"We see, in many a land, the proudest dynasties and tyrannies still crushing, with their mountain weight, every free motion of the Consciences and hearts of men. We see, on the other hand, the truest heroism for the right and the greatest devotion to the Truth in hearts that God has touched. We have a work to do, as great as our forefathers and, perhaps, far greater. The enemies of Truth are more numerous and subtle than ever and the needs of the Church are greater than at any preceding time. If we are not debtors to the present, then men were never debtors to their age and their time. Brethren, we are debtors to the hour in which we live. Oh, that we might stamp it with Truth and that God might help us to impress upon its wings some proof that it has not flown by neglected and unheeded." -- C.H. Spurgeon . . . "If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free." John 8:31, 32 . . . . .

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Monday, July 30, 2012

A Christian Manifesto

by A.M. Kisly

"I believe that pluralistic secularism, in the long run, is a more deadly poison than straightforward persecution." - Francis Schaeffer


There are some who say that we have lost the culture war. I believe that this statement is true in many ways. Yet in saying so does not mean that I believe Christians should give up and give in to the humanistic (man is the measure of all things) tyranny taking our country. Quite the contrary, Christians need to stand for righteousness, proclaim Christian values and stand firm upon the Word of God. That is our reasonable service.

In fact Romans 12:1 states just that:
"I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service."
We are now living in what almost looks like a "post-Christian" culture. Further, we are in the war of all wars...a spiritual war with a growing intensity that no one could have ever imagined. Brannon Howse of Worldview Weekend stated,
"Every Christian must prepare and understand the nature of this spiritual battle because it is coming with an intensity none of us ever imagined-right here, right under the dimming light of our U.S. Constitution. Second Timothy 3:1 tells us that in the last days perilous times will come, and, my friend, they are here."
The time has come where we must earnestly contend for the faith. Christians MUST understand how to apply biblical principles to every area of life. The compromise with this world must end, and as it is written in Ephesians 6:13:
"Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand."
The following address was delivered by the late Dr. Schaeffer in 1982 at the Coral Ridge Presbyterian Church, Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

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Tuesday, July 24, 2012

LIVING IN THE LAST DAYS SERIES - Part 3

by A.M. Kisly

* This series is used with permission by the writer, QUEK KOH CHOON.

Part 3
WHAT DO WE TRANSMIT AND COMMUNICATE IN LIFE?

Our lives are an open book to everyone around us. People watch and observe us to see whether or not our profession of Christianity matches the way we conduct our lives.

A.W. Tozer gives a wonderful description of what the Christian life ought to be transmitting to the world around us. In his writing called, That Incredible Christian, he says:

The current effort of so many religious leaders to harmonize Christianity with science, philosophy and every natural and reasonable thing is, I believe, the result of failure to understand Christianity and, judging from what I have heard and read, failure to understand science and philosophy as well.

At the heart of the Christian system lies the cross of Christ with its divine paradox. The power of Christianity appears in its antipathy toward, never in its agreement with, the ways of fallen men. The truth of the cross is revealed in its contradictions. The witness of the church is most effective when she declares rather than explains, for the gospel is addressed not to reason but to faith. What can be proved requires no faith to accept. Faith rests upon the character of God, not upon the demonstrations of laboratory or logic.

The cross stands in bold opposition to the natural man. Its philosophy runs contrary to the processes of the unregenerate mind, so that Paul could say bluntly that the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness. To try to find a common ground between the message of the cross and man's fallen reason is to try the impossible, and if persisted in must result in an impaired reason, a meaningless cross and a powerless Christianity.
But let us bring the whole matter down from the uplands of theory and simply observe the true Christian as he puts into practice the teachings of Christ and His apostles. Note the contradictions: The Christian believes that in Christ he has died, yet he is more alive than before and he fully expects to live forever. He walks on earth while seated in heaven and though born on earth he finds that after his conversion he is not at home here. Like the nighthawk, which in the air is the essence of grace and beauty but on the ground is awkward and ugly, so the Christian appears at his best in the heavenly places but does not fit well into the ways of the very society into which he was born.

The Christian soon learns that if he would be victorious as a son of heaven among men on earth he must not follow the common pattern of mankind, but rather the contrary. That he may be safe he puts himself in jeopardy; he loses his life to save it and is in danger of losing it if he attempts to preserve it. He goes down to get up. If he refuses to go down he is already down, but when he starts down he is on his way up.

He is strongest when he is weakest and weakest when he is strong. Though poor he has the power to make others rich, but when he becomes rich his ability to enrich others vanishes. He has most after he has given most away and has least when he possesses most.

He may be and often is highest when he feels lowest and most sinless when he is most conscious of sin. He is wisest when he knows that he knows not and knows least when he has acquired the greatest amount of knowledge. He sometimes does most by doing nothing and goes furthest when standing still. In heaviness he manages to rejoice and keeps his heart glad even in sorrow.

The paradoxical character of the Christian is revealed constantly. For instance, he believes that he is saved now, nevertheless he expects to be saved later and looks forward joyfully to future salvation. He fears God but is not afraid of Him. In God's presence he feels overwhelmed and undone, yet there is nowhere he would rather be than in that presence. He knows that he has been cleansed from his sin, yet he is painfully conscious that in his flesh dwells no good thing.

He loves supremely One whom he has never seen, and though himself poor and lowly he talks familiarly with One who is King of all kings and Lord of all lords, and is aware of no incongruity in so doing. He feels that he is in his own right altogether less than nothing, yet he believes without question that he is the apple of God's eye and that for him the Eternal Son became flesh and died on the cross of shame.

The Christian is a citizen of heaven and to that sacred citizenship he acknowledges first allegiance; yet he may love his earthly country with that intensity of devotion that caused John Knox to pray "O God, give me Scotland or I die."

He cheerfully expects before long to enter that bright world above, but he is in no hurry to leave this world and is quite willing to await the summons of his Heavenly Father. And he is unable to understand why the critical unbeliever should condemn him for this; it all seems so natural and right in the circumstances that he sees nothing inconsistent about it.

The cross-carrying Christian, furthermore, is both a confirmed pessimist and an optimist the like of which is to be found nowhere else on earth.

When he looks at the cross he is a pessimist, for he knows that the same judgment that fell on the Lord of glory condemns in that one act all nature and all the world of men. He rejects every human hope out of Christ because he knows that man's noblest effort is only dust building on dust.

Yet he is calmly, restfully optimistic. If the cross condemns the world the resurrection of Christ guarantees the ultimate triumph of good throughout the universe. Through Christ all will be well at last and the Christian waits the consummation. Incredible Christian!
This next part is dealing with what we are imparting to others, especially to the lost soul.

The Bible tells us in Matthew 5:13-16:
"Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men. Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid. Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven."
What are we imparting in our words and in our lives? Are we taking our roles as salt of the earth and light of the world seriously? Are we indeed worthy ambassadors of the Lord Jesus?

