When I was transferred to Las Vegas as a store manager part of our operation was a service station and a fourteen bay shop.  Our sales in automotive parts and services, at today’s prices, would be more than two million dollars.  We also sold many gallons of gasoline.  In 1973 oil was about $5 a barrel and when I arrived in 1974 our gas was selling at .499 per gallon.  During the Carter administration and the Iranian Shah was being ousted oil was $13 a barrel and gas was selling for .90 cents.  In 1981 it went to $1.38 and in 1998 oil was $10 a barrel.  On July 12, 2008 oil had gone to $147.27 a barrel and gasoline in some cities exceeded $4.00 a gallon.  In 2008 America spent $690 billion dollars on OPEC oil.  We went from oil being $5 a barrel to as high as $147.  Today in Las Vegas, 3/2011, gas is $3.78 and a barrel of oil is $105.  Gas was $4.00 and oil was 147.  Today oil is $105 and gas is almost $4.00—go figure.

The reason I point this out is we have made anti-American nations wealthy that would like to see us destroyed.  Need I explain what they have done with this wealth?  They support Radical terrorism throughout the world.  The destruction of the World Trade Center buildings on September 11, 2001 was a result of mostly Saudi Arabia suicide pilots.

What do you think the average cost of a barrel of oil would cost today if we were energy independent?  In late 2008 with America taking much of the oil produced globally it was less than $30 a barrel.  America has an estimated 150 billion barrels of oil in reserve.  Investor’s Business Daily writes that we have enough oil to supply 60 million cars for 60 years.  This does not include shale or natural gas.

Why have we not had an energy plan since 1979 when President Carter made a commitment to become energy independent?  Because we have people who are against a capitalistic economy.  Listen to TV or read financial newspapers and you will discover that they are doing whatever they can to bankrupt America.  They are trying to do it through housing foreclosures as well as energy.  If you don’t believe it listen to what they are saying.  They are not hiding what it is they are trying to do.

I got interested in the Book of Revelation when Hal Lindsey’s book The Late Great Planet Earth in 1970 was published.   I have read and reread many, many times and have taught prophecy at churches four different times.  Revelations predicted much of what is happening today.  For years I had no idea how all Bible prophecy could possibly happen.  I didn’t believe any president would allow us to rely on foreign nations to be our major supplier in oil to keep our economy running smoothly.   Everyone knew what would happen if they stopped shipping oil to us or at least they should.  Yet, here we are today without an adequate supply of American oil and refusing to do anything about it.

I now patiently wait for Russia, Iran and others to attack Israel.  I know who wins.  Egypt will soon turn from peace with Israel to enemies.  Egypt will be destroyed and no one will enter it for 40 years.  Reading prophecy is more exciting than anything TV can produce.  It’s like watching the Super Bowl and knowing who will win before the game is started.  I believe if Las Vegas makes book on whose going to win some of the things that will take place shortly, it will be o.k. for Christians to make bets.  It is not gambling when you know who is going to win.  On second thought, I don’t want to be standing in line to make a bet when the rapture comes.

If our government is going to allow our country to become bankrupt and collapse, it just means the end-times are arriving sooner not later.  The greatest negative is it doesn’t have to happen and we could change it, but will we?  However, it doesn’t look like our politicians want change nor do they believe in Bible prophecy.  We all know God is in control.  Is it in His plan or is He just allowing it to happen because of who we are and our disobedience?  Be prepared!  Belong to the winning team.

My previous blogs have dealt with the end times and the forming of a one-world government and a one-world religion.  The world will be deceived by the amazing powers and signs of the Antichrist and the false prophets.  The Antichrist will come as a descendant of King David and will be seen as a world leader just exactly what the Jews believe their Messiah would be.  As we know, the Jewish religious leaders would not accept Jesus Christ because He came as a servant and they expected the Messiah to defeat the Romans and rule the world.

The Antichrist will come at a time when it appears the world is headed for World War III.  Because of his death and resurrection he will come as a leader who can bring peace to the world.  The world will also be engulfed in a financial collapse and he will have the answer to solving the world’s economic problems.

