Vacation Time! God willing, I'll be back soon!

I'm going to be tied up with family commitments for no more than ten days, probably less. God bless you all. Sorry for the inconvenience.

In Christ,
Mike

‘Gay’ Penguin Flies Straight

by J. Matt Barber

The highly contentious “nature vs. nurture” debate over whether gay penguins choose the homosexual lifestyle or are hatched that way has reached a hard boil.

San Francisco’s Fox affiliate KTUV reports: “The San Francisco Zoo’s popular same-sex penguin couple has broken up.

“Male Magellan penguins Harry and Pepper have been together since 2003. The pair nested together and even incubated an egg laid by another penguin in 2008, but their relationship hit the rocks earlier this year when a female penguin, Linda, befriended Harry after her long-time companion died.

“Zookeepers say Harry and Linda are happy and were able to successfully nest this year,” reported KTUV.

But not everyone is celebrating Harry and Linda’s newfound love. Some believe there can be no such a thing as an “ex-gay” penguin. Upon news of Harry’s decision to fly the same-sex-coop, outspoken pro-homosexual activist and anti-ex-gay crusader Wayne Besen cried fowl:

“Attempts to change sexual orientation are patently offensive, discriminatory by definition, theologically shaky, uniformly unsuccessful and medically unsound!” exclaimed a visibly angry Besen. “There is no ‘ex-gay’ sexual orientation. Harry is simply in denial. He’s living what I call the ‘big lie.’”

When asked if heterosexual penguins can become gay, Besen replied, “Well, um, sure. It happens all the time. But in that case it’s just the penguin embracing who he really is. Penguin pride is quite a courageous thing to witness, what with all the mean-spiritedness and homophobia among Penguo-Americans and everything. Once gay, always gay! You know; birds of a feather and all that.

“See,” continued Besen, “medical science has conclusively determined that, while still eggs, many of the more effeminate penguins sometimes get a bit scrambled, so to speak, due to what’s called ‘Homospheniscus Magellanicus Inheritus’ or, as it’s commonly referred: ‘The Gay Penguin Gene’ (GPG).

“No, seriously. It’s science,” insisted Besen. “Harry’s as gay today as he’s ever been. Mark my words. It’s just a matter of time until he ends up slinking around some back alley gay bar in the Castro District, strung out on meth.”

As is customary, Besen – along with a lathered-up handful of equally irate anti-ex-gay blowhards – intends to raucously picket Harry’s Zoo holding area – megaphones in hand – to protest what Besen called, “the tremendous political setback an ever-increasing number of ex-gays pose to our furiously ambitious political agenda. I really, really wish they’d just go away.”

Meanwhile, Pepper has also had difficulty accepting Harry’s decision to embrace natural sexuality. According to KTUV, Harry’s relationship with Linda “did not go over well with Pepper, who became violent.” Zookeeper Jennifer Katz lamented that “Pepper is by himself now.”

Still, it appears that Pepper has yet to hit rock bottom. In recent days he has reportedly been spotted waddling around the zoo’s public men’s room, skulking in stalls and inexplicably tapping his flipper. There’s even speculation that, as things continue to spiral, he may consider a run for political office.

Matt Barber is an attorney concentrating in constitutional law. He serves as Director of Cultural Affairs with both Liberty Counsel and Liberty Alliance Action. Send comments to Matt at jmattbarber@comcast.net. (This information is provided for identification purposes only.)

Impose Middle East Peace, Save The World

by Michael G. Mickey
(7-14-09)

European Union foreign policy chief Javier Solana has come up with a plan to cure all the world's problems it seems, at least the ones Barack Obama isn't going to. The plan? To have the United Nations impose Middle East peace on Israel and the Palestinians, whether they agree to live in peaceful co-existence or not. The following is an excerpt from a Reuters report on the topic, wherein Solana explains the process he'd like to see occur:

"After a fixed deadline, a U.N. Security Council resolution should proclaim the adoption of the two-state solution," Solana said, adding this should include border parameters, refugees, control over the city of Jerusalem and security arrangements.

"It would accept the Palestinian state as a full member of the U.N., and set a calendar for implementation. It would mandate the resolution of other remaining territorial disputes and legitimise the end of claims," Solana went on.

Advocating a return to Israel's borders before the 1967 war with Egypt, Syria and Jordan in which it took the West Bank, Solana said mediators should set a timetable for a peace agreement.

"If the parties are not able to stick to it (the timetable), then a solution backed by the international community should be put on the table," he said.

This plan on the part of Solana doesn't surprise me a great deal because we know, as foretold in bible prophecy, a seven-year covenant of peace is going to be confirmed (or made strong) in the Middle East by a prince (or leader) of Roman descent in accordance with Daniel 9:26-27.

Third party involvement has been the expectation all along where this ongoing conflict in the Middle East is concerned, but the idea that the United Nations would simply decide the future of a sovereign nation, namely Israel, and impose its will on it? Folks, the spirit of Antichrist is alive and well here in 2009.

