It is apparent if I write a blog about prophecy, Israel or disasters it will receive about 100 more readers. When I write about living a spiritual and holy life it draws less than all others. Today I want to tell you what you may be missing with the hope of encouraging you.

John 18:25 – 27 – “As Simon Peter stood warming himself, he was asked, ‘You are not one of his disciples, are you?’  He denied it, saying, ‘I am not.’ One of the high priest’s servants, a relative of the man whose ear Peter had cut off, challenged him, ‘Didn’t I see you with him in the olive grove?’ Again Peter denied it, and at that moment a rooster began to crow.”

Peter had stated that Christ was the Messiah, the Son of God. Why would he deny being a disciple of Jesus? I can only assume but I believe the Bible gives us an indication. A human reaction is to defend oneself. An association with Jesus at that time, Peter may have thought, could have meant death. He wasn’t ready to die. Yet, later in life he was willing to die a martyrs’ death. History tells us he was crucified upside-down. With the exception of the apostle John, author of Revelation and other Scripture, the other apostles died a martyrs’ death. What made the difference in Peter’s thinking?

I John 4:18 – “There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.”

I had heart bypass surgery in 1984. After a massive heart attack in August 2005, my family was told my chances of living were slim. There, supposedly, was little chance I would make it through surgery. My daughter-in-law, a nurse, knew a nurse in ICU and was told I had the least chance of surviving as anyone in ICU. My entire life I have been afraid of hospitals. It may be a result of my father dying in a hospital when I was six years old.

With the number of tubes and a week in preparation for surgery it wasn’t difficult to conclude my situation was serious. Yet, I do not remember at anytime having fear. I can’t say I had perfect love as Scripture says takes away fear, but I did not fear punishment. I can testify that when we are having serious problems the Holy Spirit can be our comforter. How can a person be petrified of hospitals and yet have no fear when they are near death?

Peter prior to having receiving the Holy Spirit had a very normal, human response. Accepting the Holy Spirit into his life made a very different Peter. I read a number of polls where Christians seem to think they have had little change in their lives since becoming a Christian. Are we satisfied with being like Peter prior to the Holy Spirit or being like Peter after having the Holy Spirit come into his life?

Many Christians do not receive what God offers when they accept Jesus as their Savior. It may be like a person who obtains a PhD and then works as a cab driver most of their life. Why would they seek a tremendous education and then not use it? Why become a Christian and then live as if they were still enslaved? Do they fear freedom?

Why are a number of Christians positive, at peace and have little stress? Why are others negative, worry constantly and seem upset most of the time? Is it because of personality or temperament? It is more likely those at peace are living a holy life. Those who are not are probably relying on their own strength and ignoring the Holy Spirit that is within them. Our flesh and our spirit influence our soul or mind. They are at war! The world makes their decisions based on the desires of the flesh. A mature Christian allows their spirit, guided by the Holy Spirit, to influence their choices. If you are a Christian allowing the flesh to influence your decisions you may live more like the world lives than as a Christian is suppose to live.

If we live as the world lives then we must expect to receive the consequences that the world receives. This is why it is so important to read and submit to Biblical teaching. We must have the self-control to reject fleshly desires and accept only what is in keeping with the Bible’s teaching. God promises that He would give us His Spirit to help us through life. Are we willing to accept His help or are we more desirous of what Satan offers? Are we more inclined as Eve and Adam to listen to the devil or are we more willing to obey God? We have a choice and with each decision comes a consequence. Which do you prefer? I am afraid too many Christians may be listening to the wrong spirit. God does not promise a trouble-free life. But He does promise us love, joy and peace if we are listening to His Spirit and being submissive.

Last thought: Fear has to do with punishment. If we make the right choices there will not be punishment to fear. Death can result in punishment or reward. Knowing that death will have a reward waiting can take away fear. I have just lost two Christian friends to death. They had nothing to fear and are obtaining the greatest experience a person will ever receive. Glory to God!

Most of us may deal with life’s ups and downs differently. Have you been faced with having to deal with stress or depression? Do you have a problem with anger? Are you spending too much time worrying? Is there an addiction or an overweight problem with which you are struggling? What we have established as our beliefs, will affect every decision we make.

