rjp34652

Biblically, as well as in secular belief systems, the crow is considered to be the harbinger of death. There are several reasons for this all of which are terribly boring to review. Generally though the bird is considered to be representative of evil tidings. A crow riding the back of the national bird would therefore signify a harbinger of national death. I don't think it will come as a shock to anyone that there is a general expectation of disaster in the wind. Disaster for America, that is. I believed for a long time that it could be averted, but nobody seems to be interested in that at all. Better men than I have been saying that we've passed the point of no return. A lot of Christians seem to think that they'll be excused from judgment. Either the rapture will happen or God will 'pass over us'. I used to believe that too, but not any more. Something happened in Charleston, my old haunt in younger days, that convinced me we are not exempt. I think those folks were blessed, by the way. They got to leave school early and are happy with the Lord now. Their eyes will not see what is coming upon us and our children. But we will. The common retort is that God is in control. Don't worry. Be happy. That was a cute song by the way, but it won't be cute when people start dying like flies. A lot of them and a lot of us will be very confused and angry at God. After a while, though, if some of us are still around - we'll realize that we'd forgotten why and how we got saved in the first place. And we'll realize, some of us anyway, that God was right to do to us what He did................what He's going to do. It just makes me very sad to think about it - crows or no crows. It will happen and I wish I had lived in another time and didn't have to watch, that's all. IF GOD DOES NOT JUDGE AMERICA, HE WILL HAVE TO APOLOGIZE TO SODOM AND GOMORRAH. and that's me, hollering from the choir loft...

I have read the Qur'an from cover to cover. It is the farthest thing from poetry you can read. It is not seductive and it isn't coherent. The thing reads like a phone book. Really. I work at a State College. One day I approached four Muslim students sitting at a table in our lunch cafe. I introduced myself and told the three young men and young woman that I had a question about the Qur'an. I already knew the answer, but I asked it anyway just to see if they knew. Question: The Qur'an says that when the apostle of Allah speaks, one should listen and do what he says. Who is the apostle of Allah? I said that in Christianity an apostle was a man who went about preaching the gospel and establishing churches. An apostle was one who defined the faith and who traveled extensively preaching and doing good works. I said that a Christian apostle was a good man. So who is the apostle of Allah? We talked a bit and eventually all four admitted that they did not know who that person might be. They also told me that the Qur'an was too confusing and that I shouldn't read it. I tend to agree with them on the confusion part. What they did not know and what I can tell you is that the Qur'an says Mohammad [pbuh] is the apostle of Allah. He wore many hats, as it were. I recommend reading the Qur'an for two reasons and two only. 1. If you want to get a little idea what the books says (and conversely what Muslims do NOT know about it). 2. If you enjoy being bored out of your skull trying to read the thing. Otherwise, stick to the Bible. As a comparison...............well, there's really no comparison. and that's me, hollering from the choir loft...

Wishful thinking about the rapture is intellectual escapism. It's a little deeper than watching Star Wars fifty times, but not much. Judgment is coming against America and THAT is what's next. Our sins have mounted up to heaven and God in His holiness will not restrain His hand much longer. It's in the wind. A lot of folks, whose eyes aren't fixed upon their petty sins and debauchery, know it. A lot of us feel something is terribly wrong and that God isn't going to let it slip by this time. He is going to have His day. Soon. I used to think that something could be said or done to stop it, but better men than I seem to think we've passed the point of no return. I used to think that Christians would be excused somehow, but now I don't believe that either. We are all a party to the licentiousness and wickedness. We have all given our allegiance to it and we will all participate in judgment in one way or another. There will be no escapist rapture. I could be wrong, but if that event really does happen it won't happen until God has dispatched America. He will wipe us clean the way a man wipes a plate. I've seen Him do it before, believe me. Things are never the same afterward. Some of us will live through it. Out there, on the other side of judgment, we will have to admit that God was right after all and we were terribly terribly wrong. We have forgotten why and how we got saved in the first place. Maybe then we will remember and be better for it. IF GOD DOES NOT JUDGE AMERICA, HE WILL HAVE TO APOLOGIZE TO SODOM AND GOMORRAH. and that's me, hollering from the choir loft...

There is no doubt more to the story. Chinese media are heavily monitored and censored. Would the authorities have allowed a pre-recorded program to be shown? I doubt it. I have learned that much of what we in the west are told about China is a lie. The underground church, for example, is not a secret illegal church. People in China, like people everywhere, love to talk religion and politics. They call their churches underground because they are home churches. Everyone knows where they are. My son just returned from China and was told that if you want to visit or participate in a church, but don't know where they are all you have to do is inquire at the local police station. They know and they don't care. The name of the game is taxation. If a church grows to the point a home cannot accommodate a group there are two choices; build another home group or build a venue. A religious venue is heavily taxed, but not illegal. As an aside, there are rumors that such a thing may be adopted by the US government in the future. Taxation of church real estate in America may follow the communist pattern. If so, home churches would be the answer. Will it get that bad in America? No one really knows, but the fact that the fear exists is important. A generation ago, such an idea would have been dismissed as preposterous. and that's me, hollering from the choir loft...

