Then Comes the Fire
Then Comes the Fire
2008-04-01
Greetings my friends,
Before the people of California ran from the raging wildfires last October, my son-in-law's sister being one of them, their Governor and President were observed fleeing from the truth of our Lord Jesus Christ and his teachings. How? President Bush, a professing Christian, announced again to the entire world audience two of his long held beliefs. He believes that some of the land the God of Israel gave to the Jewish people should be handed over to their Islamic enemies who earnestly desire to finish what Hitler started in the 1930's, the fiery death of all Jews. Second is his firm conviction that all religions are on different roads leading to Heaven. These kinds of grievous errors cannot come from the heart and mouth of one who truly knows, loves, and is devoted to the Lord Jesus Christ and his teachings. Not to be outdone last October in the race to make everyone "feel" accepted, tolerated, and not offended, Governor Schwarzenegger signed a new law ultimately making it a crime to publicly expose or preach against the perverse sin of homosexuality. Then came the fires! Perhaps the Governor should ask whether he offended God? Will the next President stop the betrayal of Israel and call the nation to repentance for effectively "Sodomizing" an entire generation of young people?
Despising God
One of the most important questions you need to ask and have answered is...why did the President and Governor say and do such things? The answer is rather simple, yet extremely sad and very hard for any of us to believe. Both of these men hate and despise the God of Israel, the Lord Jesus Christ, and his teachings. They are not alone my friends, for we are all born with a sin nature that surrounds and saturates our hearts, a nature which hates and despises the God of Israel and his teachings. We are all the children of wrath and disobedience towards God, and walk according to the seducing spirit of fallen angels who created and rule over every political-religious institution in every nation on this planet.
Of course, there are different levels or degrees of intensity in everyone's heart when it comes to this hatred and despising of the teachings of Jesus. As Jesus taught, some hearts are harder than others, which explains why it was easier for some Jews in Israel to follow Jesus, while others wanted him dead and out of their way. Though we have no power in ourselves to wash away our sin nature, we can harden or soften our hearts by hearing and understanding the word of God sown in them. As we grow up and lose the ignorance and innocence of being a child, we are confronted in our hearts with our own sin nature that instinctively despises the true God and is always eager to love and be devoted to a false one among the religions of man, even one claiming to follow Jesus, but void of his foundational teachings. The bloody cross of Jesus Christ proves all this to be true, does it not?
If we open and soften our hearts we can see on the cross at least two things. First and foremost we see the incredible love of God towards all people trapped in their sins, including homosexuals and their supporters like the President and Governor, and his offer of mercy and forgiveness through the shed blood of his Son. We also see on the bloody cross man's intense rejection and hatred of God and his teachings. If you want to see how much Satan, who Paul refers to as the prince of the power of the air, hates the God of Israel then look at the cross. No matter how hard our hearts are because of sin, we were all guilty of killing the Lord Jesus Christ and walking in the same spirit of antichrist that is in Satan. Listen in your heart to the words of Jesus himself and as he spoke by the Holy Spirit through his servant Paul:
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Matthew 6:24...No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.
Romans 3:9-19...What then? Are we better than they? No, in no wise: for we have before proved both Jews and Gentiles, that they are all under sin; As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one: There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God. They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one. Their throat is an open sepulchre; with their tongues they have used deceit; the poison of asps is under their lips: Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness: Their feet are swift to shed blood: Destruction and misery are in their ways: And the way of peace have they not known: There is no fear of God before their eyes. Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God.
Galatians 1:6-10...Paul, an apostle, (not of men, neither by man, but by Jesus Christ, and God the Father, who raised him from the dead;) And all the brethren which are with me, unto the churches of Galatia: Grace be to you and peace from God the Father, and from our Lord Jesus Christ, Who gave himself for our sins, that he might deliver us from this present evil world, according to the will of God and our Father: To whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen. I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel: Which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ. But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed. As we said before, so say I now again, if any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed. For do I now persuade men, or God? or do I seek to please men? for if I yet pleased men, I should not be the servant of Christ.
Ephesians 2:1-7...And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins; Wherein in time past ye walked according to the "course of this world", according to the "prince" of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience: Among whom also we "all" had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by "nature" the children of wrath, even as others. But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) and hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus: That in the "ages to come" he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus.
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The Days of Noah and Lot
Is it just a coincidence that with each new proclamation of an Islamic Palestinian state on Israel's land, and each new law passed in California and Washington making the sin of homosexuality more acceptable, some kind of destruction seems to follow in its path? Some in Christendom are making a direct connection between the policies of the Governor and President with the California fires. Who did set the fires? Was it God? Has he ever done so in the past? Was it the evil doing of arsonists or terrorists? Were they directed by Satan and his fallen angels or God himself?
I wonder what the stunned people from the surrounding area said when they watched Sodom and Gomorrah go up in flames? Did you know that the citizens of Sodom and Gomorrah lived in affluence, were filled with the pride of this life, and like San Diego, Los Angeles, and especially San Francisco, welcomed the homosexual community to sit at the "gate" of the city, Genesis 13:10, 19:1-29? This meant the homosexual lifestyle was widely tolerated by the people, with homosexuals and/or their supporters holding seats of power in the cities. Is that what has taken place in America/Babylon/Sodom over the course of this last generation? Will America experience the fires from Heaven which destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah that we know for certain were started by God through his holy angels? Please read Revelation 18 if you want to know the answer. Is there a point of no return with the God of Israel, the Lord Jesus Christ, when it comes to the fiery judgments from his hand, which include the unleashing of major earthquakes and volcanoes, Revelation 16?
Jesus taught his followers about the complete destruction of the evil generation of Noah, and of the wicked cities which were the home of Lot, Luke 17:26-37. Paul expanded on the Lord's teaching about Noah and Lot as he warned the believers in Rome there came a time when God "gave them up" to their pride and vile affections, women lying with women and men lying with men, Romans 1:24-26. It was clear to the faithful Noah and Lot that God was going to send his wrath and judgment upon his rebellious creation.
Noah and Lot were grieved with their friends and some family members, including Lot's wife, who had closed their eyes, hardened their hearts, and refused to speak out and call sinners to repentance and faith in the one true God. They were ashamed of the truth, wanting to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season, while Noah and Lot were ashamed of sin and knew that judgment was coming when the fleshly pleasures of their friends would quickly turn to unbearable pain. Is that the condition of Christians in America today? Is our Lord Jesus Christ now separating or making a clear distinction between professing Christians who are ashamed of the teachings of Jesus, and those like Noah and Lot who are not ashamed of standing up for the Lord and his teachings, who also diligently seek the truth and remain in a spirit of Godly sorrow and repentance when confronted with the truth of their own sin? Yes! Listen to Jesus for yourself:
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Mark 8:34-38...And when he had called the people unto him with his disciples also, he said unto them, Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. For whosoever will save his life shall lose it; but whosoever shall lose his life for my sake and the gospel's, the same shall save it. For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul? Whosoever therefore shall be ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation; of him also shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he cometh in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.
