THE INTERESTING INFORMATION CHRISTIAN MINISTRY
CONFIRMING BIBLICAL TRUTH
3/29/2023
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
3/29/2023
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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Ezekiel 34:2 “Shepherd, feed the flock”
URL- PROOF OF BIBLICAL KINGS OF ISRAEL, JUDAH DECIPHERED ON JERUSALEM ROCK INSCRIPTIONS
https://www.jpost.com/archaeology/article-725074
CHRISTIAN MUSIC VIDEO
WITH ALL THE MANY MIRACLES
Greater Vision
THOUGHT FOR THE WEEK – " God save the very best for those who leave the choice to Him of how their needs are met”—Charles Stanley
INTERESTING ARTICLES SUMMARY
· Most Americans probably haven’t heard the true Gospel
· Supreme ruling on Christian controversy causing serious ripples
· Catastrophic storms in 2023
· A wake-up call for every genuine Christian
· What determines our true legacy?
· HOW MEDITATION IMPACTS OUR LIFE
INTERESTING ARTICLES
MOST AMERICANS PROBABLY HAVEN'T HEARD THE TRUE GOSPEL
The Christian Post – Mar. 23, 2023 -- We hear that phrase tossed around a lot today. We call a certain style of music “gospel music” because it has a particular sound. When we really want someone to believe what we’re saying, we might add, “Listen — this is the ‘Gospel truth’!”
Sadly, however, the word Gospel has largely lost its meaning in today’s culture. It is my personal opinion that most Americans — much less the rest of the world — haven’t really heard a true Gospel presentation.
We hear some people say that they are “preaching the Gospel,” when in reality they don’t even seem to know what that term really means.
We all need to know what the gospel is for two very important reasons: 1. We want to make sure that we have heard the true Gospel and have responded to it, lest we have a false hope concerning a salvation we think we have; and 2. Jesus told us to “go into all the world and preach the Gospel” (Mark 16:15, NIV).
Those words aren’t just addressed to pastors, teachers, evangelists, and missionaries; they are addressed to every follower of Jesus Christ! We simply can’t afford to be disengaged or disinterested in this subject. People’s eternal destinies literally hang in the balance.
What would you think of a surgeon who just started cutting away at a patient without really knowing what he was doing? One mistake, and that person could be disabled for life — or could even die on the operating table. Yet this message we bring has even more far-reaching consequences than that, for there are ramifications that last forever.
Good news, bad news - What elements must be present for the Gospel to be the Gospel? A technical definition of the word Gospel is “good news.”
We’ve all heard the expression “I have some good news and some bad news... ” Upon hearing a statement like that, we usually want to know the worst first.
You may have heard about the doctor who said to his patient, “I
have some good news and some bad news.”
The patient replied, “What’s the good news?” The doctor said, “You only have
three weeks to live.”
Exasperated, the patient replied, “If that’s the good news, what’s the bad news?” The doctor answered, “I should have told you two weeks ago.”
When it comes to the Gospel, the bad news is the fact that we all stand as sinners before a holy God. No matter who we are, we have all sinned — sometimes in ignorance but more often on purpose. Yet even as a jeweler will display a beautiful ring or necklace against a dark velvet background to accentuate its beauty, God has chosen to show us just how good the Good News is by first telling us the bad news.
Once we see our complete weakness, our inability to do anything whatsoever to alleviate our wretched condition, we can better appreciate the ultimate gift God has given us:
When we were utterly helpless, Christ came at just the right time and died for us sinners. Now, most people would not be willing to die for an upright person, though someone might perhaps be willing to die for a person who is especially good. But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners. (Romans 5:6-8, NLT)
Ponder that a moment. Consider the beauty of salvation against the dark background of our sin. God didn’t give us this gift because we in any way deserved it; He gave it to us because we were so undeserving. There was no other way to satisfy the righteous demands of God; we were utterly incapable of improving ourselves (much less save ourselves), and we faced a future in Hell because of our sins.