Where we are spiritually will determine the choices we make. Our beliefs are extremely important in how we live, what we think and how we make daily decisions. How does what we think compare with what the Bible teaches? If we don’t understand the Bible we probably do not know what God teaches in dealing with life situations and temptations.

Poll after poll tells us that most people do not believe the Bible is 100% accurate. We are also told that only 18% of young adults believe totally in the Bible’s accuracy. Most individuals pick and chose what they believe in order to live as they wish. Their belief system comes from parents, teachers, friends and what they learn in school or what they accept from the news media. Therefore, if everyone seems to be doing it, it must be alright.

We are born with a nature that makes us want to rebel against all authority. If you have raised children you realize that you will tell them not to do something and they will go ahead and do it. You may have been told not to associate with those kids because they are nothing but trouble. Yet, you continued to associate with them and the consequence wasn’t good. Maybe your friends told you that you shouldn’t be dating that person. It made you want to see them even more. Our human nature has had problems with authority.

Many believers and most non-believers struggle with rebelling all of their lives. As Christians we must deal with this carnal nature and rid ourselves of this rebellious attitude. What does the Bible teach us about becoming submissive? I Peter 21b – 22 – “It saves you by the resurrection of Jesus Christ, who has gone into heaven and is at God’s right hand—with angels, authorities and powers in submission to him.” If angels and powers are in submission to Christ should we not be also? The Bible teaches we are to accept the teachings of Christ. Our belief system must be established on the authority of the Bible. Otherwise, a rebellious heart may continue to control.

You may read all kinds of Christian books but they will never take the place of the Bible. If someone were to ask us why do you believe a certain way? You should be able to state: it’s because that is what the Bible teaches. If we don’t read our Bible or if we do and do not understand what we read then how can we live as the Bible teaches? I peter 3:15 – “in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect.”

I think most of us have heard the parable of the four souls. It explains much about people’s acceptance of God’s word. Matthew 13:18 – 23 – “When anyone hears the message about the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart. This is the seed sown along the path. The one who received the seed that fell on rocky places is the man who hears the word and at once receives it with joy. But since he has no root, he lasts only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, he quickly falls away. The one who received the seed that fell among the thorns is the man who hears the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke it, making it unfruitful. But the one who received the seed that fell on good soil is the man who hears the word and understands it. He produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown.” (The key is to understanding.)

Your beliefs and your spiritual maturity are based on where the Word was planted in your heart. Did your heart contain fertile soil or maybe God’s Word fell among the thorns? Does the “worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke it, making it unfruitful”? If your heart contained fertile soil then expect to produce a crop yielding “a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown.”

So how does this all apply to handling life’s trials? If problems or negative situations present themselves how we handle them may depend on our trust in God’s Word. If the Word is planted among the thorns in our heart, it could cause us to allow deceitfulness and worry to stress us out. Possibly, we make wrong choices. If we have allowed God’s Word to come into a heart containing fertile soil we will be able to accept the promises that God will meet our need and everything will work for the best in the end. With the right heart we may expect what we have sown will come back as much as a hundred times. How do we make the heart fertile and accept the authority of the Bible? Have the self-control to become submissive to God, Christ and the Holy Spirit. Read and understand the Word!

John 16:33 – “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”

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 abusers could be 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 & 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 is haunted • “Webisodes” detail paranormal investigations • Production begins on Trick of the Witch • Haunted hotels to keep you awake • Is your home haunted? • The miniature coffins found on Arthur’s Seat • Hole in Red Rock Lounge roof still a mystery.”

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?

A friend told me that his mother-in-law decided to get rid of her husband’s collection of beer steins that he had accumulated over the years. She brought him three steins and asked if he would take them? That night my friend had the worst nightmare he had ever had. He awoke, got up and took the three steins, put them in a sack and put them outside. He told me the story. Tuesday evening I awoke at 3:00 a.m. and was wide awake. I put in my ear piece and turned on the radio. They were talking about good spirits and evil spirits. They called them Jinn’s. According to Google: “IN THE WESTERN WORLD we have grown up with the concept of demons and devils – the evil beings of the spirit world, according to traditional Christian beliefs. Other religions around the world have their spirit beings, too, of course. In Islam, the djinn are a race of spirit beings that can be good or evil. (Djinn, or jinn, is the origin of the more familiar word “genie” in English.)” Like Barbara Eden in “I dream of Jeanie”. They were talking about a genie in a bottle and in some bottles are real evil spirits. In fact, some who had those bottles with bad spirits often would have nightmares. What a coincidence it was confirming what my friend believed had come from the steins! Thus, I decided to write this blog.

