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The Narrow Minded Christian

God is narrow minded: 1 God 1 Way NO EXCEPTIONS. Jesus Christ is the ONLY door to salvation John 3:16 "For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life. "

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Location: United States

Favorite composer: Debussy; Favorite artist: Monet; Favorite old author: Charles Dickens

Saturday, May 26, 2007

He is Coming Back!

The Gospel of John (20:7) tells us that the napkin, which was placed over the face of Jesus, was not just thrown aside like the grave clothes.

The Bible takes an entire verse to tell us that the napkin was neatly folded, and was placed at the head of that stony coffin. Is that important?

You'd better believe it! Is that significant? Absolutely! Is it really significant? Yes!

In order to understand the significance of the folded napkin, you have to understand a little bit about Hebrew tradition of that day.

The folded napkin had to do with the Master and Servant, and every Jewish boy knew this tradition. When the servant set the dinner table for the master, he made sure that it was exactly the way the master wanted it. The table was furnished perfectly, and then the servant would wait, just out of sight, until the master had finished eating, and the servant would not dare touch that table, until the master was finished.

Now if the master was done eating, he would rise from the table, wipe his fingers, his mouth, and clean his beard, and would wad up that napkin and toss it onto the table. The servant would then know to clear the table.
For in those days, the wadded napkin meant, "I'm done".

But if the master got up from the table, and folded his napkin, and laid it beside his plate, the servant would not dare touch the table, because the servant knew that the folded napkin meant, "I'm not finished yet." The folded napkin meant, "I'm coming back!"


He is Coming Back!


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The Art of Godly Acceptance

Proverbs 16:9
"People may make plans in their minds, but the Lord decides what they will do."

Sometimes, we must accept life on its terms, not our own.

Life has a way of unfolding, not as we will, but as it will.

And sometimes, there is precious little we can do to change things.

When events transpire that are beyond our control, we have a choice: We can either learn the art of acceptance, or we can make ourselves miserable as we struggle to change the unchangable.

We must entrust the things we cannot change to God.

Once we have done so, we can prayerfully and faithfully tackle the important work that He has placed before us: the things we can change.

Our Lord never asks us to decide for Him; He asks us to yield to Him -- a very different matter!

From Ted Brabham's newsletter

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Signs of the End Times

[C~B~Ns comments enclosed]

by Jack Kelly Rapture Ready

Sixth Annual Year End Update 12-30-06

There are seven major prophetic signs of the

Second Coming, and for the first time in history
all seven are in some stage of fulfillment. As
in years past, I'll list the seven with their
primary biblical references and offer

commentary from current events.

1. Israel Will Be In The Land... Ezekiel 38:8

After many days you will be called to arms. In future
years you will invade a land that has recovered from
war, whose people were gathered from many
nations to the mountains of Israel,
which had long been desolate. They had

been brought out from the nations, and now
all of them live in safety.

In 1948, when Israel took its place among

the nations of the world again for the first
time in nearly 2000 years, students of prophecy
recognized the fulfillment of the primary sign
that the end of the age was upon us. Jesus had
said that the generation being born when
that happened would still be alive
when He returned
(Matt. 24:34).

The fulfillment of this prophecy caused

another reaction as well. Satan reads
prophecy too, and began exerting his influence on
world leaders in his continuing effort to

thwart the plan of God.

As a result, Israel has fought six major
wars in the last 58 years, each of them an
attempt to erase the Jewish Homeland from
the face of the Earth. And it's clear that
this effort will continue, with the biggest
battle of all looming on the horizon, foretold
by Ezekiel in chapters 38-39. Israel's enemies,
both physical and spiritual, won't let up until
they've either succeeded (their view) or been
destroyed (God's view).

But in abandoning their Gaza settlements
last year, and with their inconclusive performance
against Hezbollah this summer, it seems to
many as if the Israelis have become their own
worst enemy. In Gaza, the plan was to free
the military from having to protect the
settlements (a major commitment) while
maintaining control of their borders.
But turning part of their border security
over to Egypt has been a disaster, permitting
the Palestinians to smuggle in tons of
weapons, ammunition and explosives from
the Sinai (courtesy of Syria and Iran) and
fire more mortars and missiles into Israel
than ever before.

Although US and Israeli leaders promised
that abandoning Gaza would improve the
nation's security, the opposite has happened.
[Gee, DUH comes to my mind...]
And as those opposed to the abandonment
predicted, Gaza has become a major center
for terrorist activity. When Hamas won
the Palestinian elections they quickly turned
Gaza into an armed camp. Now Hamas appears
to be just as dangerous a threat as
Hezbollah and Israel seems to be caught
between two forces powerful enough to make
defeat a distinct possibility.

But the God of Israel sees a different
outcome. "I will bring back my exiled people
Israel; they will rebuild the ruined cities and
live in them. They will plant vineyards and
drink their wine; they will make gardens and
eat their fruit. I will plant Israel in their own
land, never again to be uprooted from the land I
have given them," says the LORD your God.
(Amos 9:14-15)

2. Jerusalem Will Be In Jewish Hands...
Luke 21:24

They will fall by the sword and will be taken

as prisoners to all the nations. Jerusalem will
be trampled on by the Gentiles until
the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled.

