The Cult of Personality



"Jesus Christ" aka Jeffrey Hunter

Studies have shown that people who are tall, thin, good looking and sociable tend to be more successful in life than those who are short, overweight, unattractive and shy.

There's even biblical evidence for that. The ancient Hebrew prophet Isaiah, who lived in Judah during the 8th Century B.C., prophesied that the Jewish Messiah, who the ancient Jews eagerly longed for, would look like nothing they expected him to look like. 

Here's what Isaiah wrote concerning the physical appearance of the Messiah: "He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him, nothing in his appearance that we should desire him."(Isaiah 53:2)Even John the Baptist admitted that he had a hard time recognizing Christ when he first saw him: "I saw the Spirit come down from heaven as a dove and remain on him. I would not have known him except that the one who sent me to baptize with water told me, 'The man on whom you see the Spirit come down and remain is he who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.' I have seen and testify that this is the Son of God." (John 1:32-34)

Indeed, Jesus Christ looked nothing like a messiah to the ancient Jews. He was a very ordinary looking man who probably stood slightly less than six feet tall. He was the very antithesis of the messiah that the ancient Jews were looking for. When he appeared in Israel 2,000 years ago, few recognized him because he didn't resemble what they imagined a messiah should look like.

And yet, Christ didn't enter the world to win a beauty contest or get on the cover of GQ Magazine. He came into the world to become the everlasting atonement for sin on a Roman cross that God's infinite justice demanded. Isaiah continued: "But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed." (Isaiah 53:5)

If Christ appeared in the world today, he would probably be treated just as contemptuously as he was by the ancient Jews because of his looks. But outward looks don't mean much or equate with greatness unless a person is a professional model or a movie star. Indeed, the fallen world always judges the outside, but God judges the inside. (1 Samuel 16:7)

And so, in the fallen world that we live, personality and good looks are everything. Barack Obama is America's 44th president because he looks good and gives inspiring speeches. But beneath his polished exterior, he's a hack politician with minimal skills. In a sense, Obama is the classical cult leader; good looking, charming, charismatic and well-spoken.

And that's what most cult leaders are--dynamic looking, charismatic personalities that attract multitudes of people through their charm and persuasion. Real leaders and godly men may not be much to look at on the outside, but they're golden on the inside. Christ may not have been very attractive on the outside, but he possessed the Spirit of God on the inside.

And when we consider Christ, we need to consider what lived inside of him rather than his outward appearance. Hollywood certainly dressed him up and chose great looking actors such as Jeffrey Hunter to play his role. But good looks and a charming personality could not have accomplished what Christ accomplished for us on the cross 2,000 years ago.

Unwelcome and Unwanted

"Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you; and ye shall be hated of all nations for my name's sake."--Matthew 24:9

If you're a bible-believing Christian who (1) rejects evolution; (2) considers the homosexual lifestyle to be sinful and (3) actually practices your faith beyond the walls of a church building, then be warned--you're in for some rather difficult times in the days ahead.

Certainly, Christianity is considered the equivalent of cancer in much of the eastern world where Islam dominates, followed by Hinduism, Buddhism, Taoism etc. But in the west, Christianity--true fundamental Christianity as opposed to dead, apostate Sunday Morning Only Christianity--is becoming repugnant to many folks.

It was President Barack Obama, then known as Sen. Obama in 2008 who, while running for the presidency, stated his honest opinion of fundamental Christians during a speech he gave to a crowd of elitist snobs in San Francisco at a campaign stop--they "cling to their guns and religion" in difficult times.

Actually, true born-again Christians cling to their faith in Jesus Christ during difficult times rather than to guns and religion. But Obama's entitled to his opinions, no matter how misguided they are.

Unfortunately, Obama's misguided opinion of fundamental Christians is the prevailing view of secularists who hate those who actually believe in a God that all human beings are accountable to.

For example, someone named Bill Hicks, who obviously doesn't think too highly of bible-believing Christians, wrote this concerning those who embrace a biblical worldview concerning creation and the existence of the physical universe: “Fundamentalist Christianity: fascinating. These people actually believe that the world is twelve thousand years old. Swear to God. Based on what? I asked them...They believe this. But you ever notice how people who believe in Creationism usually look pretty unevolved. (sic) Eyes really close together, big furry hands and feet? "I believe God created me in one day." Yeah, looks like he rushed it."
http://www.goodreads.com/quotes/511079-fundamentalist-christianity-fascinating-these-people-actually-believe-that-the-world

Perhaps Hicks can explain how the cells of every living organism, that each contain over 300,000 bits of digitally coded information known as DNA, were formed and arranged by some unintelligent process he calls evolution. It takes a lot more faith to believe in evolution that it does to believe in intelligent design. But intelligent design is for those hicks that Bill Hicks disdainfully looks down his nose at because if intelligent design is true, then pseudo-intellectuals such as Bill Hicks are in for a terrible surprise when they enter eternity.