Globally we are arriving at a point where we are headed to where everyone can become connected to the Internet.  The falling dollar could lead to a cashless society where a person cannot buy or sell except electronically.   There will neither be checks, money orders nor ATMs.  To stop fraudulent transactions and hackers, everyone will receive a number placed on a micro processor chip imbedded in the hand or forehead.  There was an article in Business Week about twenty years ago predicting a cashless America. From what that article said I thought it would have occurred prior to now.

Once the Antichrist takes over He signs a seven-year peace treaty with Israel.  For a period of time everyone will treat him as their messiah and worship him.  After a time, 3½ years, people will lose their basic rights such as freedom of speech, freedom of religion and will live under a Marxist type government.  With the implanted GPS tracking number, referred to as the Mark of the Beast, the government will know where a person is at all
times.  The world will accept all that is asked of them because of a leader who brings peace and an economic recovery.  They will still be convinced
he is the messiah that the Jews, Muslims and Christians believed would return from Heaven to rule for a 1000 years. But he isn’t and true Christians will know better!

Every economic transaction, every e-mail, Facebook, etc. and phone calls will be electronically monitored.  It will eliminate all opposition as they will know the beliefs of every individual.   We see occurring in North Africa today the population gathering in groups of hundreds of thousands to protest their leaders. You will not see this happen under the Antichrist for it will not be tolerated.  The fear of savage beatings and immediate death will control any opposition.  There will be no person or nation able to stand up against him as Scripture describes.

During the last 3½ years the Jews will be savagely treated.  Many will be killed but a remnant will be saved when Jesus returns. In Revelation 19:19 – 21 John states that the Antichrist and the false prophet will lead a huge army of many nations against Christ and his army at Christ’s second coming.

Zechariah 13:8 – 9 – “In the whole land,” declares the LORD, “two-thirds will be struck down and perish; yet one-third will be left in it.  This third I will put into the fire; I will refine them like silver and test them like gold. They will call on my name and I will answer them; I will say, ‘They are my people,’ and they will say, ‘The LORD is our God.’”  Christ and His army will win and Satan will be bound in hell for a 1000 years.  At that time the Jews and a remnant of Gentiles will accept Christ as the true Messiah and will become reconciled with God through Christ. Israel will be restored and peace will come to the world.  Jesus then rules from Jerusalem over a peaceful world.

Theologians teach that there could be different times when the church will be raptured, caught up with Christ in the air.  Most believe Christians will meet Christ before those seven evil years.  Others believe they will be raptured after the 3½ years of the Tribulation.  There are some who believe they will not be caught up until after the seven years of Tribulation.   Regardless of when Christ returns to rapture Christians we must be ready.  We certainly do not want to be left behind.

It should be noted that the Antichrist doesn’t seem likely to take over while Russia and China are still militarily strong.  In my previous blog I used Ezekiel 29:9 – 15 and 39:1 – 6 and Isaiah 17:1 – 3.  It says no nation will stand against the Antichrist. If there is no super-power left, it would be easier.   What does that say about America?  Will we allow bankruptcy to destroy us?  It is estimated that 20% of our population want to destroy our capitalistic economic system.  If they are in control, they could do it.

How could anyone study the Bible and not realize that God is completely in control?  Yet, leaders rule as if they were.  According to Scripture, it seems Satan is putting his team together.  Be careful whose side you take; God or our world’s leaders?

The biggest questions many Christians have during these times is: “When are the end-times coming” and “When are we going to be raptured?”  Nowhere in the Bible is the term “Rapture” found.  It is a Latin word that describes being taken away in a state of joy, caught up or plucked up.  Scripture tells us that Enoch and Elijah went to Heaven without dieing.  Christ went up into the clouds and it was witnessed by many.  Phillip was taken away and reappeared at a new location.  (Acts 8:39)  The Apostle John, author of Revelation was taken to heaven but he did not know whether he was in the body or his spirit.  The term rapture is used referring to the church rising from earth to Heaven.  Practically every theologian agrees this will occur.  They just can’t agree on when it will happen.  I Thessalonians 4:13 – 16 – “For we believe that Jesus died and rose again, and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him.  According to the Lord’s word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first.” I Corinthians 15:35 – “But someone will ask, “How are the dead raised? With what kind of body will they come?”  52 to 55 – “in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. For the perishable must clothe itself with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality.  When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: ‘Death has been swallowed up in victory.’”

