I'm not sure that I understand everything you're saying, but I agree that the Church in the west really needs to stop taking the scripture for granted as it might be taken away. People seem much more willing to listen to evil imaginations than to biblical truth or the simple proclamation of the word, but its just another sign of the times. Speaking of which, there was another huge quake down off the coast of Ecuador today, but I believe that this is still the beginning of sorrows. There's places like Mainland China where churches only have 1 or 2 pages of scripture to read and study at any given time, and have to pass them around (very carefully for fear of discovery) to other house churches in order to share what little is available to them, while in the west "christian" households commonly have multiple copies and multiple translations in their homes that are rarely opened up. When Christ returns will He find any faith? Of course, I believe that He will, but if the scripture is outlawed, or simply diluted through repeated liberal translation and editing, what would be the source of faith? Again, I suppose that there aren't that many who would understand that faith comes by hearing the word of God, but whose fault is that? Take care brother, I need to get back to another discussion that I've been drawn into with an individual who doesn't seem to have the capacity for rational argument. I can't tell whether some folks are just very young in the faith and carnal in their thinking or deceived about their own salvation through a false gospel. Pray for me, arguing with the dead and with infants can be wearisome indeed.
The United States of Evil
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I'm not sure that I understand everything you're saying, but I agree that the Church in the west really needs to stop taking the scripture for granted as it might be taken away. People seem much more willing to listen to evil imaginations than to biblical truth or the simple proclamation of the word, but its just another sign of the times. Speaking of which, there was another huge quake down off the coast of Ecuador today, but I believe that this is still the beginning of sorrows. There's places like Mainland China where churches only have 1 or 2 pages of scripture to read and study at any given time, and have to pass them around (very carefully for fear of discovery) to other house churches in order to share what little is available to them, while in the west "christian" households commonly have multiple copies and multiple translations in their homes that are rarely opened up. When Christ returns will He find any faith? Of course, I believe that He will, but if the scripture is outlawed, or simply diluted through repeated liberal translation and editing, what would be the source of faith? Again, I suppose that there aren't that many who would understand that faith comes by hearing the word of God, but whose fault is that? Take care brother, I need to get back to another discussion that I've been drawn into with an individual who doesn't seem to have the capacity for rational argument. I can't tell whether some folks are just very young in the faith and carnal in their thinking or deceived about their own salvation through a false gospel. Pray for me, arguing with the dead and with infants can be wearisome indeed.
What I am saying, is that the "synagogue of Satan" which our Lord Jesus Christ defined in Rev.2 & 3 to mean 'false Jews', are the ones backing the "one world government" system that's being setup over all nations today, including the western Christian nations, which includes the U.S. That system is what the final beast kingdom on earth just prior to our Lord's return is about, the one of Rev.13:1 with ten horns, ten crowns, and seven heads.
The "synagogue of Satan" is not just simply about orthodox Jews that still refuse to believe on Jesus of Nazareth as The Christ. The "synagogue of Satan" is about the very same group of workers of iniquity that caused Israel problems in Old Testament history, those that crept in which serve the devil himself. Many of them have crept in among the Jews, and claim a Jewish heritage of Israel when they have no Jewish heritage in Israel at all. Read Judges 2 & 3 for the start of that, and how God said He would use them to test His people Israel to see if they would follow Him or not. If the Bible student doesn't understand that Bible history, then they can't very well understand why this "one world government" globalist movement is happening today, and what its Biblical purpose is for per God's Salvation Plan.
In simple words, control of the nations and peoples has been taken over by them. And that's the real reason why all the abominations are happenning among God's people today. Look at how so many Americans flocked to the Chick-Fi-Le restruarants in opposition to those against the owner simply declaring his 1st Amendment right of free speech to declare he is a Christian. If so many people flooded his food chains to where they ran out of food, that ought to tell you something of how there's still many, many Americans that are not part of the false movements the false Jews are trying to push upon us.
Greetings brother, grace and peace to you,Now I understand something of what you're getting at. I've read a number of books by Conspiracy advocates and in the past I'd written a post in another forum about what I'd call the oldest conspiracy, whose originator is Satan himself. A fellow named William Cooper wrote an interesting book of that nature titled "Behold a pale horse" which cited many different references, some credible and others not so trustworthy. At the same time that I'd been reading that book, I came across another book, completely unrelated to the conspiracy genre titled "The Sign and the Seal" by the author Graham Hancock. This book is about Hancock's own research into the disappearance and possible location of the ark of the covenant. I found the book quite believable as Hancock reported that he took an interest in the subject coincidentally and while engaged by the former ruler of Ethiopia to write a coffee table book about Ethiopia as a means of raising interest in the small nation. Ethiopian Christianity is one of the most peculiar versions of Christianity in that it has inherited Jewish ceremonial customs from the Falashas, an Ethiopian Jewish tribe. The legitimacy of that tribe in its Jewish heritage was accepted by Israel and many emigrated to Israel to escape persecution in Ethiopia where there had been centuries of warfare between Christian and Jewish elements in that nation. Hancock developed a strong case for the removal of the ark during one of the invasions of Judah to the island of elephantine in the Nile and then a later migration up river to an island upon a lake in Ethiopia and finally to a repository in an Ethiopian church with the name St. Mary of Zion, and in the town of Axum. It could be that Hancock's presence in Ethiopia was duplicitous and his book could have been written with another agenda, yet he appears to be an excellent researcher and provided extensive verifiable