World War IV: Part 1

World War IV: Part 1 - Pete Garcia - http://www.omegaletter.com/articles/articles.asp?ArticleID=8392

 

In early 1914, though, it seemed almost impossible that Britain and France would go to war with Germany to defend Russia against Austria-Hungary over a dispute with Serbia. Yet by June 28, war moved straight from impossible to inevitable - without ever passing through improbable. Four years later, 10 million people had died. (From World War One: First war was impossible, then inevitable; Anatole Kaletsky)

Things often seem unlikely, improbable, or impossible...until they are not. You'd think humans would have figured that out by now. Nonetheless, when we talk about 'things to come', the "experts" in academia, government, politics, and the media always mock the idea that what the Bible has to say is valid or credible. These "experts" were the same ones that said WWI couldn't happen. They also said that if you just appease evil (Hitler), his ambitions will be satiated and peace achieved. "Peace in our time" they said. The same kind of "experts" today say the same thing about Islam and radical leftism. Which is why listening to most of the pundits today speak on foreign policy, political or economic outcomes, and the future state of the world, should be considered a form of cruel and unusual punishment. (The Bible does have a perfect track record thus far...just saying.)

 

WWI

 

Perhaps the deadliest bullet ever fired triggered the First World War. On June 28th, 1914, a 19 year old Yugoslav nationalist by the name of Gavrilo Princip, fired a shot which successfully assassinated the Austrian Archduke Franz Ferdinand and his wife, igniting the flames of tension that had been steadily brewing for decades in Europe. His actions subsequently resulted in the Austro-Hungarian Empire aligning with Germany, and the Ottoman Turks and then declaring war on practically everyone else. By its end, some 10 million had died from battle, and another 28 million were either missing in action, or died due to wounds, starvation, and disease in the world's first Great War of the 20th century.

 

WWII

 

To the German Weimar leadership, both the predictable and consequential byproducts of losing WWI resulted in the conditions which would set the stage some twenty years later for an even greater global conflict...World War II. The following reasons are attributed as causation: a perceived economic and geo-political injustice (Versailles Treaty), an ongoing global economic downturn (the Great Depression), and the decline of the then world's only superpower, the British Empire. These three reasons created the right conditions of which when absent strong global leadership, created a geo-political vacuum which Adolph Hitler and his National Socialists were all too eager to fill. Adding fuel to the fire were the Italian and Japanese ambitions of global conquest. As a result, World War II ensued and in its wake, more than 72 million inhabitants of the earth met an early death.

 

WWIII

 

The next great global war was fought primarily behind the scenes and was simply known as the Cold War. It began at the end of WWII when the Soviet Union began to cordon off Eastern Europe as recompense for its massive losses to Nazi Germany. Although we don't consider it a "war" in the traditional sense, it very much was and lasted longer than any we had ever fought before. It resulted in the deaths of hundreds of thousands of people. The Cold War continued as the Soviets (and later the Chinese) began to export their poisonous ideology globally. In response, the United States (and her allies) tried to counter and contain the 'domino effect'.

 

The physical clashes between east and west were carried out via proxy wars which were fought over the next forty-six years with mixed results (Korea, Vietnam, and Afghanistan). In 1989 and 1991, the US prematurely declared herself the winner at the collapsing of the 'Iron Curtain' and the Soviet regime. After her collapse, we weren't rewarded with peace, but we simply traded in one enemy for another. While the Communist had been atheistic in nature and whose political and philosophical underpinnings were largely based on human secularism and Marxism, what followed was the rise of militant fundamentalist Islam.

 

The rapid rise of fundamentalist Islam which quickly rushed into fill the void being left by the communists as early as in the 1970's. This was first evidenced in the 1972 Olympics attack by the Black September Palestinian terrorist group, the 1979 Iranian Revolution, the 1980 Wahhabi-hardening of Saudi Arabia, and the US-backed Taliban victory over the Russians in Afghanistan. By the late 1980's, other Muslim nations who were once considered "moderate", began to see a groundswell of their own radicalized Islamic movements within their borders (Lebanon, Egypt, and Pakistan). At the same time, Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO) terrorist front man Yasser Arafat (who was Egyptian) attempted to co-opt and unify the growing Arab discontent and anger and harness it into a global jihad movement against the nation of Israel.

 

Assessment

 

Albert Einstein famously quipped that "I know not with what weapons World War III will be fought, but World War IV will be fought with sticks and stones." This sentiment, along with the fear of a US-USSR nuclear exchange, formulated US foreign policy for half a century prompting the creation of a highly symbolic Doomsday Clock, along with the START Treaties which were meant to scale back nuclear arsenals we both had pointed at each other. While well-meaning, they ignored the reality that WWIII had already begun. WWIII wasn't just fought with bombs and bullets in proxy wars, but with ideologies.