Adding to the latest drama, reminding us that the revived Roman empire of bible prophecy we commonly refer to as the European Union is going to play a key role in Israel's future, Syria is calling Israel an obstacle to peace, asking the EU "to pressure Israel into accepting the "necessary terms for peace"" as seen in a Ynetnews article that also includes the following of interest:

According to the Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA), Moallem [Syrian Foreign Minister Walid Moallem] stressed the importance of the EU's role in achieving a regional agreement based on the "peace for territories" paradigm.

Land for peace. The EU has an important role to play in that coming to pass, according to Syria. Who would've guessed?

Lastly, on a number of occasions I've highlighted the fact that many of the world's leaders have come to believe the key to peace on earth becoming a euphoric reality rests solely with Israel making peace with the Palestinians, something which a Jerusalem Post editorial brilliantly addresses as seen in the following analyzation of what Javier Solana apparently thinks by the author:

Like many diplomats and intellectuals, Solana appears to regard a Palestinian state - whose establishment under viable terms, it apparently needs stressing, Israelis support - as some kind of regional cure-all. Reading between the lines, it's as if he believes that the mullahs in Iran will stop grabbing for regional hegemony, stealing (rigged) elections, and pursuing nuclear weapons; that Arab autocrats will guide their polities toward tolerance and representative government; that Shi'ites and Sunnis will stop blowing each other up; that Kurds, Copts and Baha'is will gain equality.

The Taliban in Afghanistan will liberate women from their burqas; North Africa's Islamists will lay down their weapons; al-Qaida will disband. And millions of restive, alienated Muslims throughout Europe will find a sense of belonging, allowing tranquility to prevail in the continent's inner cities... If only the Palestinians had a state.

As we look at bible prophecy, doesn't all of the above fit like a glove in terms of carrying us forward, closer to the advent of the Antichrist, an event that will be preceded by the rapture of the Church? I certainly think so.

Joel 3:2: I will also gather all nations, and will bring them down into the valley of Jehoshaphat, and will plead with them there for my people and for my heritage Israel, whom they have scattered among the nations, and parted my land.

Keep looking up!

---

NOTE: I want to be crystal clear in stating that this commentary is about current events and issues, not a suggestion that Javier Solana is the prophesied Antichrist in the making.

Symptoms: Crop Circles, the Apocalypse and Middle East Peace

The Good Samaritan

This Week’s Feature Article by Jack Kelley

On one occasion an expert in the Law stood up to test Jesus. “Teacher,” he asked, “What must I do to inherit eternal life?” “What is written in the Law,” Jesus replied, “How do you read it?” He answered: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind [Deut. 6:5] and love your neighbor as yourself [Lev 19:18].” “You have answered correctly,” Jesus replied, “Do this and you will live.” But he wanted to justify himself and so he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?” (Luke 10:25-29).

In reply to this question, Jesus told the parable of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:30-37) the obvious point of which is that our neighbor is anyone in need of our assistance. We all learned this point of the story as children. But parables are heavenly stories put into an earthly context where every character is symbolic of someone or something else, and the Parable of the Good Samaritan is no exception. Therefore we should also expect to find a glimpse of Heaven contained there in. The word parable literally means “to place along side” so the obvious “earthly” story has to be accompanied by a hidden “heavenly” one. Put another way, if the obvious story is the children’s version then the hidden one is the adult version of the story. Let’s find it.

Who Are The Samaritans?

First, a little background. The Samaritans were the offspring of marriages between Jewish farmers the Assyrians left behind when they conquered the Northern Kingdom in 721 BC and the pagans they re-located there. Mixing up the conquered populations was standard procedure for the Assyrians because it reduced the threat of organized rebellion. The Samaritans were despised by the Jews because of these mixed marriages and because they had incorporated pagan rituals into their worship of God (both were forbidden by Jewish law). A generation or so before the time of Jesus, a son of the Jewish High Priest had run off and married the daughter of the King of Samaria, built a replica of the Temple on Mt. Gerizim and instituted a rival worship system which caused a huge scandal. In her encounter with Jesus (John 4:4-42) the Samaritan “woman at the well” makes reference to this (vs. 19).

The region called Samaria was named after the capital city of the former Northern Kingdom and is located in what’s known today as the West Bank. Because their laws prohibit marrying outside their own, the Samaritan population has dwindled to a point where only about 700 exist today. They’re not Palestinians, but they’re not regarded as Jews either and keep pretty much to themselves. Some have equated the Jews’ treatment of Samaritans during the time of Jesus with the southern whites’ treatment of blacks in the 19th century in the US, so to have a Samaritan as the hero of this story must have gotten the attention of the Lord’s audience right away. By the way, the ruins of the Samaritan Temple were discovered about 10 years ago and are being excavated for public display.

The old Jericho Road was a steep narrow passage along one wall of a deep canyon. In the 17 miles from Jerusalem to Jericho, it dropped 3200 vertical feet through a rough wilderness area fraught with danger from attacks by wild animals in the best of times. In the Lord’s day there was also the threat of being attacked by robbers lurking in the rocks. The Temple renovation was nearly complete and many workers had been laid off. Having lost their source of income, some turned to stealing to provide for their families. The people were all too familiar with reports of violence there, and had nicknamed this road Adumim, the Pass of Blood. The area where the canyon opens up at the bottom, near Jericho, is traditionally known as the valley of the Shadow of Death, from Psalm 23.

