Love Grows Cold

Because Lawlessness will Increase, the Love of Many Shall Grow Cold

The title above references an inciteful article on Understanding the Times website. I would suggest you read it at some point as it touches on most of the subjects I will be addressing in this article.

Love Grows Cold

Don’t worry! For, while this article begins in darkness it ends in the White Light of our Savior’s coming! First, however, we have to discuss the raging hatred sweeping across America, Europe and the rest of the world.

As discussed in the above referenced article from Understand the Times, Satan has increased both the quantity and the ferocity of his attacks on Christians, Jews and Israel. Worse, more and more churches are turning inward, focusing on feel good sermons and seeker friendly programs. Far too many, fearing the growing hate or worse, trying to fit in with this fallen world, have embraced the perversion and humanist universalism so prevalent in our culture. Sadly these churches have far too much in common with the Laodicean church as described by our Lord Jesus Christ in Rev 3:14-21.

When I first read Christ question whether He would find faith on the Earth in Luke 18:8, I thought, “well, I guess we have a long way to go before things get that bad…” However, in just a few short years the Church went from a respected voice of morality to a silent, divided and confused body which allowed the media to chose as the representative of Christ, various apostates who preach the false gospel of “we all worship the same god” and “if there is love then gender doesn’t matter to a loving god.”

Satan has played his hand well. He has driven those Churches still dedicated to Biblical truth underground. Who would’ve ever thought that in the United States, a nation founded on Biblical principles and where the First Amendment to the Constitution ensures the Free exercise of one’s religion, that a Christian business woman would be driven out of business and financially ruined through fines and government overreach simply because she chose to exercise her religious beliefs and decline to provide a floral display for a Homosexual wedding - even though she happily referred them to someone equally qualified. This was an act of hatred, not of homosexuals, not even of the Business Owner, but hatred of Jesus Christ. The key word: Hate

Hate. Hate for Christians. Hate for Trump. Hate for White Men. Hate for Jews. Hate for anyone who holds an opinion that doesn’t pass the current Progressive litmus test. Hate disguised in seemingly positive terms such as: Inclusive, Freedom, Tolerance, Choice, Social Justice, Equality. These terms which were once part of a movement defined by the words Liberty, Equality and Freedom and espoused by men such as Dr. Martin Luther King. Dr. King’s dream was of a time when men would no longer be defined by the color of their skin but by the content of their character. Unfortunately his dream of non-judgmental liberty for all has become a nightmare of Censorship and Intimidation for anyone with opinions which fall outside the constraints set by the self-annointed Social Justice Warriors who decide those who are fit to speak and those who are not.

An era of Neo-Fascism has fallen upon this country and it is driven by Hate. The hate I just described. The so-called Progressives as defined by former President Obama and by Hillary Clinton are so rabid in their fanatical devotion to the warped ideals of the Progressive movement that they are blind to the fact that by their very actions such as silencing dissenters by any means, bullying and intimidation, judging persons by their race (caucasian) that they are violating the very principles of open and free dialog, race blindness and freedom of speech and an exchange of differing ideas without rancor, which their party claims as its founding principles. These self-proclaimed Social Justice Warriors appear completely blind to their own Hypocrisy as they blockaded the entrance to a Seminar on Civil Liberties by the openly gay editor of Breitbart On Line, an alternative Internet news source well known for breaking a number of the past few years biggest stories. The protest became so violent the speaker had to be rushed out of the venue to another building where he broadcast his speech via live feed to the former venue. The protesters claimed victory, yet in doing so they caused fear, violence and mayhem, throwing molotov cocktails and explosives at police, burning and vandalizing buildings and terrorizing the UC Berkeley campus, once the home of free speech. Now apparently home only to Fascist Style Censorship.

This seemingly irrational hatred for Christians and Jews and others, who oppose the Progressive platform of Socialism, Same sex Marriage, Gender bending, Genderless bathrooms and showers, and censorship on speech, the written word and, if they had their way, thought itself. The limits Progressives are willing to impose are truly frightening and the term Neo-Fascist truly applies.

Any Christian reading this will recognize that what we are seeing is Spiritual in nature. A great war is raging in the Heavenly Realms as Paul explains:

Eph 6:12  For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.

This can seem very intimidating or even scary and all this talk of the hatred building up and manifesting in this country can seem very disturbing. What we, as Christians must remember is that the war is already won. Jesus scored the final victory on the Cross there on Calvary. Everything we see going on around us points to the soon coming of our Lord and Savior to Snatch us away, up and out of this fallen world where we shall forever be with Him.