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Evangelical Separation
There seems to be a widening chasm in the God-ordained spiritual separation taking place among Evangelicals in Christendom. I have written repeatedly from 1 John 2:16 about the three doctrinal pillars of pollution that have saturated most of Christendom in America, especially among Evangelicals. The first pillar is the pride of life that inflames a militant "patriotism" as demonstrated and taught by men like John Hagee. The second is lust of the eyes or the love of money found in the "prosperity" gospel of Kenneth Copeland and Benny Hinn. And the third pillar is the lust of the flesh that flows from the Christianized self-exalting "psychology" of James Dobson and Robert Schuller, who inspired the "emergent and mystical" nonsense now taught by Rick Warren and Bill Hybels. These three P's are manifestations of our inherent sin nature and have shipwrecked the faith of many in what Paul and Peter call the House of God, 2 Timothy 2:20, 1 Peter 4:17. But, as in Noah and Lot's day, there remains a faithful remnant in the visible House of God who love the truth more than the favor of politicians, or of false brethren who control Christian television and other Evangelical institutions.
Even though a dwindling few of those Evangelicals seduced by any one of the three P's are still opposed to the homosexual and abortion agenda in American political and religious circles, and rightly warn the nation that judgment is coming from Heaven upon those who practice these abominations, they are blind to their own spiritual condition. For they look in the mirror to compare their righteousness with that of the homosexuals, abortionists, and their supporters like Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama who also claim to be Christians, and like what they see. These Evangelicals have forgotten the wisdom of Jeremiah, and also Solomon who said that "a proud look" is one of the seven things the Lord hates, Proverbs 6:17, Jeremiah 50:31-32. So from their lofty and luxurious perches and pulpits they proudly look down upon and blame the homosexuals, abortionists, feminists, atheists, agnostics, secular humanists, evolutionists, radical liberals, secular and religious pacifists, and insane Islamic bombers for destroying their conservative Christian nation, while refusing to see the logs in their own eyes, the three polluted pillars on which America was founded.
These stubborn Evangelicals don't want to deal with the truth that all nation-state powers with their various forms of government walk according to the "course" of this "world order" that is held in the tight grip of Satan; and that all people are born and raised with the "pride of this life" which comes out of us naturally in our words and deeds, as John described it. This includes people from democracies, republics, theocracies, monarchies, communists, or any others that come into your mind. To deny this is to reject the overwhelming evidence found in the scriptures. If you cannot get past this hurdle the rest of this article will be hard for you understand, let alone tolerate. You may not make it past the next paragraph.
Jeremiah 50:31-32 declares America or Babylon to be the "most" proud and self-justified among the warring systems of government. The national anthem tells the story of it all..."what so proudly we hailed...through the perilous fight...and the rockets red glare, the bombs bursting in air." That sentence was not easy for me to write knowing that most of you are now beyond angry with me. But it is a true statement about the pride that easily and naturally flows from our hearts, especially during times of great peril, like 9/11.
For me, during the Vietnam War era, hearing the anthem and watching the flag wave in the breeze was like an adrenalin rush. I remember vividly the day I graduated from Officer Candidate School in 1967 when the anthem was played bringing tears to my eyes as we all stood at attention. Becoming an Army Lieutenant with a commission signed by the President of the United States was the proudest and most exhilarating day of my life. But the brutal reality and cost of war brings other memories which are horrible, that carry no spine-tingling rush of pride throughout my body. I remember the letter I wrote to the family of a young soldier under my command who took a sniper's fatal bullet to the head during the 1968 Tet offensive in Saigon. Within days another sniper took aim at my head, but he missed and the bullets just tore up the ground by my side. The young corporal from Alabama died, and I lived. My life would never be the same.
I plead with you to read again Paul's teaching in Ephesians 2:1-7 quoted above, in which he said that all unsaved men walk according to the disobedient and wrathful "course" of this world that is plotted by the proud "prince" of this world system who we know is Satan and his fallen angels. Now read the words in the Declaration of Independence below which completely ignores this fundamental biblical truth by invoking some God of nature who encourages men to focus on this life and this world's political systems or forms, even making war against those who would oppress them. As you read this document, compare the words with Paul's teaching to the Ephesians he received from the true God of Israel, the Lord Jesus Christ. Which document are you going to cherish and obey...the Declaration of Independence or the Holy Scriptures, inspired by the true God of Israel?
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Declaration of Independence (first part)
"When in the "Course" of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the "political" bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the "powers" of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.
We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.--That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed,--That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness........."
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Nero, Constantine, Augustine, and the Just War
Be honest with yourselves. Is the "life" referred to by America's Founding Fathers eternal life found only in the Lord Jesus, or the life of the flesh or natural man who is born in sin? Is the "liberty" or freedom they exalt as a right for all men referring to freedom from our sin nature or political freedom from an oppressive form of government? Did the founders compare their suffering and reaction to it with that of our Lord Jesus Christ and our brothers from the first century who lived in the Roman Empire? When Paul wrote to the Ephesians during the first century, Nero was the Emperor of the Roman Empire and a despiser of Christians. History records this deceived man to be one of the most oppressive and murderous tyrants of all ages.
We know how Jesus, and later Paul, taught believers to react to this oppression and persecution from this ungodly Emperor don't we? The New Testament is filled with such instruction. Compare that with how American Christians reacted to their power hungry, yet professing Christian brothers who were their civil authorities in England. And both sides were English and Christians! The sad and simple truth is that two men named George and their followers didn't want to know that the Christ they were both professing was not the Biblical Jesus. Both of them had forgotten or could care less about tyrants like Nero and how true followers of Jesus reacted to his abuse. Please read that again and think about it for a moment while you ask God in your prayer whether this next sentence is a true statement:
"George Washington and King George were seduced into following the same false Jesus and false gospel that "took over" the Roman Empire through Emperor Constantine and Augustine fourteen centuries earlier."
All church historians consider Augustine to be the "father" of the "just war" doctrine or tradition that Christian men were taught to embrace as though it was coming from God himself. How did this happen? Augustine and his friends were faced with a Roman Empire which had now made Christianity its official religion because of Constantine's outward and formal acceptance of Christianity. Christians were now offered and assuming political offices of power. What a profound change from the Emperor Nero, who in Paul's day set Rome ablaze and blamed the Christians who walked in the literal teachings of Jesus and the Apostles to be nonviolent and loving of their worst enemies, including Nero and his gang of thugs. This Christ-like behavior had been the practice of true Christians for over two hundred years, actually from the Feast of Pentecost, when one-hundred and twenty Jews were born again by the Holy Spirit in Jerusalem, Acts 2.
Not surprisingly, Augustine's Empire was now under threat from barbarians (much like Islam today), so how were Christians to respond now that they were so influential in the Empire? Would they fight, kill, and die for Rome now that Christianity was the chosen religion? Greek and Roman scholars before Christ, like Plato and Cicero, had written about "just" wars. Augustine was trapped between two Kingdoms, one from Heaven, and one of this world system which Daniel described as a brute beast, Daniel 7. Augustine decided to expand upon the writings of Cicero and Plato, mixing the world's teachings on making war a moral cause with his revision or "re-thinking" of the New Testament, thereby giving birth to a harlotrous religious woman riding and steering a powerful beast that would tread upon the whole Earth, according to Daniel 7:23. This is when the pride of this life, one of the core elements of our sin nature, became Christianized and known today as militant Christian Patriotism. History books are filled with examples of how this deadly heresy moved from fighting Christless barbarians to the different sects within Christendom turning their guns on one another. This evil course of the Roman Empire saw the greatest shedding of blood when deluded German Christians took up arms in two world wars against their Christian brothers in other nations.
