The Year the Super Bowl Hit My Town

These comments are addressed to fellow-believers.

Can't blame the devil for everything. Your own heart is deceitful and desperately wicked, says Jeremiah the prophet (17:9). The unredeemed unsaved heart is the center for evil on the earth. Satan would be powerless without it.

The heart and mind have been corrupted since those first wonderful days in Eden. There we were free and happy and innocent. When we toyed with and then grabbed disobedience a pattern began to form. Now we lie to ourselves about everything.

In my own family there is a history of neurosis, or something akin to it. One family member fears thunderstorms, another cannot drive over bridges. In my life I have noticed over the past few years a growing nervousness in enclosed spaces, especially if those spaces are 40,000 feet in the air.

I had flown all my adult life, nearly 30 years. But one night something went wrong.I had had too much caffeine, I was sitting in the back, it was night, etc. I panicked. Only in reading Scripture and offering inner praise to God was I able to come out of it.

The lie had set in. "You are in trouble. You are going to die. You will have a heart attack on this plane. You must get off NOW." I bought it. And for over two years I have dreaded the air, even though a missions call has been growing stronger.

Yes, it is "sick" when people believe lies like that. Thinking things are bad when they are good. But there is a lie that potentially is worse. Thinking things are important when they aren't.

Consider the Super Bowl. Yep I'm one of the "lucky" guys living in one of the team's cities. I have the privilege of watching grown adults around me totally stressed out about whether a bag of air will make it down a 100 yard field, safely in the possession of a man with a blue and orange uniform, BEFORE a man with another color grabs it and goes the other way.

Churches are having Super Bowl parties. One church had even decided to show the game via a live feed in the sanctuary on a screen that comes down right next to the crucifix... The NFL decided not to power the image to that connection. They could not mix the religious symbolism with the secular. Strange that the church seemed to have no trouble with it.

Our minds and our hearts just keep lying to us. Remember this song sung by Evangeline Carmichael?

The heart is a rebel, and cannot be trusted,It always is seeking its own will to do.

It has no allegiance, so desperate and wicked, The heart is a rebel, it's true.

Its love is brief as springtime, quickly growing old; Its hate is like the winter, desolate and cold.

But some day the rebel will bow and surrender, Then God's love will make his heart new.

Amen. Let's give our hearts to Jesus fully while we can.

http://chosunhouse.com is a website I put together a few months back to get the word out to believers that they need to pray for North Korea. I have created over 200 blogs and the site features a live news feed , lists of resources, picture essays, and ways to respond to the overwhelming need in North Korea. Let's love Chosen together! Contact me any time at diakonos5@yahoo.com

And who am I? A man found of God over 50 years ago, called to the ministry, serving the Lord as needed in my world. Married, member of a local church in the Chicago area, with full time work in public education. I love to write Scriptural works. Who are you? Would love to fellowship with believers who respond.

The Best Sunday School Books For Toddlers

Of course the first and foremost book to get is a children's Bible or several. One of the best ones that has been around for many years is The Beginners Bible: Timeless Children's Stories. It has wonderful stories and is beautifully illustrated. The stories are all short enough to hold a young one's attention. Another nice children's Bible is the Toddler's Bible. It has large print and nice illustrations. The stories are very short, more like a summary of the stories.

The Rhyme Bible Story Book for Toddlers is another awesome book. The book is a great introduction to toddlers to learn the bible stories. Each story is told in a rhyme (which toddlers love) in a span of 3 to 4 pages.

Prayer Books

Even toddlers can learn how to pray. The first prayer that many children learn is at supper. Then there are the bedtime prayers. There is a nice prayer book for toddlers called "Special Time Bible Prayers for Toddlers." It is very nicely illustrated and even comes with a CD.
"Teaching Children to Pray" is geared towards 2 and 3 year olds. Included are biblical story references and prayer suggestions.

Other Story Books

There is a series of books that are wonderful, and should be included in Sunday school. They are "Instant Bible Lessons for Children" by Rainbow Publishers, and they teach about life lessons. One is titled "God Takes Care of Me" and others are "God Blesses Me," "I Belong to Jesus," and "Growing Up For God." Each book includes Scripture references as well as plenty of activities to reinforce the lessons learned.

"The Big Book of Bible Crafts" is perfect for Sunday school. All of the crafts in the book relate to a Bible story or character.
"More Toddlerific Bible Funstuff" is jam packed with fun activities that support a truth from God's Word, teaches a verse or tells a Bible story. It has reproducible pages and hands-on activities to occupy those young minds. "Christian Children's Favorites" songbook has all the songs you loved as a kid. Title tracks include:

• Jesus Loves Me
• This Little Light of Mine
• Joshua Fought the Battle of Jericho
• Deep and Wide
• Do Lord
• Down in My Heart
• Jesus Loves the Little Children and many more

"God's Word for Little Ones" is a delightful book. It has nice illustrations and all the stories from both the Old and New Testament. But what is really great about this book is after each story there is a section entitled "Think about it" that asks questions about the story that was read. Then there is a fun fact section after the questions called "Did You Know?" that relates to that particular story.