As fearful as the world may seem at this point in time we must remember that our God is Sovereign Psalm 17:7 So, put away all fear and doubt. Live in the light of Victory in Jesus Christ. Now is a time to be in prayer, in the Word and regular Fellowship with your brother and sister Christians. We do not know how much time we have left to be about our master’s work but we must reach as many as we can before it is too late. The Harvest is Vast, but the Workers are Few. Mat 9:37 I would say the workers are very few and we are working against the false teachers abounding in this era of Itching Ears. 2Titus 4:3

In closing I include this exhortation from Understand the Times below. I think you will find it encouraging. These are exciting times!! We are privileged to see God’s final plans coming together like pieces of an exquisite jigsaw puzzle. Prophecy written thousands of years ago is materializing right before our eyes and every morning when I read the headlines I am amazed at the awesome power of our God. Here is the excerpt from the article I referenced:

Because Lawlessness will Increase, the Love of Many Shall Grow Cold

There is much we can do. We should never miss an opportunity to make our voices heard. Volunteer in a ministry at your church. Join a Bible study. Turn out -- armed with prayer -- at town hall meetings near you. If you're a pastor, ask to open with prayer. The sound of howling from the audience might be deafening, as one pastor found out recently at his town hall meeting, but God will use the name of Jesus for His glory. God gave a victory to Christians and to Israel in this last election, and we do not want to lose one inch of ground.

Start a Good News Club in one or more of your local schools. Remember, the Satanic Temple is targeting schools with their Satan clubs -- we don't want to be missing in action!

Stock local food shelves, support community thrift stores or visit the lonely in nursing homes near you.

Social media is a powerful tool and you can use it. Get on Facebook and set-up a new page targeting some kind of evil you hate. Approach people with love and a good measure of biblical wisdom, and tell God you can't wait to see what He will do. There is something for everyone -- some action you can take -- and you will be fighting the good fight, blessing others, and obeying Jesus.

Don't fall for the satanic lie that you are weak or a failure or too sinful to do anything for God. He loves you, forgives you, and will use you today. Go forward and don't look back.

Prayer is the key to strength, courage and victory. The Word of God is the sword that will drive evil back, and that includes the wisdom that comes from studying it. We are stuck here, for now, fighting the spirit of the age -- the prince of this world and all his forces -- but we are not alone. "I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you....Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid." (John 14:18, 27)

If you are not a Christian but you feel the call upon your heart to accept Jesus Christ as your savior then I pray this will help you to receive Jesus as your personal Lord and Savior:

Paul the apostle wrote:

“That if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you shall be saved; for with the heart man believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth confesses, resulting in salvation” (Romans 10:9-10).

We must be spiritually born-again:

“Jesus answered and said to him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born-again he cannot see the kingdom of God.” Nicodemus said to Him,”How can a man be born when he is old? He cannot enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born, can he?”

Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born-again'” (John 3:3-7)

When we ask Jesus to forgive us our sins and truly repent, then we become born-again and saved. It is a good idea to pray a sincere prayer of confession and repentance. The words don’t really matter, but the genuine intent of the heart does matter. Upon salvation the Holy Spirit comes to dwell within us and it is by His power and strength we are able to leave behind the ways of the world and live more godly lives. .

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new” (2 Corinthians 5:17).

When you do this, the Bible tells us through the apostle Paul:

“For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 8:38- 39).

If you have questions or are not quite sure about the issue of Salvation feel free to message me or visit:

www.carm.org or www.raptureready.com

Both of these resources have wonderful question and answer sections which I found invaluable as a young Christian.

Thank you All and may God’s blessings be upon your life and upon those you love.

Mark

Who Am I

Who Am I?

I wrote this article some time ago on an older blog however since I haven't published an article here in ages I thought it apropos that I re-introduce myself since I am feeling better and of a mind to get back to writing once a week.

I have MS - the Progressive kind, you see, and there are times when I am simply physically unable to do much more than take care of myself and try to help out around the house as much as I can. Fortunately my wife is a truly wonderful woman and both my adult children live close enough to come over and help out when I am particularly stove up. I'm 55 at the writing of this and have had MS for 18 years or so. Don't feel sorry for me!! I am really and truly blessed despite this.... "affliction".   

I'm Mark, by the way. Nice to meet you. So you know: I am a Christian and that will color everything I write so if this offends you then please feel free to move on. I don't debate. I will answer questions asked from an open heart and mind but if you wish to engage in endless debate there are lots of sites devoted to exactly that. Otherwise, welcome!  I intend to produce one article a week... Perhaps two. The subjects will be varied - everything from dealing with a Chronic Illness to Current events and Biblical Prophecy.

So, without further ado Here's:             

How I Found Salvation in Jesus Christ 

It has been in my mind for some time to share this. This is a testimony of my faith in Jesus Christ. If that immediately turns you off then feel free to move on. I just feel compelled to share this:

Growing up, my family was not spiritual at all. In fact, circumstances in my life had caused me to resent, even hate God. During my late teens I became a devoted atheist. The great astronomer and physicist, Carl Sagan fascinated me with his explanations of physics and I studied his books and videos with great interest. By the time I was in college majoring in Computer Science with a great interest in Astronomy and Physics I was convinced God did not exist.

Still, as time went by I found myself wrestling with the nagging feeling that there was more to the whole God thing than I thought. After some time I got tired of constantly dealing with that strange feeling and decided to smother that nagging feeling by proving to myself beyond the shadow of any doubt (as if I had any doubt anyway... Ha!) that the whole concept of God was nonsense. I began by reading the bible Genesis to Revelation. I was happy to find that there were many "inconsistencies" and "contradictions" in the bible. Then, of course, there was the immense gulf between scientific “Fact” and biblical “Myth”.

