Greening a Congregation

As our resident blogger Dennis is on a well-deserved break, I again return as your guest blogger. So, if the writing is not as succent as his is, don't blame him.

I know that Dennis has written before about how in these last days false teachers will arise to 'tickle our ears' and persuade us that Jesus' Gospel is somehow not sufficent for His people.

Well, as anyone who has read the news or turned on the television knows, the environment has been on the forefront lately. Actor Danny Glover has spouted his opinion that the earthquake in Haiti is 'the response for the failure of the Copenhagen summit.' The Pope has also spoken out against the failures at the summit.

We have witnessed religious leaders promoting environmental causes with the Environmental Climate Initiative put forth three years ago. But now we are witnessing more churches getting on the bandwagon in an effort to keep their doors open. They are 'greening a congregation.'

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/16/us/16church.html?ref=global-home

"We actually encourage it (using environmental issues) as a way to get people into the churches." That was said by the executive direction of Earth Ministry. "That is what people are interested in, and I don't see anything Machiavellian in that."

She may not see it as deceitful, but is it? Here is a stanza from one of the Creation-Honoring Hymns the Earth Ministry people have written;

We own we have a part
in healing our torn earth.
All humankind awaits a sign
that justice have rebirth
Let us, God's agents now,
commit ourselves this hour
to heed God's word, and be assured
we can bring hope to flower!

On it's face, creation is, and should be, something that every Christian cares about. We should not be intentionally setting out to destroy it. But we should not be worshipping creation either.

The one to worship of course, is the Creator Himself. Jesus brings hope to flower. Could this be another diversion from the truth of the Gospel message? If you google 'green congregation,' you come up with Christian groups putting on secular Eco-Expos, changing the name of your congregation to something like, Eco-justice Center, creating a new logo and Green Sermons.

Jesus is the only answer in these last days, and nothing should be a distraction from Him. Why pull people into your church and continue to hide, or distort, the truth?

"Blessed is the man who makes the Lord his trust, who does not look to the proud, to those who turn aside to false gods." Psalm 40:4

Pat Robertson

O.K. friends...we certainly can talk amongst ourselves about Satan and his satanic ways. We can wonder if earthquakes, Katrina, or the tsunami of 2004 or other natural disasters, seem to have a way of striking where Godlessness prevails.

But we need to remember that those discussions are meant to be had amongst "the brethren"....and are not supposed to be made public to a whole host of unbelievers.

Remember...the Word of God is foolishness to those that are perishing, says God.

So when Pat Robertson comes on TV and tells everyone that Haiti made a pact with the devil....it is only going to serve as a major distraction and may cloud out the positive witness Christians are currently having as they do relief in Haiti and send cash and compassion.

If you missed what Pat said, you can catch the gist of it here; http://www.shnock.com/pat-robertson-haiti-earthquake-10720/

Again, I wasn't in Haiti in 200 years ago when this dedication to Satan supposedly took place....but I do have a friend who is Haitian...and he told me that's exactly what did happen. He also told me that voodoo is practiced everywhere on the island.

Jesus said that you are either for Him or against Him. It's that black and white. Now ask yourselves....is voodoo helping lead people to Christ, or leading them away? I think we know the answer to that rhetorical question.

Again, let's remember that Apostle Paul talked about "the Restrainer" in Thessalonians...and he was referring to the Holy Spirit. So ask yourselves....what is the Restrainer actually restraining?

Obviously, the answer is that the Holy Spirit restrains Satan from making all hell break loose.

And certainly we all know where the Holy Spirit currently dwells...in the hearts of every born-again follower of Christ. So it would stand to reason...the fewer followers of Christ there are in any one location on planet earth...the more you would expect all hell to break loose in that location.

One thing for sure....the people on earth who are not included in the rapture of the church will be totally confused when God starts destroying everything on planet earth...exactly as His word says.

What do you think? Should Pat just keep blowing the trumpet and let God figure out the rest...or should he learn to discern who his audience is...and feed the babies milk while keeping the solid food for mature believers?

Please leave your comments.

Turkey Turns

We have been watching closely as Turkey turns against Israel. The Bible said it would happen...it's just that many watchers are amazed at just how quickly it has happened.

More evidence of this quick turn is headlined today.
Report: Turkey warns Lebanon that Israel may be planning attack

At a meeting in Ankara with Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri and President Michel Suleiman on Monday, Erdogan declared that Israel was endangering world peace by using exaggerated force against the Palestinians, breaching Lebanon's air space and waters and for not revealing the details of its nuclear program.

Erdogan called on the five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council to pressure Israel over its nuclear program in the same way that the international community has been dealing with Iran.

