“The sudden appearance early in the morning of an enormous crack, measuring 100 meters wide and three kilometers long, caused confusion among residents of the Huacullani district in the Chucuito province, department of Puno. The exact cause of the crack in the earth still unknown. Peru’s geophysical institute ruled out the occurrence of an earthquake in the region, but what is clear is that the ground opened up and large blocks of earth can be observed scattered throughout the area. The event, recorded Wednesday morning, caused the collapse of one house located in the rural community of Llorohoco. Four people managed to escape, but the youngest in the family, five-year-old Jean Carlos Vilcanqui Acero, is missing. Geological engineers from the regional committee for civil defense have arrived in the area to investigate the phenomenon and determine its causes, said Javier Pampamallco, Puno’s civil defense chief.”
I’ve been reporting on sinkholes and earth cracks (and here and here) and the earth unzipping for some time now. The sinkholes in Florida are becoming so prevalent they are voting on whether to eliminate sinkhole coverage completely. There is a biblical model for earth cracks in the past and in the Tribulation to come.
Korah’s rebellion comes to mind. “As soon as he finished saying all this, the ground under them split apart and the earth opened its mouth and swallowed them, with their households and all Korah’s men and all their possessions. They went down alive into the grave, with everything they owned; the earth closed over them, and they perished and were gone from the community. At their cries, all the Israelites around them fled, shouting, “The earth is going to swallow us too!”” (Numbers 16:32).
And in case a person would say “Oh, that was the OLD Testament, and it doesn’t count anymore…” Jude 1:5-13 reminds us that the specific example of Korah is an example of what WILL happen to the ungodly. Revelation 12:16 may show us a picture of a similar event: “But the earth helped the woman by opening its mouth and swallowing the river that the dragon had spewed out of his mouth”. Gill’s Exposition says “and the earth opened her mouth; as it did when it swallowed up Korah, Dathan, and Abiram, Numbers 16:30; to which history this may have some respect.”
Isaiah 24:19 says that “The earth is broken up, the earth is split asunder, the earth is thoroughly shaken.” In the end, the earth cracks up. Isaiah 24 shows the same judgments in Revelation 6. The earth opens its mouth…and swallows what is above. The sinkhole and earth cracking incidents that are happening in the world lately are good examples of reminding us that the LORD is in control of the earth.
By the end of the Tribulation, the earth is devastated. Almost three-quarters of the entire population are dead. The geo-physical form of the surface of the earth is unrecognizable. The Tribulation’s onset is close. That we are also seeing onset symptoms described in both Isaiah and Revelation manifesting themselves is not surprising. Tweethttp://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js
From Hezbollah: “Two Grad rockets were fired at Be’er Sheva on Wednesday evening. One of the rockets hit a house in a residential neighborhood. There were no injuries. This was the first time since Operation Cast Lead in late 2008 that Be’er Sheva was targeted by militants firing rockets from the Gaza Strip. … In recent days there had been an unusual escalation in the Gaza Strip. It began with an explosive device being detonated in the northern Strip and mortars fired at the Sha’ar HaNegev communities. The attack was directed at an IDF patrol that was carrying out a routine search in the area for Palestinian improvised explosive devices.” It is a serious and deliberate provocation.
From Iran: “Two Iranian warships sailed from the Suez Canal into the Mediterranean on Tuesday, the first such trip in at least three decades, eliciting Israeli charges that Tehran is seeking to dominate the Middle East. … In sending warships to the Mediterranean now, Iran was asserting itself as a regional power and testing whether Egypt’s new rulers will stick to the pro–Western line of the Mubarak government. Some said the voyage also signals that Iran is ready to come to the aid of regional allies, including Syria and Iranian proxies Hamas in Gaza and Hezbollah in Lebanon.” Israel has said that Iran’s action is a serious provocation.
From Lebanon: “Prime Minister-designate “Najib Miqati is expected to hold a “very important meeting” with a high-ranking March 14 official on Friday, An Nahar newspaper reported. The cabinet’s structure and “identity” would be decided after Friday’s meeting in the aftermath of days of consultations with several March 14 members, the daily said.” Rumor is, the March 14 coalition will refuse to take part in a Miqati-led cabinet, therefore paving the way for a Hezbollah-controlled government. This has not happened yet, but if it does, Israel will be beside herself with anger.
