"Not by works of righteousness which we have done,but according to His mercy, He saved us...." -Titus 3:5

As Christians of the western world we are generally contented in our faith. Many of us have become satisfied with what we have been told.

"Jesus has done it all. Therefore there is no call on me to do anything in response."

The blood of Christ has been shed, the atoning blood of Jesus/Yeshua is the complete and finished sacrifice, the issue of the price of our redemption is settled. The matter of the covenant, paying the purchase price of our redemption, is finished. Our great salvation has been paid in full by the Sacrificial Lamb of G-D.

Our free ticket to heaven just fell out of the sky. Grabbing it, we do not stop to think on what this means. We are rich and popular and in need of nothing. We are jam packed full of religion, yet we do not know our G-D. Continuing to compromise with the powers of this world, we dodge the higher calling of our faith, unaware of the perilous situation we are now in. Enticed and seduced by Mammon, we proceeded to re-process, re-engineer, and re-package the message. The Gospel is now a "product" for sale to the masses. In order to sell our message it must be cooked, artificially sweetened, repackaged and rendered palatable and appealing to the average middle of the road carnal "Christian".

God is at work in His people even now. And in the fullness of time the true Bride of Christ will emerge. She is in the world now. She must go up onto center stage in the times to come. There she will bring her testimony before kings and rulers. History demands it.

"And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations, and then shall the end come." Matthew 24:14

So we as Christian believers are not passive in the covenant. We are His witnesses.Our Christian witness to the Good News is our side of the covenant. This response we have to the indwelling Christ comes by a ministry of His divine grace. It is not a matter of our "works". Our witness to His Great Salvation flows out of the blessings of the covenant. Our power to witness comes as we open our hearts to Him. And our witness is a response He produces in us by His Holy Spirit.

It is a response to His wooing. It is a response to His love.

This is the "rest of the story".

"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.... In Him was life, and the life was the light of men." John 1:1-3

"...the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him. He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him....." John 1:10-13

God doesn't value earthly success, prosperity, human skills, or large crowds as we do. Instead, He seeks out the weak and lowly who would best demonstrate His strength and wisdom. As Paul wrote,

"...not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called. But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty... that no flesh should glory in His presence.” 1 Corinthians 1:26-31

Only a few poor shepherds heard the angels' joyous announcement and saw the newborn King. The highly respected men of Jerusalem neither heard nor saw the fulfillment of the long awaited prophesies. Content with their world and committed to their ways, they were oblivious to history's most momentous event and to the times in which they lived.

Much like today.

"In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved by various trials, that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ." 1 Peter1:6-7

Testing the Genuineness of our Faith
Pastor Charles Haddon Spurgeon, 1834-1892

Untested faith may be true faith, but it is sure to be small faith, and it is likely to remain little as long as it is without trials. Faith never prospers so well as when all things are against her: Tempests are her trainers, and bolts of lightning are her illuminators.

When a calm reigns on the sea, spread the sails as you will, the ship does not move to its harbor; for on a slumbering ocean the keel sleeps too. Let the winds rush and howl, and let the waters lift themselves, though the vessel may rock and her deck may be washed with waves and her mast may creak under the pressure of the full and swelling sail, it is then that she makes headway toward her desired haven.

No flowers are as lovely a blue as those that grow at the foot of the frozen glacier; no stars gleam as brightly as those that glisten in the midnight sky; no water tastes as sweet as that which springs up in the desert sand; and no faith is so precious as that which lives and triumphs in adversity.

Tested faith brings experience. You could not have believed your own weakness if you had not been compelled to pass through the rivers; and you would never have known God’s strength if you had not been supported in the flood. Faith increases in quality, assurance, and intensity the more it is exercised with tribulation. Faith is precious, and its trial is precious too.

Do not let this, however, discourage those who are young in faith. You will have trials enough without seeking them: The full portion will be measured out to you in due course.

Meanwhile, if you cannot yet claim the result of long experience, thank God for what grace you have; praise Him for that degree of holy confidence you have now attained: Walk according to that rule, and you will still have more and more of the blessing of God, until your faith will remove mountains and conquer impossibilities.

Days of testing are coming. Will you be able to say with confidence:

"When He has tested me, I shall come forth as gold. My foot has held fast to His steps; I have kept His way and not turned aside. I have not departed from the commandment of His lips; I have treasured the words of His mouth more than my necessary food." Job 23:10-12

According to the Mayan Calendar

the earth as we know it will be destroyed in December, 2012. The Bible however tells us otherwise:

"Do not learn the ways of the nations or be terrified by signs in the sky, though the nations are terrified by them." Jeremiah 10:1-2

"No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father" Matthew 24:36

The Word of God - the Bible - tells us that someday Jesus will return to earth and before His return momentous things will happen upon the earth. But, He is not coming to destroy the earth but according to His promise we are looking for a new heaven and a new earth - a place where righteousness will dwell.

We are not to fear, but be encouraged to live lives worthy of God and to be ready for that day.

We must understand that one day, the world for us will end - 2012, 2019, 2020, but it will end - and after that will come judgment as we stand before the Throne of God.

"Then I saw a Great White Throne and Him who sat upon it, from whose presence heaven and earth fled away... and I saw the dead great and small, standing before the throne, and the
book[s] were open; and another book was opened, the Book of Life; and the dead were judged from the things which were written in the book[s], according to their deeds. The sea gave up the dead that were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead that were in them; and they were judged, every one of them according to their deeds." Revelation 20-11-13

I have been judged, I have been found guilty and I was sentenced to death - BUT GOD...

"Do this; knowing the time, that it is already the hour for you to awaken from sleep, for now Salvation is nearer to us than when we believed." Romans 13:11

"Behold, God is my Salvation, I will trust and will not be afraid. For the LORD GOD is my strength and song, and He has become my Salvation." Isaiah 12:2

"My own faith is rooted in the unshakable belief in God... and an awareness of a constant and holy spiritual presence in all people, all life, and all things." Former vice president, Al Gore

"...when you have eaten and are full, and have built beautiful houses and dwell in them... [then] your heart is lifted up and you forget the Lord your God. ...you say in your heart, ‘My power and the might of my hand have gained me this wealth.’ ...if you by any means forget the Lord your God, and follow other gods... you shall surely perish." Deuteronomy 8:10-19

Jesus said: I AM the Way, the Truth and the Life; no one comes to the Father except through Me." John 14:6

But --- "I am a Christian.... I believe that there are many paths to the same place.... I am a great admirer of our founding charter... and its resolve to prevent disruptive strains of fundamentalism from taking root in this country.... I think Gandhi is a great example of a profoundly spiritual man who... never slipped into intolerance or dogma." Former senator, now president, Barack Hussein Obama

"And GOD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually." Genesis 6:5

"...they obeyed not, nor inclined their ear, but walked every one in the imagination of their evil heart..." Jeremiah 11:8

No Place for Truth:
By Dr. David F. Wells

“To whom then will you liken Me, Or to whom shall I be equal?” says the Holy One. Lift up your eyes on high, and see Who has created these things...By the greatness of His might and the strength of His power." Isaiah 40:25

"...the shallowness of modern life derives not from its banality but from its having lost its moral bearings. ... Christ seems to offer little of what this world is asking for. It wants whatever is new; it looks for the next step in the journey of the human spirit...."

"It is this holiness of God, then, without which the Cross of Christ is incomprehensible, that provides the light that exposes modernity's darkness for what it is.... Evangelicals turned from focusing on God's transcendence to focusing on His immanence [pervading all creation] -- and then they took the further step of interpreting His immanence as friendliness with modernity....
"The loss of the traditional vision of God as holy is now manifested everywhere in the evangelical world. It is the key to understanding why sin and grace have become such empty terms....

Divorced from the holiness of God -

· sin is merely self-defeating behavior or a breach in etiquette...
· grace is merely empty rhetoric, pious window dressing for the modern technique by which sinners work out their own salvation....
· our gospel becomes indistinguishable from any of a host of alternative self-help doctrines....
· our public morality is reduced to little more than an accumulation of trade-offs between competing private interests.
· our worship becomes mere entertainment.

"The holiness of God is the very cornerstone of Christian faith, for it is the foundation of reality... this God, majestic and holy in His being... has disappeared from the modern evangelical world. He has been replaced in many quarters by a God... whose Word is a plaything for those who wish merely to listen to themselves, whose Church is a mall in which the religious, their pockets filled with the coin of need, do their business.

We seek happiness, not righteousness."

"I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, high and lifted up, and the train of His robe filled the temple. Above it stood seraphim; each one had six wings.... And one cried to another and said: 'Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; the whole earth is full of His glory!' And the posts of the door were shaken by the voice of him who cried out, and the house was filled with smoke. "So I said: 'Woe is me, for I am undone! Because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts.” Isaiah 6:1-5

Zephaniah is noted for having one of the most graphic portrayals of the Day of the Lord in the Bible. Such a passage is Zephaniah, Chapter One.

