Do You Worship Idols or Jesus? You Just Might Be Surprised.

As we come back to our conclusion on the church of Thyatira, we remember that this was a church that allowed false doctrines to not only come into the church, but became a part of what the church was becoming. It was a lover of itself also known as the church of Jezebel which we will learn more about today into our study into the Book of Revelation, the only book of the Bible that promises a blessing to not only the one who reads the words found within but hears it as well.

Revelation 1:3 ~ "Bless is the one who reads the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear it and take to heart what is written in it, because the time is near."(NIV). 

As we begin in the letter to the church of Thyatira, Jesus warns of a type of church that has allowed false doctrines to permeate the church so it becomes loveless. It is what the church of Ephesus had become, loveless. They had forgotten their first love. Smyrna was a church that was gripped by the fear of persecution if you remember. We looked at the church of Pergamum which had allowed doubt and compromise to enter their church. Now we look once more at the church of Thyatira, their morality, their light, their commitment to Christ, began to wane.

I think we fail to take into consideration how serious this is. If you take a plane from LAX bound for Hawaii and that plane is off by just 1 degree, you will miss the island by miles. If you have a Bible, God's going to hold us accountable for what we know and what we did with what we know. We need to spend more time understanding and reading our Bibles more as the end times draws near. The Book of Revelation is key. Did we take the time to pick it up and study it? That is why we are doing this in depth study into the Book of Revelation, so that you would know what God's will is for you, and your church and your life.

Jesus is comparing the church of Thyatira to the spirit or doctrine of Jezebel from the Old Testament, had crept into the church to its leaders, that had allowed it to become part of this church. This is why it is such a challenge to the leadership of the church. When Jesus examines our confession, we must be diligent to teach the Word of God.

Revelation 2:20 ~ "Nevertheless, I have this against you: You tolerate that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess. By her teaching she misleads my servants into sexual immorality and the eating of food sacrificed to idols."

It would benefit you to take the time later to understand how for the last 2000 years the doctrine of Jezebel has managed to creep its way into the modern day church. Remember what the war plan of Satan has been thus far. Against the church of Ephesus, Satan used the fact that the church was so busy, that they managed to lose their first love. Satan used the fear of persecution to the church of Smyrna so much that the would be willing to say that "Caesar is Lord." to save their life. He used the church of Pergamum to embrace heresy, so that they would compromise, remember? Satan's war plan against the church of Thyatira, is so true in our modern age. Build a church. Fill up the parking lot, put a cross on the building, have Bibles and hymnals and do all that stuff. Satan would say that is fantastic. Just begin to bring in some good, old-fashioned traditions, and doctrines that have no business in the church, but they're so old, so rooted and so grounded, among religious people and pretty soon, they will begin to say it's okay. You believe that? That's okay, let's just be one big happy family.

If you have ever been to Europe, everything is one bank, one Euro, one union, one thought, one religion, one direction, one people, everything. It's a oneness, compromise at the expense of including people.

Romans 2:22 ~ "You would say that people should not commit adultery, do you commit adultery? You who abhor idols, do you rob temples? You who brag about the law, do you dishonor God by breaking the law?" 

Every one of us holds to a certain morality. But is that a good thing? The Bible says that humanistic morality leads you away from God. Satan is the one who swallows a camel but strains to swallow an ant. Hypocrisy. This is a dangerous thing, this doctrine of Jezebel. The name Jezebel was the wife of Ahab, but the name now is synonymous with false worship and church sanctioned sexual activity. She ordered the murder of true believers of YHWH God. In New Testament times, the title, "Jezebel" is a freakish hybrid worship system, that hides in the name of Christianity, that allows sexual indulgence without punishment or fear of judgment. She had priests and priestesses, that encouraged an immorality appeased by religion. This demonic representation of Jezebel claimed to be the Oracle = the mouthpiece of God. The doctrine was this, the pagan world around them, adopted the doctrines that when a prophet would speak, they would take that as what we would say is the gospel truth.

Jeremiah 7:15-19 ~ "I will thrust you from my presence, just as I did all your brothers, the people of Ephraim. So do not pray for this people nor offer any plea or petition for them; do not plead with me, for I will not listen to you. Do you not see what they are doing in the towns of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem? The children gather wood, the fathers light the fire, and the women knead the dough and make cakes of bread for the Queen of Heaven. They pour out drink offerings to other gods to provoke me to anger. But am I the one they are provoking? declares the LORD. Are they not rather harming themselves, to their own shame?" 

God indicts a people who has forsaken Him and they have bowed to what Jeremiah calls this worship the doctrine of Jezebel, the worship of the Queen of Heaven. If you have ever done any study on the Queen of Heaven, that whoever the Queen of Heaven is, she has given birth to ALL things, that she has given birth to God, Himself; she sits and rules and reigns over the earth, and all that there is and for 3000 years and this doctrine has taught that you, as a human being, cannot relate to God in Heaven unless, you go through the Queen of Heaven first. This precedes the book of Acts, this precedes the books of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John; this is rooted in ancient Babylonian-ism. It goes back to the times of the Pharoahs.

The church at Thyatira embraced it! It said that when this icon or image or statue speaks, dedicated to the Queen of Heaven, the doctrine of Jezebel, we obey. And when it becomes, when that oracle speaks, on behalf of God, it is doctrine. Did not the Bible say in the last days, God who once spoke to us through his prophets has in these last days spoken to us by His Son. See how this hits home to how many of us have been brought up. The Protestant church is guilty of rarely if ever addressing the honor, due to Mary, the mother of Jesus, the wife of John. When you read what the Bible has to say about Mary, she was a godly woman, she loved the Lord, she gave glory and honor to God. She obeyed God. The Lord chose her, not for her holiness, but she herself said, I rejoice in the Lord my Savior and the God of my Salvation. Protestants should give honor in that way to Mary, and the reason why so many swing away from that and even her cousin Elizabeth who gave birth to John the Baptist, is because there are those who have deified Mary. Isn't it interesting according to the Bible that Mary's last words recorded ever were, "Whatever my son says to do, do it."

In Romanism, there is the worship of what is called the Queen of Heaven and the Old Testament condemns it. Mary is not the Queen of Heaven. She was a wonderful precious sister of ours in Christ who we will see in Heaven and worship Christ with her. She is not the co-redeemer as is taught in Mary worship. These are tremendous things that are directly linked to the Queen of Heaven. If Mary could part a cloud and talk to us today, she would set us straight.

We see as we draw closer to the end times, we see people following bizarre, abhorrent manifestations of people who bow down and worship and dedicating their lives to trees, pots, trinkets and food items that are weeping, all around the world. Aberrations. People want signs and miracle. They want to see something so they can set up a shrine, where spiritual ignorance exists. Why can't they simply open the Bible and read the truth? What in the world is going on? They will believe in aliens and others that will fight Darwinism to death. There are scientists now leaning to intelligent design and dismiss evolution now. What's happened? People will follow anything instead of reading the Bible.

We will spend tons of time reading and doing other things that occupy our time, but spend less than a minute reading our Bible and then wonder why we are lead astray with every wind of doctrine that comes along. Do you realize that most of the people who died when the Titanic hit the iceberg died while they were asleep or partying? There was a warning that went out before it ever hit the iceberg, but no one listened.  What were they doing when it hit? Partying and sleeping. It took a long time for it to sink, however, long enough for people to rush back to their rooms to line their pockets with cash and jewelry, gold bricks that they were taking to America and jump overboard. Due to the weight, they went straight to the bottom. It could have been prevented, they were warned. They didn't listen.

When God examines our confession, we must not be like those stuck in religion. Jesus here issues a strong and damning end to such false Christians.

Revelation 2:21-22 ~ "I have given her time to repent of her immorality, but she is unwilling. So I will cast her on a bed of suffering, and I will make those who commit adultery with her suffer intensely, unless they repent of her ways. "
These very religious people needed to experience conversion = salvation. What they failed to do was repent. Remember when you were a child, and you built a clubhouse, those who wanted to join had to know the password. If you knew the password, you were allowed in. In Christianity, there is a code word or password and that is "In Christ."