The Lord prophesied that the reunification

of Jerusalem as a Jewish City would be a
sign that foreign (gentile) influence over
His land, and indeed the world, was about

to end. When this happened in 1967, prophecy
experts saw it as another major sign fulfilled.
The almost world wide effort to take the city apart
again is in essence a battle of wills; the Will of

God vs. the will of man. Until recently every
Israeli politician has stood firmly on a
pledge to keep Jerusalem united forever as

Israel's capital.

But then former Prime Minister Sharon said

that if re-elected he'd consider abandoning
parts of the suburbs to achieve peace.
His stroke-induced coma ended his political

career, but his hand picked successor, Ehud
Olmert, has hinted at following through
on Sharon's proposals. Olmert's poor

performance in the war against Hezbollah
has robbed him of the political strength to follow
through for now.

And God said that when He re-gathered

His people in the land for the 2nd time (the
first was after Babylon) they'd never be
dispersed again, and so far it looks like

He meant it. (Amos 9:15)

The fulfillment of these two major prophecies

concerning Israel has caused confusion in
the minds of some commentators. It
centers around an incorrect interpretation

of Matt. 24:34, that all end times prophecies are to be
fulfilled within a generation, nominally 40 years,
of Israel's re-gathering in 1948.

That error made 1988 seem like the likely

time for the End. But when 1988 came and
went scholars focused on the Jerusalem date,
1967, and began adding 40 years to that,
advancing their predictions to 2007.

The rationale for this is that the timing of the

First Coming prophecies in Daniel 9:24-27
keyed off the rebuilt city, not off
the return to the Land.

But the Lord didn't promise that all end

times prophecies would be fulfilled within a
generation of their beginning, only
that the generation being born at the

time of the first of the signs would still be
alive to see their completion. According to
Psalm 90:10 a Biblical life span is 70

years, so predicting the approximate time of
the End requires the addition of 70 years
to either 1948 or 1967, not 40.

There are good arguments in favor of either

date, so the safest bet is to construct a window
of time opening in 2018 and
extending to 2037 [2037 from 1948 is 89

years--seems a bit long for the "generation"
thing; especially since most of us won't
live that long! c~b~n] for the fulfillment of all

End Time Prophecies. And remember, the
culmination of End Times prophecies is
the Second Coming, not the Rapture of
the Church, which precedes it by at least
7 years.

As the time draws nearer, the timing of the
2nd Coming will become more and more
obvious. Those people around when
a treaty is enforced permitting the Jews

to build their Temple in Israel will know that
it's seven years away. Those who
witness the anti Christ standing in

that Temple proclaiming himself to be
God will know there are only 1260 days left
until the end of the Great Tribulation, and
the 2nd Coming happens right after that.
As Paul so clearly put it, only those in darkness
will be taken by surprise. But at this point

in time, the 19-year range I've given above
offers a minimally speculative period
within which it could all come to pass.

3. A Moslem Coalition Armed And
Led By Russia Will Attack
The Holy Land... Ezek. 38:2-6

"Son of man, set your face against Gog, of the land

of Magog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal;
prophesy against him. This is what the Sovereign
Lord says: I am against you, O Gog, chief prince of
Meshech and Tubal. I will turn you around, put
hooks in your jaws and bring you out with your

whole army-- your horses, your horsemen fully
armed, and a great horde with large and small
shields, all of them brandishing their swords.
Persia, Cush and Put will be with them, all with

shields and helmets, also Gomer with all its troops,
and Beth Togarmah from the far north with all its
troops--the many nations with you."

(For a more detailed explanation of the modern

equivalents to these biblical names, read "An In
Depth Look At The Modern Equivalent To Biblical
Names in Ezek.38)

Over 130 historical references make it plain that

Magog stands for modern Russia, and the other
countries named here form a coalition based on
their common religion, Islam. (Today Russia
is 30% Moslem and growing.) Among them are Iran,

several North African countries, Eastern European
countries along the Danube, and the Turkic nations
of Asia Minor. A quick look at a world map will
reveal that these areas are home to some of the
most violent Islamic terrorist groups.

The Russians are already a major supplier of

arms for the Moslem coalition, just as Ezekiel
prophesied, and will be drawn into joining
in this battle by God Himself. Russia's barely

disguised policy of becoming the major outside
force in the Middle East is playing right
into the Lord's hands. Iran and Russia are

well into the implementation of a $50 billion deal
to provide Iran with nuclear power.

The 10 reactors called for in the deal are

supposedly for electrical power generation, but
most western leaders suspect they'll be
used to build bombs, too. Iranian Pres.

Ahmadinejad says he'll proclaim Iran to be a
nuclear power right after the New Year,
but most experts think a bomb is still a

ways off. Israel has again vowed to prevent
that ever happening, but the US seems to be
backing off its similar promise.

Recently, to offset the loss of Iraq as their

primary mid-east asset, Russia has formed
commercial and military alliances with Turkey
and Syria, becoming Turkey's 2nd largest
trading partner after Germany. Turkey's

inability to resolve the issue they have with
Greece over Cypress will likely
torpedo their attempt to join the EU.

