The PZ Insider Report- The Latest Gimmick - Car Shows For Christ Monday, June 13th 2011

Transcription

1 The PZ Insider Report- The Latest Gimmick - Car Shows For Christ Monday, June 13th 2011 It is amazing the gimmicks and things that churches do to appear "normal" to the world or how they try to bring in the people. Well I just happen to come across a trend that has been going on for a while now. Church Car Shows. See I found out kind of late that these were going on but here in our sleepy little town of New Braunfels we just had a "Car Show for Christ" and block party. Wow this must be something new. It isn't. Go to Google up "Church Car Show" and I was amazed at what popped up. With that said, I am honored to present the following articles in this issue of the PZ Insider Report. Car Shows For Christ - By Ray Gano Hating the Rapture - By David Cloud The Soul That Longeth After God - By Joseph Chambers Hitler's Anti-Semitism Still Alive and Kicking in Europe - By Dr. Chuck Missler Page 1

2 Self-Discipline - By Barbara Henderson Jubileum Part II: Human Oppressors and Enslavers Restrained - By Wilfred Hahn A Guarantee Demands a Guarantor - By Jack Kinsella You Don't Need To Know - By Bill Wilson The US has given into the radical homosexual agenda - By Bill Keller Continue To Keep Us In Prayer Please continue to keep Tracye and I in prayer. Please pray that we get more PZ Insiders and are able to continue moving forward with taking God's Word to the world via the internet. So many people today do not have a solid bible preaching and teaching church for them to attend. It is Tracye and I's desire to help provide solid biblical teaching as well as helping educate people in being prepared living in a tougher world in these last days of the last days. If you are reading this and you are not a PZ Insider, please consider coming on board and help support our work here. It is as little as $10.00 a month. You can't buy a family lunch for that amount. In James we read that "You have not because you ask not." Please become a PZ Insider and stand with us in the gap. Monthly ($10.00) - Monthly ($15.00) - Monthly ($20.00) - Monthly ($25.00) - Every 6 Months ($50.00) - Yearly ($100.00) - If you just want to just help and give, please use the following URL... Donate - Thank you for being there. In His Service, Ray & Tracye Gano Prophezine Page 2

3 RAMPING UP - The PZ Survival Files COST - $ $3.00 shipping & handling Approximately 8 hours of MP3 interviews and lectures on being better prepared on one CD. To Order - Why Be Prepared? Based on cyclical and historical facts, the US goes into a time of "chaos" and financial disaster every 100 years or so. These cycles have been felt by our nation even in the revolutionary war era. Studies show that the US has once again entered that time of chaos around Fast forward to today, the date is 2011 and we are approximately 5 years into the chaos and things are getting harder. But not only that, things are going to get worse. Scripture Says... 2 Timothy 3:1 This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come The Nation is above their head with over $111 Trillion in debt and there is no way to pay it back. Sooner or later the US will default on her creditors and this will cause a nationwide financial disaster. This is not a matter of "IF" it is going to happen, it is a matter "WHEN" it will happen. It is Prophezine's desire to help people become more aware and equip them with information on how one can better prepare. ORDER NOW >>> RAMPING UP - The PZ Survival Files COST - $ $3.00 shipping & handling To Order - Page 3

4 Car Shows For Christ By Ray Gano It is amazing the gimmicks and things that churches do to appear "normal" to the world or how they try to bring in the people. Well I just happen to come across a trend that has been going on for a while now. Church Car Shows. See I found out kind of late that these were going on but here in our sleepy little town of New Braunfels we just had a "Car Show for Christ" and block party. Wow this must be something new. It isn't. I went to Google and searched "Church Car Show" and I was amazed at what popped up. Page 4

5 Guess no evening service for Denbigh Baptist Church, or are they going to have a special (sneaky) "Car Show Service" now that they have a captive audience? Page 5

6 Wow, such a stylish photo. The car featured is a Shelby Cobra, if it is a kit or original, who knows. But the cost either way for this car is usually in the triple digits. Page 6

7 A car show at a ROC Church, Richmond VA Hey because it is church, they got a bible to go with that beer and built in bar. It's all cool man no problem. What's looking back? The world, a demon, Satan, you choose, they are all the same. Page 7

8 No scantily clad bikini car babes at this show. No sir WE'RE CHRISTIANS We Keep Our Clothes On! Smile for the camera, we are winning people to Christ! Page 8

9 Now there are some of you probably thinking I am being overly critical, prudish, maybe even downright mean. I have to ask, what separates these sort of events from those you would go to the fairgrounds or other worldly venues? Nothing. Are these churches winning souls for Christ? No. What is going on is just another watered down way for people to condone sin. All they have done is slap the name "Christian" on it and have the event at a local church. Sure they might be having some fund raiser and the pastor might even get up and give some feel good 15 minute talk, not sermon mind you, but some beating around the bush, "why not come to church" speech to the masses in attendance. I am sure some of you are saying" these are just good church folk having a good time, where is the sin?" Exodus 20:3-5 Thou shalt have no other gods before me. 4 Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth: 5 Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me; I find it ironic that here churches avail themselves to the worship of other gods / graven images for others to also bow down to, praise and admire. "But Ray, that is old testament stuff, that was only for the Jews. We are Christians saved by grace. That does not count for us." Ok how about from Christ's own words Mark 10:17-23 And when he was gone forth into the way, there came one running, and kneeled to him, and asked him, Good Master, what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life? 18 And Jesus said unto him, Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God. 19 Thou knowest the commandments, Do not commit adultery, Do not kill, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Defraud not, Honour thy father and mother. Page 9

10 20 And he answered and said unto him, Master, all these have I observed from my youth. 21 Then Jesus beholding him loved him, and said unto him, One thing thou lackest: go thy way, sell whatsoever thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, take up the cross, and follow me. 22 And he was sad at that saying, and went away grieved: for he had great possessions. 23 And Jesus looked round about, and saith unto his disciples, How hardly shall they that have riches enter into the kingdom of God! Better yet, try this one on for size John 14:15 If ye love me, keep my commandments. FYI, there was no new testament around when Christ spoke this. There was only the old testament. So what "commandments" is Christ talking about here? " Thou shalt have no other gods before me.?" Where your heart is, so shall your treasure be. What do these car owners, churches even attendees treasure? You can clearly see that they treasure the world and her gods. Once again another worldly gimmick that all it attracts is the world. There is nothing "Christian" about it except some watered down church slapped a cute religious name on the event. If these pastors..strike that; these hirelings would just take the time to read the bible, they would find out how to bring people to the Lord. Romans 10:17 So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. The gospel is not heard from a 442 hemi, nor by the sexy car chicks hanging all over the cars. The Gospel is shared by preaching the convicting Word of God telling people that they are sinners in need of a savior and without Jesus Christ they will spend eternity in Hell. But that does not make good church these days. People don t want to hear the truth. They would rather feel good about themselves, what stuff they have and what cool cars and sexy chicks they got hanging on their arm. "It's all about the world man Who cares about God, I'm livin the dream." Page 10

