QUESTION : " WHAT IS THE FILIOQUE / FILIOQUE CONTROVERSY ? "

Answer: The filioque clause was, and still is, a controversy in the church in relation to the Holy Spirit. The question is, “from whom did the Holy Spirit proceed, the Father, or the Father and the Son?” The word filioque means “and son” in Latin. It is referred to as the “filioque clause” because the phrase “and son” was added to the Nicene Creed, indicating that the Holy Spirit proceeded from the Father “and Son.” There was so much contention over this issue that it eventually led to the split between the Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox churches in A. D. 1054. The two churches are still not in agreement on the filioque clause.

John 14:26 tells us, “But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name...” John 15:26 tells us, “When the Counselor comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who goes out from the Father, He will testify about me.” See also John 14:16 and Philippians 1:19. These Scriptures seem to indicate that the Spirit is sent out by both the Father and the Son. The essential matter in the filioque clause is a desire to protect the deity of the Holy Spirit. The Bible clearly teaches that the Holy Spirit is God (Acts 5:3-4). Those who oppose the filioque clause object because they believe the Holy Spirit proceeding from the Father and the Son makes the Holy Spirit “subservient” to the Father and Son. Those who uphold the filioque clause believe that the Holy Spirit proceeding from both the Father and the Son does not impact the Spirit being equally God with the Father and the Son.

The filioque clause controversy likely involves an aspect of God's person that we will never be able to fully grasp. God, who is an infinite being, is ultimately incomprehensible to our finite human minds. The Holy Spirit is God, and He was sent by God as Jesus Christ's “replacement” here on earth. The question of whether the Holy Spirit was sent by the Father, or by the Father and the Son, likely cannot be decisively answered, nor does it absolutely need to be. The filioque clause will perhaps have to remain a controversy.

Recommended Resource: The Holy Spirit by Charles Ryrie.

QUESTION : " IS CESSATIONISM BIBLICAL ? "

Answer: Cessationism is the view that the “miracle gifts” of tongues and healing have ceased—that the end of the apostolic age brought about a cessation of the miracles associated with that age. Most cessationists believe that, while God can and still does perform miracles today, the Holy Spirit no longer uses individuals to perform miraculous signs. 

The biblical record shows that miracles occurred during particular periods for the specific purpose of authenticating a new message from God. Moses was enabled to perform miracles to authenticate his ministry before Pharaoh (Exodus 4:1-8). Elijah was given miracles to authenticate his ministry before Ahab (1 Kings 17:1; 18:24). The apostles were given miracles to authenticate their ministry before Israel (Acts 4:10, 16).

Jesus’ ministry was also marked by miracles, which the Apostle John calls “signs” (John 2:11). John’s point is that the miracles were proofs of the authenticity of Jesus’ message.

After Jesus’ resurrection, as the Church was being established and the New Testament was being written, the apostles demonstrated “signs” such as tongues and the power to heal. “Tongues are for a sign, not to them that believe, but to them that believe not” (1 Corinthians 14:22, a verse that plainly says the gift was never intended to edify the church).

The Apostle Paul predicted that the gift of tongues would cease (1 Corinthians 13:8). Here are six proofs that it has already ceased:

1) The apostles, through whom tongues came, were unique in the history of the church. Once their ministry was accomplished, the need for authenticating signs ceased to exist.

2) The miracle (or sign) gifts are only mentioned in the earliest epistles, such as 1 Corinthians. Later books, such as Ephesians and Romans, contain detailed passages on the gifts of the Spirit, but the miracle gifts are not mentioned, although Romans does mention the gift of prophecy. The Greek word translated “prophecy” means “speaking forth” and does not necessarily include prediction of the future.

3) The gift of tongues was a sign to unbelieving Israel that God’s salvation was now available to other nations. See 1 Corinthians 14:21-22 and Isaiah 28:11-12.

4) Tongues was an inferior gift to prophecy (preaching). Preaching the Word of God edifies believers, whereas tongues does not. Believers are told to seek prophesying over speaking in tongues (1 Corinthians 14:1-3).

5) History indicates that tongues did cease. Tongues are not mentioned at all by the Post-Apostolic Fathers. Other writers such as Justin Martyr, Origen, Chrysostom, and Augustine considered tongues something that happened only in the earliest days of the Church.

6) Current observation confirms that the miracle of tongues has ceased. If the gift were still available today, there would be no need for missionaries to attend language school. Missionaries would be able to travel to any country and speak any language fluently, just as the apostles were able to speak in Acts 2. As for the miracle gift of healing, we see in Scripture that healing was associated with the ministry of Jesus and the apostles (Luke 9:1-2). And we see that as the era of the apostles drew to a close, healing, like tongues, became less frequent. The Apostle Paul, who raised Eutychus from the dead (Acts 20:9-12), did not heal Epaphroditus (Philippians 2:25-27), Trophimus (2 Timothy 4:20), Timothy (1 Timothy 5:23), or even himself (2 Corinthians 12:7-9). The reasons for Paul’s “failures to heal” are 1) the gift was never intended to make every Christian well, but to authenticate apostleship; and 2) the authority of the apostles had been sufficiently proved, making further miracles unnecessary.

The reasons stated above are evidence for cessationism. According to 1 Corinthians 13:13-14:1, we would do well to “pursue love,” the greatest gift of all. If we are to desire gifts, we should desire to speak forth the Word of God, that all may be edified.

Recommended Resource: Are Miraculous Gifts for Today - Four Views edited by Wayne Grudem.

QUESTION : " WHAT IS PRAYING IN THE SPIRIT ? "

Answer: Praying in the Spirit is mentioned three times in Scripture. First Corinthians 14:15says, “So what shall I do? I will pray with my spirit, but I will also pray with my mind; I will sing with my spirit, but I will also sing with my mind.” Ephesians 6:18 says, “And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.” Jude 20 says, “But you, dear friends, build yourselves up in your most holy faith and pray in the Holy Spirit.” So, what exactly does it mean to pray in the Spirit?

The Greek word translated “pray in” can have several different meanings. It can mean “by means of,” “with the help of,” “in the sphere of,” and “in connection to.” Praying in the Spirit does not refer to the words we are saying. Rather, it refers to how we are praying. Praying in the Spirit is praying according to the Spirit’s leading. It is praying for things the Spirit leads us to pray for. Romans 8:26 tells us, “In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express.”

Some, based on 1 Corinthians 14:15, equate praying in the Spirit with praying in tongues. Discussing the gift of tongues, Paul mentions “pray with my spirit.” First Corinthians 14:14states that when a person prays in tongues, he does not know what he is saying, since it is spoken in a language he does not know. Further, no one else can understand what is being said, unless there is an interpreter (1 Corinthians 14:27-28). In Ephesians 6:18, Paul instructs us to “pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests.” How are we to pray with all kinds of prayers and requests and pray for the saints, if no one, including the person praying, understands what is being said? Therefore, praying in the Spirit should be understood as praying in the power of the Spirit, by the leading of the Spirit, and according to His will, not as praying in tongues.

