THE KING IS COMING!

   For whosever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.  How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher?  And how shall they preach, except they be sent? As it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things!  For they have not all obeyed the gospel.  For Esaias saith, Lord, who hath believed our report?  So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.  (Romans 10: 13-17)

   Faith in Christ, therefore, is from hearing by the word of God. 
   I was not there in Bethlehem when Jesus was born:  yet, by faith, I believe he was born just as the word of God tells us.
   I was not there in Jerusalem when Jesus was crucified:  yet, by faith, I believe he was crucified just as the word of God tells us.
   I was not there when Jesus was resurrected from death to live again:  yet, by faith, I believe he was resurrected to live again just as the word of God tells us.
   And by faith I believe that Christ will return to the earth, just as the word of God tells us.
      For unto a child is born, unto us a son is given:  and the government shall be upon his shoulder:  and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace.  (Isaiah 9: 6)
   When Joseph and Mary looked into the eyes of baby Jesus, they were looking into the eyes of Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace.
   When Joseph and Mary looked into the eyes of baby Jesus, they were looking into the eyes of Almighty God, Creator of the universe.  For it is written in the word of God:
      All things were made my him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.  In him was life; and the life was the light of men.  And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.  (John 1: 2-5)
   And again the word of God tells us:
   Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.  (Hebrews 11: 1)
   Christ is, therefore, the substance of things hoped for (love, joy, peace, life everlasting)  as well as the evidence of Him not seen:   to be believed by faith and faith alone, and not by the sights and sounds that we see with our eyes, nor hear with our ears. 
   Christ is the opposite of religion, for religion is a system of man based on sights and sounds; for Christ is above all powers and principalities and kingdoms of man.
    By faith, then, we can believe that Christ is Almighty God.  And just as we believe that Almighty God came to earth in Bethlehem, we can also believe by faith that He will do it again!  For there is nothing---no man, no power, no government---that can stop the return of Jesus Christ!  And He will do it again, just as the word of God tells us.
      And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven:  and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.  (Matthew 24: 30)
   The return of Jesus Christ will be the greatest event in the history of the world.  Please do not miss it by missing Him.  He is the King of kings and the Lord of lords.  Therefore, the return of the King will be a majestic entrance from His throne in heaven, and His light will outshine the sun.

AS TEARS GO DRY

   And be not conformed to this world:  but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect will of God.  (Romans 12: 2)

   Reverse Psychology:  a manipulation to cause people to change their minds about something, or to cause them to believe that something is good for them, when, in fact, that something is bad for them.
  
   Desensitization:  to diminish emotional responsiveness to a negative or aversive stimulus after repeated exposure to it---again, and again, and again.

   The people of politics and religion are masters of deception.  They are also masters of reverse psychology and desensitization. 
   The leaders of this world want people to conform to the world and to one way of thinking, one way of living, and one way of believing:  so that people, all over the world, will be on the same page together and reading the same book together, and thereby marching to the beat of one drummer with a one world religion and a one world government, and that the leader of this one world religion and one world government will be one man, who will be the head of the World Church.
   These world leaders today, in religion and politics, are against God, against Christ, and against the Holy Bible because their hearts are evil.
   Jesus said, O generation of vipers, how can ye, being evil, speak good things? for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh.  (Matthew 12: 34)
   And it is also written:
      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; speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron; (I Timothy 4: 1-2)
   The leaders of politics and religion, therefore, speak lies in hypocrisy, and, they have no conscience, for they have been desensitized by Satan. They have no natural affection, and, they have no tears.  And because they have been desensitized by Satan, they desensitize others to hear and to heed to their words of lies, clothed in hypocrisy. 
   And in religion, they are masters of reverse psychology as demonstrated by their ability to persuade people to believe that the god, and gods, and goddesses of religion are exactly the belief that people need.  Consequently, because of this conformity to religion, the people believe that Christ is the enemy when they hear about Him.  In other words, they believe that their god is God and that Christ is the devil!  Therefore, because of their unbelief in Christ, they keep Christ crucified, for they believe that Christ is still dead, and that the resurrection of Christ never happened, so that Christ is not living now.
   Religious leaders have also been desensitized by Satan and they have no natural affection.  Neither do they have tears.
   The word "occult" means "hidden", and the people of Christianity as a religion do not know that their religion is of the occult because this knowledge is hidden by the Satanic priesthood of their religion---posing themselves to appear as ministers of God; and the people, therefore, believe they believe in God, when, in truth, their faith is in the god of their religion.  They have been tricked by the masters of their own religion, which is a masterful work of deception through hypocrisy.
   Desensitization in religion happens because people REPEAT AFTER ME---often enough and long enough---that they believe those words are true.  And if REPEAT AFTER ME begins when people are toddlers, they will believe in those words all the days of their lives.
   How, then, can you be transformed by the renewing of your mind? 
   This answer is the Holy Bible.  By reading and believing the Word of God, a person's mind can be renewed, or re-educated, and thereby transformed in the ways of God instead of remaining in the ways of religion; and thus a person will believe in the words of God instead of believing in the words of men.  For without the Word of God, there is no standard of truth.  And the Word of God is truth from heaven.  For without God, there is no natural affection, which also means no tears.
   Without God, people are sleepwalking through the darkness of this world, which is why they do not see the dreadful things that are coming upon the earth.  Christ is the light of the world, and He is available to awaken people out of darkness and to believe that He is coming back to earth.
   Jesus said, I am the resurrection, and the life:  he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live:  and whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die.  Believest thou this?  (John 11: 25-26)
  

  

A NATION'S SOUL

   For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?  Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?  (Mark 8: 36-37)

   But can a nation also lose its own soul?
   Of course!
   Like all other nations upon the earth, the United States has lost its own soul. 
   Witchcraft is the fastest-growing religion worldwide, growing faster than Islam, Christianity, Judaism, or any religion of any name, and Witchcraft is the fastest-growing religion in the United States.
   Witchcraft is the religion of Satan, and, therefore, people of Witchcraft worship Satan.
   The World Church that is rising upon the earth is the religion of Witchcraft---under the disguise of a man in priestly garments, pretending to be Christ on earth, and he is deceiving the whole world. 
   In the United States, Witchcraft found fertile ground in the 1960s, and it was transmitted to the minds of young people primarily through the power of rock music, which is Satan's music, which is music of a rebellion against God.  And Satan's false prophets of music became as gods in the minds of people. 
   Beyond rock music, Satan has also transported his toxic waste to the minds of people throughout the entertainment industry of television and radio, thereby dominating the airwaves of sight and sound with elements of Witchcraft.
   Today, all television programming is from the people of Witchcraft, and weekly shows, movies, sporting events, musicals, animation, and commercials are filled with elements of Witchcraft, and only Satan's people are glorified with air time on television---all of whom have sold their souls to the devil. 
   Nations that once stood for Christ and biblical principles do not stand for Christ nor for biblical principles any longer, for these nations have sold their souls:  the United Kingdom, Canada, the United States, Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa. 
   In the near future, look for sudden and great events to come upon these nations and all nations upon the earth. 
   Look for changes that will astound the minds of people. 
   Look for people to be shocked and stunned in disbelief. 
   Look for Martial Law to be imposed worldwide.
   No longer will people hear the sweet sounds of children playing and laughing. 
   God's judgment of the earth is now in its beginning stage.  From now until Christ returns, there shall be no peace on earth. 
   God's promise to people, however, still stands and is still offered:
      For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.  (Romans 10: 13)
   And that name is Christ the Lord.