Yet God, in His great love, sent his own Son to come down from Heaven and die on the cross in our place. I love the way Paul personalized it when he said, “I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me” (Galatians 2:20, NIV).
A gap only God could bridge - There was no other way to resolve this serious sin issue we all face. We know that God is perfect. And we know that man is imperfect and sinful. So, Jesus, the God-man, was uniquely qualified to bridge the gap between sinful humanity and a holy God. He was the only one who could ever do that: “And all of this is a gift from God, who brought us back to himself through Christ. And God has given us this task of reconciling people to him. For God was in Christ, reconciling the world to himself, no longer counting people's sins against them. And he gave us this wonderful message of reconciliation” (2 Corinthians 5:18-19, NLT).
It’s not about what I did to please or reach God. I did everything to displease and fail to reach Him. This is why Jesus Christ is the only way to the Father! In fact, he said so Himself in John 14:6 (NIV): “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”
In these politically correct times in which we are living, it is tempting to soft-pedal this issue and say something along the lines of “we all worship the same God. You can choose your path. I’ve chosen mine. Mine is Christ. But if you want to worship some other way, that’s fine.”
But it’s not fine. Not at all. The book of Proverbs clearly tells us that “There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death” (Proverbs 14:12, NKJV).
The apostle Peter underscores this important fact, echoing Christ’s words: “There is salvation in no one else! There is no other name in all of Heaven for people to call on to save them” (Acts 4:12, NLT).
Jesus, being God, was the only one who could bridge the gap and shed His blood in our place. For we as Christians to say anything else is not only wrong — it is a misrepresentation of the Gospel! And God takes that very seriously.
There, on that cross, all the sin of the world was poured upon Jesus Christ as he became the sin sacrifice for us: “He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him” (2 Corinthians 5:21).
The fact is, if humankind could have reached God any other way, Jesus would not have had to die. His voluntary death on the cross clearly illustrates the fact that there is no other way. Those who reject His loving offer of forgiveness — which is extended to all — do so at their own peril.
It’s a done deal - That is why Jesus cried out these three words on the cross of Calvary: “It is finished” (John 19:30). That phrase can be translated many ways: “It is made an end of; it is paid; it is performed; it is accomplished!”
What was made an end of? Our sins — and the guilt that accompanied them. What was paid? The price of redemption! What was performed? The righteous requirements of the law! What was accomplished? The work the Father had given Jesus to do. What was finished? Satan’s stronghold on humanity.
“He canceled the record of the charges against us and took it away by nailing it to the cross. In this way, he disarmed the spiritual rulers and authorities. He shamed them publicly by his victory over them on the cross” (Colossians 2:14-15, NLT).
Simple, but powerful - In the book of Romans, Paul refers to the explosive power of the Gospel: “For I am not ashamed of this Good News about Christ. It is the power of God at work, saving everyone who believes — the Jew first and also the Gentile” (Romans 1:16, NLT).
That is a profound statement coming from such an intelligent,
gifted communicator as Paul. If anyone could have talked people into becoming
Christians by mere mental skills, it would have been Paul. Yet it is amazing to
read the accounts in the book of Acts as he stood before government leaders,
the rich, and the powerful and shared the simple message of Jesus’ dying on the
cross.
Paul is reminding us that there is power in the simple message of the life,
words, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. We often underestimate the raw
power the Gospel has in reaching even the most hardened heart.
Don’t underestimate its appeal. Don’t be ashamed of its simplicity. Don’t add to it or take away from it.
Just proclaim it — then stand back and watch what God will do.
SUPREME RULING ON CHRISTIAN CONTROVERSY CAUSING SERIOUS RIPPLES (Excerpt)
'Cannot censor religious viewpoints under the guise of government speech'
WND – Mar. 19, 2023 -- The Dobbs decision by the U.S. Supreme Court last year will be in news reports for years. It's because the 6-3 decision struck down the faulty 1973 ruling in Roe that created a national right to abortion. Now people, through their state governments, are allowed to regulate the lucrative abortion industry.
