Posted in end of days. prophecy, end time, fish kill, weird

Tons of dead fish appear on, then disappear from Norwegian beach

On January 2 I wrote about millions of dead herring that had overnight washed up on a shore in Norway. I’d mused that 2011 opened with bird deaths and then fish deaths, and 2012 seemed like it was a mirror of that weirdness exactly one year prior. Now, more weirdness: from the same spot in Norway-

Tons of dead fish appear on, then disappear from Norwegian beach
Tons of dead herring that washed up on a Norwegian beach on New Year’s Eve are now gone, and no one is sure how they got there or where they went. Local resident Jan-Petter Jorgensen told Norway’s TV2 he went to look at the thousands and thousands of fish after seeing a Facebook posting about them, according to a report on The Foreigner. Joregensen said it was fortunate the icy cold prevented the mass of dead fish from raising a stink. “It is 15 degrees below zero today, so the cold means they don’t smell. Nevertheless, the smell will be pretty intense in the long run,” he said, according to The Foreigner report. Turns out that wasn’t a problem. Views and News from Norway reports that as of Tuesday, most of the dead fish were gone, perhaps pushed out to sea by tides and winds. The local mayor said they’ll likely sink in the ocean, according to the report. Why they came to be on the shore remains a mystery.”

From the Norwegian news outlet Views and News from Norway:
“UPDATED: Thousands of dead herring, known as sild in Norwegian, covered a beach in northern Norway over the New Year’s weekend and no one is sure how or why they landed there to die. One senior marine researcher said he’s never seen anything like it, and then the dead fish disappeared as mysteriously as they came.”
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Iran to fire long-range missiles during naval war games

I wrote extensively yesterday about the Iran war games in the Strait of Hormuz. It is a tense situation. One spark could catapult the world into a catastrophic series of circumstances. If the Iranians close the Strait then oil prices would double overnight. If one Navy ship from either Iran or the US makes a wrong move within that constricted area, then the entire Fifth Fleet, NATO, UK, France and Iranian ships would be engaged in a battle that would undoubtedly spill over to the nearby Arab states. Anything could go wrong. This week’s escalating situations is not only rhetoric this time. Oh, to be sure, the rhetoric is very heated, there is war of words going on that contain threats very close to actions. Iran has threatened to close the Strait. They have threatened to attack ships that come too close. But actual events are occurring too. Iran is engaged in the biggest naval war games they ever executed.

Now, we learn from Reuters, that “Iran to fire long-range missiles in drill
“Iran will fire long-range missiles during a naval drill in the Gulf on Saturday, a semi-official news agency reported, a show of force at a time when Iran has threatened to close shipping lanes if the West imposes sanctions on its oil exports. … Iran began a 10-day naval drill in the Gulf last Saturday to show its resolve to counter any attack by foes such as Israel or the United States. Iranian media have said the exercise differed from previous ones in terms of “the vastness of the area of action and the military equipment and tactics that are being employed”.

Haaretz also reported on it: “The testing of the missiles is part of ongoing navy maneuvers in the Persian Gulf and, according to Moussavi, the main and final phase is preparing the navy for confronting the enemy in a warlike situation.”

Meanwhile, In Syria, protesters are making a momentous show of defense. “Hundreds of thousands of Syrians protest; activists say at least 19 killed
“Hundreds of thousands of Syrians poured into the streets across the nation Friday in the largest protests in months, shouting for the downfall of the regime in a defiant display invigorated by the presence of Arab observers, activists said.Despite the presence of the monitors, activists said Syrian forces killed at least 19 people, most of them shot during anti-government protests.”

They say that the number of Syrian protesters is up to half a million now.

MoneyMorning reported last week that there is an ongoing back door bank run happening in Europe. “On Wednesday, Fitch Ratings Inc. downgraded its credit ratings on five of Europe’s biggest banks, and while that decision made headlines, it’s not the most important story to come out of Europe this week. The real story, which the mainstream media is neglecting, is that there are signs of an underground run on Europe’s banks. Almost nobody’s talking about it, but there are indications money is already moving out of the European Union (EU) faster than rats abandoning a sinking ship. Not through the front door, mind you. There are no lines, no distraught customers and no teller windows being boarded up – not yet, anyway. For now the run is through the back door, and there are four things that make me think so:”

“-Italy’s planned ban on cash transactions over 1,000 euros, or about $1,300.
-French, Spanish, and Italian banks have run out of collateral and are now pledging real assets.
-Swiss officials are preparing for the end of the euro with capital control measures.
-Europe’s CEOs are actively preparing for the end of the euro despite governmental reassurances.”

I wrote about the laying of the prophetic infrastructure earlier today, and how though the rapture is a signless and imminent event and has been throughout all of history, we can see by looking at how close the prophetic infrastructure is to being complete how close we may be to the rapture. Of course, this way of thinking may be all wrong, I am fallible and see through a glass darkly. But with Syria, the global economy, and Iran so heavy in the news it seems to me to be a hopeful portent for Christians, and an ominous portent for unbelievers. Please keep praying with all urgency, please keep living the Godliest life that you can in these dark times. Being holy and sanctified in the face of pessimism, perversion, and hate will stand out like a beacon of light that we are called to be.
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Posted in end time, gog magog, prophecy, wars and rumors of wars

CFR says "Time is now to attack Iran"

There is some interesting news coming out these days. Heavily prophetic. In the last 6 months the European Union and other European nations have gone from defending an economic position of “this is manageable” to “here are our plans for when the euro/EU collapses.” The continual economic and currency pressure on the ‘eurozone’ nations is cracking it up and by now the cracks are wide enough to be visible. They’re not hairline fractures anymore, they are chasms. The UK, never a fan of the geo-political EU or the idea of a strongly centralized European currency, is openly making drastic contingency plans for the what they believe is its eventual failure.