Rather than realizing that Satan had changed his tactics from persecution and violence towards believers, to warmly welcoming them into his Roman Kingdom, Augustine, and leaders like him, were deceived into creating a false gospel which no longer looked for the bodily return of Jesus Christ to destroy the very beast of Daniel that Augustine was now married to and advising. This was all prophesied by Jesus through John in the Revelation, when he addressed the compromises the Churches at Pergamos and Thyatira were then already committing at the end of the first century, Revelation 2:12-29. Augustine took it upon himself to deny and then re-interpret the pre-millennial return of Jesus which had always meant among early Christians that the Roman Empire would be destroyed by the fire of the holy angels when Jesus descended from Heaven, bringing divine judgment upon the nations led by Rome. John calls this false Roman religious-political system, Babylon, comprised of a great religious harlot who, in the name of Christ, rides upon the politically powerful and militant beast that will take dominion over all nations, who Jesus Christ is coming to destroy at Armageddon, Revelation 16-19.
Isn't it now clear to you that Satan is the power behind the false Christ or Nature's God, who cleverly deceived both the King of England and the Founding Fathers by appealing to their carnal sin nature with its pride of life, love of money, and love of self and national preservation? Isn't it true that Satan has deceived every American President to follow in the religious and militant footsteps of Washington and Constantine, including Ronald Reagan and George Bush? What about the upcoming Presidential election? Will Bill Clinton serve his third term if Hillary is elected? Aren't Obama and McCain, to one degree or another, walking down this same path? It doesn't matter who is elected, for they all profess to follow the same false Christ that produced Washington and Constantine. We cannot undo what happened to America's founders, for it was as Paul said...the course of this world system directed by the fallen angels. But as Christians we should sidestep the alluring trap these fallen beings set for us by glorifying and Christianizing the War of Independence in 1776.
The Mind of Christ
Even today, after thirty years of following Jesus Christ and his teachings, everything in my old natural mind tells me that I am wrong about Satan, the prince of the fallen angels and his world system, the pride of patriotism, and especially America being the Babylon of Revelation 18. Like all of you I don't want to believe any of this. I have the same thoughts and feelings as all of you. And, like you, these thoughts seem like they are the right way, even from God himself, Proverbs 14:12, 16:25, Jeremiah 17:9. Here are some of them:
"America cannot be as guilty before God as the madmen who rule over the death cult of Islam, or the communists of Vietnam and Russia who killed and wounded some of my friends. They are antichrist, we are for Christ, and we have supported the nation of Israel. The American political system is the best mankind has ever produced and must at times be defended in just wars like God himself directed in the Old Testament. If it was alright for Israel to make war before their Messiah, Jesus Christ, came to this Earth, it just had to be more righteous for those who believe in him to militarily defend his honor and name among the nations who despise him. We are the last hope of all the Earth, and enjoy freedom and prosperity that has to be the blessing of God. We are God's redeemer nation, a city on a hill that all freedom-loving men can look to for support in times of need."
I love America, its people, and its leaders like John McCain, therefore my natural mind cannot accept these judgments of America being Babylon. It all seems so foreign and unnatural, and even whispering such things causes my family and friends to feel like I stabbed them in the heart. Admittedly, I still choke up and weep openly when remembering my life as a soldier, and when I listen to the story of McCain's captivity during the Vietnam war and how his faith in God and country was awakened by the suffering he experienced. Being a fellow Vietnam veteran who loves, honors, and respects all veterans, made it extremely difficult to admit and confess before God that I was ignorant and deceived into thinking Christian men can pick up arms to kill their nation's enemies.
But soon "after" becoming a born again follower of Jesus and his teachings in 1978, I was confronted with the truth I have written in this article. All of these great emotional thoughts about America I have just written were now contrary to what I heard Jesus speaking in my new heart by the Holy Spirit. The powerful rush of adrenalin and pride I experienced as a patriotic soldier could not be compared to the power and presence of the resurrected Jesus Christ who now lived in my heart. Those of you who have experienced his resurrection power know what I am saying and feeling. Instead of standing at attention filled with pride, I wanted to fall on my face in awe of the power and greatness of the living Savior and Lord.
I had to make a decision about the truth that confronted me, which also exposed the old pride of my carnal mind, but I just couldn't do it. For a time I rationalized and justified everything as many of you are now doing. I did not want to admit that God had given me revelation and the witness of the indwelling Holy Spirit. But the day came when it became clear in my heart that my love for Jesus and his love for me was greater than my natural mind's desire for acceptance from people whom I loved, but who vehemently disagreed with what I was seeing in the scriptures. I repented. As much as I wanted to, I couldn't blame the hireling Augustine-like preachers and Constantine-like politicians for causing my delayed repentance. My deception came because I did not trust the scriptures for myself which allowed me to continue following the traditions of religious men. For a while, as a born again Christian, I went with the flow, what Paul told the Ephesians was the "course" of the nations. How many of you can now say the same thing?
I know that as a follower of the Lord Jesus I have another mind, the mind of Christ, who keeps telling my heart and mind that what I have been writing here is the truth, even though I have enraged and disgusted most of you, Philippians 2:5-11. Once we know the truth and then truly trust the scriptures, silently going with the flow to remain united with friends and family members is no longer an option, for we have received the love of the truth by the indwelling Holy Spirit. Because I love them deeply and know how hard it is to admit we are deceived about America, I will stand by my dear friends and family discussing with them these teachings of Jesus until the day they say "goodbye" or they begin mocking the wholesome doctrines of Christ Jesus. I know how unsettling it is for some of my family, friends, and enemies to hear the truth about themselves and the nation we were taught to love and proclaim as the "greatest" nation on Earth. It is indeed a bitter pill for us to swallow, but unless we individually confess our pride, love of self and money before the God of Israel, our bodies will perish and our souls and spirits will enter Hell with the homosexuals, baby killers, and Islamic terrorists in the coming fires of the holy angels.
Please don't continue to accept what our Lord Jesus rejected when Satan offered to him all of the world's Kingdoms "and" their glory, Luke 4:1-8. This offer was repackaged and given to the Founding Fathers of America, of course all dressed up in religiously acceptable language like..."the new Canaan...a new Promised Land...a chosen people whose manifest destiny is to complete the Reformation and establish the Millennium, the Kingdom for God on the Earth". This attitude and teaching that America was created and called by God to break away from the "Old World" that was decaying in Europe was used to justify the Declaration of Independence and certain war against their equally deceived Christian brothers in England. Babylon the Great of Revelation 18 is the ultimate result of their delusional decision. This was all done in the name of Jesus by the post-millennial preachers and politicians of their day, but as Paul said, it was "another" Jesus, another spirit, and another gospel.
The truth is that the abortionists, homosexuals, their liberal supporters, militant patriots, "self" exalting psychologists, contemplative prayer warriors, and money lovers who call themselves Christians, all share the blame for the coming divine destruction of America. They know not the mind of Christ. This includes Ted Kennedy, Bill and Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama, John Edwards, Rudy Giuliani, Fred Thompson, Mit Romney, Mike Huckabee, John McCain, Ron Paul, Rick Warren, Bill Hybells, Joel Osteen, John Hagee, James Dobson, Robert Schuller, Pat Robertson, Kenneth Copeland, Benny Hinn, Joyce Meyer, Rush Limbaugh, Shawn Hannity, Ann Coulter, Michelle Malkin, Chris Mathews, and Bill O'Reilly. They all profess to be Christians but, like Augustine, have mixed the pure name of Jesus Christ with Christianized false doctrines rooted in the impure elements of man's sin nature.