"First Virtues for Toddlers" is a terrific first devotional Bible. It has 12 short rhyming stories about various virtues including sharing, patience, kindness, among others, and each ends with a short Bible verse that relates to the story. They are very simple and easy to memorize. The "First Virtues for Toddlers" book was so popular that they came out with a series of them. The illustrations are really cute. This is an awesome series of books. Titles in the series include:

• Kitty Shows Kindness
• Bunny Loves Others
• Bear Obeys
• Lion Shares
• Duckling is Patient
• Piglet Tells the Truth
• Panda is Polite
• Puppy Makes Friends
• Tiger Forgives

A Sunday school for toddlers needs to have more than just a Bible with Bible stories. You need to keep them occupies with crafts and singing also. It is also a good idea to teach them what they can understand in their terms by teaching them about life's lessons in simple terms.

Denise Oliveri has been a Sunday school teacher for the past 14 years. She has taught children between preschool through 5th grade in this time. She is the owner of Preschool Sunday School Central, a site designed to help preschool Sunday School teachers find the best resources for helping with Bible lesson planning. There are tons of free resources, as well as valuable eBooks to help with Bible lesson planning. The site is great for homeschoolers, too!

Denise is also a homeschooling mom of three wonderful boys for the past eight years! She has taught electives for a local homeschool co-op, as well as taken many facinating field trips with her children and husband. Homeschooling is a journey all in itself.

Prayer - The Anti-Drug Program

Earlier this month, Alex Rodriguez, the New York Yankees' all-star third baseman, admitted to using drugs to improve his performance and justify his enormous salary. Those muscle-building, performance-enhancing substances have long-term, serious side effects. Liver damage? Heart damage? Hypertension? It's just the cost of doing business as far as many "uber athletes" are concerned. The immediate pay off in an inflated salaries, lucrative endorsement contracts and the adulation of trusting fans are too irresistible for some.

Unfortunately, thousands of impressionable teens imitate these so-called role models in an effort to win at all costs. They put their faith in steroids and take them in locker rooms and weight rooms across the country. Hundreds of thousands of high school and college athletes believe they must be bigger, faster, stronger, in order to compete. By the time they step onto the playing field, they're "juiced up."

The truth is the greatest foe those athletes face is themselves.The taking of drugs is a sign that they have lost faith in themselves. It takes real strength of character and fortitude to commit to the kind of exercise regimen, diet and practice routines, which are needed to become a true champion. But something else is needed.

Many great athletes have said that their game is 10% physical; 90% mental. Yes, they have natural physical ability, but more than that, they have faith in themselves. They succeed because they believe they will succeed. They don't need steroids because they have something better. They have faith. And the same principle is at work in all walks of life.

We can see an example of that kind of faith at work far from the athletic field. In Mark 9: 14-29, we read how the faith of a father moved Jesus to heal his demon-possessed son. The boy was completely powerless to help himself. Talk about physical limitations--he repeatedly fell into the water and fire in what must have been a living hell.

Ignoring the derision of the scribes, the father beseeched the apostles to cure his son--only to have them fail in the attempt. But the father could not be deterred. When the crowd parted, and he saw Jesus standing before him, he implored the Lord:

"...if you can do anything," the father begged, "have compassion on us and help us."

Jesus actually rebuked the man. "'If you can!' Everything is possible to one who has faith."

Challenged by Jesus, the boy's father cried out, "I do believe, help my unbelief!"

Immediately, Jesus turned to the boy and commanded the mute and deaf spirit to leave him.

Like that father, most of us encounter situations that test our faith. Setbacks and failures that can sap our spirits and leave us hurt, angry and discouraged. We may begin to question our own abilities, our worthiness, our faith - - and our God. We might be tempted to quell those feelings of inferiority with alcohol or drugs.

The next time you encounter obstacles that leave you questioning God's will for your life, bring those doubts to prayer and ask the Lord to "help my unbelief."

Copyright 2009, Spiritual Kindling

By Bob Larranaga

Bob Larranaga is the webmaster at http://www.spiritualkindling.com, Home of Inspiring Scriptures, Famous Quotes, Free Sermons, Prayer and Christian Fellowship. Plus, Christian music, videos, books, christian home decor and artwork, religious jewelry and apparel. Visitors can search by theme, add their own posts. New topics are added daily, each one related to the readings for daily Mass. If interested in exchanging reciprocal links, contact Bob_Larranaga@yahoo.com

Divine Power

Divine power is so great, Paul an apostle of Christ Jesus says in 2Corinthians 10:3, For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ. And we will be ready to punish every act of disobedience, once your obedience is complete. Now in many chapters of the Bible it says that Jesus is over everything, in Psalm 24:1 says, The earth is the Lords and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it; for he founded it upon the sea and established it upon the waters.

