“If those days had not been cut short, no one would survive, but for the sake of the elect those days will be shortened.” Mathew 24:22 and 30–31 “Then will appear the sign of the Son of Man in heaven. And then all the peoples of the earth will mourn when they see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven, with power and great glory. And he will send his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the other.”

When this happens many will mourn because unbelievers will realize it is too late for them to accept Christ as their Savior. These are the ones that have been deceived by Satan and his millions of falling angels. Jesus describes many of the churches in the later days. He says: Revelation 3:14–17 “To the angel of the church in Laodicea write: These are the words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the ruler of God’s creation. I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth. You say, ‘I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.’ But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked.“

Many members of the church were rich and powerful but were not true and faithful as was Christ. The church had become complacent, financially comfortable and self-satisfied. They were not evangelizing or glorifying Jesus. They were indifferent and were not passionate for Christ. They were cold to others. Christ was very critical of the church. We are in this particular church age. How would we rate the churches of today?

I was part of a church board who believed we were not evangelizing; we were indifferent and not passionate toward Christ. We were cold to others. Years of prayer asking God to give us a mission and vision, we completely changed. Other churches called us too liberal. We were only preaching to the unchurched and not feeding Biblically the present members. People started leaving by the hundreds. We were a church running about 270 on weekends. Now we are reaching out to more than 70,000 people. The letter to the people of Laodicea made us realize what God wanted in a church.

We believe God had given us a vision that He wants Christians everywhere to know that where sin may be the greatest, His power and His Spirit are even greater. And if Christianity can blossom in Las Vegas, it can increase anywhere. It is almost unbelievable the doors that have opened and the opportunities that have landed on our doorstep. As I write this, I am in awe of all of the supernatural events and signs that we have seen over the years.

It is not about numbers. It is about individuals. When you see people who have participated in the most immoral aspects of Las Vegas accept Christ and become “free” and children of God, you have to believe that God continues to care. You then see these individuals bring their friends, who are subsequently converted and baptized. There is no greater excitement than to have more than 40,000 conversions in the past few years.

You must understand there are many who preach that we are wealthy members because it was God blessing us. However, their faith was in things and not in God. Wealthy believers could develop an attitude of self-sufficiency and that they really didn’t need anything. In many cases, their spiritual growth probably had stopped and they were relying on themselves rather than on God. This probably caused them to have little compassion for those in need. If a church is not filled with love and helping those who have a need, they have missed Christ’s teaching.

It is so easy for many church people to become blinded to the needs of others who were poor and lacked adequate food and clothing. It is easy to have hearts as cold as ice and hard as clay. When Christ returns it is possible that Jesus could say: I never knew you.

Jeremiah 18:7–10 “If at any time I announce that a nation or kingdom is to be uprooted, torn down and destroyed, and if that nation I warned repents of its evil, then I will relent and not inflict on it the disaster I had planned. And if at another time I announce that a nation or kingdom is to be built up and planted, and if it does evil in my sight and does not obey me, then I will reconsider the good I had intended to do for it.” What are the chances of Americans and others are willing to repent?

God also tells each of us what is expected: Jeremiah 17:9–10 “The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it? I the Lord search the heart and examine the mind, to reward each person according to their conduct, according to what their deeds deserve.” What do our deeds deserve?

If you study the Old Testament you will discover that Americans are living very similar to how Israel lived prior to their destruction. What we need to be aware of is how prophecy is predicting what is ahead for America and the world.

Watch TV, read the newspaper and you may wonder how far Russia will go to invade other nations. However, the nation to watch is: What happens to Israel? The Bible tells us that there will be a war lead by Russia, Iran, maybe China and the United Nations possibly. This war is called Armageddon and 2.3 billion will be killed. Should that not concern us?

II Thessalonians 2:3–4 “Don’t let anyone deceive you in any way, for that day will not come until the rebellion occurs and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the man doomed to destruction. He will oppose and will exalt himself over everything that is called God or is worshiped, so that he sets himself up in God’s temple, proclaiming himself to be God.” We also know that Israel will survive until the War of Armageddon. Zechariah 14:2 “I will gather all the nations to Jerusalem to fight against it; the city will be captured, the houses ransacked, and the women raped. Half of the city will go into exile, but the rest of the people will not be taken from the city.”

Isaiah 48:17 “This is what the Lord says—your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel: “I am the Lord your God, who teaches you what is best for you, who directs you in the way you should go.”

Christ’s principle on earth was “I can do nothing on my own. I judge as God tells me. Therefore, my judgment is just, because I carry out the will of the one who sent me, not my own will” (John 5:30 NLT). The Son did nothing on His own. That total denial of self is our ultimate goal in serving God. Everything Christ did laid the groundwork to fulfill His death on the cross and His resurrection. After He was resurrected, He told His disciples that they would receive “power from on high.” He was referring to the Holy Spirit at Pentecost. That power was the ability, talents, and confidence to live as Christ taught we should live, and in so doing we would walk in the Spirit. With this power, we can become obedient to God’s will and ways. Without the Holy Spirit, our flesh, or carnal nature, is in control and could not meet God’s requirements.

