From Russia Today: "Presidential candidate Vladimir Putin has promised to make the protection of repressed Christians in foreign countries one of his foreign policy priorities if he becomes president again. When Putin met with the representatives of Russia’s traditional confessions in Moscow’s main cathedral on Wednesday, the representatives of the Russian Orthodox Church told him that Christians are facing repressions all over the world. The head of External Church Relations, Metropolitan Illarion, said that every five minutes one Christian was dying for his or her faith in some part of the world, specifying that he was talking about such countries as Iraq, Egypt, Pakistan and India. The cleric asked Putin to make the protection of Christians one of the foreign policy directions in future. “This is how it will be, have no doubt,” Putin answered."
I am reminded of another who is prophesied to come, boasting in flatteries and promises:
"And in his estate shall stand up a vile person, to whom they shall not give the honour of the kingdom: but he shall come in peaceably, and obtain the kingdom by flatteries." (Daniel 11:21)
Not that Putin is the antichrist but perhaps a pale imitation of one. A forerunner. Seven months ago, Joel C. Rosenberg wrote "Putin Rising: but is he Gog?" regarding the March 4th election in Russia (which Putin won) and in that essay Rosenberg said,
"But should Putin come back, it will not bode well for Israel, the U.S., or Europe. Putin is a power-hungry, greedy, authoritarian, Czar wannabe. He is determined to expand Russian wealth, power and control over her neighbors. He has worked especially hard to build strategic alliances with Radical Islamic leaders and states in the Middle East. Over the years, people have asked me if Putin might be the Russian dictator referred to as “Gog” in the Biblical prophecies of “Gog and Magog” in Ezekiel 38-39. I suspect as Putin continues to re-emerge, those questions will begin to be asked again. Here’s my quick answer: It’s too soon to draw such a conclusion. There’s much more that would have to happen to indicate that Putin was the “Gog” of Bible prophecy. But there’s no question in my mind that Putin is Gog-esque."
Putin is back and I think he is looking more 'Gog-esque' by the minute.
And a few days ago it was reported that Putin will visit Israel in June, shortly after he is installed as President of Russia. Why? Rosenberg asked the same thing, as many are. We're all scratching our heads.
"Now comes a curious new development: Vladimir Putin will make a high-profile visit to Israel in June, not long after he is sworn in as Russia’s new president on May 7th. News reports indicate Mr. Putin’s first foreign trip upon reclaiming his power will be to the U.S. for the G8 summit on May 20. That makes sense. The U.S.-Russian relationship has widely been considered the most important bilateral geopolitical relationship on the planet since the end of World War II. But with all the other important countries and leaders in the world Mr. Putin could visit, why is he choosing to make meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu his first objective after his meeting with President Obama? What is the Russian leader’s motive? What does he want to accomplish, and why? Will Putin seek to pressure Israel not to launch a preemptive strike on Iran? Will he visit other countries in the epicenter on the same trip? Will he, for example, visit Iran, Syria, and Lebanon, as well? What about other countries mentioned in the prophecies of Ezekiel 38-39? It’s too early to say, but a development well worth watching closely."
You betcha we'll be watching.
This time we are living in now is a time of severe deception. We are told that we will all be clamoring for peace, peace, looking for one who will flatter and solve the world's problems and accepting him when he arrives. But it is all a massive deception. Hitler was a deceptively gentle man who was well regarded by those with whom he met. And they believed him. Here are some of the reactions:
"William Manchester's biography of Sir Winston Churchill confronts us with the unpleasant and haunting reminders of Hitler, a man who came extremely close to being the Antichrist, yet deceived the world with his promises of peace. Listen to what Manchester wrote, "Thomas Jones who had been in and out of Whitehall for a quarter century wrote in his diary, `All sorts of people who have met Hitler are convinced that he's a factor for peace. He doesn't seek war but friendship. Meeting the press after he had been closeted with Hitler for an hour, Lloyd George said he regarded him as the greatest living German. A year later he wrote, "I only wish we had a man of his supreme quality at the head of affairs in our country today."" He's talking about Hitler. Nazi goals were even applauded by Anglican clergymen, a group of whom expressed, quote: "Boundless admiration for the moral and ethical side of the Nazi program, its clear stand for religion and Christianity and its ethical principles," end quote.