But we must not stop there – continue reading the Book of Zephaniah for it is within the pages of this small but powerful book the author has called us to an anguished confession of sin and humble devotion to God so that we may escape the horrible Day of the Lord coming on this world:

"...before the decree is issued, before the day passes like chaff, before the LORD's fierce anger comes upon you! Seek the LORD, all you meek of the earth, who have upheld His justice. Seek righteousness, seek humility. It may be that you will be hidden in the Day of the LORD's anger." Zephaniah 2:2-3

Andy and Berit Kjos remind us ~

In times like this, we need a Shepherd! We don't know all the hazards ahead, but He does! We can't escape this corrupt world system, but He is our refuge in its midst! And He will surely lead His flock to peace and safety -- no matter how fierce the storms ahead!

"The Lord is my Shepherd! He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters. He restores my soul."

"Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death I will fear no evil: for Thou art with me. Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies;You anoint my head with oil; my cup runs over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life; and I will dwell in the house of the Lord FOREVER! Psalm 23

In "the sermon on the mount" -- one of the Bible's best loved messages -- Jesus compares two kinds of foundations: unyielding rock versus shifting sand. The first leads to unshakable peace and certainty, the other leads to disillusionment and destruction.

As the storms around us grow increasingly fierce, our foundations will surely be tested. But those who follow the Shepherd and stand on His Word will be safe with Him -- both now and forever!

"The blood of the martyrs is the seed of the Church."
Tertullian, 1st century AD

My journey through the Holocaust museum began in the section dedicated to Nazi propaganda.

Pausing by each display, I was startled by words that could so easily describe America today. The quotes brought stark reminders that, apart from God, human nature doesn't change with time. Nor do the aims of the spiritual mastermind behind the scenes who has always sought ways to stir hatred toward God's people.

"Individuals were urged to sacrifice themselves for a greater 'People's Community,'" announced one of the displays. Such slogans must have sounded good to the masses, few saw the cruel manipulation behind the noble words. Similar words can be heard today - calls for sacrifice, service, unity, common values, common good, civil society, and global governance.

How many people today see the ominous new meanings behind these nice sounding words?

Another display stated that- "elementary schools became forums of public indoctrination.

The Gestapo gathered much of its information from private citizens. Even children were taught to report on their parents. The Gestapo's main sources, however, were Nazi party officials. who constantly monitored the activities of all citizens [and] used such information to track political opponents."

America's leaders are using intrusive surveys, assessments and classroom encounter groups to persuade children to divulge private information about their family's faith, values, disciplines, and church attendance. As in Nazi Germany, socialization, not academic learning, has become the primary goal of education. Children are learning the group thinking and socialist values needed for the envisioned 21st century communities and global workforce.

A new set of global values, based on a blend of earth-centered beliefs, deviant lifestyles, socialist ideology, and globalist goals, rule out biblical boundaries and absolutes.

Genuine Christianity simply won't fit this new global agenda.

Our political, legal and education systems have been infiltrated by leaders who have betrayed America for a hollow vision of a global village. Hollywood has taught our children to delight in evil, children's books support the occult while schools immerse them in pagan rituals to other gods. Many church leaders are ashamed to mention sin and the cross, and most "Christians" are tolerating the trends, too distracted to know or to care.

God told us repeatedly what would happen to a nation that refuses to follow The Shepherd.

"When you have eaten and are satisfied, praise the Lord your God for the good land He has given you. Be careful that you do not forget... Otherwise... your heart will become proud.... You may say to yourself, 'My power and the strength of my hands have produced this wealth for me.' ... If you ever forget the Lord your God and follow other gods... you will surely be destroyed." Deuteronomy 8:10-20

"the whole world is under the control of the evil one" [1 John 5:19].

Satan's subjects have always despised our King, twisted His truth, and hated His people. Why should we not expect opposition?

Jesus described the normal Christian life this way:

"If they persecute Me, they will also persecute you," He told His disciples, "for they do not know Him who sent me." John 15:20-21

We need to take His warning to heart, count the cost of discipleship, remember faith without works is dead, and pray to be prepared for the battles which are about to come.

1. Pray for His guidance.
2. Learn from those who suffered persecution because of their faith.
3. Memorize His Word, use the victorious "Sword of the Spirit" in every battle you face.
4. Memorize hymns and songs that enable you to keep praising Him and affirming His victory.
5. Silently practice singing to Him in the midst of all kinds of distractions.
6. Practice giving thanks in all circumstances.

"...let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, Who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross. For consider Him who endured such hostility from sinners against Himself, lest you become weary and discouraged." Hebrew 12:1-3

And let us always remember: "

Blessed are you when men hate you, and when they exclude you, and revile you, and cast out your name as evil, for the Son of Man's sake. Rejoice in that day and leap for joy! For indeed your reward is great in heaven." Luke 6:22-23

If you've been told that you can have Christ as Savior without having Him as Lord; if you've been told that salvation is as easy as ABC; if you were assured that a momentary decision would save your soul, you've been taught "Easy-Believism."

If you think that such believing will save you, you are deceived! Samuel Waldron

What Then?
By J. Whitfield Green (John 3:16; Malachi 4:1)

When the great plants of our cities
Have turned out their last finished work;
When our merchants have sold their last yard of silk
And dismissed the last tired clerk;
When our banks have raked in their last dollar
And paid the last dividend;
When the Judge of the earth says, "Close for the night,"
And asks for a balance-

WHAT THEN?

When the choir has sung its last anthem,
And the preacher has made his last prayer;
When the people have heard their last sermon,
And the sound has died out on the air;
When the Bible lies closed on the altar,
And the pews are all empty of men;
And each one stands facing his record,
And the great Book is opened-

WHAT THEN?

When the actors have played their last drama,
And the mimic has made his last fun;
When the film has flashed its last picture,
And the billboard displayed its last run;
When the crowds seeking pleasure have vanished
And gone out in the darkness again;
When the trumpet of ages is sounded,
And we stand up before Him-

WHAT THEN?

When the bugle's call sinks into silence,
And the long marching columns stand still;
When the captain repeats his last orders,
And they've captured the last fort and hill;
And the flag has been hauled from the masthead,
And the wounded afield checked in;
And a world that rejected its Savior,

Is asked for a reason- WHAT THEN?

In the midst of a generation screaming for answers, Christians are stuttering.

False Grace
by: David Servant

In the minds of so many professing Christians, Jesus is Savior but not Lord. a friendly neighbor but not Creator of the Universe. He possesses all love but not all authority. He is our best buddy but not our King of kings and Lord of lords. A jolly good fellow, but not the One before whom every knee shall bow. He is good, but He is not God.

In reality, however, such a Jesus does not exist, and those who are convinced otherwise are the worst kind of idolaters; they have invented a god of their own imagination.

The apostle James repeatedly warned against being deluded by a faith that is void of the works of obedience:

But prove yourselves doers of the word, and not merely hearers who delude themselves....If anyone thinks himself to be religious, and yet does not bridle his tongue but deceives his own heart, this man's religion is worthless....What use is it, my brethren, if a man says he has faith, but he has no works? Can that faith save him? James 1:22, 26; 2:14

James could not make his point more clear. Faith without works cannot save us. What we believe is revealed by our words and deeds. Moreover, it is possible to deceive our own hearts in this matter and possess a worthless religion.

James continues:

But someone may well say, 'You have faith, and I have works; show me your faith without the works, and I will show you my faith by my works. You believe that God is one. You do well; the demons also believe, and shudder. But are you willing to recognize, you foolish fellow, that faith without works is useless?....You see that a man is justified by works, and not by faith alone....For just as the body without the spirit is dead, so also faith without works is dead. James 2:18-20, 24, 26

James points out that even demons possess some degree of faith, and their faith is manifested by actions: they shudder in fear. Yet how many professing believers demonstrate less faith than demons, demonstrating no fear of God?

James challenges anyone to show his faith without works (see 2:18). Works cannot be dissected from true faith. That is why true saving faith always begins with repentance. And that is precisely why Jesus calls to salvation were so often calls to commitment and obedience. Jesus called people to a faith that was obedient, and to the chagrin of many who would divorce works from faith, Jesus often said nothing at all about faith when He called people to salvation. His true followers would show their faith by their works.

Amazingly, Jesus calls to costly commitment are often shamelessly ignored by professing Christians. Or, if they are acknowledged, are explained away as being calls to a deeper relationship that are supposedly addressed, not to the unsaved, but to those who have already received God' saving grace. Yet, sadly, so many of these believers who claim that Jesus calls to costly commitment are addressed to them rather than the unsaved do not heed His calls as they interpret them.

In their minds, they have the option not to respond in obedience, and they never do.

Ministry of Comfort
by: J.R. Miller - 1898

"... we were burdened beyond measure, above strength, so that we despaired even of life. Yes, we had the sentence of death in ourselves, that we should not trust in ourselves but in God..."
2 Corinthians 1:8-9

Most of us need the chastening of affliction. Pain is wonderful revealer. It teaches us many things we never could have known, if we had not been called to endure it. It opens windows through which we see, as we never saw before -- the beautiful things of God's love. Many of the finest things in character, are the fruits of pain. Many a Christian enters trial -- cold, worldly, unspiritual--and emerges from the experience a little later, with spirit softened, mellowed, and spiritually enriched.