UK to close borders if Euro collapses, other contingency plans revealed
“BRITAIN’S borders will be closed to continental Europeans if the euro collapses, it was revealed yesterday. The emergency measure would block hordes of French, German and Dutch nationals who would be desperate to withdraw cash here with credit cards if banks in their own countries dry up. It is feared a run on British banks could also result in them being unable to service UK businesses.”

That’s pretty drastic. It paints a picture of hordes of people storming banks, chaotic borders with armed guards, and riots. If this is the picture the powers that be firmly feel would happen, hence, their making plans around it, then we must pay attention.

We are concerned at this point in prophetic time with large geo-political and large-scale economic shifts. This is because the verses which are set in the Tribulation show us that the world is governed by ten kings (soon to be 8) whose top king is the antichrist. It seems that the world is governed by ten large kingdoms with sole people at the head. (Revelation 13:1; Daniel 7:16-24). Revelation 13 also shows us that the entire globe’s money system and consumer economics is also controlled by one person: the antichrist. (more here).

For the conditions to come to pass as we know they will, a massive shift in financial, political, and economic thought and infrastructure must first come to pass. We see these indicators now.

The bible’s chapters in Ezekiel 38-39 also show an evil confederacy led by Iran and Russia and Turkey attacking Israel by surprise in the last days. This prophecy has not come to pass yet in all of history so we know that it is yet future. As we see the news headlines day after day of the growing storm in the Middle East, particularly Syria and Iran, we can surmise that perhaps this prophecy is near future.

The Strait of Hormuz is key route for world’s oil
“The Strait of Hormuz, which Iran has threatened to block if the West applies sanctions on its oil exports, is a strategically important waterway through which 40 percent of the world’s oil transits.The strait links the Gulf, bordered by petroleum-rich states like Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, with Oman.Iran’s Vice President Mohammad Reza Rahimi warned Tuesday: ”If sanctions are adopted against Iranian oil, not a drop of oil will pass through the Strait of Hormuz.”Several Western states are considering oil sanctions against Iran over its nuclear program, accusing it of seeking to develop nuclear weapons.The narrow Strait of Hormuz has a maximum width of some 50 kilometers (30 miles) and a maximum depth of 60 metres (200 feet).”

When even the Council on Foreign Relations starts touting an Iran preventive attack, you know that things in that prophetic region are definitely nearing fulfillment. (If you happen to go to the link, you’ll notice the CFR article has a dateline of “January/February 2012”. Seeing 2012 as a real date seems strange…)

CFR: Time to Attack Iran: Why a Strike Is the Least Bad Option
“Opponents of military action against Iran assume a U.S. military strike would be far more dangerous than simply letting Tehran build a bomb. Not so, argues this former Pentagon defense planner. With a carefully designed strike, Washington could mitigate the costs—or at least bring them down to a bearable level—and spare the region and the world from an unacceptable threat.”

The interest in Iran, of course, is two fold but it should be three fold. The world’s interest in Iran is in its nuclear programme, which by all accounts is nearing completion. They will VERY shortly have the bomb. Secondly, the world is concerned with Iran’s increasing belligerence. It seems the closer they get to finishing their nuke-making the more brazen they become. They began war games in the Strait of Hormuz this week and threatened to shut the strait down. This would be a bad thing as 30% of the world oil is exported by there on tankers. Just making the threat threw global oil markets into a tizzy. During the war games the Iranian Navy allegedly warned off a foreign helicopter and are trying to provoke US ships. The US Fifth Fleet is stationed in nearby Bahrain.

The third interest that the world should have in Iran but doesn’t is that Iran is propelled, guided, and in all ways spiritually motivated. The government and the Revolutionary Guard believes firmly in Shia end time Islam, which states that they are prophetically important in Islam and that they must begin cleaning out the world of Americans, Jews, and all infidels. Their staunch belief that Israel must not exist informs their every waking thought and action.

The Manila Bulletin explains, “Iran’s Revolutionary Guard, the ideological army of the Iranian regime, controls naval operations in the Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz.” Don’t underestimate the will of Iran’s ‘ideological army.’ The ideological arm of the government is the arm that believes all Jews must die. Unfortunately, the world does not believe that they are as focused and intentional as they are. But we see from the chapters in Ezekiel, the Gog-Magog battle, that they are indeed.

As Iran begins the tactical stage of the games, “The war games, which started on Saturday, are said to differ from previous ones in terms of the vastness of the area of action and the military equipment and tactics that are being employed. It has been announced that submarines of the Ghadir class and other classes, warships, missile-firing destroyers, coast-to-sea missile systems, drones, and electronic warfare equipment will be tested during the exercises.”

Don’t underestimate the military of Iran. Though not as large as North Korea’s or as sophisticated as the US’s, remember they recently did just spoof a US drone, causing it to happily land in Iran instead of Afghanistan, and are busily scouring its secrets even now, with the Russians and the Chinese. They are not as weak or as backward as the US government would like us to believe.

In the upcoming Ezekiel prophetic battle, God supernaturally intervenes to protect Israel. Otherwise they would have been obliterated by Iran and Russia. Mercifully, the Lord once again will put His hand around His nation and all the world sees that it is by no other means that Israel was saved. Because of this, which of course Israel sees too, they clamor for a return to a covenant relationship with Him. This is why the temple is rebuilt. It is thought that the fallout of this battle jolts the world into finally confirming a peace treaty with Israel, something we know will happen (Daniel 9:27). Of course, the chronology could be otherwise but the way things are looking now, especially with Syria’s continual genocide of her people and the world’s growing impatience with it, this interpretation seems likely. (Isaiah 17)

I don’t know if any nation in the world will attack Iran prior to the rapture, or at all, there is nothing listed specifically for this as there are about prophesies about Damascus’s destruction and Iran’s attack on Israel. The prophecies do state that the birth pangs will include wars and rumors of wars, nation against nation and kingdom against kingdom. (Matthew 24:6-7)

Also because the world sees God protect Israel and thus Israel returns to (old) covenant with God, resuming sacrifices etc, the new covenant people cannot and will not be here. The two covenants don’t mix. Therefore it is thought that by the end of the Gog-Magog battle (and it is called a battle because it happens quickly) that that event is the latest that the Church will still be in the world. We could be called out and up by the Lord at any time, but the common interpretation is that Ezekiel 38-39 is the latest. Keep looking up.
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Posted in end time, last days, wars and rumors of wars

Wars and Rumors of Wars

In Matthew 24, Jesus answers the disciples’ question about the signs of the end of the age and the signs of Jesus coming, and asked when will all these things happen. Three questions, from verse 1-3 and from verse 4-8 Jesus began His answer.