Paul realized He could not live the Christian life without God’s help. “I don’t really understand myself, for I want to do what is right, but I don’t do it. Instead, I do what I hate. But if I know that what I am doing is wrong, this shows that I agree that the law is good. So I am not the one doing wrong; it is sin living in me that does it” (Rom. 7:15–17 NLT). Too many people become Christians and mistakenly believe they do not have to study Scripture or pray, they can live a godly life on their own. Sadly, they are just professing Christians without the power from God, struggling each day and wondering why living a Christian life is so difficult. They question where the promised joy, peace, and love are. They must come to the understanding that the Bible instructs us to surrender our old nature and let the new nature control, which God gives us when we receive the Holy Spirit. God will not force Himself on us. For the power to work, He must control but only with our permission. Are you ready to let Him have that control so you can walk in the Spirit?

God removes any doubt as to what is required to live eternally with Him and Christ. God tells us what He expects from each Christian:

1.​ Abel brought an acceptable sacrifice to God, but his brother Cain did not. Apparently God had told them what he expected of each. One obeyed and one did not. The illustration of Abel teaches us the importance of worshipping God as Christ teaches and giving Him our very best. Tithing and sacrificing has been a part of worshipping God from the very beginning.
2.​ Abraham left his family—people with great wealth and status—and his home to live the rest of his life as a nomad in tents. We learn from Abraham the importance of trusting in God and the surety of His promises, for it was Abraham’s faith that made him righteous.
3.​ Enoch walked with God for 300 years. He had developed a relationship with God that was so close; God spared him death and instead took him directly to heaven. We learn from Enoch that God expects a relationship with each of us and that we are to worship Him through our daily walk.
4.​ Noah was one of the most obedient of all God’s people. For 120 years he diligently built an ark and preached to people to change their lives. He had faith in the promise that God would do what He said He would do: destroy everyone with a flood. Noah teaches us the importance of obedience and persistence.
5.​ Christ brought a new covenant that included teachings under the old covenant and fulfilled the laws, regulations, ceremonies, and sacrifices of the old covenant. He did not make the Old Testament obsolete He fulfilled it. It contains prophecies of the future, history, examples of godly people, and the character of God. Under the new covenant we are judged on our inner selves, our spirit, and thoughts but not on our external actions. Doing good works will not get us to heaven. But if we have the right relationship with God and others, we will do good deeds with unconditional love.

Christ came to restore us to a life God created, which is a positive, meaningful life free from negative fears. “Where, O death is your sting?” (1 Cor. 15:55). Christ came that He might ultimately destroy Satan, who holds the power of death, and frees those who are held in slavery by their fear of death. (See Hebrews 2:14–15.) In addition, Christ’s resurrection took the lid off the jar that would restrain our potential and freed us to become what God created each of us to be. First John 4:18 says that the love we receive from Christ will drive out fear. We must allow the Holy Spirit to help us overcome the negative fears of life because our sin nature would keep us locked up with feelings of unworthiness, lack of confidence, and remembering past failures. Christ’s salvation and the Holy Spirit break the chains that have enslaved our thinking and free us to living as God intends.

No one wants to die. Even people who want to go to heaven don’t want to die to get there. And yet death is the destination we all share. No one has ever escaped it. And that is as it should be, because death is very likely the single best invention of Life. It is Life’s change agent. It clears out the old to make way for the new. Right now and not too long from now, you will gradually become the old and be cleared away. Sorry to be so dramatic, but it is quite true. Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life, unless it’s Christ’s.

According to Pew Research, for a number of years many Americans no longer identify with any religion. 2 Thessalonians 2:3 “Let no one deceive you by any means; for that Day will not come unless the falling away comes first, and the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition,” (NKJV)

Jude 1:24 “Now all glory to God, who is able to keep you from falling away and will bring you with great joy into his glorious presence without a single fault.” (NIV)

If you are interested in learning about signs that predict what will occur before Jesus returns, falling away of Christians is a specific sign. Satan will influence a Christian to deny God anyway he can.

Scripture says there will be false prophets who will minister beliefs that are not consistent with the Bible. As a result, members are leaving churches by the thousands. Many churches no longer have enough members to continue.

One cause that we are aware, is the teaching of tolerance toward other religions. John 14:6 “Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”

Acts 4:12 “Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved.” (NIV)

If we teach there is only one way to get to Heaven and that is by accepting Christ as our Savior, we will be labeled intolerant. In fact some call it hate speech. Corinthians 8:5–7 “For even if there are so-called gods, whether in heaven or on earth (as indeed there are many “gods” and many “lords”), yet for us there is but one God, the Father, from whom all things came and for whom we live; and there is but one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom all things came and through whom we live. But not everyone possesses this knowledge. Some people are still so accustomed to idols that when they eat sacrificial food they think of it as having been sacrificed to a god, and since their conscience is weak, it is defiled.”

In the early church many leaders believed that to become a Christian one had to become a Jew. The apostles taught that was not necessary. Islamic mullahs call America the great Satan. This is because we do not believe as they do. Christianity challenges the Quran and their culture. They believe anyone that disagrees with what they believe must be of Satan.

