Last night I saw a homeland security report (www.homelandsecurityus.com) saying that instructions for a jihadist attack against America and the wider world the Tuesday following Ramadan… so the article inferred October 7th 2008.
The text addressing the nature, location and timing of the planned attack, although specific to the U.S., appears otherwise ambiguous. For instance, the timing appears to focus on the Tuesday following the end of Ramadan, which would be October 7, 2008. The nature of the attack is less clear. Although the author appears to talk about a strike greater in magnitude than the 9/11 attacks and makes reference to the possibility of it being nuclear in nature, the text references to the nuclear aspect of the attack appear somewhat muddled.
It’s scary, but I believe that the LORD’s patience with us as a nation has run out. I think it’s interesting, an article I saw once described America, being the only nation based on God’s word, other than the Jews… should suffer the same fate as the Jews. The Jews forsook God’s covenant, and he brought against them the Babylonians. We have done the same thing, in our wealth and prosperity, we have grown proud and denied the LORD. Now he is bringing against us the same people.
Jeremiah 22:5-9 5 "But if you will not obey these words, I swear by Myself," declares the LORD, "that this house will become a desolation."'" 6 For thus says the LORD concerning the house of the king of Judah: "You are like Gilead to Me, Like the summit of Lebanon; Yet most assuredly I will make you like a wilderness, Like cities which are not inhabited. 7 "For I will set apart destroyers against you, Each with his weapons; And they will cut down your choicest cedars And throw them on the fire. 8 "Many nations will pass by this city; and they will say to one another, 'Why has the LORD done thus to this great city?' 9 "Then they will 1answer, 'Because they forsook the covenant of the LORD their God and bowed down to other gods and served them.'"
Jeremiah 25:9 9 behold, I will send and take all the families of the north,' declares the LORD, 'and I will send to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, My servant, and will bring them against this land and against its inhabitants and against all these nations round about; and I will 1utterly destroy them and make them a horror and a hissing, and an everlasting desolation.
In God's wrath on our nation, which so deserves it, let us pray He remembers mercy.
Habakkuk 3:2 LORD, I have heard the report about You and I fear. O LORD, revive Your work in the midst of the years, In the midst of the years make it known; In wrath remember mercy.
Sunday, September 28, 2008
Monday, September 22, 2008
Tzipi Livni: Real life ALIAS!
Certainly these are some of the most tumultuous times that we are living in! I'm watching the Middle East, and watching Israel, God's time clock. Olmert has come out with a ridiculous (not religulous!) assertion that those who believe in Biblical prophesies of a greater Israel are delusional. Then A'mad says Israel's not going to survive, even a lesser Israel!
So Olmert is being indicted on bribery charges, and has resigned his post of PM of Israel. Tzipi Livni has stepped in from his cabinet to carry out his duties... and if she is able to form a stable government in the next 45 days, she will be the next Israeli PM.
So I was wondering what sort of person she would be to lead Israel. I looked her up, and read some on her, and I was impressed! Remember the series ALIAS, with Jennifer Garner? Well Tzipi Livni is the real live Sydney Bristow! Let me share just a few quotes from this article.
Livni joined Mossad [Israeli Intelligence] after leaving the army with the rank of lieutenant and completing a year at law school. From her base in Paris she travelled throughout Europe in pursuit of Arab terrorists.
“Tzipi was not an office girl,” said an acquaintance. “She was a clever woman with an IQ of 150. She blended in well in European capitals, working with male agents, most of them ex-commandos, taking out Arab terrorists.”
Livni has never talked about her years with Mossad, but a glimpse of the nature of the work was given by her closest female partner on European assignments. “The risks were tangible,” said Mira Gal, who became head of her ministerial office. “If I made a mistake the result would be arrest and catastrophic political implications for Israel.”
And as to her upbringing? Check out her parents!
Both her parents were arrested for terrorist crimes in the 1940s. Her mother Sarah, who died recently aged 85, was a leader of Irgun, the militant Zionist group that operated in Palestine at the time of the British mandate and whose exploits included train robbery.
“I was disguised as a pregnant woman and robbed a train carrying £35,000,” she said in an interview shortly before she died. “Then we blew up another train en route from Jerusalem to Tel Aviv.”
Livni’s father, Eitan, was sentenced to 15 years in jail for attacking a British military base. He escaped.
I mean, this is Kimpossible fodder! The author of the article notes that she does support the idea of giving up the West Bank, but she is not playing games with Syria or Iran, and will want to bomb Iran's nuclear facilities. If she stays, and Bibi doesn't get it, I think she take out Iran... though I think giving out the West Bank is a bad idea. Hopefully she doesn't hold to Olmert's ant-Biblical views.