"Israel never denied that it has nuclear weapons," said Erdogan. "In fact, it has admitted to such." "Those who are cautioning Iran must also caution Israel," Erdogan declared. "If we fail to display a fair attitude in this region, the problems will hit not only the region, but will spread elsewhere as well. The unrest of the Middle East is the unrest of the world."

Read it here; http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1142639.html

So there you have it....the world will start focusing attention on the nukes that Israel has, but has never publicly confirmed...and Iran will keep cooking their own nukes while Turkey and Russia look on with approval.

And Turkey, who was once the best friend that Israel had in the Middle East,...now looks more like a back stabber.

And the Ezekiel 38 coalition continues to gel.

Could Japan Bust First?

We have been very focused on the financial dysfunction in the USA because it is the #1 economy on planet earth and also because we all live here, and it will directly affect us all.

But how about the #2 economy, Japan....what are they up to?

I'm sorry to report...they may be in worse condition than us...and may have to file bankruptcy first.

The only reason why this has not yet blown up is because investors (mostly Japanese) have not yet had the leap in imagination required to understand their predicament, and act on it. That roughly is the argument of Dylan Grice from Societe Generale in his latest Popular Delusions note released today. “A global fiasco is brewing in Japan.”

Will it happen, this week, this month, this year, or will Tokyo keep the illusion of solvency going for years longer? Who knows. Japan is an endlessly mystifying society. But as Mr Grice puts it, if you are sitting on a tectonic fault line, expect an earthquake.

Read full article here; http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/finance/ambroseevans-pritchard/100002951/a-global-fiasco-is-brewing-in-japan/

Some will ask, what does Japan have to do with Biblical prophesy? Why should we care?

The simple answer is that the world will come apart if Japan and the U.S. both need to file for bankruptcy protection with the International Monetary Fund. Do you remember world history of what events helped lead the world into WWII? I'll give you a big hint....financial problems.

The other simple answer is that once that happens...the world will be VERY close to having a global financial system that will be run by the IMF....and they already have a currency in place that the entire globe would use.

The road is currently being paved for the Antichrist to drive in on.....can you see it being built?

Doomsday Clock

There certainly is an intense fascination these days with the destruction of the world.

The Doomsday Clock has been around for a while and some group of scientists meet every so often to show how close the world is to wiping itself out of the universe.

Tomorrow, for the first time ever, you can watch them change the time on the clock. Will they move it closer to midnight....or with the rise of Obama and his outstretched hand of peace...will they move the clock further away from midnight?

The infamous Doomsday Clock will reset Thursday, the first time its hands have moved since 2007. Whether the Clock will tick closer or further from midnight, suggesting the world is either more or less safe from nuclear weapons and other potential man-made disasters, will be revealed at 10 a.m. EST tomorrow at the New York Academy of Sciences Building in New York City.

For the first time, the announcement will also be broadcast live over the Internet. Viewers can tune in at turnbacktheclock.org.

Read article here; http://www.csmonitor.com/Innovation/Horizons/2010/0113/Will-Doomsday-Clock-tick-forward-or-backward-Find-out-live

100,000 Dead

The depth of destruction of the killer earthquake in Haiti is still being uncovered, but the Prime Minister believes more than 100,000 could have lost their lives.

This may prove to be a major birth pang that the Bible warns us about....as the earth continues to groan....and it groans more and more as we edge nearer to The Tribulation.

Haitian Prime Minister Jean-Max Bellerive said “well over” 100,000 people may have died in yesterday’s earthquake, as the United Nations and relief groups rushed aid to the Western Hemisphere’s poorest country.

Haiti’s population of 9.6 million has a per capita income of about $560, with 54 percent of Haitians living on less than $1 a day and 78 percent on less than $2 daily, according to the World Bank. The gross domestic product was $7 billion in 2008. The country is still recovering from four tropical storms or hurricanes that killed at least 800 people in 2008.

Read it here; http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&sid=acLZCbL2jFvI&pos=8

Question...why is Haiti the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere? And why has there been so much destruction focused on such a tiny area?

Maybe because of Satan?

Voodoo endured (in Haiti) despite these efforts and was finally accepted as the formal religion of Haiti in 2003. While it is technically true to say that Voodoo has only existed as an orthodox practice since the late 1980s, when the restrictions against it were lifted, and as a recognised world religion for only a few years, in reality its roots are as ancient as African history.