references for his evidences and ideas. That book demonstrates that a group of architects and their associates with vast financial resources had taken an interest in the ark of the covenant, had participated in the crusades and spent an inordinate amount of time digging around underneath the temple mount, and had at some time sent a delegation to Ethiopia and to the town of Axum. That part of Ethiopia is known for some very unique churches that were carved into the ground, carved out of solid rock, and "white visitors from the north" have a part in the stories of their creation. I found the book fascinating not just because it dealt with a search for one of the most prized relics of western civilization, but also for its somewhat vague linking of the Templars and Masons to the quest for religious and temporal power through such a relic. This book tended to create some credibility in my thinking to the claims of Cooper in his conspiracy book as well. I have no doubt that such things do go on among the elitist at the top of the "old money" order and it seems obvious that men of great influence use that influence to manipulate governments and societies by all means available to them to suit their own agendas. Since these men tend to operate in secret and through subterfuge they clearly aren't regenerate and therefore are under the sway of Satan. Therefore the agendas that they hold as personal are actually the agenda of the adversary of God. The problem with William Cooper and his focus upon conspiracy is that in his conclusions he was unsure of reality. By focusing on the multiplicity of Satan's deceptions, his own mind was being drawn into confusion. His doubts about what was real and what was man made illusion only drew him further away from the steadfastness of a conviction in the sovereignty of God. I read a number of conspiracy books dealing with the works of the Free Masons and related societies, the Luciferians, and related groups, but I came to the realization that regardless of the temporal power of any of these, they are all deceived and ultimately destined for destruction. It is part of our calling as Christians to reveal the hidden works of darkness, but the means of doing this are primarily through the illumination of the scripture and the preaching of the gospel. You can't tear down the power structure and at the same time remain obedient to the teaching of Christ, but you can open the eyes of men to what that structure is by giving them the opportunity to receive our Lord as their savior and King, and training them to do all that Christ commanded. The renewal of our minds is the protection that we receive against the wiles of the Devil. The world at large tends to be oblivious to his existence and totally unable to resist him, yet he is a defeated foe and holds no power over those who are the Lord's own.I know that the term synagogue of Satan is valid in it's use and description of those enemies of God that have worked at undermining the work of Christ, but Christ's work can't be undone. Our works will be tested by fire, but what we do in Him will endure the fire revealing that they were done in Him to the glory of His name. The earth will be turned into Sheol, but His children will inherit a new earth and a new heaven. The rulers of this world are already judged and their fate already determined. I try to avoid using the term synagogue of Satan in reference to the Jews because it was used to justify the persecution of Jews throughout Europe and the "christian" world. The Jews as a people have been vilified for nearly 2000 years, yet they remain a chosen people for blessings and for cursing, a holy people even in the days of their suffering and I will not add affliction to those whom God has afflicted, a sin worthy of judgment. Tread lightly brother, the salt under our feet could become us if we turn away from the way of righteousness (having lost our savor). I have pity for the deceived, though not for the deceivers, and if I were able to, I would free them all.
The whole world of Evil is included in this scripture along with everyone who loves a lie.
1 Behold, the Lord makes the earth empty and makes it waste, Distorts its surface And scatters abroad its inhabitants.
2 And it shall be: As with the people, so with the priest; As with the servant, so with his master; As with the maid, so with her mistress; As with the buyer, so with the seller; As with the lender, so with the borrower; As with the creditor, so with the debtor.
3 The land shall be entirely emptied and utterly plundered, For the Lord has spoken this word.
4 The earth mourns and fades away, The world languishes and fades away; The haughty people of the earth languish.
5 The earth is also defiled under its inhabitants, Because they have transgressed the laws, Changed the ordinance, Broken the everlasting covenant.
6 Therefore the curse has devoured the earth, And those who dwell in it are desolate. Therefore the inhabitants of the earth are burned, And few men are left.
7 The new wine fails, the vine languishes, All the merry-hearted sigh.
8 The mirth of the tambourine ceases, The noise of the jubilant ends, The joy of the harp ceases.
9 They shall not drink wine with a song; Strong drink is bitter to those who drink it.
10 The city of confusion is broken down; Every house is shut up, so that none may go in.
11 There is a cry for wine in the streets, All joy is darkened, The mirth of the land is gone.
12 In the city desolation is left, And the gate is stricken with destruction.
13 When it shall be thus in the midst of the land among the people, It shall be like the shaking of an olive tree, Like the gleaning of grapes when the vintage is done.
14 They shall lift up their voice, they shall sing; For the majesty of the Lord They shall cry aloud from the sea.
15 Therefore glorify the Lord in the dawning light, The name of the Lord God of Israel in the coastlands of the sea.
16 From the ends of the earth we have heard songs: "Glory to the righteous!" But I said, "I am ruined, ruined! Woe to me! The treacherous dealers have dealt treacherously, Indeed, the treacherous dealers have dealt very treacherously."
17 Fear and the pit and the snare Are upon you, O inhabitant of the earth.
1 Behold, the Lord makes the earth empty and makes it waste, Distorts its surface And scatters abroad its inhabitants.
2 And it shall be: As with the people, so with the priest; As with the servant, so with his master; As with the maid, so with her mistress; As with the buyer, so with the seller; As with the lender, so with the borrower; As with the creditor, so with the debtor.
3 The land shall be entirely emptied and utterly plundered, For the Lord has spoken this word.
4 The earth mourns and fades away, The world languishes and fades away; The haughty people of the earth languish.
5 The earth is also defiled under its inhabitants, Because they have transgressed the laws, Changed the ordinance, Broken the everlasting covenant.
6 Therefore the curse has devoured the earth, And those who dwell in it are desolate. Therefore the inhabitants of the earth are burned, And few men are left.