I seriously doubt that many Muslims will read any of it. Many of them don't even read the Qur'an. Fewer still understand basic things written there. Having grown impatient with the misquotations of the Qur'an by the media and my friends I undertook a small study of the religion.(1) This included reading the Qur'an from cover to cover. As an employee of a local state college I come into contact with students of many cultures and religions. Some of them are Muslim. As my reading of the Qur'an approached the end of the book I came across a passage which said that 'when the apostle of Allah speaks, one should listen to him.' I posed a question to a group of 4 Muslims in our little campus coffee shop. I asked who the apostle of Allah was. Was he a man like St. Peter who went about establishing the growing religion in towns and cities? Was he a noted teacher like St. Paul? The Muslims did not know. They asked me where I read those words and I said that I read them in the Qur'an. Their response was that I shouldn't read that book, "because it's too confusing."(2) By the way, the correct answer is that the apostle of Allah is Muhammad (who else?). The Muslims didn't know that and I didn't tell them. Let them do their own homework if they are so motivated - but I have my doubts they will do so. and that's me, hollering from the choir loft... (1) The Qurían consists of 114 chapters of varying lengths, each known as a sura. Each Sura is formed from several Ayahs or verses which originally means a sign or portent sent by God. The word Qur'an means recitations. Mohammad [pbuh] passed them orally to his followers because he was illiterate and the text was not written for at least 600 years after the fact. In contrast, some scholars suggest that parts of the New Testament were composed as soon as 30 years after the events they describe. If secular records of the ministry of Jesus Christ are considered the time lag is much much shorter - perhaps less than a decade. (2) I tend to agree.

? Beloved, This Must Be Some Latter-Day Fungous And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night. Revelation 12:10 Trying To Infect The Toes Of Worthy Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: 1 Peter 5:8 For The Baptist Are Among I bow down toward your holy temple and give thanks to your name for your steadfast love and your faithfulness, for you have exalted above all things your name and your word. Psalm 138:2 (ESV) The World's Strongest Thy word is true from the beginning: and every one of thy righteous judgments endureth for ever. Psalms 119:160 Bible Believers What then? shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid. Romans 6:15 And I Love Them So Let your speech be alway with grace, seasoned with salt, that ye may know how ye ought to answer every man. Colossians 4:6 ~ Be Blessed Beloved Of The KING But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy. James 3:17 Love, Your Brother Joe ~ As For This Holy Book And Jesus answered him, saying, It is written, That man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God. Luke 4:4 This Big Book Of Judgement And Of Grace For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. Romans 6:23 It Is True Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth. John 17:7 I am not impugning believers who call themselves Baptist. I never did. Rather I bear witness to the heresy spoken in their house of prayer by one of their lettered leaders. It was not an isolated incident. At the end of a sermon on grace, which was mostly instructional and review of scripture, the man said, "go out and sin all you want this week that grace may abound." Those are his words. They do not coincide with the teaching of the expressions of righteousness from the first page of the Bible to the last. They are wickedness and heresy. God does not license sin among his people or in His house. The Old Testament is full of God's righteous judgment against the Hebrew and Jewish congregation when they sinned against God. Specifically the text directs the greatest condemnation to the leaders and shepherds who lead their flock wrongly (book of Amos is an example). The argument by Christians of all denominations is that they are somehow above the law and thus enabled to break it. This attitude is not restricted to Baptists despite the fact that they seem to embrace the notion. Jesus did not come to abolish the law, but to fulfill it. (Matt 5:17) Unless the reader has a solid understanding of the law he or she will fail to understand the meaning and implications of Jesus' words. Those words do not imply freedom to sin. GOD NEVER GIVES LICENSE TO SIN. The intent of Jesus' words are both a hope and a caution and I say this to the church member who assumes otherwise - go and sin no more or something worse will happen to you. Please review the post by Ezra (#3 here). It's a good one. To littleLambs: In the newspaper business the words you wrote would be said to be accurate, but not true. It's half truth, which is more dangerous because it leads the reader to a false assumption about what is written. The name of God is to be glorified and respected. Judgment is in His hand and it is being delivered to us today. These are the days of judgment for America and for Christians. If you, littleLamb, are living without embracing sin as many do then I commend you for your devotion. I do not judge. God judges. Many who call themselves Christians flirt with sin. Many in the church deny God's true nature and in doing so do not bear witness of it to the world which needs it most. NBC coverage of Sunday worship services in Charleston began with the commentator's words that many gathered to "worship their God." Their God? Is not God - GOD? The words of pharaoh following the judgment and destruction of Egypt admitted an undeniable fact. GOD IS GOD. Our nation has denied God and if the terrible events of last week in a house of prayer are insufficient to call attention to the righteous hand of God IN JUDGMENT, then something worse is bound to happen. When it does many will ask why. The answer then will be as obvious as the answer is now - or in the days of ancient Israel. God is righteous and will judge. The fear of God is the beginning of wisdom. (Prod 9:10) What does this mean? It should be considered and meditated upon - seriously. Someone will certainly say I am wrong in this or that my words are too harsh. To you I say only this - watch and learn pilgrim. and that's me, hollering from the choir loft...