John 14:1 – 3 – “Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me.  My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.”

This is not Christ’s second coming.  That is believed to come after the Tribulation when the Antichrist is sitting in the Temple saying he is god.  But as Christians meet Christ in the air we will have resurrected bodies and will go to be with Him forever.  Jesus warns that those who are unsaved believers will end up in the Tribulation period.  When the church meets Christ in the clouds, could be at different times.  It could be prior to the Tribulation, after 3½ years or at the end of the Tribulation.

We are told the beast described in Revelation or the “Antichrist” will rise to power.   He will be killed and come back to life and form a one-world government.  After a time he will negotiate a peace with Israel and an agreement to protect them.  He will be given unusual supernatural powers and many will be convinced that he is the messiah.  The Antichrist will rule as the Jews believed Christ should have done if He was truly God’s Messiah.  Another beast rises that we call the false prophet heading a one-world religion.  The false prophet requires that everyone must worship the Antichrist who rules over every nation, race and tongue.  There will be millions who have gone to church for years who were never saved and were not raptured.

II Thessalonians 2:8 – 12 – And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus will overthrow with the breath of his mouth and destroy by the splendor of his coming.  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.”

Revelation 3:10 – “Because you have kept My command to persevere, I also will keep you from the hour of trial which shall come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell on the earth.”  Many believe this means those who are saved will be raptured prior to the Tribulation.  However, there are many who believe that Christians will go through part or all of the Tribulation.  I believe that the Antichrist will be held back until the Holy Spirit is withdrawn at the time the church is raptured.  I Thessalonians 1:10 – “and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead—Jesus, who rescues us from the coming wrath.”  I believe Christians will be rewarded for being faithful and will not have to endure the atrocities of the Tribulation.  However, Scripture tells us that God wishes that no one will perish.  It would be highly unlikely many would be saved if the church was removed and the Holy Spirit was gone and the great deceiver had control of everyone.

During the Tribulation there will never have been a time like it.  There will be gigantic earthquakes, volcanoes erupting, stars falling from the sky.  There will be the most evil people ever to have lived.  There will be starvation, sickness and no hope.  One-third of the population, over two billion people, will die during this seven year period.  We believe there will be 144,000 Jewish evangelists that will convince many Jews that they had been deceived by the Antichrist.  They will accept Christ and many will be martyred.  Do you want to hang around or meet Christ?

One thing we are sure of knowing.  The true Messiah, Christ, will come to rapture the church and we will meet Him in the air.  He will not come as a ruler until after the Tribulation.  Anyone else will be from Satan and he was capable of deceiving 1/3 of the angels.  Don’t allow him to sway you if you are left behind.  If the church is gone and the Holy Spirit is in heaven it may be tough to repent and be saved.  What’s the BIGGEST gamble in LIFE?  To deny Christ!

Matthew 10:28 – “Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell.”  (Fear God!)

Matthew 8:26 – “He replied, “You of little faith, why are you so afraid?” Then he got up and rebuked the winds and the waves, and it was completely calm.”  You must have faith!

We are in the end times.  We just do not know when that day will come.  If you have repented and have been saved there is absolutely nothing to be worried about.  Live each day with peace in your heart and love for God.  If you fear, as a saved believer, that you may be missed in the rapture, pray for faith.  Rely on God’s promise!  (We are saved by grace and not by works.)