From Syria: “Israeli intelligence agencies are aware of additional Syrian nuclear facilities, Defense Minister Ehud Barak said on Thursday, amid reports that Syria was harboring a uranium conversion reactor near the town of Marj as-Sultan, about 15 km. east of Damascus.” Israel destroyed a Syrian reactor in 2007, just weeks before it went online. They will not put up with another one, especially not now.
Isaiah prophesied in chapter 17 verse 1 that Damascus will be destroyed, “It will be ruinous heap, never to be rebuilt nor inhabited. “An oracle concerning Damascus. Behold, Damascus will cease to be a city and will become a heap of ruins.” Damascus is the oldest continuously inhabited city in the world, at 6000 years old. It has been attacked, partially abandoned, and ruined at times, but never uninhabited. Therefore this prophecy has yet to be fulfilled.
Psalm 83 is an intercessory prayer over a battle that has not occurred. We know this from history, because the exact lineup of participants has never formed to attack Israel in the way described in the prayer. Therefore this particular battle is yet to come. At some point in the near future, I believe, Israel’s near neighbors will attack her. Additionally, the Psalm write was Asaph, who was a seer (2 Chronicles 29:30), and seers had prophetic abilities. More on Psalm 83 can be found here, by Bill Salus: “Does Psalm 83 set the stage for Ezekiel 38?“
[Ed note: the only difference I have with this list is that I believe beth-Togarmah is Armenia, which if you look at a map, is essentially eastern Turkey.]
The Battle of Gog and Magog as described in Ezekiel 38 and 39 is also a battle that has not occurred. It shows a coalition of Israel’s enemies attacking the nation in a deadly surprise attack, nearly decimating Israel in a deadly surprise attack. It is only God’s direct intervention that saves Israel and as a result, Israel knows her God has saved her and she acknowledges His Holy name. (Ez 38:23; 39:7)
Scholars think it goes down like this: Isaiah 17:1 and Psalm 83 occur before Gog Magog battle takes place, and Israel is completely victorious in both those battles. She is so resoundingly the victor, that Israel relaxes her guard. Israel is therefore militarily surprised by the Gog/Magog coalition- almost to her eternal destruction. The abutting nations that attack Israel in Psalm 83 do not participate in the Gog/Magog battle, and they would if they could. Israel’s victory seems to have wiped out the will or the ability of the Psalm 83 confederation from militarily posing a threat to Israel, and therefore she thinks the fighting is over. Not so. The nations that attack in the Gog/Magog battle are further neighbors, such as Iran, Russia, Turkey and Armenia, and northern African nations. It is thought that Israel’s victory allows her to mentally relax her guard, as prophesied by Ezekiel 38:11b “a quiet people who dwell securely, all of them dwelling without walls, and having no bars or gates”. Israel is certainly NOT dwelling securely now.
The set up for the Gog-Magog battle is almost concluded, with all the prophesied participants (Listed above) renewing or forming hard alliances with each other, and militarily moving into position, as Iran showed the world this week by traveling through the Suez Canal and is now patrolling waters of Israel. Israel won’t let another nuke reactor stand. They already destroyed one in Iraq in the late 1980s, and the one in Syria in 2007. They won’t stand for Iran’s warships carrying Hezbollah war-materiel to the terrorist group, who is plotting this minute to become the majority government in Lebanon. They won’t stand for it. The question isn’t what they will do, because Isaiah and Psalm 83 tell us. The only question is when. Tweethttp://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js
All black humor aside, Lebanon is experiencing a terrible fuel crisis:
Lebanon Daily Star: “Rony Rizk pulls up at an empty gas station Thursday and begs station workers to give him just LL5,000 of gasoline. His gas tank was nearly empty when he learned that fuel importers had decided to stop supplying gas stations earlier in the day. The gas station attendant ruefully shakes his head. The station had run out of gasoline at 6 p.m., after cars lined up along much of the length of the Charles Helou highway in order to reach the station. A heated dispute between caretaker Finance Minister Rayya Hassan and caretaker Energy and Water Minister Jibran Bassil triggered the severe fuel shortages Wednesday. Fuel importers have said Bassil’s failure to update gas prices has cost them over $50,000 a day, and they have subsequently decided to halt supplies as a way of pressuring Bassil to release new prices. But some of the disgruntled drivers who lined up at gas stations Wednesday say they have no idea why the country is suddenly out of gas. “I don’t know what’s happened to cause this. All I know is that we’re running out of fuel, and that’s why I’m here,” says Tony Matar, an assistant manager at Hawa Chicken, who had been waiting in a queue at the Medco gas station near Gemmayzeh for nearly half an hour.”