“And Jesus answered and said to them, “See to it that no one misleads you. For many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and will mislead many. You will be hearing of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not frightened, for those things must take place, but that is not yet the end. For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and in various places there will be famines and earthquakes. But all these things are merely the beginning of birth pangs.”

Then in verse 9 He deepened the answer and referred to tribulation and perilous times by specifically mentioning certain events. He then speaks of the Abomination of Desolation. Some scholars use the break at verse 8 to interpret that Jesus meant that the birth pangs would encompass the entire time between Jesus’ ascension and second coming, and verse 9 onward being the Tribulation, and others interpret those first 4 verses as included in only the Tribulation period of 7 years along with the rest of the Discourse. I take the former view.

Here: “The Bible predicts a downward spiral of catastrophes, human sin, and religious apostasy before Christ returns. Paul writes, “But realize this, that in the last days difficult times will come. . . . evil men and impostors will proceed from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived” (2 Timothy 3:1, 13). The world will continue to reject God, His Word, and His people. … The erosion of peace and increase of turmoil that precedes the Rapture will reach epic proportions when untold numbers of people disappear from earth.”

I believe the world has been in pangs since Jesus ascended, though like contractions are wont to do, start off mild and unnoticeable, increasing terribly as the birth nears. Then the water breaks, and I believe the rapture is that event we can liken to water breaking. When the water breaks, things really get serious in the labor pains and birthing process. The birth is near once the water breaks. What is being birthed? The Kingdom of Jesus Christ that will last 1000 years. (Revelation 20:2-7; Luke 1:32-33′ Ezekiel 43:7).

Jesus said one thing to look out for is wars and rumors of wars. It was the second thing He said to look for, after false Christs. War rhetoric has always been with us on earth, we are a warlike and rebellious people. The Middle East since Israel’s re-birth has especially been rife with wars and rumors of wars. But never to the degree that the epicenter has seen today. Seven or more nations are on war alert, live drills with live missiles are taking place. Rockets are being moved. War Ministers are readying troops. Ambassadors are being recalled. Warships are moving into place. The following headlines are from the past two days. They are extraordinary. In my opinion, they exemplify “wars and rumors of wars” to a high degree.

I believe that final, final pieces are being readied for the last days prophesies to be fulfilled quickly. If that is the case, then the rapture is even sooner.

Iranian forces go on war alert
Iran moving missiles to secret sites, Western officials tell British paper; earlier, Tehran residents reported to stockpile goods, fearing imminent strike
“Growing panic in Iran? The commander of Iran’s elite Revolutionary Guards has ordered his forces to raise their operational readiness ahead of a possible war or strike on the country’s nuclear facilities, the Telegraph reported late Monday.”

“The British newspaper quoted Western intelligence sources as saying that Iran is repositioning ballistic missiles, explosives and troops into defensive positions, in order to offer a quick response in the case of an attack by Israel or the United States.”

Iran’s downing of US drone rattles Washington
“U.S. military officials have expressed concern over news reports that Iran recently downed a U.S. spy drone that had violated the country’s airspace.On Sunday, an unidentified Iranian military source said that the Armed Forces of the Islamic Republic had downed a U.S. drone along the country’s eastern border, the Fars News Agency reported.“An advanced RQ-170 unmanned American spy plane was shot down by Iran’s armed forces. It suffered minor damage and is now in possession of Iran’s armed forces,” the source said, according to Fox News.The official also stated that Iran would give a crushing response to any violation of its airspace, saying the response “will not be limited to the country’s borders.”

US officials say Pakistan leaving liaison centers
“Pakistan is pulling its troops out of at least two of the three centers meant to coordinate military activity across the Afghan border in apparent retaliation for NATO airstrikes that killed 24 Pakistani soldiers, U.S. military officials said.”

Pakistan recalls ambassadors for consultations after NATO attack
“Pakistan recalls ambassadors for consultations after NATO attack Islamabad has recalled a number of its ambassadors for urgent consultations in the wake of NATO’s killing of 25 Pakistani soldiers, the country’s Foreign Ministry said on Tuesday. The envoys will be instructed on new foreign policy which has been reviewed in the light of last month’s attack, Itar-Tass reports. Ambassadors in the US, the EU countries, Russia, India, Afghanistan and other states were called back, the ministry said, adding that they will be familiarized with the new foreign policy doctrine. Earlier, Islamabad warned it would review its ties with the US and its allies.”

Rare attacks on Afghan Shiites kill 60, suicide bomber strikes Kabul mosque
“A suicide bomber struck a crowd of Shiite worshippers who packed a Kabul mosque Tuesday to mark a holy day, killing at least 56 people, and a second bombing in another city killed four more Shiites. They were the first major sectarian assaults since the fall of the Taliban a decade ago. … Religiously motivated attacks on Shiites are rare in Afghanistan although they are common in neighboring Pakistan.”

