THE INTERESTING INFORMATION CHRISTIAN MINISTRY
CONFIRMING BIBLICAL TRUTH
9/11/2024
SECTION 1 – INTERESTTING INFORMATION WEEKLY ARTILCLES
SECTION 2 – SUMMARIES/BOOK REVIEWS/SPECIAL ARTICLES/CHRISTIAN LINKS
Blue Letter Bible: http://www.blueletterbible.org/
INTERESTING INFORMATION MINISTRY
9/11/2024
Est. 1997
The following material is provided for information purposes only. Any conclusions or opinions formed should be based on the principles as outlined in Acts 17:11. The material is intended for use as a witnessing tool and to keep you informed so you will not be unaware (Luke 21:34) of what is happening according to Scripture’s
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“However, when the Son of Man comes, will He find any faith on the earth?” (Luke 18:8b)
Ezekiel 34:2 “Shepherd, feed the Flock
THE RACE OF FAITH
Therefore we also, since we are surround by so great
A cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and
the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with
endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto
Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy
that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the
shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne
of God.
CHRISTIAN MUSIC VIDEO
PRAISE HIM MOON AND STARS
Graham Kendrick
INTERESTING ARTICLE SUMMARY
· Why Christians must care about Israel’s war with Hamas
· Spiritual warfare over Israel
· “Collapse of Christianity” to blame for downfall of America
· Contending for Truth in the season of the Dragon
· Kamala Harris distorts Bible verse for Political gain
· BRIDGE TO GOD’S PROMISES
INTERESTING ARTICLES
WHY CHRISTIANS MUST CARE ABOUT ISRAEL’S WAR WITH HAMAS
Charisma News – Sep/ 5, 2024 -- Hamas formed in 1987 as a Palestinian rejection of Israel’s right to a homeland; the terrorist group combined Palestinian nationalism with Islamic fundamentalism that sought to establish another Islamic state. The First Intifada, the uprising of such beliefs, began in 1987 and ended in 1993. The Second Intifada began in 2000 and, by most accounts, ended in 2005. This is where our personal story with Gaza begins.
The Expulsion of Gush Katif
In August of 2005, on Tisha B’Av, my wife, Christie, and I were on the Israeli border of Gaza and Gush Katif (a bloc of 17 settlements in the southern Gaza Strip). We were ministering to families who were being forcefully removed from their homes by the Israel Defense Forces. This removal was the result of a disengagement plan initiated by then-Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon under tremendous pressure from the Bush administration, calling for a withdrawal of the IDF and dismantling of Israeli settlements in Gaza. As a result, we watched over 8,000 Israelis dragged from their homes in a forced eviction—the most painful thing we observed in Israel and remains the single most traumatic experience for us, simply as observers—until our visit shortly after Oct. 7, 2023.
Following this withdrawal in August of 2005, Hamas took over the Gaza Strip in 2007, ultimately leading to the Swords of Iron War. This is the history of the conflict in the most recent and basic terms—but why should it matter to you as a Christian?
What You See Depends on What You Feel
“For our fight is not against flesh and blood, but against principalities … against spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places” (Eph. 6:12, MEV). As believers, we can learn valuable lessons from this history and how the enemy takes advantage of us when we step away from the promises God has given us. We often struggle to walk in our destiny because we see the giants in the land and ourselves as grasshoppers, not our God-given identity as heirs and overcomers.
During the Hebrew Month of Tammuz, which often falls in July and August of the Gregorian calendar, we focus on the principle of the power of vision, for how we see ourselves and our circumstances, which directs our steps. Sight is a curious thing. We all can look at the same thing, yet what we perceive is unique to our life experience. It depends on the condition of one’s heart. If you want to see the good, you often see the positive aspects; if you have negative feelings toward something or someone, you see things from a pessimistic vantage point.
SPIRITUAL WARFARE OVER ISRAEL
Charisma News – Sep. 5, 2024 -- Iran has publicly declared its intent to wipe Israel off the map. Universities, church pension funds and major corporations are divesting rather than investing in Israel. The rise of international antisemitism—whether from Islamists or those on the extreme Left and Right—reveals dark angelic powers are catalyzing concerted attacks to destroy God’s chosen people. At the same time, the ongoing restoration process of the Jewish people to their homeland is a clear marker for the end times.
These are only some of the reasons Psalm 122:6 commands us to “pray for the peace of Jerusalem.” Indeed, if there were ever a time to pray this way—to cry out for the nation of Israel—the time is now. Israel is the apple of God’s eye (Zech. 2:8). God blesses those who bless Israel (Gen. 12:2-3). Jesus Himself wept over Jerusalem (Luke 19:41). And a growing number of intercessors are weeping over the Holy Land in these final days.
“Israel’s enemies are trying to force it to give up land. According to Joel 3:2, this single sin will usher in judgment on the nations,” says Sid Roth, host of “It’s Supernatural” and a former account executive for Merrill Lynch who was raised in a Jewish home before accepting Messiah. “Simultaneously, God is about to pour out His Spirit worldwide. The devil wants to abort this great harvest by releasing judgment on the nations too early!”
Avner Boskey, an Israeli Messianic writer, teacher and theologian, points out a clear end-times connection between the return of our Messiah and the Jewish people.
“The majority of major eschatological events in the Bible are connected to the Jewish people: the Second Coming revealed in Matthew 23:37-39, the restoration of all things and the times of refreshing referenced in Acts 3:19-21, much greater riches for the Gentiles from Romans 11:12 and world revival mentioned in Romans 11:15—a strategic prayer priority as well as a matter very close to God’s own heart,” says Boskey, executive director of Final Frontier Ministries in Israel, speaker and author of “Israel: The Key to World Revival.”
‘COLLAPSE OF CHRISTIANITY’ TO BLAME FOR DOWNFALL OF AMERICA
Charisma News – Sep/ 5, 2024 -- A recent report from the Cultural Research Center at Arizona Christian University explains the “shocking” level of “depravity” in American society, describing the failures of Christians to maintain a biblical worldview.
“Corrupt politicians, dishonest journalists and media outlets, broken social institutions, immoral religious leaders, unconstitutional government programs and policies, and more, have generated non-stop headlines highlighting the decadence of American society and the demise of the United States,” the report says.
The report asserts that the “indisputable cultural decline” is directly linked to the “spiritual collapse of Christianity in the nation.”
In the last 30 years, the report describes, evangelical Christians have undergone a “dramatic transformation” in the United States. “In reality, evangelicals are far fewer in number than typically reported, often are far less biblical in their thinking than one might think, and tend to vote in far fewer numbers than expected,” it says.
While evangelical Christians are generally a conservative voting bloc, the group tends to reflect “fewer lifestyle differences from the culture than often thought.
“Surprisingly, most evangelicals do not possess a biblical worldview—only about one-third do,” the report notes. “In fact, the data strongly suggests that evangelicals are more likely to be shaped by the culture around them than they are to influence or ‘evangelize’ it.”
While some surveys report evangelical Christians making up anywhere between 25% to 40% of American adults, only about 10% of American adults are likely evangelical Christians.
About 30% of identifying evangelicals believe truth is subjective. As the report explains, beliefs about “absolute moral truth” are “pivotal” for any society. That evangelicals disagree on moral truth is a “matter of grave concern,” the report emphasizes.
“[A]lmost half of the adults attending evangelical churches (44%) believe that there is no absolute moral truth that is pertinent to everyone in all situations,” the report continues. “It is even more dire among the nonevangelical public: Just one out of every four people (24%) in that vast population reject the idea that moral truth is always subjective and conditional.”
“[M]illions of evangelicals do not vote (a practice of every good citizen and those seeking to serve their community); believe the animist and Eastern mystical perspective that that animals, plants, the wind and water have unique spirits; do not pay much, if any, attention to news about politics and government that affects their lives; and who read the Bible on occasion, but not on a daily basis, even though the Bible encourages us to immerse ourselves in God’s words to us,” the report adds.
Christians also have a responsibility to be politically engaged, the report notes. Evangelicals have unfortunately failed in that area, however.
Only one-third of evangelical Christians are “very likely to vote in the 2024 general election.” One out of every five “prefers socialism to capitalism.”
George Barna, the Director of Research at the Cultural Research Center of Arizona Christian University, said the “entire faith matrix of America is frighteningly complex.”