I recommend reading Philippians 2:5, it says Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant being made in human likeness, and being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to deatheven death on a cross! Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
Enjoy more reading at:

http://www.hostinghelps.com/allaboutjesus

What is their Role in the Second Coming of Christ

Question

Couldnt the UN be the beast of Revelation thirteen instead of the European Union

Answer

Either the UN and the League of Nations which gave birth to it have never produced any lasting peace, or any reason to fear it very much. Other than a few nominally effective relief programs and monitoring efforts the UN has all but ceased to be the hope of the world. It is not the ineffectiveness of the UN that forces it out of the picture. There is one distinct difference between the UN and the EU. The UN is a relatively modern organization whereas the European Union is an ancient world power, namely the Roman Empire.

According to the Bible the beast once was something, it passed from history for a while then it returns to its former glory at the time of the end. Only the EU has an ancient past not the UN. The beast that thou sawest was, and is not; and shall ascend out of the bottomless pit, and go into perdition: and they that dwell on the earth shall wonder; whose names were not written in the book of life from the foundation of the world, when they beheld the beast that was, and is not, and yet is. Revelation 17:8

Question

How could anyone possibly accurately identify the antichrist, either before or after he starts to rule?

Answer

Many have endeavored to identify the antichrist in this generation. This is not new, but there are a few signs to show us when weve come upon the real McCoy, and unless they exist all attempts to spot this very wicked ruler are mere guesswork, if not outright nonsense. Because any government, ruler or individual that openly opposes Christ is a type of the final antichrist, many have thought that such figures as Antiochus Epiphanes, Nero, Hitler, Saddam Hussein and a host of others were the antichrist. They were in fact types of the antichrist but they are certainly not the final antichrist of Revelation.

By means of biblical numerology, misapplied scripture passages and some pretty extravagant guessing people have come up with some wild ideas on just who this man is. I have heard names such as Henry Kissinger, Sat Guru, David Duke, Ronald Reagan, the Pope, and a dozen of others. One web page I found recently outlines all the reasons why Arnold Schwarzenegger has to be the antichrist! I could laugh at this choice, but knowing why someone made such a ridiculous choice is no laughing matter.

There is less material available in the Bible to identify the antichrist before his rule than after it begins. There is some reason to believe that he will not even he revealed until after the rapture or removing of the church, a belief based on 2 Thessalonians 2:7. Some of the common mistakes in trying to identify this man happen because we are looking for the wrong kind of personality to start with.

He will not be the leader of any new or old religious order or tradition. He will be a political, military genius. He will come up through ordinary political channels and will rise to power so suddenly that the world wont have much time to consider his past. They will be far to busy trying to keep up with his devious antics in the present.

What can he known about him before he starts to rule is somewhat obscure but it is not hard to think that someone or a few people wont begin to notice him and his unusual way of approaching politics, rather early on. We might he able to identify him when we see some of those traits and attributes that the Bible says he begins to show after he has taken power.

Rev Bresciani has written many articles over the past thirty years in such periodicals as Guideposts and Catholic Digest. He is the author of two books available on Amazon.com, Alibris, Barnes and Noble and many other places. Rev Bresciani wrote Hook Line and Sinker or what has Your Church Been Teaching You, publisher, PublishAmerica of Baltimore MD. He also wrote a book published by Xulon Press entitled An American Prophet and His Message, Questions and Answers on the Second Coming of Christ. His book is now being heralded as the clearest book on the subject of the second coming of Christ since Hal Lindsey's "Late Great Planet Earth" Rev Brescianis website is,

http://americanprophet.org

Freedom is Here and Now

One may ask oneself, exactly what is freedom and what does it means. Well the dictionary explains it as meaning self government, exemption from control, unrestricted, openness, etc. Vine's dictionary says primarily of freedom to go wherever one likes, of freedom from restraint and obligation in general.

In the Book of Romans 6:20 it tell us about the freedom from sin. It says When you were slaves to sin, you were free from the control of righteousness. What benefit did you reap at that time from the things you are now ashamed of? Those things result in death! But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves to God, the benefit you reap leads to holiness, and the result is eternal life.

The Bible tell us in the Book of 2Corinthians 3:17 it says Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.

The Year of the Lord's Favor in Isaiah 61:1 says The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me, because the Lord has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn, and provide for those who grieve in Zion-

Look at John 8:31 it says To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free. In the Book of Galatians it speaks about Freedom in Christ. In 5th chapter verse 13 it says You, my brothers, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature, rather, serve one another in love. The entire law is summed up in a single command: Love your neighbor as yourself. If you keep on biting and devouring each other, watch out or you will be destroyed by each other.

