Rapture will probably be in September, regardless of the year. Here's why!

According to Leviticus 23, there are seven Jewish Feasts commanded by God to be observed each year.

They are:

Feast Name:                Jewish Date               Hebrew
1) Passover                     Nisan 14                         Pesach

                                              (April or May)

2) Unleavened              Nisan 15                         Hag-Ha-Matzot
    Bread

3) Firstfruits                 Starts the day after          Bikkurim
                                           the Sabbath following
                                           Passover.

4) Feast of Weeks       Starts 50 days after          Shavuot

                                           Firstfruits. (May or June)

 
5) Trumpets                     Tishri 1                            Rosh HaShanah

                                               (September or October)

6) Day of Atonement      Tishri 10                        Yom Kippur

7) Tabernacles                   Tishri 15                        Succoth

The symbolism of Jesus in the Jewish Feast of Passover has been extensively analyzed by numerous scholars. In a nutshell, Jesus is our Passover Lamb, the Lamb of God.

"...Christ our Passover..."   1 Cor. 5:7

Jesus was slain on the cross on Mt Moriah. At the same time, the Jews were slaying their Passover lambs (had to be a male lamb without blemish), also on Mt Moriah, just a few steps away.

There is also symbolism in the other feasts as well.

The second feast, Unleavened Bread, is the day after Passover. Jewish days began at 6 PM, so the Feast of Unleavened Bread began in the evening after Passover.

"...Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!"   John 1:29

Leaven in the Bible is a symbol of sin. The Jews purged their houses of leaven, in conjunction with what the sacrificial lamb had done--removed sin. This is a picture of what Jesus had done on the cross.

 "I am the Bread of life." John 6:48

The Feast of Firstfruits was to be celebrated on the Sunday after the Sabbath following Passover.

   "But now Christ has been raised from the dead,  
              the first fruits of those who are asleep." 1Cor. 15:20  

They celebrated Firstfruits by offering a sheaf of grain to the Lord for His allowing the first harvest.  Jesus is called the "first fruits" from the dead.

Fifty days after Firstfruits, the Jews celebrated the Feast of Weeks. Here the Jews offered two loaves of bread, as a second offering to the Lord, but this time they were baked with leaven, which again symbolizes sin.

Wretched man that I am!  Rom. 7:24 

The two loaves could represent either the Old and New Testament, the wheat and the tares, or the Jews and Gentiles being included in the New Testament Church. The leaven represents sin's existence in the church. That's an understatement!

While the Jews were celebrating the Feast of Weeks, the Holy Spirit came roaring to earth, filling both Jewish and Gentile Believers (Acts 2) at what Christians call "Pentecost."

The symbolism of Jesus and the church in the first four spring Jewish feasts is undeniable. The first four major events of the Church Age - Jesus' death, burial, and resurrection, and the coming of the Holy Spirit - all fell exactly on the days of the Jewish Feasts.

But there is a break between the spring and fall feasts.

The break in the feasts may very well represent the break in God's plan for the Jews... the Church Age.

If God had the first four major events of the Church Age land exactly on the Jewish Feast days, it is almost a given that the next big Church Age event, the Rapture, will land on the next Jewish Feast in the fall.... whichever year Rapture takes place.

The next feast in order falls in September or October each year. Called Rosh HaShanah, it's a day of gathering and celebration and the Jews are specifically charged to "blow trumpets." The blowing of a Ram's horn was the signal that it was time to gather in Jerusalem.

For this feast, the Jews would blow the shofar for 29 days. Then on the last day there was one more blowing--three distinct series of 30 blasts each. This was followed by ten final blasts leading up to "The Great Blowing." This was one last, long blast of the trumpet, proclaiming the beginning of the feast.

"Now in the seventh month, on the first day of the  
         month, you shall also have a holy convocation;  
         you shall do no laborious work. It will be to you a  
         day for blowing trumpets"  Num. 29:1

As all who have studied the Rapture know, the Rapture is a day of gathering in the air and should be quite the celebration! The two most famous spine-tingling Rapture verses read:

        "For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven  
        with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and  
        with the trumpet of God; and the dead in Christ  
        shall rise first."  1Th. 4:16

"in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet; for the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed"  1Cor. 15:52

Therefore, following God's pattern of having the first four major events of the Church Age land on the first four Jewish feasts, we think the next big event of the Church Age is likely to occur on Rosh Hashanah, regardless of the year! Is that cool or what! 🙂

Bill Perkins

Bill Perkins is the founder and Executive Director of Compass International, Inc.
© Copyright 1993-2014, Compass International Inc.

www.compass.org / 800-977-2177

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Three signs the Believers’ earth-shattering exit may be near!

The Jewish Feast Rosh Hashanah (AKA The Feast of Trumpets) is September 20/21, 2017. We wrote an article a few years back defending Rosh Hashanah as the most likely time of the year the Rapture would happen(1), regardless of the year. So each summer it’s always interesting to see how the prophetic signs are shaping up…could this be the year of our exhilarating departure?

Several other ministries ARE predicting it will happen during Rosh Hashanah this year. One guy has a whole website talking about Revelation 12:1 and the Rapture.

“A great sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars;” Rev. 12:1

Supposedly, on September 22 (Tishri 1/Jewish New Year begins) the stars in the sky will point to the Rapture. In this fanciful prediction, the “woman” in Revelation 12 is the constellation Virgo. The nine stars of the Constellation Leo plus the planets of Mercury, Mars and Venus are the 12 stars around her head and the moon is at her feet. And somehow Jupiter represents Jesus’ birth.(3)

You can buy the book that explains all this in a digital download for a mere $25. But if he really thought the Rapture was in September, why would he be selling the info instead of just giving it away?

Don’t waste your money trying to understand HIDDEN signs few people know about. If this were truly a sign from God, it’s doubtful He would hide it in a constellation from 99.99999% of the world. No, God does things like parting the Red Sea or raising Lazarus from the dead, for ALL to see and ponder.

Can we even know beforehand?
Before we go any further, the logical question we should ask is, “Can we know ahead of time when the Rapture will take place?” The answer is “not exactly.”

For those who are new to Compass, we loathe those who set hard, absolute dates for The Rapture or 2nd Coming. But we believe the Bible teaches that we can, and should, observe any and all OBVIOUS signs to determine if we’re getting close. Consider this verse:

“For you yourselves know full well that the day of the Lord will come just like a thief in the night. While they are saying, “Peace and safety!” then destruction will come upon them suddenly like labor pains upon a woman with child, and they will not escape. But you, brethren, are not in darkness, that the day would overtake you like a thief; for you are all sons of light and sons of day. We are not of night nor of darkness; so then let us not sleep as others do, but let us be alert and sober. 1Th. 5:2-6

That verse tells us that the coming of the Lord at Rapture will come without warning only for non-Believers. But Believers are encouraged to be alert to the OBVIOUS signs because we have the discerning light of God’s Holy Spirit.

Therefore, it’s incumbent on Believers to be alert to OBVIOUS prophetic signs that the current Church Age dispensation, the Biblical time period in which we live, is coming to a booming close.

The Rapture of the Believers on the earth will make way for the next dispensation to begin—a horrific 7-year period referred to as “Tribulation,” “The Time of Jacob’s Trouble” or “The 70th Week of Daniel.” (Matt. 24:21; Jer. 30:7; Dan. 9:24-27)

So how’s everything stacking up this year?

Obvious Sign #1: Israel
It’s an exciting time to be alive as we’re living in the generation that saw God, as prophesied, begin bringing the Jews back to their homeland. So our first gauge is to look at Israel. We’ve written many articles about their God-ordained return to their homeland.

The main reason to watch Israel is that soon after the Rapture, the Jews will again be in the prime-time of God’s earthy dealings—God will come out of His Self-imposed slumber and the entire world will know it. The heaven and earth will be shaken to its core as He lets the world know that He is the Creator God and Israel is His chosen nation.

Watching Israel being primed for this change is fascinating. We can also observe the prophesies regarding her latter-day enemies. Ezekiel 38 and 39 discuss, among other things, the last-days invasion by those from the areas of Russia (Gog), Iran (Persia) and others.(4)

‘Thus says the Lord GOD, “It will come about on that day, that thoughts will come into your mind and you will devise an evil plan, and you will say, ‘I will go up against the land of unwalled villages. I will go against those who are at rest, that live securely, all of them living without walls and having no bars or gates, to capture spoil and to seize plunder, to turn your hand against the waste places which are now inhabited, and against the people who are gathered from the nations, who have acquired cattle and goods,…’ Ezek. 38:10-12

The stated purpose for the invasion is to capture riches in the land of Israel—which begs the question, “What spoil? What riches?”

When Israel became a nation in 1948 she had no known natural riches for which a hostile sovereign nation would invade. In fact, Golda Meir, Israel’s Prime Minister in 1969-1974, often quipped that Moses wandered the desert for 40 years and unfortunately settled in the only place that didn’t
To grant those who mourn in Zion, giving them a garland instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning,
Is. 61:3 have oil.

But recently that’s changed. A couple of years ago Israel discovered massive gas reservoirs just off her coast.(6A) And within the last year or so Israel discovered a massive oil reservoir within her borders!(5) And there are other oil exploration companies are currently drilling there.(6)

It’s possible Israel’s government has put out the word to their media not to publicize these oil and discoveries so as not to give the surrounding Arab nations another reason to come after them. But the oil discovery within Israel’s borders was described as huge.

BTW—All that Middle Eastern Oil is another proof that the Bible is 100% accurate. The massive amounts of oil in the Middle East is obviously due to Noah’s flood burying the lush and plentiful plants in-and-around the Garden of Eden. These buried plants naturally turned to oil (11) and today Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Iraq, etc., and now Israel, benefit from the destruction of Noah’s worldwide flood.

So, because of Israel’s relatively close proximity to the original Garden of Eden, it’s not surprising that Israel also has massive oil reserves under its land. The question is simply “how much?”

Some oil experts have theorized that Israel has more oil under her land than all the other middle eastern nations combined. And looming in the future is the prophesied Russia/Iran invasion to come after her riches—an invasion that takes place, we believe, within a few days after the Rapture.(4)

The Israeli oil and gas discoveries mean the prophecy of Israel being so dog-gone wealthy in the latter days is being fulfilled right under our noses.(7) And when the Rapture takes place, and the Holy Spirit Restrainer is removed from the earth, Russia will obviously “devise an evil plan” and invade Israel.

All this is detailed in Ezek. 38 and 39. The result of this invasion is that Israel is miraculously protected by God, Russia/Iran/others suffer a humiliating defeat and the Jews are awakened out of their spiritual slumber.

Sign #2
Signs In The Skies
“Then God said, “Let there be lights in the expanse of the heavens to separate the day from the night, and let them be for signs and for seasons and for days and years;” Gen. 1:14

The first reason the Lord gave us for His creating the sun, moon and stars is to be for “signs.”

Throughout the Bible He has used the sun for miraculous signs— i.e. The long day of Joshua, three hours of darkness when Jesus died on the cross, etc. (Joshua 10:12-14; Luke 23:44)

One of God’s signs is a solar eclipse where the sun’s light is blocked by the moon. It’s interesting that if the earth and moon were .04% further apart, or closer together, there would be no eclipses to view.(8)

On August 21, 2017, there will be a solar eclipse on the earth. This full eclipse of the sun’s light will only be seen in the United States, cutting a path from the Northwest to the Southeast.

This is the first time in the history of the United States that a total eclipse will touch only the United States.

But what makes this eclipse raise even more eyebrows is that another eclipse will do the same thing—exactly seven years from now, again seen ONLY IN THE UNITED STATES. Seven years—how interesting!

But rather than NW to SE, in seven years the eclipse will be from the SW to the NE, creating a big X on our nation.

We already know the United States is the prophesied nation in the Bible that is destroyed in an hour(6). Does this big “X” mean God is trying to “give us a sign”? Maybe.

Scientists have recently been studying the link between the sun, moon and earthquakes.(10) So it’s most interesting that the eclipse will cross through the two main earthquake zones in America: Cascadia Subduction Fault Zone in the Coastal Northwest and the New Madrid Fault Zone in the heart of the Midwest.

Most people are aware of the West Coast’s affinity for earthquakes. But the middle of the U.S. has also had its problems. The last time there was a big earthquake in the New Madrid Fault Zone, in 1812, the land movements were so severe it caused the Mississippi River to run backwards for several hours!(12) Over 1200 miles away in Boston, MA, it rattled plates off the walls and caused church bells to ring.(12)

Of course, in 1812, the New Madrid Fault Zone area was sparsely populated. Today it is estimated that a similar earthquake would be twice the problem of Katrina.(13)

The eclipse also cuts across volcanoes in the northwest like the recently active Mt. St. Helens and the unbelievably large, but long-time dormant, caldera in Yellowstone National Park.

The Lord may have used the numerous volcanoes around the world as water portals for the flood of Noah.(16) So hope those things stay put for now!

We’re not predicting anything. Just pointing out that the paths of these eclipses, this year and seven years from now, are quite unique and interesting. So buy some approved glasses and watch this amazing eclipse! More eclipse info at the bottom of this article. (17)

Sign #3
The Incorrect Jewish Calendar
For all my Christian life I’ve wondered why the Jewish Calendar was so far off. The Jews, always trying to keep the letter of the Law, are so precise in everything Biblical that they do. But the Jewish calendar says we’re in the year 5777. And common sense says that’s off by some 200+ years.

James Ussher, an Irish bishop, wrote an incredible book on biblical chronology in the early 1650s. Using Biblical lineage, he sets the date from the Garden of Eden to Jesus’ birth to be 4004 BC. So by simply adding 2017 since Jesus’ birth to the 4004 years before Jesus’ birth, it totals to 6021 years from Adam to today.

6021 is an interesting number because Jesus died in 30AD. And if you add seven years for the Tribulation, we’re within a couple of years of completing two thousand years of the Church Age.

We wrote an article back in the 1990s suggesting that the seven-day creation week was God’s template of all time, one 24-hour day equaling 1000 years. After 4000 years, Jesus came in the 5th and 6th day, bringing life.(14)

But the Jewish calendar shows we’re in year 5777. So, being that far off I never paid much attention to it. Until now!

It turns out, according to an interview I watched of Michael Norten at a Texas prophecy conference last week, that in 160 AD a Jewish rabbi named Yose Ben Halafta first created the Jewish calendar. But he strangely subtracted some 200+ years from his total years counting from Adam.

Purportedly, the reason for the change was that Ben Halafta realized that dating the calendar using a literal method would point to Jesus being the Messiah. He apparently saw that the prophecy in Daniel 9—483 years from the beginning of rebuilding Jerusalem’s walls to the coming Messiah, would point directly to Jesus as the Messiah. Oh dear, can’t have that!

So the theory is that Ben Halafta subtracted some 200+ years from the Jewish calendar so the Daniel 9 prophecy would not point to Jesus’ Triumphal entry into Jerusalem.

When you add back 200 years to 5777, you get 5977. Add 7 years for Tribulation and you get 5984, which is getting close to 6000 total years.

And who knows how many total years he subtracted! Norten believes it was 214! That would mean the Jewish calendar should be 5998. And in September, Tishri 1, the Jewish new year, it will be 5999!

Why is 6,000 years so interesting?I’ve taught for over 30 years that God’s creation week of six 24-hour days and nights and one 24-hour day and night of rest is His divine template of earthly time.(13) In other words, when the Lord created time, He created 7000 total years from beginning to end.
It’s called the “Day-Age” theory and it fits like a glove. God created time and everything He does is perfect. So how many total years would He create? It would obviously be a multiple of seven, His number He uses all through the Bible for completion.(15)

Not to mention that there are two verses where God pointedly refers to one day being “like” a 1000 years.

But do not let this one fact escape your notice, beloved, that with the Lord one day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years like one day. 2Pet. 3:8

For a thousand years in Your sight are like yesterday when it passes by, or as a watch in the night. Psa. 90:4

Therefore, the first four days of creation would be a template the first 4000 years of human history. No life was created in the first four 24-hour days.

Then, after 4000 years of recorded history, Jesus came to earth and brought “life,” in day five of the template.

“I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.” John 10:10b

Therefore, on the 5th day of the divine template (Five is God’s number for grace) Jesus arrived bringing “life.”

The 5th and 6th days of the template are referred to in scripture in several places. In Hosea, there’s an odd and unfulfilled prophecy:

“Come, let us return to the LORD. For He has torn us, but He will heal us; He has wounded us, but He will bandage us. He will revive us after two days; He will raise us up on the third day, that we may live before Him.” Hos. 6:1-2

This remarkable unfulfilled prophecy states that Israel would be wounded and torn for two days, but that God will raise them up on the third day and they will live in His presence. No one seems to be able to explain this verse.

But if you apply this verse inside the 7000-year template, the prophecy states that for 2000 years, Israel will be wounded and torn, but not destroyed. And after the 2000 years, God would raise Israel up to live in His presence for one day, which equals 1000 years.

Well, that’s what happened. We know for a fact that Israel rejected her Messiah and for almost exactly 2000 years, Israel has been scattered around the world, torn and bruised. Israel is waiting for the “third day” where they will live in His presence.

God is currently gathering the Jews once again in their homeland where they will soon begin living in their Messiah’s world-ruling presence for 1000 years.

“Blessed and holy is the one who has a part in the first resurrection; over these the second death has no power, but they will be priests of God and of Christ and will reign with Him for a thousand years.” Rev. 20:6

The 7th day of the Creation Week, God rested. This equates to the 1000-year reign of Jesus on the earth. 4000 + 2000 + 1000 = 7000 total years.

There are also other verses that fit this 7000-year template theory. For instance, when Jesus was on the earth, the only time period recorded in the Bible that He went to the non-Jews, the Samaritans, was specifically for “two days.”

“So when the Samaritans came to Jesus, they were asking Him to stay with them; and He stayed there two days.” John 4:40

“After the two days He went forth from there into Galilee.” John 4:43

Applying this to our 7000-year divine template, the “two days” would be the 2000 years of Jesus going to the Gentiles. And after that 2000 years, He would return to the Jews for “one day,” or 1000 years, which is, of course, the Millennial reign of Christ with Jesus living and reigning from Jerusalem.

Another fascinating example is Exodus 19.

The LORD also said to Moses, “Go to the people and consecrate them today and tomorrow, and let them wash their garments; and let them be ready for the third day, for on the third day the LORD will come down on Mount Sinai in the sight of all the people. Ex. 19:10-11

This one gives me chill bumps. Buried in the Old Testament is a direct reference to the Church Age and the Millennial Reign of Christ.

“Today and tomorrow” are days 5 and 6 of our template— the Church Age, where we are “washed” or cleansed by the blood of Jesus. The “third day” is, of course, the 1000-year Millennium where the Jews will live with Jesus on the throne in Jerusalem—“in the sight of all.”

So we believe God laid out 4000 years of time before Jesus came and brought life for 2000 years, 6000 total. We still have remaining 1000 years of rest, which is Jesus’ reign as King of the Earth.

This 7000-year Divine Template makes the end of 6000 years of human history quite interesting!

We like this topic so much we’ve invited Mr. Norten to speak at our March 3, 2018 Steeling the Mind Bible Conference at the Coeur d’Alene Resort. Should be a good one! Watch for details!

As for the timing of the Rapture being this year—we may not know the day nor the hour, but it sure is fun watching for the season! It WILL happen one day in the future!

BP

References:

https://compass.org/store/products/Article%3A-Is-The-Rapture-In-September%3F.html

(2) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Missing_years_(Jewish_calendar)#The_missing_years_and_Daniel

(3) http://www.therevelationsign.com/

(4) https://compass.org/store/products/Article%3A-Russia%27s-Humiliating-Defeat.html

(5) http://www.foxnews.com/world/2015/10/07/potentially-game-changing-oil-reserves-discovered-in-israel.html

(6A) http://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/business/1.697863

(6) http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/230573
http://www.worldoil.com/news/2017/1/11/genie-energy-launches-drilling-services-company-in-israel

http://www.timesofisrael.com/dead-sea-oil-reservoir-entirely-within-israel-says-company/

(7) http://www.nowtheendbegins.com/enormous-oil-deposit-discovered-in-israel-as-russia-slowly-advances/

(8) http://curious.astro.cornell.edu/physics/128-our-solar-system/the-sun/solar-eclipses/148-will-we-ever-stop-having-solar-eclipses-because-of-the-moon-s-motion-away-from-the-earth-intermediate

(9) https://weather.com/science/news/thanks-active-new-madrid-fault-zone-midwest-earthquake-risk-still-looms-20140124

(10) https://www.sciencealert.com/the-pull-of-the-sun-and-moon-can-cause-earthquakes-along-the-san-andreas-fault-study-finds

(11) https://answersingenesis.org/geology/catastrophism/how-fast-can-oil-form/

https://socratic.org/questions/how-long-does-it-take-to-turn-plants-animals-into-fossil-fuels

(12) http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/earthquake-causes-fluvial-tsunami-in-mississippi

(13) http://www.prophecynewswatch.com/article.cfm?recent_news_id=1379#1Uhi12cFH2KdOjXv.99

(14) https://compass.org/ee-uploads/2_Days_in_Scripture.pdf

(15) https://compass.org/store/products/God%27s-Colors-And-Numbers-In-Scripture-%252d-Paul-Van-Noy-%28Digital-Video-%26-mp3-Download%29.html

(16) https://compass.org/store/products/Article%3A-Earthquakes-%26-Volcanoes-in-Bible-Prophecy.html

https://compass.org/store/products/Article%3A-Tornadoes%2C-Hurricanes%2C-Tsunamis...From-God%3F.html

(17) Eclipse facts:

• During a solar eclipse, the Moon’s shadow is cast upon the Earth. There are two parts to this shadow – an outer shadow that covers a wide region creating a partial eclipse and a much smaller central shadow that creates the total eclipse. As the Earth rotates, the central shadow creates a thin path known as the path of totality.

• Those outside of the path of totality will experience a partial eclipse, an event nowhere near as dramatic as a total eclipse.

• A total solar eclipse occurs somewhere on the earth once in every 18 months on average.

• In any one location, a total solar eclipse is very rare, occurring on average once every 375 years.

• Even if only 1% of the Sun is visible, it is still 10,000 times too bright to see the exciting eclipse phenomenon. You must be within the path of totality to feel the full experience.

• Even those who know what is happening can be caught off guard by a total solar eclipse. It is eerie, awe-­inspiring, unsettling, beautiful, and often emotionally overwhelming.

• It is essential to consider eye safety when planning for the eclipse. People must use APPROVED solar filters to view the partial phases of the eclipse. Don’t risk blindness!

• Totality can be viewed safely with the naked eye, but only if you are in the path of totality.

• Click here to see when the eclipse will pass your city:

https://www.timeanddate.com/eclipse/in.html

One of the most overlooked characteristics of the future seven-year Tribulation period is that the Gospel of Jesus Christ will be preached to the entire world. People are given the stark choice to follow Jesus or Satan. All through the book of Revelation we see the Gospel being preached to the whole world.

(See inset-->)

The Bible describes the Tribulation as an intense evangelistic period in and among the catastrophic judgments by God. And the astonishing purveyors of the Gospel will be none other than Jews! 144,000 Jews will be given instant Holy Spirit illumination--12,000 from each of the 12 Jewish tribes (Rev. 7:4). They are singers (Rev 14:3). But more interestingly these Jewish men are also unmarried virgins! (Rev. 14:4) So if we are living in the last days, let’s say between two seconds and 20 years prior to Rapture, who are these 144,000 Jewish male virgins, and where do they come from?

Today in Israel about 80% of the population consider themselves as “Secular” Jews. In talking to scores of secular Jewish people on our trips to Israel, I found that they usually observe Passover and Day of Atonement. But for the most part, they don’t go to synagogue on Shabbat (Saturday) and don’t know what to think about the miracles of the Old Testament. And prior to marriage, dating is similar to non-Believers in the U.S.A., with most having sex prior to marriage.

There are some who consider themselves as “Orthodox” Jews. They will wear the yamika (sometimes referred to as “kippah,” [the cap]) to keep something between them and God. They believe the Bible is the Word of God, go to synagogue on Shabbat, and of course, celebrate the seven Jewish feasts. But they dress normally, have no problem with using birth control, serve in the army, and work for a living. They also support the State of Israel.

And there is a third group, a most curious oddity, referred to as the “Ultra-Orthodox” Jews, or Haredi (ÁŽ ̄Õ“¦È) in Hebrew (means “one who trembles in awe of God”). Oh my gosh, they are a sight to see. Numbering about 1.3 million (800,000 in Israel), the men all dress in black suits with white shirts and a hat. The type of hat worn depends on the particular order to which they belong. The largest group of them live in Jerusalem.

They vote as a block, sort of like a third party, and it’s almost impossible to get a ruling majority in Israel without including them . . . so they take advantage of this and demand a steep political price, getting pretty much what they want. So the Haredi have exemptions from serving in the military as long as they don’t work. And most receive a small stipend from the government.

For men in Israel, military service is mandatory. Active duty is from age 18 to 21 and then you are in the reserves until age 55. So for Haredi to keep their military exemptions, over half of them simply don’t work. Rather, they just study the Old Testament and the ancient Jewish commentaries in schools called “yeshivas.” Let me repeat that for emphasis, Haredi spend their entire lives studying religious texts full-time. Understandably, some 60% are considered under the poverty level.

Haredi are very, very conservative as they try to keep the Old Testament Law, word for word, all 613 Jewish Laws! These guys are amazing. For instance, on Shabbat, they can’t do any work whatsoever. They tear up their toilet paper the day before in a little pile next to the toilet so they don’t have to do work (tearing toilet paper) on Shabbat. Nor do they make or receive phone calls, drive a car, or do anything that could be considered work.

Most all the hotels in Israel have a specially designated elevator to use on Shabbat. It goes up and down all day automatically stopping at each floor. That way the Haredi can use the elevator without pushing buttons—which would be considered “work.” The wives cook all the food for Shabbat the day before. Also, believe it or not, many Haredi wives shave their heads so they won’t look attractive to their husbands (in public they wear a wig—go figure). Grace looks pretty good, huh?!

Haredi are having children at three times the rate of secular Jews. A family with 10 kids is not uncommon, and demographers now estimate about a third of last year’s Jewish babies were born into the ultra-Orthodox community. This is causing a lot of anger in the secular side because they are getting all the benefits of government, hospitals, schools, etc., but pay no taxes since they don’t work.

Young, marriage-age Haredi do not date. Rather, eligible guys and girls meet for coffee or coke at a public place. We often see couples in hotel restaurants or lobbies. They spend hours talking but would never do anything close to kissing, much less hopping in the sack together.

Which brings us back to the 144,000 male Jewish virgins. There are approximately 150,000 unmarried ultra-Orthodox Jews in the world between the ages of 18 and 35, the only group of Jewish men who can fulfill the prophecy. Imagine what they will be like when, post-Rapture, God suddenly opens their eyes to biblical truth and marks them for service. They already have a zeal for God’s Word, so when they understand the rest of the story of how their forefathers rejected Jesus their Messiah, they will become the most proficient and prolific evangelists the world has ever seen!

God uses these guys in such a powerful way that millions of people living in the Tribulation world will rather live for Christ and die on this earth rather than line up with the New World Leader’s agenda.

“After these things I looked, and behold, a great multitude, which no one could count, from every nation and all tribes and peoples and tongues . . .” Revelation 7:9

“These are the ones who come out of the great tribulation, and they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.” Revelation 7:14

Mind-boggling, don’t you think?

Bill Perkins

Bill Perkins is the founder and Executive Director of Compass International, Inc.
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Most of the Christian world observes Jesus' death on the Friday before Resurrection Sunday.

But according to the Bible, that dog won't hunt!

Most churches today teach that Friday is the day of Jesus' death on the cross. This is an alternate view. (I actually think I'm Biblically correct but my wife thought I needed to soften my stance. Naturally, I worry if I soften my stance, don't draw lines in the sand, I might turn into a democrat).

First, it must be noted that the Bible gives us a detailed description of every day of Jesus' last week prior to his crucifixion- VERY detailed. But there are only five days detailed in the Bible, instead of six. The missing day is referred to by Bible scholars as "The missing day." LOL! Not much imagination there. It takes a lot of (guts, pride, ego, take your pick) to say there might be something left out of the Bible narrative.

These Biblical "scholars" ASSUME that Jesus was crucified on Friday; therefore, there should be six days of details (Sunday through Friday). But only five are referenced in Scripture (Sunday through Thursday).

* Sunday - Palm Sunday Road to Temple
* Monday - Overturned moneychangers' tables
* Tuesday - Priests examine Jesus
* Wednesday - ("Missing Day"?)
* Thursday - Passover preparation and meal
* Friday - Crucifixion, grave
* Saturday - Grave
* Sunday - Grave, Resurrection

And, if you use the above timeline, it directly contradicts this verse:

"for just as JONAH WAS THREE DAYS AND THREE NIGHTS IN THE BELLY OF THE SEA MONSTER, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth." Matt 12:40

The "heart of the earth" is a reference to the "bottomless pit" in the center of the earth (Rev. 9:1,2). When you are in the heart of the earth, no matter which way you look, you're looking up!

The Old Testament Saints could not go to heaven when they died because Jesus had yet to pay for their sins. So they went to "Paradise" to wait for their sins to be paid in full. Today, post-cross, Church Age Believers go straight to heaven when they die (2 Cor 5:8).

Luke 16:19-31 is not a parable but rather an actual description of the bottomless pit. At death, those O.T Saints who trusted by faith the future Messiah were enjoying paradise just a few feet from those who were wailing in the scorching flames of Hades. They were so close they could actually talk to each other across a "chasm" (v. 24-26).

It's interesting that when Jesus died and defeated death, the first thing He did was go to the Bottomless Pit to claim and release His O.T. Saints so they could go to heaven.

"(Now this expression, 'He ascended,' what does it mean except that He also had descended into the lower parts of the earth? He who descended is Himself also He who ascended far above all the heavens" Eph. 4:9-10

80,000 people at a football game can make a lot of noise, but that's nothing compared to cheer that must have roared when Jesus made His appearance in Paradise to redeem the O.T. Saints. I'm hoping I get to see a replay of that one day!

Apparently, as the redeemed Saints crossed through the earth's crust on their way up, some lingered around and were seen by those alive on the earth.

And behold, the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom, and the earth shook; and the rocks were split, and the tombs were opened; and many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised; and coming out of the tombs after His resurrection they entered the holy city and appeared to many. Matt 27:51-53

I'm sure at least one conversation back then went something like this:

Eli: "Wow, Aaron, I thought you were dead! I went to your funeral two years ago. You look great!"

Aaron: "Nope, not dead. I just changed places from earth to Paradise. I had to wait until the Messiah came to the earth and shed His blood for me so I could go to heaven. I'm on my way to heaven, just stopped for a moment to reminisce."

Eli: "Then if you're on your way to heaven, did the Messiah come, did I miss Him?"

Aaron: "Did you not hear that Jesus of Nazareth was crucified three days ago?"

Eli: "You mean Jesus was the Deliverer!!!!????"

Aaron: "Yep, and you can only get to heaven by faith in that fact."

Eli: "Wow! Hey, what's with the all those white clothes you're wearing?"

Aaron: "You get them on arrival after you die. If you were trusting the Messiah to pay for your sins and you die, you get the clothes."

Eli: "That's it? That's all you have to do- TRUST? Your clothes aren't received based on doing good works?

Aaron: "Come on Eli, are you so foolish that you think that there is anything you do can add to the finished work of the Messiah? I gotta go now."

(Note: Eli and his family received the Holy Spirit 47 days later at the Feast of Pentecost)

(Hope you enjoyed that little tangent ... sorry, I got side-tracked... now back to the study on what day Jesus was crucified)

So, if you ASSUME the Bible records all the events without a "missing day," using a literal translation and application of the Biblical text, you have a much more scripturally defendable timeline:

* Sunday - Palm Sunday Road to Temple
* Monday - Overturned moneychangers' tables
* Tuesday - Priests examine Jesus
* Wednesday - Passover preparation and meal
* Thursday - Crucifixion, Grave (one night)
* Friday - Grave (two nights)
* Saturday - Grave (three nights)
* Sunday - Grave, Resurrection

By not arbitrarily inserting the "missing day" you also solve the problem of Jesus being "three days and nights in the heart of the earth."

Anyway I slice it, I can only get two nights between Friday and Sunday, even if I use a Jewish day beginning at sundown (sundown to sundown equals one day).

It seems so much simpler just to follow the text as written and you have literally three days and three nights, as the scripture says. Now consider the verse regarding Jesus arriving at Lazarus' house.

"Jesus, therefore, six days before the Passover, came to Bethany where Lazarus was, whom Jesus had raised from the dead." John 12:1

We know that the latest Jesus could have arrived at Lazarus' house would have been Friday before His Palm Sunday entry, because Saturday was Shabbat and He couldn't travel. If you count six days from Friday, you come to Thursday, and the verse indicates that Passover began then.

John's Gospel may also support a Thursday crucifixion:

"The Jews therefore, because it was the day of preparation, so that the bodies should not remain on the cross on the Sabbath (for that Sabbath was a high day)" John 19:31

Then on the fourteenth day of the first month shall be the LORD'S Passover. Num 28:16

Passover lambs had to be slaughtered on the 14th of Nisan, which was Thursday that year. Jesus is called the Lamb of God (John 1:29). Jesus would not have been an acceptable sacrifice if He were sacrificed on any other day.

So Passover would have begun on Wednesday night at sundown and His disciples would have had their Passover meal on Wednesday night, after dark. Thursday, He was crucified.

It seems so much simpler to me to just follow the text as written and you end up with literally three days and three nights--as the scripture states! But, of course, what's MOST important is not the day He died, but the fact that He defeated death and rose from the dead. On Sunday, three days and three nights after His crucifixion, He rose from the dead leaving an empty tomb. It gives me chills just thinking about the many times I've looked into that empty tomb in Jerusalem!

"Why do you seek the living One among the dead? "He is not here, but He has risen. Luke 24:5-6

Shalom!

BP

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One of the new seven wonders of the world, Petra is incredibly fascinating - a place like no other. Located in southern Jordan, near the western border with Israel, Petra today is an empty city.

Though it's hard to reach, due to the rugged and almost impassable mountains of western Jordan, still almost a million
tourists trek there each year from all over the world to see the jaw-dropping scenery.

The following is a brief outline of the case for Petra as the place to which the Jews will flee in the middle of the coming seven year tribulation period.

The time period when we believe Petra will stand tall in fulfillment of Bible prophecy is the last 3 1/2 years of the tribulation, the length of days described in Daniel 12:11.

After the Rapture, the seven year tribulation will begin with a peace treaty, orchestrated by a new world leader, between Israel and ten nations in Europe and the Middle East (Dan 9:27). The ten nations will include five nations from Europe, the western leg of Daniel's image in Daniel 2, and five nations (toes) from the eastern leg of the image. (10 toes in Dan 2:41, 10 Kings in Rev 17:12)

Israel's promised peace, specifically agreed to be a seven year period (Dan 9:24a), will come to a screeching halt after 3 1/2 years (Dan 9:24b). Jesus describes it as the the worst day in the history of the Jews-past, present and future.

"...a great tribulation, such as has not occurred since the beginning of the world until now, or ever shall." Matt 24:21

Therefore, the worst Jewish holocaust is still in the future! Calling it a holocaust might be an understatement. The horror of this one day is so bad it's actually hard to comprehend. Imagine, if you can, a single day when 2/3rds of all Jews will die at the hand of the double-crossing Antichrist! (Zech 13:8)

Backing up to the beginning of the Tribulation, in the wake of the post-Rapture world crisis, a fast-rising and boastful world leader promises peace to Israel (Rev 6:2, Dan 9:27, Dan 7:8). This peace offer will include the right to rebuild their long lost but beloved Temple (Rev 11:1,2), which would allow the Jews to return to animal sacrifices for the first time in almost 2000 years. Israel accepts the ungodly peace offer, against the warnings of the Torah, and ultimately pays dearly for it (Mat 24:21).

This takes place at a time when all the Jews in the world will have been forced to squeeze back into Israel, which is not very large, roughly the size of New Jersey. With 15 million Jews in the world today, that's 10 million Jews murdered in one day- certainly qualifying as the worst day in the history of the Jews!!

Also in the first half of the Tribulation, 144,000 Jewish evangelists will proclaim the good news of Jesus' shed blood for sins (Rev 7:4; 14:6). Some Jews will listen, some won't, and millions will die in one day.

But the focus of this article is not the 2/3s who die, but rather, the 1/3 who escape, having heeded the warnings the 144,000 Jewish evangelists pointing to God's Word.

To keep it simple, the following is a time-line of events for the middle seven days in the heart of the seven year tribulation:

> The Antichrist, having had enough of the two witnesses, tries to kill them. But instead, the two witnesses kill the Antichrist. Rev 11:5

> The world mourns the death of the world leader for three days. Rev 13:3

> Satan is thrown to the earth from heaven. Satan, being a spirit, needs a body and takes up residence in the body of the dead world leader. Rev 12:9

> The world leader appears to rise from the dead after being dead for three days. He has only one eye and one arm. Zech 11:17

> The risen world leader (Satan) kills the two witnesses. The world rejoices. Rev 11:10

> The two dead witnesses rise up, visibly alive, into the sky. Rev 11:11, 12

> The Antichrist goes to the Jewish Temple, halts the sacrifices, stands in the Holy Place and claims to be the Biblically prophesied Messiah. Dan 11:31 Matthew 24:15

This is the literal fulfillment* of the famous "watch for the abomination of desolation" prophecies of the most important event in the future for the Jews. It is a sign to them to run as though their life depended on it-because it will!

Dan. 11:31 "Forces from him will arise, desecrate the sanctuary fortress, and do away with the regular sacrifice. And they will set up the abomination of desolation."

Matt. 24:15-18 "Therefore when you see the ABOMINATION OF DESOLATION which was spoken of through Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place (let the reader understand), then those who are in Judea must flee to the mountains. Whoever is on the housetop must not go down to get the things out that are in his
house. Whoever is in the field must not turn back to get his cloak. But woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing babies in those days! But pray that your flight will not be in the winter, or on a Sabbath. For then there will be a great tribulation, such as has not occurred since the beginning of the world until now, nor ever will."

Only 1/3 of the Jews will escape the murderous hand of the antichrist. They flee with nothing but the clothes on their backs. Those who are not hunted down (the last to get out of town) will eventually congregate in Edom, present day southern Jordan, in the area of Biblical Bozrah. It is here in the area of Bozrah that God has prepared a place for the surviving Jews to be protected from the anti-christ's murderous hand.

"And the woman fled into the wilderness where she had a place prepared by God, so that there she might be nourished for one
thousand two hundred and sixty days." Rev 12:6

"Enter the rock and hide in the dust.... The proud look of man will be abased, and the loftiness of man will be humbled....." Is 2:10-11

"And men will go into caves of the rocks, and into holes of the ground" Is. 2:19

"...In order to go into the caverns of the rocks and the clefts of the cliffs" Is. 2:21

For 3 1/2 years, the Jews will live in fear of the antichrist, but will be provided for and protected by God. They will have been stripped of all their earthly possessions...no
cell phones, cars, faxes, Internet, or money. God will provide them with food and water (Rev 12:6). They will loose their pride (Is 2:11). With all the distractions out of the way, the Jewish people, chosen by God for His purposes, will reacquaint themselves with their Maker.

After 3 1/2 years, at the end of the Tribulation, their Messiah will present Himself to them there.

"Who is this who comes from Edom, with garments of glowing colors from Bozrah, this One who is majestic in His apparel, marching in the greatness of His strength? 'It is I who speak in righteousness, mighty to save.'" Is 63:1

"...they (Israel) will look on Me whom they have pierced;" Zech 12:10

"And one will say to him, 'What are these wounds between your arms?' Then he will say, Those with which I was wounded in the house of my friends." Zech. 13:6

The Petra Connection

2000 years ago, a civilization called the Nabateans, sprung up in south Edom, in the area called Bozrah. History doesn't know for sure where they came from, or what caused them to disappear seemingly almost overnight. But they lived there for about 300-400 years continually building and expanding a city called that today we call Petra ("rock").

Petra has only one entrance that is a mile long, roughly 10 to 20 feet wide, with towering cliffs above reaching as high as 300 feet. The long winding entrance, called the siq, opens up into open spaces and canyons large enough to hold 5 million people, when fully excavated.

All throughout Petra, the Nabateans carved into the miles of soft sandstone walls. They carved houses, stables, meeting rooms, caves, tombs and more. The amount of digging, and the beautiful stone edifices still there today
are mind-boggling.

