Category: end time

Posted in end time, jesus, prophecy

Leadership vacuum causing distress

Posted on by elizabethprata

On September 4th, I posted the following essay:
Ayatollah Durrani’s call for Obama to be Caliph has enormous end time implications in Christianity AND Islam

7/2008 cover of the New Yorker

That post generated a HUGE amount of internet traffic. It was repeated and posted and discussed in many places. It got over 1000 page views the next day after I posted it (after it’d propagated) and it’s still getting huge traffic to date. I think the Obama as Caliph post clearly shows the extreme uneasiness of the American populace in terms of current leadership. Any culture needs and craves good leadership, a steady hand, and comfort that our representatives are truly representing us. When our leaders don’t, we get uneasy. Usually, an election takes care of the problem, as it did after the horrendous presidency of James Buchanan, generally acknowledged to be our worst President ever. (Sorry Bush haters…)

But the current uneasiness has an added tinge to it these days: panic. This is because the problems facing us are out of the norm, outsized, and seemingly insurmountable no matter how many Czars and funds and strategies we throw at it. This uneasiness tinged with panic is repeated the world over. The problems are simply getting bigger and more frequent. And no one is solving them.

I also think the root of the uneasiness about Obama as Muslim is the intuitive understanding at the soul-level Islam is of the devil and that it will likely be a major segment of the coming one-world religion. It’s all part of the end time.

The end time is technically the time between Jesus’ ascension and the Second Coming. However, He said that the signs of the end of the age would be as birth pangs: “Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be earthquakes in various places, and famines. These are the beginning of birth pains.” (Mark 13:8). The character and nature of birth pangs are that they begin with a watershed moment (pun intended) and continue in rising frequency and intensity until they are so frequent and intense that they harbinger the event’s imminence.

The world’s problems are mounting in frequency and intensity. Earthquakes are on the rise. Drought is common. Crop failures are intense. Romania is so broke that they put forth a bill to tax fortune tellers and witches, just about the last ‘professions’ not to be taxed for their revenue. Leaders are out of ideas and the popularity of the American Tea Party is evident that we sure do notice the dearth of political innovation, or even competence.

As much as rallies satisfy for the moment, they do not suffice for true, steady leadership over time. Americans, and everyone else (except perhaps Germany) is craving it. We are not getting that craving satisfied, and it is making the world nervous. Crop after crop of leaders arise, only to disappoint. None of them have a clue as to how to solve the devastating problems facing us today.

That Obama’s origins are murky at best makes us even more nervous. An Associated Press article from today headlines the moment: “Unsettled nation marks 9/11 with rituals of sorrow (AP)” Unsettled is correct. We are unsettled not only because our leaders are failing us but we do not really even know who our top leader IS. Is he Muslim? Christian? Kenyan? Indonesian? Hawaiian? White? Black? Obama even calls himself a mutt. A mutt is an animal or a plant resulting from various interbreedings, especially a dog of mixed or undetermined breed. We are being “led” by a  man of undetermined origins who stands for unexplained philosophies in a time of uncertain future. Unsettled isn’t the half of it.

Then the rapture will come. Suddenly, things will tip even more to the panic side of global turmoil. A terrorized populace will ask, scream, demand to know Where did they go? Why? Who took them? The weakened economy perhaps will not be able to stand the vacuum created by millions of vibrant and contributing Christians. The problems will get worse.

This uneasiness of the present day will translate into sheer panic after the rapture and will be one of the emotional foundation blocks that will be the path for allowing the Antichrist to arise. There will be a leadership vacuum of problematic proportions. There will be rampant panic to quell, and clamor for a steady, sure hand at the helm. The antichrist will fill the bill.

In the bible he is referred to by many names, such as Son of Perdition and Man of Lawlessness, and most often simply “The Beast”. He will be boastful, full of intrigue, win by craft and put forth dark sentences. He will be fierce, blasphemous and seemingly come in peace. By the time the leadership vacuum is at its fullest, none of the above will matter. The world will want somebody, anybody. The fact that Ayatollah Durrani was willing to settle for Obama as the Muslims’ Supreme Religious Leader (Caliph) is indicative of the yearning on the Muslims’ side of the world for someone to fill the leadership gaps spiritually as well as politically.

Part of the end time is not only the quantifiable and observable news that we read each day and match to the scriptures. Though it seems that some days the newspaper reports are ripped from the pages of the bible, it is also the spiritual and emotional feelings generated by the global events that are also part of the complex make-up of this unique time. That the “Obama as Caliph” post generated such buzz is indicative, I believe, of the unsettling emotional season upon which we are embarking. There is a children’s book by PD Eastman called “Are You My Mother?” in which a baby bird falls out of the nest, and unable to fly, walks all around repeatedly asking every animal he meets, “Are you my mother? Are You My Mother? Are You My Mother?” That book is like the world after the rapture and just before the antichrist. They will search and search, their tired legs carrying them to and fro, asking each potential candidate, Are you our leader? Are you the one? And finally the world will finally settle contentedly under the sheltering wing of the one who says, “Yes, I am the one.” He will be false, and he will wreak havoc on the world, and all because of lack of discernment of true leadership of the Holy Christ who has already come. Jesus said this will be so: “I have come in my Father’s name, and you do not accept me; but if someone else comes in his own name, you will accept him.” (John 5:43)

Nature abhors a vacuum. It is an idiom used to express the idea that empty or unfilled spaces are unnatural as they go against the laws of nature and physics. Humans abhor a leadership vacuum, and our hearts abhor a spiritual vacuum. The antichrist’s empty promises and false words will fill the vacuum created by the lack of leadership now and the coming days. Don’t fall for it. Empty words are no substitute for …

the real leadership of King JESUS CHRIST.