 

These socialist ideologies had crept into the university, the seminary, popular culture, and into government long before...corrupting a whole generation. It came to a head in the late 1960's and early 1970's with Flower Power and Anti-Vietnam demonstrations. Unfortunately, that generation is now in charge and as a result, we are now just as divided as we were prior to the American Civil War. Consider these:

 

* Common-sense has been replaced by political correctness. Political correctness is Cultural Marxism and has infected almost every institute of government, media, and education without question.

* To counter an increasingly destabilized world, liberty has been traded for security. To counter a global threat, we created the very thing President Eisenhower warned us about in his farewell address...the Military Industrial Complex whose arsenal contains increasingly devastating weapons of war as well as providing the tools necessary to create a virtual police state. 

* Economic freedom has been replaced by financial bondage. At $20T in debt, our nation will either have to collapse financially, or completely restructure its financial and currency systems. Massive deficits have been accrued particularly over the last two decades at the expense of our children and grandchildren's future.

 

Thus, we have a myriad of forces today arrayed against the West that are increasingly and aggressively seeking to challenge US dominance on the global stage. Some of those forces are non-state aligned actors such as: Narco-gangs, Islamic terrorist, anarchist groups, cybercriminal networks, and organized criminal networks. Others are state-sponsored from China, North Korea, Russia, and Iran and include armies and rebel/militia movements who serve as destabilizers. Regardless, the US is increasingly having to cover-down on partner nations who can't or won't handle their own issues thus requiring US military involvement.

 

Still, another faction working to destabilize the world is that of economic-terrorist. Billionaire George Soros (and men like him), along with his spider-web network of shadow-organizations have funneled hundreds of millions of Dollars, Pounds, Rubles, and Euros through to push their agendas of toppling western governments. He's done this through buying off politicians who share the open-border immigration policies and other hard-left agendas, funding groups who will violently protest and riot, and organizations that actively commit law-fare. This in an attempt to create a singular global system by which they believe will fix all the world's problems. 

 

Fair to say that World War III has been ongoing since the end of WWII, and our enemy's corruption is bent solely on the destruction of western governance and rule of law. Since secular-leftism (Socialism and Marxism in its varying forms) has the same agenda as that of Islamic fundamentalism--it's a natural synchronization to see the two partnered up to fight against Western-capitalism, democracy, constitutional republics, and Judeo-Christian values. Hence the phrase "the enemy of my enemy is my friend" rings true.

 

Assessment-World War IV

 

And I looked, and behold, a white horse. He who sat on it had a bow; and a crown was given to him, and he went out conquering and to conquer. When He opened the second seal, I heard the second living creature saying, "Come and see." Another horse, fiery red, went out. And it was granted to the one who sat on it to take peace from the earth, and that people should kill one another; and there was given to him a great sword. Revelation 6:2-4

 

Seeing as World War III wasn't a single war in the traditional sense, but rather an ongoing series of conflicts (both militarily and ideologically), World War IV will follow along the same vein. The Apostle John was shown the opening of the Seal Judgments by Christ in Heaven after the age of the Church has ended. As Christ takes the scrolls and opens them, terrible judgments are poured out upon the earth. The first to appear on the scene is the Antichrist, who quickly rises to power and takes over. The Second Seal is opened and a rider on a red horse takes peace from the earth. After this, the riders on the black and pale horses (pestilence, starvation, and death) quickly ensue in the aftermath of total-war.

 

So how does it all begin?

 

Like every other war, they do not just happen out of thin air. There is a cause (real or contrived), a buildup of forces, logistical preparations, information gathering, political posturing, and lastly, diplomatic severing. Neither are 'world wars' just single battles. They're conflicts extending days, weeks, months, and years over many nations.

 

A reasonable, scripturally-based hypothesis is that we (the Church) have been in existence since the first century. Christ said that we would be 'salt and light' to a world that was dying and in darkness. In other words, we were a stabilizing force meant to preserve the conditions so that the Gospel could be spread to all nations. (Matt. 5:13-14, 28:18-20) We know that the Church Age had a beginning (Acts 2-Pentecost) and it will also have an ending. This ending of the Church Age will culminate in an event known as the Pre-Tribulation Rapture of the Church (1 Thess. 4:13-18, 1 Cor. 15:51-56, John 14:1-3, Rev. 3:10). We also know that the year 2032 would mark exactly 2,000 years since that first Pentecost when the Church was conceived.