1 John 5:11-13 ~ "And this is the testimony: God has give us eternal life, ad this life is in His Son. He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life. I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may not you have eternal life."

1 John 5:20 ~ "We know also that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding, so that we may know him who is true. And we are in him who is true - even in his Son Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life." 

If we know Him we will not get led astray from false teachers or confused by man-made religions.

John 10:14 ~" I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me."

John 10:27-28 ~ "My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand." 

John 10:4-5 ~ "When he has brought out all his own, he goes on ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because they know his voice. But they will never follow a stranger; in fact, they will run away from him because they do not recognize a stranger's voice." 

When God examines our confession, we must COME OUT from that which is dying.

Revelation 2:23 ~ "I will strike her children dead. Then all the churches will know that I am he who searches hearts and mind, and I will repay each of you according to your deeds."

We learned in verses 21-22 of Revelation 2, that Jesus reminds us that "I gave her time to repent."

Revelation 21-22 ~ "I have given her time to repent of her immorality, but she is unwilling. So I will cast her on a bed of suffering, and I will make those who commit adultery with her suffer intensely, unless they repent of her ways. "

His nature leaves the door open, but Judases refuse the offer. It's like saying, "She made her bed, let her lie in it." This came from this verse. Her bed was awesome. It was warm and inviting. It was a bed that made you say thanks because it felt so good. But after a while those smooth silk sheets began to made you think and feel in other ways as well. Until the bed she made for us, gave us such a feeling that nothing that we did could be wrong, and if by chance it was wrong, she would cover that too.

A sick bed is a bed that leads to hell, in comfort, pleasure and ease. The spirit of Jezebel says that you can live like the world and still be a Christian. What can be better than that?

Jesus warns in Revelation 2:23 ~ "I will strike her children dead. Then all the churches will know that I am he who searches hearts and mind, and I will repay each of you according to your deeds."

Please hear me on this, not me, but the Lord Jesus Christ. These are not Christian believers here, these are they that have been lied to, and they want it so.

John 3:6-8 ~ "Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit. You should not be surprised at my saying, 'You must be born again.' The wind blows wherever it please. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit."

John 3:14-21 ~ "Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the desert, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life. For God so loved the world, that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him, shall not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God's one and only Son. This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what he has done has been done through God."

Revelation 2:23 ~ "Then all the churches will know that I am he who searches hearts and mind (kidneys) , and I will repay each of you according to your deeds."

2 Corinthians 6:16-18 ~ "What agreement is there between the temple of God and idols? For we are the temple of the living God. As God has said: "I will live with them and walk among them, and I will be their God and they will be my people. Therefore come out from them and be separate, says the Lord. Touch no unclean thing, and I will receive you. I will be a Father to you, and you will be my sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty."

When we face a lack of water in our bodies, the end result is hurting kidneys.

Jesus says that in Revelation 2:24, ~ "Now to those of you in Thyatira, to you who do not hold to her teaching and have learned Satan's so-called deep secrets ( I will not impose any other burden on you).

Wouldn't you have wanted to be one of those people who did not accept the doctrine of Jezebel? That this was Jesus' message to you.

Revelation 2:25-29 ~ "Only hold on to what you have until I come. To him who overcomes and does my will to the end, I will give authority over the nations - He will rule them with an iron scepter; he will dash them to pieces like pottery - just as I have received authority from my Father. I will also give him the morning star. He who has an ear, let him hear that the Spirit says to the seven churches."

Jesus warns that the doctrine being taught in those in Thyatira who were marrying the power of Christianity to the power of Rome, had a hope through Constantine to conquer the globe and make Christianity the world religion. Jesus says Oh no! It's not through human efforts, its through Spirit. He is telling them not to believe in that message. Not a marriage through church and state, it will come through My means. God will bring forth His kingdom, not man.

He clearly defines the body of Christ, from those who believe and those that believe in false doctrines in this letter and what the outcome will be for both. Let us not confuse the two. The church in Thyatira believed in the doctrine that said, that God could only be reached through a mediator, and this mediator was the Queen of Heaven. This was the doctrine of Jezebel.

1 Timothy 2:5 ~ "For there is one God and one Mediator between God and man, the man Jesus Christ." 

To pray to a statue, a icon, an image, if you are praying to anyone other than God, it is an abomination to the Lord and spiritual adultery. No one takes Jesus' place. There is no one else. No pastor, favorite spiritual person, no Pope, no institution that can guarantee you access to God, but Jesus Christ!

There will be no Utopia on this earth and no one can bring it here on this earth. Don't let anyone fool you! No one in government will bring perfect peace on earth, no matter what they attempt to do. Just Jesus and one day He will bring that to fulfillment.

You're Going to Get a New Name in Heaven

To understand the Book of Revelation you have to understand the Old Testament. When we were studying yesterday about the church of Pergamum we were understanding what Jesus was referring to when He reprimanded the church for holding to the doctrines of Balaam, who was called and ordained by God,  and here, the best way to understand what that was is to go back to Numbers 22-25 and read how Balaam was a prophet of God who found he could make a serious profit selling his services to those who wants blessings or cursing issued upon their enemies. He was basically prostituting his office for money. Isn't that what we are seeing a lot of today?

Just like Satan's tactics are designed to lead us astray so was that very same thing happening not only to Balaam but to those in the church of Pergamum as well as the believers and churches today. We all need to be aware to judge what we hear based on the Bible and the Word of God, over what the world would have us believe.

Acts 17:11 ~ "Now the Bereans were of more noble character than the Thessalonians, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true."

We need to be doing the same in every part of our lives, all of the time. Rightly dividing the word of truth from that of the world. Let's go back and see Jesus' reprimand in its entirety to the church of Pergamum and those believers who compromise in their spiritual walk even today.

Revelation 2:14-15 ~ "Nevertheless, I have a few things against you: you have people who hold to the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak, to entire the Israelites to sin by eating food sacrificed to idols and by committing sexual immorality. Likewise you also have those who hold to the teaching of the Nicolaitans. "

We remember that when Balaam attempted to curse the Israelite's, God pronounced a blessing over them instead. We know that Balaam went back to the kings, enemy of Israel and asked for more money to try it again, they paid it, he tried to pronounced a curse but once more God gave Israel a blessing instead. He is able to manage to convince the king one more time to pay him to curse Israel,  but it doesn't work and God continues to bless them instead, the same as before. At this point Balaam knows his time is up, the king is about out of money and Balaam is quite wealthy. You've heard the saying, If you can't beat them, join them? Remember what happened to the church of Smyrna, when they resisted against temptation? Satan simply tries something else. There is a Greek proverb that says, "Whom the gods could not destroy, they made great." If they couldn't destroy them, they simply exulted them instead.  Man can't handle exultation!

So what Satan did, was marry them to the world since they could not be destroyed. Balaam basically told the king of Moab, and all the surrounding kings to bring their finest women, all the most beautiful and hot women and bring them down. Bring them with their pornographic idols, have them bring those as well. Don't forget to bring some sacrifices too, and have them walk real seductively down to the men of Israel. Now remember these men have been away at war for quite some time. Have them begin to flirt with the men of Israel, and he proclaimed that the men would fall for every single one of the women. So that is just what the kings did. The men did exactly what Balaam said they would do and they followed the women to the altars of their pagan gods. They set down their idols and said, "Let's do this. Let's do that." After they completed the acts, they sacrificed the animals, on the altars and then they ate it together. God turned and killed thousands of those Israelis soldiers that day. Why? Because they compromised.

"Oh I will just lower my standard so I can date this person or that person. Surely God will know and understand." You allow compromise in and who knows if you would have just held out for one more moment, when God's answer was coming and you simply gave up. God had that wonderful person for you, or that perfect job all lined up or whatever it might be and you simply gave up. You compromised. Jesus turns and rebukes the church and if you're a Christian, you know what that feels like when He rebukes. It hurts!  He says, "When I spank you, cause I'm about to spank you, when he spanks in His correction and rebuke, He carries you upward as His hand comes down, right into His arms. He never comes down on you! When God disciplines, He puts a stop to our behavior because He knows it's not beneficial to us. When He spanks it's one that lifts us up into His arms.