Biblical prophecy reveals that the end times are going to be extremely bad times for Christians throughout the world. While Christians have historically been persecuted in predominant Muslim, Hindu and Buddhist nations, they're now facing scorn, ridicule lawsuits and incarceration in many western nations. 

From foxnews.com: "An American pastor is facing a federal lawsuit filed by a George Soros-funded organization alleging that the pastor’s messages on homosexuality are a “crime against humanity” – a lawsuit that some Christians fear might have far-reaching consequences for church mission groups...Scott Lively, a Massachusetts pastor known for his opposition to homosexuality, was sued by Sexual Minorities Uganda (SMUG). They claim that he incited the persecution of homosexuals in Uganda...Lively traveled to Uganda in 2009 where he delivered messages that shared his Biblical views on homosexuality."

http://radio.foxnews.com/toddstarnes/top-stories/anti-gay-pastor-facing-federal-lawsuit-for-crimes-against-humanity.html

While Lively is being sued by a gay organization in Uganda for speaking out against homosexuality while he was there, don't expect Obama's Justice Department to come to his defense. He's on his own as are all true Christians who defend their faith by speaking out against practices that the Bible concemns.

Two thousand years ago, the apostle Paul revealed that "everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted." (2 Timothy 3:12) Indeed. And it's only going to get worse as we get closer to Christ's return. Jesus Christ himself said this concerning the end time persecution of His true followers: "You will be betrayed even by parents, brothers, relatives and friends, and they will put some of you to death. All men will hate you because of me. But not a hair of your head will perish. By standing firm you will gain life." (Luke 21:16-19)

So, be warned. If you're a true bible-believing Christian who openly shares your faith, you're going to be persecuted. You'll be insulted, ostracized, maligned, slandered, incarcerated, tortured and even killed. But you have the choice to either save your skin and lose your soul by selling out Christ, or you can gain eternal life by standing firm in your faith in the face of satanic hatred.

Indeed, it's your choice.   

Gay Isn't Okay in Russia



Russian police arrest a protester at a gay rally

In Russia, if you want to be gay, then you'd better stay in the closet, or else.

From Russia, courtesy of apnews.myway.com:
MOSCOW (AP) - Kissing his boyfriend during a protest in front of Russia's parliament earned Pavel Samburov 30 hours of detention and the equivalent of a $16 fine on a charge of "hooliganism." But if a bill that comes up for a first vote later this month becomes law, such a public kiss could be defined as illegal "homosexual propaganda" and bring a fine of up to $16,000.

Rev. Sergiy Rybko, who certainly understands that political correctness isn't something the clergy have to be concerned with in Vladimir Putin's new Russia, followed up with this interesting tidbit: "Until this scum gets off of Russian land, I fully share the views of those who are trying to purge our motherland of it."
http://apnews.myway.com/article/20130121/DA3UJM9O1.html

Rybko probably won't be invited to give the benediction at any future presidential inaugurations in America, certainly not after the White House Presidential Inaugural Committee revealed that Atlanta pastor Louie Giglio "decided" not to give the benediction at Barack Obama's recent inauguration. The reason why? It turns out that some liberal "watchdog" organization discovered that Giglio declared homosexuality a sin in a sermon he delivered about 20 years ago.

More likely, Giglio was told to get lost after his 20 year-old sermon that condemned homosexuality surfaced. Someone named Addie Whisenant, a member of the Presidential Inaugural Committee, admitted as much with this statement: "We were not aware of Pastor Giglio's past comments at the time of his selection, and they don't reflect our desire to celebrate the strength and diversity of our country at this inaugural." (The Berean Call, 1/21/2013)

In Russia, they'll be celebrating diversity sans gays and lesbians. Many Russian lawmakers, including President Putin, are concerned about Russia's declining birthrates, and they believe that homosexuality contributes to that decline. They want those birthrates to rise and they feel that condemning and outlawing homosexuality will strongly discourage young people from choosing "alternative" lifestyles.