How could God allow such an evil thing to happen? God not only allowed it, HE COMMANDED IT. These are hard words, but a harder thing still is to see blood on the floor of the house of God. The question of why is a hard question. It cannot be answered satisfactorily with soft words. It's cause was not social hatred or personal derangement - it is denial of the personality of God alone. "For the time is come for judgment to begin at the house of God: and if it begin first at us, what shall be the end of them that obey not the gospel of God? And if the righteous is scarcely saved, where shall the ungodly and sinner appear?" 1Pe 4:17-18 "Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God." James 4:4 For generations past, the theme of divine judgment was accepted as a legitimate subject for consideration and as a basis of personal wisdom. "The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding." - Prov 9:10 For decades the current generations of American Christians have refused to accept the clear and considered teaching that God does, indeed, judge people - ESPECIALLY His own. As a result, the fear of God has become diluted with wisdom found lacking as a result. God does not condemn an abstract term of sin into hell - He condemns sinners. He condemns people! There are two judgments; one eternal and one temporal. Those who do not know God and who hate Him will suffer an eternal judgment. Those who DO know Him and respect Him at least to some extent are subject to earthly judgment - death being a card also on the table. Baptists for example, are some of the greatest offenders. Believing that one cannot lose one's salvation it has been preached in some churches that one can "go out and sin that grace may abound". I have personally heard this statement in a Baptist church by a man who held a doctorate in theology. Grace will abound no doubt, but that grace will result in punishment not reward. Presbyterians and Roman Catholics are even worse. Believing that they have a special exception by means of membership or predestined license they live life as they choose regardless of Biblical warnings otherwise. Other Protestant denominations such as Episcopalians and Methodists are so Biblically illiterate that their congregations do not know the most rudimentary qualities of the nature of God (I know. I've sat in their congregations for decades.) The Evangelical types are the worst offenders of all. They have denied their programs of personal evangelism for the digital type and have succeeded in neither. Professing wisdom they have become fools. GOD NEVER GRANTS A LICENSE TO SIN. Many are fond of saying that Christians are above the law because of the death of Christ upon the cross. But His death was not a blank check to live however we choose. It was a call to bear our own crosses of denial and living sacrifice so as to glorify Him. A good friend of mine once denied that God would EVER punish a Christian. I pointed out that the sinking of the Titanic was a direct example of divine wrath and His jealousy for His glorious name. Prior to the maiden voyage of the proudest ship in the British maritime fleet, it was widely advertised that "even God could not sink Titanic." She never completed her first transit of the Atlantic. This is one of the greatest historic examples in modern times of human arrogance flying in the face of Divine justice. God DID execute judgment. Men and women and children that men would consider to be innocent died as a result. Christians were among them. Christians ought to know better. They apparently don't. Do we all have to be taught a terrible lesson at the hand of God? It is a dreadful thing to fall into the hands of the living God. - Hebrews 10:31 Wise up Christian. DO NOT TEMPT THE LORD THY GOD. - Jesus (as quoted by Mathew 4:7) The world needs to be warned. God's wrath is building against us all and the wise man or woman will be mindful of this fact. God is love, but God is also wrathful. VERY wrathful. IF GOD DOES NOT JUDGE AMERICA HE WILL HAVE TO APOLOGIZE TO SODOM AND GOMORRAH. - Shanghai curse August 1967 Do you think America is so exceptional it will escape the wrath of God? It will not. God will not bless our nation for a very long time to come. Do you see blessings when you watch TV or read your newspaper - or do you see one damn thing after another afflicting us? It is not the fault of partisan politics. It is the fault of a nation that has denied God and openly hates Him. Do not think that because you are a member in good standing of a church you will escape it either. Even the so called innocent may die as a result. Seek Him and His mercy while you can. The time is short and no one knows if the next Bible study you attend will be your last. Do not be arrogant in your ways. Seek the mercy of God and His kingdom - always. The days of judgment are upon us. Be wise, not foolish. Someone will certainly say I am wrong in this or that my words are too harsh. To you I say only this - watch and learn pilgrim. and that's me, hollering from the choir loft....

Interesting article. I've been keeping my eye on Turkey for quite a while. Before Erdogan assumed power, Turkey was a model neighbor in an area of unrest. Today Turkey is one of the reasons the place is kept boiling. One of the things that boils my noodle is the close ties that Turkey has with Israel. Turkish foreign policy has been known to turn on a dime, most recently upon Syria. I do not trust Turkey or Erdogan. They have too many wishes for a revived Ottoman Empire - a new caliphate to rule the Levant. Turkey is also the main supporter of the Muslim Brotherhood, their pet terrorist group to name one among many. and that's me, hollering from the choir loft...

"So do not pray for this people nor offer any plea or petition for them; do not plead with me, for I will not listen to you." - Jeremiah 7:16 We have passed the tipping point. Judgment is upon us. The spirit of repentance is dead in America and there is no turning back, for she is like a runaway train on a course for disaster. Perpetual indulgence is the theme of the day, not humility and respect for God. His Name is ridiculed and hated from one end of this land to the other. But..... Those who come to Christ may yet be saved. Our hope is in Jesus and our safety shall rest in the mercy of the Most High toward those who have humbled themselves before the Throne of Grace. Christ is our shepherd, closer than a brother and a real help in times of need. Now is the time to shed destructive habits and flirtations with sin. Now is the time to seek Him with all our hearts, for He listens to the prayers of the humble and contrite. that's me, begging from the choir loft...