Posted in colombia meteor, end time, prophecy, san bruno explosion

Fireballs, meteors, explosions, and mayhem. And these are only the warnings

Posted on by elizabethprata

There have been quite a few explosions, meteors and fireballs this week. Commentary after the news blurbs. First, the aerial events. There have been three meteors and two asteroids hitting or nearly hitting earth this week:

Meteor streaks up Mex-Cal coast
Residents from Mexico to Long Beach California reported seeing a white or green fireball this morning just before dawn. The Coast Guard and others received many reports of the sighting. The crew of the USS Sterett, based off San Diego, saw it too. It was a meteor, and because of the clear skies, it was visible for a long way. Many were stunned at how long the sight lasted.

Two asteroids whiz by earth
“Two small asteroids that were discovered on September 5th by the Catalina Sky Survey near Tucson, Ariz., whizzed past the Earth on Wednesday. While the two asteroids passed within the moon’s orbit, they didn’t pose a threat to our planet. These types of near misses happen quite frequently—and even if something this small were to hit the Earth, it would break apart in the atmosphere and burn up before it hit the ground. Larger asteroids, however, don’t burn up—such as the famed Tunguska event where an estimated 200+ million-pound space rock entered the atmosphere of Siberia and detonated in the sky producing a fireball, releasing energy equivalent to almost 200 Hiroshima bombs.”

In the blurb above here’s what gets me: the two asteroids that appeared were inside the orbit between the moon and the earth. They appeared suddenly, without having been spotted from afar, first. Isn’t anybody watching these things?

Colombian meteorite sparks confusion
The Colombian media is going wild with speculation over a “giant fireball” that crashed into the earth in the Andean nation’s central Santander department. Andina.com reported that Bucaramanga Mayor Fernando Vargas confirmed that the phenomenon was a meteorite which left a crater 100 meters in diameter where it crashed in the San Joaquin municipality in Santander. “Something happened, but we aren’t clear about what it was, there is a lot of speculation. I myself hear the noise and I thought it was a bomb,” Serpa told W Radio.

A day later, a second alleged meteor hit Colombia:

Second Explosion Under Investigation in Colombia
BOGOTA – Authorities are investigating whether a second explosion heard on Monday in the vast area of the southwestern Colombian province of Valle, similar to one heard a day earlier in the northeast, was caused by a falling meteorite. The explosion was heard in the municipalities of El Cairo, Versalles Toro and El Dovio, in the northern part of Valle del Cauca. A powerful explosion was heard and then “the earth seemed to shake,” the area police commander, Col. Nelson Aceros, told reporters. He recommended that people near the place of impact take precautions. The emergency response network in Valle was activated to try and establish the origin of the phenomenon and the consequences, though the authorities have reported no damages. Local residents are alarmed, and apparently people “after seeing the bright light heard an incredibly powerful explosion that shook the earth,” Versalles Mayor Jorge Hernan Gomez said, citing eyewitness accounts. At first “we thought that it was an airplane that crashed, but that idea was dismissed,” the mayor said.

Now, the explosions. A major gasline exploded in San Francisco (San Bruno) killing 4. Two oil rigs exploded in the Gulf of Mexico off Louisiana this week.

San Francisco gasline explosion kills 4:

Henry Sanchez was driving home from his three kids’ back-to-school night at a nearby school when he approached the intersection of Claremont and Glenview. He looked through the windshield where just a few blocks ahead of him a flash of flame crossed the sky, followed by a deafening explosion. His three kids were at home doing homework – and located directly on the other side of the fireball, which seemed to reach 100 feet into the sky. Local residents said they felt an explosion followed by a fireball that soared hundreds of feet into the air. “We heard what sounded like a plane, then all of a sudden an explosion,” Carmann Robbins told KTVU.

Two oil rigs exploded this week in the Gulf of Mexico. One was in operation and emitted oil, the other was not in operation. The causes are under investigation:

An oil platform explosion overnight in the Gulf of Mexico forced the crew to jump into the sea and threatened further damage to waters still recovering from the BP disaster.  It was the second such disaster in the Gulf, but this time there was no leak and no one was killed. Fire engulfed the offshore platform 160 kilometres south of the Louisiana coast shortly after 9am (midnight AEST) and massive plumes of grey smoke billowed into the sky as rescuers rushed to fish out the workers. No cause for the explosion has been established. 

On to the fires. Detroit is burning.

Detroit fire chief: ‘I haven’t had anything like this in 20 years’
[B]blazes jumped from house to house, garage to garage, displacing families, disrupting neighborhoods and stretching thin the Detroit Fire Department on Tuesday. “I haven’t had anything like this in 20 years,” said Detroit Fire Chief Gregory Williams, a 36-year veteran of the department.

Boulder is burning.

Will Esposito describes an otherworldly scene after a wildfire tore through a canyon in the Colorado foothills: Some houses in his neighborhood burning while others stood intact, a propane tank shooting flames into the sky, and an eerie quiet interrupted only by firefighting helicopters and airplanes.  About 3,500 people have been evacuated from about 1,000 homes since the fire broke out Monday. Firefighters say mapping now shows the blaze is burning on 6,168 acres, or about 9 1/2 square miles. No injuries have been reported. The cause is still under investigation.
Imagine sitting in your living room and hearing such a loud explosion. That happened to me this summer and I’ll never forget it.

I was sitting in my living room on a quiet summer day, the windows open, and reading with my two kittens purring contentedly next to me. Suddenly that peace was shattered by the loudest sound I’d ever heard. An explosion, a crackle, and another explosion. I saw smoke and a fireball. My cats disappeared and I blew out of the house like a shot. My first thought was someone had bombed the school across the street. I saw ashes drifting down from the tree 30 feet from my living room, and the electrical wires were aflame. A transformer had blown. Situated only 50 feet from where I had been sitting, the explosion was tremendous and my heart didn’t stop racing for a long time.