And Now, Back To Our Story

You know how the story goes. A man traveling along the old Jericho Road is beset by robbers who strip him of his clothes, beat him and leave him half dead. First a priest and then a Levite pass by, but simply cross to the other side and ignore him. Then a Samaritan comes along. He comes to where the man is, binds up his wounds applying oil and wine, and places him upon his own donkey. He takes the man to a nearby inn and cares for him. The next day he pays the man’s present and future bill asking the innkeeper to look after him and promising to pay any balance due when he returns. The two silver coins he gave the innkeeper would have paid a man’s hotel bill for up to 2 months in those days.

So, understanding that there’s supposed to be a glimpse of Heaven here and that everyone in the parable is symbolic of someone else let’s look for the hidden meaning.

“A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he fell into the hands of robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead.”(Luke 10:30)

The man was an ordinary person who represents you and me on the road of life. Who it is that would attack us, strip us of our clothing and leave us for dead? We know that our spiritual covering is often referred to in terms of clothing. “All our righteous works are as filthy rags,” says Isaiah 64:6 whereas the Lord clothes us with “garments of salvation” and “robes of righteousness” (Isa. 61:10). So who would strip us of our covering of righteousness and leave us spiritually dead? Only Satan, the stealer of our soul.

A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. (Luke 10:31-32)

The priest and the Levite represent organized religion that in and of itself is powerless to restore spiritual life and leaves us just as dead as when it found us. The Lord had Isaiah say, “These people come near to me with their mouth and honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. Their worship of me is made up only of rules taught by men.” (Isaiah 29:13) Jesus didn’t come to start another religion. He came so that God could be reconciled to His creation, to restore peace between the two. But sadly, in some parts of the Church, the rules of men still carry more weight than the Word of God.

But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. (Luke 10:33)

And that leaves the Good Samaritan. Though despised and rejected by His countrymen, He comes to where we are after we’ve been attacked and beaten by our enemy, stripped of all our righteousness and left hopelessly dead in our sins, beyond the ability of all our religious works to restore us to God’s favor.

He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, took him to an inn and took care of him. (Luke 10:34)

He binds up our wounds (Isaiah 61:1), pours on oil and wine, and carries us to a place of spiritual comfort where He personally cares for us. Oil was used to aid in healing because of its soothing and relaxing properties. Applying it to the skin brings comfort. It represents the Holy Spirit, our Comforter. Wine was an antiseptic, a cleansing agent. It symbolizes His blood, shed for the remission of sin. At the moment of salvation we receive the Holy Spirit as a guarantee of our inheritance and are washed clean in the Blood of the Lamb. He has taken up our infirmities and carried our sorrows (Isaiah 53:4) and will bring us to a place of comfort. In Matt. 11:28 He said, “Come to me, you who are weary and heavy laden, and I will give you rest.”

The next day he took out two silver coins and gave them to the innkeeper. ‘Look after him,’ he said, ‘and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.’ (Luke 10:35)

Before He left this earth He paid the debt of sin we owe to God (represented by the innkeeper), entrusting us to His care. Silver was the coin of redemption (Exod. 30:12-15) . Please notice that He also accepted responsibility for all of our future sins. We weren’t just redeemed up to the time we became believers, but for all of our lives. (Col. 2:13-14)

So the Good Samaritan could only be the Lord Jesus, our Savior and our Redeemer.

And what did the man do to deserve all of this? Nothing. He neither earned his rescue nor provided any contribution to his restoration. It was a gift, a manifestation of the grace in the Good Samaritan’s heart. And so it is with us. For when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that, having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life. (Titus 3:4-7)

And now you know the adult version. 07-11-09

Bringing Down The Walls

by Michael G. Mickey
(7-10-09)

Concerning the battle of Gog-Magog to come, we read the following description of Israel at the time of the attack:

"And thou shalt say, I will go up to the land of unwalled villages; I will go to them that are at rest, that dwell safely, all of them dwelling without walls, and having neither bars nor gates," (Ezekiel 38:11)

Can anyone imagine, as tense as things are in the Middle East right now, that a day is coming when Israel will perceive itself in such safety that it will bring down its biggest wall of all, the separation barrier it built a number of years ago which has prevented numerous terrorist attacks and saved an unknown but significant number of lives in the Jewish state? I can't, but bible prophecy makes it clear that is precisely what is going to occur.

The Associated Press is reporting the following, in part, on this topic of interest:

Israel must tear down its West Bank separation barrier, a senior U.N. official said Wednesday, marking five years since the International Court of Justice declared the barrier illegal and a violation of Palestinian rights.

The barrier separates Israel from the West Bank and in places cuts into Palestinian territory. Israel started building it in 2002 to stop a wave of suicide bombing attacks by Palestinians, who infiltrated across the cease-fire line.

Palestinians charge the complex of walls, trenches, barbed wire and electronic sensors is a land grab that cuts people off from their property and basic services.

Israel did not recognize the 2004 ruling against the barrier by the International Court of Justice, an advisory opinion with no enforcement mechanism.

The barrier is about two-thirds completed. The southern section, near sparsely populated areas on both sides of the line, has not been constructed.[MORE...]