The US has been or is currently participating in more than a dozen wars and shadow wars in the middle east all of which in partnership with the GCC. This is nothing more than business as usual. I fail to understand how this is supposed to be some sort of shocking revelation. and that's me, hollering from the choir loft....

Did not watch the State of the Union address. I believe it was Mark Twain who once said that 'giving authority to government is like watching a baby play with a hammer'.

It is obvious in the attitude of the text, in the body of the argument, and despite the inconsistency of its summation in its spirit as a whole. No quarter is given and no admission is allowed to the possibility that leadership and association with some church groups may in fact be spiritually treasonous to Christ as well as morally objectionable to its adherents. In religious terms the attitude written here is "my church, right or wrong". Politically the attitude has led our country into war after unproductive war and spiritually it has led first to dilution of the gospel and in the present day immorality and social irresponsibility, not to mention disloyalty to the members of the communion of the saints. It is my point of view that the time has long since arrived when those loyal to Christ must take a long hard look at their loyalty to the church and not confuse the two. They are not the same thing. and that's just me, hollering from the choir loft...

to OneLight: I'm not going to quote your entire post #137. Those that wish to review it can see it above. You make many good points, unfortunately your argument breaks down and contradicts itself. As slogan material its great, but as logic it doesn't work. Please reexamine your position - for your own sake. Let me begin by asking if you (or the reader) are a member of the Protestant persuasion. If so, then you inherit a tradition which contradicts the entire argument of being submissive to religious authorities. If you (or the reader) are truly and really concerned about submitting to the authority ordained by God, then you must of necessity beat a path quickly and deliberately back to the Roman Catholic Church, which was the original bureaucratic expression of the Christian religion. Obviously that's not going to happen. Why not? Because AS A FREE MAN in Christ you have chosen to adopt a particular fellowship - voluntarily. It doesn't mean you have denied Christ or allegiance to Him. Certainly not, but it does mean that you weigh and sift through the religious bureaucracy of Christendom and have decided, or not as the case may be, where to invest your time, your money and your heart. OneLight, you make a grand classic argument for church membership, but bear in mind that's all it is. It is by no means a blank check for one's intellect, one's spirit, one's pocketbook or one's allegiance. I'm writing here of human relationships, not that which we owe to God. I do wish to point out a contradiction to your otherwise lucid arguments in #137. Your summation follows as a short quote: To sum it all up, yes, we are under authority, both in the world and in His body. Are we to blindly follow what anyone tells us? No, we are to use discernment and wisdom. To tell others not to accept being under authority is wrong and against scripture ... be careful what you preach. Your argument went well until you got to this point and then you went off the rails. Either we are under the authority of the church or we are not. Your summary begins by saying we ARE under authority and then says we are NOT to blindly follow what anyone tells us? Which is it? You say we are to use discernment and wisdom and then write that rejection of authority is "wrong and against scripture". Do you not see the logical disconnect in your own words and conclusions? I submit that your scholarship is impressive, but that your summary and conclusions are vague and muddy. You do well in your research, but you have not thought out your argument to its logical conclusion. Instead, your text does not follow reason to its proper end. You begin well in reason and research, but end in a resort to cliche and slogan. It's a double minded argument. I think your argument goes off road because YOU ALSO believe, as I do, that a man ought to be free and unencumbered in the pursuit of his responsibility toward God - even if that means opposition to the powers that are assembled above him and around him. After all, only dead fish swim with the stream. All of this is by means of addressing church attendance as an issue. It may also be extended toward government allegiance (an issue reserved for another topic/thread), morality as defined by the American consensus of opinion (ok to kill the unborn, perpetual sexual indulgence, human slavery, torture, unbridled military aggression, violence as entertainment and disrespect of God to name a few). At what point, then, does a FREE man step back and say 'enough' I will not follow this line? My point is that if a man does NOT do so, he will find himself in danger of losing his own soul. and that's just me, hollering from the choir loft... PS I feel motivated to review the difference between the CHURCH and Christendom. THE CHURCH was founded by Jesus Christ. It is deeply spiritual in its root and motivated in love for its members by its members. The CHURCH spans the globe as well as many variations of doctrine and groups. But in the 4th century, Roman Emperor Constantine legalized the Christian religion. In doing so, he caused the birth of a religious bureaucracy that continues to this day. Where Christians were encouraged by the Bible to "study to show yourself approved", the Bible as well as interpretation of it was removed to the custody of a caste of priests. Christendom as a legal entity began to own real property, collect religious taxes and require total allegiance of its membership - threatening those who refused allegiance with the fires of eternal hell and temporal exclusion. Christendom TAKES resources like some spiritual black hole whereas the Bible suggests the followers of Christ GIVE of themselves. One is of Christ, while the other is of the world. Are Christians called to submit to the world or to come out of it and be separate from it? Jesus said no man can serve both. I think His statement reveals a deep insight into human psychology as well as spiritual truth. Today, Christendom is withering like rotten fruit on the vine while the CHURCH goes on from glory to glory. Which is to be emulated and which is to be rejected? Let the reader decide if he is able.