Sanctified afflictions soften the harshness and sharpness of one's character. They consume the dross of selfishness and worldliness. They humble pride. They temper carnal ambitions. They quell fierce passions. They show to us the evil of our own heart, revealing our weaknesses, faults, and blemishes -- and making us aware of our spiritual danger. They discipline the wayward spirit.

Sorrow draws its sharp ploughshare through the heart, cutting deep and long furrows -- and the heavenly Sower follows with the seeds of godly virtues. Then by and by, fruits of righteousness spring up. Sorrow has a tenderizing influence. It makes us gentle and kindly toward each other.

In no other school, do our hearts learn the lessons of patience, tolerance, and forbearance so quickly as in the school of suffering.

"It was good for me to be afflicted, so that I could learn Thy statutes." Psalm 119:71

Ban Truth - Reap Tyranny
by: Berit Kjos

"It is a sad day in our country when the moral foundation of our law and the acknowledgment of God has to be hidden from public view to appease a federal judge." Alabama's former Chief Justice Roy Moore

"Whereas... both Houses of Congress have by their joint Committee requested me to recommend to the People of the United States a day of public thanksgiving and prayer to be observed by acknowledging with grateful hearts the many signal favors of Almighty God... I do recommend and assign Thursday, the 26th day of November next to be devoted by the People of these States to the service of that great and glorious Being, who is the beneficent Author of all the good that was, that is, or that will be...." George Washington, Thanksgiving Proclamation, 1789

"If we will not be governed by God, then we will be ruled by tyrants." William Penn, January 3, 1701

"My people have committed two evils: They have forsaken Me, the fountain of living waters, and hewn themselves cisterns—broken cisterns that can hold no water." Jeremiah 2:12-13

Once again history repeats itself. Like ancient Israel, America has gradually been turning its back to God. Nothing will undermine American values, freedom and sovereignty faster than reframing our Constitution by the dimming light of European values and a global socialist ideology. Notice the "new" views of right and wrong. Our world can't tolerate Biblical laws that identify certain behaviors as sin and certain beliefs as incompatible with Christian faith. Offended by the truth, it bans convictions that once gave rise to social order and prosperity.

Do you wonder why US leaders would ban God's universal guidelines for law and order, then choose social philosophies that turn our God-given personal "rights" into the impersonal "rights" of the "greater whole"? Why would they trade our heritage of freedom for oppressive restrictions and unconstitutional limitations on free speech, gun control and...?

In light of history, these paradoxes make sense. As our nation bans truth and forgets God's Word, it weakens both discernment and resistance to the flood of spiritual and social alternatives. Craving thrills more than truth, the majority will barely notice the change.

Do not doubt that this will happen, for if you do, we and our country will be taken over from within with neither whimper nor moan.

“Now it shall come to pass, if you diligently obey the voice of the Lord your God, to observe carefully all His commandments which I command you today, that the Lord your God will set you high above all nations of the earth.... “The Lord will cause your enemies who rise against you to be defeated before your face.... The Lord will open to you His good treasure, the heavens, to give the rain to your land in its season, and to bless all the work of your hand. You shall lend to many nations, but you shall not borrow. And the Lord will make you the head and not the tail.... if you heed the commandments of the Lord your God." Deuteronomy 28:1-14

A friend writes ~

The World is Filled With Millions of People, Most Of Whom Are Dangerously Wrong About Spiritual Matters.

Man has made tremendous progress in so many fields ... medical and scientific technology is unprecedented, we have put men on the moon, cloned animals and unraveled the mysteries of DNA. We can instantly communicate across the globe.

The influence of computers is universal as is the equating of personal happiness with education, a comfortable income and material possessions. Foreign travel, the arts, high culture and, for some of us, a little church (fire insurance?) doesn't hurt either. We are obsessed with Self, largely living a trivial life with a trivial worldview. Taking the path of least resistance has never been so popular.

However our shallow, self-centered lifestyles have only exemplified the barrenness of our souls.
everything was meaningless, A chasing after the wind; nothing was gained under the sun.

We have spent countless hours looking upwards and been so totally immersed in our squabbling about the names and positions of the stars, that we have failed to see the blazing meteor bearing down on us. We have walked the sandy beach and have been so engrossed in counting the grains that we have not lifted our eyes and seen the enormity of the tidal wave that will soon engulf us.

We Are As Dumb And As Dead And As Damned As We Ever Were... And Almost Out Of Time!!!

My Life as a Prostitute
By: M.E. Townsend

“All her carved images shall be beaten to pieces, and all her pay as a harlot shall be burned with the fire; all her idols I will lay desolate, for she gathered it from the pay of a harlot, and they shall return to the pay of a harlot.” Micah 1:7

Scripture teaches that it is man that looks at the outward appearance, while it is the LORD that looks on the heart. [I Samuel 16:7]

The Words of our LORD, penned by the Prophet Samuel, convict us as we view with disdain and scorn the life of the prostitute.

Our view of prostitution, defined by our perception of prostitution, readily envisions a young woman; bound by deviant behaviour selling sexual favor for money, is abhorrent to most. By definition, a prostitute is "a person, usually a woman, who provides sexual activity in exchange for material security."

We breathe a collective sigh of relief and move on. However, Merriam-Webster defines prostitution as ‘to devote to corrupt or unworthy purposes’ - corrupt implies a loss of soundness, purity or integrity, and this one we cannot escape.

Prostitution is also defined as "debasing [to make lower in value or character] oneself for personal gain," and this usage applies to both male and female. Additionally, it is "a misuse of one's gifts, talents, or skills."

Clearly sexual misconduct is sin. Sexual sin is not only a sin against our body, but our spirit, our soul and our God. We all too quickly judge the prostitute and quicker still condemn. Perhaps we are looking too closely at the speck in our brother [or sister’ eye] while ignoring the plank in our own?

Who among us has taken a hard, difficult look at self and caught a glimpse of our own life of disobedience and sin, our own life as a prostitute?

We debase ourselves by indiscriminately choosing self-gratification over quiet time with the LORD. How often have we compromised our principles, if only a little? Do we look the other way in order to avoid speaking truth where truth is needed? Do we snicker at jokes unsuitable for believers? How often have we raced home after Sunday service, if we can find the energy or time to attend, to 'catch the game’? Who among us has not chosen Monday night football over Monday night Bible study? How many read novels instead of New Testaments?

We have schedules to keep and bills to pay. As we hurry through the trials and tribulations of life, we major on the minors, miss the miracles and all too often end up disillusioned in a world with too many questions and very few, if any, answers.

"Only one life, it will soon be passed. Only what's done for Jesus the Christ will last."

We find time for Little League but have little time for the LORD. We race across highways our hectic lives have created, seldom noticing the Creator or His creation. Ignoring His admonition to “be still and know that I AM God” we choose instead to relax in front of the television, go out with friends, or nap, drifting off in blissful apathy as we take pride in our weekly hour with the LORD or promise to do better next Sunday.

Unwittingly perhaps, we have allowed lifestyles and life choices to crowd in, stealing our time, our talents and our energies. We grab for the gold, too late realizing what we thought was gold was only brass. We reach for the good while ignoring the best. We have used what God has given us, not to build His Kingdom, but to build our own.

Our lives move along, hopefully without abundant difficulty, on the path we have set for ourselves - our path of prostitution.

Recalling the Great Harlot's boast in Revelation 18; “I sit as queen, and am no widow, and will not see sorrow." we see one who has chosen to compromise rather than suffer loss of position, power, or prestige. As the LORD of heaven admonishes His people; “come out of her My people lest you share in her sins, and lest you receive of her plagues”, we see in the Great Harlot one blinded by arrogance and pride, proud of her accomplishments, boasting in all she has done, one deaf to the cries of the LORD; glorifying self, ignoring God.

Once we have knowledge of the Truth of the Word of God, His way and His law, we prostitute ourselves if we allow anything to take the place that only He should occupy. If we do not discipline ourselves to walk in obedience to His Word, if we indulge in self-gratification, ignoring what we know to be true, we deceive ourselves, the truth is far from us and we become like the Great Harlot in the Book of the Revelation.

“For we are God’ fellow workers, you are God’s field, you are God’s building…For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is [ already] laid, which is Jesus the Christ.”
I Corinthians 3:9-10

IF we be fit for service to our King, we must go outside the camp.

"Therefore let us go forth to Him, outside the camp, bearing His reproach." Hebrews 13:13

By: Charles H. Spurgeon

JESUS, BEARING HIS cross, went forth to suffer outside the gate. The Christian’s reason for leaving the camp of the world’s sin and religion is not because he loves to be singular, but because Jesus did so; and the disciple must follow his Master.