SATAN'S LAST STAND

   At a later date, and perhaps as early as 2015, the Vatican of Rome will move its headquarters to Jerusalem, where Islam, Catholicism, and Judaism will merge and the Pope will become the head of the World Church, which will also include renegade Christian churches, Chrislam, and occult churches, such as the Church of Satan, Church of Witchcraft, Church of Wicca, and Church of Paganism. 
   Plans and preparations have been made for years to accomplish this goal, for, even now, the Jews have designated a seat for the pontiff in Jerusalem, over the Tomb of King David, in the Upper Room, where they believe Jesus held the Last Supper.
   All of this will come to pass because the Pope must be in Jerusalem for the anointing of the Antichrist, who will arrive in Jerusalem to rule the world for seven years.
   When Antichrist stands up in Jerusalem, he will bring peace to the world for three and a half years, for he will be charming---a type of golden boy, or idol---and people will believe him because they will believe that he is Messiah, who has arrived to rescue the world from evil. 
   During these three and a half years, the Temple of the Jews will be rebuilt in Jerusalem and the Antichrist will take his seat there, in the Holy of Holies, proclaiming himself to be God. 
   At that time, too, Antichrist will remove his mask, and Satan, who has been possessing Antichrist's body, will come out of him, and people will see Satan as he is, as a beast.  This, of course, will be Satan's last stand before the return of Christ the Lord.
   For more than two thousand years, the Bible has been telling us this story, and warning us of this time that will come upon the earth, and of the things that must come to pass before the return of Christ the Lord. 
   This blog post today is a condensed version of things that will come to pass, for the complete story is contained in the Bible, which millions of people have believed and have trusted in Christ for salvation---while billions of people have not:  because they refuse to believe that God will do as God has said He will do. 
      Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts, and saying, Where is the promise of his coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation.  (2 Peter 3: 3-4)

LYING EYES

   Beloved, let us love one another:  for love is of God; and everyone that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God.  He that loveth not, knoweth not God; for God is love.  In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him.  Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.  (I John 4: 7-11)

   Be not deceived. 
   Human governments and human religion have no love of God, for neither is of God. 
   The government of your nation and the government of my nation do not love us because the leaders of governments worldwide have rejected the Son of God, who is Christ the Lord; therefore, the love of God does not abide within the hearts of the world's leaders.
   The religions of your nation and my nation do not love us because the leaders of religions worldwide have rejected the Son of God, who is Christ the Lord; therefore, the love of God does not abide within the hearts of the world's religious leaders:  for, if they knew Christ, they would abandon their religions and come out of them.
   In the words of Jesus, they are hypocrites and vipers, to whom Jesus said:
      Ye serpents, ye generation of vipers, how can ye escape the damnation of hell?  (Matthew 23: 33)
   As for the people who follow this generation of vipers, how will they also escape the damnation of hell? 
   A snake is a master of deception:  so are the leaders of governments and the leaders of religions; for these people, through political policies and religious dogmas, control the world by manipulating the minds of people; and people, throughout the world, trust in them more than they trust their own mothers and fathers.
   Even now, the leaders of governments and the leaders of religion control the money of the world; therefore, do not believe them when they say their governments and religions are financially broke, busted, or bankrupt.  For these people are the wealthiest people throughout the world!
   As snakes, they are masters of confusion and disorder, for out of this confusion and disorder (which they create) their desire is to lead people to believe that they have the solution to global madness.
   As snakes, they have no desire to help the needy, the sick, the helpless, hopeless, and homeless people around the globe.  They have no desire to supply food and fresh drinking water to people in need.  They have no desire to clothe the naked, nor to supply medical attention to sick people.
   As snakes, they have no desire to stop the plagues of prostitution, pornography, pedophilia, drug addictions, or human trafficking upon the earth:  for these, to them, are harbors of money. 
   As snakes, they have lying eyes:  eyes that dart to and fro across the earth, seeking whom they may devour; for they want people to die, and not to live to be healthy and happy.
   As snakes, such people are, as Jesus said,
      Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do:  he was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him.  When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own:  for he is a liar, and the father of it.  (John 8: 44)
   As snakes, such people as these have no guilt, they have no shame, and they have no tears for suffering people.  They have the same psychological profile of Judas Iscariot and Pontius Pilate, for they are children of the devil and not children of God. 
   Throughout the world today, our only source for truth is the Holy Bible. 

LIVING WORDS

   The Holy Bible is not a religious book, nor is it a book about religion, and neither is it an instructional book to teach people how to be religious.
   The Bible is about God and His relationship with people, including things past, things present, and things future.
   The written words of the Bible are words from the mind of God; therefore, as you read the Bible, you are reading the mind of God, which is why the Bible is also called The Word of the Lord.
   If you will read the Bible, you will clearly see that Jesus, the Son of God, did not come to earth to tell the world about a new religion, nor the religion of God, nor to launch a new religion; for God does not need a religion. 
   Instead, Jesus came to earth to tell the world about His heavenly Father; and we, who believe in Christ, will also believe in His heavenly Father. 
   As it is written,
      This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased:  hear ye him.  (Matthew 17: 5)
   If the Bible is the only book you should have in your personal library, this is the only book you need; for by reading and studying the Word of the Lord, you can receive the greatest education of your lifetime upon the earth:  for the Bible is living words.
   Obviously, all religions upon the earth are creations by man, and not from God.  Which also means that all words of all religions upon the earth are dead words, and there is no life in dead words.  And all the work that people do within their religions is dead works because the religions of man are against God, against Christ, and against the Holy Bible.
   Obviously, too, all religions upon the earth are created and designed by man to keep the knowledge of God hidden from people:  to keep people believing that their way of salvation and their way to heaven can be attained without God.  For all religions want people to believe that they will go to heaven by clinging to a religion, and many of these religions want people to believe that hell is no more than a four-letter word.  For the ministers and priests of man's religions are Satan's helpers.
   Above all else, God wants us to know Him, through His Son, so that we, like Jesus, can call Him our heavenly Father.
   Knowing this, God wants us to know the things He has done, to know the things He is doing, as well as to know the things He will yet do---not only in this world where we presently live, but He wants us to know the things He will do for us for eternity; for, with God, there are no secrets:  but in the religions of man, these are institutions of dark secrets.  And in the Bible, we can read the plans God has for us, and all we need to do to be partakers in His heavenly plan is to simply believe in Him by faith.  We, then, can know the future because the future is written in the Word of God, and there will be no other future and this future. 
    Finally, in knowing God through His Son, Jesus Christ, we become friends of God, for Jesus said,
       Henceforth I call you not servants; for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth:  but I have called you friends; for all things that I have heard from my Father I have made known unto you.  (John 15: 15)

HOUSES OF CORRUPTION

   Human government has always been a house of corruption.
   Human religion, too, has always been a house of corruption.
   These two houses of corruption have dominated the lives of people, worldwide, for thousands of years; and, today, these two houses of corruption dominate the lives of people, worldwide.
   Have we not learned lessons from the pages of our own human history?
   How much longer will people, worldwide, continue to look at government and religion with sleepy eyes as if their minds have been injected with strange concoctions and potions of mind-altering drugs?
   People in the world today are the most educated people in the history of the world, and if you ask people what they see in front of their eyes, they will give the same answer that people have been giving for thousands of years---politics and religion---and still living by the same intoxicated mantras:
      "Charity begins at home."
      "Give peace a chance."
      "Everybody's doing it, so it must be right if I do it, too."
      "Like yourself before you can like others."
      "Love yourself before you can love others."
      "If what I do doesn't hurt anybody else, then there is nothing wrong with what I do."
      "When in Rome, do as the Romans do."
   Here in the United States, people are doing as the Romans do, for our nation looks more like ancient Rome today than "one nation, under God, with liberty and justice for all." 
   Here in the United States, Christian churches are declining while Paganism is inclining:  especially in the age group of 20-30 as well as among teenagers and even young children; for we are watching the fastest-growing religion in America arise in front of our eyes, the religion of Witchcraft; and, behind Witchcraft, is the religion of Islam, which is also taking converts across the land.
   Here in the United States, people continue to believe in the corrupted houses of politics and religion, just as people have believed in these institutions for thousands of years, including all the glory years of Rome:  which was a harbor for corrupted politics, corrupted religion, the worship of idols made by the hands of men, and the worship of the planets of the heavens---sun, moon, and stars---as well as the worship and adoration of dead people, called saints, to whom are offered praise and prayers.  Add to this the "god images" of the people in music, movies, and sports.
   The power of the delusion of deception of Satan is so smooth, so subtle, and so strong that people throughout the world do not know that they are being deceived by the people of governments and religion.
   The power of the delusion of deception of Satan is so smooth, so subtle, and so strong that people throughout religious Christianity do not know that they are being deceived by the ministers and priests of their own houses of religion.
   The power of the delusion of deception of Satan is so smooth, so subtle, and so strong that the people of the occult believe that Lucifer is God.
   For religion is a spiritual drug that is injected in the minds of people, which is the foundation of their early childhood education.
   The whole world is in a red zone of danger, and the clock on the wall is ticking. 
   The return of Jesus Christ will be the greatest event in the history of the world, but who is watching and who is waiting for the Lord's triumphant return?  Perhaps no more than a remnant of people living upon the earth. 
   But you can be a part of this remnant of believers if you will only believe in this:
       That 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.  For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.  (Romans 10: 9-10)