(source: The Coming of World Peace)
And Putin will make protection of Christians in the world a priority. Peace! Peace! It is right around the corner!
Showing posts with label christianity. Show all posts
Showing posts with label christianity. Show all posts
Saturday, March 31, 2012
Tuesday, December 20, 2011
Why your church is a military academy
The local church in America is a lot of things to a lot of people these days. For some, it is the main entertainment center of their life. They go there on Sunday and have films or comedy routines or dances presented to them, or even a bed and a sermon on sex, instead of expositional sermons. Youths lounge sulkily in darkened ministry rooms designed to look like city lofts, complete with cool couch, and a stage with a drum set in the middle so they can get jacked up for Jesus. The building is mostly a place for recreational and social activities, and entertainment.
For others, the church is a country club. It is a place where like-looking people from the same socio-economic strata congregate and have coffee and laugh and make plans to go the Cracker Barrel after the appropriately short sermonette their avuncular (until crossed) pastor gives them. No feathers are ever ruffled and all people are friends, at least for another week. And even if they aren't, they're family and they have been going there for years anyway. It is mostly a place for recreational and social activities, and entertainment.
For me, the church is a military academy. "The purpose of the United States Military Academy is "to provide the Nation with leaders of character who serve the common defense." In order to achieve its purpose, the mission of the United States Military Academy is "To educate, train, and inspire the Corps of Cadets so that each graduate is a commissioned leader of character committed to the values of Duty, Honor, Country; professional growth throughout a career as an officer in the United States Army; and a lifetime of selfless service to the nation."
All we need to do is change a few words to replicate the duty of the Christian in service to our High Commander: Jesus, in not the nation but the Body of Christ. Yes, it is for a lifetime. We learn duty and honor to Him, we grow as Christians in His Spirit. Our churches are military training academies and the enemy is satan.
In other words, it is a training ground to go out and participate in war. The teachers are often the seasoned vets, familiar with the enemy and familiar with the training manuals. The cadets come in and learn from them, as well as make bonds with their fellow cadets. Other who may be younger than a seasoned vet teach some of the more basic classes. It isn't an army base where it is insular and protected by barbed wire. It is a Military Academy, where we go in for educational purposes, get trained, and go out. Only to come back and get more training so we can better engage the enemy, depending on where the Commander decides to deploy us. And so on. Week after week we go in, get trained and refreshed, learn a bit more about the enemy, and then go out and wage battle.
However, I am sure there are sentries stationed around even an academy. They are needed. "Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:" (1 Peter 5:8) We need to remain vigilant and aware of our common enemy's whereabouts and his tactics at all times, even when we are inside the academy.
The warlike aspect of our faith is increasingly ignored in favor of the comforts of what we are told Christianity can bring us. Every day is a Friday. We can get comfortable seats at the movies and preferred parking places at the mall if we just believe. We sow a seed and reap 100 fold. Ugh.
The first century Christians didn't have a church down the road to skip to because their flat screen is bigger. The medieval Christians didn't even have access to the bible and the only church was the false Catholic church. The Third World countries that oppress Christians and persecute them have churches, but if you congregate there you may get burned alive inside. The Tribulation saints won't have churches to rely on, but only basements and nooks and alleys and mostly will be on the run from the hounds of antichrist coming to behead them. We have the glorious opportunity now, here in this age and in this nation, this generation, to attend a church of our choosing and learn the Word and to rejoice in Him with brothers of the faith, to extend the kingdom and to glorify Jesus! How DARE WE toss aside our churches! How DARE WE let them go to the hounds of hell simply because we cannot be bothered! A nation with no military academy loses the war.