Jesus the Christ was “not of the world.” His life and His testimony were a constant protest against conformity with the world. Never was such overflowing affection for men as you find in Him; but still He was separate from sinners.

In like manner His people must “go out to Him.” They must take their position “outside the camp,” as witness-bearers for the truth. They must be prepared to tread the straight and narrow path. They must have bold, unflinching, lion-like hearts, loving HIM first, HIS truth next, and both Jesus the Christ and His truth beyond all the world.

Jesus would have His people “go forth outside the camp” for their own sanctification.

You cannot grow in grace to any high degree while you are conformed to the world. The life of separation may be a path of sorrow, but it is the highway of safety; and though the separated life may cost you many pangs, and make every day a battle, yet it is a happy life after all.

No joy can excel that of the soldier of the LORD: Jesus reveals Himself so graciously, and gives such sweet refreshment, that the warrior feels more calm and peace in his daily strife than others in their hours of rest. The highway of holiness is the highway of communion. It is thus we shall hope to win the crown if we are enabled by divine grace faithfully to follow Jesus the Christ “outside the camp.”

The crown of glory will albeit must follow the cross of separation. A moment’s shame will be well recompensed by eternal honor; a little while of witness-bearing will seem nothing when we are “forever with the LORD."

"Therefore we also, since we are surrounded 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..." Hebrews 12:1-2

But Now...
By: Berit Kjos

"They are foolish; for they do not know the way of the Lord, The judgment of their God.

I will go to the great men and speak to them, For they have known the way of the Lord, the judgment of their God.' But these have altogether broken the yoke and burst the bonds. Therefore a lion from the forest shall slay them, A wolf of the deserts shall destroy them; A leopard will watch over their cities." Jeremiah 5:4-6

America has been blessed with unusual freedom for more than two centuries. But now -- as multitudes reject God's Word, justify immorality, laugh at evil, and embrace depravity -- the protective walls of justice and integrity are fast eroding. In their place, we see a rising tower of global tyranny.

Americans are no longer safe from the persecution that has tested the faith of Christians through the centuries. In fact, God warns us that the global battle against Biblical Truth will surely intensify. While we don't know His timing, He tells us to be alert -- always ready to follow His way, trust His grace, and demonstrate His strength -- no matter how fierce the foe.

"For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand." Ephesians 6:12-18

An American Exodus
By: Jean McNeal

Exodus 1:8 Now there arose up a new president over America, which knew not Jesus.

Exodus 1:9 And he said unto his followers, Behold, the children of the Book are more and mightier than we:

Exodus 1:10 Come on, let us deal with them; let us pass legislation that will take away their rights, that will oppress them, that will deny them health care, that will control their activities, their food source, and let us tax them into poverty.

Exodus 1:11 Therefore they did set over them taskmasters to afflict them with their burdens.

Exodus 1:12 But the more they afflicted them, the more they multiplied and grew. And they were grieved because of the children of the Book

Exodus 1:13 And the Obamaites made the children of the Book to serve with rigour:

Exodus 1:14 And they made their lives bitter with hard bondage, in mortar, and in brick, and in all manner of service in the field: all their service, wherein they made them serve, was with rigour.

According to Voice of the Martyrs, the more the persecution the larger becomes the underground church and the more the people turn to Jesus.

So as I look at verse 12, I wonder if the persecution and oppression that this President will bring upon America will result in this nation turning to the Lord?

Great Quotes By Great Men

Compiled by M.E. Townsend -
with information gather from
Brannon Howse'
WorldView Weekend Digest

“For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead so that they are without excuse, because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened. Professing to be wise, they became fools…. Romans 1:20-22

George Washington wrote:

“We ought to be no less persuaded that the propitious smiles of Heaven can never be expected on a nation that disregards the eternal rules of order and right which Heaven itself has ordained.”

Abraham Lincoln said:

“I know that the LORD is always on the side of the right. But it is my constant anxiety and prayer that I and this nation should be on the LORD’ side.”

George Mason, father of the Bill of Rights, declared:

“As nations cannot be rewarded or punished in the next world, so they must be in this. By an inevitable chain of causes and effects, Providence punishes national sin by national calamities.”

And finally –

Engraved on the Jefferson Memorial in Washington D.C. –

“God who gave us life gave us liberty. And can the liberties of a nation be thought secure when we have removed their only firm basis, a conviction in the minds of the people that these liberties are the gift of God? That they are not violated but with His wrath? Indeed, I tremble for my country, when I reflect that God is just; that His justice cannot sleep forever.”

History and Obama!!!

Dr. David Kaiser
Professor in the Strategy and Police
Department of the U.S. Naval War College

Having studied history all my life, I have come to think there is something monumentally large afoot, and I do not believe it is simply a banking crisis, or a mortgage crisis, or a credit crisis. Yes, these exist, but they are merely single facets on a very large gemstone that is only now coming into a sharper focus. Something of historic proportions is happening. I can sense it because I know how it feels, smells, what it looks like, and how people react to it.

Yes, a perfect storm may be brewing, but there is something happening within our country that has been evolving for about ten to fifteen years.

The pace has dramatically quickened in the past two. We demand and then codify into law the requirement that our banks make massive loans to people we know can never pay back? Why? We learned that the Federal Reserve, which has little or no real oversight by anyone, has "loaned" two trillion dollars (that is $2,000,000,000,000) over the past few months, but will not tell us to whom or why or disclose the terms. That is our money. Yours and mine. And that is three times the $700 billion we all argued about so strenuously just this past September. Who has this money? Why do they have it? Why are the terms unavailable to us? Who asked for it? Who authorized it? I thought this was a government of "we the people," who loaned our powers to our elected leaders. Apparently not. We have spent two or more decades intentionally de-industrializing our economy. Why?

We have intentionally dumbed down our schools, ignored our history, and no longer teach our founding documents, why we are exceptional, and why we are worth preserving. Students by and large cannot write, think critically, read, or articulate. Parents are not revolting, teachers are not picketing, and school boards continue to back mediocrity. Why?

We have now established the precedent of protesting every close election (violently in California over a proposition that is so controversial that it simply wants marriage to remain defined as between one man and one woman. Did you ever think such a thing possible just a decade ago?)

We have corrupted our sacred political process by allowing unelected judges to write laws that radically change our way of life, and then mainstream Marxist groups like ACORN and others to turn our voting system into a banana republic. To what purpose? Now our mortgage industry is collapsing, housing prices are in free fall, major industries are failing, our banking system is on the verge of collapse, and social security is nearly bankrupt, as is Medicare and our entire government.

Our education system is worse than a joke (I teach college and I know precisely what I am talking about) - the list is staggering in its length, breadth, and depth. It is potentially 1929 x ten. And we are at war with an enemy we cannot even name for fear of offending people of the same religion, who, in turn, cannot wait to slit the throats of your children if they have the opportunity to do so. And finally, we have elected a man that no one really knows anything about, who has never run so much as a Dairy Queen, let alone a town as big as Wasilla, Alaska. All of his associations and alliances are with real radicals in their chosen fields of employment, and everything we learn about him, drip by drip, is unsettling if not downright scary. (Surely you have heard him speak about his idea to create and fund a mandatory civilian defense force stronger than our military for use inside our borders? No? Oh, of course. The media would never play that for you over and over and then demand he answer it. Sarah Palin's pregnant daughter and $150,000 wardrobe are more important.)

Mr. Obama's winning platform can be boiled down to one word: Change. Why? I have never been so afraid for my country and for my children as I am now. This man campaigned on bringing people together, something he has never, ever done in his professional life. In my assessment, Obama will divide us along philosophical lines, push us apart, and then try to realign the pieces into a new and different power structure. Change is indeed coming. And when it comes, you will never see the same nation again. And that is only the beginning. As a serious student of history, I thought I would never come to experience what the ordinary, moral German must have felt in the mid-1930s. In those times, the "savior" was a smooth-talking former rabble-rouser from the streets, about whom the average German knew next to nothing. What they should have known was that he was associated with groups that shouted, shoved, and pushed around people with whom they disagreed; he edged his way onto the political stage through great oratory. Conservative "losers" read it right now. And there were the promises. Economic times were tough, people were losing jobs, and he was a great speaker. And he smiled and frowned and waved a lot. And people, even newspapers, were afraid to speak out for fear that his "brown shirts" would bully and beat them into submission. Which they did - regularly. And then, he was duly elected to office, while a full-throttled economic crisis bloomed at hand - the Great Depression. Slowly, but surely he seized the controls of government power, person by person, department by department, bureaucracy by bureaucracy. The children of German citizens were at first, encouraged to join a Youth Movement in his name, where they were taught exactly what to think. Later, they were required to do so. No Jews of course. How did he get people on his side? He did it by promising jobs to the jobless, money to the money-less, and rewards for the military-industrial complex. He did it by indoctrinating the children, advocating gun control, health care for all, better wages, better jobs, and promising to re-instill pride once again in the country, across Europe, and across the world. He did it with a compliant media - did you know that? And he did this all in the name of justice and change. And the people surely got what they voted for.

