Job 1:12

Then the Lord said to Satan, “Behold, all that Job has is in your power, only do not put your hand on the man himself.”

     Job has been called the oldest Book in the Bible.  Yet, in many ways, it is the most difficult to understand.  Christians have a hard time comprehending that Satan was allowed access to the Throne of God in order to accuse Job, who the Bible says was "blameless and upright, and one who feared God [with reverence] and abstained from and turned away from evil [because he honored God]."  He is also called "the greatest of all the men of the East."  So why would God allow Satan to torment this righteous man, and what are we to understand from this famous Book of the Bible?

     First of all, let me say that I have a rather unorthodox understanding of the purpose of the Book of Job.  Unlike most Christians, I do not think God's inspiration for this book is to teach us how to endure like Job did.  Although, Job's constant faith is certainly a model we should follow, I firmly believe that the Book of Job was written to show us how Satan operates and how God controls Satan. It is ultimately a book all about Authority.

     The Apostle John tells us in 1 John 5:19, "The whole world is under the rule of the Evil One".  So the questions that arise from that statement are the same ones that we ask regarding Job.  How much authority does Satan have?  Can he do anything he wants to, or are there restrictions placed on him by God?  

     We know what Satan wants to do ... steal, kill and destroy (John 10:10).  But the fact that millions of human beings are alive on the planet today, tells us that most of the time, he doesn't get his way.  So, it's apparent to me that we, who are alive, are existing because a greater power (God) is protecting us.   And that is exactly what our verse today is telling us.  It is a very valuable piece of information to have and it is this: Satan's authority is limited by God.  And in the case of Job, I think God set very strict limits for Satan; the Enemy was not allowed to take Job's life.

     But we also see something else in this verse and the entire Book of Job.  Sometimes God grants greater authority to Satan than is ordinarily his.  In this instance, Satan requested permission to launch a special attack on Job and it was granted to him.  Not only was he allowed to take all of Job's possessions and cause the deaths of all his children, but Satan was given permission to attack Job's health as well.  The majority of the Book of Job is an account of the suffering Job endures because of Satan's attacks.  But there is one very important fact we need to keep in mind.... God was the One who gave permission for Satan to attack.

     So, by now, many people might be asking, "Then does that mean that God has given Satan permission to attack me?"  Here's what we need to understand... Satan has been given real authority to harass and, yes, even attack us.  But he is only successful when we give him permission to do so.  Job didn't have that choice.  God, in His sovereignty, chose to allow Job to suffer, without Job doing anything to prompt the attacks. 

      If Satan is going to be able to exercise the authority he wants to exercise, he needs human cooperation, a human partner.  That's what he was trying to accomplish when he tempted Jesus in the desert.  Remember, at the time, Jesus was in his human state, and Jesus resisted him.  

     We need to understand that in reality, the devil has very little, if any, power or authority other than that given to him by us.  That's what happened in the Garden of Eden... he was only able to bring about the fall of man because Adam and Eve obeyed his request to partake of the apple.  He had no authority to make them do it!  They cooperated!  That is why James can confidently tell us to "Resist the devil, and he will flee."  

     We must begin to understand that we have authority from our Father, just as Jesus was a man under authority.  We have the power of God's Holy Spirit, which is transferred to us at baptism, just as it was to Jesus when he was baptized in the Jordan River.  And Jesus made it clear before His ascension that when He left, He would send the Apostles (and all who would follow in their footsteps) the Holy Spirit -- the One who had empowered Him.  They would be able to resist Satan and all his powers to steal, kill, and destroy.  

     You see, the problem that Job had is not the same as our problem.  His particular circumstances were controlled by God, and to show us that Satan's authority is limited by God.  He did not have the authority of the Holy Spirit because Christ had not come.  

     Our problem is that we don't exercise the authority we have been given; or worse yet, we ignore or deny the presence and power that Satan has been given.  We need to understand that, just like Jesus, we have been given the right to use our authority to bring about whatever is in accord with the Father's will.  In Job's case, it was God's will to allow Satan to attack him.  We may never completely understand that Sovereign decision, but we know that Job did not contribute or cooperate with Satan. Now it is time for us to recognize that we are entrusted with Divine Authority passed from the Father to His Son, who conferred it to us.  

     As noted by Dr. Charles Kraft, president of Deep Healing Ministries, "If we are Christians, we have no choice as to whether or not we possess this authority.  It is part of the package given to us with the Holy Spirit.  Our only choice is whether we learn how to use this authority and whether we actually make use of it."   Job didn't have a choice.  Will you exercise yours?  

    

     

Good News: He Didn't Back Down!

     His story is becoming far too common.  In the state of Washington, Bremerton High School Assistant Football Coach Joseph Kennedy was ordered to halt his on-field, post-game prayers.  The Blaze has covered this story for the past couple of weeks, ever since Kennedy came under fire last month and was investigated by the school district for routinely praying on the 50-yard line after every game, where he regularly thanks God for each and every one of his players.
     While he typically goes on the field to pray alone, students and players often voluntarily join him — and that is what has sparked controversy and concerns over the separation of church and state.
     A subsequent letter from the school district informed Coach Kennedy that while they supported his motivational and inspirational talks with his players, he must limit them to themes such as unity, teamwork, responsibility, safety, endeavor “and the like”.  AND, his talks could not include religious expression, including prayer.  His words of encouragement had to remain secular at all times, in order not to alienate any player.
     But the school district didn’t count on the unshakable faith of Coach Kennedy.  “I never asked anyone [to pray]. They just all showed up one day and the next thing I know, the other team was showing up with us,” Kennedy said.  ”I spent 20 years in the Marine Corps, and it’s been about protecting the freedom of other people. It’s about the freedom, and people can believe whatever they want. I’m just exercising my right.”
     But apparently exercising that right could conflict with his job description, and there were veiled threats that an investigation was being conducted and it would be prudent for him to discontinue such religious sentiment.
     Kennedy didn’t back down.  “I love my players. It’s an honor to work with them and teach them about good sportsmanship and teamwork,” the coach said in a statement. “I hope the school district will allow me to continue working with these kids – and thanking God for them.”  And he joined forces with the Liberty Institute, the conservative law firm firing off a letter to officials at Bremerton High School that calls it unconstitutional for the district to order Kennedy to stop praying after games.
     As you might suspect, there was a showdown looming.  Regardless of the imposed ban on prayer, Coach Kennedy wanted to pray after the Homecoming Game on October 16th, and he made it clear that he would exercise his constitutional right to pray privately, regardless of the school’s response.  He reasoned that since player attendance isn’t mandatory during his post-game prayers, they are protected free speech.  “I’m going to do what I’ve always done and I will do my prayer,” he said.