7 The new wine fails, the vine languishes, All the merry-hearted sigh.
8 The mirth of the tambourine ceases, The noise of the jubilant ends, The joy of the harp ceases.
9 They shall not drink wine with a song; Strong drink is bitter to those who drink it.
10 The city of confusion is broken down; Every house is shut up, so that none may go in.
11 There is a cry for wine in the streets, All joy is darkened, The mirth of the land is gone.
12 In the city desolation is left, And the gate is stricken with destruction.
13 When it shall be thus in the midst of the land among the people, It shall be like the shaking of an olive tree, Like the gleaning of grapes when the vintage is done.
14 They shall lift up their voice, they shall sing; For the majesty of the Lord They shall cry aloud from the sea.
15 Therefore glorify the Lord in the dawning light, The name of the Lord God of Israel in the coastlands of the sea.
16 From the ends of the earth we have heard songs: "Glory to the righteous!" But I said, "I am ruined, ruined! Woe to me! The treacherous dealers have dealt treacherously, Indeed, the treacherous dealers have dealt very treacherously."
17 Fear and the pit and the snare Are upon you, O inhabitant of the earth.
I'm not talking about men's conspiracy theories either. I'm talking about God's Word, Bible history and modern history. The globalists are no longer trying to hide what they're up to today. So I feel sorry for those who can't see how their movement to establish a "one world government" (their term) is the prophecy of the Rev.13:1 beast kingdom God's Word warns us about for the end. And like I said, it's not true Judah that is behind that, for they are just as deceived about it as many Christian brethren are; it's the false Jews which our Lord Jesus proclaimed in Rev.2 & 3 that are behind it. It's actually been a lot of true Jews of Judah that have helped uncover the globalist secret plans throughout the years, making the information public in helping to give the warning like watchmen.
Hi Veteran, I could be mistaken, but I'm inclined to believe that those individuals working toward a new world order are themselves all deceived by Satan, and disregard scripture as irrelevant fiction. They believe themselves wise, but in reality they are fools, not believing in the Lord who created them. Not all atheists proclaim their atheism. Some pretend to be of the faith and use the scripture as a tool to manipulate people, or throw the scripture out and make up their own versions of religion for the purpose of deceiving and controlling people. The temple builders among the ancient peoples who built special effects into the temples for the priests to use to impress people, obviously had no fear of the gods that they pretended to manifest. Neither do modern day con-men that pay people to fake injuries or illness so that they can be "miraculously" cured in "healing" meetings. When men wield the power to start wars and revolutions, its relatively easy for them to convince themselves that they are the only real gods.
Not really sure what you're even talking about. What I'm talking about is a very concise matter, and it can be found in many Bible Scriptures, and evidenced by the world globalist movement throughout the last century and today.
If you're wanting to talk about 'revolutionaries', Communists and anarchists (lawless), then that's a different subject. One needs to be aware that the very ones that often speak peace and disarmament belong to those who foment revolutions and use war as 'continuing politics by other means', i.e., Marxists- Communists. God through His Old Testament prophets warned us about that strategy for the last days too, even showed how the false king of Daniel 8 that's coming will destroy many using 'peace'.
Howdy again, Veteran,
At this point I do believe that I'm not following you. Did you go into detail somewhere that I missed? Have you written more on another thread? I'm interested in what you're saying, but I'm certainly missing something. If you've got a more detailed post give me a link to it. I'd always thought that the reference to the "Synagogue of Satan" was a reference to those Jewish teachers that were denying the gospel and attempting to convince churches that keeping the law was a requirement for salvation. If you have more specific insight into the reference I'd certainly be interested in seeing it.
At this point I do believe that I'm not following you. Did you go into detail somewhere that I missed? Have you written more on another thread? I'm interested in what you're saying, but I'm certainly missing something. If you've got a more detailed post give me a link to it. I'd always thought that the reference to the "Synagogue of Satan" was a reference to those Jewish teachers that were denying the gospel and attempting to convince churches that keeping the law was a requirement for salvation. If you have more specific insight into the reference I'd certainly be interested in seeing it.
A question for you then would be, just who were... those false teachers among the Jews that denied Christ and The Gospel? Here's a first hint...
1 Chr 2:55
55 And the families of the scribes which dwelt at Jabez; the Tirathites, the Shimeathites, and Suchathites. These are the Kenites that came of Hemath, the father of the house of Rechab.
(KJV)
Gen 15:18-21
18 In the same day the LORD made a covenant with Abram, saying, Unto thy seed have I given this land, from the river of Egypt unto the great river, the river Euphrates:
19 The Kenites, and the Kenizzites, and the Kadmonites,
20 And the Hittites, and the Perizzites, and the Rephaims,
21 And the Amorites, and the Canaanites, and the Girgashites, and the Jebusites.
(KJV)
Matt 16:21
21 From that time forth began Jesus to shew unto his disciples, how that He must go unto Jerusalem, and suffer many things of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised again the third day.
(KJV)
Matt 20:18-19
18 Behold, we go up to Jerusalem; and the Son of man shall be betrayed unto the chief priests and unto the scribes, and they shall condemn Him to death,
19 And shall deliver Him to the Gentiles to mock, and to scourge, and to crucify Him: and the third day He shall rise again.
(KJV)
A 2nd Hint...
Judg 2:1-3
1 And an angel of the LORD came up from Gilgal to Bochim, and said, I made you to go up out of Egypt, and have brought you unto the land which I sware unto your fathers; and I said, I will never break My covenant with you.