However, a new analysis from PJMedia explains there's another decision, this one unanimous, that is "more important."
It explained, "As important as Dobbs surely is, Shurtleff restored the right of every American to practice and express their religious beliefs, as guaranteed by the First Amendment."
It was Liberty Counsel that fought to battle, and chairman Mat Staver noted, "This 9-0 decision from the Supreme Court involving the Christian flag continues to have an impact across the nation. The clear message from the Supreme Court is that government must not discriminate based on viewpoint. The government cannot favor one viewpoint and censor another and cannot censor religious viewpoints under the guise of government speech. Any governments that are ignoring this ruling are setting themselves up for potential lawsuits."
CATASTROPHIC STORMS IN 2023
Charisma News – Mar. 25, 2023 -- Last year I had a dream about 2023. In the dream, there were two storms coming that would hit the world.
I knew one would be over financial markets and the other was war activities, but not a full-scale war. I also saw that the storms would hit really hard but then there would be a calm that would be a false sense of security. It was like the eye of the storm would be that in between place. After that, another wave of storms would hit.
In the Gospels, the disciples faced two storms too, and I believe we can learn how to handle storms in these stories.
I know in these uncertain and turbulent times; it is easy to feel lost and alone in the midst of the storm. But Jesus is always with us, walking with us through the storms of life.
Just like the disciples who found themselves in the midst of a great storm, we too may find ourselves facing challenging and difficult circumstances that seem beyond our control. Yet, in the midst of the storm, we can take comfort in knowing that Jesus is always with us as our navigator through the trials and storms.
In Isaiah 43:2, the Lord promises, "When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; And through the rivers, they shall not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned, Nor shall the flame scorch you." This powerful promise gives us hope and assurance that we can trust in God and have faith that He will guide and protect us through wars in nations or through financial wars right now.
In Matthew 14:22-33, we read about the disciples who were caught in a fierce storm on the Sea of Galilee. Jesus came to them, walking on the water, and reassured them saying, "Take heart; it is I. Do not be afraid." Peter, moved by faith, stepped out of the boat and walked on water towards Jesus. But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and began to sink. Jesus immediately caught him, saying, "You of little faith, why did you doubt?"
Don't get focused on the winds of the storm but look to Jesus. He has answers you can't see without looking at Him.
A WAKE-UP CALL FOR EVERY GENUINE CHRISTIAN
The Christian Post – Mar. 25, 2023 -- Hatred for Christians is increasing at an alarming rate. We are persecuted constantly and many of us have been intimidated and forced to compromise and accept what God calls abominable.
We are finding it increasingly difficult to stand up to the world. The tidal wave of evil is sweeping over all the nations of the earth.
Pornography, homosexuality, transgenderism, abortion drugs and alcohol abuse are being supported by governments everywhere.
Some Christians hold to the “easy believism” trope that tells them they can live their lives how they want to, without repercussions, since their proverbial ticket to Heaven has been punched long ago. Many outside the Church say that humans are fundamentally good and can simply choose to be moral without the need for Christ’s sacrifice. Unfortunately, some Christian politicians are buying into these demonic ideas. How I wish that the present-day leaders of America will borrow a leaf from George Washington who said, “Let us with caution indulge the supposition that morality can be maintained without religion.”
Scripture says: “Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter” (Isaiah 5:20). This is crucial because the distinction between good and evil is being lost by the majority of Western societies these days.
The fundamental right of Christians to express their views without fear has been upended. For fear of being victimized, many of us are now keeping quiet while evil prevails. It is not only the duty of Christians to live morally upright lives, but also to fight against anything evil. Keeping quiet while evil struts about is a moral failure on the part of Christians. God will not hold us guiltless if we do not do our duty and warn our cultures of the impending doom that awaits them (Ezekiel 3:18-19).
