Satan In America

How does Satan operate? His goal is to prevent as many people as possible from joining Jesus Chris in heaven. What techniques does he use? A book called "10 Things Satan Doesn't Want You To Know" as a good description:

"He [Satan] is a master counterfeiter, and he is trying to promote something that is similar, not dissimilar, to the plan and will of God. Satan, with all of his intelligence and long experience, knows that if he puts something which is clearly evil in the path of a Christian, he is apt to be alert to the fact that this comes from Satan and as a consequence be on guard against it. But if Satan can offer something which though good in itself is not the best, he will be more likely to gain the victory over the believer."

Do Christians Sin?

Do Christians sin? Yes. Christians are like everyone else. Christians disobey God. Christians do things that are wrong. The difference is in the response to sin. The story in the Bible about Simon the Samaritan shows this. Simon was a Samaritan sorcerer who was very influential because of the magic he performed. Then he heard Philip preach and he became a Christian. But as happens with many Christians his old desires stayed with him. Here is his story from Acts 8:13-24 (NLT)

"Then Simon himself believed and was baptized. He began following Philip wherever he went, and he was amazed by the great miracles and signs Philip performed."

"When the apostles back in Jerusalem heard that the people of Samaria had accepted God's message, they sent Peter and John there. As soon as they arrived, they prayed for these new Christians to receive the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit had not yet come upon any of them, for they had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. The Peter and John laid their hands upon these believers and they received the Holy Spirit."

"When Simon saw that the Holy Spirit was given when the apostles placed their hands upon people's heads, he offered money to buy this power. 'Let me have this power, too,' he exclaimed, 'so that when I lay my hands on people, they will receive the Holy Spirit!'"

"But Peter replied, 'May your money perish with you for thinking God's gift can be bought! You can have no part in this, for your heart is not right before God. Turn from your wickedness and pray to the Lord. Perhaps he will forgive your evil thoughts, for I can see that you are full of bitterness and held captive by sin.'"

"'Pray to the Lord for me,' Simon exclaimed, 'that these terrible things won't happen to me!'"

What was Simon's response to learning he was sinning? He recognized his sin, turned away from his sin, and sought God's forgiveness. He was so overwhelmed by recognizing he was sinning that he felt the great separation from God that sin brings, and did not feel worthy to pray himself.

This is the difference between a Christian and non-Christian. The Christian recognizes their sin, recognizes their responsibility for their sin, and recognizes the evil of their sin. They desire to stop sinning. They seek forgiveness from God for the sin.

The non-Christian embraces their sin. The non-Christian finds excuses for their sin.

Both Christians and non-Christians sin (disobey God). The difference is that Christians fall into sin and non-Christians dive into sin.

These Common Beliefs Are A Contradiction

The contradictions are so great, I can not understand how some people can live with their beliefs.

What is your position on the death penalty? Here is a quote from a web site that provides a definition of Progressive Christianity (http://www.tcnj.edu/~weinste3/whatischristianleft.htm). A part of the definition is the following stance on the death penalty:

"This commitment to nonviolence can also be seen in the Christian Left's opposition to the death penalty and the use of torture. Often, the commitment to peace is based on the sanctity of life..."

I think this provides a fairly good description of the typical basis for opposing the death penalty.

What principles do we see here?

nonviolence -- peace -- sanctity of life

opposition to the death penalty -- opposition to torture

What is your position on abortion?

The Christian left is divided on the issue of abortion, although supporting abortion seems to be a primary issue for the political left. What I don't understand are those who oppose the death penalty and also support abortion. This is a group of people who oppose taking the life of someone who has committed terrible crimes, yet they support the killing of the innocent. They oppose "violence" the brings justice, and support violence for the sake on convenience. I put the word "violence" in quotes because we are careful to be sure when the death penalty is carried out it is done in as "humane" and pain free way. On the other hand aborted babies are sometimes pulled apart, limb-by-limb while they are alive. Where is the greatest violence being done? It is in the abortion clinics.

If you support abortion and oppose the death penalty... why? Think about it. Why do you wish to withhold justice from the guilty and impose the death penalty on the innocent? Don't you care about innocent children being murdered?

What is my position on these two issues?

Abortion is murder. But if you've had an abortion, God still loves you, forgives you, and you can be sure Jesus died to pay the penalty for all your sins.

The Bible allows for the death penalty, when executed in a just manner by governments. However, personally I think we should avoid giving the death penalty. Because, when someone dies their opportunity for eternal life ends. God gives us all second, third and fourth chances. But when we die, the second chances end and our eternal destiny is determined. Heaven or hell? It will be one or the other. I like to give those convicted of crimes as much time as possible to recognize they are a sinner (someone who has disobeyed God), who is in need of a Savior, and that Savior is Jesus Christ.

U.S. Children are Victims of Sex Trafficking

Assessments of Service Delivery and Provision Reveal Gaps and Challenges

The following is a press release dated today:

Washington DC – Shared Hope International (SHI) has identified a startling trend: American
children are victims of the sex trade and they are being trafficked within the United States.
SHI research reveals that Domestic Minor Sex Trafficking (DMST) is a critical problem in many
locations across the U.S.

Human rights investigations by SHI have verified that disturbing numbers of American children
are lured and forced into prostitution. These innocent victims are supplying a demand for paid
sex, a human commodity that SHI investigators find horrifyingly easy to buy.
“If you pay the price you can get what you want, and I can get it for you. Now if you want
something really young, that $200, it’s just going to cost you a little bit more than that.” A trafficker
says to an undercover SHI investigator.