RELIGIOUS ENGINEERING

   People of religious Christianity have no knowledge of Bible history, and neither do they have any knowledge of Bible prophecy; for the Bible, to them, is forbidden knowledge.
   Obviously, they have been trained to live in the present tense, in the here and now.  They are not concerned about the past, and neither are they concerned about the future.
   As such, they are as little children:  knowing no more about their religion today than they knew when they were children.
   As little children, they are obedient to their religion.  They stand when they are told to stand, sit when they are told to sit, kneel when they are told to kneel, and pray when they are told to pray.  But they have no knowledge of God.
   They have college educations; they have professional careers; and they earn professional wages.  But they have no knowledge of God.
   They do not know that God created the world and life on earth; neither do they know that the world will come to an end.  They have no knowledge of God. 
   They do not sing Christian hymns, and neither do they enjoy Christian music because they have no joy of the Lord in their hearts.
   In December, they decorate green trees and they fill their homes with presents.  And they say, "Was Santa Claus good to you?"
   At Easter, they participate in all of the Easter festivities, and even to give presents to their children.  And they say, "Was the Easter Bunny good to you?"
   They have no knowledge of God.  They live in the present tense, in the here and now.  As little children, they are obedient to their religion all the days of their lives.  They have no knowledge of the things God has done in the past, and neither do they have any knowledge of the things God will do in the future.  The return of Christ is a fundamental teaching of the Lord, but to people of religious Christianity, the return of Christ is never mentioned; therefore, the people are not looking for the return of Jesus; for this knowledge is hidden from them.
   Their religion has hidden the knowledge of God from them, and, in their religion, they learn to hide from God:  for they believe that the god of their religion should be the god of all people, and they believe that all people of the world should be like them and believe as they believe.
   They will get angry in defense of their religion, but they will never speak a word on behalf of Christ.  They are not messengers for God, and neither can they be:  for, to them, Jesus is a stranger.
   To them, God is a foreigner, and the Bible is a foreign language.  They have been taught that the Bible should be interpreted for them by their holy men:  that they are incapable of understanding the Word of the Lord even though the Bible has been translated in their own language.
   Where is Christ in their minds?  Christ is not there, for only their religion is in their minds: which is why they, like little children, have more interest in Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny than they have in the birth and the resurrection of Christ the Lord.
   As stated previously and many times, religion is the greatest method of mind control ever invented, and the people of religious Christianity is the evidence of mind control:  for their minds remain as the minds of little children all the days of their lives, and their religious behavior is mechanical, for they are the evidence of religious engineering. 
   They have no humility, and they have no tears, for they are proud of themselves and proud of their religion.  As such, they are as mechanical robots, marching to the orders of their gods, which is the priesthood, to whom they bow and obey.  To them, Jesus is no more than an image, created by their religious priesthood in their imaginations.  All they know about Jesus is that which their masters have told them.
   But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost:  in whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them that believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.  For we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord; and ourselves your servants for Jesus' sake.  (2 Corinthians 4: 3-5)

A WORLD IN CRISIS

   Are we presently watching a world in crisis in front of our eyes?
   Have you noticed how world leaders have been in a scramble mode during the past two weeks?
      ---Six nations agreed to a treaty with Iran.
      ---Vladimir Putin of Russia went to Rome to meet with Pope Francis.
      ---Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel went to Rome to meet with Pope Francis.
      ---U.S. Vice President Joe Biden is now in Asia for meetings with Japan, South Korea, and China.
      ---U.S. Secretary of State is in Israel today with a security plan for the Israelis and Palestinians.

   Are we also watching the end of an era in front of our eyes, which is the end of the church age?
      ---1400 pastors of churches in the United States leave the ministry each year.
      ---Only 15% of churches in the United States are growing.
      ---Only 2% of the churches that are growing are growing by conversion.
      ---At least 10,000 churches in the United States have disappeared.

   The Word of the Lord says,
      Behold, the days come, saith the Lord GOD, that I will send a famine in the land, not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the LORD:  and they shall wander from sea to sea, and from the north even to the east, they shall run to and fro to seek the word of the LORD, and shall not find it.  (Amos 8: 11-12)
      And many false prophets shall arise, and shall deceive many.  And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold.  (Matthew 24:  11-12)

   World leaders are in secret meetings in order to finalize their secret plan; therefore, look for them to produce a big event:  an event that will not be good for the people of all nations.
   And as more and more people turn their faces against the Lord, look for God to also produce a big event:  an event that will be bigger than the event by world leaders. 
   We are about to witness a world in crisis, for we are living in a time of imminent danger, a danger that is coming to people of all nations.
   We are about to enter a time of pain and great sorrow, which shall come to people of all nations.
   If you believe in praying to God to help us, now would be a good time to pray. 
   More than this, now would be a good time to pray without ceasing (I Thessalonians 5: 17)

     

WHEN GOD SPEAKS

   God knows you.  He knows all about you.  There is nothing about you, in fact, that God does not know.
   God knows when you are good, and God knows when you are bad; for He knows all of your behaviors, whether they be good or bad.  He knows about your words of lies, and He knows about your words of truth.  He knows about your success, and He knows about your failures.
   God knows about your dreams and of all the things you have done as well as all the things you would like to do. 
   Above everything that God knows about you, He also knows your name:  and all the names of the people in your family tree.  And he knows the names of all the people that you know:  your family, friends, and your associates at your place of employment. 
   You are important to God, and He knows that your name is important to you.
   Therefore, when God wants your attention, He will speak your name.
   God has been speaking to people ever since the day He created Adam, the first man on earth, and the Almighty has never stopped speaking to people.
   God speaks to people in many ways. 
   To begin, creation itself is the evidence of the work of the Master Engineer.  And of all the millions of places in the universe, isn't it interesting that only planet Earth can sustain life?  Even the air we breathe is a creation of God, for how would nature know that we need air in order to live?  How would nature know that we also need water and food?  For the earth is designed to produce the abundance of food that we need to live.  No other planet can do for us what the earth can do. 
   Secondly, God has been using the heavens as a chalkboard to write messages to us for events that have been coming upon the earth as well as for events that are yet to come.  God wants us to know things before those things come to pass.
    For example, when Jesus was born in Bethlehem, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem, saying, Where is he that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him.  (Matthew 2: 2)
   And again, God is speaking to us in a comet that is presently in the heavens, which is named ISON, and this, too, is a sign, or a signal, from God of coming events upon the earth.  Therefore, it is in our interest to pay attention to comet ISON and to consider events that are about to happen upon the earth, for God is speaking to us in the heavens and He wants us to know and not to be surprised.  And by knowing, we can be prepared.  For God wants to include us with Him in His master plan.
   Thirdly, God speaks to us through His written Word, which is the Holy Bible; for the words of the Bible are the words of God, and, as we read the Word of God, we can hear the voice of God speaking those words if we will listen. 
   Jesus said, My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me:  and I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.  My Father, which gave them to me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand.  I and my Father are one.  (John 10: 27-30)
   Therefore, when you hear the voice of Jesus speaking your name, answer Him; for you are one of His sheep, and the Lord is extending His salvation to you, to lift you out of the world, to bring you back to the sheepfold, and you will walk in newness of life!
   To know Christ is to know the light of the world.
   Please do not be left behind in the dark.
  