I have before and will continue to beg and plead with these people and their followers, for whom Jesus loves and shed his blood, to awaken from their sleep and slumber before it is too late. Paul warned the first century Ephesians that the "prince of the air" and his fallen angels were working in the people of disobedience to carry out his "course" or plan among the nations (please read my article "From Democracy to Theocracy" posted on our web site). Paul also assured them that God, who is rich in mercy, would bring to an end this evil prince and his course, that in the ages or generations to come everyone would know and understand the love and grace of our heavenly Father.
Jesus and Israel
Trust me, the Lord Jesus Christ is going to clear and cleanse his name among the nations, including Israel. For even Jerusalem, the great city of King David, has become "Sodomized" by homosexual parades, with many of her leaders wanting to mimic the politics and morality of America, Revelation 11:8, Isaiah 1:7-18. Moreover, Israel's leaders reject the prophecies of Daniel 9:26-27, Luke 21:20-24, Revelation 11:1-7, that God has in these last days brought them back into their God-given land while in unbelief, in order to give them another opportunity to believe in the bloody cross, glorious resurrection, and return of their Messiah, the Lord Jesus Christ.
This opportunity has been going on now for nearly a generation, with Israel's leaders and most of the people trusting in America and its power, instead of their Messiah and his teachings. Will a rebellious Israel once more be defeated and scattered among the nation? Yes. I weep often for Israel, especially the soldiers, knowing what is about to fall upon them once again. World War III is coming to Jerusalem. Israel will first suffer military defeat by the double-crossing Russians, then occupied by the American military after God's angels incinerate the Russian and Islamic armies as they celebrate their military victory over Israel, giving thanks to their false God, Allah. Then begins the preparation for the War of the Worlds, the Kingdom's of men led by America's last President against the King of kings who is coming again to set up on Earth the Kingdom of Heaven, Revelation 19.
The people of Israel and the nations have chosen to be "under" the Law or a Gentile version thereof, rather than to become "in" Christ Jesus and under the power of his grace, the indwelling Holy Spirit. This decision comes naturally to men who reject their own need for salvation from the sin nature. To be "under" the law of any kind is to think we have the power within ourselves to overcome evil. This is another manifestation of the pride of this life which John wrote about and is closely connected to the "overcoming" pride found in militant patriotism. All of this can only end in divine judgment for rejecting the offer of God's grace and power at the bloody cross of Calvary. This is why men look to like-minded men whom they love, trust, and adore, to lead them in this life.
Because of this self-righteous sin nature in all men there is coming from the God of Israel a time, seven years to be exact, when he will no longer restrain the rise of their beloved leader, the Antichrist, Daniel 9:27, Revelation 13. And because of wars and fears of nuclear war stirred up by fallen angels, the peacemaking Antichrist will coerce and compel all men and women to follow him, the Russian President, and the Pope as together they seek to save the planet from a nuclear nightmare now developing in Pakistan, Iran, Syria, North Korea, even Venezuela. This fear trumps all other matters and will unite the homosexuals and baby killers with everyone else, and for a time the world's people will revel in the Peace Covenant established in the Holy Land that many will say has at least postponed a nuclear World War III. Others who are looking for the New Age of Aquarius or the Kingdom of Heaven established by men will begin the worship of these world leaders who signed this historic and prophetic document which calls for the rebuilding of the Jewish Temple in Jerusalem. But as I said above, the sin nature in man, manipulated and stirred by fallen angels, will have its way when the Islamic armies, led by a two-timing Russian President, break the Covenant and invade Israel like a storm covering the land of the Jews, Isaiah 28:14-18, Ezekiel 38:16 (Please read "The Judgment Chronicles" posted on our web site for details).
As I previously stated, there is a separation taking place in Christendom. Don't confuse this with the political separation between liberal Christians like Obama, Kennedy, and Clinton, and Evangelical conservative Christians like Huckabee and Hagee. Both of these groups have closed their eyes to the wholesome teachings of our Lord Jesus Christ and seem to be racing toward greater doctrinal delusion which will bring about their perilous end, beginning with the Peace Covenant signed by the last President. When it is done, this prophetic delusion will ultimately unite liberals, conservatives, and all the nations against a common foe they think is coming from another world or planet, Revelation 16:13-16, 17:14, 19:19.
To be clear, the separation I am talking about is a faithful remnant among all Fundamentalists and Evangelicals who hear the teachings of Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount and his closing "prophecy" sermon on the Mount of Olives, who desire to be doers of his literal teachings through the indwelling power of the Holy Spirit, rather than "rethink or redefine" the teachings and prophecies of Jesus, Matthew 5-7, 24. These doers are the ones being spiritually separated from Evangelical conservatives who profess to be Christians but dishonor his name and his words. The differences between the vessels of dishonor and the vessels of honor, as Paul taught Timothy, are becoming more clear, 2 Timothy 2:19-21. And as Jesus said of the last generation that leads to the beginning of Daniel's 70th Week of seven years, only a few have found the narrow way in his bloody cross, while the broad road of false Christendom is jammed with liberal and conservative traffic headed on a collision course with the righteous God of Israel.
The Only Solution
As we look into our mirrors and remove our own sins that easily beset us through repentance and faith, and humble ourselves before a holy and mighty God who has "given the nations up" to their vile affections, let us in love and mercy call all we can to exit the road that leads to an eternal Hell. The fiery inferno in California is but a sign of what is to come upon this nation (please read my article "Babylon's Final Fall). And know this, when the God of Israel, the Lord Jesus Christ, begins his judgment he does not need the assistance of arsonists or terrorists, for his holy angels are fully capable of burning to the ground the idols we have made unto ourselves.
Remember, the combined power of the precious blood and second coming of Jesus Christ is the "only" permanent solution to the death and destruction that men inflict upon one another to the hideous delight of Satan and his fallen angels, who are the masters of human manipulation. The God who created and loves you wants you to experience sorrow of a Godly kind that works repentance unto the salvation of your heart, mind, and body, 2 Corinthians 7:10. He will replace your genuine sorrow with his joy through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit in your new heart! Then you will desire to obey the God of Israel because you love him, knowing that he first loved you and sent his Son to save you from your sin nature and the bondage of the fallen angel masters.
All of us are faced with one simple choice...we can be ashamed of our sin and receive eternal life and power in the Holy Spirit, or we can be ashamed of the Son of God and his teachings and have him say to us at his second coming..."depart from me, you worker of iniquity", and then have your body executed by the fire of the holy angels, and your soul and spirit sentenced and sent to Hell for one-thousand years. The consuming fire from God and his angels is coming my friends. What is your decision? What about your friends and family? Will you witness the truth to them? As you are considering your decision please read these words from the Lord Jesus Christ, the God of Israel:
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Hebrews 1:7...And of the angels he saith, Who maketh his angels spirits, and his ministers a flame of fire.
