Friday, December 28, 2018

Will The American Pull Out Of Syria Aid In The Fulfillment of Bible Prophecy?


Again, I am not a prophet nor am I making a prophecy.  I am only asking the question considering proposed policies of the United States government. 
Syria has never been a threat to the United States.  It has been a means of getting back at Iran.  The whole Syrian conflict has been a cover to destroy Iran’s political power in the region.
For over thirty years the Islamic Republic of Iran has been an enemy of the US government.  Iran has been the thorn in the side of US policies in the Middle East.  Americans have been led to believe that Iran is the greatest threat to American security.  The facts are Iran has never been an actual threat to the United States.  It has no desire to make the US territory, has never conducted a terrorist operation aimed at the American homeland, and if they were to gain nuclear weapons, they have no delivery system to threaten the US.  The economy of Iran is weak, and they will never become a challenger to the US.
So, why is the US government so involved in the Middle East?  The danger from Syria and Iran has never been towards the US but towards Israel.   For years there has been a consensus in Israel that Iran cannot be allowed to acquire nuclear weapons. From left to right across the political spectrum, a great many Israelis see a threat to their very survival from a nuclear Iran. Former Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said, “Israel will not tolerate a nuclear weapon in the hands of people who say openly, explicitly and publicly that they want to wipe Israel off the map.” In his first speech to the Knesset after being sworn in as prime minister, Binyamin (“Bibi”) Netanyahu said, “We cannot afford to take lightly megalomaniac tyrants who threaten to annihilate us.” Other Israeli leaders fear that Israel’s strategic room for maneuver in the region would be constrained by an Iranian nuclear deterrent. The success of Iranian-backed terrorist groups, Hizballah in Lebanon and Hamas in Gaza and the West Bank, in the last few years has only added to Israel’s concern.
The Israeli leadership is concerned that if Iran gains nuclear weapons, they will attack Israel and the international community will do nothing.  Israel, however, is not sitting back waiting for the first strike from Iran.  They have been planning for a military operation to prevent Iran from ever gaining nuclear weapons.  It should be noted that Israel has the nuclear weapons needed to stop Iran in its tracks and will no doubt use that option if they feel it is required. So, there is a considerable reason to believe that under the right (or wrong) set of circumstances, Israel would launch an attack—principally airstrikes, but possibly backed by special forces operations—to destroy Iran’s nuclear program.  This could create either an opportunity for or a threat to American interests about Iran and the broader Middle East. It could constitute a chance, and thus a possible policy option if the United States would like to see Iran’s nuclear program destroyed but prefers not to do it. It could be a threat if the United States believes that an Israeli attack would destabilize the region and would not advance (or would harm) American interests concerning Iran. 
For years I have heard Zionist Christians who have expressed the hope that Israel would strike Iran— that Jerusalem would have the “guts” to do what Washington does not. Other Americans regard the prospect with horror, believing that an Israeli attack would bring about Armageddon.
Since the US government would like to appear to have clean hands encouraging or even assisting Israel in conducting the strike would deflect away from the US international criticism and place it on Israel.  With the increase in anti-Semitism around the world, Israel would be blamed and condemned by the world.
By pulling out of Syria and bringing our troops home from the Middle-East the US government is opening the door for both Israel and Turkey to get involved in Syria and Iran.  Turkey is ready to move on Syria, along with Israel.
Syria is the first step to an air strike on Iran.  Israel would not need to secure regional support for such an operation.  They could move very fast to implement an attack.  There are, however, some problems if this happens.
Israel cannot avoid flying through someone’s airspace.  The most direct route from Israel to Iran’s Natanz facility is roughly 1,750 kilometers across Jordan and Iraq. As the occupying power in Iraq, the United States is responsible for defending Iraqi airspace. The alternatives via Turkish airspace (over 2,200 kilometers) or Saudi airspace (over 2,400 kilometers) would also put the attack force into the skies of US. Allies equipped with American-supplied air defenses and fighter aircraft. In the case of turkey, an Israeli overflight would be further complicated by the fact that Turkey is a NATO ally that the United States has a commitment to defend, and it hosts a large, joint Turkish-American airbase along the most likely route of attack.
 For political and military reasons, Israel’s need to overfly Turkish, Iraqi-Jordanian, or Saudi airspace creates two problems. First, an Israeli strike must achieve surprise so that Israeli planes are not intercepted by the air defenses and fighters of those countries. Second, in part based on reason number one, the Israelis would get basically one shot at Iran. On the first pass, they likely would surprise any of those countries and be able to reach Iran and return before the Turks, Saudis, or Jordanians could activate their air defenses; but a second wave would meet alerted air defenses, creating military and political problems that Israel would likely find insurmountable. An initial Israeli attack across Iraqi territory would severely complicate the US military presence there; a repeat performance would likely compromise it all together. So, after the first round of strikes, Israel would have nothing but its small fleet of ballistic missiles and submarine-launched cruise missiles for follow-on attacks, and because the ballistic missiles are such valuable assets, Jerusalem would not likely squander them on anything but the highest value Iranian targets. 
 If for whatever reason Israel carries out missions against Syria and Iran will they then face Turkey who will no doubt have gained control over a large portion of Syria?  Turkey is no friend of Israel and with Syria and Iran weakened will Turkey become the uniting force to bring about the desired Islamic Caliphate that will unite the Muslim countries against Israel?
These are just a few thoughts that should be considered about what is taking place in the Middle-East today.  I do support President Trump in getting out of the Middle-East.  Regardless of what Turkey and Israel do or the outcome of their actions, we are moving closer to the final judgment God will bring on the wicked.  It is important that as Christians we warn others to be prepared for the coming of the LORD as we see the day approaching.

Saturday, December 22, 2018

Courage to Speak The Truth

Moral courage involves the willingness to speak out and do that which is right in the face of forces that would lead a person to act in some other way.  For one to have moral courage they must first have the courage to stand for the core values of the Christian doctrine.  Many Christians have an aversion to speaking about their faith, much less standing up for what they believe.  Moral courage is essentially an act that reflects one’s character.

Moral courage comes from moral wisdom.  The beginning of wisdom is the fear of the LORD.  The fear of the LORD is foundational to true understanding.  All other types of learning are worthless unless built upon a knowledge of the LORD Himself. 