But will we be willing to be judged like that from the Lord? Will we let Him judge us? He says, I have a few things against you. He mentions the doctrine of Balaam, you know about that know. We have to be willing to be judged by the Scriptures, but also this, we have to be willing to refuse false doctrine in our lives. "Thus you also hold to the doctrines of the Nicolaitans which I hate." The Nicolaitans were these guys, scholars can't agree, there were disciples of Nicholas, who were a bunch of weirdos, or the Nicolaitans, which is a compound word in the Greek Nico = rulers, kings or judges, hierarchy, a status in a religious setting, that ought not to exist. Laitans = laity, the people. Jesus says, "I hate the teaching that a church gets from a select group, that presides over the church, thereby the servants, flock or church, become servants to a select few. Nicolaitans, rulers over the people, who fleece the flock. They take money from them. Who Peter says, "that they through preaching, might acquire money, position, status. Jesus says, I hate it! People who have designated lives, "Don't talk to him, he's the Pastor." What?

How many of you have been in the corporate world, understand the corporate ladder, the pyramid? Who is at the top? The CEO, or the stockholders. The stockholders employ the CEO to ensure the company is working right. And everyone else serves him so to speak. The pyramid goes up. Well not in church. Not in the church of Jesus. It goes upside down. The church is lifted up. The church is exulted, that is why as Pastors of churches, if they are going to be true pastors, that if you're doing something right, they should be encouraging you. If you're sleeping with someone's wife or husband, they are supposed to say, 'You can't do that! Right here in the Bible it says you're not supposed to do that! You're going to ruin your life!' They will do anything they can to help you stop doing the things you shouldn't be doing. But instead, people will turn on their pastors and say, they should be the ones judging them, but all they are merely doing is pointing out what Jesus says, and He has the authority to judge. They are simply helping you to try and get back on track again. To repent and get right with God.

Do you really think when you tell your pastor off, that they are put off by the fact that they care more about your soul than you do? But the truth of the matter is that you are going to ruin your own life and someone else's life as well. The thing is regarding false doctrine, these Nicolaitans, they existed, the church at Pergamum, was the first period of church age, historically through Constantine. It became most prominent. That Constantine, of the Roman Empire said, "You know what? Enough of this. I want Christianity to be the official religion of Rome of the Roman Empire. I want it's headquarters moved to Rome. And to show my token of sincerity, I will appoint Bishops under me. Constantine declared himself to be Pontiff. If you don't know this, than you haven't spent much time in history. Alexander the Great said, I will be the Pontiff, the Pope, and I will declare all of these to be my bishops, and as a token of sincerity I will drape you in robes, I will set you apart from the people. I will grant you basilicas and cathedrals. He commissioned them to be built. He declared that the church would be just like the world. And the world would be just like the church. And the lines were skewed. Now I am not coming down on the Catholic church or religion at all, I'm just telling you that if there is any church, group, denomination, that says, "We are the ministers, and the pastors." People might say that pastors stand behind a piece of wood above everyone else, but it is simply to see everyone else. Not to be above everyone else.

But if your pastor can't interact with you, something is wrong. If pastors have to have a designated life, I eat here, you don't eat here, I sit here, you don't sit here; I park here, you don't park here; that is Nicolaitan!  It creeps into the church, it's all over the place. It's wrong. If you're church shopping, put this verse on your shopping list.

"Jesus said but you, do not be called masters any of you, for one is your teacher, that is the Christ, and all of you are brothers."

That means if I am not born again, I'm not going to make it to heaven. It doesn't matter how high a pulpit is built or if you give a pastor a parking space, or a million bucks, if there are not born again, they are not going to heaven. Jesus says, "I am the way, the truth and the life, and no one gets to heaven but through me." Jesus told Nicodemus, the religious leader of that day, unless you are born again, you will never see the kingdom of God. It's not about how much money you give, Jesus doesn't need your money, it's not how much you serve, He doesn't need your service; He wants your heart, the part you won't give up. He wants your heart. If you are not born again, you will not see the kingdom of heaven. No one will make it in, unless they are born again. Despite how wonderful they might appear. God does not judge based on performance. Where did we get that?

No one welds any power but whatever God gives them. You can't buy faith. It's free. You don't get it by following anyone else but Jesus.

Revelation 2:17 ~ " He who has an ear, let him heart what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes, I will give some of the hidden manna,. I will also give him a white stone with a new name written on it, known only to him who receives it. "

No more manna to eat. No more sacrificial food, sacrificed on altars. He says He will give us a white stone, the stone of acquittal. All of these sins you have racked up against you, all of these things you have done, Jesus says, He will give you a white stone. In those days if you were acquitted of a crime, the judge would give you a white stone. Isn't that cool! It also says He will give you a white stone with a new name written on it, known only to him who receives it, that is a great reference to 2 Corinthians 5:17, ~ "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!" 

God's going to give us each a new name. Do you have a new name waiting for you? When you arrive into the presence of eternity, are you going to get a new name? Is God going to hand you a white stone, which means, you've been acquitted of all crime, sin, wrong doing in your life. If you do, when you turn it over, there is going to be a brand new name that is fit for heaven. You'll get a whole new life. Is your name written in heaven? You can have that by asking him to forgive you of your sins and ask Him into His life.

Heaven is going to be an awesome sight and you missed it because of religion and you missed out on the relationship with Jesus. We don't need to compromise because God is on the throne. Remember that no matter where you find yourself, what kind of job, community, school or neighborhood you live in, you don't have to compromise! Stand strong! God's on your side.

Do You Live a Compromised Life as a Christian?

The church and the leaders today are more fearful of man and the world's opinions than of God's. The church is losing its witness because of fear. We need godly leaders, humble servanthood leaders like Jesus, the ultimate leader. We, as Christians, need to understand what we believe and why we believe it and I really think when you get into today's study of the Church of Pergamum, you will understand how relevant this speaks to so many churches today. In some ways the church of Pergamum did very well but in others not too good and thus the reason for Jesus writing to the leaders and the church of Pergamum. Remember that once again if you have been following this study into the Book of Revelation. there is a blessing for those that read it's words and hear the word written it in.

That it applies to real churches at that time in Asia Minor, not only the seven but that each church can relate to the things Jesus writes about in each of the letters to the seven churches. It also reveals to us, as believers where our own spiritual hearts are as we read them and understand what we need to do to get right with God again. Which means that these letters are applicable to us today. We also learned that these churches are listed chronologically to mirror the church age. The church of Ephesus was all about getting the Word of God out to the world and they were busy doing God's work, but they left their first love. Then we looked at the church of Smyrna that loved the Lord with all their heart, but were under the heavy hand of violent persecution to the point of death. We know that has existed and it is existing even today.

May our hearts be opened, our eyes wide open as we get into today's study and may we give up all our ceremonies and religious practices that are keeping us in bondage without knowledge, in bondage without purpose, that we would be set free in understanding God's Word and His will.

Revelation 2:12-17 ~ "To the angel of the church in Pergamum write: These are the words of him who has the sharp, double-edged sword. I know where you live - where Satan has his throne. Yet you remain true to my name. You did not renounce your faith in me, even in the days of Antipas, my faithful witness, who was put to death in your city - where Satan lives. Nevertheless, I have a few things against you: you have people who hold to the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to entice the Israelites to sin by eating food sacrificed to idols and by committing sexual immorality. Likewise you also have those who hold to the teaching of the Nicolaitans. Repent therefore! Otherwise I will soon come to you and will fight against them with the sword of my mouth. He who has an ear, let him heart what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes, I will give some of the hidden manna,. I will also give him a white stone with a new name written on it, known only to him who receives it. "

It's probably a smart question to ask but why are there so many denominations and representations of the Christian church? Why are there Baptist churches and Lutheran churches, Methodists, Catholics and many other churches? What's wrong or what is the point to all of that? The point is this, that based upon the founders of those churches who perceived or understood certain areas of scripture, a fellowship began. But you need to understand something, though the Baptists may differ from the Assembly of God, and the Lutherans from the Presbyterians, they differ on peripheral issues, that is all of them believe on the essentials of of Christianity, that is an important thing. Keep that in mind, that is what makes them Christian.