My daughter and son-in-law rented a home a number of years ago from some very close friends. These folks rented their previous home, out of town, to their younger son and daughter-in-law. In that home their oldest son sat at a desk and committed suicide. They decided they wanted to keep the desk but his son felt uneasy with it being in their home. They moved it to my daughter’s home. Weird things began happening. Doors would slam shut while they were in another room. The toilet would flush when no one was in there. I asked them if they would like to have our family come and pray over the house?

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.

My daughter and son-in-law went to the desk and were talking and wondering if “sonny” came with the desk and why would he deliberately be scaring them? From that point on they never heard another strange thing happen as long as they lived in that home.

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?

My Christian aunt was in an auto accident hanging onto life. Her minister son came with oil to anoint her and pray for healing. He told her that a number of Christians were praying for her healing. She told him that she didn’t want to be healed and that she was praying God would take her. She asked him whose prayer he thought God would answer. The next morning she passed away at 5:00 a.m. My cousin’s children were staying with a couple in their home town. At 5:00 my aunt (in spirit) came and sat on the bed of my cousin’s 12 year-old daughter. She was there to tell her goodbye and that she should continue to be a good girl. She was then gone. She woke the family that she was staying with and told them what had happened. My cousin called at 7:00 a.m. to explain that their grandmother had passed away. He was told they already knew it because his mother had visited Linda. Don’t ask me to explain it. Imagine the impact it had on the life of this family. It was a “God thing” and a faith builder.

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.

Armageddon is the final war between God and those nations that are anti-God. Scripture tells us it will be held near Mount Megiddo at the southern end of the Esdraelon Valley. It is about 70 miles north of Jerusalem. (Rev. 16:16) It is the final time that nations try to destroy Israel and take Jerusalem.

After Russia, Iran and other nations were defeated as we previously covered, an Asian army of 200 million came to Israel. Revelation 9:15 – 16 – “And the four angels who had been kept ready for this very hour and day and month and year were released to kill a third of mankind. The number of the mounted troops was two hundred million. I heard their number.” Led by unified kings from the East they will kill millions on their way. Like the previous battle with Russian, Iran and others this Asian army coming from the north is destroyed. It is very evident that God protects His covenant people and their covenant land. According to Zechariah 14:12 – “This is the plague with which the LORD will strike all the nations that fought against Jerusalem: Their flesh will rot while they are still standing on their feet, their eyes will rot in their sockets, and their tongues will rot in their mouths.” This sounds like what happen to Sodom and Gomorrah.

When this happens Jews will realize that Jesus is the Messiah. They will see Him standing on the Mount of Olives. Zechariah 12:9 – 11 – “On that day I will set out to destroy all the nations that attack Jerusalem. ‘And I will pour out on the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem a spirit of grace and supplication. They will look on me, the one they have pierced, and they will mourn for him as one mourns for an only child, and grieve bitterly for him as one grieves for a firstborn son. On that day the weeping in Jerusalem will be great, like the weeping of Hadad Rimmon in the plain of Megiddo.” Not only will the Battle of Armageddon prove the Old Testament prophecies but also the New Testament. Those who doubted the authenticity of Scripture must accept the truth of the gospels. The entire nation of Israel will go into mourning and accepts Christ’s leadership. They are blessed and become prosperous.

There is a difference in belief as to when the Temple is rebuilt. Some believe it is after the second war with Russia. Others believe it does not occur until after Armageddon. Most believe it was built prior to the Tribulation as the Antichrist rules three and a half years from the Temple. Then Christ takes over.

Many continue to believe and I used to believe that something bad had to happen to the United States. Before President Obama no American president or NATO would have allowed armies to invade Israel without intervening. Otherwise, it was believed America would have had to lose its status as a super-power and be unable to protect Israel. Still many believe the future for America does not look good. For those who believe God is in complete control, did He allow President Obama to be elected as part of His plan? Or, as some think another possibility is that the U.S. could go into bankruptcy and be unable to be Israel’s protector? Could it be the worldliness of America has resulted in God’s judgment against us? (These are merely assumptive questions asked by a number of Christian authors!) However, it “appears” we may be moving closer to the Day of Judgment. Until this past year, a lot of what has been happening is starting to make sense. Is God showing us a preview of end-times or is this the real thing? This shouldn’t be scary if we are believers. As I have been writing, isn’t it time for our nation to repent as the Jews have done in previous generations and seek forgiveness rather than allow God’s judgment to devastate us?