I don't think they are. Hardline Sunnis despise the Saudi royal family who they see as being decadent playboys who shouldn't have the right to control Mecca. Al-Qaeda have been threatening to destroy them for years. The Saudi royals are scared of ISIS. Every news outlet of every nation EXCEPT America carry stories that admit the GCC and Turkey are behind ISIL/ISIS in terms of financial support and the provision of military support to the terrorist groups (including, but not limited to al Qaeda). Every nation considered to be friend or foe of America admits to it. Why? The reason the US & UK and to some extent France have disrupted matters in the Levant so drastically isn't to establish freedom, democracy or even for advantage of oil - its all about currency and who will control the banks. He who controls the banks, controls the wealth and he who controls the wealth can enslave nations and strip them of their resources without firing a shot in anger. A case in point was the invasion of Libya and the fall of Mohamar Gaddafi. First, the man was subjected to a massive propaganda campaign by the west. He was portrayed as a mad dictator. But was he? Gaddafi began to make noises about free trade among African nations - trade in currency OTHER THAN the dollar to create prosperity and to free African nations from the financial chains established upon them by the west. When he did that he was a man marked for death by the west. Hostilities commenced and when the smoke cleared three things were true. 1. Gaddafi was dead. 2. Senator John McCain proclaimed al Qaeda soldiers on the ground as heroes in the conflict (revealing the true nature of US partnership with the terrorist group) 3. ALL Libyan gold simply disappeared. What happened to it? In 1980 Iraq invaded Iran and the eight years of war that followed was called the first Persian Gulf war. But while Saddam Hussein was preoccupied with Iran, the Emirate of Kuwait quietly moved its national border north, thus seizing valuable oil fields which had previously been in the political sphere of Iraq. Hussein's war ended without any advantage for his nation. Quite the contrary, Saddam found his nation in deep debt. To ease the debt quickly, he announced that Iraq would cease trading in dollars and trade either in gold or Euros. Refusal to trade in dollars was the kiss of death. Soon after that the US goaded him into invading Kuwait. Hussein was told by the US ambassador that America would not raise a finger against him if he seized the oilfields that Kuwait had stolen from him. Saddam took the bait and invaded Kuwait. A short time later, Desert Storm wrecked what was left of the Iraqi Army and a few years after that America took the entire nation down. Hussein's crime wasn't weapons of mass destruction or participation in international terrorism (that's an American game), it was attempting to trade in something other than dollars through financial paths other than American controlled banks. If the reader wants to know how to make sense of the conflict in the Levant, all he or she has to do is follow the petrodollar. The pity of it all is that we are losing both the war in the Levant and the influence of the dollar. And the American public is being prepared for yet another war even as we read and write. The new war may be the catastrophe that tips the scale of US currency against us. Our national and international ruin may not be far away. Hyperinflation is not far away, yet the American people act as though predictions of its arrival is something concocted by the lunatic fringe. Oddly (or perhaps not so oddly) we have all of us sensed that God is leading us away from personal revolving debt. There are quiet moves among Christian circles to get our financial houses in order. Many have done so already and are justifiably proud of their accomplishment. This act is contrary to the general consensus of the consumer public - who are deeper in debt than ever. Is God preparing Christians for financial hard times? Why shouldn't he? And when I pray about it, I get an odd answer (perhaps not so odd after all). "Look up and rejoice for when you see these things happen your redemption draws near." Celebrate? Really? Yes, really. If God is our shepherd, then why not? and that's just me, hollering from the choir loft...

Are you a free man or are you not? Do not be yolked unto bondage to the will of another. This means church. Free men join together in common agreement, not a contract and not a submission to authority for therein is the root of slavery and mindless deception. In no other part of life are men so free. No government requires us to 'church'. No law says to do so. No tax law requires tithing, quite the contrary the NT does not mention it at all. No custom or social pressure requires any of us to attend church or to submit to the authority of a man (or woman) who does not work for a living. Why then are we being asked or required to submit to the authority of someone who has not the right of governorship? Is it not the shepherd who is required by God to lead and nurture and inspire? Yet how many fail in doing that? Instead these false shepherds are in it for business sake, to chain men into paying religious taxes and performing duties none of which is of direct benefit to themselves. If all the money and time I ever gave to a church was likened to a business investment, I would be forced to admit it had been a bad one. I have never reaped a penny in profit or advantage or what is more important -satisfaction- from any of it. In has all been a hollow exercise in my eyes. Hollow and pointless and repetitious and thin and boring. Where is the leadership? THAT is what God requires, yet we see little or none of it at all. In the end it is all about money and profiteering at the expense of gullible sheep. Does not the Bible say that salvation is free? Why then as soon as one becomes a 'member' of a church is one told he or she owes a religious tax for the rest of their earthly life (and then some if a portion of the Last Will and Testament is considered). Church has become a modern franchise, a business of pandering of empty philosophy......a gathering of people who have either forgotten or never been told of the POWER of true religion. All we see is a tissue of habit - nothing real or of substance at all. and that's just me, hollering from the choir loft...