Read this here; http://www.canadiancontent.net/profiles/Haiti.html

Or this from Christian Action article in 2004;

Haiti was officially dedicated to Satan in 1791. It was rededicated to Satan during the two hundred year anniversary in 1991 by Aristide.
At that time, it was noted that Aristide had, behind his desk in his presidential office, a huge oil painting of a necklace murder. Aristide was quoted as having described the smell of burning petrol and human flesh in a necklace murder as "a most beautiful aroma".

Not surprisingly, this country beset by occultism is the poorest state in the Western hemisphere. The vast majority of the population of Haiti are actively involved in Voodoo. Haiti has the worst soil-erosion, pollution, and de-forestation problems in the Americas.

Although they share the same island, the contrast between the predominantly Christian Dominican Republic with its lush rainforests and fertile farms, and the deforested, eroded mess that is Haiti could not be more acute.

Read here; http://www.christianaction.org.za/articles_ca/2004-2-Haiti_and_Satan.htm

Apostle Paul tells us in Ephesians that our battle is not with flesh and blood but with the unseen demons and Satanic powers that are running rampant on earth. Here's a revelation.....maybe Paul is telling us the truth!!

Maybe Satan is the prince of this earth....and it is only the Holy Spirit indwelling in born again Christians that restrain his unbridled power?

1 Thessalonians tells us that all hell will break loose and the Anti-Christ will be revealed when the Holy Spirit (restrainer of evil) is withdrawn. That event is called the rapture of the Church.

Are we starting to see what happens to countries where The Restrainer is already absent?

Could we start expecting chaos to break out in other cities, states and countries that are mostly devoid of the Holy Spirit?

China's Veiled Threat

Earlier today we posted about China warning the U.S.

Now, there is a little more to the story that merits mention.

China's Missile Test: A Symbolic Warning to U.S.

China invented fireworks some 1,000 years ago in hopes of scaring away evil spirits. On Monday, it successfully tested a missile-defense system aimed at scaring away the U.S. from defending the island nation of Taiwan. By shooting down one missile with another, China demonstrated its growing military prowess. But it also telegraphed its anger over last week's sale of U.S. Patriot interceptor missiles to Taiwan. Taipei would use the Patriots to blunt any attack by Beijing's 1,100 missiles poised just across the Taiwan Strait. China has threatened to use force should Taiwan, which has had its own political system for the past six decades, opt for independence.

Read more: http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1953233,00.html?xid=rss-topstories

The Bible talks about the "kings of the east" crossing the dried up Euphrates River as a huge army descends on Jerusalem. Could this be foreshadowing that China will continue to rise up and take center stage?

China Warns America

We know the Word of God tells us that the borrower will become slave to the lender.

We know that America owes China an enormous amount of money...money that we have borrowed.

We know that Taiwan is an ally of ours and a thorn in China's side. (they claim it is part of their territory)

We know that the only reason China hasn't gone and taken Taiwan back by military action is because the U.S. has had our stamp of protection on it.

And now China is WARNING the USA that we better be careful selling arms to Taiwan.

BEIJING (AP) -- China again expressed its opposition to arms sales to Taiwan on Wednesday -- the latest in a series of warnings over recent U.S. government contracts with Raytheon Company and Lockheed Martin Corp. for Taiwan-bound weapons.

''The stand we take in opposing any country selling arms to Taiwan has been consistent and clear,'' the spokesman for the State Council's Taiwan Affairs Office, Yang Yi, told a news conference.

In recent weeks, the United States awarded a $969 million contract to Lockheed Martin for the provision of 263 PAC-3 air defense missiles to Taiwan and a $1.1 billion contract to Raytheon Co. for production of the Patriot Air and Missile Defense System for Taiwan.

Arms sales to Taiwan are driven by threats from China to use force to bring the island under its control, backed up by an estimated 1,300 Chinese ballistic missiles positioned along the Taiwan Strait.

Read it here; http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2010/01/12/world/AP-AS-China-US-Taiwan.html

If push comes to shove and we are forced to defend Taiwan....as we have promised....do you think China will continue to loan us the money that we need to continue to run our military when they know our military is opposing them?

Earthquake and Isreal

When you turned on Google News this morning, the top story is a major earthquake in Haiti...reportedly the largest in over 200 years.

Their National Palace (which would be like our White house) has been totally destroyed and the capital city is devastated.

See it here; http://www1.voanews.com/english/news/americas/Major-Earthquake-Strikes-Near-Haitian-Capital-81308912.html

The third top story is the continuing break up of relations between Turkey and Israel.

See it here; http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/8456804.stm

It seems that the deputy minister of Israel summoned the Turkish ambassador to complain about an anti-Semitic TV series playing in Turkey...but seated the Turkish ambassador in a tiny chair and removed the Turkish flag from the room. Of course this is VERY offensive to the Turks and they may withdraw their ambassador from Israel unless Israel does something to correct this mistake.