11 Hating the Rapture By David Cloud Evangelical bookstores typically feature many writers who hate the doctrine of an imminent Rapture of the saints, in spite of the fact that it is plainly described in Paul s writings and the early saints were living in expectation of it. For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord (1 Thessalonians 4:16-17). Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh (Matthew 24:44). For they themselves shew of us what manner of entering in we had unto you, and how ye turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God; And to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, even Jesus, which delivered us from the wrath to come (1 Thessalonians 1:9-10). James and Peter and John also taught that the Lord is at hand (James 5:9; 1 Peter 4:7; Revelation 1:3). In contrast, consider the following heretical statements against the imminent return of Christ: Tony Campolo hates dispensationalism and rejects the doctrine of Christ s imminent return. He calls it a weird little form of fundamentalism. Speaking at the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship s annual meeting in June 2003, Campolo said: That whole sense of the rapture, which may occur at any moment, is used as a device to oppose engagement with the principalities, the powers, the political and economic structures of our age ( Opposition to women preachers evidence of demonic influence, Baptist Press, June 27, 2003). Brian McLaren mocks the fundamentalist expectations of a literal second coming of Christ with its attendant judgments on the world and assumes that the world will go on like it is for hundreds of thousands of years (A Generous Orthodoxy, p. 305). He calls the literal, imminent return of Christ pop- Evangelical eschatology (Generous Orthodoxy, p. 267) and the eschatology of abandonment (interview with Planet Preterist, Jan. 30, 2005, McLaren says that the book of Revelation is not a book about the distant future but is a way of talking about the challenges of the immediate present (The Secret Message of Jesus, 2007, p. 176). Mark Driscoll mocks the idea of a Rapture for believers and a one-world government with an Anti-christ who makes people wear a mark to buy, sell or trade (Confessions of a Reformissional, pp ). He Page 11

12 adds that this kind of end-time mission is not a message from Jesus but rather one concocted from a cunning Serpent ( Mark Driscoll Rejects McLaren but Embraces Contemplative, Jan. 11, 2008, Driscoll mocks the imminent Rapture. He claims that the Rapture doctrine is evidence of the sickness of American Christians and mocks those who have the goal of leaving this trailer park of a planet before God s tornado touches down on all the sinners (The Radical Reformission, p. 78). He libelously calls dispensationalists nutty, Christian, end-times-prophecy Kaczynskis (p. 165). [Ted Kaczynski was the Unabomber terrorist who murdered three people and maimed 23 others in his 18-year-long campaign against modern technology.] Dan Kimball describes how that he rejected dispensational theology and the doctrine of an imminent Rapture and moved to his current position that the kingdom of God is here, now (Listening to the Beliefs of Emerging Churches, pp , 102). Ed Stetzer says it is wrong to worry about whether the Rapture is imminent. When the disciples had an inordinate interest in the end times, much like we do today in North America among evangelicals, Jesus said, Do not get focused on that (Breaking the Missional Code, p. 40). Stetzer is referring to Acts 1:6-8, but Jesus was not talking there about the timing of the Rapture but about the coming of the kingdom of God. The disciples were expecting the kingdom to be set up immediately, but Jesus told them to focus rather on preaching the gospel and leave the kingdom to Him. This passage corrects the emerging church doctrine that we are building the kingdom of God in the world today, but it does not support the idea that we shouldn t be concerned about the imminent return of Christ. The rejection of the imminent Rapture is not a light matter. As we have seen, Christ, Paul, James, and Peter taught that the return of Christ is imminent and is to be expected at any time (Mat. 24:44; Phil. 4:5; Jam. 5:8-9; 1 Pet. 4:7). The early Christians lived in expectation of Christ s return the literal fulfillment of the prophecies (1 Thessalonians 1:9-10). The doctrine of a pre-tribulational Rapture is a great motivator for purifying one s personal Christian life. It encourages the believer in trials and persecutions (1 Thessalonians 4:17-18). It keeps the church s focus on the Great Commission (Mat. 28:18-20; Mk 16:15; Lk. 24:44-48; Acts 1:8). It teaches us that preaching the gospel, winning people to Christ, and establishing churches as the pillar and ground of the truth is the most urgent matter. D.L. Moody had it right when he said: I look upon this world as a wrecked vessel. God has given me a lifeboat and said to me, Moody, save all you can. The imminent Rapture motivates us to be busy in the Lord s work (1 Cor. 15:58), to live obedient lives (1 Jn. 3:1-3; 1 Th. 5:4-7), and to separate from evil (Tit. 2:13-14). How many conservative evangelicals and conservative Southern Baptists have torn down the idol of the hatred toward the biblical Rapture and removed the high places where this heresy has spread? Page 12

13 The Soul That Longeth After God By Joseph Chambers Only the souls who long after God will have any assurance of Salvation. Multitudes claim religion but the Lord Jesus is only a small part of their life. They know He is real and that He died for their sins but they have never experienced Him. If Jesus Christ ever steps into your life with resurrection power you will long and even pant for Him. As the hart panted after the water brooks, so panted my soul after thee, O God. (Psalms 42:1)To pant for Him is an extreme passion that consumes your life. He created us in His Image with a God shaped vacuum within the human spirit. When He is allowed to move into that sacred domain of your life you will never be the same. Once He is Lord of all, and He will not be Lord of less, your passions are toward Him in every facet of life. You will literally fall in love with the Bible. The Book that was obscure in the past suddenly reads like a love story from the Divine. You could not understand it when you did not know Him. The moment He became real your Bible became real. You will no longer want some common language Bible, you will want a Bible that sounds like another world, because it really is from another world. Sermons that are tough and striking will be a joy and quickly become thrilling and sanctifying. These modern entertainers will be a joke to you. Modern pastors have been trained to mesmerize you. They have created a mystic around themselves and the flock, especially the ladies, swoon to hear them and watch them perform. The whole megachurch world its last hour. It is blasphemy for men who claim to be from God to allow such worship of themselves and they will be consumed in the process of their folly. We have already viewed the shipwreck of many. Nothing has done greater damage to the church than these corporation style churches that offer thousands a religious hiding place and playground. Sunday night church is almost gone because there is no passion to feed on the Word of God. A movie, television, or swapping tales with a friend is more enjoyable than fellowship from the Spirit world. A Sunday morning laugh-in has given them religion for the week. This level of Christianity is actually not even equal to the lukewarm that He will spue out of His mouth. At least that was called a church and this generation has rejected the very word church. Most churches have been remade into an entertainment center where they drink coffee and eat donuts while the laugh-in progresses. The sanctified soul is repulsed by such cheapening of the lofty matters of our Great God. Where are the Saints that can quote the Twenty-third Psalm and experience wonderful Rapture just thrilling to such language. The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters. He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name s sake. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou Page 13