Let's begin with Part 3 in this series, Living In The Last Days:


WHAT DO WE TRANSMIT AND COMMUNICATE IN LIFE?

As we live in the last days, we should be acutely aware of our calling to be good witnesses for the Lord and indeed one aspect of our witness would be in the area of what we transmit and communicate in our daily living. Whether we like it or not, what we transmit and communicate in life would affect others, either positively or negatively. Others are watching how we live our lives, the values we hold and the choices we make day by day. Every action or reaction, every word we utter - all these are being observed and evaluated - there is transmission all the time and we are communicating even without our realizing it.

Let us ponder over what Moses said to the people of Israel in Deuteronomy 4:9-10. Although Moses was addressing the Israelites, the principles are applicable to us too. The Israelites were specifically instructed to make known to their sons and grandsons the ways and deeds of God and they were to teach their children to remember and to honor the Lord God. Here we see the special responsibility of parents to communicate and to transmit the truths and teachings of God to their children and subsequent generations. Even for those who are not parents, the principles are still applicable as they have the responsibility and privilege to nurture and to help spiritual children regarding the ways of God. Those who are older and wiser in the Lord should help the younger and the more inexperienced to grow in their knowledge of God and His ways. In this manner, the responsibility of communication and transmission applies to all, parents and non-parents alike.

It is interesting to take note that in this passage in Deuteronomy, the first thing that was highlighted to the Israelites was for them to take care of their own lives and to keep their souls diligently. This must take precedence before there can be any process of transmission and communication. After all, what is it that one can transmit spiritually if there is no substance for any form of transmission? So it is that many Christian parents today for example may be concerned for their children's moral and spiritual development and yet, in terms of their own lives and spiritual reality, it is truly lacking. Many of God's children may be critical of other believers and may desire to help them to grow spiritually and yet, for their own lives, there is very little substance and stature for any meaningful communication and transmission of life. One needs to pay attention to one's own life and development first before proceeding to communicate and to transmit. One must be in a position to minister, otherwise, one has virtually nothing that is truly helpful spiritually and eternally to transmit and communicate. So as we look at the subject of transmission and communication, we must first take a look at the subject of giving priority to our own development. We must learn, grow and consolidate in order to be effective for the Lord. This is a continual process. Learning, growing and consolidating - they are taking place all the time and at the same time as we grow and learn, we are also communicating and transmitting.

Let us take a closer look at the subject of transmission. As we grow spiritually and continue to learn and to consolidate, we would then be in a position to transmit positive values and life. The process of transmission may go on even without words being uttered. The way we live our lives, our values and our responses may all be caught by others observing our lives. We would remember how the disciples asked the Lord Jesus to teach them to pray and in all probability, they must have observed the prayer life of the Lord which prompted them to desire to learn to pray. The Lord's prayer life affected them positively as they lived together with Him in close quarters. So it is for us too - we can affect others positively, especially those who are in a position to observe our lives closely. Such situations may take place in the context of family life, between parents and children and also in work and school situations, among colleagues and friends. It is helpful to take note that what we transmit should be an outflow from a life that is real and not just a front which we conveniently set up to impress. Putting up a front can cause serious damage in the long run, not just to the recipient but to the one who seeks to impress.

Ponder over what Paul told Timothy and Titus in 1 Timothy 4:11-12 and Titus 2:7-8. Basically, we ought to be good examples to those who believe in our words, our deeds and our actions. If we do that, then positive transmission would follow. Failure in any major area may result in our transmitting something which may actually stumble others. Many non-Christians have expressed their unwillingness to consider the gospel of the Lord Jesus primarily because of the negative example of one or more believers. To them, if being a Christian means being like this particular believer, then they would rather not consider Christianity. The key phrase in transmission is REALITY AND WHOLESOMENESS OF LIFE. There may be those who look at our lives and say - a Christian ought to be joyous and be at peace and yet they see so much anxiety in our lives. Then there are those who recognize that a Christian should be loving and caring and yet what they see in us basically is selfishness and self-centeredness. It is no wonder that they do not wish to be like us. What are we indeed transmitting in our lives? Of course, we are aware that there may be those who are stumbled by us even though our lives are generally wholesome. Even the Lord Jesus, who was the perfect man on earth, encountered various ones who claimed to be stumbled by Him. We are not referring to such categories but to situations where the stumbling is due to the failure of God's children.

What about the subject of communication? What do we communicate to others, particularly in these last days? Here of course, communication in general would mean more than just the words we utter and in some ways, communication and transmission overlap each other. But in this context, we would be looking basically at communication with regard to the words that we say. As the Lord provides opportunity, what do we communicate? Let us be careful that we do not go around communicating without wisdom and prudence. I remember clearly, when I was a student, how various ones in the university hostel shared with me that they were very put off by Christians who went around knocking on their doors at odd hours and rattling on insistently to them, like a robot, some standard Christian cliché they called the gospel, even though they were politely told that there was no interest to hear. To these hostelites, this so-called communication of the gospel was a nuisance and the Christians who did it were looked upon as insensitive and overbearing personalities. Some patients who were rather ill in hospital have also complained how they were very angry with Christians who kept coming and telling them that they were going to hell.

Here, we need to recognize that to a certain extent, the gospel message in itself can be offensive because of the truths contained in it; I am not advocating that we should not share the gospel but I am concerned as to the approach and manner of sharing and communicating. Certainly, we need much wisdom, prayerfulness and the Lord's guidance to communicate the gospel with love and with God's enabling.

What are we communicating as we share the gospel? What is the wholesome approach? Are we just collecting statistics or are we prayerfully looking to God to communicate LIFE? Do we depend on our method or on the Holy Spirit of God?

As God's children, what are we really transmitting and communicating in our lives?
"But we were gentle among you, even as a nurse cherisheth her children: So being affectionately desirous of you, we were willing to have imparted unto you, not the gospel of God only, but also our own souls, because ye were dear unto us." (1 Thessalonians 2:7-8).

We see here how Paul and his co-workers communicated the gospel. They imparted and transmitted not just the gospel but also their own lives. The lives transmitted were characterized by blamelessness, uprightness, holiness and tenderness, gentleness and sacrificial love. In contrast, what are we imparting in our words and in our lives? Are we taking our roles as salt of the earth and light of the world seriously? Are we indeed worthy ambassadors of the Lord Jesus?


Also read:  
Part 1 , Part 2 , Part 4 , Parts 5-6 , Parts 7-8
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Monday, July 23, 2012

A Declaration of Peace

by A.M. Kisly

The New World Order is a term used to describe the uniting of the world's superpowers to secure and maintain global peace, safety, and security. Synonymous with the term New World Order are the terms one world government, global governance, and globalization. All these terms are used interchangeably and at different times to communicate to different audiences. Make no mistake - they all basically mean the same thing.

From a Biblical perspective, the bible tells us that nations will conspire together to plot in vain against the Lord. While I believe there are some in government leadership that understand this, most don't. They are under the delusion that they can create "world peace" through a united one world government. However, their efforts will only further create chaos and war, and will usher in the anti-Christ's rule, and God's judgment.
Psalm 2:1-3...