2 And ye shall make no league with the inhabitants of this land; ye shall throw down their altars: but ye have not obeyed My voice: why have ye done this?
3 Wherefore I also said, I will not drive them out from before you; but they shall be as thorns in your sides, and their gods shall be a snare unto you.
(KJV)
Judg 2:11-14
11 And the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the LORD, and served Baalim:
12 And they forsook the LORD God of their fathers, Which brought them out of the land of Egypt, and followed other gods, of the gods of the people that were round about them, and bowed themselves unto them, and provoked the LORD to anger.
13 And they forsook the LORD, and served Baal and Ashtaroth.
14 And the anger of the LORD was hot against Israel, and He delivered them into the hands of spoilers that spoiled them, and he sold them into the hands of their enemies round about, so that they could not any longer stand before their enemies.
(KJV)
Judg 2:20-23
20 And the anger of the LORD was hot against Israel; and He said, Because that this people hath transgressed My covenant which I commanded their fathers, and have not hearkened unto My voice;
21 I also will not henceforth drive out any from before them of the nations which Joshua left when he died:
22 That through them I may prove Israel, whether they will keep the way of the LORD to walk therein, as their fathers did keep it, or not.
23 Therefore the LORD left those nations, without driving them out hastily; neither delivered he them into the hand of Joshua.
(KJV)
Judg 3:1-3
1 Now these are the nations which the LORD left, to prove Israel by them, even as many of Israel as had not known all the wars of Canaan;
2 Only that the generations of the children of Israel might know, to teach them war, at the least such as before knew nothing thereof;
3 Namely, five lords of the Philistines, and all the Canaanites, and the Sidonians, and the Hivites that dwelt in mount Lebanon, from mount Baalhermon unto the entering in of Hamath.
(KJV)
Judg 3:5-7
5 And the children of Israel dwelt among the Canaanites, Hittites, and Amorites, and Perizzites, and Hivites, and Jebusites:
6 And they took their daughters to be their wives, and gave their daughters to their sons, and served their gods.
7 And the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the LORD, and forgat the LORD their God, and served Baalim and the groves.
(KJV)
3rd Hint...
IKing 9:19-22
19 And all the cities of store that Solomon had, and cities for his chariots, and cities for his horsemen, and that which Solomon desired to build in Jerusalem, and in Lebanon, and in all the land of his dominion.
20 And all the people that were left of the Amorites, Hittites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites, which were not of the children of Israel,
21 Their children that were left after them in the land, whom the children of Israel also were not able utterly to destroy, upon those did Solomon levy a tribute of bondservice unto this day.
22 But of the children of Israel did Solomon make no bondmen: but they were men of war, and his servants, and his princes, and his captains, and rulers of his chariots, and his horsemen.
(KJV)
Ezra 2:1
1 Now these are the children of the province that went up out of the captivity, of those which had been carried away, whom Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon had carried away unto Babylon, and came again unto Jerusalem and Judah, every one unto his city;
(KJV)
Ezra 2:43-62
43 The Nethinims: the children of Ziha, the children of Hasupha, the children of Tabbaoth,
44 The children of Keros, the children of Siaha, the children of Padon,
45 The children of Lebanah, the children of Hagabah, the children of Akkub,
46 The children of Hagab, the children of Shalmai, the children of Hanan,
47 The children of Giddel, the children of Gahar, the children of Reaiah,
48 The children of Rezin, the children of Nekoda, the children of Gazzam,
49 The children of Uzza, the children of Paseah, the children of Besai,
50 The children of Asnah, the children of Mehunim, the children of Nephusim,
51 The children of Bakbuk, the children of Hakupha, the children of Harhur,
52 The children of Bazluth, the children of Mehida, the children of Harsha,
53 The children of Barkos, the children of Sisera, the children of Thamah,
54 The children of Neziah, the children of Hatipha.
55 The children of Solomon's servants: the children of Sotai, the children of Sophereth, the children of Peruda,
56 The children of Jaalah, the children of Darkon, the children of Giddel,
57 The children of Shephatiah, the children of Hattil, the children of Pochereth of Zebaim, the children of Ami.
58 All the Nethinims, and the children of Solomon's servants, were three hundred ninety and two.
59 And these were they which went up from Telmelah, Telharsa, Cherub, Addan, and Immer: but they could not shew their father's house, and their seed, whether they were of Israel:
60 The children of Delaiah, the children of Tobiah, the children of Nekoda, six hundred fifty and two.
61 And of the children of the priests: the children of Habaiah, the children of Koz, the children of Barzillai; which took a wife of the daughters of Barzillai the Gileadite, and was called after their name:
62 These sought their register among those that were reckoned by genealogy, but they were not found: therefore were they, as polluted, put from the priesthood.
(KJV)
Ezra 9:1-2
1 Now when these things were done, the princes came to me, saying, The people of Israel, and the priests, and the Levites, have not separated themselves from the people of the lands, doing according to their abominations, even of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Jebusites, the Ammonites, the Moabites, the Egyptians, and the Amorites.
2 For they have taken of their daughters for themselves, and for their sons: so that the holy seed have mingled themselves with the people of those lands: yea, the hand of the princes and rulers hath been chief in this trespass.
(KJV)
Do I really need to keep going??
This is what the parable of the "tares" our Lord Jesus was teaching is about per Matthew 13. There's no way today to distinguish a false Jew foreigner that crept in among Israel or co-mingled with the seed of Israel throughout Old Testament history from one of true Israel descended from Jacob. God has never... removed that weight of those nations of Canaan that crept in among Israel to this day. That's why only after Christ's future return and during His reign will the Canaanite be cast out of the House of The LORD per the end of Zechariah 14.