They believe in the deity of Jesus Christ, they believe in the resurrection of the dead, they believe in His return to earth, they believe that the Bible is the Word of God, there are Christian essentials that make a church "Christian." It is those peripheral issues that make them denominations. Some may believe that you have to be baptized forward, others believe you have to be baptized backwards, those are non essentials, some people want to be baptized in Jesus' name, others want to be baptized in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, but the denominations have spun off, because of peripheral things. What you wear, what you eat, when you eat, all things that God doesn't really have an interest in, except for those essentials.

We now come to the Church of Pergamum or Pergamus, which was a church that knows the Scriptures, knows the Lord Jesus Christ, is part of the grand body of Christ, but it has departed and has allowed false doctrine to infiltrate the church. We see that Jesus gives three strong commendations for their conduct, for their faith, conviction and their perseverance, but He also brings them one strong note of judgment because of the teachings and doctrines that they have allowed into the church to govern the church. This one will strike home.

Do you know that the people you hang out with, you become like them in one degree or another? It is a fact, that the people you hang out with, you become like one of them. Be it for good or for bad. You and I as Christians, can not live our lives without transmitting a message. That's important to understand.  So when we ask which one of these churches do you relate to when you read the letters to the seven churches, we need to understand that for us, we are taking a spiritual check on our own lives to see where we stand as believers.

The church in Pergamum was a compromising church and when you think about it, no one wants to be a compromising church or a Christian. A compromising church is weak, a compromising church is all things to all men so that all men attend it. Not that all men might be saved. A church that compromises tries to establish itself in the community, that their witness is so skewed, that it looks just like the community. It doesn't say anything about sin, it doesn't say anything about the validity of the Bible, it would never cause anyone to think and reconsider about the direction in which they live, it wants grand and super crowds of people, then runs the risk of never getting to the point of the gospel. Not that crowds are wrong, but what it that church doing to get crowds, is it making the gospel convenient, rather than the gospel being preached and people being brought up to the gospel? Is it a church that is one conducted like a business than a family? That pastors are now CEO's, and are the head of the corporation. There are other corporate executives rather than assistant pastors, Is this a church that is trying to present itself to the world in such a way, that the world can not tell, if it's in church to worship the Lord God and have their lives changed by the power of the Bible, or it is just a big self help gathering on a Sunday morning? There is a big difference.

The church of Pergamum was a church in compromise. What kind of church are we, when we are living in a world of compromise? (verse 12).

Revelation 2:12 ~ "To the angel of the church in Pergamum write: These are the words of him who has the sharp, double-edged sword."

Geographically the church of Pergamum or Pergamos was only 45 miles north of Smyrna and was a very wealthy city. It was a key center for imperial worship of the Roman Caesars. But based in the city it had some tremendous temples and altars dedicated to three key Greek gods, that were honored at Pergamum. (1) the god Zeus, in fact his temple was one of the seven ancient wonders of the world, the remnants are still there today. This temple had a wall that went out 90 from a rock mountain, 90 feet across and then 90 feet back into the mountain. On top was a great plateau where they practiced all kinds of grotesque pagan worship practices to these Greek gods. They would bring young children and young boys often the first born, and if you worshiped Zeus or Athena or Asklepios, you would bring your first born and they would be dedicated to grotesque sexual worship. They would set up these carvings in grotesque sexual acts, and they would take these children and perform these things with them until they were sacrificed to death on these altars of pornography.

Pergamum was a very wealthy city, vellum or paper was created and designed there. They were able to make parchments, and they rivaled Egypt in the production of writing instruments. They had a library there, that was the greatest in the world at that time, which comprised some 200,000 volumes of writings. Gross bizarre worship. If any of you have been to Berlin, there is a museum there, called the Museum of Pergamum. The museum houses inside it another great altar, that in the year 1903, was taken from an archaeological unearthing of the altar of Athena in Pergamum and was taken to Berlin where it has been reassembled and you can see it today. It is spectacular. It is marble, with great and many steps leading up to the top, where many Greek gods are being pulled in the various fresca designs by Athena. All around Athena and all those she is holding captive, are serpents that are holding them in bondage. For it is in Pergamum, the Christians and the Jews alike in the first century and on to later centuries that said that Pergamum was the seat of Satan, based on the worship of Athena and the worship of Asklepios, these demon gods.

Asklepios you may not know by name, this is the god, that if you go to your doctor, he has a little stick emblem with a serpent on it. This was the first temple that was dedicated to the healing of people. The tragic thing is that it was not a hospital like you and I know today. It was a place where healing took place through the sacrificial acts and ceremonies. They had doctrines made up there that had crept into the church from a world that was lost. Into that Christian church, which still has a witness today, there are still Christians living today in what is known as Bergama in Turkey, a highly populated Muslim community, and it had crept into the church. There are still Christians living there today. That is all that is left of the city of Pergamum.

It is interesting to note that the age of that church is still an age in which we are living in even today, one of compromise. We live in a world of compromise. When Jesus speaks to the angel of the church of Pergamum, we know Jesus is speaking to the leader or head of that church. Jesus is speaking directly to him. How does a church go into compromise anyway? It doesn't just wake up and it's compromised. A church allows compromise to come in, and it begins with the leader or pastor of the church first. It is scary to think that the way of the church goes as its leader does. If the leadership is withdrawn and unapproachable, then the church will be cold and calloused. If the church is approachable, warm and loving, and open, then the church will also mimic that. It is a spiritual law of God, when you look at Jesus Christ, where do you find Him? Among the people. If there was a bunch of prostitutes hanging around a street corner, where would you find Jesus? Telling them about the forgiveness of God. If there were people who were down and out, homeless, where would you find Jesus? Feeding them. If there were people who needed assurance and peace, where would you find Jesus? Among those who are insecure and scared. Wherever the outcast were or wherever a person was in need, that is where you found Jesus.

Something happened to this church. The one that was doing well, now was not. They were doing what was acceptable in the eyes of the world. Some how became involved and that the state began to honor the church. It had approval of things and of powers. The name Pergamum or Pergamos is translated to a mixed marriage. A marriage between state and church. Whenever that happens it is a terrible thing because compromise comes in. Jesus, we see, is speaking to the head or leadership at the church of Pergamum.

James 3:1 ~ "My brethren, let not many of you become teachers, knowing then that we will receive a stricter judgment. 

God calls a minister to the pulpit. God calls an evangelist to the field. God calls His servants. He does that sovereignly.  It's amazing how many people want to be pastors but don't want to do the menial tasks that a church often calls them to do like helping with the painting or laying of the carpet, taking out the trash or cleaning the bathrooms. Those things are born by God into the heart of a man or a woman. You can go to seminary or Bible college, but that doesn't make you a minister. God puts that in your heart to do. God puts that calling into your heart.

This man at Pergamum had been called to teach the truth, but something went wrong. But listen to the mercy of Jesus Christ. He is so kind and tender. He reminds the leader of a very important thing, and that is to stay on course. We need to stay on course, just like church leaders must. Reading our Bible, chapter by chapter, book by book, scripture by scripture, gathering together. Begin a church, reaching those who have been victimized by fires or those who are sick and hurting. Being real. Not some type of production thing. We must be leaders on course as a church.

Hebrews 13:17 ~ " Obey those who are over you, and be submissive to them, Because they watch out for your souls, as those who must give account." 