Russia's crackdown on homosexuality has prophetic significance. Biblical prophecy reveals that Russia is going to become a global superpower in the last days and we're seeing the fulfillment of that. And religion is going to play a significant part in Russia's return to global prominence. Nearly 2,600 years ago, the ancient Hebrew prophet Daniel prophesied of a powerful northern kingdom (Daniel 11) that would rise in the end times and threaten the entire world. Daniel's prophecy also reveals that the dreaded Antichrist will eventually come from this nation. I believe that nation is Russia.

Under Putin, Russia is greatly expanding its military and nuclear capabilities while the United States, under President Obama, is emasculating its military and disposing of its nuclear weapons. Furthermore, while the U.S. and many western nations chase the pipe dream of clean green energy, Russia has a plan to take control of the world's fossil fuel supply through its energy giants such as Gazprom and Rosneft.

When green energy inevitably fails to deliver on its promises to rid the world of its dependence on fossil fuels, the Russians will be in a position to control the world's energy supply. The nation that ultimately controls the world's fossil energy will control the world.
http://www.prophecyreviewonline.org/apps/articles/default.asp?articleid=82695&columnid=

And so, while leftism relentlessly destroys the United States like a methodical cancer, the Russians are on the rise politically, economically and militarily. And the Russians want nothing to do with homosexuality. As far as Putin is concerned, the western world can have it. And soon enough, the Russians will have the western world as well.

Why Do They Die So Young?

Lillian Katz: 1915-1928

"Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these."--Matthew 19:14

One of life's worst tragedies is the death of children and adolescents. It has a profound affect on the parents who suffer the horrible anguish of losing a precious child that they proudly and joyfully brought into the world.

Some people are so crushed by the loss of a child that it destroys them forever. Many parents who lost children in the tragic Our Lady of Angels fire that occurred on Dec. 1, 1958 at a Roman Catholic elementary school in Chicago never recovered emotionally. Some blamed themselves; others blamed God and others eventually died of physical maladies brought on by broken hearts. 

Charles Darwin's terrible book: On the Origin of the Species that he published in 1859 that attempted to explain the existence of physical life sans God was motivated by the death of his young daughter Annie. Darwin believed that no loving God would ever allow a young child to die, so he exacted his revenge against God by writing a thesis that dismissed God as a primitive myth created in the minds of ignorant men. In doing so, Darwin unleashed a destructive lie upon the world that has become the foundation for anarchy, civil disobedience and moral decay since the mid-19th century.

How do you encourage someone who has tragically lost a child to put their faith and trust in God? Very firmly and very carefully. Certainly, the loss of a child could well indeed be related to a curse inherited from a godless ancestor. In the Second Commandment, the Lord explained that "I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the fathers to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me, but showing love to a thousand generations of those who love me and keep my commandments." (Exodus 20:5-6)

In some cases, the Lord takes people prematurely in order to prevent a greater evil or tragedy from occurring in the future.  However, in one specific case, the Lord actually changed his mind after he had informed Hezekiah, the King of Judah during the 8th century B.C. that he was going to bring Hezekiah's life to an end. (Isaiah 38:1) When Hezekiah pleaded with the Lord to spare his life, the Lord relented and granted him 15 more years. (Isaiah 38:4-5) 

What happened during those 15 additional years that Hezekiah lived? He bore a son named Manasseh who became a wicked king that rebelled against God and brought a terrible curse upon the Jewish people that still exists to this day. These are the words that the Lord spoke to the prophet Jeremiah concerning Manasseh's rebellion: "I will make them (the Jews) abhorrent to all the kingdoms of the earth because of what Manasseh son of Hezekiah king of Judah did in Jerusalem." (Jeremiah 15:4) 

What did Manasseh do? As Judah's king who succeeded his father Hezekiah, Manasseh reintroduced pagan shrines in Israel to false gods that his father Hezekiah had destroyed. Had the Lord not granted Hezekiah 15 additional years, Manasseh would've never been born. But Hezekiah was granted those additional 15 years to prove an important point concerning why some people and even children may be taken away prematurely.

Certainly, it's cruel to suggest that children die prematurely because of curses, even if that is the case. And we don't know whether the Lord takes children prematurely because they might grow up to become evil and wicked adults. Since many children do grow up to become vile and wicked adults, there's no simple explanation as to why some innocent young children die while others grow up and enjoy long lives of evil and depravity.

I can say this in regards to the tragic deaths of young children; I believe that they are welcomed into heaven by Christ because he loves children. And at the resurrection, we will be reunited with them forever, never to experience disease, death or destruction again.