2 Thessalonians 1:3-12...We are bound to thank God always for you, brethren, as it is fitting, because that your faith groweth exceedingly, and the charity of every one of you all toward each other aboundeth; So that we ourselves glory in you in the churches of God for your patience and faith in all your persecutions and tribulations that ye endure: Which is a manifest token of the righteous judgment of God, that ye may be counted worthy of the kingdom of God, for which ye also suffer: Seeing it is a righteous thing with God to recompense tribulation to them that trouble you; And to you who are troubled rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels, in "flaming fire" taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ: Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power; When he shall come to be glorified in his saints, and to be admired in all them that believe (because our testimony among you was believed) in that day. Wherefore also we pray always for you, that our God would count you worthy of this calling, and fulfill all the good pleasure of his goodness, and the work of faith with power: That the name of our Lord Jesus Christ may be glorified in you, and ye in him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Sincerely,
Jack D. Hook
2008-04-01
Greetings my friends,
Before the people of California ran from the raging wildfires last October, my son-in-law's sister being one of them, their Governor and President were observed fleeing from the truth of our Lord Jesus Christ and his teachings. How? President Bush, a professing Christian, announced again to the entire world audience two of his long held beliefs. He believes that some of the land the God of Israel gave to the Jewish people should be handed over to their Islamic enemies who earnestly desire to finish what Hitler started in the 1930's, the fiery death of all Jews. Second is his firm conviction that all religions are on different roads leading to Heaven. These kinds of grievous errors cannot come from the heart and mouth of one who truly knows, loves, and is devoted to the Lord Jesus Christ and his teachings. Not to be outdone last October in the race to make everyone "feel" accepted, tolerated, and not offended, Governor Schwarzenegger signed a new law ultimately making it a crime to publicly expose or preach against the perverse sin of homosexuality. Then came the fires! Perhaps the Governor should ask whether he offended God? Will the next President stop the betrayal of Israel and call the nation to repentance for effectively "Sodomizing" an entire generation of young people?
Despising God
One of the most important questions you need to ask and have answered is...why did the President and Governor say and do such things? The answer is rather simple, yet extremely sad and very hard for any of us to believe. Both of these men hate and despise the God of Israel, the Lord Jesus Christ, and his teachings. They are not alone my friends, for we are all born with a sin nature that surrounds and saturates our hearts, a nature which hates and despises the God of Israel and his teachings. We are all the children of wrath and disobedience towards God, and walk according to the seducing spirit of fallen angels who created and rule over every political-religious institution in every nation on this planet.
Of course, there are different levels or degrees of intensity in everyone's heart when it comes to this hatred and despising of the teachings of Jesus. As Jesus taught, some hearts are harder than others, which explains why it was easier for some Jews in Israel to follow Jesus, while others wanted him dead and out of their way. Though we have no power in ourselves to wash away our sin nature, we can harden or soften our hearts by hearing and understanding the word of God sown in them. As we grow up and lose the ignorance and innocence of being a child, we are confronted in our hearts with our own sin nature that instinctively despises the true God and is always eager to love and be devoted to a false one among the religions of man, even one claiming to follow Jesus, but void of his foundational teachings. The bloody cross of Jesus Christ proves all this to be true, does it not?
If we open and soften our hearts we can see on the cross at least two things. First and foremost we see the incredible love of God towards all people trapped in their sins, including homosexuals and their supporters like the President and Governor, and his offer of mercy and forgiveness through the shed blood of his Son. We also see on the bloody cross man's intense rejection and hatred of God and his teachings. If you want to see how much Satan, who Paul refers to as the prince of the power of the air, hates the God of Israel then look at the cross. No matter how hard our hearts are because of sin, we were all guilty of killing the Lord Jesus Christ and walking in the same spirit of antichrist that is in Satan. Listen in your heart to the words of Jesus himself and as he spoke by the Holy Spirit through his servant Paul:
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Matthew 6:24...No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.
Romans 3:9-19...What then? Are we better than they? No, in no wise: for we have before proved both Jews and Gentiles, that they are all under sin; As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one: There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God. They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one. Their throat is an open sepulchre; with their tongues they have used deceit; the poison of asps is under their lips: Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness: Their feet are swift to shed blood: Destruction and misery are in their ways: And the way of peace have they not known: There is no fear of God before their eyes. Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God.
Galatians 1:6-10...Paul, an apostle, (not of men, neither by man, but by Jesus Christ, and God the Father, who raised him from the dead;) And all the brethren which are with me, unto the churches of Galatia: Grace be to you and peace from God the Father, and from our Lord Jesus Christ, Who gave himself for our sins, that he might deliver us from this present evil world, according to the will of God and our Father: To whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen. I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel: Which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ. But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed. As we said before, so say I now again, if any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed. For do I now persuade men, or God? or do I seek to please men? for if I yet pleased men, I should not be the servant of Christ.
Ephesians 2:1-7...And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins; Wherein in time past ye walked according to the "course of this world", according to the "prince" of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience: Among whom also we "all" had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by "nature" the children of wrath, even as others. But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) and hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus: That in the "ages to come" he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus.
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The Days of Noah and Lot
Is it just a coincidence that with each new proclamation of an Islamic Palestinian state on Israel's land, and each new law passed in California and Washington making the sin of homosexuality more acceptable, some kind of destruction seems to follow in its path? Some in Christendom are making a direct connection between the policies of the Governor and President with the California fires. Who did set the fires? Was it God? Has he ever done so in the past? Was it the evil doing of arsonists or terrorists? Were they directed by Satan and his fallen angels or God himself?
I wonder what the stunned people from the surrounding area said when they watched Sodom and Gomorrah go up in flames? Did you know that the citizens of Sodom and Gomorrah lived in affluence, were filled with the pride of this life, and like San Diego, Los Angeles, and especially San Francisco, welcomed the homosexual community to sit at the "gate" of the city, Genesis 13:10, 19:1-29? This meant the homosexual lifestyle was widely tolerated by the people, with homosexuals and/or their supporters holding seats of power in the cities. Is that what has taken place in America/Babylon/Sodom over the course of this last generation? Will America experience the fires from Heaven which destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah that we know for certain were started by God through his holy angels? Please read Revelation 18 if you want to know the answer. Is there a point of no return with the God of Israel, the Lord Jesus Christ, when it comes to the fiery judgments from his hand, which include the unleashing of major earthquakes and volcanoes, Revelation 16?
Jesus taught his followers about the complete destruction of the evil generation of Noah, and of the wicked cities which were the home of Lot, Luke 17:26-37. Paul expanded on the Lord's teaching about Noah and Lot as he warned the believers in Rome there came a time when God "gave them up" to their pride and vile affections, women lying with women and men lying with men, Romans 1:24-26. It was clear to the faithful Noah and Lot that God was going to send his wrath and judgment upon his rebellious creation.
Noah and Lot were grieved with their friends and some family members, including Lot's wife, who had closed their eyes, hardened their hearts, and refused to speak out and call sinners to repentance and faith in the one true God. They were ashamed of the truth, wanting to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season, while Noah and Lot were ashamed of sin and knew that judgment was coming when the fleshly pleasures of their friends would quickly turn to unbearable pain. Is that the condition of Christians in America today? Is our Lord Jesus Christ now separating or making a clear distinction between professing Christians who are ashamed of the teachings of Jesus, and those like Noah and Lot who are not ashamed of standing up for the Lord and his teachings, who also diligently seek the truth and remain in a spirit of Godly sorrow and repentance when confronted with the truth of their own sin? Yes! Listen to Jesus for yourself:
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Mark 8:34-38...And when he had called the people unto him with his disciples also, he said unto them, Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. For whosoever will save his life shall lose it; but whosoever shall lose his life for my sake and the gospel's, the same shall save it. For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul? Whosoever therefore shall be ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation; of him also shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he cometh in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.
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Evangelical Separation
There seems to be a widening chasm in the God-ordained spiritual separation taking place among Evangelicals in Christendom. I have written repeatedly from 1 John 2:16 about the three doctrinal pillars of pollution that have saturated most of Christendom in America, especially among Evangelicals. The first pillar is the pride of life that inflames a militant "patriotism" as demonstrated and taught by men like John Hagee. The second is lust of the eyes or the love of money found in the "prosperity" gospel of Kenneth Copeland and Benny Hinn. And the third pillar is the lust of the flesh that flows from the Christianized self-exalting "psychology" of James Dobson and Robert Schuller, who inspired the "emergent and mystical" nonsense now taught by Rick Warren and Bill Hybels. These three P's are manifestations of our inherent sin nature and have shipwrecked the faith of many in what Paul and Peter call the House of God, 2 Timothy 2:20, 1 Peter 4:17. But, as in Noah and Lot's day, there remains a faithful remnant in the visible House of God who love the truth more than the favor of politicians, or of false brethren who control Christian television and other Evangelical institutions.