“How many people realize that a substantial majority of all non-evangelicals in this country (62%) are self-identified Christians?” Barna asked. “That means most of the people who describe and think of themselves as Christians either do not embrace Jesus as their Savior, or the Bible as God’s true and relevant Word for their life, or the responsibility of sharing the opportunity to be saved from sin by Jesus. In fact, the largest share of that group rejects all three of those evangelical—and biblical— standards!”
CONTENDING FOR TRUTH IN THE SEASON OF THE DRAGON
Charisma News – Sep. 5, 2024 -- “Some ungodly people have wormed their way into your churches, saying that God’s marvelous grace allows us to live immoral lives. The condemnation of such people was recorded long ago, for they have denied our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ” (Jude 4, NLT).
It is right there in Jude’s epistle. This present season is not a surprise to God. But as we draw closer to the end of days, the dragon spirit encroaches further into the world. This verse captures the danger of moral and doctrinal corruption within the church itself, a message that holds great relevance for the chaotic and morally fractured world we live in today. Jude’s message is warning the world about false teachers who infiltrate the community of believers, distorting the message of grace to justify sin and immorality.
This deception is not new. It was already condemned long ago. Jude, the half-brother of Jesus, is not concerned only with those who sin. He is aiming the sword of truth squarely at everyone who deliberately misuses—exploits, distorts, perverts—the message of grace purchased with the blood of Christ. It gives license to destructive behavior, becoming one of the main challenges the church faces in the tumultuous moral landscape of the 21st century.
We live in a time when moral confusion is rampant. Traditional boundaries that once guided personal and societal behavior have been blurred, even eradicated, in misguided notions of “progress” or “tolerance.” This is driven by the spreading dragon spirit sowing confusion and chaos. Objective truth is often abandoned in favor of subjective feelings and relative morality. What was once considered immoral is now increasingly accepted or even celebrated.
This moral shift impacts not only the secular world, but it has also made its way into the church. In recent years, some voices within the church have embraced doctrines that align more with prevailing cultural attitudes than the truth of the gospel. Sometimes this phenomenon is somewhat innocent, deriving from an initial effort toward crafting a church atmosphere that is more seeker-friendly, honestly endeavoring to share the Good News.
But it echoes Jude’s warning on false teachers who “worm their way into” the church. The heart of the issue is the distortion of God’s grace—unmerited favor that provides unearnable forgiveness and salvation through Jesus Christ. It is the cornerstone of the Christian faith, our path to redemption restoring our relationship with God. However, just as in Jude’s time, there are those who twist the message of grace into something it was never meant to be. Instead of grace being lived as a means to repentance and holy living, some turn it into justification for living an “anything goes” lifestyle contrary to God’s commands. But it remains the essence of Jude’s warning—grace does not give us a free pass to sin.
KAMALA HARRIS DISTORTS BIBLE VERSE FOR POLITICAL GAIN
Charisma News – Sep. 5, 2024 - Vice President Kamala Harris managed to send a video greeting to a Christian conference quoting Scripture out of context about Jesus Christ, and then didn’t even bother to mention His name.
In the message to the Quadrennial Session of the General Conference of the African Methodist Episcopal Church taking place in Columbus, Ohio, last week, Harris said, “We are just 10 weeks out from the election, and I know you are already hard at work… organizing souls to the polls, making sure your members are registered and ready to vote.
“Because as we all know, this is the most consequential election of our lifetime. We face a choice between two very different visions for the future of our nation,” she added.
The Democratic presidential nominee laid out her vision, which involves using the power of the federal government to facilitate home ownership and ensure “affordable” health care and child care, and end childhood poverty.
It all sounds pretty expensive for a government already running multi-trillion dollar deficits. Harris wants to raises taxes on businesses and high income individuals to, in theory, pay for plans, but the nation must first dig out of the $2 trillion annual deficit hole created during the Biden-Harris administration.
And keep in mind, raising taxes on job creators tends to hurt economic growth and therefore federal revenue. A higher tax rate does not mean a higher tax revenue if the economy is not growing and new jobs aren’t being created.
Making matters even more aggravating, after calling for further growth of the bloated federal government, Harris used a Bible passage, taken out of context, to try to justify it.
“As the Gospel of Luke tells us, faith has the power to ‘shine a light on those living in darkness’ and to ‘guide our feet in the path of peace,’” she said.
“In moments such as this, faith guides us forward. Faith in the promise of America: freedom, opportunity and justice. Not for some, but for all,” Harris added.
The verse she quoted from, Luke 1:79 in the New International Version apparently, does not say faith has the power to shine a light on those living in darkness and lead them into peace. Only Jesus Christ does.
The context in Luke, chapter one, is the priest Zechariah prophesying about his son John the Baptist, whom he foresaw would grow up to preach about Jesus.
“And you, my child, will be called a prophet of the Most High; for you will go on before the Lord to prepare the way for him, to give his people the knowledge of salvation through the forgiveness of their sins, because of the tender mercy of our God, by which the rising sun will come to us from heaven to shine on those living in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the path of peace,” Zechariah said.
So Harris is preaching the gospel of salvation through
government, trying to use a Bible passage about Jesus Christ to do it.
That certainly feels sacrilegious.
The rest just sounds communistic: Faith in government to fulfill the supposed “promise of America” to provide equal material outcomes (housing, healthcare and the rest), with no mention of God.
Harris would do better to not quote Scripture at all, rather than try to make it say something it does not.
KAMALA HARRIS DISTORTS BIBLE VERSE FOR POLITICAL GAIN
Charisma News – Sep. 5, 2024 - Vice President Kamala Harris managed to send a video greeting to a Christian conference quoting Scripture out of context about Jesus Christ, and then didn’t even bother to mention His name.
In the message to the Quadrennial Session of the General Conference of the African Methodist Episcopal Church taking place in Columbus, Ohio, last week, Harris said, “We are just 10 weeks out from the election, and I know you are already hard at work… organizing souls to the polls, making sure your members are registered and ready to vote.
“Because as we all know, this is the most consequential election of our lifetime. We face a choice between two very different visions for the future of our nation,” she added.
The Democratic presidential nominee laid out her vision, which involves using the power of the federal government to facilitate home ownership and ensure “affordable” health care and child care, and end childhood poverty.
It all sounds pretty expensive for a government already running multi-trillion dollar deficits. Harris wants to raises taxes on businesses and high income individuals to, in theory, pay for plans, but the nation must first dig out of the $2 trillion annual deficit hole created during the Biden-Harris administration.
And keep in mind, raising taxes on job creators tends to hurt economic growth and therefore federal revenue. A higher tax rate does not mean a higher tax revenue if the economy is not growing and new jobs aren’t being created.
Making matters even more aggravating, after calling for further growth of the bloated federal government, Harris used a Bible passage, taken out of context, to try to justify it.
“As the Gospel of Luke tells us, faith has the power to ‘shine a light on those living in darkness’ and to ‘guide our feet in the path of peace,’” she said.
“In moments such as this, faith guides us forward. Faith in the promise of America: freedom, opportunity and justice. Not for some, but for all,” Harris added.
The verse she quoted from, Luke 1:79 in the New International Version apparently, does not say faith has the power to shine a light on those living in darkness and lead them into peace. Only Jesus Christ does.
The context in Luke, chapter one, is the priest Zechariah prophesying about his son John the Baptist, whom he foresaw would grow up to preach about Jesus.
“And you, my child, will be called a prophet of the Most High; for you will go on before the Lord to prepare the way for him, to give his people the knowledge of salvation through the forgiveness of their sins, because of the tender mercy of our God, by which the rising sun will come to us from heaven to shine on those living in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the path of peace,” Zechariah said.
So Harris is preaching the gospel of salvation through
government, trying to use a Bible passage about Jesus Christ to do it.
That certainly feels sacrilegious.
The rest just sounds communistic: Faith in government to fulfill the supposed “promise of America” to provide equal material outcomes (housing, healthcare and the rest), with no mention of God.
Harris would do better to not quote Scripture at all, rather than try to make it say something it does not.
Faith is the pathway to abundant life in the Lord.
Northern California is home to the Golden Gate Bridge, a famous landmark and marvel of human engineering. Stretching across the strait between San Francisco Bay and the Pacific Ocean, it connects two shores that were once separated and provides safe passage across the expanse.
In our spiritual life, faith can also be seen as a type of bridge—one that links us, who were once far from God, to His promises (Isaiah 59:2). This span is foundational to our relationship with the Lord, offering hope on our journey. And the more we immerse ourselves in God’s Word and absorb His principles, the stronger this bridge of faith becomes. We can depend on it to provide safety as we navigate life’s trials.