Revelation 13:2b – 4 – “And the dragon gave the beast his own power and throne and great authority. 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?”  NLT

1^st John 2:18 states that in the last days the “antichrist” will come.  Many theologians believe the beast, in the above verse, is the antichrist who is the false messiah.  The dragon is believed to be Satan.  People will accept the antichrist because of his many miracles and his unlimited power.  He will fake a false resurrection having been pronounced dead (fatal wound) and then comes back to life.  The world will be united under his rule.  He will control the world’s economy.  God will allow the antichrist to have authority over the world for only a brief period.  Everyone will be required to worship him.

Revelation 13:7 & 8 – “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 before the world was made—the Book that belongs to the Lamb who was slaughtered.”  NLT

If you believe Scripture, the above verses tell us there will be a one-world government.  It could not be any clearer.  He will dominate over the world and there will be a one-world religion because all of the non-Christian people* will worship him.  Presently there are four main religions: Christianity, Islam, Hinduism and Buddhism. Which do you think the one-world religion might be?  Who is teaching world domination besides the Radical Muslim Brotherhood?  Besides verse 7 tells us the antichrist will wage war against God’s holy people and conquer them.  From which religion are Radicals promoting the killing of Christians?  Christ tells us we will know when we are in the end times.  We will be able to see the signs.  There will still be Christians on earth because they will be conquered.  It is still possible to believe in the “rapture” taking place prior to pre-tribulation. (*There will be 144,000 Jews preaching that Christ is the Messiah.)

Revelation 13:11 – 17 – “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.  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.   He required everyone—small and great, rich and poor, free and slave—to be given a mark on the right hand or on the forehead.  And no one could buy or sell anything without that mark, which was either the name of the beast or the number representing his name.”   NLT

II Thessalonians 2:4 – 5 – Don’t be fooled by what they say. For that day will not come until there is a great rebellion against God and the man of lawlessness is revealed—the one who brings destruction. He will exalt himself and defy everything that people call god and every object of worship. He will even sit in the temple of God, claiming that he himself is God.”  NLT

Scripture tells us we will have the antichrist and we have the false prophet.  The false prophet is the organizer and the religion is centered on the antichrist.  The antichrist gives him total authority.  The real purpose is to worship Satan through the antichrist.  The religion will be acceptable to everyone whose name is not in the Lamb’s Book of Life.  Lucifer was thrown out of heaven with 1/3 of the angels because they wanted to be gods.  He will think he has succeeded when he sits in the Temple claiming to be god.

Let’s assume that some of this happens prior to Christians being caught up in the air to be with Christ and we are those Christians who are on the earth as the above Scripture describes.  We who will not worship the beast or take the mark are told we will die.

The antichrist will be extremely charismatic.  His miracles will be so astonishing that he will make fire come down from heaven just as Elijah did in I Kings 18.  The false prophets with his miraculous powers will be able to deceive people and shape world opinion into accepting the antichrist and himself.  How many Christians will be deceived and worship the beast instead of accepting death?

Romans 8:35 – “Can anything ever separate us from Christ’s love? Does it mean he no longer loves us if we have trouble or calamity, or are persecuted, or hungry, or destitute, or in danger, or threatened with death?”

I believe any Christian totally committed to Christ and has the power of the Holy Spirit within themselves will receive a courage they have never witnessed before.  Our love for God and Christ will remove all fear.  No matter how bad the circumstance might be, we will have the same confidence and courage that the apostle Peter and the other apostles had after receiving the Holy Spirit at Pentecost. God promises that no one can ever separate us from Him.  I accept and believe that promise and we will face whatever happens, totally dependent upon God and accept any challenge the antichrist or his demons can throw at us.    The signs of a one-world government and religion are coming.  We must be prepared!  Many of us are old enough that we will be long gone prior to this prophecy being fulfilled. This blog is for younger people who need to be aware of what’s coming.

John 14:2 – 7 – “My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you?  And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.  You know the way to the place where I am going.” Thomas said to him, “Lord, we don’t know where you are going, so how can we know the way?” Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.  If you really know me, you will know[a] my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him.”