My my, what a coincidence that in the middle of Edom, in the middle of Bozrah, is a place just waiting to be used by God. A place He prepared 2000 years ago! Just as the Bible predicted.

As we mentioned, Petra was recently designated as one of the "Seven Wonders of the World." Few of the tens of thousands who trek to see Petra each year have any clue about the Biblical tie-in. But we try to make visiting Petra and option on every trip we take to the Holyland.

Every Believer should go to Israel at least once in their life. Seeing what you're reading in your Bible simply changes you. And when you go, if at all possible, try to include Petra. It will knock your-Bible-socks-off!!!

Shalom!

Bill

If you would like to print this article click here: Petra - Prepared by God?

One of the more interesting Bible discussions in this life is about the timing of the Rapture. Hey, this world will go from normal to experiencing God's wrath in a split second. And there are many reasons to believer we're getting close to the end of this age.

I wrote an article in our Spring Communique' entitled "The Last of the Last Days" and presented 10 unmistakable signs were close, very close, to wrapping up this age.

So there are numerous clues hidden in scripture about the last days, especially pertaining to the Rapture. And based on these Biblical clues, I think that the Rapture will probably happen on the Jewish Feast day of Rosh Hashanah, regardless of the year. Here's why!

According to Leviticus 23, there are seven Jewish Feasts commanded by God to be observed each year.

They are: Feast Name:                     Jewish Date:       Hebrew:

1) Passover                Nisan 14                 Pesach (April or May)

2) Unleavened Bread    Nisan 15                 Hag-Ha-Matzot

3) Firstfruits    Starts the day after the Sabbath following Passover.        Bikkurim

4) Feast of Weeks     Starts 50 days after Firstfruits.     Shavuot (May or June)

5) Trumpets                      Tishri 1                     Rosh Hashanah (Sept. or Oct.)

6) Day of Atonement     Tishri 10                  Yom Kippur

7) Tabernacles                  Tishri 15                 Succoth

Passover

Passover has been extensively analyzed by numerous Biblical scholars. In a nutshell, Jesus is our Passover Lamb, the Lamb of God.

"...Christ our Passover..." 1Cor. 5:7

Jesus was slain on the cross on Mt. Moriah, the same mountain where Abraham tried to sacrifice his only son Issac. It's also the same mountain where all the animal sacrifices were offered.

The Passover sacrifice had to be a male lamb without blemish to temporarily cover their sins. So it's quite fascinating that at the exact same time the Jews were slaying their Passover lambs on Mt. Moriah, just a few steps away Jesus was being sacrificed as permanent covering for our sins.

There's perfect symbolism in the other six feasts as well.

Unleavened Bread

The second feast, Unleavened Bread, is the day after Passover. Jewish days began at dark, about 6 P.M., so the Feast of Unleavened Bread began in the evening after Passover.

"...Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!" John 1:29

Leaven in the Bible is a symbol of sin. The Jews purged their houses of leaven, in conjunction with what the sacrificial lamb had done--covered sin temporarily.

Unleavened bread is a picture of what Jesus had done on the cross...permanently covering our sin.

"I am the Bread of life." John 6:48

Firstfruits

The Feast of Firstfruits was to be celebrated on the Sunday after the Sabbath following Passover.

"But now Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who are asleep." 1 Cor. 15:20

The Jews celebrated Firstfruits by offering a sheaf of grain to the Lord for His allowing the first harvest.

Jesus is called the "firstifruits" from the dead (sleep).

Feast of Weeks

Fifty days after Firstfruits, the Jews celebrated the Feast of Weeks. Here the Jews offered two loaves of bread, as a second offering to the Lord, but this time they were baked with leaven, which again symbolizes sin.

Wretched man that I am! Rom. 7:24

The two loaves could represent either the Old and New Testament, the wheat and the tares, or the Jews and Gentiles being included in the New Testament Church.

The leaven represents sin's existence in the church. That's an understatement!

While the Jews were celebrating the Feast of Weeks, the Holy Spirit came roaring to earth, filling the Apostles (Acts 2) at what Christians call "Pentecost." (See our article on whom the Spirit fell HERE)

Just a coincidence? The symbolism of Jesus and the church in the first four spring Jewish feasts is undeniable.The first four major events of the Church Age - Jesus' death, burial, and resurrection, and the coming of the Holy Spirit - all fell exactly on the days of the Jewish Feasts.

But there's a long summer break between the spring and fall Jewish feasts.

The summer break in the feasts may very well represent the Church Age break in God's plan for the Jews.

God divinely scheduled the first four major events of the Church Age to land exactly on the Jewish Feast days. Therefore it's probable that the next big Church Age event, the Rapture, will occur on the next Jewish Feast in the fall.... whichever year the Rapture takes place.

This is where it gets very interesting!

Rosh Hashanah

The next feast in the Biblical order order falls in September or October each year.

Called Rosh HaShanah, it's a day of gathering and celebration and the Jews are specifically charged to "blow trumpets." The blowing of a Ram's horn from the southwestern corner of the Temple Mount was the signal that it was time to gather in Jerusalem.

For this feast, the Jews would blow the shofar for 29 days. Then on the last day there was one more blowing--three distinct series of 30 blasts each. This was followed by ten final blasts leading up to "The Great Blowing." This was one last, long blast of the trumpet, proclaiming the beginning of the feast.

"Now in the seventh month, on the first day of the month, you shall also have a holy convocation; you shall do no laborious work. It will be to you a day for blowing trumpets" Num. 29:1

Rapture and Rosh Hashanah

As all who have studied the Rapture know, it's a day of gathering in the air and certainly should be quite the celebration!

The two most famous spine-tingling Rapture verses read:

"Behold, I tell you a mystery; we will not all sleep, but we will all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet; for the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed." 1 Cor 15:51-52

"For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. 1Thes. 4:16

Coincidence is not Kosher

There's a trumpet blown at the feast of Rosh Hashanah and a trumpet blown for the next Christian event, the Rapture. The Jews celebrate at Rosh Hashanah and Christians will celebrate at the Rapture in the sky.

Coincidence? Hardly! The Jewish Feasts continue to mirror the major Christian events!

Therefore, following God's pattern of having the first four major events of the Church Age land on the first four Jewish feasts, I believe undoubtedly that the next big event of the Church Age is likely to occur on Rosh Hashanah, regardless of the year!

Now, for those purists who will argue that you can't know the day and the hour based on this verse:

"But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father alone." Matthew 24:36

First, when Jesus made that statement, He was speaking pre-cross and had not yet received all knowledge as described in Revelation 5.

Like many other statements He made to the Jews under the Law, it was true when He made it before the cross, but not true today to you and me living in the Church Age. Today, Jesus can't make that statement!

Second, we still don't know the year, much less the day and hour as Israel is one day, eight to ten time zones ahead of us.

But for what it's worth, just for fun, if the Rapture just happens to be this year, Rosh Hashanah begins on the evening of October 2. Just saying...

BP

If you would like to print this article click here: Rapture and Rosh Hashanah

A typical question we receive often receive in Good Morning Lord! letters:

 "Is there anything wrong with Christians allowing their children to think Santa Claus is real?"

Typical answers by Christians:

"Give me a break, children are usually so young when they are doing Santa that it could hardly matter!"

"My parents played the Santa game and it didn't hurt me, so what's the big deal?"

"When my children ask if Santa is real, then I will tell them the truth. But until they ask, I enjoy watching their little eyes light up on Christmas morning."

A pastor with a large national following once said:

"I find it impossible to believe God will be eclipsed by the silhouette of Santa's sleigh rising in the Christmas sky." (http://www.livingway.org/articles/SANTA2.html)

A recent MSNBC article said this:

"Fully 86 percent in the poll believed in Santa as a child. And despite the multiethnic nature of the country, more than 60 percent of those with children at home consider Santa important in their holiday celebrations now." AP-AOL News poll <http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/16329025/>

So, with so many Christians intertwining Christmas with Santa, at least when their kids are at an early age, could anything really be wrong with it? I think there's a strong case it's VERY wrong. Here's why.

Let's start with a simple question, "Should Christians lie?"

God says:

"Truthful lips will be established forever, but a lying tongue is only for a moment." Proverbs 12:19

The Bible says we have a sinful nature:

"Transgressing and denying the LORD, and turning away from our God, speaking oppression and revolt, conceiving in and uttering from the heart lying words."  Isaiah 59:12,13
                                             

And the sinful nature doesn't go away when we trust Jesus shed blood and are born again:

"For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh; for the wishing is present in me, but the doing of the good is not." Rom. 7:18

The Bible says this about lying:

 "There are six things which the LORD hates, Yes, seven which are an abomination to Him: Haughty eyes, a lying tongue..." Proverbs 6:16,17

Based on the Word of God, God hates lying - all lying about anything, anytime. He hates it so much that lying will be non-existent in the New Heaven and Earth (Revelation 21:27, 22:15).

So the next question is: "Is allowing your kids to believe that "Santa" is real the same as lying to them?" Yes it is. And once your kids realize that you misled/lied to them about Santa, no matter how good your intentions, you have a credibility problem when you tell them about the things of God. They can't see Santa, they only believe what you say about him. Neither can they see God.

Websters' definition of "lie" includes this phrase:

" . . . a situation involving deception or founded on a mistaken impression."

So it seems pretty clear that Christians who mislead their kids about Santa are lying to them and that's clearly not what God wants.

What's even more remarkable is that the truth is so much better. What in the world is wrong with teaching our kids that Christmas is the celebration of the birth of Jesus, our Savior?

I realize that debunking Santa in your home, especially if you have kids, is not easy. We took the "no Santa tack" as we raised our two girls. It caused several awkward moments because there were so many kids and adults into Santa Claus.

We simply taught our kids that Christmas was Jesus' birthday and Santa was a lie. We also taught them that they were sinners and needed a Savior. You can imagine what happened when well-meaning adults would come up and say,

"Is Santa coming to see you?"

They would say emphatically, "Nooooo!"

That invariably brought on the next question,

"Well, have you been bad?"

And the kids would respond,

"Yes."

By the time they explained their limited understanding of "He who says he has no sin deceives himself," that Santa was for non-Christians, and they thought it was wrong to pray to the Jesus substitute "Santa Claus," the adult was usually red-faced with embarrassment.

But the upside was that our Christmas celebrations have been, and still are, full of joy. There are gifts, and surprises, and wonderment - but it's always centered around Jesus, not a fictional character who mimics the omniscience and omnipresence of God. Santa Claus is nothing more than a poor Jesus substitute promoting an ungodly works doctrine ("He knows if you've been bad or good . . .").

Susie and I are the first to admit we made a lot of mistakes with our kids! So please don't think for a moment that we're saying "do what we do." I'm just pointing out that it can be done - by the graciousness of God - and a lot of prayer! So our hope is that you ask the Lord to give you wisdom and confidence in this tricky area. Because Santa Claus may very well be Satan's Claws in disguise!

May you have an incredible celebration of Jesus' birthday!

Bill Perkins

Bill Perkins is the founder and Executive Director of Compass International, Inc.
© Copyright 1993-2014, Compass International Inc. www.compass.org / 800-977-2177

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Bill Perkins is the founder and Executive Director of Compass International, Inc.
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Islam is the Religion, a Muslim is the person who follows Islam

As the Muslim population grows exponentially in the world, so does their influence.

Regarding the 4 million Muslims who have immigrated to Germany in the last 30 years, but who refuse to assimilate into German society, Chancellor Angela Merkel candidly admitted, "Germany's attempt to create a multicultural society has utterly failed."

The Merkel remarks only add more fuel to the growing debate over immigration and Islam. If the world continues to ignore Islam's stated desire to take over the world, it will ultimately give them victory. The following is a brief recap of facts of which everyone should be made aware.

The Qur'an
The Qur'an (the Islam Bible) was written by one man, Mohammed, about 1400 years ago. History shows Mohammed was a mass murderer, warlord, and had several wives (polygamy). Mohammed claims he received the Qur'an through revelations from the angel Gabriel in the seventh century (actually a demon). The Qur'an demands that all worship Allah, who was the moon god of ancient Mesopotamia. Allah and Jehovah God are NOT one and the same.

Islam Is NOT A Peaceful Religion!
In the first part of the Qur'an, Mohammed included a large number of peaceful passages. Toward the end of the book he penned more violent passages, AND, instructed that if there were any contradictions between passages in the book, followers of the Qur'an were to use the last/ more recently penned passage.

The result was that all the peaceful and tolerant passages recorded in the early part of the Qur'an were superseded by the latter more violent passages. The Qur'an is loaded with direct commands and warns that you will burn in hell if you ignore even one of them.

Under Shari'a law, you can not disagree with the Qur'an. Free speech is not allowed. The word "love" is not in the Qur'an. Neither is "Jerusalem." In 622 Muhammad founded the first Islamic state, a theocracy in Medina, a city in western Saudi Arabia located north of Mecca.

Shiites and Sunni
When Mohammad was poisoned to death in 629 AD, the family of Mohammad was split as to a successor. Those who followed Bakr were called "Sunni" and those who followed Ali were called "Shiite." 85% of Muslims are Sunni. The Shiites control Iran (Biblical Persia), and have large populations in southern Iraq, Yemen, Bahrain, Syria and Lebanon. Sunni Muslims control or dominate Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Jordan, and several smaller countries.

Iran (Shiite) loathes Saudi Arabia (Sunni)
Saudi's Sunni Muslim population believes that Shiites aren't real Muslims. In Saudi Arabia the law doesn't allow Shiites to hold jobs in politics or judicial posts, to testify in court, or to intermarry with Sunnis.

The most recent reason for the disdain between the Shiites and the Sunnies dates back to the 1980s when Saudi Arabia gave Iraq/Sudamn Hussian money and weapons to fight Iran. In that war, over 500,000 Iranians were killed. Iran has not forgotten and forgiveness is never an option in the Islamic religion. Iran would love to invade and take control of Saudi Arabia - home to Medina and Mecca - considered the two holiest cities for Muslims.

There is no distinction for the Muslim between the political and religious. Islam is less than a religion and more of a religious and political ideology. It demands control over every level of society: legal recourse, beliefs, morals and manners, worship specifics. Islam means 'submission.' The Qur'an demands it.

Muslims expect to take over the world and institute Shari'a law everywhere. Spreading out from the Middle East, Muslims have been multiplying like rabbits in Europe, averaging 6 kids per family. In France, one in ten are Muslim. Many European cities, including Amsterdam, Marseille, France and Malmo, Sweden are already one-quarter Muslim. Paris is now surrounded by a ring of Muslim neighborhoods.

A Muslim man can have up to four wives. With American and European birthrate at less than 2 per family, Muslims are destined to have majorities in the not so distant future. It's simple math.

Muslims In Europe
The Europe you know is changing. According to the German Central Institute Islam Archive, the total number of Muslims in Europe in 2007 was about 53 million. San Diego University recently calculated that a staggering 25 percent of the population in Europe will be Muslim just 12 years from now. Bernhard Lewis has predicted a Muslim majority by the end of this century.

All throughout Europe there are entire Muslim neighborhoods where very few locals reside or even dare to walk. Even the police avoid them at all costs. All the women are berka dressed- covered from head to
toe except for the eyes. Husbands, by Shari'a law, walk three steps ahead in public. There are thousands of mosques throughout Europe. These fast-growing neighborhoods are the building-blocks for territorial control of increasingly larger portions of Europe, street by street, city by city. It is the world of parallel societies created by Muslim mass-migration.

In the Netherlands, 60% of the population see the mass immigration of Muslims as the number one policy mistake since World War II. Another 60 percent see Islam as the biggest threat since WW1. They have Muslim official state holidays. The Christian-Democratic attorney general has stated he is willing to accept sharia in the Netherlands if there is a Muslim majority.

Muslims who immigrate/mass migrate do not assimilate into the culture of their new country, refusing to learn the language and demanding their own Shari'a courts of law. In England sharia courts are now officially part of the British legal system. There are about 100 sharia tribunals operating in Britain with
Muslim courts deciding cases in London, Manchester, Bradford, Birmingham and Nuneaton.

In France school teachers are advised to avoid authors deemed offensive to Muslims, including Voltaire and Diderot. Many neighborhoods in France are nogo areas for women without head scarves. The Pew Research Center reported that half of French Muslims see their loyalty to Islam as greater than their loyalty to France. One-third of French Muslims do not object to suicide attacks. The British Centre for Social Cohesion reported that one-third of British Muslim students are in favor of a worldwide Caliphate (Muslim rule). Even the history of the Holocaust is
vanishing in Europe because of Muslim sensitivity.

In some elementary schools in Amsterdam the farm can no longer be mentioned, because that would also mean mentioning the pig, and that would be an insult to Muslims. Many state schools in Belgium and Denmark only serve halal food to all pupils.

Muslims In The U.S.
There are varying estimates of the number of Muslims in America ranging from 5 to 10 million, and of course, with their high birth rate, they are growing exponentially. There are roughly 1450 mosques in the U.S!

In Hamtramck, Michigan, the City Council has approved Muslim 'call to prayer" to be broadcast on loudspeakers five times a day. Anyone who has ever heard these "prayers" understand the problem. Sounds like a guy with a stomach ache... incredibly discordant!

In Dearborn, Michigan there are so many Muslims inresidence that they effectively control the local government. Football practice times were changed at one of the high schools in order to accommodate Ramadan, a month-long time of fasting. Non-Muslim football players had to change normal practice times to accommodate Shari'a law.

President Obama appointed Arif Alikhan and Kareem Shora, both devout Muslims, to key Homeland Security Posts. Shora has referred to anti-U.S. jihadists as heros. Alikhan has referred to Hezbollah as a "Liberation Movement."

And no one gave a second thought when Keith Ellison (D-MN), was sworn into the 110th Congress with his hand on a copy of Pelosi and U.S. Rep. Ellison using Koran to swear to Allah the Qur'an. Speaker Pelosi had her hand on on the Qur'an also.

Anjem Choudary, a Muslim Cleric, speaking in an interview on ABC News, October, 2010, said, "We do believe as Muslims the East and the West will one day be governed by Sharia. Indeed we believe that one day the flag of Islam will fly over the White House."

The Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) is currently campaigning to have so-called "Islamophobia" recognized by the international community as a form of racism prosecutable under international law. This would include any expression the Islamists find offensive, which in practice would amount to a global gag order on any critical discussion of Islam. Last year, the Obama administration co-sponsored with Egypt a U.N. Human Rights Council
resolution against "racial and religious stereotyping," which offered cover to the Islamists in their drive to put any criticism of their religion off limits.

Israel and the Muslims
Israel is in the hot seat due to their proximity in the Middle East to all the Muslim countries. Since 600 AD, God has allowed the Muslims to grow up around them. But the Muslim war against Israel is more than a war against Israel. It is jihad against the West. Israel is simply on the front lines. Without Israel being planted so firmly in the middle east, Islamic imperialism would have moved much faster.

Many in the world, including many misunderstanding Christians, ridiculously argue in favor of abandoning Israel in order to address the grievances of the Muslims. But that would not mean Muslims would all of a sudden change their behavior and values.

On the contrary, the end of Israel would not mean the end of our problems with Islam, but only an escalation. It would mean the start of the final battles for world domination. If the Muslims defeat Israel, they will go after the next country in line, until they conquer the world.

A Big Problem To Watch
90% of all the oil coming out of the middle east must pass through the "Strait of Hormuz," on Iran's western border. Iran could paralyze the world overnight by shutting down that waterway. Is there any chance they won't try?

Yemen is another choke point on the other important waterway, the Red Sea. Yemen controls a strait called, "Gates of Tears." 3.3 million barrels of oil ship through there every day.

For obvious reasons, Iran wants control of Yemen and is funding the terrorists there. The terrorists have grown so strong that Yemen has just been labeled, "a threat to global stability" by the U.S. State Department. The U.S. is quietly sending ships, troops and weapons to Yemen.

The U.S. is providing F-16s to arm Saudi Arabia to defend themselves against what they believe will ultimately be a Muslim vs. Muslim war between Iran (Shiite) and Saudi/Yeman (Sunnie). The Muslims are always fighting, even each other (Gen 16:10-12). Saudi jets have already begun dropping bombs in Yemen at the terrorists camps. Over 250 border towns have already had to close, including 50 schools.

Almost 70% of the world's gas and oil reserves are at stake in this region. When this spark finally ignites, it could easily cause oil to shoot up past $200 a barrel, much like the 1973 Arab oil embargo or 1979 Iranian crises. When the price of oil goes up, so does the price food, transportation, business costs, etc. Most everything in life is affected by the price of oil.

Conclusion
All the countries the Bible says will battle Israel in the last days, are in fact, Muslim. Don't be fooled into thinking that this is a struggle over land in Israel, or Muslim extremists in the world. The struggle is about whose god is the real God. Is the true god "Allah," whose Qur'an says Islamic forces will conquer and rule the world? Or is the One True God "Jehovah" of the Judo-Christian Bible, Who says His Son Jesus will rule the world from His throne in Jerusalem? I peeked at the end.... it's Jehovah!

And since Jehovah is in control of all things, that means He is allowing all that's going on in the world for His purposes. And the future will have some just dandy witnessing opportunities. And you and I have answers! In fact, we had a conference in Tempe and recorded eight new Steeling the Mind DVDs- several that shed great light on what's going on in the world. A perfect opportunity to bone up on Biblically centered info for those conversations with your unsaved family members, neighbors, co-workers or God-ordained encounters with strangers. Check them out, buy 'em and pass them around!

Shalom!

Bill Perkins

If you would like to print this article click here: Islam's World Agenda

© 2017 Compass Int’l, Inc.

Bill and Susie Perkins founded Compass International, Inc. in 1993 as a non-profit, nondenominational ministry. For information on Compass’ Steeling the Mind Bible Conferences, Good Morning Lord! Bible studies, books, DVDs and Biblelands Cruises, go to compass.org

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God hates divorce. Malachi 2:16

With professing Christians getting divorced at the same or higher rate than non-Christians*, something is amiss in the Christian world. Percentages of Christians filing for divorce have leveled, but not dropped, in the last 25 years. Desiring to get to the meat of this problem, we asked a Christian divorce attorney to speak at one of our Steeling The Mind Bible Conferences. He opened a lot of eyes. More on that later.

But with such a large number of professing Christians in our churches who are divorced, what is their status? Can divorced men serve as deacons or elders? Can they teach Sunday School? Are they second-class Christians?

Based on what the Bible says, there is much confusion in the church over the “divorce” issue. Make no bones about it, divorce is horrible. God hates it. That is because God loves us, and divorce always hurts people. ALWAYS. Interestingly, despite God’s vehement language forbidding divorce, it was permitted under the Old Testament law.

“When a man takes a wife and marries her, and it happens that she finds no favor in his eyes because he has found some indecency in her, and he writes her a certificate of divorce and puts it in her hand and sends her out from his house.” Deut. 24:1

Jesus referred to that Law when He said to the Pharisees, who were under the Law:

“And it was said,‘Whoever sends his wife away, let him give her a certificate of divorce’; but I say to you that everyone who divorces his wife, except for the cause of unchastity, makes her commit adultery; and whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery. Matt. 5:31-32

Unfortunately, many, many, many pastors teach that if your spouse is committing sexual sin, you have, from the mouth of Jesus in scripture, permission to divorce.

But wait, does that verse apply to those of us living in the Church Age? Absolutely not! Jesus was addressing the Jews under law, not Christians living in the Church Age. Paul, through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, addressed Believers in the Church Age, and said:

Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; Eph. 5:25

That is a hugely different scriptural command. Christ would never divorce the Church! So another dispensational doctrinal clarification comes into light. Jesus, when addressing the Jews under law, allowed divorce if the spouse was in sexual sin.

This was apparently because those living under the law did not have God the Holy Spirit living in them. But later, Paul, speaking to Believers in the Church Age, said there is zero reason for divorce, even if the spouse is in sexual sin!

Post-cross Believers have the capacity to love and forgive that those prior to the cross didn’t have. We have the Holy Spirit from which to draw incredible power.

I can do all things through Him who strengthens me. Phil. 4:13

So, Christians should never get divorced. Christ living in you has the power to overcome the vilest of problems. And with the Holy Spirit, there is always hope for change. If a couple is having marriage problems, regardless of what those problems are, the answer is never divorce. Never.

“Is anything too difficult for the LORD? Gen. 18:14

However, many, many Christians have been divorced. So where do they stand? God’s word is very clear, yet many church leaders seem to ignore the instructions. Let’s look a what God says about Christians and divorce.

First of all, it makes no difference if both spouses were Believers or nonbelievers at the time of the divorce, or if one was a Believer and one was a pagan. God’s instructions to all are the same.

Sin is sin. There are no big sins and little sins. There may be ramifications in this life if you are a homosexual, or a murderer, or divorced, but nothing too large to be covered by His blood. For Believers, ALL our sin was paid on the cross-past, present and future.

If you are a Believer, as far as divorce is concerned, your sin is under the blood, just like the rest of your sins. It may affect you the rest of your life, but as far as God is concerned, it’s paid for and over with.

And when you were dead in your transgressions and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He made you alive together with Him, having forgiven us all our transgressions, having canceled out the certificate of debt consisting of decrees against us and which was hostile to us; and He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross. Col. 2:13-14

There are several verses that God inspired for us to understand how to deal with specific situations. If you get divorced, regardless of the reason, the first thing God wants is for you to be reconciled to your spouse.

"but if she does leave, let her remain unmarried, or else be reconciled to her husband" 1 Cor. 7:11

But if reconciliation is not possible, it’s BEST to stay unmarried in order to fully serve the Lord.

“. . . to secure undistracted devotion to the Lord.” 1 Cor. 7:35

“But I say to the unmarried and to widows that it is good for them if they remain even as I.” 1 Cor. 7:8

“Yet such (divorced or widowed who remarry) will have trouble in this life, and I am trying to spare you.” 1 Cor. 7:28b

However, if two Believers fall in love, they should marry, divorced or not, and it is not sin!

“Are you bound to a wife? Do not seek to be released. Are you released from a wife? Do not seek a wife. But if you should marry, you have not sinned;”
1 Cor. 7:27,28a

It is interesting that the Bible says,“But if you should marry, you have not sinned.”That is consistent with this verse:

But if they do not have self-control, let them marry; for it is better to marry than to burn (in lust). 1 Cor. 7:9

God created us to be married. He gave us desires for the opposite sex. But divorce is of Satan and it horribly smashes God’s model of marriage.

Therefore, if someone is divorced, their first step would be to reconcile. I’m sure a lot of people will roll their eyes over that one but how big is your God? But if they can’t reconcile, they are to stay unmarried. And if someone is not able to stay single, which is the NORMAL case, it is much better to be married.

Keep in mind that to God, all Believers are sanctified, cleansed, pure to the point that God can live in them, and they stay in that condition until they die or are raptured. Divorce doesn’t change someone’s sanctification. It’s not the unpardonable sin. It was paid for on the cross just like all the other sin.

Some argue that 1Tim. 3:2 and Titus 1:6 show that there is a penalty for divorce in terms of church leadership.

"An overseer, then, must be above reproach, the husband of one wife, temperate, prudent, respectable, hospitable, able to teach," 1 Tim. 3:2

"...namely, if any man be above reproach, the husband of one wife, having children who believe, not accused of dissipation or rebellion." Titus 1:6

This argument not scriptural. In the original Greek, the phrase “the husband of one wife” literally means “a one woman man.”

There are many men who have been married only once who are not “one woman men,” and many who are divorced who are indeed “one woman men.” “Not divorced” is not the qualification for church Elder leadership, but rather his maturity as a Believer.

The obvious exception would be if a divorce was a result of a man’s poor leadership in his family, THAT would be a disqualification. But not the divorce in itself.

“He must be one who manages his own household well, keeping his children under control with all dignity (but if a man does not know how to manage his own household, how will he take care of the church of God?);” 1 Tim. 3:4-5

It has often been said that God can’t use someone until they’ve been broken. Divorce rattles people to the core. Divorce almost always brings true humility, a Christian characteristic much revered by God. For someone to say that a divorced man is not fit for church leadership based solely on his divorce status, is prideful in itself. They are adding to God’s word, being legalistic and potentially missing great leadership and input.

So all this begs the question,“Why is the divorce percentage higher for Christians than non-Christians?” Well as it turns out, the percentage drops dramatically when you ask one more question—"Do you pray daily with your spouse?"

For those couples who pray with each other daily, the percentage getting a divorce drops from over 50% to less than 2%! So if you're committed to serving the Lord together, and Agape love each other, the odds are you're not going to get a divorce. And if you're not praying daily with your spouse, you should start!

As I mentioned, at our last Steeling the Mind Bible Conference, we had a retired divorce attorney speak. His story is amazing. Before God saved him, he drew up divorce papers for everyone who came in his office seeking a divorce. But once he trusted the shed blood of Jesus on the cross in payment for his sins, God opened his eyes to the definition of true agape love.

After much study in God’s word, he began to see marriage and love in a different light. God had given him great insight into what God’s love really is. He was burdened that most people were getting divorced because of a lack of knowledge. So he decided to share what he learned with those coming in for a divorce. He explained to each and every couple that he would draw up the divorce papers only after a two hour explanation of marriage and love based on the word of God.

That two hour pre-divorce conference resulted in 70% of those coming in to get back together, and they are still married today! Yes, you read that correctly! 70% who went to him for a divorce, are still married today! Wow!

I was so dumbfounded by that statistic I asked him to make a scaled down one hour presentation of his (God’s) material, and the results have been absolute phenomenal. There were five marriages, that we know of, that were turned around at the conference after hearing his presentation. Some churches are now requiring ANY couple in a marriage difficulty to view this DVD prior to any counseling. PTL!

If you know anyone who is having a marriage problem, get this presentation to them. It’ll also take a good marriage higher. The title is "How to Love Your Spouse, Regardless!" And, as always, if you can’t afford it we’ll send it to you for free. You can’t put a price tag on this!

Shalom!

Bill Perkins

If you would like to print this article, click here: Christians and Divorce

"Let the name of God be blessed forever and ever" Dan 2:20

When we go to Israel, our guides are usually non-Christian Jews. To be a guide in Israel means you are licensed by the State of Israel only after completing the equivalent of a two-year college course studying the hundreds of Biblical sites in the promised land.

So the vast majority of our Israeli guides are articulate, well-educated...but secular--meaning not religious. They usually observe Passover and Day of Atonement but nothing else. Sorta like some Christians go to church only on Christmas and Easter.

It is always perplexing to us on our Israel trips to hear the guide say things like, "Over here God used miracles for David to defeat the Amorites," or "Here's where Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead," yet totally miss what they are actually saying.

They talk about God and Jesus all day long, quote passages out of the Old and New Testaments, but don't connect the spiritual dots. They refer to Him by name, but the deep and powerful meaning of that name escapes them.

What Does "Yahweh" Mean?
"Yahweh" is the personal name of God in the Bible. Called the Tetragrammaton, it is composed of four letters, no vowels. The Hebrew letters are Yod, Hey, Vav, Hey, read right to left in the Hebrew (see above), left to right in English (YHWH).

Hebrew letters all have meanings. You're going to love what the letters mean in "Yahweh"!

Yod
Yod is the smallest letter of the Hebrew alphabet and is masculine in gender. It portrays the symbol of an entire hand, or closed hand, from the wrist to the fingertips. This is distinguished from another letter, kaf, that means "palm."

Hey
Hey is feminine and means "to behold," "show" or "reveal."

Can you tell where this is going?

Vav
Vav is masculine and signifies a nail, peg or hook, signifying being nailed or bound together.

So when read in Hebrew, right to left, God's name means:

"Behold the Nail, Behold the Hand"

Or simply,

"Behold the nailed hand."

It gets even better when you combine the meaning of the individual letters with the overall meaning of the word—Yahweh, YHWH, which means "Salvation," then it basically translates:

"Behold, the nailed hand is salvation."

There are other Biblical references to the Messiah's pierced hands and feet:

"...they will look upon Me whom they have pierced" Zech 12:10

"...they have pierced My hands and feet." Ps 22:16
 

With the name of God being so specific, it
makes one wonder how in the world do the
Jews, especially the Jewish guides in Israel,
miss the fact Jesus came as the Messiah?!

The answer, of course, is in scripture. God has "blinded" them.

"... And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?" For this cause they could not believe, for Isaiah said again, "He has blinded their eyes, and He hardened their heart; lest they see with their eyes, and perceive with their heart, and be converted, and I heal them."John 12:39-40

But God has not blinded us. His Holy Spirit living in us reveals truth to Believers through the Word of God. So we've looked at the Hebrew letters in "Yahweh" and shown how, in no uncertain terms, they specifically spell out "Behold the Nailed Hand."

Here's another nugget along those same lines...

"Yahweh" is the personal name of God, much like Abraham and Sarah are personal names. Words like Elohim (God), El (mighty), Shaddai (almighty) and Adonai (master) are titles. And of course "Lord" is a title.

Consider the Third Commandment:

"You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain, for the LORD will not leave him unpunished who takes His name in vain." Deut. 5:11

The word "LORD" above is not in the original manuscripts. "Yahweh" is what was originally written. The Jews changed the word "Yahweh" in their Torahs because they believed it was blasphemy to pronounce the personal name of the Lord out loud.

Thousands of times God put His personal name in Scripture and each time it's been changed to a title!

If a man wrote a love letter to his wife, would she want to read "Dear Woman" or would she rather read "Dear Susan?"

"Yahweh" wanted a personal relationship with the Jews. He even set up a temporary sacrificial system so He could live right in their midst. But they couldn't quite grasp His provisions.

"Then the Lord said, "Because this people draw near with their words and honor Me with their lip service, but they remove their hearts far from Me, and their reverence for Me consists of tradition learned by rote" Is. 29:13

In the Church Age, Jesus is the personal name we use to address our Lord of Lords. We can say, "Jesus, Lord of my life." But it's actually quite
impersonal to address Him with titles like "Dear Lord," "Lord God," etc.

"Jesus" wants a personal relationship with you. But no more sacrifices are necessary. Yahweh paid it all on the cross and has given you the power of
His Spirit living in you to accomplish His will.

Praise The Lord!

BP

If you would like to print this article click here: A Peek Behind the Name of God

Since it was angels who orchestrated events in the story of Jesus' birth in Bethlehem over 2000 years ago, we thought this would be a good time to look at some interesting angel facts.

Angels are fascinating finite spirit (Grk= pneumata) beings that are mentioned about 300 times in the Bible.

Jesus created everything, so He obviously thought up, designed and created angels.

John 1:3 All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being.

Col. 1:16 For by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities - all things have been created through Him and for Him.

Psalm 148:5 Let them praise the name of the LORD, for He commanded and they [all His angels] were created.

(See also Mat 8:16, Lk 7:21, 8:2, 11:26, Acts 19:12, Eph 6:12)

Both the words "angel" in the Hebrew, mal'ak, and in the Greek, angelos, mean "messenger." But angels are also frequently used in the capacity of "guardians." Here are some interesting facts:

Angels do not die.
Luke 20:36

Angels are fixed in number.
Matthew 22:30

Angels can be male or female.
Women angels in Zech 5:9

Some angels have wings.
Ex 25:20, 1Chron 28:18, 2 Chron 3:11,13; 1Kgs 6:27,
8:6,7; Is 6:2; Ezek 10:8,12,19,21; 11:22; Zech 5:9, Rev 4:8

Angels were created before the world was created.
Job 38:4-7

Angels were originally created all good.
Gen 1:31

>Today some angels are still good.
Eph 3:10, Mark 8:38, 1 Tim 5:21

>Today some angels are bad. (Referred to as "Demons")
Eph 6:12, Jude 6, Mat 25:41, Luke 8:31

>And some angels are really bad.
2 Pet 2:4, Matt 8:28-28, Rev 12:49

Angels have rank and order.
Dan 10:13, 21; 12:1; Luke 1:19, Rev 8:2

Some angels have specific assignments.
Power over fire. Rev 14:18
Angel of the waters. Rev 16:5
Angel of the abyss. Rev 9:11
Angel who binds Satan. Rev 20:1-2
Separate righteous from the wicked. Mt 13:39
Michael "shouts" at the Rapture. 1 Thes 4:16

Michael is the Arch-angel.
Jude 9

Gabriel was a messenger.
Daniel- Dan 10:12, Zacharias- Lk 1:13, Mary- Matt 1:20

Lucifer was a cherub.
Ezek 28:14

Lucifer was created sinless.
Is 14:15

Lucifer was a musician.
Is. 14:11

Lucifer's beauty and splendor
corrupted him.
Ezek 28:17

Lucifer wanted to be God.
Is 14:13, 14

Angels help God's servants.
Acts 5:19, 12:5-11, 8:26, 10:1-7, 27:23-25,

Angels are protectors.
Psa. 91:11, Heb. 1:14

God uses angels to help believers.
Heb 1:14, Gen 24:7, Acts 12:15, Ps 34:7, 91:9-16

God uses angels to protect children.
Matt 18:10

Angels have intelligence and can reason.
Mat 8:29, 2Cor. 11:3, 1Pet. 1:12

Angels know more about God than humans.
James 2:19, Rev 12:12

Angels have emotions.
Luke 15:10, James 2:19, Rev 12:17

Angels have will.
Luke 8:28-31, 2 Timothy 2:26 and Rev 12:17.

Angels observe Christians.
1 Cor 4:9, 1 Cor 11:10, Eph 3:10, 1 Pet 1:12

Angels can appear as humans.
Heb 13:2

Angels can bring answers to prayers.
Dan. 10:12, Acts 12:5-10

Angels have accountability before God.
Job 1:6

Angels are limited in power, knowledge and
activity.
1 Pet. 1:12

Angels are a separate order of creatures.
Heb. 1:13-14

Angels will be judged by Believers.
1Cor. 6:3

Prior to the cross, angels ushered Believers to the next life.
Luke 16:22. However, today in the Church Age, when a Believer's life is over you go directly to be with the Lord. 2 Cor 5:8

Each country has a head demon assigned.
Eph. 6:12, Dan. 10:13, 20

Each local church has an angel assigned.
Rev. 2:1, 8; 2:12

Angels' primary ministry is to worship and praise God.
Ps 148:1-2, Is 6:3, Heb 1:6, Rev 5:8-13, 38:6-7, 103:20, Rev 22:9, Job 1:6, 2:1, Rev
7:1

Key passages about Satan:
Is. 14:3-27, Ezek. 28:11-19, Rev. 12:7-9, Rev. 17:8, Rev. 9:2

We are all born with Satan (the angel Lucifer) as our spiritual father.
John 8:44

Therefore we must all be "born again" to go
to heaven.
John 3:1-7

BP

If you would like to print this article click here: A Little About Angels

5 reasons
Why Muslims Want To Kill
Us

________________________

CBS News recently posted an interesting comment referring to the two Muslim terrorists who killed 14 in San Bernardino, California. The two terrorists were married
and the seemingly innocuous comment was: "How can somebody with a six-month old child have so much hate?"

Good question. We in America are incredulous to the idea of purposefully killing innocent civilians, much less women and children, regardless of the purpose or ultimate political agenda.

Yet that's what radical Muslims do. They actually believe the more non-Muslims killed the better, regardless of their age or sex. Where does that irrational thinking come from?

The answer to that question is Biblically fascinating. We've written articles in the past referring to God's proclamation that Ishmael and his Arabian descendants would always be irrational--always fighting everyone as well as each other.

"He will be a wild donkey of a man,
His hand will be against everyone,
And everyone's hand will be against him;
And he will live to the east of all his brothers."
Gen. 16:12

But this doesn't completely explain what's going on today. Here are five logical reasons radical Muslims are so irrationally vicious and want to kill non-Muslims.

1) The Quran Teaches Violence
To begin with, Muhammed wrote the entire Quran himself around 600 AD, guided by who he said was the "Angel Gabriel." But God said in the Book of Revelation that any future revelation was effectively closed.

"I testify to everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: if anyone adds to them, God will add to him the plagues which are written in this book; and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God will take away his part from the tree of life and from the holy city, which are written in this book." Rev. 22:18-19

So basically anyone trying to add to the revealed Word of God after 94 AD is NOT hearing/getting their inspiration from God or Gabriel. Therefore Mohammed's angel was simply a demon in disguise, or even Satan himself.

"No wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light." 2 Cor. 11:14

It's even well-documented that Muhammad himself questioned whether he was hearing from a demon. Others around him at the time apparently questioned whether or not what he was writing was coming from a demon. (8)

Therefore we have no choice but to conclude that the Quran is a Satanically inspired book. So it's no surprise that it's quite bloody and is the root cause for the hate that permeates the Muslim world.