As believers, we can find comfort knowing we’re connected to God’s love, grace, and redemption. Through faith, we can walk boldly on the path Jesus has laid out for us, safely traversing chasms of danger and doubt.
Whenever you see a bridge, let it serve as a symbol of how faith unites us with the living God and guides us to abundant life in Him. And keep in mind that a regular intake of Scripture reinforces our “bridge,” adding to its strength and stability.
In Touch Ministry
PRIOR ISSUE
INTERESTING INFORMATION MINISTRY
9/4/2024
Est. 1997
THE MYSTERY BEHIND THE TRUMP ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT
YOU WILL NOT BELIEVE WHAT THIS MAY HAVE REPRESENTED
CHRISTIAN MUSIC VIDEO
IN JESUS NAME
Katy Nichole
INTERESTING ARTICLE SUMMARY
· Your own Identity carries Divine “Name of God”
· Should Christians rebel against corrupt rulers?
· What is the unpardonable sin?
· IRAN’S JESUS REVOLUTION: Mosques close as 1 million Muslims accept Christ
· To Hell with the Devil
· PARTING WORDS: A NEW COMMANDMENT
INTERESTING ARTICLES
REVEALED: YOUR OWN IDENTITY CARRIES DIVINE 'NAME OF GOD'
WND – Aug. 18, 2024 -- Answering ordinary questions such as 'Who are you' or 'What's your name' may seem trivial and mundane, but millions of people have little or no idea they're actually voicing the divine name of God when they utter the answers.
Answering ordinary questions such as "Who are you" or "What's your name" may seem trivial and mundane, but millions of people have little or no idea they're actually voicing the divine name of God when they utter the answers.
The fascinating subject was probed recently on the popular Bible TV show "Shabbat Night Live," as host Scott Laird interviewed Joe Kovacs, author of the new bestseller, "Reaching God Speed: Unlocking the Secret Broadcast Revealing the Mystery of Everything."
The pair investigated people's ultimate identity, and how every human being has a divine proclamation.
"Who are you? We all want to know who we are, our identity," explained Kovacs.
"And if somebody asks you, 'What's your name?' or 'Who are you?,' You would say 'I am Scott.' I would say, 'I am Joe.' It's a very simple thing, and everybody in the audience can insert their own name there. But the point is, that when you say your own identity, you are saying God's name first.
"Because you are saying, 'I am … whatever your name is.' You're saying God's name first because God has used that phrase, 'I AM' to identify Himself.
"'I AM WHO I AM. This is what you are to say … I AM has sent me to you. … This is my name forever; this is how I am to be remembered in every generation (Exodus 3:14-15 CSB).
"So it's a memorial for how we remember God because you're saying it every time you say your name. Your own identity is already attached to God."
Kovacs went on to explain that God's presence in people's identity goes far beyond the present time, but extends into everyone's future.
"Not only is it attached to God now," he said, "once we're resurrected from the dead and become members of God's family forever, we're going to have God's name on us forever. Jesus says that. 'I'm going to write on them the name of my God (Revelation 3:12) … and my 'Father's name,' (Revelation 14:1) because it's another way of saying that we're going to become on the divine level as children of God."
Laird agreed and then brought up the custom of women often changing their names at wedlock.
"And when we change our names for marriage purposes, there's something in there too, isn't there?" Laird asked.
"Absolutely," said Kovacs.
"Women change their name all the time when they get married and you might wonder how did this start. God started it because He is broadcasting the end from the beginning. I cannot overstate this Scripture enough. Isaiah 46:10, God says He's 'declaring the end from the beginning.' He's telling you the conclusion of the story right from the start. And the conclusion of our story, is that we, the bride of Christ if you want to think of it that way, the wife of God as Revelation calls us, we are going to be married to God.
"And so we are going to change our name from human beings here in the flesh, to the very family name of God. That's when the name change comes. That's why brides change their name to the family name of their husband. God is our husband. He says in the Old Testament, 'I am your husband,' "I am married unto you" (Jeremiah 3:14).
"All these phrases are in the Old Testament and again they're previewing the very famous marriage, the most important marriage because we are the spouse of God. So we get a name change from human beings to God beings. It says in the Old Testament, Psalm 82:6, 'I said, "You are gods,'" that phrase is in the Bible, you are Elohim. Because He's telling us the end right now."
For additional reading, go to: https://www.wnd.com/2024/08/revealed-identity-carries-divine-name-god/
SHOULD CHRISTIANS REBEL AGAINST CORRUPT RULERS?
Charisma News – Aug. 18, 2024 -- “Are we in the end times? Are we at the point where as good Christians we have to oppose authority, or do we focus on loving our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and submitting to authority?”
This was a question posed by comedian and podcaster Russell Brand, who recently made the leap to accept Jesus as his personal Lord and Savior, and has been searching for knowledge and understanding ever since.
Of course the first verses that usually come to mind are Paul’s writings in the book of Romans which say that all authority is derived from God, and that Christians are to submit to authority, just as Jesus submitted to the Father’s will and sacrificed His own life for that of humanity.
But what are Christians to do when corrupt rulers go against the teachings of God?
Brand read from Revelation 13, detailing the two beasts and those who would in turn worship the beast and eventually receive his mark. The Bible details that “All who dwell on the earth will worship him, all whose names have not been written in the Book of Life of the Lamb who was slain from the foundation of the world,” (Rev. 13:9), yet those whose names are in the Book of Life shall not receive the Mark and worship this satanic beast.
“We’ve got a job to do, haven’t we?” asked Brand. “[It] sounds to me that political power is highly corruptible and that our duty is to recognize that the Lamb was slain for our salvation and redemption.
“I find it difficult to chart my way through that, but it aligns more easily with my pre-conditioned attitude to authority which is one of cynicism and doubt.
“But I wonder, as Christians, is it our role to be radical and rebellious when rebelliousness is so often chief among our sins,” Brand continued.
To keep searching for answers to life’s greatest questions shows that Brand is continuing his journey of deepening his relationship with Jesus Christ, and the Bible tells us that he is not the first to wonder about this philosophical predicament either.
In Acts chapter 5, the disciples encountered the exact situation where the ways of man, and religiousness, contradicted the ways of God, and Peter and the apostles answered the Sanhedrin plainly in verse 5:“We must obey God rather than men.”
There is much more that can be unpacked on this topic but the message is clear, when the ways of man go against the ways, design and righteousness of God, it is imperative for us to obey our Creator above all else.
WHAT IS THE UNPARDONABLE SIN?
Charisma News – Aug. 15, 2024 -- Pastor and evangelist Greg Laurie recently took to social media to help clear up some of the pervading confusion about the words of Jesus in Matthew 12:31-32.
In these verses, Jesus addresses the Pharisees who accused Him of casting out demons in the name of Beelzebub and tells them of the one unforgiveable sin.
Therefore I say to you, all kinds of sin and blasphemy will be forgiven men, but the blasphemy against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven men. Whoever speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven. But whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, neither in this world, nor in the world to come.
But what exactly does Jesus mean when He says “blasphemy against the Holy Spirit”?
“To blaspheme the Holy Spirit is to reject the work that the Holy Spirit has come to do,” Laurie shares. “The work of the Holy Spirit, according to Scripture, is to convict or [to] convince us of our sin and bring us to Christ.”
Many times, people think that if you yell and curse at God, Jesus or the Holy Spirit, as they are three-in-one, that this is what Jesus is referencing, but how many of us have done this very thing in moments of pain, ignorance or anger?
Laurie says, however, that this is not what Jesus meant during His period of instruction.
“When Jesus says ‘blaspheming the Holy Spirit is unforgiveable,’ it means that you are rejecting the work that the Holy Spirit wants to do, which is to bring you to Christ,” Laurie says.
Far too many believe that they are beyond redemption, or as Laurie shares, they “sold their soul to the devil.” Yet our souls do not belong to us, he explains.
“You can’t sell your soul to the devil, but if you reject Christ, and your heart gets harder and harder, you can reach a point of no return,” Laurie continues. This is not to say you are past redemption, but that “you don’t want His forgiveness anymore.”
So do not give up the spiritual fight for those in your life who have yet to accept Jesus Christ. Pray that they do not harden their heart against the conviction of the Holy Spirit and that they accept the one and only way to the Father, and that is through the Son.
IRAN'S JESUS REVOLUTION: MOSQUES CLOSE AS 1 MILLION MUSLIMS ACCEPT CHRIST
Charisma News – Aug. 15, 2024 -- Amid talk of a broader war in the Middle East, there is also news that a Jesus Revolution may be underway.