Imagine the horror of the folks who escaped from the gasline explosion in SF. Or the fear and awe of the folks seeing the fireball streak long and low across the California sky. Or the confusion of the Colombian people seeing the fireball and then hearing the explosion. What were their first thoughts? A missile? A bomb? A terror attack? These times are uncertain and terror is everywhere. It is part of the end times, where God is pulling out our security blankets from under us and causing our carnally secure equilibrium to become upset. As we live on earth now, it is like walking on a log in a pond. It doesn’t take much for us to tumble. From the earth beneath us quaking and exploding, to the skies aflame with fireballs, explosions, meteors and asteroids, to everything in between becoming unstable (finances, family, labor) it should be making us look UP to the One whom gives all stability: Jesus. Did the photos above of the explosions and burning didn’t at least make you wonder? Don’t you think this is not normal? Did you pause, and think of the end times and what it means for us all? It means the destruction of all we know. For Christians, this is a happy thought, because “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth should change and though the mountains slip into the heart of the sea; though its waters roar and foam, though the mountains quake at its swelling pride. Selah. The LORD of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our stronghold. Selah. (Psalm 46:1-3,7).

For non-Christians, though, it likely means terror. Non-believers are like the guys on the log, either tumbling or about to tumble…into what? Nothing. If you do not believe Jesus died for your sins and that you need forgiveness of them, I hope that the signs that we are seeing before the rapture will convince you to at least think about where you are going after you die. It has been a miracle that no one died in the Christchurch 7.2 quake. It was amazing that only 4 died in the horrific fireball that devastated the neighborhood of San Bruno. It was mercy that no one was killed in the Detroit and Boulder fires so far. That is because judgment has not begun yet, it is warnings only. But when the judgments start after the rapture, about two-thirds of the people on earth will die. These deaths begin with the opening of the 4th seal. “And I looked, and behold a pale horse: and his name that sat on him was Death, and Hell followed with him. And power was given unto them over the fourth part of the earth, to kill with sword, and with hunger, and with death, and with the beasts of the earth.” (Rev 6:8) It literally will be HELL ON EARTH. You will be seeing a lot more of the above, and there will be deaths.

You can escape that by asking Jesus to forgive your sins. “Be always on the watch, and pray that you may be able to escape all that is about to happen, and that you may be able to stand before the Son of Man.” (Luke 21:36)

Posted in dove outreach, end time, koran burn, prophecy, quran burn

Conduct unbecoming Christians

Posted on by elizabethprata

This is a re-post of the essay I wrote three weeks ago on the proposed Quran/Koran burning in Florida by Dove Outreach Center. My sentiments have not changed. The issue is getting worldwide attention now, so here is the re-post:

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Florida Church Forbidden from Burning Quran

“Florida authorities have forbidden a church in Gainesville to burn the Quran on the anniversary of the September 11 terrorist attacks. If the church burns the Qur’ans it would suffer a financial penalty. This is due to the municipal law in Gainesville, which prohibits the burning of books in public. However, the church has announced that it plans to burn the books on September 11 in any case.”

The church is non-denominational, and their Facebook page has a statement of intent on this day that call “International Burn A Koran Day:” “On September 11th, 2010, from 6pm – 9pm, we will burn the Koran on the property of Dove World Outreach Center in Gainesville, FL in remembrance of the fallen victims of 9/11 and to stand against the evil of Islam. Islam is of the devil!” They say their mission is “To bring to awareness to the dangers of Islam and that the Koran is leading people to hell. Eternal fire is the only destination the Koran can lead people to so we want to put the Koran in it’s place – the fire!”

How un-Christian can you get. How misguided can you be.

Though it is true that Islam is of the devil, so are all religions that do not acknowledge that Jesus is the one and only path to salvation. The Koran is not leading others to hell, satan is. Islam is not the enemy, satan is. Focusing on the symptom and not the cause is a mistake, and attacking it is worse. We are not to attack, but to resist. We are not to burn and hate, but to love. There is nothing that we as Christians can do that will be worse than the unbeliever’s eternal torment, but engaging in hateful and negative behaviors this side of judgment is only a confirmation of the unbeliever’s suspicion that Christians, under “their God,” are intolerant.

When unbelievers use the word intolerant, they usually mean “unforgiving.” Forgiveness is what marks the Christian from the rest of the intolerant world, because at the root of forgiveness is love. Who can forget the Amish extension of forgiveness to the murderer of their children and the family of the murderer? In 2006, a suicidal killer rounded up girls aged 6 to 13 inside their school, bound them, laid them down, and massacred them execution style. Several of the parents of the slain girls and others went to the father of the killer, and consoled him. The sobbing father of the killer took one hour to be consoled, but in his grief and shame the love of Jesus shined through the arms holding him. When the Amish instead urged all to forgive, it was a remarkable display of Christian love that reverberates to this day. Satan, that old enemy, had gotten inside the killer’s head and influenced him to do a heinous thing, but the Amish response to this terrible event was love, not hate.

If the Amish had responded with pickets, or burnings, or clenched fists waving angrily, the reverberations for the Kingdom of God would not resound in His courts, but instead, be resounding in the hellfire that satan dwells in. Burning Korans is a senseless and pointless activity that only widens the gap between souls needing salvation and souls who should know better.

Muslims are not our enemy. Satan is our enemy. Muslims are simply lost souls waiting to be harvested. Our love and forgiveness could be the seed that the Holy Spirit grows into wheat, and not chaff destined for the fire.

Note the two images on this blog entry, the book burning far above and the prayer circle just above. Our children are watching you, Dove World Outreach Center. What image do you wish to be indelibly imprinted on their minds? One of forgiveness, or one of hate?