WHILE YOU WERE LIVING

   There you are again, sitting in the place where you have been sitting for forty years.
   There you are again, listening to the same dogmas and doctrines you learned as a toddler.
   There you are again, participating in the same rites and rituals you learned as a toddler.
   There you are again, standing when you are told to stand, kneeling when you are told to kneel, praying when you are told to pray, and shaking hands with others when you are told to shake hands, just as you have been doing since the days when you were a toddler.
   There you are again, leaving the building and dragging your religion with you, like a ball at the end of a chain, which you have been doing since the days when you were a toddler.
   Nothing has changed, has it? 
   Nothing is new, nothing is different since the days when you were a toddler, right?
   More than anything else, you want others to believe that you are the you that you want them to believe that you are.  You have wanted this since the days when you were a toddler because you were trained to believe that you are the you that you want others to believe that you are.  You want others to know that you are devoutly religious, that you are righteous among people, and that you are not like the sinners that do not know the way that you know. 
   Therefore, when you go out of your home and in public places, you do not go forth to see others, but rather to be seen.  When you go shopping, there you are.  When you drive your car, there you are. When you play golf or bingo, there you are.  And when you do your good deeds for others, you want them to know the good person you are.
   Your parents are proud of you because you are the heir to the family tradition, the family religion.
   You are also proud because you have trained your children to be the future heirs to the family tradition, the family religion.
   You have been trained to believe that baby Jesus was born to a virgin in Bethlehem, right?
   You have been trained to believe that Jesus was crucified by Pontius Pilate and arose on the third day, right?
   You have been trained to believe that Jesus was born on December 25th, right?
   You have been trained to believe that Jesus was crucified on Friday, right?
   You have been trained to believe that the Christian Sabbath day is on Sunday, not on Saturday, right?
   You have been trained to believe that Christians should eat fish on Fridays, right?
   You have been trained to believe that a man of the earth has the power to forgive sins, right?
   You have been trained to believe that water baptism is sufficient for the cleansing of sins, right?
   You have been trained to believe that you are on your way to heaven because of your acceptance of your religious dogmas and doctrines, rites and rituals, right?
   In all of your training, however, have you been taught to believe that Jesus is coming again?  Probably not.
   In all of your training, were you ever encouraged to read the Holy Bible?  Probably not.
   These things are written today because, just moments ago:  you died.  Now what?  What do you believe now?  You are still alive, but where are you?
   While you were living, Jesus said,
      Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.
   And again,
      Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. 
   Jesus said, a man cannot see nor can he enter the kingdom of God unless he has been born again.
   While you were living, what were you trained to believe?
   While you were living, the Holy Spirit revealed to your mind that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, the Savior of the world, but instead of kneeling to Jesus in confession and asking forgiveness of your sin, you denied Him and chose to cling to your religion.  In so doing, you also trained your children to follow you. 
  
  

AN OCCUPATION

   For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?  Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?  (Mark 8: 36-37)

   Judas Iscariot made a deal with the devil and he sold his soul for thirty pieces of silver; and before the sun went down in Jerusalem that day, Judas Iscariot committed suicide.
   Jesus never said that serving God would be an occupation---nor a "career opportunity".
   Jesus said, Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.  (Matthew 7: 15)
   Like Judas Iscariot, false prophets have sold their souls to the devil.
   Like Judas Iscariot, false prophets are self-serving:  for their only interest in life is themselves.
   They build financial empires on the name of Jesus, for their greatest love is that which they can touch and hold with their hands:  money.
   False prophets are truly good at what they do, for they are masters of deception.
   They comb their hair and brush their teeth. 
   They have sparkling smiles that are contagious. 
   Everywhere they go, people like them. 
   False prophets have eyes with dry wells:  they never weep.
   False prophets never have a bad day. 
   They never have financial difficulties. 
   They are never hated and they never experience persecution, or suffering.
   They want you to believe that your miracle is on the way.
   They want you to believe that you can live a life of financial freedom.
   They want you to believe that every day will be a day of joy and happiness, and no more sorrow.
   To have what they have, order their books.  Order their tapes.  Order their CDs and DVDs.  Which they will send to you FREE OF CHARGE and POSTAGE PAID!
    All they ask in return from you, dearly beloved, is to remember them in your prayers and to open your hearts to send them a little money, a simple love offering, to help them in their ministry, in their time of need.
   When they come to town, they want you to know it!  Come out to see them at the civic center.  Come out to meet them under the big tent.  Come out and be a witness of their healing miracles.  While there, make a generous offering to their ministry.  Buy their books.  Buy their tapes.  Buy their CDs and DVDs.  Tell your friends about them.  Share their books, tapes, CDs, and DVDs with others.
   In his beginning, Judas Iscariot was a thief:  he never earned a day of honest wages in his lifetime; instead, his occupation was in petty theft, shoplifting, and skimming money from the disciples' money bag as he traveled with Jesus. 
   False prophets are like Judas Iscariot:  thieves.  They never earn a day of honest wages in their lifetimes; instead, their occupation is to deceive people to give them their money.
   False prophets are the false ministers, false teachers, false preachers, and false priests.  And in Christianity, they have found their occupation, their job, their career opportunity, and their life's work, from which they receive generous wages. 
   False prophets are also false singers and false musicians in Christian music, where they have found their occupation, their job, their career opportunity, and their life's work, from which they receive generous wages.
   False prophets of word and of music are highly talented and highly trained individuals.  They have STAR POWER.  They are the SUPERSTARS of Christianity. 
   They will also make personal appearances at your church, too---if the price is right.  And if the price is right, they will entertain and thrill every person in the house:  after which, a standing ovation is both proper and expected when a church becomes a theater.
   But in the world of illusion that is in the power of deception in false prophets, please remember: 
   Christ is not there; He is risen:  Why seek ye the living among the dead?  (Luke 24: 5)

A CONSUMING FIRE

   For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.  He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.  (John 3: 17-18)