For full article: http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/middle_east/article4040016.ece
So Olmert is being indicted on bribery charges, and has resigned his post of PM of Israel. Tzipi Livni has stepped in from his cabinet to carry out his duties... and if she is able to form a stable government in the next 45 days, she will be the next Israeli PM.
So I was wondering what sort of person she would be to lead Israel. I looked her up, and read some on her, and I was impressed! Remember the series ALIAS, with Jennifer Garner? Well Tzipi Livni is the real live Sydney Bristow! Let me share just a few quotes from this article.
Livni joined Mossad [Israeli Intelligence] after leaving the army with the rank of lieutenant and completing a year at law school. From her base in Paris she travelled throughout Europe in pursuit of Arab terrorists.
“Tzipi was not an office girl,” said an acquaintance. “She was a clever woman with an IQ of 150. She blended in well in European capitals, working with male agents, most of them ex-commandos, taking out Arab terrorists.”
Livni has never talked about her years with Mossad, but a glimpse of the nature of the work was given by her closest female partner on European assignments. “The risks were tangible,” said Mira Gal, who became head of her ministerial office. “If I made a mistake the result would be arrest and catastrophic political implications for Israel.”
And as to her upbringing? Check out her parents!
Both her parents were arrested for terrorist crimes in the 1940s. Her mother Sarah, who died recently aged 85, was a leader of Irgun, the militant Zionist group that operated in Palestine at the time of the British mandate and whose exploits included train robbery.
“I was disguised as a pregnant woman and robbed a train carrying £35,000,” she said in an interview shortly before she died. “Then we blew up another train en route from Jerusalem to Tel Aviv.”
Livni’s father, Eitan, was sentenced to 15 years in jail for attacking a British military base. He escaped.
I mean, this is Kimpossible fodder! The author of the article notes that she does support the idea of giving up the West Bank, but she is not playing games with Syria or Iran, and will want to bomb Iran's nuclear facilities. If she stays, and Bibi doesn't get it, I think she take out Iran... though I think giving out the West Bank is a bad idea. Hopefully she doesn't hold to Olmert's ant-Biblical views.
For full article: http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/middle_east/article4040016.ece
Tuesday, September 16, 2008
The Shack - a Novel Truth?
Maybe you've heard of it. It's been out a while now. It's a FICTIONAL work of a guy who in the wake of his 6 yr. old daughter's death, meets with God in the Shack where she is killed. First of all, let me say, this fictional work is another new age assault on Christianity and Christian doctrine. You have such themes as the Trinity manifesting themselves as black women, except Jesus, who is presumbably a Jewish Carpenter. And once again, as in all new age teachings, God is with and in all people, regardless of religion or belief. It contains, though subtely woven in the novel, panentheism, that God is in all things.
"Jesus even tells Mack that “God, who is the ground of all being, dwells in, around, and through all things—ultimately emerging as the real” (p. 112). This is pure New Age spirituality."
For an excellent review of this book, see: http://www.svchapel.org/Resources/BookReviews/book_reviews.asp?ID=387
"Jesus even tells Mack that “God, who is the ground of all being, dwells in, around, and through all things—ultimately emerging as the real” (p. 112). This is pure New Age spirituality."
For an excellent review of this book, see: http://www.svchapel.org/Resources/BookReviews/book_reviews.asp?ID=387
Wednesday, September 10, 2008
Theological Underpinnings of a non-Calvinist
It seems that poor brother John Calvin gets a bad wrap in modern circles. He is oft misrepresented by the stereotypical view of the Hyper-Calvinist, or those who simply have not thought through the implications of the scriptures they read. What most people mean or speak of when they say “Calvinism,” they are really speaking of “predestinarianism.” Let me say at the forefront, I used to be Arminian, but have since been converted through my study of scriptures. But I digress. John Calvin had a very pastoral heart, and Calvinism or predestinarianism is really a very small portion of this great Protestant Reformers heart.