Posted in end time, gray whale Israel coast, prophecy

Jews migrating to Israel in huge numbers, as Ezekiel prophesied for the last days

Posted on by elizabethprata

Israel National News: 17,880 Made Israel Their Home in 5770
“17,880 people made aliyah (immigrated) to Israel in the Jewish year 5770 (in English, year 2009), according to Jewish Agency records – up from the previous year, when 15,180 people came to Israel via the Jewish Agency. Jewish Agency chairman Natan Sharansky said, “Aliyah is one of Israel’s strategic assets. It is the most substantial way for Diaspora Jews to identify with Israeli society.” The increase in Aliyah over the past year “is particularly moving in light of the campaign to delegitimize Israel that has been running worldwide recently,” he added. “Each new immigrant is a bridge connecting his Diaspora community to his ancient-new homeland, Israel.” (IsraelNationalNews.com)”

According to the Jewish Agency/Aliyah, “The year 2009 was a turning point: for the first time in a decade there was a rise in the number of new immigrants to Israel as compared with the previous year. Globally, aliyah increased also by 17% compared with ’08, excluding Ethiopian immigration. This year so far, in 2010 (from January to June), the rise in aliyah is 13% over 2009 during the same period. Including all populations the total rise in olim (immigrants) from last year was 32%.

CBS data released ahead of Rosh Hashana 2010 shows Israel’s Population 7.6 Million (75.5% Jews). This exceeds Jewish population anywhere else outside of Israel, including the US.

So after a downward trend from the highs of the early 2000s, the last two years has seen a sudden upturn in Jews from outside Israel requesting to make Israel their home. This is predicted to occur in the last days.

Ezekiel 39:28 – Then they will know that I am the LORD their God, for though I sent them into exile among the nations, I will gather them to their own land, not leaving any behind.

Is this a prophecy from Ezekiel that has been fulfilled? Or is it one to come? It is one to come, and is related to the last days. Matthew Henry comments: “This is the conclusion of the whole matter going before, and has reference not only to the predictions concerning Gog and Magog, but to all the prophecies of this book concerning the captivity of the house of Israel, and then concerning their restoration and return out of their captivity. Ez 39:23-29: When the Lord shall have mercy on the whole house of Israel, by converting them to Christianity, and when they shall have borne the shame of being cast off for their sins, then the nations shall learn to know, worship, and serve him. Then Israel also shall know the Lord, as revealed in and by Christ. Past events do not answer to these predictions. The pouring out of the Spirit is a pledge that God’s favour will continue. He will hide his face no more from those on whom he has poured out his Spirit.”

This article was published last week:

Young Jews Emigrate in Greater Numbers to Israel
“…Compared with most people who make this life change, their decision can be called impulsive. Though both Holz and Lux were born Jews, neither is observant. And they’ve only gone to Israel once. How long? “Ten days,” replies Lux. And that was enough to decide to move there? “I think the first day was enough,” Holz jumps in. “I mean, we fell in love with it immediately. The scenery, the people, the food. Just everything.” Kate, a server, is 28; Rob, a cook, is 23. According to the Jewish Agency of North America, that’s about average for people who choose to emigrate to Israel from North America. “Once they’ve visited and seen the opportunities and seen there are other options for them in Israel for higher education, I see an increase in young people going more than anything else,” says Shirah Ozery, director of the Jewish Agency’s Midwest office in Skokie. Ozery’s seeing the trend in the Midwest, but it’s on par with the rest of the country. Eight years ago, about 2,000 Jews left North America to go to Israel, according to the Jewish Agency of North America. Last year the figure was nearly double that. The Jewish Agency expects the trend to continue.”

Yes, according to the prophecy of Ezekiel, that trend will continue…

What is aliyah, exactly? This article by Sharona Benjamin answers quite well.

 Making Aliyah: A Continuing Trend: Why Do Many Jewish People Decide to Move to Israel?
The term ‘aliyah’ (literally ‘moving up’) is used to describe the repatriation of the Jewish people to the Land of Israel.

History of Aliyah
“Israel is not just a country; it is a national and religious homeland. The citizens of modern Israel share the same religion, language and culture as the original Twelve Tribes. Following their forced exile, the Jewish people kept Israel deep in their hearts and minds. For two thousand years they faced Jerusalem and prayed, three times a day, that one day they would return to their homeland. “…The people kept faith with it (Israel) throughout their dispersion and never ceased to pray and hope for their return to it and for the restoration in it of their political freedom.” (Israel’s Declaration of Independence). The establishment of the Zionist Movement in the late nineteenth century saw the commencement of political activity to create a Jewish state. Although some Jews had been returning to Israel independently, the birth of Zionism marked the beginning of organized groups of aliyah to settle the land and rebuild a nation.”

Reasons for Aliyah
“There are two reasons people make aliyah; one is the ‘push’ away from their current country; possibly for lack of political, social, economical, religious or cultural freedom. The other is the ‘pull’ towards Israel, likely to be manifested in a positive aspiration in any of these areas. Since the foundation of the State of Israel in 1948 there have been waves of ‘mass aliyah’. Largely these were motivated by the ‘push’ of oppression.”

Number of People Moving from Diaspora Jewish Communities to Israel 1948-2006
765,591 from Arabic Countries
1,174,617 from the Former Soviet Union
75,547 from Ethiopia
(stats provided by Jewish Agency for Israel)

“Israel welcomed and absorbed these and other communities to the point that, today, there are few Jews who need ‘rescuing’. According to the Jewish Agency those arriving in recent years and in the future (assuming no major catastrophe occurs) will largely be making aliyah out of choice. So what is the relevance of aliyah for today’s more assimilated communities?”