 

It is 2017 now...will we go the full distance to 2032? Hard to say, because other dispensations weren't exact (that we know of anyway). But we can deduce in general terms, that 4,000 years of human history preceded Christ's first coming going back to Adam and Eve. 2,000 years have since ensued since His birth, so we are definitely 'in the window' if the Six Day/Six Millennium-model holds true. The Seventh Millennium thus marking the Sabbath Rest for man and Creation, just as it was at Creation.

 

To be continued...

Grace is a Gift of God, not of Works (Part 1)

Grace is a Gift of God, not of Works (Part 1) - By Pastor Mike Taylor - http://pastormiketaylor.blogspot.com/2017/02/grace-is-gift-of-god-not-of-works.html

 

8"Be not thou therefore ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me his prisoner: but be thou partaker of the afflictions of the gospel according to the power of God;

9Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began (2nd Timothy 1:8-9)

 

The concept of grace is so glorious, that it's implications just escape the average man who cannot accept something so simple. Jesus said that unless you come as a little child:

 

3 "And said, Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven.

4Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven." (Matthew 18:3-4)

 

But right away, men who view the simplicity of the concept of God's Grace can not logically process how simple the concept really is, that even a little child can understand it, as they receive it by faith.

 

5"Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost;

6Which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour;

7That being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life." ( Titus 3:5-7)

 

One must ask themselves what is grace? Grace is the free and unmerited favor of God, as manifested in the salvation of sinners and the bestowal of blessings. Meaning there is nothing we can do to earn it..It is a free gift. Free for the asking.

 

Whole denomination have come into existence trying to define something that is so simple and elementary, they feel they must define it , because some find it so hard to believe and for some, it is impossible to believe. So they complicate it until they can find it believable.

 

24 "But unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God.

25Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men; and the weakness of God is stronger than men.

26For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called:

27But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty;

28And base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are:

29That no flesh should glory in his presence." (1st Corinthians 1:24-28)

 

To the dying world, this concept is foolishness. In the previous passage, the word translated in Greek for foolish is musterion meaning 'a mystery'.  "Confound" is from kataischuno, meaning to 'bring shame.'  Those being confounded are "the wise" (Greek; "sophos" meaning, wise, worldly, sophisticated) to whom the simple concept of grace remains a mystery, even after being saved.  Grace is a mystery to those who are wise in their own eyes. 

 

Paul elaborated in his epistle to the Corinthians, but it is little more than the obvious found in Proverbs when Solomon wrote this 1000 years earlier:

 

15"The way of a fool is right in his own eyes: but he that hearkeneth unto counsel is wise.

16A fool's wrath is presently known: but a prudent man covereth shame.

17He that speaketh truth sheweth forth righteousness: but a false witness deceit." (Proverbs 12:15-17)

The biggest obstacle that a person who is logically trying to process this concept and trying to understand the simplicity of "grace" is they tend to see it from their perspective. But we are the recipients of grace, not the Author of it. When viewed from God's perspective, it doesn't look the same. To receive such a blessing, a person must have wisdom. But how does one get wisdom?

 

The Bible defines wisdom as thinking God's way and reminds us that it is through wisdom that one gains understanding.  

 

"For the LORD giveth wisdom: out of His mouth cometh knowledge and understanding." (Proverbs 2:6)

 

"Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding." (Proverbs 4:7)

 

Do you see what those verses say? The Lord gives us wisdom...we can't be wise on our own. He gives us the ability to come to faith through wisdom which HE SUPPLIES...and give us the faith to believe WHICH HE SUPPLIES....

 

"No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day. (John 6:44)...

 

That is God supplied wisdom and faith to see our need for a Savior.

 

THE END OF THIS AGE

 

So why is there so much discord among different denominations of brethren over this one simple, single topic? I believe men look unto themselves and fall into what must be labeled the pride of man.

 

3 "For the wicked boasteth of his heart's desire, and blesseth the covetous, whom the LORD abhorreth.

4The wicked, through the pride of his countenance, will not seekafter God: God is not in all his thoughts." (Psalms 10:3-4)

 

"Only by pride cometh contention: but with the well advised is wisdom." (Proverbs 13:10)

 

I believe this is a sign of the end of the days we live in. We are living in the latter days before the return of our Lord Jesus Christ, and it is prophecied it would be so.

 

1 "Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils;

2Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron;" (1st Timothy 4:1-2)

 

Two of the most seductive spirits to a Christian is the spirit of legalism, and another is beholding to the "doctrines of men" they call them "traditions". To put them both in the most simplest form of definition, the first being legalism, it the attempt to live a life pleasing to God by keeping the principles found in the Laws in the Old Testament.