For those who say that they don’t believe in predestination, they believe that it is unjust for a holy, sovereign God, to elect some to salvation, and others, by logical implication, to damnation. What is man’s merits? How is he described in the Bible, the word of truth? Scripture says 9 The heart is more deceitful than anything else and desperately sick—who can understand it? Jer 17:9. Ecclesiastes 7:20 says: 20 There is certainly no righteous man on the earth who does good and never sins. Psalm 49 tells us: “7 Yet these cannot redeem a person or pay his ransom to God— 8 since the price of redeeming him is too costly, one should forever stop trying — 9 so that he may live forever and not see the Pit” Psalms 49:7-9. In fact, we see this testimony also in the New Testament, in Paul’s systematic exposition to the Romans. He says, “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” Rom. 3:23. Later in Romans 6:23, we are told, “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
Now, for all those who don’t subscribe to the doctrine (teaching) of predestination, they are generally classified under the category of Arminian. This paper is not meant to deal with the finer subtleties of theological persuasions, so I won’t deal with the finer nuances. Typically, the Arminian belief is that “God elects (or predestines) those whom he foreknew,” as according to the text in Romans 8:29-30.
Okay, so let’s look at this proposition with a little more scrutiny. God elects or predestines those whom He foreknew would choose Him. Okay, that sounds fair. All the people that God knew would choose Him, he just looked forward in time, and ‘elected’ those folks! Ok… so what does this assume? This assumes that it is in our power to choose God. What does the Bible say about that? In Romans 3:10-11, we are told: 10 as it is written: There is no one righteous, not even one; 11 there is no one who understands, there is no one who seeks God. According to this verse, how many people choose God? No one. “Well, you say, but those few who God foreknew, right?” No one. So if there is not one, no one, who understands, who seeks after God, then how is man able to choose God in his own power?
This is where Arminians whip up a solution from thin air (and it floats in thin air), called prevenient grace. Don’t bother checking the Bible for it. It’s not in there. This is a made-up doctrine of man according to saviusous faceus.
But I think that this stems from an incorrect understanding of what happened at the Fall. In Gen. 3:17, we read: 17 but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for on the day you eat from it, you will certainly die.” The Serpent came to Eve, and called into question the very word of God, 4 “No! You will not die,” the serpent said to the woman. But then as we go on, we see in chapter 5, Moses tells us again and again, “then he died” Gen 5:5; “then he died” Gen 5:8; “then he died” Gen 5:11; “then he died” Gen 5:14; “then he died” Gen 5:17; “then he died” Gen 5:20… and so on through the rest of the chapter. So what point is Moses trying to make here? God’s word is truth.
God did not create man to die, but this a result of his rebellion against his Creator. Now, when Adam and Eve ate of the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. There were two types of deaths that occurred. It at first didn’t seem that there was death, but there was. At the instant the human heart rebelled and decided to follow Satan’s advice over God’s command, he died spiritually. The human relationship of righteousness that he enjoyed with his maker, who gave him everything good (Eden was paradise!), and only intended good for him, was broken. Humanity was now spiritually dead, and all offspring of Adam and Eve from this point on, that is, the entire world, is born spiritually separated from God, that is, dead, since God is the giver of life.
How can a man who is spiritually dead choose God? Well, the Arminians say that this is where prevenient grace comes into play. God’s prevenient grace ‘suspends’ this state of ignorance and rebellion toward God and allows that person to decide if they want to follow God or not. Okay, we have already seen that the Bible says man is born spiritually dead, and Jesus testifies to this when he speaks to Nicodemus in John chapter 3: 6 Whatever is born of the flesh is flesh, and whatever is born of the Spirit is spirit. 7 Do not be amazed that I told you that you must be born again” John 3:6,7, (HCSB). But the Arminian doctrine says that God ‘resuscitates’ that spiritual life for a few short minutes, to allow the person to choose, and if they choose wrongly, drops them back into death. Can you imagine a doctor doing this? Although some do, and Barrack Obama voted for doctors to have to do this to the babies who survive (though mangled) abortive procedures.
But if God already knew what they were going to choose, why should He need to give a ‘prevenient grace’ to allow them to choose.
What did Jesus have to say on this issue? Let’s look at a few of His teachings on the matter. In John chapter 6, where Jesus is known for His ‘hard’ sayings, telling the crowds that if they want to receive eternal life, they must eat his flesh and drink his blood (v. 53) But shortly before this, Jesus made this statement: 44 No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him, and I will raise him up on the last day. John 6:44 (HCSB).
Later, when his disciples were complaining to Him that this was a hard teaching, he said: 65 He said, “63 The Spirit is the One who gives life. The flesh doesn’t help at all. This is why I told you that no one can come to Me unless it is granted to him by the Father” John 6:63, 65 (HCSB). When his disciples affirmed that they did not want to leave Him, for they believed He had the words of eternal life (v. 68), “70 Jesus replied to them, “Didn’t I choose you, the Twelve? Yet one of you is the Devil!” John 6:70. Here again, we see the sovereign work of God, having chosen twelve disciples, yet one of them destined to hell.