Recommended Resource: Prayer, The Great Adventure by David Jeremiah.

QUESTION : " WHAT IS THE GIFT OF SPEAKING IN TONGUES ? "

Answer: The first occurrence of speaking in tongues occurred on the day of Pentecost inActs 2:1-4. The apostles went out and shared the gospel with the crowds, speaking to them in their own languages: “We hear them declaring the wonders of God in our own tongues!” (Acts 2:11). The Greek word translated tongues literally means “languages.” Therefore, the gift of tongues is speaking in a language a person does not know in order to minister to someone who does speak that language. In 1 Corinthians chapters 12–14, Paul discusses miraculous gifts, saying, “Now, brothers, if I come to you and speak in tongues, what good will I be to you, unless I bring you some revelation or knowledge or prophecy or word of instruction?” (1 Corinthians 14:6). According to the apostle Paul, and in agreement with the tongues described in Acts, speaking in tongues is valuable to the one hearing God’s message in his or her own language, but it is useless to everyone else unless it is interpreted/translated.

A person with the gift of interpreting tongues (1 Corinthians 12:30) could understand what a tongues-speaker was saying even though he did not know the language that was being spoken. The tongues interpreter would then communicate the message of the tongues speaker to everyone else, so all could understand. “For this reason anyone who speaks in a tongue should pray that he may interpret what he says” (1 Corinthians 14:13). Paul’s conclusion regarding tongues that were not interpreted is powerful: “But in the church I would rather speak five intelligible words to instruct others than ten thousand words in a tongue” (1 Corinthians 14:19).

Is the gift of tongues for today? First Corinthians 13:8 mentions the gift of tongues ceasing, although it connects the ceasing with the arrival of the “perfect” in 1 Corinthians 13:10. Some point to a difference in the tense of the Greek verbs referring to prophecy and knowledge “ceasing” and that of tongues “being ceased” as evidence for tongues ceasing before the arrival of the “perfect.” While possible, this is not explicitly clear from the text. Some also point to passages such as Isaiah 28:11 and Joel 2:28-29 as evidence that speaking in tongues was a sign of God's oncoming judgment. First Corinthians 14:22describes tongues as a “sign to unbelievers.” According to this argument, the gift of tongues was a warning to the Jews that God was going to judge Israel for rejecting Jesus Christ as Messiah. Therefore, when God did in fact judge Israel (with the destruction of Jerusalem by the Romans in A.D. 70), the gift of tongues would no longer serve its intended purpose. While this view is possible, the primary purpose of tongues being fulfilled does not necessarily demand its cessation. Scripture does not conclusively assert that the gift of speaking in tongues has ceased.

At the same time, if the gift of speaking in tongues were active in the church today, it would be performed in agreement with Scripture. It would be a real and intelligible language (1 Corinthians 14:10). It would be for the purpose of communicating God's Word with a person of another language (Acts 2:6-12). It would be in agreement with the command God gave through the apostle Paul, “If anyone speaks in a tongue, two—or at the most three—should speak, one at a time, and someone must interpret. If there is no interpreter, the speaker should keep quiet in the church and speak to himself and God” (1 Corinthians 14:27-28). It would also be in accordance with 1 Corinthians 14:33, “For God is not the author of confusion, but of peace, as in all churches of the saints.”

God most definitely can give a person the gift of speaking in tongues to enable him or her to communicate with a person who speaks another language. The Holy Spirit is sovereign in the dispersion of the spiritual gifts (1 Corinthians 12:11). Just imagine how much more productive missionaries could be if they did not have to go to language school, and were instantly able to speak to people in their own language. However, God does not seem to be doing this. Tongues does not seem to occur today in the manner it did in the New Testament, despite the fact that it would be immensely useful. The vast majority of believers who claim to practice the gift of speaking in tongues do not do so in agreement with the Scriptures mentioned above. These facts lead to the conclusion that the gift of tongues has ceased or is at least a rarity in God's plan for the church today.

Recommended Resource: New Testament Teaching on Tongues by Merrill Unger.

QUESTION : " WHAT IS THE SEAL OF THE HOLY SPIRIT ? "

Answer: The Holy Spirit is referred to as the “deposit,” “seal,” and “earnest” in the hearts of Christians (2 Corinthians 1:22; 5:5; Ephesians 1:13-14; 4:30). The Holy Spirit is God’s seal on His people, His claim on us as His very own. The Greek word translated “earnest” in these passages is arrhabōn which means “a pledge,” that is, part of the purchase money or property given in advance as security for the rest. The gift of the Spirit to believers is a down payment on our heavenly inheritance, which Christ has promised us and secured for us at the cross. It is because the Spirit has sealed us that we are assured of our salvation. No one can break the seal of God.

The Holy Spirit is given to believers as a “first installment” to assure us that our full inheritance as children of God will be delivered. The Holy Spirit is given to us to confirm to us that we belong to God who grants to us His Spirit as a gift, just as grace and faith are gifts (Ephesians 2:8-9). Through the gift of the Spirit, God renews and sanctifies us. He produces in our hearts those feelings, hopes, and desires which are evidence that we are accepted by God, that we are regarded as His adopted children, that our hope is genuine, and that our redemption and salvation are sure in the same way that a seal guarantees a will or an agreement. God grants to us His Holy Spirit as the certain pledge that we are His forever and shall be saved in the last day. The proof of the Spirit’s presence is His operations on the heart which produce repentance, the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23), conformity to God’s commands and will, a passion for prayer and praise, and love for His people. These things are the evidences that the Holy Spirit has renewed the heart and that the Christian is sealed for the day of redemption.

So it is through the Holy Spirit and His teachings and guiding power that we are sealed and confirmed until the day of redemption, complete and free from the corruption of sin and the grave. Because we have the seal of the Spirit in our hearts, we can live joyfully, confident of our sure place in a future that holds unimaginable glories.

Recommended Resource: The Holy Spirit by Charles Ryrie.

TO BE FOREWARNED IS TO BE FOREARMED !

Before we move on into examining the teachings of Bentley and the meetings in dept we need to pause and consider the Word of God's teaching on these supernatural matters.

The basis of some people’s Christianity is if a miracle takes place, it is sufficient evidence for them to believe it is from God. They never check it out or test it; something that God commands us to do. The Bible teaches us that Satan uses this method to deceive the naïve, the immature, and the ignorant to remove them from walking in the truth of the word. Someone who argues that miracles are from God 100 percent of the time is already open to deception. This becomes a major flaw from those who are willing to accept all miracles that happens is from God. To avoid testing is to neglect many of the Bibles commands for our safety. Jesus warns us about a movement in the last days that will be done by many coming in his name (Mt.24:5-6) and include miraculous signs taking place. Matthew 24:23-25: “Then if anyone says to you, 'Look, here is the Christ!' or 'There!' do not believe it. For false christ's and false prophets will rise and show great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect.” If a Christian neglects this they will be deceived.

The Scripture gives us insight into the power the enemy can have. The first beasts deadly wound is healed. It says of the second beast “He performs great signs, so that he even makes fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men.” (Revelation 13:12-14). Great signs-Counterfeiting the glory of God would be very convincing. FIRE- consider what you hear today at the miracle meetings.