If you think I am exaggerating, look it up. It's all there in the history books. So read your history books. Many people of conscience objected in 1933 and were shouted down, called names, laughed at, and ridiculed. When Winston Churchill pointed out the obvious in the late 1930s while seated in the House of Lords in England (he was not yet Prime Minister), he was booed into his seat and called a crazy troublemaker. He was right, though. And the world came to regret that he was not listened to. Do not forget that Germany was the most educated the most cultured country in Europe. It was full of music, art, museums, hospitals, laboratories, and universities. Yet, in less than six years (a shorter time span than just two terms of the U. S. presidency), it was rounding up its own citizens, killing others, abrogating its laws, turning children against parents, and neighbors against neighbors. All with the best of intentions, of course. The road to Hell is paved with them.

As a practical thinker, one not overly prone to emotional decisions, I have a choice to make. I can either believe what the objective pieces of evidence tell me (even if they make me cringe with disgust); I can believe what history is shouting to me from across the chasm of seven decades; or I can hope and pray I am wrong by closing my eyes, having another latte, and ignoring what is transpiring around me. I choose to believe the evidence.

No doubt, some people will scoff at me; others laugh, or think I am foolish, naive, or both. To some degree, perhaps I am. However, I have never been afraid to look people in the eye and tell them exactly what I believe and why I believe it.

I pray I am wrong. I do not think I am. Perhaps the only hope, outside of ALL-MIGHTY God, is our vote in the next elections.

CONTEMPORARY CHURCHES
By: Chuck Baldwin

For this is a rebellious people, false sons, Sons who refuse to listen to the instruction of the LORD; Who say to the seers, "You must not see visions"; And to the prophets, "You must not prophesy to us what is right, Speak to us pleasant words, Prophesy illusions. "Get out of the way, turn aside from the path, Let us hear no more about the Holy One of Israel." Isaiah 30:9-11

We often hear pastors, radio preachers, and televangelists refer to the great prophets and Apostles of the Bible. Rightly, these Bible characters are lauded as examples for today's Christians. The problem is, hardly any of those giants of history would be welcome in America's churches today!

On the whole, America's Christians today do not want to hear the truth. They want a place where they can be made to feel good, where they can be entertained, where they can socialize and make business contacts, and where their children can have a place to play and be with their friends. Comparing the preaching and philosophy of most churches today to that of Bible characters will quickly reveal how unbiblical our churches have become.

Can you imagine how the average church in America today would react to the decisions of Daniel and the three Hebrew children? All four of them were unashamed and unhesitant to practice civil disobedience. All four of them were charged with capital crimes by their government and sentenced to death. In Daniel's case, all he had to do was not pray out loud to God for thirty days. Thirty days! I can just hear today's Christian pragmatists screaming, "It's only for thirty days. You can still pray in your heart. We must obey the government." Can you imagine Daniel being asked to preach a message on "How And When To Defy Your Government" to the vast majority of churches in America today? Forget it!

Moreover, take a look at practically every single Old Testament prophet. Ninety percent of their preaching was negative. They seldom had anything positive to say, especially about the way their nation's leaders were behaving. They were often jailed, beaten, starved, or even killed. They were as familiar with prisons as they were with pulpits. They were despised by political leaders, rejected by religious leaders, and shunned by business leaders.

It wasn't much better for the Apostles and disciples in the New Testament. John the Baptizer was beheaded for "meddling in politics." The Apostles were beaten, stoned, and jailed. The Apostle Paul was especially hated. He was hated by Jews; he was hated by Romans; he was hated by businessmen; he was hated by politicians; he was even hated by fellow ministers.

Can you imagine the Apostle Paul preaching a message on "Conquering Low Self-Esteem"? Give Paul an opportunity today to preach to a church of one thousand members one Sunday morning, and by Sunday night (if they even had a Sunday night service), there might be hand-full back to hear him.

It is difficult for this generation of Christians to even comprehend that this fearless, uncompromising, "like it or lump it" kind of preaching was the kind of preaching that America cut its teeth on. The colonies and frontier of this nation were filled with prophet-like clergymen. And it didn't really matter which denomination one attended, the message was the same.

Whether it was the Baptist Joab Houghton, or Presbyterian James Caldwell, or Lutheran John Peter Gabriel Muhlenberg, or Episcopalian Samuel Provost, or the German Reformed Nicholas Herkimer, they were all plucky, pugnacious preachers of repentance and righteousness!

In America, once voices rang loud and clear proclaiming the message of truth - old fashioned 'hell-fire and damnation, tell it like it is messages' - now those voices have been silenced by the hardness of the people.

No wonder our people today have become self-centered, sensitive, easily offended and shallow.

They seldom, if ever, hear honest, straight-forward, fearless (telling-it like-it-is) preaching.

Therefore, the next time you hear someone refer to the great men of the Bible, ask yourself, "Would that prophet be welcome in my church today?" In most instances, the answer would be a resounding no!

And now you know why America is in the shape it's in today: the nation always takes the form of its preachers and churches.

Judgment begins in the house of God.

Some Things Are Not Negotiable.
Excerpt from ‘The Dwelling Place of God’
A.W. Tozer

“WILL ROGERS ONCE OPINED that a sure way to prevent war would be to abolish peace conferences.

As usual, Will Rogers had his tongue in his cheek; he meant only to poke fun at the weak habit of substituting talk for action. Still there is more than a little uncomfortable truth in his remark.

This above all others is the age of much talk. Hardly a day passes that the newspapers do not carry one or another of the headlines "Talks to Begin" or "Talks to Continue" or "Talks to Resume." The notion back of this endless official chatter is that all differences between men result from their failure to understand each other; if each can discover exactly what the other thinks they will find to their delight that they are really in full agreement after all. Then they have only to smile, shake hands, go home and live happily ever after.

At the bottom of all this is the glutinous, one-world, all-men-are-brothers philosophy that has taken such hold on the minds of many of our educators and politicians. (The hardheaded realists of the Communist camp know better; maybe that is why they are making such alarming advances throughout the world while the all-men-are-brothers devotees are going around in confusion, trying to keep smiling if it kills them.)

Tolerance, charity, understanding, good will, patience and other such words and ideas are lifted from the Bible, misunderstood and applied indiscriminately to every situation. The kidnapper will not steal your baby if you only try to understand him; the burglar caught sneaking into your house with a gun is not really bad; he is just hungry for fellowship and togetherness. The gang killer taking his victim for a one-way ride can be dissuaded from committing murder if someone will only have faith in his basic goodness and have a talk with him. And this is supposed to be the teaching of Jesus, which it most certainly is not.

The big thing now is to "keep in touch." Never let the dialogue die and never accept any decision as final; everything can be negotiated. Where there is life there is talk and where there is talk there is hope. "As long as they are talking they are not shooting at each other," say the advocates of the long palaver, and in so saying they forget Pearl Harbor.

This desire to confer has hit the church also, which is not strange since almost everything the church is doing these days has been suggested to her by the world. I observe with pained amusement, how many water boys of the pulpit in their effort to be prophets are standing up straight and tall and speaking out boldly in favor of ideas that have been previously fed into their minds by the psychiatrists, the sociologists, the novelists, the scientists and the secular educators. The ability to appraise correctly the direction public opinion is moving is a gift not to be despised; by means of it we preachers can talk loudly and still stay out of trouble.

A new Decalogue has been adopted by the neo-Christians of our day, the first word of which reads "Thou shalt not disagree"; and a new set of Beatitudes too, which begins "Blessed are they that tolerate everything, for they shall not be made accountable for anything." It is now the accepted thing to talk over religious differences in public with the understanding that no one will try to convert another or point out errors in his belief. The purpose of these talks is not to confront truth, but to discover how the followers of other religions think and thus benefit from their views as we hope they will from ours.

The ability to settle quarrels between members of God's household is a heavenly gift and one that should be assiduously cultivated. The discerning soul who can reconcile separated friends by prayer and appeal to the Scriptures is worth his weight in diamonds.

That is one thing, but the effort to achieve unity at the expense of truth and righteousness is another. To seek to be friends with those who will not be the friends of Christ is to be a traitor to our Lord. Darkness and light can never be brought together by talk.

Some things are not negotiable."

Exposing Error: Is it Worthwhile?
Dr. Harry Ironside: 1876 - 1951

Objection is often raised even by some sound in the faith regarding the exposure of error as being entirely negative and of no real edification. Of late, the hue and cry has been against any and all negative teaching. But the brethren who assume this attitude forget that a large part of the New Testament, both of the teaching of our blessed LORD Himself and the writings of the apostles, is made up of this very character of ministry, namely, showing the satanic origin and, therefore, the unsettling results of the propagation of erroneous systems which Peter, in his second epistle, so definitely refers to as "damnable heresies."

Our LORD prophesied, "Many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many." Within our own day, how many false prophets have risen; and oh, how many are the deceived!