John 15 has one of my favorite verses, providing me the most comfort. In v. 16 he states: 16 You did not choose Me, but I chose you. I appointed you that you should go out and produce fruit and that your fruit should remain, so that whatever you ask the Father in My name, He will give you. John 15:16 (HCSB). In John 17, Jesus is praying to the Father (a good passage in refute of modalism, but that’s a different paper). Jesus didn’t thank God for the people who by some merit of their preference, chose to follow Him. No, he prayed for the people “you gave me out of the world” (vv. 6-16).
As I said earlier, scripture contains some hard sayings. Election is hard, eternal destruction in flames of hell is hard. Did Jesus go back and amend his words to make his followers feel better? Did he soften his teachings so more people would get on board and follow Him? No, in fact, what did Isaiah the prophet say about the matter?
37 Even though He had performed so many signs in their presence, they did not believe in Him. 38 But this was to fulfill the word of Isaiah the prophet, who said: Lord, who has believed our message? And who has the arm of the Lord been revealed to? 39 This is why they were unable to believe, because Isaiah also said: 40 He has blinded their eyes and hardened their hearts, so that they would not see with their eyes or understand with their hearts, and be converted, and I would heal them. John 12:37-40 (HCSB)
Wow. These are hard sayings.
Bur really, is it just? How did Paul understand the issue? Is there injustice with God? Absolutely not! 15 For He tells Moses: I will show mercy to whom I show mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion. 16 So then it does not depend on human will or effort, but on God who shows mercy. 17 For the Scripture tells Pharaoh: For this reason I raised you up: so that I may display My power in you, and that My name may be proclaimed in all the earth. 18 So then, He shows mercy to whom He wills, and He hardens whom He wills. Romans 9:14-18 (HCSB)
19 You will say to me, therefore, “Why then does He still find fault? For who can resist His will?” 20 But who are you—anyone who talks back to God? Will what is formed say to the one who formed it, “Why did you make me like this?” 21 Or has the potter no right over His clay, to make from the same lump one piece of pottery for honor and another for dishonor? 22 And what if God, desiring to display His wrath and to make His power known, endured with much patience objects of wrath ready for destruction? 23 And [what if] He did this to make known the riches of His glory on objects of mercy that He prepared beforehand for glory— 24 on us whom He also called, not only from the Jews but also from the Gentiles? Romans 9:19-24 (HCSB)
ALL OF US were born spiritually separated from God, unable to choose Him, dead in our sins, and deserving of eternal punishment for our rebellion against an infinitely glorious and holy God. An offense against such an infinitely glorious and just God must be served with eternal punishment. AND WE ALL DESERVE IT. It is only due to God’s great love and kindness that He has chosen to not send ALL OF US to hell. He was pleased in His grace to redeem us by sending His only Son to die a sacrifice of atonement for those whom God, in His infinitely perfect wisdom, determined He would be gracious to.
Put simply, we ALL deserved to go to hell. And God would be perfectly just in sending us all there and starting over, but according to His great love and graciousness He planned before the creation of the world to save some of us filthy, vile wretches, and wash us white as snow (Isaiah 1:18). And all this results to the maximum glory of an infinitely wise God who has knowledge of all possible futures. “He did this to make known the riches of His glory on objects of mercy that He prepared beforehand for glory—“ Rom. 9:23.
Sitting in a Bible course on the book of Romans in a little Baptist church somewhere in the midst of Bucharest, Romania, I came to terms with what God’s word said. This is the verse that changed my outlook forever: 16 “So then it does not depend on human will or effort, but on God who shows mercy” (Rom. 9:16).
* All scripture is taken from the Holman Christian Standard Bible.
For those who say that they don’t believe in predestination, they believe that it is unjust for a holy, sovereign God, to elect some to salvation, and others, by logical implication, to damnation. What is man’s merits? How is he described in the Bible, the word of truth? Scripture says 9 The heart is more deceitful than anything else and desperately sick—who can understand it? Jer 17:9. Ecclesiastes 7:20 says: 20 There is certainly no righteous man on the earth who does good and never sins. Psalm 49 tells us: “7 Yet these cannot redeem a person or pay his ransom to God— 8 since the price of redeeming him is too costly, one should forever stop trying — 9 so that he may live forever and not see the Pit” Psalms 49:7-9. In fact, we see this testimony also in the New Testament, in Paul’s systematic exposition to the Romans. He says, “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” Rom. 3:23. Later in Romans 6:23, we are told, “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
Now, for all those who don’t subscribe to the doctrine (teaching) of predestination, they are generally classified under the category of Arminian. This paper is not meant to deal with the finer subtleties of theological persuasions, so I won’t deal with the finer nuances. Typically, the Arminian belief is that “God elects (or predestines) those whom he foreknew,” as according to the text in Romans 8:29-30.