Solomon understood the importance of building the right foundation when he wrote Proverbs 1:7, “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and instruction.”  A wise person fears/reverences/obeys the LORD; a fool despises God’s instruction and cannot be told what to do.  The wise person has a foundation on which to build the moral wisdom to have the moral courage to do what is right.

The connection between the fear of God and wisdom means we cannot possess wisdom if we recreate God in our image. Too often people want to “tame” God into a non-threatening nobody. But, if we redefine the LORD as a god that makes us feel comfortable, a permissive “buddy” who exists to bless us and give us what we want, we will not fear Him in the way He deserves to be feared. The Lord God Almighty is far greater than that, and the fear of the Lord begins when we see Him in His majesty and glory.

The amount of moral courage we have is directly related to our certainty.  When we lack certainty in what we believe is shows in our communication skills. It takes moral courage to stand for what is right without compromise. The individual with the greatest amount of certainty is better equipped to deal with hostility, defensiveness and a variety of tactics used by our adversaries to prevent us from acting in a morally courageous manner.  This is what made the Apostle Paul such a force for the Gospel.  He said to Timothy, “God gave us not a spirit of fearfulness; but of power and love and discipline.  Be not ashamed therefore of the testimony of our Lord,.. : but suffer hardship with the gospel according to the power of God; who saved us, and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus… For which cause, I suffer also these things: yet I am not ashamed; for I know him whom I have believed, and I am persuaded that he can guard that which I have committed unto him against that day.

False Christians Will Not Remain Loyal


 “They went out from us, but they did not really belong to us. For if they had belonged to us, they would have remained with us; but their going showed that none of them belonged to us” (1 John 2:19)
In the story of Esther, we have Mordecai who remained faithful and stood by her even when her life was in danger.   Paul in writing to Timothy tells of a different story. (2Tim. 4:10)   
There was a young man by the name of Demas who had at one time been one of Paul’s “fellow workers” in the gospel ministry along with Mark, Luke, and others (Philemon 1:24). During Paul’s first imprisonment in Rome, Demas was also in Rome (Colossians 4:14).
We are not given the details, but something happened. Demas deserted Paul and abandoned the ministry. Paul wrote: “Demas, because he loved this world, has deserted me and has gone to Thessalonica” (2 Timothy 4:10).
The Greek verb used in the original implies that Demas had not merely left Paul but had left him “in the lurch”; that is, Demas had abandoned Paul in a time of need. The apostle was in prison, facing a death sentence, and that’s when Demas chose to cut ties and run. Undoubtedly, Paul was deeply let down by Demas. It’s never easy to see a friend and associate in whom you’ve placed your trust forsake you during hardship.
The separation caused by Demas’ desertion of Paul was not merely physical but spiritual. Demas left Rome because he fell in love with the world. In other words, Demas chose the world rather than Jesus.
Demas like so many today was saying by his actions, I tried Jesus, but he was not for me.”  Some might even say Demas was never born-again.  First John 2:15 is clear about the spiritual state of those who love the world: “Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in them.” Nowhere in the Bible do we read of the restoration of Demas.
The tragedy of Demas is still being lived out today by those who choose the temporary benefits of this world over the eternal riches of heaven. Today there are still those who seem to receive the Word but then “the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke the word, making it unfruitful” (Matthew 13:22). Past service is no guarantee of future faithfulness; we must depend on the Lord, our Strength (Psalm 28:8). We must be born again (John 3:3); otherwise, we have no foundation of faith.  It is that foundation that allows us to stand with fellow believers when they are facing adversity.

What Happened To Loyalty and Kindness?

Proverbs 3:1-3 My child, never forget the things I have taught you. Store my commands in your heart. If you do this, you will live for many years, and your life will be satisfying. Never let loyalty and kindness leave you! Tie them around your neck as a reminder. Write them deep within your heart.

Solomon was teaching his child the importance of being loyal and kind.  This is in contrast to what Jesus said would happen in the last days where loyalty and kindness would cease to exist in the family.

The father shall be divided against the son, and the son against the father; the mother against the daughter, and the daughter against the mother; the mother in law against her daughter in law, and the daughter in law against her mother in law. Luke 12:53

One of the indicators that we are living in the end times is the way families have become divided.   There is a great divide between the younger generation and their parents; whether God’s commandments are valid and worth obeying or rejecting. We see it in how families are broken and dysfunctional.  

There is a very definite division between the generations, but mainly even among families who were raised in a Christian family or consider themselves Christian. Young people hook up, they do not follow God’s commandments concerning sexual purity and marriage; this is true in Christian as well as non-Christian contexts. The words “I hate God” and “I hate Christ,” and “I hate you” may not have been said yet in so many words from their mouths, but their lives and their actions shout it out to all who have ears to hear.

 In the past, elders’ experiences were valued, and their children listened to them. Estrangement did happen, but it appeared to be reserved for parents cutting off a wayward child — the “black sheep” of the family.

After WWII, parents became more flexible and affectionate with their children.  Previous conventional wisdom had been that child-rearing should focus more on building discipline.  So, maybe the seed of children cutting off their parents started with us. We boomers were the first generation with parents who were ultra-concerned about making sure their children had a “better” childhood than they had.

A familiar story among parents who have estranged adult children is how much they had focused on their children, how much they did to make sure their children had all the best advantages, made them the center of the family universe — and often how they treated them more like an equal or an adult than a child.

Has a change in parenting style led to the rise of narcissism in subsequent generations over time, resulting in the ability of children to cut off their parents without much thought or concern for the consequences?  The society we live in is one where if someone no longer supports the view you have of yourself — get rid of them!

Developing the character of loyalty and kindness starts in the home adjusting our schedule to meet the spiritual needs of our children.

Sunday, December 9, 2018

Hate Crime Prevention Law

Once again, the topic of hate crime legislation is in the news.  Indiana is one of five states without a Hate Crime Prevention Law. The Governor is pushing for the passing of such legislation.  I am expressing my opinion and this is not directed at any race religion or sexual identity. 

Since the anti-lynching laws our country has struggled to deal with hate shown towards race, religion and not towards sexual identity.  It has been in the news ever since Matthew Shepard’s brutal murder in Wyoming in 1998 hate crime legislation has been expanded to include "sexual preference" the main focus of hate crime bills.  The intent is to curb attacks against the LGBT community.   Despite its proper purpose to control these attacks, such legislation is ill-conceived.