14 art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me. Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever. (Psalms 23:1-6) Such truth as this great revelation fills the Holy Bible from Genesis to Revelation. Our Lord was not any more real to the Old Testament Saints than He wants to be to you. Look at Isaiah s great call for the saints to feast on the Holy Bible and the life of his Spirit. Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money; come ye, buy, and eat; yea, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price. Wherefore do ye spend money for that which is not bread? and your labour for that which satisfieth not? hearken diligently unto me, and eat ye that which is good, and let your soul delight itself in fatness. (Isaiah 55:1-2) These Old Testament Saints lived in only the shadow of what we are privileged to enjoy. Apostle Paul made the Spiritual life that we can experience a beautiful life beyond measure. Millions of His Saints have walked with Him in His glory during church history. This generation has been the first generation since Pentecost to show the world so few real saints full of the Spirit. Listen to this mighty man of God: Who also hath made us able ministers of the new testament; not of the letter, but of the spirit: for the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life. But if the ministration of death, written and engraven in stones, was glorious, so that the children of Israel could not stedfastly behold the face of Moses for the glory of his countenance; which glory was to be done away: How shall not the ministration of the spirit be rather glorious? For if the ministration of condemnation be glory, much more doth the ministration of righteousness exceed in glory. For even that which was made glorious had no glory in this respect, by reason of the glory that excelleth. (11 Corinthians 3:6-10) We are invited to sit together in Heavenly Places with our Father, His Son, and the Holy Spirit. Four times in the one book of Ephesians Paul spoke of sitting together in Heavenly Places. The Holy Ghost did not come to be an unknown presence in the midst of the church. The Tabernacle and the Temple of Soloman was filled with His Shekinah presence. Many times during church history His Saints have seen and experienced an even greater manifestation of His glory. It is going to happen again, but it cannot occur in dead churches where His glory is unwelcome. I am believing that we will see His Shekinah in our coming camp meeting. My soul longs for Him and for the fullness of His wonderful presence. Page 14

15 Hitler's Anti-Semitism Still Alive and Kicking in Europe By Dr. Chuck Missler An original diatribe against the Jews written by Adolph Hitler himself is due to be unveiled at New York's Simon Wiesenthal Center in July. The Gemlich letter, named for the man to whom it was sent in 1919, is considered Hitler's first known anti-semitic writing. The document's revelation comes at a time when anti-semitism is once again sliding through Europe, hissing in ways that are hardly harmless. The Simon Wiesenthal Center, a human rights organization that confronts anti-semitism and stands with Israel and the Jewish people around the globe, paid $150,000 for what is believed to be Hitler's first anti- Semitic discourse signed and everything. In the Gemlich letter, Hitler accuses the Jews of being an alien race involved in the unscrupulous pursuit of money and power. He advocates legislation against them, the ultimate objective of which must be "the irrevocable removal of the Jews in general." We thought that we had dealt with anti-semitism after the horror of the Holocaust, but the distrust of the Jews never fully left Europe, and with the influx of Muslims into Europe, anti-semitism has once again raised up like a cobra, hood flaring. The Corfu synagogue was burned in Greece on April 19, one of three synagogues destroyed in that country within the past year. Anti-Semitic slogans are often scrawled on walls around the country. Greece hasn't been doing well financially, and it seems that once again the Jews are some people's convenient scapegoat for the financial and other - problems of a nation. Finnish Parliamentary Speaker Ben Zyskowicz, the only Jewish member of the Finnish parliament, was battered with anti-semitic verbiage last week in Helsinki. Zyskowicz refused to press charges, calling Finland a "fantastic country" and saying he hoped his attacker would wake up the next morning and "and contemplate his actions." A year ago, The Telegraph reported that the city of Amsterdam had taken to dressing up undercover cops as Jews in order to discourage physical and verbal attacks on the Jewish population. According to local reports, "Jews in at least six Amsterdam neighbourhoods often cannot cross the street wearing a skullcap without being insulted, spat at or even attacked." Sociologist Mark Elchardus was sued recently by The Vigilance Musulmane advocacy group because of comments he made in the De Morgen newspaper about the rising anti-semitism among young Muslims in Brussels. He spent a portion of his 426 page report 'Jong In Brussel' linking anti-semitic sentiments to the religious convictions of young Muslims. The English translation of Elchardus' news comments, courtesy of Vlad Tepes blog, states, "Worrying is that half of Muslim students can be described as anti- Semitic...Worse, the anti-jewish feelings have nothing to do with a low educational or social disadvantage, as is the case with racist natives. It is theologically inspired anti-semitism." A study released May 30th offers the results of face-to-face interviews with 1,270 Jews aged living Page 15

16 in several urban centers in Central Europe, including Poland, Romania, Bulgaria, Hungary, and Latvia. While most of the respondents were content in their home countries in post-communist Europe, there was still concern about anti-semitism. A full 77 percent of the Jews interviewed in Hungary agreed that Europe "is a safe place for Jews to live", but only 57 percent in Latvia; 59 percent in Poland; 61 percent in Romania; and 67 percent in Bulgaria agreed with the statement. That means, for example, 41 percent of Polish Jews and one-third of Bulgarian Jews sense some danger because they are Jewish. University of Paris professor Guy Milliére wrote for Aish.com on May 28: "Jews now, in fact, have to be streetwise in all European countries: men wearing a skullcap usually hide it under a hat or a cap. Owners of kosher restaurants located on avenues where protests are organized close their facilities before the arrival of the participants - even if the protest is about wages or retirement age. They know too well that among the demonstrators, there will always be some who will express their rage at the sight of a Jewish name or a star of David on a store front. In Paris, on Labor Day, May 1st, in front of a Jewish café on Avenue of the Republic, several hundred demonstrators stopped and began to boo 'Jews' and 'Zionists.' A man coming out of the café was assaulted until police officers arrived on the scene." This is not to say that all Europeans or Muslims are racist. Of course not. Seventy-seven percent of Hungarians still feel Europe is a safe place for Jews, after all. Yet, there is a less-than-amiable attitude toward Jews in certain parts of the Continent. A survey conducted last year for the Friederich Ebert Foundation asked the question: "Do you think that Jews abuse their status as victims of Nazism?" It found that 72.2 percent of those responding in Poland said, "Yes." A full 48 percent in Germany, 40.2 percent in Italy, and 32.3 percent in France agreed that Jews made too much of the Holocaust. Right now, Holocaust survivors still breathe and speak to remind us of the jam-packed cattle cars, the dehumanization, starvation and, foul smoke rising from furnaces. The percentages may look even worse when there is no longer anybody alive who was there to say, "Excuse me! My parents were slaughtered in front of me! We can't let this sort of thing ever happen again!" Hitler's first document on the Jews will be available for viewing in New York in July. It is frightening that 66 years after WWII, Jews are still considered unwelcome aliens that need to be eradicated, not just in the Middle East, but in supposedly tolerant, culturally pluralistic Europe as well. Page 16