Recent polls also show a dramatic decrease
in public support among Turks for EU
membership. From an initial high of nearly

90%, less than half of all Turks now favor
joining. Russia is quickly moving to bring
Turkey under its influence, a shift that could
cause Turkey to abandon the West and line up
with the Moslem coalition as Ezekiel foretold.

Russia has also sold Damascus a state of

the art anti-air defense system along with
their latest generation missiles and
anti-tank rockets and plan to construct a

major military seaport in northern Syria,
moving components of their Black Sea fleet
there. As this is being written Syrian Pres.

Assad is in Russia with $500 million Iranian
dollars shopping for more weapons.

In Lebanon, Russian Military Intelligence has

just about taken over the town of Sidon,
spying on Israel for Iran and Syria. Iran has
taken delivery of a Russian air defense system
too, to protect its Bushier reactor site.

Iran seems to be preparing its people for

war with Israel and even the US, making the
most outlandish claims in an effort to
whip their people into a frenzy not seen

since the days of the US embassy kidnapping
of the 70's. This inflammatory ranting has
included a Holocaust denial seminar

attended by 30 countries, and a promise to
wipe Israel off the face of the map. Former
Israeli PM Netanyahu has said that it's like

1938 all over again. (He has also said that
Iran is only 1000 days from achieving its
goal of nuclear weaponry.)

The major obstacle to an early fulfillment

of this prophecy is the reference to its
occurrence at a time when Israel is "peaceful
and unsuspecting" (Ezekiel 38:11). I believe
that the removal of the US as Israel's
powerful ally is necessary to create this
condition. I don't think the Moslem coalition
will attack until they're sure the
US won't retaliate. It's no accident that

Iran has led a charge against the US dollar,
causing a major weakening in world markets
and setting the stage for an end to the
monopoly the dollar has enjoyed
in international oil markets. Iran is also

the primary force behind
the instability in Iraq.

The cost of this war is creating unsustainable

deficits for the US, and with the dollar weakening,
the US may be forced to vacate the Middle East
soon. The coming change in government
will be an interesting addition to this mix,

but the bottom line is that either the US or
some other entity (the UN?) has to make
a toothless agreement to protect Israel to

set them up for this
battle.

As we begin 2007, the Middle East is in the

most volatile situation of our generation. The
Palestinian Territories, Iraq and Lebanon could
all erupt into civil war this year. Syria and
Israel are at each other's throats with some

predicting a spring war, and both Hamas and
Hezbollah are itching to jump into the fray.
The US is building up forces off the coast of Iran,
and Israel has said it will not allow Iran to go
nuclear. Surely one of these powder kegs will
explode and could even start a chain reaction.

I believe that once these issues are resolved,

either by warfare or negotiation or both, a false
peace will come to Israel very suddenly
and unexpectedly, like the collapse of the

Soviet Union, and Israel will be set up for Ezekiel
38 by its supposed peace partners.

When the time is right, having recently taken

His church to Heaven, the Lord will use this battle
to orchestrate His reconciliation with Israel,
and on its heels the anti Christ will emerge

with a peace plan that includes a Jewish Temple.
So once this battle takes place, end
times prophecy will go on fast forward.

4. The Ancient Roman Empire Will
Re-Emerge As A Political
Force... Rev 17:9-10

"This calls for a mind with wisdom. The seven

heads are seven hills on which the woman sits.
They are also seven kings. Five have fallen, one
is, the other has not yet come; but when he does
come, he must remain for a little while."

(This one is a little obscure if you don't know
your history. When John was writing this, about
95AD, there had been five great world powers:

Egypt, Assyria, Babylon, Persia, and Greece.
All were conquered and absorbed. The current
power was Rome, which was never really conquered
and will re-emerge at the end of the age,

according to Daniel 9:26.)

Daniel 2:36-45 describes Gentile Dominion

from Daniel's time forward (Egypt and Assyria
had already fallen) in the form of a giant statue.
Read it carefully and you'll find some interesting
things in the description of the feet of iron mixed

with clay, representing the revived Roman Empire
of our time. In the first place the two don't mix.
We can imagine sticky clay serving as glue
sticking pieces of iron together, but the language

describes a clay that's made of dust and already
baked... hard and brittle like shards of pottery. You
can't make random pieces of iron and
pottery adhere.

They'll keep falling apart.

In 2005 the EU constitution vote was defeated

as one more example of how the EU has
had trouble sticking together just as Daniel
prophesied. Half-hearted efforts to revive it
in 2006 bore no fruit. When Germany takes
over the EU Presidency in 2007, look for
another, more serious attempt to get the
constitution passed. Remember the common
currency issue a few years ago?

Each one of these controversial steps has nearly
driven the EU to its knees, but each time it has
recovered. One day soon the EU will assume its
destiny as the leading world power for the End
of the Age.

In the mean time the Western European
Union (WEU) a 10 nation confederacy of the only
permanent and fully vested members of the EU
has assumed responsibility for creating its
military arm, based on its Recommendation 666

[satan's special number!], passed earlier.