An unprecedented number of Muslims are choosing to follow Christ, especially in Iran as people search for a better life.
Iranians are growing tired of the ayatollahs and a nation led by the empty promises of their Islamic theocracy. An anonymous internal poll found that 80% now prefer a democratic government, and many are leaving Islam.
"You have a country with one of the highest drug addiction rates in the world. You have a country where corruption runs rampant. You have a country where more than half the people live below the poverty line," explained Todd Nettleton of The Voice of the Martyrs (VOM).
"And the people of Iran are looking at this and they are saying, 'Wait a minute. If this is what Islam has brought us in the last 45 years, we're not interested. We want to know what the other options are.'"
According to Nettleton, Vice President of Messaging at VOM, the faith option many are choosing is Jesus with at least a million Muslims reportedly leaving Islam for Christianity.
So, how is the regime reacting to this with a reported 50,000 of the country's 75,000 mosques now closed?
"This is not something that is making the regime happy. And, really, in many ways, they are seeking to solidify their power and to crush any kind of dissent," Nettleton said. "We have heard multiple stories this year of Bible study, a home church being raided. Everyone there is photographed, everyone there is questioned. But then the leader of the meeting is held on to. They are arrested. They are detained, they're put in prison."
Moreover, Nettleton contends family members and friends are more tolerant than the government about leaving Islam.
"They kind of have the attitude of, 'Hey, if you found something that works for you, if it's Jesus or if it's atheism or if it's whatever, if it works for you... I know Islam doesn't work, so I'm happy you found something that works,'" he explained.
"I think what's happening there is actually representative of what's happening in the Islamic world," said Don Shenk, executive director of The Tide Ministry.
He explains how Muslims are experiencing dreams and visions, leading many to find purpose and a different understanding of God.
"We get responses from listeners who say, you know, now I understand that God loves me. I always thought that God wanted to punish me," Shenk explained. "And I think there's an awakening that is taking place across the Muslim world, not just in Iran."
Shenk says Tide Ministry radio broadcasts are even receiving positive responses in Afghanistan where the Taliban pose great danger for those seeking information from secret Christians within the country.
"There's a lot of suspicion, okay. If I'm going to meet with these people and share that I'm now a believer, 'Are they really true believers or are they, just trying to identify me?'" he said.
"It's more than simply being ostracized or disowned by your family. It is actually the threat of death. So, accepting new life in Christ means accepting the possibility of your life ending in this world."
Christianity is also spreading in Yemen, where the Joshua Project reports Christian growth is almost double the global average.
Next
door, Nettleton sees the Saudi Arabian monarchy becoming a bit more tolerant of
Christians and their churches.
"Not necessarily welcoming with open arms, obviously. But just the
understanding that it could happen, that there could be Christians here,"
he explained. "And maybe that's not the worst thing in the world. That's
such a change from what we would have seen 10 or 15 or 20 years ago."
It's a move of God's Spirit bringing change that may eventually transform not only Iran but the entire Middle East.
TO HELL WITH THE DEVIL
The Christian Post – Aug. 26, 2024 -- A. W. Tozer raises an interesting thought at the outset of his essay I Talk Back to the Devil: “Why doesn’t the old devil, Satan, give up and bow out of the picture when a person becomes a believing Christian?”
It’s a good question. The Bible underscores the fact that the devil is not stupid, but instead highly intelligent (e.g., Ezek. 28:12-15) and smart entities don’t spend time spinning their wheels on fruitless activities. Satan has to know that believers are sealed with the Holy Spirit (Eph. 4:30) and adopted into God’s family (Gal. 4:5), and thus eternally safe from him (1 Pet. 1:3-4).
And yet, Scripture says: “Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour” (1 Pet. 5:8). How do you eat up someone who God protects as His child?
The Bible showcases a few ways this can happen, but lately one has stood out to me more than all the others.
The primary fear of the devil
Author and journalist Randall Sullivan was an atheist most of his life until he had spiritual experiences that rocked him out of that worldview, all of which occurred during his coverage of the Bosnian war in 1995. He chronicles what happened in his latest book, The Devil’s Best Trick in which he describes witnessing an indisputable exorcism and meeting multiple people who attested to the fact that the devil is real.
“Satan exists”, one woman whose family had been tormented by demonic entities told him. “Evil is inside us, as you believe, but it’s also out there, and believe me, it is very real and very pervasive.”
Such stories can quickly creep a person out and invoke a lot of fear, which is why so many horror movies utilize the devil or demons as their terror source. But that’s not the primary kind of fear the Bible speaks about when it references Satan.
The writer of Hebrews tells us what kind of fright we all have of the devil, even if we’re not aware of it. Referencing Jesus’ incarnation and work on the cross, Hebrew’s author says: “Therefore, since the children share in flesh and blood, He Himself likewise also partook of the same, that through death He might render powerless him who had the power of death, that is, the devil, and might free those who through fear of death were subject to slavery all their lives” (Heb. 2:14–15).
Satan’s primary fear factor, according to Scripture, is holding the power of death, which he uses to shake our world when we think of it. But exactly how are we caged by such fear – why are we afraid to die?
The Greek philosopher Epicurus answers by saying: “What men fear is not that death is annihilation, but that it is not.”
In other words, if atheists are right, and God does not exist, there is nothing to be afraid of when the Grim Reaper knocks on your door with his sickle. Other than being sad about not continuing to exist, death holds no worries about what comes next, because nothing comes next.
But if a holy God does exist — one that will morally call everyone to account — that’s a different story. And being mistaken about that isn’t something to be taken lightly; eternity is an awfully long time to be wrong. And that can be a scary thing to think about. Even for Christians.
It especially hits those who haven’t gotten past the worry that somehow, in some way, we’ll still be called to account for our transgressions before God. Tozer asks: “Are you still afraid of your past sins? God knows that sin is a terrible thing — and the devil knows it too. So, he follows us around, and as long as we will permit it, he will taunt us about our past sins.”
However, the Bible tells us that, as believers, we shouldn’t be shaking in our boots when we think about our past/future sins or if the subject of death comes up. Now redeemed by Christ and in possession of God’s Holy Spirit, “[we] have not received a spirit of slavery leading to fear again, but you have received a spirit of adoption as sons by which we cry out, “Abba! Father!”” (Rom. 8:15).
That’s pretty great news. It’s news that can evaporate any fear of death or judgment.
We’re also told “for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control” (2 Tim. 1:7). And this comes from knowing that God loves us, because as John says: “There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves punishment, and the one who fears is not perfected in love” (1 John 4:18).
So unlike atheists who don’t fear death because they think it’s annihilation, we don’t fear death because “there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus” (Rom. 8:1).
All these truths are what allow us to thumb our nose at the devil and any fear of death he tries to throw our way. Our victory in Christ over the enemy is stated this way in King & Country’s song, To Hell with the Devil:
Rise reach up for the sky
Your wings were made to fly
This is your time to rise, there's fire in your eyes
You're Heaven in disguise
Let this be your battle cry
To Hell with the Devil
To Hell with the Devil
And, of course, we sing that because of what Jesus has done for us. Tozer puts it like this: “There He [Jesus] sits at God’s right hand — a living man, our representative and advocate and great High Priest. Believing this, we ought to be the most fearless, the most relaxed, the happiest and most God-assured people in the whole world!”
Agreed. That being true, to Hell with the devil.
PARTING WORDS: A NEW COMMANDMENT
We love like Jesus when we serve one another.
Is there a task around the house you just can’t stand to do, yet you know it needs to be done? Maybe you find yourself looking the other way, hoping someone else will do the dirty work.
But not Jesus. On this final night with His friends, as they gathered for dinner, someone needed to clean all those filthy feet. After all, they would be sitting on the ground, their bodies close to the low table of food. Their sandals would be caked with dust and dirt and whatever else they walked through on the streets. This task was considered so disgusting and menial that it’s thought even slaves at times refused to do it.
But on this night, Jesus Himself filled a basin and began to wash His disciples’ feet. Peter was appalled and cried, “Never shall You wash my feet!” (John 13:8). Yet Jesus insisted. There, in their last hours together, it was paramount that they understood exactly who Jesus was. Yes, Jesus was their Teacher, Lord, and Master. And His signs and wonders were evidence that He was God. But this God came to serve, not to demand. To die, not to kill.