Indiana does not have many hate crimes.  To read the headlines, it sounds like there is a crime spree taking place in the state of Indiana.  Last year there were a total of 55 hate crimes reported in Indiana.  Compare this to 360 murders, or the 14,364 aggravated assaults or the tens time the number of human traffic crimes as hate crimes-- makes hate crimes small compared to other crimes.  It could be argued that all crimes are hate crimes that start in the unregenerate heart.  Even if it were only one hate crime it is not acceptable. All crimes are an affront to any civilized people and should be addressed.

Jesus said, Ye have heard that it was said of them of old time, Thou shalt not kill; and whosoever shall kill shall be in danger of the judgment: But I say unto you, That whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment: and whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council: but whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire.  Matt 5:21-22

He goes on to say,  Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbor, and hate thine enemy.   But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust. Matt:43-45

Hate starts in the heart and is a spiritual matter. Hatred will not be abolished with a law nor will any law protect a person from being hated.

I am against crimes of hate, but I also am against hate crime laws for three reasons.

•    First, they criminalize thought, not behavior. Hate crimes laws are an attempt at thought control.  Keep in mind the intent of the Hate Crime Law is the prevention of a crime before it happens based on thought, not behavior.  Where would Jimmy Carter be if thoughts were crimes?  Remember when he said in a Playboy interview, "I've looked at a lot of women with lust. I've committed adultery in my heart many times." Why do we need a thought control law when offenses like -- murder, assault, intimidation -- are already crimes and there are laws against each.  The legislation seeks to increase penalties when they are motivated by bias. The extra punishment isn't for what the perpetrator did, but what he was thinking while he was doing it. It criminalizes beliefs. Hate crimes also make a mockery of equality under the law by creating a dual standard of justice.  If you're battered, bruised and bleeding because your assailant has a personal grudge against you, the attacker gets one sentence. But if the same injuries are inflicted because of your race or religion or sexual preference, the punishment is more stringent.  Is the victim hurt, humiliated or traumatized less than the target of a group? If not, why is one crime more deserving of punishment than the other?

Even the ACLU is concerned that hate crime laws criminalize thoughts, arguing that it should not be a crime to think or articulate hurtful statements. Hurting someone’s feelings may be offensive, even emotionally painful, but it shouldn’t be against the law.

•    Second, they do not protect individuals, but instead, select classes of people.  The purpose of a hate crime law is to give the courts the authority to provide harsher sentencing.   Harsher sentencing does not decrease the number of hate crimes being committed. A focus on sentence enhancement for these crimes does nothing for prevention. Putting our energy toward promoting harsher sentencing takes it away from the more difficult and more important work of changing our culture so that no one wants to kill another person because of their perceived membership in a marginalized identity group.  Incarceration is supposed to deter crime, and harsher sentencing for hate crimes is supposed to prevent crime even more. However, this is not the reality. Longer time spent in prison increases recidivism. Our current system of imprisonment is producing more violence, not less. Hate crime verdicts will only add to this sad reality.

The mainstream LGBT movement—including national groups such as the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force and Lambda Legal Defense, as well as many local state advocacy groups—often disagrees within itself on political priorities, policy implementation and even basic strategies regarding social justice issues. But the one thing that almost all of them agree on is that hate crime laws are good for LGBT people, that they work to deter crime and that LGBT people are safer because of them. These groups are not out of line with liberal American thinking. The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People and the Jewish Anti-Defamation League (ADL) both support hate crime legislation.

What is interesting to me is that the LGBT community is a strong supporter of hate crime legislation.  Have they looked at the statistics?  While good statistics are hard to come by, at least 30% of the transgender community has been incarcerated at some point. Trans folk are usually assigned to prison based on the gender assigned to them at birth. While in prison they are disproportionately targeted by violence, including rape and sexual assault because trans people are so unsafe in general population they are often put in solitary confinement, itself a harsh form of punishment. Hate crimes sentencing opens more trans people to violence within the prison, a place we seldom think about when considering where a violent crime takes place.  I would think the LGBT community would be asking the questions: Do these laws work? Do they deter violence against LGBT people? Do they make LGBT people safer? And, most important, are they fair and just?

In the case of Matthew Shepard, we will never know for sure if Shepard was murdered because he was gay. The two men convicted claimed to be gay.  They drove him in a truck to a remote spot and beat Shepard mercilessly. His skull was smashed with a handgun. His hands and face were cut, and his body was burned. Strung up on the fence, he was exposed overnight to 30-degree temperatures. His life was hanging by a thread. A few days later, at a hospital in Fort Collins Colorado, 22-year-old Matthew Shepard died. What is a fact in this case is both of his killers were given two consecutive life sentences without the possibility of parole without a hate crime law on the books? Even if there had been a state or federal hate crime law in place, it is also highly likely it would not have prevented the murder.

The public outcry created by the Matthew Shepard case to include LGBT people as protected categories in existing hate crime laws was not based on criminology or logic but emotion.

•    Third, Hate Crime Laws encourage hostility towards one group of people, Christians. Hate Crime Laws will have a significant impact on individuals who have a sincere belief that homosexuality, lesbianism, transgenderism violate their religious tenets. This encompasses a broad group of religions and religious beliefs. Those religions that believe these alternative lifestyles are wrong are compelled by their religious beliefs to speak out and to oppose the promotion of such lifestyles actively. So, the Hate Crimes Bill must be viewed from the perspective of those who believe they must actively oppose an immoral lifestyle. Care should be taken to distinguish those who advocate bodily harm and even death for those who participate in a sinful lifestyle from those who hold a sincere religious belief that they can do nothing to promote or accept an immoral lifestyle, and indeed, must actively, though legally, oppose such lifestyles. Hate is never justifiable to inflict bodily harm on another especially if the only justification for the injury is just because an individual does not agree with another’s lifestyle. The Hate Crimes Bill must be assessed in its legal impact on any religious group who attempts to peacefully and lawfully live out their religious beliefs and advocate against what their religious beliefs prohibit.

There is a change in this country towards Christianity.  For more than a decade now, those who proclaim allegiance to Christianity have been facing an increasingly hostile environment.  A good example is the War on Christmas.