Not all things supernatural experiences are from God. Just because one receives a dream or vision does not mean it is from God. Satan can give dreams and visions, he even did to Jesus to tempt him to receive his inheritance by a short cut. “Then the devil, taking Him up on a high mountain, showed Him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time” (Luke 4:5). The misconception is that if it is from Satan, its always going to look evil, when it is more often the opposite. “For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ. And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light. Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works” (2 Corinthians 11:14-15). Satan can look like the real deal and the only way to protect oneself from his deception is to discern, by testing him with the word of God..

2 Thessalonians 2:9-10: “The coming of the lawless one is according to the working of Satan, with all power, signs, and lying wonders”  The power and energy exhibited by Jesus in his miracles will be counterfeited by the Devil, in the meantime before he shows up his servants that look like men of righteousness are at work among us.

“Why would the Devil heal people when the Bible says the Devil comes to kill, steal and destroy.” Contrary to what we hear that the Devil afflicts and only God heals is not the total truth. The argument used is that “the Devil can’t heal; He comes only to kill, steal and destroy.” However, miracles take place in cults, by Occult means and in other religions (also by shamans, witchdoctors, gurus and spiritualists, etc.) it happens all the time. Those who deny Christ and the essential teachings of the Christian faith perform them. Can anyone believe that the true God healed someone in a cult or religion that teaches blatant false doctrine?
We are warned in Deuteronomy 13 v 1-5  “If a prophet, or one who foretells by dreams, appears among you and announces to you a miraculous sign or wonder, and if the sign or wonder of which he has spoken takes place,” Consider what God is saying. It can take place, they are accurate, you do see a display of power- God says it is not from him. Moses goes on to say and he says, “Let us follow other gods” (gods you have not known) “and let us worship them,” you must not listen to the words of that prophet or dreamer. The LORD your God is testing you to find out whether you love him with all your heart and with all your soul. It is the LORD your God you must follow, and him you must revere. Keep his commands and obey him; serve him and hold fast to him.”
He is leading you to a completely new perspective of God by giving you new revelations, from angels or telling you that you can visit heaven when you want. By listening to this revelation, or dream or vision you are showing that you reject God, you have no respect for his word and have strayed from Him.
What is real does not always mean it is true or authentic. People judge the authenticity because of what they perceive are healings and miracles; exactly what the Devil likes to see happen. Because if they judged by doctrine – the word of God and not just what they see they would come to a very different conclusion.
This is why I’m not not going to be influenced in my judgment by how many people testify they are healed or how many miracles they have seen take place because we do not validate what is from God by this alone. A subjective experience or knowledge that confirms what is true is not how a Christian is to test a supernatural experience or story. There are Scripture and principles that God uses to prove what is of him and what is from another source. We should carefully examine what we see or hear to see if it is really of God. Those who have seen both the real and the counterfeit explain that the ONLY way to tell is by careful scrutiny from the Word. If someone claims Christ and does miracles, we need to know what the person really believes on the core teachings of Scripture. The person the healing came by should hold and practice the core doctrines of the faith. If they fail this test, no matter how remarkable the healing or miracle you are to separate yourself from them. We need to confirm that the person is orthodox and that it is actually God who has used the human vessel. If one does not test the spirits the way the Bible tells us to- they will be deceived, just as Todd and others surrounding him are. The bottom line, your body can be healed. A Christian can be deceived by a false teacher and a false representation of God can be portrayed to us as authentic through a deceived believer. And you can lose your soul if you follow a false teacher. Therefore there must be another explanation for what we may see.
We need to look at the supernatural from a biblical perspective. It is inconsistent with God’s character to permit His supernatural power to accompany false teachers/teachings that deny what He has so clearly said in His word. Satan can perform lying signs and wonders that exhibit power just as the apostles did. If Satan cannot do these miracles then how can we explain the incredible success the Anti-Christ will have? Lying signs and wonders only endorse the person as a messenger from God when they are not questioned, when one is willing to overlook any false teaching.
Someone can convince them-self that by feeling no more pain or having a temporary energy boost, they are being healed  by God. However, healing may come from another supernatural source, the Devil. That’s right, Satan who afflicts us can temporarily can alleviate that same sickness or pain to increase deception and demonic influences within the person’s life.  It can look like a healing because he afflicted a person and then relieves them of it. That is why it is called a lying sign.
Who is to say the Devil does not give up a pawn in order to gain the queen in his deceptive game of chess. This way his kingdom is not divided but is advanced. Satan certainly has the power to put his hand on individuals to make them ill; he also has the power to take his hand from that individual, thus manufacturing a bogus “cure.” It can be convincing enough for those who unaware of his deception and power. And those who do not test it are under his cruelty.
A lying sign often brings glory and prominence to an individual or ministry, not Christ, even though He may be mentioned. They may say “in Jesus” name which leads them into further false teaching. When you are under deception, you are able to justify any action as long as Jesus’ name is attached to it. If we look at the apostles, they did not preach the Word for the signs and wonders to take place; the Word was preached and signs would follow––when the Lord was willing. We are to preach and teach first and let the miracles be up to God. Advertising the miracles to attract people already gives us insight to whether this is of God or not. A lying sign or wonder is a miracle claimed to be from God. A miracle in itself cannot reveal the source of its power. It must be tested, by knowing what the person whom the miracle came through believes. If someone’s doctrine of Christ is wrong, if there practice is wrong, God will not express His supernatural power by or though that individual. Then the source of the miracle is not from God. That is- God does not use false teachers or false teaching to pour out his power through. We can tell by how they mishandle scripture, it is what they want it to mean not what it actually means from the author. A tell tale sign is the abundance of new revelation and the misuse of words to make it sound like it is from the Bible.

C.D. Cole stated it well by saying, “People who are looking for miracles as a sign or proof of God’s presence and favor are putting themselves in a good position to be deceived. What is supernatural is not necessarily divine.” Certainly to hold the position that all healings are from God can be disastrous; there are counterfeits, and if they can take place outside the Church, there is no justification for saying they can’t take place inside as well, especially when Scripture tells us that they will. Paul writes of this in several places-2 Thess. 2 :8-10; 1 Tim.4:1; 2 Tim. 3:13.