I previous wrote a blog about selling one’s soul to the Devil. When we were still a Christian nation one of my required books to read for a public school literature class was “The Devil and Daniel Webster”. A farmer, Jabez Stone, had come upon hard times, probably similar to many today. He told his neighbors things were so bad that a man could sell his soul to the devil for better times. Shortly, a stranger, Mr. Scratch, (The Devil disguised) approached Mr. Stone and guaranteed him seven years of prosperity. At the end of those seven years Mr. Stone had to give his property to Mr. Scratch if his guarantee was fulfilled. Mr. Stone had seven unbelievable years and requested an extension of three more years. At the end of ten years Mr. Scratch wanted the property.

Farmer Stone hired Daniel Webster as his attorney. Before a judge and jury, selected by Mr. Scratch, the Devil, Daniel Webster gave such an elegant presentation that he convinced the jury and Mr. Stone won. The contract was destroyed and Mr. Stone kept his farm.

It was a lesson teaching what not to do when you feel desperate and without hope.

Can a nation sell its soul for safety and prosperity? I sometimes wonder if there aren’t politicians who would sell their souls to become elected. The reason I wonder is because that question was asked on TV of politicians running for the first time for congress. The question: “Do you think you can stand up to party leaders who want you to sell your soul for the good of the party”? What politicians would say: “No I would have to cave in”?

When I see and hear politicians say they are for open boarders and want to be like Europe I wonder if they have sold their soul. It is very evident that many Muslim men are immigrating to Europe so they can become a part of their liberal welfare system of Europe. We read daily of Christians being killed and women being raped. I have read where Muslim men believe it is not a sin to rape non-Muslim women. Could this happen in America?

To say or write this, I would be called intolerant and a raciest. Early Christians under the Roman government were required to worship the Emperor. Most refused to do so. Where do you stand? Do you accept all of this political correctness? Are we being unreasonable to have Christian standards and values and refuse to accept what we are being told we must do? Is it okay to say that our beliefs are exclusive and there is only one way to Heaven? Do you believe the constitution separates church and state? Therefore, there can be no Bibles or prayers in public schools. This was placed in the first amendment so that we could not accept a religion, like the Church of England. They did not want a specific denomination the nation’s only acceptable belief.

Do you still wonder why Christians are falling away and becoming agnostic? We have politicians who do not want a free society, a capitalistic economic system and citizens making their own decisions. Is their philosophy being inspired by God or Satan? If you cannot see this or understand what is happening, is it possible you are being deceived as the Bible predicts?

Writing these kinds of blogs, could it have caused me to have my first IRS audit in 35 years? Or, a major search engine not picking up my blogs anymore?

After more than 50 years of studying and teaching Bible classes, I and others are seeing signs that are predicted to occur as we near the end-times. I have never witnessed a political situation where people running for president seemed to be so misguided.

Based on Romans 13:1 “Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God.”

If you have studied your Bible, you can see signs that the Bible predicts will happen prior to the second return of Jesus Christ. What is happening in America, the Middle-East, Russia, Iran, Turkey and China give clear signs that what is happening is shared repeatedly in Scripture. Just because the end-times have been predicted for the past 2000 years, never have we seen so many signs that can be contributed to what the Bible describes in preparation for Christ’s return.

Joel 2:28–31 “In the last days I will send My Spirit on all men. Then your sons and daughters will speak God’s Word. Your old men will dream dreams. Your young men will see special dreams. Yes, on My servants, both men and women, I will pour out My Spirit in those days. I will show powerful works in the heavens and on the earth, like blood and fire and clouds of smoke. The sun will turn dark and the moon will turn to blood before the day of the Lord. His coming will be a great and troubled day.” I have written about the four blood moons following on Jewish religious holidays prior to September 2015.

Joel 3:1–2 “In those days and at that time, I will return the riches of Judah and Jerusalem. I will gather all the nations and bring them down to the valley of Jehoshaphat. There I will judge them for what they did to My people Israel. They have sent My people out among the different nations, and have divided up My land.”

Russia and Iran have been bitter enemies for centuries and have become allies for the first time in history. We have written previously of the War that takes place in Ezekiel chapters 37 through 39. We read where Moscow has aggressively pursued political, economic and military ties to Iran in defiance of U.S. and European protests. Russia has authorized the sale of nuclear technology to Iran. They are training nuclear scientists and are providing them with the latest in armament.

The Bible says that before the Russian and Iran led war, Israel will live in a time of calm and will accumulate great wealth. Isaiah 45:3 says: “I will give you riches hidden in the darkness and things of great worth that are hidden in secret places. Then you may know that it is I, the Lord, the God of Israel, who calls you by name.” Foreign energy companies recently are finding enormous reserves of gas and adequate amounts of oil in Israel’s possession.