Jesus had told His disciples many times where He was going but they did not understand.  A number of times He said He was returning to His Father who had sent Him.  Most of us think in earthly terms but Jesus talked in spiritual terms.  Jesus said to the disciples: “You know where I am going.”  Thomas replied: “No I don’t, give us the directions.”  The answer seems simple enough.  If we want to live in eternity with Christ we must accept that He was the Son of God and that He is the “only” way.  Jesus tells us He was going to Heaven, from where He came, to prepare a place for each of His followers.  He taught us how to become a follower. He instructed us how we were to live and how others should be treated.

He finishes the Scripture by saying that if you want to meet the Father He can show you the way, because no one else can get you there.  There is a lot we do not know about eternity.  One thing we are told is that we need not feel unworthy or fear as Jesus is preparing the way for us.  Scripture also says that if we reject Christ we cannot enter God’s presence.  That means if you want God to answer your prayers, you must become a member of His family.

The world will tell us the way to Heaven is just too narrow.  However, it is wide enough to allow the whole world to follow if they would only accept Christ.  Instead the world tells us there are many ways to Heaven.  The great deceiver, Satan, will convince the world that he knows all of the ways to get there and if they will listen and follow him he will lead them.  He will convince people that a loving and forgiving God will make many ways available and we can make a choice as to how we want to get there.  Could he be trusted when he told Eve to eat the apple or when he told Sarah to let Hagar have Abraham’s son?  Look what those consequences brought.  In my lifetime I have never seen as much evil as we can witness in today’s world.

Lucifer convinced 1/3 of the angels to rebel against God.  He has convinced billions on this earth to reject God and His Son.  He is a charmer and a deceiver.  Don’t believe his lies as so many have.  His goal is to have a one-world government and a one-world religion so that He can rule the world as god and be worshipped.  The Bible says his desires will be fulfilled, temporarily.  Don’t fall into his trap!

This is a follow up to my blog “Why the Descendants of Abraham fight over Jerusalem”.  I explained that God allowed Abraham and Sarai to have a son by Sarai’s maidservant, Hagar.  As a result Ishmael was Abraham’s first born son which gave him the “birthright”.  A “birthright” carries a strong element.  The first-born son receives fully double the portion of inheritance than his younger brothers receive.  The first born male child is designated the spiritual leader and has special responsibilities and privileges as part of his birthright (this does not apply if the first born child is a female). Judaism tradition requires younger siblings to show a measure of respect for older siblings. The “birthright” made that son special financially and spiritually.

Isaac was Abraham and Sarai’s second son and he was given the “birthright” according to the Judeo-Christian Bible.  Isaac had two sons Esau and Jacob.  Esau sold his “birthright” to Jacob according to Scripture.  If the heirs of Abraham’s first son and Isaac’s first son do not believe in the Judeo-Christian Bible they could believe that their heritage gives them the “birthright” to the city of Jerusalem and the land of Canaan.

Some believe that the Temple Mount is the most dangerous square mile in the world.  It is tightly guarded and secured to prevent extremists from blowing up the Muslim’s Dome of the Rock.  If this were to happen you would have a billion Muslims invading Israel.  Revelation says that before the end-times the Israelites will rebuild their temple on the original spot.  If Scripture says it will happen, it will. We just don’t know how or when that will come about.

We have a God who knows everything that will ever happen.  Why did He wait for so long before Sarai became pregnant?  He knew if Abraham and Sarai waited and she did not get pregnant they would take matters into their own hand as they did.  God knew that Esau would be born first.  He could have made Jacob the oldest.  He also knew that when Israel became a nation again in 1948 that they would be continually harassed by the heirs of Ishmael and Esau.  God knew that Muhammad would write the Qur’an and Ishmael and Esau’s heirs would become Muslims completely opposed to Isaac and Jacob’s heir’s beliefs.  God told Abraham he would be the father of many nations.  Many Muslim nations are descendants of Abraham as a result of Ishmael and Esau.