The Quran has over 100 verses that call Muslims to war with non-Muslims in quite graphic fashion... by chopping off their fingers and/or heads if they don't convert.(1) In fact, Islam's stated purpose is to literally take over the world, forcing everyone to serve Satan (disguised as "Allah") or be killed.

This is how they've operated since Muhammed founded the religion in 610 AD. The strategy of "Join us or die" has served them well in the past.

There are now roughly 1.6 billion Muslims in the world. About one out of
every four people on the planet are trapped in what meets every definition of a Satanic cult.

Even though you could argue that the majority of Muslims seem to be peaceful, estimates of "radical Muslims" range from 15% to 40%. But even if only 15% are radical Muslims, this means that there are over 400 million Muslims around the world who irrationally believe it's a good thing to kill or convert you and me.

And this also means that of the 2.75 million Muslims already living in the United States, roughly 400,000 are radical extremists.

Let me restate that another way--there are some 400,000 people living in our American neighborhoods who think and believe like the two San Bernardino terrorists! Does anyone see a problem here?

And this is using the low end of the estimates! The actual number of Muslim terrorists who have infiltrated our communities is likely much higher.

But the Quran has a lot more, so here's a brief recap of its unbelievable instructional content:

You can rape, marry and divorce girls as young as nine.

Quran 65:4

You can beat your wife.
Quran 4:34

You can't be charged for rape unless there are four or more male witnesses.
Quran 24:4

Kill Jews and Christians unless they convert or pay a large Jizya tax.
Quran 9:29

Crucify and amputate non-Muslims.
Quran 8:12, 47:4

Kill non-Muslims you will receive 72 virgins in heaven.
Quran 9:111

Kill anyone who leaves Islam.
Quran 2:217, 4:89

Behead non-Muslims.
Quran 8:12, 47:4

Kill and be killed for Allah.
Quran 9:5

Stealing from non-Muslims is permitted.
Quran 8

Lying to spread Islam is permitted. (The Iran treaty comes to mind.)
Quran 3:54, 9:3, 16:106, 40:28, 2:225

The Bible puts lying right up there with murder. So the fact they are told it's ok to lie is further proof the Quran is not from God.

And since the Paris bombings, 236 out of 237 Syrian "refugees" we let in this country are Muslims. So that translates to mean at least 30 new radical Muslim terrorist liars have been given the same access to kill Americans as the San Bernardino terrorists. Unbelievable.

Lastly, it's interesting that God's love, or His implied love, is referred to over 500 times in the Bible. But, par of the course, love is not even mentioned in the Quran. And neither is Jerusalem.

2) Muslims Are Taught Hate As Children
Satan's Quran is taught as part of the education system in all Arab dominated countries. Of course, when you say Muslim education, you first must realize we're only talking about male Muslims.

Women are not equal to men in the Arab world...they are basically slaves to Arab men. Women exist only to satisfy men and have babies. Camels are far better off than women in the Quram dominated Muslim world.

Imagine a wife in Saudi Arabia or Afghanistan. She's not equal to her husband and has zero rights. She's not allowed to be outside her home unless she has a male relative with her as an escort.

She's not allowed to drive a car or own property. She has no legal basis to charge her husband with any crime like abuse, which is rampant.

In any country where Sharia Law is the law, a Muslim wife is basically regulated to domesticated indoor activities with less standing than the household dog. And the dog doesn't have to wear a hideous burka!

A Muslim woman can be automatically divorced from her husband if he simply utters the words, "I divorce you" three times. If he says it once, he can take her back. If he says it twice, he can take her back a second time. If he says it a third time, they are divorced and cannot be reconciled. I'm not making this up! (2)

Some Muslim men will just say, "I divorce you" three times in a row, and it's all over. No reason is necessary. Just utter the words. Imagine living as a Muslim wife knowing that at any moment her husband could get mad, divorce her and make the rest of her life miserable as a divorced woman in the Arab world.

So it's understandable why a man growing up in the Muslim world would believe it's a waste of time and money to educate women. The last thing a Muslim man wants it to have his wife be educated and learn that most women in the world are not sex slaves.

In strict Muslim areas like Afghanistan and Saudi Arabia, women can only stay in school until the age of eight, barely learning to read and write. I'm guessing the old joke, "Women should be barefoot and pregnant," must have originated in the Muslim culture.

But a male Muslim's education isn't a whole lot better.

Arab textbooks are a joke. A recent survey by the Arab Cultural Association found over 16,000 mistakes in language, syntax and grammar in 3rd to 9th grade textbooks.(3) Plus they downright lie like a rug when it comes to Israel.

Arab nations are so upset with Israel being a successful nation right in the middle of them that they've actually changed maps in textbooks, removing the word "Israel."

They claim Israel should not be in the land and do not even recognize her as a legitimate nation. See Arab map --->

To be fair, other non-Muslim countries also lie about Israel's nation status, borders and culture. Check out this map (---->) in a British textbook where "Israel" is omitted and "Occupied Palestine" is the name given for the country.

Even in America, seemingly smart people fall for the politically-correct trash thinking that somehow Israel shouldn't be there. Newsweek recently posted this map on their website. (--->)

Interestingly, Israel gained nation-status from the United Nations at the same time Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Iraq, Syria, Qutar, etc., in 1937-48, as a result of the breakup of the Ottoman Empire in WWI. So if Israel is illegitimate, so are the rest of those Arab countries.

3) Muslims Are Cursed By God
God told Abraham there will be a heavy price to pay for those who curse His chosen Jewish descendants.

And I will bless those who bless you,
And the one who curses you I will curse.
Gen. 12:3

Applying this open-ended promise today it's amazing to see the third-world conditions in which most Arabs live. Most families can barely scratch out a living in lands that yield few crops and have torturing climates. I believe thisis totally connected to their desire to wipe Israel off the map.

But it's not the Arab land that is cursed, but rather the Arab people. Israel took over the same deserts and swamps beginning in 1917, land the Arabs thought useless. Land they laughingly SOLD to Israelis post-1917, thinking they were ripping off the Jews who were stupid buyers.

Now the Arabs are humiliated watching Israel as they've changed the landscape into such high crop yields that they now export their excess fresh food
flying it daily into Europe.

And much of this food is being produced in the Jordan Valley, at the lowest point on the earth, in the harshest of conditions. Just as the Bible predicted:

"The wilderness and the desert will be glad, and the Arabah [Jordan Valley] will rejoice and blossom; Like the crocus, it will blossom profusely..." Is. 35:1,2

Since the Jews began returning in 1917, and especially since 1948 when the
United Nations gave them official Nation status, Israel has been refurbishing the land. They've drained the swamps, irrigated the
land and planted some 250 million trees.

All of this new vegetation has literally changed the weather patterns in the area and they are receiving more rain. This is in stark contrast to how they found it. In fact, the land was so bad in 1869 that Mark Twain said this after visiting the area:

"..... A desolate country whose soil is rich enough, but is given over wholly to
weeds... a silent mournful expanse.... a desolation.... we never saw a human being on the whole route.... hardly a tree or shrub anywhere. Even the olive
tree and the cactus, those fast friends of a worthless soil, had almost deserted the country." (Mark Twain "The Innocents Abroad," p. 361-362)

But through hard work and ingenuity, the Jews have reinvigorated the land. They were the first to use the drip system for irrigation that uses only a fraction of the amount of water usually needed for watering crops.

The Israelis also bio-engineered their date palm trees to grow three times more fruit at a much lower height so no machines are necessary to pick the crops.

So the land and weather was not the problem, rather it was God's curse on those who hate Israel.

4) The Only Promise For Salvation Is Martyrdom

Christians have the promise that we can know we're going to heaven before we die.

"...God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. He who has the Son has the life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have the life. These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know that you have eternal life." 1 John 5:11-13

But Muslims have no such assurance, no way to know if they will go to heaven when they die. They're taught that on Judgment Day, that Allah has to weigh all of their life's works. If there are enough good works, they go to heaven. If not, they're cast into hell forever. And Arab men believe not many women make it into heaven.

But there is one exception: If you die a martyr you skip Judgment Day and go straight into heaven without facing God's Judgment. Martyrdom also covers their immediate family members as well!

And with not many women in heaven, when you throw in the 72 virgins that they're told will be waiting for them when they arrive, to a poorly educated young Muslim man, martyrdom sounds like a win-win.

5) Muslim History
There is nothing but death and destruction in Muslim history and no one seems to want to talk about it. It would be impossible to cover it all, but consider this brief list:

Islamic conquest of India 1200-1600 AD
80 million Indians died.

Muslim Slave Raids on Africa 700-1800 AD
20 million slaves sold plus 80 million who died between capture and delivery.

Barbary Pirate Raids 1530 - 1805
1.2 million murders in the Mediterranean Sea.

Armenian Genocide 1915-1918
1.5 million Christians butchered by the Turks.

Genitally Mutilated Muslim Women Alive Today
125 million

So since Islam's beginning, the Muslims are irrationally mad at everyone all the time. And history shows us nothing will ever change. With that being a fact, does it seem logical to allow tens of thousands of "refugees" into any country?

Muslims gaining a foothold in a country always results in death and destruction--physically, mentally and spiritually.

If our national leadership were trying to protect the Christian virtues and values on which this nation was founded, what made this country what it is, they would
not allow more Muslims to immigrate. Period.

It was determined long ago by our country's adversaries that America could not be conquered by might, but would have to be destroyed internally. When you destroy the culture, you destroy the nation.

Sadly Europe's Culture Is Dying
Muslims always destroy the local culture in the country in which they reside. Just look at Europe. Muslims will not assimilate into European ways. Instead they multiply until they're a force to be reckoned with and instill Sharia Law.

Due to both Europeans heavily using birth control (averaging less than 1.6 births per family) and the Muslims not using birth control (averaging 4 to 5 kids per family), Europe's culture as we know it will cease to exist in less than 50 years.

Consider what is happening now:
In Germany Sharia courts presided by Muslim judges operate all across the country. Even non-Muslim German judges now cite Sharia law and quote from the Quran to uphold Muslim husbands' rights to beat wives.

In France it's too dangerous for the police to go into
the densely-populated Muslim ghettos that ring Paris.
In the French food industry, all meat sold is Halal,
which means it has been sacrificed to Allah (AKA Satan
and/or the moon god). The recent Paris massacre by
Muslim terrorists was a wake-up call to many French
citizens.

In Denmark Muslims are demanding that their religious police be able to apprehend and punish all Sharia law violators.

In Holland, death sentences have been carried out against Pim Fortuyn and Theo Van Gogh for publicly criticizing Islam!

In Austria, the Vienna High Court upheld the conviction of Elisabeth Sabaditsch-Wolf for making this FACTUAL statement:

"We all know that Muhammad married Aisha when she was six years old and consummated the marriage when she was nine. Now, what do we call this behavior if not pedophilia?"

And believe it or not, that's where our nation is headed unless we wake up. We must face the facts that for over 50 years our borders, language, culture and Christian liberties have been attacked with little resistance.

Even most of our national media seem to give credibility to destructive national policies. And I can't help but wonder about where our leadership is taking this nation as no less than seven top advisers in the White House are
devout Muslims...including Valarie Jarrett who has been called the most influential woman in the world. (7)

Thankfully we know the Lord is in control. Thankfully we know that God causes all things to work together for the good of those who are called according to His purpose.

God is obviously allowing the world to box itself into a corner so that when the Rapture occurs, to those who are left behind, the one-world government and one-world leader will seem to be a logical solution.

So as the Lord tarries, we have the opportunity daily to be used by the Holy Spirit in the lives of those in our spheres of influence. We have the only truth that matters.

Use us, Lord!
BP

If you would like to print this article click here: Why Muslims Want to Kill Us.compressed

Additional Resources:
1. http://www.answering-islam.org/Quran/Themes/jihad_passages.html
2. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Divorce_in_Islam
3. http://www.haaretz.com/israel-s-textbooks-in-arabic-are-full-of-mistakesstudy-
4. http://www.csmonitor.com/World/Security-Watch/terrorism-security/
5. http://www.nationalreview.com/article/428146/more-than-few-islamicextremists
6. http://www.billionbibles.org/sharia/sharia-europe.html
7. http://theblacksphere.net/2013/04/devout-muslims-in-key-positions-in-thewhite-
8. http://www.answering-islam.org/Silas/demons.htm

Compass also has a new DVD entitled:
"Islam's American Agenda--Facts You Better Know"
Scroll down to the list of Steeling titles for download now info.

© 2017 Compass Int’l, Inc.

Bill and Susie Perkins founded Compass International, Inc. in 1993 as a non-profit, nondenominational
ministry. For information on Compass’ Steeling the Mind Bible
Conferences, Good Morning Lord! Bible studies, books, DVDs and Biblelands Cruises,
go to compass.org

LIKE us on Facebook: facebook.com/compassbible and FOLLOW us on Twitter:
@compass7 and Instagram: @compassbible

Noah's flood really did happen. To deny it's a real event, accurately recorded in scripture, is to deny the trustworthiness of the entire Bible.

Noah's Flood is NOT a fable, myth or parable and Christians need to know how to answer the most basic questions that people raise regarding this incredible event.

Let's begin with a quick summary of the events:

"God said to Noah, "The end of all flesh has come before Me; for the earth is filled with violence because of them; and behold, I am about to destroy them with the earth." Gen. 6:13

"Behold, I, even I am bringing the flood of water upon the earth, to destroy all flesh in which is the breath of life, from under heaven; everything that is on the earth shall perish. Gen. 6:17

"Make for yourself an ark of gopher wood; you shall make the ark with rooms, and shall cover it inside and out with pitch. Gen. 6:14

"Then the LORD said to Noah, "Enter the ark, you and all your household, for you alone I have seen to be righteous before Me in this time. You shall take with you of every clean animal by sevens, a male and his female; and of the animals that are not clean two, a male and his female; also of the birds of the sky, by sevens, male and female, to keep offspring alive on the face of all
the earth." Gen. 7:3

"... the fountains of the great deep burst open, and the floodgates of the sky were opened. The rain fell upon the earth for forty days and forty nights." Gen. 7:11

"The water prevailed more and more upon the earth, so that all the high mountains
everywhere under the heavens were covered." Gen. 7:19

"God remembered Noah and all the beasts and all the cattle that were with him in the ark; and God caused a wind to pass over the earth, and the water subsided." Gen. 8:1

"In the seventh month, on the seventeenth day of the month, the ark rested upon the mountains of Ararat." Gen. 8:4

"Then God spoke to Noah, saying, Go out of the ark, you and your wife and your sons and your sons' wives with you. Bring out with you every living thing of all flesh that is with you, birds and animals and every creeping thing that creeps on the earth, that they may breed abundantly on the earth, and be fruitful and multiply on the earth." Gen. 8:15-17

To those of us who believe in Biblical inerrancy, the scriptural account of a worldwide flood is not hard to believe. We know the entire earth could be flooded because God originally created the earth as a planet of all water.

"The earth was formless and void, and darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was moving over the surface of the waters." Gen. 1:2

On day two of the Creation week, the wording indicates a lot of the earth's water was taken up into the clouds. Some have theorized that this was a sort of vapor canopy and it shielded the sun's rays... possibly the reason people lived longer in those days.

"...the earth was formed out of water and by water," 2Pet 3:5

"Then God said, "Let there be an expanse in the midst of the waters, and let it
separate the waters from the waters. God made the expanse, and separated the waters which were below the expanse from the waters which were above the expanse; and it was so. God called the expanse heaven. And there was evening and there was morning, a second day. Gen. 1:6-8

It's quite humorous that lately you hear the claim from scientists that Mars was at one time flooded with water. (1) There's not a drop of water on Mars today, but they think it was
once flooded! But the earth, with 5/6 of the planet covered with water today, couldn't have had a worldwide flood. Please, where is the common sense?

But realistically, all this is simply an attack on God and His authority. They don't want to admit that God can do anything He wants, anytime He wants.

Let's face the facts--God created the heavens and the earth by speaking
them into existence (Ps. 33:9). We can never truly grasp that fact because
we're mere mortals with limited brains and understanding. So it's not
necessary that we totally understand everything about how or why God does what He does.

"The secret things belong to the LORD our God, but the things revealed belong to us and to our sons forever, that we may observe all the words of this law." Deut. 29:29

"He has made everything appropriate in its time. He has also set eternity in their heart, yet so that man will not find out the work which God has done from the beginning even to the end." Eccl. 3:11

But God says we can trust what He reveals in His Word to be true. So we do,
believing and defending every Word of the Bible, including the account of the worldwide flood.

And we're in good company--look who else believes the flood was real:

Isaiah - Is. 54:9
Ezekiel - Ezek. 14:14
Peter - 2 Pet. 2:5
Jesus - Mat. 24:37

But the unbelieving world doesn't accept that the Bible is God's infallible word-for-word truth. Most non-Believers think the creation story, the worldwide flood, the account of Jonah and the great fish, etc., are fanciful, imaginative and made-up stories.

And based on the number of people who are upset with the mere notion that Noah's Ark was being rebuilt, the sight of the massive structure must have struck a deep-seated nerve in non-Bible Believers. They're aghast that the Bible could be
portrayed so boldly as being 100% true, every word.

They SHOULD be concerned because if they can't shout down the truth about the accuracy of the story of Noah, then other parts of the Bible might also be true--like heaven and hell, and who goes where. Oh what a comical dilemma the
rebuilt Ark is for those who don't believe the Bible is God's infallible Word.

This has so bothered so many that a group of atheists named "Tri-State Freethinkers" erected a billboard disparaging the Ark, comparing the Biblical account to "genocide and incest" and going "Back to the dARK ages."

They've raised over $10,000 to put up more billboards. But as of today the billboard companies in the area have declined to give them any more advertising
space.

And here at Compass we know that just advertising our conference in 2017 has caused some people to come unglued! We've had more feedback on our Compass' Facebook conference ad than we ever imagined possible.

Here's the ad:

Above is the ad we're running in Facebook accounts in Kentucky, Ohio and Indiana--some love it, some not so much!

The above ad is just simply giving them the details of how to join us. It's an
advertisement, and not a normal post. The learn more link went to the conference page on compass.org

Yet this ad received over 500 likes and over 400 shares! That's
amazing for a normal "look-what-we're-doing" post, much less a business ad!

Unfortunately many of the non-approving comments have had to be deleted
due to the foul language used attacking our stance that the Bible is 100%
true.

Obviously we're not trying to provoke the ire of non-Believers. In fact,
Facebook promised the ads would only go on the Facebook personal pages
of those who stated in their profile that their religion was "Christian."

Well, apparently a LOT of vocal "Christians" don't believe the Bible is literal.
We're being called everything from "idiots" to "ignoring science."

The tone of their arguments really sound more like accusations because,
again, if they lose this argument, oh dear, the Bible may be true. And that of
course is unacceptable to have to be accountable to a sovereign and
righteous God.

"So then each one of us will give an account of himself to God." Romans 14:12

The bottom line is that this accurately replicated Ark is inciting nervousness
in the non-Believer. And God may very well use it in an evangelistic way.
Hey, when we SCIENTIFICALLY raise eyebrows proving the world was once
totally flooded for over a year, then next to fall could be evolution itself--
Satan's biggest lie! So their annoyance will move to anger to furious wrath.
We should expect it.

In fact, the Bible says that in the time in which we live there will be mockers mocking. And they will vocally deride both the flood and the Second Coming.

"Know this first of all, that in the last days mockers will come with their mocking, following after their own lusts, and saying, "Where is the promise of His coming? For ever since the fathers fell asleep, all continues just as it was from the beginning of creation. For when they maintain this, it escapes their notice that by the word of God the heavens existed long ago and the earth was formed out of water and by water, through which the world at that time was destroyed, being flooded with water. 2Pet. 3:3-6

Therefore, to provide some armor to use when this discussion comes up with friends, family and coworkers, here are basic answers to some of the typical arguments against Noah building an Ark and surviving a horrific and catastrophic flood of the earth.

The Bible says the flood was worldwide.

"The water prevailed more and more upon the earth, so that all the high mountains everywhere under the heavens were covered." Gen. 7:19

Bible Skeptics Say:
"Obviously the flood had to be local and not worldwide because it could not
have covered all the mountain peaks like Mt. Everest."

Answer:
This is the classic mistake of assuming that the mountains like Mt. Everest
were that high prior to the flood. But they were not. It didn't even rain before the flood... which I'm sure made Noah and his family the laughing stock of earth at the time he was building the Ark.

Below in Ps. 104:6-9 you can plainly see that after the world was
flooded, THEN the mountains were raised and the valleys created by God. So the water only had to cover the highest mountain at the time of Noah.

"You covered it with the deep as with a garment; The waters were standing above the mountains. At Your rebuke they fled, at the sound of Your thunder they hurried away. The mountains rose; the valleys sank down to the place which you established for them." Psa.104:6-8

Scientists now have discovered there is a lot more water below the surface than above. Therefore there is certainly plenty of water to flood the earth.

Also, there's enough water on the exterior of the earth today that if the earth was smoothed over, the mountains flattened and the ocean depths raised, the water would be two miles deep over the entire earth!

It's also worth noting that the reason we have bad weather today is because when God "raised the mountains and lowered the valleys," the height and topography of these NEW mountains caused the storms, tornadoes, flooding, hurricanes, tsunamis and such that we have today.

And even more interestingly, during the coming 7-Year Tribulation the Bible says the mountains will again be lowered.

And every island fled away, and the mountains were not found. Rev. 16:20

Therefore after the tribulation when Jesus reigns on the earth for 1000 years, there won't be weather problems with which He'll have to concern Himself. The removal of the high mountains will smooth down the earth's surface to be more like the earth before the flood with no storms.

There's no telling how beautiful the earth was prior to the flood. The residual beauty today is probably only slightly similar to the unimaginable lushness of original earth created by God. All we know is that the destructive flood and receding waters radically rearranged the earth's surface.

The flood lasted for more than a year so there is no way it was a local flood,
it could only be global. And if it were local, there would have been no need
for an Ark to save mankind and all the animals.

Trying to make it local undermines the specificity of the account in the Bible, making a mockery of scripture.

The Bible says EVERYTHING was destroyed by the flood.
"Thus He blotted out every living thing that was upon the face of the land, from man to animals to creeping things and to birds of the sky, and they were blotted out from the earth; and only Noah was left, together with those that were with him in the ark." Gen. 7:23

Bible Skeptics Say:
"Why would God flood the earth when he could just 'poof' everyone out of
existence? That's so inefficient."

Answer:
God is God, He can do what He wants. He makes the rules and didn't
consult us humans. He defines sin and the penalties for unforgiven sin. What He does, according to the Bible, is in our best interest, even if we don't
understand it.

"For My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways," declares the LORD. Is. 55:8

The Bible Says the earth was destroyed by water:
"Behold, I, even I am bringing the flood of water upon the earth, to destroy all flesh in which is the breath of life, from under heaven; everything that is on the earth shall perish. Gen. 6:17

Bible skeptics say:
"There is no geographical or archeological evidence whatsoever for a worldwide flood."

That is simply untrue. The evidence for a worldwide flood is overwhelming. If there were a catastrophic worldwide flood where much or most of the water came from below, you would expect to find layers of
sedimentary rock laid down quickly by water containing billions of dead things/fossils.

And that's exactly what we find today, billions of plants and animal fossils laid down in sedimentary layers all over the globe. They were drowned and buried so quickly they couldn't even be eaten by scavengers.

And to add cold water in the face of evolutionists, the layers of sedimentary
layers all over the globe are laid down by weight, the heaviest material at the bottom and the lightest at the top and perfectly graduated by weight inbetween. Exactly what you would expect from a worldwide flood.

Fish Fossils Above 10,000 Feet
Millions of fish died in the turbulent waters during the flood and are
fossilized today for us to see. Below is a fish fossil that not only contains a
fossilized fish, but also fish feces near his mouth.

When a fish poops in the water, the feces disintegrates in about 20-30
seconds. So for the fish to have been covered and fossilized together with its poop, it would have had to have been a quite sudden and catastrophic event.

Even more interesting is that the fish and poop fossil was found near the top of Mt. Evans in Colorado, one of the highest mountains in Colorado at over 14,000 feet in elevation. How did those fish get buried quickly up that high if there had been no worldwide flood covering the mountains? Why can fish fossils be found on or near the top of every mountain worldwide? Because the flood covered the whole earth!

The Bible Says the Ark held two of every kind of animal.
"You shall take with you of every clean animal by sevens, a male and his female; and of the animals that are not clean two, a male and his female; Gen. 7:2

Bible skeptics say:
"There is no way two of all the animals on the earth could fit in the Ark!"

Answer:
That's precisely why the rebuilt Ark in Kentucky is raising so many eyebrows. It proves that the Ark, built to the dimensions God gave Noah in Genesis, is large enough to contain two of every kind (not species) of animal in the world, Noah and his family and food and water for all to live for over a year, with room to spare!

The rebuilt Ark in Kentucky even shows how Noah's family would have been able to care for all the animals and dispose of all their waste. It is likely Noah and his family only had to deal with about 6700 individual animals, and most of them were small and easily maintained.

Dinosaurs are often brought up for ridicule due to their size. But only two
dinosaurs would have been needed, and most dinosaurs were about the size of an average sheep. Not to mention, you didn't need to bring along adults of every "kind," two youths of each kind would do.

You didn't need one of every dog breed. Two dogs would do just fine. Skeptics love to ask the
question, "You're telling me all the dog breeds in
the world came from only two dogs?" And of course the answer is yes, and it is easily proven through genetics. But also point out they think that dogs evolved from a rock! 🙂

The Bible says God gathered the animals and birds to the Ark.
"Of the birds after their kind, and of the animals after their kind, of every creeping thing of the ground after its kind, two of every kind will come to you to keep them alive. Gen. 6:20

"... went into the ark to Noah by twos, male and female, as God had commanded Noah." Gen 7:9

Bible skeptics say:
"How did all the animals get to the Ark from other continents?"

Answer:
The Bible says God brought the animals. He certainly could have
supernaturally brought them from afar. But also it's possible that there was
just one continent at the time on the earth.

The Bible says God gave the size of the Ark to build.
"This is how you shall make it: the length of the ark three hundred cubits, its breadth fifty cubits, and its height thirty cubits." Gen. 6:15 (over 500 feet long)

Bible skeptics say:
"Noah didn't have the technology or manpower to build a boat of that size."

Answer:
The Ark was built only 16 centuries from the time of Adam and humans were originally built perfect. The ravages of sin had only begun to take its toll. The Bible says they were building cities, making musical instruments and even working with metal (Gen. 4:17, 21, 22). So there's no reason to think that Noah couldn't have built the Ark.

The Bible doesn't say whether or not Noah employed outside personnel to
assist in the construction, which is possible. But even if the Ark construction
was limited to Noah and his sons, they had ample time to build the Ark... between 80 and 100 years.

It's not surprising that the God-given ratio of 30 X 50 X 30 is the standard ratio used in shipbuilding today as it is known to be the most seaworthy.

The Bible says God destroyed every living thing in the flood.
"Behold, I, even I am bringing the flood of water upon the earth, to destroy all flesh in which is the breath of life, from under heaven; everything that is on the earth shall perish. Gen. 6:17

Bible Skeptics Say:
"A loving God would never destroy so many innocent people."

Answer:
Not true. God is a God of justice and sometimes killed tens of thousands at a
time in the Old Testament due to mankind's sinful ways. Thankfully He sent
His only Son to pay the price for our sins so we could escape the penalty of
eternal death. This free gift is open to anyone who believes the Gospel.

"if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved;" Rom. 10:9

Why?
And we need to never forget THE REASON for Noah's Flood: God's worldwide judgment on a sinful people. Our loving God is a righteous but just God. God gives us an account of His past
judgments to remind us of his future prophesied judgments. God is not mocked.

There is a penalty for sin. And there is a future worldwide judgement coming when the Lord removes the Holy Spirit from the earth. The Flood of Noah is a reminder of that fact.

Shalom!

BP

If you would like to print this article click here: Noah's Flood_ Fact or Fiction_.compressed

How the famous John 3 passage teaches an
overlooked dispensational truth.

____________________________________________________

In John 3:3, in no uncertain terms, Jesus tells Nicodemus, or Nick, that he must be born again to go to heaven.

This is a most amazing statement as it was made to a Jew living under the Law, who could not be "Born Again" at that time.

Jews couldn't be Born Again at that time because Jesus' statement was made pre-cross, and therefore pre-Acts 2, when there was no Holy Spirit on the earth to permanently indwell Believers to make them "Born Again."

Why then was Jesus telling Nick something he couldn't do? Nick could NOT be Born Again before the Holy Spirit came to earth in Acts 2. No one could be Born Again until Acts 2. And Jesus was talking to Nick three years earlier!

Why would Jesus tell Nick he had to be Born Again to see heaven if he had no chance of being Born Again until years later?

And Jesus' statement was universal, meaning that needing to be Born Again to see heaven would apply not just to Nick but to everyone who ever lived. Since it was impossible to be Born Again without the Holy Spirit being on the earth, was Jesus saying that everyone who had lived and died in the past were incapable of qualifying for heaven?

The answer to this theological dilemma lies only when one applies Biblical dispensational theology to the question. When we accurately handle the Word, we see that although God never changes, He deals differently with people on the earth, depending on the time in which they lived. God simply worked one way with those living precross and worked another way with those post-cross/post arrival of God's Holy spirit. Dividing the Bible that way is classic dispensationalism.

What Jesus said to Nick, and what was true for every other Old Testament believer who was saved by faith, is that they could not go to heaven unless they were Born Again. They needed their spiritual cleansing. All Jews knew they were sinful and needed a savior. All Jews knew the sacrificial system that was in place was temporary. All Jews were looking for their Messiah to permanently atone for their sin.

Therefore Jews under the Law knew they couldn't be "Born Again" because of their sin and were waiting for the day that God would provide His Messiah to pave the way. Their Messiah, Jesus, had to first die and rise again to pay for the sin of those who Believed God. Only then could anyone see heaven.

Therefore, everyone in the Old Testament who was saved by faith had to wait to see heaven when they died. So God provided a place called "Abraham's bosom" or "Paradise" for them to reside while they waited.

No one could go to heaven until the Messiah made it possible to be Born Again.

Therefore "Paradise" was in essence, a sort of "holding tank" (it was not purgatory!) in the center of the earth for Old Testament Believers. Here they stayed in this "bottomless pit" and waited for the Messiah to arrive, die, rise again and therefore atone for their sins so they could go to heaven.

"Paradise" is described in the chilling account (not a parable) of two Old Testament men who died, one going to the Hades side and one going to the Paradise side of the bottomless pit. (Luke 16:19-31)

This amazing account gives us a glimpse of what it was like after death for a person living prior to the cross. There were two sides of hell in those days before the cross, one side for those saved by faith in a future Messiah and one side for those who were not saved at all.

Those not saved went to the Hades side, were conscious, and burned constantly in an unquenchable fire. They had memory of their time on earth and longed to be on the Paradise side. But there was zero  they could do after death to change the fact they did not believe the Bible.

But those who were saved in the Old Testament, those trusting God for a future Redeemer, went to the Paradise side when they died. Here they waited for God's provision. Abel was most likely the one who had been there the longest, almost 4000 years!

Paradise wasn't heaven, but it was certainly way better than those across a great chasm who had died without faith and now were burning in the unquenchable fires of Hades.

'... between us and you there is a great chasm fixed, so that those who wish to come over from here to you will not be able, and that none may cross over from there to us.' Luke 16:26

Imagine all of those saved by faith throughout time, until Jesus died on the cross, living and waiting on the Messiah. Adam and Eve, Abraham, David, Moses...and millions more, all waiting for the Messiah to come. Fascinating!

And the moment Jesus died on the cross, the gates of hell were instantly opened for all the Old Testament Saints. They left Paradise, broke through the earth's crust on their way to heaven. It was not until then that they could be Born Again. The Born Again Boom was so great that day that it shook the earth mightily!

"And behold, the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom; and the earth shook and the rocks were split. The tombs were opened, and many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised; and coming out of the tombs after His resurrection they entered the holy city and appeared to many." Matt. 27:51-53

At the moment that Jesus died on the cross, the entire aggregate of Old Testament saints was cleansed/Born Again and released from the Paradise side of the bottomless pit to go to heaven.

So in John 3, Jesus was telling Nick a great spiritual truth about the necessity of the payment of His blood before any pre-cross Saints could go to heaven. Nick must have realized that he could not be Born Again until the provision was made. He had to wait to be Born Again until the Spirit of God arrived at Pentecost.

BP

If you would like to print this article click here:When Was Nicodemus Born Again?

© 2017 Compass Int’l, Inc.

Bill and Susie Perkins founded Compass International, Inc. in 1993 as a non-profit, nondenominational
ministry. For information on Compass’ Steeling the Mind Bible
Conferences, Good Morning Lord! Bible studies, books, DVDs and Biblelands Cruises,
go to compass.org

LIKE us on Facebook: facebook.com/compassbible and FOLLOW us on Twitter:
@compass7 and Instagram: @compassbible

Our public schools have for 40 years poo-pooed capitalism and elevated socialism to the point that today surveys show an astonishing 35% of Americans, and the majority of our youth,
think socialism is better than capitalism!(1)

This movement defies logic, is built on lies and, worst of all, is anti-biblical.

Today’s youth have a distorted view of how our country works and need to wake up and smell the coffee. There’s no free lunch. Biblical capitalism works. Socialism, communism, fascism or whatever label you put on it, doesn’t.

The United States, founded on Biblical capitalism, has produced the wealthiest and most productive country in the history of mankind. Only recently have we regressed somewhat,due to implementation of humanistic socialist policies.

Biblical capitalism is built on freedom as its centerpiece. The greater the freedom, the greater the wealth. On the opposite side—the greater the  government, the greater the poverty.

In the last presidential election Bernie Sanders garnered a lot of votes touting socialism. But he literally had to tell half-truths to make socialism sound good. For anyone who looks at the facts, socialism tries to make everyone equal, regardless of their effort. That has proven over and over not to work.

Socialistic Countries’ Disasters
The once-mighty USSR fell apart in 1989 due to iron-fisted socialistic policies that destroyed the economy while taking away virtually ALL freedoms from its citizens.

Recently, former President Obama opened up Cuba
for U.S. citizens to visit. People who have visited there say it’s like time stopped in 1959 when Castro and communism took over. Literally all the cars on the road were manufactured in, or before, 1959.

Unemployment is 48%, and 80% of those who have jobs work for the government, making Cuba’s economy a disaster.

Venezuela is a bigger disaster.Their hospitals are germ-infested trash dumps and they’re currently rioting over food. In less than 20 years they’ve gone from the most prosperous South American nation to the poorest—all because it elected a socialistic government that did away with capitalistic policies.

North and South Korea are perfect examples of the difference between Biblical capitalism (freedom) and
communism (slavery). In communist North Korea, 2.5 million people starve each year. In capitalistic South Korea, her GDP is the 10th largest in the world.

What About The Scandinavian Countries?
Often people try to use the Scandinavian countries, like Sweden, to show how socialism can work today. But they are NOT Democratic socialist counties. In the Scandinavian countries, the means of production are primarily owned by private individuals, not the government.

For instance, Denmark has a market-based economy that embraces global capitalism and free trade. As does Sweden.(5) They have no minimum wage and wages vary depending on the industry. They have school choice using public money in the form of vouchers that citizens can use for private schools. And some of the most successful private schools are FOR PROFIT! (4)

Why Socialism Doesn’t Work
Socialism takes income away from productive people and gives it to non-productive people.

When a percentage of your hard-earned money is confiscated you have fewer choices and a lower standard of living. If all your money is confiscated, you’re a slave.

Socialism is simply a camouflaged stepping stone to communism. We should never abandon the Biblical principles on which our nation was founded, lest we forever lose our remaining liberties.

Margaret Thatcher, Prime Minister of Great Britain from 1979 to 1990, summed up socialism nicely:

“The problem with socialism is that you eventually run out of other people’s money.”

Government doesn’t produce, it only consumes. A past staunch capitalistic President said it best:

“Government is not a solution to our problems, government IS the problem… Government does not solve problems, it subsidizes them. Government’s view of the economy could be summed up in a few short phrases: If it moves, tax it. If it keeps moving, regulate it. If it stops moving, subsidize it. The problem is not that people are taxed too little, the problem is that government spends too much.” — Ronald Reagan

So Bernie Sanders and his “Feel the Bern” embracement of socialism is full of lies and mis-truths. Millennials again need to wake up to capitalist facts.

The Basics of Biblical Capitalism
It’s important to understand the basics of Biblical capitalism, it’s roots, and its basis for providing workers with liberty and motivation. So let’s first look at the very beginning.

“Then the LORD God took the man and put him into the garden of Eden to cultivate it (Lit. “work it”) and keep it.” Gen. 2:15

As part of the original creation, work was considered “good.” But with Adam’s sin, work was corrupted along with everything else.

“Cursed is the ground because of you; In toil (lit. “pain & sorrow”) you will eat of it all the days of your life…By the sweat of your face you will eat bread, till you return to the ground,” Gen. 3:17, 19

Because of Adam’s sin, a new dispensation began and every man had to work hard, toil, to eat…all the days of their life. There is no getting around this. You are commanded by God to work until you “return to the ground,” meaning when you die.

So working “all the days of your life” means retirement is unbiblical. You should never plan to reach a point in life where you stop working. It’s certainly Biblical to save money so you can share with others and have the option to change what you do later in life. But you should never make “retirement” your savings goal.

Applying this in the Church Age, Paul was quite clear:

“…if anyone is not willing to work, then he is not to eat, either.”
2Th. 3:10

“Now such persons we command and exhort in the Lord Jesus Christ to work in quiet fashion and eat their own bread.” 2Th. 3:12

The Bible says hunger is a motivator to work. If you take away
hunger, you take away a major motivator.

“A worker’s appetite works for him, for his hunger urges him on.” Prov. 16:26

Therefore, it’s incumbent for the man of the house to work for wages and be the provider for his family. Other than temporary circumstances where you might use your unemployment insurance to temporally tide you over (Workman’s Comp), there is no reason to be dependent on the government for money.

“The hand of the diligent will rule, but the slack hand will be put to forced labor.” Prov. 12:24

The U.S. Social Program Quagmire
Yet in the last 70 years we’ve moved from our Biblical roots and have begun socialistic welfare programs to help those who, for whatever reason, have no housing or food.

Based on the off-balance idea that we need to protect the rights of people to have higher education, housing and food,
Democrats have passed legislation that began instituting socialistic policies- forcibly taking from those who have and giving it to those who don’t.

 
Food stamps, now called “Electronic Benefits Transfer Card” (EBT), HUD Section 8 housing, SNAP and other programs have been added through the years ENABLING people NOT to work. By having endless programs that reward people for not working, we have abandoned the Biblical principles that made this nation great and even threaten its continued existence.

“The soul of the sluggard craves and gets nothing, but the soul of the diligent is made fat.” Prov 13:4

However, allowing the Government to take over as the provider-god has not helped in the long run because it’s made people dependent on handouts. This sends a not-so subtle message that the government is more important than God.
Americans no longer look to God to solve their problems; rather, it looks to the government.

Concurrently we have kicked God out of the classroom and are attempting to erase all religious symbols in public places. And there’s a price to pay when you go Satan’s way instead of God’s way.

“But if anyone does not provide for his own, and especially for those of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.” 1Tim. 5:8

“There is nothing better for a man than to eat and drink and understand that his labor is good.” Eccl. 2:24

If there’s nothing better than to work, then there’s nothing worse than to not work. Every male Believer has read and understood the commandment to “provide for his own.”

God’s truth is written on the heart of every non-Believer, too. People on government handouts intrinsically know that they are in a ever-deepening hole.

But they are told they have been discriminated against…so they have to blame someone. “It not your fault you’re poor, it’s (fill in) fault.” This solves nothing and only adds misery on top of misery. The government is not dealing with the root problem—which is abandoning the Biblical principles of capitalism and work.

Money is not Evil
Socialists are attacking our tried and true system— making “money” an evil pursuit. Legally earned money is not evil, regardless of how much you have. It’s the LOVE of money that trips people up, when you make money your god.

“For the love of money is a root of all sorts of evil, and some by longing for it have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.” 1Tim. 6:10

“Better is a little with righteousness than great income with injustice.” Prov. 16:8

I recently counseled with a Christian (supposedly) man who was divorcing his wife for the express purpose to save money. I pointed out all the Biblical reasons for not divorcing his wife, including the impact on his kids. But he said he “had to do what is right for him.” He had made money his god.

It All Comes From God
The key is to understand that all income is a gift from the Lord.

“…moreover, that every man who eats and drinks sees good in all his labor—it is the gift of God.” Eccl. 3:13

God gives you the ability to work, the mind to think and the strength to do the job. Your job is to work hard. It’s God’s call whether or not you’re wealthy. It’s imperative to keep this in focus.