Kennedy is surrounded by the opposing team as he prays

     So after the game ended, just as Kennedy promised, he defied the ban and walked to the center of the football field and took a knee to pray.  But he was not alone. Kennedy found himself completely surrounded by football players —  from the opposing team he just coached against.  An emotional Kennedy talked about the experience: “All of a sudden I feel all these bodies around me and I’m hoping they’re not kids.”
     Although the Bremerton school district has not made an official statement about his actions, and the Coach awaits a possible lawsuit and termination of his contract, his deed has attracted a great deal of attention from not only ordinary Americans, but the controversial ladies of The View.  Actress Candace Buré, an avowed Christian, defended Kennedy’s right to pray publicly.  She pointed out that his post-game prayer session was not mandatory and is therefore protected free speech under the First Amendment.  “The separation of church and state does not mean that we cannot pray publicly,” she said. “It actually guarantees our free exercise of religion so that if it is voluntary, we are allowed to pray wherever we would like to.”
    But her co-host of the show, actress Raven-Symone, immediately confronted Buré, asking, “So why did they take prayer out of the beginning of school, and now it’s just silence?”  And here is where we Christians need to know our history… “I don’t know, I wish they wouldn’t have,” Buré shot back.
     In the future, the Faithful need to have an answer for that question.  And here it is:  The conflict started when Steven Engel, a Jewish New Yorker, came together with other parents in 1958 to sue New York State over state-endorsed prayer that was being recited in schools. The Supreme Court inevitably sided with Engel and the decision was issued on June 25, 1962 — a day that lives in infamy in the minds of many religious individuals and free-speech advocates.
     What was the offensive language that altered the condition of our education system forever?  The prayer, which read, “Almighty God, we acknowledge our dependence upon Thee, and we beg Thy blessings upon us, our parents, our teachers and our Country,” was relatively benign in nature. Still, the parents were adamant that it shouldn’t be uttered in the public sphere.  The plaintiffs claimed that the prayer violated their religious beliefs and practices. Requiring that children utter it, they argued, violated their First Amendment rights, as the government, in their view, was establishing and promoting religion.
     The lone dissent on the Supreme Court came from Potter Stewart, who argued that the majority had “misapplied a great constitutional principle” and could not understand “how an ‘official religion’ is established by letting those who want to say a prayer say it. On the contrary, I think to deny the wish of these school children to join in reciting this prayer is to deny them the opportunity of sharing in the spiritual heritage of our Nation.”
     How sad that this argument has disappeared from our national dialogue!  And this, of course, was only the beginning. It was in 1963 — one year later — when Madelyn Murray O’Hair, an atheist activist, was successful in getting the Supreme Court to ban Bible reading and overturn a state law banning the teaching of evolution.   And it’s been downhill ever since.
     Now, over 50 years later, the battle is still being waged.  While many charge that the public school system has taken the ruling and subsequent Supreme Court decisions too far, others maintain that restrictions haven’t gone far enough.  But at least there are people like Joe Kennedy who are starting to fight back; people who understand what has been taken away from us and our children.  God Bless him and those who were willing to kneel on the 50-yard line with him!

1 Timothy 2:8    "Therefore I want the men in every place to pray, lifting up holy hands, without anger and disputing or quarreling or doubt [in their mind]."

The Apocalypse 101

     Oftentimes, readers of this blog will contact me with issues they feel are important to address.  Such is the case with this post.  A reader’s 16-year-old daughter informed her mother that this was the new course she was taking.  What are your thoughts?  Here are mine:  

     What do you think of when you hear the word “Apocalypse”?  If you’re a Bible-believing Christian, you’re likely to define the word as the complete and final destruction of the world, especially as described in the Book of Revelation.  If you’re of a secular nature, then the word most likely indicates an event involving destruction or damage on an awesome or catastrophic scale.  And if you’re a member of the Millennial Generation then you probably go straight to Zombies.  So, it should come as no surprise that colleges are now offering various courses such as Social Work 290: Surviving the Coming Zombie Apocalypse — Disasters, Catastrophes, and Human Behavior.
     This course is the brainchild of Glenn Stutzky, a Senior Clinical Instructor of Social Work at Michigan State University.  While he was devising his course on disaster management and human behaviors in catastrophes, Stutzky’s college-age grandson had a piece of advice for him…. “Just don’t be boring.”

     Now, it is only natural that if you’re a professor seeking to teach students how to respond in disasters and catastrophes, that you might turn to the Center for Disease Control’s website to see what information they might have to support your course.  “There, looking back at me was a girl behind some blinds — she was a zombie,” he says.  And that’s when his creative juices started flowing.
     He and his creative team developed a new approach to online education they’re calling MOLIE. It stands for a Multimedia Online Learning Immersive Experience, and while it appears to be doing wonders for student involvement, it is leaving me unsettled.
     I applaud the instructor’s creative way of teaching his students to explore how society reacts in the midst of devastating circumstances.  And I love the idea of using video and interactive technology to gather information for their research.  And, yes, Stutzky has developed an innovative approach to get his students to work together in specific “real-life” scenarios; by engaging them in the video scenario they discover how they would react.  Some of the information they are provided is encoded. Some of it is garbled and incomplete. But through making decisions, exploring their environment, and solving puzzles, they are supposed to gradually learn more about the unfolding catastrophe and realize that they often have very different responses to it.  All that sounds good, right?
     But here is what concerns me about the material in the course.  Imagine you are a student, and there is the information you are presented …. In the Michigan woods, a group of students finds a bloody, unconscious young woman. They go through her backpack and discover a two-way radio but stay well away from her body.  Her arm is wounded and looks badly infected. Maybe she fell and cut herself. Or maybe she’s been bitten. After some debate they decide to tie her to a tree. They want to know if she has information, but some fear she could be carrying a deadly virus.  Most groups restrained her until she regained her health. But fearing her reanimation as a zombie, one group decided to decapitate her.
     Does that shock you?  It did Glenn Stutzky because he and his team had been sure to include personal items in the girl's backpack to humanize her. In another incident, the team was surprised when groups refused to help a man pounding desperately on the door of their hideout asking for help. “About half the groups didn’t let the person in."
    I realize that Zombies have been the craze for several years now, along with vampires and wizards.  But, at the risk of sounding out of touch, is this really good for our kids?  I am not a supporter of the whole video game industry, due to the violence and dehumanization that it renders in our kids.  This college course seems to mimic that response.  And is it blurring the line of the true significance of the word “Apocalypse”?  Are we diminishing the seriousness of the subject? What is it that these students are really learning from courses such as this?