 

The second is to adhere to a set of man-made doctrines that put a person in bondage to their denomination by keeping certain works of traditions to maintain your salvation. Both are based on salvation by works, not upon grace.

 

This is to say, we are saved by grace through faith, but now in the former we must keep certain laws to maintain our salvation by adhering to the same law by which we were condemned. And on the flip side of the coin, those who hold to traditions of men, feel they must keep man made laws to keep their salvation intact. I have actually had people tell me, "I can't be saved unless I belong to this church" ..or that church, or this denomination.

 

These "churches" that foster this type of doctrines, demand allegiance to them, instead of to God. For without doing what your church says is of God, in their minds, makes them a cast away from God's grace and the blessings of this "church" .

It is seductive because it sounds true.  It suits our logic.  It follows our own understanding.   It redirects our trust towards something more tangible than in an invisible God and an ancient Sacrifice.  We look to works, traditions, and human based endeavors.

 

First, speaking of the law, we know the law -- look at the list of things that are forbidden to Christians.   Everybody's list is different, but we ALL have a list.   You don't think so?  

 

Ever hear of a Christian being arrested for some heinous crime and wonder if the guy was really a Christian?  "How could he be a Christian and do that?"  (So whatever that was, it is on your' forbidden to Christians' list.)

 

Note that I am dealing with two sets of laws here...the law of God, and the law of man made doctrines. In traditions of the "Early Church Fathers" you will find man made laws that are not found in scripture anywhere, but are held in equality with scripture to even being lifted up over and beyond scripture that when they conflict, then traditions of the church take precedence.

 

REMEMBER WHEN YOU WERE FIRST SAVED?

 

If you are reading this and you are a believer in Jesus Christ, this part is for you.

 

There is nothing that can compare with how we feel the first moments after accepting Jesus Christ as Lord of your life. It is a bright, shining moment when are sins are first forgiven and washed away. We have never felt cleaner in our own eyes than we do at the moment of salvation.

 

But as time goes on and we continue to run this race called life, we run into entanglements and temptations of this world. We try to recapture that incomparable moment....but as we fail, time and time again because we are mortals still in this body of flesh, we start to doubt our continued cleanliness or our being even saved. The more we are tempted, the harder we try. The harder we try, the more we are tempted.

 

EXPLANATION OF TEMPTATIONS

 

I read a story once of a luxury hotel built on a pier with ocean front balcony windows. On opening day, the manager, a fisherman, worried that people would be tempted to fish off the balconies.

 

He feared the windows in the lower rooms might get broken when they cast their weighted lines into the wind. So he ordered signs posted in all the rooms strictly forbidding fishing from the balconies.  People fished anyway. Windows got broken. 

 

In a staff meeting called to discuss the problem, somebody suggested simply removing the signs.  As soon as the signs were gone, so was the temptation to fish off balconies.

 

There is an old saying that "forbidden fruit is the sweetest" which means that laws made are meant to be broken, and a source of temptation fit this little story..

 

Another illustration that proves the point, is that people on a diet are always tempted to cheat. If you are allowed to eat anything you want then there is not temptation. What you are told something is forbidden, then you are tempted to do what is forbidden.

 

There is a old Abbot and Costello routine about chocolate cake diet.  "A chocolate cake diet?" says straight man Bud Abbot. "You can't lose any weight on a chocolate cake diet!"  

 

"I know," Costello says, before delivering the punch line, "But I'm never tempted to cheat."

 

Same theory can be applied to those who are convinced they must keep the laws of their church, or traditions. Because like a fat man who wants that piece of chocolate cake, they are tempted from those that hold them in bondage to hold them to a work based salvation. And in both cases, they feel they must keep these man made traditions to be saved, even if it goes against what their Bible plainly says is not true.

 

The Spirit of God expressly labels them both "seducing spirits" because both doctrines are so seductive, that they are both doctrines of demons, that seduce you into forging your own chains to replace the old ones that fell off when you first got saved.

 

The more things you have on your forbidden "Christian list" from whatever law you are trying desperately to keep, the more you feel unclean and dirty, because you can't keep either perfectly and the more temptations you have to fight off. Nobody can keep anything perfectly all the time. So that wonderful feeling you had grows more distant and seemingly unattainable. It doesn't matter if you are a "law keeper" that depends on keeping the Laws of God that cannot be followed perfectly, because if you sin in one point, you have sinned in all points of the law. So that it becomes impossible.

