Tribulation

One of the comforts of the rapture mythology is that we will be removed from the earth before the really nasty events take place. If you are a Christian in the United States or most other western nations, that idea might be rational, but if you are a believer in China, Sri Lanka, India, an Islamic nation, or nearly any other country, you might see the rapture doctrine differently.

We in the United States, especially, have no idea what persecution or tribulation is like. Court cases about school prayer or the teaching of intelligent design versus evolution or lesbian teenagers attending the prom are not persecution - nor tribulation. What we have experienced in this country up till now are not unwarranted assaults on an innocent people.

The American Church is experiencing the natural outcome of its participation in the synthetic process of politics and human governance.

By surrendering the independence of separation, accepting 501c3 and other non-profit corporate charters, becoming part of the system and adapting the message to the community, the Church has forsaken the spiritual high ground. The Church is compromised.

The corporate organizational structure is satanic.

The Church, by accepting corporate form, has become double-minded and will not be able to stand against what is about to come down upon it.

I noted in 2007 that the election of 2008 would be won by an unknown, dark horse, candidate and that "faith" would be a theme of the election. Earlier this year I also predicted that the health reform bill would pass and I have also predicted that the democrats would not lose power in the mid-terms.

Now, if you have noted the noise coming out of DC, you will have heard the growing accusations of threats, fears and terrorism being levelled against the opponents to the health reform bill. Some of these events are no doubt true, most of them are lies or false flags, many are the overblown reactions of guilty souls who know they did something wrong.

Regardless of the truth or falsity of the claims, they will be used to institute an assault on the Church because Christianity, in the eyes of the secularists, is synonomous with conservative politics. If, as I expect, the democrats survive the mid-terms, the oppression of Christians will increase exponentially.

That is assuming events are not managed so as to allow this administration to delay or cancel the elections.

I cannot promise that coming out of the corporate churches and separating yourself will save you from the looming persecution and tribulation...but I can promise you that if you don't come out now there will be no escape.

Burdens

When Jesus said, "For my yoke is easy and my burden is light" He was not speaking to us on the nature of Christian labor. Jesus was making a promise to us of deliverance.

It is not God who burdens us with the weights of life; it is the world and the master of its hierarchy, the Adversary, that layer upon us unceasing demands for labor, blood and treasure.

In this world all must be bought with a price calculated to be just beyond the boundaries of your ability.

Every man, whether in the lowliest station or at the heights of power, is left wanting, just short of satisfaction. The poor man is beset by a dearth of means and presented the promise of an apparent escape, if only he will give a little more, do a small thing, give up something dear. The man of power is led along the trail of accomplishment with the seeds of pride and the bread of position.

At the end, all proclaim with Solomon "...vanity of vanities, all is vanity."

Jesus promises us nothing here for the world to admire.

There are no men of renown who belong to God - no titans of industry, no giants of the intellect, no paragons of virtue - those all belong to the world and they already have their reward.

God requires simplicity and He returns understanding. God requires trust and He provides sufficiency. God requires weakness and He infuses strength. God requires obedience and He is faith. God requires surrender and He gives us liberty.

If you are tired, broken, lonely, burdened by the world, the escape is Jesus. Give Him everything and He will give you more.

Infiltration

Those of us born in the post-war era (so-called boomers) are unacquainted with the actual practice of the many unique concepts imbedded into the nascent nation following the Revolutionary War - ideas which the Founders attempted to make actual principles of governance. Each succeeding generation drifted further off the foundation to the degree that today's nation has completely lost contact with it.

In case you may be unfamiliar with the fundamental principles underlying the philosophy of our republican system, they were stated in the Declaration of Independence:

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. — That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, — That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shewn that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security

Not a complex philosophy. One could restate this; but it could not be said more eloquently.

Sadly, in this day, to take the position of the Declaration, even to believe in the principles upon which this nation was built, principles derived from the Christian philosophy, at the least, is not to be acting with honor in the eyes of this and previous regimes, but is defined as unpatriotic, if not outright treason.