What is happening globally these days is a test of moral will and faith. The major challenge is not that these things are happening — it’s that our reaction to them is far too tepid. Are we becoming politically and socially compliant by agreeing with the world? We should as a matter of urgency examine ourselves to know if we are still in the faith (2 Corinthians 13:5).
I strongly believe that if genuine Christians and pastors should make a commitment to evaluate themselves morally, repent where necessary, and take the responsibility to warn the world of the coming judgment, we might yet still witness revivals in our lands. The responsibility is ours.
WHAT DETERMINES OUR TRUE LEGACY
Christian Headline News -Mar.15, 2023 -- The good news is that our Father never forgets even one of his children: “The Lᴏʀᴅ has remembered us; he will bless us” (Psalm 115:12). We are all connected in that we are all loved by our Maker (John 3:16).
However, we are connected as well by the fact that our eternal life depends on our relationship with Jesus Christ. Everyone knows John 3:16, but fewer know John 3:18: “Whoever believes in [Christ] is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God.”
Do you believe our culture’s relativistic insistence on tolerance, or do you believe Jesus?
Do you believe that every person you know who does not know Christ is “condemned already” and will spend eternity in hell unless they turn to him as their Savior and Lord (Revelation 20:15)? Believing that they need to believe is not enough: Are you praying for lost people by name? Are you seeking ways to share the good news of God’s love with them?
Here’s the bottom line: Our true legacy is determined not by what people think of us, but by what they think of Jesus.
When we reach people with God’s love, they impact others who impact others. Every dimension of society is affected as a result of our faithfulness to share the gospel, from crime to poverty to racism to substance abuse to loneliness and despair. The best way to change the world is to introduce everyone we know to the One who loves the world.
Then, one day, “this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come” (Matthew 24:14).
If the “end” comes today, will your Father find you faithful?
HOW MEDITATION IMPACTS OUR LIFE
Meditating on Scripture gives us a clear view of God and leads to fellowship in His presence.
The time we spend with God in His Word and prayer has an impact on our daily life. As we focus on the Lord and His power, glory, and favor, our perspective becomes increasingly aligned with His. He becomes greater, and our problems and worries become smaller.
The apostle Paul was certainly mindful of this. In his letter to the Ephesians, he actively prayed for himself and others to receive a greater understanding of God and all He’s provided for His people through Jesus Christ (Ephesians 1:15-19).
When we begin to see the Lord through enlightened eyes, the whole world—including its stresses and challenges—becomes much clearer, as does our understanding of how to deal with difficulties. As a result, the pressures of life begin to dissipate. Although we cannot escape trouble, we can rest in the peace Jesus promises us (John 16:33).
Our time in meditation provides many personal benefits, but these should not be our only reason for spending time with the Lord. The goal is to know God, draw near to Him in fellowship, and enjoy the blessings that accompany an intimate relationship with Him.
In Touch Ministry
PRIOR ISSUE
INTERESTING INFORMATION MINISTRY
3/22/2023
URL - WHAT SHOULD THE RAINBOW MEAN TO GOD'S PEOPLE?
URL - GLOBAL DIGITAL ID WITH REAL-TIME TRACKING OF EVERYONE & EVERYTHING IS COMING
https://www.prophecynewswatch.com/article.cfm?recent_news_id=5434
CHRISTIAN MUSIC VIDEO
THE MASTER’S CALL
Marty Robbins
https://youtu.be/e22cEMXganQ
THOUGHT FOR THE WEEK – "In the sentence of life, the devil may be a comma--but never let him be the period.” - Anonymous
INTERESTING ARTICLES SUMMARY
· Why Christians should prepare for Environmental, Social and Governance
· Why offering petitions to departed Saints offends God
· Can Christians be Demon Possessed?