Paul predicted, "I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock. Also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them. Therefore watch." My own observation is that these "grievous wolves," alone and in packs, are not sparing even the most favored flocks. Under shepherds in these "perilous times" will do well to note the apostle's warning: "Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Spirit hath made you overseers." It is as important in these days as in Paul's, in fact, it is increasingly important-to expose the many types of false teaching that, on every hand, abound more and more.

We are called upon to "contend earnestly for the faith once for all delivered to the saints," while we hold the truth in love. The faith means the whole body of revealed truth, and to contend for all of God's truth necessitates some negative teaching. The choice is not left with us. Jude said he preferred a different, a pleasanter theme-

"Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints. For there are certain men crept in unawares, who were before of old ordained to this condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness, and denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ" (Jude 3, 4).

Paul likewise admonishes us to "have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them" (Ephesians 5:11)

This does not imply harsh treatment of those entrapped by error-quite the opposite. If it be objected that exposure to error necessitates unkind reflection upon others who do not see as we do, our answer is: it has always been the duty of every loyal servant of Jesus the Christ to warn against any teaching that would make Him less precious or cast reflection upon His finished redemptive work and the all-sufficiency of His present service as our great High Priest and Advocate.

Every system of teaching can be judged by what it sets forth as to these fundamental truths of the faith. "What think ye of Christ?" is still the true test of every creed. The Christ of the Bible is certainly not the Christ of any false "-ism." Each of the cults has its hideous caricature of our lovely Lord.

Let us who have been redeemed at the cost of His precious blood be "good soldiers of Jesus the Christ." As the battle against the forces of evil waxes ever more hot, we have need for God-given valor.

There is constant temptation to compromise. "Let us go forth therefore unto Him without the camp, bearing His reproach." It is always right to stand firmly for what God has revealed concerning His blessed Son's person and work. The "father of lies" deals in half-truths and specializes in most subtle fallacies concerning the LORD Jesus, our sole and sufficient Savior.

Error is like leaven of which we read, "A little leaven leaveneth the whole lump." Truth mixed with error is equivalent to all error, except that it is more innocent looking and, therefore, more dangerous. God hates such a mixture! Any error, or any truth-and-error mixture, calls for definite exposure and repudiation. To condone such is to be unfaithful to God and His Word and treacherous to imperiled souls for whom Christ died.

Exposing error is most unpopular work. But from every true standpoint it is worthwhile work.

To our Savior, it means that He receives from us, His blood-bought ones, the loyalty that is His due. To ourselves, if we consider "the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures of Egypt," it ensures future reward, a thousand-fold. And to souls "caught in the snare of the fowler"- how many of them God only knows-it may mean light and life, abundant and everlasting.

GETTING BACK to 'CLASSIC' CHRISTIANITY
by J. Lee Grady

We need voices from the past, voices like Andrew Murray, Corrie TenBoom and Charles Spurgeon—to help us find our way to the future.

During a visit with my parents in Georgia, two of my daughters asked if they could listen to a tape recording my father made in1962 when I was only 4 years old. So my dad rummaged through some drawers and found the old reel-to-reel tape, which was amazingly still intact. Then he went to the garage and found the old Realistic tape player that no one in the family had used since the Nixon administration. To our surprise the scratchy tape actually played without breaking, and my girls laughed when they heard me—in a babyish Southern drawl—describing a Florida vacation and a fishing trip with my grandfather. After my "interview," it switched to an older recording made in 1956. It included a conversation with my dad's mother, who died before I was born. It was eerie to hear her voice. I'd never heard it before yet it sounded hauntingly familiar. After that brief segment of the tape ended we listened to comments from my other three grandparents—all of whom died in the 1960s or 1970s. Their voices unearthed long-buried but fond memories.These sounds from the past reminded me of some other distant voices I have been listening to recently.

Voices of Christians long passed — writers of classic books and hymns are all but forgotten in this the twenty-first century.

Names such as Jonathan Edwards. John Wesley. Charles Finney, Catherine Booth, Evan Roberts, Fanny Crosby, E.M. Bounds, Watchman Nee, A.W. Tozer, William Seymour, A.B. Simpson, Leonard Ravenhill, Fuchsia Pickett. All could be labeled revivalists. All challenged the Christians of their generation to embrace repentance and humility.They understood a realm of spiritual maturity and a depth of character that few today even aspire to obtain. When I read their words I feel much the same way I did after hearing my grandparents' voices on that old tape. I feel as if I am tapping into a realm of spirituality that is on the verge of extinction.What was the secret of these great Christians who left their legacies buried in their books and songs? They considered humility, selflessness and sacrifice the crowning virtues of the Christian journey. They called the church to die to selfishness, greed and ambition. They knew what it meant to carry a "burden" for lost souls.

They saw the glories of the kingdom and demanded total surrender. They challenged God's people to pursue obedience—even if obedience hurt. Hymns, messages, books from bygone years reflected a level of consecration that is foreign in most churches today.

They sang and spoke often of the cross and its wonder. Their worship focused on the blood and its power. They sang words of heart-piercing conviction:

"My richest gain I count but loss / And pour contempt on all my pride / Forbid it Lord that I should boast /Save in the death of Christ, My God."

In so many churches today the cross is not mentioned. The blood is avoided because we don't want to offend. Worship is often a canned performance that involves plenty of rhythm and repetition with orchestration or keyboard but little or no substance. We produce noise, but often no heart ... and certainly no tears.

In the books Christians buy today you will find little mention of brokenness. We are not interested in a life that might require suffering, patience, purging or the discipline of the Lord. We want our blessings ... and we want them now! So we look for the Christian brand of spiritualized self-help that is quick and painless.

We're running on empty. We think we are sophisticated, but like the Laodiceans we are actually poor, blind and naked. We need to return to our first love but we don't know where to begin the journey. These voices from the past will help point the way. I've found myself drawn to reading books by Ravenhill, Ten Boom, Murray and Spurgeon in recent days. I've even pulled out an old hymnal and rediscovered the richness of songs that I had thrown out years ago—because I thought anything old couldn't possibly maintain a fresh anointing.

We must dig for this buried treasure.

We will never effectively reach our generation if we don't reclaim the humility, the brokenness, the consecration and the travail that our spiritual forefathers considered normal Christianity.

Obama Keep His Promises -
by: Bill Wilson

The man who occupies the Oval Office (OOO) will hold a news conference to give an impassioned plea for the American people to support socialized medicine that forces government healthcare upon the people, tax funded abortion, politically appointed healthcare tribunals and opens the door to euthanizing our senior citizens. No matter how this is explained, it is socialized medicine that takes healthcare choices out of the hands of private individuals and puts them into the control of an overreaching federal government.

It is a bad thing.

It is an evil and immoral attempt by the government to fund killing both the pre-born and the elderly, while controlling most every other aspect of private lives. In addition to the high pressure televised scare tactics OOO will use to try to convince people that socialized healthcare is good for them, he also will give a report on the six month progress of his administration.

He will say that due to his administration's aggressive action that the economy will be saved.

He will say that while unemployment is going up, and the economy he inherited will take a long time to heal, that America is on the right track.

He will tout that most everything he promised during the campaign--economic stimulus, climate control, nationalized healthcare, hate crimes, nuclear reduction, improved relations with Islamic nations, and more--has been either accomplished or put on track.OOO has delivered his agenda successfully to the American people.

His attempt to "remake" America, as he promised, is well on the way.

Trouble is - Truth is it is destroying the economy, appeasing America's enemies, weakening America's defenses, stepping on the Constitutional rights of citizens and strapping future generations with debt never before seen in the history of mankind. Rights regarding freedom of religion, freedom of speech, bearing arms, privacy, life, liberty, and property ownership are being violated on a daily basis.

This nation in six months has been set on a fast track to socialism, which will destroy everything that has made it great.

When one thinks of America in historical perspective, one thinks of freedom.

It has been the rugged individualism of the American that has not only kept all generations of Americans free, but those around the world who also desired it. And it was the Christian values either closely held by Americans or subscribed to by American citizens that blessed this nation with God's divine protection, His goodwill, His anointing as the standard-bearer of what was good and right in the world. Americans were known for standing up for what was right. Now are they to be known for submitting in fear to the evils of humanism?

Ephesians 6:13 says to take up the full armor of God, "and having done all, to stand"

Are you ready to stand?

LIKE HAND MADE QUILTS
by: Carrie Walker-Todd

Like hand made quilts the Master
Takes the tangles of our lives
And cuts, and shapes and washes
Each piece He now revives.

Our lives awash in evil
Our hearts once black with sin,
Now safe, in Hands of mercy,
Transformation will begin.

The ragged hard beginning
Of lives once fraught with sin
Must now become a witness to,
The LORD who reigns within.

****~~~~****~~~~****

HARD BEGINNINGS
by: M.E. Townsend

“Who can find a virtuous woman? For her price is far above rubies. The heart of her husband doth safely trust in her, so that he shall have no need of spoil. She shall do him good and not evil, all the days of her life.” Proverbs 31:10-12

Clutching her purse tightly, Jewell looked over the town one last time, thankful she would not be returning.