Proving this to myself had required studying the bible and asking a lot of questions as well as reading various literature (there was no internet in those days). Most of  the books I read were written by atheists and focused on debunking the bible. That was fine because that was what I was after anyway. After several months I was confident that there was no God, Heaven or Hell.

Then, one evening, as I was trying to summarize everything in my mind, completely out of the blue, I got down on my knees and I accepted Jesus as my lord and savior. Go figure!

How did that happen? Well, remember that nagging feeling I talked about. During and especially after my research that nagging feeling became overwhelming. The more I felt it the harder I worked at not believing. For years I was torn. I didn’t know what I believed, yet somehow I did. Unlike many Christians who accept Jesus and immediately act differently, after I accepted Christ I went on much the same as I had before. This went on for a long time. I was what you would call a “closet” Christian I guess. I had no Christian friends and, to be frank, was afraid of what they would say if I shared my new found faith.

Then, one day I stumbled on a radio show that focused on responding to the “problems” with the bible, science and Christianity in general. You know, all the supposed Biblical "contradictions" and "inconsistencies" I had "found".  Each day this show took calls from skeptics and believers alike. They were fearless and tackled every question no matter how hard. After they answered a caller’s question they always followed it by insisting that the caller do their own research and verify everything they said by checking it against scripture. I began listening every day.

It didn’t take long before they had covered every one of the so called criticisms I had with the Bible and more I hadn't even come across. Their answers were convincing but I took their admonition seriously and did my own research as well. I got the old materials out and some new ones as well. The internet was still a baby but even then it was full of websites that dealt with both sides of this issue. I took full advantage of them and poured over every issue.

While it took some time, the reservations I had regarding the bible, the existence of God, Jesus and the reliability of the Bible were resolved without reservation. It was well over twenty five years ago that I accepted Jesus as savior. The changes that didn’t happen over night happened gradually but dramatically. The most rapid and dramatic changes happened fifteen years or so ago when I realized that while I had asked Christ to be my Savior I had never fully submitted to His Lordship in my life. Once I made that commitment I felt the difference in my mind and heart and more than ever I feel the leading of the Holy Spirit. I also attend a wonderful, Bible based church and live a truly blessed life. Its funny, but I’m thankful for the time when I worked so hard not to believe in God because today, when I am assaulted by doubt and worry, I pray and often reflect on that time and how God never gave up on me. The Lord often brings the things I learned to mind and I am reassured.

Faith is a mystery and a gift. It doesn’t come from the intellect. But, that doesn’t mean you have to leave logic and reason behind to believe. In fact, I think it is just as important to know why you believe as it is to know what you believe.

Why I am writing this now after so much time I don’t know. I just had this nagging feeling…

God bless,
Mark
Questions? Feel free to ask me or check out carm.org.

Isaiah 5 as a warning to America

Isaiah Chapter 5 - What Can America Learn From Isaiah?

The following is from the 5th chapter of Isaiah. It begins with a parable of a vineyard - Israel, in this case Judah, and then explains God's case against the kingdom of Judah. The similarities between ancient Judah and present day America are....  Interesting. Following the Biblical Text I have pointed out what we can learn from God's dealings with rebellious Judah.

Now let me sing to my Well-beloved A song of my Beloved regarding His vineyard:

My Well-beloved has a vineyard On a very fruitful hill. He dug it up and cleared out its stones, And planted it with the choicest vine. He built a tower in its midst, And also made a winepress in it; So He expected it to bring forth good grapes, But it brought forth wild grapes. “And now, O inhabitants of Jerusalem and men of Judah, Judge, please, between Me and My vineyard. What more could have been done to My vineyard That I have not done in it? Why then, when I expected it to bring forth good grapes, Did it bring forth wild grapes?

And now, please let Me tell you what I will do to My vineyard: 

I will take away its hedge, and it shall be burned; And break down its wall, and it shall be trampled down. I will lay it waste; It shall not be pruned or dug, But there shall come up briers and thorns. I will also command the clouds That they rain no rain on it.” For the vineyard of the Lord of hosts is the house of Israel, And the men of Judah are His pleasant plant. He looked for justice, but behold, oppression; For righteousness, but behold, a cry for  help.

Woe to those who join house to house; They add field to field, Till there  is no place Where they may dwell alone in the midst of the land! In my hearing the Lord of hosts said, “Truly, many houses shall be desolate, Great and beautiful ones, without inhabitant. For ten acres of vineyard shall yield one bath, And a homer of seed shall yield one ephah.” Woe to those who rise early in the morning, That they may follow intoxicating drink; Who continue until night, till wine inflames them! The harp and the strings, The tambourine and flute, And wine are in their feasts; But they do not regard the work of the Lord , Nor consider the operation of His hands.

Therefore my people have gone into captivity, Because they  have no knowledge; Their honorable men are famished, And their multitude dried up with thirst. Therefore Sheol has enlarged itself And opened its mouth beyond measure; Their glory and their multitude and their pomp, And he who is jubilant, shall descend into it. People shall be brought down, Each man shall be humbled, And the eyes of the lofty shall be humbled. But the Lord of hosts shall be exalted in judgment, And God who is holy shall be hallowed in righteousness. Then the lambs shall feed in their pasture, And in the waste places of the fat ones strangers shall eat.