Here is what many Palestinian leaders believe: The Jews never had a temple in Jerusalem, it was in Nablus.  The Jews never lived in ancient Israel.  “Jewish leaders” believe from Scripture that the land of Israel was given to them by God and no one can take it from them.  The Bible promises the Jewish people that they will have a third Temple.  The Jews do not believe the Messiah will return until the Temple is built.  The Muslims do not believe the 12^th Imam, their messiah the Mahdi, will not return until the Jews are destroyed.  Both sides believe that we are now in the last days.  As a result the Mahdi has appointed an Iranian to form an army to defeat Islam’s enemies.  Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Iran’s president believes he is the chosen one to carry out that order and amass an army for jihad.

If God would have made Ishmael and Esau second sons it is possible that the political troubles of today could have been avoided.  Why did God allow Jerusalem to become so controversial? In Scripture He tells us that there will be a one world-government and a one-world religion, why?  Why did God allow Abraham’s heirs to continually fight each other when He could have stopped it?  To answer that question requires a lot of assumptions.

I believe that it has something to do with Lucifer and the defection of 1/3 of the angels.  He was one of the most important angels in heaven.  He had all of the luxuries of life.  He could have had anything he wanted from a loving God.  Why did he rebel and the others rebel? Could it be that he wanted to be God?  Scripture tells us that he wants to take over the rebuilt Jewish Temple and rule as God.

God has used the nation of Israel to point out the carnal nature of man.  He has shown us some of the decisions self-centered men will make when given free moral agency.  When the Jews would completely obey the laws of God He would bless them with abundant prosperity. They would take advantage of it and He would withdraw and they would be enslaved and savagely treated.  They would repent and He would again bless them.  This cycle continually occurred.  He is planning to give us a Heaven on earth.  This time He wants people to know what a world can be like when they ignore the laws God has provided. I have always believed this is God’s laboratory and He allows us to witness the difference between good and evil, light and darkness and then choose which we prefer.   The life we live is a continual test to see what we will choose: the ways of the world (Satan’s ways), or live in obedience to the ways of Christ. God wants those who live with Him through eternity to be able to live like Christ in the world that we live in today.  In eternity the opportunities will be so great and the surroundings so terrific we will not want to rebel as Lucifer and the angels did, knowing what could again happen.  As the angels in Heaven followed Lucifer and rebelled against God, the same things were happening but this time it is humans on hearth.  And probably for the same reasons that the angels fell, to follow the great deceiver.  They believed they did not need God and they wanted to become their own god.

Genesis 15:4 & 5 – “Then the word of the LORD came to him: ‘This man will not be your heir, but a son who is your own flesh and blood will be your heir.’  He took him outside and said, ‘Look up at the sky and count the stars—if indeed you can count them.’ Then he said to him, ‘So shall your offspring be.’”

Genesis 16:1 & 2 –  “Now Sarai, Abram’s wife, had borne him no children. But she had an Egyptian slave named Hagar; so she said to Abram, ‘The LORD has kept me from having children. Go, sleep with my slave; perhaps I can build a family through her.’  Abram agreed to what Sarai said.”

Eve convinced Adam to eat the fruit from the forbidden tree.  Sarai convinced Abraham to have a child with Hagar.  In each case, we believe Satan convinced the two women not to trust God.  Look at the consequences of lacking trust and making the incorrect decision.  Was God showing to man what may happen when we don’t trust Him?  What is the difference between the angels that followed Satan and those on earth today that are deceived by him?  Adam and Eve’s rebellion resulted in God destroying unbelievers by water.  Abraham and Sarai’s untrusting decision will probably cause the earth to be destroyed by fire the second time.  Who do you trust?  Wake up America before it’s too late!  We had better start making decisions per Scripture and stop being deceived by Satan.  But do we learn from history?  Probably not!

It all started with God calling Abraham to leave his home and start a family.  God promised him that he would have many descendants, many nations would descend from him, God’s covenants to Abraham would apply to his descendants and He would give the land of Canaan to him and his future generations.