We ARE in a war, every minute. "This charge I commit unto thee, son Timothy, according to the prophecies which went before on thee, that thou by them mightest war a good warfare; Holding faith, and a good conscience; which some having put away concerning faith have made shipwreck:" (1 Timothy 1:18-19).
Our walk is called a good fight of faith. "Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art also called, and hast professed a good profession before many witnesses." (1 Timothy 6:12)
The church is supposed to train us and equip us, the same as a military academy. "It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, to prepare God’s people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up" (Ephesians 4:11-12)
The pastor is supposed to be training the cadets but it is not a duty resting solely on the pastor. Any church that abdicates its duty and whose individuals in the congregation rely on the pastor only for education is in for a wild authoritarian ride! We learn from our elders and our teachers, and from each other too. (Proverbs 27:17). No one is higher than another. "But do not be called Rabbi; for One is your Teacher, and you are all brothers." (Matthew 23:8).
Puritan John Owen wrote, “The first and principal duty of a pastor is to feed the flock by diligent preaching of the word. It is a promise relating to the new testament, that God would give unto his church "pastors according to his own heart, which should feed them with knowledge and understanding" (Jer. 3:15). This is by teaching or preaching the word, and no otherwise.” That means no beds, no movies, no man-written books, no comedy routines, no interpretive dance, just the training manual, thank you: the bible. Can you imagine the reaction at West Point if the cadets attended a class on "Enemy Tactics 101" and the teacher said they will learn how to identify the enemy through watching an interpretive dance? The teacher would be laughed out of the classroom.
The point is to learn when you get there, not recreate or entertain. You don't go to there passively occupy space without ever employing your brain. What if you went in to the Academy week after week and all the teacher ever did was give you the syllabus? Where's the substance? The content? The meat? You would demand your tuition back! What if you went in there and all the teacher ever did was show recruiting films? You're already recruited. Soon you get to asking, "Now what? I don't know enough about the enemy. I don't know what I am supposed to be doing to alert others to the danger, and I don't know enough to know how to resist the enemy... and I've been coming to this Academy for 10 years!" (1 Corinthians 3:2; Hebrews 5:12). The church is for training, equipping, sharpening. When we go to church we are not recreating, we are not country clubbing. We are soldiers!
"Thou therefore endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ." (2 Timothy 2:3).
You're a soldier, soldier! Quit whining about the pews! Quit griping about the air conditioning! Stop wallowing in your laziness! Snap out of it! You're in Jesus's army now! "Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:" (Ephesians 6:11-17)
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For others, the church is a country club. It is a place where like-looking people from the same socio-economic strata congregate and have coffee and laugh and make plans to go the Cracker Barrel after the appropriately short sermonette their avuncular (until crossed) pastor gives them. No feathers are ever ruffled and all people are friends, at least for another week. And even if they aren't, they're family and they have been going there for years anyway. It is mostly a place for recreational and social activities, and entertainment.
For me, the church is a military academy. "The purpose of the United States Military Academy is "to provide the Nation with leaders of character who serve the common defense." In order to achieve its purpose, the mission of the United States Military Academy is "To educate, train, and inspire the Corps of Cadets so that each graduate is a commissioned leader of character committed to the values of Duty, Honor, Country; professional growth throughout a career as an officer in the United States Army; and a lifetime of selfless service to the nation."
All we need to do is change a few words to replicate the duty of the Christian in service to our High Commander: Jesus, in not the nation but the Body of Christ. Yes, it is for a lifetime. We learn duty and honor to Him, we grow as Christians in His Spirit. Our churches are military training academies and the enemy is satan.