The only way our Lord Jesus taught us to recognize them was by their 'fruits'. You don't get good fruit off an evil tree, nor an evil tree good fruit (Matt.7).
The deeper matter is that God has allowed Satan to have servants here on earth that work for him, kind of like Satan's own elect. One of them can... come to Christ Jesus and be saved, so that's still not the point. The point is their 'nature' to do evil, which is what our Lord Jesus was pointing to with the good tree = good fruit, evil tree = evil fruit idea. It's obvious that even at our Lord's first coming there were thieves and sinners not even equal to the serpentile nature of the false Jews among the scribes and Pharisees that wanted Christ dead.
This is not an idea I'm just making up. God's Word covers it in several Scriptures. Here's one...
Jude 1:4
4 For there are certain men crept in unawares, who were before of old ordained to this condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness, and denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ.
(KJV)
The expression "before of old ordained to this condemnation" means before... the foundation of the earth. This is what Apostle Paul was talking about with the "mystery of iniquity" of 2 Thess.2, and John with the "many antichrists" already at work. That's why when some push the confusion about there being no singular Antichrist along with the "many antichrists" it almost makes me laugh, simply because they've obviously yet to understand this "mystery of iniquity" within God's Word. I mean God gave us to understand that master plan of iniquity along with His Salvation of The Gospel of Jesus Christ. Understanding about it is one of the ways of how to not be deceived by the devil and his workers here on earth.
That's an interesting take on the idea and I suppose that Satan can have a lineage of servants on the earth, but I'm inclined to believe that all of Adam's race fell under the dominion of sin and that when men are accounted as righteous it is solely the work of the Holy Spirit preserving a godly seed through the generations of men. In the book of Ephesians and chapter 2 Paul wrote: 2 And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins, 2 in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience, 3 among whom also we all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as the others.4 But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, 5 even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), 6 and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, I hope that you don't think Paul was only addressing some small group of people who were of an evil nature and were saved. Jesus called his own disciples evil men and said very explicitly that there is no one good but God. The fact that most are under the sway of the evil one and that few are saved is a reflection of the fact that God saves those He chooses as an act of His grace, otherwise we would all be consumed. I don't know if you like popular movies, but I think that the movie "the Matrix" depicts the general condition of mankind relatively well when ordinary individuals are suddenly taken over by the evil sentry programs which transform them into hunters and killers of those who have been freed from the deception of the machines. The reason that the comparison exists is that the author drew heavily on biblical concepts when writing his fictional work.In any case, I don't believe that the elect can be deceived into taking the mark of the beast for one simple reason:37 All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will by no means cast out. 38 For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me. 39 This is the will of the Father who sent Me, that of all He has given Me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up at the last day. 40 And this is the will of Him who sent Me, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in Him may have everlasting life; and I will raise him up at the last day.” John 6:37-40No one can convince me that the power of Satan to deceive is greater than the power of the Holy Spirit to preserve His elect and that's something we should all be able to rest in.
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Choir Loft
I am not writing about a small group of people! Read history. Do your homework.
President Eisenhower, in his farewell address, warned of the dangers to liberty of the military-industrial complex. Not a few people. The president was referring to defense contractors, agencies within the US government that created and enforced policy without oversight or appeal, and a trend toward fascism that finally showed its hand on October 26, 2001.
I'm not writing about a small group of people!
There are legions of books now in print that point the heavy finger of blame upon Washington, DC. The Euro-American financial cartel is very busy too, undermining the promise and the great American experiment in self-government. But there is more, much more.
September 17th is Constitution Day in which American children of all ages engage in the fantasy of reminding themselves what a wonderful legal document some men (who they can't remember) wrote (they don't know when). The Constitution is dead and not because of a small group of people.
No legal document can long survive in a culture that does not support it.
In March 1933, the German Reichstag voted to pass the Enabling Act, effectively destroying the Weimar Republic and granting unrestricted authority to the National Socialist German Workers Party and its leaders. German culture rejected representative government.
The same thing happened in America on October 26, 2001. The passage of the Patriot Act effectively gutted the Bill of Rights. A year later the Homeland Security act and in December of 2011 the National Defense Authorization Act completed the dismembering of the Constitution. The Bill of Rights now exists only in history books.
The culture of the United States let it happen.
A recent NBC poll stated that the TSA, those nice people at the airport that grope small children and hassle senior citizens, is more popular than congress. (Brian Williams report, Aug. 2012)
Nearly every day we read of offenses against personal liberty. Many of them are ridiculous, like making children pay a license fee to sell lemonade, but most if not all infringe upon individual liberty. You know the stories. You've read them. You can quote them from memory. Active groups of atheists want to bring down the church and imprison Christians. You know it, you've read the stories. Maybe you don't believe them, but in the 1960's such things couldn't be conceived of... In twenty first century America, its common news.
There are a lot of little Hitler's out there!
Its not a small group and its not restricted to DC or the CIA. It's the culture. The whole culture. Church leadership, which was once the American voice of conscience is silent. Many no longer preach Biblical truth, leadership is morally debauched and financially irresponsible.
When a nation forgets God, the result is tyranny. Always.
Its not a small group. It's the culture. All of it.
Because of that, Liberty has died in America. The great experiment has failed and liberty as some of us remember it, will not be seen again on American shores for generations if at all.
but that's just me, hollering from the choir loft...
Hi RJP,
The problem is that nobody really cares.