Compounding the problem, “Jordan cuts off electricity supply to Lebanon“: “Jordanian authorities have suspended power supply to Lebanon due to the disruption of regional gas pipelines, according to a statement issued Tuesday by Lebanon’s state-run power company, Electricity du Liban.”
Remember, Lebanon’s government fell in January, caused by Hezbollah cabinet ministers resigning en masse. Their action started the spate of unrest spreading throughout the region. Ever since the Lebanese cabinet fell, the Prime Minister-designate Najib Mikati has been working to knit together another coalition government. Political maneuvering is in high gear, as one of the most powerful blocs, the March 14 bloc, is rumored to imminently announce its decision not to participate in a Mikati cabinet. This paves the way for a one-sided, Hizbollah-dominated cabinet.
As the world eyes Libya, Egypt, and Israel remember to keep one eye on Lebanon. The kind of Cabinet they produce may be the last straw for Israel…and the region. Tweethttp://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js
Slaves I heard an interesting sermon from John MacArthur this week. It got me thinking. It was about being slaves of Christ. You can read, listen to, or download this sermon here. He said that a believer’s true position in Christ has been diluted by the translators’ choice of the word servant and bond-servant for the Greek word doulos. They have consistently translated the word doulos which means slave, as servant. Doesn’t that change the flavor of service to the Lord? Being a servant indicates that we can and do serve Him at our own will and pleasure, and slave means we submit our will to an alien will and then the matter is out of our hands.
The bible is clear in its description that believers are slaves, not servants. In every case where the word doulos is used it means slave, and the New Testament uses it 130 times. We are not servants of Christ, we’re his slaves. Even emphasizing the point in using the word minister, in 1 Corinthians 4:1 Paul said they were ministers of Christ but the Greek word is under-rower. The Roman trireme had three levels and the slaves chained to the oars at the lowest level were under-rowers.
Now, that notion is unpalatable in this “you can do anything” liberated free culture. It is anathema to the promotion of Christianity as a free-ing religion. It is certainly revolting to this generation of ego-driven self-gratification seekers in the secular world. But it is what it is.
The forehead I am reading the bible through and I notice that a well-known phenomenon that will happen at the end of days also happened from the beginning. In the end, Revelation tells us the antichrist will place a mark on the hand or forehead of all who worship him. (Rev 13:15-17). The mark allows people to buy and sell, but its reason for being is not the economy, it is a mark of allegiance and worship of the beast. That the mark allows a person to also participate in the economy is a by-product of its placement on the person.
Jesus also sends an angel to place a mark on the forehead of His 144,000 who evangelize the world. (Rev 7:3-4).
Who brands his slaves? The master. Who puts a mark of ownership on his slaves? The master. Jesus is the ultimate Master and we are His ultimate slaves. That He puts a mark on us should not be surprising. We happily read language in the bible that says ‘we are His’. But when you look at the Greek word for ‘His’ it really means slave, and that’s when people balk. Did you know that ancient Romans marked runaway slaves on the forehead with the letters FUG (for fugitivus)? The notion of marking ownership of those who belong to Him was shown in the bible to have happened from the beginning. And here comes the use of the word forehead again.
In Exodus 28:36-38 we see the LORD instructing Aaron to order a gold plate made, “You shall also make a plate of pure gold and engrave on it, like the engraving of a signet: HOLINESS TO THE LORD. And you shall put it on a blue cord, that it may be on the turban; it shall be on the front of the turban. So it shall be on Aaron’s forehead, that Aaron may bear the iniquity of the holy things which the children of Israel hallow in all their holy gifts; and it shall always be on his forehead, that they may be accepted before the LORD.”
Deuteronomy 6:7-9 “Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates.” The symbols mentioned here are phylacteries, a set of small cubic leather boxes painted black, containing scrolls of parchment inscribed with verses from the Torah, with leather straps dyed black on one side, and worn by observant Jews during weekday morning prayers. They were in use by the third century BC.