Many believe that at the end of the Tribulation Jesus will come out of the sky and will be seen by all. Matthew 26:64 – “Yes, it is as you say,’ Jesus replied. ‘But I say to all of you: In the future you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One and coming on the clouds of heaven.’” He is coming to save Israel from total destruction. He will come to Jerusalem. Zechariah 14:1 – 4 – “Watch, for the day of the Lord is coming when your possessions will be plundered right in front of you! I will gather all the nations to fight against Jerusalem. Then the Lord will go out to fight against those nations, as he has fought in times past”…..”On that day his feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, east of Jerusalem. And the Mount of Olives will split apart, making a wide valley running from east to west. Half the mountain will move toward the north and half toward the south.” (NLT) This is yet to occur. Zechariah 14:5 – “You will flee through this valley, for it will reach across to Azal. Yes, you will flee as you did from the earthquake in the days of King Uzziah of Judah. Then the Lord my God will come and all his holy ones with him.”

Before Christ returns, believers going through the wars and natural disasters will place their hope in Christ. Titus 2:13 – “While we wait for the blessed hope—the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ”

Throughout the Bible when Jesus returns it states that a multitude will come with Him. In Daniel 7:9 – 10 states that there will be thousand thousands and ten thousand times ten thousand. It sounds fairly massive to me. He comes to establish His 1000 year rule on earth. When you read “clouds of heaven” it is referring to those coming with Christ. It is God’s family of believers. This includes those who have died and were in heaven and those who were caught up into the air, (those who were raptured) will be with Christ when He returns.

Matthew 24:29 – 30 – “Immediately after the distress of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from the sky, and the heavenly bodies will be shaken. At that time the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and all the nations of the earth will mourn. They will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky, with power and great glory.”

Then we will witness the real fun part. We will have bodies that will last through Christ’s reign. I Corinthians 15:51 – 53 – “Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed— 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.”

Finally, we read in I Thessalonians 41:16 – 18 – “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. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. Therefore encourage each other with these words.” Why would anyone want to put off the return of Christ to rule the earth? (Unless it would be to see more saved.) Otherwise, it would only be if you do not understand Scripture. Or, they have not accepted Christ as their Savior.

I own shares in Yahoo and saw an article in the New York Times concerning the company. I was surprised to learn that sites like YouTube, Facebook, MySpace, Google, Yahoo and others have viewers who spend eight hours a day viewing some of the most depravities harbored on the Internet. They are there to edit what goes on to these sites. It isn’t unusual to see photographs of graphic gang killings, animal abuse and twisted forms of pornography. The world is not what we think it is! One recent example was a photo of two teenage boys gleefully pointing guns at another boy, who is crying.

An Internet content reviewer looks at photographs that are uploaded to a social networking site and keeps illicit material, and there is a ton of it, from being posted. With a number of Web sites built from material contributed by users, screeners have never been in greater demand. It’s not a job for just anyone or the weak of heart.

The article states that these jobs can have mental health consequences for the reviewers. When a person accepts the job they do not realize some of the most despicable and illegal images they will see could stick with them the rest of their lives. Some say these jobs are comparable to combat veterans, completely desensitized to all kinds of imagery. A staff of 50 may see as many as 20 million photos a week. Congress has recommended that the federal government provide financial incentives to address the psychological impact on employees of exposure to these disturbing images. Each company offers counseling as part of the standard benefits package for workers.

Most of us are unaware of the worst material posted. People will post material like sexual images involving children. There is material that is best not covered in this blog. Companies have to pay millions to keep sites to meet certain standards.

The article ends stating that many employees become depressed or angry, have trouble forming relationships and suffer from decreased sexual appetites. Small percentages said they had reacted to unpleasant images by vomiting or crying.

My wife and I have taken the Reader’s Digest forever. I read 100% of the humor and 50% of the stories monthly. As I was reading I was telling my wife about a particular story and was saying how fortunate we were to have raised our children before the Internet.