Paint from last years Halloween pranks covered the side and back of city hall. Kids looking for excitement had broken a window in the mayor’s office; a yellowed newspaper covered the gaping hole, a clumsy attempt to repair the damage. A fading sign in the drug store window read, “Going out of Business Sale.”

Tears filled Jewels’ eyes as she took the precious photograph of her mother from her purse. A beautiful woman whose eyes had shown brightly the love of the LORD in spite of hard work, an unfaithful husband, pious preachers and poverty. Too late mama learned to ‘be not unequally yoked with an unbeliever’. Wanting to believe she could change the lost soul into a godly husband and father she had married for better or worse, and it had been on so many occasions far worse than she could ever have imagined.

Now, mama rested, safely in the arms of the only man who had ever truly loved her, her Saviour and her LORD - Jesus the Christ.

Mama had stepped quietly into His presence and there was peace - The scripture in Isaiah coming alive:

“The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me; because the LORD hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound; To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all that mourn; To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that He might be glorified.” Isaiah 61:1-3

Jewel boarded the bus, found a seat and bowed her head. She ask that same Saviour who loved her mother and whom her mother loved to come into her life, to forgive her sins and to be for her - LORD OF ALL.

Each one must meet their Maker ~ we know not date nor time. But this we know, we can be sure, there will be given neither explanation nor excuse, there will be no discussion and there will be no second chance.

We will all stand face to face before Almighty God and hear Him say:

“Welcome good and faithful servant”- or “Depart from Me I never knew you”.

"CHRISTIAN PIMPS" - a HARD WORD-
by Coach Dave Daubenmire

QUOTE- “Christianity started in Palestine as a fellowship; it moved to Greece and became a philosophy; it moved to Italy and became an institution; it moved to Europe and became a culture; it came to America and became an enterprise.” -Sam Pascoe.“

An enterprise. That’s a business.” .... “A business? But isn’t it supposed to be a body?” I could not envision where this line of questioning was going, and the only response I could think of was,“Yes.” She continued, “But when a body becomes a business, isn’t that a prostitute?” - As told by David Ryser. I’ve been fighting for a long time the prompting of my inner man to take on this subject. Although I have chewed around the edges like I used to do as a child when I would break off the crust from a hot, home-made apple pie in attempt to appease my hunger without my mother finding out, I never really stuck my thumb into the middle of the pie.

I have been a sellout. A pimp, if you will. Not on purpose. It is easy to justify our lack of courage when confronted with difficult issues. I try to faithfully deliver the mail as the Lord hands it to me, but I have been negligent by eating the crust out of fear of spoiling the pie.You see, I have pulled my punches. I have softened the blow. I have spanked with a newspaper when they deserved a belt. I have sold out on the Truth. I have not called a spade a spade. I have nibbled at the crust when I should have been hammering the pie. I have taken the be-nice approach and have listened to the “touch not God’s anointed”mentality. I have prostituted the Truth. For that I am sorry.

Oh, my intentions were good. I had hoped that as I exposed the“unfruitful works of darkness” that the churches would eventually awaken and begin to push back against the enemy. After ten years of trying to awaken “The Church” to the problem I have finally mustered the courage to say what I have known all along. “The Church” IS the problem. It has become a pimp, selling the works of “the body” for personal satisfaction. Most of the pulpits are filled by “hirelings” (more on that in a future commentary), men and women who stand in the pulpit without a calling, without an anointing, and without courage. They are man pleasers, living off of “the Body” as they sell it out for their own whims and pleasures. Greedy Dogs, Isaiah called them. Blind watchmen…loving to sleep…leading the flock astray.

Not all of the churches. If you are a pastor and have read this far then I am probably not talking about you. I have met many courageous men who boldly live out the command to “lead them out.” You know who you are. You are the ones who have been criticized, belittled, and called names by the “pimp in the pulpit” at the big church downtown.You see, to him, the church is a business…an enterprise…a social club totally dependant on butts and bucks. It is a place to make business contacts, network with others in the community, and soothe one’s conscience through weekly attendance and philanthropy. It is no different from a whore house where a woman’s body is sold for the pleasure of another. Love-less intercourse is prostitution. Most church goers love the service that Jesus provides (membership has its privileges) but don’t really know the Jesus who provides it.

I’ll be honest. I’ve been afraid to say some of these things for fear of alienating even more pastors. I was afraid that my harshness might alienate those “frozen chosen” pastors and eliminate opportunities to “minister” to their congregations. That’s where I have pimped-out my call. The pastors are not the answer, they are the problem. Instead of cleaning out Congress perhaps we should start by cleaning out the pulpit. Judgment begins first in the house of God.

America is a reflection of the churches and the churches are a reflection of the pulpits. It is time to “throw the bums out”…even if they do hide behind the “touch not my anointed.” When a football team is under-performing who gets the boot? Yep, the coach. Allow me to be frank as I cut to the chase. Pick up your family and get out of the mausoleum you are attending and find a place that serves the Lord. I could not care less how many generations your family has been a member, how many pews your family has donated, and how many of your friends attend. Sitting on your butt every Sunday is not serving the Lord, it is the Lord serving you. The feel-good Gospel is a fraud. Jesus taught self-sacrifice not self-fulfillment. “Greater love has no man than this than he would lay down his life for his friends….”

Love demands sacrifice.What have you sacrificed for your faith? You are engaging in Spiritual welfare…living off of the efforts of others. Start fighting back by no longer giving them your money. Don’tallow them to hit you over the head with the “bring all of the tithes into the storehouse” hammer without asking yourself some very important questions. What is a storehouse and what is its purpose?What does the Scripture mean by “meat in my house” and who is the meat for? Are there families in your “church” who are losing their homes? Is that not who the “meat in the house” was stored up for or were the storehouse funds used for a new parking lot?Is the purpose of the tithe (by the way, my wife and I believe in tithing) to pay senior pastors, associate pastors, youth ministers,worship leaders, and secretaries to do “ministry?” Can’t you “tithe”different places? Did the New Testament church teach the concept of “professional” Christians or were the elders of the church also tent-makers? Does “meat in my house” mean bigger buildings, paved parking lots, and padded pews?

Is your “church” experiencing a budget crunch right now because they have eaten the meat that should have been placed in the storehouse? I know, “let them eat blacktop.”Is storehouse money supposed to be spent on the already converted or on seeking and saving that which is lost? What percent of your church’s budget go to “missions”…as if that is a separate job…in comparison to utilities, paper, salaries, and operating expenses?

Don’t stop giving, just change where you give.

Find a ministry that is using the money to reach out to the community and send your tithe there. Remember, it is the “Lord’s house” into which your finances are to be offered….not some social club to which your tithe is nothing more than monthly dues. It is time you asked yourself if the Spirit still dwells in your church. My wife and I have spent the last few weeks reading the book of Acts in our morning devotionals. You should do the same. They spread the Gospel around the world at great personal peril and sacrifice.

The self-serving American-Church is a pathetic step-child to Christianity’s founding fathers.

Most churches love money, chase money, compromise over money. A pastor in New York was just fired from his $600,000 salary! The national average for pastors is $84,426! No wonder they won’t speak against sin! Why not include those wealthy homosexuals in the congregation!People have asked me to start a church. I tell them that they are nuts.

Truth empties churches, it doesn’t fill them.

My friend Flip Benham says guys like me would be the Dr. Kervorkian of church growth. What man of God would want to wipe noses when he could fight evil? No thanks. At least on the streets I can recognize the enemy.“And as they departed, Jesus began to say unto the multitudes concerning John, What went ye out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken with the wind? But what went ye out for to see? A man clothed in soft raiment? Behold, they that wear soft clothing are in kings' houses.”

Yep, the pimps are the ones wearing the nice clothes. Funny isn’t it? The pimps in the pulpits accuse street preachers of being undignified.What did Jesus say about the ultimate street preacher John the Baptizer? “Verily I say unto you, among them that are born of women there hath not risen a greater than John the Baptizer.”

Take the time to read what Jesus had to say to the religious pimps of His day!

I pray you will take the time to listen to this brief word from John Macarthur.

http://www.ltwleadstory.com

"See to it that you do not refuse Him who is speaking. For if those did not escape when they refused him who warned them on earth, much less will we escape who turn away Him who warns from Heaven." Hebrews 12:25

In Him - met

Have the Courage to Care
By: M.E. Townsend

“A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart brings forth evil. For out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks. But why do you call me LORD, LORD and do not do the things which I say?”
Luke 6:45-46

Elie Wiesel wrote:

“In those times there was darkness everywhere. In heaven and on earth, all the gates of compassion seemed to have been closed. The killer killed, the Jews died, and the outside world adopted an attitude either of complicity or of indifference. Only a few had the courage to care.”

Those dark times allowed the enemies of men and of God to roam freely, unchecked and unquestioned, dark times that went unchallenged as eyes looked away and heads turned from truth, fear gripped faint hearts and men suffered.

