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?

God Let's You Do What You Want To Do, BUT...

We've been using the book of Jeremiah to uncover part of God's character and learn how God deals with nations. When does He bless nations and when does he curse (withdraw blessings) nations.

Does God force people to behave in a certain way? Is Christianity a religion of compulsion, that forces people to live and behave a certain way? About 2,500 years ago Babylon had conquered Israel, leaving just a remnant of the Jewish population behind. Those Jews started worshipping the Queen of Heaven, a pagan god. They refused to stop disobeying the LORD God and continued to worship the Queen of Heaven. So this is what God said:

"You and your wives have said that you will never give up your devotion and sacrifices to the Queen of Heaven, and you have proved it by your actions. Then go ahead and carry our your promises and vows to her!" - Jeremiah 44:25

If you choose to turn your back on God... if you refuse to obey God... he let's you do that. It's your choice to make and you may do as you wish. BUT, there are consequences both to you as an individual and to a nation that turns its back on God. The consequence for a nation is that God withdraws His blessing, and that brings disaster. In the case of the Jews God spoke to in Jeremiah 44:25 the consequences included "war and famine until all of you are dead." (Jeremiah 44:27)

In America today we are turning our backs on God both individually and as a nation. Individually, after our death, we all will stand before God to be judged. If you have disobeyed God in any way, the penalty is death (hell). As a nation the consequences don't come after the death of that nation, they are more immediate and may result in the death of the nation.

The Potter Does Whatever He Wants With His Pottery

In Jeremiah 18 the LORD sends Jeremiah to a shop where a potter is making pots. But the jar the potter was making did not turn out right, so the potter squashed the jar into a lump of clay and started over again. Then God said:

"...can I not do to you as this potter has done to his clay? As the clay is in the potter's hands, so are you in my hand. If I announce that a certain nation or kingdom is to be uprooted, torn down, and destroyed, but then that nation renounces its evil ways, I will not destroy it as I had planned. And if I announce that that I will build up and plant a certain nation or kingdom, making it strong and great, but then that nation turns to evil and refuses to obey me, I will not bless that nation as I had said I would." - Jeremiah 18:5-10

The Cursed and The Blessed

"Cursed are those who put their trust in mere humans and turn their hearts away from the LORD. They are like stunted shrubs in the desert, with no hope for the future. The will live in the barren wilderness, on the salty flats where no one lives."

"But blessed are those who trust in the LORD and have made the LORD their hope and confidence. They are like trees planted along a riverbank, with roots that reach deep into the water. Such trees are not bothered by the heat or worried by long months of drought. Their leaves stay green, and they go right on producing good fruit." - Jeremiah 17:5-8

The Fate Of Nations

God has said:

"But any nation who refuses to obey me will be uprooted and destroyed. I, the LORD, have spoken!"

Read These Words

Think about what is happening in America today and read these words from Jeremiah chapter 8. Liberal (progressive) "Christian" churches twist the meaning of scripture calling good what God says is evil. Everyone thinks they are Christian even though they ignore God, because they have listened to the teachers in America--the media, "intellectuals", science and liberal church leaders. Here is what God says:

"Why do these people keep going along their self-destructive path, refusing to turn back, even though I have warned them? I listen to their conversations, and what do I hear? Is anyone sorry for sin? Does anyone say, 'What terrible thing have I done'? No! All are running down the path of sin as swiftly as a horse rushing into battle!" - Jeremiah 8:5-7

"How can you say, 'We are wise because we have the law of the LORD,' when your teachers have twisted it so badly? These wise teachers will be shamed by exile for their sin, for they have rejected the word of the LORD." - Jeremiah 8:8,9

America turn back to the Lord! That is a cry for you individually. Listen to the word of God. Turn away from homosexual marriage and acceptance of homosexual behavior as right and good. Turn away from abortion... the sacrifice of children on the alter of the god of convenience. Turn away from divorce... the relationship between a husband and wife is the image of Jesus' relationship with the body of all believers. Turn away from fornication (sex outside of marriage). Turn away from inclusiveness that excludes God. There are many that call inclusiveness, with no limits, to be the desire of God... but they are the teachers who are twisting God's word and leading you away God. Inclusiveness is evil if it includes acceptance of sin as not being evil in God's eyes.