United Arab Emirates (UAE) Prime MinisterIf Iran attacks Israel it will be gone the next day”
“United Arab Emirates’ PM downplays concerns about nuclear Iran, tells CNN he believes Israel will destroy Iran if attacked. Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al-Maktoum, the Prime Minister of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) discounted on Tuesday the West’s concerns about a nuclear-armed Iran.

Sectarian bloodshed worsens in Syria amid uprising
“Dozens of bodies were dumped in the streets of a Syrian city at the heart of the country’s nearly 9-month-old uprising, a grim sign that sectarian bloodshed is escalating as the country descends further toward civil war.”

China’s Hu urges navy to prepare for combat
“Chinese President Hu Jintao on Tuesday urged the navy to prepare for military combat, amid growing regional tensions over maritime disputes and a US campaign to assert itself as a Pacific power.”

As Matthew Henry said in his commentary on the Matthew 24:6 verse, “Our Saviour cautions his disciples to stand on their guard against false teachers. And he foretells wars and great commotions among nations. From the time that the Jews rejected Christ, and he left their house desolate, the sword never departed from them. See what comes of refusing the gospel. Those who will not hear the messengers of peace, shall be made to hear the messengers of war. “

Make sure your heart is at peace with the Savior.
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Sobering news today, and sobering future ahead

Here are a few random news nuggets that belie the danger to the lost and nearness of the time of Jesus’ judgments.

Of all the nations that recently endured an era of devastating hyperinflation, Zimbabwe is that nation. For a picture of what hyperinflation actually does to a nation, read this from Wikipedia, “Inflation rose from an annual rate of 32% in 1998, to an official estimated high of 11,200,000% in August 2008 according to the country’s Central Statistical Office. This represented a state of hyperinflation, and the central bank introduced a new 100 billion dollar note. As of November 2008, unofficial figures put Zimbabwe’s annual inflation rate at 516 quintillion per cent, with prices doubling every 1.3 days.”

In other words, they should know the signs of hyperinflation. They now see it happening in America, and they warn to get out of the Dollar standard and switch to the Chinese yuan for the reserve currency. This is from CNBC:

Zimbabwe Bashes Bernanke—On Inflation!
“The central banker of the country most famous for hyperinflation, Zimbabwe, is warning that the US may be on the wrong path and urging his country to adopt the Chinese yuan as its currency. Gono says Zimbabwe should in fact be looking to the Chinese yuan as its main currency, while urgently seeking to restore its own currency which was abandoned in 2009 after a dramatic loss of its value.”

BBC: Katla volcanic eruption imminent, could have global impact
“Hundreds of metres under one of Iceland’s largest glaciers there are signs of a looming volcanic eruption that could be one of the most powerful the country has seen in almost a century. Mighty Katla, with its 10km (6.2 mile) crater, has the potential to cause catastrophic flooding as it melts the frozen surface of its caldera and sends billions of gallons of water surging through Iceland’s east coast and into the Atlantic Ocean. “There has been a great deal of seismic activity,” says Ford Cochran, the National Geographic’s expert on Iceland.”

Epic windstorm batters west, third of a million without power
“Hurricane force winds, some topping 100mph snarls traffic, downs trees, wreaks havoc. See this video of a huge pine tree downed by the wind.

Iranian and North Korean rocket experts hold Damascus meetings
“Dozens of officials from North Korea and Iran have conducted meetings with representatives of the Syrian government in Damascus to help president Bashar al-Assad obtain weapons following the implementation of sanctions by members of the Arab League and other countries.”

So now that the Arab League has sanctioned Syria, other rogue states will help Syria get weapons of mass destruction. Not good.

Ultraconservative Islamists make gains in Egypt
“Egypt’s ultraconservative Islamist party said Friday it plans to push for a stricter religious code in Egypt after claiming surprisingly strong gains in this week’s initial round of voting for parliament, the first elections since Hosni Mubarak’s ouster.”

Ultraconservative and Islam … also not a good combination.

From the natural disasters happening, to the economic failures, to the military buildup, it is all coming together. Two gentlemen write piercingly heartfelt essays this week, of which I’d like to share some excerpts. They said it all so well:

Ron Graham
“What mankind is witnessing today is only the “birth pangs” associated with the nearness of Christ’s return; certainly we’re not feeling the full on effects of what Jesus tells us is coming in the last days. Jesus’ return is close, and every Christian should reel with anticipation and excitement every time something out of the ordinary or unexplainable happens. But today’s Christians seem to be apathetic concerning the coming of their Lord; a lull between events allows apathy to creep into the Christian’s life lessening the anticipation of future events. Although many may read about the catastrophic occurrences around the world which have led to mass amounts of human death and suffering, there seems to be a sort of disconnect as people simply dismiss any possibility of such devastation occurring near them, or in their lifetime. Today most followers of Jesus Christ are unaware of the unimaginable magnitude of catastrophic events that are coming. Jesus warns the last remaining generation prior to His return that they will be overwhelmed by three specific ever recurring events, which are earthquakes, pestilence, and famines. Interestingly we’re all witnesses to the fact that all three are increasing in frequency and intensity just like birth pangs.”

John McTernan
“I have been warning for a long time for believers to be serious with God because huge trials were coming that were going to test our faith. It now appears that two huge trials are converging at the same time. The European economic meltdown along with war in the Middle East which are going to shake the entire world. Both converging at the same time are like a 10.0 earthquake. The effect is going to be enormous. The European Union meltdown is now heading into high gear as all the warning signs are now flashing of an imminent meltdown. There is not enough money in the world to bail out Europe along with all the debt that the US is creating. The debt monster is now loose and out of control. The collapse of Europe will send the world economy into uncharted waters. Look what happened in the Fall of 2008 when Lehman Brothers collapsed. Just imagine what is going to happen with the Euro along with multiple European nations collapse!