How horrified would Jefferson, Madison, Washington, be to see what we have become - not surprized as they knew how fragile the balance was and many warned, even predicted these very moments.

In But Not Of...

After a period of forced silence, I return with a refined message.

Separation.

The Lord wants us to understand what separation means; how we are to understand and live in separation.

The first understanding is to know that God has created, is creating and will create all that exists in the moment of the bereshith of His choice to make and remake the universe. Because creation is in the mind of the Lord, spoken forth through His Word, implemented by His Spirit is and always is, that which He purposed is already accomplished.

In simple linear terms, the future is set, the outcome assured, the battles won.

We cannot see with our limited physical senses on up the timeline, however, with the spiritual senses of the regenerated mind we may see that Babylon the Great has fallen...and we should rejoice to see that day.

Thus we are separated from the world for what they see as destruction we know to be regeneration, the renewal promised from the beginning, the salvation given before we are born.

We are separate in Spirit and cannot be united with the spirit of this world. Our spirit is with the Spirit and we know who is of this world and who is of His Spirit.

We must recognize this separation - those on the other side do. That is why they play with you, tease you, persecute you and kill you. The world knows who, and what, you are...it is His will that you recognize as well.

We owe no loyalty to the world and to the spirit of the fallen. This is why Paul says all things are permissible: we could legitimately take spoils of the conquered without guilt. The reason we do not is because all the riches and materials of this world are meaningless and tainted and we reject them for the eternal reward of the promise...as Paul says...not all are expedient. We desire only that which enhances.

If we are aware that we are separate and not of this world and that our citizenship is in another land (a land far away and yet among us), we are no longer concerned with the worries of this land. Our only interest here is to remain separate and to find our fellow citizens of the Kingdom.

In this is the instruction on how to interact with this world: give to them only what is theirs and only what is not opposed to the requirements of our land and leave them to themselves. Wait on orders from our King.

Separation

Materialism, legalism, worldliness.

The manners of the pulpits persistently warn us to be wary of these traps. "Don't let the world pull you in," they warn us, "Don't be judgemental (fill the plate)."

They lie.

But, don't judge. The ministers of deceit have a job to do.

Materialism is everywhere and subtle in its strategy.

Do you have debt? Gotcha. How about your credit rating...do you know your score? Gotcha. Upgrading? Remodeling?

Do you rely on God for the electric bill? or are you on a budget?

What are you going to do when the Father says to give your money to the family on the corner? Argue with Him?

You want the rewards of a life of faith?

Give it all away and watch the Lord replenish ... I dare you!

And Another Thing...

While I am on a soapbox, let me add one more item:

If there is a church out there wherein a member is going to bed hungry or living in a shelter or suffering from abuse and that congregation has not worked to the limits of their ability to resolve these needs, then that is a failed church.

If you say, we did not know, then further shame on you.

I have grown weary of the endless campaigns for political positions and sniping at the opinions of others while two pews back, one of yours is in pain.

If the churches had done their job, there would be no socialism rampant today.

That's right, Mr. Christian...I blame you!

Repent now and fall on your face before an almighty God!

Sacrifice?!

President-elect Obama says there will need to be sacrifices...what do you think that means?

I just bet there will be - don't you?

Double-Cross

Just wondering...

What if the New World Order, the Fascist/socialist government structure we all see building around us, is not the real end-game. What if it is a double-cross.

The socialist elitists get their wish and, for all practical purposes, gain world-wide control of the governments and the economics and the disaster beginning now keeps growing and growing and growing and everyone, even the elites figure out the plans have failed.

Then, with every aspect of human life seemingly at the lowest possible point, voila!, up steps a messiah who, with signs and wonders, promises to restore the world to the good old days of prosperity and apparent liberty.

Of course, to begin with, to appease the masses, the old elites are destroyed (some of them anyway), peace reigns, the markets begin to work, and then he springs the trap.

Just thinking...