What does it mean to follow such a God? That night, with His friends, Jesus demonstrated this vividly. No student can be greater than his teacher, after all. We must be the people who serve one another.
In Touch Ministry
SECTION II - SPECIAL ARTICLES/ BOOK REVIEWS
IN THIS SECTION:
· WHAT HAPPENS AFTER WE DIE? (WHAT THE BIBLE SAYS)
· WHAT’S IN A NAME?
· "BOB PIERCE - THIS ONE THING I DO" - A BOOKREVIEW/SUMMARY
· "THE HIDDEN CODES OF THE BIBLE" - A BOOK REVIEW/SUMMARY
· "SIGNS OF THE TIME” - A BOOK REVIEW/SUMMARY
_____________________________________________________________________________________________
WHAT HAPPENS AFTER WE DIE?
By D.E. Davis
For Christians, we are told in Scripture in 2Cr 5:8 that to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord. For those who turn away from God, we are told that they are eternally separated from God and go to a place called Hell. Rev 14:11 says that the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever.
The question that everyone ponders is: What really happens after we die? Do we just lay dormant until the Lord takes us to be with him or until judgement is handed out at the Great White Throne as called out in Rev. 20:11? Are we conscience? Do we feel, touch, think, recognize loved ones, know what is happening around us? All questions that we have ask ourselves, no doubt, at some time in our life.
My own personal review of the Scriptures has led me to believe that after we die, even though our body may be dead and buried, our Spirit is alive and fully conscience. Chuck Missler likens this state of conscienceness to the software that runs the Computer; once the hardware goes, the software remains intact and available for further applications.
There are two illustrations in the Bible that makes it clear as to what happens after death, when we're in the spirit.
The first one is illustrated in the Luke account of Lazarus and the rich man in Chapter 16. After death, Lazarus, a man of God, is escorted into Abraham’s Bosom, a holding compartment in Hell for the Believers prior to the Cross. The non-believing rich man was "buried" and went into a separate compartment in Hell (Hades), apart from Abraham’s Bosom, where he was in Torment according to Scripture. Both were in a Spirit state; yet by the account, they could see each other and speak to each other.
The second account is in Revelation, where John is taken (in the Spirit) to Heaven to see those things that shall come to pass prior to the return of Jesus Christ to the Earth, or Second Coming (not the Rapture).
I had to conclude from the study, based on the following Scripture, that all of the senses we have here on earth will be with us throughout eternity, even unto death.
· THE ABILITY TO LOOK/SEE - Luke 16:23;Rev. 1:12;4:1,4; 5:1,2; 6:1,2,8,9; 7:1,2; 8:2; 9:1,17; 10:1,5; 13:1,2,3;14:1,6; 15:1,2; 16:13; 17:3,6; 18:1; 19:11,17,19; 20:1,4,11,12; 21:1,2,22; 22:8
· THE ABILITY TO HEAR - Rev. 1:10; 4:1; 5:11; 6:1,3,5,6,7; 7:4; 9:13,16; 10:4,8; 12:10; 14:2,13; 16:1,5,7; 18:4; 19:1,6; 21: 3; 22:8
· THE ABILITY TO BEHOLD ( to obtain knowledge of: understand: perceive) - Rev. 5:6,11; 6:5,8,12; 7:9; 8:13; 13:11
· THE ABILITY TO REASON - Luke 16:30
· THE ABILITY TO CRY (even though there will be no more crying in Heaven) - Rev. 5:4,5; Luke 16:24
· THE ABILITY TO SPEAK - Rev. 5:13; 10:9; 21:6,15; Luke 16:24, 29,30,31
· THE ABILITY TO FEEL/TOUCH - Luke 16:23, 24,25
· THE ABILITY TO REMEMBER - Luke 16:25
· THE ABILITY TO WONDER - Rev. 17:6
· THE ABILITY TO WRITE - Rev. 1:11; 10:4; 19:9
· THE ABILITY TO QUESTION - Rev. 7:13
· THE ABILITY TO TAKE (THE BOOK/ROD) - Rev. 10:8,9,10
· THE ABILITY TO FALL (ON KNEES) - Rev. 19:10; 22:8
· THE ABILITY TO STAND - Rev. 13:1
· THE ABILITY TO WORSHIP - Rev. 19:10; 22:8
· THE ABILITY TO PERFORM TASKS - Rev. 11:1
God has promised in 1 Thess 4:16 and 1 Cor. 15:52,53 that one day, we shall be reunited with Him in body and will be transformed and conformed to Him - in the twinkling of an eye. We are also told in Scripture that we shall see Him face to face- see the Lamb that was slain for you and me. We know by His Word, that we will Praise Him, Worship Him and Rule with Him.
One thing in the study that I found extremely fascinating was the difference in treatment between Lazarus and the non-believing rich man. Scripture says that Lazarus was escorted to Heaven by an Angel, but there is no indication in Scripture about how the rich man arrived at Hell. Could it be that God had a specific purpose why He chose not to tell us in Scripture?
Finally, knowing that others may have varying interpretations of these Scriptures, I strongly urge you to review the Scriptures yourselves to determine what you find as the truth according to God’s Word.
WHAT’S IN A NAME?
For those who wish you had some other name because you don't like the name you were given, you had better think twice. It is most likely that the name your parents picked out for you was not their choice but God's choice. Let’ s face it, the word of the Lord is true. That's why in Eph. 1:4, God proclaimed that He had chosen us from before the very beginning of the world.
If you follow the Genealogy of Adam in Genesis, Chapter 5 (*) you will receive an insight into what importance God put in names - It's an exciting message:
Genealogy Meaning
Adam Man
Seth Appointed
Enosh Mortal
Kenan Sorrow
Mahalalel The blessed God
Jared Shall come down
Enoch Teaching
Methuselah His Death shall bring
Lamech The Despairing
Noah Rest, Comfort
Now let us look at God’s Plan for Redemption:
"Man (is) appointed mortal sorrow; (but) the Blessed God shall come down teaching (that) His death shall bring (the) despairing rest."
Let us now look at the Genealogy of Abraham (*):
Genealogy Meaning
Abraham Predestination
Isaac Called
Jacob Justified
Joseph Glorified
(*) Source: Chuck Missler’s Briefing package: “A Walk Thru the Bible”
WELL YOU SAY! BUT THAT WAS ALL OLD TESTAMENT AND WOULDN'T BE APPLICABLE FOR TODAY - WOULD IT?
Well, let us see.................. As a Christian, did God not choose you by name at the same time he chose Adam, Seth, Enosh, Kenan, Mahalalel, Jared, Enoch, Methuselah, Lamech, Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and Joseph - before the very foundation of the world? If God had a purpose for their name, would you expect anything less for your name since He chose you at the same time?
As a Christian, You ought to thank God daily that you, by your given name, was written in the Lamb's book of life before the very foundation of the world and that you will be a partaker in all the promises of Rev 21:27.
Within the last couple of years, researchers have found many startling discoveries through the use of super computers, specifically, hidden codes that God supernaturally placed within the Hebrew text of the Bible. Over 2000 years ago, the names of historical and current leader’s names were placed in the Bible. Such names as Adolph Hitler, Eichmann, Arafat, Peres, Rabin, Rabin's murderer Amir, Ben-Zion Netanyahu, Saddan Hussein, George Bush, Schwarzkoph, Peter Arnet (CNN), Timithy McVeigh, Bill Clinton.
Do you think that God would limit His calling out to just those who had a highly visible historical impact on this world? There is no doubt that He had a purpose in doing this, if nothing else, just to get your attention that He is the Creator; that He alone knows the beginning from the end.
It is my firm belief that as we advance further with our computer technology and peel back the layers of the Hebrew text of the scriptures, we will make many more startling and exciting discoveries. One being that God has written each and every one of our names in His Word.
HERE IS WHAT GOD SAID: Isaiah 66:22 "For as the new heavens and the new earth, which I will make, shall remain before me, saith the LORD, so shall your seed and your name remain."
BOOK REVIEW by D. E. Davis (September 1997)
BOB PIERCE -"THIS ONE THING I DO"
By Franklin Graham with Jeanette Lockerbie
It is amazing the worlds that open up to an individual, once the Power of the Holy Spirit comes upon him. Just three years ago, where once I was blind to Missions, to all the inspired men and women God has called to service and the multitude of people all over the world who have been saved, new worlds are ever opening to me to see how awesome the power of God is in our Christian lives.