Even though a dwindling few of those Evangelicals seduced by any one of the three P's are still opposed to the homosexual and abortion agenda in American political and religious circles, and rightly warn the nation that judgment is coming from Heaven upon those who practice these abominations, they are blind to their own spiritual condition. For they look in the mirror to compare their righteousness with that of the homosexuals, abortionists, and their supporters like Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama who also claim to be Christians, and like what they see. These Evangelicals have forgotten the wisdom of Jeremiah, and also Solomon who said that "a proud look" is one of the seven things the Lord hates, Proverbs 6:17, Jeremiah 50:31-32. So from their lofty and luxurious perches and pulpits they proudly look down upon and blame the homosexuals, abortionists, feminists, atheists, agnostics, secular humanists, evolutionists, radical liberals, secular and religious pacifists, and insane Islamic bombers for destroying their conservative Christian nation, while refusing to see the logs in their own eyes, the three polluted pillars on which America was founded.
These stubborn Evangelicals don't want to deal with the truth that all nation-state powers with their various forms of government walk according to the "course" of this "world order" that is held in the tight grip of Satan; and that all people are born and raised with the "pride of this life" which comes out of us naturally in our words and deeds, as John described it. This includes people from democracies, republics, theocracies, monarchies, communists, or any others that come into your mind. To deny this is to reject the overwhelming evidence found in the scriptures. If you cannot get past this hurdle the rest of this article will be hard for you understand, let alone tolerate. You may not make it past the next paragraph.
Jeremiah 50:31-32 declares America or Babylon to be the "most" proud and self-justified among the warring systems of government. The national anthem tells the story of it all..."what so proudly we hailed...through the perilous fight...and the rockets red glare, the bombs bursting in air." That sentence was not easy for me to write knowing that most of you are now beyond angry with me. But it is a true statement about the pride that easily and naturally flows from our hearts, especially during times of great peril, like 9/11.
For me, during the Vietnam War era, hearing the anthem and watching the flag wave in the breeze was like an adrenalin rush. I remember vividly the day I graduated from Officer Candidate School in 1967 when the anthem was played bringing tears to my eyes as we all stood at attention. Becoming an Army Lieutenant with a commission signed by the President of the United States was the proudest and most exhilarating day of my life. But the brutal reality and cost of war brings other memories which are horrible, that carry no spine-tingling rush of pride throughout my body. I remember the letter I wrote to the family of a young soldier under my command who took a sniper's fatal bullet to the head during the 1968 Tet offensive in Saigon. Within days another sniper took aim at my head, but he missed and the bullets just tore up the ground by my side. The young corporal from Alabama died, and I lived. My life would never be the same.
I plead with you to read again Paul's teaching in Ephesians 2:1-7 quoted above, in which he said that all unsaved men walk according to the disobedient and wrathful "course" of this world that is plotted by the proud "prince" of this world system who we know is Satan and his fallen angels. Now read the words in the Declaration of Independence below which completely ignores this fundamental biblical truth by invoking some God of nature who encourages men to focus on this life and this world's political systems or forms, even making war against those who would oppress them. As you read this document, compare the words with Paul's teaching to the Ephesians he received from the true God of Israel, the Lord Jesus Christ. Which document are you going to cherish and obey...the Declaration of Independence or the Holy Scriptures, inspired by the true God of Israel?
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Declaration of Independence (first part)
"When in the "Course" of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the "political" bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the "powers" of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.
We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.--That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed,--That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness........."
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Nero, Constantine, Augustine, and the Just War
Be honest with yourselves. Is the "life" referred to by America's Founding Fathers eternal life found only in the Lord Jesus, or the life of the flesh or natural man who is born in sin? Is the "liberty" or freedom they exalt as a right for all men referring to freedom from our sin nature or political freedom from an oppressive form of government? Did the founders compare their suffering and reaction to it with that of our Lord Jesus Christ and our brothers from the first century who lived in the Roman Empire? When Paul wrote to the Ephesians during the first century, Nero was the Emperor of the Roman Empire and a despiser of Christians. History records this deceived man to be one of the most oppressive and murderous tyrants of all ages.
We know how Jesus, and later Paul, taught believers to react to this oppression and persecution from this ungodly Emperor don't we? The New Testament is filled with such instruction. Compare that with how American Christians reacted to their power hungry, yet professing Christian brothers who were their civil authorities in England. And both sides were English and Christians! The sad and simple truth is that two men named George and their followers didn't want to know that the Christ they were both professing was not the Biblical Jesus. Both of them had forgotten or could care less about tyrants like Nero and how true followers of Jesus reacted to his abuse. Please read that again and think about it for a moment while you ask God in your prayer whether this next sentence is a true statement:
"George Washington and King George were seduced into following the same false Jesus and false gospel that "took over" the Roman Empire through Emperor Constantine and Augustine fourteen centuries earlier."
All church historians consider Augustine to be the "father" of the "just war" doctrine or tradition that Christian men were taught to embrace as though it was coming from God himself. How did this happen? Augustine and his friends were faced with a Roman Empire which had now made Christianity its official religion because of Constantine's outward and formal acceptance of Christianity. Christians were now offered and assuming political offices of power. What a profound change from the Emperor Nero, who in Paul's day set Rome ablaze and blamed the Christians who walked in the literal teachings of Jesus and the Apostles to be nonviolent and loving of their worst enemies, including Nero and his gang of thugs. This Christ-like behavior had been the practice of true Christians for over two hundred years, actually from the Feast of Pentecost, when one-hundred and twenty Jews were born again by the Holy Spirit in Jerusalem, Acts 2.
Not surprisingly, Augustine's Empire was now under threat from barbarians (much like Islam today), so how were Christians to respond now that they were so influential in the Empire? Would they fight, kill, and die for Rome now that Christianity was the chosen religion? Greek and Roman scholars before Christ, like Plato and Cicero, had written about "just" wars. Augustine was trapped between two Kingdoms, one from Heaven, and one of this world system which Daniel described as a brute beast, Daniel 7. Augustine decided to expand upon the writings of Cicero and Plato, mixing the world's teachings on making war a moral cause with his revision or "re-thinking" of the New Testament, thereby giving birth to a harlotrous religious woman riding and steering a powerful beast that would tread upon the whole Earth, according to Daniel 7:23. This is when the pride of this life, one of the core elements of our sin nature, became Christianized and known today as militant Christian Patriotism. History books are filled with examples of how this deadly heresy moved from fighting Christless barbarians to the different sects within Christendom turning their guns on one another. This evil course of the Roman Empire saw the greatest shedding of blood when deluded German Christians took up arms in two world wars against their Christian brothers in other nations.