   As we read the four Gospels of the New Testament of the Bible, we are reading about the same Jesus that Judas Iscariot knew for more than three years.  In so doing, we are also reading the same words of Jesus that Judas Iscariot heard more than two thousand years ago. 
   By rejecting Jesus, however, Judas Iscariot also rejected God:  because the Son and the Father are one.   
   Furthermore, by rejecting God, Judas Iscariot also rejected the love, mercy, and grace of God the Father.
   And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.  For every one that doeth evil hated the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved.  (John 17: 19-20)
   Judas Iscariot loved darkness rather than light. 
   Judas Iscariot chose to do evil because he hated the light.
   Judas Iscariot never came to the light lest his deeds should be reproved.
   The men who killed Jesus had the same minds and the same hearts as Judas Iscariot:  they loved darkness rather than light, and they also hated the light.
   When people continuously reject the truth of Christ, they inherit the mind of Judas Iscariot:  they love darkness rather than light, and they also hate the light.  In so doing, they also become like the men who killed Jesus, for they have killed Jesus in their hearts. 
   The men who killed Jesus also knew the truth of the Lord's resurrection:  for then they began to murder the people who believed in Jesus.  For if they had truly believed that the Lord was still dead, they would have dismissed the believers of Christ as lunatics, or crazy people. 
   The Holy Spirit reveals the truth of Christ to people, and when people reject Christ, they also reject the love, mercy, and grace of God.  And by their rejection of Christ, they will continue to hide in their religion, for religion is darkness rather than light.  There, they will continue to cling to their dogmas and doctrines, rites and rituals, for they believe that their religion is more powerful than Christ:  at which time their minds become like the mind of Judas Iscariot, and they become masters of deception:  for they want others to believe how wonderful they are because of their religious arrogance. 
   When people say they believe in God, yet they reject Christ, their belief in God is amiss:  for the Son and the Father are one; therefore, people cannot have one without the other.
   When people say they pray to God, yet they reject Christ, their prayers to God are also amiss:  for the Son and the Father are one; therefore, because their prayers are not in the name of the Son, their prayers are amiss. 
   Satan is the lord and the god of man's religions; therefore, when people reject Christ, yet cling to their religions, their faith is in Satan and not in Almighty God:  for religion is the house of darkness, and not the house of light.  It is in the house of darkness where people are deceived, and by their own rejection of Christ, they become deceivers, just like Judas Iscariot, and they also become like the men who killed Jesus.
   Judas Iscariot believed he would get away with thirty pieces of silver, but he never believed that he would face the judgment of God.
   The men who killed Jesus also believed that they would get away with their murder of the Lord and not face the judgment of God.
   Likewise, when people reject Christ, they do not believe they will face the judgment of God.
   As for Judas Iscariot, his only interest in life was for himself.
   As for the men who killed Jesus, their only interest in life was for themselves.
   When people reject Christ, their only interest in life is for themselves.
   Consequently, self-love is a consuming fire, destroying people from within.  For when people love self, they become an idol unto themselves, for their only interest is in pleasing self:  for the love of God is not in them because they have rejected the only begotten Son of God, who is Christ Jesus the Lord. 
  

CHILDREN OF CAIN

    A recapped tire is not a new tire just because it has a new face:  but the old tire looks like new when it is given a new slab of rubber.  In time, however, the old tire will expose what it is because the new slab of rubber is built on a foundation of corruption.
   The religion of ancient Babylon is an old tire, and as the people at the Tower of Babel spread across the earth, they took their old tire with them.  To hide the identity of its age and its purpose, however, the people gave it a facelift:  they changed its name, gave it a new building, and gave it a new residence.
   That evil spirit of ancient Babylon has never vanished from the face of the earth, and it is just as evil and powerful today as it was four thousand years ago by the rivers of Babylon.
   Those places where Babylon exists today are in three locations:  Rome, Italy; London, England; and the District of Columbia (with its branch office at the United Nations in New York City).  These three are one and these three agree.  These three have three seats, and the three seats will become one.
   Rome controls the religions of the world, London controls the money of the world, and the District of Columbia (working with the United Nations) controls the government of the world.  These three are one and these three agree.
   The most powerful men in the world, however, operate in secrecy throughout a network of secret societies spanning the globe.  And these men, hidden in darkness, are representatives of the Satanic Priesthood.  Their knowledge is from the mystery religion of ancient Babylon, handed down from generation to generation to this present day, and their purpose is to bring the world into captivity in a religious system that is called the New World Order, which will be a restoration of the Tower of Babel.  And the United States is the capital of the New World Order.
   This Satanic Priesthood of men are the children of Cain, children of the devil.  As such, they are children of darkness, for darkness is their natural habitat.  They were born with evil minds and evil hearts. Their enemy is light.  They gather behind closed doors, in secret meetings in secret places.  They are highly intelligent, highly educated, and masters of deception, just like their father, the Devil.
   They mask their identity with false faces and false smiles, for in their hearts they have nothing to be happy about; for their hearts and minds are set on evil and destruction, and therefore they are incapable of true human emotions. 
   Yet, like snakes, they can be charming, and masters of entertainment.
   They also mask their identity by the clothes they wear:  expensive shoes, silk ties, and priestly garments of purple and fine linen. 
   They condemn the wealth of successful people while they abide in island castles with servants and chauffers, private jets, and armed guards. 
   They fare sumptuously every day while hungry people throughout the world crave the crumbs from their tables. 
   They tell the world to share and to help others while they hoard the world's money in private banks and real estate acquisitions.
   They employ women as seductive goddesses in music, movies, and television to entice men to follow them to a sea of sexual madness; but also to enter churches as delightful angels that ministers of Christ cannot resist.
   They are seen in churches and religious institutions, kneeling and praying, and clutching Bibles; and no marvel, for even Satan can quote the Word of the Lord.
   On September 11, 1990, President George Herbert Walker Bush gave his famous New World Order speech in which he told the world that the New World Order will produce a world of law and a world of peace.  His speech that day was a signal to the men of the Satanic Priesthood to go to work and to do the works they have been planning to do, and look at the evil that has come upon the world since 1990.
   On June 28, 1986, Barack Hussein Obama openly mocked the Holy Bible, including the greatest message ever written, The Sermon on the Mount.
   In so doing, such men as these killed Jesus of Nazareth, for the Son of God was a hindrance in their plan to conquer the world for Satan.
   Since that day in Jerusalem, moreover, they have been working to extinguish Christians from the face of the earth.  Since that day, they have been working to abolish the knowledge of God, to abolish the knowledge of Christ, and to abolish the knowledge of the Holy Bible:  for all of this knowledge must be extinguished from the minds of people before people will bow to Lucifer.
   For more than a hundred years, the men of this Satanic Priesthood have been training, educating, and equipping men and women to enter churches across America, posing themselves as preachers, teachers, and ministers of music in order to subvert the Gospel of Christ.  Many have also been church planters, posing themselves as preachers, and using churches as a place for recruiting hundreds and hundreds of men to join a secret society.
   As a result of this infiltration of evil, churches across America lost their power of God as they became entertainment centers where people gather to socialize, to have coffee and donuts, play baseball and basketball, take group trips for fun and fellowship, ocean cruises, and where music became the center of attention in worship.
   That old tire from Babylon, however, is still on the road, still rolling, and still gathering converts, for the fastest-growing religion in the world today is Witchcraft.     
   As you watch television and movies and listen to music, you can see and hear this evil power groaning as it is pulling more and more people into its depth of darkness---while people are happily being entertained, while they are forgetting about their troubles and their woes.
   The children of Cain killed Jesus of Nazareth, and the children of Cain are the most powerful men in the world today.
   And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God:  and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already it is in the world.  (1 John 4: 3)
  

SIX FLAGS OVER THE WORLD

   The children of God should be the happiest people in the world!
   Our faces should be a mirror of the joy of our salvation, which is in Christ Jesus the Lord!
   Our voices should be an instrument of the praises of Him who called us out of darkness and into His wondrous world of light!
   But as we look at the faces of many people in many churches, what do we see?
   We see gloomy faces.  Sad faces.  Long faces. 
   We see tired and slouching bodies that struggle to stand and sing the hymns as if they are trying to get through another song so they can be seated to rest their tired and weary bodies, and trying to be discreet as they cover their yawning lips. 
   They glance at their watches, not wanting to be noticed. 
   We hear voices that struggle to pray, saying prayers as if they are memorized and rehearsed, and repeating the prayers they have heard others say.
   We watch ministers reading to people from notebooks of massive notes they wrote Tuesday morning in order to free their calendars to play golf the rest of the week.
   And without written programs, people wouldn't know what to sing, when to stand, when to sit, when to kneel, when to shake hands, or when to say Amen; for the whole time of worship is an orchestrated program, on time and on cue---while the pages of their Bibles are still stuck together.
      