In other words, it is a training ground to go out and participate in war. The teachers are often the seasoned vets, familiar with the enemy and familiar with the training manuals. The cadets come in and learn from them, as well as make bonds with their fellow cadets. Other who may be younger than a seasoned vet teach some of the more basic classes. It isn't an army base where it is insular and protected by barbed wire. It is a Military Academy, where we go in for educational purposes, get trained, and go out. Only to come back and get more training so we can better engage the enemy, depending on where the Commander decides to deploy us. And so on. Week after week we go in, get trained and refreshed, learn a bit more about the enemy, and then go out and wage battle.
However, I am sure there are sentries stationed around even an academy. They are needed. "Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:" (1 Peter 5:8) We need to remain vigilant and aware of our common enemy's whereabouts and his tactics at all times, even when we are inside the academy.
The warlike aspect of our faith is increasingly ignored in favor of the comforts of what we are told Christianity can bring us. Every day is a Friday. We can get comfortable seats at the movies and preferred parking places at the mall if we just believe. We sow a seed and reap 100 fold. Ugh.
The first century Christians didn't have a church down the road to skip to because their flat screen is bigger. The medieval Christians didn't even have access to the bible and the only church was the false Catholic church. The Third World countries that oppress Christians and persecute them have churches, but if you congregate there you may get burned alive inside. The Tribulation saints won't have churches to rely on, but only basements and nooks and alleys and mostly will be on the run from the hounds of antichrist coming to behead them. We have the glorious opportunity now, here in this age and in this nation, this generation, to attend a church of our choosing and learn the Word and to rejoice in Him with brothers of the faith, to extend the kingdom and to glorify Jesus! How DARE WE toss aside our churches! How DARE WE let them go to the hounds of hell simply because we cannot be bothered! A nation with no military academy loses the war.
We ARE in a war, every minute. "This charge I commit unto thee, son Timothy, according to the prophecies which went before on thee, that thou by them mightest war a good warfare; Holding faith, and a good conscience; which some having put away concerning faith have made shipwreck:" (1 Timothy 1:18-19).
Our walk is called a good fight of faith. "Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art also called, and hast professed a good profession before many witnesses." (1 Timothy 6:12)
The church is supposed to train us and equip us, the same as a military academy. "It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, to prepare God’s people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up" (Ephesians 4:11-12)
The pastor is supposed to be training the cadets but it is not a duty resting solely on the pastor. Any church that abdicates its duty and whose individuals in the congregation rely on the pastor only for education is in for a wild authoritarian ride! We learn from our elders and our teachers, and from each other too. (Proverbs 27:17). No one is higher than another. "But do not be called Rabbi; for One is your Teacher, and you are all brothers." (Matthew 23:8).
Puritan John Owen wrote, “The first and principal duty of a pastor is to feed the flock by diligent preaching of the word. It is a promise relating to the new testament, that God would give unto his church "pastors according to his own heart, which should feed them with knowledge and understanding" (Jer. 3:15). This is by teaching or preaching the word, and no otherwise.” That means no beds, no movies, no man-written books, no comedy routines, no interpretive dance, just the training manual, thank you: the bible. Can you imagine the reaction at West Point if the cadets attended a class on "Enemy Tactics 101" and the teacher said they will learn how to identify the enemy through watching an interpretive dance? The teacher would be laughed out of the classroom.
The point is to learn when you get there, not recreate or entertain. You don't go to there passively occupy space without ever employing your brain. What if you went in to the Academy week after week and all the teacher ever did was give you the syllabus? Where's the substance? The content? The meat? You would demand your tuition back! What if you went in there and all the teacher ever did was show recruiting films? You're already recruited. Soon you get to asking, "Now what? I don't know enough about the enemy. I don't know what I am supposed to be doing to alert others to the danger, and I don't know enough to know how to resist the enemy... and I've been coming to this Academy for 10 years!" (1 Corinthians 3:2; Hebrews 5:12). The church is for training, equipping, sharpening. When we go to church we are not recreating, we are not country clubbing. We are soldiers!
"Thou therefore endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ." (2 Timothy 2:3).
