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!

There are two types of fear: positive fear and negative fear. We certainly would not stand in the middle of a busy freeway and say: “Bring it on you’re not going to hit me”. Therefore, we are going to cover negative fear that keeps many from reaching their full-potential.

Negative fear may be defined as visualizing a negative outcome. If every time you became fearful you visualized the outcome as being positive wouldn’t fear dissipate? Is that possible?

Fear is real and it can debilitate. Though fear is real, we need not give in to it or allow it to misdirect our decisions. Fear can inhibit us from not only using our talents and abilities, but also from reaching our full-potential. And worse, we will be robbed of our peace and joy. Once we identify fear in our lives, we can relegate it to its proper place: under the control of the Holy Spirit. God does not want us to fear: rather, He wants us to trust Him for everything we need. Then we are free to pursue and fulfill our God-ordained purpose in life.

Let me share an experience that I was able to witness. First, Scripture taught me that we can overcome fear and worry by listening to the Holy Spirit with spiritual ears, keeping everything in perspective and doing my best to remain coolheaded in the midst of madness. It takes time. It takes determination. It takes practice. But it works.

Several years ago a client came to me for financial help. He was not a Christian and he made a normal income. His financial picture was so-so. He was worried about his finances. It was important to him to increase his annual income and fatten his net worth.

Through a series of events, he accepted the Lord. His life completely changed. His financial picture, a high priority before salvation, became of less concern. When he put God and his customers first, a new attitude emerged. He changed from being focused on finances but to live for God. Before his salvation, this man’s greatest concern was about making a living and having enough money to live on and retire financially independent. After salvation he understood the time spent worrying about his financial affairs would better be spent living his life and working his business in a Christ-like way. Because of his change of heart a “funny” thing happened: He focused on serving God rather than his bottom line and his financial situation increased exponentially. I have continually worked with him over the years. Unless the world falls apart, he will have adequate resources when he retires.

Through the years I have learned that some Christians suffering from fear and negative thinking just cannot be talked out of it. It seems to be a matter of head knowledge having little or no effect on heart knowledge. We must realize that we have two natures. We have our sin nature and our spiritual nature. Many Christians allow their sin-nature to control their thoughts and actions. Christians controlled by their sin-nature are in the high-risk group for fear and negative thinking. This is not to imply that everyone controlled by their sin-nature is fearful. Fear is only one of many weaknesses to which people are susceptible. You can always find a few who are able to talk or reason themselves out of being afraid. But the only sure cure is to: “Put to death whatever belongs to your worldly nature” and yield your life to the Holy Spirit.

When the Holy Spirit fills your heart and guides your life, you will have little room or need for fear of any kind according to Romans 8:15 – “For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship.” We may understand that we have no reason to fear and accept liberation from it, but we may not instantly be “cured” of fearing. God, in His love and wisdom, may allow all sorts of problems to enter our lives. But we’re not left on our own to deal with them; He helps us through our struggles and disasters. He continually stretches our trust so we can break through the “wall of fear” and rely on Him, trusting Him more and more. Unless we see God bailing us out of tough or even terrifying trials, we may find it difficult to lean on Him and trust Him to be with us during our times of need.

Many Christians seldom realize that God allows failure to lead them in a different direction. A number of lessons can be learned from failure. For one thing, it strengthens us spiritually. For another, failure not only teaches us to be dependent upon the Holy Spirit, but also it opens up unlimited possibilities. Every circumstance in life, including failure, can become an eventual blessing according to Romans 8:28 – “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” So how do we overcome fear? We place absolute trust in God.

Disclaimer: I am a conservative Christian who believes God is in complete control. I believe the Bible to be 100% inspired by God and I take it literally. I do not believe the Holy Spirit gives me any more information than other Christians. What I write may be more from having studied than the Holy Spirit talking to me directly as He does to some people. However, I feel inspired and led to write and give God the credit for everything. The fact is, I do not know where this blog is coming from but I sensed a need to share my opinion. I doubt that we shall see a tsunami!

Had I not studied and taught prophecy I may not be as concerned about what is happening in our world today. Never in my life-time have I seen so many negative things happening. As I have said before: either we are in the end times or God is giving us a preview of what will happen as we get closer to the Day of Judgment.