 

Men who hold to traditions, think if they do this ritual or say this chant, or follow the doctrines of their church perfectly, are saved. They take their eyes of the grace that was applied to their lives in a simple act of faith, and complicate it with the laws of men.

 

Some people feel that this constant struggle with either, wears down your spirit. You wonder if you were saved at all. Or worse, that you have lost your salvation.

 

43"When the unclean spirit is gone out of a man, he walketh through dry places, seeking rest, and findeth none.

44Then he saith, I will return into my house from whence I came out; and when he is come, he findeth it empty, swept, and garnished.

45Then goeth he, and taketh with himself seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and they enter in and dwell there: and the last state of that man is worse than the first. Even so shall it be also unto this wicked generation" (Matthew 12:43-45)

 

One law is unattainable as God knew that you could not keep them perfectly, is the reason God provided a substitute to free us from the bondage of being unable to keep His law.

 

The second laws of traditions does nothing to save the individual, but gives them a false sense of piety that causes them further bondage as being chained to their church, for without their church there is no salvation, at least in their minds. Both are a departure from grace. Sad fact that most who follow the traditions of men, know nothing about grace. They put their trust in man-made doctrines that their church will save them. They rely on their pastor or priest to guide them into truth, but never see the Light of Christ to shine on their hearts. So obviously, if you are reading this and think your church can save you, then without grace of God through Jesus Christ, you are entirely wrong.

 

Grace is a Gift of God, not of Works (Part 2) - By Pastor Mike Taylor -

http://pastormiketaylor.blogspot.com/2017/02/grace-is-gift-of-god-not-of-works.html

 

THE SIMPLICITY OF GRACE

 

We began this message with a discussion of the simplicity of grace. We are saved by grace through faith that payment for our sins was made at the Cross and that the Blood of Jesus Christ cleanses us from all sin. 

 

Everything in the above statement that comes after the word 'grace' is the direct result of grace.

 

The mechanism whereby we are saved is that our sins are covered by the Blood of Christ, shed as full payment for the sins of the world.   The keeping of law or traditions can do nothing outside of grace. They will not provide salvation.

 

Dwell on that for a second.  The sins of the world.  The whole world.  From the moment of creation to this present hour.  You -- everything you are, all you know, all you've experienced, everything you've ever done or ever will do -- compared to every sinner and every sin ever committed in the history of man.  

 

You know that the Blood of Christ was sufficient for them. But you're different?  You try hard to keep the law found in your Bible...you try and follow the traditions set up by your church. You struggle, you go through the motions, and you feel ......empty!! Why do you feel such a way? Because you have not obtained wisdom and the ability to receive what is given as a free gift....grace!

 

Wisdom is thinking God's way, and God's way of thinking is expressed by His Word. Understanding comes from seeking wisdom in God's Word and seeing its application to a given situation.

 

Keep the laws of God through legalism is seduction against which the Spirit of God expressly warned. The law had a purpose. It was our school master to tell us that we could not keep it without sinning. It pointed us to Jesus Christ as the propitiation or substitute for us not being able to keep the law. We can come right up to that line, of law keeping, but once we cross it, we have sinned.

 

23 "But before faith came, we were kept under the law, shut up unto the faith which should afterwards be revealed.

24Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith.

25But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster." (Galatians 3:23-25)

 

Conversely, keeping the laws of men's traditions that are in addition to what is written in God's Word, Paul expressly condemned such practices:

 

7 "Which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ.

8But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed.

9As we said before, so say I now again, If any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accurse" (Galatians 1:7-9)

 

The law pointed us to salvation that reveals our need to walk close to God, but it is not for the purpose of currying favor with God through good works, but rather for protection against the temptations of the law.

 

That's why we are not under the law, but under grace.

 

14 "For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace.

15What then? shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid." (Romans 6:14-15)   

 

Conversely, we are not under the traditions of men, as should be obvious to anyone reading this...keeping traditions, or keeping the law in legalism does only one thing. Doing so pulls our attention and our dependency on Jesus Christ and His atonement. We can do nothing to secure our salvation...except throught faith in Christ alone.

 

7 "That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus.

8For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:

9Not of works, lest any man should boast." (Ephesians 2:7-9)

 

Under grace, God accepts us based on the fact we are in Christ and judged according to Christ's performance on our behalf. Under the law, we are judged exclusively on our own performance. Traditions are in addition to law keeping, but the doctrines of men and they give false assurance of salvation through your church.