At this time, we started electing and selecting officials that were followers of Lucifer or Satan. Ben Carson stated that Hillary Clinton wrote her senior thesis about Saul Alinsky. This was someone she greatly admired. Alinsky wrote a book called Rules for Radicals. It acknowledges Lucifer (Satan) as the original radical who gained his own kingdom. It is written that President Obama is also a follower and teacher of Alinsky. Democrat emails stated that they believed Bernie Sanders was an atheistic Jew. Donald Trump says he is a Christian but does not present a Christ-like attitude. As Christians we are taught to be forgivers and to love others as ourselves. He should be more conciliatory and unite and not continually be a divider.
I have never seen a person running for president who had an excellent chance of winning, saying things that are throwing the presidency to the other political party. From the very beginning we were hearing that Trump and the Clintons had an agreement that he would run to help Hillary win.

Genesis 12:1–3 “The Lord had said to Abram, “Go from your country, your people and your father’s household to the land I will show you. “I will make you into a great nation, and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.”

God must keep His promise. Has President Obama been a blessing to Israel? There are a large number of Americans who have been anti-Semitic. Did God not say He would curse those who cursed Israel? Is this election process a sign of God rebuking America? In Scripture where it says: “The authorities that exist have been established by God.”

Many evangelicals believe that God chooses kings, prime ministers and who our presidents will be. If we get a president that is not good for the country, then God could be punishing us. If He wants America to prosper, He will give us a president that will make the economy grow and prosper.

“In the last days I will send My Spirit on all men.” My belief is that prior to the actual end, God will allow a Christian revival. It could happen anytime and could be due to a terrorist attack of great proportions. According to the signs, it is time for Christians to be ready and praying.

The reason the world has existed this long is because America was a Christian nation and worshipped God. Once we started taking God out of our daily lives and rejecting His commandments and when material things became America’s god, it was just a matter of time until judgment comes. Read the Old Testament and see the consequences of the Israelites disobeying God.

The Bible tells us that a nation will fall apart if it is not united. It also says that a house divided with not stand.

Luke 11:17 “Jesus knew their thoughts and said to them: “Any kingdom divided against itself will be ruined, and a house divided against itself will fall.” If a home or a nation are divided about their goals, working against each other they will not hold together but fail as a nation or home. If America continues as a free nation, Americans must begin to realize that Satan’s goal is to divide us. If this happens, we are headed toward the time of Tribulation.

We were founded on the concept that we would be a nation of laws and a civilized country. This requires all citizens to accept themselves as Americans. What divides us as African-Americans, Mexican-Americans or Japanese-Americans. If you use a hyphenated prior to America it means you are expressing your loyalty and identity to your former nationality. Those who migrate to the U.S., should come to melt into the culture of America or stay home. Either you are a complete American or you are a visitor from another nationality.

Our family came to America in 1709 to Pennsylvania. They came because they wanted religious freedom and to participate in the American dream. They and others were accepted if they were coming to be a part of a country that provided freedom regardless of one’s race, religion, or politics. Our country was known as the melting-pot of people from every walk of life and no other country was comparable. They accepted American goals of hard work and unity. Most became God fearing Americans and loyal to our country.

Somehow we got some of the world’s best people. Now you may see freeloaders or criminals selling drugs and marching against what we stand for. We started removing the Bible from public schools and could no longer pray in a school situation. Our justice system no longer supports many of the laws of the land. We have allowed Satan’s followers to gradually insert Sharia beliefs into our system. We are gradually and continually giving America to Satan’s control.

We started electing officials that were followers of Lucifer or Satan. Ben Carson stated that Hillary Clinton wrote her senior thesis about Saul Alinsky. This was someone she greatly admired. Alinsky wrote a book called Rules for Radicals. It acknowledges Lucifer (Satan) as the original radical who gained his own kingdom. It is written that President Obama is also a follower of Alinsky. Democrat emails stated that they believed Bernie Sanders was an atheistic Jew.

The reason I point this out is Satan’s final goal is: through the Antichrist and the false prophet, he can rule America and the world.

2 Thessalonians 2:3 “Don’t let anyone deceive you in any way, for that day will not come until the rebellion occurs and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the man doomed to destruction.”

2 Thessalonians 2:9–12 “The coming of the lawless one will be in accordance with how Satan works. He will use all sorts of displays of power through signs and wonders that serve the lie, and all the ways that wickedness deceives those who are perishing. 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.”

When the world allows the Antichrist to take control, it will be because this man will become so powerful and will attain such notoriety and loyalty from the masses. He is Satan’s tool and will be given power to perform all kinds of counterfeit miracles, signs and wonders in order to deceive all. Those who accept and follow him, God will send a powerful delusion so that they will believe his lies and thus be condemned for not accepting Christ as their Savior. God will use Satan as part of His judgment for rebelling and being disobedient.

Am I imagining or is God allowing this delusion to blind people into believing what is wrong is right, to occur at this present time? If President Obama and Hillary Clinton were followers of Saul Alinsky, who wrote that he was a follower of Lucifer, hasn’t it already started? Both often do not tell the truth and people believe what they say. We learned in Exodus 4:21 that God caused Pharaoh’s heart to be so hard that he could not accept there was a God. Isn’t this happening to some today? The Bible says their hearts will no longer respond to the truth. Regardless of the plagues and miracles, Pharaoh could not accept the truth.