And in January 2007 the EU's European
Neighborhood Plan (ENP) takes effect. It's a
seven-year treaty that brings 12 Middle
Eastern countries including Israel and the
Palestinian Authority into economic cooperation
with the EU. The EU's Javier Solana
has been fighting to get this program off
the ground for years, and its coming
implementation has made him the current favorite
among those looking for the anti-Christ.

5. The World Will Embrace A Single
Religion... Rev 13:8

All inhabitants of the earth will worship the

beast--all whose names have not been written
in the book of life belonging to the
Lamb that was slain from the creation of the

world.

The one world religion idea has been around

for most of our generation, often under the
guise of ecumenism. As the liberal
denominations continue watering down

their theology [supporting homosexuality,
same-sex marriage, euthanasia, day-after pill,
lottery, virgin birth of Jesus etc.] there are

fewer things keeping them apart. Now some
Evangelical leaders are questioning whether
Jesus is really the only way to salvation.

The flirtation between certain Evangelical

groups and the Catholic Church is interesting,
as is the dialog between the Pope and Leaders
of Islam, and their common devotion to Mary.

The Catholic Church is one of the richest
organizations on the planet with over 1 billion
members on 6 continents, and clearly thinks

of itself as the world's dominant religious group.
It's no secret that the Catholic church is
posturing itself to be a major player in End

times events.

But make no mistake about it. The rise of

radical Islam is the chief threat to world peace
today and their goal is nothing less than
world domination.

Their god is not the God of the Bible, and
their fight with Jews and Christians actually
began in the 7th Century AD when the Jews
rejected Mohammed's offer of
consolidation.

Prior to that time he had counseled his followers

to respect and befriend the Jewish people,
but when they refused to join his religion, he
declared jihad (holy war) against
them. Christians were included 400 years

later as a result of the Crusades.
[Political correctness has re-written history
portraying the crusades as the Christian

aggression against the Muslim.WRONG.
Europe and the United States have become
the new Russia with this re-writing
of history. Something Russia has been guilty

of for over a hundred years......]

Currently nearly one out of five inhabitants of

the world is Moslem, and like most Christians
and Jews don't really know what they believe
or why. Ignorance and misinformation are
primary tools of the devil so I would urge

all thinking people to really study the origin
and goals of Islam. It will soon be the
world's most popular religion, and after

the removal of Evangelical Christians in the
Rapture could easily be the foundation on
which the one world religion is built.

In 2 Thes. 2:7 Paul wrote that the secret

power of lawlessness was already at work in the
world but that the One who holds it
back would continue to do so until He is

taken out of the way (out of the midst).
Understand that Paul wasn't referring to man's
disregard for the law here, but rather to his

refusal to accept the truth. In New Testament
Greek the word for unbelief is also translated
disobedience. God's view is that there's just
too much clear evidence of His existence for
anyone not to believe in Him. Therefore so-called
unbelievers are really disobeying by refusing
to believe.

In 1 Tim 4:1 Paul warned us of the doctrines

of demons and in 2 Tim 4:3-4 of the growing
popularity of mythology as being part
and parcel of this end times religion.

This is the lawlessness Paul was writing about.

Having rejected the truth, those left after the
Rapture will be ripe for the Great Lie of
2 Thes 2:9 to fill the need every man has

to believe in something greater than himself.
All it will take is for a charismatic religious
leader to emerge, a leader powerful enough

to bring all those who are left behind into one
counterfeit religion.

Much has been written this year about

al Mahdi, a manifestation of Moslem prophecy
that is strikingly similar to Christian prophecies
of the anti-Christ.


Both come on the scene during a time of great
turmoil on Earth, both come claiming a desire

to restore peace, both have a seven year reign,
both head a one world religion and one world
government, both claim supernatural origins, and both
reigns end in a battle between good and evil

that brings about Earth's final judgment.

Some students of prophecy remind us that
the Roman Empire had an Eastern component

composed of the very countries whose people are
the most militant advocates of Islam today, and
that the anti-Christ could easily come from there.
[Which makes since if Christ came through Sarah's
line from Abraham; then the Anti-Christ could/would
come through Hagar's line from Abraham]

Islam is the world's fastest growing religion

and is second only to Christianity in number
of adherents. But the true Church will soon
be gone in the Rapture. The remnant, with

its celebration of pluralism and its inclusive
view of the way to salvation will be ripe for
conversion. Add the widely held but incorrect
beliefs that God and Allah are the same,
and that Islam is a religion of peace, and
you can see how Islam could be the straw that
a world on the verge of chaos grasps for survival.

6. The World Will Accept A Single
Government... Rev 13:3

The whole world was astonished and

followed the beast.

Earlier, I stated my view that a decline

in US strength would be necessary to
permit the Battle of Ezekiel to take
place. This is also a necessary precursor

to the emergence of a one world government.

Last year I said that unless something

happened to fracture us again, Evangelicals
would become an increasingly powerful
voting block as viewpoints become more

polarized over conflicting moral values. I also
said that the voting power of Evangelicals
would, more than any other factor, keep
America strong and independent.