     Yes, American's fears of the Ebola virus and the ISIS terror group are similar to those of a zombie apocalypse, but in Social Work 290, Stutzky is learning that those fears could be just as dangerous as the threats themselves.  “With Ebola and ISIS, they represent fears of the unknown and evil,” Stutzky told Business Insider. “It feels like we’re moving into apocalyptic times.”
     But are they going far enough with what "apocalyptic times" really means?  While doing a little research on apocalyptic literature, I expected to find references to such Biblical books as Revelation, Daniel, Isaiah and Ezekiel, and their use of symbols, images, and numbers to depict future events.
     But I also found it interesting that apocalyptic literature is described as writing to disguise the message in images and symbolism, rather than to give the message in plain language.  Further, the symbolism is created to provide an element of mystery about the details of time and place of the future event.
     So, maybe it’s just my conspiratorial mind, but doesn’t this information make you stop and wonder why there has been such an excess of zombie apocalypse movies, TV shows, video games, and books – all generated to capture the fascinated attention of our kids?  And now we have high school and college courses to make it seem even more relevant!
     If this whole genre is being created under the apocalyptic theme to “disguise the message” and to keep the future time and place a mystery, should we be reading between the lines?  What are they really trying to tell us?  And even more importantly, how are our kids being conditioned for such a future?
     In the Bible, the purpose of such symbolism was not to cause confusion, but rather to instruct and encourage followers of God in difficult times.  But we all know that our students are not given that piece of the puzzle as part of their problem-solving equipment.  They are not taught that The Apocalypse will be the ultimate revealing of God, His wrath, His justice, and, ultimately, His love.  Instead, they appear to be part of a study collecting information on how humans will treat each other .
     Does it creep anyone else out, that the Instructor for a college class on Human Behavior during Disasters and Catastrophes would make the following statement:  “We know the science, we know how to [treat Ebola], but my biggest fear is managing the reactions, managing the people, and managing the consequences which will come out of that,” he said.
     Am I reading too much into it, or is “managing” the operative word in that statement?  The Bible tells us that there will be massive pestilence and death during the apocalyptic End Times.  And we certainly get that message in the proliferation of zombie “entertainment”.  But don’t we have to ask ourselves where is the message of encouragement and reliance on God in any of these “instructive” endeavors?  And does anyone else find the use of the Zombie theme at the Center for Disease Control just a little disturbing?  I mean, they are supposed to be the leading national public health institute of the United States.  And this is what they choose to represent them?  Seems to me, that the hidden message is that evil will abound and death will reign…. so the only question is, how soon before fiction becomes reality?  Maybe they know something we don’t.

Psalm 78:50   He leveled a path for His anger; He did not spare their soul from death, But gave over their life to the plague...

Penalties For No Health Insurance? Going Up!

     From the very beginning, Americans instinctively knew that the Affordable Care Act was not exactly what it claimed to be; especially the affordable part.  And now, just a few years into the law being upheld by the Supreme Court, we are starting to get the real picture.
     And just so you get a feel of where we're headed, here are some facts:  The federal penalty for having no health insurance was $95 for individuals (or capped at $285 for families) for the 2014 year.  This year, the non-compliance penalty will rise to the greater of $325 for individuals or 2% of their income (and the greater of $975 or 2 % of income for families); and in 2016 an individual's penalty is projected to reach $695, or 2.5 % of income, whichever is greater.  For families, by 2016, it will jump sharply to $2,085 per family, or 2.5% of income, whichever is greater.  By 2017, all penalties will rise in line with inflation.
     But let's not forget that the Supreme Court ruled in 2012 that ObamaCare is a tax, not a mandate.  So what you are seeing in these increased penalties is, in reality, increased taxes.  And it's not unreasonable to think that these increases are also designed to grow the enrollment numbers over at HealthCare.gov.  When the penalty becomes too prohibitive, people will be forced to seek health insurance, and we all see our private health insurance premiums skyrocketing, so what's a person to do?

     But it is not only private health insurance going up; the premiums of the plans offered by the government --- you know, those affordable plans --- are expected to go up, too.  And it seems as if there is no big rush to sign up.  (We all remember the horror stories of those first enrollees, right?).  Already, we are seeing that the math just doesn't add up.  There aren't enough paying customers of HealthCare.gov, coupled with penalty-paying taxpayers, to cover the millions of people getting free healthcare.  But we knew that would be the case, didn't we?
     In reading an article on the upcoming increases, I perused the comments to see how people were reacting to the news.  It was interesting to see the range of opinions.  One person suggested, "People should find a broker, or health insurance professional to work with. Someone who can navigate you through choices and options."  I can tell you that I have done that, and guess what?  Even the most experienced brokers are throwing their hands up in frustration.  They cannot advise consumers on which plans will be the most affordable, because private insurance companies cannot predict what their premiums will be next year, let alone if those premiums will remain fixed or even stable.
     Another disconnect I witnessed in the comments section was the gulf between Person A, who has health insurance through his employer, and who resents Person B, because he can't afford the high premiums on the government plan (let alone the ridiculous deductibles), and therefore elects to pay the penalty.
     First of all, Person A can afford to be smug, if his employer is paying his healthcare premiums.  He even had the audacity to question Person B, by asking, "And why don't you receive health care through your employer? Many of us responsible folks ensured we had jobs that provided benefits."  He may be singing a different tune, when his employer does the math and concludes he can no longer provide these expensive benefits.  Too many Americans have been spoiled in this manner for too long.
     They have forgotten what it is like to begin in the workforce, making $26,000 per year.  Person B  would have to pay about $375 a month for ObamaCare, with a $6,000 deductible. He would receive about $70 in subsidies to offset that, so now he would have to pay around $300 a month.  Add that monthly bill to a car payment, auto insurance, utilities, and mortgage --- oh yeah, he has to eat, too -- and you can see how this would be difficult to maintain. And with that deductible there is no way he could afford to be sick anyway.  I can see why he would decide to pay the fine. If you make $30K a year the fine at 2.5% is $750 which is still only 2 months worth of insurance payments.
     So, the bottom line in this whole conversation is that we are simply headed down another rabbit hole that is designed to destroy the American lifestyle.  Is it just one more entitlement that the Elite wants to force down the throats of ALL Americans?  And is it really designed to throw the whole system into turmoil, making the government the only option? Or is it a ramification of a spiritual problem?  Either way, it doesn't look as if there is a way out, or a way to turn the monster around.  The American people and her leaders just listened to one more lie from Satan and we are reaping the consequences.