Woe to those who draw iniquity with cords of vanity, And sin as if with a cart rope; That say, “Let Him make speed and hasten His work, That we may see it; And let the counsel of the Holy One of Israel draw near and come, That we may know it. 

” Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil; Who put darkness for light, and light for darkness; Who put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter! Woe to those  who  are  wise in their own eyes, And prudent in their own sight! Woe to men mighty at drinking wine, Woe to men valiant for mixing intoxicating drink, Who justify the wicked for a bribe, And take away justice from the righteous man!*

 Therefore, as the fire devours the stubble, And the flame consumes the chaff, So  their root will be as rottenness, And their blossom will ascend like dust; Because they have rejected the law of the Lord of hosts, And despised the word of the Holy One of Israel.

Therefore the anger of the Lord is aroused against His people; He has stretched out His hand against them And stricken them, And the hills trembled. Their carcasses were as refuse in the midst of the streets. For all this His anger is not turned away, But His hand is stretched out still. 

He will lift up a banner to the nations from afar, And will whistle to them from the end of the earth; Surely they shall come with speed, swiftly. No one will be weary or stumble among them, No one will slumber or sleep; Nor will the belt on their loins be loosed, Nor the strap of their sandals be broken; Whose arrows are sharp, And all their bows bent; Their horses’ hooves will seem like flint, And their wheels like a whirlwind. Their roaring will  be like a lion, They will roar like young lions; Yes, they will roar And lay hold of the prey; They will carry it away safely, And no one will deliver. In that day they will roar against them Like the roaring of the sea. And if one  looks to the land, Behold, darkness and sorrow; And the light is darkened by the clouds.

Various authors and Bible Scholars have, of late, begun to draw comparisons to Israel's covenant relationship with God and the founding of this Nation and the founders dedication of the newly minted Country to the service of God at Fall's Church. I'm not sure how much this applies since, with the advent of Christ we are now under grace through faith in Messiah, Jesus. Nevertheless, covenant or not God is not idle in the face of sin and rebellion.

One thing that is unquestionably certain is that God's nature does not change. Ever. Knowing that we can safely (I believe)  conclude that when a Nation that has benefited from a rare and special blessing - not necessarily a Covenant but certainly a blessing. I believe that this blessing was based on the Nation's Founders dedication of the Country to Biblical principles and promise of humble obedience to Christ's commandments to love God with all your heart, mind, soul & strength and to love your neighbor as yourself. It stands to reason, and is entirely consistent with God's nature to bless and continue to bless a peoples who Governed and lived according His will and purpose.

However, once this nation made it legal to murder babies in the womb - essentially sacrificing them on the alter of convenience, it set the country up for judgment. Again, God's nature would seem to dictate that if He chose to bless a peoples for their obedience He would certainly, at the very least, cease blessing them in the face of rebellion. Ever since Roe v Wade this Nation has moved further away from God. With every step away from God the rate at which our society has moved toward sin and ungodliness has increased exponentially until here we are today - an almost completely secular, amoral and perverted version of what we should have been. If Roe v Wade can be considered America's first truly ungodly act of rebellion and Idolatry, then Obama's support for same sex marriage and the country's acceptance of the Supreme Court's decision on the subject must be seen as the final signal that God no longer has a place in the governance of this Nation.

Additionally, our popular culture has made it abundantly clear that a large and growing segment of our population not only reject God, but they deny He even exists. When references are made to God or Christianity they are contemptuous, vituperative and blasphemous. And, the Gulf has widened to the point that in a country that was founded on the free exercise of religion, Christians are coming under persecution for their very faith while Islam, an ideology one would think our free wheeling culture would reject outright, is welcomed unquestioningly with open arms. 

Our God is loving and long suffering. He is also Holy and Righteous and He will not withhold judgment forever. I believe we have been seeing the fruits of this for some time. It is naive to think that the change in fortunes this country has experienced over the past decades are coincidence. There is no such thing. Everything from our decades of economic disasters which have led to a mountainous debt to Sept 11 to our modern version of wicked king Ahab - Barack Obama -  all speak of judgment. Judgment for turning the nation's back on God and worse: Idolatry, for what else would you call the sickening and degenerate spectacles of the various music awards shows or our societal need for every gadget and gizmo under the sun. We have gone from a national witness to the greatness of the true and living God and His Son, Jesus Christ, to the purveyors of the greatest blasphemy against Christianity.

We have taken the blessings of God which propelled this country to the very pinnacle of wealth and power and then spat in God's face as we denied Him any part in His creation. Instead the country worshiped itself at the alter of child sacrifice while the people wallowed in every kind of sin, each doing what was right in his own eye. Exercising their new found place in the popular culture, Sodomites used bullying and a sycophantic media to assault each and every tradition that celebrated the Church, morality and family until finally the final and deadliest blow was struck. At the very height of hubris the highest court of the land, thinking itself superior to God Himself, sought to change the nature of that which was created by God to be the mortar by which man and wife, and thereby the family unit, were bound together, as well as a testimony to the relationship between Jesus Christ and His Church. The sacred bond of Marriage.