A mother writes of her seven year old son, who has not learned to read, going on the internet to find pornography. She said by accident she turned on her iPhone that he had been playing with and up popped a web page.

The story goes on to say, “It’s pretty appalling how pornography is transforming our lives, our relationships and our families.” We being grandparents had no idea what she was really talking about. So we proceeded to go online and selected the web page that was in the Reader’s Digest. We must be fairly naïve! What we saw was shocking. It was one of the most explicit sites imaginable. My first reaction was to become angry at the Reader’s Digest for printing the web page.

After a time of consideration we concluded that if any parent were to go to that site and realize how easy it was for children to bring up pornography, as young as seven years old, they would make sure that children were never on the Internet without supervision.

President Obama says that we are no longer a Christian nation. If we continue to take God out of the lives of our children I am afraid that may come true. All we have to do is study the Old Testament and realize that God only puts up with so much. I don’t know, to what extent, we are becoming a godless nation but it could be in our future. We must start doing a better job of protecting our children from all of the modern technology available. Do all parents realize what can be brought up on an IPod and others devices?

Take God and prayer out of our schools and look what we have! Do you think we need to pray about our world and where it is headed? Does America need a spiritual revival?

It appears the government is taking away our security and trying to change us from a Christian nation into a socialistic country that ignores God and teaches evolution. Something the government does not want us to know is that we could be just months away from potential bankruptcy. We are in a situation today that this country has never been before. We are 13 trillion dollars in debt with untold trillions of dollars of government pension plans, social security, Medicare, Medicaid and a payroll that we can never pay what is promised. Think I am kidding? A government worker retiring with an $80,000 annual income needs an investment of two million dollars to pay out that pension sum. Multiply that by the number retiring! (Eighty trillion potential) Then in most cases they receive free health insurance. In many jobs they may retire at 55. Are you in favor of the government coming up with more spending plans? Why would they not spend more than 4% of the huge $800 billion plus stimulus program passed on needed repairs? Our country’s roads need repair and upgrading. Our cities water and sewer systems are failing. Some bridges and overpasses are unsafe. In a recent poll 46% think the administration is doing a good job. Go figure!

Before as a country, after wars and other disasters, we were united and pulled together to resolve our problems. At this moment we are a nation more divided than I have ever witnessed. We have a government, it seems, creating each crisis to pass their agenda that leads to socialism. Otherwise, it would seem they are just inept!

What are we leaving for our children but an enormous debt that will require taxes that we cannot afford? We fought a war over taxation without representation and is that where they want us to go? Do we want a government like Russia or to be in a financial position similar to Greece? Don’t be surprised if you learn that tithes and offerings or charitable giving will no longer be tax deductible. It would help their cause if they could put Bible believing churches out of business. Their first step was to stop prayer and banished the Bible in our schools. Does that sound like they are pro-Christian to churches? We cannot post the Ten Commandments in many public buildings. Wearing of crosses has been banished in some public schools and nativity scenes are prohibited in some cities. Soon they could push for the control of freedom of speech. Rabbis, priests and ministers will have to be careful what they preach. Every hour of paid conservative radio will require liberals to give their opposing message free of charge. This happened once before. (Think this is far fetched?)

We must realize that socialism is against Judeo-Christian beliefs. We probably will not be able to end our prayers in Jesus’ name in any public setting. Jesus taught equality for everyone and in particular women. Our Jesus lived a life that was free of sin. He taught love and morality. Why is He such a threat to the progressive movement? He taught that individual freedoms were given by God who created man and woman equally. Freedom and individual rights are not originated by a government who believe in evolution as progressives do. To completely become a socialistic nation they must stamp out God, their enemy, and make the Christian church a non-issue.

I have written about all of the disasters that have occurred to America in the past twenty years. They have increased 400%. On June 3rd I posted: “Worst hurricane season in American history could be possible.” I illustrated that it appeared that whenever an American president made a speech or announced that we were requiring Israel to give up covenant land to appease the Palestinians a natural disaster would occur. It started with President Bush, number 41, and has continued. I quoted just one of many Scriptures: Genesis 12:3 – “I will bless those who bless you and curse those who treat you with contempt. All the families on earth will be blessed through you.” (NLT) If the present administration is looking for a crisis to continue, then continue to treat Israel as they have been. Waiting two months to get serious about the oil gushing out of the Gulf sure gave them the crisis that they hoped would pass the “tax and trade bill” or “climate change bill”.