“…remember the LORD your God, for it is He who gives you the ability to produce wealth,” Deut. 8:18

“It is the blessing of the LORD that makes rich, and He adds no sorrow to it.” Prov. 10:22

Our work emphasis and motivation should be on doing a good job, providing a quality product, satisfying a need, etc., not on getting rich.

“Do not weary yourself to gain wealth, cease from your consideration of it. When you set your eyes on it, it is gone. For wealth certainly makes itself wings like an eagle that flies toward the heavens.” Prov. 23:4-5

“It is vain for you to rise up early, to retire late, to eat the bread of painful labors; For He gives to His beloved even in his sleep.” Psa. 127:2

“He who loves money will not be satisfied with money, nor he who loves abundance with its income.” Eccl. 5:10

“Instruct those who are rich in this present world not to be conceited or to fix their hope on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly supplies us with all things to enjoy.” 1Tim. 6:17

“No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth.” Matt. 6:24

Profit Is Not A Dirty Word
Profit is not a “necessary evil.” It’s part of the first rule of business —which is “your net income must exceed your net costs.”

You can’t stay in business unless you mark up your products or services by reasonable margins to make a profit. Profit allows you to stay in business, otherwise you can’t keep the lights on.

God doesn’t think “profit” is evil because He speaks
positively about making a profit, even promising
Israel He will teach them how to “profit.”

“I am the LORD your God, who teaches you to profit, who leads you in the way you should go.” Is. 48:17

“In all labor there is profit, but mere talk leads only to poverty.” Prov. 14:23

Lending and Borrowing Are Not Evil
God also said He would make Israel a lender to many nations, but not borrowers.

“The LORD will open for you His good storehouse, the heavens, to give rain to your land in its season and to bless all the work of your hand; and you shall lend to many nations, but you shall not borrow.” Deut. 28:12

If lending isn’t a sin, then obviously this means borrowing is not a sin either… it just has a huge downside if things don’t work out.

“Do not be among those who give pledges, among those who become guarantors for debts. If you have nothing with which to pay, why should he take your bed from under you?” Prov. 22:26-27

5 Benefits of Working Hard and Making a Profit
“Commit your way to the LORD, trust also in Him, and He will do it.” Psa. 37:5

1) You’ll be happier
“When you shall eat of the fruit of your hands, you will be happy and it will be well with you.” Psa. 128:2

“Not that I speak from want, for I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am. I know how to get along with humble means, and I also know how to live in prosperity; in any and every circumstance I have learned the secret of being filled and going hungry, both of having abundance and suffering need.” Phil. 4:11-12

2) You’ll always have enough
“I have been young and now I am old, yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken or his descendants begging bread.” Psa. 37:25

“He who tills his land will have plenty of bread,” Prov. 12:11

“Make sure that your character is free from the love of money, being content with what you have;” Heb. 13:5

3) Hard work is a witness
“Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.” Matt. 5:16

“Do you see a man skilled in his work? He will stand before kings; He will not stand before obscure men.” Prov. 22:29

4) The possibility of financial gain
“Let the favor of the Lord our God be upon us; And confirm for us the work of our hands; Yes, confirm the work of our hands.” Psa. 90:17

“The hard-working farmer ought to be the first to receive his share of the crops.” 2Tim. 2:6

“Poor is he who works with a negligent hand, but the hand of the diligent makes rich.” Prov. 10:4

5) You can share with those in need
“…he must labor, performing with his own hands what is good, so that he will have something to share with one who has need.” Eph. 4:28

“He who is generous will be blessed, for he gives some of his food to the poor.” Prov. 22:9

God is your Ultimate Employer
“Whatever you do, do your work heartily, as for the Lord rather than for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance. It is the Lord Christ whom you serve.” Col. 3:23-24

I have always said that if you want to be successful working for someone else, tell them you will work free for a week to show them what you can do. Then, consider your employer is actually giving you orders from Jesus Christ.

If Jesus is personally giving you orders, through your employer, you should break doors down doing what He says. You would get there early, stay late, making sure your ultimate employer (Jesus) is getting more than his money’s worth. If you work like this, you’ll have a job forever at top pay.

Should you work for yourself?
But for many, being independent (owning your own business) gives you the best opportunity to earn a good living. Entrepreneurship is not for everyone, but instead of making someone else successful, entrepreneurs make themselves successful—and keep the profits! You’re paid exactly what you deserve.

The capitalistic free enterprise system in the U.S. encourages ambition, incentive, competition and hard work. If you are willing to work hard to reach your dreams, you have that opportunity.

Success Not A Sure Thing
Starting a business is not that hard, but making a profit takes a lot of work— especially in the early stages. Some 20% of small businesses fail within the first year. Half only last five years. And only a third last 10 years or longer.(2)

Your best chance with a non-franchised business is when you have a compelling desire to make something work. Whether your motivation is feeding your family, increasing your income for a bigger house, trying to prove that a business or service will work, you need a compelling incentive to carry you through the hard times.

There are also structured “franchise” opportunities. These tried and true businesses have track records of success and are looking for someone to instruct what to do to be successful.

Whether food service, health care, real estate or any of the myriads of other areas, if you have the start-up cash you can be your own boss and have a higher likelihood of success—
especially if you operate your business with Biblical principles.

“This is a trustworthy statement; and concerning these things I want you to speak confidently, so that those who have believed God will be careful to engage in good deeds. These things are good and profitable for men.” Titus 3:8

Hobby Lobby and Chick-fil-A are businesses that have stood their ground using the Bible to guide their business decisions and have done quite well. There are tens of thousands of smaller mom-and-pop businesses doing the same thing working hard using Biblical principles and trusting God to provide.

“Commit your works to the LORD and your plans will be established.” Prov. 16:3

There is a long-time Compass supporter who has very successful franchises across the United States. He’s committed to God’s Biblical principles in everything he does. Amazingly, his business plan provides his company with zero revenue unless the franchisee is profitable. So he is quite motivated to make his franchises successful, and they are! If you or your kid is willing to work hard and just needs a track to run on, you should pray about contacting this company. (3)

“Entrepreneurs and their small enterprises are responsible for almost all the economic growth in the United States.” Ronald Reagan

If capitalism moves one toward the Bible and socialism not, then this chart makes a simple but pointed statement:

The bottom line is that the opposite of socialism/slavery/ Satan is capitalism/freedom/God. God has allowed a free enterprise system in the United States and it encourages ambition, competition and hard work with a monetary incentive.

“Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might;” Eccl. 9:10

“Delight yourself in the LORD; And He will give you the desires of your heart.” Psa. 37:4

Not only should you never take our great system for granted, you’re going to have to defend it too—to what we refer to the youth today as the Millennials who have been poorly taught economics.

And since the Bible says our real enemy is not flesh and blood, I must call a spade a spade: This movement to take apart our Judeo-Christian capitalistic system is straight from Satan, straight from the pit of hell. So it’s time to put on the full-armor big-boy pants the next time someone talks positively about socialism.

Shalom!

BP

If you would like to print this article click here: The Bible and Capitalism

(1) http://www.gallup.com/poll/191354/americans-views-socialismcapitalism-

(2) http://www.businessknowhow.com/startup/business-failure.htm

(3) EnvironmentControl.com (contact Chris S.)

(4) http://ftp.iza.org/dp6683.pdf

(5) http://ceoworld.biz/2015/10/15/the-top-25-most-globalizedcountries-

© 2017 Compass Int’l, Inc.

Bill and Susie Perkins founded Compass International, Inc. in 1993 as a non-profit, nondenominational
ministry. For information on Compass’ Steeling the Mind Bible
Conferences, Good Morning Lord! Bible studies, books, DVDs and Biblelands Cruises,
go to compass.org

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God never changes, He just changes how He deals with people on the earth.

You can't argue that God didn't change through time how he dealt with people on the earth because He did:

Matthew, Mark, Luke and John are about events prior to the cross.

“Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, accurately handling the word of truth.” 2Tim. 2:15

God says He inspired (God-breathed) every single word of the Bible. Peter explains it this way:

“But know this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture is a matter of one’s own interpretation, for no prophecy was ever made by an act of human will, but men moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God.” 2Pet. 1:20-21

Paul specifically mentions divine inspiration at least three times:

“For I would have you know, brethren, that the gospel which was preached by me is not according to man. For I neither received it from man, nor was I taught it, but I received it through a revelation of Jesus Christ.” Gal. 1:11-12

“All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.” 2Tim. 3:16

“For this reason we also constantly thank God that when you received the word of God which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men, but for what it really is, the word of God, which also performs its work in you who believe.” 1Th. 2:13

Jesus tells us God’s Word is accurate and dependable down to the last letter:

“For truly I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or stroke shall pass from the Law until all is accomplished.” Matt. 5:18

So we believe and defend that the Bible is 100% accurate, from beginning to end, from Genesis 1 to Revelation 22.

Therefore, we believe the Genesis 1 account of God CREATING the heavens and earth in six, literal, 24-hour days, about 6000 years ago. He CREATED all of it out of nothing, speaking it into existence.

For He spoke, and it was done; He commanded, and it stood fast. Psalm 33:9

Praise Him, sun and moon; Praise Him, all stars of light! Praise Him, highest heavens, And the waters that are above the heavens! Let them praise the name of the LORD, For He commanded and they were created. Psalm 148:3-5

God says that when everything was originally created it was “very good.”

“God saw all that He had made, and behold, it was very good. And there was evening and there was morning, the sixth day.” Gen. 1:31

So earth was created as a sinless paradise without death or decay. Death only came when the first two humans rebelled and sinned, then death entered the world.

The theory of evolution mocks God’s Word by claiming death came long before man. But the Bible is clear—first God created man, then man sinned, then death ensued.

God thankfully provided a way ultimately out of the sinful mess, but the infection of sin remained in humans forever, passing down throughout all succeeding generations.

The sin of the world got so bad in Noah’s day that God flooded the entire earth with water in JUDGMENT!

This judgment was necessary to wipe out the rampant ungodly sinful ways of man who focused on serving the creature, not the creator.

The flood of Noah destroyed the world and all life that was in it—except for what survived via Noah’s Ark. It was quite a judgment!

“The water prevailed more and more upon the earth, so that all the high mountains everywhere under the heavens were covered.” Gen. 7:19

Not A Local Flood! Despite what some yahoos are claiming, this was not a local flood. God says the entire earth was covered in water. In this judgment millions, probably billions, of people perished, plus animals, birds and reptiles.

Peter warns us that in the last days people will mock two pillars of the Bible: 1) Jesus’ rapturous return and 2) the global flood.

“Know this first of all, that in the last days mockers will come with their mocking, following after their own lusts, and saying, ‘Where is the promise of His coming? For ever since the fathers fell asleep, all continues just as it was from the beginning of creation.’ For when they maintain this, it escapes their notice that by the word of God the heavens existed long ago and the earth was formed out of water and by water, through which the world at that time was destroyed, being flooded with water. 2Pet. 3:3-6

That’s what we at Compass spend most of our time defending—Bible prophecy and Biblical apologetics.

This article deals with Biblical apologetics. If God flooded the entire earth with water about 4500 years ago, killing all life except what was preserved on Noah’s Ark, an event of that magnitude should have left worldwide signs we can still observe today.

And, as expected, there ARE amazing evidences for any and all to see who wish to know the truth.

Actually, it’s not about evidence because both those who believe in the theory of evolution and those who believe the Bible are looking at the same evidences. It’s just how the evidence is interpreted.

On our Grand Canyon trip each year, we visit a spot where the evolutionists who mange the park have erected a geological column to explain how the sedimentary layers of the earth were formed over billions of years.

Yet, we use the same display to perfectly explain the Biblical account in the Bible. The difference is they arbitrarily add billions of years in order to maintain their old-earth beliefs. Without the magic bullet of “time,” the theory of evolution falls apart.

In the picture of the secular display showing “millions of years,” the yellow is original earth. The red is the aftereffects of the layers after God raised the mountains and lowered the valleys while the water was still covering the earth. The the green shows the last layers deposited after the mountains were raised and the valleys were lowered.

Worldview vs. Biblical view All around the world there ARE layers of sediment, laid down by water according to weight and density, containing millions of dead things.

For those of us who trust God’s Word, we know the water from the flood came not only from the sky but also from below the crust of the earth.

“… all the fountains of the great deep burst open, and the floodgates of the sky were opened.” Gen. 7:11b

This would explain why the sediment was laid down by water according to weight and density (heaviest settles first, next heaviest, etc.) as well as the millions of fossils found throughout all layers. Noah’s flood is the simple explanation for all of this.

Yet evolutionists look at the same sedimentary layers and say they were laid down over millions of years. They can’t explain why the same fossils are in every layer and claim it’s just a coincident that the layers are graduated bottom to top, exactly by weight and density. They have to ignore the obvious.

Another example are the nearly vertical solid-rock walls of the Grand Canyon. We do a creation tour of the Grand Canyon every June showing the scientific evidences that line up with its having been formed quickly over a matter of days or weeks. (Join us this year in June … fly into and out of Phoenix!)

Yet evolutionists look at the same information and say it happened over millions of years. They can’t explain the almost vertical walls cut out of solid rock, the mile of missing sediment above the canyon or the fact the end of the canyon is a mile higher than the beginning. Hint—the Vertical walls of solid rock are found throughout Grand Canyon. And the principle of gravity means water doesn’t run uphill!

Science is always changing… Over the years the official explanation of what carved the Grand Canyon has changed. And as more pure science is applied, it will be reexplained again and again, to defend old-earth beliefs.

Only the Bible explains the Grand Canyon scientifically. The NEVER changing Word of God is always trustworthy over changing science.

Flood Stories I’ve always found it fascinating that when Abraham was alive, one of Noah’s sons, Shem, was still alive on the earth. Abraham could very well have talked to Shem, getting a first-hand account of the horrific world flood. Maybe that was an additional motivating factor when Abraham “believed God” and left everything he had when God called him to leave Ur and travel to the unknown future Promise Land!

Even today, if there was a global flood only a few thousand years ago, and all the families of the world came from the survivors on Noah’s ark, you would expect there to be similar stories around the earth in other cultures.

And that’s what you find. Despite a language division not long after the flood (due to the Tower of Babel), some 300 to 500 different variations of the flood story have survived to this day across all seven world continents.

In fact, MOST cultures around the world have a flood legend! Many authors have documented this phenomenon: John Morris, Ken Ham, Laura Welch, Nozomi Osanai and Bodie Hodge just to name a few.

All document the worldwide stories of a global flood with survivors in a boat, with varying degrees of understandable differences. The number of people, the size of the boat and the length of time on the boat may differ, but overall the stories are remarkably consistent.

In ancient Babylon, the flood story has a man building a ship to save his family and animals from a flood from a wrathful god. They end up on a mountain top.

Greek mythology has angry gods who planned to flood the earth and destroy humanity. One man takes shelter with his wife in an ark and they survive.

Even the American Indians have a flood legend where people took shelter in a boat to survive a flood. Of all the flood legends, 95% have the flood being global, 70% have people in a boat and 57% have the survivors ending up on a mountain top.(4)(5)

This is an incredible observable confirmation that the flood of Noah was both real and recent. If there was no global flood and the earth was millions of years old, you would expect there to be NO flood stories. There’s simply no reason hundreds of cultures worldwide have global flood stories embedded in their history.

Could the whole earth even be flooded? The Bible says that before land, before light, before anything, the earth was originally created as ALL water.

“The earth was formless and void, and darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was moving over the surface of the waters.” Gen. 1:2

“… the earth was formed out of water and by water,” 2Pet. 3:5b

Scientists are convinced that there has been flooding on Mars in the past. (1) Some even think the entire planet was once covered in water. They think this despite not one drop of water has ever been found on Mars today.

Yet for centuries the same scientists have scoffed that the earth could have had a global flood, despite the fact it’s currently 71% covered by water!

(2) But last year scientists confirmed they have discovered massive volumes of water below the earth’s surface. According to U.S. News and World Report, scientists now believe there is two or three times as much water below the earth’s crust as currently in all the oceans between the earth’s Mantle and Outer core.

(3) And we already know that if we hypothetically smoothed out the earth’s surface around the entire globe by leveling the mountains and filling in the oceans, the earth would be covered with water—two miles deep!

However, Scientists today cannot even give the slightest chance of the possibility of a global flood because it wipes out the evolutionary theories taught as fact in secular schools… explaining the truth behind the massive amounts of fossil layers found worldwide.

“…always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.” 2Tim. 3:7

But for those whose faith is in the Word of God, we have truth on our side. We can boldly examine the mountains of evidence in the light of scripture and see that the Grand Canyon is God’s remarkable visual reminder of the ramifications of the last time God judged the world. And another judgment is prophesied for the future.

The Bible IS true, accurate and trustworthy. God’s worldwide judgment of sin using a worldwide flood did happen about 4500 years ago. And another worldwide judgment is coming in the future. You can take that to the bank!

BP

If you would like to print this article click here:A Flood of Evidence.compressed

Join us at the Grand Canyon in June for a Thursday - Sunday weekend learning scientific evidences that the Canyon was a result of Noah’s Flood, NOT millions of years.

Go to compass.org for details!

References:

(1) http://science.time.com/2013/03/11/the-great-and-recent-martianflood/

(2) https://www.google.com/search?q=what+percentage+water

(3) https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2014/06/16/

(4) http://science.howstuffworks.com/nature/climate-weather/storms/

(5) http://www.apologeticspress.org/apcontent.aspx?

© 2017 Compass Int’l, Inc.

Bill and Susie Perkins founded Compass International, Inc. in 1993 as a non-profit, nondenominational ministry. For information on Compass’ Steeling the Mind Bible Conferences, Good Morning Lord! Bible studies, books, DVDs and Biblelands Cruises, go to compass.org

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Where have all the children gone?

The following is a simple look at one of Satan's biggest worldwide coups. He's literally snuffing the life out of millions of God's creative best—the pinnacle of God's six days of creation—the human race.

 
Statistics show a major change has been taking place since 1970. In 1970, the average age of a woman getting married was about 20 years old. And children followed a year or two later.

But since 1970, women have been waiting longer and longer to get married. Today, the average age of a woman getting married is about 27.

In Europe they see no value in marriage. They even have a "Five-Year Marriage" certificate where they only commit to a few years at a time and predetermine how to split money and any kids at the end of five years. 🙁

The U.S. is not far behind. As we move further and further from Biblical values, births to unmarried women continue to climb in America also.

 

47% of Millennials (born since 2000) today are born outside of marriage!

 
What was the main thing that changed our thinking? Birth control. And Satan is so good at what he does that most Christians have a hard time even seeing birth control as a problem.

At Compass we often hear statements similar to this: "What's the problem with planning our lives with fewer kids? Didn't God give us brains?"

Yes, He did give us brains. And with our brains we should be able to discern the difference between God's eternal blessings and earthly temporal blessings.

Most evangelical Christians are horrified at the idea of having 10 or 20 kids. They immediately think of the monetary cost and fatigue factors in raising several children. Using the world's standards they rule out having as many as God will allow.

But that's from a self-centered, sinful human evaluation. What's missing is asking, not what we as sinful humans want, but rather what's God's desire for us?

Does God like the idea of us humans cutting back on what He designed? Is artificially reducing the number of kids we have a blessing from the Lord? Or a curse?

As you will see, the case will be made that having fewer kids is a curse in more ways than one.

We've been masterfully duped by the Evil One, buying a lie eerily similar to his lie in the Garden of Eden. Speaking to Eve Satan said: "You can be God." Eve bought the lie...and so have millions more today.

Let's start with the basics. God says children are a gift, reward and blessing from Him.

Here are some statistical facts that most Christians never have considered. Consider this first chart...You may have heard that the number of abortions in America is declining.

 
 

Yes, abortions in America are declining. But as you can clearly see, the lower abortion rate is mainly due to overall pregnancies declining.

So what changed to make pregnancies decline? Consider this chart.

 

To see what happens to our economy, our nation's strength, look at what happens when we use birth control and have one child per couple.

            

This is what's happening today in Europe. Europeans are so self-centered and earthly minded that the Muslims, who are multiplying like rabbits, will have a majority in only a few years. Europe is being conquered without firing a shot.

The growth of the Muslim population is well documented. We have to have our heads in the sand not to pay attention to the facts of our enemy's population growth.

Nonie Darwish said recently that Great Britain has several cities now totally controlled by Muslims. She said, "In twenty years there will be enough Muslims to elect the heads of Government by themselves! Rest assured they will do so."

In Japan, Germany and Italy, the labor pool is actually shrinking!

This is also where America's headed. When we have fewer children, our economy shrinks and our strength is sapped. When we soared as a nation, we were having six children per couple. Look at what happens in only three generations:

                            
That birthrate grew this nation to be the strongest in the world with a humming economy. It was a blessing to have large families.

 

Today, as a nation, we're averaging two children per couple, barely the replacement rate. And the white Anglo-Saxon birthrate is down to 1.7.  If we were averaging three per couple, instead of two, it would change things drastically.

Even the secular side is picking up on this downtrend in births. A book by Harry Dent, entitled "The Demographic Cliff," shows a direct correlation between the worldwide declining birthrate and the sputtering economy.

Dent, an economic forecaster, shows that due to the low birthrate in America, there is no way the economy will ever recover to resemble the past.

The baby boom, according to Dent, is the last decent economic stimulus left in this country. And as it dies off, so will the economy.

Slower economic growth lowers corporate profits which limits income and makes it almost impossible for families to raise their living standard. Home prices stagnate, or worse.

The bottom line is we're paying a steep price. And this is not even dealing with the HUGE medical issues and problems from using the pill or getting a vasectomy.

So, what's the answer? Obviously for most Christians reading this, it's too late to do anything to have more kids. But we can teach eternal truths to our kids and grandkids. It's never too late to do what's right.

Shalom!

Bill

http://pjmedia.com/tatler/2014/05/28/the-saddest-scariest-millennial-statistic-youll-see-today/
http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2014/may/08/low-birth-rate-jeopardizes-economic-recovery/
http://www.quiverfull.com/birthcontrol.php

 

Bill Perkins is the founder and Executive Director of Compass International, Inc.
© Copyright 1993-2014, Compass International Inc. www.compass.org / 800-977-2177

The above article may be forwarded in its entirety (including credits) without permission.

 

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It's not the word "Easter" that's the problem...

The Perceived Problem:

Over the last 50 years or so, many people have written about the pagan origins of the word "Easter." And, despite the word being used in the KJV translation in Acts 12:4, a lot of Believers in good Bible-teaching churches have been taught that "Easter" can be linked to the fertility Goddess Astarte and other such proclamations.

I, too, had read several references that bemoaned Easter as a "Satanic" holiday. Hearing all the (mis)information caused me to offer rewards to my children if they could go the entire Resurrection Day holiday without saying the word "Easter."

But last year, Roger Patterson of Answers In Genesis wrote an excellently researched article showing the misinformation and myths floating around that supposedly tie "Easter" to a number of Satanic origins. He convincingly showed that the word "Easter" was a translation / transliteration of the word "resurrection" and its roots could be traced to solid Believers during the Reformation.(1)

Patterson pointed out that the basis for which the connection between Easter and Astarte is made is like saying, "Since Babylon was called the 'Golden City,' then McDonalds 'golden arches' must be rooted in Satanic ritual." That's quite a stretch!

And now the myths of Easter's origins have been repeated so long and so often that most believe them to be fact... when they're not facts at all.

Just to be clear, Easter bunnies and colored eggs ARE terrible--in a league with Santa Claus--missing the mark altogether and should never be part of any Christian Easter/Resurrection Day celebration.

But the word "Easter" actually comes from the German root word for "Resurrection." And the reformers of Martin Luther's day were the first to use the word, which had zero connection to Astarte the fertility god.

So much for making "Easter" the bad guy.

That being said, I still believe we should call the day of Jesus' resurrection "Resurrection Sunday," if for no other reason than to make the point that it has nothing to do with the Easter bunny and colored eggs.

The Real Problem

However, there IS a real BIG PROBLEM with WHEN we celebrate Resurrection Sunday--of which few Christians seem to be aware. And even though almost all Protestant churches will continue to celebrate Easter or Resurrection Sunday on the verifiably wrong Sunday, it's important for Believers to know when and why it should be celebrated.

There are four big days that Church Age Believers could make a case to celebrate each year:

1) The Birth of Jesus. 2) The Death of Jesus. 3) The Resurrection of Jesus. 4) The Arrival of God's Holy Spirit to indwell Believers on earth.

Two of the four get a lot of attention from Believers: Christmas and Resurrection Day.

The Day Jesus Was Born

The Bible doesn't give us a clue when Jesus was born. He was unlikely to have been born on December 25, but hey, maybe He was conceived on that date and born in September. 🙂

Since the Lord didn't reveal the date, there's no problem celebrating His birth on December 25. And thankfully the whole world celebrates His birth together, even though Satan has pretty much hijacked Christmas with Santa Claus-- which we refer to as "Satan's Claws."(2)

The Day Jesus Died Jesus died during the Passover celebration either in 30 AD or 33 AD. Nisan 14 fell on Wednesday in 30 AD and Friday in 33 AD.

Bible scholars are not unanimous on which is correct. But frankly it's a moot point regarding His resurrection because whether His death occurred in 30 AD or 33 AD, the Feast of First Fruits would have been the following Sunday.

The Day Jesus Was Resurrected But the Lord DID tell us when the Resurrection occurred. It occurred the Sunday after the Passover Shabbat, on the Feast of First Fruits. And the date for the first Passover celebration is quite clear in Exodus 12.

"You shall keep (the lamb to be sacrificed) until the fourteenth day of the same month (Nisan)..." Ex. 12:6

"And you shall observe this event as an ordinance for you and your children forever." Ex. 12:24

Therefore, it's a no-brainer that we should be celebrating Resurrection Sunday on the Feast of First Fruits, or the first Sunday following the Jewish Passover.

The Jews go to great lengths to celebrate Passover on the correct date that God instructed, on Nisan 14.

"They observed the Passover in the first month (Nisan), on the fourteenth day of the month, at twilight, in the wilderness of Sinai; according to all that the LORD had commanded Moses," Num. 9:5

So it's not rocket science to know what day the Jewish Passover should be celebrated-- it's Nisan 14 on the Hebrew calendar--and all we have to do is celebrate Jesus' Resurrection Day on Feast of First Fruits, which is the Sunday following. But often we don't!

Strangely, the date we celebrate Easter/ Resurrection Sunday has no connection to Passover and sometimes it doesn't even fall on Passover week! Last year we missed it by a month!

(Note that Nisan 14 is not a fixed day of the week and therefore the Jewish Passover celebration week moves around each year.)

2016 (Last year) Passover/Nisan 14 fell on April 21 Correct Resurrection Day: April 24 Catholic Easter Date - March 27 (Incorrect!)

You have the same dilemma for 2021 and 2024 as the Catholic Easter dates also fall on different dates than the Passover week.

2021 Passover/Nisan 14 falls on March 27 Correct Resurrection Day: March 28 Catholic Easter Date - April 4 (Incorrect!)

2024 Passover/Nisan 14 falls on April 22 Correct Resurrection Day: April 28 Catholic Easter Date - March 31 (Incorrect!)

Why Are The Dates Off? So what happened that made Christians start celebrating Easter/ Resurrection Sunday on the wrong dates every few years? The answer is rooted in Catholic anti-Semitism.

By the early fourth century, many leaders of the church were still celebrating Passover and the Resurrection every year beginning on Nisan 14, the day of Jesus' crucifixion. Others were making the celebration day the first Sunday after Passover, which was scripturally correct.

Both days had notability as Jesus HAD to shed blood and He HAD to rise again.

The necessity of shedding blood:

"For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it to you on the altar to make atonement for your souls; for it is the blood by reason of the life that makes atonement.” Lev. 17:11

The necessity of a resurrection:

"... if Christ has not been raised, your faith is worthless; you are still in your sins." 1Cor. 15:17

In 325 AD, the first Council of Nicaea met. These were Catholic Bishops gathered by Constantine in the city of Nicaea. They addressed and voted on several theological issues, including the issue of what day to celebrate Resurrection Day--the 14th of Nisan (Passover) or the Sunday following the 14th.

The Nicean Bishops dismissed Nisan 14th because they wanted to distance themselves from the Jewish Passover. The Catholics believed that because the Jews killed Jesus the Church had inherited all the Biblical blessings from God. This anti-Semitic view of God's chosen people still prevails today in the Catholic Church.

But it gets worse! Not wanting to connect anything to the Jewish Passover, they also discarded the Sunday following Passover, the Feast of First Fruits, as the day to celebrate Easter.

These Catholic Bishops decided against using scripture to determine the date. Instead, they decided that Easter/Resurrection Day should be completely unrelated to scripturally based Passover date! Good grief, what were they smoking!

The Bishops instead came up with their own ridiculous and unbiblical way to determine when the Resurrection Day occurred! Specifically, they decided Easter should fall on "the first Sunday following the first ecclesiastical full-moon that occurs on or after the day of the vernal equinox." The vernal equinox is when the sun crosses the equator in the spring, which is the first day of spring.

By the Catholic Church basing the Resurrection Sunday date on the moon and the first day of spring, it removed any possibility of Easter being connected to Passover!

They explain it this way on catholic.com, answering the question "How is Easter Sunday determined?" After first admitting that Easter SHOULD immediately follow Passover, which occurs on Nisan 14, they then add:

"Christians didn't like being dependent on the pronouncements of rabbis for how to celebrate Christian feasts, so they (the Council of Nicaea) came up with another way of determining the date. They decided that Easter would be celebrated on the first Sunday after (never on) the Paschal full moon." (3)

Really? Let's think about that for a moment... God established the specific day for Passover to be celebrated, Nisan 14. This was one of the greatest days in the entire Old Testament. Jews were commanded to celebrate the day each year with a feast, forever! And don't forget that Believers are adopted/grafted into the Jewish promises.

"...adoption as sons through Jesus Christ ..." Eph. 1:5

"...grafted in..." Rom. 11:17

The Bible tells us that Jesus was crucified during the Passover celebration and His tomb was discovered empty early Sunday morning, three days and three nights later, on the Feast of First Fruits. Therefore the Resurrection is forever tied to Passover and the Jewish feasts.

But rather than connect Resurrection Day to the Passover and celebrate our Jewish roots, the spiritually defiant leaders of the Catholic Church decided to change the date of the Resurrection so as not to be connected to the Jewish Passover! That is like changing/ adding to God's Word--which is NOT GOOD!

"I testify to everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: if anyone adds to them, God will add to him the plagues which are written in this book;" Rev. 22:18

This was Satan at his best--getting the Catholic Church to loathe Israel and the Jews so much they didn't want to be associated in any way with the Jewish Passover.

And all this stems from the Catholics holding to an a-millennial doctrinal stance ... foolishly believing the Church has inherited God's promises to the Jews. This also proves the incredible importance of accurately understanding Bible prophecy!

If you have the wrong eschatological position it will distort how you interpret the scriptures. The Catholic Church holds to an a-millennial position which means they don't take scripture literally.

For instance they take the six references to a "thousand years" of Jesus' reign on earth to mean a "long time." Correctly using a literal translation we understand that Jesus will reign 1000 years on the earth as King.

If the Catholic Church properly viewed the scriptures literally, they would be pre-millennial and embrace the Jews as God's chosen people. But their poor doctrine and anti-Semitic views blinded them to the point that they incorrectly changed the day we celebrate Resurrection Day.

But we can't be too hard on the Catholics. Martin Luther also misunderstood and loathed Israel and the Jewish people.(4) Although he was correct with his protesting of Catholic Church doctrines and policies, God did not reveal to him at that time the Catholic Church's incorrect eschatology positions.

In fact, Catholic eschatological error continued to be passed down to Protestant denominations for another 100 years or so before pre-millennial doctrines exposed the error of a-millennial theology.

Summary So to nail shut the case for which day we should be celebrating Resurrection Day, we need to quit being led by the incorrect calendar dates of the Catholic Church. Instead, we should use the scripturally commanded Nisan 14 date to determine which Sunday to celebrate.

Bottom line, Resurrection Day should be the Sunday following Passover. This year it falls, by chance, on the correct day. But it has no connection to Passover, which as Believers adopted into the Jewish promises, we should also be celebrating each year!

So if you're a pastor reading this, do you have the spiritual conviction to celebrate Resurrection Day on the Sunday following the Jewish Passover in the years to come? Or are you just going to continue using the incorrect dating of the Catholic Church? Pray about it!

Bill Perkins Founder and Executive Director Compass International, Inc. compass.org A non-profit ministry Biblecruise@compass.org

If you would like to print this article click here:Should We Celebrate "Easter"?

Notes: (1) https://answersingenesis.org/holidays/easter/is-the-name-easter-of-pagan-origin/

(2) Satan’s Claws/Santa’s Claws

(3) https://www.catholic.com/qa/how-is-easter-sunday-determined-palm-sunday-ash-wednesday

(4) http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/martin-luther-quot-the-jews-and-their-lies-quot

(5) http://tlarsen2.tripod.com/thomaslarsen/easterdates.html

This article can be posted, forwarded, passed around, etc., only if you include the credits.

Say it ain't so!

It's amazing how many decisions we make each day based solely on what it will cost us monetarily and how few decisions we make each day based solely on God's Word.

There is the old joke about a very, very rich man having a conversation with a girl he was dating. He puts his money on the table and says, "I'll give you 10 million dollars if you will sleep with me tonight."

The sum of money was staggering for the girl to comprehend. She knew sleeping with him was wrong and definitely sinful. But, good grief she thought, is it really THAT bad, considering the 10 million dollars in return?

She thought through the fact she or her parents would never have to work again, she could buy the houses, cars and clothes she always wanted, and even considered the fact she could give millions to her church.

So she agreed to the rich man's proposition to have sex with him for 10 million dollars. The rich man responded to her acceptance of the offer and said, "Will you sleep with me tonight for $50?"

Incensed, the girl exclaimed, "I would never! What do you think I am, a prostitute?!" To which the rich man responded, "We've already established what you are, we're just negotiating the price."

Before you dismiss that as something you would never do, I think we (I'm guilty too) make decisions similar to the above and often justify them based on the economic impact to our life.

Here are just three examples of why I think Believers' decisions often don't differ too much from non-Christians' decisions when it comes to money:

#1) Rather than saving up to buy an automobile, television, boat, washing machine, church building, etc., most Christians instead finance their purchases so they can have them now, paying trillions in interest each year.

#2) Christian men think nothing of trading in their wives for cash each month. Given as a special gift from God and designed as a help-mate, anchor of the home, etc., most Christian men, women and pastors see nothing wrong with women working full-time outside the home.... for mere money.

#3) Birth control is used by almost all Christians. Rather than covet and trust God's blessings of children, Christians take matters into their own hands by trying to control when, where and how often God blesses them, usually giving a monetary reason for the lack of faith.

My argument is that if women got married, stayed home, had as many kids as God would bless them with while the dad worked and purchased items as they could save for and pay cash, eternally, ETERNALLY, this couple will be blessed beyond their wildest dreams.

***** Yes, yes, yes, I know full well I'm gonna get slammed for saying that! But hey, I'm just getting too old and too tired to stay quiet!******* 🙂

Yes, a couple might always be tired, worn out and broke in this life having six or more kids. So what? Where should their emphasis be?

God once spoke to Israel through Ezekiel and said:

"Yet you say, 'The way of the Lord is not right.' Hear now, O house of Israel! Is My way not right? Is it not your ways that are wrong?" Ezek. 18:25

And Solomon said:

"Trust in the LORD with all your heart, And do not lean on your own understanding." Prov. 3:5

"There is a way which seems right to a man, But its end is the way of death." Prov. 16:25

It seems that Satan, the god of this world, has taken the prosperity and success of America after World War ll and cunningly used it against us. There is nothing sinful about success, as all success ultimately comes from God. But if in the process you lose your spiritual moorings to Biblical stability, you can quickly loose your life-purpose bearings. And the penalty can be great.

Consider the ramifications of just one of the above three facts: Christians using birth control.

Christians in America average about two kids per family, citing, most often, money as the reason for fewer kids. If those children average having two children, and their children average two children, etc., in four generations the original couple will have a total of 30 descendants.

However, if Christians were focusing on eternal blessings and not temporal blessings, and averaged six children per family, instead of two, by the fourth generation they would have about 1500 descendants!

Generation #1: 6 children Generation #2: 36 children Generation #3: 216 children Generation #4: 1,296 children Total direct descendants in four generations: 1,554

Keep in mind that this is the impact of only one family and that children are a BLESSING from God. (We wrote extensively on this in the May issue-link to that article is on the right bottom- "Past Issues.'

Therefore, should our priority be to have more money, time and things in this life, or should God and eternity be our life's focus? Less now and more later, or more now and less later? Satan's emphasis or God's emphasis?

"For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain." Phil. 1:21

As Believers who should be trusting the shed blood of Jesus Christ on Calvary to completely erase our past, present and future sins, our priorities should be the same as God's priorities. Therefore every decision we make should be rooted in how it affects the long-term, not the short-term.

When you consciously or unconsciously move your emphasis from eternity/future to today/this life, without a Biblical thought process guiding those decisions, you're on a slippery slope to downtown Pagenville.

My favorite verse in the Bible is-

"forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead..." Phil 3:13

This means that regardless of where I am, regardless of what I've done wrong or didn't know was wrong, I can move boldly forward from any point in time, knowing God counts zero against me.

That verse also means that it's never too late to defend what I believe to my family, friends and my next door neighbor.

© 2017 Compass Int’l, Inc.

Bill and Susie Perkins founded Compass International, Inc. in 1993 as a non-profit, nondenominational ministry. For information on Compass’ Steeling the Mind Bible Conferences, Good Morning Lord! Bible studies, books, DVDs and Biblelands Cruises, go to compass.org

LIKE us on Facebook: facebook.com/compassbible and FOLLOW us on Twitter: @compass7 and Instagram: @compassbible

When I bring them back from the peoples and gather them from the lands of their enemies, then I shall be sanctified through them in the sight of the many nations. Ezekiel 39:27

In the not-too-distant future, Israel will again be in the forefront of God’s actions on earth—and the whole world will be watching! Like the time of the Egyptian plagues, the world will again see God in visible action.

I will vindicate the holiness of My great name which has been profaned among the nations, which you have profaned in their midst. Then the nations will know that I am the LORD,” declares the Lord GOD, “when I prove Myself holy among you in their sight. Ezekiel 36:23

Currently we’re living in the “Church Age,” and the Lord reveals Himself to individual people via His invisible Holy Spirit. But the Church Age will soon end with the sudden disappearance of all living Believers. A shocked world will immediately know things have changed.

When the Rapture dust settles, the horrific seven-year Tribulation begins. All Hades will break loose on earth and close to two billion people will die! TWO BILLION!!!

I looked, and behold, an ashen horse; and he who sat on it had the name Death; and Hades was following with him. Authority was given to them over a fourth of the earth, to kill with sword and with famine and with pestilence and by the wild beasts of the earth. Revelation 6:8

That’s a lot of tribulation! But we know that number is true because God inspired every word in the Bible.

…no prophecy of Scripture is a matter of one’s own interpretation, for no prophecy was ever made by an act of human will, but men moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God. 2 Peter 1:20-21

So the Bible is penned by man, but 100% inspired/authored by God. It’s perfect in every way. Perfect in word, doctrine, design… even perfect in number. You can depend on His numbers—there will be BILLIONS who die in the Tribulation.

The law of the LORD is perfect, Psalms 19:7

Jesus left no doubt about how accurate God’s Words are:

For truly I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or stroke shall pass away from the Law, until all is accomplished. Matthew 5:18

If God is the author of every word in the Bible, they are perfect and all prophecy will be fulfilled, then it’s not surprising to see that numbers used in the Bible are consistent from Genesis through Revelation.

For instance, when using the number 5, and/or multiples of 5, it always refers to grace. Jesus had 5 wounds on the cross. Almost all measurements in the Jewish Temple are multiples of 5.

Eight is the number of new beginnings—there were 8 people on the Ark and the 8th day of the week is a new week. Forty is the number of testing— Jesus fasted in the desert 40 days and Israel wandering in the wilderness for 40 years. Six is the number of man—as in 666.

But the most interesting of all the numbers is 7, God’s number He uses to indicate “completion.” There are 7 days in a week and there were 7 days in the creation week. Israel had 490 years assigned to her by the Lord…and 7 years are still left to be fulfilled in the future—called the “Tribulation” or “Time of Jacob’s trouble.”