What, exactly, is going to prompt Israel to tear down its massive separation barrier is unknown, but one thing we can be sure of, in my humble opinion based on the scripture above, is Gog-Magog isn't going to go down until after Israel's separation barrier goe down. This is a key piece of the prophetic puzzle for us to both watch for and keep in mind as we witness numerous other events and developments taking place in the world around us demonstrating that bible prophecy is on its way to complete fulfillment, potentially in the not-too-distant future.

Also on my mind

Last week I finished reading Dr. David Reagan's third edition of America The Beautiful? The United States in Bible Prophecy.

Much like Dr. Reagan and other contributors to this site, I am beginning to wonder how much longer this nation is going to avoid the hand of God's judgment. Why? The Obama administration's clearly pro-Arab position in dealing with Israel where Middle East peace is concerned as well as the president's recent proclamation that he hopes to persuade all Americans to accept homosexuality and stop clinging to what he referred to as "worn arguments and old attitudes" come to mind for starters. There are more reasons to be concerned, of course, but these are plenty cause enough!

Anyone who has read my site for any amount of time knows I'm not one to make predictions as to what the future holds but two stories currently in the news trouble me a great deal.

First, the Associated Press is reporting the following, in part:

Scientists have detected a spike in underground rumblings on a section of California's San Andreas Fault that produced a magnitude-7.8 earthquake in 1857.

What these mysterious vibrations say about future earthquakes is far from certain. But some think the deep tremors suggest underground stress may be building up faster than expected and may indicate an increased risk of a major temblor.

We know that great earthquakes in diverse places is part and parcel for the end times. Not only that, we know that a nation which blesses Israel will be blessed while a nation that curses Israel will be cursed by God. (Genesis 12:3) And, when you think about it? Where has there been more contention and strife stirred recently in an effort to legalize same-sex marriage, which God expressly forbids in numerous passages of scripture, than in the state of California - the state where the fault line is located? It makes you think, doesn't it?

Secondly, the weather phenomena known as El Nino is back, according to an Associated Press article that opens as follows:

El Nino is back.

Government scientists said Thursday that the periodic warming of water in the tropical Pacific Ocean, which can affect weather around the world, has returned.

The Pacific had been in what is called a neutral state, but forecasters at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration say the sea surface temperature climbed to 1.8 degrees Fahrenheit above normal along a narrow band in the eastern equatorial Pacific in June.

In addition, NOAA's Climate Prediction Center said temperatures in other tropical regions are also above normal, with warmer than usual readings as much as 975 feet below the ocean surface.

Another excerpt:

The forecasters said they expect this El Nino to continue strengthening over the next few months and to last through the winter of 2009-2010.

"Advanced climate science allows us to alert industries, governments and emergency managers about the weather conditions El Nino may bring so these can be factored into decision-making and ultimately protect life, property and the economy," NOAA Administrator Jane Lubchenco said in a statement.

NOAA officials noted that not all El Nino effects are negative. For example, it can suppress Atlantic hurricanes and bring needed moisture to the arid Southwest.

But it can also steer damaging winter storms to California and increase storminess across the southern United States.

In bible prophecy, we're told that the times leading up to Christ's return are going to feature some noteworthily rowdy sea weather. (Luke 21:25) This may be shaping up to be a year wherein prophecy will be applicable on this front, as we see in a Honolulu Star Bulletin article that opens as follows:

El Nino's return to the Pacific after a four-year absence changes the hurricane season forecast from near to below normal for tropical storm systems to above normal, says Jim Weyman, Central Pacific Hurricane Center director.

Perhaps my concerns for our nation are unwarranted as I read these stories, but I can't help but feel, as a direct result of the prevailing political and diplomatic winds crossing our nation as a result of our liberal president and Congress doing everything in their collective power to thumb their noses at God, that we're in for a rough ride unless this nation enters into a momentous period of repentance - and fast.

Unfortunately for all of us, in spite of the fact most of us honor God with our lips, we are all to blame for the current state of moral and spiritual decay our nation is in. We've held neither political party's feet to the fire in relation to this nation maintaining some semblance of respect to Almighty God and His Word and that, my friends? It may cost us all dearly, both in terms of God's wrath being unleashed on us supernaturally and our elected government becoming our own worst enemy at its own whim, which we have asked for by letting some of the current cancers in our leadership in Washington fester as long as they have to the point they view themselves as untouchable, unanswerable to the people and our collective will, which they are supposed to be mirroring but never seem to do!

May God have mercy on those of us He is willing to.

Keep looking up! Jesus Christ is surely coming soon!

Earth's Final Days

“Even as Sodom and Gomorrha, and the cities about them in like manner, giving themselves over to fornication, and going after strange flesh, are set forth for an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire.” Jude 1:7.

There is an aggressive world-wide push to replace natural societal behavior with that of a completely unnatural and throughly corrupt behavior. This push involves a tiny community of people so consumed with lust that they go so far as to flaunt their abhorrent behavior in the streets as they march in sanctioned parades in cities around the world. This is a satanic agenda of monumental proportions. As we watch Bible prophecies unfold before us, we who believe and accept this unfolding as proof that the end is very near know that many evils will become commonplace during the time leading up to the end. We might get a little dizzy in our heads at the sound of the approaching hoof beats and queasy in our stomachs as we see End Time prophecy come to life before our very eyes. But for now one thing is obvious; this world is turning homosexual.