To those that are believers, God promises a new heaven and a new earth. It will be without evil and sin. It will be a paradise beyond human’s imagination. As I have written so many times before, I am expecting a great revival as God does not want any to perish without accepting Christ as their Savior. He is a God of second chances. Churches be prepared and ready for the time may be soon.

Matthew 24:3–8 “ As Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately. “Tell us,” they said, “when will this happen, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?” Jesus answered: “Watch out that no one deceives you. For many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am the Messiah,’ and will deceive many. You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. All these are the beginning of birth pains.”

I couldn’t believe any political party would do that to one of their members running for a public office. Many Evangelicals would not vote for an Atheist and others would not vote for a Jew. I have absolutely no idea what religious beliefs Bernie has or what nationality he is. To think that any political party would even consider sharing this, whether it is true or false, is unbelievable. The DNC did apologize to Mr. Sanders. (Wall Street Journal)

According to Pew Research survey, in 2014 a General Social Survey reported that 21% of Americans had no religion with 3% being atheists and 5% being agnostics. If you were in politics today, would you state that you were an atheist or an agnostic? Would it help a politician to claim to be an agnostic or atheist? Yet, some seem to be demonically influenced. The reason I think a politician could be possessed is because of what the Bible teaches.

Revelation 13:3–10 “I saw that one of the heads of the beast seemed wounded beyond recovery—but the fatal wound was healed! The whole world marveled at this miracle and gave allegiance to the beast. They worshiped the dragon for giving the beast such power, and they also worshiped the beast. “Who is as great as the beast?” they exclaimed. “Who is able to fight against him?” Then the beast was allowed to speak great blasphemies against God. And he was given authority to do whatever he wanted for forty-two months. And he spoke terrible words of blasphemy against God, slandering his name and his dwelling—that is, those who dwell in heaven. And the beast was allowed to wage war against God’s holy people and to conquer them. And he was given authority to rule over every tribe and people and language and nation. And all the people who belong to this world worshiped the beast. They are the ones whose names were not written in the Book of Life that belongs to the Lamb who was slaughtered before the world was made. Anyone with ears to hear should listen and understand. Anyone who is destined for prison will be taken to prison. Anyone destined to die by the sword will die by the sword. This means that God’s holy people must endure persecution patiently and remain faithful.” (NLT)

We are seeing politicians who want open borders, economic equally, to become a socialistic nation with the whole world unified under one government. The ruler will be the Antichrist using spectacular miracles, that will persuade the world to accept his false teachings. He will seduce the world by imitating Christ’s resurrection. Many, who do not believe Jesus was the Son of God, will accept him to be the messiah, the long awaited one. They have been expecting a messiah who would rule the world and bring peace to the entire world. One reason he is called the Antichrist is because he will be able to duplicate miracles that Christ performed. Is it possible that America would join a one-world government and one religion? Do we have politicians who want to take us in that direction? The Bible says we will.

A deceptive peace will come to the world. Nations will implement his policies. Gratification will be given to everyone. Great secrets of nature will be revealed to people. Seducing spirits will inspire the arts, philosophies and sciences. Many will think the Antichrist is the greatest benefactor the world has ever known. Can you not see the world is preparing for all of this to take place? It appears that the Antichrist’s goal is to eliminate every Christian from the earth.

Revelation 13:11–15 “Then I saw another beast come up out of the earth. He had two horns like those of a lamb, but he spoke with the voice of a dragon. He exercised all the authority of the first beast. And he required all the earth and its people to worship the first beast, whose fatal wound had been healed. He did astounding miracles, even making fire flash down to earth from the sky while everyone was watching. And with all the miracles he was allowed to perform on behalf of the first beast, he deceived all the people who belong to this world. He ordered the people to make a great statue of the first beast, who was fatally wounded and then came back to life. 15 He was then permitted to give life to this statue so that it could speak. Then the statue of the beast commanded that anyone refusing to worship it must die.”

The Antichrist came out of the sea but the false prophet comes out of the ground. He is a counterfeit of the Holy Spirit. He is in charge of the religious worship of the Antichrist. Jesus warned of a false prophet who would come disguised as a harmless sheep but was really a wolf that will tear you apart.

Satan will create a delusion and no one will be afraid of the lamb. Many will accept him as a godly prophet. This prophet will establish and organize a new religion centered on the Antichrist. The Antichrist will give him unlimited authority. The new religion will be acceptable for everyone to believe and to practice.

His miracles will be astonishing. He will make fire come down from heaven just as Elijah did. With his miraculous powers, he will be able to distort the truth and shape world opinion into accepting the Antichrist and himself. There will be no forgiveness from God for worshipping this image and not to worship the image could cause one’s death. Mankind will be blinded to this universal religion and will easily accept the requirement of worshipping an idol.

Do we have politicians who are willing to take us toward the end times who have been seduced by Satan’s policies? The Bible says: “He who has an ear, let him hear.” This means we had better listen and be careful who we vote for.