 

Law keeping, observing traditions and grace are therefore each complete systems unto themselves.  They are also mutually exclusive.  To mix these principles robs the law of its terror , grace of its graciousness and traditions of mere men complicate both to making them of none affect.

 

Grace cannot be made complicated, despite our best efforts, because in the end, it only means one thing, and every expression of that meaning carries with it the very flavor of heaven.

 

'Grace" (Greek: charis) means 'gift' -- but it means so much more than that. 

 

It also means acceptable, benefit, favor, joy, liberality, pleasure, thanksworthy, --  the word 'grace' carries so much yet it weighs so little on the mind.  Grace cannot be appropriated, it can only be offered freely, or it is no longer grace.

 

Conversely, traditions are man made concepts that Jesus railed against which in todays world, I call them modern day Pharisees.

 

27 "Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are like unto whited sepulchres, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men's bones, and of all uncleanness.

28Even so ye also outwardly appear righteous unto men, but within ye are full of hypocrisy and iniquity." (Matthew 23:27-28)

 

And grace cannot be rescinded, or it was never grace to begin with.  

 

6"And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus:

7That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus.

8For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:

9Not of works, lest any man should boast." (Ephesians 2:6-9)

 

"For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father." (Romans 8:15)  ........side note, the word ABBA in Hebrew means DADDY.

 

Both legalism and traditions are men's express inability to come to God. God comes to us. We don't seek God, He seeks us.

 

11 "There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God.

12They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one.

13Their throat is an open sepulchre; with their tongues they have used deceit; the poison of asps is under their lips:

14Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness:

15Their feet are swift to shed blood:

16Destruction and misery are in their ways:

17And the way of peace have they not known:

18There is no fear of God before their eye" (Romans 3:11-18)

 

So you see, my friend, those who follow after the precepts of men, either through legalism, or traditions of their church follow after their denomination, not after God. God is so much more than these two doctrines of demons. He is about a love that passeth all understanding.

 

6 "For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly.

7For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die.

8But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

9Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him" (Romans 5:6-9)

 

Being justified by Christ, through His finished work on the cross, provided us with salvation through His grace...and MERCY....what is mercy..?

 

Mercy is not receiving something we deserve. That is what Christ did through His love, His Grace and His Mercy, gave us what we do not deserve.....Eternal Life. And took on what we did deserve....death. He was the Lamb of God that took away the sins of the world through His own death unto salvation for all who believe.

 

"And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus." (Philippians 4:7)

 

Let me ask you a simple question. Do you see yourself here in this message? Are you trying to follow the precepts of men, through legalism and traditions?? Do you rely on your church, or do you rely on God? In plain English, these are two distinctly different subjects....one IS Salvation by Jesus Christ, the other is suppose to lead you to Him by using God's Word and letting the Holy Spirit draw you to Him. Where is your trust...who do you believe? Do yo believe God or men?

 

"For God so loved the world, they He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him, should not perish, but have everlasting life.

God sent not His Son to condemn the world, but that the world through Him, might be saved." (John 3:16-17)

 

"9That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.

10For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.

11For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed." (Romans 10:9-11)

 

Don't let anyone fool you, or stand in the way of believing in the only way back to God. It is not through either of the doctrines of demons we have discussed, but through the shed blood of Jesus Christ, Him crucified and resurrected to the right hand of God Almighty. Grace is a gift of God, not of works, let any man should boast.

Peace and Security Anxiety

Peace and Security Anxiety - Terry James - http://www.raptureready.com/category/nearing-midnight/

 

Paul the apostle clearly laid out prophecy concerning the Rapture of the Church of the Lord Jesus Christ. That is, it is clear to me and a multitude of believers. Paul's words could not be more precise in letting us know that all who have believed in Christ for salvation will be lifted in one majestic moment of time to be with Christ in the air. This will happen before the day of the Lord (Tribulation) begins.

 

However-as human minds often think in contrarian ways-this great truth of the pre-Tribulation Rapture has thereby been muddled. Therefore, in addition to the Pre-Trib Rapture, we have the mid-Trib, post-Trib, partial, and other derivatives of this matter of Rapture-including no Rapture at all.

 

In consideration of the Rapture, which I and other pre-Trib proponents believe is truth as expressed by Paul, timing is key to understanding how near we might be to that great event. We are, for the most part, convinced the apostle gave a most significant prophetic clue as to world conditions that will be prevalent.

 

Paul, in his first epistle to the Thessalonians, gave the Rapture prophecy. He, with the next line, wrote the following:

 

"But of the times and the seasons, brethren, ye have no need that I write unto you. For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night. For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape." (1 Thessalonians 5:1-3)

 

We are told through this epistle, then, that there will be a specific lament by the world in general at the time of the event-the Rapture-Paul had just prophesied. "For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape." The "they" here refers to the lost or unsaved of the generation who are crying "peace and safety."