Modern Aliyah
“Successful integration within their adopted societies has come at a price for many Jewish communities in the west. The younger generations often feel disconnected from their religious and cultural roots. To address this, a variety of community programs have been set up, many of which include trips to Israel. Programmes through Birthright, Bnai Akiva, Aish and others have been successful in instilling in participants an appreciation of their roots and an increased sense of Jewish identity. Another large group of recent ‘olim’ (immigrants) are religiously observant young people and families, who feel increasingly uncomfortable and dissatisfied by their lives in the Diaspora. They are searching for stronger community ties and the comfort and security of being amongst ‘their own’. In 2007 over 3,500 people made aliyah from the United States, UK and Canada. This figure is influenced by the foundation of Nefesh B’Nefesh, an organisation working to encourage and support western aliyah. Their successful promotion of aliyah and package of support has proved to be effective, with an increase of around 300 ‘olim’ from the US arriving in each successive year since their inception. (Figures provided by NbN)”

“The State of Israel was built by ongoing waves of aliyah and the country developed techniques to successfully absorb a diverse range of people and to transform them into a Hebrew-speaking nation with a strong Israeli identify. Aliyah built and now bolsters Israel. It provides valuable people and skills to support her continued social and economic development. They depart from all four corners of the globe as different nationalities but emerge in Israel as one people.” —end article—

God made Himself known through the Jews, and through them the Gentiles became grafted into the family of believers, because Jesus made Himself knowable. Salvation is available to all, through Jesus, who is the only way to heaven. Pray for the peace of Jerusalem. The Jews are undergoing heightened tensions, attacks, world hate, and soon, persecution. Pray for the people whom God CHOSE! Pray for the Land GOD CHOSE!

Posted in ears tickled, end time, god no longer male, prophecy

God no longer male, Scottish Episcopal Church rules

Posted on by elizabethprata

HT to Andre for the link

A new order of service produced by the Scottish Episcopal Church has caused controversy by removing masculine references to God.

“Female priests asked why God was still referred to as a man. The new form of worship, which removes words such as “Lord, he, his, him” and “mankind” from services, has been written by the church in an attempt to acknowledge that God is “beyond human gender”. Episcopalian bishops have approved the introduction of more “inclusive” language, which deliberately removes references suggesting that God is of male gender.” The article continues.

First, we already know that God is spirit and thus beyond human gender. Reiterating that fact by changing the  language is not necessary. That language is already in the bible. As John 4:24 states, “God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth.” God is a spiritual being. We all know that if we read the bible.

However, when the ‘female priests asked why God is referred to as a man’, their first answer should have been to refer to the scriptures. The answer is though God is Spirit, He chose to reveal Himself to humankind as male, and His son was revealed to us as a male also. It is too bad that the method God chose to speak of Himself and the way He chose to reveal Himself to us is not sufficient for the priests at this church.

Secondly, Jesus, His son, referred to Him as male.

John 8:19 – “So they were saying to Him, “Where is Your Father?” Jesus answered, “You know neither Me nor My Father; if you knew Me, you would know My Father also.””

John 20:17 – “Jesus said to her, “Stop clinging to Me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father; but go to My brethren and say to them, ‘I ascend to My Father and your Father, and My God and your God.'”” The Apostles also referred to God as a male. (Jude 1:1; 1 Peter 1:3; 2 Thess 1:2…) I’m sorry that the way that our Savior spoke of our Father is not credible to the priests.

They use the word ‘inclusive.” The word ‘inclusive’ is always a code for ‘man’s fleshly desire.’ God is inclusive because Jesus died for all of mankind. “[Jesus] is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world.” (1 John 2:2 NIV)” If dying for the sins of every person who ever lived isn’t inclusive enough for you, you need a new dictionary.

Changing the scriptures to align with individual desires or mass culture is not only dangerous, but blasphemy. Why? “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness,” (2 Tim 3:16). The scriptures the Scottish Church is changing were delivered by God. Man’s corruption of God’s work is blasphemy because it directly disrespects God and His sacred Word. Again, to use an overused word, “all scripture” means ALL, inclusive of Genesis 1:1 to Revelation 22:21.

But! We were told that the days would come when people would not stand for the scriptures as is,  but succumb to the pleasant words of man, wanting their ears tickled instead. “For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear.”

UK Telegraph article concludes, “the blessing at the end of services has been changed by some ministers from “Father, Son and Holy Spirit” to “Creator, Redeemer and Sanctifier”. “The changing of God language is a little tricky,” admitted Rev Darren McFarland, convener of the church’s liturgy committee…” Well that explains it. A committee!

Posted in colombia meteor, end time, end time. prophecy, signs in the sky

Giant fireball crashes in Colombia, confirmed a meteorite

Posted on by elizabethprata
The Colombian newspaper posted an update. “Colombian meteorite sparks confusion“

“Colombian authorities confirmed that a “giant fire ball” that fell from the sky in the central Santander department was a meteorite. The Colombian media has been buzzing with eye witness accounts of the fireball, which fell out of the sky and caused a massive explosion at 3:15PM local time Sunday. Bucaramanga Mayor Fernando Vargas confirmed the phenomenon was a meteorite that left a crater 100 meters in diameter where it crashed into the earth in the San Joaquin municipality in Santander. Colombian air force helicopters were commissioned to fly over the vicinity to try to locate the source of the explosion. The director of the University of Nariño’s Astronomic Observatory, Alberto Quijano, told RCN Radio Sunday that he believed the object was a meteorite. In rural areas of Santander, police received reports that the explosion had shattered windows in the zone.” [note: link to the ‘Columbian authorities confirm’ article is in Spanish)

This is a link to today’s Colombian TV news in English (no guarantee how long the story stays up). “Today we report on a meteorite crashing in Columbia. Thousands saw it, no one has found it yet. The fireball was seen in the skies around three in the afternoon.” It continues with video.

These events are part of the birth pangs. The Lord said in Luke 21:25 that “There will be signs in the sun, moon and stars. On the earth, nations will be in anguish and perplexity at the roaring and tossing of the sea.” This is a statement for the Tribulation but we see the beginnings of the signs tat will continue in frequency and intensity (like birth labor pangs) right through to the Tribulation when these signs will be such frequent occurrences that “men fainting from fear and the expectation of the things which are coming upon the world; for the powers of the heavens will be shaken.” (Luke 21:26) That shaking up is starting now. It will intensify. After the rapture when the Tribulation begins it will be extremely intense! Are you ready to submit to the Lord for your salvation? He is Hope Eternal!