Well, something did happen. Partly because

of media distortion, and partly because of the
constant meddling by Iran and Syria, the
war in Iraq has become so unpopular
that it's driven public opinion to devastating

levels of dissatisfaction with the way the
current administration is running it. As a result
both houses of Congress have changed
hands and 2007 could very well see the

beginning of our departure from the Middle
East entirely.

And a successful attack on the strength of

the dollar could eventually sideline us from world
affairs entirely. This year the five year old Euro
became the most popular currency in circulation,
surpassing the dollar for the first time. It still has
a long way to go before it takes the lead as a

reserve currency, but breaking the dollar's monopoly
on oil transactions will provide a substantial boost.
Iran, China, Russia, and Venezuela
have teamed up with the intention of doing just that.

The Rapture of the Church would be the final

and fatal blow to US supremacy, paving the way
for the 10 Nation Confederacy of Bible prophecy
to consolidate its hold on
world affairs.

7. Babylon Will Re-Emerge As A
Prominent City In World
Affairs... Rev 18:2-3

With a mighty voice he shouted: "Fallen!

Fallen is Babylon the Great! She has become a
home for demons and a haunt for every evil
spirit, a haunt for every unclean and detestable
bird. For all the nations have drunk the

maddening wine of her adulteries. The kings
of the earth committed adultery with her, and
the merchants of the earth grew rich from her
excessive luxuries."

Babylon is still a ways away from accepting

its destiny as a city of power in the end times.
It's just a ceremonial city right now, but 15
years ago nobody even knew it existed at all. One
of the shocks of Gulf War 1 was the discovery of

Babylon standing there on the banks of the
Euphrates again.

You may think that being little more than a giant

museum is a far cry from being a center of world
power, but some of Iraq's new political leaders are
calling for their nation's capital to be moved to
Babylon. The logic behind this is that Baghdad was
Saddam's capital, and the new Iraq needs a new

capital, more consistent with its heritage.
Babylon fills the bill, and becoming the capital
of Iraq would be a giant first step toward
achieving its transformation into a center

of power.

Because of Babylon's current lack of

importance in the world, some students of
prophecy search for an allegorical fulfillment
of Rev. 18, and of course many see the USA

or some city therein as a logical candidate.

But remember, even though in Revelation 17:9

John describes "mystery Babylon" as seated
on seven hills (meaning Rome), a prophecy in
Zechariah 5:5-11 shows it being moved "to the
plains of Shinar" a reference to ancient

Mesopotamia called Iraq today. We can't switch
from literal to allegorical interpretations
of Scripture without clear direction, and

where Babylon is concerned no such direction exists.
In fact the opposite is true.

Other Signs

You will hear of wars and rumors of wars,

but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such
things must happen, but the end is still to come.
Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom
against kingdom. There will be famines and

earthquakes in various places. All these are
the beginning of birth pains.

"Then you will be handed over to be persecuted

and put to death, and you will be hated by all
nations because of me. At that time many will
turn away from the faith and will betray
and hate each other, and many false prophets

will appear and deceive many people. Because
of the increase of wickedness, the love of most
will grow cold, but he who stands firm to the
end will be saved. And this gospel of the kingdom

will be preached in the whole world as a testimony
to all nations, and then the end will come.
(Matt. 24:6-14)

Then he said to them: "Nation will rise against

nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There
will be great earthquakes, famines and pestilences
in various places, and fearful events
and great signs from heaven. (Luke 21:10-11)

"There will be signs in the sun, moon and stars.

On the earth, nations will be in anguish and
perplexity at the roaring and tossing of the sea.
Men will faint from terror, apprehensive
of what is coming on the world, for the heavenly

bodies will be shaken. At that time they will
see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power
and great glory. When these things begin to
take place, stand up and lift up your heads,

because your redemption is drawing near."
(Luke 21:25-28)

WARS AND RUMORS OF WARS ... Depending

upon whose intelligence reports you read
somewhere between 30 and 50 wars are
currently being fought around the world,
with a substantial number of additional

disputes threatening to erupt into war at any
time.

THE INCREASE OF NATURAL DISASTERS ...

More frequent and more severe hurricanes,
more frequent and more intense earthquakes.
Killer storms and quakes continue
to dot the news, although 2006 didn't achieve

the record levels of devastation caused in 2005

SIGNS IN THE SUN, MOON, AND STARS ...

The magnetic polar reversal, predicted by
computer model for 2012 [read Larry Burkett's
fictionalized account in "Solar Flare"!] is gaining more
attention since its likelihood was first announced.

Having moved several hundred miles across
Canada the Magnetic North Pole is currently
headed for Siberia. While the effects of a
Magnetic Polar Reversal have never been
observed by mankind, it has apparently
happened in the distant past. What's unique
this time is that the Sun is due for a polar reversal
at the same time. I've speculated that the effects
of the polar reversal could fulfill Revelation 6
and if the projected time of 2012 is correct, it fits
nicely into the End Times prophecy window we

opened above.