Dr. Charles Stanley asked that Americans for the next 120 days to pray for America and our government. Scripture: Psalms 29:2 – “When the righteous thrive, the people rejoice; when the wicked rule, the people groan. “ II Chronicles 20:6 – 9 – “O LORD, God of our fathers, are you not the God who is in heaven? You rule over all the kingdoms of the nations. Power and might are in your hand, and no one can withstand you. O our God, did you not drive out the inhabitants of this land before your people Israel and give it “forever” to the descendants of Abraham your friend? They have lived in it and have built in it a sanctuary for your Name, saying, ‘If calamity comes upon us, whether the sword of judgment, or plague or famine, we will stand in your presence before this temple that bears your Name and will cry out to you in our distress, and you will hear us and save us.” (forever – my emphasis)

We must ask God to intervene. If you want to be part of thousands who will be praying “begin today”.

Many believe God will give those who are left, during these seven years of Tribulation, a chance to become saved. But is that a false doctrine? Will a person be able to be baptized and receive the Holy Spirit? The Bible is very specific and says only those who have received Christ and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit will be “born again”.

A recent survey by the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life polled 35,000 adults who stated they belonged and attended an evangelical church. Of those polled, 57% said they believed there were many religions that led to eternal life. They either do not know their Bible or do not believe what it teaches. John 14:6 – “Jesus answered, ‘I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.’” John 10:9 – “I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved.”

A number of surveys indicate that many churches in America are like the Laodicea church in Revelation chapter 3. 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 said they were neither hot nor cold. He said He would spit them out of His mouth or withdraw the Holy Spirit from them. The church didn’t stand for anything and their indifference lead to a condition without hope. Does it sound like some churches we know about?

The church that goes through the Tribulation will not follow or worship Jesus. It will worship the Antichrist. Revelation 13:8 – “All inhabitants of the earth will worship the beast—all whose names have not been written in the book of life belonging to the Lamb that was slain from the creation of the world.” This church will be headed by the false prophet whose role is to get everyone to worship the Antichrist.

Revelation 13:15 – 17 – “He was given power to give breath to the image of the first beast, so that it could speak and cause all who refused to worship the image to be killed. He also forced everyone, small and great, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on his right hand or on his forehead, so that no one could buy or sell unless he had the mark, which is the name of the beast or the number of his name.” What religion are you aware of that plans to kill those who will not convert? Revelation 20:4 – “I saw thrones on which were seated those who had been given authority to judge. And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded because of their testimony for Jesus and because of the word of God. They had not worshiped the beast or his image and had not received his mark on their foreheads or their hands. They came to life and reigned with Christ a thousand years.” Only Islam continues to practice beheading.

What position do you think the United States will take? If Iran has its way the U.S. will be unable to intercede and Islam will be the world’s religion. Will the Antichrist worship Allah and the false prophet be a Muslim? The Bible seems to be very clear that to become a Christian during the Tribulation will not be as easy as it is today. Are you willing to take the mark of the beast? I would imagine those 57% surveyed would rationalize believing that God will forgive them. Yet, Scripture says He will not. If you miss the rapture and are saved during the tribulation will you be willing to be beheaded and die as a martyr?

This past year we had over 5400 accept Christ as their Savior. They came down front, made a commitment, signed their name, gave us their phone number so we could follow up, which we have. Why hasn’t our attendance increased by 5400? Where did they go? Do they realize that reading the Word gives them power, praying gives them power and the Holy Spirit gives them power? Are they living powerless and continue in sin?

I recently read where President Obama is advancing Islamic Sharia law, prohibiting criticism of Islam. As sad as the future looks there is still hope. According to many of us who believe that accepting Christ now will allow us to miss the seven years of Tribulation described in Revelation. As a result our name will be listed in the Lamb’s Book of Life and we will spend eternity with God and Christ.

If Christians are not raptured prior to the Tribulation, I believe those truly committed to Christ will be able to live without fear and willing to be martyred as the apostles and early Christians. They will refuse the mark and will face the consequences. I have been close to death, with little hope of living and all fear was taken away. Most Christians have no idea the “power” of the Holy Spirit that is within us. At least the 57% of those Christians polled probably have no idea. What a loss!