17 Self-Discipline By Barbara Henderson In talking about self-discipline the first thing we need to do is to define what it is not. Self-discipline is NOT punishing yourself for mistakes, sins, errors, stupid actions, or anything else. It is not about beating yourself on the back while crawling on your knees two miles to kiss the foot of some holy statue. It is about setting your heart and mind to do the right things in all circumstances. Discipline in general is a way to keep someone in harness, or pulling in the right direction. Discipline keeps kids from errors that will cause them harm Self-discipline is what will keep you inside the boundaries by which you define yourself. First comes self-definition. Second comes self-discipline. Self-discipline is doing what you know to be right. It is also what you know is the best way to stay out of trouble, and have a good measure of contentment and success. Self-discipline doing what you know is right whether you feel like it or not. Self-restraint not doing what you may have an impulse to do because you know it is not right. It is not stepping outside your own self-definition on a whim. Personal Self-discipline remembers: I am a child of God. My actions should first please Him. I have heard the preaching of God s word. I know what is right. I have priorities. These are based on importance according to God s word. I must stay mentally alert because the devil walks around like a roaring lion ready to devour me. I must turn away from any indulgence that produces sin my life. I must feed my spirit daily on the Word of God. That is my spiritual vitamin shot. I must keep my imagination under control. I must ignore social moral codes and stick with morality as defined in the Bible. Personal self-discipline doesn t excuse you from public discipline if necessary. It should help you avoid the need for pubic discipline. For instance, If you exercise self-discipline and do not speed in your automobile, then you will avoid a speeding ticket. You will also avoid the public discipline that goes with a citation for speeding. And, here s a big hint. Avoid putting yourself in a position where you know temptation will get the better of you. That means don t buy a hotrod Ford if you know you can t keep your foot of the accelerator. It means a lot of other things as well. Self-discipline is careful. It practices the things taught in the children s Sunday School song Oh Be Careful Little Eyes. It says be careful little eyes what Page 17

18 you see, little ears what you hear, little mouth what you say, little feet where you go, little heart what you love, and probably ten more simple verses. It is such a simple little song, but it takes giant sized selfdiscipline to actually do the things the song teaches. It seems obvious that the first part of self-discipline, the most important part, is self-discipline of the mind. In the mind rages the epic battle for your thoughts. As a man thinketh, so is he. (Proverbs 23:7 paraphrase) It is actually quite evident that how a person thinks controls what they do. Yet, only the wise take it seriously. Wise people understand that: The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. The Lord God Almighty is pure Truth. Freedom cannot be found in lies, so the truth is very important. Thinking based on non-truths leads to decisions that build on unstable ground. The disciplined mind is a discerning mind. It is not easily fooled by the fads of the day or the material possessions that seem so necessary in the society today. The discipline/discerning mind knows that: Peace at any price is not really peace. Material gain at any price costs more than it is worth. The disciplined mind: Faces the day resolutely Is not double minded Does its duty regardless of personal feelings Develops the ability to put their shoulder to the plow and never look back. Is displayed in one s character. Is able to stand against a mighty tide of public opinion and peer pressure. Self-Reliance First there is self-definition. That defines who you are at the center of your being. It is your core values that define who you really are. Then there is you self-discipline. This is evidence of your self-definition. If you claim one set of values, but act in a manner contrary to your self-definition, then you have not really been honest with yourself regarding what your core values actually are. Put together your self-definition and your self-discipline and you have the framework for your selfreliance. Now, somewhere in setting your self-definition, and your self-discipline, you probably have had a good dose of humility. You learned that you just can t do it on your own. You have to have God s help. You know that even the boring everyday things require help to get done. In fact, the more boring and mundane a task, the more help you may need to get it done. You have learned somewhere that your ability to be self-reliant depends entirely on the Holy Spirit. So when we consider self-reliance we are Page 18

19 considering self-reliance that begins with faith that God is with you and that God will help you. The firm foundation of self-reliance is of course God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. However, within the boundaries of self-reliance on the God of Christianity, there are things that must be done physically. The self-reliant person is willing to figure out a way to do what needs to be done. The self-reliant person: Is curious, alert, thinks outside the box in which peer pressure wants to imprison him/her, and is willing to learn new things. Remember the three things of self : Self-definition Self-discipline Self-reliance. To these three things you add experience. Experience is not a factor for determining truth and right. I mean experience as in how something works and how to get things done. The only way to get experience is to live life and do things. Never think you have learned it all. Page 19

20 Jubileum Part II: Human Oppressors and Enslavers Restrained By Wilfred Hahn Just how did the biblical Sabbaths come about? It is a captivating story. We continue with Part II of our series on the Bible s teaching on prosperity, cancellation and the prophesied restoration of God s intended plan for the poor, both materially and in spirit. It is well known that the principle of the Sabbath (commanded to the Hebrews) finds its original roots at Creation. God rested on the 7th day. By the seventh day God had finished the work he had been doing; so on the seventh day he rested from all his work. And God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it he rested from all the work of creating that he had done (Genesis 2:2-3). Ever since, all developed cultures whether Asian, Western or otherwise have operated on a sevenday, weekly cycle. It was only much later that the Sabbath laws were given to the Hebrews. This happened in a number of stages, as we will explain. But first, a short word of clarification before we continue further. Our study of the seventh day of rest and God s prescribed Sabbaths for the Hebrews is not meant to Judaize in any way. No suggestion is made that Christians are not to gather and worship on the first day of the week, as did the early Church. Rather, we want to explore God s divine principles lying behind these ordinances, and most importantly, as we will conclude in Part III, how God s rules for economic life parallel the salvation plan. Whence Comes the Hebrew Sabbath? The first we see mention of a Sabbath in the Bible is during the exodus of the Hebrews from Egypt. Moses pronounced a Sabbath rest. Six days you are to gather it [manna], but on the seventh day, the Sabbath, there will not be any (Exodus 16:26). It was to be [ ] a day of rest, a holy Sabbath to the LORD (Exodus 16:23). We can deduce from this that there had been no seventh-day rest practiced in pagan Egypt. Otherwise, Moses would not have needed to introduce its observance. As such, we can conclude that Egypt was a godless culture at that ancient time, bent on materialism as witnessed in most societies today. The story of a seventh day rest continues. Somewhat later, during the wilderness journey, the Sabbath command was formally codified as part of the Ten Commandments to the Israelites. Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the LORD your God (Exodus 20:8-10), said Moses. Somewhat later again, the Sabbath command was elevated further to the status of a sign and a covenant. Said the Lord, The Israelites are to observe the Sabbath, celebrating it for the generations to come as a lasting covenant. It will be a sign between me and the Israelites forever [ ] (Exodus 31:16-17). To this day, the Jews are known by their Page 20