Back before 9/11 I felt moved to preach the coming judgment of the U.S. for many of the reasons that you've stated as well. No one cared then, no one cares now. After 9/11 there were still popular voices on the radio saying that the attacks had nothing to do with God's judgment, but even those voices have picked up the warnings and still no one cares.
The erosion of our liberties started a long time before the Patriot act. A popular conservative talk show host, who was also a legal counsel to one of the previous President's administrations wrote a rather informative book about the judiciary titled "Men in Black."
It's a good read and Mr. Levin was accurate in his delivery and his assessments. Back before the Lord reached down and turned me around, I thought of myself as a patriot. I've always known of the evil things perpetrated by our government by men who might have even believed that their cause was righteous, but I was in love with the ideals portrayed in the declaration of independence, the constitution, and the bill of rights. I tended to idolize President Lincoln, and I have the first lines of the Gettysburg address more engrained in my consciousness than any bible verse. I understand now, as I understood then that men, even with the best of intentions tend to do evil and then seek to find ways to justify themselves. I did as much. Back when I was a partier and hung out in bars listening to people's stories, I always found people willing to give me an earful. I heard stories from all sorts of people, some that were veterans, some that worked in hospitals, some petty criminals, all sorts, but with one thing in common, a sense of guilt and that something just wasn't right with the world. I wish that I had known Christ then as more than someone to admire. I might have been used to salvage some lives, but then again if I'd know Christ then, I probably wouldn't have been hanging out in those places with a willing ear to listen to personal confessions ( including killing in self defense, leaving men behind in the jungle who became a risk, taking scalps, etc.)
One thing that I understand now and didn't before, nor could I, is that God is Sovereign in the world of men. Sin has consequence and that consequence is wrath. In Christ we have a safe haven, because He has born that wrath in HIs own body on our behalf. However, the world and its governments, including our own, are to some extent both the instruments of wrath and the subjects of wrath. The slain of the Lord will die in confusion, because confusion is their choice.
Its easy to understand why the world doesn't care; Every man really only cares for himself (family is perceived as an extension of self), but it's incomprehensible to me as to why "the church" doesn't care (or simply refuses to see.) We aren't helpless if we have His Spirit, but then again we could, for the greater part, be wretched, miserable, poor, blind and naked. We have people here that want to look at this nation or some other nation or nations and talk about their evil ways and wickedness, but when did unsaved, unregenerate men have the power to do other than what is their own nature under the dominion of sin?
The problem in the U.S. (and the fat, lazy, western world in general) is that "the Church" has sat down on the job. Jesus took His seat on the throne of heaven, but His body wasn't given that privelage in this life. We are to work while it is still called the day ( or while we still have breath.) We aren't all called to be evangelists, or pastors, or teachers, or prophets, but everyone whom God has saved was saved for the purpose of walking in good works, of showing the grace of God as much as talking about it.
Yet, no one cares.
Not that long ago, I was a member of a small congregation that consisted mostly of born again believers in various stages of spiritual maturity. One day the pastor announced that he was taking his family to Florida where he could be one of a group of pastors and spend his time mostly in the word rather than dealing with the needs of his congregation (good for him, but I doubt it was really the Lord's leading.) We hired a young and inexperienced pastor from a mega-church in the midwest. I believe that this young man was God's choice for the church, yet he gave the church over to the youth culture and was successful in building a fairly large congregation of young Christians who are zelous for God and for worship, but could care less about the elders who walked away from their loveless expression of Christianity. Perhaps loveless is not an appropriate adjective as they appeared to have a zeal for each other to the extent that they were pleased with their own company, their own version of worship, their own music, and their own circle of friends. It seems clear that if nothing else they certainly loved themselves.
For a few years I was given the grace to lead a small outreach ministry to a few of the local nursing homes. We provided a worship service a few times a month to people that weren't able to attend a local church and I did what I could to faithfully present the gospel in the context of biblical exposition. We spent some time talking and praying with and for those that joined us in our services. The ministry was successful to the extent that it was able to continue after I left that church, but one thing I noted: with all the young professing christians that were beginning to fill the pews, not one ever volunteered to assist with our eldercare ministry or even expressed an interest in its existence. So much for discipling and so much for wisdom.
The last few churches that I've attended since that time were also small congregations of mostly born again believers, and I don't think that I've seen one regular attender under the age of 40. Again, so much for discipleship and wisdom.
Perhaps this is the success of the self esteem movement. Loving yourself isn't a bad thing, but it shouldn't be the only thing. I've heard it said that young people are looking for something real, but I doubt that most would know it if they found it. The reality of Christ in us always needs to start with us and extend out to others to be of any value.
Yet, no one cares.
Michael did God Himself tell you this, that 9-11 was judgment? " After 9/11 there were still popular voices on the radio saying that the attacks had nothing to do with God's judgment,"
we should not speak as a prophet unless God told you this.
we should not speak as a prophet unless God told you this.
One thing I know for sure is that 9/11 was not God's judgment on America. God's judgement fell on Jesus at the cross.
If you're asking me if He made a personal appearance (as in a vision) and told me about what would happen, then no, He didn't. However God does speak to our spirits in the person of His Spirit. When we are submitted to Jesus' "headship" He talks to us through His word, He reveals things to our hearts and to our minds. Some people, charismatics mostly, would say that the Holy Spirit gives us the unction to do things for the glory of Christ. The brother that lead me to the Lord was "told" to go ahead and share the gospel with me and then to pray with me, in spite of the fact that I argued with him for a number of years over the scriptures, seeking explanations to verses and passages that I didn't (and couldn't) understand or reconcile. The time was right for me to receive Jesus as my Lord, the years of my questioning and rebellion were over. I didn't know that, until that moment. Neither did my brother in Christ, Jerome, but He was faithful to do what the Lord "told" him to do, and I received Christ in the person of the Holy Spirit. That's the nature of divine appointments, but not something we can easily explain or understand.