"Why do the nations conspire and the peoples plot in vain? The kings of the earth rise up and the rulers band together against the LORD and against his anointed, saying, “Let us break their chains and throw off their shackles.”

It is my sincerest belief that we are living in the last days. Looking at all that is happening in the world, the growing concern of Islam's plans to conquer the world, Israel literally being abandoned by what few friends she has, politicians make false declarations in order to ratify there radical agendas, and news medias that are nothing more that propaganda machines to influence the masses. Folks, if I may, let me warn you not to believe everything you read and less of what you hear.

We all know how important it is to study the scriptures. There are many if give no credence to biblical prophecy and how it relates to the future of mankind. I've had many believers tell me that the study of biblical prophecy is of no importance to the Christian. I say it is vital that you study this part of scripture as well. Understanding what is taking place in our world with a biblical understanding, keeps our hearts from fainting, strengthens our faith, increases our prayer life, gives us an urgent desire to share the gospel, will keep us from falling into deception, and focuses our hearts as we watch and wait for the Lord to "catch us up" before judgement comes.

Editorial
From Israel My Glory July/August 2012 Edition foi.org


History has a nasty way of repeating itself. And it’s happened again. Those of us who remember 1938 recall Britain’s then Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain triumphantly waving a paper while disembarking from his flight home after meeting with Adolf Hitler. His declaration turned out to be a colossal show of naïveté.


“Peace in our time” were his words. He had made a deal with Hitler, trusting the Nazi fuehrer was a man who would keep his word to the Free World. The very next day, the Germans took Sudetenland; and history shredded Chamberlain’s paper, along with the delusion that wishes come true if one wishes hard enough.

In April, a senior U.S. State Department official stunned us by announcing, “The war on terror is over.” Sound familiar?

Furthermore, he was quoted in the National Journal as saying, “Now that we have killed most of al Qaida, now that people have come to see legitimate means of expression, people who once might have gone into al Qaida see an opportunity for a legitimate Islamism.”

Although the word terrorist has been expunged from America’s official description of bad guys, this declaration seemed more than a little much. The irony is that, as absurd as it may sound, it is no laughing matter. Nor can the comment be dignified as an expression of some new vision of American foreign policy that reads, “If you want to end war, just declare peace.”

Things don’t work that way. “Legitimate Islamism” does not exist, and merely coining the phrase does not altar reality for the millions of oppressed people living under the brutal dictates of Sharia law.

Try to sell the idea that terror has subsided to Christians in Sudan, under attack for weeks by Muslim extremists. A frenzied crowd of terrorists armed with clubs, iron rods, a bulldozer, and fire stormed a Christian compound in Khartoum in April, determined to destroy a Bible school, clinic, home for the elderly, classrooms, and living quarters.

In Jos, Nigeria, Christians were watching a soccer match in a television-viewing center when Islamic extremists threw an explosive into the crowd, killing one person and seriously injuring others. It was the second time in two weeks the Christian area had been bombed by terrorists.

These incidents are the tip of the iceberg. Islamic terror afflicts Africa, the Middle East, and numerous other spots around the globe. Ignoring or minimizing it or making bizarre statements like the State Department representative’s not only aids and abets the enemy, but is morally reprehensible and dangerous. In fact, such actions pacify people, making them complacent and unwilling to do anything to stop the ongoing war against those who want little more than to live peacefully and practice their faith in safe environment.

Of course, bomb-throwing, radical Islamists are more than happy to be labeled “legitimate Islam.” The terminology translates into cash and prestige within the international community. However, terminology changes nothing. The are fundamentalist Islamists.

And while the sycophantic West panders to their co-called desire for democracy, these Islamists continue to make war on everything un-Islamic in an attempt to establish a global caliphate with the as yet unrevealed 12th imam, or Mahdi, on the throne. After all, they believe their holy book teaches the Mahdi ultimately will lead the armies of Islam to victory over all non-Muslims

A fatal failure of secular analysis of the war on terror is its dismissal of religion as a central factor in the conflict. The fact is, if religion is removed from the picture, the true image is lost. Ask yourself a few simple questions:

(1) Why the relentless war on Christians across the Middle East and Africa?

(2) Why the obsession to destroy Israel?

(3) Why the demographic strategy to flood Europe with Muslim immigrants and create and Islamic continent?

(4) Why the rush to build ballistic missiles to reach Europe and America?

(5) Why the attempts to force Sharia law into countries and communities that are non-Muslim?
The issue is not land or a pluralistic world peace. It is world conquest by force and intimidation, and that reality will not change because the non-Muslims unilaterally declare peace.

The prophet Isaiah spoke of a future day when people “shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war anymore” (Isa. 2:4).

No premature, impulsive declaration will bring about that day. God alone will do it. And unfortunately, it is not today.

----------------------
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Sunday, July 22, 2012

The Roman Catholic Church - It's Dogmas and Destiny: Part 4

~ ~ By James Fire

We have gone over the dogmas of the Roman Catholic Church, witnessed its political and religious power throughout the ages and have examined the duality of such power in ancient Babylon as well. We now shall continue examining this duality within the political and religious spheres of power in the developing destiny of the one world order that will serve the coming one world leader, known as the Beast or more commonly, the anti-Christ.

Today there are numerous organizations whose purpose is the establishment of a one world government: there is –
- The Council on Foreign Relations  
- The Trilateral Commission
- The Club of Rome
- The Bilderberger Group
- The World Trade Organization
- The International Monetary Fund
- The United Nations and many, many others

Scripture speaks quite plainly about a one world government in the last days; we saw this already in the book of Daniel, chapters Two and Seven; here is another verse that speaks on this issue:

DANIEL 7: 7-8
7 After this I saw in the night visions, and behold a fourth beast, dreadful and terrible, and strong exceedingly; and it had great iron teeth: it devoured and brake in pieces, and stamped the residue with the feet of it: and it was diverse from all the beasts that were before it; and it had ten horns. 8 I considered the horns, and, behold, there came up among them another little horn, before whom there were three of the first horns plucked up by the roots: and, behold, in this horn were eyes like the eyes of man, and a mouth speaking great things
.


And from Revelation:

REVELATION 13: 4-8
4 And they worshipped the dragon which gave power unto the beast: and they worshipped the beast, saying, Who is like unto the beast? who is able to make war with him? 5 And there was given unto him a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies; and power was given unto him to continue forty and two months. 6 And he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme his name, and his tabernacle, and them that dwell in heaven. 7 And it was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them: and power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations. 8 And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world
.


What’s interesting is that in the vision of the Apostle John, it’s the Woman, this False, Global Religious System that seems to be in charge of the Political System of ‘the Beast’ just as we saw at the very beginning with Nimrod and Semiramis where the religion of Babel was the real power, governing the political system.

Do we see this same concept for today’s agenda in establishing a one world government? Yes we do!