Posted in end time, prophecy, riches, wealth

Can the rich inherit heaven?

Posted on by elizabethprata

Matthew 19:24 records Jesus as saying, “Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.” This was Jesus’ summation of an exchange He’d just had with a rich young man. The young man had asked: “What must I do to gain eternal life?” When Jesus told him, “If you want to enter life, obey the commandments.”
“Which ones?” the man inquired.
Jesus replied, “‘Do not murder, do not commit adultery, do not steal, do not give false testimony, honor your father and mother, do not give false testimony, and love your neighbor as yourself.’”
“All these I have kept,” the young man said. “What do I still lack?”
Jesus answered, “If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”
When the young man heard this, he went away sad, because he had great wealth.”

That’s when Jesus said it is hard for the rich to enter heaven. He was not saying wealth was bad. That rich young man wanted to follow the cash road and not the road to salvation. Abram was rich and he entered heaven. The bible records Abram (Abraham) in Genesis 13:2 “had become very wealthy in livestock and in silver and gold.” But Abraham was a friend to God (Isaiah 41:8) and God blessed Abram (Genesis 14:19). So having money isn’t the issue. Your attitude about it, is. The rich young man made money a priority rather than trusting Jesus for his needs.

This week several articles caught my eye. In attempting to discover what is driving the tea party movement, especially the success of Glenn Beck’s “Restoring Honor” rally, the comment was made, “The recession is undergirding a huge amount of free-floating anxiety about everything. …[C]ertainly for all of the past three years, there has been nothing but uncertainty in the economy…”

The collapse of the economy is in my opinion one of God’s merciful warning signs to us. It might not seem like His mercy as you try to put food on the table, but for wealthy nations like the US, Britain and others, having  the extraneous things stripped away from us goes a long way to putting things back into perspective, like God as the center point of our lives instead of chasing material wealth, as the rich young man wanted to do.

In this article, “Gallup surveyed people in more than 100 countries in 2009 and found that religiosity was highly correlated to poverty. Richer countries in general are less religious.” There was one exception: The US, who, despite our wealth, still claims religion as an important part of our lives. Our economic decline has begun, however, and the hope is that as our material things are being stripped away from us that the focus will once again be centered on God. It is what the end time signs are for.

Riches delude us into thinking that we can sustain ourselves in our own power. ‘Why do I need God?’ you might think, ‘I can house, feed, and clothe myself. I have toys and leisure and plenty. I don’t need to sacrifice or give up one iota of my things. I worked hard for them.’ Well, Haggai 2:8 reminds us, “The silver is mine, and the gold is mine, saith the LORD of hosts.” Everything you have is already God’s and He can take it away in a moment. That rich young man could not see the truth: “Wilt thou set thine eyes upon that which is not? for riches certainly make themselves wings; they fly away as an eagle toward heaven. (Proverbs 23:5) Riches are temporary, as much of the industrialized world is now discovering. Riches fly away.

Europe is having a hard time with this concept. They are at a tipping point. Will the hard economic times release them from clinging to worldly goods and start them looking up? Or will they struggle to maintain it all under their own power? The article excerpt below puts it historical perspective. I strongly recommend reading all of it.

“It seems the populace wants the best of all worlds. Someone who can do it all—keep the eurozone together, protect their shorter work weeks, ensure early retirement ages and provide the high standard of living those in the European Union have come to expect. Someone who can secure their social programs and pensions. They want someone who can step in and take charge. To accomplish this, one leader would have to quickly seize sweeping amounts of centralized power. He would have to control the social, political and military powers of Europe. He would have to unite the continent in a way not seen since the EU’s inception. Does this sound unbelievable? It should not. This is what Europe has always done. Throughout the centuries, the continent has surrendered its power to one man—one who can ensure they continue to live comfortably.”

The article continues with giving examples from history: Constantine, Justinian, Charlemagne, Otto The Great, Charles V, Garibaldi united Italy, then came Napoleon, Mussolini and Hitler. Europe is staggering once again under economic decline and soon the choice will come. Trust Jesus, or trust a charismatic figure issuing flattering promises and sly words that tickle the ears. We know the outcome. On a grand scale they will clamor for status quo and the empty promises of the antichrist.

During the Tribulation (Time of Jacob’s Trouble) those who still insist on clinging to their money and ‘things’ will realize their bad trade. James 5:1 warns: “Now listen, you rich people, weep and wail because of the misery that is coming upon you…”

Do not take the cash road, for it is broad and leads to destruction. Take the narrow way: look where it leads! True wealth is a growing Holy Spirit inside you. Real riches are the joy in serving a risen Lord. Even those believers who are already wealthy have an admonishment: “Charge them that are rich in this world, that they be not highminded, nor trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God, who giveth us richly all things to enjoy;” (1 Timothy 6:17). Many wealthy folks already have discovered how quickly their stock portfolios and retirement funds shrunk in a day, a week, a year. It all comes from the blessing of God and He takes it away also. Trust not in earthly belongings, they are so much clutter and distraction from the purity of the narrow way. If you are wealthy, great, just remember to Whom it all really belongs. If you are not wealthy on this earth, then remember that your riches are stored up in heaven. (Mt 6:19-20)

Jesus is good to us and mighty to save. And the gifts do not end there, but begin. He gives us a place to live for eternity. He gives peace, joy, and wealth beyond measure. I am glad I traded worldly things for His promises. There is no better retirement fund!

Posted in ayatollah durrani, barack obama, caliph, end time, end time. prophecy, imam, muslim, pakistan

Ayatollah Durrani’s call for Obama to be Caliph has enormous end time implications in Christianity AND Islam

Posted on by elizabethprata

Yesterday I published a piece that was pretty curious. Out of the blue, an Ayatollah from Pakistan called for Barack Hussein Obama, our President, to be installed as Caliph, leader of Muslims. Further, he called for Obama to lead Muslim Eid holiday prayers from Ground Zero on Sept. 11. The Ayatollah had called the Pakistani newspaper “The Nation” and made this claim, and it was published in both their print version and online. I thought the call for Obama to become caliph was odd, and anything odd these days bears intense research, because as we draw so close to the end, nothing is to be taken for granted. Thus, I began really looking at the language in the Pakistani news article. This is what I found, thanks to the Holy Spirit’s guidance in research.