As far back as 2003, an article published by World Net Daily highlighted a raging dispute that resulted in New York City over whether schools may be allowed to display religious symbols. Jewish menorahs and Islamic crescents were permitted, but nativity scenes depicting the birth of Christ were not allowed.

New York City lawyers maintained that the Jewish and Islamic symbols have a secular dimension, while the latter is “purely religious.” According to the WND article, one rationale for the objection to the nativity displays is that “the birth of Christ does not represent a historical event.”

The birth of Jesus Christ is not a fictional contrivance. It is one of the most firmly established events of ancient history. It is laughable even to hint otherwise. What does the “A.D.” used in the designation of the year mean?

Since the exact year of Jesus’ birth is unknown, it certainly is not probable that Christ was born on December 25. It is believed that this date was adopted, possibly in the second century A.D., because it corresponded to the “winter solstice” — when the daylight period begins to lengthen. December may have been adopted at that time as a symbol of the coming of the “sun of righteousness”.

Clement of Alexandria set the date of Christ’s birth on November 18, 3 B.C. Other ancient writers placed the time at May 20, 3/2 B.C., or on April 19 or 20 of the same year. The ancient record is a mass of confusion relative to the precise date of Jesus’ birth.

There is not the slightest evidence that there is any authorization for creating a sacred celebration of the birth of Christ. There is no instruction within the New Testament to ceremonially honor the Savior’s birth, and there is no indication that the Christians of the apostolic age did so.  There seems to have been no movement to formally celebrate the birth of Christ until about the first half of the third century A.D., when Hippolytus, “Bishop” of Rome selected January 2 as the day of commemoration.

All I know is that Jesus was born, was a real person lived died and was resurrected on the third day, and now sits at the right hand of the Father.  To suggest, however, that the Hebrew menorah and the Islamic crescent have a “secular significance” that lifts them above any religious association is absurd.

The menorah [Hebrew for “candelabrum”] has its origin in the book of Exodus (see Ex. 25:31-40; 37:17-24), where it was constructed by divine direction as one of the items of furniture in the Tabernacle’s holy place. It is considered the symbol of Judaism.

There is no doubt but that the crescent moon has become a symbol of the Islamic religion. In an article designed to dispute the claim of some, that the Muslim name for God (Allah) was originally a designation for a moon god, a follower of Mohammed readily concedes that “Muslims use the crescent as the symbol of Islam” (Mohd Elfie Nieshaem Juferi, What is the Significance of the Crescent Moon in Islam?)

New York authorities have adopted a double standard. Both Jews and Muslims are accommodated by a tolerance for their religious paraphernalia, while those who profess an affiliation with Christ become the victims of legal persecution.

Could it be that the New York authorities are committing a hate crime against Christians?  How many of those who made this ruling were Jews or Muslims?

Christians in the early 21st century are the world's most persecuted religious group. According to the secular International Society for Human Rights, 80 percent of violations of religious freedom in the world today are directed against Christians. We are witnessing the rise of a new generation of martyrs. Underlying the global war on Christians is the demographic reality that more than two-thirds of the world's 2.3 billion Christians now live outside the West, often as a beleaguered minority up against a hostile majority. Whether it's Islamic fundamentalism in the Middle East and parts of Africa and Asia, Hindu radicalism in India, or state-imposed atheism in China and North Korea or Jewish hatred of Christians in Israel. In Europe and North America, Christians face political and legal challenges to religious freedom.

Most people in the West have little idea persecution is even happening: The global war on Christians has come to America.  There are legal oppression, social harassment, and direct physical violence, with Christians as its leading victims. 

Here in Indiana, Memories Pizza -- the first Indiana business to declare it would refuse to cater a gay wedding because of their religious belief was immediately flooded by threatening phone calls, and social media postings.  A lesbian teacher from Concord Community Schools suggested burning down Memories Pizza.  The gay community exhibited its hatred toward this Christian businessman who only answered a hypothetical question.  Did Mr. O’Conner act in a hateful manner and threaten to burn down a gay business?  No, he did not.  Did he call anyone a bigot? No, he did not.  Did he care that a gay man bought a pizza and served it at a gay wedding?  No.  He did not care what they did with the pizza after he sold it.  It is a fact that Memories Pizza served a man regardless of his sexual relationships. Its owners did not deny him service. They didn’t “turn him away.” They didn’t quiz the man when he came in, asking whether he identified as a homosexual or how he would use the pizza
Christians are interested in exercising the teachings of their faith regarding marriage, and in continuing to live quiet and peaceful lives in harmony with their communities, as we have been doing for years. We haven’t sought a fight; it has come to us out of hatred from a community that wants Christians to “bless their sin.”  If this is not hatred, why have we not heard of Muslim or Jewish businesses being targeted?

Christianity is not the only religion that does not accept homosexuality other religions like Islam, Judaism, Buddhism, Sikh, Bahai, Druze, and Zoroastrianism all are against homosexuality.  So, why target Christians?

I fear that a Hate Crime Prevention Law will be a tool used by the anti-Christian groups to silence the message of Christianity.  I am opposed to this law and would hope that our elected Representatives will oppose any Hate Crime legislation.  These are my opinions and are not directed at any race, religion, or sexual identity. 

Divided Nation-Divided Family


The father shall be divided against the son, and the son against the father; the mother against the daughter, and the daughter against the mother; the mother in law against her daughter in law, and the daughter in law against her mother in law. Luke 12:53 

One of the indicators that we are living in the end times is the way families have become divided.   There is a great divide between the younger generation and their parents; whether God’s commandments are valid and worth obeying or rejecting. We see it in the culture in what is accepted and what is not. We see it in the current controversy concerning marriage and same-sex relationships.  We see it in the views of whether life is sacred, and if the unborn and other human life can be quickly discarded. We see it in the view of truth, that lies are not evil if they accomplish a “worthy” purpose.  We see it how families are broken and dysfunctional.   

There is a very definite division between the generations, but mainly even among families who were raised in a Christian family or consider themselves Christian. Young people hook up, they do not follow God’s commandments concerning sexual purity and marriage; this is true in Christian as well as non-Christian contexts. The words “I hate God” and “I hate Christ,” and “I hate you” may not have been said yet in so many words from their mouths, but their lives and their actions shout it out to all who have ears to hear.  