We live in a culture where people look at their church leadership with disdain. "Who do they think they are? They have no right to tell me anything!" Or when a member of the pastoral staff sits them down and says, "I hear your marriage is on the rocks, what is going on?" And they both tell you this that and the other. Then you give them what the Bible says about what they should both be doing, do you know what they say? "What? That's ridiculous! Come on we're leaving!" When you ask them why they are upset and they say, "Stop judging me. That has nothing to do with what's going on in our marriage." And off they go! How do you help someone like that? You can't do it.

If a church is concerned about your soul, somethings are pleasant and some things are not. When we open the Bible, it speaks to us. It changes our lives. But if we compromise, why should someone get up early and come to church? Leaders who want to serve instead of serving people. People who are of God ordained authority. The church does not exist to serve the leadership, the leadership of that church has been ordained by God, to serve the people. This is key. If you are in a church where people are demanding your serve a leader, or two or three, that is so unbiblical, you need to tell them why you are leaving the church. Don't just get up and leave, but tell them why you are leaving. Jesus' model is that of a servant, not to be served. a biblically led, spirit led, church you will have servant leadership in authority and that is precious authority.

Tomorrow we will delve a bit further into the church of Pergamum. 

The Sky Might be Falling, But God is Coming Soon!

Everywhere you look around you there seems to be another crisis on the news that causes you to wonder and shake your head. More beheadings and people being burned simply for the sake of preaching the Gospel and being believers of Jesus Christ; Muslims living within our own countries borders are now asking for us to change our culture to meet their needs. not to sell pork, to allow them to dress the way they want to accommodate their religious beliefs, acknowledge that they can take time away at school for prayer and even ask for days off for religious holidays according to the Muslim beliefs. Where are the people crying about separate of church and state when it comes to the religious beliefs of Muslims? Why can't believers of Jesus get the same kind of consideration and since when did our laws begin to change to accommodate people who are moving here who are worshipers of Islam?

Even more outrageous are the laws that are looking to be changed, that boys who believe they should have been born girls and vice versa now can use the restrooms of either gender in public schools? That the once honored Girl and Boy Scouts are now accepting gay men and women as scout leaders? Now the Supreme Court sits on the cusp of how they will vote on the definition of marriage to accommodate the same sex marriage groups?

Can it literally get any worse? You have droughts that are unheard of in the state of California who sits on the edge of storm fronts that should bring rain to the state, only to withhold the rain and simply by the state by without a drop: or weather forecasters who predict a storm only to have it vaporize just as it grows near the state of California, while you have biblical flooding in the state of Texas? Severe heatwaves in India that are taking the lives of people just trying to find relief from the heat, and earthquakes all over the world. I believe these are just the beginning of what is to come.

Either two things will happen, a revival will happen to cause people to turn back to God, or things will get even more worse than you'd ever imagine they are right now. It is hard to sit back at being 50 years old now and wonder when did it all get so crazy. I mean honestly looking back at a handful of years it seems like things have definitely escalated. Our current president is walking away from supporting everything this blessed nation was founded on, as an abrupt slap in the face of the American people and NO ONE is doing anything to stop it. Has America fallen asleep?

Yet, in the midst of even everything that is happening around me, the ones that ask me, "Why? God, O why?" I know that the Bible has long predicted that one day, the days would grow so bad that people would simply beg for them to end rather than go through another day. I think those days are coming up more quickly than we'd ever believe would be possible.

But as a believer in Jesus Christ, I can rest in my assurance, that the God I serve, has not forgotten His people. He never said that those times would be easy for us to bear, since the world will grow to hate us as much as they hated Him, and persecution would only grow more intense as the time of His arrival draws near. Thankfully the Bible and the words found in it, the promises God has provides is truly the only security we need. We will never be punished by God, but we will be persecuted by man, this world and the enemy that rules this world for now.

We have see the starting of the Apocalypse clock begin to tick away and mark down the minutes before Jesus returns for his church the moment that Israel was regathered after being scattered in 70 A.D. when Titus rose in Ancient Rome. The fall of the temple, the scattering of the Jewish people and that judgment would come to Israel was just as the Bible predicted. Now again just after WWII we have the Jewish people returning to their homeland in Israel and in 1948, in one day the nation of Israel became a state, just as predicted in the Bible. Now they simply needed to gain control of Jerusalem, which they did after the six day war in 1967, for the first time in 2000 years.

This is the very reason that Jerusalem remains such a contested place in the Middle East between the Jews and Palestinians. The Palestinians however refuse to believe that the Jews have a right to exist. You have to understand that God, gave the land of Israel to the Jews in Deuteronomy 1:8, "Behold, I have set the land before you; go in and take possession of the land which the Lord swore to your fathers, to Abraham, to Issac, and to Jacob, to give to them and to their descendents after them." Amplified Bible,

The Bible is beginning to set the stage for the next events in Bible prophecy, for in the last days, Israel will be isolated from the rest of the world and will stand alone. Has this happened yet? I believe it is already being staged as we watch our own president withdraw our nations support of Israel, virtually unheard of.

The Bible predicts in Ezekiel 38 that the nation of Israel will be attacked from the enemies of the North, and if you look at the tiny 9 mile wide nation of Israel, you will see that Russia is directly north of Israel. Russia has not hidden the fact that it supports the nations that despise Israel offering support in the funding of military power to those nations of Iran, Syria, Iraq, Libya, Sudan and other nations in the region. Interesting that those same nations are all Muslim nations that believe in the destruction of Israel off the face of the map. Currently there are 120,000 rockets aimed at Israel by Hezbolah today, while Iran continues to mock the world with their claims that they are building a nuclear power plant and not weapons.

The small state of Israel is at the point of truly standing alone. It is living in confidence for the first time with the most respected military in the world. The other nations know that when Israel threatens to do something, they will. They are not afraid to stand against greater nations who threaten their destruction daily.

Most terrorist groups are followers of Islam. The world right now, I believe is simply waiting for the proverbial shoe to drop. ISIS is gathering children as young as 9 and training them in what they are calling cubs of caliphate. Young women are being trained by terrorist groups and those that won't are sold into the sex traffic trade.

The Bible predicts in 2 Timothy 3:12-13 ~ "Indeed all who delight in piety and are determined to live a devoted and godly life in Christ Jesus will meet with persecution (will be made to suffer because of their religious stand). But wicked men and imposters will go on from bad to worse, deceiving and leading astray others and being deceived and led astray themselves." (Amplified Bible).

So when you see these things happening, don't worry if you are a follower of Jesus. He warned us to watch for the signs of His coming and I believe we are beginning to see that He isn't that far off.

Living in a State of Readiness

Here is California, we are always being told that the "Big One" is slated to come at any moment. Living in an earthquake prone state, it's a fact of life to experience one. In fact, you can almost tell if you're a native Californian from a tourist by how one handles their earthquake experience. If you're a lot like me, we've had so many in our life time, we will sit when we feel one happening, and wait to see just how strong it will be. Most of the time it's the chandler rocking from side to side or a rolling wave-like motion, or even what can feel like a large truck passing in front of our home. Most of the time they are over within 30 seconds to a couple of minutes.

But specialists have been telling us, that one day, we will experience what is known as the "Big One." Something along the lines of 7.0 or greater that will cause quite a bit of damage and mostly impact our commuter freeways since most of us, drive a considerable amount from home. There is Earthquake insurance you can buy as a rider on your homeowners or renter's policy that will insure your personal property against earthquake damage that is often times not part of your insurance policy. There are Earthquake preparedness kits that promise food, water, and medical supplies for about 3 days or more in portable back packs you can store around your home, office or in the trunk of your car.

Yet, here I sit at 51 years of age, not the slightest bit prepared. Why? Part of me, doesn't believe it will ever happen, so why bother. Another part of me, wonders if one goes through all that preparation, what is the likelihood that you will even be in a place to be able to access your earthquake kit anyway. If you're at home, what if it's buried under debris? Same goes for the office or your car. So why don't we take these threats with the seriousness they were meant for?

I guess the same could be said of the reason a lot of Christians and believers in Jesus Christ are told to be in a state of readiness for the day the Lord will return for his chosen believers, known as the rapture. Why don't we take that as serious?