“There are all sorts of unconfirmed reports that Israeli Jericho missiles are being moved into firing positions in the West Bank. The Jericho is Israel’s long range missile which can reach Iran. This missile can be armed with nuclear weapons. [There are also unconfirmed reports that China is moving missiles into position, also.) Syria is degenerating in chaos and Assad said he will attack Israel if war breaks out. Israel said it will totally destroy Syria in the next war, so Syria can never again attack Israel! Lebanon said its army will back Hezbollah and Israel said it will destroy Lebanon in the next war! All the elements are now coming together for the all-out war that is described in Psalm 83, Obadiah and Isaiah 17.”

“How much longer can this war be held back? If it does not start by the end of this year, can an entire year go by without it starting? I doubt it. It appears that the time has now arrived for the war that will start the direct countdown to all the end-time prophecy, the Day of the LORD and battle of Armageddon which will usher in the Second Coming of the Lord Jesus Christ with His church! All the warning signs are now flashing. The sirens are blasting full power that God’s judgments on this world are about to begin as time is running out.”
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Posted in bible jesus, end time, prophecy

Back to basics

I’ve been mulling over some things about apostasy. This is because in the course of my online and real life discernment and encouragement ministry, I see that the essential doctrines of our faith not only are being eroded “out there”, but also “in here”, in Christian places and in people close to me. I am horrified at the depth and breadth of the erosion of what I believed were the obvious givens. I am grieving over the adherence of many people to the destructive heresies.

bible with glasses

In my mind, the “obvious givens” start with the the Gospel. That Sovereign God Jesus lived as fully man on earth, was sinless, died on the cross, bore the wrath of God for payment of our sins, was buried and resurrected by the power of God on the third day. That’s the Gospel. One must believe those essentials in order to be saved. But even this basic tenet, the one that distinguishes us from ALL other philosophies, doctrines, faiths and assertions, is being corrupted daily. I had known it was bad in our faith. I had believed the prophesies about how bad it would get. I hadn’t realized how bad the foundations had been eroded, or how many people are affected.

I worry strongly for the mature in the faith who are being drawn away by doctrines of devils, seducing spirits, empty philosophies that are said to come. (1 Timothy 4:1, Colossians 2:8).

I’m worried for the new believers in our faith who watch the way mature believers act and listen to what the mature believers say as they get carried away with seducing spirits and the new ones are being carried away too.

I’m shifting my focus from discernment and encouragement to explain simply what the basics are. There are people out there who believe we can be saved if we dream of Jesus in a jungle or that God is so big He could justly accept people into heaven who have not been born again by faith in ALL the Gospel… Our brethren are at risk from these false and vain philosophies!

So for a while I’m going to go back to the basics. We have to look at these things through an end time lens, well, because we are in the end time. As a matter of fact, the end time deceptions are simply exploding right now, at a pace that faints my heart. I want to do this because when we’re gone, and it seems that we will be soon, the people who are left behind and need to convert will need milk.

Jesus is tantamount. His Word must be adhered to strictly. Jesus finished His Sermon on the Mount, a lengthy discourse on how to live as a follower of Him. “Everyone who hears these words of Mine and does not act on them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. “The rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and it fell—and great was its fall.” (Matthew 7:26-27).

The Word of God is our rock. It will never fall. Let’s begin… This “Back to Basics” series will continue on Saturday and then into next week. I am glad, because I need to re-study the Gospel, the basics, because we can never outgrow the original, transcendent, saving basics of the faith. They’re eternal and encouraging for one and all from the newborn believer to the old in the faith.

Posted in end time, joseph, potiphar's wife

Are you Potiphar’s wife, or are you Joseph?

Genesis 39:7-12 has an interesting lesson for us Christians in the last days. Now, the following really happened to two real people. The scene is part of a continually unfolding lesson to us through scripture of God’s love and His ultimate control of all circumstances. It shows us His long-term plan for His people. But I’ve been thinking a lot lately on the truth of the Word and the way that sin in the world winds around it, like a strangler fig, trying to kill it. Sin does that. Kills you. Potiphar’s wife and Joseph’s reaction to her came to mind as I was thinking.

I love the truth of God. The bible is an incredible book, written by 40 or so authors over 1500 years yet it contains a single message unified over time and through time. It can only have been written by Someone outside of time, and that is Jesus and the Holy Spirit who God-breathed it to men. (John 1:1, 2 Timothy 3:16). We are told repeatedly that the last days would be filled with deception.  (2 Peter 2:1-3; Mt 7:15; 1 John 4:1; 1 Timothy 4:1). We are told not to cling to the things of the world. “Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.” (1 John 2:15).

So many Christians these days are seeking the world. Or at least, they are distracted by the world and are failing to stay strong, to run for your life when the world seeks you. Worse, many Christians are flirting with the world, thinking that they can dabble and stay strong in Jesus at the same time. Well, you can’t. Look what Joseph did when the world sought him:

“Now Joseph was well-built and handsome, and after a while his master’s wife took notice of Joseph and said, “Come to bed with me!” But he refused. “With me in charge,” he told her, “my master does not concern himself with anything in the house; everything he owns he has entrusted to my care. No one is greater in this house than I am. My master has withheld nothing from me except you, because you are his wife. How then could I do such a wicked thing and sin against God?” And though she spoke to Joseph day after day, he refused to go to bed with her or even be with her.”

“One day he went into the house to attend to his duties, and none of the household servants was inside. She caught him by his cloak and said, “Come to bed with me!” But he left his cloak in her hand and ran out of the house.” (Genesis 39:7-12).

Joseph ran. He didn’t make friends with sin. He didn’t tolerate sin. He didn’t flirt with sin. He didn’t reason with sin. He ran. Now, the world will seek us the same way, with outstretched hands, with a winning smile, with pleading and guile. When those fail, sin will try to grab you. Don’t let it. Run.