2 Peter 2:19    "They promise them freedom, but they themselves are slaves of corruption. For whatever overcomes a person, to that he is enslaved."
 

Should We Be Building A Wall?

     I ask this question in light of some of the news I am seeing in the world.  For instance, the government of Hungary took extreme measures to protect the sovereignty of their country after experiencing up to 10,000 people stream across its borders daily since the summer influx of migrants escaping the mayhem of the Middle East.
     After constructing a razor-wire fence early Saturday, barely a month after it shut its frontier with Serbia, only 41 people crossed into Hungary this past Sunday.  So it would seem that erecting some kind of barrier has worked for this EU member state.
     Then there is also the news that Israeli police have begun erecting a wall in East Jerusalem to protect a Jewish neighborhood that has been subject to firebomb and stone attacks launched from an adjacent Palestinian village.  Of course, if you read my blog yesterday, it should not surprise you that critics of this move see it as a division of the capital of Israel.  But if it is effective in reducing the number of attacks on innocent civilians, is it justifiable?
     That is the same question that the citizens of this nation are asking.  We can no longer ignore the warnings of ISIS that they are coming to destroy us, and we all know that the number of illegal immigrants flooding across our borders is unsustainable.  But how do you stop the perils that threaten to harm the very existence of our country?  Isn't a fence or wall at least a feasible solution?  I mean, don't airports have fences around them to keep out those who seek to cause harm?  Most concerts I attended in my youth had fences to keep those out who tried to sneak in without paying.  And even the White House has a fence around it.... so why is it labeled such an intolerant idea to consider that we protect our nation from those who could actually, or potentially, destroy our way of life?
     And I'm sure it won't surprise you that I take a Biblical look at the notion of walls.  What does God think of walls?  We read lots of verses about physical walls in the Bible... the walls of Jericho; the walls of the Temple; and the walls that Nehemiah would construct to rebuild the city of Jerusalem... just to name a few.  But these walls also had great spiritual significance.
     Remember that Satan accused God of putting a hedge of protection around Job so that he (Satan) could not accuse him.  In Hebrew, that word "hedge" meant to shut in for protection or restraint; a fence.  It was a spiritual "hedge" or fence that surrounded Job.  Remember, also, that God placed cherubim with flaming swords at the entrance to the Garden of Eden to guard the way to the tree of life.  They were, in essence, a wall that could not be breached.  And, finally, we see in the last book of the Bible, Revelation, that there will be a massive and high wall surrounding the holy (sanctified) city of Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, and having God’s glory [filled with His radiant light].   In fact, there are seven very detailed verses in Chapter 21 that describe these very walls of the New Jerusalem.  Walls obviously mean something to God!

     So what should that tell us about our own considerations of a protective wall around this nation?  I can tell you one thing --- Satan hates walls because God has used walls to protect what is valuable to Him.  Shouldn't we be doing the same?
     I recently ran across a Bible study that covered this very topic, and it asked some very pointed questions that I think lend weight to our discussion.... Do we have a wall to keep the enemies of God's way out of our lives and homes? Have we set boundaries against the world, or have we torn down the wall? If we have a wall, are we leaving the gates open and unguarded? Are we willing to fight to defend our families and our church? Or do we just let the enemy stream in unchallenged?
     Notice that all these questions have both a physical and spiritual aspect.  We can apply these  queries to our human enemies and social problems, as well as to our spiritual foes.  Remembering that Satan hates for us to put up walls, and that God puts a wall around His people to keep Satan at bay, (as in the example of Job), I think it is essential that we have a thorough conversation on constructing our walls.
     The Bible says in Ecclesiastes 10:8:  "He who digs a pit [for others] may fall into it, and a serpent may bite him who breaks through a [stone] wall."  Now, that can be interpreted a couple of ways:  first the aggressor that breaks through the wall God has erected to protect His people can expect to be bitten by the serpent, which God will allow.  It can also mean that those who let their spiritual wall crumble will have opened up an entrance for Satan to strike.  Either way, the protection of the wall is gone.
     The final point I want to make is this:  God is our ultimate wall; our protection.  But that protection hinges on us maintaining a sanctified relationship with Him.  It is within His rights and character, as Creator, to tear down our walls because of our sins.  And He is under no obligation to honor or rebuild the wall He offered us, especially if we reject Him.  The surest way to restore the wall is through sincere and complete repentance, both as individuals and as a nation.
     So, while I am intrigued that Hungary and Israel have built new walls and fences to protect themselves from the enemy storming the gates, I have to wonder about the soundness of their spiritual walls.  And I must admit that I have little confidence that America will ever build a wall to protect itself --- either physically or spiritually.  And should Congress somehow appropriate the money to begin construction of such a wall, if God is not in the building of it, it will crumble at the smallest strike by the Enemy.  Until we get serious about restoring the foundations of the protective hedge God once applied to this nation, the physical wall we propose to build will collapse because of its inherent weakness and the lack of solid spiritual material.

Ezekiel 13:10-11:   "... because when one builds a [flimsy] wall, behold, these [lying] prophets plaster it over with whitewash; so tell those who plaster it with whitewash, that it will fall! A flooding rain [of judgment] will come, and you, O [great] hailstones, will fall; and a violent wind will tear the wall apart." 