If people gather to see signs and wonders, they are already removed from the prescribed order for a church gathering. God is interested in communicating truth not just His power. God’s Word is truth that has the power to change lives. God said He would lead us into truth through His Word, not through miraculous signs. God still does miracles but He will NOT honor falsehood by the power of His presence. Any sign or wonder must be questioned, and tested by the word rather than relying on the experience itself to validate it.
Many of those who are caught up in the miracle services say, “it is not for you to judge, God will stop or expose those whom are teaching incorrectly.” If one really puts all the correction on God then the next time you are in a conversation with someone who speaks wrong, say nothing and let God take care of it. Don’t correct your children, don’t correct yourself. don't evangelize, don't teach because God is capable of doing all of this without you, does this sound biblical or right to you?
The fact is, God tells us to confront those who have offended and hurt us. And false teaching leads people astray from the faith and it is far more serious than being offended or bruised by someone. We are told to EXPOSE the unfruitful works of darkness. I cannot think of a more applicable Scripture than this to what is taking place today "And do not participate in the unfruitful deeds of darkness, but instead expose them" (Ephesians 5:11). You can’t know what not to participate in unless you judge by God's word, and after you find out its wrong you are obligated to let others know.
The one thing that God does not say is to do nothing and leave it ALL up to him.  He tells us to do what is right. One must be mature to do what is right.
1 Cor 5:12-13: For what have I to do with judging those also who are outside? Do you not judge those who are inside? But those who are outside God judges.”
John the Baptist and the Lord Jesus Christ confronted the religious leaders, calling them a 'generation of vipers' and told them to repent. Were they wrong to pass judgment on them? It is not wrong to challenge false teachings by the Bible, it is something God says for all of us to do? Are we wrong for saying they are wrong or are they wrong for saying WHAT'S WRONG?
Was John wrong to write in 1 John 4:1 “Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world.”
The Bible even says in 1 Cor. 14:29 “Let two or three prophets speak, and let the others judge"-2 Timothy 4:2-3 “Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears”
“That you may charge some that they teach no other doctrine” (1 Timothy 1:3). In other words if they have stories of Jesus, of heaven that are not of the Bible, it is another doctrine other than what the apostles delivered.For those who have already subscribed their loyalty to his ministry, I have this to say. From the videos I have seen there is hardly any preaching of God’s word, but instead his EXPERIENCES. When the word is read it is applied to his EXPERIENCES. Bentley feels most comfortable when he is talking about his EXPERIENCES. In fact he is teaching others to have supernatural EXPERIENCES. There is no question—it is more about his EXPERIENCES than glorifying God.Satan is not just a counterfeiter––he is an inventor, especially when it comes to religious-spiritual practices. He uses clever deceptive means to get us from one level of deception to the next. Satan has a counterfeit program involving signs and wonders that he has used throughout history. Contrary to popular belief that we need signs and wonders in order to convince people, it changed very few hearts in Moses’ time and Jesus’ day and it is no different today. People are motivated by selfishness to seek a sign and wonder and have a supernatural experience like mystic adepts. Signs for the most part were for unbelievers to attest what to believe, not for believers. The signs were to move the people to pay attention to what Jesus spoke not what He did. Jesus scolded them saying “Except you see signs and wonders you will not believe” John 4:48). He made it clear that  it is an evil generation that seeks a sign! Nothing has changed in the word of God nor in the heart of man.
God can overwhelm someone with His presence if he wants to. However, when  one presumes to represent the Spirit’s work and it is contrary to the word of God and is the opposite of what the fruit of the spirit produces we can know it is not of God. A true supernatural experience will compliment the word NOT contradict it.
Once again miracle and healing crusades are filled to the brim, but  genuine teaching and evangelistic ministries continue to be poorly attended.Many have come using the name Jesus in their false teachings and counterfeit miracles and you can be assured many more will. We can’t judge the motives of the people involved, they may have good intentions. Nonetheless, we need to make a decision from the Bible,  not from our personal feelings or loyalties. To judge teaching and supernatural occurrences is to act in love. To stand by and ignore this while falsehood continues to spread and misleads and destroys many lives is negligence. It is the absence of true discipleship and compassion. True love is not silent when people are being misled or deceived.
Nowhere are we told to have grace for false teachers and allow them to continue with no challenge or exposure.  Let them repent and we gladly accept them back. But if they do not let ,everyone know of their heresy. That is the Bible’s command
Paul wrote in Phil. 3:15-17 :“Therefore let us, as many as are mature, have this mind; and if in anything you think otherwise, God will reveal even this to you. Nevertheless, to the degree that we have already attained, let us walk by the same rule let us be of the same mind. Brethren, join in following my example, and note those who so walk, as you have us for a pattern.”
Paul used himself and the other apostles as our primary examples. Paul could not deal individually with the many false teachers springing up like weeds in the different areas.  Paul said to follow his example as he followed Christ.  Christ openly showed what is false, so did Paul, and so did the other apostles. Much of the New Testament was written to publicly correct false teaching within the Church itself. Every second epistle written by an apostle is for correction or judging false doctrine. It is up to us all to watch over the household of God and help the brethren, by doing this we show our love  for them.

ARE THERE TWO SUDDEN DESTRUCTIONS COMING ?

- By Gene Lawley - http://www.raptureready.com/soap/lawley12.html

When Jesus prophesied coming events "as it was in the days of Noah", and, likewise, "as it was in the days of Lot" in Luke 17:26-30, He reminded the readers of His words that "immediately after Noah entered the ark, and immediately after Lot was out of the city", great judgment came upon the remaining people.

In like fashion, the Apostle Paul writes in I Thessalonians 5:3, "For when they shall say "Peace and safety", then shall sudden destruction come upon them...and they shall not escape."

The former passage goes on to describe how "one will be taken and the other left" where people are found, working or sleeping. This appears to coincide with the description of the Rapture that Paul earlier described in Chapter 4:16-17 of his first letter to the Thessalonians. The meaning of "taken" is clarified in I Corinthians 15:52-54, where in the "twinkling of an eye" those belonging to the Lord are changed from mortal to immortal, and corruptible to incorruptible individuals. John writes of this event, in the words of Jesus, in this manner: "In My Father's house are many mansions; if it were not so I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you, and if I go to prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself, that where I am, there you may be also" (John 14:2-3).

It does appear that the breadth of Scripture is on the side of a deliverance of believers from the path of the destructive judgments of God upon the unrepentant on earth, even from the first of the series of judgments that appear on the scene suddenly, then increasingly more pronounced as time passes, just as Paul described it in the second passage above, as of a woman in the travail of childbirth. Revelation 3:10, then, is established in its certainty as to its applicants, and to its time-frame: "Because you have kept My command to persevere, I also will keep you from the hour of trial which shall come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell on the earth."

As we look into the kaleidoscope of intertwining end-time events, we can see clearly the certainty of the rapture-the sudden disappear-ance of millions of people of true faith-and we can see in Scripture that some kind of a "confirmation of a covenant" is to take place. This latter event is identified in Daniel 9:27 as having to do with Israel and its temple, a structure that is not now present in Israel. Some kind of peace agreement would have to be developed between Israel and its Islamic neighbors in order for that temple to be allowed on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem.

Is the current process of "on-again, off-again" peace talks to ultimately result in that covenant Daniel wrote about? The so-called "Quartet" of non-Jewish and non-Muslim nations have given them one year extensions, from September, 2009, and repeatedly to September, 2012, to bring a peace agreement together. Just shortly after September, 2011, there was a public declaration that peace discussions were stalled because of Israel's unwillingness to turn over any more of its territory. Then, September, 2012, came with repeated resistance by Israel and threats of statehood declarations by the Palestinians at the United Nations.