Recently, I was asked about a situation that I found was taking place more often than people would like to acknowledge.  I am not one to spy on the actions of other people nor do I like it when I find out I have been spied on.  Americans were upset when they found the NSA was spying on us.  President Trump kept telling us that the Obama Administration was spying on him, then the reality of what had taken place was exposed.  When our allies found out the US government was spying on them, they were upset.  No one likes a spy.  You can bring this closer home than the government.  There are people you should not invite into your home.  They will check out your medicine cabinet, your dresser drawers, under your bed, your closets and any place they think there is a place to hide some secret aspect of your life.  These individuals then share what they find with others.  Snoopers are trying to uncover secrets about you that they can use later to embarrass or blackmail you. You may see some of your secrets exposed on Facebook or the local newspaper.  Snooping people are not your friend.  What I found interesting there is research that indicates about 40% of the people you invite into your home will end up snooping.   

Snooping seems to be a way of life for some people.  They have done it all their life and continue to be a snooping spy whenever the opportunity avails itself.  What is terrible about this flawed characteristic is when they train their children to have the same defective attribute.  Parents who are indoctrinating their children to become a surrogate spy are abusing their children and damaging their relationship with others.  The very actions Jesus said would be happening in the last days.  These people love to be able to rummage through your home to get interesting details on your life, including any and all “dirt.” They are angry and malicious in their actions and will use any information to their personal advantage.   But since they can’t break into your house without risking jail time, they recruit a child to act as a spy on their behalf. 

This is very damaging to the child, for several reasons. First, it makes the child believe that it is ok to snoop.  With the aid of cell phone pictures which can be taken, and conversations recorded without anyone knowing what has happened exposes your life to the world.  Even though there are laws against recording and taking a picture in private without consent, parents use their children to circumvent the law. 

 Second, it teaches that it’s OK to be sneaky and spy on somebody. Remember, kids model their parents’ behaviors. So, a continuance brain bath in spying around someone house for information to share is very damaging to the child long term.  IF or when the child is caught the emotional trauma is lasting.   

This type of action is even more significant when an ex is using the child to snoop on the father or mother.  By aligning the child in this manner, the vindictive ex slowly tears down the bond that exists between the other parent and the child. This intentional act of abuse on the child is terrible– it creates conflict and discomfort in a relationship. It is a process of alienation that is malicious and abusive to the involvement of the child and the other parent.  The end result, The father, shall be divided against the son, and the son against the father; the mother against the daughter, and the daughter against the mother; the mother in law against her daughter in law, and the daughter in law against her mother in law. 

Parents that do this are evil parents. Period. A parent who is OK knowing that their child is suffering (especially over lies that the parent creates) is a toxic father or mother, and toxic fathers and mothers are sick people who have few limits on what they’re capable of doing.   Trying to deal with neurotic parents or ex-partners, if either or both parties is character flawed, they know full well what they’re doing, they just don’t care enough to restrain themselves because all that matters to them is that they have their way.  If a flawed character is involved, these kinds of actions are a malicious determination to have one’s way.  Regardless of the cost and the recognition of the fact that one of the easiest ways to thwart resistance from your partner is to cloak your self-serving agenda under the guise of serving the interest of the child even if it causes emotional harm to the child.  Issues of trust will result from such actions.  Parents who stoop to the level of snooping never learned the importance of trust.  They have had trust issues with their father, their mother, their friends and their spouse. They will never be happy until they resolve the issue of trust. 

So, here is some advice have everyone put away their cell phones when they come to your house.  Tell them it is for security reasons that all phones must be put away.  If you know you have a snooper in your house explain there are areas of the house that are off limits.  Your life will be less complicated, and you will be saved some embarrassment from a Facebook post or a newspaper article.
 Proverbs 16:28 - Troublemakers are always causing problems. Their gossip breaks up the closest of friends.


Finally, be careful what you say and to whom you are speaking.  There are people who can’t wait to tell someone what they heard.

Proverbs 20:19 -You cannot trust someone who would talk about things told in private. So, don’t be friends with someone who talks too much.