In 1st Peter 2:15 it says For it is God's will that by doing good you should silence the ignorant talk of foolish men. Live as free men, but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil; live as servants of God. Show proper respect to everyone; Love the brotherhood of believers, fear God, honor the King.

In closing As we move forward in this new year of 2009, the people have spoken for change in America. I pray that a change will come and that the change brings the freedom to do more of God's will, by doing good, showing proper respect to everyone, to love your neighbor as yourself, and the freedom from the restraint of sin and that everyone do what is right in the eyes of the Lord. Let our obligation in general, belong to Jesus Christ.

Always Remember To Read Your Bible!

Love Always,
Your Sister in Christ,
Mella Davis

Lessons From a Birdwatcher

What an incredible trip this was. I've developed an aversion to flying, so I drove from Chicago to Florida! My wife has always had an aversion to long rides, so she flew. We met in Savannah, and wended our way down the Florida coast.

We're not Disney/Busch folks. We love nature. I particularly love birdwatching. Florida is definitely the place for that! While I was meandering down one particular Florida road, before my wife came, it occurred to me that the world of the birdwatcher can be likened to the world of the soul-winner.

First, birding is a calling. It's not for everyone. And though we are all called to give testimony and live a holy life, not all could be labeled "evangelist." It's a calling.

Second, go where the birds are. Evangelists of God, if acceptors of the Gospel aren't where you are, go find them. Wipe the dust off your feet and move on!

Third, don't be disappointed when birds can't be identified and placed on your "list." There's plenty more that can. There were scores of birds that "got away" but over 60 that were nailed. Souls, too. Some will get away, and some of them, forever. But some will show up in glory.

Fourth, go out with birdwatching in mind. Be ready. Have your paper, pencil, binoculars, boots, rain gear. Prepare for anything. With the hearts of men, be just as ready. Prayer. Tracts always available. Prayer. Writing material. Prayer. Attitude. Prayer. Follow-up Bibles. Prayer. You just never know.

Fifth, no need to go it alone. A second watcher can confirm an identity, see things you do not. A helper by your side in soul-winning can be an encouragement, and have that word that is needed when you don't have it. Iron sharpening iron.

Sixth, go in all kinds of weather. Obvious. "In season, out of season."

Seventh, birds are everywhere. Start in your own back yard. Yep, that's an obvious connection too.

Enjoy your trip.

http://chosunhouse.com is a website I put together a few months back to get the word out to believers that they need to pray for North Korea. I have created over 200 blogs and the site features a live news feed, lists of resources, picture essays, and ways to respond to the overwhelming need in North Korea. Let's love Chosun together! Contact me any time at diakonos5@yahoo.com

And who am I? A man found of God over 50 years ago, called to the ministry, serving the Lord as needed in my world. Married, member of a local church in the Chicago area, with full time work in public education. I love to write Scriptural works. Who are you? Would love to fellowship with believers who respond.

The Deity of Jesus Christ - Psalms

The Divinity of Jesus is all over the Book of Psalms.

2:6, 3:4, God of the Holy Hill. "I cried unto the Lord with my voice, and He heard me out of his holy hill." David praying to the Lord. (3:4) But according to 2:6, God has set His King (the Messiah, Jesus) on that very hill! So the one David is crying to and being answered by, is Christ!

5:2 , the King. "Hearken unto the voice of my cry, my King..." David calls out to God. But as noted above, the "King" has been placed by God in Zion. We know that King to be Jesus. Micah looks ahead to a time when Bethlehem, "...little among the thousands of Judah" shall produce the One "that is to be ruler in Israel." (5:2) Micah had previously said that "The Lord shall reign over them in mount Zion from henceforth, even for ever." (4:7) It was this prospect of a King coming that threw Herod the Great into such a rage (Matthew 2:1-3) that He attempted to dethrone Jesus before His reign could be a threat. Zechariah was first to see King Jesus riding into Jerusalem, hailed by the crowds of Israelites: " Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion; shout O daughter of Jerusalem: behold, thy King cometh unto thee.."(9:9) Matthew 21:1-11 gives the account for us as it happened in history. Even a Roman Governor, Pilate, gets in on the act. His interview with Jesus (John 18:33-38) turns up some information he had not been expecting. Convinced that Jesus is a King, he announces to the city of Jerusalem via that sign for which he always will be remembered: Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews. Right you are, Pilate. The King for whom the Lord has a special message: "The Lord said unto my Lord, Sit Thou at my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool." God at the right hand of God. An identification so close, so real, that to see one is to see the other. "He that hath seen Me hath seen the Father," said Jesus.(John 14:9)

8: 2, Praised by Infants. "Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings hast thou ordained strength because of thine enemies..." 8:2. David, speaking to his most excellent Lord. But Jesus did not consider it robbery to take that very verse unto Himself when being praised by some small children in the temple. It seems to have temporarily stopped the mouths of the chief priests and scribes(Matthew 21:15-16)!