21 observance of the Sabbath (the last day of the week, which was later named Saturday by the pagan Gentiles after the planet Saturn). It is not unfitting that Saturn should come to signify the holy seventh day, as Saturn was very likely the Star of Bethlehem which directed the Magi at the time of Christ s birth. Finally the seventh-day observance was extended to cover the land (Eretz Israel) in the form of the Sabbath Year. Just before entering the Promised Land (and as the provision of manna was stopped), God said to Moses on Mount Sinai, When you enter the land I am going to give you, the land itself must observe a Sabbath to the LORD. For six years sow your fields, and for six years prune your vineyards and gather their crops (Leviticus 25:2-3). It is in this ordinance that many other commands were embedded that related to wealth distribution and the economic life decreed by God to the Israelites. It is a most enlightening topic to study and brings us back to the main objective of this series. The Economics of the Sabbath and Jubilee Years God said through Moses, At the end of every seven years you must cancel debts (Deuteronomy 15:1). As such, we see that a seven-year debt cycle was instituted. We can conclude that there was to be no such thing as perpetual debt: every Sabbath Year, debts had to be laid flat. Those who could not pay back their debts by that time were forgiven this amount. We can imagine just how different our economies would be today were this same convention applied. There would be no massive accumulations of debt as we see in our time. For example, according to recent forecasts of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the government debt of the advanced nations of the world is headed to historically unprecedented levels in the decades ahead. We are here only scratching the surface of the problem of over-indebtedness in the world today. However, the point to note is that whenever speaking of debt, it must always be remembered that it is only one side of a two-fold condition. After all, for every debtor there must also be a creditor; there must be someone that has the monetary capital to lend in the first place, as for seller as for buyer, for borrower as for lender, for debtor as for creditor (Isaiah 24:2). (This is the very same duality that this writer believes is portrayed in Zechariah s fifth vision of the great, flying scroll found in Zechariah 5. The flying scroll had writing on both sides.) Therefore, when indebtedness soars, it is most always associated with a rising imbalance in wealth distribution. Breaking the Cycle Anyone familiar with the board game Monopoly will have observed that one person usually ends up owning all the property. When that happens, the game is over and a new one must be started. Effectively, the Sabbath Year served to slow this winner take all tendency of human economies, and moreover would reset the game every 7 years. With a Sabbath year being observed, the development of wealth imbalances and economic inequality would be restrained, though likely not entirely eradicated. Industrious and entrepreneurial people would still be rewarded for their efforts. Individuals could still become wealthy. All the same, under this God-given 7-year debt cycle, it was much less likely that an oppressed class of indebted and poor could emerge. However, even this 7th-year Sabbath was Page 21

22 insufficient to complete God s outline for economic fairness on earth. One more ordinance was commanded: the Jubilee Year. The Great Jubilee Year Consecrate the fiftieth year and proclaim liberty throughout the land to all its inhabitants. It shall be a jubilee for you; each one of you is to return to his family property and each to his own clan. The 25th chapter of Leviticus lays out a detailed set of rules as to how the Jubilee Year was to be observed. Following is a partial excerpt: The fiftieth year shall be a jubilee for you; do not sow and do not reap what grows of itself or harvest the untended vines. For it is a jubilee and is to be holy for you; eat only what is taken directly from the fields. In this Year of Jubilee everyone is to return to his own property. If you sell land to one of your countrymen or buy any from him, do not take advantage of each other. You are to buy from your countryman on the basis of the number of years since the Jubilee. And he is to sell to you on the basis of the number of years left for harvesting crops. When the years are many, you are to increase the price, and when the years are few, you are to decrease the price, because what he is really selling you is the number of crops. Do not take advantage of each other, but fear your God. I am the LORD your God (Leviticus 25:11-17). In effect, every 50 years, a new round of Monopoly was decreed. Property was restored to its original owners. The year prior (the 49th year being a Sabbath Year), all debts would have been laid flat as well. The main difference of the Jubilee Year as compared to the Sabbath Year, was that land was returned to the original tribe and family and indentured labor (slavery) was broken. Together, these two Sabbath ordinances (both the 7th Sabbath year and the Jubilee Year) ensured that freedom, wealth distribution and incentives for production and income stayed in balance. How a Modern Jubilee World Would Be Different Were the principles behind these two Sabbath years observed today, our current globalized world of money would not be so dangerously imbalanced. Effectively, the maximum present value of any debt could only be worth 7 years of interest payments and principal repayment. If one bought a piece of property from an Israelite stakeholder, its maximum worth was the collective crop output of 42 years. (50 less eight Sabbath years). As the Jubilee Year approached, the value of any land held by a non-family stakeholder would effectively fall to zero by the end of the 48th year. There was no basis for debt becoming a major asset of wealth, thereby ultimately facilitating an ultra-rich class as we again see today. To illustrate this point in part, consider that more than half the value of securitized assets in the world right now are forms of debt. The Jubilee Year ensured another benefit. There would be no permanent indentured slave class either individuals or nation states. The maximum period of slavery could only be 50 years. As such, at least once in each person s lifetime, one could be saved from slavery. All could be saved. Poverty, therefore, had fewer tendencies to fester as an intergenerational problem. Page 22

23 More details about the Sabbath Year and the Jubilee Year can be found in the books of Leviticus, Deuteronomy, Numbers and others. We will not be able to present the full richness of this topic here. To people living in the highly financialized times of our day, where merchant stores are open virtually around the clock and every day of the week, the conventions of the Sabbath Year and Jubilee Year will surely seem archaic. Nevertheless, they were the commandments of God to the Israelites, the very people that were created and called to be a light to the Gentiles. Similar to all of the laws given by Moses, they proved beneficial for society and individuals alike. The modern world could do worse than to learn from these successful and ancient practices of the Hebrews. The Lure of Money and Profit Prevails Alas, the Israelites fell out of the practice of honoring the Sabbath and Jubilee years. Before long, they disobediently again chose to work around the clock, 24-7, instead of allowing God s creation to rest. Prophets were sent to warn them of the consequences (i.e. Jeremiah and Ezekiel). Eventually, the Sabbath became nothing more than a ritualistic nuisance. Amos revealed the attitude of those times: When will the New Moon be over that we may sell grain, and the Sabbath be ended that we may market wheat? skimping the measure, boosting the price and cheating with dishonest scales, buying the poor with silver and the needy for a pair of sandals, selling even the sweepings with the wheat (Amos 8:5-6). We can imagine that the entire impulse of society then was business, trading and profits every day to the last penny. Who would deny that this same surfeit of materialism has enslaved our societies today? Just what generation in history has been exposed to more than 3000 advertisement impressions a day or would sit through 12 minutes of advertising every hour on a movie channel (the movie itself riddled with strategic product placements )? A possible capstone of such obsessive commercialism is found in this recent comment on Bloomberg News. At one point, [two former employees say], Goldman [Sachs the most profitable Wall Street bank] top management was demanding hourly profit and loss statements from certain teams [at Goldman Sachs Asset Management]. Actually, with today s advanced computing technology, it is possible to track sales and profits by the minute. Wal-mart, the world s largest retailer, knows in real time what is being sold in all of its stores around the world by the hour. In contrast, God commanded the Israelites not to be so overly taken up with productivity and the act of squeezing the last mite from every transaction. He told them to ease up. When you reap the harvest of your land, do not reap to the very edges of your field or gather the gleanings of your harvest. Leave them for the poor and the alien. I am the LORD your God (Leviticus 23:22). In time, God punished Israel and Judah for not observing this ordinance. The 70-year captivity in Babylon was directly proportionate to the number of Sabbaths that Judah had not observed for the previous 490 years, as Moses had warned (Leviticus 26:34). The land enjoyed its sabbath rests; all the time of its desolation it rested, until the seventy years were completed in fulfillment of the word of the LORD spoken by Jeremiah (2 Chronicles 36:21). Page 23