Is it because we have heard the rumors for so long yet nothing has happened so far? Is that seriously something we want to be waiting for the last moment to make preparations for?

I mean I know where my future home will reside in eternity whether I am raptured out of this life or are taken out through physical death. But isn't that an apathetic way to live my life? Believing I will have more time to make some major changes?

It's like telling yourself that if you win the lottery, you will do more to help those less fortunate than yourself. Only why is it when we get a slight bump in pay, don't we take that additional money and use it to help those people out in whatever way we can? Why instead to we add a few more luxuries or vacations to our ever growing pile of stuff we won't be able to take with us anyway. In fact, if we were to die right this moment and we had no living relatives, all that stuff would be given away or thrown out. That is how important all that stuff is.

We need to be living like Enoch did at the ripe old age of 65, in that he lived his life so closely connected with God that God simply took him away. Perhaps it was based on the name of Enoch's son, Methuselah which meant that judgement would come on the earth when he died or "one who has brought death into the world", so poor Enoch never knew when that day was coming. Every little sniffle or sickness that child had, kept Enoch on his toes because he never knew when God's judgement would come. Little did he know that Methuselah would live to be 900 years old before the flood came.

We need to begin to make changes right now, at whatever point we are at in life right now. The Bible has foretold that the generation that witnessed the Jewish people returning to their homeland in Israel in 1948 would not pass away without seeing the return of Christ. Does that mean that Jesus isn't coming until the very last person who was living when that event dies? The Bible doesn't say, it simply warns of a generation that would not pass away, and my dear friends and family, that could very well mean our parents or grandparents generation.

Do you realize where we sit on the cusp of the end times?

Does the fact that in all of earth's history there have only been 4 blood moon events and the last one is occurring this September 13th?

Does it make you wonder what the significance is between these 4 blood moons occurring on each of Israel's festival days like the Feast of Trumpets? Not to mention an eerie solar eclipse that has happening right in the middle of these blood moon events?

Is God announcing something coming very soon?

It's possible. The Bible warns what the end times would look like. That there will be signs in the sky and none more observable than what has been happening while people go about their days as if nothing is out of the ordinary.

Luke 21: 10-12 NIV - "  Then he said to them: “Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be great earthquakes, famines and pestilences in various places, and fearful events and great signs from heaven.
“But before all this, they will seize you and persecute you. They will hand you over to synagogues and put you in prison, and you will be brought before kings and governors, and all on account of my name."


With the threat of ISIS and the recent beheadings happening all around the globe, are we not seeing such signs of people being persecuted for their faith in Jesus? The Bible predicted this is when the rapture would occur, when people least expect it. So what should we be doing?

We should be doing all we can to make sure we are living up to whatever plans God has in our life. If He has called you to do something, you need to be answering that call. Whether its  helping out in the mission field, helping out in the church or ministering in your own way to the "church" that you are responsible for, stay at home moms, working moms and dad, we have an important impact in our families and we will be held accountable for how we spent that time.

Just like the parable Jesus told of the worker in the vineyard in Matthew 20, who paid his people the same whether they worked a whole day or just an hour. Everything we have belongs to God. It's all His, we need to make sure we are being the very best stewards with everything He has blessed us with. We need to make sure we are making plans with God's will in mind, not merely asking God to bless our plans.

The clock is ticking, and it's time to wake up. Will you answer the call and begin to prepare?

Is Today Your Last Day on Earth?

What would you do if Jesus Christ was returning today at 3pm. Something tells me that we'd all be looking our best at 2:45pm. Then why aren't we? What are we waiting for?

Reading all these posts about Bible Prophecy will do no good if we aren't willing to change. We are missing the point.
Revelation 19: 11-17 " I saw heaven standing open and there before me was a white hourse, whose rider is called Faithful and True. With justice he judges and makes war. His eyes are like blazing fire, and on his head are many crowns. He has a name written on Him that no one know but he himself. He is dressed in a robe dipped in blood, and his name is the Word of God. The armies of heaven were following him, riding on white horses and dressed in fine linen, white and clean. Out his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations. "He will rule them with an iron scepter. He treads the wine press with his fury of the wrath of God Almighty. On his robe and on his thigh he has this name written: KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS." (NIV)

The second coming of Jesus Christ will be public and seen by all-unlike the surprise rapture of the church which takes place in the twinkling of an eye. There will be no question that you are witnessing the return of Jesus Christ.

This will be accompanied by sadness and weeping. There will be mourning in Jerusalem and throughout Israel that the Jews will realize that Jesus Christ really was their Messiah.

Zachariah 12:10, " And I will pour out on the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem a spirit of grace and supplication. They will look on me, the one they pierced, and they will mourn for him as one mourns for an only child, and grieve bitterly for him as one grieves for a first born son."

Jesus Christ comes before judgment with the rapture of the church prior to the beginning of the Tribulation, while He comes with judgment when He returns to earth in His Second Coming. In the rapture He comes for His people, and in the Second Coming, He comes with His people.

Looking back at the description of Jesus Christ when we see Him at the Second Coming, his eyes are blazing, He is wearing many crowns, and His robe is dipped in blood.

His eyes blazing with fire, represent His power, His glory, His holiness and His wrath.

His many crowns signifies that He alone is ruler of all the universe.

The robe dipped in blood, signifies the price He paid when He died to save us all from our sins.

Yet Jesus is not coming alone. The scripture states that the armies of heaven are coming with Him. Who are these armies?

Jude 14: "See, the Lord is coming with thousands upon thousands of his holy ones..." (NIV)

So who are the His holy ones? Colossians 3:4, "For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory."

It is speaking of those of us that believe in Jesus Christ as the Son of God. We are the ones that will be accompanying Him. We will all get to see the Holy Land from ring side seats, so if we never get to go during our human lifetime, we will get the ultimate Holy Land tour when we return with our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

So what should we be doing in the meantime?

1. Watching for Him - We are to be aware that Jesus could come at any minute. We need to be aware of the signs of the times.

2. Being Ready to Go - We need to make sure that if Jesus came back at any minute, would we be embarrassed or ashamed at where He would find us or what we are doing? If the answer to that is yes, then don't do it.

3. Be Anxiously Awaiting - Do not fear this coming of the Lord, but be excited, joyful and filled with hope. If you have any anxiety, fear or dread, perhaps something isn't right in your spiritual life.

If you aren't 100% guaranteed that your passport to Heaven has your name assigned to it, it's not too late, but you may not have a second change to make this decision. Are you ready to accept God? As a believer, are you ready to recommit your life to serving Him with the time we have left?

Christians. It's time to get right or get left. Ready? Pray this prayer!

Lord Jesus,

Come into my life!
I know that I am a sinner!
I thank You for dying on the cross for me and rising again from the dead.
Now fill me up with Your Spirit and write my name in Your Book of Life,
and help me follow You all the days of my life.
Thank you that my sins are forgiven and that I am now going to heaven.
In Jesus Name I pray! ~ AMEN!

If you just prayed that prayer, you are a new creation and a believer in Jesus Christ. This is the reason for His delaying of the rapture of the church. You will now be part of that ultimate family reunion and I can't wait to welcome you when I see you!

Join me tomorrow when we will look at what happens when Jesus begins His wrath here on Earth, you don't want to miss it!

In the Not So Distant Future

Seems like lately the future isn't looking so bright when you think of things from a world perspective. The jobless rate is still slowing moving upward, the health care crisis is way beyond control and even the economy is slipping in a downward trend. Have you noticed lately the prices of everything seem to be climbing but the overall product weight is shrinking, which means we are in fact paying way more for a whole lot less. Just check the size of your potato chip bags lately?

So what does the future look like? Will it get any better or are we sitting on the verge of a far worse depression then the one that hit us in 1929? I mean can anyone get a loan anymore with a fairly decent rate? Now banks, like Bank of America, Wells Fargo and Chase are going to begin to charge their customers a $5 fee to use their debit cards every month. That will add $60 to the banks bottom line for every single customer that uses their debit cards. Isn't that a bit ridiculous? Trust me, as a BofA customer, I am not happy and unless they change their business practices, I will be shopping for another bank.