We must remember that faith is not a desire that something may take place in the future. True faith is an absolute certainty, often things that the world considers unreal and impossible. Man’s natural response is to trust his physical senses and put his faith in things he can see, hear, taste and feel. As Christians we must trust in something we may not be able to experience with our senses. Our faith must be such that we are willing to put up with life’s struggles or pain knowing that we shall receive our reward in the future. Earth is God’s laboratory where we all are preparing for the future. What happens in the “now” determines where we will be in eternity.

“Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word about Christ.” Romans 10:17

Mark 11:23 “I tell you the truth, if anyone says to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart but believes that what he says will happen, it will be done for him.”

Matthew 17:20 “He replied, “Because you have so little faith. Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.” (I tried to live with this Scripture that if it was God’s will, nothing I wanted to do was impossible because God had given me a mustard seed of faith.)

Faith could be considered an important emotion. Faith helps us to achieve our dreams or the goals we set. Faith removes doubt and gives us confidence. Having worked with thousands of employees I often needed to promote people to supervisory positions. About 90% of those I offered a promotion would ask me: “Do you really think I could do the job?” My reply was always the same: “If I didn’t think you could do the job I would not have offered it to you.” After a year or two of them supervising 4 to 10 people, their confidence changes them to having a different personality. They became confident and sure of themselves and the decisions they had to make. However, some struggled to have faith or confidence. No matter how much faith you may have, it can still be developed and strengthened.

Faith helps us see the world as it is. Faith helps as we approach life and as we encounter problems, faith helps us find their solutions. Faith will provide a sense of empowerment and a purpose. Faith helps us shape our personality and how we live the future. Faith defines for us moral values.

Hebrews 11:2–6 “This is what the ancients were commended for. By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God’s command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible. By faith Abel brought God a better offering than Cain did. By faith he was commended as righteous, when God spoke well of his offerings. And by faith Abel still speaks, even though he is dead. By faith Enoch was taken from this life, so that he did not experience death: “He could not be found, because God had taken him away.” For before he was taken, he was commended as one who pleased God. And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.”

God has always approved and recognized the person of faith. In the Old Testament they had little verification but had complete assurance and conviction. Many Jews believed it was the sacrifice and fulfilling the law that pleased God. Even under the old system, grace not deeds was the basis of salvation. Today, spiritual faith is a gift God gives when we are receiving salvation.

Faith allows us to believe that God created the world out of nothing merely by speaking His Word. This passage tells us that all of creation was new, not made from any pre-existing materials. Genesis 1 God simply said, “Let there be” and what He wanted came into being.

Though we cannot understand how this could happen, Abraham and the prophets could accept this, as they were inspired to write it and with all of the knowledge Christ brought to this world, why is it so difficult for most people to accept this belief?

Abel, a shepherd brought a firstborn sheep. Cain, a farmer, brought an offering from the ground. God accepted Abel’s sacrifice and rejected Cain’s. Cain became angry and killed Abel. Theologians assume it was the attitude or the quality behind Cain’s sacrifice that caused God to reject it. We know God is more concerned about our heart and our motives than He is about our sacrifice. Abel’s sacrifice made him a righteous man. We know that a person must be righteous to enter the presence of heaven. We know where Abel is and we know where Cain’s soul resides. Faith and attitude is a choice.

This illustration was very important to the Jewish Christian. From the very beginning, faith has been the only thing that God will accept to save a sinner. Abel was the first man of faith and we must understand that his faith gave him his personal salvation. “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God.” Ephesians 2:8

The fact that Cain and Abel came to sacrifice at the same place at the same time suggests God specified a time and place of worship. The fact that he accepted one sacrifice and condemned the other indicates a pattern for worship. The difference seems: Abel gave God what God wanted and Cain gave God what Cain wanted. Or, Abel was obedient and Cain was disobedient. Cain believed in God, he just didn’t believe God. He possibly thought a loving God would accept just anything. Cain is an example of a religious natural man, who believes in God and even in religion, but only on his terms and not on God’s.

True spiritual faith is always obedient. James says in 2:14 and 17 Faith without works is dead. Believing but not responding is not true faith. Cain had faith in God but he did not respond to God’s requests. This verse tells us three things: man comes to God by faith, not works; man must accept and obey God’s ways above his own self-will and sin is severely punished.

Genesis tells us Enoch walked with God for 300 years. Abel had true faith but apparently it was Enoch who walked with God. Abel did not understand the concept of walking with God. The story of Enoch illustrates for all of us the importance of fellowshipping with God.

Faith in God is an absolute requirement and those who believe can come to God and discover that He is approachable.

According to a poll taken by Pew Research Center in 2014 found that only 63% of Americans say they are absolutely certain there is a God that exists. They also state that those who pray every day, attend religious services regularly and consider religion important in their lives is down significantly. A survey they have taken indicates fewer religious people vote in our elections. Most of us know that large shares of Americans are religiously unaffiliated and the number of atheists is growing. Does this help support Scripture that says what will happen as we approach the end times? I have tried in previous blogs to show the signs that the Bible says must happen as the end nears. Are we getting the world ready for the Antichrist to take over? This is why I ask: Has Satan been given approval from God that it is time for Satan to completely take over?