Keep Your Eyes On Israel We know we’re very close to the end of the Church Age because Israel is being readied by God to again bring her and her land to the forefront of the world. Consider these fulfilled prophecies in the last 69 years:

1) In the latter days God would gather Israel back to her homeland after being scattered around the world. He did.

When I bring them back from the peoples and gather them from the lands of their enemies… Ezekiel 39:27

…I will take the sons of Israel from among the nations where they have gone, and I will gather them from every side and bring them into their own land; Ezekiel 37:21

2) Israel would return to their homeland as a pure race. She did.

And I heard the number of those who were sealed, one hundred and forty-four thousand sealed from every tribe of the sons of Israel: Revelation 7:4

3) Israel would take over her land in a day. She did.

Who has heard such a thing? Who has seen such things? Can a land be born in one day? Can a nation be brought forth all at once? Isaiah 66:8

4) Israel would have a mighty army. She does.

So I prophesied as He commanded me, and the breath came into them, and they came to life and stood on their feet, an exceedingly great army.” Ezekiel 37:10

5) Israel would have nuclear weapons. She does.

Now this will be the plague with which the LORD will strike all the peoples who have gone to war against Jerusalem; their flesh will rot while they stand on their feet, and their eyes will rot in their sockets, and their tongue will rot in their mouth. Zechariah 14:12 (Ezekiel 39:11-16)

6) The regathered nation would be a problem to the whole world. She is.

It will come about in that day that I will make Jerusalem a heavy stone for all the peoples; all who lift it will be severely injured. And all the nations of the earth will be gathered against it. Zechariah 12:3

7) Iran would be her enemy. They are.

Persia, … with shield and helmet; Ezekiel 38:5 (In 1932 Persia changed her name to Iran.)

Israel is in her “regathering” period, a length of time predetermined by God. It’s also called “The Time of God’s Patience.”(1)

So, for pure fun, how much time would you expect God to have predetermined for this period of time between Israel becoming a nation again and the start of the Tribulation?

Using God’s numbers as a guide, my guess is that it’s likely to be 70 years, God’s number for completion.

Seventy years from 1948 puts us at 2018. For the record, let me repeat, this is not a prediction, merely an observation or a guess based on God’s use of numbers in the past.

But you could just as well theorize that God might count 70 years from Israel’s takeover of Mount Moriah and the Temple Mount in the Old City of Jerusalem in 1967.

Or it could be anywhere in between. We don’t know for sure because the Rapture is a signless event. But Israel’s time clock is tick tick ticking. Keep your eyes on Israel!!

Any way you slice it, we’re definitely living in the last of the last days! How exciting that God has predetermined the day of our great titillating departure, and when it arrives, millions will be missing because we’ll have disappeared in the twinkling of an eye! Exactly as predetermined on God’s perfect schedule!

Until that day, use us, Lord!

Shalom!
Bill Perkins, Founder & Executive Director

If you would like to print this article, click here: Israel's Ticking Time Clock

1) https://compass.org/store/products/Article%3A-God%27s-Patience-in-the-Last-Days.html

© 2017 Compass Int’l, Inc.

Bill and Susie Perkins founded Compass International, Inc. in 1993 as a non-profit, nondenominational ministry. For information on Compass’ Steeling the Mind Bible Conferences, Good Morning Lord! Bible studies, books, DVDs and Biblelands Cruises, go to compass.org

LIKE us on Facebook: facebook.com/compassbible and FOLLOW us on Twitter: @compass7 and Instagram: @compassbible

Why "The SHACK" Is Blasphemous

The Shack is a well-written "Christian fiction" book by William P. Young that has sold over 20 million copies since its debut in 2007.

Due to the intense story, for most readers it causes a flood of emotions to well up inside, masking the theological errors throughout the book.

We didn't recommend reading the book when we reviewed it it 2008 (1), nor do we recommend seeing the movie that is coming out in March. Here's why:

Although The Shack is a fiction book, it attempts to address significant theological issues. But the answers given to these issues are in grave Biblical error. And more often than not, these errors go undetected by most Christians. Here are some of them...

The Shack presents an unbiblical picture of God: God the Father is personified by a large black lady named Papa.

I could stop there, as most Believers see the blasphemous problems with making God into a woman-which basically is goddess worship. But there's much more.

The Bible never teaches that God the Father takes on a physical form. Just the opposite.

"God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth." John 4:24

"...who alone possesses immortality and dwells in unapproachable light, whom no man has seen or can see." 1Tim. 6:16

Even though God the Father is shown to possess both male and female attributes, the Bible always refers to God in the masculine gender, never female.

On page 95, "Papa" has scars in her hands. But, of course, only Christ bore the sins of the world. God the Father rendered judgment to His Son.

The Shack presents an unbiblical picture of the Holy Spirit: God the Holy Spirit is personified by an Asian woman. But the Holy Spirit never appears as a person, much less a woman, and is always referred to in the masculine gender.

The Shack presents an unbiblical picture of Jesus: Jesus of The Shack is not Jesus of the Bible!

"...for God is not a God of confusion..." 1Cor. 14:33

There are several verses in the Bible where Jesus exercised His headship, His divine attributes. But on pages 99-100 it says, "Jesus as a human being had no power within himself to heal anyone." And this is, of course, 100% false. Jesus was 100% God and 100% man.

The Shack presents an unbiblical picture of the Trinity: The Shack presents all three members of the Trinity in human form, but the Bible shows only Jesus taking human form.

The Shack says on page 122-124 that the Trinity is all equal, that they don't relate to each other within a hierarchy. But the Bible says clearly that God sent His Son. The Son did not send Himself. So while the members of the Trinity are all equal, there is also a divine order of headship and submission, which is hierarchy.

"No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; John 6:44

"But I want you to understand that Christ is the head of every man, and the man is the head of a woman, and God is the head of Christ." 1Cor. 11:3

The Shack presents an unbiblical picture of salvation: The Shack suggests there is more than one way to be saved. Basically, it teaches pluralism. The book states on page 182, with regards to salvation:

"Those who love me come from every system that exists. They are Buddhists or Mormons... Muslims,"

The Bible disagrees:

"Jesus said to him, I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.'" John 14:6

While it IS possible that a Mormon or Muslim could get saved, they wouldn't stay in the Mormon or Muslim faith. But The Shack suggests that those in the faith are indistinguishable ... no difference. Even adding:

"I have no desire to make them Christian."

And then it goes on to say:

"Does that mean all roads will lead to you?"

To which Jesus says:

"Most roads don't lead anywhere."

Of course, the Jesus of the Bible disagrees:

"Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it." Matt. 7:13

"Jesus said to him, 'I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.'" John 14:6

Yet The Shack doesn't tell people they should seek the only way to avoid eternal damnation--believing Jesus was God, came to earth, lived a sinless life, was crucified, and defeated death by rising from the dead.

The Shack presents an unbiblical picture of your relationship with God: Throughout the book, The Shack places an emphasis on your "relationship" with God while downplaying proper doctrine. But how can you have a true relationship with God without scripturally understanding God's truth as revealed in His Word?

"...until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man, to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fullness of Christ." Eph. 4:13

The Shack embraces Pantheism: Pantheism is the false teaching that God is everything and everything is God. Trees, rocks, animals, the sun, pets, people...are all gods. But even though God may live in a person or be present in a rock, that doesn't mean He is a person or a rock.

Don't confuse this with God being "omnipresent." God is not immersed in the fabric of everything, God is present in all time and space. Noted New Ager Benjamin Creme wrote in his book, "The Reappearance of the Christ and the Masters of Wisdom":

But eventually a new world religion will be inaugurated which will be a fusion and synthesis of the approach of the East and the approach of the West. The Christ will bring together, not simply Christianity and Buddhism, but the concept of God transcendent-outside of His creation-and also the concept of God immanent in all creation-in man and all creation. p. 88

The Shack also teaches the New Age principle that "God is in everything."

"God, who is the ground of all being, dwells in, around, and through all things." p. 112

This is the same garbage that Rick Warren teaches in his blasphemous "The Purpose Driven Life":

"He rules everything and is everywhere and is in everything." p. 88

If pantheism were true, it would not be a sin to worship the sun, moon or stars because they would, in fact, be God. But the Bible forbids it.

"You shall have no other gods before Me." Deut. 5:7

"And beware not to lift up your eyes to heaven and see the sun and the moon and the stars, all the host of heaven, and be drawn away and worship them and serve them..." Deut. 4:19

Funny thing, when you think about it. The same lie Satan used in the Garden of Eden, "You can be God," is still being used by Satan today!

Conclusion While a mature Believer may be able to read the fiction book and/or watch the fiction movie without being compromised, we believe that the dangerous theological errors in The Shack are from the pit of hell.

Reading and/or seeing The Shack movie by a mature Believer could expose less mature Believers to major Biblical error. What could have been an interesting story is actually playing with fire (i.e. Satan), which is never acceptable.

"Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour." 1Pet. 5:8

Shalom! BP

(1) https://compass.org/store/products/Article%3A-The-Shack-%252d-Book- Review.html

If you would like to print this article click here: Why the Shack is Blasphemous

The "repentance in salvation" question is hotly debated between the dispensationalists and covenant theologians. The idea of "salvation without repentance" understandably sends many into fits of rage. But is salvation without repentance even possible?

The Greek word for "repent" can be used as a noun or a verb so it is imperative to look at the context of the verse to determine how it is being used.

The Greek word for "repent" is metanoia (noun) or metanoeo (verb). It means "to change your mind" and the context must determine what is involved in that change of mind. Does it mean repent for salvation (addressing non-Believers) or repent from error or sin (addressing Believers)?

Strong's defines the two words this way:
1. (NOUN) metanoia, met-an´-oy-ah; from 3340; (subjectively) compunction (for guilt, including reformation); by implication, reversal (of (another's) decision): -repentance.

2. (VERB) metanoeo, met-an-o-eh´-o; from 3326 and 3539; to think differently or afterwards, i.e. reconsider (morally, feel compunction): - repent.

When the word repent was used in the Gospels, speaking to the Jews under the law (i.e. Mark 2:17; Acts 3:19) who had rejected Jesus as the Messiah, the word used was the verb "metanoe" ... they needed to think differently/reconsider what they thought about who Jesus was. The same is true in 1 Thess 1:9 when they had to change their previous conception about God and turn from idolatry.

But in, for instance, 2 Cor 7:10, a different Greek word was used, the verb "metanoia" -- and used interchangeably with "believe." They "changed their mind" about trusting self, good works or tradition and instead trusted the "finished" work of Jesus on the cross.

Nowhere in the Bible are "believe" and "repent" used together to teach two different requirements for salvation.

Therefore, when salvation from the sinful state is in view, "repent" (a change of mind) and "believe" (a change of what you're trusting) are in essence used as synonyms.

In Acts 20:21 the two words, repentance and faith, are joined by one article in the Greek text which means that the two are inseparable, although each focuses on a different part of the single requirement of needing a saving faith in the Gospel.

Lewis Chafer wrote:
"Too often, when it is asserted-as it is here-that repentance is not to be added to belief as a separated requirement for salvation, it is assumed that repentance is not necessary to salvation. Therefore it is as dogmatically stated as language can declare, that repentance is essential to salvation and that none could be saved apart from repentance, but it is included in believing and cannot be separated from it" (Lewis Sperry Chafer, Vital Theological Issues, Roy B. Zuck, General Editor, Kregel, Grand Rapids, 1994, p. 119).

Roy B. Zuck writes:
"Repentance is included in believing. Faith and repentance are
like two sides of a coin. Genuine faith includes repentance, and genuine repentance includes faith. The Greek word for repentance (metanoia) means to change one's mind. But to change one's mind about what? About sin, about one's adequacy to save himself, about Christ as the only way of salvation, the only One who can make a person righteous." ("Kindred Spirit," a quarterly publication of Dallas Seminary, Summer 1989, p. 5).

Even Luke substituted repentance in place of belief:

"and He said to them, 'Thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer and rise again from the dead the third day; and that repentance for forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in His name to all the nations, beginning from Jerusalem.'" Luke 24:46-47

Dr. Charles Ryrie says of this verse, "Clearly, repentance for the forgiveness of sins  is connected to the death and resurrection of Christ." (Charles C. Ryrie, So Great Salvation, Victor Books, p. 98).

Dr. John Ankerberg stated at a Steeling the Mind Bible Conference, Vail, CO, 1997, "It's not 'faith' that saves you, but rather, the 'object of your faith.' You can have faith that your good works will save you, but they won't. The only thing that can save you is your faith and belief in the Gospel of Jesus Christ."

The object of your faith must be the Gospel of Jesus Christ alone.

Other passages clearly support the fact that repentance often means faith in the Gospel of Jesus Christ. (Acts 10:43 with 11:17-18; Acts 13:38-39 with 2:38; and Acts 16:31 uses only "believe")

Ryrie also points out that in some 50 uses of "faith" or "believe," the Gospel of John never uses the word repent, and bringing men to faith is the written purpose of the Book of John. Did John miss something? Did he give only half the gospel? If Nicodemus needed to repent, "believe" is used interchangeably in place of "repent."

Neither did Jesus tell the woman at the well in Samaria to repent. When she recounted her story, the other Samaritans didn't "repent," rather they "believed."

"Belief in Christ, as an expression of a change of mind, focuses on the new direction that change about God must take, namely, trusting in Christ, God's Son, as personal Savior. Jews needed to change their minds about Jesus and realize that He is their true Messiah" (Ryrie, p. 98).

And finally there is, of course, repentance needed in our Christian walk in relation to specific sins we may/will commit (2 Cor. 7:9; Rev. 2:5, Rom 7).

Christians do sin and when we are convicted about that sin, we need to repent, or change directions, away from the sin toward God's way. But this repentance has nothing to do with salvation. It's simply a Believer maturing in his/her faith.

Also it is worth noting that both Nicodemus (John 3:2) and Joseph of Arimathea (John 19:38) were secret Believers. On the outside they appeared like all the other non believing Jews. But on the inside they had saving faith in Jesus.

In conclusion, when a non-Believer puts their faith and trust in the Gospel of Jesus Christ, they have changed directions/repented of their faith in something that would not save them, or, lack of faith in the only thing that can save them.

Shalom!

BP

If you would like to print this article click here: Is Repentance Necessary for Salvation?

The Pokémon Go phenomenon is more proof the world is being readied for Satan's rule.

The world is going crazy playing a game called Pokémon Go. The public saturation is so large the app downloads will soon surpass Twitter. There are some 20 million DAILY users of the game and large companies like Kellogg's, Kraft Foods and Burger King are heavily promoting it.

Few Believers realize what the game actually is and apparently see no problem letting their children play it hours on end. In a nutshell, Pokémon Go is an occult-rooted and demon-oriented game of witchcraft originally created in god-less Japan. Believers' children should have nothing to do with it!

If I were to suggest you should get out a Ouija Board and ask it a few questions, most grounded Believers would immediately point out the occult properties of Ouija that are obviously off-limits to Bible believing Christians.

And if you think using a Ouija Board is bad, Pokémon is 1000 times worse! It's like a three dimensional Ouija Board that is not played in one spot, but outside, all over the world as players chase and empower virtual demons. Yes, you read that correctly.

Let's start with the word "Pokémon." It's a Japanese word that means "pocket monster." And this comes from the same company (Wizards of the Coast) that originally developed the highly occultic and anti-Christian "Dungeons and Dragons" and "Magic the Gathering" games. Nintendo negotiated a license to distribute the game and its stock has since soared.

The game is played by downloading an app to your smart phone which is used to find and capture Pokeballs. The Pokeballs are found all over town--appearing as images on the players' phones in parks, schools, hospitals, businesses, freeways, landmarks, etc. They're then used to throw at and capture virtual pocket monsters appearing all around in the mapped streetscape.

Called "immersive play" or "augmented reality," players use their smart phone's GPS and camera functions to blur reality with fantasy that, in essence, gives spirit and soul to digital objects. Pokémon gives power to whomever catches them.

When you capture your pocket monsters, you train them to have more and more "power" to use against other people's Pokémon. The characters even mimic evolution as the Pokémon "evolve" from 1 to 100 as the game progresses. There are some 150 named Pokémon and they have special powers as they share the world with humans. For instance the Pokémon named "Haunter" can hypnotize, eat your dreams and drain your energy. "Abra" reads minds and "Kadabra" spews negative energy. Do note the names they use!

So the bottom line is that playing Pokémon Go is dealing with the devil's demonic world. "Pocket monster" is just a ruse for "pocket demon." The world has gone crazy searching out virtual demons! Most have no clue. Christian kids are being unsuspectingly sucked into the world of the occult by the millions.

"No wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. Therefore it is not surprising if his servants also disguise themselves as servants of righteousness, whose end will be according to their deeds." 2Cor. 11:14

Few realize, especially children, that this is a gateway to the occult and is strictly forbidden in the Bible. We certainly don't want our children dealing with demons! But most see no harm in letting their kids play the game.

'As for the person who turns to mediums and to spiritists, to play the harlot after them, I will also set My face against that person and will cut him off from among his people. Lev. 20:6

Believe it or not, hundreds of churches, both liberal and conservative, are EMBRACING Pokémon Go by making their church a PokeStop or gym for the game. Really? REALLY?

These churches actually think that by advertising "come catch 'em all" they can reach more unchurched people. Unbelievable! They might as well advertise, "Come let your demons play with our demons."

The Bible is quite clear, even tying deceiving spirits into the latter days:

"But the Spirit explicitly says that in later times some will fall away from the faith, paying attention to deceitful spirits and doctrines of demons," 1Tim. 4:1

In the Old Testament the Lord was quite clear about steering clear of witchcraft as the penalty for practicing sorcery was death!

"You shall not allow a sorceress to live. Ex. 22:18

In multiple passages, we are warned. Yet somehow we missed the obvious. This game is quite evil! Two months into playing Pokémon an eight-year-old boy asked his mother "what is 'channeling?'" He explained that there were channelers, bad spirits and ghosts in his Pokemon game, calling out dead Pokémons' spirits.

"There shall not be found among you anyone who makes his son or his daughter pass through the fire, one who uses divination, one who practices witchcraft, or one who interprets omens, or a sorcerer, or one who casts a spell, or a medium, or a spiritist, or one who calls up the dead. For whoever does these things is detestable to the LORD; and because of these detestable things the LORD your God will drive them out before you. Deut. 18:10-12

Paul the Apostle pointedly warned us about the invisible war going on around us in verses we all can quote from memory but never really seem to find a reason to apply:

"Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places. Eph. 6:11-12

We need to heed Paul's warning. If you have kids or grand-kids involved with this game, it's time to get out the Bible and teach the inerrant Truth in God's Word about the incredible dangers of the occult. Otherwise you risk losing them to the dark side.

Bill Perkins Executive Director Compass International, Inc.

If you would like to print this article click here:Pocket Demons.compressed

http://www.latimes.com/nation/la-na-pokemon-go-20160711-snap-story.html

http://www.prophecynewswatch.com/article.cfm?recent_news_id=491

http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?

http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?

http://walkingintruth.blogspot.com/2005/07/truth-behind-pokemon.html

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Rainbow over Old City of Jerusalem

Once again the world powers are attempting to fashion a peace treaty between the Israelis and Palestinians.

Regardless of what they eventually end up with, at best, the Bible says it will bring peace only temporarily - if it brings peace at all! There will be no true lasting peace until the Prince of Peace, Jesus Christ, returns to set up His earthly Kingdom.

The above picture of the Old City of Jerusalem, taken from the top of the Mount of Olives, shows the Muslim "Dome of the Rock" prominently located in the middle of the Temple Mount (the "Temple Mount" is the treed area around the gold plated Dome- approximately 35 acres). To the far left you can see the Al- Aqsa Mosque with it's black dome. All of this is on Mount Moriah, the place where Abraham offered Issac as a sacrifice, where the first two Jewish Temples were built, and where the future throne of Jesus will be located as He rules the world for 1000 years.

So why is a Muslim shrine located in the middle of this area that is so sacred to the Jews? The fact it was built there also explains why the Muslims are trying to build a Mosque near Ground Zero in New York. You see, when the Muslims conquer an area, they build a shrine or mosque to commemorate the victory. To build at ground zero would be to mark the spot of a great victory. The name they originally assigned it, "Cordoba," refers to a big Islamic victory in Spain in 711.

All this Mosque building is tied together in their brazen attempt to take over the world with Islam as the only religion. Don't you think it's odd that no churches or synagogues can be built in Saudi Arabia, yet they demand to build at Ground Zero! There are over 100 Mosques already in New York, so it's not too hard to figure out that there is an ulterior motivation - not to mention they won't even reveal the funding sources for the Ground Zero Mosque.

But the plot will really thicken when Bible prophecies come to fruition regarding the Temple Mount at the end of the Church Age. The Bible says PRIOR to the second coming, the Jews will rebuild their Temple and go back to blood sacrifices to God (Dan 9:27). Since sacrifices can only be made on Mount Moriah, there is a problem here... the Muslim Dome of the Rock is in the way. It will either be destroyed and a Jewish Temple rebuilt in its place, or, some other deal worked out so that Jews can rebuild their Temple on Mount Moriah and begin sacrifices again after a 2000 year or so lapse. Again, all of this is prior to the Second Coming of Christ, but after the Rapture.

Now you know what's at stake in Jerusalem. All the talk about land, settlements, Gaza, the West Bank and such, are secondary issues. What's really at stake is who controls Mount Moriah. The Muslims truly think they will take over the world one day. And every end-time battle deals with Muslim dominated nations. But the Bible says Allah (Satan) loses, the Jews (Jehovah God) win, and the Jewish God/man Jesus will set up His throne on Mount Moriah (Isaiah 32:1).

If you would like to print this article click here: Mount Moriah- God's Special Place on Earth

© 2017 Compass Int’l, Inc.

Bill and Susie Perkins founded Compass International, Inc. in 1993 as a non-profit, nondenominational ministry. For information on Compass’ Steeling the Mind Bible Conferences, Good Morning Lord! Bible studies, books, DVDs and Biblelands Cruises, go to compass.org

LIKE us on Facebook: facebook.com/compassbible and FOLLOW us on Twitter: @compass7 and Instagram: @compassbible

"For the coming of the Son of Man will be just like the days of Noah. For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and they did not understand until the flood came and took them all away; so will the coming of the Son of Man be. (Rapture)
                                            Matthew 24:37-39

"It was the same as happened in the days of Lot: they were eating, they were drinking, they were buying, they were selling, they were planting, they were building; but on the day that Lot went out from Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven and destroyed them all. 
                                            Luke 17:28-29

"Now as to the times and the epochs, brethren, you have no need of anything to be written to you. For you yourselves know full well that the day of the Lord will come just like a thief in the night. While they are saying, 'Peace and safety!' then destruction will come upon them suddenly like labor pains upon a woman with child, and they will not escape. But you, brethren, are not in darkness, that the day would overtake you like a thief; for you are all sons of light and sons of day. We are not of night nor of darkness; so then let us not sleep as others do, but let us be alert and sober.
                                             1Thes. 5:1-6

"For God has not destined us for wrath, but for obtaining salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us, so that whether we are awake or asleep, we will live together with Him. Therefore encourage one another and build up one another, just as you also are doing.
                                            1Thes. 5:9-11

Noah on the Ark is a picture of the Church being taken up and over the tribulation.

Lot is a picture of the Jews being removed to safety, protected and away from the destruction (in Petra?) during the Tribulation.

Paul gives us the picture of tribulation as a thief coming in the night ... but coming only for unbelievers. The thief won't be coming for Believers as we should be well aware of what's coming--the mass removal of the Church. And this should be "encouraging" to us!

"There is an appointed time for everything. And there is a time for every event under heaven." Eccl. 3:1

In the not-too-distant future the world will change suddenly and dramatically.

At the end of each of God's specific time periods on earth, referred to as "dispensations," God judges the earth for failure to obey God's commands. There's a penalty to pay and no one on earth gets out of God's judgment.

Examples of God's worldwide judgment in the first three dispensations

1) In the first Dispensation of Innocence, God's command was very simple for Adam and Eve: "Don't eat the fruit from the tree of knowledge of good and evil."

But they disobeyed, ate the fruit, and the result was that death entered the earth. God judged the earth by allowing every human to be infected with sin, separating them from a righteous God.

2) In the second Dispensation of Conscience, God's command was to be moral, which included the command to marry one man to one woman. That command was broken and a devastating worldwide flood wiped out everyone but those on Noah's Ark.

3) In the third Dispensation of Government, God said fill the earth. But instead of following God's command, the people of earth stayed in one place and built the Tower of Babel. So God judged the earth by mixing the languages.

Each time a dispensation ended, the whole earth was affected. The people alive at the time of those dispensation-ending judgments were affected whether they knew about God's commands or not. God never changed, but He changed how He dealt with humans on the earth.

The Flood of Noah was God's worldwide judgment. I can't imagine what it would have been like to be alive at the time of Noah when God shut the door of the Ark and the waters burst forth from below and flooded the earth.

The people of that day were going about their daily lives, ignoring God's warnings and had no clue what was dead ahead.

One minute things were normal. The next minute the foundations of the world were shaken. People certainly weren't standing around watching the water rise, wondering what to do. Rather, in an instant, the earth was moving under their feet, buildings were collapsing, the wind was howling and people were screaming.

The amount of water that came out of the ground all around the earth would have sent scores of tsunamis hundreds of feet high that traveled hundreds of miles inland, all while the earth shook mightily.

But this was not an earthquake like we think of today, where only one area is decimated. The whole earth shook as it was quickly covered with water. It is estimated that the earth could have been flooded from the waters below in eight hours.Click here to watch a remarkable 90-second video showing how this could have happened. The video is titled "When God Shut The Door On Noah's Ark."

Watching that video you realize that not only did that Ark have to be able to float with two of all the earth's animals, it also had to withstand the initial impact of the floodwaters smashing against the side of the Ark.

No doubt there were some who stayed alive a few seconds and remembered Noah's preaching and warnings of God's impending judgment.

Like the thief on the cross, I'm sure there were some people who, at the last second, believed what Noah said as they sank below the turbulent judgment waters. But the end of the Church Age, when suddenly the Believers disappear, there is no possibility of last second salvation. It's just over.

But the main point is this--all dispensations end with God's judgment for all who are not saved through the Door. One minute things were normal, the next minute God's judgment came without warning for those who did not enter God's Door of salvation via His Messiah.

The next dispensational change, the end of the Church Age in which we currently live, will be "just like" the time of Noah's Flood. Not "similar to", "comparable to" or "much the same as." No, it will be "JUST LIKE" the days before Noah enters into the Ark and God closes the door.

So the Bible gives us a good idea of what the time will be like. The Bible says specifically that the time before the flood was quite normal. People were not expecting God's judgment. They thought things would continue on unabated. It's the same today-

2Pet. 3:3 Know this first of all, that in the last days mockers will come with their mocking, following after their own lusts, 2Pet. 3:4 and saying, "Where is the promise of His coming? For ever since the fathers fell asleep, all continues just as it was from the beginning of creation." 2Pet. 3:5 For when they maintain this, it escapes their notice that by the word of God the heavens existed long ago and the earth was formed out of water and by water, 2Pet. 3:6 through which the world at that time was destroyed, being flooded with water.

People today have no clue. They will be eating, drinking, planting, harvesting, social events and construction....until God shuts the door. Luke 17:27, Mat 24:37.

Most people today go about their daily lives unconcerned about God's rules. By and large, the earth is unconcerned about God, much less about God's commands and fully ignorant of the coming world judgment. Pretty much the world is giving God the middle-finger.

But just as God shut the door of Noah's Ark and then it was too late to miss the judgment, God will also shut the Door (Jesus) with the Rapture and things will change in a split-second.

God's Wrath Is Coming Again That incredible God-ordained event brings the world into a global state of shock as the Lord removes those who are in the Body of Christ. By God's grace, Believers are whisked to heaven and therefore saved FROM the wrath of God.

"Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from the wrath of God through Him." Ro. 5:9

"...and to wait for His Son from heaven, whom He raised from the dead, that is Jesus, who rescues us from the wrath to come." 1 Thes. 1:10

"For God has not destined us for wrath, but for obtaining salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ," 1 Thes. 5:9

Israel Will Again Be God's Focus Immediately after the Rapture, God will bring Israel back into the prophetic spotlight--big-time front and center. Just like the world revolved around Israel in the Old Testament, it will again revolve around Israel in the next dispensation referred to as "Tribulation."

The Bible says that at that time Israel will have become the envy of the world. They will be so rich and prosperous that right after the Rapture happens, a group of nations will invade to capture her riches.

We are just now seeing the beginning of Israel becoming a wealthy nation. In 2015 she discovered oil in Northern Israel's Golan Heights. The massive oil discovery is predicted to be one of the largest oil reservoirs in the world, 10 times larger than a typical oil discovery.

This is in addition to all the gas fields discovered in and around Israel. As they say in Texas, "Where there's gas, there's oil." So expect to hear more oil discoveries in the future in Israel.

The Bible also states that Israel will have abundant gold and silver.

"...to capture spoil and to seize plunder, to turn your hand against the waste places which are now inhabited, and against the people who are gathered from the nations, who have acquired cattle and goods, who live at the center of the world. Sheba and Dedan and the merchants of Tarshish with all its villages will say to you, 'Have you come to capture spoil? Have you assembled your company to seize plunder, to carry away silver and gold, to take away cattle and goods, to capture great spoil?'"' Ezek 38:12,13

It's unclear if Israel will discover silver and gold in the ground or if nations just give them so much gold and silver for their oil. (Fiat/paper money will likely soon be replaced with a currency tied to gold and/or silver, so this could be quite prophetic!)

Regardless of how she acquires her riches, Israel post-Rapture will be sitting on so much oil, gold and silver that the Bible calls the amount "great."

The Hebrew word translated "great" is "gadol" and can be translated "exceedingly" or "extremely." And its root word "gadal" denotes the idea of recent riches, "became great" or "became wealthy."

Israel didn't start out rich, she is BECOMING rich, right in front of our eyes. And the richer she becomes the more the world will be envious.

God's Reason For Ezekiel 38/39 The MOST fascinating wording in the description of Ezekiel 38/39 invasion of Israel, which takes place shortly after the Rapture, is WHY God says He orchestrates all those events. The reasons are:

1) To bring Israel back into the WORLD limelight as God's special people and

2) To reintroduce the world to Jehovah God with whom to be reckoned.

Check out these quite-pointed statements about the WHOLE WORLD watching what God will be doing:

"...and you will come up against My people Israel like a cloud to cover the land. It shall come about in the last days that I will bring you against My land, so that the nations may know Me when I am sanctified through you before their eyes, O Gog." Ezek. 38:16

"The fish of the sea, the birds of the heavens, the beasts of the field, all the creeping things that creep on the earth, and all the men who are on the face of the earth will shake at My presence; Ezek. 38:20

"I will magnify Myself, sanctify Myself, and make Myself known in the sight of many nations; and they will know that I am the LORD."' Ezek. 38:23

"And I will send fire upon Magog and those who inhabit the coastlands in safety; and they will know that I am the LORD." Ezek. 39:6

"My holy name I will make known in the midst of My people Israel; and I will not let My holy name be profaned anymore. And the nations will know that I am the LORD, the Holy One in Israel." Ezek. 39:7

"And I will set My glory among the nations; and all the nations will see My judgment which I have executed and My hand which I have laid on them." Ezek. 39:21

"When I bring them back from the peoples and gather them from the lands of their enemies, then I shall be sanctified through them in the sight of the many nations." Ezek. 39:27

Therefore, in no uncertain terms, the Creator God makes Himself known to the world. And the world will know that He is the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob (no Ishmael). Liberals and evolutionists will go out of vogue immediately.

Of course Satan will also be quite active during this time, trying to steal God's thunder. 🙂

In summary It doesn't seem far-fetched to believe that between now and the year 2040, the Church Age Dispensation will conclude with our exhilarating exit. Maybe sooner than later. And most people left behind on earth will be Biblically clueless as to what happened.

"For this reason God will send upon them a deluding influence so that they will believe what is false," 2Thes. 2:11

We don't know what the big lie will be. But whatever it is, people's eternal destiny will be at stake.

Then the next time period on God's calendar will begin, seven years long referred to as "The Time of Jacob's Trouble" or "The Tribulation." God will immediately reveal Himself both to Israel and the world as the Creator God of the universe. And literally, all hell breaks loose.

Those seven years get pretty messy, but thankfully those trusting the shed blood of Jesus to atone for their sins will miss it! PTL!

Shalom!

BP

If you would like to print this article click here: Israel and The Mystery.compressed

References: 1) http://www.foxnews.com/world/2015/10/07/potentially-game-changing-oilreserves- discovered-in-israel.html

© 2017 Compass Int’l, Inc.

Bill and Susie Perkins founded Compass International, Inc. in 1993 as a non-profit, nondenominational ministry. For information on Compass’ Steeling the Mind Bible Conferences, Good Morning Lord! Bible studies, books, DVDs and Biblelands Cruises, go to compass.org

LIKE us on Facebook: facebook.com/compassbible and FOLLOW us on Twitter: @compass7 and Instagram: @compassbible

Background on the Roman World at the Time of Jesus At the time Jesus began His ministry on earth, only the Jews were looking for a future Messiah. Only the Jews had written prophecies from God foretelling of a time that their Messiah would come and rule the world in righteousness.

"And the LORD will be king over all the earth; in that day the LORD will be the only one, and His name the only one." Zech. 14:9

"... You will judge the peoples with uprightness and guide the nations on the earth." Psa. 67:4

But Israel's redeemer had yet to come, and the cruel Roman rule was detested by all of Israel as they waited for their Messiah.

The Jewish hierarchy, mostly Pharisees and Sadducees, controlled the theocratic Israeli government and worked with the Roman officials to stay in power. They promised Rome there would be no problems if they allowed the Jews to:

> Worship in their Temple > Celebrate their feasts > Make their sacrifices

This partnership kept the Jewish hierarchy in power and prestige.

But even though Israel managed to have some autonomy, Rome still had ultimate rule...and it was a vicious rule.

The glory of the pro-Israel days of King Herod the Great, who died in 4 BC, was fading fast.

After Herod's death, his son Archelaus ruled over Jerusalem, Jaffa and Caesarea for nine years, 4 BC to 6 AD. He acted like a pompous king wearing all white and sitting on a golden throne.

Archelaus made pagan changes to the outside of the Jewish Temple by force. Trying to keep peace, he had his army kill 3,000 Jews. He even cancelled an entire Passover! Obviously, he was loathed by the Jews. (3)

With the tax receipts from Jerusalem to Rome dropping and his inability to keep peace and rule effectively, Archelaus was eventually replaced by an appointed Prefect by Roman government.

Pontius Pilate, who was ruling at the time of Jesus' ministry, was the third in a series of these appointed Prefects to exercise an iron-clad rule over the Jews in Jerusalem.

However, not all the Jews were willing to wait for the Messiah. Between 20 AD and Jesus' death in 33 AD, there were some 60 Jewish insurrections put down by Rome.

The biggest rip-your-robe and throw-dirt-in-the-air of the Roman rules was that they made the Jews use Roman coins-forbidding Israel from minting and using its time-honored shekel.

And adding to the Jewish misery, most Roman coins had a physical image inscribed on the coins. The Jews thought this was blasphemous, due to the 2nd of the 10 commandments.

"You shall not make for yourself an idol, or any likeness of what is in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the water under the earth." Ex. 20:4

And using a coin with Caesar's picture on it to pay for the mandatory 1/2 shekel Temple tax was detestable.

"Show Me the coin used for the poll-tax." And they brought Him a [Roman] denarius. And He said to them, "Whose likeness and inscription is this?" They said to Him, "Caesar's." Matt. 22:19-21

So by 30 AD the Roman taxes were sky-high and the tension between Rome and Israel was at a fever-pitch. The people in Israel prayed daily for relief as they waited for their Messiah to come, defeat Rome and set up His prophesied kingdom.

Messianic Expectations This was the life and times of the Jews into which Jesus was born. He began His ministry in this tense environment, and to local Jewish observers the miracles He performed made Him look, sound and act like He could be the prophesied Messiah.

This is why Jesus was asked so many times, by a wide range of people, whether He was the Messiah, the King of the Jews. Was He the Messiah? Had He come to set up His Kingdom?

So, expectations of a coming Messiah were quite rampant in Israel when Jesus came on the scene. King Herod mentions the future Messiah when the wise men came to Jerusalem looking for the King Who had just been born:

"Gathering together all the chief priests and scribes of the people, [Herod] inquired of them where the Messiah was to be born. They said to him, "In Bethlehem of Judea; for this is what has been written by the prophet: Matt. 2:4-5

The Samaritan woman at the well mentions the Messiah:

"The woman said to Him, 'I know that Messiah is coming (He who is called Christ);'" John 4:25

Prior to Jesus' arrest, the Pharisees ask about the Messiah:

"Now having been questioned by the Pharisees as to when the kingdom of God was coming, He answered them and said, 'The kingdom of God is not coming with signs to be observed;'" Luke 17:20

Pontius Pilate quizzed Him...

"Pilate questioned Him, 'Are You the King of the Jews?'" Mark 15:2

The two thieves on the cross both mentioned it:

"One of the criminals who were hanged there was hurling abuse at Him, saying, 'Are You not the Christ? [redeemer] Save Yourself and us!'" Luke 23:39

"And he was saying, 'Jesus, remember me when You come in Your kingdom!'" Luke 23:42

Even after Jesus' resurrection, His somewhat still-confused disciples asked Him if He was now going to set up His "kingdom."

"So when they had come together, they were asking Him, saying, 'Lord, is it at this time You are restoring the kingdom to Israel?'" Acts 1:6

It was in this climate that Jesus spent 3 1/2 years healing myriads of sick and lame people all over Israel. He did so much in those few short years that John wrote:

"And there are also many other things which Jesus did, which if they were written in detail, I suppose that even the world itself would not contain the books that would be written." John 21:25

In 3 1/2 years Jesus criss-crossed the Holyland at a dizzying pace, drawing HUGE crowds everywhere He went.

"Jesus was going throughout all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every kind of disease and every kind of sickness among the people. The news about Him spread throughout all Syria; and they brought to Him all who were ill, those suffering with various diseases and pains, demoniacs, epileptics, paralytics; and He healed them. Large crowds followed Him from Galilee and the Decapolis and Jerusalem and Judea and from beyond the Jordan." Matt. 4:23-25

But His incredible miracles were not welcomed by everyone in the land. The Jewish ruling authorities were at their wits' end. They feared He had grown so well known that if they allowed Him to continue, the populace would inaugurate Him as King and they would lose their power.

"Therefore the chief priests and the Pharisees convened a council, and were saying, 'What are we doing? For this man is performing many signs. If we let Him go on like this, all men will believe in Him, and the Romans will come and take away both our place and our nation.'" John 11:47-48

Trying to catch and kill Jesus So after 3 1/2 years, we find Jesus and His disciples walking up the road from Jericho to Jerusalem for the required attendance of the Passover celebration.

"Three times a year all your males shall appear before the Lord GOD." Ex. 23:17

But Jesus stopped short of Jerusalem by a mile or so to spend the night with Lazarus in Bethany.

One week earlier Jesus had raised Lazarus back to life. It was His biggest miracle yet and was performed right under the noses of those who wished to kill Him.

Lazarus had been dead for four days-the corpse was even beginning to rot and smell. So there was no doubt to anyone that he was quite dead.

The Roman historian Tacitus said 2,700,000 Jews came for the Passover celebration each year. Since only 350,000 or so could cram inside the walls of Jerusalem, the rest would have to camp in side-by-side tents and makeshift shelters easily stretching as far as Bethany. (1)

Therefore, when Jesus raised stinky Lazarus from the dead, everyone in town heard about it. Raising Lazurus from the dead was the talk of the town for the millions arriving for Passover.

Jesus, knowing the purpose for which He had come to earth, was simply stoking the fires of the Pharisees. They had given the order that if anyone knew where He was, they were to report it so Jesus could be seized.

After raising Lazarus from the dead, Jesus left for one last week, sort of a goodbye trip to friends and family, and performing his last miracles in Galilee and the Jordan Valley.

His last stop was in Jericho, where He healed two blind men and spent the night with Zaccheus, a rich tax-gatherer who got saved by believing Jesus was the Messiah.

The next day Jesus departs Jericho on the road to Jerusalem, a day's journey by foot, weaving 23 miles up a total elevation of 3,000 feet through the Judean Desert.

"As they were leaving Jericho, a large crowd followed Him." Matt. 20:29

Jesus arrived at Lazarus' house just before dark on Friday evening as the whole city shut down at dusk for Shabbat. But when Shabbat was over, the crowds came to Lazarus' house... to see both of them!