Okay, so let’s look at this proposition with a little more scrutiny. God elects or predestines those whom He foreknew would choose Him. Okay, that sounds fair. All the people that God knew would choose Him, he just looked forward in time, and ‘elected’ those folks! Ok… so what does this assume? This assumes that it is in our power to choose God. What does the Bible say about that? In Romans 3:10-11, we are told: 10 as it is written: There is no one righteous, not even one; 11 there is no one who understands, there is no one who seeks God. According to this verse, how many people choose God? No one. “Well, you say, but those few who God foreknew, right?” No one. So if there is not one, no one, who understands, who seeks after God, then how is man able to choose God in his own power?
This is where Arminians whip up a solution from thin air (and it floats in thin air), called prevenient grace. Don’t bother checking the Bible for it. It’s not in there. This is a made-up doctrine of man according to saviusous faceus.
But I think that this stems from an incorrect understanding of what happened at the Fall. In Gen. 3:17, we read: 17 but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for on the day you eat from it, you will certainly die.” The Serpent came to Eve, and called into question the very word of God, 4 “No! You will not die,” the serpent said to the woman. But then as we go on, we see in chapter 5, Moses tells us again and again, “then he died” Gen 5:5; “then he died” Gen 5:8; “then he died” Gen 5:11; “then he died” Gen 5:14; “then he died” Gen 5:17; “then he died” Gen 5:20… and so on through the rest of the chapter. So what point is Moses trying to make here? God’s word is truth.
God did not create man to die, but this a result of his rebellion against his Creator. Now, when Adam and Eve ate of the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. There were two types of deaths that occurred. It at first didn’t seem that there was death, but there was. At the instant the human heart rebelled and decided to follow Satan’s advice over God’s command, he died spiritually. The human relationship of righteousness that he enjoyed with his maker, who gave him everything good (Eden was paradise!), and only intended good for him, was broken. Humanity was now spiritually dead, and all offspring of Adam and Eve from this point on, that is, the entire world, is born spiritually separated from God, that is, dead, since God is the giver of life.
How can a man who is spiritually dead choose God? Well, the Arminians say that this is where prevenient grace comes into play. God’s prevenient grace ‘suspends’ this state of ignorance and rebellion toward God and allows that person to decide if they want to follow God or not. Okay, we have already seen that the Bible says man is born spiritually dead, and Jesus testifies to this when he speaks to Nicodemus in John chapter 3: 6 Whatever is born of the flesh is flesh, and whatever is born of the Spirit is spirit. 7 Do not be amazed that I told you that you must be born again” John 3:6,7, (HCSB). But the Arminian doctrine says that God ‘resuscitates’ that spiritual life for a few short minutes, to allow the person to choose, and if they choose wrongly, drops them back into death. Can you imagine a doctor doing this? Although some do, and Barrack Obama voted for doctors to have to do this to the babies who survive (though mangled) abortive procedures.
But if God already knew what they were going to choose, why should He need to give a ‘prevenient grace’ to allow them to choose.
What did Jesus have to say on this issue? Let’s look at a few of His teachings on the matter. In John chapter 6, where Jesus is known for His ‘hard’ sayings, telling the crowds that if they want to receive eternal life, they must eat his flesh and drink his blood (v. 53) But shortly before this, Jesus made this statement: 44 No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him, and I will raise him up on the last day. John 6:44 (HCSB).
Later, when his disciples were complaining to Him that this was a hard teaching, he said: 65 He said, “63 The Spirit is the One who gives life. The flesh doesn’t help at all. This is why I told you that no one can come to Me unless it is granted to him by the Father” John 6:63, 65 (HCSB). When his disciples affirmed that they did not want to leave Him, for they believed He had the words of eternal life (v. 68), “70 Jesus replied to them, “Didn’t I choose you, the Twelve? Yet one of you is the Devil!” John 6:70. Here again, we see the sovereign work of God, having chosen twelve disciples, yet one of them destined to hell.
John 15 has one of my favorite verses, providing me the most comfort. In v. 16 he states: 16 You did not choose Me, but I chose you. I appointed you that you should go out and produce fruit and that your fruit should remain, so that whatever you ask the Father in My name, He will give you. John 15:16 (HCSB). In John 17, Jesus is praying to the Father (a good passage in refute of modalism, but that’s a different paper). Jesus didn’t thank God for the people who by some merit of their preference, chose to follow Him. No, he prayed for the people “you gave me out of the world” (vv. 6-16).