· Majority of kids exposed to online porn by young age
· Yoga: “You’re opining demonic doors”
· TAKING RISKS
INTERESTING ARTICLES
WHY CHRISTIANS SHOULD PREPARE FOR EVIRONMENTAL, SOCIAL AND GOVERNANCE
Christians must take note that the world and its systems are corrupt, and they are getting worse every day.
Charisma News – Feb. 14, 2023 -- It is not a doom and gloom viewpoint that believers need to hold onto, because the book of Revelation describes in detail how things on the earth will end. But, being knowledgeable and formulating plans for the mounting persecution taking place in the world displays the godly wisdom that Solomon often wrote about in the book of Proverbs.
There are too few Christians around the world that are aware of what ESG and the WEF even are.
ESG stands for Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) within companies such as banks used in investing. According to Investopedia, ESG "refers to a set of standards for a company's behavior used by socially conscious investors to screen potential investments."
These are the guidelines that have led to multiple Christians, and Christian organizations, having their bank accounts frozen and shut down by financial giants such as Chase.
Some also fear that the increased usage of these types of ESG guidelines will transform the social structure of the world with the use of a social credit system.
In theory, if someone is not "carbon neutral" in the future, they can suffer repercussions such as having the energy to their home shut-off or their bank accounts frozen. To avoid this type of punishment, they must abide by the social standards set in place by the government.
Complete control of society by a group of governments, non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and unelected bureaucrats have been the things of Christian fiction for decades, and which swiftly are becoming reality.
China has already begun implementing this type of system within its borders, and is currently number 16 on Open Doors World Watch List of nations hostile to Christianity.
How do Christians think the beast will eventually be able to implement a universal "mark" that will restrict a person's ability to function in society without it?
It is coming, this is not a fringe conspiracy theory of right-wing nuts that the mainstream media touts to discredit those shining the light of truth on what is really happening in the world today.
Events such as the world's "kings" willfully submitting to the rule of Satan, influenced by the Jezebel spirit that has plagued the earth for millennia, will occur and the nations they rule will follow suit.
That is not hyperbole, these are the words given to John as the witness to the Revelation of Jesus Christ. And Christians need to be aware of what events are moving and changing the world around them so they are prepared and spiritually edified for the times that are to come.
Those in charge of organizations and governments, such as the World Economic Forum (WEF), are not hiding their intentions either.
Head of the WEF Klaus Schwab, climate alarmist Greta Thunberg and the new king of England King Charles, all push for these "sustainable" and social restructuring initiatives throughout the world. Government leaders of the most powerful nations have joined them in agreement on the changes they think need to be made around the globe, all in the name of sustainability.
America is enduring these failed policies as it and much of Europe suffer through an energy crisis of massive proportions.
How will the body of Christ react when freedoms are restricted, speech is regulated and the gospel is twisted to placate the worlds sensibilities?
The altering of the Word of God is already taking place within the world as the Church of England is considering referring to God the Father in "gender-neutral" terminology.
Online speech is already massively restricted on social media sites such as Facebook, YouTube and Instagram. Twitter was previously a heavily censored outlet until Elon Musk revealed the coercion going on behind the scenes with Twitter leadership and Democratic operatives.
Not that any major media outlets covered this of course, because they are all part of the same organization aiming to control what information is disseminated to the masses.
Authoritarianism runs contrary to the very creation of mankind in the Garden of Eden, as God granted humanity free will to choose the path it walks. The same way that humans can choose to believe in Jesus or not, He never forces Himself into one's heart as that would go against the nature of God and His creation.
As the net of control continues to constrict the world's citizens, some going along willingly in ignorance of what awaits them, Christians need not fear these times. Instead, believers across the globe should become even more determined than ever to see the End Times harvest and revival break out in the darkness in which the enemy is trying to drown the world.