We are told that we are headed toward a time of Tribulation. This is a time more terrible than we have ever seen. Christ tells us that if He did not come with His army of angels, no person would be left alive.

Revelation 20:1-3 “And I saw an angel coming down out of heaven, having the key to the Abyss and holding in his hand a great chain. He seized the dragon, that ancient serpent, who is the devil, or Satan, and bound him for a thousand years. He threw him into the Abyss, and locked and sealed it over him, to keep him from deceiving the nations anymore until the thousand years were ended. After that, he must be set free for a short time.”

In previous Scripture an angel unlocked the Abyss and locusts covered the earth. When the Abyss was opened smoke poured out as though from a huge furnace and the sunlight and air was darkened by the smoke. (9:2) – The Abyss is pictured as where demonic force stays.

Satan is presumed to have entered the Antichrist as he did in Judas Iscariot. (Luke 22:3). Satan, the mighty prince of the power of the air has his followers at work in the hearts of those who refuse to obey God. Eph. 2:2. (Satan, the god of this evil world, has blinded the minds of those who don’t believe so they cannot understand the Gospel or see the glory of Christ. II Corinthians 4:4). (Satan has his millions of demons carrying out his orders. Satan can only be in one place at a time.)

This is what concerns me about the presidential election and our selecting of house members and senators. Are we headed toward a more liberal socialistic economy or will we get back to the accepting of God’s Commandments and ways of living? It is so sad for those of us, who are much older who were taught about the Bible in public schools and often times, had prayer and the pledge of allegiance prior to public meetings. But those millions of demons have been busy carrying out Satan’s orders. What is happening in our world is exactly what Scripture has predicted.

Chapter 12 describes Satan’s fall from heaven and his freedom to roam the earth where he declared war against all who keep God’s commandments and confess to belonging to Jesus. This chapter describes Satan being removed from this earth so that he can no longer deceive nations. The battle at Armageddon did not kill the entire population of the earth. There are still unbelievers alive.

Here is what some believe: Whether they are born during the 1000 years or those resurrected who believe God has not given them enough, will deny Christ during this period. These unbelievers on earth are allowed to experience the reign of Christ. They will continue to rebel against God even without Satan’s deceptive influence. The moment Satan is let out of the prison or Abyss, at the end of the of 1000 years, these people will flock after Satan and go to war against Christ seeking a better life or more material things. This will prove their absolute depravity and the necessity of the final punishment in the Lake of Fire.

Generation after generation will be born and the earth flourishes as it did in Eden before Satan tempted Adam and Eve. It shall be like heaven on earth. This is told to us time and again by Scripture. But the final Paradise does not occur until after the 1000-year reign and we see a new heaven and a new earth.

To recap verses 1 thru 3 we have an angel grabbing Satan. It would appear, at Armageddon. Satan is a physical being. The angel binds him with a huge chain. The angel throws Satan into the bottomless pit and then shuts the door to the pit. A thousand-year time lock is placed on the door. After the 1000 years the chain is taken off, the door is unlocked and Satan returns to earth.

Revelation 21:1-4 “Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”

The old world and all of its evil will be gone forever. A new kind of heaven and a new kind of earth will be created. It must be different to allow a person’s body to last through eternity. Our diets will be different as we eat fruit from the Tree of Life. It was the same kind of tree that Adam and Eve were forbidden to eat. It is believed that many things on earth will be similar to the old earth but the main differences are: There will be no sun, Satan will be defeated, sin will be banished, people will live with God, the curse will be removed, all sins, tears and sorrows will be gone. The main thing is, death will be defeated and believers live with God forever. We are back at the beginning of the cycle when God had a relationship with Adam and Eve. As God provided everything for them, the same will be provided for believers. Then, the Holy City, the New Jerusalem will be seen coming down out of heaven. Christ promised to go and prepare a place with many mansions and He has.

The following is my opinion: Our God is a God of second chances. I believe it is possible that America could have a huge spiritual revival. Prior to Satan trying to destroy the world, non-believers will see something so supernatural that they will become believers. Once that occurs, the end will be near. Churches, if this happens, will you be ready adequately to meet a great demand for those wishing to be converts of Christ?

When you vote in November will you keep in mind the above information? Satan’s millions may be after you!!!

In the gospels, especially Mark, we are told about the number of people who were demon possessed. We may wonder what percent of people are demon possessed today. We hear of murders, torture and extreme abuse and wonder if these evil abusers could be demon possessed. You may have seen the movie Poltergeist where objects flew around. We hear of homes and buildings being haunted. Some go to séances and hear voices. Many may not believe in inanimate objects being possessed but we believe they can be.

Ephesians 6:12 and 16 “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.” Verse 16 “In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.”

Many Christians will read these two verses and never understand their meaning. A lot of believers do not believe in evil spirits or at least they have never dealt with them. There always seems to be paranormal activity going on throughout the world. Steven Spielberg said: “I don’t believe in demons or ghosts, but…” • Mysterious giant ice balls discovered on Swedish coastline • Your cable TV can be haunted • “Websites” detail paranormal investigations • Haunted hotels to keep you awake • Is your home haunted, some are? • The Hole in Red Rock’s lounge’s roof is still a mystery.” Consider the verses that say there will be evil rulers and against the authorities of this dark world.