PESTILENCE... Not only new diseases like

HIV and SARS but also the return of old ones
like Whooping cough. But the big news again
this year is the likely spread of Avian Influenza
(Bird Flu). A few cases among humans have

lead to fears that the virus has mutated to
thrive in a human host. Dire predictions
are placing possible deaths from this

pandemic in the millions

THE LOVE OF MOST WILL GROW COLD ...

3500 people die every day in defense of the
Christian faith. Run away crime, children being
abused and murdered by their parents, children
killing children. Murder trials as public

entertainment soon to be followed by televised
executions [that polar reversal thing can't
come QUICK enough! Television has become gross

and the anesthetic of the common masses--time
for it to be destroyed.] Ethnic cleansing, rape
and forced pregnancy, pedophilia, random
shootings, the incidence of disrespect

is enough to make you sick.

THIS GOSPEL WILL BE PREACHED IN

ALL NATIONS ...
Looking at the state of the world, it's

hard to be encouraged. But as world news
gets worse and worse, more people are turning
to the Lord for solace. According to some

reports as many as 175,000 new believers
are born again every day, mostly
in Africa, China, and India. Reports of

these conversions are accompanied by
accounts of miracles, people receiving
supernatural healings and even being

raised from the dead. Just as He did at the
beginning of the church Age the Holy
Spirit is moving mightily at its End.

I believe the Lord is issuing a giant "last
call" before He suddenly takes the
church out of here to begin the End

Times judgments.

The above are given as indicators in the

Olivet Discourse (Matt 24, Mark 13, Luke 21)
and we'll continue to bring you
periodic information on these as well.

As you know most of the signs in the Olivet

Discourse are progressive and all are described
as happening well before the end.

Their main interest to us is found in the phrase
"beginning of birth pangs." Natural disasters,

the tendency toward war as a tool of
diplomacy, famine amidst plenty (35,000
children die each day of starvation and
related diseases) and pestilence are described
as being common to the era but increasing in
frequency and intensity as the end approaches.
This was certainly the case in 2005 and is

an indicator of how close we are to the end.

It's true that for over 100 years folks have

been saying, "how much worse can it get?"
Sadly, the answer now as it was then is,
"Much!" It seems man's depravity knows no
limits.

But take heart. Though we are in the world,
we are not of the world. We don't belong here,
being citizens of heaven. And one
day soon our long awaited King will return
to take us there.

Maranatha!

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God's Golden Rule

Matthew 7:12
"Therefore, whatever you want men to do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets."

These words remind us that, as believers in Christ, we are commanded to treat others as we wish to be treated.

This commandment is, indeed, the Golden Rule for Christians of every generation. When we weave the thread of kindness into the very fabric of our lives, we give glory to the One who gave His life for ours.

Because we are imperfect human beings, we are, on occasion, selfish, thoughtless, or cruel.

But God commands us to behave otherwise. He teaches us to rise above our own imperfections and to treat others with unselfishness and love.

When we observe God's Golden Rule, we help build His kingdom here on earth.

And, when we share the love of Christ, we share a priceless gift; may we share it today and every day that we live.

Thought for the Day: One of the greatest things a man can do for his heavenly Father is to be kind to some of his other children."

from Ted Brabham's newsletter

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Solving the Three Day Three Night Mystery

by Jack Kelly Rapture Ready

In Matthew 12:38 Jesus is asked for a sign that He's the promised Messiah. The religious officials had just accused Him of using the power of Satan to perform His miracles, and so He described the only sign they would see. "Just as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of a huge fish," He said, "So will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth (Matt. 12:40)." By this He meant that because their hearts were hard they would only know for sure that He was their Messiah after they had killed Him, but His response resulted in a 2000 year controversy surrounding the time of His death.

What's a Sabbath?

Actually the controversy exists largely among gentile believers. Most Jews familiar with their religion figured it out long ago. But to a gentile ignorant of the Jewish calendar, the phrase in John 19:31 identifying the day after the Crucifixion as a special Sabbath meant that Jesus had to have been crucified on a Friday, because even gentiles know that the Jewish Sabbath is Saturday. Many otherwise competent resources (such as the Study Bible I use) make that mistake. And everyone agrees that He rose again on Sunday.

There isn't any way you can put three days and three nights between Friday afternoon and Sunday morning. Hence the controversy.

So let's get it straight. Sabbath means holy day. There is one every Saturday in Israel, but there are also several during the year that are date specific. That means they are always observed on a specific calendar date, regardless of the day. They're like our Christmas. It always comes on the 25th of December no matter what day of the week that happens to be.

The special Sabbath John referred to is the Feast of Unleavened Bread, and it's a date specific holy day; always observed on the 15th of the month they call Nisan, which corresponds to March/April on our calendar. So the first thing we learn is that the special Sabbath mentioned in John 19:31 wasn't a Saturday.

In fact there are three special Sabbaths in the month of Nisan alone; Passover on the 14th, the Feast of Unleavened Bread which begins on the 15th and runs through the 22nd, and the Feast of First Fruits on the Sunday morning following Passover. All have both a historical and prophetic purpose and like all days in the Jewish calendar they begin at sundown, following the pattern of Genesis 1. (This also confuses Gentiles since our day begins at midnight.)