Oh, What a Lucky Man

"Oh, what a lucky man he was."--Emerson Lake and Palmer

Contrary to popular opinion, I don't hate Barack Obama. I think he's a delightful, well-spoken and intelligent guy. I just don't think that he's qualified to be the President of the United States. Or the president of any other nation on earth for that matter. But in 2008, he became an extremely lucky man when he was elected as America's 44th President.

But then again, I thought that George W. Bush was extremely lucky to be elected as America's 43rd President in 2000. Like the Leftists who adore and worship Obama, Bush was enamored by many conservatives and Evangelicals who held him up as a messianic figure who had come to heal the nation and restore integrity to the White House after eight years of Bill Clinton.

Many conservative Christians actually believed that Bush's election would trigger a new era of conservatism that would also ignite a great Christian revival that would sweep across the United States and eventually spread throughout the world. How wrong they were.

Instead, Bush became just another political-ecumenical empty suit who praised Islam as a religion of peace, betrayed Israel by coercing the Jewish nation into relinquishing the Gaza Strip to the Palestinians in 2005 and he sold out conservatives by ignoring the Constitution to infringe on personal freedoms in the name of "homeland security."
http://georgewbush-whitehouse.archives.gov/news/releases/2001/09/20010917-11.html

Oh yes, and Bush also became the biggest spending president in history before Obama. While Obama has rightly been criticized for his failed $800 billion stimulus in 2009, it was Bush who signed TARP into law in 2008. TARP (Troubled Assets Relief Program) authorized the U.S. Treasury to purchase or insure up to $700 billion of bad mortgages from banks and financial institutions that had played fast and loose by issuing millions of high-risk NINJA (No Income, No Job, No Assets) loans to unqualified home-buyers. In what now seems like the ancient past, banks that operated so recklessly usually went out of business. Today, they get bailed out if they play the right politics.

And so, for those who are truly convinced that George W. Bush is the devil and Barack Obama is America's political savior, consider this; Obama pledged to close the Gitmo (Guantanamo Bay) detention center for terrorists and yet it remains open. Obama pledged to end the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and yet U.S. troops remain in those nations.

Obama also pledged to reverse the reckless spending and gross expansion of government that occurred under George W. Bush. Instead, he continues to expand the government while spending America into bankruptcy. And Obama pledged to end the CIA's clandestine program of flying suspected terrorists to undisclosed locations throughout the world to "interrogate" them for information.
http://prorevnews.blogspot.com/2013/01/obama-continues-illegal-detentions.html

There's really very little difference between Barack Obama and George W. Bush. And I'm convinced that had Mitt Romney defeated Obama back in November, nothing much would've changed.

What does all this really mean? It means that for many decades, our presidential elections have largely been a sham and we're headed for a world government. Beneath the surface, our presidents going back to Lyndon Johnson have all been the same; they've acted according to the international interests that pull their strings.

So indeed, Barack Obama is a lucky man. He gets another four years to hold the title of the most powerful man on the planet. But he's really just a puppet who's being played by the globalists and international money men such as George Soros to bring an end to American hegemony and move the world closer to a global government.

For Christians and conservatives, it's time to stop trying to advance the gospel through politics and start doing it by the power of God's Holy Spirit. You aren't going to elect a president who's going to become an American pope. Remember what happened with George W. Bush? Get back into your churches and start doing your job correctly. As the apostle Paul stated: "No one serving as a soldier gets involved in civilian affairs--he wants to please his commanding officer." (2 Timothy 2:4) 

Indeed. Our commanding officer is Jesus Christ, not Barack Obama or any American president. And his throne is located in heaven, not at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. in Washington D.C.

Modern Pharisees

Michael Moore

If there's a model spokesman for America's Far Left, then Michael Moore is that person.

Moore is an extremely wealthy filmmaker who considers himself morally and intellectually superior to most people. Therefore, he believes that he has an unquestionable right to tell them what to do and how to live their lives. Such as in the areas of gun ownership, health care and economics.

Moore doesn't believe that the average Joe Shmoe (that would be you, me and anyone else who he looks down his nose upon) should possess firearms. Like most of his leftist brethren, Moore truly believes that doing away with all guns--not merely assault weapons--will do away with gun violence. That's been tried in Chicago for decades and it hasn't worked. Last year, Chicago led the nation in homicides with over 500, the majority of them committed by handguns, even though the city has banned handguns for many years.

Of course, while Moore and his associates want to repeal the Second Amendment and take away your right to own a gun, they have no problem surrounding themselves with heavily armed thugs who protect them from their adoring fans. 