The Bible tells us that there will be unusual worldwide events happen as the end days approach, as well as societies becoming thoroughly corrupt. India’s high court recently reversed a 150 year old law outlawing homosexual sex. Before the news even broke here in the US a brother e-mailed me from India very concerned about this decision. What do I say to this man? “Welcome to the 21st century”? Hardly. I encouraged him to look to the scriptures that show God’s sentiments on this hotly debated subject. Why? Because at the end of the day, it’s God’s word that stands strong and which believers are to look to as the only remaining truth.

This situation in India is certainly indicative of where the world is headed, and in many cases is already there. Most nations of this world harbor a very vocal, aggressive, well financed, well organized, and at times militant homosexual subculture. The homosexuals want to be recognized and legitimized as the mainstream culture. Their language leads one to believe that they are only interested in equal rights. This is a lie.

Lying in the underbelly of this monstrous, ungodly and very pervasive agenda is something else, something even more sinister. The homosexual community, which is made up of many zealots, is prepared to fight all the way to the highest courts in every country and province where they will push their agenda of legitimacy to the extreme, all in the name of equal rights? They have now become a force to be reckoned with. Not because they are some kind of enormous community that dwarfs all others on planet earth. No, what’s happening is what is normal, that is marriage between a man and a woman, is quickly becoming dismissed as intolerant and bigoted. What God tells us is normal for a society is now going the way of the dodo bird. Now these once normal civilized communities are accepting, even welcoming, this lifestyle which was once perceived as wicked. Homosexuals will soon control the media, our public and private schools, and every world government. The world is bending over backwards to comply with the homosexual agenda. Why is that? God tells us why in His word.

Homosexuals have now been given access to our children as young as kindergarten and preschool so that they may corrupt their very small impressionable minds. Through the public school system they are now teaching their way of life to these innocent children. Their way of life includes, for the most part, sex. That’s the driving force behind why they lead such evil and debase lives. They are fueled by what a normal human would consider as uncontrolled, lust-filled minds. Sex is the motivator and the sustainer of this lifestyle. If they were honest they would admit that fact.

Obama, the usurper of the Oval Office, wants to be the leader of the pack when it comes to homosexual rights. He’s used his newly acquired powers to ensure the homosexual is given the green light in society to do as they wish in public as well as in private. He wasn’t able to attend any National Day of Prayer meetings but he certainly never misses an opportunity to promote the homosexual agenda. He’s now designated June as national LGBT pride month. Obama made the following comments at a White House reception honoring "Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Pride Month":

There are unjust laws to overturn and unfair practices to stop. And though we've made progress, there are still fellow citizens – perhaps neighbors or even family members and loved ones – who still hold fast to worn arguments and old attitudes, who fail to see your families like their families and who would deny you the rights that most Americans take for granted. And I know this is painful, and I know it can be heartbreaking.

– Barack Hussein Obama, June 29, 2009

When it comes to rights, homosexuals have all the same rights as heterosexuals except one. Marriage still eludes them, but it looks as though Obama will do his level best to insure they will win on that front also.

Homosexuals want one more right than that of the heterosexual world. They want to take away our right to verbally oppose them. They don’t want to be confronted with God’s view on their lifestyle ever again. It’s alright to speak out against other sins, but speak against the sin of homosexuality and there will be dire consequences.

Right now there are an alarming number of teenaged homosexuals committing suicide or who attempt suicide. If you read the homosexuals' response to this tragedy, they claim that when society puts their stamp of approval on the homosexual lifestyle this will all stop. Actually, society as a whole is becoming more and more tolerant of this abomination and yet the numbers of suicides are increasing, not decreasing. If you would like to do your own research on homosexual suicide statistics, just Google it.

"Gay Affirming Pastor" Jay Bakker feels God has now changed His mind about homosexuality “The more I follow grace, the more I'm drawn to him [God], the more I'm willing to stand up for people being persecuted," said Bakker. "It sounds so churchy, but I felt like God spoke to my heart and said '[homosexuality] is not a sin.”

From an article by Lighthouse Trails - http://www.lighthousetrails.com/

If God spoke to this man’s heart and told him homosexuality is not a sin then He just contradicted His very word and has now changed His mind as to what homosexuality really is. But we should all know, by what we are taught in God’s word, that that just isn’t possible. It wasn’t God speaking to this Gay affirming pastor’s heart. It was God’s adversary, Satan.

Of course, if you don’t believe the Bible is the inerrant word of God, then you will probably just write this commentary off as another homophobic spouting off. If, on the other hand, you do believe the Bible is the inspired and inerrant word of God, then keep reading. We’ll begin by taking a look at what the Bible tells us God did to Sodom and Gomorrah and the surrounding cities of the plains.

“And the LORD said, Shall I hide from Abraham that thing which I do; Seeing that Abraham shall surely become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth shall be blessed in him?” Genesis 18:17, 18. Abraham was a man of God and God wasn’t inclined to keep what He was about to do from Abraham, even the destruction of these two cities. “And the LORD said, Because the cry of Sodom and Gomorrah is great, and because their sin is very grievous;” Genesis 18:20. Just what was this grievous offense Sodom and Gomorrah had committed in God’s eyes?