As I said earlier, scripture contains some hard sayings. Election is hard, eternal destruction in flames of hell is hard. Did Jesus go back and amend his words to make his followers feel better? Did he soften his teachings so more people would get on board and follow Him? No, in fact, what did Isaiah the prophet say about the matter?
37 Even though He had performed so many signs in their presence, they did not believe in Him. 38 But this was to fulfill the word of Isaiah the prophet, who said: Lord, who has believed our message? And who has the arm of the Lord been revealed to? 39 This is why they were unable to believe, because Isaiah also said: 40 He has blinded their eyes and hardened their hearts, so that they would not see with their eyes or understand with their hearts, and be converted, and I would heal them. John 12:37-40 (HCSB)
Wow. These are hard sayings.
Bur really, is it just? How did Paul understand the issue? Is there injustice with God? Absolutely not! 15 For He tells Moses: I will show mercy to whom I show mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion. 16 So then it does not depend on human will or effort, but on God who shows mercy. 17 For the Scripture tells Pharaoh: For this reason I raised you up: so that I may display My power in you, and that My name may be proclaimed in all the earth. 18 So then, He shows mercy to whom He wills, and He hardens whom He wills. Romans 9:14-18 (HCSB)
19 You will say to me, therefore, “Why then does He still find fault? For who can resist His will?” 20 But who are you—anyone who talks back to God? Will what is formed say to the one who formed it, “Why did you make me like this?” 21 Or has the potter no right over His clay, to make from the same lump one piece of pottery for honor and another for dishonor? 22 And what if God, desiring to display His wrath and to make His power known, endured with much patience objects of wrath ready for destruction? 23 And [what if] He did this to make known the riches of His glory on objects of mercy that He prepared beforehand for glory— 24 on us whom He also called, not only from the Jews but also from the Gentiles? Romans 9:19-24 (HCSB)
ALL OF US were born spiritually separated from God, unable to choose Him, dead in our sins, and deserving of eternal punishment for our rebellion against an infinitely glorious and holy God. An offense against such an infinitely glorious and just God must be served with eternal punishment. AND WE ALL DESERVE IT. It is only due to God’s great love and kindness that He has chosen to not send ALL OF US to hell. He was pleased in His grace to redeem us by sending His only Son to die a sacrifice of atonement for those whom God, in His infinitely perfect wisdom, determined He would be gracious to.
Put simply, we ALL deserved to go to hell. And God would be perfectly just in sending us all there and starting over, but according to His great love and graciousness He planned before the creation of the world to save some of us filthy, vile wretches, and wash us white as snow (Isaiah 1:18). And all this results to the maximum glory of an infinitely wise God who has knowledge of all possible futures. “He did this to make known the riches of His glory on objects of mercy that He prepared beforehand for glory—“ Rom. 9:23.
Sitting in a Bible course on the book of Romans in a little Baptist church somewhere in the midst of Bucharest, Romania, I came to terms with what God’s word said. This is the verse that changed my outlook forever: 16 “So then it does not depend on human will or effort, but on God who shows mercy” (Rom. 9:16).
* All scripture is taken from the Holman Christian Standard Bible.
Thursday, September 4, 2008
The Excitement of Fulfillment
I've been thinking about doing this for some time... the fulfillment of scriptures. It's very exciting to see it take place, and to say, "I knew that would happen," for it's written in God's word. I found this report at the Iranian blog on the Middle East Media Research Institute.
The Iranian website Asr-e Iran reported that the head of the Moscow-based Center for Studies on Modern Iran, Rajab Safarov, has presented to the Kremlin a proposal to establish an Iran-Russia strategic and military alliance, following the tension between Russia and the West in the Caucasus and the possibility of Georgia and Ukraine joining NATO.
Under the proposal, Russia would form a security pact with Iran and Syria, and would also maintain military bases in Iranian Azerbaijan in northwest Iran and on the Iranian island of Qeshm, near the Strait of Hormuz, in the Persian Gulf, in order to monitor the movements of the West and NATO in the region.
In exchange, Russia would promise Iran military support in the event of a U.S. or Israeli attack, and would provide it with nuclear technology.
http://www.thememriblog.org/iran
'This is what the Sovereign LORD says: I am against you, O Gog, chief prince of [b] Meshech and Tubal. 4 I will turn you around, put hooks in your jaws and bring you out with your whole army... and a great horde with large and small shields, all of them brandishing their swords. 5 Persia, Cush [c] and Put will be with them, all with shields and helmets, 6 also Gomer with all its troops, and Beth Togarmah from the far north with all its troops—the many nations with you.