In the bible, forehead is used a lot to show identification with God (or with the antichrist.) We think of forehead as the exterior part of the face above the eyes and under the hairline. But in the bible forehead was used also to indicate what was inside the head. Wayne Blank explains it well. The Bible doesn’t just use the term “forehead” to describe what is physically foremost inside the head, as not just a bodily location, but also what is consciously a heart condition, much more like the term “heart and mind” is used today.
In Ezekiel 9:4: “The LORD said to him, “Go through the midst of the city, even through the midst of Jerusalem, and put a mark on the foreheads of the men who sigh and groan over all the abominations which are being committed in its midst.” A mark – literally, “Tau,” the name of the last letter of the Hebrew alphabet. The old form of the letter was that of a cross. Summary of our true position A slave was exclusively owned by one master. He was expected to demonstrate complete and constant obedience and availability to that master. He was subject to one alien will (because no man can be a slave to two masters) and was completely dependent on his master for everything. All discipline and reward came from that master. Are you uncomfortable with this lifestyle? Well, did you ever pray, “not my will but thine be done”? (Luke 11:1-2; Mt 26:42). Do you love the book of John, reading it well and recommending it heartily? It says in John 5:30 “I can of mine own self do nothing: as I hear, I judge: and my judgment is just; because I seek not mine own will, but the will of the Father which hath sent me.” There are many other examples of Jesus reiterating that His will not be done but the Father who sent Him, and as an example to His children to do the same. Yes, we are His children, we are His beloved, we are His bride, all nice, but we are also His slaves.
We use that term so casually today. Teenagers sneer, “What am I, your slave?” We say we slave away at the sale mines. We are slaves to things, like “I’m a slave to…ice cream. We slaved over a hot stove all day. But when we read of our true position in Christ, slave, we balk. “No, not me”, you think.
But we will be slaves to Him throughout all of eternity: Revelation 22:1-4: “And he showed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding from the throne of God and of the Lamb. In the middle of its street, and on either side of the river, was the tree of life, which bore twelve fruits, each tree yielding its fruit every month. The leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. And there shall be no more curse, but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it, and His servants shall serve Him. They shall see His face, and His name shall be on their foreheads.”
Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Israel’s rabbis, and Christian ministers are all saying that the prophesied battle of Gog and Magog will occur soon that the Lord’s arrival on earth is imminent. I find it very interesting that the leaders of the three major religions in the world all feel a similar spiritual burden- that end time prophesies are about to be fulfilled. Let’s see who is saying what, but first, delve into some biblical background for context.
The End Time, End Times, or End of Days is a time period described in the eschatological writings of the three Abrahamic religions (Judaism, Christianity, and Islam). In Christianity, the End Times are depicted as a time of tribulation that precedes the Second Coming of the Christian saviour who is Jesus who will then usher in the fullness of the Kingdom of God and bring an end to suffering and evil after smiting the rebellious ones (non-believers). In Islam, Yawm al-Qiyāmah “the Day of Resurrection” or Yawm ad-Din “the Day of Judgment” is Allah’s final assessment of humanity. It is preceded by the end of the world. In Judaism the term “End of Days” is taken from the Tanakh, Numbers 24:4, as a reference to the Messianic era and the Jewish belief in the coming of Mashiach and the World to Come. (Summarized by Wikipedia).
IRAN/PERSIA & AHMADINEJAD, In the Gog Magog prophecy of a battle to come described in Ezekiel 38-39, Ezekiel said that Persia, Libya, Ethiopia, Sudan, Turkey Russia and Armenia will surprise attack Israel. It reads: “Persia, Cush (the upper Nile region) and Put (Libya) will be with them, all with shields and helmets, also Gomer (Turkey) with all its troops, and Beth Togarmah (Armenia) from the far north with all its troops—the many nations with you.” (Ez 38:5). They are almost successful in their attack. However, at the very last second when all seems lost, God rescues Israel, visibly and demonstrably. All will know who and how Israel was rescued and it is this demonstration of divine intervention which pulls Israel back into covenant relationship with God. “I will execute judgment on him with plague and bloodshed; I will pour down torrents of rain, hailstones and burning sulfur on him and on his troops and on the many nations with him. And so I will show my greatness and my holiness, and I will make myself known in the sight of many nations. Then they will know that I am the LORD.’ ” (Ez 38:22-23)
By the end of the battle Israel will be back in old covenant, ‘I will make known my holy name among my people Israel. I will no longer let my holy name be profaned, and the nations will know that I the LORD am the Holy One in Israel. It is coming! It will surely take place, declares the Sovereign LORD. This is the day I have spoken of.” (Ez 39:7-8). Because of Israel’s recognition of God as the God of their Old Covenant (Abraham, Isaac, & Jacob), it means that by the end of the battle the church is gone, because we represent the new covenant. The last 7 years remaining for the old covenant to be fulfilled will resume. (Daniel 9:25, and see below).