Abraham, the father of the Jewish nation, had two sons who were Isaac and Ishmael.  Genesis 16:11 & 12 – “The angel of the LORD also said to her: ‘You are now pregnant and you will give birth to a son. You shall name him Ishmael, for the LORD has heard of your misery. He will be a wild donkey of a man; his hand will be against everyone and everyone’s hand against him, and he will live in hostility toward all his brothers.”  Later Isaac was born to Abraham and Sarai.  Abraham and Sarai made a serious mistake by allowing Sarai’s maidservant, Hagar, to become the mother of Abraham’s first child.  A serious problem developed between Sarai and Hagar.  Ishmael, at age 13, and his mother ran from the problem.  As the Bible predicted, the descendants of Ishmael have been bitter enemies of Abraham, Isaac’s and Jacob’s families ever since

In my recent blog “The decision you make today can negatively affect your future”, I wrote about Esau and Jacob using the Scripture Genesis 23:30 – 40 – “He (Esau) said to Jacob, “Quick, let me have some of that red stew! I’m famished!” (That is why he was also called Edom.)  Jacob replied, “First sell me your birthright.”  “Look, I am about to die,” Esau said. “What good is the birthright to me?”  But Jacob said, “Swear to me first.” So he swore an oath to him, selling his birthright to Jacob.  Then Jacob gave Esau some bread and some lentil stew. He ate and drank, and then got up and left.  So Esau despised his birthright.”

Ishmael was Abraham’s first born and Esau was Isaac’s first born son.  Jewish tradition gave to both sons birthrights.  That meant they received twice the material inheritance of their siblings.  They received head of the family rights on the father’s death.  They had the right to settle all family disputes.

God promised to Abraham that his descendants would have a covenant promise to the land that Israel now occupies.  Many of Esau and Ishmael descendants now make up many Arab nations and are believers in Islam.  Many of the heirs of Abraham and Sarai believe that the land of Canaan belongs to them.  Esau, who gave up his birthright and Ishmael, the first born son’s descendants feel they have as much right to the land as Isaac and Jacob.  The only problem, if you follow Scripture, is God chose Isaac and Jacob over Esau and Ishmael according to the Judeo-Christian Bible.  However, the Qur’an, the Muslim Bible, sees it differently. Thus, the great conflict that has gone on for generations.

Another problem exists; the nation of Israel worships the Judeo-Christian God and the Muslims worship Allah.  Judeo-Christians believe there are two different Gods.  The Radical Muslim Brotherhood believes that their Allah, who allowed them to rule the world once, wants them to rule the world again.  This includes America.  The Radical Muslim Brotherhood’s publication features: “Our mission: world domination.”  And “Islam is the answer and jihad is the way”.  They believe it is an obligation of every Muslim to wage Islamic jihad onto every non-Muslim.

Let me repeat what I have previously written.  Most Muslims are not Radicals.  They are not interested in waging war against Israel and America.  They do not promote their sons and daughters being suicide bombers to kill Christians and Jews. They live peaceful, respectable and productive lives.

We are sitting on the front line watching prophecy unfolding.  Only a fool would believe there is no God.  How could so many different men write hundreds of years ago about events that are happening almost every day?  Revelation tells us in the end-times there will be plagues, earthquakes and starvation.  There will be one man who will rule the world and there will be one religion headed by the false prophet. All of this is happening to prove that we have a God and He predicted all of this centuries ago.  He is giving everyone a last chance to seek salvation and He is preparing the world for the return of Christ.  We believe every person will be given a chance to be saved. No one will have an excuse to not accept Christ as they see prophecy occurring as it is in Northern Africa, gigantic earthquakes, the possibility of a food shortage and volcanoes erupting. We are witnessing those inside America wanting to destroy our nation and become part of a one-world government.  Yet, as in the time of Moses, many will accept Satan and the antichrist as their saviors and reject God and deny Christ as His Son.

Scripture tells us that once a person denies Christ they will be destroyed just as the Egyptian Army was when they chased the Jews out of Egypt.  He will destroy them just as He destroyed the people during Noah’s time.