Rather than realizing that Satan had changed his tactics from persecution and violence towards believers, to warmly welcoming them into his Roman Kingdom, Augustine, and leaders like him, were deceived into creating a false gospel which no longer looked for the bodily return of Jesus Christ to destroy the very beast of Daniel that Augustine was now married to and advising. This was all prophesied by Jesus through John in the Revelation, when he addressed the compromises the Churches at Pergamos and Thyatira were then already committing at the end of the first century, Revelation 2:12-29. Augustine took it upon himself to deny and then re-interpret the pre-millennial return of Jesus which had always meant among early Christians that the Roman Empire would be destroyed by the fire of the holy angels when Jesus descended from Heaven, bringing divine judgment upon the nations led by Rome. John calls this false Roman religious-political system, Babylon, comprised of a great religious harlot who, in the name of Christ, rides upon the politically powerful and militant beast that will take dominion over all nations, who Jesus Christ is coming to destroy at Armageddon, Revelation 16-19.
Isn't it now clear to you that Satan is the power behind the false Christ or Nature's God, who cleverly deceived both the King of England and the Founding Fathers by appealing to their carnal sin nature with its pride of life, love of money, and love of self and national preservation? Isn't it true that Satan has deceived every American President to follow in the religious and militant footsteps of Washington and Constantine, including Ronald Reagan and George Bush? What about the upcoming Presidential election? Will Bill Clinton serve his third term if Hillary is elected? Aren't Obama and McCain, to one degree or another, walking down this same path? It doesn't matter who is elected, for they all profess to follow the same false Christ that produced Washington and Constantine. We cannot undo what happened to America's founders, for it was as Paul said...the course of this world system directed by the fallen angels. But as Christians we should sidestep the alluring trap these fallen beings set for us by glorifying and Christianizing the War of Independence in 1776.
The Mind of Christ
Even today, after thirty years of following Jesus Christ and his teachings, everything in my old natural mind tells me that I am wrong about Satan, the prince of the fallen angels and his world system, the pride of patriotism, and especially America being the Babylon of Revelation 18. Like all of you I don't want to believe any of this. I have the same thoughts and feelings as all of you. And, like you, these thoughts seem like they are the right way, even from God himself, Proverbs 14:12, 16:25, Jeremiah 17:9. Here are some of them:
"America cannot be as guilty before God as the madmen who rule over the death cult of Islam, or the communists of Vietnam and Russia who killed and wounded some of my friends. They are antichrist, we are for Christ, and we have supported the nation of Israel. The American political system is the best mankind has ever produced and must at times be defended in just wars like God himself directed in the Old Testament. If it was alright for Israel to make war before their Messiah, Jesus Christ, came to this Earth, it just had to be more righteous for those who believe in him to militarily defend his honor and name among the nations who despise him. We are the last hope of all the Earth, and enjoy freedom and prosperity that has to be the blessing of God. We are God's redeemer nation, a city on a hill that all freedom-loving men can look to for support in times of need."
I love America, its people, and its leaders like John McCain, therefore my natural mind cannot accept these judgments of America being Babylon. It all seems so foreign and unnatural, and even whispering such things causes my family and friends to feel like I stabbed them in the heart. Admittedly, I still choke up and weep openly when remembering my life as a soldier, and when I listen to the story of McCain's captivity during the Vietnam war and how his faith in God and country was awakened by the suffering he experienced. Being a fellow Vietnam veteran who loves, honors, and respects all veterans, made it extremely difficult to admit and confess before God that I was ignorant and deceived into thinking Christian men can pick up arms to kill their nation's enemies.
But soon "after" becoming a born again follower of Jesus and his teachings in 1978, I was confronted with the truth I have written in this article. All of these great emotional thoughts about America I have just written were now contrary to what I heard Jesus speaking in my new heart by the Holy Spirit. The powerful rush of adrenalin and pride I experienced as a patriotic soldier could not be compared to the power and presence of the resurrected Jesus Christ who now lived in my heart. Those of you who have experienced his resurrection power know what I am saying and feeling. Instead of standing at attention filled with pride, I wanted to fall on my face in awe of the power and greatness of the living Savior and Lord.
I had to make a decision about the truth that confronted me, which also exposed the old pride of my carnal mind, but I just couldn't do it. For a time I rationalized and justified everything as many of you are now doing. I did not want to admit that God had given me revelation and the witness of the indwelling Holy Spirit. But the day came when it became clear in my heart that my love for Jesus and his love for me was greater than my natural mind's desire for acceptance from people whom I loved, but who vehemently disagreed with what I was seeing in the scriptures. I repented. As much as I wanted to, I couldn't blame the hireling Augustine-like preachers and Constantine-like politicians for causing my delayed repentance. My deception came because I did not trust the scriptures for myself which allowed me to continue following the traditions of religious men. For a while, as a born again Christian, I went with the flow, what Paul told the Ephesians was the "course" of the nations. How many of you can now say the same thing?
I know that as a follower of the Lord Jesus I have another mind, the mind of Christ, who keeps telling my heart and mind that what I have been writing here is the truth, even though I have enraged and disgusted most of you, Philippians 2:5-11. Once we know the truth and then truly trust the scriptures, silently going with the flow to remain united with friends and family members is no longer an option, for we have received the love of the truth by the indwelling Holy Spirit. Because I love them deeply and know how hard it is to admit we are deceived about America, I will stand by my dear friends and family discussing with them these teachings of Jesus until the day they say "goodbye" or they begin mocking the wholesome doctrines of Christ Jesus. I know how unsettling it is for some of my family, friends, and enemies to hear the truth about themselves and the nation we were taught to love and proclaim as the "greatest" nation on Earth. It is indeed a bitter pill for us to swallow, but unless we individually confess our pride, love of self and money before the God of Israel, our bodies will perish and our souls and spirits will enter Hell with the homosexuals, baby killers, and Islamic terrorists in the coming fires of the holy angels.
Please don't continue to accept what our Lord Jesus rejected when Satan offered to him all of the world's Kingdoms "and" their glory, Luke 4:1-8. This offer was repackaged and given to the Founding Fathers of America, of course all dressed up in religiously acceptable language like..."the new Canaan...a new Promised Land...a chosen people whose manifest destiny is to complete the Reformation and establish the Millennium, the Kingdom for God on the Earth". This attitude and teaching that America was created and called by God to break away from the "Old World" that was decaying in Europe was used to justify the Declaration of Independence and certain war against their equally deceived Christian brothers in England. Babylon the Great of Revelation 18 is the ultimate result of their delusional decision. This was all done in the name of Jesus by the post-millennial preachers and politicians of their day, but as Paul said, it was "another" Jesus, another spirit, and another gospel.
The truth is that the abortionists, homosexuals, their liberal supporters, militant patriots, "self" exalting psychologists, contemplative prayer warriors, and money lovers who call themselves Christians, all share the blame for the coming divine destruction of America. They know not the mind of Christ. This includes Ted Kennedy, Bill and Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama, John Edwards, Rudy Giuliani, Fred Thompson, Mit Romney, Mike Huckabee, John McCain, Ron Paul, Rick Warren, Bill Hybells, Joel Osteen, John Hagee, James Dobson, Robert Schuller, Pat Robertson, Kenneth Copeland, Benny Hinn, Joyce Meyer, Rush Limbaugh, Shawn Hannity, Ann Coulter, Michelle Malkin, Chris Mathews, and Bill O'Reilly. They all profess to be Christians but, like Augustine, have mixed the pure name of Jesus Christ with Christianized false doctrines rooted in the impure elements of man's sin nature.
I have before and will continue to beg and plead with these people and their followers, for whom Jesus loves and shed his blood, to awaken from their sleep and slumber before it is too late. Paul warned the first century Ephesians that the "prince of the air" and his fallen angels were working in the people of disobedience to carry out his "course" or plan among the nations (please read my article "From Democracy to Theocracy" posted on our web site). Paul also assured them that God, who is rich in mercy, would bring to an end this evil prince and his course, that in the ages or generations to come everyone would know and understand the love and grace of our heavenly Father.