Hi rjp.... Concerning the `bail in`s,` here in Australia when we had the recent G 20 Economic Forum, that precise `bill` was passed. That is the different countries agreed to that line of procedure WHEN (not if) the next financial crisis happens. `Hair cuts` is another term they give for depositors having to pay for banks defaults etc. So we are in for a rocky few years as man`s system of debt gets shaken & those behind the scenes, as other one talks of, gain more & more control over different financial institutions. Marilyn. I've heard the term 'hair cuts' to describe the legalized theft of private assets in Cyprus. Seizure of private assets in bank accounts went more or less unopposed in Cyprus except for street demonstrations. I was not aware, though, that banking policy had been adjusted to allow this to be done. Unaware - not surprised. Beginning in Britain a few years ago and continuing with most commercial banks in the US, a policy of a delay of withdrawal of cash has been instituted. At first it was large amounts of money - $50,000 or more that were affected. A year or two ago the number was shrunk to $5,000. While most Americans do not have either the resources or the intention of withdrawing amounts of four or more zeros from their savings or worthless CDs, the lower number may indeed affect us. The policy delays cash disbursement from a savings account for ten business days or more. Some believe that large amounts of cash and/or gold and silver should be squirreled away and out of sight of the government and the banks. My wife and I began that practice some years ago and when we moved into a new house last year it paid off. We had contracted to buy a new house and while the paperwork for the loan was being processed we were told NOT to buy anything or charge anything unusual. No big TV, no new car, nothing. While we waited to move into the new house we discovered that we had to replace all the major appliances; stove, refrigerator, microwave and dishwasher. Those things are expensive and we couldn't withdraw money from savings or charge the purchase. Fortunately we had money stashed away in the form of cash. We used that and the banks were none the wiser. From this practical experience we've both learned that keeping money at home and on hand is a good idea. I've also had some interesting experiences using cash for little things such as paying for dinner at a restaurant or small items at a retail store. It throws some people completely out of sync. The owner of a cafe I frequent recently gave me a small meal when I attempted to pay for it with a twenty dollar bill. She didn't have change and didn't want to bother with it, so she let me go without paying. I came back later in the day - when she barely had enough in her till to break my "large" bill. Don't get the wrong idea. Her cafe is booming. Nobody uses cash. It is also possible that given a crisis severe enough, the authorities might begin breaking into safe deposit boxes. Here in America, the government knows who has one and who does not. You can't get one without registering your identity with the bank, which in turn sends the info up to Uncle Sam. Here in Florida you can buy and sell firearms without reporting the exchange of possession to any government entity, but you can't rent a safe deposit box without telling them. Nuts. I've prayed hard about this and Luke 21:28 often comes to mind after those sessions. Celebrate? Really? Now THAT is a goad to faith if ever there was one. and that's just me, hollering from the choir loft...

Future generations will look back on our time and stand in awe of our ungodly hubris, debauchery and licentiousness. They will teach their children that we got what we deserved. And they will be right. and that's just me, hollering from the choir loft...

ISIS may have nothing to do with it. They are little more than puppets of the western nations being used to bring military pressure to bear upon the Syrian government. As always Assad is under pressure to step down. The fellow is stubborn and simply won't go. The true issue at hand isn't terrorist groups sponsored by the US & UK (ISIL, al Qaeda, the Taliban, the Mujahideen, etc.), it isn't even oil or religion (1) For the western nations, the issue is currency. Lots of it. Lots and lots. Unfortunately where greedy central banks are concerned wisdom is the first casualty of the current series of conflicts called Arab Spring, various named military actions, or what is more commonly known as the Petro-Dollar wars. Its all about who controls the flow of money through the banks. The west in general and America in particular are losing the war. The US dollar is heavily inflated. Some predict a general and catastrophic crash of the western currency system rather soon. For example, in 1970 an ounce of gold was worth $35. The most recent trading for bullion runs between $1600 - $1800 an ounce. When Britain and France toppled Libya in the fall of 2010, 150 tons of gold simply disappeared.(2) When Saddam Hussein refused to sell oil for dollars in September of 2000 he sealed his doom. The invasion of Iraq wasn't about 'freedom', 'weapons of mass destruction' or even about oil. It was about trading in dollars - currency exchange. Until recently more than 50% of US dollars were in the hands of foreign central banks. That's not the case today. Many countries are dumping the dollar in exchange for separate trade agreements and the use of gold as money. Last year the German Deutsche Bank made an agreement to trade with Russia for natural gas and to trade in currency other than the dollar. Russia and China also made a private trade agreement that would amount to more than $300 billion dollars - except that no dollars are involved. Back home in America Qualitative Easing #3 has ended. Simply put, the US is deliberately printing fiat currency in order to keep its payment system afloat. The monkey see, monkey do principle caught on and Japan began doing the same thing. Today the news services brought us the news that Saudi King Abdullah has died. Less known is that on this same day the EuroBanks have decided to initiate their own version of US and Japanese 'qualitative easing'. Now European banks will hedge their bets and payments with money they've printed out of thin air. The madness goes on and it can only end in disaster for all of us. Monkey See. Monkey Do. Monkey get in trouble too. and that's just me, hollering from the choir loft.... (1) I'll step back just a little on this. For Sunni Muslims, the conflict in the Levant is indeed about religious and political domination. To that end, they have literally employed the western nations to do their murderous bidding. (2) Gadhafi's crime wasn't terrorism, it was the statement that Libya would only trade in gold - not the dollar.