"The large crowd of the Jews then learned that He was there; and they came, not for Jesus' sake only, but that they might also see Lazarus, whom He raised from the dead. John 12:9

By this time the chief priests had seen enough. The entire town, 2 to 3 million people, was talking about Jesus. Was He the Messiah? Would He come to Passover so they could see Him?

"So they were seeking for Jesus, and were saying to one another as they stood in the temple, 'What do you think; that He will not come to the feast at all?'" John 11:56

So in their fearful state of mind, the Chief Priests somehow determined that killing both Jesus AND Lazarus would solve the problem!

"But the chief priests planned to put Lazarus to death also; because on account of him many of the Jews were going away and were believing in Jesus." John 12:10-11

"So the Pharisees said to one another, 'You see that you are not doing any good; look, the world has gone after Him.'" John 12:19

So the day after Shabbat, Sunday, with the Pharisees seeking to kill Him, Jesus did the unthinkable. He sent two of His disciples to get a colt in nearby Bethphage so He could PUBLICLY ride it about a quarter-mile to the top of the Mount of Olives.

"When they had approached Jerusalem and had come to Bethphage, at the Mount of Olives, then Jesus sent two disciples, saying to them, 'Go into the village opposite you, and immediately you will find a donkey tied there and a colt with her; untie them and bring them to Me.'" Matt. 21:1-2

This was a special day. Christians refer to it as Palm Sunday, because the throngs of people lining the narrow street threw their coats down in front of Jesus riding the colt while waving palm branches.

"Most of the crowd spread their coats in the road, and others were cutting branches from the trees and spreading them in the road. The crowds going ahead of Him, and those who followed, were shouting, 'Hosanna to the Son of David; blessed is He Who comes in the name of the Lord; Hosanna in the highest!'" Matt. 21:8-9

This must have been some sight. If they hadn't seen Jesus healing people in their hometown, they certainly had heard about Him. The crowd would have been in the thousands... which means thousands of coats and palm branches would have been spread over the road.

And with people deliriously screaming "Jesus is the Messiah!" it must have been a celebration atmosphere beyond description. The Jews DO know how to party! But there were also Pharisees in the crowd watching all this take place. Again, fearing they were losing their power and influence, they demanded Jesus stop being called "King."

"Some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to Him, 'Teacher, rebuke Your disciples.' But Jesus answered, 'I tell you, if these become silent, the stones will cry out!'" Luke 19:39-40

Jesus made the profound statement that the crowd had to proclaim Him Messiah or the rocks would have to speak out that truth!

This sets up the most incredible fulfillment of Bible prophecy to date. For 3 1/2 years Jesus had discouraged any talk about Him being the Messiah. In Caesarea-Philippi, when Peter made his famous "You are the Christ" statement, Jesus said yes, He was the Messiah, but not to tell anyone.

"Then He warned the disciples that they should tell no one that He was the Christ." Matt. 16:20

But on this day, things had changed. On this day Jesus allowed, even encouraged, the multitudes to welcome Him as their Messiah. What was different? Why did Jesus say it was now OK to call Him Messiah and/or King?

The reason is simple. This was a prophesied day that the Jews should have recognized. The "70 Weeks" (490 years) prophecy given by Daniel had begun to count down 173,880 days earlier. (2)

"Seventy weeks (weeks of years, 490 years total) have been decreed for your people and your holy city,..." Dan 9:24

"Then after the sixty-two weeks (483 years from the beginning of the prophecy, 173,880 total days), the Messiah will be cut off ("executed")." Dan. 9:26

When Jesus got to the top of the Mount of Olives, seeing the Temple in the distance, He dismounted the donkey and cried. The Greek word actually means "sobbed."

"When He approached Jerusalem, He saw the city and wept over it, saying, 'If you had known in this day, even you, the things which make for peace! But now they have been hidden from your eyes.'" Luke 19:41

The Daniel 9:24-27 prophecy was being fulfilled right before the Pharisees' eyes. Daniel gave the exact day the Messiah would arrive. This was that day!

And, despite the prophecy in Daniel, the ruling Jewish hierarchy totally missed it! Instead of watching for and welcoming the Messiah, they instead crucified Him.

But the main point is that Jesus was holding the Pharisees accountable for knowing, understanding and applying Bible prophecy.

Interestingly, the Daniel 9 prophecy wasn't even in the first five books of the Bible (the Torah) that were read completely through once a year on Shabbat (each Saturday). You had to dig a little to find this scriptural nugget...and think a lot to understand it.

So we should learn a great lesson...Jesus believes Bible prophecy is important! He expects us to know, understand and apply latter-day prophecies! We'll probably also have to dig a little. But it's important to include it in our overall Biblical studies.

Too many churches today are moving away from teaching prophecy, usually saying it's too divisive. Well, Jesus sure thinks it's important. And it broke His heart when the Jews missed His arrival.

Therefore, we can safely and boldly say that Jesus wants us to know all about the Rapture and His Second Coming! And, as you're probably fully aware, Jesus is coming again! And with some 28% of the Bible actually being prophetically oriented, most Christians should be doing more, not less, study of Bible prophecy! Most importantly, Bible prophecy is an incredible witnessing tool as it gives hope to a hurting world! Jesus is coming as a just and righteous King of the World.

When the Church is Raptured, the more people left behind who understand what just happened (even though they didn't believe it at the time), the more likely they'll make decisions that count for eternity. For example, "Refuse the Mark!"

So, since we're living in the last of the last days, it's incumbent to us to have a working knowledge of what's ahead. We're to be ready to make a defense of what we believe.

“…but sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts, always being ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you, yet with gentleness and reverence; 1Pet. 3:15

Shalom!

BP

If you would like to print this article click here: Jesus Holds Us Accountable for Bible Prophecy!

Notes 1- http://www.bible-history.com/backd2/jerusalem.html 2- Charting the Bible Chronologically, Hindson & Ice, Harvest House, p.97 3- Living in the Time of Jesus, Connolly, Steimatzky, p. 46

As the United States and the world move further and further away from a Biblical worldview, the attitude toward Israel becomes more and more hostile. Ignoring the fact that Israel (Ezek 5:5) is God's chosen land (Ps 24:1; Deut 32:8,9), for His chosen people (Deut. 7:6), will eventually be the harbinger of the final wars of this earth during the coming 7 Year Tribulation.

Zech. 12:3 "And it will come about in that day that I will make Jerusalem a heavy stone for all the peoples; all who lift it will be severely injured. And all the nations of the earth will be gathered against it.

Currently the United States is still standing by Israel. At least publicly. In actuality, the U.S. relationship with Israel is hanging by a thread. And as the above verse states, eventually ALL nations, including the U.S., will be against Israel. When the Rapture happens, there will be none left to support Israel. We can only pray that the U.S. won't abandon Israel until after the Rapture!

It's an incredible fact that Jews have won 20% of the Nobel prizes (163 out of 829) since it began awarding them in 1901! It's also amazing to see what Israel has accomplished since it was re-founded in 1948, when it was given a U.N. Charter. Especially since it has only 1/1000th of the world's population.

• Israelis developed the cell phone. • Israelis developed WIndows NT & XP operating systems. • Israelis developed the Pentium-4 microprocessor. • Most microprocessors in computers were made in Israel. • Israelis developed voice mail. • Israelis developed AOL Instant Messenger. • Israel has the 4th largest air force in the world, after U.S., Russia, & China. • Israel has a $100 billion economy. • Israel has the highest percentage of home computers per capita. • Israel is second in the world for start up companies, after the U.S. • Israel is #2 in the world for venture capital funds, after U.S. • Israel is #2 in the world for hi-tech companies, after Silicon Valley, U.S. • Israel is #3 in the world for companies listed on NASDAQ, after U.S., Canada • Israel is #1 in biotech start ups. • Israel is #3 in the world in university degrees, behind the U.S. and Holland. • Israel is #1 in the world in museums per capita. • Israel is #1 in the world in scientists and technicians in the workforce. U.S. is #2. • Israel is #1 in the world for those employed in technical professions in workforce.

All of this, and much more, was done while having to build a nation from scratch, fight constantly with her neighbors who are committed to her destruction, and deal with anti-semitism on a global scale.

One of our best selling DVDs of all time is by Dave Reagan and is entitled "The Miracle of Israel." It covers how, time and time again, God miraculously protected Israel as she fulfilled the Ezekiel 37 prophecy of the "dry bones" returning to her homeland after being exiled for some 2000 years. We want everyone to see this DVD, it's an eye-opener.

Click the link below to order "The Miracle of Israel" https://www.compass.org/_product_5706/The_Miracle_of_Israel_- _Dave_Reagan

If you would like to print this article click here: Israel- A Burdening Stone For the World

© 2017 Compass Int’l, Inc.

Bill and Susie Perkins founded Compass International, Inc. in 1993 as a non-profit, nondenominational ministry. For information on Compass’ Steeling the Mind Bible Conferences, Good Morning Lord! Bible studies, books, DVDs and Biblelands Cruises, go to compass.org

LIKE us on Facebook: facebook.com/compassbible and FOLLOW us on Twitter: @compass7 and Instagram: @compassbible

"...the mystery which has been hidden from the past ages and generations." Col. 1:26

"the mystery which for ages has been hidden" Eph 3:9

The word mystery in the Greek is "mysterion," and it means "truth undiscoverable except by divine revelation." We have the divine Holy Spirit living in us so we  should be able to understand deep truths.

The Bible mentions several mysteries in the New Testament Epistles, such as:

The Mystery of the Rapture. 1 Cor. 15:51
The Mystery of God coming in the flesh. Col 2:2,3,9
The Mystery of Israel's unbelief. Ro 11:25
The Mystery of the Antichrist. 2 Thes 2:6-10
The Mystery of Gentile inclusion in God's promises. Eph. 3:3-6

But the mystery of all mysteries is the mystery of the Church Age.

"...the mystery which has been hidden from the past ages and generations." Col. 1:26

"the mystery which for ages has been hidden" Eph 3:9

To best understand the Church Age "mystery," we need to start with God's foundational purpose for sacrifices. Mankind is born sinful and separated from God because the penalty for sin is death.

"For the wages (penalty) of sin is death" Ro. 6:23

Therefore, in the Old Testament God provided a way to temporarily cover man's sin via an animal blood sacrifice so that He could fellowship with man. Blood is the key. Our life depends on our blood.

"For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it to you on the altar to make atonement for your souls; for it is the blood by reason of the life that makes atonement." Lev. 17:11

"For as for the life of all flesh, its blood is identified with its life. Therefore I said to the sons of Israel, 'You are not to eat the blood of any flesh, for the life of all flesh is its blood;" Lev. 17:14

"And according to the Law, one may almost say, all things are cleansed with blood, and without shedding of blood there is no forgiveness." Heb. 9:22

Blood is an amazing thing. We can't live without it. Each human has about five gallons of constantly circulating blood. It's composed of red blood cells for carrying oxygen to the tissues, white blood cells for fighting infections and platelets that cause the blood to clot.

God even commanded Noah to not eat blood.

"Every moving thing that is alive shall be food for you; I give all to you, as I gave the green plant. Only you shall not eat flesh with its
life, that is, its blood." Gen. 9:3-4

So the first thing Noah did when his family walked off the ark after the flood was to make a blood sacrifice to cover their sins (Gen.8:20). This
necessity of shedding blood to atone for man's sin (Lev. 17:11) was later incorporated in the Levitical law (Lev. 16).

So for over 1500 years God's Law demanded, and the Israelites furnished, blood sacrifices.Then, as prophesied, the Lord God came in the flesh and shed His blood on the cross as a permanent sacrifice (Eph. 1:7), ending the necessity of sacrifices for sin.

Saul (Paul) of Tarsus was chosen to explain this "Good News" to the world... that a great "mystery" had been revealed... that Jehovah God no longer demanded blood sacrifices because all sin had been "paid in full" by Jesus on the cross (Col. 2:13-14) and now God the Spirit was able to come to earth to permanently indwell Born-again Believers (2Cor. 1:22).

God's Spirit coming to the earth ushered in a completely new time period we call the Church Age. The Church Age is a new time period with a distinct purpose
and destiny. The Church Age will end when God's Spirit departs at the Rapture.

This was a complete surprise to the Jews living at the time of Christ. They were correctly reading all the verses in the Bible about the Lord sending a Messiah to conquer their enemies and rule the earth from a throne in Jerusalem.

But they totally missed the fact He first had to come, shed His blood, die and be resurrected as payment for their sins. They obviously skipped over Isaiah 53.

And because Believers' sins were paid on the cross making them sanctified, God could now send His Holy Spirit to indwell Believers even while they still lived in their sinful earthly containers. That was quite a shocker for the Jews.

Even today, if you want to mix it up with a Rabbinical Jew at the Wailing Wall, tell one you have God living in your heart. It makes them fighting mad because they fully understand man's sinfulness.

They know they need a Messiah. They just don't think He's come yet. One of the jokes among the guides in Israel is that when the Messiah comes, the first question they'll ask is whether or not He's been here before.

The problem of course is that God has blinded the eyes and hardened the hearts of the Jewish race from receiving understanding about the mystery.

John 12:40 "HE HAS BLINDED THEIR EYES, AND HE HARDENED THEIR HEART; LEST THEY SEE WITH THEIR EYES, AND PERCEIVE WITH THEIR HEART, AND BE CONVERTED, AND I HEAL THEM."

Rom. 11:25 "For I do not want you, brethren, to be uninformed of this mystery, lest you be wise in your own estimation, that a partial hardening has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in;"

When God says He's blinded the Jewish race, it was an understatement. We have non-Christian Jewish guides in Israel who lead us all over the holyland pointing out where the miracles of Jesus took place. They quote chapter and verse using the New Testament as a resource.

But even though they say the words, they can't make the connection. One time a guide said, "This is where I think Jesus rose from the dead." So I asked him if he thought Jesus was the Messiah,
and he said "no. I continued, "Do you think Jesus ever lied?" "No, never." the guide responded. I said, "Well, Jesus claimed to be God. Do you think He is God?" He said, "No."

Smiling I said, "Then you think Jesus is a liar." "No, no, no." the guide protested. "Then you think Jesus is God?" "No, no, no!" Round and round we went.

Being content to use this kind of circular reasoning is possible only because the Jews are blinded by God from understanding the truth. Otherwise they are a very, very intelligent race.

So the "mystery" remains unsolved with the Jew, but is made known to the Gentile. Just as God predicted!

Hos. 2:23 "And I will sow her for Myself in the land. I will also have compassion on her who had not obtained compassion, and I will say to those who were not My people, 'You are My people!' And they will say, 'Thou art my God!'"

Amazing! So when you're talking to a Jew, always be respectful because even though he IS chosen by God, he is also blinded by God, until the Rapture!

And it's only by the grace of God that we're given spiritual wisdom and knowledge!

Col. 2:2,3 "...attaining to all the wealth that comes from the full assurance of understanding, resulting in a true knowledge of God's mystery, that is,Christ Himself, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.

Thank you Lord for the things we don't deserve!!

© 2017 Compass Int’l, Inc.

Bill and Susie Perkins founded Compass International, Inc. in 1993 as a non-profit, nondenominational
ministry. For information on Compass’ Steeling the Mind Bible
Conferences, Good Morning Lord! Bible studies, books, DVDs and Biblelands Cruises,
go to compass.org

LIKE us on Facebook: facebook.com/compassbible and FOLLOW us on Twitter:
@compass7 and Instagram: @compassbible

The uncomfortable truth about blacks in America today.

The book and movie "The Help" was a shocker to a lot of people. So was Rick Santorum's remark about needing to get Blacks true help -- "jobs" instead of "welfare." But he was telling the truth.

When I was a young kid in the 1950s in Alabama, I distinctly remember getting on a bus and the bus driver announcing "Colored to the rear." If you needed a restroom, there were always three from which to choose: "Male," "Female," and "Colored."

It didn't seem odd at the time that there were "white" and "colored" water fountains or that the city auditorium had a separate entrance to the balcony where the "colored" would sit. All the public schools were totally segregated.

In the 1950s and 1960s it was painful for many Americans, especially those in the deep south, to finally come to grips with a cold hard fact: Corrupt people had sinfully captured some 600,000 Africans from their homes and families on the African continent, brought them to America and sold them as slaves.

In the years that followed the civil rights legislation, giving blacks equal rights, America has tried to make up for her wrongs. Since the 1960's, billions of dollars have been spent to improve the lives of black Americans.

We've given the black community hugely disproportionate amounts of welfare, food stamps, Section 8 housing, Medicaid, poverty programs, tax credits, student loans, college scholarships and other specific advantages over whites--all meant to bring blacks up to the same standards white Americans have achieved.

To rid our guilt we've even resorted to reverse discrimination against whites through affirmative action and quotas in Governments, businesses and higher education--all to give the black American an advantage so they could "catch up."

So how is our investment in the black community doing?

Not so good. So badly in fact, all this "help" may have been worse than "no help" at all. Consider these sobering statistics today:

* A black man has an 89% chance of spending a night in jail before the age of 30.

* A black woman has a 70% chance of having a child outside of wedlock.

*A black is seven times more likely to go to prison for committing a crime than a white person.

* A black has about a 45% chance of dropping out of high school.

* Black on white crime happens 45% of the time while white on black crime is 3%.

* Black on white robberies are 139 times more likely than white on black.

* Black on white rapes are 100 times more likely than white on black.

* Blacks score 15% to 30% lower, compared to whites, on standard IQ tests.

* Black women are 5 times more likely to get an abortion than white women.

* In 2009, Black household net worth was $2,170, compared to $97,860 for white. (That's incredible!)

Blacks hold a disproportionately number of local, state and federal government jobs.

Blacks are 10% of the U.S. civilian work force but hold 25% of the jobs at U.S. Treasury, 25% at the Veterans, 31% at the State Department, 37% at the Department of Education, 38% at the Housing and Urban Development, 42% at the Equal Opportunity Commission, 44% at Fannie Mae, 50% at Freddie Mac, 55% at the Government Printing Office and 82% at the Court Services/Offender Agency.

The average government employee earns $123,000 per year, compared to $61,000 in the private sector. This poses a huge future economic impact to the black community when the government is forced to cut back. "When," not "if."

Making a bad situation worse, the visible black leadership in America (the Al Sharpton, Jesse Jackson, etc.) continue to push for more of the poorly thought through government programs that have created these problems in the first place.

On the spiritual side, it is sadly estimated that well over 80% of black churches don't specifically teach the Bible as God's inerrant and infallible word.

With Bible exposition lacking, and social sermons the norm, few blacks in America are armored with Biblical truths-which is their only hope out of their ever-encompassing mire. Their problem is spiritual, not monetary or discrimination.

The bottom line is that Blacks, as a community, are looking to the U.S. Government to solve their problems when they should be looking to God.

Who says this? Jesse Peterson at the Steeling the Mind Bible Conference presentation "How Black Leadership Exploits Black America." It's an eye-opening presentation showing how black leadership in America isn't doing any favors for black America.

Peterson, once himself a victim of America's "help," is one of the few blacks to both state the uncomfortable truths about blacks in America and boldly speak forth the answer--repentance and turning to Jesus Christ.

Refreshingly, Peterson sees the Light. We pray his Biblically sound message sheds the True Light on others the black community.

You can purchase Jessie's presentation on DVD or CD: https://compass.org/product/healing-america-from-racial-hate-jesse-lee-peterson/

If you would like print this article click here: Blacks in America

© 2017 Compass Int’l, Inc.

Bill and Susie Perkins founded Compass International, Inc. in 1993 as a non-profit, nondenominational ministry. For information on Compass’ Steeling the Mind Bible Conferences, Good Morning Lord! Bible studies, books, DVDs and Biblelands Trips and Cruises, go to compass.org

LIKE us on Facebook: facebook.com/compassbible and FOLLOW us on Twitter: @compass7 and Instagram: @compassbible

"Human DNA is like a computer program, but far, far more advanced than any software we've ever created."
-Bill Gates
"The Road Ahead"  

Bill Gates let the cat out of the bag when he simply stated the obvious. He's well aware that Microsoft uses hundreds of programmers to write and DESIGN the code for their many software programs. He knows the information on your computer screen can be traced back to a programmer/designer. 

So when Gates looks at the code in a single DNA molecule, he has to admit that it has the same property of "sequence specificity" that characterizes all computer software codes and language. DNA simply functions like a software program.

But where did the digital information come from? How did the cell's complex information processing system come about? Anyone with two brain cells knows it could not have "evolved."

If you took your car apart--every screw, bolt, wires, frame, stitches in the seats, wheels, all the plastic pieces, steering wheel, knobs, gas cap, radio, dash board pieces, the entire motor, etc.-- and threw it in a pile in your front yard, how long would it take it to evolve into a finely tuned car?

Ridiculously, evolution teaches that something a million times more complex than a car did just that. And there was no pile to start with! The car pieces would have to first evolve separately AND get themselves into a pile. Good grief.

Even more astounding, the digital information in DNA is only part of a complex digital information processing system. It's a mind-boggling complex design that uses logic as well as information storage. Logic isn't random and randomness cannot produce DNA.

Where did this designed digital information, logic and the system to process it come from?  For scientists to even discuss this brings the feared word "designer."  Even worse, an "intelligent" designer.

Secular scientists hate the "design" discussion because to admit design in humans, they admit to a designer. And if there is a master designer of humans... who is He and what does He expect.

Paul answered this question on Mars Hill in Athens. Pointing to a man-made "unknown god" statue, he said,

"...what you worship in ignorance, this I proclaim to you. The God who made the world and all things in it, since He is Lord of heaven and earth, does not dwell in temples made with hands; nor is He served by human hands, as though He needed anything, since He Himself gives to all people life and breath and all things;"  Acts 17:23-25  

Antony Flew, a long-time atheistic philosopher, has come to accept the case for design and correctly insists that we must "follow the evidence wherever it leads." He knows where the evidence leads.

But contrary to Flew's conclusion, there are those who continue to bury their unscientific heads in the sand and insist there is no God.

Consider the bunch of ding-a-lings who call themselves the "Freedom From Religion Foundation" (FFRF).

They are putting up garbage billboards decrying religion, boldly proclaiming there is no god.

[To be fair, I too decry "religion" (man seeking God) and instead defend "Christianity" (God seeking man). But these nut-heads lump it all together.] 

These are large billboards being erected across America. They are in-your-face atheists who ignore Biblical warnings and proclaim their foolishness.

"The fool has said in his heart,
'There is no God...'" Psa 53:1

These billboards below are from the Spokane / Coeur d'Alene area, but the FFRF has them up nationally. Here are a few more:

I find it most interesting that the 18,500 member Madison, Wisconsin based FFRF was founded by an evangelical minister who "just lost the faith." He claims FFRF is a support group for those who have lost faith and are trying to leave the ministry.

Too many Christians are sitting ducks for Satan's proselytizing. Most mega-churches are a mile wide and a quarter inch deep. With no true word-for-word defense of the Bible, most attending "church-lite" learn no solid answers to give when the Bible's accuracy is questioned.

This time of church apostasy was prophesied to come prior to the Millennium:

"Let no one in any way deceive you, for [the Day of the Lord] will not come unless the apostasy comes first"  2Thes 2:3

If we allow the apostasy to continue, we'll eventually not be able to defend scripture INSIDE our own churches! We can't sit back and hope for Rapture, we must be proactive and vigorously defend our Bibles.

"... always being ready to make a defense to everyone who asks..." 1Pet. 3:15

If we don't do a better job of defending the Bible, we'll lose our right to defend any of our faith.

Shalom!

If you would like to print this article click here: Bill Gates and Intelligent Design

------

Refs:

• http://www.secularnewsdaily.com/2012/07/spokane-idaho-nontheists-come-out-of-the-closet-in-billboard-blitz/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antony_Flew
• http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn13930-16-of-us-science-teachers-are-creationists.html

© 2017 Compass Int’l, Inc.

Bill and Susie Perkins founded Compass International, Inc. in 1993 as a non-profit, non-denominational ministry. For information on Compass’ Steeling the Mind Bible Conferences, Good Morning Lord! Bible studies, books, DVDs and Biblelands Cruises, go to compass.org

LIKE us on Facebook: facebook.com/compassbible and FOLLOW us on Twitter: @compass7 and Instagram: @compassbible

God's Rules Rule!

Time to point America back to the Bible as our Authority!

You would have to be two short of a coaster set not to realize this country is getting deeper in doo-doo every day! How should we Believers respond?
Any Christian with two brain cells can see the writing on the wall. In a nutshell, Satan is on a fast track trying to stifle Believers' influence in this nation. And I'm tired of standing around watching the noose getting stighter and tighter around believers' necks. It's gotten to the point that Christians have become downright targets--just for believing the Bible!

Let's face the facts, they're killing Christians in other countries... and no one is stopping it. And if the Lord tarries, and that's more likely than not, then we've got to do SOMETHING or we'll eventually find ourselves where just admitting that you're a Christian is a crime!

Ask those Christian bakers, Aaron and Melissa Klein, in Washington State, or the Christian clerk, Kim Davis in Kentucky, if exercising their Christian beliefs is considered a crime. Shoot, it was only 11 years ago that South Carolina passed a state constitutional amendment banning homosexual marriage by over 70% approval. So the the vilification of true Believers in the U.S. is gaining strength at a breath-taking pace!

In the major media, conservative Christianity is openly being billed as close-minded, intolerant and harmful to both society and human dignity. In the future it will be impossible for true Believers to work for the government in any level, state or federal, while holding to their conservative evangelical Christian beliefs.

Consider the latest:

> Children are being told they can't write the words "Merry Christmas" to soldiers on Christmas cards.

> Seniors were told not to pray over their meals at a government-run Senior Center. (They have since backed down saying seniors should "Pray privately.")

> The VA has banned mentioning "Jesus" when counseling or at funerals.

> A federal judge held that prayers before a state House of Representatives could be to Allah, but not to Jesus.

> Obamacare forces organizations to participate in birth control and abortions, against their convictions.

> And God forbid if something has a cross on it. Displaying a cross is fast becoming a government-defined sin.

> Brendan Eich, CEO of Internet giant Mozilla Corporation, with over 300 million in annual sales, was forced to resign because he supported God's definition of marriage. It was discovered that six years earlier he had donated $1000 to support California's Proposition 8, which passed by 52% to 48%, making same sex marriage illegal.

Basically our spiritual adversary wants Christians and/or the Bible to have zero influence so he's having his minions actively removing any vestiges of pure Christianity from government and business.

Obviously these Satanically driven people have no clue about the importance of allowing God to be God. That God's rules rule. That God's rules matter. They fail to understand that He gave us the Word of God for our own protection!

"How blessed are the people whose God is the LORD!"--Psa. 144:15b

God sees all that's going on and He is not mocked. Yet that's what we're doing when we as a nation ignore God's Word.

And if Christians continue to do NOTHING, Satan WILL continue to fill the gap. He's already started the "erase all evidence of Christianity" carnage here in America. History tells us what happens if we do nothing. If we don't do SOMETHING, we can't complain about the results.

The bottom line is that if we continue to stand on the sidelines, we'll be sitting ducks in the future!

But, before I began shouting "I'm not going to take it anymore" from my window, I'm reminded of something Frank Peretti once said at a Steeling Bible Conference.

While poking fun at people who over-react to things out of their control, Frank said, "Some people get so upset with the ________ (fill in the blank--politicians, communists, atheists, etc.) that I felt like saying, 'I've got $5 and a car, what can I do?'"

The point Frank made was that we need to always respond with Biblical balance and perspective. And these days, if we're not careful, we could end up in jail! Sad but true.

"The way of a fool is right in his own eyes, But a wise man is he who listens to counsel."--Prov. 12:15

So, learning from Frank's wise words, we should be wise in our responses. And who is our best counselor? The answer is God's Holy Spirit illuminating scripture.

Thy Word is a lamp to my feet, and a light to my path.--Psa. 119:105

How To Respond
When choosing a response to all of the muck going on, God wants us to use the Bible to guide our footsteps.

"With Your counsel You will guide me,"--Psa. 73:24

"...He guides me in the paths of righteousness."--Psa. 23:3b

Bottom line is God assumes motion. We CHOOSE a path, based on Biblical principles, and He guides our steps. It's hard to steer a ship without first hoisting the sails. Based on God's Word, we need to choose a direction and pray for God to direct our steps.

So the simple answer to our nation's problems is that America needs to get back to the Bible as an authority.
But trying to get this country to read and trust the Bible is pretty much an impossible task.

So, rather than try to point America back to the Bible as our answer, we've decided to point to just ONE chapter in the Bible: Romans 1. Just read Romans 1. RR1 for short. That's our chosen path, trusting the Lord will guide our steps.

I considered my ways and turned my feet to Your testimonies. Psa. 119:59

Consider what God addresses in this incredible chapter:
• That Jesus is both God and the Messiah v.1, 9
• The Bible is without error v.2
• The Jews are chosen by God v.3
• That Jesus was resurrected as Lord v.4, 5
• That salvation is by faith alone v. 5, 8,16,17
• That we should pray for God's Will  v.10
• That we choose to be wise or foolish v.14
• That God's wrath is coming for sin v.18
• The earth was created, not random v.20, 25
• That mankind is accountable to God v.20
• That sin clouds our reasoning v.21, 22
• There ARE absolutes v.25
• God calls homosexuality sin v.26, 27
• That Sin leads to death v.28, 32

Is that not one great chapter that deals with most of our problems today? God's Word is more powerful than a two-edged sword so we're praying the Lord will use our RR1 campaign to convict America to repent of its sinful direction.

Hey, as we move close to the exhilarating climax of this age, this is something simple Believers can still do and not get arrested--point to a chapter in the Bible!

And if Rapture does happen soon, it will be nice to have left a not-so-subtle hint as to what happened to everyone! 🙂

So here's the plan:

> First, read Romans 1 again. See if you don't agree that America needs to also RR1!

> Second, add RR1 to your prayer list. Ask the Lord, if it be His Will, to use this to His glory.

> Third, when the Lord opens a door of opportunity with family, friends and coworkers, point them to Romans 1!

He brought me up out of the pit of destruction, out of the miry clay, and He set my feet upon a rock making my footsteps firm. Psa. 40:2

Pray about helping us to point America back to God's Word. We don't know how much the Lord will use RR1, but we think it's definitely worth trying!

"Blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD and whose trust is the LORD."  Jer. 17:7

Shalom!

BP

10 Unmistakable Signs That We're In The Last Days Of The Last Days

Today things are moving so fast it's helpful to just step back, take a breath and look at the numerous Bible prophecies being fulfilled all around us. Here are 10 big prophecies that should convince anyone with 2 brain cells that we're definitely living in the last of the last days!

1) Israel Back In Their Homeland "Say to them, 'Thus says the Lord GOD, "Behold, I will take the sons of Israel from among the nations where they have gone, and I will gather them from every side and bring them into their own land; Ezek. 37:21 Bible prophecies regarding the latter days begin and end with Israel. Until God regathered Israel back to their homeland, most latter-days prophecies could not begin. But return they did. In the late 1800s, after almost 2000 years of worldwide dispersion, the Jews began filtering back to their original God-given land. In 1917, at the end of WW1, the Balfour Agreement gave the Jews a legal right of return. And on May 14, 1948, the United Nations declared Israel a sovereign nation.

2) Israel Is A World Problem "It will come about in that day that I will make Jerusalem a heavy stone for all the peoples; all who lift it will be severely injured. And all the nations of the earth will be gathered against it. Zech. 12:3 The Bible not only promised Israel would return to their God-given land, but that this tiny nation would also become a burdensome stone to the world. Hardly a day goes by that Israel's not in the news. Israel has a population of about 8 million, the Arabs about 450 million.

You can barely see Israel (red) in the middle of a Muslim dominated land.

Every American administration since Israel became a nation in 1948 has tried and failed to secure a lasting peace in the Middle East. The national news has a continuous dribble of problems regarding Israel and the Middle East, usually making Israel out to be the problem. This ultimately ends with every nation on earth coming against Israel in the Tribulation Period. Toward the end of the seven-year Tribulation period, the Antichrist will bring together the world's armies to "kill the Jews." But their Messiah, Jesus of Nazareth, will return to earth and save them from annihilation.

3) Homosexual Perversion "...and they called to Lot and said to him, "Where are the men who came to you tonight? Bring them out to us that we may have relations (intercourse) with them." Gen 19:5 "For the coming of the Son of Man will be just like the days of Noah." Matt. 24:37 "It was the same as happened in the days of Lot: they were eating, they were drinking, they were buying, they were selling, they were planting, they were building; but on the day that Lot went out from Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven and destroyed them all. It will be just the same on the day that the Son of Man is revealed." Luke 17:28-30

The Bible says that the days before the Rapture will be "just like" the days before God destroyed the earth with a global flood. And also just like the days before He destroyed Sodom and Gommorah. One of the distinguishing characteristics specifically mentioned was widespread homosexual sin. God will again judge homosexual sin in the future.

Always know that homosexual behavior IS sin. Homosexuals are not born that way, rather they CHOOSE to be. Much like a thief can't stop stealing without the transcending power of God, a homosexual can't repent/turn from his/her sin without the power of God. Murder, stealing, adultery, homosexuality, etc., ARE clearly defined as SIN by God's Word. God defines sin, not the government! Today, homosexual rights are on the front-burner of the politically-correct push to bring the perversion out into the open as normal, incorrectly equating their demands with the push for black rights in the 60s.

But comparing homosexual rights to civil rights is not an apples-to-apples comparison because homosexual behavior is a choice and black skin color isn't. That fact seems to be lost in the rhetoric as God-given and constitutionally protected rights of Christians are tossed out the window while homosexual perversion is elevated to "normal" status.

4) Cashless Society And he causes all, the small and the great, and the rich and the poor, and the free men and the slaves, to be given a mark on their right hand or on their forehead, and he provides that no one will be able to buy or to sell, except the one who has the mark, either the name of the beast or the number of his name. Rev. 13:16-17

A recent survey(1) said only 10% of Americans always carry cash. The worldwide movement toward electronic payments has been breathtaking. For most of those reading this article, if our bank unexpectedly froze our accounts, we'd be in deep trouble. With banking now tied worldwide we're obviously not too far from one person literally being able to control the world. And that's where we're headed... to a point where one person will have total control of all transactions on earth.

5) Russian / Iranian Coalition "Son of man, set your face toward Gog of the land of Magog, the prince of Rosh, Meshech and Tubal, and prophesy against him" Ezek 38:2

"I will turn you about and put hooks into your jaws, and I will bring you out, and all your army, horses and horsemen, all of them splendidly attired, a great company with buckler and shield, all of them wielding swords; Persia, Ethiopia and Put (Libya in some translations) with them, all of them with shield and helmet;" Ezek 38:4,5

"After many days you will be summoned; in the latter years you will come into the land that is restored from the sword, whose inhabitants have been gathered from many nations to the mountains of Israel which had been a continual waste; but its people were brought out from the nations, and they are living securely, all of them. Ezek 38:8

Amazingly the Bible predicts that Gog/Rosh (Modern day Russia) will invade Israel from the north with Persia (Modern day Iran) as one of her principal allies. So it's not surprising that today Russia and Iran are becoming so militarily close. Also keep in mind that the above prophecies, written 2700 years ago, pinpoint this time to be after Israel comes back into their land in the latter days.

6) Nuclear Weapons And another, a red horse, went out; and to him who sat on it, it was granted to take peace from the earth, and that men would slay one another; and a great sword was given to him. Rev. 6:4

Now this will be the plague with which the LORD will strike all the peoples who have gone to war against Jerusalem; their flesh will rot while they stand on their feet, and their eyes will rot in their sockets, and their tongue will rot in their mouth. Zech. 14:12

How would you have described a nuclear bomb 2,500 years ago? John and Zechariah had to do just that! All they knew was that it was huge and quite destructive! So destructive that flesh melted off their bodies before their bones hit the ground! That sounds exactly like a neutron bomb that's designed to vaporize the people and leave the buildings intact.

7) Increase In Knowledge "But as for you, Daniel, conceal these words and seal up the book until the end of time; many will go back and forth, and knowledge will increase." Dan.12:4

"The chariots race madly in the streets, They rush wildly in the squares, Their appearance is like torches, They dash to and fro like lightning flashes." Nah. 2:4

The Internet has become the modern-day purveyor of information as you pretty much have access to anything and everything at your fingertips. Ease of local or worldwide transportation by car, plane, train or ship is considered normal. Nahum 2:4 sounds like the prophet is looking down on a busy intersection at night.

8) Mockers denying Jesus' Second Coming "Know this first of all, that in the last days mockers will come with their mocking, following after their own lusts, and saying, "Where is the promise of His coming? For ever since the fathers fell asleep, all continues just as it was from the beginning of creation." 2Pet 3:3,4

Denying the clear Biblical doctrines of the Lord first returning in the Rapture is a SIGN of the Rapture. The dispensational model for scripture interpretation is the only consistent way to know what God says to us in His written word.

Yet over 80% of the "Christian Church" in the world is A-millennial in their theology, which is a basic denial of the Rapture. Notice this is not a verse talking about non-Christians, but because it mentions "fathers" and God's "creation," it's referring to Christians living in the last days!!

9) 144,000 Jewish Evangelists Identified "And I heard the number of those who were sealed, one hundred and forty-four thousand sealed from every tribe of the sons of Israel:" Rev 7:4

"And they sang a new song before the throne and before the four living creatures and the elders; and no one could learn the song except the one hundred and forty-four thousand who had been purchased from the earth. These are the ones who have not been defiled with women, for they have kept themselves chaste. These are the ones who follow the Lamb wherever He goes. These have been purchased from among men as first fruits to God and to the Lamb." Rev. 14:3,4

This puzzling prophecy says God will choose 144,000 Jewish men and reveal Himself to them on Mount Zion in Jerusalem (different from Mount of Olives and Mount Moriah). Most interestingly, these men are virgins. I wrote an article a few years ago identifying these men as the unmarried Rabbinical Jews between the ages of 18 and 30. Today they're estimated to number approximately 150,000, and their ranks are growing. (Click here to read the entire article.)

10) Israel's Deserts Blooming "In the days to come Jacob will take root, Israel will blossom and sprout, and they will fill the whole world with fruit." Isaiah 27:6

"The wilderness and the desert will be glad, and the Arabah (desert) will rejoice and blossom; Like the crocus it will blossom profusely." Is. 35:1,2

The Bible prophesies that the parched and desert land of Israel will bloom profusely. In the late 1800s, Mark Twain commented that there was hardly anything green in the land.

Jordan River 1913 T

The Turks of Ottoman Empire who controlled the land for 400 years had heavily taxed trees on property. So most people cut down all their trees to avoid paying the tax!

Since the Jews began returning in earnest in the late 1800s, the Jewish National Fund has planted over 250 million trees throughout the country (which is roughly the size of Vermont).

One of the most amazing things we see in Israel today on our Bible trips is the incredible and colorful blooming vegetation in the Jordan Valley and the Dead Sea--the lowest point on earth. Israelis invented the drip system that enables as little as a cupful of water to bountifully nourish a whole tree for a day. Using this method in the desert has literally caused it to bloom in the last 50 years. They now export fresh fruit and vegetables via plane to Europe every day but Saturday (Shabot).

The drip system allows Israel to export $65 million in dates each year from trees grown around the Dead Sea, the lowest point on earth.

And the next big prophecy to be fulfilled:

Israel Discovering Great Riches

"Sheba and Dedan and the merchants of Tarshish with all its villages will say to you, 'Have you come to capture spoil? Have you assembled your company to seize plunder, to carry away silver and gold, to take away cattle and goods, to capture great spoil?'"' Ezek 38:13

The Bible says there will be great riches discovered in the land. The riches are so great that sovereign nations band together to invade and take the riches. This is unfolding before our eyes!

Israel has discovered huge gas fields inland and off-shore her coasts. And as they say in Texas, "where there's gas, there's oil." So it's only a matter of time. Over 500 oil wells have been drilled in Israel to no avail. But recently Israel struck oil, and it's a whopper. It's over 10 times the average size of oil wells in the world and will provide billions of gallons of oil a year, far exceeding the needs of Israel.

As more wells are tapped into this massive reserve, Israel will become a major oil supplier to Europe and North America. Do you think this will sit well with the Arabs? They already seethe at Israel's success in rebuilding a great nation in only 50 years. They're going to go bonkers!

And the prophecy also mentions gold and silver riches. As the Dead Sea dries up, could it expose more and more unseen riches?

Trust me, when Israel is able to supply oil at a lower price from a closer delivery point (the eastern edge of the Mediterranean Sea), the Muslims will go nuts.

And if Israel also discovers gold and silver, the Arabs will wet their collective pants. So Israel's discovering great riches is closely tied into prophecy #2 above, Israel being a burdening stone to the world!

