Looking for His glorious appearing! Titus 2:13

Whaddya Mean, 'america is not a Christian Nation'?
May 17th, 2009
Daily NewsWND - Drew Zahn
Categories: Today's Headlines;Contemporary Issues

Congressmen challenge Obama assertion by drafting 'spiritual heritage' legislation

While Barack Obama has repeatedly claimed that the U.S. is "no longer a Christian nation," several members of Congress have taken a stand to boldly disagree.

A bipartisan group of 25 members of the House of Representatives earlier this month submitted H.R. 397, which calls on Congress to affirm "the rich spiritual and religious history of our nation's founding and subsequent history" and to designate the first week of May as America's Spiritual Heritage Week for "the appreciation of and education on America's history of religious faith."

Rep. Randy Forbes, R-Va., specifically challenged the president's claims that America is not a Christian nation in a news conference announcing the bill immediately following last week's National Day of Prayer observance.

"The overwhelming evidence suggests that this nation was born and birthed with Judeo-Christian principles," Forbes told reporters, "and I would challenge anybody to tell me that point in time when we ceased to be so, because it doesn't exist."

Read for yourself the timeless evidence of Christianity's impact on America in the freshly republished "Christianity and the American Commonwealth."

The bill itself cites over 70 historical references and quotes from past presidents, Founding Fathers and Supreme Court decisions as proof that Judeo-Christian principles have been the foundation of our nation.

H.R. 397, which has now accumulated 41 cosponsors, not only calls on Congress to affirm the nation's spiritual heritage, but also resolves that the U.S. House of Representatives "rejects, in the strongest possible terms, any effort to remove, obscure or purposely omit such history from our nation's public buildings and educational resources."

Revelation 12:7
May 17th, 2009
Exploring RevelationArt Sadlier
Categories: Commentary;Prophecy;Book Study

“And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels,”

The war in heaven began when Lucifer usurped God’s rule and authority at the beginning creation. At that time Lucifer said, “I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God; (Angels) .....I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most high.”

Lucifer beheld the Glory of God and decided he wanted that Glory for himself, he declared war on God and vowed in his heart to remove and replace God. He began by persuading about one third of the angels to join him in his rebellion against God. He continued his war on God by deceiving Eve and causing Adam to rebel against God, as a consequence, all of Adam’s seed were born with Adam’s rebellious nature, alienated by sin, from God.

This warfare has gone on ever since, Satan (= Adversary – Lucifer= Shinning One) has carried on this war to this very hour. He cannot attack God directly, so he attacks that which God plans to do and those who are His, the Christian, through whom He carries out His plans.

The mystery of iniquity is the mystery of why God allows Satan to continue his war against Him. Why God allows Satan access to heaven, and why God allows Satan to stand before Him and accuse you and I, he is called, "the accuser of the brethren". 

The good news is that, here in our verse today, the war in heaven comes to an end. This takes place in that future day at the mid-tribulation point.

Notice the combatants in this war, Michael and his angels against the dragon and his angels, clearly identified as Satan in verse 9. Notice the war takes place in heaven. We need to grasp two things at this point.

FIRST, Satan has access to heaven. No matter how much we may hate the devil, we need to fully aware of his tremendous position. He has access to heaven and he can go into the very presence of God.

SECOND, Satan has tremendous power, he can muster, perhaps billions of very powerful evil angels. He is so powerful that he can extend a battle against all of the angels of God. The suggestion is that this battle is not a mere formality, but that it taxes Michael and God`s angels to win the war. We must be aware of the fact that we are no match for Satan, that apart from God`s intervention, we will be defeated by this colossal enemy every time. In that context we can than rejoice in the truth, that greater is He that is in you than he that is in the world. We have victory over Satan, but it is found in Christ, the just shall live by faith, I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.

In Jude 9, we see further evidence of Satan`s power and the regard with which even Michael holds him. "Yet Michael the archangel, when contending with the devil he disputed about the body of Moses, durst not bring against him a railing accusation, but said the Lord rebuke thee."  We need desperately to abide in Christ at all times, apart from Christ and His provision and protection, we will be the plaything of Satan.

Praise the Lord, " we are more than conquerors through him that loved us!"  We are overcomers, the day will come when we are up in heaven with our Lord and Satan is down in hell forever.