Such was the power and strength of faith Bob Pierce had in our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. It is difficult for me to even attempt to assess where God has put Bob along with other past great men of the faith, but from what I read about his life with Christ, he certainly had his eyes focused on Jesus! I personally feel inadequate and humbled to even put in words, my thoughts about this man. Bob was a man Blessed by God. I feel sad that I never had an opportunity to know him, but look forward to meeting him one day in heaven.
If ever there was a verse of scripture that represented Bob Pierce, it had to be the title of this book as taken from Philippians 3:13,14 ".......this one thing I do,....I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Jesus Christ."
Bob was raised in Los Angeles and at the age of 12, gave his life to Christ and was baptized in the Nazarene Church. "God simply called me to give my heart to Jesus, and I followed Him." He died in 1978 of leukemia but lived his life for Christ in between in between those dates as if Christ was coming tomorrow and he still had to witness to the whole world before dawn broke. Throughout his career, he dedicated his life mainly to Missions and over the years was responsible for founding such World re-noun programs as "World Vision", an organization dedicated to meeting the emergency needs in crisis areas such as Korea after the Korean war. During that time of need, he established a Korean Orphanage, serving over 30 thousand Korean war orphans. Bob was also responsible for starting the World re-noun Korean Orphan's Choir. As an outgrowth of "World Vision" he founded "World Medical Mission" which covered all emergency medical needs in countries all over the world which had no medical facilities. He was also founder of "Samaritan's Purse" and organization dedicated to funding World emergency need, no matter where they were. These organizations are still meeting the needs of those in crisis today.
If his work through these organizations was not enough, he became a United Nations War Correspondent during World War II; was Co-founder for "Youth for Christ"; and became a Motion Picture producer/Radio program host, author and a lecturer, but first and last, he always considered himself an evangelist! Even though Bob knew that he was "extraordinarily gifted by God, he was never impressed with himself - he considered himself just an earthly vessel, available at all times for the exclusive use of the Lord".
In his own words, he had "many flaws, failings but had abundant faith in God who lives and cares about people."
If I had to pick four areas of the Christian life that I feel truly represented Bob Pierce, they would be 1) Unwavering Faith, 2) Compassion for others, 3) Obedience to God and 4) Commitment to accomplish the Will of God in his life.
From the Beginning, Bob knew his calling was for Missions to the Asian Countries. His first mission led him through Hawaii to Hong Kong and eventually to China. Getting to China was his first big test of faith - he had no money, even for the first leg to Hawaii. Bob held the opinion that God knows ones needs already and if He has called you to a task, He will provide and enable you - just move out! He did just that and went to the L.A. airport that day without any money in his pocket. His faith paid off as God provided the funding for each leg of his trip just at the moment he needed it. This was the norm rather than the exception throughout his career as an evangelist. What ever it was, where ever it was, if God called, Bob would act no matter what the circumstance......he knew that God would always provide.....and He did!
Bob had a compassion for the spiritually and physically suffering of the world. "He was the friend of the little people, the forgotten, the hurting, the maimed, the unheard and the unsung". Bob's theme was "Let my heart be broken with the things that break the heart of God". It was Bob's personal belief that "wherever you find men and women who really love Jesus Christ, you find the compassion of Christ spilling out of them to meet human need." Over the years World Vision, Samaritan's Purse and other organizations like them; one in particular, Mission Aviation Fellowship Pilots (MAF), who flew Missionaries around the world in crisis situations, helped so many helpless and needy men, women and children. They knew first hand the healing power of God.
Bob dared it all to be obedient to the Lord's call. Once he had in focus the mission that God wanted him to accomplish, he followed in Faith to bring the unsaved to Christ. It was his opinion that " If you are an ambassador, act like one!"- no matter where you are. Bob would bring to memory how other great men of Faith were obedient even in the face of death. During World War II, a young South Korean Pastor, Mr. Im was mistaken for a North Korean Communist and imprisoned. During his internment, he would go around camp singing "Jesus Loves Me" and other Christian songs. He not only uplifted and inspired other fellow Christian prisoners to come together, he brought many more to Christ. Together he and another prisoner, Chaplain Voelkel, established a Bible Study where over 6,000 prisoners finished a six month Bible Study. Six Hundred (600) of those finishing the Bible Study became pastors and came back to Korea to preach the Gospel. In another instance, he related how a Korean school teacher was put to death in front of his students because of his faith and obedience to the Lord.
To be an ambassador for the Lord "is one of the greatest things that could ever have happened to anyone - to let God put a fish hook into you so deep that there is no way of ever getting off the hook."
"Bob did one thing all of his life, and that was to lead people to the foot of the Cross where they would put their faith in a risen Lord Jesus Christ. He lived every minute completely amazed that God could use him. No matter how much he was able to do in how many places, it was never enough." This was the kind of commitment Bob made to Jesus; "to commit yourself, give yourself away to God irrevocably, forever. Say to Him, go ahead and burn me up. Spend me. Eat me up. Use me for you Glory." And that's exactly what he did.
Being a man of God was not always easy for Bob and he paid a high price. In one measure or another he had to forsake his wife, his family, his Mother and Father, his brothers and sisters and other worldly possessions to follow Jesus. He not only lost his health, he lost his Daughter, Sharon, to death.
Committing your life to Christ in a Godless society is never easy; many times you feel like you may be the only one putting your life, your self image, your social acceptance on the line. As Bob came to realize, ". Someone has to go and pay that humiliating price of literally letting your ego be stomped on- not just pushed in and suppressed, but laid out there for people to stomp on. We need to do this by the grace of God with love and patience: sow the seed on rocky soil, nurture it, and maybe never be applauded."
Committing your life to Christ really comes down to this; What really matters
to you in Life?
On his death bed in the City of Hope, Bob left us this one message - "I don't care what you have attempted. What you have succeeded at, or what has been your work in Christ's name while you are here on earth - only one thing matters when you have reached the last step before you go to stand before Christ:
- Did you tell men and women who Jesus is?
- Did you bring them to some comprehension of His redeeming love?
- Did you make it plain to them that He alone can pay their way to heaven throughout His atoning death on the cross?"
Such was the life of a man of God, Bob Pierce.
HIDDEN CODES OF THE BIBLE
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ACT 17:11 - Exhorts you to daily review the scriptures to see if what is being said is true
References: Grant R. Jeffrey - "The Signature of God"- RECOMMENDED READING
Other reading: "The Hebrew Factor" by Yacov Rambsel
Prepared by D. E. Davis
Daniel 12: 4 - "But thou, O Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book, even to the time of the end: many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased."
Here is undeniable proof, the third in the series, that every word, every letter and every punctuation in Bible text was put their by the inspiration of God. It gives new meaning to the words "increase knowledge". It's just one of the many signs, and without a doubt, the most exciting revelation that God said he would reveal to man in the "end time". As you will see, God has put his signature throughout the Bible, has revealed History before it ever happened, all through hidden codes that were supernaturally placed into text which was written over 2,000 years ago; which could only be found with today's computer technological advances. The codes are found in what scholars call "Equidistant Letter Sequences" or ESL. That is, each sequential letter in an encoded word or phrase was found the same distance apart numerically; The exact interval designed by God.
Actually, the discovery of hidden codes in scripture dates back to before WWI and it was not until 1988 that the use of computers were able to detect a significant amount of coding in scripture. Since then, the research that Grant Jeffrey and others have done has just exploded and new discoveries are happening every day.
Here is a summary of what has been found and outlined in Grant's book, referenced above. It is my understanding that he is in the process of writing another book to tell what he has found subsequent to "The Signature of God".
Luke 21:15 - " For I will give you a mouth and wisdom, which all your adversaries shall not be able to gainsay (refute) nor resist."
Proverbs 25:2 - "It is the glory of God to conceal a thing: but the honor of kings is to search out a matter."
THE SIGNATURE OF GOD
What follows is what most of the human race would find hard to believe. It unfathomable to think that the Hebrew Bible, containing 304,805 Hebrew letters, written by 40 individuals could contain hidden messages that if one letter was taken out of the text, one word was removed, the hidden message could not be revealed......yet the message has been sustained for over 2,000 years and has been revealed to man just as Jesus said it would be. Jesus has actually placed His name and other messages about Himself into text which proves he is the creator of all; King of Kings and Lord of Lords.