God's gift of salvation includes everyone. No one is excluded from this gift. If anyone accepts God's gift, it is theirs. That is the ultimate inclusiveness. But leading someone to believe they are saved and will enter heaven, when they do not desire to reject sin, is teaching a twisted gospel that leads to destruction.

400 Year Cycle - And The Time Is Now

In studying history Dr. Ralph D. Winter, the founder of the U.S. Center for World Mission, noticed what appears to be a 400 year cycle. It is a cycle in which a people group are first obedient to God; then over time they drift away from God and serve other gods; then God does something major to move His purposes forward. Dr. Winter ties this cycle into evangelism. When Christians are not sharing the good news about Jesus Christ with others, God does something that results in a dramatic spread of the gospel.

Dr. Winter has noticed that the gospel can be spread in a number of ways. For examples, believers can go out and bring the gospel to on-believers. Or, non-believers can be brought into a Christian group. An example of the latter are the Vikings. The Vikings were brutal, pagans. They invaded what we now call the British Isles and targeted monasteries and churches... because that was were the gold was. They killed the men and took the woman captive, taking them back to their homes as slaves who cared for and taught their children. What happened? The woman shared the gospel with the children of the Vikings. God's purpose was accomplished. The gospel was spread. The Vikings eventually became Christians... and became civilized.

So how does this apply to America? We are at the cusp of the 400 year cycle. God has greatly blessed America with riches beyond what any other nation has every had. What do we do with those riches? We spend more money on cosmetics than we do on missions. While missionaries give-up and remain at home because they can not raise the funds they need, we buy $100 tickets to sports events.

Which does God care about more? Who wins the next Superbowl, or the salvation of a 12 year-old girl in Russia. Which does God care about more? Whether your wife has the right shade of lipstick and matching shoes, or whether that same 12 year old girl has food today?

Where are are priorities? God knows and the time when He will act against America has already come. If we will not do His will, then He will see that it is done without us.

I Haven't Done Anything Wrong!

The nation of Israel had turned away from God and was worshiping other gods. In condemning Israel in Jeremiah 2:31 God said:

Why do my people say, "At last we are free from God! We won't have anything to do with him anymore!"

America has turned away from God and is worshiping other gods. Worshiping gods created by man, to serve man. America doesn't want anything to do with God anymore. A new god has been created who allows everyone to do whatever they want to do.

In Jeremiah 2:34 God says, "Your clothing is stained with the blood of the innocent and poor."

There are none more innocent than a new-born baby... and 1,000,000 babies are slaughtered in America every year. It's called abortion... and the ocean of blood from these innocent babies has soaked deep into our soil. This horror is ignored because a new god has been created. A god who does not consider an unborn baby to be a baby. The God of the Bible says "I knew you before I formed you in your mother's womb." (Jeremiah 1:5) The God of the Bible says he creates the life that grows in a woman's body... yet we allow 1,000,000 of God's creations in America to be slaughtered every year.

I spoke with a pastor recently who saw nothing wrong with abortion. After all, unwanted babies interfere with the lives of people. They are not convenient. Dear pastor, YOUR clothing is stained with the blood of the innocent.

Who do you worship? Do you worship the God of the Bible? Or do you say you worship the god of the Bible, but the reality is that you have made a god in your own image? A god (an idol) who allows sin such as abortion, homosexuality, adultery and fornication? Who do you worship?

The God Shaped Hole In Your Soul and Worshipping Idols

I don't like talking about people having a God shaped hole in their soul, although it is true. The problem is that it is not the gospel message that brings knowledge of sin and salvation through Jesus Christ. However, the hole people have in their soul drives everyone to a spiritual search... and the problem is that in America the result of that search is not a good result. Instead of finding God, Americans are finding idols and worshiping idols.

An idol does not have to be a statue made from stone or wood. An idol does not have to be a physical thing. Any time we worship something or someone other than God we are worshiping an idol. For example, Mormons have created a Jesus they like. He is nothing like the real Jesus. And even though they call him Jesus Christ and use his name in the name of their church, the Jesus they have is idol they have created. It is the same with Jehovah's Witnesses, evolutionists, and progressive Christianity. They have all created a Jesus they prefer. Instead of making themselves into the image of Jesus, they have created a Jesus in their own image... and they worship that idol.