The prophesied seventy weeks, or four hundred and ninety years to accomplish what the LORD wanted to do with Israel are divided into three distinct periods, to each of which particular events are assigned. The three periods are: – I. Seven weeks, that is, forty-nine years. II.-Sixty-two weeks, that is, four hundred and thirty-four years. III. One week, that is, seven years. It is this last 7 years of concern to us now.
The Shias also believe that the world will end after a 7-year turmoil, that there will be deceiver, that Jesus will return to help the Mahdi as his deputy to force all to convert to Islam. The Shia Muslim end time scenario is exactly the same as Christianity’s, except the exact opposite. Think of their doctrines as being a photographic negative to the picture of Christianity. So, here is what Iran’s leader said today (Iran = Persia) and note how closely it relates to this upcoming Gog-Magog battle:
US, Israel will soon exit Middle East: Ahmadinejad President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said on Friday that a new Middle East is being created which would be free of the United States and Israel, as he backed the Arab uprisings but warned Egyptians to be watchful of America’s “friendly face.” “We will soon see a new Middle East materialising without America and the Zionist regime and there will be no room for world arrogance (the West) in it,” Ahmadinejad told the cheering crowds who gathered despite the cold and cloudy weather.
In his fiery style, Ahmadinejad, showed his messianic beliefs on Friday, saying the world was witnessing a revolution managed by Imam Mahdi, the 12th Shiite imam who disappeared as a five-year-old in the 10th century and who Shiites believe would return on the judgment day. “The final move has begun. We are in the middle of a world revolution managed by this dear (12th Imam). A great awakening is unfolding. One can witness the hand of Imam in managing it,” said Ahmadinejad. “Come and take away the Zionist regime which is the source of all crimes… take it away and liberate the region. Free the region and give it to the people and take this regime, which is the child of Satan (the United States), out.”
The Gog Magog battle is a foray of the Muslim coalition to do just that- an attempt to wipe Israel from the earth. That two Iranian warships were allowed through the Suez Canal after 32 years to patrol waters in the Med off Israel is no accident. That missiles are being fired into Gaza as we speak for the first time since the Gaza war is also no accident. The war is coming. Ahmadinejad is right.
Israel’s rabbis say the same thing.
“RABBIS SAY ARAB UNREST SIGNALS MESSIAH COMING SOON” Prominent rabbis from the Lithuanian ultra-Orthodox sector have offered their own curious interpretations for the upheaval that is spreading through the Middle East, stating that the events are a clear proof that a higher power is at work. “Recently it appears that there is a powerful effort to destroy and agitate the world of the Torah, through various attempts to prosecute kollels and yeshiva students,” Steinman said. “When you try to agitate the world of the Torah, God agitates the world.” Rabbi Chaim Kanievsky, an unconventional Lithuanian leader who is believed to have mystic powers, offered a different explanation. “It is evident that many unnatural things are happening,” he said. “People have come to me and said that it’s ‘Gog and Magog’. We cannot know. But it’s probable that any unrest that God creates shows that the Messiah is coming, and that we must begin to prepare for it and become stronger.”