Premillenialism Under Attack
May 17th, 2009
Weekly CommentaryArt Sadlier
Categories: Commentary;Apostasy

All around the world Christians are under attack, persecution of Christians is growing rapidly. Another form of attack is also underway. Those who teach the premillenial message, that the rapture is at hand and that the long prophesied tribulation period will follow, are under attack by some who call themselves Christians.

Recently one of the large Mainline Protestant denominations sent a letter of warning to their churches. They warned against Christian Zionism (Premillenialism).  They warned that this teaching was harmful, and stood in the way of World peace. They stated that this teaching caused division between Arabs and Jews.

Just a few weeks ago the department of Homeland Security in the U.S. gave a secret warning to police forces. This warning was intended to alert police to groups of extremists who might cause disruptions to society or commit extremist acts or be involved in insurrections. One of the groups identified was religious groups that believe in last days prophecies (Premilleniaslists).

Now we have among those who identify themselves as Evangelicals some who are calling for an attack on premillenialists. 

In an April 2009 article in Sojourner's magazine by Emerging church leader, Brian McLaren, McLaren clearly has targeted Christians. But not just any Christians. McLaren is talking about Christians who believe Jesus Christ is coming back again, suggesting that these type of Christians are the reason there is no peace in the Middle East. He says what these end-time believing Christians are doing is "terrible," "deadly," and "distorted."

Lighthouse Trails Publishers gives us the following information.  McLaren says that he grew up with a dispensational view (the belief that Jesus Christ will return and establish his kingdom on earth) but has come to realize this view is "morally and ethically harmful." He likens this belief system to racism in the 50s and 60s and says:

These doctrinal formulations often use a bogus end-of-the-world scenario to create a kind of death-wish for World War III, which--unless it is confronted more robustly by the rest of us--could too easily create a self-fulfilling prophecy.

It isn't just Bible-believing Christians who McLaren is upset with - he's also angry about Israel and the very idea that she is a special nation in the eyes of God. This is why he names Christian Zionists and Dispensationalists in particular, because they tend to who hold fast to the belief that Israel is indeed a special nation to the Lord.

Tony Campolo, in his book Speaking My Mind, says that "'rigid' Christians who believe in the possibility of Jesus' soon return" are "the real problem for the whole world." According to Campolo, they are to blame for wars, and a host of other evils in the world.

The Lighthouse article goes on to say,
Perhaps one of the more serious attacks on Christians waiting for Christ's return (serious primarily because of his huge influence) comes from Rick Warren where he states in The Purpose Driven Life that those who study Bible prophecy are not fit for the kingdom of God. Most readers may have missed this because of the way the passage is organized, but if one studies this carefully, with a Bible by their side, it is not difficult to see. Roger Oakland explains:

Warren tells readers to think about something other than Bible prophecy: "If you want Jesus to come back sooner, focus on fulfilling your mission, not figuring out prophecy."

Warren ends this section of his book by stating that Satan would have you "sidetracked from your mission" and by quoting Jesus out of context, Warren says, "Anyone who lets himself be distracted [by studying Bible prophecy] from the work I plan for him is not fit for the kingdom of God" (Living Bible). But Jesus was not referring to His return when He made that statement, which in the King James Version says: "No man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God" (Luke 9:62). The Purpose Driven kingdom of God leaves no room for Bible prophecy, and in fact, condemns those who study it. The apostle Peter, inspired by the Holy Spirit, had a different view. He writes: "We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts." (II Peter 1:19)

We are witnessing a growing hostility toward Christians and in particularly toward the proclamation of Christ’s soon return. The promoters of the harlot church that will arise after the rapture of the Bride of Christ are even now laying the groundwork of deception that will overtake the Evangelicals that are not truly saved and will be left behind after the rapture.

Parents Fight Homosexual Indoctrination of Kindergarteners
May 17th, 2009
Daily NewsOneNewsNow - Charlie Butts
Categories: Today's Headlines;Moral Decline

A California school district seems intent on teaching pre-school children to accept the homosexual lifestyle.

The Alameda Unified School District announced it was considering a supplemental curriculum to eradicate "homophobia" in kindergarten children. Brad Dacus, founder of the Pacific Justice Institute (PJI), said the meeting room for the public session earlier this week was overcrowded with angry parents.
 