As Christians should we be fearful?  We should be just the opposite.  The decision we made to accept Christ as our Savior is now being proved, without a doubt, that we made the right choice.  We have been sealed with the Holy Spirit and I believe God will eradicate any fear for those who really trust and obey Him. We are safely seated in the grandstand watching the battle take place before our very eyes.  We don’t have to worry because we know what team wins.  When the battle is over we can all run down and celebrate with Christ and His angels.  Isn’t it exhilarating and exciting to be on the winning team?  Guess what?  The trophy is that we are all given a crown and we get to live with the winning team forever and ever!  World—bring it on, Christ has made us ready!  Amen

The correct question may be is America on God’s side?  Many of our leaders over the years have told us that our major concern was that America would never be destroyed from the outside.  If America is destroyed it will come from within.  If you have studied history one example came from Abraham Lincoln when he spoke on January 27, 1938 in Springfield, Illinois.  He said: “At what point shall we expect the approach of danger?  By what means shall we fortify against it?  Shall we expect some transatlantic military giant to step the ocean and crush us at a blow?  Never!  All the armies of Europe, Asia and Africa combined, with all the treasure of the earth in their military chest, with a Bonaparte for a commander, could not by force take a drink from the Ohio, or make a track on the Blue Ridge in a trial of a thousand years.  At what point, then, is the approach of danger to be expected?  I answer, if it ever reaches us it must spring up amongst us; it cannot come from abroad.  If destruction be our lot we must ourselves be its author and finisher.  As a nation of freemen we must live through all time, or die by suicide.”

As we developed modern weapons it seemed that we were more defenseless against the outside than the inside.  But as I read newspapers and listen to TV news I can see how much easier it would be to destroy America from within.  I don’t know if the statistics are correct but we are told that over 20% of our population hates our form of government and wants a form of communism, totalitarianism or socialism.  They are willing to destroy our country in order to change our present system.

Why would Iran need nuclear armament when they have Radical Muslims inside the U.S.?  Many Muslims are peaceful people who want the same things for their families that most of us want.  As President Bush said, it was the Radical Muslims who were hijacking Islam and creating the terrorists.

Islam is a religion of works.  They are taught that you cannot go to Heaven unless your good deeds outweigh your sins.  The Qur’an also states that a Muslim must go to war against their sinful nature for the good of one’s soul.  Allah blesses those who strive to do good works and not the sinner.

Radical Muslims teach if your bad deeds outweigh your good ones you will be placed into hell and tortured for eternity.  To end up in Paradise your good deeds must exceed your sins.  Radical Muslims are taught that being a martyr is a guarantee of salvation.  Dieing a martyr’s death there is no pain; it erases all past sins and can save the souls of 70 family members.  They then will live in Paradise through eternity and be wedded to 72 beautiful virgin maidens.  It should be pointed out that the 72 virgins promised is not found in the Qur’an but comes from ancient Islamic scholars who quoted it from Muhammad.  The Radicals believe that Allah will not be pleased until the Muslim people establish a global Islamic government under Sharia law.  Are they not teaching Radical Muslims living within the U.S. the importance of knowing for sure you will be saved if you just die a martyr’s death by suicide bombing?  Dirty bombs, bacteria, toxic chemicals are all possible.  I read about it almost every week.

We have a number of judges who are supporting the Radicals and are down playing our constitution in favor of Muslim’s religious demands.  Islam seems to enjoy a privilege among religions in America.  It appears that approximately four million Muslim’s rights are being considered over the rights of non-Muslims.  As I have previously written, Americans are not aware of the number of Radical conferences that are taking place regularly in America.  They are part of this 20% of Americans who want to see the economic capitalistic system destroyed.  It appears they will not be pleased until they see a dictator come to power and change America as we now know it.  If it takes a collapse in our financial structure so be it.  What will it take to make this happen?  Their motto is: “Islam is the answer and jihad is the way”. The problem is Radicals really hate us and are willing to sacrifice their lives to destroy us.

So I ask the question: “Whose side do you suppose God is on?  Do you believe He would support a one-world government with a one-world religion?”  It is time to wake up and accept what we have been told for years.  America’s destruction may be greater from within than from without.  Do you need further reasons why we must pray for America?