And finally, Christian leaders also say that the end is nigh and the battle of Gog-Magog is coming. Joel C. Rosenberg commented on the Ynet article above,
“On this, I agree with Rabbi Kanievsky – the War of Gog and Magog is approaching, the Messiah is coming, and we must be prepared and become stronger spiritually as the Lord’s return draws near. That said, I suspect the Rabbi and I disagree on the Messiah’s identity. That’s a good discussion to engage, particularly now. The Hebrew prophets told us the Messiah would be born in Bethlehem Ephratah, would minister to the people living darkness in the region of Galilee, would teach in parables, would do miracles, would suffer and die as a guilt offering for our sins, and then would rise again and His body would not see decay in the grave. What’s more, in Daniel chapter 9 we learn that the Messiah will come, atone for our sins, and be “cut off” before the Second Temple is destroyed and Jerusalem is crushed by the Romans. That means if the Messiah didn’t come before 70 A.D., He is never going to come. I know beyond the shadow of a doubt that our Messiah has come, and that He is coming back, possibly sooner that we realize. Today, we are seeing the type of “uprisings” and “lawlessness” that the Lord Jesus warned in Matthew 24 and Luke 21 would precede His return. What’s more, I believe we are steadily approaching what the Hebrew Prophets called the “Day of the Lord,” the tumultuous events that will lead us right into what Jeremiah called “the time of Jacob’s trouble” (Jeremiah 30:7), what Jesus Christ called the “Great Tribulation” (Matthew 24:21), and what the Apostle John described in horrific detail in the Book of Revelation.”
Another prominent Christian leader, Pastor John Hagee also commented this week on the military buildup in the Middle east and the Libyan participation as a precursor to the set up for the Gog Magog battle.
With the globe’s most scholarly and well-versed religious leaders all saying that the tribulation time of judgment and Jesus’ return to the earth is imminent, you pay attention. You know what else? Since the rapture precedes the Tribulation, it must be REALLY imminent. Keep looking up! Tweethttp://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js
Here are just a few things that constitute the new normal. All of the links are from this year, with only one or two exceptions.
1. Massive migrating animal deaths taking place all over the globe (link) 2. Major super storms taking place (link) (link) 3. Magnetic pole migration that have been going on since 2004 (link) 4. Irregular weather causing food shortages (link) 5. Increased volcano eruptions (link) 6. Increased earthquakes (link) 7. The wobble in the earth’s rotation getting worse (link) 8. Sunrise coming 2 days early in Greenland (link) 9. Yellowstone ground bulging from active magma swells (link) 10. Planet X/Comet Elenin calculated to pass only a few million miles from earth (link) 11. FEMA buying food and supplies for a New Madrid Fault Catastrophe (link) 12. Severe winter weather (link) 13. Airports closing down to remark their runways over magnetic pole migration. (link) 14. Rogue tides from rising oceans (link) 15. Increased solar radiation (link) 16. Increased sink hole activity and large cracks forming (link) (link) 17. Animal behavioral changes (link) 18. Leaky magnetic field (link) 19. Mega solar flare activity (link) 20. Climategate (link)
This list could go on and on. I didn’t even mention the economy, politics, or wars. But speaking of wars, here is an excellent video from Pastor John Hagee, on Libya. It was uploaded today and contains extremely current information. In three minutes, he shows from the bible exactly how close we are to Gog-Magog battle. And if the Gog-Magog battle is that close, the rapture is even closer. That last part was my opinion. Don’t miss this video!
From the blog The Working Pastor, permission received to re-post his wonderful list. These times are so hard, the needs are so great, the worries are at a fever pitch, the time is so near, and your pastor is in the center of it all. Please help him! A good shepherd is like gold these days. We all depend on him, and if we can do even a few of these ways to help him, surely it will result in help to many.
-1 For his safety as he travels about. -2 For his good health – physically. -3 For his wife. -4 For his children. -5 For his personal financial needs. -6 For his emotional needs – depression, etc. -7 For his spiritual needs – grace, peace, mercy. -8 For his personal walk with God – spiritual growth. -9 For his besetting sins and character flaws. -10 For his witness – to be faithful to it. -11 For his witness – boldness. -12 For power/unction of Holy Ghost on his life and ministry. -13 For his effectiveness as a leader. -14 For his effectiveness as a husband. -15 For his effectiveness as a father. -16 For him to have many open doors of ministry. -17 For his open doors to be prolonged and sustained. -18 That he would be delivered from unreasonable people. -19 That he would be delivered from wicked people. -20 That he would be delivered from ensnaring people.
When You Are In Public…
-21 By always promoting his good qualities. -22 By never involving yourself in gossip about him. -23 By highlighting the helpful lessons and messages which he has preached recently. -24 By treating him with highest respect. -25 By defending him when criticized in a Christ-like way.