"Nowhere at anytime did it give any protection for children being bullied because of their faith, their religion, their size, their race, ethnicity," he points out. "It is only going to give this special anti-bullying protection for homosexuals and transsexuals."
 
Dacus said an attorney from PJI spoke before the board meeting. "And [the attorney] made it very clear that this is an abridgement and an affront to the neutral role that school districts are supposed to play in respecting the rights of parents and not to engage in such overt and open indoctrination and mandatory acceptance of such controversial, immoral lifestyles," he concludes.
 
Parents cannot opt out their children from the curriculum. Dacus says it is important to remember that the children are kindergarten age, and many cannot even write their names -- yet they are being taught that homosexuality is an acceptable lifestyle.

Best Seller or Bread of Life?
May 17th, 2009
Thought for the WeekA. W. Tozer
Categories: Meditation;Exhortation

Of the millions of Bibles bought during the last few years there is no certain way to discover how many are being read. But there is a pretty sure way to discover how many readers obey them. Total committal of a few hundred thousand persons to the message of the Bible anywhere in the world would work a moral revolution that would affect for good every facet of modern life. Since no such revolution has occurred we can only conclude that the Best Seller is not being read, or at least not being obeyed.

In a time of disaster such as earthquake or flood first-aid information and the instructions of the medical authorities are often matters of life or death. What would we think of a man if we found him at such a time comfortably reclined reading this material for its literary beauty? He might feel an aesthetic thrill at the terse, concise language and still die of typhoid, for his life depends not upon his admiration of the words of the official directives but upon his obedience to them.

As preposterous as such conduct would be, yet something like it is practiced constantly in a sphere where the consequences are far more weighty. Men who have but a little while to prepare themselves for the eternal world read the only book that can tell them how--not to learn how, but to enjoy the literary beauty of the book. Only the blindness of heart occasioned by sin would permit men so to do.

Around the Globe, Religious Freedom Under Assault
May 17th, 2009
Daily NewsTucson Citizen.com - CHARLES C. HAYNES
Categories: Today's Headlines;Persecution

At a time when religious persecution is at the heart of the world's most violent conflicts, religious freedom matters.

Thats why the 2009 report from the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom should be required reading for policymakers in Washington, D.C., and elsewhere.

The report, released May 1, documents in chilling detail the global assault on freedom of religion and belief, making a powerful case for the need to take religious freedom more seriously in U.S. foreign policy.

The report doesn't come from the left or the right. It comes from a federal commission that is independent and bipartisan under the leadership of 10 commissioners who did their homework.

This year, the commission names 13 "countries of particular concern" - Burma, North Korea, China, Vietnam, Eritrea, Nigeria, Sudan, Iran, Iraq, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan - that engage in or tolerate "systematic, ongoing, and egregious" violations of religious freedom.

Another 11 countries are on the commission's watch list: Afghanistan, Belarus, Cuba, Egypt, Indonesia, Laos, Russia, Somalia, Tajikistan, Turkey and Venezuela.

The worst of the worst include China, where unregistered Protestants are frequently arrested, Falun Gong practitioners are imprisoned and tortured, Catholics are detained and harassed, and Muslims and Tibetan Buddhists are repressed in growing numbers.

Conditions are less severe, but still serious, in "watch list" countries. Venezuela, for example, is now a hotbed of anti-Semitism fomented by the anti-Jewish rhetoric and actions of the government under President Hugo Chavez. As a consequence, many Jews have fled the country.

Religious freedom is practically nonexistent in Saudi Arabia, an ally of the United States with a long history of promising, but failing, to do better.

Members of minority Muslim groups - including Shiites, who make up 10 percent to 15 percent of the population - are frequently detained and harassed.

Christians, Hindus, Buddhists and others among the nearly three million expatriate workers must conform to Saudi religious customs.

Although non-Muslim workers are supposed to be permitted to worship in private, their services are often subject to surveillance and raids by Saudi authorities.

Just about every religious group, it seems, suffers persecution somewhere in the world today. Christians are targeted in Iraq, Baha'is are arrested in Iran, Jehovah's Witnesses are banned in Tajikistan, Muslims suffer discrimination in Russia, and the list goes on.

Beyond delivering bad news, the commission also makes extensive policy recommendations to the Obama administration and Congress, including asking the secretary of state to designate "countries of particular concern."

Under the International Religious Freedom Act, the president is required to take action opposing violations of religious freedom in countries so designated.