First, a republishing of the short, odd article:

Minister wants Obama to become Ameer-ul-Momineen
ISLAMABAD – In a development that could be duly termed as one and only of its kind, an incumbent Government’s Minister has urged US President Barrack Obama to offer Eid prayers at Ground Zero Mosque and become “Ameer-ul-Momineen” of Muslim Ummah [the collective Muslim world]. Minister of State for Industries and former member Pakistan Ideological Council Ayatullah Durrani called TheNation on Wednesday to register his demand made to President Obama. “The coming Eid would expectedly be observed on 9/11, this a golden opportunity for President Obama to offer Eid prayers at Ground Zero and become Amir-ul-Momineen or Caliph of Muslims. In this way, all the problems of Muslim World would be solved,” he thought. Durrani argued that Muslim World was in “dire need” of a Caliph and the distinguished slot of Caliphate would earn President Obama the exemplary titles of what he termed, “Mullah Barrack Hussain Obama” or “Allama Obama.” “The time is approaching fast. Barrack Hussain Obama must act now. This is a golden opportunity, Muslims badly need it,” he added, saying that the elevation of President Obama to Muslim’s Caliphate would be the “key to success.” This news was published in print paper.

The term caliph came into use as a title of the civil and religious head of the Muslim state. But because the Muslim state is so fractured, having one head as Caliph became untenable and fell out of use by 1924.

Let’s take a close look at two of the sentences. First, Durrani said: “all the problems of Muslim World would be solved.”

I can’t speak for the Pakistani Ayatollah on exactly how this may solve the Muslim world’s problems, but I do know that the Muslim world is not a united world. Sunni and Shia diverge greatly, and once the office of Caliph was abandoned in 1924, the division became seemingly permanent. “Disagreement over the status and legitimate line of caliphs lies at the root of the division between Shiite and Sunni Muslims. The caliphate has throughout history been an important symbolic focus of unity for Muslims, and since its abolition several pan-Islamic congresses have attempted to establish a rightful caliph. (Cambridge Encyclopedia).

Instituting the office of Caliph with an acceptable candidate would indeed go a long way to solving the Muslim world’s problems. 

In Shia end time doctrines, the final Mahdi (12th Mahdi, and they have already had 11) will be a world leader, emerging out of the chaos and violence to institute a one world religion and economic system. The world will worship this Mahdi, (Muslim Messiah)in advance of the coming of Jesus prior to Jesus instituting HIS kingdom. Sound familiar? The final Mahdi is central to their doctrines, CENTRAL. The entire focus of much of Islam (with exception of certain Sunni sects) focuses on this final Imam.

With that in mind, on the Jihadica blog, a conversation took place in 2008 that bears on today’s conversation about Obama as Caliph. The title of the entry is “Mahdi Will Appear After Return and Death of Caliph” and the excerpt is “Discussion of the appearance of the Mahdi, a messianic figure who will appear to restore justice to the world, is not a hot topic on Sunni Jihadi forums (in contrast with Shia miliants, who talk about it a lot). So a post today on Eklaas by al-Fata al-Jurani caught my eye. In it, he argues that the Mahdi will not appear until a caliph once again rules Muslims. After the caliph dies, the black banners will be unfurled and the Mahdi will appear. So if the caliphate were to be declared and acknowledged, would hitherto non-messianic Jihadi groups like al-Qaeda become messianic?”

Are you starting to get the import of this little-reported, curious call for Obama to be a Caliph?

In a second curious sentence from the article, I thought that the Ayatollah’s specificity in delivering the titles for Obama in this yet-to-be-named Caliphate were odd. But they are not odd, in fact, these titles have great meaning for Muslims.

From the article: “Durrani, a former member of the Pakistan Ideological Council, contended that the Muslim world is in “dire need” of a Caliph and occupying this distinguished slot would provide Obama “exemplary titles” like “Mullah Barack Hussain Obama” or “Allama Obama”.

Mullah is generally used to refer to a Muslim man, educated in Islamic theology and sacred law. The title, given to some Islamic clergy, is derived from the Arabic word mawlà , meaning “vicar”, “master” and “guardian”. In large parts of the Muslim world, particularly Iran, Bosnia, Afghanistan, Turkey, Central Asia and the Indian subcontinent, it is the name commonly given to local Islamic clerics or mosque leaders.”

Allamah also spelled Allameh and Allama, is an honorary title carried by only the very highest scholars of Islamic thought, jurisprudence, and philosophy. It is used as an honorific in Sunni Islam as well as in Twelver Shia Islam. The caliphate has throughout history been an important symbolic focus of unity for Muslims, and since its abolition several pan-Islamic congresses have attempted to establish a rightful caliph.

Obama is seen as a uniter, a bridge from the past to the future, a scholar, and a person of diverse origins, able to understand all peoples. From what I have read of Obama’s life, he seems to be able to fulfill the titles the Pakistani Ayatollah has readily prepared for him. Qualifications aside, that Obama has been deemed acceptable by a respected former member of the Muslim Ideological Council is tremendously significant theologically.

And now, the point, if you haven’t figured it out already: from Watchmanbiblestudy.com
“Throughout the Islamic world today there is a call for the restoration of the Islamic Caliphate.  The Caliph (Khalifa) in Islam may be viewed somewhat as the Pope of the Muslims. The Caliph is viewed as the Vice-regent for Allah on the earth.”

We know that the False Prophet paves the way for the Antichrist to be worshiped, and the vehicle for that worship is the Mark. (Rev 13:11-17). Is the call by Ayatollah Durrani for Obama to become Caliph really the first call from satan to his false prophet?