When You Are At Church…
-26 By seeking ways to be more involved in church activities. -27 By seeking ways to possibly take the leadership roles in activities. BE AVAILABLE! -28 By being faithful to all the public worship services unless Providentially hindered. -29 By being on time. -30 By being polite to others. -31 By keeping church politics to a minimum. -32 By being willing to give your seat up to others; including visitors. -33 By picking up any trash on the floors and in the churchyard. Also by straightening things up that are out of place. -34 By keeping restrooms looking neat and clean. -35 By turning lights off.
When Your Church Has Business Meetings…
-36 By attending each meeting. -37 By having a co-operative spirit. -38 By agreeing to disagree agreeably. -39 By only offering helpful suggestions. -40 By not carrying grudges to or from a meeting.
With Church Problems…
-41 By not being one. -42 By not trying to think FOR the pastor. -43 By not jumping the gun and thinking the pastor is not doing anything about a particular situation that means a lot to you. -44 By staying out of the way unless directly involved. -45 By not gossiping about problems with other church members. -46 By praying for wisdom to be given to pastor on how to handle the problem(s) at hand. -47 By praying for the individuals/groups involved to do what is right.
With Enlisting More Laborers…
-48 By being one. -49 By training others to take your place… if you hold a position. -50 By praying for more laborers.
When Approaching Him…
-51 By speaking to pastor in the way you want to be spoken to. -52 By not assuming pastor has been made aware of your specific need or circumstance. -53 By not demanding an answer to anything. -54 By not putting him into a corner with no way to come out. -55 By keeping your questions and problems till after the worship service. -56 By waiting until there is nobody around for privacy. -57 By trying to speak with pastor initially in a public area, and not in the office first. – testimony
As A Deacon…
-58 By making visits for him. -59 By shielding him from unnecessary nonsense. -60 By praying for him. -61 By never seeking to undermine in any form or fashion. -62 By speaking positively of him; especially when around those who are disgruntled. -63 By being on the lookout for potential issues and ready to help.
Monetarily…
-64 By helping to provide a livable wage as a church member. -65 By supporting a yearly raise. -66 By paying (church) for his gas. – visits, etc. -67 By providing (church) a retirement package. -68 By covering health insurance for him and family. (church) -69 By giving him a love gift at Christmas. -70 By giving him a birthday present. -71 By providing a monthly library fund for the purchase of new books. This helps him when developing a series and other studies.
By Being friendly…
-72 Seeking to have him and family over for dinner. -73 Enjoying recreational activities with him and his family. -74 Even when you are in a disagreement him.
By Promoting His Ministry…
-75 In an ad in the paper at your own expense. -76 On the radio in an advertisement, etc. -77 On facebook. – Fanpage of church/pastor -78 On twitter. -79 Giving away CD’s cassette tapes, and DVD’s of his messages to your friends and co-workers. -80 When sending emails to your friends and acquaintances.
In Sharing The Gospel Of Jesus Christ…
-81 By participating in door to door soul-winning. -82 By participating in a neighborhood literature distribution campaign. -83 By helping at tract tables at flea markets and fairs. -84 By having unsaved friends over for a party and inviting your pastor over to witness to them. -85 By helping a group who goes street preaching. -86 By helping in a jail ministry. -87 By helping in an addiction ministry like Reformers Unanimous.
While He Is Preaching…
-88 By paying attention. -89 By not talking. This can distract others from hearing the message. -90 BY TURNING YOUR CELL PHONE OFF! -91 Try to keep babies quiet. Though unwanted, it is sometimes best to take small babies to a nursery area. -92 Smile! Sour looks can be discouraging. -93 Shout “AMEN!” when God speaks to your heart about something the preacher says. This will encourage your pastor while he is preaching.
Behind The Scenes…
-94 By encouraging others to encourage the pastor. -95 By sending an anonymous gift of a favorite snack, etc -96 By helping to organize a “Pastor’s Appreciation Day” for him. -97 By taking care of known projects that he has around his home. -98 By doing something special for his children.
With His Vehicle…
-99 By being sure his oil is changed regularly. -100 By providing new tires when necessary. -101 By possibly helping with a car payment.
Bottom Line…
This list is the tip of the iceberg when it come to ideas to help your pastor. If you have thought of something not mentioned, then please leave it in the comment section below. Thanks for your participation! Be sure to promote this list widely, from The Working Pastor. Tweethttp://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js
This was an article on Fox News last Friday. It’s excerpted, the rest can be read by clicking on the headline. Discussion below.