GOD'S SIGNATURE
God has personally signed scriptures throughout the Old and New Testaments in various ways. For example in the Old Testament, he has encoded his name, Jesus, in the following scripture:
THE HISTORY OF THE WORLD FROM ANCIENT TIMES UNTIL TODAY
God has also encoded unbelievable detail about many of the things we read about and which touch our lives daily. For example, he outlines:
PLACES AND THINGS
· Gen. 2: 4-10 - The key word "Eden" was spelled out sixteen (16) times in the span of 379 Hebrew letters. The letters were all equidistant from each other.
· Gen. 2 - In this chapter which deals with the garden of Eden, scientists found encoded in the Hebrew text, Twenty-five (25) names of trees that were in the
Garden of Eden.
· Gen. 1:1 - Starting with the first appearance of the Hebrew letter "Tav", the word "Torah" was found every 50th letter.
· Ex. 1: 1 - Again, starting with the first appearance of the letter "Tav" and counting every 50th letter, the word "Torah" was spelled. Num./Deut. - In the book of Numbers the word "Torah" was found spelled backwards every 50th letter. In the book of Deuteronomy, "Torah" was found again spelled backwards, but this time every forty-ninth (49) letter.
NAMES AND EVENTS
· Holocaust
· Deut. 10: 17-22 - Beginning with the second to last appearance of the Hebrew letter "bet" in this passage, they found every Thirteenth (13) letter, the phrase "b'yam marah Auschwitz" which means "in the bitter sea of Auschwitz." Also encoded in this passage were the names of the other Nazi Concentration camp, "Belsen".
· Deut. 33:21 - Beginning with the letter (resh) that appeared in the Hebrew word "Yisreal," and counting every twenty-second (22) letter from the left to right they found the phrase "re'tzach alm" discribing the Holocaust, which when translated, means "a people cry murder, slaughter."
· Adolph Hitler
· Deut. 10: 17-22 - The word "Hitler" spelled out in Hebrew was found every twenty-second (22) letter.
· Deut. 33:16 - Beginning with the first appearance of the Hebrew letter "mem" and every two hundred and forty-sixth (246) letter from left to right you find that the coded letters spelled out the phrase, "Melek Natzim," which translates as the "king of the Nazis."
· Eichmann
· Deut. 32:52 - Beginning with the appearance of the first letter (aleph) and counting from left to right every six hundred and seventy (670) letters, the name "Aik'man" is spelled, which is the Hebrew form of the name "Eichmann."
· Egyptian President Anwar Sadat
· "Sadat occurred together with the name of the leader of the Moslem Brotherhood assassinating team that killed him.......it contained the year of his assassination, 1981, and the words "president," "gunfire," "shot'" and 'Murder".
· Desert Storm
· Beginning in Gen. 1:7 and continuing through the rest of Genesis, Grant Jeffrey indicated at the Prophesy Conference in Irvine,Ca. on 27 Sept. 1996 that they had recently found information in hidden code in scripture relating to Desert Storm. I believe more details will be available in Grant's next book.
· The French Revolution
· Gen. 39,41 - "Another passage in the Book of Genesis revealed a cluster of encoded words that deals with the French Revolution. The following words are clustered ogether" "Mapecha HaSarfatit" which spells "the French Revolution" in Hebrew, "Louis," the name of the French king, and the word "Beit (house of Bourbon,") his royal dynasty. In the same cluster were the following words: "Hamarseilles" (the name of the French anthem) and the word "Bastillia" (the infamous French prison for political prisoners........"
OTHER HISTORICAL INFORMATION
· Word pairs - "In their initial experiment, .......the scientists arbitrarily chose three hundred (300) Hebrew word-pairs that were logically related in meaning, such as hammer and anvil, or tree and leaf, or man and woman." ".....the researchers were astonished to find that every single word-pair had been located in Genesis in close proximity to each other."
· King David's Ancestors
· Gen. 28 - " Every one of the five Hebrew names of these ancestor of King
David (Pharez, Zerah, Boaz, Obed, Jesse) were found encoded at forty-nine (49) letter intervals, hidden within the text of Genesis 38".
· Famous Jewish Rabbi - "The Jewish people celebrate the memory of their famous sages by commemorating their date of death. Incredibly, the computer program found every single one of the sixty-six names of these famous rabbis embedded in the text of Genesis paired at significantly close proximity with their actual date of birth or their date of death."
IS THE HEBREW BIBLE UNIQUE TO GOD' S INSPIRED EMBEDDED CODES?
Grant points out that "The researchers attempted to reproduce these results by running the computer program on other religious Hebrew texts outside the Bible, including the Samaritan Pentateuch. .......the researchers could not detect word pairs in the Samaritan Pentateuch or any other Hebrew text outside the Bible. In fact, an exhaustive analysis reveals that no other Hebrew text outside the Old testament contains these mysterious codes, not even the Hebrew apocryphal books written during the four hundred years before the birth of Christ"
A WORD OF CAUTION
"No one can search the Torah using these codes to foretell future events. The reason is that it is impossible to extract the encoded information unless you already know what the future facts are." "The prophet Isaiah warned against false prophets and declared that only God can Prophesy future events accurately
(Isa. 46: 9,10).
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"Computer tapes are now available so that anyone with a computer can personally verify the existence of these codes beneath the text of the Scriptures.
As Christians, we can stand firm in the word and shout for joy. God has given us "the words and the wisdom that none of our adversaries will be able to refute or contradict", no matter how much they try!
PRAISE THE LORD!
SIGNS OF THE TIME
References: Grant R. Jeffrey - "The Signature of God"- RECOMMENDED READING
Prepared by D. E. Davis
June 10, 1997
Prelude
How do we know that Jesus is the one true God when there are so many religions, cultures and cults that claim that they serve the one true god? How about Buddha, Allah?
Scripture says that God alone knows the beginning from the end. The way that God establishes His authority is through Biblical Prophesy. There are over 500 prophesies that were prophesied over 2,000 years ago that have all come to pass. There are still some Old Testament that have yet have to be fulfilled (Daniel Ezekiel), but there has never been an event prophesied that has not come to pass in it’s time. 100% accuracy tells us that the God of the Bible is the only true God. No one else in the history of the world, living or dead, can make this claim.
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In Matthew 24:3, just before Jesus' ascension into heaven, the disciples of Jesus ask Him what would be the sign of His second coming. Over the centuries various groups have attempted to guess when Christ would return to the earth to claim His inheritance as promised throughout scripture. As we know, no one has been right yet!. God clearly states in Matthew 24:36 that no man, not even the angels, know the day or the time when Christ will return. Only God the Father knows.
This summary is clearly not another attempt to forecast this event. This summary does, however, attempt to provide an awareness of what is happening around you so that you will not be caught unaware. (Ref. Luke 21:34 and Matthew. 24:42).
ACT 17:11- Exhorts you to daily review the scriptures to see if what is being said is true.
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----------------------THE SIGNS OF THE TIME-------------------
Grant Jeffrey has done a wonderful job of providing critical information about events that are happening in this generation that all Christians need to know; Events that were prophesied over 2,500 years ago. Approximately 90% of the material contained herein was extracted and summarized from Grant's book. I highly recommend reading this book as it contains so much more that you will want to know.
THE REBIRTH OF ISRAEL
The rebirth of Israel was prophesied in several scriptures throughout the Bible. Isaiah 66: 8 predicted that Israel would be born again in "one" day. Ezekiel 4:3-6 and Levitcus 26:18 foretold the exact number of days that it would take Israel to re-establish themselves as a nation in the last days. ( The exact calculation can be found in Grant Jeffrey's book referenced above). On May 14, 1948, the Jews proclaimed their independence of the reborn state of Israel.....The exact day that was predicted over twenty-five (25) centuries ago.......No other ancient nation ever ceased to exist for a period of centuries and then returned to take its place on the stage of world history."
PRESENT ARAB-ISRAELI CONFLICT
In Psalms 83:2-8, God inspired King David to predict that upon Israel's rebirth as a nation it would be immediately surrounded by their enemies. The modern names of those nations named in scripture include Jordan, Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Syria....the nations that have now joined the Palestinians in their attempt to destroy Israel.
In Gen. 12: 3, God has promised to punish those nations that come against Israel. "I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee; and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed."
RESTORATION OF THE HEBREW LANGUAGE
When Israel was captured by Nebuchadnezzar in approx. 562 B.C., Israel was no longer allowed to speak the Hebrew language, but had to learn the language of the Chaldeans. The Lord predicted, however, through Zephaniah 3:9, that he would restore a pure language to Israel so that they may "serve him with one consent". It was in the early part of this Century that the Hebrew language was revived from the dead language. Today, Hebrew is a living language to over 5 million Israelis.