 

We have examined many times in these commentaries the long-running attempts at peace making in the Middle East. The "Roadmap to Peace" is the diplomatic document that has been at the center of this attempt to bring about peace-for the region and for the world.

 

Throughout the entire process over the years, Israel's prime ministers, whether Begin, Rabin, Netanyahu, or whomever,  have included in their speeches the desire to assure peace and security for their people. Paul's prophecy in this 2 Thessalonians account includes Israel and the whole world. All will be calling for peace and safety.

 

In the case of Israel, anxiety over peace and security has come to a head with the insertion of President Donald Trump into the Jewish state's dilemma. The dilemma, of course, involves the pressure being exerted on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to agree to a two-state solution. That is, the world diplomatic community demands that the Palestinians be given part of Israel's land to form a Palestinian state.

 

Netanyahu is feeling equal and opposite pressure from within his own government. The opposition members of the Knesset insist that such a two-state situation will compromise Israel's peace and security to  an unacceptable degree.

 

The Israeli prime minister and the new American president met in Washington, D.C., on Wednesday to talk over, among other things, the possible pathway to peace for Israel. Netanyahu endorsed a Palestinian state in a speech in 2009 at Bar-State University.

 

Bayit Yehudi leader Naftali Bennett and Likud activists urged Netanyahu to give up his support for a Palestinian state, in advance of the meeting with Trump. Bennett declared, "The earth will shake"  if Netanyahu and Trump discuss a Palestinian state.

 

With Trump now the United States president, leaders on the right within the Israeli government are hopeful the prime minister will give up talk of a Palestinian state as part of securing the peace and safety of Israel. Bennett promised in a Facebook post titled "The Test of Netanyahu's Life" that the Right will support the prime minister if he tells Trump he no longer is in favor of a two-state solution. However, Bennett said it would bring "national nightmare" if Netanyahu continues to support a Palestinian state.

 

He wrote: "The earth will shake. International pressure, boycotts, reports against Israel, missiles, freezes, tying the hands of our soldiers in the fight against terrorism - all this will continue and intensify."

 

He went on to say that he and others of the right in the Israeli political milieu consider the election of Donald Trump an historical opportunity that cannot be missed.

 

Netanyahu, in the press conference held last Wednesday, in fact, indicated strongly that Israel will accept no Palestinian state. This, he indicated, is because the Palestinian Authority refuses to even officially acknowledge Israel's existence. Plus, he said with strong emphasis, he will never accept the Palestinian declaration that Israel must be forever removed from the land.

 

The Israeli prime minister also brought up the terms peace and security a number of times during the press conference held upon his arrival at the White House.

 

Israel's call for peace and security and the international community's cry for peace will be front and center as never before the deeper we move into the Middle Eastern tempest. This is perhaps the most dramatic signal of just how close is the Rapture of the Church.

Why "The SHACK" Is Blasphemous

Why "The SHACK" Is Blasphemous - Bill Perkins - www.compass.org

 

The Shack is a well-written "Christian fiction" book by William P. Young that has sold over 20 million copies since its debut in 2007.

 

Due to the intense story, for most readers it causes a flood of emotions to well up inside, masking the theological errors throughout the book.

 

We didn't recommend reading the book when we reviewed it in 2008 (1), nor do we recommend seeing the movie that is coming out in March. Here's why:

 

Although The Shack is a fiction book, it attempts to address significant theological issues. But the answers given to these issues are in grave Biblical error. And more often than not, these errors go undetected by most Christians. Here are some of them...

 

The Shack presents an unbiblical picture of God:

 

    God the Father is personified by a large black lady named Papa.

 

I could stop there as most Believers see the blasphemous problems with making God into a woman-which basically is goddess worship. But there's much more.

 

The Bible never teaches that God the Father takes on a physical form. Just the opposite.

 

"God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth." John 4:24

 

"...who alone possesses immortality and dwells in unapproachable light, whom no man has seen or can see." 1Tim. 6:16

 

Even though God the Father is shown to possess both male and female attributes, the Bible always refers to God in the masculine gender, never female.

 

On page 95, "Papa" has scars in her hands. But, of course, only Christ bore the sins of the world. God the Father rendered judgment to His Son.

 

The Shack presents an unbiblical picture of the Holy Spirit:

 

God the Holy Spirit is personified by an Asian woman. But the Holy Spirit never appears as a person, much less a woman, and is always referred to in the masculine gender.