Let us look at some problems facing our nation. We have a lack of jobs, our housing industry is suffering (300,000) annualized new home sales through May is lowest in decades. The economy is slowing, potential problems from hurricanes and possible evacuation of millions from our southern states due to the oil. We are told rising taxes are coming, state and federal deficits are out of control, added regulations on banks and financial institutions, energy costs could be escalating if congress has its way. Freddie and Fannie Mae mortgages are out of control and costing billions to taxpayers. Government’s unfunded pension plans may never be paid as promised. The actions of our congress have caused much of our population to lose confidence in government. Take away hope, which the administration has done and you block the willingness of entrepreneurs to take risks. Iran, Hamas, Hezbollah, Afghanistan, North Korea, Russia and some Muslim nations are threats to world peace. War could breakout any day!

I now read the following: “It’s not just the crude that is causing problems in the gulf oil spill: Another petroleum byproduct, natural gas, is reported to be leaking in much greater concentrations than previously thought. And not only could the gas be suffocating sea life, but a new analysis warns that a giant, 1,000-year-old methane bubble could soon explode, taking out miles and miles of the ocean floor and causing a violent oil spill tsunami that would threaten the entire gulf coastline.” (End of quote) Very scary information!

Apparently, methane gas initially and supposedly caused the explosion on the rig that collapsed allowing the spill. According to the Associated Press 100,000 barrels per days are escaping and 40% of the spill is methane gas. There is a 1,000 year old bubble and if it were to explode a tsunami could engulf the entire Gulf coastline of Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Florida and Georgia.

That this would happen is not a sure thing. Revelations 8:8 & 9 – “The second angel sounded his trumpet, and something like a huge mountain, all ablaze, was thrown into the sea. A third of the sea turned into blood, a third of the living creatures in the sea died, and a third of the ships were destroyed.” Revelation 16:3 – “The second angel poured out his bowl on the sea, and it turned into blood like that of a dead man, and every living thing in the sea died.”

Numerous times I have read prophecy and wondered how any of these enormous travesties could happen. What could cause fish to die and ships to be destroyed? All we need do is read the headlines in the newspaper and it explains how all of this could happen in the Gulf of Mexico. A huge eruption, a gigantic tsunami and the coastal states could see severe damage, ships could be destroyed and fish could die.

Again, we have a God that is in complete control. He may not need to cause anything to happen but He can allow anything to happen. We are warned so many times in Scripture that we are to be ready as our lives could be taken any minute. Yet, there are so many who have said: “I will accept Christ some time but not today.” Who would have thought fifty years ago all of these things could be happening at one time? Are we getting closer to the end? Are we spiritually where we should be? Are we ready and prepared for eternity?

Revelation 22:12 – 14 – “Look, I am coming soon, bringing my reward with me to repay all people according to their deeds. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End. Blessed are those who wash their robes. They will be permitted to enter through the gates of the city and eat the fruit from the tree of life.” NLT – Deeds can be defined as services to others. Our rewards will be based on our attitude, one’s heart, our love for God and others. Those who live a purified life and do not live a sinful life will be those who are blessed.

I have read so many times where the Israelites would get themselves into serious situations by disobeying God and it took united prayer and repentance, individually and collectively, for God to heal their nation. Are we not there? Must we go through what the Israelites have had to endure in past history? Are we satisfied with the spiritual condition of America? Is it not time for Christian leaders to speak up and promote our nation to go to our knees and pray? At least we should be praying for our country as well as our unsaved family and friends.

I have read at least ten books on prophecy and taught the Book of Revelation four times. The following is an accumulation of the beliefs of different authors. I would say the odds of this being 100% correct would be 70%. However, as the war of Armageddon arrives you would have to be demon possessed not to believe there is a God and even the demons know there is a God.

If we want to know what is in the future just pick up the Bible and you will see how it all ends. The Bible has always intrigued me because I love to read prophecy. Maybe it is a part of human nature because multimillions are spent on fortune tellers, horoscopes and séances’. Most everyone would like to know the future. If we could tell the future we could put the casinos out of business and sports would no longer be as interesting.

As I have written previously God has used Israel to prove that He is God. The Old Testament written some 3000 years ago predicts the final days and the Day of Judgment.