Not unlike today where the same spirit of complicity rules and reigns in the hearts and minds of too many within the walls of the church. Today complicity has joined with tolerance and the two have embarked upon a quest to bring unification through faith, unification through thought and idea.

Yet scripture teaches those who will hear and believe:

“For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace, because the carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be. So then those that are in the flesh cannot please God.” Romans 8:6-8

Tolerance as defined by Webster is “a willingness to let others have their own beliefs, ways, etc. even though these are not like ones own.”

Complicity is defined as “the fact of being involved with another in doing something wrong or unlawful”

In the spirit of tolerance and complicity, the Word of God has been so defiled, modified, watered down, twisted and ignored until the undiscerning and unrepentant remain lost in a sea of compromise and distortion while those who profess ‘Christianity’ stand in muted silence – refusing to speak out, refusing to judge.

We have forgotten Paul’ admonition to Timothy – perhaps we never knew:

“…I have written you in my letter not to associate with sexually immoral people—not at all meaning the people of this world who are immoral, or the greedy and swindlers, or idolaters. In that case, you would have to leave this world. But now I am writing you that you must not associate with anyone who calls himself a brother but is sexually immoral or greedy, an idolater or a slanderer, a drunkard or a swindler. With such a man do not even eat. What business is it of mine to judge those outside the church? Are you not to judge those inside? God will judge those outside. “Expel the wicked man from among you...” I Corinthians 5

"Idolatry is not simply worshiping a stone image; idolatry is any concept of God that reduces Him to less than Who He really is." Dr. Ron Carlson

Joel Osteen said when ask; "one cannot know who would or would not go to heaven." Perhaps the Bible held up each week before his congregation has never been opened and the truth of scripture never allowed to pierce through the deception. When pressed, Joel Osteen admitted he did not know if those who did not profess Jesus as LORD were wrong. Recalling his time in India Joel Osteen said he knew the people of India loved God and he saw their sincerity.

They may be sincere, but they are sincerely wrong. An atheist is sincere in what he believes, but he too is sincerely wrong. Scripture tells us that those who love God will keep HIS commandments – 1 John 5:3

“He [Jesus the Christ] IS the Stone which the builders rejected, but which became the Chief Cornerstone. And there is Salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved.” Acts 4:11-12

To deny the redemptive work of Jesus the Christ is to deny the Word of God.

In the name of tolerance, we stand as complicit observers as homosexual men and women enter into the ministry of our LORD. We tolerate the practice of the Hindu religion disguised as “Christian Yoga.” In the name of tolerance, we accept the prosperity theory – teaching that God wants you healthy, wealthy and prosperous – that the goal of the Christian life is financial prosperity and health, so send them your money and watch for your miracle. Yet our LORD had no place to lay His head and taught those who would follow Him to take up their cross daily and follow Him. Paul was a tent maker in order to provide for his needs and the needs of those who traveled with him.

In writing to the church in Corinth Paul said:

“Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived [a good word for the day in which we live]. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals nor sodomites, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards not revilers, not extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God.” 1 Corinthians 6:9-10

Why do we wink at sin as we sit before television screens, feeding our hearts and minds on false teachings while financially supporting the many televangelist whose agenda is self-gratification rather than self-sacrifice?

“They sow the wind and reap the whirlwind. The standing grain has no heads; it yields no grain. Should it yield, strangers would swallow it up.” Hosea 8:7

How many must die, eternally separated from God before we will have the courage to care?

A Coming Revival – Fact or Fable
By: M.E. Townsend

Revival as defined by Webster is - “the act of bringing or coming back to life, health or activity. The act of bringing or coming back into use or popularity, " a meeting at which there is excited preaching for the purpose of ‘stirring’ up religious feeling.”

The teaching of a coming revival has been circulating in some American churches for over 20 years - talk of repentance - noticeably absent from such teaching.

Repentance as defined by Webster is - “to feel sorry for having done wrong, to feel regret over something done and change one’s mind.”

“Therefore repent and return, so that your sins may be wiped away, in order that times of refreshing [revival] may come from the presence of the LORD. Acts 3:19

The teaching of a ‘coming revival’ is often predicated on the non-Biblical doctrine of Dominion Theology.

Dominion Theology holds that the church will continue to get stronger and stronger until it takes over the world and cleans it up in preparation for the Lord’s return. With authority from the King, we are to reclaim the earth for our Saviour; not just spiritually, but socially, economically and politically; with organizations such as Promise Keepers, The Institute for Christian Economics and the Coalition of Revival leading the way. Those who follow Dominion Theology teach that the mission of the church goes beyond the spiritual transformation of individuals into ‘moral patriotism’. For Jesus the Christ to be pleased with Christians, they must become political and social activist.

We cry out for revival to come to the church of the twenty-first century – an apostate church that is lukewarm, poor, blind, naked, motivated by greed and overcome by the teachings of seducing spirits and doctrines of demons. Un-motivated by godly living, based upon the Word of God and the hope we have in His imminent return, the church of today is consumed by the task of reconstructing society, the work of our hands, embracing all faiths as one and have embarked on a quest for enlightenment and truth found apart from scripture.

We continue to cry out; “Let Your fire fall.”

This is in direct opposition to what the Bible says about the responsibilities of the church and the End Times. Jesus the Christ tells us over and over our duties as Christians. The Great Commission found in Acts 1:8, Matthew 28:19 and in Mark 16:15 tells us to –

“Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.”

We as Christians are to be salt and light to this dark and dying world, not social activist or moral patriots. Jesus the Christ said, “I AM the AMEN.” God made a promise; Jesus sealed that promise with His blood. He is the proof that what God said was and is true. Our lives all too often do not reflect holy fear, neither is reverence nor respect for our LORD in evidence. All too often our lives reflect a desire for the gift - not the Giver. While refusing to look at the sin deep inside ourselves, we have chosen to love the pleasures of this world more than we love God.

Far too many attempt to distort and change the Word of God. Teachings are plentiful that absolute unity is more important than absolute truth, feelings and fellowship more important than faith and facts. We desire to be entertained rather than enlightened, tickled rather than tested, stroked rather than submitted.

We have become addicted to the emotional trappings, psychological maneuverings, and sensual seduction taught from pulpits across America. No longer is Jesus enough. There is no fervent teaching of scripture, no mention of sin or the depravity of man.

None cry out - “we have sinned and committed iniquity, we have done wickedly and rebelled..." Daniel 9

“Instead of sound doctrine, believers are feed “junk food” of contemporary psychotherapy, wrapped in Christian terminology that deceives the unwary as well as the elect.” The Berean Call

The Bible teaches the 'true' Church will continue to decline in influence while the apostate church will grow stronger as the end of the age approaches. As evidenced in our society, many are becoming less and less tolerant of the Christian worldview while more and more tolerant of the sins which so easily entangle, keeping those who are unaware far from their God.

“For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables. 2 Timothy 4:3-4

BUT YOU – be watchful in ALL things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your mission." 2 Timothy 4:5

Silence and Treason
By: Bill Wilson

Greetings in the Name of Him Who Is Truth!

As we stand in the threshold of the annual celebration of our national Liberty, I wonder what firebrand statesman will arise and proclaim to this nation that God's Liberty is perfect liberty and that humanist freedom is akin to slavery.

Galatians 5:1 says, "Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ has made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage."

The bondage spoken herein is the bondage of satanic driven sin from which Christ's death and resurrection freed all believers. Yet, in the name of freedom, it is the humanist sin that threatens to wrap itself around the very existence of this nation and squeeze its lifeblood. Have we become a nation where the grace of God in His perfect Liberty is laid as an excuse to become enslaved in humanistic bondage because what God judges as unrighteous, man judges as righteous? Have we become a silent kingdom of God's people, betraying our Father in Heaven in tolerance of human correctness? Are we to remain with a mouth to speak, but our words are empty and powerless because we fear man rather than God? The doctrines of men are the deceptions to freedom and the chains of bondage.

If you have ears to hear, and know the truth of that Liberty which frees all, to keep silent upon it is shear treason.

Patrick Henry in his speech to the Virginia House of Commons on March 23, 1775 said,

"For my own part, I consider it as nothing less than a question of freedom or slavery; and in proportion to the magnitude of the subject ought to be the freedom of the debate. It is only in this way that we can hope to arrive at truth, and fulfill the great responsibility which we hold to God and our country. Should I keep back my opinions at such a time, through fear of giving offense, I should consider myself as guilty of treason towards my country, and of an act of disloyalty toward the Majesty of Heaven, which I revere above all earthly kings."

Jesus said in Matthew 15:9, "but in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men."

If God's word is the standard to govern heaven, then those of us who profess Christianity should accept nothing less than God's precepts to govern our lives and our nation which was founded in His name. It is the responsibility of being Christian and American. Therefore, speak forth Liberty in its truth and totality.

As Patrick Henry said, "Give me Liberty or give me death." Liberty is of freedom in Christ, death is slavery to sin and humanism.