However lately the talk on the Internet and through the social media channels is that something is brewing and it doesn't look good. In fact just watching the stock market go up and down like a Merry-Go-Round is enough to make you sick. One person commented to my husband about why we aren't investing our money in anything lately is that "We" are hurting the economy. Huh? I mean are they going to help us out when "their" investments turn out to be a bad idea? Yeah right and if you believe that one, I have a bridge I'd like to see you here in the desert.

So are any of you making any plans now, to prepare for what might come? I know a few of my friends have started growing their own food, are learning to can foods and store items that they can use for awhile and some have started trading out their US money for gold. Do they know something we don't?

You know who won't be at all affected if the US economy goes belly up? The Amish! They have been self-sufficient since the beginning, learning to rely on what they can grow, and are not dependent on the economy for anything. I think there is a lesson to be learned in the process of history, and there is a valuable lesson to be seen there. We need to be more self-reliant and serving our communities and neighborhoods more. For if the way the world is going, we can only pray that God will rapture the believers before it all goes south! At least I know where I will spending my eternity and that is the only security I need. Makes me wonder just what the year 2012 will bring?

I'd love to hear your thoughts so please share them with me.

Living With Fear

I know that the main thing that most people are talking about lately is what's going on with Japan. Just watching the news this morning my heart was torn. I can't believe in spite of everything Japan is going through it's snowing today. Not mild flurries, but large, heavy flakes.

Meanwhile troops are still trying to get to remote locations to see if survivors remain, and people are still trying to get a handle on how to cool down the nuclear reactors. Rumors are circulating whether or not Japan is being truthful on just how dire the situation is and if there is a threat to a nuclear meltdown, not just in one reactor but 5.

Just today, the talk among my family and even the friends of my daughters in high school is just what should we be concerned about with the threat of a nuclear cloud that is suppose to hit Southern California tomorrow, Friday.

It's gotten so extreme that reports are that people are beginning to horde iodine pills in the event it's a greater risk than what people have been saying. Most reports are that it shouldn't pose anymore of a threat than a chest Xray.

My brothers girlfriend is panicked, ready to begin to leave town. She doesn't trust God to handle this situation. Worst yet, people wonder what will happen in the worst case scenario, if all 5 reactors blow? What then?

Should we begin heading west?

Should we leave now while we can?

Is this the end of the world as the Bible has predicted?

What should we do?

This is where trusting God to prevail comes in hand. I believe one should take some precautions but nothing outside what God, Himself, can handle? I'm not running to my local military supply company to find survival foods, and gas masks. I'm not stock piling my money in small amounts in the event there's a run on the banks. I'm not even stockpiling my food, just in case the stores should close.

So what should we do?

First of all, PRAY! Ask God to release your fears and anxieties on Him. Worry NOT! Do you really want to be a professional worrier? People say practice makes perfect or permanent in some circles, so I would refrain from being a professional worrier. I would strive to become a professional pray warrior instead. I would rather have a direct line to God and talk to Him about my concerns.

We must remember the verses of Matthew 6:25-34, which tell us NOT to WORRY about ANYTHING. How much more precious are we to God over the birds of the air or the lilies of the field. We are so important He has counted every single hair on our heads. God will take care of our daily needs if that is all we focus on. Not next week, the weekend or even the end of the month.

We aren't suppose to live our lives like that. No wonder it wrecks havoc on our bodies, our minds and our livelihood. It robs of us of God's provision and He can't work through us if we chose to bear our own loads.

Think of it this way, take every problem you have, and take a rock, large enough for you to lift and write your specific problem on it. Paint it, draw on it, carve it into the rock. The point is to label it. Then carry it all the time. You can't put it down. See how long you can go without it affecting you in some way. Every time you have a new problem, don't forget to pick up a new rock and continue to carry them both.

When you get so tired of trying to do it yourself, try handing it off to God. Remember everytime you think God isn't doing enough, you have to pick up those rocks and carry them again. I would challenge you that it would only take you a short while before you would willingly hand them over to God every single time. No amount of rocks are too great for God to bear.

SO why do we chose to handle things on our own instead of merely coming to God every single time, talk to Him through prayer and hand it over. It definitely makes the load easier to bear in the long run and keeps us physically stronger as well as spiritually stronger.

So which path will you take? Will you take on your own rocks on yourself, will you live a life of fear, or will you chose God?

For me, I chose God! I stand firm in my faith and am willing to take whatever comes my way. I remember that nothing comes as a surprise to God and no matter what, I will know where I will go when this life ends. This is not the life I was destined to live and look forward to seeing just how God intended it all to be when I get to heaven.

Yet let us also heed God's warning and be ready, now is not the time to hesitate on your decision. You may not have a tomorrow:

Matthew 24: 7-8 "Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. ⁸ All these are the beginning of birth pains."

We are already seeing these signs based on things happening in Libya and the Middle East as well as earthquakes in New Zealand, Japan and even Chile this morning. The time is now to decide where will you spend your eternity and whom will you serve.

As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord!

The Second Coming of Christ

What would you do if Jesus Christ was returning today at 3pm. Something tells me that we'd all be looking our best at 2:45pm. Then why aren't we? What are we waiting for?

Reading all these posts about Bible Prophecy will do no good if we aren't willing to change. We are missing the point.
Revelation 19: 11-17 " I saw heaven standing open and there before me was a white hourse, whose rider is called Faithful and True. With justice he judges and makes war. His eyes are like blazing fire, and on his head are many crowns. He has a name written on Him that no one know but he himself. He is dressed in a robe dipped in blood, and his name is the Word of God. The armies of heaven were following him, riding on white horses and dressed in fine linen, white and clean. Out his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations. "He will rule them with an iron scepter. He treads the wine press with his fury of the wrath of God Almighty. On his robe and on his thigh he has this name written: KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS." (NIV)

The second coming of Jesus Christ will be public and seen by all-unlike the surprise rapture of the church which takes place in the twinkling of an eye. There will be no question that you are witnessing the return of Jesus Christ.

This will be accompanied by sadness and weeping. There will be mourning in Jerusalem and throughout Israel that the Jews will realize that Jesus Christ really was their Messiah.

Zachariah 12:10, " And I will pour out on the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem a spirit of grace and supplication. They will look on me, the one they pierced, and they will mourn for him as one mourns for an only child, and grieve bitterly for him as one grieves for a first born son."

Jesus Christ comes before judgment with the rapture of the church prior to the beginning of the Tribulation, while He comes with judgment when He returns to earth in His Second Coming. In the rapture He comes for His people, and in the Second Coming, He comes with His people.

Looking back at the description of Jesus Christ when we see Him at the Second Coming, his eyes are blazing, He is wearing many crowns, and His robe is dipped in blood.

His eyes blazing with fire, represent His power, His glory, His holiness and His wrath.

His many crowns signifies that He alone is ruler of all the universe.

The robe dipped in blood, signifies the price He paid when He died to save us all from our sins.

Yet Jesus is not coming alone. The scripture states that the armies of heaven are coming with Him. Who are these armies?

Jude 14: "See, the Lord is coming with thousands upon thousands of his holy ones..." (NIV)

So who are the His holy ones? Colossians 3:4, "For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory."

It is speaking of those of us that believe in Jesus Christ as the Son of God. We are the ones that will be accompanying Him. We will all get to see the Holy Land from ring side seats, so if we never get to go during our human lifetime, we will get the ultimate Holy Land tour when we return with our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

So what should we be doing in the meantime?

1. Watching for Him - We are to be aware that Jesus could come at any minute. We need to be aware of the signs of the times.

2. Being Ready to Go - We need to make sure that if Jesus came back at any minute, would we be embarrassed or ashamed at where He would find us or what we are doing? If the answer to that is yes, then don't do it.

3. Be Anxiously Awaiting - Do not fear this coming of the Lord, but be excited, joyful and filled with hope. If you have any anxiety, fear or dread, perhaps something isn't right in your spiritual life.