H.G. Wells, famous 19th century novelist (War of the Worlds, The Invisible Man and others) also wrote non-fiction books with titles such as The New World Order; The Open Conspiracy: Blueprints for a World Revolution, and others). Wells was a Fabian Socialist whose secret organization was determined to establish a one world government.

In "The Open Conspiracy: Blue Prints for a World Revolution," Wells writes:

"The political world of the... Open Conspiracy must weaken, efface, incorporate and supersede existing governments... The Open Conspiracy is the natural inheritor of socialist and communist enthusiasms; it may be in control of Moscow before it is in control of New York... The character of the Open Conspiracy will now be plainly displayed... It will be a world religion."

Wells understood that a belief in a one world government would have to be religious in nature, there would have to be a coming one world religion.

All the religions of the world would have to begin to dialogue, to work together, to pray together, and to form a unity that will eventually merge into a single religion of the world, for the world. Do we see any of this happening? Yes, we do! It’s called ECUMENISM – a movement that promotes unity among world religions.

World Day of Prayer for Peace
“Pope John Paul II organized the first World Day of Prayer for Peace in Assisi, Italy, on October 27, 1986. In all there were 160 religious leaders spending the day together with fasting and praying to their God or Gods. They represented 32 Christian religious organizations and 11 other non-Christian world religions, including:

• Christian religions and organizations:
o Roman Catholic Church
o Greek Orthodox Church
o Russian Orthodox Church
o World Council of Churches (An Ecumenical group sponsored largely by the Roman Catholic Church).
o World YWCA & YMCA
o Friends World Committee for Consultation(Quakers)
o Mennonite World Conference
o Baptist World Allianceo Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)
o World Alliance of Reformed Churcheso Lutheran World Federation
o Anglican Communion
o … and other denominations and religions such as:

• Hinduism, Sikhism, Buddhism, Judaism, Islam, African and North American animists, Shintoism, Zoroastrianism, Baha’I and some others.

“In 1993, (as in 1986) John Paul II repeated what he was committed to: 12 'Faiths' Represented in Day of Prayer …and invited leaders of the Christian, Muslim, Jewish and other religions.
And on January 24, 2002, he organized another World Day of Prayer for Peace, again in Assisi. Some 200 other religious leaders were present…

“Meeting of the participants of the fourth World Day of Prayer for Peace in Assisi, on Oct 27, 2011 Pope John Paul II's successor and former aide, Pope Benedict XVI will travel to Assisi on Thursday, October 27, 2011 for an ecumenical discussion to commemorate the 1986 meeting, but there will be no single interdenominational prayer service…”

The Spirituality of the UNITED NATIONS?

If you understand anything about the United Nations, then you must also understand its religious/ spiritual perspective and objectives, even in its founding, for a global unity among all religions, and even the formation of a one world religion; based upon the perspectives of Alice Bailey, a leader in the Theosophical Society. Robert Muller, the former Under Secretary for the U.N. was an avid reader of Alice Bailey and had Occult beliefs himself; he also incorporated much of Alice Bailey’s teachings in his own WORLD CORE CURRICULUM which is the basis for our current Public School System here in America!


Bailey was an occultist that channeled by a spirit guide over 25 books, including The Externalization of the Hierarchy in which she describes:

The church of Jesus Christ as being useful in establishing a one world government and religion, but not in its present form. The church would have to be changed from within in order to serve the purpose of the one world order which will serve and worship the coming one (false Christ “Lord Matreiya” known in Scripture as the Beast, the anti-Christ) when he arrives.

She was the founder of what we know as the NEW AGE MOVEMENT, and many of her organizations (such as LUCIS TRUST; formerly known as the LUCIFER PUBLISHING Company!), are sponsored and funded by the U.N. which itself receives considerable funding from U.S. tax dollars; the U.N. is working to establish a world tax where every nation will be forced to pay money to fund its purposes.

Do we see the church of Jesus Christ being changed from what the LORD JESUS intended into something different, even opposing Scripture? Yes, we do!

The EMERGENT CHURCH MOVEMENT –

Again, there isn’t enough time to go into everything that the Emergent Church teaches and represents either, so we will have to highlight some crucial points. If you want to know more about this movement, its origins and beliefs, I recommend you read the following book by Roger Oakland: FAITH UNDONE

For a very comprehensive list of articles and videos about the EMERGENT CHURCH, go to the following links:

Satan, the First Postmodernist by Sandy Simpson of Deception in the Church Ministries

Lighthouse Trails ministries (go to the left hand side bar and find the “emergent church” button and click).

What does the Emergent Church Movement believe? 

Not all members and followers of this movement believe the same things, or believe the same things to the same degree. Some followers are only dabbling in Emergent dogma, others are entirely devoted to them.

Breaking it down as simply as possible, they see the Bible as inspired of God but only in a very broad, general sense, and that God’s Word continues to be revealed in the telling of stories today in the same way that stories were shared by the writers of the Bible and in shared spiritual experiences. They question the idea of absolute truth and renounce any that believe they possess the absolute truth as revealed in the Scriptures as being arrogant, biased, and unlearned. Basically they have a low view of the Bible.

Emergent Followers also place a high priority on experiential spirituality that involve mystical practices (we’ll address this soon) and like the idea of placing in their meeting rooms or sanctuaries such things as candles, incense, statues (icons), making the sign of the cross over themselves, low light environment, even stations of the Cross; some place meditation labyrinths just outside of their buildings for people to walk through. They have a desire for a more sensual religious experience rather than teachings from the Word of God.

Some Emergent followers express not just an interest in but a certain devotion to Mary, the ‘Mother of God’. For a video on this, please watch this presentation on youtube MESSAGES FROM HEAVEN (1 hr. 27 mins).

You will see in this documentary how visions of Mary appearing all over the world are persuading people to believe in her and in the coming new world order. This documentary states that more visions of Mary have appeared in the 20th century than the previous three centuries combined!

At the same time, one Emergent Church leader in a radio interview, Brian McLaren, went on record as saying that he would place Jesus on the same high level as Martin Luther King or Gandhi!
So they have a lower view of Jesus, calling Him: Master, Teacher, Leader, even ‘Coach’ but seldom or never as LORD or GOD made flesh.

They talk about “the way of Jesus” but not Jesus as “THE Way, THE Truth, and THE Life” by Him alone we come to the Father (JOHN 14:6) and believe he is a good role model that anyone can follow (without being born again; JOHN 3:3,5), even people of other religions and not convert to Christianity.

Also, the reading of very old books written by authors like Thomas A. Kempis, Meister Eckhart, Teresa of Avila, John of the Cross, Thomas Aquinas and other more modern authors like Thomas Merton, Brennan Manning, Henri Nouwen, Richard Foster, Gary Thomas and others. With the exception of the last two names, all the rest are Catholics and they all are practitioners of mysticism.

Incidentally, Rick Warren, author of The Purpose Driven Life and The Purpose Driven Church endorses many of these writers and encourages something he calls “breathe prayers” which is related to mystical meditation.