Terror In Israel & Why I Care

   

     In the West, the recent attacks on Israeli citizens is treated as just another element of the ongoing violence between Palestinians and the occupying state of Israel.  And, if as a Romans 11 Believer, I am called a "Christian Zionist" when I decry the bloodshed of innocent Israelis, then so be it.  As I explained in a recent blog, my approach to the situation in Israel is from a Biblical (and "big picture") perspective.  The current state of Israel -- in all its nationalistic, political, and largely secular condition -- is not yet that Biblical nation of Israel with whom God established a covenant .... but one day it will be.  Until then, it is still God's beloved Zion, with whom He has established an eternal covenant to bless all the earth.  We're at the beginning stages; they are "back in the land" and moving towards their prophetic role and purpose of leading the world to God.

    In the meantime, the world is throwing everything it can at them; just as the Bible tells us it will be.  But I find the manner in which the media is treating the current violence rather ironic.  Last year's violence in the so-called "Gaza war", found the world's media condemning the deaths of innocent Palestinians (even they were being used as human shields by Hamas).  But, now when the victims of the latest rock-throwing, gun ambushes, and stabbings with knives and screw drivers happen to be Israelis, the media's attention is noticeably smaller.  

     Amid unfounded rumors that Israel is planning to destroy, or at least confiscate, the Temple Mount, there has risen a spate of hate-crazed, religiously motivated attacks.  In the Old City of Jerusalem a young man, his wife, and their two children (in baby strollers) were attacked with a knife.  The young father was killed, along with another innocent bystander.  And as the mother lay on the ground, she cried out for Palestinian shopkeepers to help her.  The shopkeepers spat on her, and the Palestinian youths responsible for the attack cursed at her; one of them slapped her and another laughed in her face and told her to “drop dead” when she told him she’d give him a million shekels if he helped her get away with her two babies.

     When reporting the brutal attack, did the BBC lament the unprovoked attack?  No.  Their headline read, Palestinian Shot Dead After Jerusalem Attack Kills Two.  In recent days, there have been 7 Israelis killed and dozens wounded in four different shooting, car ramming and stabbing attacks in Jerusalem and central Israel -- all attacks against innocent Israeli citizens.  The response to such unsolicited attacks have left at least 30 Palestinians (the attacks among them) dead.  Yet the world equates what they call "Israeli occupation" with South African apartheid and its associated pain, suffering, discrimination and no hope that things will ever change.  And our Secretary of State, John Kerry, announces to the world audience, "I am not going to point fingers from afar at who's responsible for violence."  Perhaps the world and the media can no longer avoid the true perpetrators after Friday's torching of Joseph's Tomb, one of the holiest shrines in the Holy Land.

     The Tomb is the funerary monument to Joseph, one of the Patriarchs of the nation of Israel.  It has been venerated for centuries by Jews, Samaritans, Christians and Muslims.  But such is the hatred for the Jews in their ancestral homeland, that attackers would choose to firebomb the holy site in retaliation for their very presence.  The tomb is located in a compound in the city of Nablus, and was transferred to Palestinian control in 1995.  It was ransacked and burnt by Palestinian rioters at the start of an uprising in October, 2000; and currently, Jewish pilgrims are only permitted to visit at night, once a month go pray, and under Israeli military protection.  

     And still the world lays the ongoing violence at the feet of the Jews.  It doesn't seem to matter that school text books used by Palestinian Muslim children give classroom instruction on "How To Stab A Jew".  Or that the Palestinian terror group HAMAS  is celebrating the Palestinian murders of two Israelis on a Jerusalem bus last week by distributing a sick re-enactment film.  In the eyes of the world, its governing bodies, and the biased media coverage, this is a one-sided conflict, and Israel and the Jews deserve no consideration.

     I have no reason to think that these attacks will subside in the near future.  In fact, there seems to have been a steady stream of attacks in the recent past.  So, as we watch the increasing tension in the Middle East, we see the Biblical End Times enemies of Israel aligning against her, and we know where this is headed.  No amount of effort by Western leaders in Washington and European capitals, as well as at the United Nations, will result in a permanent "peace process" that will divert the inevitable march of Israel's enemies towards the battle in the Valley of Megiddo.   

     But we can pray for God to strengthen His hedge of protection around the faithful Jews in Israel; around those who are faithful to their covenant with Him.  Those Messianic-believing Jews, those who have kept their part of the covenant, will experience perfect and blameless shielding from all their enemies.  The Bible tells us that the Lord will have a holy people in these Last Days.  That remnant is living in Israel today; yes, even in the midst of their worldly, lost and blinded countrymen.  And it is because of them that I care what is going on in Israel; that I take notice of increasing and almost daily violence.  And it is because I do not want any Israeli Jew to lose their life before having the opportunity to recognize their Messiah.  So I will continue to pray for Jerusalem and that God will never again cede her to her enemies.

Special consideration:  I would like to extend my deep and sincere sympathy to the family of Jack Kelley, a Christian writer and founder of the website ministry "Gracethrufaith.com".  Jack's writing always provided me with a clear picture of the full counsel of God's Word, and I often referenced it in my own writing.  Jack was unexpectedly diagnosed with cancer and received the ultimate healing in just a matter of days.  Please pray for his family and thank God for all the work Jack Kelley did for His kingdom while on earth.  It is only appropriate that I share how Jack answered a question regarding the loss of a loved one.  Please read how Jack glorified God in his response and, ultimately, in his life. 

Isaiah 61:3     The Spirit of the Lord is upon me ... To grant to those who mourn in Zion the following: To give them a turban instead of dust [on their heads, a sign of mourning]; The oil of joy instead of mourning; The garment [expressive] of praise instead of a disheartened spirit. So they will be called the trees of righteousness [strong and magnificent, distinguished for integrity, justice, and right standing with God], The planting of the Lord, that He may be glorified.

     

How Can The Church Help?