BDS Anyone?

Another point of contention worth mentioning between Israel and the world is the ridiculous attempt to pressure Israel through BDS, or Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions of Israel movement.

This laughable campaign by brain-dead liberals fails to make sense when one realizes how many incredible products Israel contributes to the world.Who would want to give up their smart phone?

Thankfully, many states are now passing anti-BDS laws. Colorado has recently joined Florida,Tennessee, New York, Indiana and Pennsylvania in passing anti-BDS legislation. Another 30+ states are reportedly considering similar legislation.

BDS makes ludicrous claims! The bottom line is that you have to be dumb as dirt to support BDS. If you're not up to speed on the stupidity of the BDS movement, watch this short video called "BDS or the Bible?"

Therefore, yes, I obviously believe we're living in the last of the last days. These 10 prophecies (there are of course a lot more!) prove the end of the current dispensation, the Church Age, is near. It will end with the Believers' exhilarating exit, shedding our present sinful containers.

To a trusting-the-blood Believer, seeing so much Bible prophecy coming together should be an exciting incentive to ask the Lord for His wisdom for being sensitive to the leading of His Spirit to reach our lost family, friends and co-workers with the Good News. And Good News it is!!!

The cold-hearted murders by Muslims in Paris finally exposed to the world what we're actually dealing with in respect to Islamic ideals and goals. Their goal is simple: They fully expect and work toward the world becoming 100% Islamic under Shari'ah Law.

You can laugh at Islam's world domination agenda if you want, but this clash of values will continue worldwide until either the Muslims are in full control or they are defeated. Yes, defeated. They will defeat us or we will defeat them. And if we don't begin to think in those terms, we will lose.

Over 100 Syrians, dozens of Lebanese soldiers, 10 Kurds, two American journalists, three American and British aid workers, were beheaded by the Islamic State in just the past year. These are not war kills, but rather mostly innocent humans who were murdered as a sort of appeasement to Allah.

Europe is in a mess
There are some 50 million Muslims living legally or illegally in Europe today, steadfastly refusing to assimilate into the local culture. The liberal European governments, until recently, left the Muslims to themselves. But inaction is not what is needed. By not addressing the true problem from the beginning, the Muslim population in Europe has now grown to be pretty much unmanageable.

Consider Belgium
This is the fourth year in a row that the number one baby name is "Mohammad." 40% of the school children are Muslim. And, surprise surprise, the Muslims won't assimilate into the Belgium culture, instead remaining segregated and using their own schools and Shari'ah courts.

Now Even Japan
Wanting to equally offend the world, the Muslims have now announced they have two Japanese men in custody and are demanding some $100 million or they will beheaded.

What's Really Happening
As the Church Age draws closer to its exciting conclusion for Believers, God is setting the stage for the Tribulation events to begin. We can see in the Bible that all but one country (Russia) who comes against Israel in the Tribulation is Islamic.

And it's fascinating to read that in the Tribulation, a large number of those who die standing on their belief in Jesus are actually beheaded.

An uncountable number of deaths in the Tribulation are due to faith in Jesus (Rev. 7:9-14), and it's most interesting that "beheading" is the only death specifically described.

So what we're seeing take place in the world today is simply a prelude to the satanic wars of the Tribulation when beheadings will be quite common for the uncountable millions who follow Jesus. So much so that those of us in heaven will be crying out, "How much longer?" Rev 6:9-11

Setting the Stage
While the West has been for decades buying Satan's lie by actively declining God's blessing of children (via birth control, abortion and other non-Godcentered priorities), the Muslim population is multiplying at four to five times the rate of natives in the countries in which they've immigrated. The FACT is, it's only a matter of time before they can just VOTE themselves into control of governments.

But they're not just waiting to have enough babies to get their way. They now have enough population currently in place in Europe to begin brazenly exerting their power. France and Belgium are just the first to see the Muslims' true intents.

Look at History
In the 1st Century AD, it seems as though Satan saw the need to blunt the early church's explosive growth so he used Mohammad and Islam as his tool.

Since 600 AD, Islam grew east and west. With the exception of the Crusader Period for a brief time around 1100 AD, the Muslims basically spread unchecked. And by the 1500s, they reached so far as to control all of Spain, Portugal and Greece!

Christianity is spread through sharing the good news of a loving God Who sent His Son as Savior, paying for our sins and promising eternal life to all who simply "Believed."

But in Islam there is no promise of salvation. The Muslim believes that when he or she dies, they stand before Allah to have their life's deeds judged, hoping he allows them into Paradise. The lone exception is through martyrdom where the martyr not only is promised heaven with 72 virgins, he could also bring with him 72 members of his family. Sick.

This is not a sick joke. This is quite appealing to the typical martyr who is a Muslim male between the age of 18 and 35, has no assets, no job and no future. The promise of going to heaven (referred to as "Paradise" by Islam) as a hero to his family is expertly fanned by Satan's minions.

The Messenger of Allah said: "I have been commanded to fight against the people till they testify that there is no god but Allah, that Muhammad is the messenger of Allah." Muslim 1:33

And with over 100 verses in the Koran that say to murder the Jews and/or Christians, it's easy to push those Satanically blinded youth into doing what to us is unthinkable.

America's First War was against... guess who?
So Islam has spread through the fear of an unloving, unforgiving god who requires strict obedience to the Koran. Those who didn't convert had the choice of paying "tribute" or bribes, or were killed by beheading. Imagine going on one of their mission trips! "Worship Allah or we kill you!" We shake our heads at the tactics but it's been hugely successful for 1400 years! Most Americans think our first war was in 1812 against Britain. But that's not true. After our war for independence from 1776 - 1784, our first war was actually against the Muslims!

When we began as a nation in the late 1700s, along with the rest of the civilized world we paid tribute (bribes) to the Muslims of North Africa, to not attack our merchant ships in the Mediterranean Sea. Only when Thomas Jefferson was elected President in 1801 did we cease paying these bribes.

Interestingly, Jefferson didn't just stop paying bribes. After reading what was in the Koran, he also sent a fleet of American ships to bomb the smithereens out of the North African coastal harbors of Tunis, Algiers and Tripoli. Only after repeated pummeling by the Americans did they agree to allow our ships safe passage.

Which brings up a major point. You can't fairly negotiate with a Muslim. The Bible says Arabs are born irrational (Gen 16:12).

You may think you're negotiating, but they simply lie about their intentions, and they love to fight...which is irrational. If you don't knock them in the head, they won't get it.

Israel, surrounded by their Muslim enemies, has found this out the hard way.

The Muslims have broken every treaty they've ever signed with Israel. 100%!

The only thing Muslims truly understand is pain and consequence. Muslims only wave the white flag if the pain is so great they think they will lose the battle. But surrender is only to delay until they attack again later.

Israel exists today because they inflict enormous pain in response to all acts of Muslim terrorism. And they certainly don't trust the Muslims for their safety. Imagine if the Muslims had a nuclear bomb...how long before they would use it on Israel? And the West? Two seconds.

Muslims Are To "Behead" Foes
But why in the world do Muslims behead their enemies? That seems to us quite archaic. But there is
a simple answer. The Koran, their bible, calls for beheading their enemies.

"So when you meet those who disbelieve, strike their necks until you have inflicted slaughter upon them..." Surah 47:4

"I will cast terror into the hearts of those who disbelieve, so strike them upon the necks...." Surah 8:12

So they behead because Allah says to behead. You have to keep reminding yourself that Allah is just Satan in disguise for this to make any sense. We have to call a spade a spade.

Beheadings in the Tribulation

The Bible also tells us where all this will culminate. After the Church Age ends, the Bible specifically mentions "beheadings" as a major way Believers die in the future 7 Year Tribulation.

That's amazing since we're starting to actually see the Muslims beheading people pretty much weekly around the world.

And they're the only ones doing that barbaric act. So, if we're close to the end of the Church Age, we can easily project who the bad guys are in the Tribulation that follows.

It'll be Satan, using the Muslims, against God's Israel. Thankfully we know who wins. And thankfully we'll not be here to personally experience the shear horror of all those heads rolling.

And until the Rapture, what we MUST DO is be wise and aware as God allows all these things to come together for His purposes. And be willingly used by Him to witness His True Agape Love as He opens doors of opportunity.

And certainly do pray for our country's protection because it's no longer hoping our kids and grand-kids will have the same lifestyle we've had, it's now our kids' and grandkids' freedom that's at stake!

Our mostly Christian founders fought for these privileges:

> Freedom of religion.
> Freedom of speech.
> Freedom of assembly.
> Freedom of the press.
> Freedom of addressing grievances.

None of these are allowed under Islam!

One of the topics at a Steeling the Mind Bible Conference is "Beheadings and the Bible" by Shahram Hadian. He was a Muslim before getting saved and fleeing to America. His presentation is a must-see for every American, Christian or non-Christian! An "eye-opener" as we say.

Shalom!

Bill

If you would like to print this article, click here: Beheadings and the Bible

The three most often debated times for Rapture to occur are:

1) Prior to the 7 year Tribulation (Pre-Trib).

2) In the middle of the Tribulation (Mid-Trib).

3) At the end of the Tribulation (Post-Trib).

We believe Pre-Trib is the only time Rapture can occur if you are using a dispensational approach and interpret scripture using a literal hermeneutic. In other words, we take the Bible literally whenever possible. In the past, all Bible prophecy was fulfilled literally, so in the future we expect Bible prophecy to continue to be fulfilled literally (Ecc. 1:9). The main benefit of using dispensational theology is to define time periods where God deals differently with humans, while He Himself never changes. Therefore, when one dispensation ends, another begins. This, by definition, prohibits any overlap of dispensations. Since the Rapture marks the end of the Church Age dispensation, you can’t have part of the tribulation in the end of the Church Age. If the dispensation approach is confusing, Jesus, quite clearly, gave us a model to determine when Rapture occurs.

Matt. 24:37-39 “For the coming of the Son of Man will be just like the days of Noah. “For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and they did not understand until the flood came and took them all away; so will the coming of the Son of Man be.”

This is a perfect and exact template for determining the timing of Rapture. We know that Jesus’ statement can’t be referring to the time of the 2nd Coming of Christ because the end of the Tribulation is horrible. The passage indicates “business as usual” and the Tribulation, is anything but, “business as usual.” So this could only be referring to the time of the Rapture where there is an economy, food, drink and social events. The template Jesus gave us shows Noah building his boat in normal times. People are locked out of their only escape when God shuts the door on the ark. The ark floats up, above the destruction, returns back down to earth and a new dispensation begins. Jesus said the same situation would be true just prior to the Rapture. People will be living in normal times with plenty of food, drink and social events. Then Rapture happens (God shuts the door—Jesus is the door). Those Raptured are taken up, above the tribulation below, and return to the earth to begin a new dispensation. Jesus said that just as Noah was pre-flood, Rapture will be pre-tribulational. Not mid-flood/mid-trib or post-flood/post-trib. Jesus confirms Rapture is pre-trib. Compass recorded a presentation titled Steeling Studies-Vol. 1—Five “make you think” mini-Bible studies that you’ve probably never heard before. This material is one of the five studies and you can order this presentation by Clicking Here.

Shalom,

BP

 

Bill Perkins is the founder and Executive Director of Compass International, Inc.
© Copyright 1993-2014, Compass International Inc. www.compass.org / 800-977-2177

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     I will come again...   John 14:3

 Nothing gets me more excited than to think about Jesus' return. Some 30% of the Bible is prophetic and a lot is written about Jesus coming again.

 But the Bible lists two returns-Jesus actually returns twice. So first we must distinguish which return we're discussing. 

Jesus first comes in the air for His Church to rescue it prior to God's judgment, an event referred to as the Rapture. Then, seven years later and after God's judgment, He returns to begin His reign as King on the earth, referred to as the "2nd Coming."

 What we're mostly interested in is the sudden Rapture exodus, not the Second Coming. The Rapture is dead ahead but the Second Coming is at least seven years away.

 So here are short explanations of three major prophecies. To be clear, I'm not date setting, just looking at scriptures about the general time, not the day or hour.

 The "Days of Noah & Lot" Prophecies

Jesus gave us two specific verses in scripture that tell us what the world will be like just before Rapture.

 He said His return would be "just like the days of Noah" before the worldwide flood and

"just like days of Lot" before God rained fire and brimstone on Sodom. MT 24:37-38; LK 17:26-28

 Noah is a picture of what will happen to the Church (lifted up and over the tribulation below) and Lot is a picture of what will happen to the Jews(protected off to the side, away from the destruction.) 

 In those days prior to those judgments, the Bible says people were: 

 > Buying, 

> Selling, 

> Eating,

> Drinking,

> Planting, 

> Harvesting, 

> Building,

> Having weddings

> Condoning homosexual activity

(Mt 24:37-38, Lk 17:26-28, Gen 19)

 Life was fairly normal, but society wasn't God-fearing. Then, God shut the door of the ark and it started raining--an event that had never happened before caught everyone but the Godly off guard.

 It had never rained prior to the flood. 

 Heb 11:7- "...things not yet seen."

 Gen. 2:5-6 "... God had not sent rain upon the earth;... But a mist used to rise from the earth and water the whole surface of the ground. "

 God's judgment on the earth had commenced catching everyone by surprise. Noah, a preacher (2 Pet 2:5), tried to warn them, but the ungodly wouldn't listen.

 1Pet. 3:20 "... the patience of God kept waiting in the days of Noah,"

 So here's the Biblical word picture-

 God SHUT THE DOOR on the ark, the flood came, lifted UP those saved by the Lord in the ark and carried them OVER the tribulation BELOW and then theyRETURNED TO THE EARTH.

 And here's a graphic of the word picture-

 

 

That's quite a picture model. 

 

So what does it tell us about our future? If it's going to be "just like the days of Noah" then our applicable model will look like this:

 

 

It's going to be life as usual prior to the Rapture. A world-wide event that has never happened will close the DOOR.

 God shuts the DOOR with Rapture, lifting Believers UP and OVER the Tribulation BELOW. And then we'll RETURN TO THE EARTH.

 And for sure, Noah was pre-flood! He wasn't mid- or post-flood! Jesus is pre-trib!!!

 So what are the "signs" we've found so far? A wicked populous who doesn't listen to the warnings of God. 

 Plus the fact the world WON'T collapse before the Tribulation. Things will be relatively NORMAL up until Rapture. That's huge to understand.

 We may have a currency reset, like many other countries have in the past. We might have wars, like many others in the past. We might even have

sporadic shortages of food and electricity from time to time, as we have many times in the past.

 But all that is just life in a sinful fallen world. All those problems will be non-existent in heaven, but still here on this earth today for us to deal with. 

 

So I'm not worried about storing up massive amounts of food, guns, and ammo to survive and/or protect my family and survive for months or years. Neither should you.

 Yes, it's possible the electricity might go out for a few weeks like it did during an ice storm here once. So common sense says to always have plenty of firewood. 

 And it's extremely possible that there will be a new currency in the future as the current one is hanging by a thread--even though most people are unaware of that fact.

 But do you really think that will affect this country more than a day or two, if even that?

 Israel had to reset its currency in the early 80s and everyone woke up one day with a new currency. They simply traded the old for the new. Those with hard assets fared best. 

 So don't fear the future. God is, as always, in full control. Yes, be smart for short-term planning. 

 But if you want be overly concerned about something, be prayerfully concerned about the Lord giving you the opportunity to share the gospel with your lost family or neighbors.

 

The Day/Age Theory

The theory goes (I wholeheartedly believe it's a valid theory--but a theory nevertheless) that the 7 day creation week is a template for all time.

 

 

So looking at the Creation Week (Again, these are seven 24 hour days!), we see an interesting pattern. Four days before life, life came on day five and six, and God rested on day seven. The pattern is 4 days-2days-1day.

 

                        

                 4                          2            1

  

At least twice in the Bible God refers to a day as being ROUGHLY ("like") a thousand years.

  

"But do not let this one fact escape your notice, beloved, that with the Lord one day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years like one day." 2Pet. 3:8 

                      (See also Ps 90:4)

 

 

Seven is God's number for completion... so using God's creation week of seven 24 hour days as a template, the Day/Age theory equates each 24 hour day with 1000 years, or 7000 total years for all mankind's days.

 This is astonishingly accurate!

 Using Ussher's timeline, we know that it was about 4004 years from Adam to Jesus--just like the Day/Age theory suggests.

 And we know from scripture that there is Jesus' 1000 year reign on earth- just like the Day/Age theory suggests.

                                           Church Age

 

 That leaves two thousand years left between for the Church Age. 

 And, that would also mean that after 4000 years of no life, Jesus came and brought life on Day 5--five being the number of grace.

 There are more fascinating scriptures that fit this model. Check this one out regarding the Jews:

 "Come, let us return to the LORD. 

 For He has torn us, but He will heal us; 

 He has wounded us, but He will bandage us.  

 He will revive us after two days; 

 He will raise us up on the third day, 

 That we may live before Him. Hos. 6:1-2

 

 This unfulfilled prophecy in Hosea makes no sense unless you apply the Day/Age theory.

 But if you do apply it, it makes perfect sense.

 Israel will be scattered for about two days (2000 years), wounded and torn. Then the Lord will revive them after the two days. And on the third day, or the millennial reign of Jesus on the earth, they will live in His sight. 

 

That's exactly what happened. Israel was scattered, torn and wounded for about 2000 years and then God began to bring them back. Soon, in the millennium, they'll live in His sight for 1000 years! Wow!

 

Here's another one:

 "And He said to them, 'Go and tell that fox, "Behold, I cast out demons and perform cures today and tomorrow, and the third day I reach My goal."'" Luke 13:32 

Again, this makes no sense unless you apply  the Day/Age theory. Was Jesus saying He would do miracles for two days... or was He inferring 2000 years? And how is it that He reaches His goal on the third day unless it's the Jews living in His sight?

 Another example of the Day/Age theory is in John 4:39-43. In a 

nutshell, it's the only scripture recording Jesus staying with non-Jewish Believers. And guess how long He stayed? Two days! And then "After the two days" He went back to the Jews!! Amazing!

 You can even see the Day/Age clearly in this Old Testament passage:

 

"The LORD also said to Moses, 'Go to the people and consecrate them  today and tomorrow, and let them wash their garments; and let them be ready for the third day, for on the third day the LORD will come down on Mount Sinai in the sight of all the people." Ex 19:10-11

 There's also that pesky little verse in Acts 2 where Peter says:

 "This is what was spoken of through the prophet Joel: 'AND IT SHALL BE IN THE LAST DAYS,'God says, 'THAT I WILL POUR FORTH OF MY SPIRIT ON ALL MANKIND; Acts 2:16-17

 

Peter said he was living in the last days. That would be strange, unless you apply the Day/Age theory. Then it makes sense--Peter WAS living in the last days, the last three days of seven!

 

You'll find more of these examples in scripture like the six water pots in John 2 and Lazarus being dead four days in John 11. Fascinating to read and think about through the lens of the Day/Age theory.

 So, I think this clearly establishes that theChurch Age is approximately 2000 years long, beginning in Acts 2 and extending to Revelation 6.

 But there are two things to consider. The Bible didn't say "exactly" 2000 years. Rather, it says "roughly" 2000 years. So we don't know the day or the hour. But we can know the generation!

 But if Rapture IS near, God revealed it in scripture beforehand. I'm all smiles!! 

Also, if you count 2000 years from Acts 2, you're in the neighborhood of the year 2033, plus or minus 20 years or so. And so we're definitely living in times of prophetic fulfillment!!

 

Israel Prophecies

In Matthew 23 Jesus spends the entire chapter blasting the scribes and the Pharisees for a plethora of sins and what they will bring on their lives. He ends by saying: 

 

"...all these things will come upon this generation." Matt 23:36

 He said this in 33 AD. In 70 AD the Roman army under Titus defeated Israel and except for a brief period 132 to134 AD, the Jews were scattered worldwide, never heard from again until the 20th Century.

 So what Jesus said would happen to "this generation" happened in 37 years--within a generation. 

 He ends Chapter 23 lamenting that Jerusalem will be destroyed. His disciples, obviously perplexed over His comments, ask Him "Tell us when..." 

 So Jesus spends the next 30 verses in Matthew 24, discussing the problems for Israel coming at the end of the Church Age. Then He explains the Parable of the Fig Tree.

 

The fig tree has always been synonymous with Israel and in Matt 24:32-34, Jesus talks about being able to know that by the signs of the leaves sprouting on a fig tree, you know that summer is near.

 

Jesus infers that just like the fig tree, those who see the sign of Israel back in her land again will be the generation to see all those things come to pass... one sign being the Abomination of Desolation. Matt 24:15; Dan 11:31, 12:11

 Israel became a nation in 1948, but they didn't actually get control of the Old City of Jerusalem and Mount Moriah until 1967. So most Bible prophecy scholars believe the generation starting point should begin in 1967.

 Most of the time, the Bible refers to a generation as being between 40 and 70 years in duration.

 "... He made them wander in the wilderness forty years, until the entire generation of those who had done evil in the sight of the LORD was destroyed." Num 32:13

 As for the days of our life, they contain seventy years," Ps 90:10

 

So, based on this theory, we're living in this prophetic window of time that began in 2007 and ends in 2037. 

 So not only does the Day/Age theory point toward 2033, also the generation window points toward roughly the same time--2037. 

 But what if we're wrong about using 1967? What if the generation should actually be counted from when Israel, the nation, was born? 

There's even a prophecy that predicts Israel would be "born in one day." And that day would be May 14, 1948, when the United Nations declared Israel to be a nation again after almost 2000 years of dispersion.

 So if 1948 is actually when we should begin counting our generation, then we're toward the end of that window!

 

That's an exciting graphic, don't you think?! 

 But, again, I am NOT saying the Rapture WILL happen by 2018. Just saying it could. Shoot, it could happen as you read this. Or it could happen in 2033 or later. Only God knows when.

  

Prophecies concerning Israel

The Bible has quite a few prophecies about Israel in the latter days, most of which have already come about. Here are the main ones.

 

Fulfilled Israel Last Days Prophecies

 Israel will be back in their homeland. 

Deut 30:3; Ezek 36 & 37

 Israel will take over the land in one day.

Is 66:8

 Israel will have an exceedingly strong army.

Ezek 37:10

  Israel will have nuclear weapons.

Zech 14:12, Ezek 39:12-16

 Israel will cause the world consternation.

Zech 12:3

 Nations will try to divide Israel's land.

Joel 3:2, Dan 11:39

 

Un-fulfilled Israel Last Days Prophecies

 

Arrival of the two witnesses, Elijah and John

Mal 4:5, Rev 10:11, 11:3, John 21:21-23

 Israel going back to live animal sacrifices.

Dan 9:27, 11:31

 Russia, Iran and others attacking Israel.

Ezek 38 & 39

 Israel wiping out her enemies around her.

Zech 12:6

 2/3s of Israel being wiped out in one day.

Zech 13:7, Matt 24:15-21

 Israel fleeing to the wilderness--3 1/2 years.

Rev 12:6, 14, Matt 24:16

 Of course we're leaving out the long list of general prophecies such as the coming world currency, coming world government, mark of the beast, rise of a new world leader, etc. 

 

But God gave us Bible prophecy to prove the Bible's accuracy... including all the above scriptures foretelling signs that will occur prior to Jesus' return. 

 

And it's a great comfort for all Believers to know that we'll depart with the Holy Spirit at the Rapture prior to God's worldwide judgment--the awful Tribulation.

 Therefore comfort one another with these words. 1Th 4:18

 

Shalom!

 

Notes: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ussher_chronology

 

Bill Perkins is the founder and Executive Director of Compass International, Inc.
© Copyright 1993-2014, Compass International Inc.www.compass.org / 800-977-2177

The above article may be forwarded in its entirety (including credits) without permission.

 

To sign up for our FREE Monthly Compass eNews with updates on future Bible conferences, Bible trips, specials on DVD Bible studies and an eye-opening look at a hot topic Click Here

 

For more information or to sign up for our provocative FREE Good Morning Lord! Daily Devotional Email Click Here

 

For more information on our life-impacting Biblelands Trips Click Here

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They say a picture is worth a thousand words.

Sometimes it takes a visual aid to better understand a problem and/or the solution. For instance:

The chart above makes a great visual point that what we've done in this nation via abortion in the last 45 years is unprecedented. Do you think God will overlook the fact we've murdered some 60 million innocent and defenseless human babies? Hardly.

You could make the case God's thinking, "I blessed you with more freedom and opportunities than all the nations of the world ... and this is what you choose to do?"

We don't know how closely connected our country's problems are to the abominable abortion murders but one has to wonder. Certainly God's not pleased with our country's actions in recent years. And on just about every economic indicator, this country seems to be struggling.

Here are nine pictures that give a good snapshot of the last eight years:

These pictures show beyond the shadow of a doubt that the United States is in a deep downward spiral. We'll soon have elections to choose new leadership who'll determine the direction of this nation. Do we continue our current direction or change course?

The greatest nation on planet earth is at a perilous crossroad. It seems obvious to me that if we don't change this country's direction now, we will lose the freedoms we currently enjoy. This is not an exaggeration!

To evaluate, let's start with how the candidates for POTUS compare to Biblical values? Here is my personal scorecard:

Seems like a no-brainer to me. Who in their right mind can't see that one candidate has more to offer from a Biblical perspective? It's not everything we want, but 44 is far better than 2! And the 2 is like jumping off a cliff.

I honestly believe if we don't BEGIN turning the country from its present course, we are headed for a crash that may be unrecoverable. This nation as we know it, with minority rights and privileges, could literally cease to exist.

Therefore I believe it's imperative to take what God's allowing and be thankful for getting more than what we deserve. Just because we didn't get everything in one candidate doesn't mean we shouldn't vote at all. That would be poor stewardship.

We've got to start the course correction! Then maybe we can get an even better candidate to continue turning this country into greener pastures.

We don't know how long it will be before the Rapture. Maybe soon, maybe later. So we have to assume our kids and grand-kids will grow up. If we don't change the course of this nation, I fully believe Believers WILL be faced with persecution, and even death, just for being Christian. It's already happening in other parts of the world. Don't think for a moment it can't happen here.

So vote for the candidate who you find to have the most Biblical value to Christians. Don't sit this one out because you didn't get all you wanted. If you don't vote, we could lose everything. Literally.

BP

PS--This is assuming both Trump and Clinton are the nominees. But of course the fat lady has yet to sing.

PPS--A third party cannot win. Voting for a long shot will only make it more likely that Christians will lose.

Download PDF of Article here

Millions Missing?

If suddenly, in the blink of an eye, you find that a large number of people all over the earth have vanished into thin air, the following are important facts about what has happened.

The Bible Predicted This Would Happen

Some 2,000 years ago, God prophesied in the Bible that a time would come when He would remove true Christians from the earth.

Behold, I tell you a mystery; we will not all sleep, but we will all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet; for the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. For this perishable must put on the imperishable, and this mortal must put on immortality. 1Corinthians 15:51-53

For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall always be with the Lord. 1Thessalonians 4:16-17

By predicting the future, it's proof the Bible is the only thing you can truly trust.

God's Purpose For This Mass Removal

God promised in the Bible that those who believed His Messiah's shed blood paid for their sins wouldn't have to endure the seven years of terrible events that were also prophesied in the Bible and now coming on the people on earth.

Therefore only true Believers have been removed (sometimes called the Rapture). You are left behind because you didn't truly believe Jesus came from heaven to die as a sacrifice for your personal sins and was resurrected, defeating death.

Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from the wrath of God through Him. Romans 5:9

. . . Jesus, who rescues us from the wrath to come. 1Thessalonians 1:10

Thankfully God gave the world access to heaven through what the Jewish Messiah had provided VIA the cross. If you wish to also be rescued from the wrath that is coming on the earth, believe that Jesus is the Messiah who died to pay for your sins and rose from the grave defeating death.

Truly, truly, I say to you, he who hears My word, and believes Him who sent Me, has eternal life, and does not come into judgment, but has passed out of death into life. John 5:24

Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes has eternal life. John 6:47

Jesus said to her, 'I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in Me will live even if he dies,' John 11:25

If you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation. Romans 10:9-10

And it shall be that everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. Acts 2:21

These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know that you have eternal life. 1John 5:13

So if you believe the good news that Jesus saved you from eternal damnation, find a Bible if you can and begin reading God's love story to mankind. Read Luke, Acts and Ephesians to get started.

What Happens Next?

Even though you missed the "removal," if you now believe the good news of the gospel of Jesus by faith, you will escape the unquenchable and eternal fires of hell and immediately go to heaven when you die.

But the world is now under judgment and you very well may be killed for your faith. So the following is a guide for what's coming.

There are probably others who, like you, realize what has happened and now know the truth about God's Word. You should seek out these people as well as share this information with as many as you can. During these perilous times, you can really only trust the words in the Bible.

Below is a timeline of where we've been, where we are and what's dead ahead--7 years of horrific tribulation.

. . . behold, a pale horse; . . . Death; and Hades . . . to kill one fourth of the earth with sword, famine, pestilence and by the wild beasts of the earth. Revelation 6:8

. . .there will be a great tribulation, such as has not occurred since the beginning of the world until now, nor ever will. Matthew 24:21

By following the red line above, you can see that after Jesus died on the cross, God's Holy Spirit came to earth to indwell those who believed that Jesus' sinless blood paid the price for their past, present and future sins.

But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, John 14:26

Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, so that we may know the things freely given to us by God, 1Corinthians 2:12

The Holy Spirit also restrains wholesale evil on the earth.

. . . the mystery of lawlessness is already at work; only He (the Holy Spirit) who now restrains will do so until he is taken out of the way. 2Thessalonians 2:7

But God's Spirit was removed from the earth prior to the 7 Years of Tribulation, a time of God's judgment on earth. That's why millions just disappeared--all who had the Spirit of God living in them, who were alive at the time of His departure, were simultaneously removed from the earth with Him.

When the Holy Spirit left, they left with Him!

For He Himself has said, 'I WILL NEVER DESERT YOU, NOR WILL I EVER FORSAKE YOU,' Hebrews 13:5

God's Purpose For The 7 Year Tribulation

The next 7 Years of Tribulation is also known as "the time of Jacob's distress" (Jeremiah 30:7) because Israel will come back into God's focus for the world to see. It will be obvious that Israel is God's chosen nation on earth.

My holy name I will make known in the midst of My people Israel; and I will not let My holy name be profaned anymore. And the nations will know that I am the LORD, the Holy One in Israel. Ezekiel 39:7

The LORD has made known His salvation; He has revealed His righteousness in the sight of the nations. He has remembered His lovingkindness and His faithfulness to the house of Israel; Psalms 98:2-3

Some 2000 years ago Israel rejected their Messiah and therefore God blinded them during the Church Age period that followed Jesus' crucifixion.

. . . a partial hardening has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in; Romans 11:25

The recent disappearance of the true Christians is proof that God is now again making Israel His primary focus on the earth.

God has not rejected His people whom He foreknew. Romans 11:2

People On Earth Now Have A Choice

After the removal of the Believers, people who are alive and remain have a clear-cut decision to make--you can choose God or Satan. People will either choose to believe the false signs and wonders by Satan--or eternal salvation offered via Jesus Christ.

The one whose coming is in accord with the activity of Satan, with all power and signs and false wonders, and with all the deception of wickedness for those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth so as to be saved. 2 Thessalonians 2:9-10

Those who do not trust God's Word will fall for Satan's lie and be doomed to hell forever.

For this reason God will send upon them a deluding influence so that they will believe what is false, in order that they all may be judged who did not believe the truth, but took pleasure in wickedness.2 Thessalonians 2:12

So it will be at the end of the age; the angels will come forth and take out the wicked from among the righteous, and will throw them into the furnace of fire; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Matthew 13:49-50

These will pay the penalty of eternal destruction, 2Thessalonians 2:12

The following is a list of major events predicted in the Bible that will happen in the near future, in their probable order:

* Many Nations Attack Israel

Soon, if it hasn't happened already, many nations will come against Israel to gain her riches, which could be gold, silver and/or oil.

You will go up, you will come like a storm; you will be like a cloud covering the land, you and all your troops, and many peoples with you.Ezekiel 38:9

". . . Have you come to capture spoil? Have you assembled your company to seize plunder, to carry away silver and gold, to take away cattle and goods, to capture great spoil?" Ezekiel 38:13

The countries attacking Israel are:

Ezekiel 38:3: Gog, prince of Rosh, Meshech and Tubal.

Ezekiel 38:5: Persia, Ethiopia and Put

Ezekiel 38:6: Gomer, Beth-togarmah

It's hard to predict with absolute certainty who these attacking nations will be, but Russia (Gog) and Iran (Persia) are likely to be two of them.

* Israel Is Victorious

Israel will have a huge victory over the invading nations and the world will see that God Himself is protecting Israel.

'It will come about on that day, when Gog comes against the land of Israel,' declares the Lord GOD, 'that My fury will mount up in My anger.' Ezekiel 38:18

'I will strike your bow from your left hand and dash down your arrows from your right hand. You will fall on the mountains of Israel, you and all your troops and the peoples who are with you; I will give you as food to every kind of predatory bird and beast of the field. You will fall on the open field; for it is I who have spoken,' declares the Lord GOD. Ezekiel 39:3-5

I will magnify Myself, sanctify Myself, and make Myself known in the sight of many nations; and they will know that I am the LORD. Ezekiel38:23

* World War, Death, Famine & Cataclysmic Events

With God's Holy Spirit having been removed, Who is called "the Restrainer" of unrelenting evil, the world is aflame.

For then there will be a great tribulation, such as has not occurred since the beginning of the world until now, nor ever will. Matthew 24:21

And there will be a time of distress such as never occurred since there was a nation until that time; Daniel 12:1

The first sounded, and there came hail and fire, mixed with blood, and they were thrown to the earth; and a third of the earth was burned up, and a third of the trees were burned up, and all the green grass was burned up. Revelation 8:7

* Emergence Of A World Leader

Seemingly out of nowhere, a man steps forward who sounds like he can save the world.

I looked, and behold, a white horse, and he who sat on it had a bow; and a crown was given to him, and he went out conquering and to conquer. Revelation 6:2

. . . the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction, who opposes and exalts himself above every so-called god or object of worship, 2Thessalonians 2:3-4

He will speak out against the Most High and wear down the saints of the Highest One, and he will intend to make alterations in times and in law; Daniel 7:25

* New World Leader Calls For Peace

This world leader orchestrates a seven-year peace treaty between 10 nations and Israel. This begins the seven years of prophesied tribulation.

And he will make a firm covenant with the many for one week [seven years], but in the middle of the week he will put a stop to sacrifice and grain offering; Daniel 9:27

There was given to him a mouth speaking arrogant words and blasphemies, and authority to act for forty-two months was given to him. Revelation 13:5

They have healed the brokenness of My people superficially, saying, 'Peace, peace,' but there is no peace. Jeremiah 6:14

* A New Worldwide Economic Order Is Instituted

The New World Leader will gain more and more power as he institutes a global economic system. The Bible gives specific warnings about this system that have eternal ramifications.

*** Refuse the Mark! ***

Those alive today will soon be told that they can stay alive only by joining the world system and voluntarily receiving an identifying mark on their body.

And he [the leader of the new world] causes all, the small and the great, and the rich and the poor, and the free men and the slaves, to be given a mark on their right hand or on their forehead, and he provides that no one will be able to buy or to sell, except the one who has the mark, either the name of the beast or the number of his name. Revelation 13:16-17

God warns not to take this mark because if you choose to join the world system in order to live longer on earth, you will receive horrific plagues from angels in the sky.

So the first angel went and poured out his bowl on the earth; and it became a loathsome and malignant sore on the people who had the mark of the beast and who worshiped his image. Revelation 16:2

And worst of all, if you take that mark, when you die you'll be cast into a punishing hell for eternity.

. . . If anyone . . . receives a mark on his forehead or on his hand, he also will drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is mixed in full strength in the cup of His anger; and he will be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb. And the smoke of their torment goes up forever and ever; they have no rest day and night, those who worship the beast and his image, and whoever receives the mark of his name. Revelation 14:-11

[NOTE: If you're reading this before the removal has taken place, and the Internet is still working, you can view an overview of the entire Bible in 30 minutes at: compass.org/30]

Bottom Line: Don't Believe The Lies

Those who are now in power are going to lie to you about many things. Watch for these three big lies:

Lie #1:

About what happened to all those people who vanished.

Truth:

They're fine, God removed them, they're in heaven.

---------

Lie #2

About why you need to take the "Mark of the Beast."

Truth:

Don't, because if you do, you'll go to hell FOREVER!

---------

Lie #3

About the people of Israel being your enemy.

Truth:

They're not, they're God's chosen people whom He loves.

This is a difficult time to live

Standing against the earth-shaking evil powers will be difficult. And life as a Believer in Jesus during this time won't be easy. Quite frankly, you may very well be killed. But God promises that even though you may die on earth standing on your faith, you'll go straight to heaven for eternity.

Then one of the elders answered, saying to me, 'These who are clothed in the white robes, who are they, and where have they come from?' I said to him, 'My lord, you know.' And he said to me, 'These are the ones who come out of the great tribulation, and they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. For this reason, they are before the throne of God; and they serve Him day and night in His temple; and He who sits on the throne will spread His tabernacle over them. They will hunger no longer, nor thirst anymore; nor will the sun beat down on them, nor any heat; for the Lamb in the center of the throne will be their shepherd, and will guide them to springs of the water of life; and God will wipe every tear from their eyes.' Revelation 7:13-17

. . . I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded because of their testimony of Jesus and because of the word of God, and those who had not worshiped the beast or his image, and had not received the mark on their forehead and on their hand; and they came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years. Revelation 20:4

So there's incredible hope for you and anyone else who believes the good news that Jesus offers salvation from eternal damnation. If you believe the good news that Jesus died for your sins, He will save you from the eternal fires of hell.

It is a trustworthy statement, deserving full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, 1 Timothy 1:15

7 Scriptural Truths That Affect Your Eternity

1) It is a fact that God loves you.

For God so loved the world, that He gave His only fathered Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him. John 3:16-17

2) It is a fact that you're a sinner.

...for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. Romans 3:23

If we say that we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves and the truth is not in us. 1 John 1:8

3) It is a fact that sin separates you from God and heaven.

the result of sin is death, Romans 6:23

4) It is a fact that Jesus paid the price to redeem you from sin.

God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from the wrath of God through Him. Romans 5:8-9

. . . the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin. 1 John 1:7

5) It is a fact that you can be saved from eternity in hell.

If you believe the good news of what God has done for you--that God sent His Son from heaven to shed His blood in death to pay the price for your personal sins, and that He rose from the dead, defeating death, you will be saved by faith.

If you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; Romans 10:9

Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved.  Acts 16:31

6) It is a fact that if you're now a Believer, you're saved by what He did, not what you do or don't do.

For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast. Ephesians 2:8-9

7) If you are now a Believer, Satan hates you. You're not up against bad people, but rather the evil that is behind them.

Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might. Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore, take up the full armor of God, so that you will be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm. Ephesians 6:10-13

Although you may be tremendously confused about the events currently surrounding you, try to find a Bible because it has God's truth that you can trust. Be wise, refuse the mark and live for Him! Because eternity is a LONG LONG time!

---End of Millions Missing? booklet---

If you wish to purchase these booklets, single or in bulk, click here

I would say that most of those who attended, who were not sure if they would vote for him, left convinced of how much is at stake in this election if Trump is not elected.

After Trump left, to a standing ovation, more questions were taken from the audience addressed to a panel of Christian leaders. Things like the dismantling of the military, Christian business rights, etc. were discussed at length.

The last speaker was Eric Metaxas, who I had never heard of... but he was excellent. He showed that there is what he referred to as a Golden Triangle of Freedom. 

• Freedom requires virtue.
• Virtue requires faith.
• And faith requires freedom.

Therefore, America won't function as a republic without faith and virtue, and our freedoms are taken for granted. Our public schools have for 40 years taught a negative view of America, that we're the problem. America is the most successful country in the history of the world, yet we're teaching our kids that we're the problem??

I have to say, we pretty much all came away thinking that if Clinton, or any Democrat, is elected, the path this nation's on currently will continue and WILL lead to disaster. If we don't turn the ship now, we're headed to be like socialized Europe-a disaster getting worse by the month. Even potentially reaching problems like what's going on in Venezuela, where they are currently literally fighting for daily food. Don't think it can't happen here, it could. It's not out of the realm of possibilities...it's that serious. A LOT is at stake in this election!

Watching our esteemed politicians jockey for positions to win votes in the Presidential election is always amazing. Truth is often hard to decipher. And the fact is, if you torture the evidence long enough, it will confess to anything.

