. But to God they're heathens because they've rejected Christ.

Blumenthal is a radical leftist and the son of Sidney Blumenthal, a former senior adviser to President Bill Clinton. He also hates Israel and equates the Jewish nation with Hitler's Third Reich and the Islamic terror group ISIS. He's about as Jewish as Muhammad was a Roman Catholic.

Chomsky is another far-left zealot who hates conservatives and bashes Israel. And Streisand is a legendary singer and actress who's donated tons of money to far left politicians to further their Marxist causes.

None of these folks are Jews. In fact, they're an embarrassment and a reproach to the Jewish people. And they shouldn't be called Jews because they're detestable pagans.

They may take offense at that, but unless they repent and turn their lives over to Jesus Christ, they're going to find out on Judgment Day whether God recognized them as Jews.

He won't. And that means they'll be spending eternity in a very miserable place.

Why The Genuine Gospel Matters

Inner-city cultural Christianity

Nearly 2,000 years ago, the apostle Paul, a former Pharisee that was the ancient equivalent of a modern Orthodox Jew, proclaimed this: "I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes: first for the Jew and then for the Gentile." (Romans 1:16)

The gospel that Paul preached came from God. It guaranteed eternal life for everyone who truly put their faith and trust in Jesus Christ's death on the cross for their sins and His resurrection from the dead. (John 3:16, Romans 10:9-11)

But the gospel promised even more than just salvation. It also promised a life-changing experience through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. How so? By the Spirit's regeneration of dead, selfish human hearts into new hearts dedicated to serving God in purity and holiness. (Romans 8)

Paul also recognized that there were counterfeit gospels that were preached in Christ's name. Those "gospels" used Christ as a cover for man-made paths to eternal life. Of those phony gospels, Paul said this: "But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel other than the one we preached to you, let him be eternally condemned!" (Galatians 1:8)

Counterfeit gospels have plagued the church since its inception 2,000 years ago. The biggest counterfeit is preached by the Roman Catholic Church that promotes an unbiblical gospel of works. 

In fact, the Catholic Church condemns anyone who dares to believe in the biblical gospel: "But if any one receive not, as sacred and canonical, the said books entire with all their parts, as they have been used to be read in the Catholic Church, and as they are contained in the old Latin vulgate edition; and knowingly and deliberately condemn the traditions aforesaid; let him be anathema." (Council of Trent, Fourth Session Decree)

Another popular false gospel is the decrepit Social Gospel that emphasizes social activism and social justice as the church's highest calling.

This gospel flows out of godless humanism by blaming man's social problems on external circumstances such as poverty, economic inequality and racism rather than upon sin. This gospel has been popularly preached in many black churches for decades, especially since the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in 1968.

Many African-American pastors claim that King preached the Social Gospel. But he didn't. Dr. King preached a biblical gospel that challenged blacks to follow Christ's example by working hard, respecting authority, becoming self-sufficient and living godly lives.

He never promoted government programs as a panacea for social problems because he understood that all social problems were rooted in human sin. And human sin knows no color. It affects everyone.

However, the biblical gospel isn't good enough for those who are addicted to attention as a drunk is addicted to alcohol. The social gospel has become a multi-million dollar racket for attention-seeking reverends and pastors who are attracted to cameras like bugs are attracted to streetlights.

Those who have profited handsomely from the social gospel include the contemptible Rev. Al Sharpton, Rev. Jesse Jackson and the Rev. Michael Pfleger, a big-time blowhard Catholic priest from Chicago's South Side. And we can even include Pope Francis who promotes Marxism as his solution to eradicate poverty.

Those who promote the social gospel use the poor as human pawns to line their own pockets. They don't want these people to succeed in life. Because if they do, the social gospel charlatans would be out of business.

There's no substitute for the genuine biblical gospel. Those who embrace it will not only gain eternal life through Christ, but they'll also gain social, intellectual and economic independence from the wolves in sheep's clothing who prey on them like predatory animals. 

A Warning to America

This could be America's future

When the Lord revealed Himself to Abraham in the ancient times, He made this promise to him: "I will surely bless you and make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as the sand on the seashore. Your descendants will take possession of the cities of their enemies." (Genesis 22:17)

The Lord also told Abraham that He would deal severely with those who persecuted his descendants: "I will bless those who bless you and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth with be blessed through you." (Genesis 12:3)

The people who've been blessed by God through Abraham are the Jews and Gentiles who've been born into eternal life through their faith in Jesus Christ's death on the cross for their sins and His resurrection from the dead. (John 3:16, Romans 10:9-11)

These are Abraham's rightful descendants because Christ's physical lineage traces back to Abraham's son Isaac who was the son God promised to Abraham and his wife Sarah in their old age. (Genesis 18:10)

While the Jews are Abraham's physical descendants, not all are his legitimate descendants because many of them rebelled against God and subsequently rejected His Messiah Jesus Christ when He appeared on earth 2,000 years ago.

And Abraham's gentile descendants? They've been adopted by God through their faith in Christ. (Romans 10:12) 

Thus, Abraham's legitimate descendants now belong to him by faith rather than by lineage. 

Though some, but not all Muslims can trace their lineage back to Abraham through his other son Ishmael, they aren't his legitimate descendants because they reject Christ as the Son of God and His death on the cross for the sins of mankind. 

Islam teaches that God has no son and that eternal life is entirely dependent upon one's strict adherence to the five pillars of Islam and the teachings of the Koran. And even then, Islam cannot guarantee anyone eternal life.

And so, what did God mean when He warned the world through Abraham that He would punish those who persecute his descendants? Haven't Christians and Jews been persecuted mercilessly throughout the centuries? Indeed they have.