I take the word of God very seriously, and know that I'm accountable for what I say and write, and probably more so than most. I was called to a "prophetic" office, which is something many cringe at because they know that the Revelation of God in the person of Jesus Christ is complete. However, the office of the prophet is more about course correction for God's people than it ever was about revealing God. Prophets in our age are not here to reveal something new, but to point to that which God has revealed in the person of His Son, to remind God's people that they are His subjects and answer to His Word, both that which is written, and He who became flesh and blood for our sake. A faithful Pastor, at least one that is effective, is generally a prophet. God shows the Pastor things from the scripture that apply to the Pastor and to his congregation and the Pastor's job is to present an appropriate message to the congregation (usually in the context of biblical exegesis) to express what the Lord has taught (shown to) him. The effectiveness of the message is in part determined by the ability of the Pastor to communicate it, but if the Pastor is filled with the Holy Spirit, then Christ will be glorified, the words will be understood, and those who are meant to receive it most certainly will. Effective preaching is that in which the Lord puts His words into the mouth of the prophet. That gift isn't necessary to teach, but it is necessary to preach. Of course, some don't realize that they have it, and some are foolish enough to believe that their effectiveness comes from their own resources. However, we know from the scripture that God was able to make a donkey speak to Balaam, which tells us that our credentials are not that significant.
So in response to your query, "Did God Himself tell me this?" My answer would be, "absolutely." There have been times that I've said or written things a bit frivolously, sometimes jokingly, sometimes responding in "the flesh" to something non-spiritual, and looking back at such times I always have cause to regret it. The book of James has something to say about the tongue and it's power, if you're interested. Every Christian who considers teaching or preaching should spend some time studying what James had to say to the Church, but then every such person should spend some time studying the entire counsel of God.
When I preach, I approach the pulpit with some trembling and a sense of my own accountability, but that tends to disappear as soon as the Holy Spirit takes over. It was that way for me before I was saved as well, and then I found it frightening.(My understanding is that such experience is not typical, but I've met others who've had the same sense of it.) Now I find the Spirit of the Lord my greatest comfort and a reassurance of my salvation. I've "heard" other voices, as it were, and I've seen the source of many heresies in the course of my own studies, but His Spirit lets me know that those other voices aren't His and are untrustworthy. The Lord preserves His own and that's something we can rest in as well. There were many times in my life when I should have died, or I might have ended up in prison, or crippled, but the Lord has preserved me through all. This however, is not the amazing thing. The truly amazing thing, the marvelous thing, the thing beyond my comprehension, is that there was nothing in me that "deserved" to be preserved. It was solely the work of His grace, before I was saved and after. He knows His own, even when we don't know that we are His. How could someone not love God seeing all that He has done? I realize that in that sense, I've received more grace than many; some have been damaged physically beyond what is normal for despair, some have been saved in the midst of prison (at least one while hanging on a cross), but I suppose that I received more grace, because I had more sin in me. I'm sure that this will be clarified before His throne, but I'm not afraid to appear before Him empty handed, because I have a covering, the blood of Christ who died for me so that I might live for Him. Praise His name, even the name of our Savior, blessed forever, Jesus Christ. Amen.
Sounds nice, but universalism always does. God's judgment fell on Jesus at the cross for those who would receive Him. He experienced wrath in our place, but not for those who reject them. I recommend that you spend a little more time in the book and a little less time listening to those with no comprehension of God's holiness or the nature of divine judgment. If you're going to deny the scripture and make God out to be a liar, then I'd appreciate it if you didn't call yourself a "christian." if you really do know Him, then perhaps you need to know Him better. Those who believe HIm have passed out of judgment, but the world was purified once with water and will be purified again with fire. God said it and that finishes it.
I need to say a little more than I have with regard to 9/11 and the judgment of God. 9/11 was not "the" judgment of the USA, but it was a warning of sorts. The US started down the road to judgment at least as early as the removal of the scripture as an educational text book. The fear of God has a power to preserve even unregenerate men, and without it there is no source of faith short of God speaking directly to each one of us.
The wrath of God is expressed in many ways. The Apostle Paul tells us in the book of Romans that God's wrath is manifested in things which we now tend to culturally accept, such as homosexuality. Just writing the last could cast me in some eyes as "homophobic" or as a "hate monger," but according to the word of God, this expression of "human rights" is also an expression of His wrath.
The gospel according to Luke tells us that on one occasion some present with Jesus brought up a recent mass murder by Pilate of some Galileans and Jesus made this comment: [sup]2 [/sup]And Jesus answered and said to them, “Do you suppose that these Galileans were worse sinners than all other Galileans, because they suffered such things? [sup]3 [/sup]I tell you, no; but unless you repent you will all likewise perish. [sup]4 [/sup]Or those eighteen on whom the tower in Siloam fell and killed them, do you think that they were worse sinners than all other men who dwelt in Jerusalem? [sup]5 [/sup]I tell you, no; but unless you repent you will all likewise perish.”Luke 13:2-5
Jesus knew that judgment was coming upon Jerusalem and expressed this during His "triumphal" entry into the city just prior to His arrest and execution: [sup]34 [/sup]“O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, but you were not willing! [sup]35 [/sup]See! Your house is left to you desolate; and assuredly, I say to you, you shall not see Me until the time comes when you say, ‘Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!’ ”Luke 13:3
Those people who died on 9/11 are called innocent in that they were just ordinary people going about their lives and probably didn't deserve such awful deaths, but in the eyes of God, none of us are free of the guilt of sin and we all owe the Lord a life (the soul that sins shall die.) Jesus paid the price of our sin with His own blood, but not everyone receives Him or is freed from the wrath of God. We die when we die, because under sin we all die. For Christians physical death is just a transition from grace to greater grace, a purification in nature when we put off the old nature once and for all time, but until the Lord returns we all experience dying. The Christians who died on 9/11 just went home. For the rest, their troubles were really just starting. Were they worse sinners than anyone else? Of course not. Everyone is a creature under the wrath of God until God releases us from judgment through faith in Christ Jesus and the price that He paid for us, for our redemption.