Painting by Hendrik van the Elder Balen, ~1615

The Prince who is to come is the antichrist. (Daniel 9:26-27). He is also called the man of Lawlessness. Lawlessness in this case means he has not one scrap of God’s Law in his heart. (2 Thessalonians 2:3).  He is completely devoid of anything good. He also will seek the world and the world will accept him. (John 5:43). He also will outstretch his hands and with guile and a winning smile and flattery, and insinuating himself he will make a grab for the world. (Daniel 7:8, Daniel 8:25; Zechariah 11:15-16).

Jesus said that when you see this, run. (Matthew 24:16). Don’t even stop to get your cloak. (Matthew 24:17-18). Christians who are left behind and living in the Tribulation are warned severely to stop for nothing but like Joseph, flee even if it means leaving behind what you are wearing.

Flee from the sin in the world. Don’t become entranced by it, flirt with it, enjoy it, or otherwise become entangled in it. Leave it behind. Joseph ran, leaving behind his coat. The tribulation survivors are urged to run, leaving behind their coats. We should heed that advice and run from lawlessness. You can be Potiphar’s wife, grasping for the things of the world or you can be Joseph, running from the world’s unrighteousness reaching for you. You know which one will profit you in the long run…
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Posted in end time, israel, jericho missile, nuclear war, prophecy

Nukes are suddenly back in the news, plus, mystery radiation

Remember the 1950s and 1960s frenzy about nuclear weapons? We had ‘duck and cover’ drills at school. There was a ‘Fallout Shelter” triangle poster on every school and sturdy building. Civil defense authorities and notifications were common in pamphlet, television and radio. Movies and films reflected the common dread that one day, a nuke would fall and WWIII would begin.

Then in the 80s everything changed when Reagan came in and confronted the worst evils of communism through harsh rhetoric and backed it with military buildup. The Berlin Wall came down and the Soviet Union collapsed in the 1990s. And that was the end of hearing about nuclear weapons for two decades.

The triangle fallout shelter placards faded. The pamphlets from Civil Defense organizations drifted away like leaves. First responders were into training and preparation of ‘sexier’ catastrophes like Ebola and pandemics and exotic chemical weapons.

When I was an editor and reporter of a weekly newspaper in Maine a few years ago, I interviewed the manager of the last Maine nuke bunker and wrote a story about it. The bunker seemed like an anachronism, cute even. Buried in the side of a hill in Windham, it housed, and may still house, the Cumberland County emergency operations center. The concrete underground center was built in 1960 during the the Cold War.

The Lewiston Maine daily did a story in 2005 titled,

Maine still maintains a bunker – just in case
“The Cold War is over and fears it engendered about nuclear war have diminished. But the state still maintains an underground shelter in Cumberland County – just in case. Maine Emergency Management Agency Director Art Cleaves said the bunker near the state prison compound in Windham is covered by 12 feet of dirt and is well-maintained with an active communications center that would be used by state authorities in the event of a major calamity. Cumberland County’s Emergency Management Agency and dispatch center work from that site daily. The site “is a holdover from the 50s,” said Cleaves, noting that modern emergency planning is geared more toward terrorism than a nuclear attack.”

Well, everything old is new again. Or should I say, everything old is nuke again. Nuclear weapons and nuke attacks and mystery radiation are in the news and on the consciousness of citizens coast to American coast.

Mystery radiation has been drifting over many European countries like unwanted acid rain. They are calling it “radioactive dust”. No one knows where it is coming from and Fukushima Nuclear Plant is not the source. IAEA official: “We are a little concerned”. IAEA press release on the situation is here.

Riddle of the radiation sweeping across Europe: UN nuclear agency mystified by soaring levels
“Very low levels of radioactive iodine-131 have been detected throughout Europe, but the particles are not believed to pose a public health risk, the U.N.nuclear agency said on Friday. NASA have released images of 2,400 stars, known as the Tarantula Nebula, that are producing intense radiation and powerful winds, believed to be the cause for the detection in the atmosphere.”

Huh? Unknown radiation continuing to be released in Europe?? And it is from the Tarantula Nebula??? Erm, OK.

Another article later in the week from Stockholm News reported that there was Radioactive dust over Sweden. The IAEA officials are quoted in that article as saying, “We are a little concerned, because there must be a source somewhere.” GermanySweden, Austria, Hungary, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Poland, Denmark. Reuters: reported on the issue, as did MSNBC. The AP titled their article “Abnormal radiation in Hungary, no risk seen.” Boy, if that isn’t an oxymoron…

Here’s something just weird about nukes in the news…. I can’t figure it out. CNews is a conglomeration of Canadian newspapers that include the Sun papers: the Calgary Sun, the Edmonton Sun, the Ottawa Sun, and so on. They have a neat feature of presenting one news item in graphic form only. It could be a map or a graph or a cartoon-like flow chart. The feature’s tagline is “In 5 minutes: news & events, visually.” It seeks to present information in a visual form with no other explanation, the picture being the explanation. So this week, out of nowhere, the Sun papers published this:

What really happens when a nuclear bomb hits?

The graphic explores in picture form radiation maps, fallout symptoms, burn wounds, and the like. Why this? Why now? Because nuclear bombings are back on the table. With that comes radiation. And two radiation incidents occurred this week. One is kind of hard to figure out, which is the mystery radiation in Europe mentioned above, and the other which has an explanation is below. But the hard to figure out part on that one is whether the officials are telling the truth that the local citizenry is safe from effects from the leaked plutonium…

At least 17 INL employees exposed to radiation
“IDAHO FALLS, Idaho (AP) — Officials with the Idaho National Laboratory say at least 17 workers were exposed to low-level radiation from plutonium.The employees were working inside the facility’s decommissioned Zero Power Physics Reactor Tuesday afternoon when a container holding plutonium was opened, exposing them to radiation.”