American children are prostituted by pimps on the streets, sold over the Internet, and exploited
through pornography and strip dancing. The federal Trafficking Victims Protection Act provides
that any minor exploited in the commercial sex market is a trafficking victim… yet SHI has
identified trafficked children incarcerated across the country for prostitution and related charges.
“I always felt like a criminal. I never felt like a victim at all,” says “Tonya”, a teenage trafficking
victim who was lured into prostitution by a pimp at age 12. “Victims don’t do time in jail, they work
on the healing process. I was a criminal because I spent time in jail.”

SHI has found that these children are often labeled as “child prostitutes”. In the few instances
they are properly identified as victims, there are no protective shelter options and they are often
placed in detention facilities with juveniles who have committed serious offenses.
“At an average age of 12 these children are lured and snatched by traffickers. It is a severe
injustice when American girls are held in physical and mental slavery and then punished for the
crime that is committed against them” said SHI President and Founder U.S. Congresswoman
Linda Smith (1994-1998).

SHI was awarded funding from the U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs,
Bureau of Justice Assistance (DOJ/BJA) to conduct field assessments in 10 U.S. locations
examining two critical issues: the identification of DMST victims and the service delivery to these
victims. The assessments will be released starting the last week of March. The locations include:
Las Vegas, NV; Clearwater, FL; New Orleans/Baton Rouge, LA; Dallas, TX; Independence, MO;
Ft. Worth, TX; The Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands; San Antonio, TX; Salt Lake
City, UT; and Buffalo, NY.

About Shared Hope International
Shared Hope International rescues and restores women and children in crisis. For almost a
decade, SHI has worked diligently around the world in partnership with local groups to prevent
trafficking and to rescue and restore the victims of sexual slavery, bringing hope to women and
children everywhere. For more information visit www.sharedhope.org.

See videos at: http://www.sharedhope.org/press/pressroom.asp

2012

The intensity/excitement concerning the year 2012 is increasing. There are more books, more talk shows and more articles being devoted to 2012.

What is happening in 2012?

Many think it will be the year that Armageddon happens. (Ezekiel 38 & 39) That is when a huge army from the north will attack Israel. No one will stand with Israel and the total eradication of Israel is certain... then God will defeat the attacking army in a way the shows His glory to the world. Many think this will be the beginning of the end times and the return of Jesus Christ.

Why 2012? Because many current events are falling into place to make such a thing happen. The invasion is supposed to happen after Israel gets great wealth... and huge oil deposits have recently been found in Israel. The invasion appears to be an alliance of Muslims (lead by Iran), Russia and Turkey... and that alliance is growing now. Plus a lot of events outside of Bible prophecies also seem to be coming together in 2012. For example, the most accurate calender ever created, the Mayan calendar, ends with December 21, 2012.

I'll talk about this more in a future post.

What is interesting is that in the Bible prophecies Israel stands alone. The question that immediately comes to mind is, what about America? We have stood by Israel in the past. But, according to Bible prophecy America is nowhere to be seen when Armageddon happens. Israel stands alone.

There are several theories. One is that Iran will attack the U.S. with EMP weapons launched from merchant ships. This is based on missile tests Iran has been observed conducting. An EMP weapon is a nuclear weapon that destroys electronics. This means that transportation and communication would stop working. Cars would not start. The internet would be gone. Phones would not work. Computers would no longer function (no banking, no Social Security checks). And there would be no electricity. This means the U.S. would revert to a cash/barter commerce system and paper-based communication for a minimum of a year.

But, it would not even take an EMP attack. Power magazine reports in this month's issue that a new sunspot cycle has started that will peak in 2012. The article states that solar storms can know out electric power and disrupt communications. It says, "Storms can also knock out commercial communications satellites, swamp GPS signals. Routine activities such as talking on a cell phone or getting money from an ATM machine could suddenly halt over a large part of the globe."

The year 2012 could be very interesting... or maybe not. What do you think?

It Makes No Sense

I don't understand. Progressives (liberals) say they are for helping people. They say they want the sick to be healed. They say they want the hungry to be fed. They say they want the homeless to have a place to stay. They say they want justice for the downtrodden. They say they want the innocent and helpless to be murdered. What??? They say they care, but they see no problem with killing innocent babies, if the baby is inconvenient for the mother.

"The level of a society's civilization can best be determined by how it treats the least fortunate, the unwanted, the downtrodden and the unprotected. Because no group is more vulnerable, more unprotected than the unborn, no issue better defines or expresses the broad and complex dimensions of the Culture War better than abortion." - W.A. Borst, Ph.D.

Yes, there is a culture war and the victims are the children. One million children killed every year in the U.S. alone.

How can progressives (liberals) allow this slaughter? It does not make sense.

It is a medical fact that a baby is a person from the moment of conception. A separate, living person with their own unique DNA. This is no longer a question. So how can anyone say that killing another person is acceptable, just because that person can not speak for themselves, or care for themselves?

Should we not at least error on the side of caution? Instead of wantonly killing babies, should we not strive to save lives? Why do progressives (liberals) so favor killing, instead of adopting? Why do they so favor death, instead of life? Why do they care so little about pre-born children? It doesn't make sense.

Cultural Version of Aids

I find this quote from columnist Joseph Sobran to be very interesting:

"It's a sort of cultural version of AIDS: the whole immune system of the West has broken down. It has no convictions, no comprehension of hostile alien cultures, no resistance to assault on its traditrion. Some would say fatally conflicted. It should come as no surprise that the twofold law of our land is that 'everybody knows it is wrong but no one can say it is wrong.' The country seems to have lost its spiritual moorings--its very foundations within the context of Judeo-Christian code. Pope John Paul II has called it a 'Culture Of Death.'"