23:1, Shepherd. David: "The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want..." Asaph:"Give ear, O Shepherd of Israel...Thou that dwellest between the cherubims..."And Isaiah, looking ahead to a Shepherd on earth: (40:11) "He shall feed his flock like a shepherd: He shall gather the lambs with His arm, and carry them..."By John we are introduced to this one that David could only imagine, that Isaiah could only see in vision. We know Him as Jesus. (John 10:11) "I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth His life for the sheep." Jesus knew His Bible. He had read David. He did not stumble onto an allegory that was fitting for the moment. Deliberately He calls Himself the Shepherd of Israel. Because He is that Shepherd, the Lord God.

27:1, Light. "The Lord is my light ..." Jesus "I am the light of the world!" John 8:12

29:2, worthy of glory. "Give unto the Lord the GLORY due His name!" 29:2 "To [our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ] be glory both now and for ever. Amen." II Peter 3:18

84:11, a sun. "For the Lord God is a sun and shield..."But we see a star of equal magnitude in the New Testament, named Jesus: "He was transfigured before them, and His face did shine as the sun..." (Matthew 17:2) Visit that final City, and you will have no need of the sun. "The glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof." Fascinating. Is there any difference between "did lighten it" and "is the light thereof"? None that I know of. This is two ways of saying the same thing! Is there any difference then between "God" and "the Lamb"? Not a one! Two ways of saying the same thing.

136:3-4, the only wonder-worker. "O give thanks to the Lord of Lords,... who alone doeth great wonders." Alone? Alone! Anyone doing wonders of the magnitude of this Lord of Lords must be the Lord of Lords. And can you think of One who healed the sick, spoke to waves, raised the dead, changed elements?

139:7, Source of the Spirit. I offer Psalm 139:7 as one of a multitude of passages that suggest that God has a Spirit. We call Him the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of God, and sometimes just the Spirit. How does Jesus relate to this One? Well, we learn from Paul that the sum total of Spirits in the Godhead is one. "There is one Spirit..."(Ephesians 4:4). But in Philippians 1:19 we read of "the Spirit of Jesus Christ." We assume this is the same Spirit, given that there is only one to deal with! So the mystery expands here and lets us know again our finite nature when it comes to figuring out things we cannot see. God has a Spirit. Jesus has a Spirit. But there is only one Spirit. Jesus must be God.

146:8, Blind-eye opener. "The Lord openeth the eyes of the blind..." John 9:30, let an ex-blind man tell it like it is to the religious establishment of Judea: "Why, herein is a marvellous thing, that ye know not from whence He is, and yet He hath opened mine eyes!...if this man were not of God, He could do nothing!" Right , friend. Not only is He of God, He is God Himself!

http://chosunhouse.com is a website I put together a few months back to get the word out to believers that they need to pray for North Korea. I have created over 200 blogs and the site features a live news feed, lists of resources, picture essays, and ways to respond to the overwhelming need in North Korea. Let's love Chosen together! Contact me any time at diakonos5@yahoo.com

And who am I? A man found of God over 50 years ago, called to the ministry, serving the Lord as needed in my world. Married, member of a local church in the Chicago area, with full time work in public education. I love to write Scriptural works. Who are you? Would love to fellowship with believers who respond.

Wanted - A Prophet of God

The job description for the office of Prophet, in the Biblical sense, might be a bit intimidating for modern -at least Western - believers. Yet it was a typical profile when God put His men on the planet. The qualifications included, but were not limited to:

• a desire to live in deserted, lonely habitat
• a severe limitation to wardrobe
• a similar cutback in the area of diet. The necessity of eating what is available in the wild.
• being subject to various forms of death and near-death experiences: beheading, boiling in oil, crucifixion, drowing in a deep pit, stoning, being sawn in two.

Also consider:

• applications are not available. one must live close to God and wait for a call. no call means one is not needed as a prophet. no self-made self-styled prophets need consider themselves a part of this office.
• no college training will prepare such a man. life is the training for a prophet.
• no particular secular life-calling fits the mold of prophet. one can be called from the field or the palace or the synagogue.

And then there are these tips:

• If you are a true prophet, your audience will go down, not up.
• In some cases your entire flock may be asked to follow One Better than you.
• There are no special benefits and privileges, this side of heaven. You are to live a life of perfect obedience, as a slave to the One Who called You.

Have I not properly described the men of God, named and un-named, who grace the pages of Scripture? Moses, Elijah, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Amos, John. And have I not properly drawn a line between a true man of God and the men who are rising before us today trying to wear that same title, with their fine clothes and multi-million dollar homes and vehicles and toys?

Give us Lord, a man of God! One who is not afraid to say everything You have already said, one who cares not how small his congregation becomes as long as he is speaking the truth in love. One who will give his life for what he knows to be the truth.