The Emergent Church talks about how we have lost vital spirituality and have become dry and barren, basing our faith solely on the writings of an old Book that doesn’t have the answers for today’s postmodern generation; that we need to get back to “Vintage Christianity” and “Ancient-Future Faith”. What they are referring to are practices and beliefs as found in the Catholic Church!

* There is a lot of information about these men, their beliefs and practices, and what they think the direction of the church should be. I have published several articles about this on The RED PILL CONSORTIUM:

Ancient Future 'Christianity'?
Beware of Prayer of the Contemplative Kind
Global Glue of a Unified Spirituality
Emergent Church” apologetic resources to find links to almost every article I’ve written.

* Two articles you might also be interested in from my other blog: FROM The MIND of FIRE that deal with these issues can be found if you go to its search engine and type in these phrases:

Triumphant Trojan
Holy Relics

What these Emergent Church leaders seem to be promoting are the same kinds of things we see in the Roman Catholic Church.
In fact it is the belief of many, such as Roger Oakland (and myself) that the entire Emergent Church Movement is really a secret, covert effort of the Roman Catholic Church to draw Protestants, Evangelicals, Fundamentalists and Independent Churches (what the RCC calls their “separated brethren”) back into the Roman Catholic Church which itself is the Institution prophesied as the Mother of Harlots, and BABYLON and MYSTERY.

The primary means for the RCC to perform this monumental task is the Order of the Jesuits founded by Ignatius of Loyola that not only exists today, but has infiltrated many of our own Christian institutions, denominations and churches. Many Emergents are friendly with and associate freely with Jesuits.

For more on this, look at KNOW YOUR ENEMY, parts 33, 34, 35, 36 and 37 on the history, motives, oaths and plans of the Jesuit Order produced by The FUEL PROJECT.

Also from: The RED PILL CONSORTIUM you can read an article about this Beware Jesuit Infiltration to read the article.

"PEACE, PEACE WHEN THERE IS NO PEACE..."

There is an organization here in the United States called The PEACE ALLIANCE; they are lobbying the Federal Government to become an official, Cabinet level division within our country as The DEPARTMENT of PEACE.

Its leaders: Marianne Willliamson, Neale Donald Walsh, and leading member Barbara Marx Hubbard are all NEW AGERS! With Federal funding and official backing by our government, they will be able to enforce their laws upon every religious body, organization and church.

Basically, no religion will be able to claim exclusive truth that will make them distinct, unique and different from any other religion. No exclusive claims will be allowed regarding any religious book as the only Divinely Inspired Revelation of Truth from God, no religion will be tolerated that states that their religious Founder was superior or supreme to any other religion’s Founder, such as the claim that Jesus is God Incarnate and uniquely the only begotten Son of God!
Any such religious body that makes exclusive claims, under the DEPARTMENT of PEACE will have sanctions placed upon them, perhaps even monetary fines or the removal of the church’s tax exempt status, or worse. This Department will enforce an ECUMENISM that will promote unity among religions! Again, here we see religious and political power merging!

* To read more about this look at the following two articles found on The TRUTH Under FIRE web site:

DEPARTMENT of PEACE

FALSE CHRIST - Part 1 of 3

A MYSTERY UNCOVERED –

There are two central MYSTERIES as found in the Roman Catholic Church:

One is the HOLY EUCHARIST in which the mystical Presence of Christ is supposedly incarnated into the bread and wine offered up during the Mass. How this can actually transpire is a ‘MYSTERY’ that the Roman Church claims cannot be understood (and is entirely unbiblical as we saw last month). Eucharistic Evangelism is being heavily promoted by the RCC and many Protestants, even Evangelicals and Fundamentalists (so-called) are beginning to endorse and even participate in the Eucharist. Healings and miracles during the Mass when the Eucharistic Host is presented and worshipped as Jesus Christ have been reported.

The other Mystery that is not so well known, but is making a come back under the guise of “Vintage Christianity” and “Ancient-Future Faith” is Contemplative Prayer, also known as contemplative spirituality, centering prayer, breathe prayer and the Spiritual Formation Movement. The Catholic writers previously mentioned, and highly recommended by EMERGENT LEADERS were all practitioners of Contemplative Spirituality and Contemplative Prayer.

The LORD Jesus stated in –

MATTHEW 6:7-8a:
7 But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking.
8 Be not ye therefore like unto them…


“Vain repetitions” is from the Greek word, battologeo, meaning “to stammer, to stutter, to speak tediously, to repeat idly; it denotes meaningless and mechanically repetitious phrases. A practice of pagan, not Jewish [and certainly not true Christian] prayer.

Contemplative Prayer is neither contemplative nor is it prayer; it’s a practice developed by who are known as the Catholic Desert Fathers, who borrowed from Eastern meditation techniques found in Hinduism and Buddhism and simply dressed it up in ‘Christian’ (Catholic) clothes. A word or phrase is selected like “Glory of God” or “Jesus” and this is repeated over and over again, just like a Hindu meditation mantra (“Oooommm!”) until an altered state of consciousness is achieved, and once this is so, you can expect to receive ‘messages from God’.

Yet to contemplate is to “think with concentrated effort” like in meditating upon God’s Word – you are thinking intently on the meaning of the Scripture, filling – not emptying your mind; and prayer is simply communicating to God; but in contemplative prayer one does not contemplate nor does one communicate anything to God. Imagine someone calling you on the phone and all they did is repeat the word “steam” over and over again. What communication has been achieved by this? Nothing.

In reality, contemplative prayer’s purpose is to alter your state of consciousness in the very same way that Eastern meditation does or various hallucinogenic drugs will do. The alarming fact of the matter is that once you bring yourself to an altered state by any of these means, you are actually opening yourself up to demonic influence and potential demonic possession and seduction.

It’s been thoroughly documented in many books, such as A TIME of DEPARTING by RAY YUNGEN that any professing Christian that has engaged in contemplative prayer has had their spiritual convictions changed from a Biblical view, to a New Age/Ecumenical/Eastern Religion/Pagan-witch-Mother Earth Worship view.

**For more on this seductive mysticism that is finding greater and deeper inroads into evangelical Christianity, please listen to Paul Flynn's podomatic broadcast of Megiddo Radio's presentation of Catholicism, Mysticism and Evangelicals.**

Such was the case with Sue Monk Kidd, a once conservative Baptist [who] found the "secret" in contemplative prayer and has now become a strong proponent of contemplative spirituality and a practitioner of New Age/Wicca (witch) beliefs and written many books on this subject.

Incidentally, Eugene Peterson, creator of The MESSAGE BIBLE, has endorsed her more recent book, WHEN the HEART WAITS. Kidd now believes in panentheism, or that “all is God” – everything from the “rust on the iron gate outside of her house” to the dog doo-doo in her backyard, to the rainbow and clouds and stars in the sky, to the earth itself . . . and all humans including herself, of course.