The Passover Lamb

But it gets still more complex. The next issue we have to address is the sequence of events in the week we call Holy Week. Jesus came to fulfill the prophecies of the Passover Lamb. Here's what that means. In Exodus 12 where the Passover was ordained, God told the Israelites to select a lamb on the 10th day of the month and inspect it for defects until the 14th. This means through the end of the 13th. Then at twilight they were to slaughter and roast it, eating it that same evening. Using some of its blood they were to paint their door posts red to protect them from the plague coming upon Egypt at midnight.

Following our calendar, these events would have all occurred on the night of the 13th but for the Jews the 14th began at twilight, when the sun set, and so it was already the 14th when they killed and consumed the Passover lamb.

The only day Jesus ever allowed the people to hail Him as King was on the day we call Palm Sunday. He did this to fulfill the selection process for the Passover Lamb. When the officials told Him to quiet His disciples, He said that if they became quiet, the very stones would cry out (Luke 19:40). For this was the day ordained in history. It was the day He officially became the Lamb of God, Who takes away the sin of the world. It was 483 years to the day from the issuing of the decree to restore and rebuild Jerusalem, spoken of by Daniel the Prophet. (Daniel 9:25) A little while after the officials spoke with Him, He condemned Jerusalem to utter destruction because they did not recognize the day of His visitation (Luke 19:41-44) As we'll see it was the 10th day of the month.

The next three days were filled with the most aggressive debate and confrontation with the officials in His entire ministry, beginning with the Temple Cleansing. He was being inspected for any doctrinal spot or blemish that would disqualify Him as the Lamb of God. They found none.

Tradition, Tradition

Some years before the birth of Jesus the Passover celebration had been changed and in the Lord's time called for a brief ritual meal of lamb, unleavened bread, and bitter herbs (horseradish) to begin the 14th followed by a great and leisurely festival meal on the 15th, when the Feast of Unleavened Bread begins. This tradition is still followed today.

The 14th became known as Preparation Day (Mark 15:42, Luke 23:54, John 19:31), because on it they made ready for the great feast day beginning at sundown. Matthew identifies the day after the Crucifixion as the day after Preparation Day (27:62) so all four Gospels agree. Jesus died on Preparation day, the 14th of their month Nisan, which is Passover. He ate the ritual meal with His disciples in the Upper Room, and then was arrested, tried, convicted, and put to death; all on Passover. He had to be, in order to fulfill the prophecies of the Passover Lamb.

So just like the Lord had commanded in Exodus 12, He was selected on the 10th, inspected on the 11th, 12th, and 13th, and executed on the 14th of Nisan.

How Do We Know This?

A little over 100 years ago a believer named Robert Anderson was head of Scotland Yard's investigative division. He became intrigued by the three days and three nights issue and enlisted the help of the London Royal Observatory to investigate the problem since astronomers can locate the exact position of the planets and stars on any date in history. Since Passover always falls on the 14th, and since the Jewish calendar is lunar (moon) rather than solar (sun) oriented, there is always a full moon on Passover. This fulfills Genesis 1:14.

Plotting the course of the Sun and Moon they documented the day and date of every full moon. The Royal Observatory discovered that the first Palm Sunday was the 10th of Nisan. Passover, the 14th, was therefore a Thursday and Resurrection Morning was also a Sunday, the 17th. From Thursday to Sunday there are three days and three nights. Here's how it works. It's a little confusing to our way of thinking but read carefully and you'll see that it makes sense.

As I've said, He had to die on Passover to fulfill the prophecy. Early that Thursday morning the Jewish leadership decided to kill Him. His fate was sealed. Matt. 27:1 By law He had to be off the cross and in the ground before sundown. (He actually died about 3 PM and was laid in the tomb immediately.)

So Thursday was day one. Because in Jewish reckoning the night precedes the day, at sundown it became Friday the 15th, night one, and the special Sabbath John mentioned began.

At sunrise it was Friday day, day two. The next sundown brought Saturday night the 16th, night two, and the regular Sabbath began.

As of sunrise it was Saturday day, day three. At sundown on Saturday it became Sunday night the 17th, night three, and before sunrise Jesus rose from the tomb. Three days and three nights. When the women arrived to anoint His body at sunrise, He was already gone.

So in the week Jesus died two Sabbaths that permitted no work were observed back to back: The Feast of Unleavened Bread on Friday the 15th, and the regular weekly Sabbath on Saturday the 16th. In Matthew 28:1 we read that at dawn on the first day of the week (Sunday the 17th) the women who were close to Jesus went to look at the tomb. Luke 24:1 tells us they were going to anoint His body for burial. The two Sabbaths had prevented them from doing so earlier. But He wasn't there. He had risen. Being the Sunday after Passover, at the Jewish Temple it was Feast of First Fruits. At the Empty Tomb it was Resurrection Morning.

Some argue that this view doesn't permit three full days and three full nights in the tomb but that's not what the Scripture says. It simply says three days and three nights. If you move his death up to Wednesday like some teach to get three full days you violate the Passover Lamb prophecies. The Thursday date is the only one that will accommodate both the Passover Lamb and the three day three night prophecies.