One of my constant concerns is for the time period immediately following the fall of the Kim reign in North Korea. When the door is open, what will go through that door? The cults that deny Jesus is Lord of all. The religions that look holy but lack life. Mainline denominations of Christendom that have long ago exchanged the good news for a bowl of stew and a warm bed and American-style comforts.

Lord, Your sheep will hear Your voice. For that we are grateful.

http://chosunhouse.com is a website I put together a few months back to get the word out to believers that they need to pray for North Korea. I have created over 200 blogs and the site features a live news feed , lists of resources, picture essays, and ways to respond to the overwhelming need in North Korea. Let's love Chosun together! Contact me any time at diakonos5@yahoo.com

And who am I? A man found of God over 50 years ago, called to the ministry, serving the Lord as needed in my world. Married, member of a local church in the Chicago area, with full time work in public education. I love to write Scriptural works. Who are you? Would love to fellowship with believers who respond .

Daniel and Paul Speak of Antichrist

Did Paul ever deal with the question of the antichrist? Most assuredly. And as one might expect, this passage, II Thessalonians 2, has been abused quite a bit through the years. Let's look at the first 12 verses.

In the first place, Paul meant in no way to divide the "coming" of Jesus from our "gathering" to Him. If he had meant to do this, surely He would not mention these events in reverse order. (I'm using the mentality of the "pre-tribulation" people who insist that there are two separated comings of Jesus in our future.) In fact, the order is correct, and it happens all at the same moment. Jesus comes to earth, and on His way to us we are gathered up from everywhere.

The church in Thessalonica had caught hold of a rumor that God's people had already been raptured up! Paul writes this note to them to settle forever the church's thinking about some secret unknowable rapture. He does in fact what Jesus does with this question. He places before the coming of Jesus, not a rapture but a very clear sign. Remember Jesus' sign (Matthew 24:15)? "The abomination of desolation." Something that God hates that brings His wrath down. For Paul it is the one who commits that horrible sacrilege. Thus it is the same sign spoken of by the prophet Daniel.

In his further comments he uses terminology straight from that book of Daniel that Jesus referred His people to. For example compare II Thessalonians 2:4 to Daniel 11:36:

2:4, "...who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God or that is worshiped..."

11:36, "...he shall exalt and magnify himself above every god, shall speak blasphemies against the God of gods..."

Two events, says Paul, must come before the day of Christ's return. They can be viewed as two parts of the same event. First a slow but clear backsliding of God's people. I believe it could be so large in its scope that the Bible will be largely a forgotten, unknown Book. Remember the conditions at Jesus' first coming! The Scriptures had been hidden from the eyes of men so greatly that the clear prophecies regarding the when and where of His appearing were not commonly known.

So it will be, I believe, when He comes again. The Gospel message, though having gone everywhere, will have lost its grip on multiplied millions, as one can see in Europe and other parts of the West today. Christian values in society will be swept away by the "newer thinking". There will be a blending of church and world to the extent that lukewarmness will prevail and straightforward Biblical truths will be largely ridiculed or ignored.

Thus it will be easy for the second sign to occur, the rise of a lawless society headed by a lawless antichrist. The spirit of the age will be "liberty" which easily erodes into "lawless" ways, the "no one can tell me what to do" mentality.

Thus will rise, says Paul, "the lawless one", "the son of perdition." The self-exaltation and blasphemy which will be his hallmark have been documented not only in Daniel but in John's work, Revelation. The Spirit is saying the same thing many times, so we will not miss it. Or will we?

http://chosunhouse.com is a website I put together a few months back to get the word out to believers that they need to pray for North Korea. Just about every day I'm writing a blog featuring some news, a book, or a story of North Korea. There's a live news feed on the site, lists of resources, picture essays, and ways to respond to the overwhelming need in North Korea. Let's love Chosun together!

And who am I? A man found of God over 50 years ago, called to the ministry, serving the Lord as needed in my world. Married, member of a local church in the Chicago area, with full time work in public education. Who are you? Would love to fellowship with believers who respond on my site.

North Korea - Here Comes Jesus!

For many months now I have been sharing with you all the difficult things people need to know about North Korea. We've talked famine & flood together, refugees, orphans, split-up families. I've wept with you over concentration camps, torture, public executions. But rarely have I been able to share good things with you. Well, hey, there just aren't a lot of good things to share. But today my quiver is full. Stand back and get ready to be blessed.

Would you believe it if I told you that every day of the year the Gospel is being beamed into North Korea by short wave radio, and that one million North Koreans are hearing that Gospel message? Imagine it. 30 minutes a day these otherwise destitute NK nationals get to hear readings from a North Korea dialect New Testament read by a real North Korean, a man we will call "Mr. Kim", living in South Korea, plus an audio drama of the life of Christ, and even a reading of the classic Wurmbrand book Tortured for Christ !