     All of us Christians with a Biblical worldview have no trouble seeing what is coming.  We feel it in our souls and especially in our spirits.  We are neither casual or cowardly Christians, and we discern the "signs of the times" with spiritual clarity.  As individuals, we feel the urgency in communicating with non-believers to get right with God and recognize their need for a Savior.  But we have also dived deeper into our Bibles and are actively communing with God as to what our mission is among our brethren in Christ.  Notice I said as individuals… but what is the Church, as the collective Body of Christ, doing to prepare for the chaos and collapse we know is inevitable?
     To be honest, I don't see much happening.  In fact, I would venture that a majority of people in the pews each Sunday are unaware of the coming destruction.  And if they are alert to the prophetic events on the horizon, they tend to be frightened and disorganized.
     Without too much understanding, it is not hard to figure out that an economic collapse is a very real possibility.  What happens when our state and federal agencies go bankrupt and people are left without the means for basic survival?  Here are a few suggestions for ways the Church could serve God's people during the crisis that we know is barreling down on us.  It is time the Church took a leadership role, and thanks to Charisma News, here are some really worthy suggestions:
1.  Professionals need to begin preparing networks.  We should be thinking and planning right now --- pastors and individuals with expertise in the areas it will take to survive should be setting up networks and training to become emergency crisis responders.  In every church, there are professionals we can network together who can be mobilized to serve a community in the case of a disaster (folks in the medical field, emergency responders, military personnel, psychologists, community leaders, elected officials and the police).  It will take all these people to keep our communities from descending into chaos.  A network already in place will save valuable time and lives.
2.  We need to be declaring storehouses for sustainable food and materials.  We know that it is very probable that our distribution infrastructure may be disrupted.  In that case, churches can store generators, emergency equipment such as first-aid kits, flashlights and food that can serve the needs of the most vulnerable within their congregations and communities… and do it beforehand.  There is no reason to wait until the crisis has already happened to be respond.
3.  Churches need to be prepared to assist in bartering ventures.  I think it is safe to say that paper money will be the first thing that goes if we have a global collapse.  Even gold and silver will not be available to everyone.  So the churches need to be thinking about what services they can help coordinate to offer ways for people to barter for what they need.  The Church could become sort of a central clearinghouse for people to offer and get services that will sustain them.
4. We need to prepare our local congregations to lead with a biblical worldview in every area of life.   And "lead" is the operative word here.  In times of social disruption and when society has lost its bearings, it provides believers the unique opportunity to fill the vacuum of leadership in all the major spheres of culture. We need to capitalize on this opportunity by providing leadership with problem-solving ability that is informed by what the Bible has to say regarding economic and political principles, so that newly formed policy measures will be blessed of God and not perpetuate the same humanistic systems.
5. We need to have unity and communication systems in place among churches in every region.  Doesn't it seem expedient for pastoral and church leadership to have key relationships in place throughout our cities that will enable us to have practical strategic responses and galvanize help where needed?  What are we waiting for?
6. We need to have long seasons of fasting and prayer for awakening and revival.  This goes without saying!  And it is past time to educate our fellow Christians on the reasons for fasting, and how to pray in the spirit for God's protection and blessings.  Once again, I ask … what are we waiting for?
7.  We need to network with key elected officials and community leaders.  That includes teachers to help lead alternate ways of educating our children.  But most importantly, when societal unrest and a deterioration of our most fundamental necessities is staring us in the face, we need to have a system of interconnected people who can exchange information and experience, resulting in a true support system.  That also includes those willing to train people to protect themselves, their families, and their churches.
     I don't have to tell you that we are teetering on the edge… will it be economics, politics, a world war, or terrorism that will strike the first blow?  Or will we just implode on ourselves from our decaying and immoral culture?  Whatever form the destruction comes in, it is incumbent upon us not only as decent and good people, but as Christians -- God's representatives upon this earth -- to alleviate as much suffering and strife as we can.  By doing so, we can make the difference in people's lives; both in the here and now and for eternity.  We don't have a moment to lose!

Hebrews 11:7    "By faith Noah, being warned by God concerning events as yet unseen, in reverent fear constructed an ark for the saving of his household. By this he condemned the world and became an heir of the righteousness that comes by faith."


   
   

Matthew 28:18

 Jesus came up and said to them, "All authority (all power of absolute rule) in heaven and on earth has been given to Me."

     This is the first verse of three verses (Matthew 28:18-20) in which Jesus spoke, giving us The Great Commission.  But we tend to put more emphasis on the last two verses, which are our specific instructions:  to make disciples of the nations, baptizing them, and teaching them to follow His commandments.  Rarely, do we give any further thought to this powerful opening statement.

     But I want to discuss its importance in "the big picture", if you will.  What I believe Scripture is trying to tell us in this passage is that this was a great day in Jesus's ministry!  This is prior to His ascension, during the time He appears to the disciples after His resurrection.  He is announcing that He has successfully completed His mission from the Father.

     We must remember that prior to His death and resurrection, He refrained from claiming His own Authority that He possessed as Deity.  He had agreed with God to work as a human, working only through the authority that the Father gave Him.  Can you see that Jesus was a man under authority?   We see that in the following Scriptures:  John 14:31:  I do exactly as the Father has commanded Me [and act in full agreement with Him]; John 4:34:   Jesus said to them, “My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me and to completely finish His work; and Jesus makes it clear that He has accomplished His task in John 17:4:  I have glorified You [down here] on the earth by completing the work that You gave Me to do.

     And as the featured Scripture shows us, the Father has now chosen to turn over all heavenly and earthly authority to His Son in repayment for Jesus's obedience.  It is also important for us to understand that this Authority from God is restoring the authority that was lost through Adam.  Remember that we (mankind) were made in the image of God and given dominion over all the earth. Our position at Creation was far above all created beings (including the angels and Satan!) -- we were essentially intended for second place in the universe!  But Satan being jealous of that authority and power to rule, convinced Adam and Eve to transfer that authority to him, which they did when they chose to obey him rather than God.  

     Now, God has given that Authority back to man -- by way of our union with Christ through the Holy Spirit!  In that process He has united us with Him for all eternity.  Have you ever given thought to the idea that in His ascension, Jesus never went back to simply being God?  He is still one of us and will be until the end of this world!  I think we have a hard time grasping that fact... Jesus truly was both God and man.  And I believe in my heart and soul that when we see Jesus after our own resurrection, we will see Him as the slain man, with His beard pulled out, holes in his hands and feet, and bloody scars on His back.  It is this "lamb who was slain" that the apostle John beheld during his presence in the Throne Room of God in Revelation 5:6.  And I cannot prove it, but my spirit thinks we will not see Him in His position of Deity until the new heaven and new earth are ushered in, and all things will return to God's intended and original state.