 With the degradation of the Holy Covenant of Marriage came an onslaught of persecution and hate towards Christians, particularly those who would not compromise their faith in the face of this new and Satanic weapon forged by the Supreme Court. Yes, I said Satanic. While the country was walking according to Christian principles I believe that, just as described in Job, God placed a hedge around it, protecting it and forbidding Satan to molest this national witness to Christ. As our behavior became more and more godless the hedge began to die and soon it was full of gaps and holes allowing all manner of evil to sneak through. God did not kill the Hedge. Our sin did. However, because of our sin and rebellion God, in my opinion, allowed us to kill it. Free will you know...

With the death of the hedge America has found itself suddenly being exposed to the forces of darkness other pagan peoples had dealt with for years. This has even shown up in the headlines of our major media.  In the past decade the call for Exorcisms has gone up by several hundred percent. Strange incidents such as the case in Indiana of demonic activity which was witnessed by police, emergency personnel, even DCS case workers are becoming more and more prevalent not to mention the rise in Satan worship,  which has come out of the shadows to become a "legitimate" religion, going so far as to erect a nine foot statue of a goat headed figure adorned with Satanic symbolism being worshiped by two young children in downtown Detroit. Then, there is the sudden surge of violence. Adolescents killing their parents and unable to remember why or how, teens bringing guns and explosives to school intent on killing everyone. Groups of blacks singling out at beating elderly white people to death, even raping the elderly women. Our media inexplicably covering up for these crimes and for crimes by Muslim Jihadists. Our Govt refuses to secure our borders leaving us wide open to attack yet for some strange reason no one seems able to act. Surely Satan is laughing.

Dear readers,  America is under judgment by almighty God and rightly so. It would be foolish to think that God would simply overlook such overt and contentious rebellion.

Psalm 66:7

He rules by His might forever; His eyes keep watch on the nations; Let not the rebellious exalt themselves. Selah.

1 Samuel 12:14-15

"If you will fear the LORD and serve Him, and listen to His voice and not rebel against the command of the LORD, then both you and also the king who reigns over you will follow the LORD your God. "If you will not listen to the voice of the LORD, but rebel against the command of the LORD, then the hand of the LORD will be against you, as it was against your fathers.

Psalm 2:10-12

Now therefore, O kings, show discernment; Take warning, O judges of the earth. Worship the LORD with reverence And rejoice with trembling. Do homage to the Son, that He not become angry, and you perish in the way, For His wrath may soon be kindled How blessed are all who take refuge in Him!

This does not mean that the country is doomed, that nothing can be done. We know that our God is loving and full of mercy and grace. As individual Christians we each have our own intimate relationship with Jesus Christ and that despite the darkness overtaking the Nation, individually our hope is secure. Not only is our Eternity safe in the hands of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, but we have God's promise to protect us from the evil one - our own personal hedge I imagine. However now more than ever the Church, meaning all true believers of Jesus Christ - for we are all members of the same body - can no longer be satisfied with our current role in today's society. The church must become active in the political arena as well as taking a stand against our popular culture and the media. For too long we have been satisfied with supporting our missionaries overseas, helping the local community with various good works and so forth. All these are worthy activities and must continue. But we must do more.

In the late 70's and early 80's Jerry Falwell's moral majority wielded tremendous influence because of the sheer numbers of voters - Christian voters - they represented. If some city were considering legislation that was in conflict with Biblical principles they could amass thousands to protest and more to write and call their legislators. They were a force to be reckoned with.

Today there are a number of smaller organizations but they lack the sheer numbers of Falwell's organisation. If we can put aside our petty differences, focus simply on the Gospel Truths and the Resurrection and unite the body under a single banner - imagine the influence the body of CHRIST could have on politics, legislation, abortion, even things that seem mundane but are still important, such as movie ratings, the smut currently permitted on network television, evolution in the schools and on and on. The Church has the numbers but we are divided quite often more by tradition than doctrine. If you agree with what I have written, please, join me in prayer asking the Lord to speak to the hearts of the leadership of the various Church coalitions throughout this nation. Ask, that, if it is His will, that he would bring them together in fellowship and unite them in a single unit in accordance with His will.

I believe America is ripe for a revival if a large enough mass of witnesses were to come forth in unity proclaiming the Gospel of Salvation in Jesus Christ and lovingly pointing out why it is imperative that the Nation turn from its Sin, humble themselves and pray, seeking God's face. Why they must turn from their wicked ways and be saved. Revival can happen, the harvest is ripe but the workers are scattered.

Father God, if it be your will, raise up out of your body, an army of witnesses who can put their doctrinal differences aside and unite under the truth of the Gospel and the Resurrection. Send them forth, Lord, to teach the people of this Nation where they have erred and why it is so important that they repent and seek salvation in Christ Jesus. May your Holy Spirit go before them opening the hearts of sinners. Let your will be done Father. It is in Jesus' name that I pray. Amen

2 Chronicles 7:14
 If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.


*emphasis is mine

The Trump Question

The Trump Question

I know that right now Donald Trump is riding on a high of public opinion in this run up to the Republican Primary. His popularity is undeniable, transcending race, rich, poor, even political affiliation. Why?