“And there came two angels to Sodom at even; and Lot sat in the gate of Sodom: and Lot seeing them rose up to meet them; and he bowed himself with his face toward the ground; And he said, Behold now, my lords, turn in, I pray you, into your servant's house, and tarry all night, and wash your feet, and ye shall rise up early, and go on your ways. And they said, Nay; but we will abide in the street all night. And he pressed upon them greatly; and they turned in unto him, and entered into his house; and he made them a feast, and did bake unleavened bread, and they did eat. ‘...the men of the city, even the men of Sodom, compassed the house round, both old and young, all the people from every quarter: And they called unto Lot, and said unto him, Where are the men which came in to thee this night? bring them out unto us, that we may know them.” Genesis 19:1-5. We’re told that all the men, young and old, from the city came and surrounded Lot ’s house demanding he bring his two visitors out. Why? Were they being hospitable? Were they just being good neighbors welcoming the strangers to their city? Hardly.

To fully understand what the men of Sodom had on their minds we must understand the following phrase “that we may know them”. Earlier in the book of Genesis we’re told Adam “knew” his wife and she bore more children. The Hebrew word is “yada” and one of the uses for this word is to know a person carnally. The men of Sodom wanted to have homosexual sex with these two strangers visiting Lot . These two cities and even the sounding plains were replete with homosexuality, to the point that God could no longer allow this all encompassing evil to continue.

Homosexuality is clearly connected to the men of Sodom . The Bible declares it to be sin. “For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature: And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error which was meet.” Romans 1:26, 27.

Side Note:

The sin of the men of Sodom is plainly connected to their homosexuality. There is no doubt the Bible declares homosexual conduct is sin (Romans 1:26-28).

The Bible condemns homosexuality in the same context as it condemns incest and bestiality (Leviticus 18:22, 20:13). If we ignore the word of God at the point of homosexual conduct, then we have no standing to say any of the other three sins are sin.

Homosexual advocates have an interest in saying homosexuals are exactly like everyone else, except they love people of their own sex. But when the conduct of homosexuals is observed, this is not the case.

We can bring out statistics on the number of partners homosexuals have: 43% of homosexuals say they have had 500 or more sexual partners in their lifetime. Only 1% of homosexuals say they have had four or less sexual partners in their lifetime. According to the United States Department of Health and Human Services, 77% of homosexuals say they have met sexual partners in a city park, 62% in a homosexual bar, 61% in a theater, 31% in a public restroom. Only 28% of homosexuals said they had known their partners for at least a week before participating in homosexual sex.

Undoubtedly, one of the reasons why males pursue and give in to homosexual desires is because they want to immerse themselves in a lifestyle of dangerous sex with no inhibitions or obstacles, and sense that sex with other men is an easier path to this. No wonder Paul connects “burning lust” and a debased mind with male homosexuality in Romans 1:27-28.

Homosexuals also have an interest in saying that up to 10% of the population is homosexual. But the most reliable statistics show only 2.3% of men in their 20’s and 30’s report ever having had a homosexual experience. Only 1.1% reported being exclusively homosexual. These low figures agree with several other recent surveys and surveys done in Britain and France .

Homosexuals also have an interest in saying they were “born that way.” All attempts thus far to prove this have been based more on wishful thinking than solid biological research, but if it is found to be the case, so what? The Bible teaches we are all born with a predisposition to sin. It shouldn’t surprise us that some 2% of the population finds this predisposition expressed in homosexual desire.

Homosexuals also have an interest in defining themselves as “gay,” a word that used to mean “happy” or “carefree,” but it is a poor description of a lifestyle that has such a high rate of death, disease, and suicide.

David Guzik - http://www.enduringword.com/

Even though many won’t take the Bible seriously or literally, God does. Homosexuality is condemned by God. “Thou shalt not lie with mankind, as with womankind: it is abomination. If a man also lie with mankind, as he lieth with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination: they shall surely be put to death; their blood shall be upon them,” Leviticus 18:22, 20:13. The scripture above is what Obama was talking about when he addressed those homosexuals gathered at the White House when he referred to those “who still hold fast to worn arguments and old attitudes.” That’s Obama’s attitude when it comes to the word of God, and he professes to be a Christian.

If the word of God is ignored by any nation, God will, at some point, remove his blessings from that land. The more homosexuality is condoned, the more the Bible is ignored. Ergo, there go God’s blessings.

Was all the above information necessary just to get to my point? I believe so. Jesus tells us that the society living in the last days just before His return will be as perverse as the societies that both Noah and Lot experienced.

Homosexuals will be and are being fully appeased and placated and earth will become much more frightening and nightmarish to all who oppose them. All civilizations on earth will ultimately accept the homosexual lifestyle as completely normal. Paul tells us in the book of Romans chapter 1 that God’s judgment is pronounced on all who practice what’s become commonly referred to in our day as the Gay and Lesbian lifestyle, as well as all those who condone it and embrace it as normal.