Those Western and European nations are impatient with the squabbling between Jew and Muslim, and want to move on to their greater goal of one world government. It does appear that this peace agreement is the one pointed to by Daniel. The content is right, and the timing is right, on balance with all other end-time events on stage and on the horizon.

Peace, apparently, is not easy to come by, for both sides are quite fixed in their demands, and are unwilling to concede. Will another anticipated end-time event then have to come on the scene to convince the factions that a covenant must be executed? The Luke 17 passage identifies conditions of livelihood among people to be normal, reasonably peaceful, and stable, economically, when sudden disaster comes upon them. However, the Islamic nations surrounding Israel are bristling with the urge to make war with Israel. Nothing seems to appease their agitation, for they say, today, they want to wipe Israel off the map...just as they have said in Psalm 83 centuries ago.

Will it take, then, the judgment of God in the results of the Gog-Magog invasion from the North, to break the resistance of the Muslim faction to come to an agreement for peace? Looking at all of these events together, it could fall into this kind of lineup:

1. An encounter of Israel with its nearest neighbors, as described in Psalm 83, and Israel has, surprisingly, more defense strength than her enemies expected, and prevails.

2. The peace agreement comes together, and the Rapture occurs.

3. The sudden loss of millions of the population in America reduces it to a non-threatening entity in support of Israel, and the Gog-Magog invasion takes place while Israel's attention is on rebuilding the temple and feeling "secure" in the new peace agreement. Yet, God again fights for them and Israel prevails over its aggressors.

4. The destruction of much of the Islamic world, or the impact of its loss in the encounter to "wipe Israel off the earth" will reduce or subdue the Muslim resistance to the control of a Judeo-Christian-sourced Anti-Christ, who will take charge.

5. After three and one-half years, this one who has come, "conquering and to conquer" will have become indwelt with the raging dragon (Revelation 12), and will take over the seven-headed beast. He will become its eighth head of solitary control (Revelation 17:11), move into the Temple and declare himself God, demanding worship of all people (II Thessalonians 2:3-4).

6. Judgments of God continue in increasing intensity, as of a woman in the travail of childbirth, until Jesus comes in person to end the charade of Satan, and effect the delivery, the birth of the millennium.

This article began with a question, "Are there two times of sudden destruction in the end-time?". And given that the descriptions of events preceding the sudden destructions are, in fact, ahead of the tribulation period, it is a good likelihood that both "destructions" are the same event. In any case, it will not bode well for anyone left behind.

A like consideration could be given to the two mentions of peace in the end-time scenario, if one accepts the view that Daniel 9:27's statement of the "confirming of a covenant with many" is a peace agreement for the benefit of Israel. It could hardly be anything else, given the details of its context. Which leads to the exclamation of "Peace and safety" that Paul writes of in I Thessalonians 5:3. Are these the same event? Daniel's account introduces the seven-year period when the temple will be rebuilt and when the man of sin shuts down sacrifices, desecrates the temple and declares himself God. II Thessalonians 2:7-8 indicates godly resistance will be removed (the Rapture) and the lawless one will be revealed.

The coming of the Son of Man to remove His own from the path of judgment (as indicated in Luke 17:26-30), the "sudden destruction" that is announced in both accounts, is a fallout of the Rapture, the signal event for the end of the age of the Church. In Luke's account, the ongoing activities of people indicate that the utter chaos and devastation of a collapsed economy occurs after, not before, the believers are taken out to be with the Lord. Thus, His coming will be sudden and unannounced...and unexpected by the world. Then, is the expected economic collapse, now so much in the news, coming before or after the Rapture?

As Paul writes in Titus 2:13, we are "looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ...".

IS EGYPT'S PRESIDENT FULFILLING BIBLICAL PROPHECY

Joel Richardson - http://www.wnd.com/2012/11/is-egypts-president-fulfilling-biblical-prophecy/

Joel Richardson points to 2 Old Testament Scriptures

On Feb. 11, 2011, addressing the success of Egypt's revolution, which he himself enthusiastically supported, President Barack Obama stood in the Grand Foyer of the White House and triumphantly declared, "The people of Egypt have spoken, their voices have been heard, and Egypt will never be the same."

But the fruit of this change quickly became bitter to the Egyptian people. It is now becoming clear that the Egyptian people have traded a more secular autocrat for an Islamist dictator.

As Americans everywhere stopped to celebrate Thanksgiving Day, Egyptian President Morsi appeared on Egyptian television and shocked the nation, issuing a presidential decree effectively banning all challenges to his decrees, laws and decisions. The decree stated:

"The president can issue any decision or measure to protect the revolution. ... The constitutional declarations, decisions and laws issued by the president are final and not subject to appeal."

The decree also stated that the courts have no authority to dissolve the country's Constituent Assembly, which is now rewriting the constitution.

Disparate groups within and outside of Egypt have expressed their alarm.

Within Egypt's Constituent Assembly, various secularist opponents to Morsi have quit, including Coptic Christians and representatives of the April 6 Youth Movement, the very group that initiated the revolution in Egypt.

Mohamed El Baradei, another opponent of Morsi, accused the president of establishing himself as "a new pharaoh."

In a typically toothless statement released Friday, the European Union "urged" Morsi to "respect the democratic process."

In Tahrir Square thousands have gathered to protest what they are referring to as a "coup" carried out by Morsi. Thousands of others are counter-protesting. Violent clashes have broken out in a few cities.

Of course, seizing an ever-increasing level of power under the guise of democracy would be the most natural path for Morsi, with Turkey's Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan to the north having already demonstrated how it's done. In fact, Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood in many ways has modeled itself after Turkey's Islamist political party.

Playing off the title of Turkey's ruling Islamist political party, "The Justice and Development Party," the Muslim Brotherhood ironically named its political party "The Freedom and Justice Party."

Over the past 10 years, Turkey's Erdogan has systematically dismantled the most well-established secular form of government in the Middle East, while establishing and guaranteeing his own power for many more years to come - all in the name of "democracy."

The next significant step in Erdogan's plan to ensconce himself as Turkey's absolute ruler will come in 2014, when his present term as prime minister will come to an end. Already in the works are Erdogan's plans to radically alter Turkey's present parliamentary system to a presidential system, while placing himself on the ticket to be the next president. Beyond this, the present five-year term for president will expand to a seven-year term. If successful, this will guarantee that Erdogan will be able to maintain power until at least 2021.

But Erdogan's ambitions have caused many to believe that he is seeking a leadership role beyond Turkey, throughout the whole region.

In a recent interview with Russia Today, Syrian President Basshar al-Assad said of Erdogan, "He personally thinks that he is the new sultan of the Ottoman and he can control the region as it was during the Ottoman Empire under a new umbrella. In his heart he thinks he is a caliph."

But if Muhammad Morsi's recent actions in seizing greater power are an indicator of things to come, Erdogan may have competition for the title of regional caliph.

With the ascendancy of Turkey in the north and Egypt's new role as an emerging player, could we see two competing caliphates in the region? And as politically significant as all these events are, might they have have deeper significance as they relate to the fulfillment of biblical prophecy? There are two significant passages some students of the Bible are now considering.