When Jews in the Kingdom of Judah were was accused by God of worshiping idols, this is what God said in Jeremiah chapter 2. It is an accurate description of America today. Americans are seeking after every god but God:

"You say, 'That's not true! We haven't worshiped the images of Baal!' But how can you say that? Go and look in any valley in the land! Face the awful sins you have done. You are like a restless female camel desperate for a male! You are like a wild donkey, sniffing the wind at mating time? Who can restrain your lust. Those who desire you do not even need to search, for you come running them them! Why do you refuse to turn from all this running after other gods? But you say, 'Don't waste your breath, I have fallen inn love with these foreign gods, and I can't stop loving them now!'"

What can be done? The answer is the same. Repent and turn to Jesus. Not the Jesus created by you or by a church, but the Jesus of the Bible. Humble yourself. Admit you are wrong. Read your Bible and accept Jesus, just as he is.

What's Happening To America - Part 2

"so the people did whatever seemed right in their own eyes." - Judges 21:25

This describes America perfectly. What is right in our own eyes is what we want. We've turned our backs on God.

Today I heard on the radio that the Oregon legislature has passed a law making homosexual "marriage" legal... although they don't call it marriage, that's what it actually is. And they passed another law creating a special category of homosexual rights. The governor has said he'll quickly sign both laws.

When we turn our backs on God, and do what is right in our own eyes, as Oregon is doing, we can expect God to withdraw part of His blessing. And that's not good.

The April-June 2007 issue of Answers Magazine (Answers in Genesis) makes an insightful observation about violence in American schools. They wrote:

"People have rejected the truth and authority of the Bible and have instead accepted evolutionary ideas like survival of the fittest, as taught in most schools. These ideas have contributed significantly to a growing sense of meaninglessness and purposelessness in society. And with this mindset in society, such senseless violence should only be expected to increase."

Abortion. Living together outside of marriage. Divorce. Adultery. Corporate greed. The growing popularity of cults and the gathering of strength in Islam.

AMERICA WAKE UP!!! REPENT!! Turn from sinning and put your trust in the Lord.

What Will It Mean For The West If Radical Islam Triumphs?

This is the title of an excellent article in the March-April 2007 issue of Good News magazine.

Although most Americans at completely ignorant, Islam makes no secret that its goal is the complete imposition of Islam on America or the complete destruction of America. They are being aided by three problems that have been identified by Dr. Daniel Pipes... pacifism, self-hatred and complacency. The article states:

"In discussing pacifism, Dr. Pipes writes of those in the west who believe that a military solution is not possible. Yet he points out, 'What were the defeats of the Axis, the United States in Vietnam, or the Soviet Union in Afghanistan, it not military solutions?"

The article continues...

"His paragraph on self-hatred illustrates a phenomenon peculiar to the West. 'Significant elements in several Western countries--especially the United States, Great Britain and Israel--believe their own governments to be repositories of evil...Self-hating Westerners have an outsized importance due to their prominent role as shapers of opinion in universities, the media, religious institutions, and the arts. They serve as the Islamists' auxiliary mujahideen.'"

That's right. We are working to defeat ourselves and turn ourselves over to a tyranny that is beyond our imagination.

There is a lot more information in this article. I highly recommend reading it. It is available online at: http://www.gnmagazine.org/issues/gn69/radicalislam.htm

Does God Bless America?

When does God bless a nation and when does God withdraw His blessings from a nation?

A nation that lives in obedience to God, will be blessed. A nation that blesses Israel, will be blessed.

Is America living in obedience to God?

No, America is up to its eyeballs in the blood of innocent children who have been murdered. In ancient times some cultures sacrificed children to their pagan gods. We read about that and are horrified. How could someone kill their children to please a god that is not real? Yet we sacrifice millions more babies than were ever sacrificed to pagan gods... killing then in honor of the god of person convenience. We apply the death penalty to an innocent child because we had a moments pleasure and it would be inconvenient to let that child live.

Yes, some babies are conceived as a result of rape. (Very, very few abortions happen as a result of rape.) So what do we do? We give the death penalty to an innocent child instead of to the rapist. One person commits rape and we kill another person who had nothing to do with that rape. Does that make sense? NO!!!

The ongoing murder of innocent children is just one reason why America no longer has God's blessing as we did in the past. People are looking to the rest of the world and saying, "The world does not approve of what we are doing. We must change what we are doing." What we should be doing is looking to God and saying, "God does not approve of what we are doing. We must change what we are doing!"