Sir W Dakotah

Praise God. Muslim come into our group's bragging that islam is the fastest growing religion, as if might makes right! I always answer that Jesus said broad is the way and broad is the gate that leads to destruction However, we have been aware of the Chinese church for a few years now. The African church is calling Europeans to repentance. The Church in China is sending out a 100,000 missionaries under the back to the Jerusalem program. They are trained in various languages they encounter, and how to with stand torture as they travel through the "western" lands (all lands between china and Jerusalem are west) speaking the language of the lands on their way to Jerusalem evangelizing. What is exciting about this is that they are what seems to be a grassroot movement of ordinary, or in my opinion extraordinary Christians. God is to be Praised Amen.

I have to agree with you again. You are absolutely a Christian after my own heart I am not praying for persecution, my flesh rejects that. However, flesh has to take a back seat, because I am praying for a true revival of the church in America, and in the World. Even so Lord Jesus come

Great things are going to happen for the Christian. Our Lord is going to come back to rule and reign, and we with him. That is why we are called to be salt and light now. However, to say speaking of his return is doomsday, I don't think so, at least it was not to the Christians of any other time, except for these last days. We are to look for the hope of his coming Scripture is plain about that. And as far as the USA we are a blessed country, but we are not the chosen country, and God will not tolerate sin among any peoples. Nor will he apologize for judging a nation.

How would you have liked a John the Baptist?

Greetings D E I have to agree with you. I think there is more than one facet to this scripture, but I believe that it is calling the christian to seperate themselves from this world system. How many times have you heard it preached that there is going to be a great endtime revival? Yet the scriptures indicate that there will not be addition, but subtraction from christianity. The great falling away is not a rapture either. It is apostasy pure and simple. Deception is already widespread in many of our church's.

I have to agree with you Roberta. I watched those towers fall on 9/11 and for more than 6 months if anyone even mentioned it I would begin weeping. I still weep, if I see the site, or think about the horror of that day. But more I get angry at all we have lost since I grew up in this country. Now imagine watching 2 billion people die from war during the tribulation. Then 2 billion more from disease and terror during that time. Scriptures tell us that 1/2 the worlds population will be wiped out in 7 short years, and if the days were not shortened no flesh would be saved. It is an unimaginable horror. Nothing about it is going to be fun and games. I heard a preacher once say he couldn't wait for judgement, as if he was going to enjoy watching people go to hell for eternity. This makes me want to try harder to reach more people, rather than take an see I told you so type of stance. There will be nothing gratifying seeing any of this. Praise God for people like you. With all of this we can still say with John Even so Lord Jesus come. Maranatha

Now to answer the original topic. The other day for the first time, I watched videos of the tsunami. One of the video's was horrifying. A man stood on the shore watching the wave come without moving, as if there was no danger. Others in the background pointing it out with laughter as it came closer to the shore. All seemed to see it, but for some reason, they didn't see the danger. Our world is much like that, I think it has something to do with human nature, we can be in great danger, but are incredulous that something could really be a danger to us. I once had an experience with a car jacker, we were at the end of our street at a stop sign, my husband was driving. A man jerked the passenger door open grabbed my arm and said "I'm sorry folks, but I am going to take this car." I was indignant I said no your not as I held onto the panic bar overhead with my left hand and told my husband to go. He did. The man held onto my right arm running alongside the car, until he lost his balance, and fell under the wheel breaking his foot. We went and called the police. At no time was I frightened, in fact it was like I was watching it, and it wasn't real. He did some damage to my shoulder, but not once did I feel that I was going to let him pull me from that car. I was still angry when the police arrived that someone would be as stupid as demanding MY car. It wasn't until much later that I saw the danger my husband and I had been in. If I had let go, and he pushed my husband from under the wheel, or hit him in the head with the rock he was carrying in a sack. I would have never forgiven myself. If he had not had to run so fast holding on with one hand, not being able to swing that sack to hit me in the head. I would have had more than a damaged shoulder, what if he had not had a rock but a gun? Yet even thinking back on this situation, I would still get angry, and it would have seemed preposterous for someone to come up and try to pull me out of my car with the words "sorry folks but I am going to take this car." I had a friend who was nearly raped by Ted Bundy, and she did something similar, she laughed at him, loudly! Threw him so completely off guard he ran. Maybe it is human nature not to see the danger.