What made you say China is unfriendly to Israel? http://unitedwithisrael.org/chinas-positive-view-of-the-state-of-israel/ Interesting article. Thanks for sharing. Since you are interested in Chinese politics seriously enough to have found the article, I'd advise you prepare files and journals to keep track of them as they go along. I am interested in Chinese politics because of my ancestry, and the many prophesies I heard that the Chinese would likely be the ones that spread Christianity back to Israel. The last leg sort of speak, before the end. I'd have to add my question to the one posed by akin jade. Prophecies from where? Events in China and specifically those close to the western borders of the country are often shrouded in rumor and conjecture. Research for my third book has turned up some whoppers. Spiritual events are even deeper matters. For example, I've read of some incredible things done by the Holy Spirit during the Japanese invasion of Manchuria following the outbreak of WWII in 1931(1). We in the west are simply not privy to many of the true stories and certainly not to matters held close by Jewish communities in that far country. The evangelization of Israel by the goyim has been less than encouraging (claims by fund raisers notwithstanding). On the other hand, Messianic Jews have been having success in Jewish communities throughout the world. Perhaps its because they share a common religious culture or perhaps its because they have been chosen as the torch bearers for God's good news.(2) Either way, the truth of Jesus Christ has been finding its way into the hearts of Israelis. I should point out, however, that the gospel of Jesus Christ is not the same thing as Christianity. The latter is an organized and highly corrupted worldly religion, while the gospel is literally the light of life poured out from the throne of heaven itself. The gospel is indeed making inroads into Israel by means of Jewish Messianic ministry, not Christian effort. The church has debauched itself so badly that its become a joke there(3). Chinese Jews participating in the effort would not be beyond the scope of the Holy Spirits ministry in the Holy Land. But as I wrote before, I've not heard of any Chinese predictions regarding the spread of the gospel. Such efforts generally cost money and while western Jewish Messianic fund raising is adequate I doubt that poor Chinese Jews would be able to raise the necessary cash. All things are indeed possible with Christ, but as the rumor of such things hasn't reached our ears I am reluctant to accept it - for now. and that's just me, hollering from the choir loft... (1)The historic beginning of WWII hostilities is pretty much dated by those who were shot at. For Europeans, open hostilities didn't start until Germany invaded Poland in September 1939. For Russians it really got underway in June of 1941 and for America the war didn't start until December 7 of the same year. For the record, wholesale killing really got started in Manchuria in September of 1931. (2) One of the best is Jews for Jesus based in San Francisco. (3) The church of the Holy Sepulcher, the burial place of Christ, is administered by 6 different Christian organizations, but the key to the place is held by a Muslim. The reason is because grudges between the Christian groups is so deep that none of them will talk to the other. They have to negotiate administration of the place using the Muslim as a liaison or referee. Its the truth. You can't make this stuff up.

What made you say China is unfriendly to Israel? http://unitedwithisrael.org/chinas-positive-view-of-the-state-of-israel/ Interesting article. Thanks for sharing. In years past, China has made a conscious effort to remain outside of Middle Eastern politics. I've read that they didn't even bother to establish diplomatic relations with the major players there. But things are different now. Trade with the west, particularly America, has led to unprecedented wealth. Walmart alone accounts for 1% of the Chinese GNP. But with the rise of industrialization on mainland China comes a ravenous thirst for fuel and the biggest reservoir of that commodity is in the middle east. In the 1970's, China began to make diplomatic overtures with the nations there. Today, China is one of Iran's biggest customers, trading directly in gold or the renminbi instead of the dollar.(1) Saudi Arabia now exports more oil to China than it does to the US and where the money goes, so goes government policy. Policy follows money.(2) If China is today in apparent sympathy toward Israel, with whom it does not have as much commerce as it does with OPEC nations, then why? Is it because Israel is the foremost producer of advanced electronics in the world or is there a hidden agenda? If China does not now have a stated policy in opposition to Israel, it goes without saying that commerce with Muslim states may erode a friendly attitude. I don't dispute your article at all. On the other hand, overtures of peace, safety and prosperity are suspect these days. Since you are interested in Chinese politics seriously enough to have found the article, I'd advise you prepare files and journals to keep track of them as they go along. I've been doing that with global currency exchange rates for several years and have learned some very interesting things from the habit. TO THE READER- If you find an article that you believe is interesting, make a .pdf copy of it IMMEDIATELY. Keep it in a file. Stories sometimes have a shelf life of minutes, especially when published by big media such as CNN. Some stories are too true to print and are pulled out of circulation almost as soon as they are published. Make notes and keep them in a handy file. I read a book by an ex-CIA agent who advised this very thing and in the few years since then I've kept records. It has been a very interesting activity to say the least. and that's just me, hollering from the choir loft... (1) The global trend away from the dollar as a reserve currency is a matter of extreme concern to US & UK bankers. Until now, more than 50% of US currency has been in the hands of foreign banks and traders. That number is dwindling rapidly. (2) Middle eastern nations are very attracted to China for business purposes. The US makes constant complaint and applies pressure with regard to human rights, while Russia and China simply don't care what they do. Muslims are attracted to this hands off attitude and that's another major reason why China and Russia are rising in terms of commerce with the Middle East nations. As for its impact on Israel, the reader can make his or her own conclusions from this.