To me the answer is simple: He says and does what people have been wanting from their Representatives for years. Unlike the typical candidate, when someone from the press or one of his opponents says something negative or derogatory about Trump or his campaign, true or not, he doesn't just politely protest. Instead he aggressively goes on the verbal attack, changing the focus to his opponent who he then typically insults. Often his responses are humorous. Getting people to laugh at your opponent or the issue or accusation, even if it is truthful, basically negates it.

Trump has made this an art. Scolding the media, even the moderators during the debates. He is bombastic and bullying. The reason this seems so refreshing to people is that for years Conservatives, particularly Christians have been singled out by a biased media. Instead of aggressively fighting back against biased statements or insinuations prior candidates, and even many of those running this very year, knuckle under, afraid to confront their opponent or interviewer. Trump has been well schooled in this in the Shark tank of multi-billion dollar business. Making the kind of deals he does and dealing with corrupt govt. officials, greedy real estate agents, incompetent contractors and banks wanting a piece of every dollar Trump has had to develop a kill or be killed method of making the deal. This translates well to the campaign format. It makes him formidable in the area of tit for tat media politicking.

Most of the media and few candidates have had that experience in dealing in an aggressive and intentionally confrontational manner. In fact, until now, Republicans have always shied away from confrontation fearing a public backlash. Trump doesn't care and he is willing to go in front of the American people and completely lambast a popular media personality such as Megyn Kelly. Because he is able to dominate the narrative - successfully portraying himself as the injured party by bulldozing through the media's attempt at damage control and forcing the issue - he is able to win the public opinion.

But what about the man. What kind of man is he and what kind of President will he make?

I admit, I have grave concerns in this area. Mr. Trump likes to boast of his accomplishments and his arrogance is undeniable. I have never heard him give credit to God for his success or his talents. Trump is perfectly happy to take all the credit and then some. Also, while his confrontational manner may be beneficial at this point as he slogs his way through the mud slinging of the left and even his own party how will it serve him when he is dealing with Vlad Putin over the placement of nuclear missile launchers? When his decisions are questioned will he listen to experienced council or bulldoze through. Most importantly, does he consult with the Lord? Ever?

Another significant problem is that when it comes to our government, the Constitution, Declaration of Independence, Federalist Papers, our military and its chain of command, the separation of powers and on and on - Trump has little or no clue. His entire focus has been on business. Now, his knowledge of the law regarding trade, commerce, taxation etc. seems sound. But there is more to governance than business law and the board room. I am concerned that the learning curve with Mr. Trump will be such that issues which will require his immediate attention and action will languish as he tries to get up to speed. This is bound to be compounded by his arrogance and air of 'knowing enough already'.

Part of this is not his fault. Obama, when he leaves, will have left our country tottering on the edge of a precipice. One wrong move and WWIII will erupt with us the target of Russia, China and Iran. We have a financial time bomb with seconds left on the clock and our nation is socially divided to a degree not seen since the civil war.

His fault or not the challenges facing the next President will require finesse, sound judgment and a mature and calculating thought process. It will require a statesman who knows when to bend and when to strike.

Mr. Trump is a shrewd businessman. I see little if any of the statesman in him. Instead, I see a thin skinned braggart who retaliates by calling people names and when faced with legitimate criticism, changes the subject to his many accomplishments. I see a man who calls himself a Christian but does not  behave like one. All this said you might think I don't care for Trump. That is not true. As I listed earlier he has some important qualities that will serve him and the country well if he is elected. I certainly would take him over any of the Democratic candidates any day. However, I have my concerns. I also have concerns with the other candidates. The only real contender is a man I do not feel is Constitutionally eligible for the position - Ted Cruz. However, it must be noted that the Democrats rammed Mr. Obama through who, even excluding evidence his citizenship was surrendered when he lived in Indonesia, is still, Constitutionally, not a natural born citizen of the United States (his father was not a US citizen). However, because the Democrats ignored the Constitution does not make it appropriate to make exceptions for Mr. Cruz who was born in Canada.

Ultimately we must place our faith in God as we prayerfully consider our choice in this Primary. As citizens of a country where it is incumbent on the civilian populace to decide on who will represent us, we must engage in the process. Christians must not use the excuse of "the Church doesn't have a place in politics." Well, in a Representative Democracy that is not true at all. In fact it is the DUTY of the Church to help the people in making a Biblically Sound decision not just on Candidates, but on legislation as well. For too many years the Church has remained silent, now look at the moral condition of this country!

It is time for a new Moral Majority to sound out on the issues - wielding the influence of the millions of Christian voters in this country - to check the moral decline in this country and its government and hold our Representatives accountable. 

I will close with scripture:

James 4:16 New King James Version (NKJV)

16 But now you boast in your arrogance. All such boasting is evil.

Jeremiah 9:23,24  New King James Version (NKJV)

23 Thus says the Lord: “Let not the wise man boast in his wisdom, let not the mighty man boast in his might, let not the rich man boast in his riches, 24 but let him who boasts boast in this, that he understands and knows me, that I am the Lord who practices steadfast love, justice, and righteousness in the earth. For in these things I delight, declares the Lord.”