Mind I too have been given a burden for the church in America particularly because I have seen great evil come into the body of Christ in the past 46 years of my christian walk. Church's that were on fire for God, now want God to be on fire for them. It is called the prosperity doctrine. When I got saved Holiness was preached, some in my own family have believed that God has changed and sort of winks at his own Holy laws, because repentance is no longer preached in the church. When I was saved there was a hell to shun, as much as there was a heaven to gain. That is not taught anymore. I was taught that God expected something from me, repentance! Now the church is being taught that we are to expect from God, and we have made god into our own magic little genie..say the right thing and poof you get a new car. God is a God of prosperity, however seek his kingdom first and HIS righteousness and all these things shall be added onto you. Yet the church is seeking things. One thing about the post though if you break them into smaller post with larger, or even bold type it would be easier to read. I think you will find that most people on this board has the same burdens as you do. Most post that I have read are people who God is dealing with, he does know how to speak to his children.

And as for the what ifs.. Jer 17:9 The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it? If we truly follow the scriptures and not our "feelings" or someone else's misinterpretation. We will be fine. The Holy Spirit is to be our teacher who leads us into all righteousness, through the written Scriptures. Let's be BEREANS, searching the scriptures daily..

Complete agreement. Faith without works is dead, and works without Faith is filthy rags. We work because we have faith, we don't have faith because we work. I will go one step further we can decieve ourselves with faithless works, or with workless faith. Jam 1:22 But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.

EXACTLY! God said not to do it he did it anyway. There is also something else involved in this, whether it is pledging an allegiance to the beast, or actually worshipping it. The beast is a system, a theology, and man. Rev 13:17 And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name. Rev 13:18 Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast: for it is the number of a man; and his number is Six hundred threescore and six. Notice it says his mark, or his name, or the number of his name? One thing I do know for sure though Thessolonians tells us that we will know who it is when he is revealed to us. That day will not come until the son of perdition be revealed...this is progressive revelation

I should also assure you that there will be a rapture Scriptures say so. It is called the First Resurrection at the Last Trumpet. When Jesus returns in the clouds and every eye shall see him, and the dead in Christ shall rise, and we who are alive and remain will be caught up changed in a twinkling of an eye. I wonder how many Christians were there in the tsunami. I have heard of Christians who were miracualously saved, and I know that there were others who were not. Did they really lose anything? Phi 1:21 For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. Luk 9:24 For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: but whosoever will lose his life for my sake, the same shall save it. Have you read Foxe's Book of Martyrs? There were a lot of Stephens in the church, throuhout the ages. There are a lot of them even today in China, and Africa. Does God love them less than he does us? If you look at the Letters to the Church in Revelation You will see that he did not have criticism of the suffering church. But the church who was rich and thought it was spiritual he said if they did not repent he would spew them from his mouth. Laodecia was a city set between hot springs and a cool lake. Hot water was piped in for medicinal baths to comfort and heal, the cold water was piped in to refresh and invigorate. If the the pipes broke the water became lukewarm and was not good to refresh, or to comfort. It was good for nothing. American Church repent. Our brothers and sisters are suffering, while we are so busy with seeker friendliness we are of little good to the world.

I would agree that there are some true believers in the US however, I do believe there is a lot who have decieved themselves. He said if my people who are called by my name will turn from their wicked ways. There are millions who call themselves by his name. Lets look at the roots of the passover. Those Jews who believed Moses, and put the blood over their doors were not touched by the judgement that came on the Egyptians when the death angel came. Can God do the same for us, or has his hand been shortened?

One more question to ask did she ask Jesus to forgive her of her sin, and repent from them? Give her these scriptures. 2Co 5:21 For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him. Gal 4:6 And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father. Most of the time it is because we do not have any ideal of the righteousness we have imputed to us. I don't know how many times I have heard people say, I am a sinner saved by grace. I would rather curse, I always correct this with I was a sinner, but I got saved by his grace and became HIS "righteousness". That explains this verse very well, I do not trust anything that I could do as righteous, but I could accept anything that he has done for me. He was righteous, and his righteousness was imputed to me. IMPUTED was to be put on my account. What a great deal! I give him my sin, and he takes it, and returns to me his righteousness. I know the feeling though that she might have, as soon as I was baptized in the Holy Spirit, I was assured of my sonship. The Spirit identifies with my heart that I have become a child of adoption. Rom 8:15 For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.