In 1979, Iran declared war on the US and on Israel. They have been single-mindedly aiming toward completion of their goal ever since. Their goal? Wipe out the Great Satan (US) and the little satan (Israel). Iran gathered enough money and trained enough scientists so that they have been for at least ten years in actuality edging ever closer to making a nuclear bomb so they could accomplish the promised obliteration. The reality of Iran’s goal didn’t ever seem to penetrate US consciousness and we did not consider them a threat. Israel always did, but we did not listen. Things got serious a couple of years ago, (late 2008-2009) when Iran seemed to have made some astounding breakthroughs toward their goal of developing a bomb. This snippet from 2009 explains one of the breakthroughs:, which was to make a trigger for the bomb.

At that time, Israel wanted to make a foray into Iran to strike their nuclear facilities. To do this, Israel has to fly over Jordan and then the width of Iraq before even getting to the border of Iran. When Israel said they wanted to strike, the US was against the strike, preferring to exhaust diplomatic and economic options first. Israel was insistent. Then-former US security adviser to President Carter, Zbigniew Brzezinski said that the US should use their stationed troops in Iraq to militarily prevent Israel from flying over. In fact, the Bush Administration toward the end of President Bush’s second term in 2008 actually refused the Israelis permission to fly over Iraq.

Iran has only made more progress toward their goal of producing a weapon of mass (Jewish) destruction. Israel is fed-up. The talk all this week has been of nuclear war, nuclear weapons, nuclear strikes, Israel striking Iran, and oh, by the way, with the withdrawal of US troops from Iraq by the end of this year, which is only 7 weeks away, it leaves the area wide open for Israel to fly over Iraq to strike Iran. A huge military vacuum that would allow Israel free range to fly into Iran. And that timeline seems consistent with what the Israelis are planning to do, at least according to this headline:

Israel may launch strike on Iran as soon as next month to prevent development of nuclear weapons
Senior Foreign Office figure: ‘We’re expecting something as early as Christmas, or very early in the new year.
“Israel will launch military action to prevent Iran developing a nuclear weapon as soon as Christmas, intelligence chiefs have warned. … Sources say the understanding at the top of the British Government is that Israel will attempt to strike against the nuclear sites ‘sooner rather than later’ – with logistical support from the U.S. … In recent weeks, Ministry of Defence sources confirmed that contingency plans have been drawn up in the event that the UK decided to support military action.”

Why is Israel so hot to take care of business? This week an IAEA report unequivocally remarked that Iran is this close to a bomb.

This week Israel test-launched a Jericho ICBM capable of delivering a nuclear weapon as far away as Iran. Folks, there is going to be war (Matthew 24:6, Revelation 6:3-4). It is becoming increasingly obvious that the wars will be nuclear. Because the Tribulation will be a time of complete apostasy, lawlessness, and evil, there will be nothing to stop men from pressing the button. The Holy Spirit will cease His ministry of restraint and it will be an evil free-for-all among men. Some of those men hold the nuclear codes in their hands and the top officials will think, “Why not?” and press ‘launch.’

Israel refuses to tell US its Iran intentions
“Israel has refused to reassure President Barack Obama that it would warn him in advance of any pre-emptive strike on Iran’s nuclear capabilities, raising fears that it may be planning a go-it-alone attack as early as next summer.”

Now there are two ways to react to the fact that the end of days is nearly here. You can search out that bunker in Maine and pound on the door when the bombs fly, hoping there are enough canned goods inside to feed you through the nuclear winter, or you can take refuge in Jesus.

He is the best option. He is peace forever, He is safety forever. Safety from sin and evil. He is forgiving, loving, inviting. He seeks you, even now, asking you to answer the call of eternity in your heart (Ecc 3:11). There is a reason the world is suddenly consumed with nuclear weapons, nuclear fallout, nuclear leakage from unknown sources. It is poison, and poisonous times are here and nearly overtaking the world. Come with us in the rapture. Things will only get worse from here on out, never returning to normal. But things are MORE than normal in heaven, and will be so forever.
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Posted in bible jesus, end time, millennium kingdom, prophecy, repent

The Kingdom is coming, and it is real

Jesus is coming soon to judge sin, and to establish His Kingdom. (Daniel 2:44). It is going to last 1000 years and it is known as the Millennial Kingdom. (Isaiah 2:4, 42:1). He is also preparing a place called New Jerusalem for His church Age believers to dwell in. It will be established after the Tribulation and before eternity. It is a real kingdom, with real people, lands, and a ruler, namely Jesus and it will be on earth. (Luke 1:32-33). Jesus will have put satan in jail already for the entire duration, so there will be no devil tempting the un-glorified people re-populating the earth who live in the Kingdom. If you ever prayed The Lord’s Prayer, you have prayed for His kingdom to come:

“Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.” (Matthew 6:9-10).

GotQuestions explains, “The purpose of the 1000-year reign is to fulfill promises God made to the world that cannot be fulfilled while Satan is free and humans have political authority. Some of these promises, called covenants, were given specifically to Israel. Others were given to Jesus, the nations of the world, and creation. All of these will be fulfilled during Jesus’ 1000-year reign.”

However, it is an exclusive kingdom. Not all people will be allowed into it. Any person can claim citizenship, but if citizenship is rejected, they will be denied entry to this wonderful kingdom! Jesus will only allow people who have been cleansed from sin to enter, people who have repented of their sins and asked Jesus to forgive them. Refusing to repent is in fact rejecting of your citizenship into this kingdom of perfect peace and love.

He is preparing us to understand that the time is nigh. He said He would send signs of the end of the age, and those signs are getting stronger with each passing day. The hatred and rejection of Jesus is one of those signs (2 Peter 3:3-4), as well as the love of one another growing cold (2 Timothy 3:2-4) and the falling away of Christians from solid doctrine. (1 Timothy 4:1). There are many other signs.