Would you also believe me if I related that before September of this year, 600,000 Gospel tracts will arrive by air into various parts of the Hermit Kingdom north of the DMZ? That plans are being made to increase that number astronomically by technology that will allow year-round launches of balloons carrying these fliers?

Would you still stay with me if I told you there are 13,000 North Korean defectors living in Seoul ghettos as we speak, and that they are also being reached with a message of hope and purpose? That many of them are being trained to bless their own people with the Gospel?

And what would you say if I told you that all of the above energy and planning is North-Korea created and energized?

If you truly believed that all of this is happening, would you think what we often think when we read the papers about North Korea, that "nothing is really changing. Poor folks , they'll never make it now. More famine is on the way. Probably wipe out the whole nation..."?

I recently had to re-seed the back yard. My wife had a garden out there. Now that we're thinking of selling, we are trying to make it look a little more "normal." Unfortunately extensive gardens in a suburb of Chicago aren't considered the norm. So I had to try my hand at horticulture, or whatever it's called. I've decided after several hot days not to leave my day job.

But the work itself was not the worst part. It was the waiting. And waiting. I had decided after about a week that I had really blown it this time. I was mentally planning to re-do the whole thing. No grass! Hey, I'd planted faithfully. I'd watered faithfully. God Himself poured buckets on several occasions. In fact He helped so much that I thought the poor seeds were drowned. Forget this green-thumb stuff.

Then one morning, like that first sign of a beard on a skinny teen-age boy, there it was. The tiniest, frailest, but most beautiful green I had ever seen. This was my grass. I did this. I can't describe how good it felt.

Do you think Jesus might just have a morning like this soon? Oh my, SO many seeds have been planted! Oh my, SO much watering is being done. The Word of God is not bound. It keeps doing what God says it must do. Many lives have been changed forever already. The Word is getting out. Something is stirring deep underground.

What our "Mr. Kim" is preaching cannot be stopped by that other "Mr. Kim." Jong-il had his shot at stopping it for sure. But the plants are growing anyway. See the frail little seedlings sprouting, barely visible above the surface? The news media hasn't picked it up yet. But when they do, what a chance for Christ to be glorified!

For it is Christ Who is touching refugees and orphans. It is Christ Who is feeding the hungry, caring for the dying. The world will see the difference that Christ makes when he is given the reins. May the day come soon.

Information for the above gleaned from Seoul USA in Seoul , Korea and Colorado Springs , CO.

Look for Bob Faulkner's home page on http://sermonaudio.com There you will find a combination of love for the Scriptures and a desire for North Korean believers to have their needs met. There are nearly 300 blogs , over 200 Bible teaching MP3's, lists of resources, NK picture albums, and ways to respond to the overwhelming need in North Korea. Let's love Chosun together! Contact me any time at diakonos5@yahoo.com

And who am I? A man found of God over 50 years ago, called to the ministry, serving the Lord as needed in my world. Married, member of a local church in the Chicago area, with full time work in public education. Would love to fellowship with believers who respond.

The Peace That Follows the Purge

December 25 has come and gone again. "Peace on earth, good will toward men" is the hope that is on everyone's lips. The secular media even gives an assist to the cause of Christ, for which we are grateful.

The blurred image of this peace is a man called Jesus Who is a perennial Nice Guy. He calls on all of us to get along, settle our differences, lay down our weapons of war, come together, and forge a union of nations and religions that will cement our security forever.

Ahem, pardon me. But that's not the peace that Jesus gives or offers to a failed flawed race. Jesus' peace is made of sterner stuff. The way to peace is Jesus Himself entering our repentant heart and renewing and re-doing. Ask anyone who has truly been made full of the Holy Ghost. It can be a gut-wrenching time of death to self so that Christ can live His resurrected life within.

So shall it be among the nations. The non-repentant nations and the citizens within them, by far the great majority of mankind, will experience the wrath of God in unprecedented measure, perhaps soon. Then shall the Prince of Peace come and rule over the earth in a time of flabbergasting peace and prosperity.

His peace follows purging. His peace is maintained by His Lordship. Individually and nationally. Thus we mourn for the nations of earth on this Christmas morn. My own heart gravitates toward North Korea and the severe judgment that awaits its government and most of its people if the message of the Gospel of Peace is not permitted to enter.

I offer these promises to such as continue in their present ways, whether the ways of righteousness or the ways of evil. All from Psalm 37, which gripped my heart during a recent devotional time, and reminded me of what is coming. May we who know Christ play our part well until these things come upon us...

"... evildoers shall soon be cut down like the grass...

"Delight yourself in the Lord, and he shall give you the desires of your heart."

"... evildoers shall be cut off."

"Those who wait on the Lord shall inherit the earth."

"For yet a little while and the wicked shall be no more."

"The meek shall inherit the earth."

"The Lord laughs at [the wicked] for he sees that his day is coming."