     But the point that I wish us to understand is this:  God trusted Jesus, the man, with His divine authority to accomplish His work on earth.  And guess what?  Jesus now trusts us!  When He left this earth, He gave us the Holy Spirit, predicting that those who choose to believe in Him and follow Him "will do what I do -- yes, and even greater things" (John 14:12).  

     The authority that God gave Jesus, is now available to us, through our union with Him in the Holy Spirit, and through the appropriate use of the power of Jesus's name.  When we carry out our mission, Satan's kingdom on earth and in the spiritual realm trembles!  They know that we have been given the means to reclaim our original place of authority (second place!) and they must obey!  If only we would recognize how much God and Jesus want us to seize the authority and power that rightly belong to us!  If only we would realize that this authority is recognized by God and by the enemy in the spiritual realm as being an inherent part of our created being!  We possess this authority from the moment we accept Christ as our Savior and we are joined to Him and the Father through the intimacy of the Holy Spirit.  It then becomes our choice ... will we follow the model of Jesus, the Son of Man, and be obedient as He was?  Will we use our authority as given to us by God to carry out His work and His purposes in our lives?  

     Just as Jesus obeyed His Father and received the Holy Spirit at His baptism, and launched into His earthly ministry of love, power, and authority, so are we to obey Jesus's command by being filled with the same Holy Spirit that empowered our Lord.  When we recognize that we share that same authority and power, we can begin our own ministry and actually do what He did, and even more.  He told us so, Himself:   I assure you and most solemnly say to you, anyone who believes in Me [as Savior] will also do the things that I do; and he will do even greater things than these [in extent and outreach], because I am going to the Father (John 14:12).

     We can use our authority as Jesus did -- to bring about whatever is in accord with the Father's will -- by following His example of spending time in prayer and intimate fellowship with God; aligning our wills with His.  We will then find that we will receive the appropriate authority and power to accomplish the task He has set before us.  

     It is my prayer that all Christians would come to understand this "big picture"; to truly use Jesus as our model; and to see who we are really designed by our Creator to become.  I fear that we spend too much time serving on Church councils, finance committees, and other religious diversions that keep us from doing the Father's will.  Is that really what He had in mind when He made us in His image and positioned us above the angels?  Don't you think we have a higher purpose?  When Jesus made His pronouncement of having received "all authority (all power to rule)", He was affirming that from His position as a man (remember He had not yet ascended).  He was announcing that He had reclaimed (for man) the authority that Adam had lost.  So now that we once again have access to that Authority and Power, how are we going to use it (if we use it all)?  

     As we enter these Last Days, how are we to best serve our Lord and His Kingdom if we don't use that which has been restored to us?  As for my husband and myself, we are being convicted to serve those who God puts in front of us; using our position as a co-heir of Christ, infused with authority and power from on high, and as befitting our rightful position in Creation.  That probably doesn't look like the average Christian, but that's OK.  God created us in His image, and there's nothing average or ordinary about Him!

     

Advice For The Daughter In All Of Us

It's not often that I run across an article that says something that I feel should be shared in its entirety.  But in this day, when raising children is beset with all kinds of misinformation through social media and our education system, it is refreshing to see a father give some sensible advice to his daughter.  There are a few things that I would like to add to his recommendations, and I will do that at the conclusion of his commentary.  But, to begin, I would like to introduce John LeFevre, a former Wall Street banker, who left the industry to become a writer for, among others, Business Insider and the Huffington Post.  If I am correct, I believe Mr. LeFevre writes from a secular perspective, yet this article, written for his daughter, offers some logical and well-grounded council.  

     When it comes to our kids, we seem totally lost. It’s not just that millennials tend to be these narcissistic, overly sensitive, entitled kids who are unable to cope with the realities of life, it’s that we’re the ones enabling this dreary, flaccid, cultural malaise.
     So far this year on college campuses, we’ve seen the banning of phrases like “land of opportunity” because they might be offensive; the removal of the American flag from “safe zones” because it endorses American superiority; and the canceling of screenings of “American Sniper” for fear of offending Muslim students. Teachers are even afraid to give low grades because of their students’ emotional fragility.
     What kind of adults are we raising them to be? Look no further than the advice the New York Times recently prescribed for being a modern man, which included such absurdities as owning a melon baller and a shoe horn, while sanctimoniously dismissing guns. And the advice that young woman are getting from a media enamored by social justice warriors is even worse – politically correct, unrealistic and even dangerous.
     Since I wrote a book about deviance and debauchery on Wall Street that included anecdotes about the celebrated misogyny and objectification of women in the workplace, I get snidely asked all the time, “What are you going to say to your daughter?”  So, now that I have a daughter, [and] here’s my advice for her:

1.     Stand up straight.
2.     Know how to change a tire, but whenever possible, let a man to do it for you.
3.     Your physical appearance matters. That’s the world we live in, and it’s also how we’re wired.
4.      Inner beauty — intelligence, personality, confidence and a sense of humor — becomes more important as you get older. Wit never sags.
5.     You are more beautiful than you will ever give yourself credit for.
6.     It’s my job to keep you safe. That’s why it’s also my job to teach you how to use a gun.
7.     Take good care of your skin.
8.     Don’t worry about dieting. Eat healthy, exercise, drink in moderation and everything will fall into place.
9.     Gender is not a social construct. Embrace the differences between men and women.
10.   Read more. It allows you to borrow someone else’s brain.
11.   It’s safe to assume that almost every guy you meet wants to sleep with you.
12.   If anyone says it’s OK to be fat, they’re lying to you.
13.   Let him pay for dinner most of the time.
14.   Just because you can fit into that tiny dress doesn’t mean you should wear it.
15.   Don’t sleep around.
16.   Play sports. You’ll probably run, throw and fight like a girl, but that’s magnificent.
17.   Money is important. It won’t make you happy, but it solves many of the problems that will make you unhappy.
18.   You will regret getting a tattoo.
19.   If you are blessed with the gift of being able to create and shape a life — embrace it. You’ll probably find it more rewarding than any career.
20.   You have all the power over boys. Let them cherish and revere you.
21.   Ignore the boos; they usually come from the cheap seats.
22.   Don’t try to party like one of the guys. You don’t metabolize alcohol at the same rate, and that’s how bad things can happen.
23.   Success is doing whatever it is that you love, and doing it well. But… (see No. 17.)
25.   Just because your brother might go on spring break with his friends doesn’t mean you can. (See Nos. 6, 9, 11, 22.)
24.   Finally, remember that rules are for the obedience of fools and the guidance of a smart, strong woman.