Don't think for a moment that God only judged nations prior to the death and resurrection of our Lord. Many nations have been judged since AD 1, and many no longer exist. If you don't understand this, then you just don't understand (or believe) in the Sovereign reign of our Lord. We can't see God's sovereign hand in the death of an infant or in the murder of a young mother, a child with cancer, or something else that we can only see as unjust, yet we don't see things as God sees them or understand things as God understands them. We have no idea what one "innocent" persons death will mean to another person who is alive or what effect will come about in the larger scheme of things, but that doesn't mean that all things don't happen for some reason. Some mysteries are God's alone. We are left however, with the choice of believing Him and knowing that His character is entirely good, or disbelieving Him and suffering the eternal consequence, not annihilation, but eternal suffering and shame in our separation from Him. We make judgments based upon our experience and limited knowledge, but nothing we might suffer in this life carries the weight of eternal damnation. Life is short, like a vapor of breath on a cold morning, but everlasting life is eternal.
When we believe that we exist for our own purpose, God seems unjust or unfair, but when we understand that we exist for His purposes, the only thing that matters is pleasing Him. What pleases Him is our faith, and not that which we conjure up on our own, but what He gives us through His Spirit and the hearing of His word, to the belief and to the honor of His Son, our Lord, Jesus Christ. Amen
Some people think that things will go on and on just as they always have, or that men will survive here, or expand out into the universe to survive long after our own sun destroys itself in the slow cosmological cycle of destruction and creation. These things however disagree with scripture and with the revealed will and purpose of God. Modern man believes that he has all the answers, or that no one does, because the answers always change. God answers everything, but the rebellious will not hear His voice. However, everyone shall hear Him in judgment. There is no place where one can hide from Him (though Adam might have believed differently.) Today, if you hear His voice, do not harden your heart as they did in the rebellion. The days are growing shorter (those who were in the military will appreciate that reference: time to go home is near and not far.) If you know Him, then all you really need do is keep your focus on Him, the source of true light, because the darkness is all around us.The Lord will allow the rebellion to take its full course, but then He will show Himself, All mighty, and be glorified in judgment for every eye to see. Amen.
I don't want to be perceived as a transgressor here. Its not that I'm looking forward in anticipation of God's judgment, but I am looking forward in anticipation of Christ's return and they go together. Consequently to the unregenerate, Christians appear as those anxious for death (and have that smell of death about them), but as Christians we have a longing to put off what remains of this dead life and to know the fullness of life that we can never experience outside of the fullness of Christ. "Whoever loves his life will lose it, but whoever hates his life will find it." We can experience a taste of eternal life in knowing the Lord, but we can't imagine the glories to come and the wonder of the fullness of His presence. How wonderful the day when we shall know Him as He is and be like Him. That's somewhat incomprehensible, yet it remains apprehendable by faith. How awesome is our God! Amen & Amen
There's finer points about it you've not yet understood. That the children of Israel were literally a separate flesh seed from the pagan nations of history is not the real issue, simply because anyone of any seed can come to Christ Jesus and believe on Him as The Only Begotten Son of God and on His Blood shed on the cross and be saved. Christ's Salvation is not limited to what peoples one was born into.
Moreover, with the parable of the tares of the field, the servants were told to leave the tares alone, not harvest them, lest they wrongly got some of the wheat by mistake. That's why it's impossible for 'us' to determine who the real 'tares' are today in the world that knowingly serve the devil, because some of the good wheat might be deceived and be following them unknowingly (which is exactly how it is on earth today). Christ said His angels will do the separating at the end of this present world, and only He is able to judge in that. In the meantime, our Lord Jesus said by their fruits you will know them. That still does not mean we are to miss what He revealed about the existence of "tares", the servants of the devil here on earth working the negative side of God's Plan. For this present world, that is how it is.
But I am writing about a SMALL GROUP of people, the "tares" of Matthew 13, and those of Jude 1:4 that he said were 'ordained' to the condemnation of working against Christ. To be ignorant of that is also to be ignorant of all the warnings in God's Word about their working.
The "good" people will always say its was "their" fault and not ours,they will always say they were victimized by the "bad" people,the "good" people will always say they were too busy being good to do anything...the "bad" people are "bad" for doing bad things but the "good" people remain "good" despite having done nothing to stop them....perhaps America's biggest problem is it's ....."good" people.
I'm holding my breath... waiting for you to say the next lie, that even Christ's OWN ELECT are guilty of His crucifixion!!!
That this many Christian brethren just 'here', on this Forum, could be so gullible as to believe the LIES from Satan's servants that we are guilty of crucifying our Lord Jesus Christ is appalling! Just goes to show how prepared many have been to get ready to accept the coming false messiah in place of our Lord Jesus!
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