24 Thoughts to Ponder We see in the ordinance of the Sabbath also the divine division between the numbers six and seven. Six days (six being the number of man, as he was created on the 6th day) humans were to work. The seventh day was to be a holy day (Genesis 2:3) and belonged to God. Not without significance, we observe that the command for man to gather or work six days is mentioned exactly 6 times in Scripture. Indeed, the Bible is a miraculous book. Most wonderfully, we see how God himself intervened in the productivity of the fields to allow sufficient food to be stockpiled for requirements for the Sabbath Year, when fields were to be left fallow. Since the Jubilee year followed the 7th Sabbath Year, there were two Sabbath years in a row every 50 years: Count off seven sabbaths of years seven times seven years so that the seven sabbaths of years amount to a period of forty-nine years (Leviticus 25:8). As such, over the two years following the 48th year, fields were not sown. God allowed the fields to yield enough crops in every 6th (of seven) and 48th years to be sufficient to last through the following Sabbath years, and to last to the time of harvest in the first year that planting was allowed. Miraculous? Yes. We also note in the Old Testament that God miraculously intervened in his creation so that the seventh day of rest could be observed. During the time of the Hebrews 40-year wilderness journey, not only did sufficient manna fall on a Friday for two days sustenance (Friday and Saturday), but also none was found on the ground on the Sabbath (Exodus 16:26). Could God similarly intervene in world affairs today, alleviating the food shortages and the ravages of soaring prices of agricultural commodities? Yes, of course. Yet today, it remains a fallen world. God has yet to unveil his wrath and to complete a restoration at the inception of the Millennial Period. Will God also judge the rampant commercialism and economic injustices observed in the world today? The Bible says yes. Mankind s systems will be brought to naught. What we also do know is that Israel has yet to fully atone for its broken Sabbaths. Referring to the current dispersion period of the Jews and the yet-coming Tribulation period, said the Lord, I will scatter you among the nations and will draw out my sword and pursue you. Your land will be laid waste, and your cities will lie in ruins. Then the land will enjoy its sabbath years all the time that it lies desolate and you are in the country of your enemies; then the land will rest and enjoy its sabbaths. All the time that it lies desolate, the land will have the rest it did not have during the sabbaths you lived in it (Lev 26:33-35). Finally, readers will already sense how God s plan of salvation parallels and shadows the Sabbath-year ordinances. Both deal with liberating the poor (either physically or in spirit), freedom from slavery and bondage for everyone, and above all, forgiveness for all. These topics are the focus of the final Part III of this series. Page 24

25 SUBSCRIBE TO WILFRED S FREE NEWSLETTER For resources on endtime economics and to subscribe to the free newsletter, Eternal Value Review, visit Wilfred s website or contact him at: staff@eternalvalue.com About the Author Wilfred J. Hahn is a global economist/strategist. Formerly a top-ranked global analyst, research director for a major Wall Street investment bank, and head of Canada country s largest global investment operation, his writings focus on the endtime roles of money, economics and globalization. He has been quoted around the world and his writings reproduced in numerous other publications and languages. His 2002 book The Endtime Money Snare: How to live free accurately anticipated and prepared its readers for the Global Financial Crisis. His newest book, Global Financial Apocalypse Prophesied: Preserving true riches in an age of deception and trouble, looks further into the future. Endnotes 1 According to the Media Awareness Network. Accessed February 27, Page 25

26 A Guarantee Demands a Guarantor By Jack Kinsella Texas Governor Rick Perry called for his fellow governors across the country to join him in a day of prayer and fasting on behalf of our troubled nation in August. From the reaction to his invitation, one would think Perry had asked them to join a coven of witches to cast prosperity spells together. One would think that Christians were some kind of dangerous, militant minority whose basic statement of faith posed a direct threat to national security. (Except that representatives of the religion that fits that description are sought-after guests at White House dinners.) The Washington Post wondered aloud if Governor Perry s call to prayer is Constitutional before concluding that it probably is, but ought not to be. The AP speculated that Perry s call to prayer is nothing more than a cynical effort to raise his public stature in advance of making a presidential declaration. Crazies across the country find some kind of violation of the First Amendment in Perry s call for a day of prayer -- because Perry is a Christian and therefore, despite the invitation being open to all faiths, Perry is advancing Christianity over other religions. If Perry wasn t himself a Christian, he wouldn t be open to the charge of favoring Christianity. Following that line of reasoning, the only people qualified to lead a prayer service in America are unbelievers. The entire argument that the Constitution mandates a separation of church and state is found not in the Constitution, but in a letter from Thomas Jefferson written to the Danbury Baptists Association in In it, he wrote:...i contemplate with sovereign reverence that act of the whole American people which declared that their legislature should 'make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof,' thus building a wall of separation between Church & State. That quote, taken out of context, has been subjected to more analysis and interpretative flights of fancy than has the original text of the First Amendment itself, which says simply that: Congress shall make no law respecting the establishment of religion nor prohibit the free exercise thereof. The First Amendment, as written, calls for freedom of religion. Jefferson s letter, as interpreted, calls for freedom from religion. So Jefferson s single letter carries greater weight among secularists than does the actual First Amendment. Page 26