I agree we are far from the worst. However, we are the country that is suppose to be blessed by God because we were founded on Christian principles. TO WHOM MUCH IS GIVEN MUCH IS REQUIRED...Judgement always starts at Gods house first.

I have often wondered why God judged David for numbering Israel myself. However, if God says don't do something it is not for us to question it.

I am not sure exactly what the mark of the beast will be. It could be a computer chip like the veri chip technologies. It could be something as simple as the Real ID that was passed into law yesterday. I believe that it is more than likely something that will start out as one thing, and end up being a way to keep track of every human being the beast rules over. It will not be something world wide. Of that I am sure, only the areas under the rule of the beast. The kings of the east and the kings of the south will not be under his rule. Will we? I am not sure of that either since America is not mentioned in prophecy at the end. Yesterday a national id card was passed through the senate. And will be signed into law by the President on May 12 th. With all of it's implications of being a national data base open not only to home land security, but to all our nafta neighbors upon request. Every US citizen will have to have an State ID card, connected with drivers licensing, with soc security numbers and etc. If they decide before implementation that it must contain an rfid chip all personal identification information can be read by anyone who wants to invest a couple of hundred dollars in a scanning device. Imagine the criminal implications of this! Imagine the potential of identity fraud, since most people carry their license on their persons. It can be read through clothing, purses, cars, and you won't even be aware of the danger until it is too late. ...Shades of the Mark..

2Ti 4:3 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; 2Ti 4:4 And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables. If you read the 3 chapter of 2 Timothy it is talking about the last days. We are in those perilous times.

Sue, The problem with the seeker friendly church we left was that repentance was never preached. Our pastor started preaching a prosperity doctrine. In other words not what you can do for God, but what God will do for you. The church filled to the brim and it is a large church. Because repentance was not preached, he then began giving seminars on sex. I never thought I would hear such drivel coming from the pulpit. But we had people who were coming into the church, living with fiance's. It was abhorrent to me as a christian to watch the downfall of this church.

Right now we are the most powerful nation on earth. Why isn't the US in bible prophecy? If you read IS 18 it would seem to be us, in that we send ambassadors by sea, and if you see the rivers of Ethopia beyond them there is the Atlantic Ocean..and us. If this is us then notice that it starts out with a woe. We who are supposedly a Christian nation that murders the innocent. We who are a Christian nation blessed by God who is now deviding the land of Israel..well..doesn't look good for us, because these are the precursors of judgement.

One thing I think that this topic has brought out although it started out with some who were not as serious. Is that most of us have given deep thought to this subject. We see a time coming soon when it may not be popular to be a true Christian as it seems to be today. All of us has faced the possibility that we may be called upon to die for our beliefs. I believe that God is raising up a people who are facing these issues and are steeling themselves to be prepared. We will overcome by the Blood of the Lamb and by the word of our testimony!

Wish it was some future time. Or do I.... MARANATHA.

I am also a midwesterner, and although I am not an expert on Canada, I live near the border, and have some knowledge of the Ontario area at least. Sue I know exactly how you feel, my father was a southerner as is my husband. I was born and raised here in MI and have lived here most of my life. However, because I have a slightly different accent than most people here, I am considered an outsider. And if we go south the accent also makes me an outsider. Thats ok, we are all aliens and citizens of Heaven! I have a great friend I use to speak with on a nightly basis who is french Canadian. I found that believers are believers everywhere. If they are truly believers, and not just give mental assent to the Word of God. I have been out of fellowship with a local church here because our church went "seeker friendly" and being older they have no use for what they consider the elderly. I am a little older than you are Sue by 4 years, but my husband is older than I. He is also in bad health so we haven't been able to seek a more Godly church. So I go online to the boards, to christian chats. I really don't feel lonely, most of the time, because my Lord said He would never leave me nor forsake me. Thank God for his promises.

AMEN!!