Some of that persecution has come as punishment for rebellion against God (Jeremiah 24:10), while God has also used persecution to test and refine the faith of those who claim to be His followers (Romans 5:3-5).

While the ancient Israelites were repeatedly warned by God through His prophets that He would scatter them among the nations of the world (Deuteronomy 28:64-68) unless they stopped rebelling against Him, they ignored His warnings and they suffered the consequences. 

However, God also promised to bring the Jews back to their nation after their punishment ended. (Jeremiah 30-39) And that promise was fulfilled in 1948 when the United Nations declared Israel a sovereign nation once again over 1,800 years after Roman Emperor Hadrian had nullified the nation in 130 A.D. 

God will not scatter Israel again. And the land that Israel occupies belongs to the Jewish nation and to no one else--not to the Palestinians or to the Roman Catholic Church that erroneously and arrogantly teaches that she has replaced Israel as God's chosen.

Certainly, the world doesn't believe God's prophetic warnings in the Bible. Even a growing segment of the Christian church--which should know better--has sided with the Palestinians and Islamists in their desire to destroy Israel and drive the Jews from their homeland.

One of those who has become an enemy of the Jewish state is President Barack Obama who's now contemplating crippling sanctions against Israel because the nation continues to build new housing in its capital city of Jerusalem.

One senior congressional aide who's obviously not Obama's biggest fan, said this: "If these reports are true, this would mark a new era of unprecedented hostility from the White House against our strongest ally in the Middle East. It's impossible not to notice the irony of the administration mulling sanctions on Israel while threatening to veto new sanctions against Iran...The president should be forewarned that taking such action against Israel would yield tremendous pushback from Congress." 
http://freebeacon.com/national-security/reports-obama-mulling-sanctions-on-israel/

Let's hope that Congress indeed pushes back against Obama and his evil plans. Because if Obama succeeds in persecuting Israel, he'll bring a terrible curse upon America. 

If you don't believe that, then just wait and see what's going to happen. In the meantime, let us pray for God's protection of Israel and "pray for the peace of Jerusalem: May those who love you be secure." (Psalm 122:6)

Islamic Fairy Tales

What the world desires

Anyone with a rudimentary knowledge of Middle Eastern history knows how Israel came into existence and later came to be known as Palestine for 1,800 years.

Before the land was called Israel, it was known as Canaan until the 13th century B.C. when the Hebrews, led by Joshua, conquered that pagan nation.

Israel then became Palestine in 130 A.D. when Roman Emperor Hadrian renamed the Jewish nation Syria Palaestina after he crushed the Bar Kochba rebellion that sought to win Israel's independence from Rome.

Hadrian was so angered by the uprising that he renamed the land after the ancient Philistines that had once existed along the southern coast of the Great Sea that's now called the Mediterranean Sea. 

Those who call themselves Palestinians claim to be the descendants of the Philistines. But they aren't because the ancient Philistines were a non-Semitic tribe of light-skinned people. And the Palestinians aren't the descendants of the Canaanites either. 

The modern Palestinians aren't an indigenous people. They're the descendants of Persians, Arabs, Egyptians, Assyrians, Bedouins and Turks that drifted into that land over the span of several centuries from different venues in Northern Africa and the Middle East.

In fact, Yasser Arafat, who claimed to be a Palestinian and founded the PLO in 1964 was actually an Egyptian who was born in Cairo in 1929.

Despite the historical evidence, the world eagerly embraces the canard that the Palestinians have lived in that land for over 3,000 years.

That canard, which comes from the Islamic world, claims that the Jews conspired with the United Nations in 1948 to steal the land and claim it for their own. What bull.

Even the Bible, that traces human history back to its beginning, clearly reveals that no such indigenous people called Palestinians ever lived in or controlled that land.

And please don't tell me that the Jews perverted the Bible because they didn't. If they had perverted the Bible, the name of Jesus Christ would be unknown today.

Rather, the Bible accurately foretold of Israel's birth as a nation centuries before it happened. (Genesis 15) The Bible also foretold of Israel's rebellion against God and her subsequent diaspora, and her return as a nation once again in the last days.

Here's one example: "This is what the Sovereign Lord says: 'I will take the Israelites out of the nations where they have gone. I will gather them from all around and bring them back into their own land. I will make them one nation in the land, on the mountains of Israel. There will be one king over all of them and they will never again be two nations or be divided into two kingdoms.'" (Ezekiel 37:21-22)

Ezekiel recorded that prophecy about 2,600 years ago. The two kingdoms mentioned in his prophecy refer to Israel, the northern kingdom and Judah, the southern kingdom. They don't refer to Israel and Palestine.

Why does the Islamic world continue to claim that Israel illegally occupies land that belongs to the Palestinians? Because Islam reviles the Jews and teaches that they must be eliminated before the Imam Mahdi (Islamic Messiah) can appear and establish his global caliphate. That's why Adolf Hitler, who was a detestable pagan by Islamic standards, is considered a hero in the Islamic world.

The world eagerly embraces the lie that Israel is a rogue nation that occupies land that belongs to the Palestinians. And the nations of the world are convinced that peace will never come to the Middle East until Israel is destroyed and the Jews have been removed from that land.

However, Israel isn't going anywhere. Those who fight against Israel are fighting against God. And you know who's going to win that battle.

The prophet Zechariah, who lived about 2,500 years ago, recorded this prophecy: "On that day, when all the nations of the earth are gathered against her, I will make Jerusalem an immovable rock for all the nations. All who try to move it will injure themselves." (Zechariah 12:3)

Indeed. The weapons of the godless nations will not remove Israel. But God will remove the godless nations. And that might begin with the United States that has suddenly become an enemy of Israel under the detestable Barack Obama.