22 I will execute judgment upon him with plague and bloodshed; I will pour down torrents of rain, hailstones and burning sulfur on him and on his troops and on the many nations with him. (from Ezek. 38)
The stage for the fulfillment of Ezek. 38 continues to be filled out. Tensions are high right now, things are almost in place for when our Savior brings about the consummation of His will to establish His rightful reign on earth (Zech 14:9). Will Psalm 83 be fulfilled, with along with Isaiah 17:1, preapring the way for Magog to come out of the north? Time will shortly reveal... and I can tell you where my hope is! Maranatha!
The Iranian website Asr-e Iran reported that the head of the Moscow-based Center for Studies on Modern Iran, Rajab Safarov, has presented to the Kremlin a proposal to establish an Iran-Russia strategic and military alliance, following the tension between Russia and the West in the Caucasus and the possibility of Georgia and Ukraine joining NATO.
Under the proposal, Russia would form a security pact with Iran and Syria, and would also maintain military bases in Iranian Azerbaijan in northwest Iran and on the Iranian island of Qeshm, near the Strait of Hormuz, in the Persian Gulf, in order to monitor the movements of the West and NATO in the region.
In exchange, Russia would promise Iran military support in the event of a U.S. or Israeli attack, and would provide it with nuclear technology.
http://www.thememriblog.org/iran
'This is what the Sovereign LORD says: I am against you, O Gog, chief prince of [b] Meshech and Tubal. 4 I will turn you around, put hooks in your jaws and bring you out with your whole army... and a great horde with large and small shields, all of them brandishing their swords. 5 Persia, Cush [c] and Put will be with them, all with shields and helmets, 6 also Gomer with all its troops, and Beth Togarmah from the far north with all its troops—the many nations with you.
22 I will execute judgment upon him with plague and bloodshed; I will pour down torrents of rain, hailstones and burning sulfur on him and on his troops and on the many nations with him. (from Ezek. 38)
The stage for the fulfillment of Ezek. 38 continues to be filled out. Tensions are high right now, things are almost in place for when our Savior brings about the consummation of His will to establish His rightful reign on earth (Zech 14:9). Will Psalm 83 be fulfilled, with along with Isaiah 17:1, preapring the way for Magog to come out of the north? Time will shortly reveal... and I can tell you where my hope is! Maranatha!
Wednesday, September 3, 2008
Is A Prophetic Move In Store for Javier?
The other day I was reading in Isaiah 11, on the return of the Jewish Messiah, and I read this verse:
4 but He will judge the poor righteously and execute justice for the oppressed of the land. He will strike the land with discipline from His mouth, and He will kill the wicked with a command from His lips. Isaiah 11:4 (HCSB)
Something about “the wicked” caught my attention. I think I had heard this as a reference to the antichrist before. Thinking about Christ’s return in His power and glory, His return to Mount Olivet while the antichrist is reigning from the temple in Jerusalem. 2 Thess. 2:8 tells us of the Messiah’s return:
“8 Then that lawless one will be revealed whom the Lord will slay with the breath of His mouth and bring to an end by the appearance of His coming” 2 Thessalonians 2:8
It seems to me that “He will kill the wicked with a command from His lips” and “whom the Lord will slay with the breath of His mouth” are indeed the same idea. When Isaiah speaks of the Messiah returning, and killing the wicked with the breath of His mouth, he is speaking of not just a category of people who have rejected Him and His ways, He is speaking first and primarily of the antichrist, whom scripture calls “the wicked”.
In a past blog, you’ll remember that I shared with you about a man whose name is little known by most Americans, Javier Solana. Being born from Madrid, Spain, he has risen to the ranks of the High Representative of Common Foreign and Security Policy of the EU (which calls itself the revived Roman Empire!). We have talked about how this man, more than any other living man on earth (that we know of) fits the biblical description for the antichrist. (http://www.prophecynews.co.uk/content/view/18/27/). And he has already been involved for sometime working among Middle Eastern diplomats, helping to forge a ‘peace plan’ for the Middle East.