Many Christians do not realize that many of life’s temptations come from Demonic influence that have made us compromised by the world trying to convince us there is no hell or Satan. More than likely many of us have done things we thought were charitable only to later find out that what we had done was wrong and had to pay the consequences. Have you ever done something and then later find that it was wrong? I suppose if you drive a car, J-walked, etc. you have broken a law. What about telling a white-lie, spreading a rumor, took more from a cashier’s mistake than you should have or something minor yet, wasn’t it a sin?

I suppose many Christians are rarely tempted and never yield to breaking the Ten Commandments but what about the little things? Have you ever unintentionally said something or did something that was hurtful. Every day I suppose we make decisions that had we been more conscious of what we were doing or saying we wouldn’t have. How much are people influenced by evil spirits? The great deceiver is always there to take us down. However, just because we make a bad decision we can’t blame it on the devil or ask God why He allowed us to do so. We have been given free moral agency, meaning that we have the right to make good or bad decisions. In many situations we have no one to blame but ourselves, but in other we are constantly being attacked.

What about Christians who have to deal with the temptations of self-righteousness, pridefulness, being envious, greedy, lustfulness, immorality, porn or untruthfulness? I believe we are bombarded by evil thoughts continually. But how do we know when we are yielding to temptation and when we have just made the wrong decision? I have addressed the financial problems many find themselves in. You cannot drive anywhere in Las Vegas that that we haven’t seen homes foreclosed, strip malls shuttered or businesses closed. If this has happened to you it can be devastating and can physically impair one’s health. The thing you cannot do is to blame it on someone else, whether it is the devil, God or the banker. How foolish it is to hear that because a daughter was injured, her dad gets mad at God. Doesn’t he realize we live in a sin filled world? We must be careful not to blame it on the “not me monster” who is to blame when it was really our fault.

We are going through a very political time in the history of America. What is one thing you hear most everyone say: “It is the fault of that other guy”. We would rather lay blame on someone else than fix the problem or admit our failure.

There is nothing wrong in trying to determine if we were deceived or the problem was self-inflicted. Regardless what caused the mistake, it is wrong to allow self-pity to keep us from correcting the situation and move on.

It didn’t take me long to learn that God does not create failures. God has a plan for us and wants us to be successful. That doesn’t mean we won’t experience failures in life, because failing sometimes provides the experiences necessary to go on to greater things. I have read of many Christian businesspeople who failed, went into bankruptcy, and came out as some of our country’s most successful citizens. But, they have what it seems so few have: a positive mind-set and a can-do attitude.

Too many fail to live according to Christ’s principles and as a result give up. It is hard for many to overcome defeat. Defeat or failure can be long lasting or temporary. Satan’s goal is to help us become defeated and then keep us down. But failure can be a blessing, a teaching experience. Think of the hundreds of times Edison tried to invent the light bulb? How easily it would have been for him to listen to the great deceiver and given up. But Christians have a Spirit within that is there to put positive thoughts into our thinking. So we must be careful who we are listening to. And realize life can be a struggle. When those trials and struggles come we must be careful not to place the blame on the “not me monster” who caused it.

Regardless of whether we yield to temptation or our sins are self-inflicted, we must always keep in mind; God does not necessarily judge us by what we do as much as He judges the condition of our heart and our spirit. Thank the Lord for forgiveness and grace! Don’t ever let evil thoughts and evil temptations keep you down by yielding. Everyone has them!

Most people do not believe what they see in movies or on TV in regard to paranormal activity as factual. They think much of what they see is made up with actors performing to scare viewers. The apostle Paul warned us in Ephesians to be aware of powers of the dark world and spiritual forces of evil. Do we ignore them?

In my childhood they rarely built new houses. Some homes were many years old. When a person would move into a home they would have the pastor and other church members come and pray over the home to remove any spirits and asked God to protect the home. With our cities becoming modernized and new homes being built continually, you rarely hear of paranormal situations occurring in newer homes; and rarely do church people come and pray over homes today.

There are two things that caused me to write this blog. We need to realize that there are evil spirits that we must deal with whether we see them, hear them or not. They are not around to make life easy for us. It is possible to pick up an item at a yard sale and odd things could happen. Second, God has given us the power of the Holy Spirit to help us deal with spirits of darkness. It takes faith and belief that God can overcome. If unusual things are happening in your life the best advice I can give is to pray and ask God to intervene.

Lastly, evil spirits are not always attached to inanimate objects. They are everywhere and most Christians do not realize when they are being tempted or tested. But if we are allowing our self-centered natures rather than our spiritual natures to influence our actions, temptations may be difficult to overcome. May I suggest we take Ephesian 6:12 seriously?

Many people are skeptics. Scripture is very specific about angels, spiritual and evil spirits. Many paranormal occurrences can only be handled with prayer. If problems seem to unexpectedly occur, don’t hesitate to ask believers with faith to pray that the Holy Spirit will intervene.