Monday, April 8, 2013

A Catholic, A born-again Christian, An al Qaeda, and a Klansman walk into a building.

When you hear the four following groups I want you to think about what they have in common:
A. Catholics
B. Evangelical Protestants
C. al Qaeda
D. The Ku Klux Klan

They are all classified as religious extremists groups by the U.S. Department of Defense. While I am not Catholic, I can confidently say they are not extremists. As a born again Christian I do qualify as a evangelical and can say without certainty there is a huge difference between myself and my beliefs and the hate filled rhetoric that comes from the other groups on the list such as the al Qaeda, the KKK, and the Christian Identity.



Adding these two groups to the list, even by accident, associated most true and loyal followers of God's word with groups who sole purpose is to take the word of God, or their god and distort into justifying violence and hatred. It also creates more negative sterotypes in the a society that is currently coming down on Christianity over social changes.

Christians who stand up for the Biblical view on topics like homosexuality/bisexuality are currently be labeled as a group who hates the people who choose that lifestyle, when, in fact, although we do not condone the act and acknowledge it is a sin, we do not condemn those who choose it.

We are getting close to the end folks. Our nation that once stood firmly for God and His ways is now trying to drive Him out, both intentionally and unintentionally. Although there are many evangelists and missionaries spreading the word worldwide, it seems we as a world are getting away from God.  This is all things that mark the end of times.


(Matthew 24:9) Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for my name's sake.
(Matthew 24:10) And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another.
(Matthew 24:11) And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many.
(Matthew 24:12) And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax [become] cold.
(Matthew 24:13) But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.


Why all this doom and gloom of the end of world? No one knows when why worry about it? Because while we may be right with God how many friends or family members do we have that we cannot say for sure what will happen to them at death? I believe Christ is going to take those who love Him away before the world reaches it lowest point, do you want your friends or family left?


We, as Christians, need to become extremists. Our weapons should never be violence, intimidation, or fear we need to use the strongest weapons of all faith, hope, and love. We should never be ashamed or nervous about expressing our belief in our God. We should tell others of the promise of eternal life. No matter how much the world tries to turn away, we should always do everything within our power to turn it back to God, one soul at a time.

God be with you!!

Link to the article:
http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2013/apr/5/dod-presentation-classifies-catholics-evangelicals/?page=2

Thursday, April 4, 2013

How Much Time Do We Really Have Left?

People have been talking about the end of time and the rapture for years. But we must prepare and make ourselves ready. Kim Jong-Un and North Korea are rapidly ramping their nuclear program up. Now they have a medium range missile pointed in the direction of Guam, but it could reach Japan easily. Between the fast growth of his nuclear program and his repeated threats toward the U.S. to use them I feel like we are rapidly approaching a nuclear strike of some kind. 

Here is an image from CNN that shows what parts of the world have nuclear weapons at their disposal. 
Red = Nuclear  Orange = Suspected to have nuclear weapons Yellow =Suspected to be working on nuclear weapons

In response to his threats and development we are placing more troops in the area, putting on a passive show of force in South Korea by increasing fighter traffic, and moving missile batteries to Guam. 


Thinking about this brings 2 Peter 3 to my mind. 

 1 This is now, beloved, the second letter I am writing to you in which I am stirring up your sincere mind by way of reminder,
2 that you should remember the words spoken beforehand by the holy prophets and the commandment of the Lord and Savior spoken by your apostles.
3 Know this first of all, that in the last days mockers will come with their mocking, following after their own lusts,
4 and saying, “Where is the promise of His coming? For ever since the fathers fell asleep, all continues just as it was from the beginning of creation.”
5 For when they maintain this, it escapes their notice that by the word of God the heavens existed long ago and the earth was formed out of water and by water,
6 through which the world at that time was destroyed, being flooded with water.
7 But by His word the present heavens and earth are being reserved for fire, kept for the day of judgment and destruction of ungodly men.
8 But do not let this one fact escape your notice, beloved, that with the Lord one day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years like one day.
9 The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance.
10 But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, in which the heavens will pass away with a roar and the elements will be destroyed with intense heat, and the earth and its works will be burned up.
11 Since all these things are to be destroyed in this way, what sort of people ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness,
12 looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be destroyed by burning, and the elements will melt with intense heat!
13 But according to His promise we are looking for new heavens and a new earth, in which righteousness dwells.
14 Therefore, beloved, since you look for these things, be diligent to be found by Him in peace, spotless and blameless,
15 and regard the patience of our Lord as salvation; just as also our beloved brother Paul, according to the wisdom given him, wrote to you,
16 as also in all his letters, speaking in them of these things, in which are some things hard to understand, which the untaught and unstable distort, as they do also the rest of the Scriptures, to their own destruction.
17 You therefore, beloved, knowing this beforehand, be on your guard so that you are not carried away by the error of unprincipled men and fall from your own steadfastness,
18 but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory, both now and to the day of eternity. Amen.


He describes the last days as "mockers will come with their mocking, full of their own lusts". The mockers, non-Godly, are gaining more weight in our society. We have taken God out of courthouses, schools and many other aspects of our lives, we are giving the sacred act of marriage to homosexuals, we are creating life through cloning, etc. People are seeing man attempt to become equal to God as a way to show He does not exist. Countries around the world are trying to take God out of the perspective and going against His instruction. Noah's flood, Sodom, and Gomorrah should serve as an example that God will be true to His word and destroy those who continually mock and blatantly disobey Him. The next destruction of the world will come through fire, and since we are so quick to try and assume His role, God may let us create and rain the fire down upon each other. Verse 10 says "...the heavens will pass away with a roar and the elements will be destroyed by intense heat, and the earth and its works will be burned up." Jason Soo provided the temperatures of a nuclear explosion in his 1995 article "Atomic Education" in Enscquire:
"Within 17 meters, the explosion temperature was 300,000 degrees Celsius. Within 50 meters it was
9,000-11,000 degrees, and at ground level beneath hypocenter the temperature exceeded 6,000 degrees."
For those who think Fahrenheit, here is a conversion of the temperatures mentioned above:
300,000 Celsius = 5,400,032 Fahrenheit
9,000 - 11,000 Celsius = 16,232 - 19,832 Fahrenheit
6,000 Celsius = 10,832 Fahrenheit

Not saying North Korea is going to end the world, but I have always been confident in the thought that if one nuclear missile is launched, due to the number that are now available to the world, more will follow. We need to focus on getting ourselves and our loved ones close to God. We never know when He will come back for His people.