27 To make Jefferson s letter authoritative, Jefferson must himself have a record of advocacy for freedom from religion. But apart from that single letter in 1802 written to address a specific question in a specific case, Jefferson s real attitude was better expressed in an 1808 opinion in which he said: Fasting and prayer are religious exercises; the enjoining them an act of discipline. Every religious society has a right to determine for itself the time for these exercises, and the objects proper for them, according to their own particular tenets; and right can never be safer than in their hands, where the Constitution has deposited it. There have been 136 national calls to prayer and fasting or thanksgiving by sitting Presidents of the United States since Every president since Truman has signed a National Day of Prayer proclamation. (Interesting historical factoid: 33 of 44 Presidents signed National Day of Prayer proclamations. Four of those that did not -- died in office.) Since 1775 there have been some 914 state and federal calls to according to the National Day of Prayer s website. In any case, Rick Perry is a state governor, not the Congress. In 1983 the Supreme Court reaffirmed the rights of states to open legislative sessions with prayer. Nonetheless, Perry s call to prayer has drawn out all the crazies across the country who want to shut down the event get this -- in the name of tolerance. Honest. In their eyes, tolerance is when they shut down ideas that they can t tolerate. The ever-reliable Barry Lynn of Americans United for Separation of Church and State attacked the government s involvement in a scheduled prayer event, which Lynn compared to a fundamentalist Christian revival service. The fact that Perry s invitation was made publicly, and in that public invitation, Governor Perry invited participation by people of all faiths is irrelevant to Barry Lynn and his pals. They have already decided what they will tolerate in the name of tolerance and what is intolerable. With all due respect, Gov. Perry, I must remind you that you were elected chief executive of the state of Texas not its chief pastor. What you are proposing is not an inclusive event that welcomes all people, wrote Lynn. What kind of prayer service should a fundamentalist Christian attend? An Islamic prayer service? A Jewish prayer service? A Mormon prayer service? It is ridiculous. What kind of thinking demands freedom of religion on the condition it s a religion you DON T believe in? This is what passes for freedom of religion in America in The only other governor that so far has dared to say he ll attend is Sam Brownback of Kansas. He s a Catholic -- so as long as the event isn t Catholic, he can go. Page 27

28 Assessment: If My people, which are called by My name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land. Governor Perry s call to prayer and fasting is undoubtedly rooted in this promise given by God to the Israelites under King Solomon some three thousand years ago. But it was a conditional promise. But if ye turn away, and forsake My statutes and My commandments, which I have set before you, and shall go and serve other gods, and worship them; Then will I pluck them up by the roots out of My land which I have given them; and this house, which I have sanctified for My Name, will I cast out of My sight, and will make it to be a proverb and a byword among all nations. (2 Chronicles 7:14,19-20) I used to try and imagine what the Tribulation would look like. I m not the only one; there have been books and movies and short stories and sermons and entire ministries all focused on the topic of the end times and the coming Tribulation Period. I was never quite able to picture a world in which being a Christian was a bad thing or that Christians could ever find themselves facing the kind of persecution described in the pages of the Revelation. But as we get closer to the time appointed, the shadows of what is to come loom large on the horizon. The picture is starting to come into focus. If ever there were a time when a people called by the Lord s Name needed to humble themselves and pray, it is this time and this people. No nation in the history of time has been more blessed by Divine Providence than the nation defined by its reliance on the Divine. The Declaration of Independence, written primarily by Thomas Jefferson, was a formal explanation to King George explaining why Congress had voted in favor of declaring independence from Great Britain. We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. Look closely at our most basic rights. Note that they are all under attack from our own government. The right to life has become a political slogan used to distinguish them from pro-abortion forces masquerading as protecting the right to choose provided the choice is abortion. One of the biggest grudges Liberal America has with Sarah Palin was that she refused to abort her youngest baby when they learned he would be born with Down s Syndrome. Because she chose to not to kill her baby, one of the criticisms regularly thrown her way was Palin Refused to Choose. In their view, Trig Palin s right to life is secondary to a woman s right to choose. Governor Rick Perry s liberty to call other governors to join him in a day of prayer is under attack as intolerant of other religions -- despite his invitation for other religions to attend. The counter argument is that other religions won t feel free to attend -- because Christians are intolerant and so therefore Christians should be excluded. Page 28

29 The liberty of the majority is thus curtailed by the will of the vocal minority. The pursuit of happiness was always understood as the unfettered pursuit of financial independence and is the basis of American capitalism. Money can t buy happiness, but it helps, as the saying goes. It has been my experience that people with homes, jobs and bank accounts are generally happier than homeless people looking for work and eating from dumpsters. According to the White House, your right to the pursuit of happiness (wealth) is limited by your social responsibility to those, who the government determines are less fortunate equating hard work with dumb luck. Hence, there comes a time when you ve earned enough money and it becomes the government s job to take it from you in the name of social justice. In 1798, John Adams wrote to the Officers of the First Brigade of the Massachusetts Militia: We have no government armed with power capable of contending with human passions unbridled by morality and religion. Avarice, ambition, revenge, or gallantry, would break the strongest cords of our Constitution as a whale goes through a net. Our Constitution was made only for a religious and moral people. It is wholly inadequate for the government of any other." While not all the founding fathers were evangelical or born again Christians, they acknowledged the truthfulness of the Bible and the authority of the Creator over His creation. They applied these concepts to the legislative process, the judicial system, and standards for life. Now look back up to the Declaration. Those individual rights, all of which are under direct government attack, are supposedly guaranteed. But the guarantee is only as good as one s faith in the Guarantor. It s a fairly straightforward understanding that seems to elude almost everyone today except guys like Barry Lynn, who understand the equation as perfectly today as did John Adams back in If God isn t real, then neither is your independence. Page 29

30 You Don't Need To Know By Bill Wilson A blogger covering the secret Bilderberg meetings in Switzerland for the UK Guardian reported that the billionaire conspirators, think tank super minds, and politicians went for a walk over the weekend. Some protesters caught up with Airbus CEO Tom Enders. One of them said that there are politicians inside and wondered why the meetings were so secret. The report says Enders just smiled at the protester and said, "I don't have to tell you, and you don't need to know." That about sums it up. Its a private meeting of private people, with the exception of several government officials and politicians, and the normal folks "don't need to know" what they are talking about. Those representing the United States alone have enough government representatives that Americans should demand under the Freedom of Information Act to know what is being discussed. Christine Varney, Assistant Attorney General, James Steinber, Deputy Secretary of State, are attending and there are reports that Robert Gates, US Defense Secretary, is there--just to name a few. Then you have the top dogs from Microsoft, Google, Amazon, LinkedIn, Facebook, CitiCorp, Chase Manhattan, Federal Reserve, and a host of others. All the big Washington, DC based think tanks are also there. There are public officials in attendance that have not been listed on the partial list. We know from previous reports that world finance is on the agenda of topics to be discussed. These people have made such a mess of the financial aspects of the US economy and that of Europe's that there is no money left to barely kick start the grand opening of a lemonade stand. But these privateers have made their money. Another reported agenda item is war. It is generally understood from reporters covering this meeting that the powers around the world want disruption in the Middle East to continue because it is good for their businesses. They applaud the current White House policy to support reform across the Middle East. There is money to be made in war. Trouble is, the sons and daughters of America will be sacrificed for their greed. One of the great things about the American system of representative government is that the elite do not get to decide these matters. It is We The People who have the power. We The People do not have to go along with the plan to elevate terrorists to power so there is continued war and war machine profits. An apt description of these Bilderbergs is found in Isaiah 59:4, "None calleth for justice, nor any pleadeth for truth: they trust in vanity, and speak lies; they conceive mischief, and bring forth iniquity." When our own president is puppet to these puppeteers, we must stand to stop it. That is their fear. But "you don't need to know." Page 30