Satan does have power on the earth, he is not a pushover enemy, but Jesus has the victory. It will take perseverance, faith in the One who died on the cross and a godly understand and discerning of the Word of God to navigate the untruths the enemy will lay in people's paths.
In a world cursed with sin, Paul's writings to the church in Philippi is more relevant today than it has ever been:
"I do not speak because I have need, for I have learned in whatever state I am to be content. I know both how to face humble circumstances and how to have abundance. Everywhere and in all things, I have learned the secret, both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. I can do all things because of Christ who strengthens me," (Phil. 4:11-13).
Christians can take strength and refuge in the Word, knowing that when the world turns against them, victory belongs to the Lord Jesus.
WHY OFFERING PETITIONS TO DEPARTED SAINTS OFFENDS GOD
The Christian Post – Mar. 19, 2023 -- If you are someone who regularly offers petitions to departed saints, try to imagine going a whole week only offering petitions to God. And then imagine yourself doing that for an entire month. You would be pleasantly surprised at just how refreshed your soul would be after 30 days of biblical, Christ-centered prayer.
Scripture instructs followers of Christ to offer petitions to the only One in Heaven who is worthy of such requests: “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God” (Philippians 4:6).
Remembering departed saints with fondness and appreciation is one thing. Offering petitions to departed saints is something else entirely. In fact, offering petitions to departed saints is actually offensive to God.
In a CP op-ed 10 years ago titled, “Praying to the Departed Conjures Fallen Angels,” I wrote, "Prayers to the departed never reach St. Paul, or St. Augustine, or the mother of our Lord, or the brother of our Lord, or St. Francis of Assisi, or any other saint … If you have offered such petitions, simply talk to the Lord about it and ask Him to close any doors you have opened out of ignorance. And choose to be wise from this day forward by only praying to God, but never again to departed saints.”
Why would God be offended when one of his children offers petitions to departed saints? Because it is hugely disrespectful to the Lord to offer petitions to anyone in Heaven other than God himself. The Lord has all power and authority, and God will do whatever he chooses to do in answer to our prayers. The minute we turn to a departed saint to help grant our petition we veer away from biblical prayer. Even if departed saints could hear our requests, it would still be a terrible idea to offer petitions to them. You see, the Lord forbids his children from attempting to communicate with the departed.
In Deuteronomy 18:9-13, the Lord gave his chosen people the following instructions: “When you enter the land the Lord your God is giving you, do not learn to imitate the detestable ways of the nations there. Let no one be found among you who sacrifices his son or daughter in the fire, who practices divination or sorcery, interprets omens, engages in witchcraft, or casts spells, or who is a medium or spiritist or who consults the dead. Anyone who does these things is detestable to the Lord, and because of these detestable practices, the Lord your God will drive out those nations before you. You must be blameless before the Lord your God.”
Consulting departed saints by offering petitions to them is forbidden by the Lord. The Bible lumps consulting the dead in with sorcery, witchcraft, and the like. Such behavior invites the presence of demons. For example, a seance is a meeting where people attempt to make contact with the dead. This forbidden practice is part of the occult.
Likewise, when individuals offer petitions to departed saints, they are dabbling with dark power, even when these petitions are being sincerely offered as part of one’s religious tradition.
The Holy Spirit produces peace and joy through Scripture and the Gospel message, whereas demons oppress people who engage in occult practices, or in any other type of sinful behavior for that matter.
For example, Ephesians 4:26-27 states: “In your anger do not sin. Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, and do not give the devil a foothold.” Holding grudges overnight opens a spiritual door through which demons are able to attack the mind and heart of the person who is holding a grudge and is unwilling to forgive someone.
All of us who follow Christ do things at times that are offensive to God. Offering petitions to departed saints is not a bigger sin than holding a grudge. Both behaviors are offensive to God, and both behaviors give the devil and his demons access into your life of Christian discipleship. Sinful practices prevent us from experiencing the fullness of the Holy Spirit until we repent and confess our sins to the Lord and rely upon the blood of Jesus to wash our sins away.