But Christians are called to be discerning of the political rhetoric. We have the Holy Spirit of Truth living in us to guide us through the mire.

"For to us God revealed them through the Spirit; for the Spirit searches all things, even the depths of God." 1 Cor. 2:10 

Therefore, as our nomination process unfolds, it's important to keep in mind that all politicians are sinners. All have all sinned in the past and all will sin in the future. Our duty as Christians is to vote for who we THINK will most likely govern along Biblical principles.

"choose for yourselves today whom you will serve:" Joshua 24:15

At this critical juncture of our nation, it's vitally important for all Believers to take voting seriously, as it IS a gift from God. Our God-given Republic seems to be hanging on by a thread. So do vote while you can still vote!

Sadly, only half of all Christians vote. If every Christian voted, it would make a huge difference in the kind of people we elect to govern us. Huge! So make voting a priority for everyone in your family!

But more importantly, prayer is what we need most.

"Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God." Phil. 4:6

God is still in control and we need to ask Him to elect a leader that would allow this nation one more revival. God gave Nineveh the opportunity to turn away from debauchery and back to Him. It's not too late for us either.

"For by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities - all things have been created through Him and for Him." Col. 1:6

Do you believe this is possible? I do, if God wants it. And it's never wrong to ask the right thing. Who knows what the Lord might allow.

Use us, Lord!

Use us, Lord!

-----------
sources:

http://www.newsmax.com/Newsfront/obama-threatened-israeli-jets/2015/03/01/id/627575/

http://www.wrmea.org/2005-may-june/an-updated-list-of-vetoes-cast-by-the-united-states-to-shield-israel-from-criticism-by-the-u.n.-security-council.html

Bill Perkins is the founder and Executive Director of Compass International, Inc.
&copy; Copyright 1993-2014, Compass International Inc. www.compass.org / 800-977-2177

The above article may be forwarded in its entirety (including credits) without permission.

To sign up for our FREE Monthly Compass eNews with updates on future Bible conferences, Bible trips, specials on DVD Bible studies and an eye-opening look at a hot topicClick Here

For more info or to sign up for our provocative FREEGood Morning Lord! Daily Devotional Email Click Here

For more information on our life-impacting Biblelands TripsClick Here

"Exodus: Gods and Kings"

Movie Reviews by: Bill Perkins & Randall Price

 

The following are Randall's concluding thoughts on a review he wrote on the movie Exodus that was recently released.

To read his entire critique, CLICK HERE

 

In the Bible Moses cannot be explained apart from his relationship with God. It is that relationship that motivates Him, empowers Him, and enables him to lead the multitude through the wilderness. Moses knows God and will not allow any trial or temptation (even from God!) to diminish His absolute confidence in God's promise-keeping character (see Exodus 32:1-14).  

 

The absence of this kind of God in Ridley Scott's version made even the miracles somewhat boring and left the audience feeling more sympathy  for Rameses than Moses. Here, for me, and I am sure for countless others, is the Moses I never knew (and frankly do not really care to know).

If the world grants success to this film it will be more of a sad statement of where our post-biblical culture is today than on the quality of one more prime season release blockbuster. Sadder still is the fact that this post-biblical and biblically illiterate culture may never realize just how far such a biblically inspired film is from the Bible itself. This, then, is the real shame, for while Ridley Scott's film fails to inspire, the Bible never does.

 

 

One more thought we just had to add.....

 

 

BP

 

Bill Perkins is the founder and Executive Director of Compass International, Inc.

© Copyright 1993-2014, Compass International Inc. www.compass.org / 800-977-2177

The above article may be forwarded in its entirety (including credits) without permission.
 
To sign up for our FREE Monthly Compass eNews with updates on future Bible conferences, Bible trips, specials on DVD Bible studies and an eye-opening look at a hot topic Click Here

For more info or to sign up for our provocative FREE Good Morning Lord! Daily Devotional Email Click Here

For more information on our life-impacting Biblelands Trips Click Here

And he causes all, the small and the great, and the rich and the poor, and the free men and the slaves, to be given a mark on their right hand, or on their forehead, and he provides that no one should be able to buy or to sell, except the one who has the mark . . . Revelation 13:16-17

The coming cashless society is, quite frankly, a great idea! Think about it ... doing away with money will solve most, if not all, of our monetary problems—worldwide! With the government now owning and/or controlling all the banks, this idea is actually feasible. And, considering today’s technology it would not be a difficult thing to do. The government would just assign a number to every person on the earth and mark that number permanently on their right hand (or on the forehead if their arm is missing). Several companies are already using imbedded chips in cattle, dogs, cats and other animals with great success. No muss, no fuss. Works like a charm. Besides, there’s really not much difference between a chip in a credit/debit card in your purse or wallet and a chip in your arm (or invisible ink on the back of your hand). Think of the possibilities:

All Taxes Collected - Every transaction could be controlled through a single central computer. Groceries, restaurant charges, furniture purchases, utilities, gas, clothes, supplies, business transactions, payroll . . . everything and anything purchased, could have their taxes collected on the spot. No more behind the scenes transactions to avoid paying taxes. And there would be no more reporting necessary. All those cumbersome retail tax filings, payroll tax deposits, etc. would be history. Everything would be taxed and paid at the transaction point.

All Income Taxes Paid - All your income and all your expenses would be part of the system, so no more fudging on your income taxes. Hey, you probably won’t even have to file taxes. They’ll just take a percentage of every transaction and tell you how much you have left.

Robberies -There would be no more money-motivated bank heists because there wouldn’t be any money in the bank to steal! Makes petty robberies a thing of the past. You also wouldn’t have to worry about bounced checks—there are no checks! If someone tries to purchase something and they don’t have the money, you would know immediately!

Identity Theft - You would never have to fear losing your check book or credit card again. Or having your identity stolen. Your permanent number would be attached to you and you would just wave it over the scanner to complete the transaction.

Illegal Drugs - Law enforcement officials have told us for years that the motive for drug sales is money, not drugs. Take away the money and presto, no more motive for selling drugs. What a wonderful world we would have without the drug problem.

Works Worldwide - This will work worldwide. Today, if you are in Jerusalem, and use a cash machine to withdraw Israeli Shekels from your personal bank account in the U.S., the approval (or disapproval) is instantaneous. There is no time difference between standing in front of the cash machine at your hometown bank and standing in front of the cash machine anyplace in the world.

So the system is in place! It’s just a matter of time, or having some kind of real or perceived world-wide crises, and the wise ones will demand that this wonderful and fair system be hurried into action.

The devil, of course, is in the details. What group of nations is going to control this world-wide monster? What criteria will be used to determine which people get into the system, and who will be in charge of keeping out those that are not, shall we say, “desirable”? And with all that control, what if they needed more taxes? Would those in the system have any say in the matter? Could you get out if you wanted to? There are lots of questions. But most importantly, if you peek at the end of the best-selling book of all time, you can see it’s Satan himself controlling this world-wide economic system and it turns into a living hell. Bummer, it was such a great idea!

Shalom,

Bill

Bill Perkins is the founder and Executive Director of Compass International, Inc.
© Copyright 1993-2014, Compass International Inc. www.compass.org / 800-977-2177

The above article may be forwarded in its entirety (including credits) without permission.

 

To read additional articles on this topic,

Click Here for Agenda 21 & George Soros

Click Here for Moving Toward the Mark of the Beast

     Click Here for Ready for the "Mark of the Beast?"

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BP

Bill Perkins is the founder and Executive Director of Compass International, Inc.
© Copyright 1993-2014, Compass International Inc. www.compass.org / 800-977-2177

The above article may be forwarded in its entirety (including credits) without permission.
 
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As we watch the ancient prophetic signs come to pass for the close of this age, most Believers know intrinsically that a huge spiritual change, a huge transition, is dead ahead. We sense things aren’t right. Something’s definitely going on. Many are assuming the Rapture is close. And it may be.

However, let’s face the facts, we don’t know if Rapture’s two seconds or thirty years away. And as we “occupy” Lk 19:13, Christians are being openly persecuted for their beliefs worldwide. For that we mourn while we comfort ourselves by trusting the fact that God is always in control.

Then we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall always be with the Lord. Therefore comfort one another with these words. 1Th. 4:17-18

One of the more interesting observable facts occurring in the end of this age is the degree to which Satan has duped the world. Because the Bible has been ushered out of public discussion, few people, even Christians, realize our root problem is Satan himself.

Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places. Eph. 6:11-12

Our government is not our main problem. Neither is BHO. Or HRC. Or ISIS. Our problem is the same problem that surfaced in the Garden of Eden and has plagued the world since. Our problem is the god of this world who operates in disguise while promoting his relentless list of lies.

Satan lurks behind all things Christians detest. Our shameful public schools, our horrible pornography industry, the deplorable rate of Christian divorce, the low birthrate for Believers, the 60+ million abortions in the U.S., the push for homosexual perversion (God’s definition) to be accepted, our disgraceful national debt, worldwide Christian persecution, etc., all come directly from Satan.

When we threw God and His Word out of our schools, our government, public places, etc., Satan was behind it all, lying through his teeth.

. . . [Satan] was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth because there is no truth in him. Whenever he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own nature, for he is a liar and the father of lies. John 8:44

So as we wind down this dispensation, expect the lies to become more sharply focused against Believers and their Christian values. Now, more than ever, it is imperative that we armor up with Biblical truth. Satan is winding up, knowing his time is short. He’s pulling out all the stops.

Therefore, take up the full armor of God, so that you will be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm. Eph. 6:13

Bill

Bill Perkins is the founder and Executive Director of Compass International, Inc.
© Copyright 1993-2014, Compass International Inc. www.compass.org / 800-977-2177

The above article may be forwarded in its entirety (including credits) without permission.

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The Miracle of Israel

A Movie Review

by: Bill Perkins

Growing up in the south in the 1950s and 60s, I was raised with a lot of prejudices. It’s almost comical looking back at my steeped opinions of the Jewish race. It wasn’t until I was washed in the blood that I began to understand God’s incredible love for the Jews . . . and His future plans for them in my lifetime, the coming Tribulation and future millennial reign of Christ on earth.

To understand what’s going on in Israel today, you must view the world according to God’s prophetic time clock. When you do understand the background, history and current events surrounding God’s special place on earth, even the nightly news and daily newspaper make sense.

Israel didn’t just accidentally become a nation again in 1948 after almost 2000 years of exile. God promised He would raise them up again in the latter days in their homeland (Ezekiel 37). And on schedule, the provincial hand of God put Israel on the map as the prophesied “burdening stone” of the world. The story of Israel coming back and taking over the land God had promised to give them “forever” is simply incredible! And none explains it better than Dave Reagan on our DVD (click Here to order), The Miracle of Israel Dave covered the subject in great anticipatory detail at one of our Steeling the Mind Bible Conference and it’s become a classic for understanding the nightly news headlines. After watching it, most people insist family and friends also watch it . . . it’s that good!

–BP

Bill Perkins is the founder and Executive Director of Compass International, Inc.
© Copyright 1993-2014, Compass International Inc. www.compass.org / 800-977-2177

The above article may be forwarded in its entirety (including credits) without permission.
 
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Liberals have for years salivated at the prospect of a Con Con. They know the constitution is a conservative, rights-protecting document. A Con Con would be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to get rid of those protections and provisions that have held this country together for over 237 years.

Some say a Con Con could never happen. But there are both liberals and conservatives (wolves in sheep's clothing) extolling the virtues of such an event.

Conservative organizations like the American Legislative Exchange Council, the Goldwater Institute and several others think a Con Con should be called to pass a balanced budget amendment.

Regardless of the stated purpose for a Con Con, EVERYTHING would be open to modify or change. Those in the room could vote (for our good of course) a new constitution that is more "up to date."

Lest you think I'm nuts even talking about this, there are 29 states that have, on the record, officially called for a Con Con:

Alaska	Arizona	Arkansas	Delaware	Colorado
Georgia	Idaho	Indiana	Iowa	Kansas
Maryland	Mississippi	Missouri	Nebraska	Nevada
New Hampshire	New Mexico	North Carolina	North Dakota	Oklahoma
Oregon	Pennsylvania	South Carolina	South Dakota	Tennessee
Texas	Utah	Virginia	Wyoming

Three more states have called for a Con Con, but have rescinded their call: Alabama, Florida and Louisiana.

Naturally, some proponents of Con Con, liberals, are saying those three state rescissions are not legal and those states should be counted as calling for a Con Con. If they are counted, then only 3 more states would be necessary to call for a Con Con.

Let's just say, I would hate to see the legality of those three states having called for a Con Con to go to court! As we've seen with the Obamacare ruling, nothing is predictable in a Supreme Court vote.

Regardless, either way, only a few states need to call for a Con Con for this thing to get dicey. And in a national emergency, it would be easy for five additional states to be motivated to call for a Con Con.

Hypothetically speaking...
So what kind of crisis would precipitate such a call? Take your pick. Financial would be at the top of the list. But it could be anything—disease, weather, military...who knows.

Like it or not, BHO is Commander and Chief of the U.S. Army

I don't really feel comfortable that in any emergency Mr. Obama and his staff have the authority to take over pretty much everything...food, livestock, farming equipment, manufacturing, industry, energy, transportation, hospitals, water, defense, construction, etc.

But as our leader, he'll be the one making decisions in an emergency, regardless of what/who caused it. He can even authorize Martial Law, regulate the Internet and cell phones, and even suspend Habeas Corpus. If he felt things weren't going just right, you can forget Fox and conservative talk radio. That's a lot of power!

We do know that Homeland Security seems to be preparing to deal with some type of crisis. In early 2013 they purchased 1.6 billion rounds of ammo.* This is an astronomical number considering we were using less than 6 million rounds a month at the height of the Iraq War!

Why do we need a 20-25 year supply of bullets for Homeland Security when our Border Patrols agents can't get the ammo they need just to do their job?*

Homeland Security is also taking delivery on thousands of MRAP (mine resistant) armored vehicles with bullet-proof glass and gun ports.

This is not our Department of Defense preparing for war with our enemies, it's our Department of Homeland Security preparing for....what? War against ourselves?

How is it that we're paring down the Department of Defense, which is the Federal entity charged with protecting us, and massively revving up Homeland Security. What the heck are they preparing for?

Logically, they are worried about something that has yet to be made known to the public at large!

FEMA has been busy building 600 fenced-in internment camps across the U.S. since 1984

 

They would need a lot of those 1.6 billion bullets, the MRAPs and all those tens of thousands of assault rifles they've purportedly purchased to clear the streets until we get things sorted out.

They would even need a lot of those 600 or so fenced-in detention centers that FEMA's been building (via REX 84) across the U.S. to hold those rioters.* Maybe all of them if they suspend elections!

Again, hypothetically, you could easily see how a hysterical populous might support a Con Con. But to use a crisis to change the Constitution would probably be the last straw for a lot of people. Our nation would be changed forever. It's that serious.

God blessed this nation with wisdom, might and religious freedoms for His eternal purposes. Our founding Fathers feared and respected the Lord. Until our leadership understands that we serve and are accountable to a living risen Lord, we'll continue down this path of self-inflicted destruction.

Until our leadership understands that God is in control, not people, we'll reap what we sow. Until our leaders seek God's will, not Satan's, we'll reap what we sow.

Until our leaders understand that hell is a real place and all other priorities in this world pale in comparison, we'll reap what we sow. Until our leaders repent from a God-less agenda, we'll reap what we sow.

For Believers, we have personal and direct access to the Creator God of the universe. It's time we honestly put Mr. Obama and our nation's leaders fervently at the top of our prayer lists...because the Bible says that prayer changes things.

Christiana Figueres in Doha, Qatar in November 2012

Traditionally it has been taught that the 10 Kings of Daniel and Revelation
will be 10 nations from the European Union-- but the Bible says differently!

Book Review

"The Shack" by: William P. Young

Should you read or recommend this book?

by: Bill Perkins

We believe that the measure of a good book is not the results it brings, but its scriptural accuracy. The Shack, by William P. Young, is a book we do not recommend reading. At first glance many find it to be a masterfully written Christian book. But on closer examination, we find The Shack presents a very subjective, incomplete, and distorted view of God and His relationship with man.

When the disciples asked Jesus specifically about the last days, the very first thing He said to them was, “See to it that no one misleads you." Mark 13:4-5. Deception is a hallmark of the last days:

1 Tim 4:1 “. . . the Spirit explicitly says that in later times some will fall away from the faith, paying attention to deceitful spirits and doctrines of demons."

The problems in The Shack are no doubt subtle. But deception that is subtle is all the more dangerous.

2 Cor 11:14 “And no wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light."

The strong appeal of the The Shack is that it presents a loving, caring God personally intervening in the life of the main character, Mack, in order to address and heal “the great sadness in his life. Plagued by the brutal death of his young daughter, Mack finds himself struggling with dejection, disillusionment, and universal questions that cause him to doubt everything—including God.

And Young does a masterful job of framing the ageless questions, and crafting heartfelt responses on God's part that have tremendous emotional appeal. He shows us a view of a loving God who heals every hurt and rights all wrongs.

So what could possibly be wrong with that?

First of all, Young almost totally dismisses any relevance of Scripture, referring to the Bible as “words on piece of paper." Really? God's Word just words? (John 1:1) Careful. That is a hallmark of church movements today that view God's Word as secondary to experiential, subjective truth.

As human beings, we have no capacity to comprehend our infinite God apart from what He reveals to us through the Holy Spirit and His written Word.

Is 55:8 9 “‘For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways, declares the LORD. ‘For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways, And My thoughts than your thought"  (Also read Psalm 119 and 1 Cor 2:12-14.)

But The Shack reduces God's unfathomable attributes down to human levels without scriptural backup. Many false religions and cults have sought to redefine God according to their own imagining, apart from what He says in His Word.

God's Word is so intricately tied to His being that Jesus is actually called “The Word."

Rev 19:13 “He is clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God."

John 1:1 “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God."

We don't define who God is. Only He can do that. So even the most appealing portrayal of Him is dangerous if it's subjective and man-made. God takes this seriously. When God addressed Job's friend Eliphaz, who had been trying to explain God, He said to him, “My wrath is kindled against you and against your two friends, because you have not spoken of Me what is right as my servant Job has." (Job 42:7)

Here are more the of many problems we see with this book:

The Shack calls for a denial of reality. It ignores and/or redefines sin and guilt, embraces a counterfeit “Christianity that pulls in the crowds at the expense of Biblical distortions, and discounts warnings about Satan's deceptions.

“God . . . dwells in . . . all things" (p.112). That is pantheism, not monotheism.

“Buddhists, Mormons, Baptists or Muslims . . . I have no desire to make them Christians . . ." (p.182). Here it's teaching that we have no need for the Cross.

The Shack's female “God is a “large beaming African-American woman" who says to Mack, “For me to appear to you as a woman and suggest that you call me Papa is simply to mix metaphors, to help you keep from falling so easily back into your religious conditioning" (p.93). Traditional, Biblical Christianity is now called “religious conditioning."

For the last 10-15 years there has been a growing worldwide movement to redefine Christianity. The reasoning is that these false teachers think Christianity, referred to as “Post-modern" must be re-thought, re-invented, and/or re-packaged if the name of Jesus Christ is going to survive here on planet earth. Wrong. Since when does God need any of man's help reaching the lost? A person's salvation has zero to do with how we package the Gospel! All we are commanded to do is teach that man is sinful and God has provided a fully adequate blood sacrifice in His Son Jesus. From there, it's all God. But The Shack embraces the new “Post-modern" line of reasoning.

God is made out to be a playful, culturally relevant “God." Biblical guidelines are non-existent as The Shack offers no eternal consequence for right or wrong, therefore, no need for repentance. It suggests church should be a unifying, all-inclusive, non-judgmental body.

The Shack also teaches that Jesus did not return to heaven but remained on the earth . . . but He can fly around (p. 99, 100). Scripture says Jesus HAD to go to heaven so the Holy Spirit could come to earth. In fact, if He didn't leave, the Holy Spirit couldn't come to earth! (John 16:7)

In The Shack, the main character is offered the chance to communicate with loved ones who have died. The Bible bans this practice (Deut 18:11).

The Shack has God the Father and God the Holy Spirit as flesh and blood. But the Bible teaches us that no one has ever seen the Father (John 1:18). Jesus is the only One who has taken on humanity, and that was for a very specific reason:

Heb 2:14 “Therefore, since the children share in flesh and blood, He Himself likewise also partook of the same, that through death He might render powerless him who had the power of death, that is, the devil."

The Shack has reversed roles of God and man by suggesting that God has no authority over man. Instead, the trinity is concerned that man could impede their main purpose, which is, “inclusive relationships" and “authentic community". Sinful man can now make his own rules, and own brand of religion (p.123).

“. . . enforcing rules [says Sarayu] . . . is a vain attempt to create certainty out of uncertainty. And contrary to what you might think, I have a great fondness for uncertainty." (p.203). So much for God always being in control. God's Word is NOT “a vain attempt to create certainty!"

In The Shack's new bedtime story, sin no longer separates unholy people from a holy God. This teaching fits right into post-modern churches that ignore scriptural commands such as, “Do not be conformed to the world." and “Abhor evil" (Romans 12:2,9). The Shack blurs the reality of sin, guilt and God's just judgments. Worse, it undermines any real understanding of our need for discernment, repentance or Jesus' shed blood on the cross. Even God's amazing grace becomes unmeaningful!

The Shack's false “God" mocks our true God by minimizing His sovereignty and judgments:

“I'm not a bully, not some self-centered demanding little deity insisting on my own way. I am good, and I desire only what is best for you. You cannot find that through guilt or condemnation . . ." (p.126)

But the Bible disagrees. It says our One true God offers a different kind of hope:

John 8:31-36 “If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free."

There is simply too much doctrinal error mixed into this book to recommend it as something beneficial.

2 Tim 1:14 “Guard, through the Holy Spirit who dwells in us, the treasure which has been entrusted to you."

Bill Perkins

Bill Perkins is the founder and Executive Director of Compass International, Inc.
&copy; Copyright 1993-2014, Compass International Inc. www.compass.org / 800-977-2177

The above article may be forwarded in its entirety (including credits) without permission.

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God's Not Dead...(The Movie)

A Movie Critique by: Bill Perkins

Finally a decent movie made it to the theaters... it's definitely worth seeing!

 > The Gospel is poorly presented. We have a free article titled "Why Asking Jesus Into Your Heart Won't Save You." Click here.

 > And finally, the question should not really be "Does God exist?" The obvious question should be, "Are you going to trust Jesus' atonement?" You can believe in God and still go to hell.

Again, all things considered, we think this is a movie worth seeing.

Bill Perkins is the founder and Executive Director of Compass International, Inc.
© Copyright 1993-2014, Compass International Inc. www.compass.org / 800-977-2177

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This is clearly teaching that someone coming back from the dead will not transform people. Rather, the Word of God is what transforms people.

"Let no one keep defrauding you of your prize by delighting in self-abasement and the worship of the angels, taking his stand on visions he has seen, inflated without cause by his fleshly mind," Col. 2:18

 
But the movie hopefully is entertaining. And it's causing a lot of people to think about the afterlife in these latter days! That in itself is huge!

Bill Perkins is the founder and Executive Director of Compass International, Inc.
© Copyright 1993-2014, Compass International Inc. www.compass.org / 800-977-2177

The above article may be forwarded in its entirety (including credits) without permission.
 
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"For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires," prophecy being fulfilled. 2 Tim 4:3

 

Bill Perkins is the founder and Executive Director of Compass International, Inc.
© Copyright 1993-2014, Compass International Inc. www.compass.org / 800-977-2177

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Jesus' death was both prophetic and well documented. Isaiah 53 is uncomfortable reading for Jews who try to dismiss Jesus as anything but God's Son.

 Living in the Time of Jesus of Nazareth, by Peter Connolly, Steimatzky Publishers 1983

Bill Perkins is the founder and Executive Director of Compass International, Inc.
© Copyright 1993-2014, Compass International Inc. www.compass.org / 800-977-2177

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Jesus (is not) Calling

by Bill Perkins

More recently, Satan seems to be working overtime to discredit the Bible through books and cinema. Here are a few examples:

 Jesus (is not) Calling

Sarah Young is badly deceived, totally duped about from whom she is receiving these messages.

If you want a really good "Bible study book," get out your Bible! It's all you need!

Roma Downey and her husband Mark Burnett have produced Son of God, which seemed to have at least one error a minute throughout the movie.

They openly have said that Biblical accuracy was not their first priority. Which, of course, makes you wonder, what WAS their priority and purpose?

Downey, a Roman Catholic, has a master's degree in spiritual psychology.

Burnett has had a very successful run of television productions including Survivor, The Apprentice, People's Choice Awards and others.

I took nine pages of notes regarding the many scriptural inaccuracies on my first (and only) viewing of the movie. Errors ranged from the holes in Jesus' hands (instead of His wrists) to adding words to the Biblical narrative... adding words to what the Bible says Jesus said.

Downey appears to have had "a lot of work done!"

 How to Spot Signs of "Emerging"

in YOUR Local Church

Commentary by Roger Oakland
www.understandthetimes.org

 

The world is changing. So is the Christian evangelical church. There was a time— not that long ago—when the Bible was considered to be the Word of God by the majority of evangelical Christians. Now that we are well into the third millennium and the post-modern, post-Christian era, the term evangelical can mean almost anything. What has happened? Why is this happening and what is the future for mainstream Christianity?

For the past several years, I have been speaking around the world on current trends that are impacting Christianity. After these presentations, I am approached by Christians who come from many different church backgrounds. Many are expressing their concerns about what is happening in their churches, troubled by the new direction they see their church going. While they may not always be able to discern what is wrong, they know something is wrong and that it needs to be addressed.

Further, many have told me they have attempted to express their concerns with their pastors or church elders. In almost every case, they were told they had a choice to make—get with the new program or get out of the church.

This move towards a reinvented Christianity (one designed to “reach people”) seems to be here for the long haul. It is not just a passing fad. I am often asked by concerned brothers and sisters in Christ to provide an explanation in order to help them understand what they have encountered. They want to know why these changes are underway and what to expect in the future. As well, they want to know what, if anything can be done, to stem this tide. It is for this reason I am writing this commentary—to provide biblical insight regarding the Emerging Church and where it is heading in the future.

 

The Gospel According to the Scriptures
Throughout church history, various trends have come and gone. While culture changes from place to place, biblical Christianity has always been based upon the central message of the Bible which is the gospel of Jesus Christ and the message never changes.

This gospel message is about who Jesus Christ is, and what He has done. A child can understand the gospel message. This message proclaims that life here on planet earth is finite and that life after death is eternal. The good news is that we can be saved from our sins if we will repent and simply ask for forgiveness and follow Him.

How we respond to the gospel message during the time we have on earth determines where we spend eternity—heaven or hell. Jesus, the Creator of the universe, provided a way and the only way we can spend eternity with Him. It is a matter of making a personal decision whether or not we will accept the plan He has provided.

God’s adversary does not want mankind to understand the simple message. His plan is to deceive the world. If he can blind people from the gospel or convince them that they believe the gospel when indeed they do not, his plan has been successful. Throughout the ages, countless billions have been duped, either rejecting the truth, or believing that they had believed the truth when instead they had been deceived.

 

The Gospel According to Postmoderism
Times change! However, the gospel must remain the same no matter what else changes. We are now living in the postmodern era.

In a sincere attempt to reach the postmodern generation with the gospel, it seems many Christians have become postmodern in their thinking.

Perhaps the term postmodern is new to you. Let’s examine what it means.

First, the modern era was characterized by a time of rational thinking based on factual observation. Many claim the modern era ended in the mid 1900s.

The postmodern mindset moves beyond the rational and the factual to the experiential and the mystical. In other words, in the past it was possible to know right from wrong and black from white. In the postmodern era all things are relative to the beholder. What may be right for you may be wrong for someone else. There is no such thing as absolute truth. The only thing that is absolute is that there is no absolute.

We now live in a time in history that is characterized as postmodern. Professors at universities teach students there is no right or wrong. All things are relative. The gospel message to the postmodern mindset is far too dogmatic and arrogant. They say it is necessary to find a more moderate gospel that can be accepted by the masses.

Many church leaders are now looking for ways to reach the postmodern generation. They believe they can find the appropriate methods to do so without changing the message. However, in their attempt to reach this postmodern generation, they have become postmodern themselves and have changed the message. As the gospel is fixed upon the Scriptures, the gospel cannot change, unless of course it becomes another gospel. I believe this is what is happening in the Emerging Church.

 

He Didn’t Come
Many have noticed that since the turn of the millennium, their churches have changed positions on Bible prophecy and the Second Coming of Jesus. Many have given up on the return of Jesus. From the ‘60s on there was an excitement about the imminent return of Jesus. The Jesus People were excited about Bible prophecy and could see signs that Jesus would descend from the heavens for His Bride at any moment.

The year 2000 was of particular importance. When Jesus didn’t show up, it seems many were apparently disappointed. “Perhaps Jesus has delayed His coming,” some have said. Others are even taking the position that He may not be coming at all, at least not in the manner we have been taught. They are now convinced that we need to be busy about “building His Kingdom” here on earth by “whatever human effort is required.”

 

The Gospel of the Kingdom
One of the main indicators that something has changed can be seen in the way the future is perceived. Rather than urgently proclaiming the gospel according to the Scriptures and believing the time to do so is short, the emphasis has now shifted. No longer are “signs of the times” significant. The battle cry is very different. A major emphasis among evangelicals is the idea that the world can be radically improved through social programs.

This concept, while on the surface may sound very good, has some serious biblical implications. According to the Scriptures, there will be no kingdom of God until the King arrives. All the human effort man can muster up will fall short of bringing utopia. In fact, according to the Scriptures, fallen man will lead us further down the road to a society of despair and lawlessness just like it was in the days of Noah.

Thus, this purpose-driven view of establishing global utopia may be a plan, but it is “driven” by humanistic reasoning and not led by the Holy Spirit. While it is of course good to do good unto others, all the goodness that we can do will not be good enough. Pastors and church leaders who get involved in such man-driven programs can usually be identified by certain characteristics:

  • Sound biblical doctrine is dangerous and divisive, and the experiential (i.e.,mystical) is given a greater role than doctrine.

  • Bible prophecy is no longer taught and is considered a waste of time.

  • Israel becomes less and less important and has no biblical significance.

  • Eventually the promises for Israel are applied to the church and not Israel (Replacement Theology).

  • Bible study is replaced by studying someone’s book and his methods.

  • Church health is evaluated on the quantity of people who attend.

  • The truth of God’s Word becomes less and less important.

  • God’s Word, especially concepts like hell, sin and repentance, is eventually downplayed so the unbeliever is not offended.

 

Spiritual Formation and Transformation
Much of what I have described provides the formula for a dumbingdown of Christianity that paves the way for an apostasy that will only intensify in the future. This trend away from the authority of God’s Word to the reinvented form of Christianity has overcome all evangelical denominations like an avalanche. Few Bible teachers saw this avalanche coming. Now that it is underway, few realize it has even happened.

However, there is another big piece to the puzzle that must be identified in order to understand what is emerging in the Emerging Church. While biblical Christianity has been dumbed-down and the light of God’s Word diminished, another avalanche of deception is underway that is equally devastating.

This is best described by the Word of God giving way to experiences that God’s Word forbids. The best way to understand this process is to recall what happened during the Dark Ages when the Bible became the “forbidden book.” Until the Reformers translated the Bible into the language of the common person, the people were in darkness. When the light of God’s Word became available, the gospel according to the Scriptures was once again understood.

This trend, which is underway today, shows us that history is in the process of repeating itself. As the Word of God becomes less and less important, the rise of mystical experiences is alarming and these experiences are being presented to convince the unsuspecting that Christianity is about feeling, touching, smelling and seeing God. The postmodern mindset is the perfect environment for the fostering of what is called “spiritual formation.” This teaching suggests there are various ways and means to get closer to God. Proponents of spiritual formation erroneously teach that anyone can practice these mystical rituals and find God within. Having a relationship with Jesus Christ is not a prerequisite.

These teachings, while actually rooted in ancient wisdom (the occult), were presented to Christendom post-New Testament and not found in the Word of God. The spiritual formation movement is based upon experiences promoted by desert monks and Roman Catholic mystics – these mystics encouraged the use of rituals and practices, that if performed would bring the practitioner closer to God (or come into God’s presence). The premise was that if one went into the silence or sacred space, then the mind was emptied of distractions and the voice of God could be heard. In truth, these hypnotic, mantric style practices were leading these monks into altered states of consciousness. The methods they used are the same that Buddhists and the Hindus use as a means of encountering the spiritual realm.

Such methods are dangerous, and are not sanctioned in the Bible – God gives no instruction for this. On the contrary, he warns severely against divination, which is practicing a ritual or method in order to obtain information from a spiritual source. While proponents of spiritual formation (like Richard Foster) say these methods show that the Holy Spirit is doing something new to refresh Christianity, I would suggest that what is happening is not new and is not the Holy Spirit.

The spiritual formation movement is being widely promoted at colleges and seminaries as the latest and the greatest way to become a spiritual leader in these days. These ideas are then being exported from seminaries to churches by graduates who have been primed to take Christianity to a new level of enlightenment.

As well, these contemplative practices are being promoted by emergent leaders such as Brian McLaren, Robert Webber, Dallas Willard and others. Publishers like NavPress, InterVarsity and Zondervan are flooding the market with books promoting contemplative practices based on Eastern mysticism. Pastors and church leaders read these books and then promote the ideas as if they were the scriptural answer to drawing close to God.

 

Signs the Emerging Church is Emerging
There are specific warning signs that are symptomatic that a church may be headed down the emergent/contemplative road. In some cases a pastor may not be aware that he is on this road nor understand where the road ends up. Here are some of the warning signs:

  • Scripture is no longer the ultimate authority as the basis for the Christian faith.

  • The centrality of the gospel of Jesus Christ is being replaced by humanistic methods promoting church growth and a social gospel.

  • More and more emphasis is being placed on building the kingdom of God now and less and less on the warnings of Scripture about the imminent return of Jesus Christ and a coming judgment in the future.

  • The teaching that Jesus Christ will rule and reign in a literal millennial period is considered unbiblical and heretical.

  • The teaching that the church has taken the place of Israel and Israel has no prophetic significance is often embraced.

  • The teaching that the Book of Revelation does not refer to the future, but instead has been already fulfilled in the past

  • An experiential mystical form of Christianity begins to be promoted as a method to reach the postmodern generation.

  • Ideas are promoted teaching that Christianity needs to be reinvented in order to provide meaning for this generation.

  • The pastor may implement an idea called “ancient-future” or “vintage Christianity” claiming that in order to take the church forward, we need to go back in church history and find out what experiences were effective to get people to embrace Christianity.

  • While the authority of the Word of God is undermined, images and sensual experiences are promoted as the key to experiencing and knowing God.

  • These experiences include icons, candles, incense, liturgy, labyrinths, prayer stations, contemplative prayer, experiencing the sacraments, particularly the sacrament of the Eucharist.

  • There seems to be a strong emphasis on ecumenism indicating that a bridge is being established that leads in the direction of unity with the Roman Catholic Church.

  • Some evangelical Protestant leaders are saying that the Reformation went too far. They are reexamining the claims of the “church fathers” saying that communion is more than a symbol and that Jesus actually becomes present in the wafer at communion.

  • There will be a growing trend towards an ecumenical unity for the cause of world peace claiming the validity of other religions and that there are many ways to God.

  • Members of churches who question or resist the new changes that the pastor is implementing are reprimanded and usually asked to leave.

 

What does the Future Hold?
If the Emerging Church continues unfolding at the present pace, mainstream evangelical Christianity will be reinvented and the gospel of Jesus Christ according to the Scriptures will be considered too narrow and too restrictive. In other words, the narrow way to heaven that Jesus proclaimed will eventually be abandoned for a wider way that embraces pagan experiential practices. I call this reinvented, re-imagined form of Christianity that is unfolding—“Christian Babylonianism”.

This new form of Christianity will replace biblical faith with a faith that says man can establish the kingdom of God here on earth. The Word will continue to become secondary to a system of works driven by experiences.

An ecumenical pattern towards unity with Rome will become more apparent. Those who refuse to embrace this direction will be considered spiritual oddballs that need to be reprimanded. Those who stand up for biblical faith will be considered the obstructions to the one world spirituality that is promoted as the answer for peace.

The best way to be prepared for what is coming is to gain an understanding of what is happening now. While there are not many who seem to discern the trend underway, there are some. Without the Bible and the Holy Spirit as our guide, the darkness that is coming would be overwhelming. However, the light of God’s Word penetrates the darkness and there are those who are being delivered from deception and see what is taking place.

I am convinced we are seeing apostasy underway, exactly as the Scriptures have forewarned. This means that this current trend is not likely to disappear. We must continue to proclaim the truth in themidst of deception with love. As Paul instructed Timothy:

And the servant of the Lord must not strive; but be gentle unto all men, apt to teach, patient, In meekness instructing those that oppose themselves; if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth; And that they may recover themselves out ofthe snare of the devil, who are taken captive by him at his will (2 Timothy 2: 24-26).

There are still pastors and churches who are dedicated to proclaiming the truth. Find out where they are and support them. If you are in a location where this does not seem to be possible, seek out materials that are available from solid Bible-based Christian ministries and hold Bible studies in your own home.

And keep looking up! Jesus is coming soon.

 

 

© Copyright 1993-2014, Compass International Inc. www.compass.org / 800-977-2177
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by Bill Perkins

 

Bill Perkins is the founder and Executive Director of Compass International, Inc.
&copy; Copyright 1993-2014, Compass International Inc. www.compass.org / 800-977-2177

The above article may be forwarded in its entirety (including credits) without permission.

To sign up for our FREE Monthly Compass eNews with updates on future Bible conferences, Bible trips, specials on DVD Bible studies and an eye-opening look at a hot topicClick Here

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Don't Buy The Lie!

by Bill Perkins

Obama announces he wants to "cut 1.6 trillion dollars" from the federal budget.

Do Obama and the Democrats really want to cut the federal deficit?

I have to admit, when I first heard that Obama wanted that large of a tax cut, I was confused. Can a leopard change his spots (Jer. 13:23)?

No, of course not. And when I researched the details I found it IS a 1.6 trillion dollar cut that he has proposed, but it's spread over the next 10 years!

Really?

The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) just announced that our national debt is expected to double in the next 15 years. And many non-government observers believe it will double in the next four to seven years.

So with deficits running about 1.2 trillion dollars a year and the total debt climbing to over 30 trillion dollars in the next 10 years or so, Obama wants to cut the deficit only 160 billion dollars a year? What a farce!

Sometimes it's hard to grasp those large numbers. So in numbers we can better understand, think of our situation this way--suppose this was our family financial situation.

Our income is $29,000
Our expenses are $38,000
Our total credit card debt is $121,000,000
Obama thinks it's ok to cut $1,600 a year for 10 years.

Try that with YOUR banker. Think he would continue to fund your account? Hardly.

Don't buy the lie. Obama is NOT serious about reducing the debt. It seems by all of his actions (not his words) he is trying to spend us into bankruptcy. 

Getting to the heart of the Republican and Democratic problem is the debt ceiling. They have to vote to keep raising it in front of the public's eye. The last time they raised it, it made both parties suffer and look silly.

So I'm guessing that if this ridiculous "deficit reduction ruse" is ultimately concluded with an agreement to also raise the debt ceiling, it will just mean politicians did not want to vote publicly on such a lightning-rod issue. So they cover it with something else... in this case, fanning the fears about the national debt.

And that would mean, believe it or not, our politicians are actually WORSE than we thought they could be! They would have had to put this plan and timing together BEFORE the election. Which means BOTH parties are conspiring, both parties are lying.

All we really know is that God, in His infinite wisdom and His perfect purposes, has allowed Obama to be reelected.

Let every person be in subjection to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those which exist are established by God. Rom 13:1

We also know that the Bible tells us to rest in the assurance that, thankfully, God is in full control of our lives and country. Lies will continue to be perpetrated on us. We have to keep our eyes not on this life, but on the next.

"...while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal."
                                                                   2 Cor. 4:18

"For the one who sows to his own flesh shall from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit shall from the Spirit reap eternal life." Gal 6:8

Shalom! 

Debt analysis numbers derived from U.S. Debt Clock: http://www.usdebtclock.org/

 

Bill Perkins is the founder and Executive Director of Compass International, Inc.
© Copyright 1993-2014, Compass International Inc. www.compass.org / 800-977-2177

The above article may be forwarded in its entirety (including credits) without permission

 

 

To sign up for our FREE Monthly Compass ENews with updates on future Bible conferences, Bible trips, specials on DVD Bible studies and an eye-opening look at a hot topic. Click Here

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