The Return of the King


 I am taking this time to do some rambling.  I know there will be those who disagree with me and that is alright.  If my opinions are wrong, then there is nothing to worry about.  However, if I am right there is much to worry about and what happens to you both physically and spiritually will be devastating. Just give this some thought and prepare yourself spiritually for the coming events.
As we have entered the season of remembering the birth of Christ we look back to the past on that night in Bethlehem in a manger where Christ was born.  Yet, there is a more significant event that we should be looking to celebrate, and that is the coming of Jesus Christ KING of Kings and LORD of Lord.
Every Christmas season Laverna will watch several Christmas movies. Some may be musicals, but most are stories with a touchy-feely Christmas theme. They were warm, entertaining, and usually try to communicate a moral or positive message about hope, giving, and loving one another. But generally, they never come close to describing the true faith of Christmas as it is found in the coming of Jesus Christ according to the facts of Scripture. As stated by the Apostle, they were without real hope.  The world was looking for hope when Jesus came as the baby in the manger.  Today the world is watching again for someone to bring hope.  Someone who can stop the evil that has infected mankind.  The days are filled with evil and violence and getting worse every day. 
Our church just completed a study in the book of Revelation.  One of the lessons I have learned from this study is the realities in which we need to prepare for the coming persecution of Christians.  In the day we are living where everyone is easily offended, I wonder how Christians will be able to survive the coming persecution when the personal trials and tribulation we face as the regular part of daily life are so devastating to many so-called Christians?
I would like to preach and teach more about the coming events of the end times, but Christians today can't even survive the regular daily trials without falling apart.   A prolific biblical point is that followers of Christ will face trials and tribulations on a regular basis. The fact of the Christian facing trials is not a matter of “if,” but a matter of “when.” We see this repeatedly in passages like 1 Peter 4:12:
Dear friends, do not be surprised at the painful trial you are suffering, as though something strange was happening to you. – 1 Peter 4:12
Unfortunately, the health and wealth brands of Christianity has deceived most American Christians into thinking following Christ is just a bed of roses. There will be challenges to the faith, and as American Christians, we don’t know this; and, American pastors aren’t telling us anything different. So, we are sheep headed to the slaughter. Right now, 42 million professed Christians in America have given up on their faith, and most of which did so when faced with a severe trial. American Christians must be prepared to face real difficulties of faith.
The Christian persecution seen on the news in the Middle East is a normal part of following Christ.
Christians should expect difficulty. Scripture even goes as far as to teach that we should expect persecution. Listen to what Jesus said in Matthew 10:22-23:
All men will hate you because of me, but he who stands firm to the end will be saved. When you are persecuted… – Matthew 10:22–23
Did you catch it said “when” you are persecuted? America has been an anomaly compared to Christian history and most of the world today. Persecution is the default response from the world to Christians. So, as stories of Christian persecution in the Middle East, Northern Africa, and North Korea shock us in America, we must realize that is the norm. We also need to know that we are called to remain faithful when faced with persecution. American Christians need to know that God has called us to be martyrs and not to deny our faith. And unfortunately, we must understand this because at some point towards the end-times there will be universal persecution. If America is around at that point, then one can guarantee Christians in America will be persecuted.
The United States will not exist as a world superpower forever.  I know, you believe I am wearing my tin-foil hat.   Contrary to what is often said, we are given many precise details of the end-of-this-age. In those details, we can know the nations involved in the empire of the Leopard, Bear, and Lion. Even within the aspects that are debated, it’s clear that America is at best diminished in power before the empire of the Leopard, Bear, and Lion rises to power.  And if we’re struggling to remain faithful now in America, we’ll fare even worse in the face of national calamity. We need to prepare to stay faithful when life is difficult.
Now, I don’t pretend to know a time-frame for this.   However, the Bible is accurate in giving us the signs of the end time.  The American Church as we know it will change.  Right now, there are over 300,000 Protestant churches in America. Just do the division (300,000 divided by 50 states), and that's an average of 6,000 churches per state.
This reality that we need to prepare to face goes together with the previous reality. If America faces tribulation and changes so will churches in America. But I believe church as we know it can change far before that point.
What will happen when there is no one willing to serve as pastor?
    At any given time, 75% of pastors in America want to quit.
    More than 2000 pastors are leaving the ministry each month.  That is 24,000 each year.
What will happen when churches close because of a lack of support? The support of the church is based on giving.  There is a push to eliminate charitable contribution as a tax deduction. When tax exemptions are removed, donors will give far less than they are giving now. Churches will become liable to property taxes. That means that many churches will have to forfeit their property to the government because they won’t be able afford the taxes. Many of them wouldn’t be able to pay them now. If donations went down, they would be that much further from being able to pay them. As a result, churches that reside on valuable properties in urban locations would be immediately vulnerable. Eventually, so would everyone else.
What will happen when Christians are reporting other Christians for "Hate Crimes"?  Hate Crime laws aim to impose on the nation a relativistic, amoral and necessarily anti-Christian worldview, opposed not only to Biblical teachings but also to natural law as perceived by human reason. This anti-Christian worldview is ideological and provides the philosophical rationale for the antichristian.
Hate Crimes include being prejudice. Defined “prejudice” to include the “bigoted thoughts” of religious organizations.  If a church teaches same-sex marriage is wrong, it becomes bigotry!  If you speak against the sinful actions of a person, it becomes a “hate incident” as “harmful words or actions” motivated by “prejudice,” which specifically includes “religious beliefs.”  In other words, if you have moral principles based on your religious faith you are prejudiced!  
 Again, if we are struggling to remain faithful in such times of blessings how will we stay faithful when times are difficult? Whether that is the way in which things for the church will change who knows? And at that, the loss of giving is probably the least of what could happen to the American church.
I know that there are those who do not care about what could happen because they believe they will not be here when evil become rampant. Mainly they think there will be a rapture before the seven years of tribulation.  A recent Newsweek poll found that 55 percent of Americans believe the Rapture is real, and a Pew Research Center survey revealed that 27 percent of U.S. Christians believe a related event, Jesus' return to earth, will "definitely" happen by 2050.
Six in 10 evangelical leaders, or 61 percent, say they believe in the Rapture of the Church compared to 32 percent who say the End Times doesn't happen exactly this way, according to the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life survey.
 But we need to consider that the rapture might not happen at all before the so called 7 year tribulation.    
    Christians currently face persecution in 105 of the world’s 196 countries in a geographic sweep which extends across northern and western Africa, across the Middle East, throughout Asia and down into Indonesia.
    There were more than 26 million documented cases of martyrdom in the 20th century alone.
Most Western Christians genuinely have NO IDEA what life has been like for some Christians in other areas of the world. Islam has used crucifixion as a form of punishment since medieval times. According to the Quran, resisting Islam is met by death, crucifixion, or the cutting off hands and feet (Surah 5:33). Today, the media is mostly silent and politically correct on such barbaric activities, but it cannot hide the fact that it is happening in the 21st century under political Islam.
I gave this information to show that there is great persecution taking place right now.  Yet, this is not accepted as the Great Tribulation that is to take place in 3 ½ years after the Rapture takes place.  Could it be that the prophecy experts have it all wrong?
If you are found to be a Christian by the religious police in Saudi Arabia, they behead you. In China, untold hundreds of thousands have died for the sake of Jesus. In fact, worldwide, about 30,000 Christians are being killed every week because they won’t deny Jesus as Lord.  And you think because God has spared the church in America that “the great tribulation” is in the future?
Don’t you realize that it’s just the mercy of God that tribulation hasn’t come to America-yet? I am concerned about the American church’s ignorance and arrogance.  But of course, none of the above is bad enough to be formally classed as “the great tribulation.”  Your view might change if it is you, your wife or your child that had to give their life for the Lord, but I doubt it. We’ll close our eyes and keep on singing, “Happy, happy, happy when THE tribulation comes, we’ll all be raptured out.”
How many times have I heard the Great Tribulation is not about Christians but about Jews.  In just about every discussion about the rapture, you will hear mention of the Great Tribulation, the most significant persecution of Christians and Jews in world history. Many people believe that the Great Tribulation is a time of trial specifically and exclusively for the nation of Israel. Therefore, the Church will be raptured before this time.  The Great Tribulation is the Time of Jacob’s Trouble. 