Psalm 49:6-9 New King James Version (NKJV)

6 Those who trust in their wealth

And boast in the multitude of their riches,

7 None of them can by any means redeem his brother,

Nor give to God a ransom for him—

8 For the redemption of their souls is costly,

And it shall cease forever—

9 That he should continue to live eternally,

And not see the Pit.

Proverbs 28:26 New King James Version (NKJV)

26 Those who trust in themselves are fools

but those who walk in wisdom are kept safe.

Psalms 146:3 New King James Version (NKJV)

Do not put your trust in princes,

nor in a son of man, in whom there is no help.

The Two Faces of Islam

No matter how silent the government, how vague the press or how aggressive the apologists - adherents to the Ideology of ISLAM cannot hide the acts of those who are the true followers of the Prophet. Tonight even the most naive are questioning whether "religion of peace"  truly fits Islam.

They can try all they want to convince the world that yes, Islam is the religion of peace, yet those who follow the teachings of Islam, ie; the Quran, Sura and Hadiths, continue to frustrate their propagandizing by butchering innocent Christians, blowing up Holy sites and murdering innocent Parisians.

Muslims who believe in their hearts that Islam really is the religion of peace are very much like Christians who claim that Christ is not the only way to God. They pick and choose which portions of doctrine they wish to follow and pretend the rest doesn't exist. However,  as with Christianity, if you choose not to follow essential doctrines but to pick and choose the ones you can live with then you are not a true follower of that religion. If I deny Christ is the way the truth and the life and no one comes to the Father except by Him I might as well be a Buddhist or just make up my own religion. If the doctrine truly comes from God or His Prophet you cannot deny parts of it and still claim to be His follower.

This is the case with Islam.  If you talk to an ISIS member or any other fundamentalist he will tell you that he follows the entire doctrine of Allah through the Prophet Mohammed  and that so called Moderates are actually apostates who, if they were confronted would be severly punished/tortured, disfigured or killed. This is the case for all Islamic Fundamentalists. In Fundamentalist Islam Moderates are referred to as hypocrites or Munafiqs.

Before you send me a bunch of hate please stop. These words are not mine. These are the preaching and teachings of various Islamic scholars which are widely available online. Simply Google fundamental creeds of the Islamic faith and argue with them. I will not engage in any debates over this subject matter. The Internet is rife with endless debates and I have spent plenty of time with them in preparing for this article.

So, how does one reconcile this?  How do you even know who to trust? Is the Muslim next door a Munafiq or a Fundamentalist? There is a tenet in Islam called Taqayya which allows a Fundamentalist to adopt moderate  or even foreign behaviors in order to remain concealed for any number of reasons. One of the primary reasons is to simply conceal their Fundamentalist beliefs until a large enough population exist that they can 'come out'. Of course then there is the most obvious. It is while they wait to be called into action.  In other words, there is no way to know if the kindly gentleman you buy your coffee from each morning is a Munafiq or if he is a radical Islamist waiting quietly for the call to do who knows what.

Take this example: There are over a Billion Muslims in the entire world. According to their own statistics approximately 3 to 5 percent of them are radical Fundamentalists. That adds up to an army of hundreds of millions which hate the West as they hate Israel. Had they not spent the last thousand years fighting each other the world may be a much different place.

The incidents in Paris are just a taste of what this army is capable of. If you paid any attention at all to the report on the "refugees" pouring into Europe you would have noticed one thing.  The vast majority and I mean vast,  we're all fighting age males. Only a third or so were women and children.  In some groups there were absolutely no women,  children or elderly. This was no immigration.  It was an invasion.

We in the West have had it far too good for far too long. We have lost our hard edge and have become soft and dull witted,  or at least our leadership has.  Only now,  when it is too late has Europe begun to rethink their immigration policies. Germany, one of the most welcoming from the government's perspective is now closing their borders and considering deportation of single, military aged men.

They are too late!  These men have already found the towns and neighborhoods where their fellow Islamists have established a large presence. They will blend in there and help to push the last remaining German citizens out. France of course has the largest population of Islamists in the EU. The Islamists even have their own exclusion zones where Sharia law - Islamic law - is practiced. This weekend the people of France have begun to pay the price for their government's poor judgment. All this and I have not even touched on the wannabe Muslims. The ones who convert but don't study anything but a few debate verses. These people are simply shit disturbers if you'll forgive the language. They bounce from cause to cause protesting and making a lot of noise and mayhem.  They thrive off of imagined prejudice and oppression. They show up at every march, protest, riot or uprising not so much because they support the cause. They are simply shit disturbers.

The United States can expect to feel the presence of these radicals as well.  It is well known that thousands of Middle East males have crossed our Southern border since 9/11. This is in addition to the thousands the enemy in the Whitehouse has been importing. It is only a matter of time. I hope I'm wrong,  but I'm guessing that right before the 2016 elections there will be some sort of attack by Islamic radicals using some type of weapon of mass destruction or mass disruption, thereby postponing the election and allowing the implementation of martial law.