Churches Open Doors to Muslim Worship “They see it as their Christian duty. But others disagree, saying it extends the hand of fellowship where it was never intended to go. Two Protestant churches are taking some heat from critics for opening their church buildings to Muslims needing places to worship because their own facilities were either too small, or under construction. Heartsong Church in Cordova, Tenn., let members of the Memphis Islamic Center hold Ramadan prayers there last September. And Aldersgate United Methodist Church in Alexandria, Va., allows the Islamic Circle of North America to hold regular Friday prayers in their building while their new mosque is being built. Diane Bechtol of Aldersgate says this is something Christians are called to do: Be neighborly and develop relationships – even those who don’t share your beliefs.
“I think it’s a tenet of our Christian faith, and that is that we extend hospitality to the stranger,” said Bechtol. “We are a congregation that wants to be helpful to people and if we are asked to help a neighbor in need, that’s what we do.” The U.S. Christian community is divided over whether or not to allow Muslims to use their churches as prayer space — something that two Protestant churches have already done. The U.S. Christian community is divided over whether or not to allow Muslims to use their churches as prayer space — something that two Protestant churches have already done. But Dr. Alex McFarland, a Christian theologian and radio talk show host, charged these churches “have crossed the line from respect and tolerance, to … affirmation and endorsement. “We as the church are called to show love, we’re called to help. But to let a building simultaneously be used for the activities of a mosque and also the activities of Jesus Christ, it’s just incompatible. And I think it’s one more example of political correctness and hyper-tolerance gone awry.”
What do you think? Do you think, say, if a hurricane decimated the Church, that the Muslims who are the beneficiaries of this hospitality would return the favor and allow the Christians to hold services in their mosque? What is church for, anyway? Got Questions has an answer: here–
“Acts 2:42 could be considered a purpose statement for the church: “They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.” According to this verse, the purposes/activities of the church should be 1) teaching biblical doctrine, 2) providing a place of fellowship for believers, 3) observing the Lord’s supper, and 4) praying.”
To that end, the church is the Body, not a building. It is the local place where believers in a certain area congregate to accomplish worship, prayer, breaking of bread, and teaching, but the church itself are the people who make up the Body.
However, though non-believers are welcome to come in and worship alongside believers, I do not believe it is appropriate for non-believers to come in and actively worship another god. If the Lord’s Supper is too holy for non-believers to participate in then I have to believe the church grounds are ordained holy unto the Lord too. As He told Moses at the burning bush, (Exodus 3:5), “take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy ground.”
1 Corinthians 3:17 says: “If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are.” The Greek word used here (phtheiró) for destroy also means ‘corrupt.’ The idea is, “If any man by his doctrines or precepts shall pursue such a course as tends to destroy the church, God shall severely punish him” says Barnes’ notes on the bible. If the church place of worship and congregation (the building) is established under the guidance and direction of the Holy Spirit and its purpose is dedicated to promote the Gospel, then allowing people to worship their god and to promote their false doctrines which, by the way, say that all non-Muslims should be killed for being an infidel, then that use is inconsistent with the purposes of the church building. Otherwise the building is just a building. And if the building is just a building, where does it stop? As Mike Huckabee says in this interview, then why not open it up to be rented as an adult movie theatre on weekends?
A shallow quake, especially one that lasts a long time, will cause a tremendous amount of damage. This one did. It was a 6.6 by NZ standards, a 6.3 according to USGS, but it was only 4 feet deep and reverberated for over a minute. A shallow, long lasting quake such as this would have caused more damage than last year’s 7.3.
A twitter commenter said “Watching TV3 live – apocalyptic…lots of car horns, sirens, confused people and the Cathedral has no top”. This videographer said “It’s terrifying.”
This was the first photo posted on Twitpic:
Radio New Zealand reported widespread damage to the city centre, with a church on Durham St collapsed and concrete lifted by up to a metre. A Newstalk ZB reporter in Christchurch said liquefaction was spewing out of the ground at St Albans High School. School kids had to be removed from the fields with liquefaction also spewing from the tennis courts.
On Joel C. Rosenberg’s site this morning. Light and dark pink are nations with unrest since January. Don’t forget to include Lebanon, too small to really see. Please be sure to visit his link to read a summary of the current unrest … It is excellent.