So why put both of these headlines in the same blog post?? Because the Bible says that in the Last Days there will be earthquakes and Israel will be in the front page news everyday. And today is simply another example of how true God's word is.

Tension Builds With Turkey

Let's remember that Turkey is one of the named players in Ezekiel 38. In Ezekiel's day, most of that area was called Beth-torgamah.

Let's remember that Turkey and Israel had very good relations up until last year....and have virtually fallen off a cliff ever since the Davos, Switzerland incident where Turkey dissed Israel on a public stage. (refresh you memory here;
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/davos/7859417.stm
And now Turkey has been literally running away from Europe and The West and run full into the arms of Russia and Iran...also named players in Ezekiel 38. The End Times coalition is basically in place.....for the very first time in human history.

So we watch for any headlines that have Israel and Turkey mentioned in the same sentence. And here is one for today;
Israel rebukes Turkey over a television series

The meeting with the ambassador, Ahmet Oguz Celikkol, was called over the fictional television series Valley of the Wolves, popular in Turkey.

It depicts Israeli intelligence operatives running operations to kidnap babies and convert them to Judaism.

Last October Israel complained over another Turkish series, which depicted Israeli soldiers killing Palestinians. In one clip, an Israeli soldier shoots dead a smiling young girl at close range.

Read it here; http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/8453694.stm

Why is this happening? Because in order to attack a country, you first need to get your citizens hating the people.

Jew hatred is on the rise....and this is a serious sign that Satan is planning something big for the inhabitants of planet earth.

What's the Question?

Many of you remember Johnny Carson and the skit he used to do called "Carnac the Great". For those of you who don't remember it, Carnac would hold an envelope to his head that contained a question. He would then tell the audience the answer without ever seeing the question. And then to many laughs he would open the envelope and read the question.

That seems to be what's going on in Iran as of late. The Iranian government has one answer...and the answer is; "Israel and America."

And the question is; Who killed the Iranian nuclear physicist?

Last week the question was; Who is responsible for the riots in Tehran?

Last fall the question was; Who organized the riots surrounding the corrupted election results?

Now, in reality....that answer may be correct some of the time. We don't know what the CIA or Israeli Mossad may be doing to support the opposition....we also don't know what they may be doing to disrupt the development of a nuclear weapon.

Either way...when I saw this headline, it just made me think of Carnac;
Iran nuclear physicist killed: Iran sees US, Israel behind the attack

Iran's state-run Press TV described Massoud Ali-Mohammadi, a lecturer at Tehran University, as a "staunch supporter" of the 1979 Islamic revolution –and thus the current regime. It said a booby-trapped motorbike exploded near his home and that police were investigating the "terrorist case."

Press TV correspondent Amir Mehdi Kazemi, reporting from the scene of the assassination, quoted security officials as saying that the equipment and system of the bomb used in the attack had been related to a number of foreign intelligence agencies, particularly Israel's Mossad.

You can read it here; http://www.csmonitor.com/World/terrorism-security/2010/0112/Iran-nuclear-physicist-killed-Iran-sees-US-Israel-behind-the-attack

Remember....none of us will truly know what really happened and who killed this nuclear physicist until 25 years from now when Ahmadinejad or a retired spook in the CIA writes a book and tells us how it went down.

For now, we can just watch the headlines and realize that the Iranian regime desperately needs to try and focus it's citizens anger on the U.S. and Israel.

U.S. Continues to Bless Israel

If this article is true, it could be really good news for the U.S.

The U.S. Army will double the value of emergency military equipment it stockpiles on Israeli soil, and Israel will be allowed to use the U.S. ordnance in the event of a military emergency, according to a report in Monday's issue of the U.S. weekly Defense News.

Read it here; http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1141745.html

As the article says....Israel could use all these weapons to defend itself in the event of a military emergency. Well...I have news for you.....If Syria, Hezbollah, Iran and Hamas all start raining missiles down on Israel at the same time....it will be an emergency....and Israel could use American made guns and bullets to defend herself.

"I will bless those who bless you and curse those who curse you", says God.

North Korea Wants Peace

The latest news out of North Korea is that they want peace with the U.S. and an end to sanctions.....BEFORE they start nuclear disarmament.

Hmmmmm......I wonder if we should pop some champagne and start singing Kum-ba-yah?

Can you really trust a psychopath who uses Christians as guinea pigs to test his weapons on?

I wonder if Obama should demand that they disarm and have them prove it BEFORE he offers them any more blackmail money or withdraws sanctions?