Posted in barack obama, durrani, end time, muslim, prophecy

Pak leader wants Obama to be caliph

Posted on by elizabethprata
I wrote an update to this article with more information and also end time implications, here

In a “let’s just get this over with” moment, a Pakistani Minister wants Obama to be ”leader of all Muslims”
The news on MSN’s site is reported today that “A Pakistani minister wants US President Barack Obama to offer Eid prayers at Ground Zero in New York and become the “Amir-ul-Momineen” or Caliph of Muslims. Minister of State for Industries Ayatullah Durrani, who belongs to the ruling Pakistan People’s Party, said the upcoming Eid-ul-Fitr festival, expected to be observed on September 11, would be a “golden opportunity” for Obama to offer Eid prayers and declare himself the leader of all Muslims. “In this way, all the problems of the Muslim world would be solved,” Durrani told The Nation newspaper. Durrani, a former member of the Pakistan Ideological Council, contended that the Muslim world is in “dire need” of a Caliph and occupying this distinguished slot would provide Obama “exemplary titles” like “Mullah Barack Hussain Obama” or “Allama Obama”. He said: “The time is approaching fast. Barack Hussain Obama must act now. This is a golden opportunity, Muslims badly need it.” Obama”s elevation to the Islamic Caliphate would be the “key to success, he claimed but did not offer any explanation for his remarks. ”Ground Zero” is the former site of the fallen twin towers of the World Trade Center.”

The Minister did not elaborate on exactly what the “Golden Opportunity is,” why that opportunity has to be now, or how Obama being dubbed a Caliph would solve the Muslims’ problems.

Thsi story will go a long way toward cementing the rumor that Obama is indeed a Muslim. The evidence is hard against him. He has a Muslim name, was born to a Muslim father, which Islamic tradition holds, makes you Muslim forever. He states in his biography that he attended a predominately Muslim school when he lived in Jakarta as a teenager. Obama revealed that the Muslim call to prayer is “one of the prettiest sounds on Earth at sunset.” The Times’ Nicholos Kristof wrote Obama recited, “with a first-class [Arabic] accent,” the opening lines of the Muslim call to prayer. The first few lines of the call to prayer state:
“Allah is Supreme! Allah is Supreme! Allah is Supreme! Allah is Supreme! I witness that there is no god but Allah. I witness that there is no god but Allah I witness that Muhammad is his prophet… “

Obama makes no such nostalgic claims about his alleged conversion to Christianity, nor has anything to say about any precious time he has spent with His Savior, Jesus. He is pro-abortion. He is anti-prayer. He is NOT a friend to Israel. All these things add up to being a non-Christian, but there is something that makes me not so sure he is a Muslim. Obama drinks.

The false prophet Muhammad instructed his followers, at the time, to avoid any intoxicating substances — (paraphrased) “if it intoxicates in a large amount, it is forbidden even in a small amount.” For this reason, most observant Muslims avoid alcohol in any form, even small amounts that are sometimes used in cooking. The Muslims are very serious about abstinence from alcohol.

However, it is obvious that Obama is no friend to Jesus. It is obvious that he would really rather Israel was wiped from the face of the earth. He again used the phrase this week of Israel’s “occupation“. Personally, I think he is simply deeply held by satan to perpetrate chaos on the world in the last days. He would closely ally himself with whatever religion seems the most convenient for him to perpetrate said chaos. My opinion.

On the other hand, Obama bowed deeply to the Saudi King, an unnecessary diplomatic move. His string of diplomatic snubs against the UK and actually deliberately humiliating Israel, our staunchest allies, while showing greater deference to the king of a despotic regime that persecutes Christians bespeaks much of where Obama heart and mind lay.

However it is extremely curious that Ayatullah Durrani would go to these lengths to make these statements. Is Durrani proclaiming Obama as a candidate for Caliph as a punishment for our wars in Afghanistan and Iraq? Not likely, because those wars have already been going on a long time and are actually winding down. Is he trying to rile up the conservative Christians against Obama? The conservatives are already completely suspicious of everything Obama does. Is he advancing the cause of Sharia in the US? This last one is always a likelihood. What other modus operendi might the Ayatullah have in making this curious claim to install Obama as a Caliph?

What is a caliph?
A Caliph is the head of state in a Caliphate, and the title for the leader of the Islamic Ummah, an Islamic community ruled by the Shari’ah. It is a transcribed version of the Arabic word which means “successor” or “representative”. Caliphs were often also referred to as Amīr al-Mu’minīn  “Commander of the Faithful”, Imam al-Ummah, Imam al-Mu’minīn or more colloquially, leader of the Muslims.

Whatever Durrani’s intent, it only adds to the general confusion about the true origins of our highest leader, and the true purposes of his term in office. It also adds to the general tension of the world, a world in which Persia (Iran), one of the Gog-Magog nations that is prophesied to surprise-attack Israel in the last days, again has said today they will wipe Israel from the earth. This also was prophesied. The claim was, not the actual obliteration-

Psalm 83:2-4
“For behold, Your enemies make an uproar,
And those who hate You have exalted themselves.
They make shrewd plans against Your people,
And conspire together against Your treasured ones.
They have said, “Come, and let us wipe them out as a nation,
That the name of Israel be remembered no more.”

Ahmadinejad predicts the removal of ‘Zionists’ from the world
The hardline leader told the annual Palestinian solidarity day rally in Tehran that a popular revolt by the people of the Middle East would extinguish the Jewish homeland even if the governments reach a peace agreement. “If the leaders of the region do not have the guts, then the people of the region are capable of removing the Zionist regime from the world scene,” he said.

There will be wars and rumors of wars, days of birth pangs and calamities. There is tension and peace and attacks and tearing down of the foundations of economy, diplomacy, trade, religion, and morals. It is part of God’s plan for the last days of the end time, and our Redemption draws nigh. Look up!