God said He will open up end time prophecy for all to understand and interpret so we can prepare for His Second Coming. (Daniel 12:9-10). That is why you have been hearing so MUCH lately about the end times, and the rapture and it is why there are so many Christians are saying “repent, the end is nigh”. He is opening up prophecy and opening the hearts of Christians to understand prophecy because the time IS nigh. It is the Holy Spirit opening up the hidden things because it is now the time to know them.

Now, the rapture is not the Second Coming, they are two different events. The rapture happens at the beginning of the final 7 years of Tribulation, and the Second Coming happens at the very end of that final 7 years. Then Jesus sets up His kingdom to fulfill the promises He has made throughout the bible, as mentioned above.

He wants one and all to enter His kingdom and His city but He cannot allow the wicked unrepentant to come in. He even sets angels at the gates of New Jerusalem so that nothing impure will ever enter. (Rev 21:12, Rev 21:27). Please consider your lives carefully, and understand that this decision for Jesus or against Jesus (which is the same as saying you decide for your own sin or reject your own sin) is a permanent one. Jesus loves each and every single person on this earth from the beginning to now. He knows the name of each person who is living, all 7 billion of us, and He knows the names of each person who has already lived and died. He wants all of us in His kingdom, either on earth or in New Jerusalem, but if you have rejected Him then you will not be allowed to dwell in glory with Him.

Do you really have so much pride that you refuse to ever say, ‘I do wrong and  that wrong is against a Holy God’? All the wrongs done in your mind or on your tongue or by your hands are deeds that are crimes against Jesus, and He will judge those sins. However, He died on the cross and shed His blood as the atoning sacrifice for your sins and thereby has pardoned them. That is how you claim your citizenship- by accepting His blood as a covering for your sins and accepting Him as your Lord.

I hope to see you there. He is coming soon. We who have already repented are eagerly awaiting the Blessed Hope. You who have not repented are running out of time to make that decision.
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Posted in bible jesus, end time, oklahoma earthquake

Large quake in Oklahoma (Updated)

Update from CNN regarding damage, at bottom.

While geologists have been monitoring the quake swarm in Arkansas, which has renewed lately, a surprise series of quakes shook up Oklahoma overnight. First, Arkansas:

Geologists closely monitoring surge in central Arkansas quakes
Official: Layout of quakes might suggest larger tremor coming
“The Arkansas Geological Survey says it is stepping up its monitoring of seismic activity in central Arkansas after dozens of small earthquakes in the region. Six minor quakes were recorded Friday near Quitman, the latest of more than 50 temblors in October. The Friday tremors began with a 2.0-magnitude quake around 7:45 a.m. and peaked with a 2.5 quake later in the morning.The shaking follows more than 1,000 earthquakes centered between Guy and Greenbrier from September 2010 to July of this year.”

The result of the research into the issue was to stop fracking. Fracking involves injecting pressurized liquid into the ground and geologists thought that was likely contributing to the shaking. Guess what? It wasn’t. The article continues:

“The quakes between Guy and Greenbrier tailed off significantly in August, but more quakes began occurring in October closer to Quitman. It sits about 10 miles northeast of Guy.That distance is potentially concerning, warned Scott Ausbrooks, geohazards supervisor for the Arkansas Geological Survey. The Quitman quakes are occurring along the same line as the Guy-Greenbrier ones, but there’s a miles-long gap between Guy and Quitman in which no quakes have been recorded. … So why is the shaking continuing if the drilling has stopped?”

But surprising residents in a large swathe of the Midwest last night a series of quakes occurred in Oklahoma, shaking up the state.

3.2 OKLAHOMA
3.0 OKLAHOMA
3.4 OKLAHOMA
3.9 OKLAHOMA
4.0 OKLAHOMA
3.4 OKLAHOMA
2.7 OKLAHOMA
3.2 OKLAHOMA
3.8 OKLAHOMA
3.0 OKLAHOMA
3.6 OKLAHOMA
5.6 OKLAHOMA
3.4 OKLAHOMA
3.3 OKLAHOMA
3.3 OKLAHOMA
2.7 OKLAHOMA
2.7 OKLAHOMA
3.4 OKLAHOMA

Quakes shake up state
NORMAN — Oklahoma was rocked by a series of earthquakes this weekend, with quakes being reported both early Saturday morning and late Saturday evening. The earthquakes knocked pictures off walls and woke people and pets as they shook an area that stretched into Arkansas, Kansas, Missouri and Texas. The U.S. Geological Survey said on its website Saturday that at 10:53 p.m., a 5.2 magnitude earthquake struck approximately 21 miles northeast of Shawnee in Pottawatomie County, approximately 44 miles northeast of Oklahoma City. “We all felt it down here, and right after we felt it we were inundated with 911 calls,” Norman Police Lt. Lance Arnold said immediately following the earthquake Saturday evening. “So far, we’ve not had any structural damage or injuries reported, just people calling to verify what they felt was an earthquake. We took hundreds of calls in a matter of minutes.” Earlier in the day, a 4.7 magnitude earthquake struck at 2:12 a.m., with an epicenter about six miles north of Prague in Lincoln County. That’s about 50 miles east of Oklahoma City. A 3.4 magnitude aftershock was reported at 2:27 a.m. from the same location, as well as a 2.7 magnitude aftershock at 2:44 a.m.” article continues at link.

USGS officials in this article simply state of the Oklahoma quakes that while they are not on a plate boundary and some quakes do occur in OK, “We’re unsure what that origin is,” McCarthy said.”

Update
“Crews in central Oklahoma were out early Sunday morning assessing for damage from the largest quake to hit the state since record-keeping began. … [T]he quake caused at least three sections of U.S. Route 62 to buckle, said Aaron Bennett of the Lincoln County 911 and emergency management. … “They’re reporting that all the houses look like they’ve been ransacked,” Bennett said of the assessment crews.”

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