If you aren't 100% guaranteed that your passport to Heaven has your name assigned to it, it's not too late, but you may not have a second change to make this decision. Are you ready to accept God? As a believer, are you ready to recommit your life to serving Him with the time we have left?

Christians. It's time to get right or get left. Ready? Pray this prayer!

Lord Jesus,

Come into my life!
I know that I am a sinner!
I thank You for dying on the cross for me and rising again from the dead.
Now fill me up with Your Spirit and write my name in Your Book of Life,
and help me follow You all the days of my life.
Thank you that my sins are forgiven and that I am now going to heaven.
In Jesus Name I pray! ~ AMEN!

If you just prayed that prayer, you are a new creation and a believer in Jesus Christ. This is the reason for His delaying of the rapture of the church. You will now be part of that ultimate family reunion and I can't wait to welcome you when I see you!

Join me tomorrow when we will look at what happens when Jesus begins His wrath here on Earth, you don't want to miss it!

Battle of Armageddon Begins

Did you know that there is a type or font called "Second coming type"? It's a really big font used by newspapers to announce a mega event. An example of this type set is when President Kennedy was shot in Dallas, Pearl Harbor was bombed, as well as the September 11th event.

I googled it just to see what I could come up with and found this:

"My local newspapers used two-inch high type for headlines about the arrest of two men in the Washington-area sniper case. In journalism school we called these "Second Coming of Christ headlines." Nobody around here seems to have heard that term so I thought I'd share. Second coming is the largest display type used for newspaper headlines; reserved for news of the highest importance. "

This is the kind of font that is geared to leap off the page and get the reader to "READ ME"!!

Even non believers believe that Jesus Christ will be coming back. In a recent poll that was taken 66% of Americans believe that and that is 25% more than those that claim to be born again.

One verse in every 25 in the Bible makes some mention of the Lord's return.

Matthew 24:29-30 - "Immediately after the distress of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from the sky, and the heavenly bodies will be shaken. At that time the Son of the Man will appear in the sky, and all of the nations of the earth will mourn." (NIV)

Before Christ returns however, one event must occur, that is the battle of Armageddon. Armageddon will be the final conflicts of mankind.

In a quote from Douglas MacArthur, "I am concerned for the security of our great Nation; not so much because of any threat from without, but because of the insidious forces working from within."

Events in the West Asia concerned him so much that Reagan wrote on May 15, 1981, ''Sometimes I wonder if we are destined to witness Armageddon.''

Then on June 7 Reagan wrote, ''Got word of Israel bombing of Iraq -- nuclear reactor. I swear I believe Armageddon is near.''

Makes you wonder what our past leaders would have said to the events of the terrorist attacks against the World Trade Centers, the arming of Iraq and North Korea with nuclear weapons as well as the continued threats from Iran to wipe Israel off the face of the map.



Armageddon will not be just one final war but is defined as the Valley of Megiddo. These final conflicts that will be taking place in this valley in Israel. You can visit this place even today and I've included the picture above. It's a vast plain and some major wars have already been fought there, the Canaanites were defeated there, as well as Gideon defeated the Midionites and Saul was killed on this battlefield as well.

Napoleon in 1799 when he was at war at Megiddo said that in all the armies of the world, there is no more suitable place for battle on earth than here.

In reference to the Four Horseman of the Apocalypse the white rider as you remember represented the anti-Christ rising to power, who will rebuild the Jewish temple, and establish a lasting peace treaty with Israel before setting up his own idol to defile that temple of the Jews.

The red horse represents war. World War 1 claimed over 10 million lives and was suppose to be the war to end all wars. Yet 20 years, World War 2 claimed over 50 million lives.

The major players in the final conflict will be the anti-Christ, the 10 confederated nations under the anti-Christ and the kings from the east who will all meet to plan that battle.

Revelations 16: 14, 16 " They are the spirits of demons performing many miraculous signs, and they go out to the kings of the whole world, to gather them for the battle on the great day of God Almighty. Then they gathered the kings together to the place that in Hebrew is called Armageddon. "(NIV)

Who are the kings of the east? There is a clue in Revelation 9:16 "The number of the mounted troops was two hundred million. I heard their number." (NIV)

Who has an army that vast? China I believe but we can't say for certain by in a Newsweek magazine on May 9, 2005, this was the cover story, "A new power is emerging in the East. How America should handle unprecedented new challenges, threats‹and opportunities." The article goes on to expand on all the recent changes within China and includes this quote:

"China's rise is no longer a prediction. It is a fact. It is already the world's fastest-growing large economy, and the second largest holder of foreign-exchange reserves, mainly dollars. It has the world's largest army (2.5 million men) and the fourth largest defense budget, which is rising by more than 10 percent annually. Whether or not it overtakes the United States economically, which looks to me like a distant prospect, it is the powerful new force on the global scene.

Great-power conflict is something the world has not seen since the cold war. But if it were to begin, all the troubles we worry about now—terrorism, Iran, North Korea—would pale in comparison. It would mean arms races, border troubles, and perhaps more. Even without those dire scenarios, China complicates international life. Take relations between the United States and Europe. Iraq was a temporary problem. But differing attitudes on the rise of China are likely to produce permanent strains in the Western Alliance."

So if you look at the rise of China along with India and Japan, that makes Asia look like one vast super power nation. Not only that but the largest population on Earth is China with 1.3 billion people living there.

Can you imagine that? In 1997, China claimed that they could raise an army of 352 million people. So if they sent 200 million to the battle at Armageddon, that would still leave 152 million left to guard China.

When John wrote about this prophecy there weren't even 200 million people populating the world at his time.

Basically the tribulation period is going to be the darkest most evil time in our worlds history where the anti-Christ will show his true colors eventually. He will hunt down and kill the Jewish people and Christian believers that have not accepted the mark of the beast.

Yet God will still get His word out. The Holy Spirit will still be here after the church is raptured. There is nothing to argue this point in scripture. Many people will still physically show up at church and realized that they have been left behind. They will call their Christian friends or family members only to have us never answer the phone. They will come to the horrifying realization that they have missed it.

In those days 144,000 Jews will be raised up to receive Jesus Christ as their Savior and Messiah. They will have divine protection placed upon them and will travel all over the world spreading the gospel. Think 144,000 Billy Grahams.

There will also be the angelic mop up. The angels themselves will also be delivering the message to everyone who has not heard. This answers the question we all ask ourselves, well what about that one person living alone in the jungles somewhere.

Revelation 14:6 "Then I saw another angel flying in the midair, and he had the eternal gospel to proclaim to those who live on the earth - to every nation, tribe, language and people." (NIV)

God will then raise up two witnesses that will minister to the world. They will have divine power as well to call down fire from the heavens and turn water into blood. Who are these two? Some say that it is Moses and Elijah, since Moses has already turned water into blood and Elijah has called forth fire from the heavens and these two were present with Jesus at the transfiguration. They could also be Enoch and Elijah since neither of them experienced death, Enoch went for a walk and God took him, while Elijah was taken by chariot to heaven. We simply don't know.

What we do know is that the anti-Christ will have them executed, a leave their bodies to lay in a street in Jerusalem. The Bible says that they will lay there for all the world to see. Now that wasn't even a remote possibility 100 years ago, but with our technology today it is possible for everyone everywhere to see it simultaneously. Think YouTube videos, computers, IPhones, cell phones, laptops, cables, satellite and just plain old TV.

They will lay there until God calls for them to rise from the dead. Then they will rise up to heaven in a cloud in front of their enemies.

Revelation 11:11 "But after three and half days a breath of life from God entered them, (referring to the two witnesses) and they stood on their feet, and terror struck those who saw them. Then they heard a loud voice from heaven saying to them, "Come up here." And they went up to heaven in a cloud, while their enemies looked on." (NIV)

Do you really want to be around to witness what comes after this? Tune in on Monday for even more.

Don't forget about the book giveaway is drawing to a close to win a copy of Where is God listed here.