   A church used to be called the House of the Lord.
   Auditoriums used to be called sanctuaries.
   Platforms used to be called pulpits.
   The Speaker for the day used to be called the Preacher, or the man of God.
   Committee members used to be called the elders of the church.
   The Good Book used to be called the Holy Bible.
   The Man Upstairs used to be called Christ the Lord.

   Preaching used to be a calling from God; not it's an answer to a CAREER OPPORTUNITY advertisement in a newspaper with company benefits.
   Singers used to be ministers of music; now they give musical concerts, designed to thrill people.

   Could it just be that people in churches have lost their first love and the thrill of the Lord is gone from their lives?  Or is it possible that they have never experienced the Lord?
   Perhaps people have simply received a good dose of religion---and they like it.
   The evidence of their feast days is likely to be found in the things of this world that thrill them:  baseball games, football games, movies, music, television, holidays, politics, electronic gadgets---all combined for a continuous diet of entertainment.
   No wonder churches are dying across America!  For the only time people get excited is when they are leaving the buildings.
   Where is everybody going?
   They are going to Six Flags Over The World!
   To push another number on the jukebox!
   To drop another CD in the slot!
   To stomp and shout at another football game or baseball game!
   To watch continuing dramas on television!
   To play with their electronic gadgets---computers, cell phones, iPhones, iPads.
   And they are off to Florida to suffer for Jesus while on vacation.

  




  
  
  

REDEEMED

   Know ye not, that so many of us were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death?  Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death:  that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.  For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection:  knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.  For he that is dead is freed from sin.  Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him:  knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more; death hath no more dominion over him.  For in that he died, he died unto sin once:  but in that he liveth, he liveth unto God.  Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.  (Romans 6: 2-11)

   The resurrection of Lazarus of Bethany by Jesus Christ is the hope of all believers in Christ; for if we do not believe in the resurrection of Christ, how can we believe in the resurrection of Lazarus?  But if we believe in the resurrection of Christ, as well as in the resurrection of Lazarus, this is the evidence of our faith in Christ the Lord:  that, just as Christ raised up Lazarus from death, we believe that we, too, shall be raised up by Christ after our bodies are dead.  And with our faith in Christ, we are placing our faith in Him by the belief that Christ can do everything He said He will do, and in so doing we are placing our belief in eternity in the hands of Christ the Lord. 
  Lazarus, then, becomes the example of our faith in Christ.
  Knowing this, we can believe that Lazarus was baptized into Jesus Christ and that Lazarus was baptized into his death.
   That Lazarus was buried with him by baptism into death.
   That like as Christ was raised up  from the dead by the glory of the Father, Lazarus was also raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father.
   That as Christ should walk in newness of life, Lazarus also should walk in newness of life.
   That as Lazarus was planted together in the likeness of his death, Lazarus would also be in the likeness of his resurrection.
   That the old man of Lazarus was crucified with him, that his body of sin might be destroyed, and that Lazarus, in his resurrection by Christ, should not serve sin.  For that he is dead he is freed from sin.
   That if Lazarus be dead with Christ, Lazarus shall also live with him.
   That as Christ being raised from dead dieth no more, then, for Lazarus, death hath no more dominion over him.
   What, then, can we say about Lazarus and his resurrection by Christ?
   Lazarus was a new man and he walked in newness of life. 
   Therefore, being redeemed for his sin by Christ before his death, he was freed from the dominion of sin after his resurrection!  Never again did Lazarus experience pride.  For after his resurrection, he was totally humility, just like Christ.  From that day forward, the mind and heart of Lazarus was always about others, and not about himself. 
   When the redeemed of the Lord are raised from death in the last days, we will recognize one another just as the people who loved Lazarus recognized him after his resurrection.  For we will have new bodies, just as Lazarus was redeemed from death with a new body.
   Because of our faith in Christ, we can therefore believe by faith (speaking futuristically) that we are redeemed from the dominion of sin, we are redeemed from the dominion of death, and we are redeemed for eternity to walk in newness of life with Christ the Lord! 
   Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be:  but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.  (1 John 3: 2)

                                Lift up your heads, O ye gates;
                                   even lift them up,
                                   ye everlasting doors;
                                   and the King of glory shall come in.
                                Who is this King of glory?
                                    The LORD of hosts,
                                    he is the King of glory.  (Psalm 24: 9-10)
  

A DEAD MAN'S BONES

   Judas Iscariot must have been one of the most miserable people on the face of the earth.
   Little is known about Judas:  where he came from, his parents, family life. 
   Perhaps he never knew his parents as a mother and a father. 
   Perhaps he was an unwanted pregnancy, and, as a young child, perhaps he was passed from house to house. 
   Unloved and unwanted, a boy who learned to live on the streets, doing the best he could do to simply survive, even if it meant stealing food, stealing money, or taking the clothes and shoes off dead people, and maybe that was all he knew.
   Perhaps he was a child of physical and sexual abuse, which alienated him deeper and deeper into himself, warping his innermost being, causing him to never trust people, and not caring if people liked him or loved him, and not caring to know the difference.  And maybe survival was all he knew.
   Along his road of life, he met Jesus of Nazareth, and Judas became one of the twelve disciples.  Perhaps this environment was the first home and the first hint of family life that Judas had ever known.
   Even then, little is written about Judas, and neither was much said to Judas as he traveled with Jesus and the disciples for more than three years:  listening to the sermons that Jesus preached, and watching the miracles that Jesus performed; for neither did the resurrection of Lazarus from death impact the heart of Judas!  There is so much silence of Judas it is as if Jesus had eleven disciples instead of twelve.
   At the feet of Jesus, however, Judas Iscariot received the greatest education a person could ever receive, from the world's greatest teacher, yet he rejected everything the Savior said.
   Judas Iscariot was a prisoner of his past, and he could not let go of the old man within him and embrace the Son of God, for he preferred to live his old ways and to survive by the only method he knew, which included no trust in Jesus.
   In the life of Judas Iscariot, Jesus of Nazareth was the first person to ever love him, and the Lord would be the last. 
   Jesus never gave up on Judas, and even after he kissed the face of the Son of God on the day when Christ was crucified in Jerusalem, Jesus called him friend.
   To be honest before the Lord, perhaps all of us can relate to the story of Judas Iscariot in some way; for I know that I, too, had years of misery, years of wandering in the wilderness, years of surviving and doing the best I could do to get by, and years of mistrust of people, and years of feeling unloved and unwanted.  Kneeling before Christ was a decision I struggled to make, but when I did it, it was the best decision I have ever made in my life!
   Perhaps Judas Iscariot struggled, too.  But when he rejected the only friend he ever had, his past became his graveyard.  He lived a miserable life, he died a miserable death, he never had a funeral, and no one was there to weep for Judas, nor to bury this dead man's bones.
      For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?  Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul.  (Mark 8:  36-37)
   But in conclusion, do you remember the parable Jesus gave us (in Luke, chapter 16) about the rich man who died and went to hell and the words he heard from Abraham?
      If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead?
   Judas Iscariot saw Lazarus, back from the dead, yet Judas refused to acknowledge that Jesus is the Christ.
  