Read it here; http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=CNG.3729e036a5584037560be5b63b01d463.01&show_article=1

Maybe it is possible that this gopher in a pant suit (Kim Jong Il) has truly changed the 13 stripes on his back and really does want to start singing, "We are the world....we are the children...we are the ones who make a brighter day....so let's start living!!"

If it's true...then to God be the glory!

Handwriting on the Wall

Most of you are familiar with the story from Daniel where the hand came from no where and wrote on the wall. The hand wrote out a message that the Babylonian dynasty was finished. And that very night...it came to pass.

Some have heard me say that the same will be true with America if we forget WHO gave us our blessings and if we begin to turn our backs on Israel.

I found this article today on Rapture Ready and the writer clearly makes the connections of America's rise to greatness....and how quickly we will thrown down if we turn against God and his Holy people, the Jews.

Read it here; http://raptureready.com/soap/L48.html

This guy definitely uses scripture to connect all the dots.

Clearly our only hope is seeking His face...then and ONLY then will He heal our land.

Food Shortage in USA

Here in the USA we are enjoying some of the lowest interest rates that people can remember. I just had a friend lock in a 30 year mortgage at 4.5%. Why? Because the government is artificially keeping rates low in an attempt to get everyone borrowing and spending money....to stimulate the economy.

What does this have to do with food, you may ask?

Here in the USA we are enjoying some of the lowest food prices that people can remember. Can you see the potential connection? Could government agencies be keeping prices artificially low so that we DON'T have to spend as much on food...so that we will have more to spend at the malls...in hopes of stimulating the economy?

This headline and article says there is a government cover up that is manipulating data to cover up a food shortage.

Government cover-up of food shortage feared
Reports show demand growing, production declines estimated at 30%

While trend experts, economists and investment gurus have been predicting food shortages for some time, new evidence indicates the U.S. Department of Agriculture may be covering up the greatest food shortage in modern history.

Beginning in 2009, global agricultural markets faced a supply and demand imbalance, caused by a substantial drop in output resulting from the financial crisis and extreme weather around the world.
At the same time, growing economies in Asia have begun consuming record amounts of raw goods, particularly food staples as consumers move to higher protein, higher calorie diets. When supplies are reduced and demand is constant or growing, prices normally rise. Industry observers and economists remained mystified by the low agricultural prices in spite of this trend.

One analyst, Eric deCarbonnel from MarketSkeptics.com believes the answer is found in data he believes the U.S. Department of Agriculture has manipulated to keep food prices low.

Read it here: http://www.wnd.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=121378

I don't know that this is true but I will tell you that Jesus told us there would be famine in the Last Days.

I also know that 70 years ago....most Americans had cellars where they kept a full years supply of canned food. I know at my grandparent's farm in South Dakota, they could have lived a long time on what they had stuffed into their fruit cellar...most of it canned and put there by my grandma.

But today, most of us go to Cub foods almost every single day to buy what we need to eat that evening.

Do you see how we have set ourselves up for calamity?

If this storm does come our way.....most of us will be totally unprepared.

Now remember one very important thing; I am not an advocate of moving to Montana with a bunker of food and guns while we wait for the world to come apart. On the contrary....I think we need to stay right in the middle of it all so that our lights can shine bright when calamity does come.

Imagine if there is a huge food crisis and you can share with your un-saved neighbors some of the food that you have laid up? Do you think you may end up with a chance to tell them about the love of Jesus Christ....thereby "snatching them from the fire"?

Isn't this exactly what Jesus would have us do?

Sex Robot Introduced

We knew for some time this would be coming....and here "she" is...a fully functioning, anatomically correct, female sex robot.

LAS VEGAS: Roxxxy the sex robot had a coming-out party in Sin City at the weekend.
In what is billed as a world first, a life-size robotic girlfriend complete with artificial intelligence and flesh-like synthetic skin was introduced to adoring fans at the AVN Adult Entertainment Expo in Las Vegas on Saturday.

''She can't vacuum, she can't cook, but she can do almost anything else if you know what I mean,'' said her inventor, Douglas Hines, of the company TrueCompanion.

''She's a companion. She has a personality. She hears you. She listens to you. She speaks. She feels your touch. She goes to sleep. We are trying to replicate a personality of a person.''

Read it and see a picture of her here; http://www.theage.com.au/technology/my-girlfriends-hot-but-she-has-a-builtin-cooling-system-20100110-m0tk.html

Did you catch the fact in sentence one that she had her coming out party in "Sin City"?

This will continue to play into the hands of depraved man....exactly as Satan would have it.

Please come soon Jesus!