The King of the North & The King of the South

The first passage is Daniel 11:21-45. In this prophecy, the Bible addresses the historical conflict between the infamous Antiochus IV Epiphanes, king of the Seleucid Kingdom, referred to as "the King of the North," and Ptolemy VI, king of the Ptolemaic Kingdom, referred to as "the King of the South." Antiochus ruled the region of modern-day Turkey, Lebanon, Syria, Iraq and Iran, while Ptolemy ruled the region of modern-day Egypt, Libya and north Sudan.

In verse 40, we are informed that the various conflicts that took place historically between these two kings would be repeated in the last days, immediately before the coming of the Messiah:

"At the end time the king of the South will collide with him, and the king of the North will storm against him with chariots, with horsemen and with many ships; and he will enter countries, overflow them and pass through. He will also enter the Beautiful Land, and many countries will fall. ... Then he will stretch out his hand against other countries, and the land of Egypt will not escape. But he will gain control over the hidden treasures of gold and silver and over all the precious things of Egypt; and Libyans and Cushites will follow at his heels." (Daniel 11:40-43)

The result of this last-days conflict between the northern "king" and his counterpart in the south will include massive regional wars, the defeat of Egypt, Libya and northern Sudan, and ultimately, the invasion and occupation of the nation of Israel. While numerous scholars and expositors throughout history have wrestled over the precise meaning of this passage, some are asking if it is possible that we are now witnessing the emergence of the last-days kingdoms of the North and South. Could Erdogan and Morsi be the last-days kings of the North and South, or are they merely precursors to the actual fulfillment of Daniel 11? Of course, we should be extremely cautious in considering these questions, but students of the Scriptures would certainly do well to remain watchful and in a sober spirit of prayer concerning the momentous evens we are now seeing unfold throughout the Middle East.

Isaiah 19

Another significant passage many are also now looking to is Isaiah 19, a profound prophecy concerning the state of Egypt in the days and years immediately preceding the return of the Messiah.

As massive demonstrations rock Egypt, some are protesting against Morsi, while many others are protesting in support of him. As violent clashes between the two groups erupt, it is clear that Egypt is a deeply divided nation. How far will it all go? Could Isaiah's prophecy of an Egyptian civil war be seen in our day?

"So I will incite Egyptians against Egyptians; and they will each fight against his brother and each against his neighbor, city against city and kingdom against kingdom." (Isaiah 19:2)

And if Isaiah's prophecy is beginning to unfold before us in Egypt, what would this mean with regard to the return of Jesus? Certainly, there are some "signs of the Messiah" the Bible indicates the wise would be able to discern and identify prior to his coming. Some of the more prominent of these signs include the following:

*The return of the Jewish people to their homeland.

*The emergence of the kings of the North and the South.

*A regional security alliance between Israel and her surrounding neighbors.

*The re-establishment of the biblical sacrificial system on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem.

Over the past 65 years, we have already witnessed the return of the Jewish people to their homeland in Israel. What might we witness next? One thing is clear: The world is changing rapidly before us, and watchful students of the Bible today must remain sober, alert and in a constant state of prayer as we all together eagerly await the return of Jesus.

"Even so, when you see all these things, you know that it is near, right at the door."

-Matthew 24:33

HAIL THE KING !

- By Mike Taylor - http://www.raptureready.com/soap/taylor77.html

Samuel 8:6-7:"But the thing displeased Samuel when they said, "Give us a king to judge us." And Samuel prayed to the LORD. And the LORD said to Samuel, "Obey the voice of the people in all that they say to you, for they have not rejected you, but they have rejected Me from being King over them."

In ancient Israel, God ruled over the people through judges that rendered justice according to the Word of God. But the people were not satisfied with an arrangement that had worked since they became a nation. If you read the story, Samuel was growing old and the office of being a judge fell to his sons who did not follow after the righteous judgments of their father, but departed into sinful acts of greed and evil.

The nation had been built on guiding principles found in their basic doctrines given to them from Mt. Sinai, The Ten Commandments. Israel forgot who was their source of power, protection, and their very lives to prosper and grow. They demanded a king to rule over them, just as the nations about them had over them. God commanded that Samuel warn the people of their rejection of Him, and look to a human ruler to meet their needs of daily living.

Samuel's Warning Against Kings

1 Samuel 8.9-18:

"Now then, obey their voice; only you shall solemnly warn them and show them the ways of the king who shall reign over them. So Samuel told all the words of the LORD to the people who were asking for a king from him. He said, "These will be the ways of the king who will reign over you: he will take your sons and appoint them to his chariots and to be his horsemen and to run before his chariots.

And he will appoint for himself commanders of thousands and commanders of fifties, and some to plow his ground and to reap his harvest, and to make his implements of war and the equipment of his chariots. He will take your daughters to be perfumers and cooks and bakers. He will take the best of your fields and vineyards and olive orchards and give them to his servants.

He will take the tenth of your grain and of your vineyards and give it to his officers and to his servants. He will take your male servants and female servants and the best of your young men and your donkeys, and put them to his work. He will take the tenth of your flocks, and you shall be his slaves. And in that day you will cry out because of your king, whom you have chosen for yourselves, but the LORD will not answer you in that day."

After those days, Israel had nothing but trouble. Wars on every side and the peace and safety they longed for, escaped them for years of hard living. Israel reasoned that to give the control to a king, would relieve them of the responsibility of controlling their own lives and following after the ways of their true leader, Almighty God.

A king would protect them, like other nations did, but never realized what they were giving up or what they had become. It was not that God was against them having a king, but the people had become rebellious against the ways of God, and the problem was not them wanting a king, but that they had fallen so far in their spiritual condition, they could not see that the problem was them, not the need for a king. So it is with us!

Voting for a Modern King amongst Us

Can we see this happening around us? Can we apply this biblical story of what happened to another ancient people who abandoned following after the founding principles that formed their nation? The Bible was written to give us examples that righteous living brings prosperity, a gift from God, when the people fear His name and reverence His teachings; by submitting to His righteous rule and embracing His ways by incorporating them into our individual lives.

So was it that this nation was founded upon principles laid as bedrock in our Declaration of Independence and the United States Constitution. We've had our "bumps in the road" but God has blessed this nation like no other in all of history. We elected our representatives to give a voice for the people who feared God and expected those we chose to guide this nation in the ways of our founding documents forged by men of honor, our founding fathers of this nation intended.

The nation was founded by the people and for the people. Our guiding rule was our belief and foundation in the invisible ruler of this nation, God Almighty. Our faith and trust by historical events pointed to our need, our desire, and our understanding of this principle, "One nation, UNDER GOD!" For two hundred years this is the way it was, but times have changed and not for the better.

A Nation in Decline

Since the late 1960s and early 1970s, this country has decided that we no longer wish to have God rule over us. We have abandoned the founding principles that made this nation great. We have looked to ourselves. Humanist principles have overtaken our once Godly principles based on the bible that the majority of Americans believed in. Fleshly desires of sinful living have dominated our culture starting with dissolving prayer in our schools. Our education system has indoctrinated a whole generation of impressionable young minds that are now the adults who govern this nation. It is said about education from a quote sometimes attributed to Abraham Lincoln:

"The philosophy of the school room in one generation will be the philosophy of government in the next."