Selah 4/8/07

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Where in the World is the United States?

During Prophecy that is.....
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Burnin' Down the House
Commentary on the News
Monday, March 26, 2007
Jack Kinsella - Omega Letter Editor

Iran has put together a senior defense delegation to discuss joint weapons development projects and related cooperative efforts with Bashar Assad's Ba'athist government in Syria.

Iran is cozying up to the Syrian regime as openly as it has been of late is noteworthy. Syria is a majority Sunni Ba'athist state, as was that of Saddam's Iraq.

The Iranians fought an eight year war against the Ba'athists that expended the cream of that generation on the battlefields. If one looks at Iran's population demographic, seventy percent is under thirty and the rest are over sixty.

There is a gaping hole in the middle. That entire generation was wiped out by the Iran-Iraq War of 1980-1988.

Politically, Bashar Assad is Saddam's ideological twin. If Iran wasn't planning war with the West, it would be planning war with Syria. But, Sunni or Shi'a, they share the same Islamic duty to first 'liberate' the Holy Land from the "Jewish Occupation."

It is important to understand the significance of that sense of 'duty'.

The Hamas Charter states, "[Peace] initiatives, the so-called peaceful solutions, and international conferences to resolve the Palestinian problem all contradict the beliefs of the Islamic Resistance Movement. Indeed, giving up any part of Palestine is tantamount to giving up part of its religion."

Any peace agreement with Israel that involves recognition of Israel's right to exist is an admission that Islam is a false religion. Islam can no more recognize Israel's right to Temple Mount than religious Jews can recognize Islam's possession of it.

All of historical Palestine—modern Israel (within the 1949 armistice borders), Gaza, Judea, Samaria, and modern Jordan—whose pre-Islamic inhabitants—Jews, Samaritans, and Christians—were conquered by jihad in the fourth decade of the 7th century—is considered “fay territory”.

It is a permanent part of the Dar al Islam, where Islamic Law must forever prevail. Israel, governed by a “usurper” infidel people, i.e., Jews, on such “fay territory”—no longer an appropriately oppressed dhimmi people living under the yoke of Islamic Law—must be destroyed in a collective jihad by the entire Muslim community.

That is the religious duty of all Muslims, both Arab and Persian.

That is the fatal flaw in the peace process. To the Islamic world, the peace process was exactly as Arafat always described it. A stalling tactic while the forces of Islam prepared for war. With Iran on board this time, they think they are ready.

So do most Western intelligence agencies.

The new head of the US Defense Intelligence Agency, General Michael Maples, told Congress that the war between Israel and Hezbollah will likely break out again this summer.

General Maples told the Congress that "while Israel damaged Hezbollah's arsenal and many of its buildings, “Hezbollah’s leadership remains unscathed and probably has already replenished its weapons stockpiles with Iranian and Syrian assistance.”

He noted that, "Hezollah leaders claimed victory and grew more assertive in their political demands as demonstrated by opposition demonstrations in Beirut."

"Hezbollah is currently focused on asserting political dominance in Lebanon. Iran and Syria remain committed to Hezbollah's survival. Israeli defense officials have publicly opined that due to the fluid situation, the conflict could reignite during the summer of 2007,” he said.

Syria is helping Islamic terrorists from al-Qaeda, Fatah al Islam and Jund al-Sham infiltrate into Lebanon to bolster existing Hezbollah forces in Nah al-Barid refugee camps. There are reports that the terrorists then deploy throughout Beirut or scatter inside Palestinian 'refugee' camps.

In addition, Maples told Congress that, "Syria has had a chemical weapons program for many years and already has a stockpile of the nerve agent sarin, which can be delivered by aircraft or ballistic missiles." He also reported Syria has gotten missile assistance from China, Iran and North Korea.

"The Syrian military has focused its limited defense procurement dollars on low-cost, high-impact weapons such as anti-tank guided missiles, advanced tactical surface-to-air missiles like the SA-24, and upgrades to existing platforms," Maples said.

So, with all this intelligence pointing towards an inevitable conflict in the Middle East, perhaps in a matter of weeks, one that will just as inevitably put US forces in the middle of an unconventional war involving gas, biological weapons, and maybe even nuclear weapons, what has the Democrat-controlled Congress occupied?

Investigating what is, by all accounts, the LEGAL firing of eight US attorneys by the White House. Issuing subpoenas for White House staff over a non-crime. Arguing about the best way to lose the war in Iraq. Demanding open hearings on sensitive intelligence matters, hoping to embarrass the White House.

This is no longer politics. It is an issue of national survival.


Where is America in Bible prophecy?

How is it that the Bible can accurately forecast the emergence of the four spheres of world power in the last days, precisely as they have emerged IN THIS GENERATION, while omitting mention of the greatest global super-power the world has ever known?

There are but two possible answers. The first, and most hopeful, is that the Rapture of the Church will so decimate and demoralize the nation that it will cease to play any meaningful role on the international stage during the Tribulation Period.

The second is that Congress will keep fiddling until Washington burns.

I wish I could say which comes first.



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