All this is pretty gloomy and the last part is simply my own gut feeling and should only be taken as such.  As I say,  I hope I'm wrong. As for the rest, none of it is a state secret. All of it comes from the writings and YouTube channels of Fundamentalist Islamists and Islamic scholars. There are two distinct followers of Islam (I'm not referring to Sunni and Shia) the two are Moderates, Munafiqs if you will,  and there are Fundamentalists.  Partial followers of Islam, Munafiqs,  I do not consider Muslims just as I do not consider partial followers of Jesus Christ Christians. Only those who follow the entire doctrine of their religion can be considered a true follower.

Note: Why don't Christians stone gays then etc etc? Please read the Bible or talk to an Evangelist or a Pastor.  Those laws were for another Covenant. After Christ came and died on the cross God entered into a new covenant with man. The old was fulfilled in Christ and while the Mosaic law still serves as a guide as to God's nature, what He approves and disapproves and just what sin is and how it affects our relationship with God, we are no longer bound to the old code except where Jesus specified. Now, in Christ we are to love even our enemy. That is why I do not just suggest killing all Muslims as seems to be the popular solution at the moment in some circles. Rather I admit I don't have a solution. At this point only God can set things right. One other thing:  Islam does not have a contextual change like the new covenant. The same archaic ways to follow, some called Hadiths,  which were set out 1500 years ago carry just as much authority today. 

So just what is to be done now? Trust in God of course. Almost a thousand years ago Islam came very close to conquering Europe. Once again Europe faces that threat. It is no coincidence that this is happening as the Middle East churns, Russia and Iran unite on the border of Syria and Israel and the United States is headed by a man who's goal is to cripple or destroy it any way he can.

Friends, be careful of anyone who follows Islam. Remember, Jesus told us that as we neared His coming there would be many false teachings, false Christ's and people would rather follow what tickled their ear than the Gospel that could save their soul. What else could explain a 16 year old from Nebraska running away to be a sex toy for an ISIS fighter?  These would be just the beginning of birth pangs.  Things will likely get much worse before we go home to be with the Lord.  But be of good cheer! Our Lord and Savior is ever present. His Spirit lives within us! And it's no coincidence all this is happening now - this is why every Christian I talk to says they feel something in the air! We need to be ready. Whether that is for trials and tribulations or for the Harpazo I don't know. And, as always, be ready to give an answer for the faith that lives within you. I just keep looking up and so should you my brothers and sisters.

If you are not a believer but feel that stirring in your heart and think you need to know more about being a Christian here is an excellent site. You will find that you don't need to throw your intellect in the trash to believe.  In fact,  it is just as important to know what you believe as it is why you believe.

http://www.carm.org

God bless you all and if there are any Muslims who are put off by what I have stated please take it up with your fellows on the Internet. I really do not hate Muslims. I have a young man who works for me who is Muslim. I have engaged him in a few short chats about his faith. He is very anxious that I understand why he feels it is a religion of peace. He knows a good deal of the verses off the top of his head.  The problem is he doesn't know the entire Quran or the other Holy books the Sura and the Hadiths.  Only the parts he has been selectively taught. When I bring up issues with verses like those below he becomes very flustered. He admits he had never seen those verses, or if he had, he'd simply passed over them. I believe this is the case with a vast number of Muslims.

Quran (2:216) - "Fighting is prescribed for you, and ye dislike it. But it is possible that ye dislike a thing which is good for you, and that ye love a thing which is bad for you. But Allah knoweth, and ye know not."  Not only does this verse establish that violence can be virtuous, but it also contradicts the myth that fighting is intended only in self-defense, since the audience was obviously not under attack at the time.  From the Hadith, we know that this verse was narrated at a time that Muhammad was actually trying to motivate his people into raiding merchant caravans for loot.
Quran (3:56) - "As to those who reject faith, I will punish them with terrible agony in this world and in the Hereafter, nor will they have anyone to help."
Quran (3:151) - "Soon shall We cast terror into the hearts of the Unbelievers, for that they joined companions with Allah, for which He had sent no authority".  This speaks directly of polytheists, yet it also includes Christians, since they believe in the Trinity (ie. what Muhammad incorrectly believed to be 'joining companions to Allah').
Quran (4:74) - "Let those fight in the way of Allah who sell the life of this world for the other. Whoso fighteth in the way of Allah, be he slain or be he victorious, on him We shall bestow a vast reward."  The martyrs of Islam are unlike the early Christians, who were led meekly to the slaughter.  These Muslims are killed in battle as they attempt to inflict death and destruction for the cause of Allah.  This is the theological basis for today's suicide bombers.
Quran (4:76) - "Those who believe fight in the cause of Allah…"

Once again, God Bless you, one and all. Oh, and I have included some links below for further study on the subject of Islam if you should so desire. If you are unfamiliar with its teachings you will find these enlightening. The others are links to Muslim teachers. There is information you might find useful.

Moderate Islam
https://youtu.be/5OogwK5fRHI

Q & A on basic Islam
https://youtu.be/SnITHRb3hKc

No room for Partial Muslims (Munafiqs) in Islam
(Starts in Arabic but moves to English)
https://youtu.be/wtRZycGsYQM

An Islamic Scholar with a large following in Europe and the US
Diatribe on conquering Europe and the US

https://youtu.be/H7Nvps0isec


Remember my fellow Christians, "Greater is He that is in us than he who is in the world..."

Be Blessed...
Mark