You're a soldier, soldier! Quit whining about the pews! Quit griping about the air conditioning! Stop wallowing in your laziness! Snap out of it! You're in Jesus's army now! "Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:" (Ephesians 6:11-17)
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Saturday, December 10, 2011
What Iranian and Chinese believers go through
As you prepare to attend worship services Sunday, or not, please take a few moments to view the state of Christianity in Iran and in China. The first video is produced by Farshid Seyed Mehdi, an Christian Iranian national living in Netherlands. He is an activist for Jesus, leading and training men to return to Iran to spread the word of Jesus and His Gospel.
This second video I stumbled across on YouTube. I have no idea if these are legitimate. I searched and found that the producer of the first video of converted Iranians is actually a real activist and seems to adhere to the proper tenets of Christianity. I have not found anything about the second video that would dispute that it is actual smuggled video of secret churches in China.
Ultimately, we know that the truth is behind these videos, Christians are being persecuted in Iran and in China. If you are here in America reading this, pray in shame to the Lord for the state of our churches, and for Him to revive us to the truth of the Gospel. If you are in a good, bible-believing church, thank the Lord. If you have accepted untruth in your church from pastor or leadership to the false tune of unity or tolerance, then think of the brothers who are beaten and the sisters who are raped just for daring to believe in Jesus in a satanic culture. Stand up for the truth.
On the positive side, let people see Jesus in you! Walk in love and in His light. Living as Jesus would have us live in a perverted culture is a powerful witness to Him. Something very powerful that we can do is pray for our brothers in places where they are hostile to Christians. Pray to give them provision, strength, the food of the Gospel, fellow believers to encourage and be encouraged by, bibles, and more. We owe a great debt to our spiritual forefathers of the first generation church who stood for Jesus and died because of it. We owe a great debt to those at this present time who stand for Jesus in Iran, Indonesia, China, and other places hostile to Jesus and die because of it. We owe a future debt to the Tribulation martyrs (Rev 6:9-11) who will be for "slain for the word of God, and for the testimony which they held."
Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord. "And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell." (Matthew 10:28). For those of us in America or other places where we can worship freely, if we become petty or picky at our worship place or leadership, remember Hebrews 12:4, "Ye have not yet resisted unto blood, striving against sin."
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This second video I stumbled across on YouTube. I have no idea if these are legitimate. I searched and found that the producer of the first video of converted Iranians is actually a real activist and seems to adhere to the proper tenets of Christianity. I have not found anything about the second video that would dispute that it is actual smuggled video of secret churches in China.
Ultimately, we know that the truth is behind these videos, Christians are being persecuted in Iran and in China. If you are here in America reading this, pray in shame to the Lord for the state of our churches, and for Him to revive us to the truth of the Gospel. If you are in a good, bible-believing church, thank the Lord. If you have accepted untruth in your church from pastor or leadership to the false tune of unity or tolerance, then think of the brothers who are beaten and the sisters who are raped just for daring to believe in Jesus in a satanic culture. Stand up for the truth.
On the positive side, let people see Jesus in you! Walk in love and in His light. Living as Jesus would have us live in a perverted culture is a powerful witness to Him. Something very powerful that we can do is pray for our brothers in places where they are hostile to Christians. Pray to give them provision, strength, the food of the Gospel, fellow believers to encourage and be encouraged by, bibles, and more. We owe a great debt to our spiritual forefathers of the first generation church who stood for Jesus and died because of it. We owe a great debt to those at this present time who stand for Jesus in Iran, Indonesia, China, and other places hostile to Jesus and die because of it. We owe a future debt to the Tribulation martyrs (Rev 6:9-11) who will be for "slain for the word of God, and for the testimony which they held."
Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord. "And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell." (Matthew 10:28). For those of us in America or other places where we can worship freely, if we become petty or picky at our worship place or leadership, remember Hebrews 12:4, "Ye have not yet resisted unto blood, striving against sin."
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