     I would only add a couple of suggestions of my own, and they concern the spiritual life of Mr. LeFevre's daughter.  I would advise her to look beyond what this world tells her defines her as a woman.  I would hope that she sees a comparison between her relationship with her earthly father and her Heavenly one... that she seek to please Her Father in Heaven and to respect and submit to His commands, as much as she does her daddy here on earth.
     I would also tell her that there is a purpose for her life greater than the treasures that youth, beauty, and fame can bring; that God wants to work through her life to project His grace and mercy through serving others --- it is not all about her.  
     And finally, I would recommend that she seek the counsel of older, wiser women who can share their testimonies of hope and faith in a God who has protected them, strengthened them, and grown them through the ups and downs of life.  We all have stories to tell, and our experiences in our salvation process are immeasurable.  Think about it... what advice would you give?

Psalm 31:28-29:    Her children rise up and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her:  “Many women have done excellently, but you surpass them all.”
     
   

Want To Know How Easy It's Been To Implement The "Beast System"?

   

     This may seem like old news, but I think that's only because we've become so comfortable with the progress of this agenda, that we don't see it for what it is.  Even if you're not a Christian, our culture is aware of the prophetic warnings in the Bible's Book of Revelation that a Mark of the Beast will be forced upon mankind at the end of this world.
     I would say that secularists and nonbelievers are well aware of the imagery of Good and Evil, and would suggest that the Book of Revelation has been applied throughout history as a political tract, so to speak, to resist tyranny (beginning with the tyranny of Rome as experienced by the Apostle John when he wrote the Book).   Articles on the PBS website suggest that when the end did not come in John's time, the central message of the Book has been applied down throughout the ages to all tyrants, without the end coming.  In fact, I have read various theses that suggest John was predicting events, basically down to the time of Constantine and nothing beyond, except for an expectation of the end of the world.  And again, those who give no Divine perspective to the Bible or the Book of Revelation will say that it's primary message is that the powers of this world, no matter how terrifying they may be, are passing away and that in the end righteousness and justice will prevail.
     But those of us whose spirits know God's Truth discern that the Book of Revelation, and the "Beast System" it forecasts, are very real and will certainly come to pass.  We inherently know that the technological age is moving us in that direction, and I'd like to show you just how easily we've been led down that path.  An excellent article on the website PatriotTruther.com spells it out rather concisely.
     The first step was Cash Alternatives.  How many of you are old relics, like me, who prefer to still pay their bills by paper checks?  How many Americans now use only credit cards or debit cards for their purchases?  Although various charge cards have been around since the 1920s, it wasn't until 1958 that Bank of America launched the first successful recognizably modern credit card.  And by the 1970s debit cards were in use, providing the cardholder electronic access to their bank account(s) at a financial institution.  The use of cash was declining.
     Step two was the Digital Payroll.  I don't know about you, but I remember being very uncomfortable with not being able to physically see my compensation for a week's work.  I instinctively did not like having that control being taken away from me, and intuitively sensed that we had lost a modicum of our freedom.
     That move has taken us to the current step, a Reduction in Cash Usage.  People just don't transact business in cash like they used to.  In fact, it is discouraged.  We store our credit card info online and buy directly from the seller with a just a few keystrokes.  And merchants want you to sign up for "paperless" payments, while devices like Square have made it possible for people to process payments on their smartphone, PC, or tablet.  And some banks are even offering their customers the ability to transfer cash to other customers at the same bank.  How many of you have experienced the displeasure of a store clerk when you want to write a check, or (Gasp!) actually pay in Cash, rather than use a credit or debit cards?  You would think the few extra minutes it takes them to process your payment-for-goods was the most painful experience they've ever had!

     This will all lead to the next-to-last step of Phasing Out Cash.  We're already starting to see that happen.  The current monetary system is in imminent collapse, and the powers-that-be are spreading all kinds of information about identity theft and fraud... all for the purpose of introducing the new nationwide shift to  EMV chip technology in our credit cards.  EMV stands for Europay, MasterCard and Visa, and it is a global standard for cards equipped with computer chips and the technology used to authenticate chip-card transactions.
     Are you starting to see where this is headed in relation to the Book of Revelation?  I know I don't need to tell those of you who are awake where this step is taking us.  Although the EMV card has been touted as a way to avoid theft and fraud, the truth is that cards are still being stolen and duplicated.  And we are told that they are a convenient way to compile all our information in one place; our I.D., medical records, and personal information will be under the protective umbrella of this new technology. Riiiiight! 
     So what is the next logical step?  Of course, we must Eliminate Fraud.  There will soon be a narrative released that theft, fraud, and duplication are not being reduced with the EMV chip in the card, so it only makes sense to implant the chip in us!  And you want to hear something interesting?  The April 27, 1998, edition of Time Magazine ran a story, The Big Bank Theory And What It Says About The Future OF Money, in which they opined "Your daughter can store the money any way she wants--on her laptop, on a debit card, even (in the not too distant future) on a chip implanted under her skin."  And I have read numerous articles that suggested that the most convenient place for the implant would be either the “right” hand, or the forehead.  Think that's a coincidence?
     Now, we know that we cannot change what is coming right?  But we certainly have the opportunity to make a difference in the lives of individuals.  We must talk to our kids and grandkids, and make them listen to us.  This "Beast System" might be inevitable, but it does not mean that we must succumb to it.  Please warn others within your sphere of influence that there will soon come a point at which they must make a very important decision; one that will effect their lives for eternity.  Currently, that choice seems to be a foregone conclusion, and definitely one of convenience.  But we always have a choice...  we don't have to be like sheep being led to the slaughter.

Revelation 14:11    "And the smoke of their torment goes up forever and ever, and they have no rest, day or night, these worshipers of the beast and its image, and whoever receives the mark of its name."