31 The US has given into the radical homosexual agenda By Bill Keller never will bless SIN! In case you didn't know, President Obama has declared that June is Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Pride month. Yes, you heard correctly, our President has dedicated an entire month to promote and glorify the CHOICE by a small segment of our society who engage in unnatural, unhealthy, and perverted sexual acts. The next time you hear the President ask for God to bless America, understand that God does not, will not, and Homosexuality is now mainstream! Don't believe me? Let me share what is happened in this nation recently. You have President Barack Hussein Obama now refusing to legally defend and planning on overturning DOMA, or the Defense of Marriage Act which defines marriage as between a man and woman and allows states who reject gay marriage to not recognize gay marriages endorsed by other states. In December right before Christmas, Congress overturned "Don't ask, Don't tell," repealing the ban that kept men and women who CHOOSE to engage in homosexuality from serving openly. We now have the first lesbian serving on the Supreme Court. At the University of Illinois, a professor who was teaching a class in Catholicism WAS fired for simply stating the Roman Catholic Church calls homosexuality a sin. The bottom line, the homosexual community has done a masterful job over the past 30 years in forcing society to validate legally and ethically their choice of sexual behavior and relationships, and to enact laws that allow them to promote this sinful choice to our children as normal, even desirable behavior!!! It was sad to watch openly gay national cable news network anchors at MSNBC and CNN, along with the rest of the news media, openly rooting for the radical homosexual agenda.. Even FOX News won't take a real stand on this issue since that would be bad for their business. Sadly, there is not one so-called "Christian" in the news media with the guts to take a stand against the homosexual lobby in this nation. How long do you think a Christian newscaster or anchor would last if they took a stand for Biblical Truth on this or any other issue of the day? I don't condemn the homosexual community for where our culture is in regard to this sin, I condemn the church! It was the church and a generation of gutless pastors who sat back in silence, or worse yet, actually worked to insure this sin would infest every part of our society. We have nobody to blame but ourselves!!! This whole issue really boils down to, who wants it bad enough. Who is more motivated and willing to go the extra mile to present their beliefs to the masses and influence our culture. That answer should be obvious to everyone. Those who have made the CHOICE to commit the sin of homosexuality, those who have chosen to live their lives in rebellion to God are bold, aggressive, and tireless in their efforts to make the sin of homosexuality mainstream. If this was a football game, they would be winning 77-14! Page 31

32 Recently, Wal-Mart asking to join the National Gay & Lesbian Chamber of Commerce, a leading promoter of homosexual marriage. That is right, Wal-Mart! You can't get any more middle-america, mom, God, and apple pie than Wal-Mart. I have no doubt the deceased founder of Wal-Mart, Sam Walton, is spinning in his grave over what is happening to the company he founded. It is clear that Wal- Mart wants to be part of the mainstream culture and market their goods and services to the masses. So to appeal to our mainstream culture, they, like many well-known national companies are reaching out to a very small segment of our society that is only differentiated by their choice to have deviant and perverted forms of sex. To show you how mainstream homosexuality has become, you can simply go to many churches to hear this sin condoned and accepted. Rev. Betsy Singleton, "pastor" of the Quapaw Quarter United Methodist Church in Little Rock, Arkansas, preaches from her pulpit that gay marriage is perfectly okay. Not surprising, this "pastor" who makes a mockery of the work of God, also says that Jesus is NOT the only way to God. As I have shared with you, when you condone sin, the first thing you have to do is minimize the Bible for the Truth that it is. Once you reject the Truth of God's Word about a sin like homosexuality, it is easy to reject the actual words of Jesus who said HE is the ONLY way to God. Don't think satan is playing for keeps? How about one of his great spokeswomen, Rosie O'Donnell? A while back I did a Devotional on this radical lesbian entertainer who is a huge advocate for gay rights and the abominable practice of gay adoption. A few years ago on The View she stated, "There is no difference between radical Islam and radical Christianity." I would like to point out to Miss O'Donnell that the goal of radical Islam is to KILL all "infidels," or those who reject their false religion (including her). The goal of what she calls "radical Christianity" is to lead people to everlasting life through faith in Jesus Christ. One seeks to KILL LIFE, the other seeks to GIVE LIFE. The funny thing is that if Rosie lived in a Muslim nation she would be taken to the local soccer stadium and stoned to death for her deviant sexual lifestyle! The "radical Christians" Rosie refers to, are those who have the audacity to stand up and call her out for the sin of homosexuality and work against her efforts to destroy the lives of children by letting homosexual couples adopt. On my TV program, whenever I deal with the sin of homosexuality, I am always attacked and labeled as "extreme," a "homophobe," "intolerant," narrow-minded," and often referred to as the same as the "Taliban." Those who promote this deviant form of sex know that in most cases they can silence those who confront them by intimidating them and bullying them. I've been telling you for nearly 12 years now, that when you tell the lie long enough and loud enough, people begin to believe the lie to be the truth, and the truth to be the lie. The fact is, the people who glorify and promote the sin of homosexuality simply are more committed to the work satan has given them to do than the followers of Christ are in the work He has called us to. Sadly, many of those who God has raised up in these last days have taken their gifts, talents, and resources to build their own kingdoms. I love you and care about you so much. Let me ask you a question this morning. Do you care enough about the things of God to take a stand for Him? Those who hate God take a stand for satan every day. Many of them are tireless in their efforts to see the work of satan furthered. You don't have to be very Page 32

33 astute to look at our culture and see that those who hate God are doing a much better job than those who love God. I pray that this word today will stir something inside you. The fact is, God has called and needs every one of His children serving Him every day. It, of course, starts with our own relationship with the Lord, but then extends to how we live our lives before others, while doing our best to influence the people in our lives for Christ and finding ways to serve the Lord. Let me leave you with this Truth today. Whatever power satan has for this brief season is minimal. Those who know Christ as their Savior have the power of the Holy Spirit within them. Listen to me carefully. That is the power of God at your fingertips. The greatest and most awesome power in the universe. For us to be living in a culture dominated by evil, for us to be losing this war for the souls of men makes no sense. It simply boils down to the fact that those who serve satan are more motivated and committed than those who serve Jesus. I will be praying for you today. Let God speak to your heart today about how He can use you. Make it your goal over these next few days to get motivated in serving the Lord. If the people of God got serious about serving Him, even a fraction as motivated as those who serve satan, we can see an immediate change in our culture. Sins like homosexuality will no longer be treated as acceptable and mainstream, but called what they are, rebellion to God! In His love and service, Your friend and brother in Christ, Bill Keller Page 33