There are those who believe that two out of every three Jews will be killed during this time.  That means that out of the 14 million plus Jews living in the world today only about 4.6 million will survive this period of persecution before the LORD returns. By the way, 5.5 million of them live in the United States.
Does this argument hold up?  I don’t think so.
The Great Tribulation is described in Matthew 24, Jesus' famous Olivet Discourse, which gives us some of the details about the first half of the 70th Week. Jesus described the Great Tribulation this way:
“For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be. And unless those days were shortened, no flesh would be saved; but for the elect's sake, those days will be shortened. Then, if anyone says to you, `Look, here is the `Christ!' or `There!' do not believe it. For false Christs and false prophets will rise and show great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect. See, I have told you beforehand. Therefore, if they say to you, `Look, He is in the desert!' do not go out; or `Look, He is in the inner rooms!' do not believe it. For as the lightning comes from the east and flashes to the west, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be” (Matt. 24: 21-27).
It is understandable, why many believers would want to keep the Church out of the Great Tribulation.  The danger to America, however, lies in those who have embraced a theology less than 200 years old. It gives them a free Rapture ticket. While they are sure there will be a great Tribulation--of wars ending in a final war--they are brainwashed to believe they won't suffer a moment of agony.

One of the most common arguments used for this purpose is that when Jesus spoke about this terrible time, He was not talking to the Church; He was talking to Old Testament Jews. When Jesus gave the Olivet Discourse, the Church did not yet exist because He had not yet died, risen, and ascended to heaven, and the Holy Spirit had not yet been poured out at Pentecost. Therefore, proponents of this view conclude, the entire context of this discussion should only be applied to Israel.
I disagree. While the disciples were unaware of the future formation of the Body of Christ, Jesus certainly wasn't. He repeatedly referred to mysteries such as the sending of the Holy Spirit, His crucifixion, and the spiritual kingdom of God that were not to be understood by Jewish and Gentile believers until sometime later.
Also keep in mind that, when Jesus described the Great Tribulation, the disciples to whom Jesus spoke were the same disciples that became the foundation of the Church at Pentecost. In fact, this chapter begins with a question from His disciples: “Tell us, when will these things be? And what will be the sign of Your coming and of the end of the age?” (Matt. 24:2). These disciples were essentially asking, “What is the sign of Your coming for us? When is the end of the age for us?” They weren't asking about when the end of the age would come for another group of people. They were asking on behalf of themselves.
Jesus answers the disciples by talking about the events that lead up to and includes the Great Tribulation. If the Church will be raptured before the Great Tribulation, as many believe, Jesus never answered their question. In fact, He was downright misleading. This is not an acceptable conclusion.
But Jesus does answer their question. After describing the Great Tribulation, He goes on to say: “Immediately after the tribulation of those days, the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory” (Matt. 24: 29-31).
There can be no more clear, direct response than that. The disciples asked, "When are you coming back?" Jesus told them. We know from the many, many scriptures in the New Testament (none clearer than Acts 1:9) that, when He comes back, He comes back only once.
And remember, too, that Jesus was talking to believers, not unbelieving Jews. This means that the Church can expect to go through the period He just described. We see the same pattern in 1 Peter. In 1 Peter 4:7, Peter makes it clear that his frame of reference is the end times — “the end of all things is at hand” — then he goes on to admonish his flock: “Beloved, do not think it strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened to you” (1 Peter 4:12). Peter then concludes, “but partake of Christ's sufferings, that when His glory is revealed, you may also be glad with exceeding joy” (v. 13). Here, we see the trial by fire immediately preceding Christ's return and the warning not to be surprised or deceived — the same pattern as in Matthew 24.
The fact that the Church will be present during the Great Tribulation is reinforced by the fact that, throughout the Olivet Discourse, Jesus kept saying, “you.” When you see the abomination of desolation when you see these things beginning to occur. He was clearly referring to the disciples in their future identities, as members of the New Testament Church, not their identities as Old Testament Jews that they would leave behind.
The Bible teaches that the Church will endure the Great Tribulation, the most significant time of persecution and martyrdom of believers in world history. This is why Jesus tells us three times in this passage not to be deceived (Matt. 24:23-26) and not to look for Him until the appropriate time. When is the appropriate time? When the sign of the Son of Man flashes from the east to the west (Matt. 24:29). At this time, every believer will look up. Jesus will break through the clouds, with the blast of a heavenly trumpet, to take believers to glory (Matt. 24:29-31). But make no mistake: this glorious event will not occur until after the opening of the sixth seal — after Great Tribulation is complete.
Here is a warning that was given by Paul, I do not want you to be ignorant of this mystery, brothers, so that you may not be conceited: Israel has experienced a hardening in part until the full number of the Gentiles has come in. – Romans 11:25
In 1966, there were some heated discussions taking place in some evangelical churches about the Second Coming of Christ.  It was during that time I started reading the history of the doctrines that were the prevalent view of the Church.  What I found was many of the prevailing views have extremely shaky biblical support—one of which is the restoration of Israel. The predominant view of replacement theology flies in the face of the bulk of biblical support. This phenomenon is also true when it comes to the location of the empire of the Beast Nearly uncontested since the first century, Christianity has held to the idea that the empire of the Antichrist would be a revived Roman Empire in Rome. But the biblical support for this is very weak, while all the while there is clear evidence in Scripture for a Middle Eastern location of the empire of the Beast in Revelation. It is also clear that the empire of the Beast will be a revised Ottoman Empire or in other words, an Islamic Caliphate. With this being the case, the present rise of Islam and especially Turkey means that the empire of the Beast is rising right now. By 2028 Islam will be the world largest religion.
We are in the end times now.  It is not some future event that will happen but is taking place today right before our eyes.  In the next few years, you will see people giving up their humanity to be controlled by AI. The age-old promise of becoming a god is about to become a reality in our own time.  As mankind turns away from God and places his trust in his own devices, the door will be opened for Satan to control the very thoughts and actions of man.  Those who do not go along with these advancements will be eradicated.   