Did you know that in every major religion there is a mystical meditation practice? Of course Hindus and Buddhists and other Oriental disciplines have practiced meditation for millennia; but in Islam there are the Sufis that also practice meditation very similar to Contemplative prayer (Thomas Merton, Roman Catholic priest and contemplative advocate has had interaction with Sufi’s and admired their spirituality and claimed to be “a Sufi at heart”).
Native American shamans have their vision quests, witches practice meditation and can achieve an altered state of consciousness just as with those that practice Transcendental Meditation, Kundalini Yoga or just Yoga.

Every advocate and practitioner, no matter what their religion, end up adhering to the same basic belief that we are all part of God, that we are in some way God and all of creation is God.

I personally believe that contemplative and meditation practices is what’s going to be the global glue that seduces, deceives and conforms the members of all religions towards a spiritual unity that will incorporate the One World Religion or the MOTHER of HARLOTS.

We are certainly living in days of deception, and as it states in: 

1 TIMOTHY 4:1 
“in the latter times some shall depart from the faith and giving heed to seducing spirits and doctrines of demons” – and we see such seduction and doctrines from the teachings of Alice Bailey, Marriane Williamsen, Neale Donald Walsh, Thomas Merton and these others like Richard Foster and Sue Monk Kidd.

I believe that this one world religious and political system will gain momentum and power as we get nearer to the coming of Jesus Christ, and that there will be unity among all the people of this world except for: biblical Christians.

We will stand apart; we must stand apart for the sake of the Truth found ONLY in the HOLY BIBLE, for the sake of remaining faithful to our LORD JESUS CHRIST Who ALONE can bring salvation to lost souls. And if this DEPARTMENT of PEACE comes into being, then we here in America will in all likelihood experience persecution and perhaps even imprisonment!

Yet I also believe that in such an hour as that, the LORD will shower such grace, powerful enough to stand strong and faithful and not deny His Name or His Word! May we keep our eyes open to further developments and if we feel we are not spiritually ready to endure such a time, then to get ready, because I personally believe that such a time is sooner than we think!
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Saturday, July 21, 2012

The Roman Catholic Church - It's Dogmas and Destiny: Part 3



~ ~ By James Fire


Last time we covered an apologetic of the Roman Catholic Church, revealing by Scripture that their practices and doctrines are unbiblical. We continue now with a review of the Roman Catholic Church in light of its current course in our present time, and where it’s leading in the prophetic future.

We will also cover a little of the history of this religious institution, some of its beliefs and practices and how this religion relates to other religions as a leading force in our world today (ecumenism) and what the Emergent Church Movement has to do with it.

HISTORY of the ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH –

This religion (which claims to be not merely one denomination among the many other Christian denominations, but the one ‘true church’) is unique in its history because it became not only a religious system, but a political system as well (this union of religious and political power is important and will be discussed a bit later), complete with a huge economy and even a military force; as well as this, for much of the Dark and Middle Ages it reigned over the many European nations and the Popes were self-proclaimed Vicars (from the Latin, vicarious “one who stands in the place”) of Christ, and KINGS over all other Kings:
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Wednesday, July 18, 2012

LIVING IN THE LAST DAYS SERIES - Part 2


by A.M. Kisly

* This series is used with permission by the writer, QUEK KOH CHOON.

Part 2
WHAT IS THE BASIS UPON WHICH WE RESPOND IN LIFE?

Before we get started with this next part, I wanted to make a point with regard to the title of this series, "Living In The Last Days". As believers, how we live in the last days is really no different than how a believer ought to live any other day of his or her life. We are called to live exactly the same during the End Times as during every single, normal day of our life. The only difference being, that we are more aware of the hour in which we live and we are to be watching and waiting for the Lord's return.
And what I say unto you I say unto all, Watch!(Mark 13:37).
If the Lord’s return is imminent as the Bible states, then the Rapture is about to take place. God’s Word repeatedly exhorts us to, "Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come. (Matthew 24:42). Scripture also tells us that we are to be “looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ” (Titus2:13).

As we watch and wait, we are to make sure that we are ready (live continuously in readiness for the Lord’s coming) when He comes, and to be aware that there are still many souls that need to be reached with the Gospel.  May the Lord use each of us to reach out to the lost and share with them the blessed hope we have in Jesus Christ.

As they say, time is of the essence! Now is the day of salvation...tomorrow may be too late!

We are to remain faithful and obedient to God’s Word ALWAYS no matter what difficult things lie ahead. As we walk closely with the Lord in the course of everyday life, we will be enabled by His Spirit to remain faithful during the increasingly turbulent Last Days.

This series teaches us how we ought to be living....especially in the last days!  Let's get started!

The question we will focus on next is "What is the basis upon which we respond in life?" As we live as God's children and serve Him in this dramatic age, we need to be clear as to what is the basis upon which we react and respond in the changing circumstances of life. If our basis and understanding are vague and uncertain, then it will come as no surprise if we were to respond just like the children of this world and age. It is important, therefore, for us to take note of our basis and even more so, to be able to make decisions upon this basis in reality.

The first aspect of this basis is the proper perspective of life in general. The Lord Jesus introduced this principle in Matthew 6:26-34. Notice in particular what the Lord said, "…Look at the birds of the air… Observe how the lilies of the field grow…” As we observe and ponder upon the meaning of the Lord's words, we should be able to recognize the proper perspective we need to take in life.

The birds of the air need not sow nor reap and yet God provides food for them. The lilies of the field do not toil nor spin and yet they are so beautifully clothed in all their splendor. When compared to birds of the air and the grass of the fields, surely we are more valuable than them in the eyes of the Lord! And yet, God's children often worry about many of the things of life like food, clothing and the likes, forgetting what should be the right and proper perspective. In the midst of all these anxieties, we forget our priority - that is, to acknowledge that God and His kingdom should be first in our lives. We allow many other things to crowd our minds and our hearts such that we spend our energy and exercise our focus on areas which may be legitimate from a human point of view, but they drain us of what really matters in the eyes of God.

Sometimes, in life, we need certain circumstances to jolt us into the right frame of mind and into a situation where we are able to see clearly with the proper perspective. The Gulf War in 1990 reveals many stories of those who escaped from Kuwait with only their personal belongings and their lives, leaving behind homes, luxurious cars and other assets. Almost without exception, all of them shared how grateful they were to be alive despite their many material losses. They were prepared to exchange all these in order to live to see another day. In such circumstances, many realize that life is more important than personal and material assets. Yet, in daily living, under ordinary circumstances, many individuals, including God's children, pursue material success, often at a cost to their own lives, incurring mental stress, ill-health and sacrificing meaningful relationships. The plight of the Kurdish refugees from Iraq reveals tales of suffering and hunger. Countless children died from malnutrition and diseases. Women collected snow for drinking water and many were unsure of the next meal. However, many parents today, including God's people, worry that their children are too thin or underweight or they become rather anxious about their children's academic performance and the fact that other children are doing better in so many other ways. For the Kurdish mother, survival was the matter at hand; all these other factors did not concern her at that point of time.