Jesus and Israel
Trust me, the Lord Jesus Christ is going to clear and cleanse his name among the nations, including Israel. For even Jerusalem, the great city of King David, has become "Sodomized" by homosexual parades, with many of her leaders wanting to mimic the politics and morality of America, Revelation 11:8, Isaiah 1:7-18. Moreover, Israel's leaders reject the prophecies of Daniel 9:26-27, Luke 21:20-24, Revelation 11:1-7, that God has in these last days brought them back into their God-given land while in unbelief, in order to give them another opportunity to believe in the bloody cross, glorious resurrection, and return of their Messiah, the Lord Jesus Christ.
This opportunity has been going on now for nearly a generation, with Israel's leaders and most of the people trusting in America and its power, instead of their Messiah and his teachings. Will a rebellious Israel once more be defeated and scattered among the nation? Yes. I weep often for Israel, especially the soldiers, knowing what is about to fall upon them once again. World War III is coming to Jerusalem. Israel will first suffer military defeat by the double-crossing Russians, then occupied by the American military after God's angels incinerate the Russian and Islamic armies as they celebrate their military victory over Israel, giving thanks to their false God, Allah. Then begins the preparation for the War of the Worlds, the Kingdom's of men led by America's last President against the King of kings who is coming again to set up on Earth the Kingdom of Heaven, Revelation 19.
The people of Israel and the nations have chosen to be "under" the Law or a Gentile version thereof, rather than to become "in" Christ Jesus and under the power of his grace, the indwelling Holy Spirit. This decision comes naturally to men who reject their own need for salvation from the sin nature. To be "under" the law of any kind is to think we have the power within ourselves to overcome evil. This is another manifestation of the pride of this life which John wrote about and is closely connected to the "overcoming" pride found in militant patriotism. All of this can only end in divine judgment for rejecting the offer of God's grace and power at the bloody cross of Calvary. This is why men look to like-minded men whom they love, trust, and adore, to lead them in this life.
Because of this self-righteous sin nature in all men there is coming from the God of Israel a time, seven years to be exact, when he will no longer restrain the rise of their beloved leader, the Antichrist, Daniel 9:27, Revelation 13. And because of wars and fears of nuclear war stirred up by fallen angels, the peacemaking Antichrist will coerce and compel all men and women to follow him, the Russian President, and the Pope as together they seek to save the planet from a nuclear nightmare now developing in Pakistan, Iran, Syria, North Korea, even Venezuela. This fear trumps all other matters and will unite the homosexuals and baby killers with everyone else, and for a time the world's people will revel in the Peace Covenant established in the Holy Land that many will say has at least postponed a nuclear World War III. Others who are looking for the New Age of Aquarius or the Kingdom of Heaven established by men will begin the worship of these world leaders who signed this historic and prophetic document which calls for the rebuilding of the Jewish Temple in Jerusalem. But as I said above, the sin nature in man, manipulated and stirred by fallen angels, will have its way when the Islamic armies, led by a two-timing Russian President, break the Covenant and invade Israel like a storm covering the land of the Jews, Isaiah 28:14-18, Ezekiel 38:16 (Please read "The Judgment Chronicles" posted on our web site for details).
As I previously stated, there is a separation taking place in Christendom. Don't confuse this with the political separation between liberal Christians like Obama, Kennedy, and Clinton, and Evangelical conservative Christians like Huckabee and Hagee. Both of these groups have closed their eyes to the wholesome teachings of our Lord Jesus Christ and seem to be racing toward greater doctrinal delusion which will bring about their perilous end, beginning with the Peace Covenant signed by the last President. When it is done, this prophetic delusion will ultimately unite liberals, conservatives, and all the nations against a common foe they think is coming from another world or planet, Revelation 16:13-16, 17:14, 19:19.
To be clear, the separation I am talking about is a faithful remnant among all Fundamentalists and Evangelicals who hear the teachings of Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount and his closing "prophecy" sermon on the Mount of Olives, who desire to be doers of his literal teachings through the indwelling power of the Holy Spirit, rather than "rethink or redefine" the teachings and prophecies of Jesus, Matthew 5-7, 24. These doers are the ones being spiritually separated from Evangelical conservatives who profess to be Christians but dishonor his name and his words. The differences between the vessels of dishonor and the vessels of honor, as Paul taught Timothy, are becoming more clear, 2 Timothy 2:19-21. And as Jesus said of the last generation that leads to the beginning of Daniel's 70th Week of seven years, only a few have found the narrow way in his bloody cross, while the broad road of false Christendom is jammed with liberal and conservative traffic headed on a collision course with the righteous God of Israel.
The Only Solution
As we look into our mirrors and remove our own sins that easily beset us through repentance and faith, and humble ourselves before a holy and mighty God who has "given the nations up" to their vile affections, let us in love and mercy call all we can to exit the road that leads to an eternal Hell. The fiery inferno in California is but a sign of what is to come upon this nation (please read my article "Babylon's Final Fall). And know this, when the God of Israel, the Lord Jesus Christ, begins his judgment he does not need the assistance of arsonists or terrorists, for his holy angels are fully capable of burning to the ground the idols we have made unto ourselves.
Remember, the combined power of the precious blood and second coming of Jesus Christ is the "only" permanent solution to the death and destruction that men inflict upon one another to the hideous delight of Satan and his fallen angels, who are the masters of human manipulation. The God who created and loves you wants you to experience sorrow of a Godly kind that works repentance unto the salvation of your heart, mind, and body, 2 Corinthians 7:10. He will replace your genuine sorrow with his joy through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit in your new heart! Then you will desire to obey the God of Israel because you love him, knowing that he first loved you and sent his Son to save you from your sin nature and the bondage of the fallen angel masters.
All of us are faced with one simple choice...we can be ashamed of our sin and receive eternal life and power in the Holy Spirit, or we can be ashamed of the Son of God and his teachings and have him say to us at his second coming..."depart from me, you worker of iniquity", and then have your body executed by the fire of the holy angels, and your soul and spirit sentenced and sent to Hell for one-thousand years. The consuming fire from God and his angels is coming my friends. What is your decision? What about your friends and family? Will you witness the truth to them? As you are considering your decision please read these words from the Lord Jesus Christ, the God of Israel:
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Hebrews 1:7...And of the angels he saith, Who maketh his angels spirits, and his ministers a flame of fire.
2 Thessalonians 1:3-12...We are bound to thank God always for you, brethren, as it is fitting, because that your faith groweth exceedingly, and the charity of every one of you all toward each other aboundeth; So that we ourselves glory in you in the churches of God for your patience and faith in all your persecutions and tribulations that ye endure: Which is a manifest token of the righteous judgment of God, that ye may be counted worthy of the kingdom of God, for which ye also suffer: Seeing it is a righteous thing with God to recompense tribulation to them that trouble you; And to you who are troubled rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels, in "flaming fire" taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ: Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power; When he shall come to be glorified in his saints, and to be admired in all them that believe (because our testimony among you was believed) in that day. Wherefore also we pray always for you, that our God would count you worthy of this calling, and fulfill all the good pleasure of his goodness, and the work of faith with power: That the name of our Lord Jesus Christ may be glorified in you, and ye in him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Sincerely,
Jack D. Hook
posted by shummer60 at Thursday, June 19, 2008
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