 

The Shack presents an unbiblical picture of Jesus:

 

Jesus of The Shack is not Jesus of the Bible!

 

    "...for God is not a God of confusion..." 1Cor. 14:33

 

There are several verses in the Bible where Jesus exercised His headship, His divine attributes. But on pages 99-100 it says, "Jesus as a human being had no power within himself to heal anyone." And this is, of course, 100% false. Jesus was 100% God and 100% man.

 

The Shack presents an unbiblical picture of the Trinity:

 

The Shack presents all three members of the Trinity in human form, but the Bible shows only Jesus taking human form.

 

The Shack says on page 122-124 that the Trinity is all equal, that they don't relate to each other within a hierarchy. But the Bible says clearly that God sent His Son. The Son did not send Himself. So while the members of the Trinity are all equal, there is also a divine order of headship and submission, which is hierarchy.

 

    "No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; John 6:44

 

    "But I want you to understand that Christ is the head of every man, and the man is the head of a woman, and God is the head of Christ." 1Cor. 11:3

 

The Shack presents an unbiblical picture of salvation:

 

The Shack suggests there is more than one way to be saved. Basically, it teaches pluralism. The book states on page 182, with regards to salvation:

 

"Those who love me come from every system that exists. They are Buddhists or Mormons... Muslims,"

 

The Bible disagrees:

 

"Jesus said to him, I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.'" John 14:6

 

While it IS possible that a Mormon or Muslim could get saved, they wouldn't stay in the Mormon or Muslim faith. But The Shack suggests that those in the faith are indistinguishable ... no difference. Even adding:

 

"I have no desire to make them Christian."

And then it goes on to say:

"Does that mean all roads will lead to you?"

To which Jesus says:

"Most roads don't lead anywhere."

 

Of course, the Jesus of the Bible disagrees:

 

"Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it." Matt. 7:13

 

"Jesus said to him, 'I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.'" John 14:6

 

 Yet The Shack doesn't tell people they should seek the only way to avoid eternal damnation--believing Jesus was God, came to earth, lived a sinless life, was crucified, and defeated death by rising from the dead.

 

The Shack presents an unbiblical picture of your relationship with God:

 

Throughout the book, The Shack places an emphasis on your "relationship" with God while downplaying proper doctrine. But how can you have a true relationship with God without scripturally understanding God's truth as revealed in His Word?

 

"...until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man, to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fullness of Christ." Eph. 4:13

 

The Shack embraces Pantheism:

 

Pantheism is the false teaching that God is everything and everything is God. Trees, rocks, animals, the sun, pets, people...are all gods. But even though God may live in a person or be present in a rock, that doesn't mean He is a person or a rock.

 

Don't confuse this with God being "omnipresent." God is not immersed in the fabric of everything, God is present in all time and space.

 

Noted New Ager Benjamin Creme wrote in his book, "The Reappearance of the Christ and the Masters of Wisdom":

 

    But eventually a new world religion will be inaugurated which will be a fusion and synthesis of the approach of the East and the approach of the West. The Christ will bring together, not simply Christianity and Buddhism, but the concept of God transcendent-outside of His creation-and also the concept of God immanent in all creation-in man and all creation. p. 88

 

The Shack also teaches the New Age principle that "God is in everything."

 

  "God, who is the ground of all being, dwells in, around, and through all things." p. 112

 

This is the same garbage that Rick Warren teaches in his blasphemous "The Purpose Driven Life":

 

"He rules everything and is everywhere and is in everything." p. 88

 

If pantheism were true, it would not be a sin to worship the sun, moon or stars because they would, in fact, be God. But the Bible forbids it.

 

"You shall have no other gods before Me." Deut. 5:7

 

 

"And beware not to lift up your eyes to heaven and see the sun and the moon and the stars, all the host of heaven, and be drawn away and worship them and serve them..." Deut. 4:19

 

Funny thing, when you think about it. The same lie Satan used in the Garden of Eden, "You can be God," is still being used by Satan today!

 

Conclusion

 

While a mature Believer may be able to read the fiction book and/or watch the fiction movie without being compromised, we believe that the dangerous theological errors in The Shack are from the pit of hell.

 

Reading and/or seeing The Shack movie by a mature Believer could expose less mature Believers to major Biblical error. What could have been an interesting story is actually playing with fire (i.e. Satan), which is never acceptable.

 

"Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour." 1Pet. 5:8

 

Shalom!

 

(1) http://compass.org/store/products/Article%3A-The-Shack-%252d-Book-Review.html