The various examples raised reveal situations in which individuals realized that life itself and relationship are more important than many other pursuits of life. Often, it requires situations like these for us to realize this. As children of God, we know that our lives with God should be the first priority in our lives. The Lord Jesus Himself said, "What does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his soul?" (Mark 8:36). Yet, in daily outworking, somehow, we lose sight of this priority. Many 'nitty gritties' of life become so very important to us. We worry about many issues of life which lose their significance when we are face to face with death and when we need to give an account of our lives to God. We do not need such circumstances described earlier to help us to have the proper perspective in life. We can learn from the situation of others and from the happenings around us. The Lord Jesus said, "Look at the birds of the air…Observe how the lilies of the field grow…" Let us observe the circumstances and happenings in the world around us; let us ponder over the lives of those we know who have taken the wrong path and priorities in life, and let us learn well.

Notice the warning in Luke 17:26-30 for us living in the last days. People in Noah's time and in Lot's time were involved in activities which were legitimate. Eating, drinking, marrying, buying, selling, planting and building are activities which are common in society. However, these people were so engrossed in these activities that they lost the proper perspective in life. They were not ready when judgment came and they did not escape the wrath of God. So it will be too when the Son of Man is revealed. If we immerse ourselves in many of these activities to the detriment of our spiritual health and lives, then we are indeed foolish! We will find ourselves not ready when the Lord Jesus comes again. It will come as a surprise and a shock to us to realize how much we have wandered away from what is really important from God's point of view.

If we do maintain the proper perspective of life in general, then certain things should follow. Firstly, there ought to be the spirit of gratefulness as well as the consciousness to count our blessings. Even simple things God gives can be deeply appreciated. Instead of complaining about many things we do not have in life and many areas we cannot achieve, we become more aware of God's goodness in the many things He has bestowed upon us. The Apostle Paul stated that he knew how to get along with humble means, and also how to live in prosperity. This would also become a reality in our lives eventually. Related to this is the spirit of godliness with contentment as written in 1 Timothy 6:6-8. We learn to be contented in God and in what He provides. Such a spirit frees us from discouragement and depression. Instead we begin to learn to enjoy each day with God and to enjoy God Himself in our lives. Various happenings can be looked upon from God's point of view and they no longer need to trouble us. That does not mean we become indifferent and complacent. We still need to strive with God's enabling in our lives and to exercise discipline in the pursuit of godliness. However, there is that freedom of not being affected by many issues in the way that the people of the world are affected. Do we indeed see such a life among God's people today? Is there consistent gratefulness and contentment in a world where so many clamour for more and so many grumble and complain about their state of affairs?

We go on now to see another aspect of the basis upon which we should respond in life, and that is the consciousness and awareness of the eternal. As God's people, we should realize this fully in our daily living. The apostle Peter in 2 Peter 3:10-14 made it clear to us what would be the end of the earth we live in. The elements will be destroyed and the earth and its works will be burned up - nothing will remain. He who is wise would not invest his life and energy in that which will not remain. Instead, the faithful child of God is looking for new heavens and a new earth, an eternal inheritance that will not fade away and his life is lived with the focus on eternal issues. We also see this highlighted for us by the apostle Paul in 2 Corinthians 5:1-8. Notice particularly the contrast between the temporal and the eternal. God's children should be fully aware of the eternal home that awaits them and the way they live their lives here on earth should reflect the recognition of the temporal here on earth and the eternal that is to come.

"But this I say, brethren, the time is short: it remaineth, that both they that have wives be as though they had none; And they that weep, as though they wept not; and they that rejoice, as though they rejoiced not; and they that buy, as though they possessed not; And they that use this world, as not abusing it: for the fashion of this world passeth away." (1 Corinthians 7:29-31).
"The time has been shortened" and "the form of this world is passing away" indicate to us the context of the last days. And in the last days, there should be this form of emphasis, living as it were, with a healthy detachment - being in the world and yet not of the world.

Let us look at the various areas closely. "Those who have wives should be as though they had none"- what does Paul mean by this? Was he advocating that husbands should not care for their wives and their marriage? That cannot be the case. In Ephesians 5 for instance, Paul encouraged husbands to love their wives just as Christ also loves the church. Paul was actually indicating to Christians to have a healthy detachment in marriage. There should be love and concern for the spouse in marriage but one should not be so taken up in marriage in a negative sense such that one becomes preoccupied with the affairs of marriage at the expense of faithfulness to God.

There is definitely a tendency in marriage for the husband to please the wife and the wife to please the husband to a point that it is very easy to allow this to jeopardize our undistracted devotion to God. In other words, marriage and the affairs of marriage, which include children and family, can cause us to forget our priorities and our relationship with God. This is something very real indeed and we must take note of it.

I remember interacting with some Christians who were rather enthusiastic for the Lord in their younger days but subsequently they lost their zeal after marriage and being involved in raising a family. They found themselves so immersed in the affairs of marriage and family that they had no time for God and the things that matter to God. Many of them sought to console themselves that when things become more settled down they would go back to serving God and walking with Him. Yet, almost every one of them did not come back at all!

What about "those who weep, as though they did not weep and those who rejoice, as though they did not rejoice"? Is the apostle Paul someone who was against emotion and the display of it? No, it was the same Paul who wept for those who turned away from the Lord and it was the same apostle who rejoiced, even in his sufferings and imprisonment. Emotions are not meant to rule us and to determine the course and actions in our lives. Emotions need to be healthily subjected to God and to proper outworking of the Christian life. Worldly sorrow produces death as contrasted to godly sorrow which leads to repentance (see 2 Corinthians 7:9-10). If we are not careful, we can be so overwhelmed with grief that we cannot carry on properly for God. 

 
I remember an elderly Christian sister with such a problem. Her husband passed away rather suddenly and she was clearly overwhelmed with sorrow and grief. This affected her not just for a few weeks but for months and years. Each time she talked about her husband, she would break into tears so much so that her own children could not bear with the situation. Initially, they empathized with her but later on they found it unbearable and they even became angry and upset with her. It was only through much counseling, prayer and medication that she finally got out of the situation.

We must not allow worldly sorrow to cripple us to the point that we become a casualty in spiritual warfare. On the other hand, we must also be careful not to be so carried away with worldly joy and be overcome by it that we become careless and frivolous. In such a state, we would be lowering our guard and vigilance and we can certainly be easy targets for the evil one to manipulate. There ought to be a healthy detachment in the realm of emotion, not allowing sorrow or joy to affect us in such a manner that we lose sight of our responsibilities before God. This does not mean that we become emotionless and cold. Instead, we become more wholesome and more able to regulate our emotions in the direction of honoring God and pleasing Him.