THE FERTILITY OF ISRAEL
In Isaiah 27:6; 35:7 and Joel 2:23, the Lord prophesied through these prophets that the deserted, unproductive, barren land of Israel would once again become productive in the last days and that Israel would experience tremendous increases of rain. Ever since Israel has returned to the land, they have flourished in the land and now supply over 90 percent of the citrus fruit consumed in Europe. Rainfall has increased by more than "10 percent every decade for the last century and Israel has planted in excess of two hundred (200) million trees and transformed the complete environment of the Promised Land." According to the United Nations, Israel is now "the most agriculturally efficient land on earth."
THE UNWALLED CITY
Ezekiel 38:11 speaks of the future invasion of Gog and Magog (Russia) saying "And thou shalt say, I will go up to the land of un-walled 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". Grant explains that "even army bases and Israel's settlements in the West Bank and Gaza have no walls today.........How could Ezekiel have known twenty-five centuries ago that the development of modern weapons such as bombs, airplanes and missiles, would have made walls and gates irrelevant for defensive purposes in the last days. In the ancient past even small villages as well as cities depended on walls for defense against invading armies."
PLANS FOR REBUILDING OF THE TEMPLE
Revelations 11:1, 2 foretells of Israel rebuilding the Temple in the last days. There is much controversy between the Israelis and the Muslim's because the Dome of the Rock (Al-Aqsa Mosque) it is believed, sits on the very spot where the Temple is suppose to be built. In recent years, however, aerial Infra-red photography shows that this may not be the case. Ezekiel 44:14-18, tell about the sacred vessels and linen robes that must be used in the Temple. "The Temple Institute in Jerusalem has already prepared over 75 of the objects, vessels, and linen garments required for future Temple service.......over 500 men from the tribe of Levi have already been trained to fulfill the duties of Temple worship and sacrifice."
Update:
Just recently in the Washington Post on May 28, 1997, it was reported that a 10 month old heifer named "Melody" is the first red heifer to be born in Israel in over 2,000 years. "In ancient times, the ashes of a red heifer were mixed with spring water to purify high priests before they entered the Temple."
THE REBUILDING OF BABYLON
We know that the old city of Babylon (now called Iraq) will be built again in the end times because Isaiah 13:6, 19 foretells of its destruction. In Isaiah 34:8-10 it is prophesied that the rebuilt City of Babylon will burn for ever.
"As unlikely as it seems, the Iraqi government of Saddam Hussein has spent over one billion dollars rebuilding the ancient city of Babylon and intends that it will become the center of their future renewed Babylonian Empire. Interestingly, the whole city of Babylon was built over an underground lake of asphalt and oil."
THE ANOINTING OIL
The prophet Daniel prophesied in Dan. 9:24 that the when Jesus returns, that the most Holy of Holies will be anointed with the anointing oil. "One of the five ingredients, afars' mon, was thought lost forever, when the Temple was destroyed in A.D. 70 and the only two groves of afars'mon trees in existence were burned
to the ground. Incredibly, several years ago, archeologists in Israel found a clay flask buried near the Dead Sea caves filled with the ancient oil of anointing. Scientists confirmed that the oil is two thousand years old and is composed of the precise ingredients described in Exodus 30:25,26."
PESTILENCE/FAMINES/EARTHQUAKES
Matthew 24:7 prophesied that in the last days "For nation shall rise against nation and Kingdom against Kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilence, and earthquakes, in divers (various) places." Grand Jeffrey writes regarding these matters:
· Pestilence - In 1991, the Central Intelligence Agency produced a report which "concluded that up to 75% of the population of Africa living in the area south of the Sahara Desert may become infected with AIDS over the next 12 years. This will mean the death by AIDS of over three hundred million people in Africa alone. In July 1991, the South African Medical Journal reported that a staggering 47% of black male and female blood donors tested positive for AIDS during 1989."
In Nov. 1996, the Associated Press reported that "Sexually transmitted diseases are diagnosed 12 million times a year in the United States - including a staggering 3 million cases among teen-agers".
· Famine - The United Nations today "claim that over thirty million in Africa are now at risk of dying from the most devastating famine in this century. The UN estimates that one billion people are in danger of starvation while another billion lack proper nutrition. North American food reserves (grain and corn) are at the lowest level in sixty years."
· Major killer earthquakes – “Major Killer earthquakes (7.2 or greater on the Richter scale) occurred only once per decade throughout history until our century. However, since A. D. 1900, the growth in major earthquakes has been relentless. From 1900 to 1949 it averaged three major quakes per decade. From 1949 the increase became awesome with 9 killer quakes in the 1950's; 13 in the 1960's; 56 in the 1970's and an amazing 74 major quakes in the 1980's. Finally, in the 1990's, at the present rate, we will experience 125 major killer quakes in this decade."
WORLD WIDE COMMUNICATION
In Revelation 11:9,10, it is prophesied that during the tribulation period, the antichrist will have the two witnesses that God sent killed and their bodies will lay in the street for three and a half days while the whole world watches.
Did not the whole world watch Desert Storm on CNN television? With all the technological advances in telecommunications, including the recent opening of the World Wide Net to our computer industry, any event happening in any part of the world can now be viewed while it is happening. The prophesy of the two witnesses could literally be fulfilled today. This could not have happened just 10 or 15 years ago.
INCREASED KNOWLEDGE AND TRAVEL
Daniel 12:4 prophesies how much knowledge and travel will increase in the end time. "But thou, O Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the Book, even to the time of the end: Many shall run to and fro and knowledge shall be increased."
Today, it is estimated that "Human knowledge is growing so quickly that it literally doubles every twenty-four months." With the discovery through the use of modern "Super" computers by Grant Jeffrey and other researchers of the hidden codes that God supernaturally designed into the original Hebrew text of the Torah describing not only the history of the world in advance, but also verifying his Authority through His personal signature throughout his scripture, we realize that God chose this generation to reveal this unique aspect about himself.
It is also amazing that in this century, we have gone from horses to cars, from cars to supersonic spacecraft; not only can we now travel the world in a matter of hours, but in the case of the U.S. Space Shuttle Discovery, we can now travel at speeds in excess of eighteen thousand miles per hour.
REVIVAL OF THE ROMAN EMPIRE
Daniel 2:40-44 predicts that the old Roman Empire will be revived in the end times into a ten Nation alliance. We currently see the foundation being laid today through the European Economic Community. "In 1957, six (6) Countries signed the Treaty of Rome laying the foundation for the future United States of Europe.............Since then the Maastricht Treaty consolidated the fifteen (15) Nations of the European Union into the worlds first superstate." All it will take is the re-shuffling and/or the consolidation of Nations to bring this prophesy to a literal fulfillment.
ODDS THAT THESE PROPHECIES WERE FULFILLED BY CHANCE IN THIS GENERATION
"In the Bible there are several types of generations. One generation is defined as the length of life of the average person - seventy or eighty years. However, a generation of governing is usually defined as forty years,...........During the last two thousand years since the days of Christ, there were fifty such forty-year generations. Therefore, the odds are one chance in fifty that any one of these specific prophecies happened by chance in our generation rather than some other generation."
"The odds that more than one event happening in our life time are:
"Another way of looking at this is that the chance that the prophets of the Bible correctly guessed these prophecies is also one in 97,500 trillion............in other words, it is simply impossible that men alone could
have written the Bible without the supernatural assistance and inspiration of God."
Matthew 24:32-35 - "Now learn a parable of the fig tree; When his branch is yet tender, and putteth forth leaves, ye know that summer is nigh: So likewise ye, when ye shall see all these things, know that it is near, even at the doors. Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled. Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away."
Luke 21:28 - "And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh."
ANTI-CHRIST TO BE REVEALED
As of today, no one knows who the Anti-Christ is, but we do know what God has told us about him:
Many people try to spiritualize or say the events prophesied in the Bible are just symbolic. Any doubt about how God handles these prophetic events should have been erased on May 14,1948. God is literally fulfilling scriptural prophesy before our very eyes. Can we expect anything less for those few remaining prophesies for which He has promised the world; 1) the removal of the one who restrains the man of lawlessness/Sin (the rapture of the Church), 2) His second coming to take possession of His inheritance, 3) The millennial kingdom and 4) the new heaven and new earth.
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Ezekiel 33:6 - "But if the watchman see the sword come, and blow not the trumpet, and the people be not warned; if the sword come, and take any person from among them, he is taken away in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at the watchman's hand."
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