A past blog I wrote about the three wars and then the end. I or no one else has any time-table. I do not know whether we are in the end times or God is giving us a preview. Israel’s war of 1967 many thought was the first war but that turned out to be more of a skirmish, except for those who were fighting. But Scripture says countries will be devastated and that did not happen. The result was Israel captured Jerusalem and the Golan Heights.

The second war is the one that we find in chapters 38 & 39 of Ezekiel. We read in Ezekiel 39:2 & 4 – “Son of man, set your face against Gog, of the land of Magog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal; prophesy against him…..I will turn you around, put hooks in your jaws and bring you out with your whole army—your horses, your horsemen fully armed, and a great horde with large and small shields, all of them brandishing their swords.” Russia leads Iran, Turkey, Libya, Ethiopia and parts of Eastern Europe. It is believed that Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Palestine and Syria are defeated in the first battle. Magog is identified as Russia and Meshech is Moscow and Tubal is Tubalsk. (More details can be found on by July 2, 2009 blog entitled: “Are we living in the end times?”)

Turkey belongs to NATO and has a military treaty with Israel. Turkey must line up with Russia for the battle to begin. We have just witnessed Turkey turning on Israel just this past month assisting in the attempt to push through Israel’s blockade of Gaza and the Hamas.

We must keep in mind that this is Biblical interpretation and not everyone agrees. In fact most of the world would not agree. Otherwise, nations would leave Israel alone. It is very clear that God is going to protect Israel and nations are going to try to destroy them. If this does not happen then the Bible has been very misleading and I can’t accept that. We also know this all happens after Israel becomes a nation as it did in 1948, over 1800 years without being a nation.

Also remember that Palestine was never a nation. They last resided in Lebanon and they were kicked out in 1920 and came to Israel’s covenant land. The only claim the Palestinians has is that they got there 28 years before Israel was mandated as a legitimate country, but Palestine had never been a legal nation. They were just descendants of Esau, Jacob’s brother. They were sons of Isaac whose father was Abraham. From Jacob came the twelve tribes of Israel. To some degree Ishmael and Esau, descendents of Abraham are fighting against their relatives that came from Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. This makes Jerusalem and the covenant land a vital part of each family’s heritage. But other nations having a large population of Muslins want to destroy Israel to prove that the Mohammed and the Koran is correct and Jesus and our Bible is not. Muslims believe destroying Israel will allow the twelfth Imam, Mahdi to come back and rule the earth. Whereas, we believe Jesus will come back to rule the world for a 1000 years. Then comes the new heaven and the new earth. Our present earth will be destroyed by fire according to II Peter 3:7 – “By the same word the present heavens and earth are reserved for fire, being kept for the Day of Judgment and destruction of ungodly men.”

For years many have said something had to happen to the U.S., either weakened or losing its super-power status. We have seen President Obama and his administration pro-Palestine and anti-Israel realizing that regardless what happens to Israel they will find a way to not support them. We are then told that a poll showed many Jewish people in America who support Obama agreeing that the United States does not need to support Israel when they are attack.

During this second war God will make Himself known. Ezekiel 38:23 – “And so I will show my greatness and my holiness, and I will make myself known in the sight of many nations. Then they will know that I am the LORD.” It is starting to make sense. But if this is true we are very close to the end or future presidents will also agree to no longer support Israel. Or, our national debt could be so great that we would be unable to finance any support for Israel. It is projected to reach 20 trillion shortly and that could financially cripple us. Should we not be praying for America?

God waits until the Armies led by Russia touch covenant land before He stops them. That is when prophecy states He must stop them to keep His promise to Israel. The destruction takes place on the Mountains of Israel. Ezekiel 38:21 – 22 – “I will summon a sword against Gog on all my mountains, declares the Sovereign LORD. Every man’s sword will be against his brother. I will execute judgment upon him with plague and bloodshed; I will pour down torrents of rain, hailstones and burning sulfur on him and on his troops and on the many nations with him.”

When this happens, Israel and other nations will realize who is God. Even Muslims will recognize that they have been worshipping the wrong God. This is when we will see the great spiritual revival giving everyone one last chance to accept Christ as their Savior. Then comes the antichrist & the false prophet.

Peace comes over Israel for a period of time and this could be right away or in a number of years. Then the final war begins the war of Armageddon. More to come!