That’s how it was all over the planet in Noah’s day which is why God sent the flood. Their sin was so heinous that God had no choice but to eliminate all who had corrupted themselves with this immorality. Only Noah’s genes remained untainted by this corruption, thus God spared him and his family as He saw them safely through the flood. Many have come to believe that through all the begats in the Bible and the longevity experienced by the folks before the flood that there were as many people on earth in Noah’s day as what we see currently on earth. God protected Noah and his family as He flooded the earth and eliminated a mass of fully corrupted individuals.

God’s will is that everyone would repent and turn from their evil ways, but not everyone will comply with His will. A huge portion of society will continue in their rebellion against Him. That rebellion will be their undoing, and it will be their choice.

God hates all sin, but clearly His wrath has been revealed against the sin of homosexuality most intensely in that He flooded the earth to completely eliminate it from planet earth and at another point He wiped out a whole region of earth that was consumed with it. In God’s eyes it’s a very grievous sin indeed. God tells us in His word that there is going to come a time when He will lose His patience (longsuffering) with the rebellious, but before He does He’ll remove those who belong to Him. In Lot’s case, for example, two angels came and removed Lot and his family just before God in His wrath destroyed the evil presence in that region.

In the case of the Church, Jesus Himself will remove all those who belong to Him. That time is almost upon us. Then God’s wrath will once again be manifest on earth. In the meantime, as the Church sits back on its haunches and refuses to get involved in this political correctness gone completely amuck mindset, any and all evil will prevail. As we sit around wondering just how much persecution the Church will be forced to endure before Christ returns for His own, keep in mind we did little to stop it.

God bless you all,

Ron Graham
twotug@embarqmail.com
All scripture is from the KJV

In Search of The New World Order

by Michael G. Mickey
(7-8-09)

As soon as I read the opening paragraph of a USA Today news story yesterday, I knew I'd have to write about it today. Why? Because of the prophetic undertones contained in it that so many biblically naive and uneducated souls will glance over, never giving them a second thought. The story opens as follows:

Pope Benedict XVI today called for reforming the United Nations and establishing a "true world political authority" with "real teeth" to manage the global economy with God-centered ethics.

Where to begin? First off, let's examine what role a reformed United Nations could play in bible prophecy.

A reformed United Nations

In bible prophecy, we're told a scenario is going to come to pass that will see the new world order the Antichrist will someday rise to take control over (or a precursor to it) have ten kings overseeing it in some fashion.

Daniel 7:23-24:

Thus he said, The fourth beast shall be the fourth kingdom upon earth, which shall be diverse from all kingdoms, and shall devour the whole earth, and shall tread it down, and break it in pieces. And the ten horns out of this kingdom [are] ten kings [that] shall arise: and another shall rise after them; and he shall be diverse from the first, and he shall subdue three kings.

The final kingdom that will rule the world will be multinational in composition, having ten kings initially as I stated above.

After the ten kings of the new world order to come are established, another political leader is going to arise after them - the prophesied Antichrist. By his direct actions, three of the ten kings are going to be subdued.

For many years now, a reforming of the United Nations has been discussed as needed, one reason cited being that some of the key nations sitting in exalted positions for decades now are no longer major players on the global diplomatic stage, other powers having surpassed them both in population and influence. France, which sits on the U.N. Security Council as one of five permanent members, is a prime example.

Could a reformed United Nations come to pass and, in its final form, consist of ten regions, one of which will be the revived Roman empire of bible prophecy we commonly refer to as the European Union? If so, this occurring in the not-too-distant future seems, from my perspective, a genuine possibility.

While most people tend to look at the United Nations as the world's premier multinational organization, the 27-member nation strong European Union, unlike the impotent United Nations, is where prophecy seems to indicate the Antichrist is going to eventually establish the world's final global dictatorship and swiftly devour the entire world. The E.U. is here already, quietly establishing itself as a superpower. If a reformed U.N. comes to pass and the Antichrist rises to power, he will face little opposition in forging the new world order in the final form it will appear leading up to Armageddon, especially after he uproots three of the ten kings who will have dared to resist him at the outset of his meteoric rise.

A true world political authority

As I stated earlier, the United Nations, for all its chatter and noise making, doesn't own the respect of most any nation on earth - Iraq, Iran and North Korea being recent history's most glaring examples. The coming new world order the Antichrist will lead, however? It's going to be a whole new ball game!

Daniel 7:25 tells us the Antichrist "shall speak [great] words against the most High, and shall wear out the saints of the most High, and think to change times and laws: and they shall be given into his hand until a time and times and the dividing of time." The arrogance and tenacity of the Antichrist will be unprecedented in human history, in my opinion. In Revelation 13:4, we see he (the beast) will be fierce in his rule, a man the world will genuinely fear. He is going to make Adolf Hitler look like a teddy bear by comparison. Consider the following:

Revelation 13:4-8:

And they worshipped the dragon which gave power unto the beast: and they worshipped the beast, saying, Who [is] like unto the beast? who is able to make war with him?

And there was given unto him a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies; and power was given unto him to continue forty [and] two months.

And he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme his name, and his tabernacle, and them that dwell in heaven.

And it was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them: and power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations.

And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.

The Pope wants to see a "true world political authority" come into existence? One is coming, sooner or later. That is a fact we can take to the bank.