Moore is also a staunch believer in socialized medicine. He's a passionate spokesman for Obamacare and he's unabashedly praised Fidel Castro's glorious health care system in Cuba. Under socialized medicine, you have the choice to either become a vegetarian health nut if you want to survive or you can submit yourself to a health care system that will most likely fail you if you're one of the following; over 50, obese, have a preexisting condition or you're poor.

You'll notice that Moore certainly doesn't practice what he preaches in regards to health care. He looks like he's spent a considerable amount of his lifetime inside a Burger King, but since he's a very wealthy man, he can afford to pay for his own health care. While he has no problem carrying a considerable amount of weight on his corpulent frame, Moore believes that you should eat healthy, exercise and control your weight so that you don't overburden a health care system that's sure to be a success like the one down in Cuba where the mortality rate is extremely high.

Moore often demonizes capitalism, even though he's made a fortune through that economic system. But he doesn't believe that you should be able to enjoy that same economic success. Because that might deprive others of money that should rightfully go to them even though they didn't earn it. When Moore and his ilk frequently complain that capitalism purportedly allows the rich to exploit the poor, that obviously doesn't apply to them. If Moore truly cares about the plight of the poor, then he should sell his palatial vacation estate in Michigan that's worth a fortune and give the money to those who need it more than he does.

But he won't because he's a hypocrite--a modern day Pharisee who seldom practices what he preaches. During Jesus' time in ancient Israel (not Palestine) Christ often held the Pharisees up to contempt as the worst examples of those who never practiced what they preached. They were Israel's corrupt religious leaders who were in league with the Roman government, much as today's Left (the media, Hollywood, academia, etc.) is in league with the Obama Administration. 

Here's what Christ said concerning those repugnant religious leaders: "The teachers of the law and the Pharisees sit in Moses' seat. So you must obey them and do everything they tell you. But do not do what they do,  for they do not practice what they preach. They tie up heavy loads and put them on men's shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to lift a finger to move them." (Matthew 24:2-4)

And so it is with modern day Pharisees such as Michael Moore. Don't do what he says because he doesn't do what he wants you to do. When Moore is willing to shed his corpulence and start sharing his wealth with the poor, then you can start taking him seriously. Until then, consider him to be just another big fat clown with a big fat mouth.

When God is Forgotten

"Furthermore, since they did not think it worthwhile to retain the  knowledge of God, he gave them over to a depraved mind to do what ought not to be done."--Romans 1:28

According to biblical prophecy, the last days on earth directly preceding the return of Jesus Christ are going to be pretty bad.

How bad? According to the apostle Paul, they're going to be this bad: "But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. 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." (2 Timothy 3:1-5)

Paul recorded that prophecy 2,000 years ago. Without a doubt, that prophecy is being fulfilled in our time.

But why are we seeing such an increase in wickedness in our modern times? Because much of the world has rejected God and thus, has rejected His commandments and His transcendent moral laws. When mankind turns its back on God then depravity reigns.

In another epistle he wrote to the early church in Rome, Paul described what happens to people who reject God: "Furthermore, since they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, he gave them over to a depraved mind to do what ought not to be done. They have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed and depravity. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit and malice. They are gossips, slanderers, God-haters, insolent, arrogant and boastful; they invent ways of doing evil; they disobey their parents; they are senseless, faithless, heartless, ruthless." (Romans 1:28-31)

A major part of that wickedness that Paul warned would permeate the end times has manifested in gun violence that has resulted in thousands of murders and endless tragedies. Unfortunately, since a growing number of people no longer believe in the existence of evil, they no longer believe in the fallen sinful nature that is inherent in all human beings.

So instead, many increasingly attribute gun violence to the availability of guns rather than to those who use guns to harm and destroy their victims. Yet those who are morally depraved don't need guns to harm others.

During the same week last month that Adam Lanza committed mass murder at the Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Ct. a man murdered 22 children at a Primary School in China. Since guns are outlawed in China, the man used a knife to commit mass murder.

The antidote for violence isn't more restrictive gun laws or even the elimination of the Second Amendment. It's instilling the fear and knowledge of God in human beings so that they will understand that they're morally accountable to Him for their thoughts and actions during their lifetimes here on earth. Nearly 3,000 years ago King Solomon wrote: "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and discipline." (Proverbs 1:7)

Maybe leftists should think about what Solomon wrote before they continue to deal with the symptoms of depravity while ignoring the root causes of depravity. Getting rid of guns won't get rid of violence and murder. But getting rid of the sin that dwells in the hearts of moral reprobates most certainly will.