  
  
  

DEATH BECOMES US

      My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge:  because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee, that thou shalt be no priest to me:  seeing thou hast forgotten the law of thy God, I will also forget about thy children.  (Hosea 4: 6)

   The United States is not healthy.
   The United States is not well.
   The United States is sick.
   The odor of death is rising across America, and the people have an immunity for the stench of death.
   While the people of the United States continually complain about the lack of jobs and the lack of personal income, the entertainment business is thriving!  Television, movies, music, and sports have a never-ceasing flow of money.  Conditions are bad, we say, but let the entertainers entertain us.  Help us to take our minds off our troubles and our woes.  Things are bad, we say, but here's our money for another song, another movie, another World Series, and another Super Bowl.
   Even churches across America have become entertainment centers.  Bring on the singing minstrels to thrill us and to get us pumped up before we sit in silence to listen to a positive message about how good we are and how good we can be.  For even churches have become big business, and the competition is stiff.  That old fashion Gospel News is too old fashioned.  Get with it.  Get hip.  Get modern.  To draw a crowd, turn down the lights and turn up the noise.  To get the young people---we were told years ago---bring in the music that young people like.  Give them something they can relate to.  Wear dark clothes.  Grow beards. Stomp and shout.  Bring in the guitars, the amps, the drums, and give them that rock 'n roll!
   When Jesus cleansed the Temple in Jerusalem, He said,
      My house shall be called a house of prayer; but you have made it a den of thieves. (Matthew 21: 13)
   When the Lord arrived at the funeral of Lazarus,
      Jesus wept.  (John 11: 35)
   When Jesus was on His way to the cross in Jerusalem, He said,
      Daughters of Jerusalem, weep not for me, but weep for yourselves, and for your children.  (Luke 23: 28)
   Knowing this,
   When was the last time you saw a church gather to pray?
   When was the last time you saw a preacher, minister, or priest weeping for his people?
   When was the last time the music stopped as people stood in silence before the Lord?
   As churches have been falling across America, moving along in shadows of darkness has been the arrival of Witchcraft, which is now the fastest-growing religion in the United States---taking young adults, teenagers, and children into its chamber of darkness:  while many of its converts have disguised themselves as ministers of music and now hold positions of power in Christian churches as well as positions of power in Christian music, which is now a big business in the world of entertainment.
   The United States is falling.  Our Golden Age is in our past.  The future of our nation will never be any better than it is today.  The state of our union stinks.  The smell of death is in the air. We were invaded by the unseen enemy, and spiritual corruption is all across the land.  Our nation turned its face against God, against Christ, and against the Holy Bible, and now the future of our nation is in the hands of the mercy of God; for neither this nation, nor any nation, will be a nation of freedom and prosperity if this nation, or any nation, forgets God.
   Have we forgotten that God is holy?
   Have we forgotten that Christ is holy?
   Have we forgotten that the Holy Spirit is holy?
   Have we forgotten that the Holy Bible is holy?
   Still, even in the midst of our darkest storm, God is available to help us in the time of trouble if we truly desire His help from above and pray together on bended knees:
      The LORD is my light and my salvation:  whom shall I fear?
      The LORD is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?
      When the wicked, even mine enemies and my foes, came upon me to eat up my flesh, they stumbled and fell.
      Though an host should encamp about me, my heart shall not fear:  though war should rise up against me, in this will I be confident.
      One thing have I desired of the LORD, that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the LORD, and to enquire in his temple.
      For in the time of trouble he shall hide me in his pavilion:  in the secret of his tabernacle shall he hide me; he shall set me up upon a rock.  (Psalm 27: 1-5)
     
  
  

THE KING IS COMING!

  Near the end of the last chapter of the Gospel of John, after the Lord's resurrection, Jesus gives Peter a prophecy of how Peter will die, in verse 18; then, in the next verse, Jesus said:  Follow me.
   In the next three verses, we read these words:
   Then Peter, turning about, seeth the disciple whom Jesus loved following; which also leaned on his breast at supper, and said, Lord, which is he that betrayeth thee?  Peter seeing him saith to Jesus, Lord, and what shall this man do?
   Jesus saith unto him, If I will that he tarry till I come, what is that to thee?  follow thou me.
   Now that we know that Lazarus is the disciple whom Jesus loved, Peter's question to the Lord is about Lazarus:  what shall this man do?
   A question many people have is this:  did Lazarus die a second death? 
   Is it possible, however, that Jesus allowed Lazarus to continue living, to have sons, and that Lazarus is still alive on the earth today? 
   Is it also possible that Christ has kept the identity of Lazarus hidden for centuries? 
   As Jesus said to Peter, If I will that he tarry till I come, what is that to thee? 
   The 11th chapter of the Gospel of John is a story about the resurrection of Lazarus by Jesus of Nazareth.  But this chapter of John is also a prophecy of things to come.
   Lazarus is of the bloodline of Eleazar, son of Aaron, and the Priesthood of Levi.  Martha and Mary are also of this same bloodline. 
   Martha represents the House of Judah. 
   Mary represents the House of Israel. 
   Lazarus is the Priest of Levi, though the Priesthood of Levi was not functioning in Israel during the time of Jesus.
   Jesus is the King of Israel, and in the 11th chapter of the Gospel of John, the King is coming to raise up the royal priesthood and to reunite the House of Judah and the House of Israel:  to put the family back together again.
   The sisters, Martha and Mary, sent word to the King and said, Lord, behold, he whom thou lovest is sick. 
   Later, we are told that he whom thou lovest is asleep, that he is dead, and that he stinks.
   Israel turned its back against God.  Israel turned its back against the Son of God.  And Israel locked arms with pagan Rome and has been working in a secret conspiracy with Rome and against the church of Christ for nearly 2000 years.  Therefore, Israel went to sleep, Israel died, and Israel stinks because of its association with evil men, which has produced spiritual contamination all over the world through the false church of Rome, to which Israel bows, even to this day.
   Now Jesus loved Martha, and her sister, and Lazarus.
   When the King returned to Bethany, he raised up Lazarus, the priest, and thereby reunited the House of Judah (Martha) and the House of Israel (Mary) and the family was together again.
    In the latter day, the King is coming to restore the House of Israel and the House of Judah, and the Jews and the Israelites will be a happy family as they will acknowledge Jesus the Messiah, who is Christ the Lord.
   Likewise, the King is coming for the church, for the redeemed of the Lord.
   Who, then, should proclaim that the King is coming?
      Let the redeemed of the LORD say so, whom he hath redeemed from the hand of the enemy; and gathered them out of the lands, from the east, and from the west, from the north, and from the south.  They wandered in the wilderness in a solitary way; they found no city to dwell in.  Hungry and thirsty, their soul fainted in them.  Then they cried unto the LORD in their trouble, and he delivered them out of their distress.  (Psalm 107: 2-6)
    
  

THE BELOVED DISCIPLE

   Speaking of Christ, John the Baptist said, He must increase, but I must decrease.  (John 3: 3)