"Those who buy as though they did not possess and those who use the world as though they did not make full use of it, for the form of this world is passing away" - what did the apostle Paul mean by this statement? Let us remember that whatever it is, be it business, career, education, wealth, status and the possessions in life, it will not last; it is passing away. Let us not get unhealthily involved with them. As children of God, are we easily affected by work situations, examination results, opinion of others and developments that affect our material possessions and wealth? Do all these things grip us in an unhealthy manner to an extent that we are no longer able to concentrate on issues that are eternal and good? Let us learn to cultivate a healthy detachment in all these areas of life. This does not mean that we become irresponsible and unreliable in them. On the contrary, we can be responsible and dependable, yet without being affected in such a way that it hampers us from being truly effective for God. A wholesome, healthy detachment would in fact help us to enjoy true freedom in the Lord in living out our lives here on earth, being able to use the things of the world for God and yet not being controlled and gripped by them. It is in fact living in the temporal realm, with our eyes on the eternal.

The consciousness and awareness of the eternal would help us in our response towards sufferings and pain. In Romans 8:17-23 and 2 Corinthians 4:16-18, we see how the apostle Paul looked at the subject of suffering, affliction and pain. He sincerely believed that the sufferings on earth could not be compared to the eternal weight of glory that will belong to those who are faithful. He also saw that the sufferings actually contribute to the preparation for the future if God's people know how to respond. When God's children go through sufferings with the right attitude, their faith is strengthened and their character is molded (see James 1:2-4). Hence, sufferings and afflictions did not bring along discouragement to the apostle Paul. His consciousness of the eternal caused him to see beyond the sufferings and pain to the glory that is to come for those who remain faithful and true to God. How different this is for many of God's children today! In the midst of suffering and pain, very few manage to look beyond the present. More often than not, we get so worked up with what is happening to our lives that we fail to see the relevance of the eternal and the heavenly. Despair, disillusionment and discouragement often set in, and spiritually God's people become defeated and broken in the midst of spiritual warfare.

The appreciation of the eternal should also cause us to persevere in our Christian walk and service despite various pressures and difficulties. Let us always remember that our labour and toil is not vain in the Lord (see 1 Corinthians 15:58). We see Paul the apostle himself making a declaration in Acts 20:24 that he did not consider his life of any account as dear to himself, so that he may finish his course and ministry which he received from the Lord. Paul saw the relevance and significance of his ministry in the context of the eternal consequences and he was prepared to sacrifice his own life in order to finish what God had entrusted to him. It is interesting to note that in the context of 1 Corinthians 15, the subject of death was also mentioned. In verses 53-57, Paul shared about what will take place - the perishable must put on the imperishable and the mortal must put on immortality and death would lose its victory and its sting. No longer do God's children need to fear the unknown and the uncertainty in what comes after death. In Christ Jesus, there should be no fear of death; victory is secure and the certainty of the eternal in God is as sure as God is faithful. What is the degree of consciousness of the eternal among God's people today? Do we respond to situations in life with the deep consciousness of the eternal or do we just live for the present with the concern for what we can get out of life for today? The life of victory and perseverance depends a great deal on the answers to these questions.

We take a brief look now at the third aspect of the basis upon which we should respond in life. This has to do with a lively fellowship and oneness with God. Oftentimes, God's people respond badly to situations because of the poor quality of this oneness with God in their lives. For such ones, fellowship with God and oneness with Him only border on the external and superficial. This is indeed a very big subject but we would just highlight a few points in the Apostle Paul's life to illustrate how a deep oneness with God can be so helpful in maintaining a healthy response to various and diverse situations of life. In 1 Corinthians 4:3-5, Paul made it clear that what really mattered to him was God's opinion and judgment and not men's opinion or even his own opinion. Paul was confident of his stand before God arising from his deep oneness with God. As such, the judgment of others and the opinion of others regarding his life did not affect him in the way that many others would be affected. In the context of his epistles to the Corinthian Christians, the apostle was more concerned for the purity of the gospel and for the kingdom of God. He was not so much seeking to defend himself per se but to protect and uphold the gospel of the Lord Jesus. How different Paul was from so many others! Many of God's children may outwardly profess concern for God's kingdom but in reality, they are easily affected by the opinion and words of others! It is very important that we honestly evaluate our lives on this count. Let us not allow ourselves to respond to situations and others because of the concern for what others might say. We need to ensure that what matters is how the Lord looks at the situation. In this respect, we see Paul stating an important principle in Acts 24:16. He endeavored always to keep a clear conscience, first of all towards God and then towards men. There is certainly a place not to cause others to misunderstand us unnecessarily; however, when we have done our best to ensure that, then we ought to entrust the situation to the Lord, maintaining a clear conscience before Him and before men in general.

If we can do this consistently, then we would appreciate what Paul wrote in Philippians 4:6-7. Paul's deep oneness with the Lord enabled him to experience the wonderful peace of God in his life. So whether it be pain, imprisonment, persecution or misunderstanding, his response was one free from anxiety, with his heart and mind centered on the Lord and the peace of God reigning in his life.

It would, of course, take time to cultivate oneness with God in our lives. But we need to pursue it consistently and look to God for His grace. As we serve the Lord in these last days, let us be conscious of our proper perspective in life and of the eternal realm. Let us also nurture oneness with the Lord to the point that we can truly respond wholesomely whatever the circumstances may be.


See also:  

THE RIGHT PERSPECTIVE IN THE LAST DAYS - LIVING IN THE LAST DAYS SERIES - Part 1
Part 3 , Part 4 , Parts 5-6 , Parts 7-8

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The Roman Catholic Church - It's Dogmas and Destiny: Part 2





~~ By James Fire

We've already begun this series and have dealt with two of the four primary dogmas of the Roman Catholic Church as codified in the Seven Sacraments.

We're only dealing with the first four because they are central and pertinent to all Roman Catholics and are foundational to their belief system. Thus far, we have treated Water Baptism and the Holy Confession. We will now move on to the other two primary Sacraments, those being Holy Communion or Eucharist and Holy Confirmation.

Once completed we will address a couple other dogmas and then move onto the second half of this series, dealing with the Roman Catholic Church and it's role in the world as prophecy portrays in the last days, with a one world religion in conjunction with and at least initially in control of a one world government, and the many factors today that are leading us in that direction.

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Tuesday, July 17, 2012

The Roman Catholic Church - It's Dogmas and Destiny: Part 1








By James Fire

The following series is compiled from two different teachings given at church; their respective titles are: Biblical Christianity vs. Roman Catholicism (given last month, and more recently:) The Roman Catholic Church, Mysticism and the Emergent Connection to a One World Religion.

Once again, we must remind ourselves why we are here: we are not here to disparage, to ridicule, to put down or to bash religions; we are here for truth and to expose falsehoods where ever they may be.
In order to know what is true and what is false, you must know what the truth is.

The truth is the standard by which all statements, beliefs, doctrines, practices are measured against in estimating their truthfulness or falseness. This is the essence of discernment, or the ability to judge right from wrong, truth from deceptions.

Charles Spurgeon once said:

Discernment is not knowing the difference between what is true and what is false; rather it is knowing the difference between what is true and what is almost-true.”
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