This article suggests:
The EU must now prepare itself to keep the process alive from the end of this year through to next spring. Considering such a task we also have to be aware of the particular structures of the Union. The Union, through its Council of Foreign Ministers, should as soon as possible give a mandate to Javier Solana, the High Representative for the Common Foreign and Security Policy of the EU, to make himself available, with the approval of Israel, the Palestinians, and the current U.S. administration, as a temporary mediator for Israeli-Palestinian negotiations from the end of the year. The EU can act as a temporary trustee for the process, thereby preventing it from breaking down and, given its knowledge of the regional situation, help the parties to find practical solutions for some of the most complicated final-status questions - for example, the political division of Jerusalem as the future capital of two states - only to hand back the process and the role of external guidance to Washington once the new administration there is ready for it. http://www.prophecynewswatch.com/August28/2832.html
for original article see http://www.iht.com/articles/2008/08/26/opinion/edperthes.php
Something within me tells me that America isn’t going to be in the picture. Three is too much talk and threat of nuclear war going down in the Middle East and of Jihad in America on up to ten major cities at once. Much nuclear fissle material has been stolen since the end of the cold war. I’m thinking that America may see a national crisis this fall, and that our nation is not going to be in a place to act as mediator or facilitator of peace negotiations in the Middle East.
This will very well open the door for the Revived Roman Empire to assume the position of power the United States has held for so long. Then Javier, as the High Representative, and the head of the EU military force, will step up after the Church is taken out of the way (2 Thess. 2:7). So, as of yet, it’s hasn’t happened, but it seems to be a very possible scenario, and the scriptural fulfillments are moving rapidly that way. It is very exciting to watch, and as Jack Kelley at www.gracethrufaith.com would say, we can almost hear the footsteps of the Messiah!
4 but He will judge the poor righteously and execute justice for the oppressed of the land. He will strike the land with discipline from His mouth, and He will kill the wicked with a command from His lips. Isaiah 11:4 (HCSB)
Something about “the wicked” caught my attention. I think I had heard this as a reference to the antichrist before. Thinking about Christ’s return in His power and glory, His return to Mount Olivet while the antichrist is reigning from the temple in Jerusalem. 2 Thess. 2:8 tells us of the Messiah’s return:
“8 Then that lawless one will be revealed whom the Lord will slay with the breath of His mouth and bring to an end by the appearance of His coming” 2 Thessalonians 2:8
It seems to me that “He will kill the wicked with a command from His lips” and “whom the Lord will slay with the breath of His mouth” are indeed the same idea. When Isaiah speaks of the Messiah returning, and killing the wicked with the breath of His mouth, he is speaking of not just a category of people who have rejected Him and His ways, He is speaking first and primarily of the antichrist, whom scripture calls “the wicked”.
In a past blog, you’ll remember that I shared with you about a man whose name is little known by most Americans, Javier Solana. Being born from Madrid, Spain, he has risen to the ranks of the High Representative of Common Foreign and Security Policy of the EU (which calls itself the revived Roman Empire!). We have talked about how this man, more than any other living man on earth (that we know of) fits the biblical description for the antichrist. (http://www.prophecynews.co.uk/content/view/18/27/). And he has already been involved for sometime working among Middle Eastern diplomats, helping to forge a ‘peace plan’ for the Middle East.
This article suggests:
The EU must now prepare itself to keep the process alive from the end of this year through to next spring. Considering such a task we also have to be aware of the particular structures of the Union. The Union, through its Council of Foreign Ministers, should as soon as possible give a mandate to Javier Solana, the High Representative for the Common Foreign and Security Policy of the EU, to make himself available, with the approval of Israel, the Palestinians, and the current U.S. administration, as a temporary mediator for Israeli-Palestinian negotiations from the end of the year. The EU can act as a temporary trustee for the process, thereby preventing it from breaking down and, given its knowledge of the regional situation, help the parties to find practical solutions for some of the most complicated final-status questions - for example, the political division of Jerusalem as the future capital of two states - only to hand back the process and the role of external guidance to Washington once the new administration there is ready for it. http://www.prophecynewswatch.com/August28/2832.html
for original article see http://www.iht.com/articles/2008/08/26/opinion/edperthes.php
Something within me tells me that America isn’t going to be in the picture. Three is too much talk and threat of nuclear war going down in the Middle East and of Jihad in America on up to ten major cities at once. Much nuclear fissle material has been stolen since the end of the cold war. I’m thinking that America may see a national crisis this fall, and that our nation is not going to be in a place to act as mediator or facilitator of peace negotiations in the Middle East.
This will very well open the door for the Revived Roman Empire to assume the position of power the United States has held for so long. Then Javier, as the High Representative, and the head of the EU military force, will step up after the Church is taken out of the way (2 Thess. 2:7). So, as of yet, it’s hasn’t happened, but it seems to be a very possible scenario, and the scriptural fulfillments are moving rapidly that way. It is very exciting to watch, and as Jack Kelley at www.gracethrufaith.com would say, we can almost hear the footsteps of the Messiah!
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