   John the Baptist was a humble man, and he knew that Jesus was greater than himself.  For it was John the Baptist who pointed people to see the Lamb of God, instead of wanting people to see himself.
   So was Lazarus a humble man.
   In the Gospel of John, Lazarus is the disciple whom Jesus loved.
   Lazarus sat with Jesus when the Lord was anointed two times in the two suppers prior to the Lord's crucifixion.
   Lazarus sat with Jesus at the Last Supper before the Lord was crucified.
   Lazarus stood at the cross of Jesus with Mary, the mother of the Lord, and with Mary Magdalene and other women.
   Lazarus ran with Peter to the empty tomb on the first day of the week.
   Lazarus was in the boat with Peter and the disciples while they were fishing after the Lord's resurrection; for there, it was Lazarus who said, It is the Lord.  (John 21: 7)
   Throughout the Gospel of John, the unidentified disciple is identified as Lazarus as the disciple whom Jesus loved.
   In the heart of Jesus, there is something special about this family of Bethany:  Lazarus, his sister Martha, and his other sister, Mary Magdalene.  For it is written, Now Jesus loved Martha, and her sister, and Lazarus.  (John 11: 5)
   Before the death of Lazarus, he never spoke of himself; and after the Lord resurrected him from death, all he did was speak about the Lord, and never about himself.
   After his resurrection, Lazarus knew there was something different about himself.  He knew he had a new body.  He knew that he did not appear to people as he had appeared to them before his death.  He also knew that people were coming to see him, perhaps more than they were coming to see Jesus.  For at the supper for the Lord in the house in Bethany, six days before the Passover, Lazarus understood the words of John 12: 9---Much people of the Jews therefore knew that he was there:  and they came not for Jesus' sake only, but that they might see Lazarus also, whom he had raised from the dead. 
   Thereafter, Lazarus decreased in order for the Lord to be increased. 
   Never in the heart of Lazarus did he desire to be a celebrity because of his new status.  Never did he want to be a gazingstock by placing himself on a pedestal, nor desiring the praise of men, nor by going on the road as the main event of a circus.
   In the Bible, it is not uncommon for God to change the names of people for His purpose.  Abram became Abraham.  Sarai became Sarah.  Jacob became Israel.  Peter became Cephas.  Saul became Paul.  Therefore, in order for Lazarus to decrease that Christ would increase, Lazarus became John the Evangelist.  Which means that Lazarus is the writer of the Gospel of John, the three epistles of John, and the last book of the Bible, The Revelation of Jesus Christ.
   For after his resurrection by Jesus of Nazareth, Lazarus not only had a new body, but he also had a new mind!  Even in his death, the Lord enabled Lazarus to see things that the other disciples never saw.  Who else, then, was more qualified to present Jesus as God in the Gospel of John?  Who else had an understanding of things past, things present, and things future than Lazarus?
   At the conclusion of the Gospel of John, it is written:
      And there are also many other things which Jesus did, the which, if they should be written every one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that should be written.  (John 21: 25)
   Could these many other things which Jesus did be the things that Jesus did beyond the grave?
   For in his death, Lazarus was enabled to see things through the mind of Christ and therefore to know that In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.  The same was in the beginning with God.  All things were made by him; and without him was not anything made that was made.  (John 1: 1-3)
   Who else would know from experience that Christ is Almighty God, from everlasting to everlasting? 
    Who else would know from experience the I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty. (Revelation 1: 8)?
   As it was for Lazarus, so will it be for all people who place their faith and trust in Christ! 
   Just as Lazarus was raised up from death, so will we! 
   Just as Lazarus was given a new body, so will we!
   Just as Lazarus was given a new mind, so will we! 
   Just as Lazarus was enabled by Christ to understand things past, things present, and things future, so will we!
  

O FOOLISH MAN!

      The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God.  (Psalm 14: 1)

   Have you ever wanted to be a god?  To be in total control of your own life?  To have no authority over you?   To do as you please with no one to stop you? 
   Disobedient children are as gods in their own minds.  They care not for the authority of their parents; neither do they want their parents to get in their way, for they believe they know best what is best for themselves. 
   As such, disobedient children will pursue evil; and the more evil they pursue, the more evil they will do.  To them, their parents are stupid and do not know anything that is good.
   Just like disobedient children, a man without God wants to be a god.  He wants to be in total control of his own life, to have no authority over him, and he wants to do as he desires to do with no person standing in his way.
   As such, he wants to build his own tower to heaven, and thereby live in a place forever, a place that is designed by himself and for himself, just as he imagines his heaven should be in his own imagination.
   Hell? 
   There is no hell in the mind of a fool, just as there is no God in the mind of a fool.
   Therefore, if a man upon the earth says he is a god, men without God will believe in him as a god and will follow him all the days of their lives---especially if they believe that this man holds the key that unlocks heaven.
   Such is the power that men have over men.  And if this man convinces other men that he is a god, then those men will also convince their wives and their children to follow them to follow the man who has convinced them that he is a god.
   All of this is the working power of deception, and this power of deception abides in men in the house of religion.
   Such were the minds of the men who killed Jesus, for, in their own minds, they became as gods:  they became the Judge, the Jury, and the Executioner.  Not only them, but the men of Rome became as gods as well.  To them, there was no authority to prevent them from killing people, even from killing the only begotten Son of God.
   So, too, are the minds of people today whose trust is in a man of religion:  a man who has convinced them that he is god, even the people of religious Christianity:  for their faith is in this man, whom they believe can forgive them for their sins, and in whom they also believe holds the key that unlocks heaven until them---as long as their faith is in him, and not in Christ.
   To them, a church is no more than a building with a cross stuck on the roof.  But their faith is not in Christ, neither do they have faith in the Holy Bible, nor in the words of Jesus, which are written in the Holy Bible.  For their faith is in their god-man, and their faith is in his words, whose words they believe are greater than the Word of the Lord.
   Such people are hypocrites---pretending to be Christians, yet denying the power of the Lord's salvation through His death on the cross, but also by their denying the power of the Lord's resurrection from death!
   In the Apostle Paul's epistle to the Christians living in Galatia, he wrote:
      O foolish Galatians, who hath bewitched you, that ye should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ hath been evidently set forth, crucified among you?  (Galatians 3: 1)
   And again, in Paul's epistle to the Christians living in Corinth:
      For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God.  (1 Corinthians 1: 18)
   Is this same truth in the lives of people today, living in the United States and in nations all over the world?
   who hath bewitched you to believe that there is no God?
   who hath bewitched you to believe that a man, or a religion, is greater than Christ the Lord?
   

LAZARUS: AN EPILOGUE

   And after the resurrection of Lazarus from death by Jesus of Nazareth, there was something different about Lazarus.   From the moment Jesus said, Loose him, and let him go, everything was different about Lazarus!
   Lazarus was not the same person they had buried.  No longer was he sick.  No longer did he have leprosy.  His body was different.  All of his internal organs and bones were new.  His brain and blood were restored.  He had new skin.  He walked and talked differently.  His life had an entirely new and different meaning.  He had believed in Jesus before dying, and he believed in Jesus after the Lord resurrected him from death.  And Lazarus wanted to be near Jesus from that day forward, in Bethany as well as in Jerusalem, for he knew that Jesus was his Redeemer. 
   On the day when Lazarus was resurrected, it is written: 
      Then many of the Jews that came to Mary, and had seen the things which Jesus did, believed on him.  (John 11: 45)
   And again, six days before the Passover at the home of Lazarus in Bethany,
      Much people of the Jews therefore knew that he was there:  and they came not for Jesus's sake only, but that they might see Lazarus also, whom he had raised from the dead.  (John 12: 9)
   Still, there were others who did not believe on Jesus even though they knew that Lazarus was alive again, for their hearts were still cold:
      But the chief priests consulted that they might put Lazarus also to death; because that by reason of him many went away, and believed on Jesus.  (John 12: 10-11)
   For now, not only did they seek to kill Jesus, but they also wanted to kill Lazarus!
   Martha and Mary, however, were the first persons to believe that Jesus could raise up Lazarus from death, for Martha said:  I know that he shall rise again in the resurrection at the last day.
   To which Jesus responded:   I am the resurrection, and the life:  he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live:  and whosoever believeth in me shall never die.  Believest thou this?
   And Martha replied:  I believe that thou art the Christ, the Son of God, which should come unto the world.
   Over the past 2000 years, millions of people have come to believe as Martha and Mary believed before Jesus raised their brother from death.
   Over the past 2000 years, millions of people have come to believe by the same faith that Lazarus believed before his death. 
   Over the past 2000 years, millions of people have come to believe in everything that Lazarus believed after his own resurrection by Jesus.
   For we have come to believe by faith that Jesus is the resurrection, and the life:  he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live. 
   Therefore, just as we believe that Jesus raised up Lazarus from death, we also believe that Christ will raise us up after death in the resurrection of the last days; for if we did not believe in the resurrection of Christ, neither would we believe in the resurrection of Lazarus, and neither would we believe that there will be a resurrection of the dead.
   As it is written in the Word of the Lord:
      And many other signs truly did Jesus in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book:  but these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name.  (John 20: 30-31)
   And again,
      And there are also many other things which Jesus did, the which, if they should be written every one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that should be written.  (John 21: 25)
   And in the words of Jesus to Martha,
      Believest thou this?