Real Teeth

It was almost chilling to me to read that the Pope wants to see a global authority come into existence that will have "real teeth."

For a man who is supposed to know a lot about the bible, he is either prophetically clueless or intentionally wicked in his desires.

How does one who is referred to as "holy" overlook the impact bible prophecy teaches us the type of global power he wishes to see implemented is going to have on our world? Just look at what Daniel saw in a vision concerning the new world order to come, particularly its ferocity, not to mention that the Antichrist will grab the reigns of this terrible, dreadful beast in short order!

Daniel 7:7-8:

After this I saw in the night visions, and behold a fourth beast, dreadful and terrible, and strong exceedingly; and it had great iron teeth: it devoured and brake in pieces, and stamped the residue with the feet of it: and it [was] diverse from all the beasts that [were] before it; and it had ten horns.

I considered the horns, and, behold, there came up among them another little horn, before whom there were three of the first horns plucked up by the roots: and, behold, in this horn [were] eyes like the eyes of man, and a mouth speaking great things.

Managing the global economy

The kingdom of Antichrist, once entrenched, is going to control the global economy completely, as we see in Revelation 13:16-17:

And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads:

And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name.

Can you imagine the power the Antichrist will wield at this juncture in the prophetic future?

God-centered ethics

Many who have read or will yet read the Pope's words may well be concerned as they first read his words only to pass them off as innocent once they read that the Pope wants to see all of the above with "God-centered ethics" playing a role. Don't let that person be you because the new world order to come? While it will have a god it will bow down to and even command all mankind to worship in the person of the Antichrist, its god will be nothing like our God. The new world order's god will be outwardly evil and domineering by the time his true nature is revealed to mankind and where worship of him is concerned? It will not be optional but mandatory! Those who refuse to bow before him and his image will not fare well as we will soon highlight in Scripture.

The following scriptures show us that the new world order to come is going to have a seemingly religious leader associated with it in the Antichrist's sidekick, the False Prophet. In Scripture we see he will have the appearance of a lamb in relation to the threat he poses, at least initially, but his words will be those of a dragon! Every word he speaks will be spiritually venomous, toxic to the core!

Once the Antichrist and False Prophet have the world in their wicked hands, so to speak, the False Prophet is going to perform great miracles, even bringing an image of the Antichrist to life, the image itself being so demonically powerful it will possess the ability to kill those who refuse to bow before it!

Revelation 13:11-15:

And I beheld another beast coming up out of the earth; and he had two horns like a lamb, and he spake as a dragon

And he exerciseth all the power of the first beast before him, and causeth the earth and them which dwell therein to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed.

And he doeth great wonders, so that he maketh fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men,

And deceiveth them that dwell on the earth by [the means of] those miracles which he had power to do in the sight of the beast; saying to them that dwell on the earth, that they should make an image to the beast, which had the wound by a sword, and did live.

And he had power to give life unto the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak, and cause that as many as would not worship the image of the beast should be killed.

Does Pope Benedict XVI have any idea what it is he is asking to come upon mankind when he makes speeches wherein he encourages the leaders of the world to venture out in search of the new world order which is prophesied to come? I don't pretend to know the answer, but I'm at a loss to consider how he wouldn't if he's read his bible with any zeal.

Day by day, event after event, the picture painted by bible prophecy becomes clearer. While some of this commentary is admittedly conjecture on my part, particularly concerning how the new world order to come will fit together at its outset, the parallels between what the Pope said we need to pursue in his speech yesterday are hard to miss from where I'm sitting, right here at my desk where I spend a lot of my free time sounding the alert that Jesus Christ is coming soon based on an ongoing examination of current events in light of bible prophecy.

What next, Christians? Only the Lord knows.

Efforts still underway to label conservatives as terrorists

From NewsWithViews.com:

An amendment to a bill swiftly moving through the US Congress will allow the Obama Administration's Attorney General to classify Americans as domestic terrorists if they are pro-life, pro-gun and anti-big government.

Impeached Florida judge -- now a Democrat Party member of the House of Representatives -- Rep. Alcee Hastings introduced what some claim is a disturbing piece of legislation. Hasting's amendment calls for the Attorney General to have discretion over who is called a terrorist and what groups will be treated as terrorist groups.

"This is arguably one of the worst pieces of legislation to come down the pike in a long, long time. In essence Attorney General Eric Holder -- a Bill Clinton retread -- will have the discretion to label Americans terrorists. Hastings is a dangerous man and should be forced to resign from congress. He's also proposed the creation of "emergency camps" that are nothing more than prisons," warns political strategist Mike Baker.

"This amendment is part and parcel of the trend in this country to suppress dissent by patriots by calling them domestic terrorists," he added. [More...]

If you're a conservative Christian who believes in bible prophecy, supports the Second Amendment and Constitution, are opposed to abortion and the homosexualization of our nation and you're not concerned yet where all of this is headed, you should be!

If we don't begin educating ourselves concerning what is afoot and do more than shake our heads in disgust, we are going to be the first victims of Obama and the liberal Congress' clear efforts to silence all opposition to their political goals, few of which are of any benefit to our nation, particularly in the eyes of God.

Symptoms: A NWO with Real Teeth