A few thoughts to disturb the water further. On March 15, 2012 the Eurozone banks precipitated a financial crisis in Cyprus. Ostensibly, the action was an attack against wealthy Russian depositors who were using Cypriot banks as off shore tax shelters. It was also an effort to subvert a large Russian-Turkish oil pipeline project. Unfortunately Cypriot citizens were caught in the storm and were required to participate in what was called a "bail-IN". All depositors lost between 6% and 10% of their assets held in savings accounts so as to shore up the Cypriot banking system. The action was required by the Eurobanks and was illegal according to its own charter of rules. The financial crisis caused massive distress and some sources claim much more than a 10% loss of assets was suffered by Cypriot citizens. As we read and write there is a financial crisis in Venezuela caused by the low price of oil. Citizens there complain they cannot get laundry detergent and chicken. Retail stores are reluctant to purchase goods to fill shelves because of the unstable currency. Those who counsel caution suggest that a food supply of a month or more be kept handy in each home as well as a good supply of cash and ammunition. Strangely, those countries that are preparing for a global financial disturbance are the ones predicted in the Bible to be major participants in End Times events; Russia, China and all the unfriendly neighbors of Israel (does Israel have any friendly neighbors?). Would such a shake up precipitate political and military moves that have been predicted for thousands of years? Finally, is the approaching end of a shemitah year (2015-2016) and the beginning of a year of jubilee (2017-2018) sufficient justification to make peace with God and get right with the Almighty? Most of the world doesn't seem to care what God thinks or even that He exists. The anti-God attitude is sufficiently disturbing to make all the other factors pale by comparison. and that's just me, hollering from the choir loft...

Anybody heard any good news about the global financial future? I've been collating all the information I've read and watched into four groups; 1 - Biblical prophecy 2 - the lunatic fringe (cousin to the first) 3 - legitimate financial advisors who aren't selling anything 4 - the Federal Reserve and its media puppets. When the first three form a trio and sing a collective dirge about the end of global currency - it gives me a headache. When the Federal Reserve and its media puppets sing a song of perpetual prosperity with nothing to back it up except estimates and projections based on wishful thinking or mockery of the first three - it makes me sick to my stomach. Anybody got a TUMS? I'm not looking for an argument here, just legitimate repeatable valid proof that the future looks bright and clear. ok so I'm dreaming - but how about a little light breaking through the clouds? That will do, won't it? Or perhaps a pail of sand to stick my head into.... c'mon, help me out here.

The wrong way.......is not to pray at all.

If you're only going part way with God, then forget about it and go have some fun on your way to hell. Each man and woman is called to give ALL to God. Each follower of Christ is called to carry his or her cross. It isn't fun and it isn't cool. Sometimes it hurts, but it always seems to work out in the end. Funny how good times don't do that. Those who seek themselves and their own interests will eventually lose them. Those that give all to Christ and the gospel will gain everything worthy of gain. How many football teams won the Superbowl by only giving a percentage of effort? The answer is zero, just in case you wanted to hedge your bets. Why is it that secular people generally acknowledge that slackness leads to failure and that full dedication leads to success - but when it comes to trusting God chump change is ok? When it comes time to be admitted into heaven, God will not judge by percentage. He will admit those who gave ALL. and that's just me, hollering from the choir loft...

Heaven is for real is bogus as well. The problem with both of these stories is a lack of Biblical standards and its application. Jesus said that nobody has seen or heard anything about heaven. According to the Bible, Jesus is somewhat of an authority. When Christ says a thing, it's generally assumed to be true. So .... if these kids saw something .... it wasn't heaven - not the paradise that Jesus promised anyway. A bit of personal testimony at this point if I may..... I had an experience similar to the light-at-the-end-of-the-tunnel. Perhaps the reader has heard of this type of thing. Well I went there and didn't get a Tee shirt to prove it. Didn't take any photographs either, but it happened. With regard to my personal experience, I believe that either a spiritual influence was being exerted to persuade me that yes-indeed I saw something mysterious -or- that I simply was privileged to witness something on the earthly level, a peek through the veil if you will. But it wasn't heaven any more than a good steak dinner is heaven (perhaps less so because I love a thick juicy steak). The Bible says there are three heavens. The Old Testament gives the pattern of each one right down to earthly measurements. The New Testament does the same thing. So when some kid, who has no idea what he's looking at, has a supernatural experience - why isn't there someone around who can explain things to him instead of being there to make a fast buck on the thing? It can be truly said that Americans have become a nation with ticklish ears - willing to buy into anything that will make them feel warm and fuzzy. Well boys and girls.....the days of warm and fuzzy are coming to a close. Enjoy them while you can because they will soon be a thing of the past. and that's just me, hollering from the choir loft...