From this period of secular education, the teachers of our children have infected impressionable minds with sex education, evolution, values clarification, moral relativism, Darwinian evolution, Socialism and Marxism, earth worship, multiculturalism, one-world globalism, Israeli "occupation" of Palestinian territories, and appeasement in foreign policy.

This is the generation that is of voting age that just elected Barack Hussein Obama to another term of at least four more years. This deplorable spiritual condition of our nation is manifested in the electorate voting for a man with credentials that would not qualify him for dog catcher, let alone PROTUS. Joel Rosenberg has noted:

It is stunning to think that more than 6 million self-described evangelical Christians would vote for a president who supports abortion on demand; supported the same-sex marriage ballot initiatives that succeeded in Maryland, Maine and Washington; and was on the cover of Newsweek as America's "first gay president."

Did these self-professed believers surrender their biblical convictions in the voting booth or did they never really have deep biblical convictions on the critical issues to begin with?...This is what happens when the church is weak and fails to disciple believers to turn biblical faith into action. Given the enormous number of evangelical Christians in the U.S., this bloc could still affect enormous positive change for their issues if they were to unify and vote for the pro-life, pro-marriage candidate as a bloc....

What will it take to educate, register and mobilize Christians to vote on the basis of biblical principles, and what kind of candidates could best mobilize them? This is a critical question that Christian political leaders as well as pastors must seriously consider. As we have seen, just a few million more evangelicals voting for pro-life, pro-marriage candidates could offset other demographics that are becoming more liberal.

This behooves us to ask us the question, "What has become of the citizens of this nation?" What has developed is an entire generation devoid of biblical instruction or understanding. They know nothing of the founding Christian principles that formed this nation or the blessing of free market capitalism. They forget what the Bible says when it comes to standing with His chosen people (Israel) in the last days. Let's look at that. Why have we been blessed in the last fifty years other than standing on founding principles that formed this nation?

We stood with Israel from its inception. We nurtured and helped defend their national right to exist. But you speak to a lot of the evangelical members and they only talk of the Palestinian plight of Israeli "aggression." And no more do we stand with Israel as a majority in our government or our citizenry. Oh, they talk the talk, but their deeds and actions prove otherwise. We talk of still being a "nation under God" but our actions and deeds prove us to be liars.

Cases in Point of National Decay

We have an administration that has from all reported details, lied to about what happened in Benghazi, Libya. As more and more details are brought to light, we discover how we were deceived. I hear reports of gun running headed by our now, deceased Ambassador Chris Stevens, to Syrian rebels through Turkey. Is that right?

I don't know, but since they lied to us about one aspect, what else are they covering up? Security was obviously lacking. So was it planned, or was it incompetence? It seems the people of this nation could care less to hold those responsible accountable. They should demand answers and punish those who are responsible bordering on treason, if the reports turn out to be true.

We hear about election fraud in Florida and the major portions of the all the swing states to give the election to Obama. Voting irregularities of fixed voting machines that are programmed to give a 51-49% voting edge to whomever they choose. Political analysts who projected a landslide based on historical demographics of past elections and somehow they got it all wrong? The people should be up in arms to hear these stories of a perversion of the national right to vote and have it mean something. Our God given right to vote our beliefs may have just been stolen by dark forces.

We have a debt of 16 plus trillion dollars with no sign of fiscal sanity and the reported "fiscal cliff" looms in our near future. Our economy is divided into the haves, and the have not's. Rich against poor, black against white, ethic group against ethnic group. We stand on the edge of financial ruin. Europe is burning with Greece, Spain, and Italy all fearing economic collapse. The world has impending financial collapse imploding upon itself. The people should be invading Washington D.C. demanding fiscal sanity. This is our money being wasted.

We have a Middle East crisis with looming war between Gaza and the IDF, with players of Egypt, Syria, Lebanon, and their benefactor Iran, just itching to get in the fight to remove Israel from being a nation. Could this be the precursor to Psalm 83:2-4?

"For behold, Your enemies make a tumult;

And those who hate You have lifted up their head.

They have taken crafty counsel against Your people,

And consulted together against Your sheltered ones. They have said,

"Come, and let us cut them off from being a nation,

That the name of Israel may be remembered no more."

Or Isaiah 17:1-3?

"Behold, Damascus will cease from being a city,

And it will be a ruinous heap.

The cities of Aroer are forsaken;

They will be for flocks

Which lie down, and no one will make them afraid. The fortress also will cease from Ephraim,

The kingdom from Damascus,

And the remnant of Syria;

They will be as the glory of the children of Israel,

Says the Lord of hosts."

Neither of these prophecies have been fulfilled. Damascus has been a city inhabited for over 5,000 years and a confederacy of these nations determined to destroy Israel has never taken place. A feared outbreak of war in the Middle East leading to another world war engulfing all of us gives the masses a fear that cannot be remedied except through the power of a man. This should give each of us pause to understand the prophetic closeness of the coming of the Son of Man again to end mortal man's rule and set-up His own kingdom that will never end.

Returning to our own home country, we see a nation devoid of love of one another. Crime is rampant as looting and evil grips the northeast after hurricane Sandy destroyed many lives and their feelings of security. Still we look to a man to save us. Also, voters embraced same sex marriage in a number of states, legalizing marijuana in others, fraud in elections, and our borders pouring illegals into this country with some, no doubt, with intent to do the citizenry harm.

Energy prices soaring only to get worse. Financial ruin awaits everyone who is suddenly out of a job and can't find work. Unemployment at a false low of 7.8% will most likely soar in the coming months. Evil is at the door of every American living today. It waits to engulf us, but most go merrily along without a care in the world. Obama will fix it. Really?

This is the man who has repeatedly circumvented the clear constraints of the U.S. Constitution with edicts and executive orders, thus bypassing the legislature who are the lawmakers, and guardians of the purse strings. This is the man, who threatens by UN agreement to take away our Second Amendment right to bear arms. This is the man who constrains our ability to be energy independent by bowing to the environmentalist at the EPA.

This is the man who spends and wants to tax the masses till the buffalo on the nickel bellows in pain. We are fast approaching financial insolvency and the collapse of our economy. Millions will die from starvation or the streets will be filled with rioters. Martial law will be enacted and many will be imprisoned for being scared and hungry. And this is just a partial list of the Obamination that inflicts our country. This is the same path that many dictators have taken to control the masses, thus making themselves in effect, king. All hail, the king?

Oh, we yearn for a simpler time; when American was the home of brave, land of the free. America started on the right foot, but see how far we have fallen?

James Madison said:

We have staked the whole future of American civilization, not upon the power of government, far from it. We have staked the future of all of our political institutions upon the capacity of mankind of self-government; upon the capacity of each and all of us to govern ourselves, to control ourselves, to sustain ourselves according to the Ten Commandments of God.