Perhaps you are someone who regularly offers up petitions to the departed. And maybe you do so because you were told that saints in Heaven can hear your petitions and can even help to get your request answered. If that is what you were told, you were misinformed. I encourage you to meditate upon Deuteronomy 18:9-13 as you allow the Lord to break whatever chains you have brought on yourself by that unbiblical and dangerous religious practice.
Praying directly to God is the way to be delivered from the bad habit of offering petitions to departed saints. You don’t need that unbiblical practice in your life, and God doesn’t want you engaging in it.
CAN A CHRISTIAN BE DEMON POSSESSED? (Excerpt)
Charisma News – Mar. 19, 2023 -- Right now in the body of Christ, a great deal of attention is being paid to the issue of deliverance. The compelling new movie by Greg Locke, "Come Out in Jesus Name," debuted in theaters this week and is taking the nation by storm. Charisma News has brought you complete coverage of this phenomenon and of miracles happening on site.
However, this is one burning question that has left many in debate about the spiritual gift of deliverance: Can a demon possess a Christian?
Cultural commentator and author Michael Brown, who writes a column for Charisma titled, "In The Line of Fire," answers the question with an unequivocal "no" in a recent interview with Charisma News' John Matarazzo.
"Can a Christian come under demonic power? Can a Christian be demonized in a sense where they are tormented or afflicted spiritually, emotionally, mentally and they need to be set free? Yes, it's possible. We can open the door in certain ways we can get beaten down and yield the authority that we have in the Lord. Any number of things can happen. That is possible."
But ... "Can a Christian be indwelt by a demon the same way they are indwelt by the Holy Spirit? No. ... Can a Christian be demon possessed so that a demon controls them and they have lost their own? Well, no, because then Jesus is no longer their Lord, and they are no longer under His authority."
Brown certainly believes that deliverance is for Christians. He says that he believes Christians can come under demonic power, and that strongholds can infiltrate the life of a believer due to demonic activity or perhaps a physical affliction that individual may have.
Healings, Brown says, are deliverances, and deliverances are healings. They overlap.
Decades ago, Brown says he began teaching on the subject of deliverance with a journey through the entire New Testament.
"Jesus often healed the sick and drove out demons. It's side by side. Demons are driven out and people are healed," Brown says. "Those things can happen with believers today as well.
"But again, if we mean that a Christian is indwelt by a demon the same way they're indwelt by the Holy Spirit, with demons and the Holy Spirit dwelling side by side within a human being, then no, I don't believe that is possible.
"If they are quote 'demon possessed,' which is probably a wrong way of translating the Greek anyway, then Satan owns them and Jesus no longer owns them. I see that as impossible.
MAJORITY OF KIDS EXPOSED TO ONLINE PORN BY YOUNG AGE, STUDY FINDS
One-third who say they 'intentionally view pornography' look for it on social media
WND – Jan., 2023 -- A recent study surveying teenagers found that 54% of children under the age of 14 had seen online pornography, with 15% reporting that they had been introduced to online porn before 11 years old.
The study, released by nonprofit Common Sense, found that 73% of respondents had viewed online porn before age 18, a 31-point increase over data collected in 2014. The average age of first exposure fell around 12 years old, according to the report.
The survey was conducted between Sept. 12 and 22 and surveyed 1,300 teens, asking them to answer a series of questions on a form about online porn and their own experiences. Teens reported that between the ages of 13 and 14, 40% had been exposed to porn, and 60% were between the ages of 15 and 17.
The study also found that many of the teens did not purposefully search out porn and were exposed accidentally. Teens reported that 58% had accidentally come across online porn, and 71% of those respondents also said they had viewed porn within the last week.