According to SingularityHub an AI website here are eight areas where we’ll see extraordinary transformation by 2025:
In 2025, $1,000 should buy you a computer able to calculate at 10^16 cycles per second (10,000 trillion cycles per second), the equivalent processing speed of the human brain.
November of this year a giant supercomputer built by the University of Manchester is now ready to start running real-time simulations of regions of the brain. Named SpiNNaker (Spiking Neural Network Architecture), this machine operates via a “massively parallel” computing platform, meaning it sends small bits of information to multiple destinations at the same time, just like the brain. The machine took 12 years of construction and over $15 million of investment to complete.
The Internet of things (IoT) is the network of devices, vehicles, and home appliances that contain electronics, software, actuators, and connectivity which allows these things to connect, interact and exchange data.  IoT involves extending Internet connectivity beyond standard devices, such as desktops, laptops, smartphones, and tablets, to any range of traditionally dumb or non-internet-enabled physical devices and everyday objects. Embedded with technology, these devices can communicate and interact over the Internet, and they can be remotely monitored and controlled.
The Internet of Everything describes the networked connections between devices, people, processes and data. By 2025, the IoE will exceed 100 billion connected devices, each with a dozen or more sensors collecting data. This will lead to a trillion-sensor economy driving a data revolution beyond our imagination. Cisco’s recent report estimates the IoE will generate $19 trillion of newly created value.
We’re heading towards a world of perfect knowledge. With a trillion sensors gathering data everywhere (autonomous cars, satellite systems, drones, wearables, cameras), you’ll be able to know anything you want, anytime, anywhere, and query that data for answers and insights.
You will become as a god.  All-knowing.
8 Billion Hyper-Connected People is taking place right now. Facebook (Internet.org), SpaceX, Google (Project Loon), Qualcomm and Virgin (OneWeb) are planning to provide global connectivity to every human on Earth at speeds exceeding one megabit per second.
We will grow from three to eight billion connected humans, adding five billion new consumers into the global economy. They represent tens of trillions of new dollars flowing into the global economy. And they are not coming online as we did 20 years ago with a 9600 modem on AOL. They’re coming online with a 1 Mbps connection and access to the world’s information on Google, cloud 3D printing, Amazon Web Services, artificial intelligence with Watson, crowdfunding, crowdsourcing, and more.
The entire health industry will change. Existing healthcare institutions will be crushed as new business models with better and more efficient care emerge. Thousands of startups, as well as today’s data giants (Google, Apple, Microsoft, SAP, IBM, etc.),  will all enter this lucrative $3.8 trillion healthcare industry with new business models that dematerialize, demonetize and democratize today’s bureaucratic and inefficient system.
Biometric sensing (wearables) and AI will make each of us the CEOs of our own health. Large-scale genomic sequencing and machine learning will allow us to understand the root cause of cancer, heart disease, and neurodegenerative disease and what to do about it. Robotic surgeons can carry out an autonomous surgical procedure perfectly (every time) for pennies on the dollar. Each of us will be able to regrow a heart, liver, lung or kidney when we need it, instead of waiting for the donor to die.  This is happening now, not in the future.
Augmented and Virtual Reality has been used to play games, but that is changing.  Billions of dollars invested by Facebook (Oculus), Google (Magic Leap), Microsoft (Hololens), Sony, Qualcomm, HTC and others will lead to a new generation of displays and user interfaces.
The screen as we know it — on your phone, your computer and your TV — will disappear and be replaced by eyewear. Not the geeky Google Glasses, but stylish eyewear. The result will be a massive disruption in several industries ranging from consumer retail to real estate, education, travel, entertainment, and the fundamental ways we operate as humans.
The movie Iron Man had an AI called JARVIS that controlled the suit worn by Tony Stark.  Artificial intelligence research has made strides in the past few years. If you think Siri is useful now, the next decade’s generation of Siri will be much more like JARVIS from Iron Man, with expanded capabilities to understand and answer. Companies like IBM Watson, DeepMind and Vicarious, continue to develop next-generation AI systems. In a decade, it will be normal for you to give your AI access to listen to all your conversations, read your emails and scan your biometric data because the upside and convenience will be so immense.   You may not realize it, but right now you are being programmed for just such a time.  How many times have you been asked by your computer to allow you to control your phone messages, your location, and your email accounts?  What is happening in your life is being taken over by AI.
You will find it to your advantage to surrender your will to be controlled by a machine.

Another area of control that is taking place right now is called Blockchain.  If you haven’t heard of the blockchain, I highly recommend you read up on it. You might have heard of bitcoin, which is the decentralized (global), democratized, highly secure cryptocurrency based on the blockchain. But the real innovation is the blockchain itself, a protocol that allows for secure, direct (without a middleman), digital transfers of value and assets (think money, contracts, stocks, IP). Investors like Marc Andreesen have poured tens of millions into the development and believe this is as important of an opportunity as the creation of the Internet itself.
Two years ago, about 150 central bankers from 60 countries around the world convened at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York for the 40th anniversary of its annual central banking seminar, a private event titled “Policy Implications of Persistent Low Inflation and Rates.”
Economic and financial luminaries such as economist and Harvard president emeritus Lawrence Summers, founder of the world’s largest hedge fund Bridgewater Ray Dalio and the People’s Bank of China deputy governor Yi Gang gave talks on the low-interest rate, low-growth environment and monetary policy around the globe.
And then there was a presentation, “The Digital Asset Economy,” by a different type of financial player: Adam Ludwin, chief executive officer of Chain, a San Francisco-based startup helping enterprise clients such as Visa, Citi, Nasdaq and other giants of finance capitalize on blockchains, the technology behind Bitcoins.
Ludwin said, “A lot of times you hear, ‘10 years from now, maybe one government will issue their money on a blockchain,’” he said. “I don’t think it’s 10 years. I think it’s within five, for sure.” Part of it is driven by the private sector enthusiasm, said Ludwin, whose company has partnered with incumbents such as Visa, Citi, Nasdaq, Fiserv, Capital One, Fidelity, State Street and others: “The private sector projects we are working on anticipate and are eager to have a central bank currency as a feature in the long run.”
A one world economy is just around the corner.
You many not believe as an American Christian that tribulation and persecution are coming your way.  You may feel that you belong to an exceptional group of Christians that will not suffer for the cause of Christ.  I hope you are right.  I pray that you never are faced with the persecution Christians around the world are seeing today.  Just keep this in mind.  If you are not on board with the changes coming to the world, you will be viewed as a problem of society.  These changes are happening in the next few years, some are here already.  The question is, are you ready for the hour of tribulation that is coming to America?  Are you willing to stand for what is right and true?  Jesus is coming back again will you be ready?  Will your faith remain steadfast?  As we celebrate this season of remembering the birth of Christ, remember He is coming again will you be ready?