A great start for this country, but what have we done? We have turned our backs on God, and I fear that He has turned His back on us, as a nation.

Do we think that it was coincidence that the largest perfect storm to hit the United States called "Hurricane Sandy" was pure global warming, as the pundits want to suggest? I believe God has given us wake-up call after wake-up call. 9/11/2001 was such a call. Hurricanes Katrina and Sandy most likely, were wake up calls as well. It seems that God is trying to get our attention. Are we listening? Appears not, as we need a king to rule over us. We need someone to fix what ails this country.

We put our trust in a man, that the media says "gives them a tingle up their leg." We want a messiah, a deliverer, or anyone who can solve our problems for us. We want a modern day, King Saul. We want free health care, we want free "Obama phones," we want food stamps and any and all government handout systems that will relieve us from self-reliance and getting off our duffs to have God provide. What? God provide? It seems we threw Him out long ago. Don't look to God in your present condition. Look to Obama!! Yeah, right!!!

We don't even know who this man is or his background. We don't know where he came from with certainty. We just go right on trusting our modern messiah. So we went to the polls and at least 47% of Americans on the welfare dole, voted for this man. The rest was by hook or crook, as the powers that be aren't going to give up without a fight, or a plan to steal it right out from under our noses.

King Obama

It has been reported that this administration is the most divisive, non-transparent, and narcissistic of any modern presidency of our time. Look at his record, or the lack thereof. Barack Obama stands openly for the things that God is against. He takes great pride is doing so. He campaigned with these things as the reasons why you should vote for him and re-elect him to the office of president. The first time he ran for president he was largely an unknown entity, and he used great guile and deceit to become elected.

But when we all went to the polls this month to again decide to vote him in or not, he was a very well-known candidate. My question is, why? Because the problem is not that we elected again an unqualified man to lead this nation, as our prince, but the problem is "We the people." Look in the mirror, folks. Do you see the problem? It's an unbelieving society. We are so far removed from the teachings of the bible, if the founding fathers were resurrected, they would surely shake their head in dismay and disbelief.

I have changed my mind about the future of American, as I fear that we are so far removed from God that we will never find our way back. The corner has been turned, and there is NO coming back. Pray all you want for this nation, but I see the judgment of God coming to our shores and covering the land like a cloud. To administer judgment, God has a historical habit of using men to enact His penalty for rebellion against His Laws, and His way of life. Coupled with that, expect more natural disasters, environmental upheaval, and untold destruction. Islam and their evil cohorts smell our weakness and they will only get stronger, as we get weaker. The only thing holding back complete annihilation is that God's church, His true church is in the way. When I say, true church, I don't mean that modern social club that sits in Sunday services thinking on anything and everything that is of this world and its pleasures. As it was in the days of Noah and Lot, our Lord's statement in Luke 17:26-30 warns:

"And as it was in the days of Noe, so shall it be also in the days of the Son of man. They did eat, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark, and the flood came, and destroyed them all.

Likewise also as it was in the days of Lot; they did eat, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they builded; But the same day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven, and destroyed them all. Even thus shall it be in the day when the Son of man is revealed."

Jesus warned that there will be no messiah, until the true Messiah, the Lord of Hosts will break through the clouds and proclaim, "Come up hither." When Jesus calls for His church to be removed, then my reader, "All hell will break loose." No false messiah, no Obama and no mere man will be able to save this nation from utter destruction. America will have gone the way of ancient Rome, destroyed.

Why is the nation of America not mentioned anywhere in the Bible? I believe she will be decimated to the level of a third world country or invaded from without or from within. The principles that we rebelled against that were God given will matter not in the least to what's left of this nation at that hour.

Judgment in all its wrath will be raining down all over the world, and this nation SHOULD, and will possibly receive the greatest condemnation as it had so much, and gave up even more when so many turned their backs on their only benefactor that insured their greatness and their posterity, God Almighty.

This nation that poured untold amount of missionaries into other countries in days gone by, printed millions of copies of God's Word to be distributed worldwide, and professed to be a Judeo-Christian believing nation, has abandoned it all. It will be a judgment sorely deserved and awful to watch.

Election Is Over, America Lost

Men and women of conservative political persuasion lament the outcome of this past election. Maybe God would have given us more time by electing a president Romney, but from where I stand, God has said "NO." I believe there is no more time. When will this judgment start in earnest? I believe the introduction has begun. The first act of impending judgment awaits its beginning with the opening of the First Seal of Revelation 6:1-2:

"And I saw when the Lamb opened one of the seals, and I heard, as it were the noise of thunder, one of the four beasts saying, Come and see. And I saw, and behold a white horse: and he that sat on him had a bow; and a crown was given unto him: and he went forth conquering, and to conquer."

This is the beginning of the wrath of God, or the revealing of the Antichrist, the one who sits on the white horse. How close is this man to be revealed? It would be safe to say that this man is alive today. Many have hypothesized that Obama could be this man. Is he? We can't say for sure, as he doesn't fit a lot of the requirements and attributes of the infamous anti-Christ. But one thing is certain, Obama is anti-God, anti-Bible, and anti-Christian no matter what he mouths in words, as his deeds betray him.

We have nationally elected by whatever means a man devoid of Christian principles and biblical foundation for governing in righteousness or at least in honesty and truth. BUT with all the doubts and failings in this president, WE THE PEOPLE ignored all that and elected him anyway. It will come back to haunt us all. It spells the spiraling death dive of a once great God fearing nation to its shame.

When the hour comes upon you and judgment begins to fall, who will you look to? Will you hold out your hand to Obama (or any sitting president if it should go to another man or woman to fill that office) or will you raise your hands to heaven and pray to your only hope, God Almighty through His Son, Jesus Christ?

If that man who is spoken of in Revelation chapter 6 rides upon the scene and you wonder what all the commotion is about when some report disappearance of a bunch of people all over the earth, then what will you be thinking. Will you be thinking that God is my source of deliverance or will you be voicing, "All hail, the king?" Most likely according to Scripture, the latter will be your only choice and you're only thought. Help from the king? Don't hold your breath. Death and destruction is probably your future. When that happens:

1 Samuel 8.18: And in that day you will cry out because of your king, whom you have chosen for yourselves, but the LORD will not answer you in that day."

But there is a better choice. A choice for eternity, a choice for life:

2 Corinthians 6.2:

"For he saith, I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I succoured thee: behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation."

For Jesus said in John:

Jesus said to him,"I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me."

Hebrews 9.27-28:

"And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment, so Christ was offered once to bear the sins of many. To those who eagerly wait for Him He will appear a second time, apart from sin, for salvation."

Don't make the mistake that Obama or any other mortal can make your life meaningful or solve your earthly problems. Look to Jesus who is our source for eternal life. Don't look to an earthly king, but to the Lord of lords, and King of kings. Don't wait another day. Time is running out.

This is Pastor Mike Taylor, praying God's salvation comes into your life. If you have need for counseling, prayer or just a listening ear, send me an email: realteam1999@sbcglobal.net , or visit me online at www.churchofgod-usa.org .

God bless you, until we meet at Jesus' feet.