(I Thessalonians 5:2 – 4 – “for you know very well that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. While people are saying, “Peace and safety,” destruction will come on them suddenly, as labor pains on a pregnant woman, and they will not escape. But you, brothers, are not in darkness so that this day should surprise you like a thief.”)

The battles that the Jews have gone through starting in 1948 through 1973 are minor compared to what is to come. There are three wars to come according to a number who believe Scripture teaches. Others believe two wars will be combined into one. It tells who will be involved in each of these wars and how each one ends. People will see that God intervenes to the point that at the end there will be little doubt that there is a God and the Jews are His covenant people. If not people will lose faith in the infallibility of Scripture.

Each of the wars will become progressively bigger ending in the war known as Armageddon. The destruction will become so catastrophic that some nations will become uninhabitable. War number one will be with those nations next to Israel. They will be somewhat annihilated. The second war with be with Russia, Iran and other Muslim countries. The third will be with Asian nations having armies around 200 million. This will be the war that brings Christ to earth with millions and millions of saints coming from heaven.

(Zechariah 14:1 – 2a – “A day of the LORD is coming when your plunder will be divided among you. I will gather all the nations to Jerusalem to fight against it;”)

There are a number of opinions as to where the United States fits into all of this. Up to this time Israel’s protection has come from America and NATO. Twice Russia has wanted to invade Israel and they were politically stopped. It was in 1880 that Russia was persecuting the Jews. They have always had a problem with the Jewish people. It was in 1881 that the Jewish people began fleeing Russia gradually returning to Israel. But in the three wars to come no one comes to their protection and some believe that America is either reduced to being a minor nation incapable of fielding an army or they just refused to give further protection. I believe it is because of our refusal to help Israel as we have done since 1948.

According to IBD 7/17/10 and confirmed on radio, Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Aboul Gheit said that President Obama told him in confidence that He was a Muslim. His father and stepfather were Muslims and he studied Islam as a child in Indonesia. He sat under Rev. Wright for 20 years who sang the praises of Hamas. It is believed that President Obama thinks that America’s foreign policy, in the past supporting Israel, is what has caused many of the terrorists’ actions against us.

A major war in the Middle East could cause a worldwide financial meltdown. You stop the flow of oil and it would cause a world crisis. Presently we are being asked to turn from gas and coal to renewable energy. It appears we would be putting ourselves into a position of shutting down our transportation system. This could affect our food supply, electrical output and a means of communicating. We could become a nation helpless to protect ourselves or anyone else. We would no longer be a super power from a military standpoint.

(Obadiah 1:15 & 18 – 19 – “The day of the LORD is near for all nations. As you have done, it will be done to you; your deeds will return upon your own head. The house of Jacob will be a fire and the house of Joseph a flame; the house of Esau will be stubble, and they will set it on fire and consume it.
There will be no survivors from the house of Esau. The LORD has spoken. People from the Negev will occupy the mountains of Esau, and people from the foothills will possess the land of the Philistines. They will occupy the fields of Ephraim and Samaria, and Benjamin will possess Gilead.”)

The house of Esau is the Palestinians. This war results with the Palestinians being driven off of covenant land. The Hamas’ constitution does not allow negotiations with Israel. They must continually fight until Israel no longer exists. In the future, expect a war to erupt and bringing on other nations. We should also be expecting Syria to be defeated assisting the Palestinians.

(Isaiah 17:1 – “An oracle concerning Damascus: See, Damascus will no longer be a city but will become a heap of ruins.”)

It is believed this first war, started by Hamas, will draw in Egypt, Syria, Jordan and Lebanon. Muslims hatred for Israel is so strong that they will risk annihilation in an attempt to destroy Israel. It is possible that nuclear weapons will be used.

As Scripture says, we will not be in the darkness because we will know the signs. However, you would think our presidents and their administrations over the past 25 years would have understood Biblical prophecy and would have been more than just an ally to Israel. However, as prophecy unfolds we could be witnesses and actually see God’s intervention. More to follow!

I have been blessed in so many ways. God has allowed me to be in management over 35 years. I had as many as 450 employees at a time. If I knew, many years ago, what I know now I could have done so much better. As a result, Doug, president and co-owner of a public-held company and I helped write a book advising Christians how the advantages that the Holy Spirit gives to us can help us be much more successful and affective in whatever we do. In some capacity in life we all will have the opportunity to be a leader. It may be as a parent, a Sunday school teacher, the leader of a small group or in your chosen career.