Boys and girls reported similar results of exposure to porn with boys at 75% and girls at 70%, but boys were more likely to intentionally seek out porn at 52% compared to girls at 36%, the study showed. Many teens also reported that they had been exposed to violent porn depicting “rape, choking, or someone in pain,” but only 33% said they had seen porn showing someone asking for consent.
Porn websites and social media were the main places that teens saw pornography at 44% and 38% respectively. One-third of the teens who said they “intentionally view pornography” look for it on social media, but the study explained the findings did not necessarily indicate minors were finding professional porn or hardcore porn.
“One possibility is that teens were reporting their consumption of self-generated nude or nearly nude content by nonprofessionals,” the study stated. “Another possibility, given that teens reported seeing pornography shared with them by peers, is that teens were reporting being made aware of content by peers on social media (but that could be hosted elsewhere online).”
James P. Steyer, founder and CEO of Common Sense Media, told the Daily Caller News Foundation that parental involvement is key to prevent young children from being exposed to online porn.
“We all need to play our part to help kids become better critical consumers, starting with having healthy conversations,” Steyer said. “And the online platforms themselves, where kids are accessing this content, need to take far more responsibility and be held accountable for keeping our kids safe.”
YOGA: 'YOU'RE OPENING DEMONIC DOORS' (Excerpt)
Charisma News – Dec. 15, 2022 -- Yoga is an international exercise phenomenon, evolving to become an integrated part of many people's fitness routines. But the physical activity has also emerged as a point of debate among some believers who see it as far more sinister than mere stretches and poses.
Jenn Nizza, an ex-psychic who spent years doing readings and communicating with what she believed were the dead loved ones of her clients, is among those speaking out.
Nizza is now a Christian who shares her story of leaving the occult, and she told CBN's Faithire why she believes yoga isn't just "stretching and breathing."
"Yoga is a Hindu spiritual practice, and the word 'yoga' is rooted in Sanskrit. It means 'to yoke to' or 'to unite with,' and what they're doing," she said. "They have deliberate postures that are paying tribute, honor and worship to their false gods, and they have over 330,000,000 false gods, which are demons, and they're honoring them with these postures."
Nizza specifically spoke about Christians who use yoga to stay fit, explaining why she believes participating in the fitness phenomenon can be spiritually perilous.
Fully aware some will scoff at these claims and affirm they aren't participating in the religious aspects of the workout, she again appealed to Scripture to detail qualms with such an argument.
She called churches' embrace of yoga "heartbreaking, and said she, too, participated in the workout when she was a psychic and described how it became part of her daily mantra.
"I used to do yoga ritualistically, and the meditation aspect really opened me up and helped me to receive communication from evil spirits," she said of her former psychic practices.
Mike Shreve was a teacher of Kundalini Yoga at four universities, with several hundred students looking to him as their guru. Then an encounter with the LORD JESUS radically changed his heart, his life and his world view.
TAKING RISKS
Facing danger with the Lord is always better than seeking safety apart from Him.
Do you like playing it safe, or are you more adventurous in your choices? Many Christians don’t like risk because the outcome is uncertain and may involve loss or other unwanted results. From a human viewpoint, eliminating potential harm makes sense. But for Christians, uncertainty is part of walking by faith. There are times when obedience may seem risky to us, but from God’s perspective, there’s no danger since He controls all things and never fails to accomplish His purposes.
The Bible tells of real people who obeyed the Lord in unpredictable situations. One of them is Ananias, a disciple sent by God to minister to the newly converted Saul. Ananias risked his life by visiting this notorious opponent of Christianity. Saul, too, lived with risk after his conversion, facing peril almost every day of his life as he obediently preached the same gospel that he’d previously opposed. By focusing on God, His character, and His promises, both of these men obeyed despite uncertainty and were used greatly by the Lord.
Where is God calling you to trust Him? Remember, each time you face risk, it’s an opportunity to experience His faithfulness firsthand.
In Touch Ministry
THE GRACE THAT WE STAND IN IS MORE THAN WE DESERVE
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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