"The Lord upholds the righteous."

"The enemies of the Lord, like the splendor of the meadows, shall vanish into smoke..."

"Those blessed by Him shall inherit the earth."

"Those cursed by Him shall be cut off."

"The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord."

"I have seen the wicked in great power, spreading himself like a native green tree... yet he passed away..."

So take heed, Mr. Kim Jong-il, and any leader or citizen who exalts himself above the Lord God. It's only a matter of time now...

For those who follow Jesus, a blessed holiday, peace in your heart, and peace on our land one day.

Look for Bob Faulkner's home page on http://sermonaudio.com There you will find a combination of love for the Scriptures and a desire for North Korean believers to have their needs met. There are nearly 300 blogs, over 200 Bible teaching MP3's, lists of resources, NK picture albums, and ways to respond to the overwhelming need in North Korea. Let's love Chosun together! Contact me any time at diakonos3@gmail.com

And who am I? A man found of God over 50 years ago, called to the ministry, serving the Lord as needed in my world. Married, member of a local church in the Chicago area, with full time work in public education. Would love to fellowship with believers who respond .

Who Will Reign With Jesus?

There is a group of saints described in a very straightforward manner in the Book of Revelation, chapter 20. Looking for explanations of Revelation in the words of Jesus and Paul only helps to solidify the answer to the question I pose today. It is not good news for a lukewarm church. In Revelation 20, the Spirit of God shows John just what He had shown Daniel centuries before. After world crises are quelled and brought into order by the returning King of Kings Jesus Christ, thrones are set up. Plural. We know that the Father and the Son are the only ones originally worthy. But through acts of His grace He will confer on Adam's line the honor of kingship also. Christians have prided themselves in these king-to-be passages through the years, announcing to all who will hear, "Hey, I'm bound for the throne! I'm a priest of God, a king who will reign with Jesus for a thousand years!"

I will not deny what God has said. Such a thing is dangerous business. But I will affirm the whole truth of what He said, and see how many of the boasts dry up or at least calm down. John seems to put some other qualifications to kingship that we don't hear about so often.

The people John saw (in the Spirit) "had been beheaded for their witness to Jesus." Further, they had not worshiped the beast or received his mark. What would that mean in this generation before the beast and the mark have arisen? Would it mean staying away from ungodly yoking? Would it mean honoring our God with our time and treasure, to the point where we ignore the world and the flesh?

These ones identified by John clearly were allowed to live and reign with Jesus for that 1000 years. They are part of the first resurrection. And those who did not reign were raised later, to the resurrection of damnation.

Is it that cut and dried? Will no others reign with Jesus, from all the ages before the last one? Let's hear Jesus and Paul, but again I say, the indications are a bit troublesome.

Paul told the Phillipians that they were privileged to be able to suffer for Jesus. So let us put to rest the modern theory that says Jesus takes His folks out just before mankind's greatest Tribulation, and the rest of the saints are left behind to deal with antichrist because for the most part they are second class backsliders.

No, those who suffer with Jesus are the blessed ones. We got it backwards.

To the Roman Christians Paul goes on to say that if saints suffer with Christ, they shall reign with Him. That's saints in every generation, I presume. He repeats these sentiments to son Timothy, "all who desire to live godly will suffer persecution," and " if we suffer with Him, we will also reign with Him."

So Paul widens the door, and seems to allow for saints of all ages being among the reigning throng . But he quickly narrows the options too, by suggesting that it is only those saints who suffer who will be there. In fact, the very definition that Paul seems to be giving for sainthood - the Biblical sort, as opposed to that promoted in Rome - is a life made holy by persecution. So what says Jesus?

Jesus' words are the most familiar of all, and perhaps that is why we have set them aside in our thinking. May they be real to us as we contemplate our place around the Heavenly Throne:

"Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake. Rejoice and be exceeding glad, for great is your reward in heaven..."

I have said often that we need North Korean Christians more than they need us. We need them to teach us what the cross means again. They are living what Jesus and Paul taught. Serving Christ means persecution. But then, they shall experience what Paul and John taught: if we suffer, we will reign with him.

In the light of this blinding truth, I ask you, who should we pity most? Christians who sit in concentration camps but who will sit around the Throne of God, or Christians who never learned to carry the cross at all?

Let us strive to live those godly lives, that we may enter into the fellowship of His suffering.

http://chosunhouse.com is a website I put together a few months back to get the word out to believers that they need to pray for North Korea. I have created over 200 blogs and the site features a live news feed , lists of resources, picture essays, and ways to respond to the overwhelming need in North Korea. Let's love Chosun together! Contact me any time at diakonos5@yahoo.com

And who am I? A man found of God over 50 years ago, called to the ministry, serving the Lord as needed in my world. Married, member of a local church in the Chicago area, with full time work in public education. I love to write Scriptural works. Who are you? Would love to fellowship with believers who respond.