Dr. Stanley in a sermon reminded me of something that I have known for a long time that I feel will help me share what I have learned over the years. Within us God created needs that we must feel we “belong”, that we feel “worthy” and that we have a feeling of being “competent”. If we cannot fulfill each of these three needs we will not become a complete person. If we are not a complete person it is difficult to become a quality leader. A dysfunctional background and personal hang ups can create problems in dealing with people. Many parents, managers and teachers come with so many emotional problems that they have no idea how to develop and motivate people or raise their children. Some of my experiences have been working for some bosses who were really obnoxious.

As Christians, Scripture tells us how each of the three needs can be met. Romans 8:14 – 16 – “because those who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship. And by him we cry, ‘Abba, Father.’ The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children.” We belong because we have been adopted into God’s family. It is our job as leaders to make sure everyone has an awareness of belonging. Children must believe they belong, big-time to the family. Many non-believers have problems feeling that they belong and possibly never have. They may do whatever they believe is necessary to become accepted, liked or loved, even if it takes being immoral. Character is very important in being truly loved. Feeling loved and accepted can build one’s character!

Romans 5:6 – 8 – “You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” God wanted us to know, ungodly or not, believer or doubter, each one of us was worthy in His eyes. He sent Christ to die for us because He wants to develop a relationship with us through Christ and give us His love. Knowing Christ loves us should make us experience a sense of worthiness. Do we realize how important it is that we, as a person, see ourselves as being valuable? How many times have you felt inept? If we continually think negative things about ourselves we can become a negative person. Think positive things and people will be more inclined to be around us. How we see ourselves can be projected to others and that is how they will see us also. Have you ever worked for or had a parent who couldn’t make simple decisions? They just never wanted to make a mistake.

Ephesians 3:20 – “Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us.” God has given to us His Spirit so that we might achieve anything He would ever ask us to do. God expects us to be competent achievers and we can.

If you have never felt either that your were accepted, were worthy or had the ability to achieve God can change you. The Bibles says the problems we bring into the family as parents can be carried on to the fourth generation—unless we allow God to change us.

Probably the major thing I received from college was that most everyone was average. Occasionally there were some who were exceptionally brilliant but too often they didn’t have common sense. The realization that I could achieve was vital in my development because I understood there was not as much competition as I had expected.

We must feel loved, accepted and secure. We will then have the foundation to become a better parent or leader. It is then we can instill in others the three basic needs God created that must be fulfilled. Imagine working for a leader who makes you feel how important you are to the organization, how essential you have been in getting the job done right and how you have made this a better place to work. Or, the boss or parent that is continually critical and ignores your contributions. Who motivates you the most?

These three needs are not something you would tell your child or an employee every day. Otherwise, we would seem insincere. We can show it through our body language. We know they are pleased when we receive a smile or a pat on the back. I worked many years for a company that only knew one way to get a job done and that was through fear. No matter how good of a job you did you could always have done better. They were not leaders. They were bosses.

I could have been a better parent. Cs & Ds on report cards were just not acceptable. I believed you didn’t have to be smart to get good grades. You just had to apply yourself. Sometimes children have difficulty in knowing how to study and retain what they learn. I never became an “A” student until my junior year in college. Prior to that I was always a “C+” student. All I needed to stay involved in sports was a “C” and that was good enough. I should have been more encouraging to my children.

As we wrote our book we realized all of the things we could have done better, especially to have relied more on guidance from the Holy Spirit who was put into us to help fulfill our needs and guide and direct us in everything we do. Therefore, we hoped that we could share some things that would make Christians realize they have tremendous advantages and should be more positive.

Haven’t we all said: “If I was only able to do it all over again”? You may start by rating yourself on whether you feel you are loved and accepted, that you are worthy and do you feel competent and able to be an achiever? We must be secure in all three. If not we need to continually be working on our weaknesses. Who we think we are and how we see ourselves can tremendously affect others. If we don’t see ourselves as a complete person how can we help others to become complete? In all things Christ would teach us to be humble in spirit and have a servant’s heart.