Admiring President George W. Bush

Posted on April 25, 2013 by admin

It was fascinating to watch the dedication of the George W. Bush Library on television today. Four past Presidents were there to give tribute to him. It was really heart-warming to see the genuine respect that the Presidents showed to one another. It felt like we had gone back in time for a reminder of what our country ought to be.

I recently heard Carl Rove on television say that when President Bush was in office, and they were making important decisions, he was not very concerned about public opinion.  He just wanted to do what was right. He would say, “Let history decide.”  And then Rove remembered that he would add, “We’ll be gone by then.” As it turns out, his approval rating has already gone up dramatically.

I believe that President Bush was cultivated by his family, secret societies, and the powers that be, to accept the idea of an eventual new-world order, but his inner compass would not allow him to accept that idea fully.  He had rebelled, and even had a drinking problem in his earlier years. He didn’t aspire to become the President of the United States.

In 1985 he became a born again Christian with the help of Billy Graham. Ten years later he was elected Governor of Texas. Before he agreed to run for the presidency, he is quoted telling evangelist James Robinson,

“I feel like God wants me to run for president. I can’t explain it, but I sense my country is going to need me. Something is going to happen. I know it won’t be easy on me or my family, but God wants me to do it.”*

I know President Bush wasn’t perfect. No one is. He undoubtedly made some mistakes. I sure do. But I am happy to say that I supported him then, and I admire him still.

* How born-again George became a man on a mission – The Guardian – UK, Oct. 6, 2005 http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2005/oct/07/usa.georgebush

Posted in Uncategorized, United States of America | Tagged | 2 Comments

The Darker the Night, the Brighter the Light

Posted on April 18, 2013 by admin

Looking out the window from my workspace at home I see an incredibly beautiful mountain view. It’s a bright and glorious day!

But when I turn on the television, everything becomes dark and gloomy. Terrorism at the Boston Marathon, Ricin-laced letters to government officials, a horrendous explosion at a fertilizer plant in Texas, nuclear developments in Iran, threats from North Korea…

Should I leave the TV off, and just pretend that everything is the way it seems at my window? Or  I should I close the shades and get my view of the world from the TV?

Fortunately I have another source of information between the two. My Bible is open on the table, and in it I see that darkness does exist, and it may be getting worse, but it can never overcome the light! The Gospel of John starts this way:

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was with God in the beginning. 3 Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. 4 In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.– John 1:1-4 (NIV)

I read something recently that suggested that those who are expecting a literal return of Christ to set up His kingdom are experiencing an “abortion of hope” because they ignore the responsibility to make things better. Supposedly they are obsessed with “doom and gloom,” and just want to survive until Jesus returns.

To the contrary, the history of Missions in the past century shows that Christians have led the way in disaster relief efforts, feeding the hungry, healing the sick, improving living conditions, and insisting on justice.

Who has led the way in these enterprises?  It has mostly been evangelical Christians who do expect a future establishment of God’s kingdom when Jesus returns, but who realize that they already belong to that kingdom, and Jesus is already their King.  They pray for God’s Kingdom to come to earth as it is in heaven (Matthew 6:10). Their good works are helping to establish outposts of that Kingdom in their homes, churches, and mission stations. They are Ambassadors of Christ, bringing the light into dark places. They do all of this in order to have the privilege of sharing the Gospel with those who need salvation most of all.

Jesus said, “I am the light of the world” (John 8:12).  He also told His disciples (and us), “You are the light of the world” (Matthew 5:14-16).  Today we have the opportunity to be part of great prayer movements, like the National Day of Prayer on May 2, inspiring mission activity and the prospect of a great revival in our time. Visit our Revival page at Prophecy Central for inspiring news and ways that you can be involved. We especially encourage you to enlist as a “Matthew” in Billy Graham’s last great evangelistic effort called “My Hope.” It is starting now and will peak in November with a Gospel message that will be seen by millions.

What I see out of my window is not the whole picture.  What I see on TV is not the whole picture either. What I see in the Bible is that the increasing darkness of evil is trying to eclipse God’s beautiful work, but the light of Jesus and His Gospel is greater than the gloom.

In the words of an old Christian song, “The darker the night, the brighter the light shines!”

Posted in Apologetics, Eschatology, Evangelism, Fearful Events, Missions, Prayer, Revival | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

The Damascus Countdown

Posted on March 9, 2013 by admin

I just finished reading Damascus Countdown, the long-awaited conclusion to Joel Rosenberg’s Twelfth Imam trilogy. The first two novels were The Twelfth Imam and The Tehran Initiative.  This third story began with a massive preemptive strike by the Israelis against Iran.  In a matter of minutes all of Iran’s nuclear development facilities were destroyed or disabled, and six of the eight nuclear warheads that Iran had prepared for war were destroyed. The big question was, “Where were the other two nukes?”

If you can imagine, the story just continued to become more dramatic as the Mahdi – the Twelfth Imam quickly expanded his new Islamic caliphate and threatened to obliterate Israel.

Behind the scenes, David Shirazi, an American-born son of immigrants from Iran, who had become a deep-cover spy for the CIA and an employ of a cell phone company in Germany, began a series of mind-stretching adventures.

This intriguing story is about many things:

It is about the critical conditions in the Middle East that could easily accelerate to a preemptive strike by Israel against Iran. This is not Science Fiction; it is very close to what is happening right now!  All of the powerful military vehicles, communication equipment and weapons in this story already exist (except possibly the Iranian nuclear warheads), and may be under the control of defense commanders already! It has been said so often that it has become a new cliché, that news stories (or headlines) are being “ripped from the pages” of Rosenberg’s books.

It is about the intense intrigue of undercover agents to ward off complete destruction. The violence and deception that secret agents must use is disturbing, but understandable.

It is about the extreme beliefs of Shia “Twelvers” that has removed all normal caution about nuclear warfare. During the Cold War, Russia and the United States had an understanding that kept either side from using nuclear weapons against the other. It was called “Mutually Assured Destruction” (MAD). This philosophy will not restrain the Shia “Twelvers” from using these horrendous bombs once they have them because they believe their Mahdi (Messiah) will not come until the world is embroiled in its final war.

It is about what the U.S. might or might not do if the situation worsens. This tension is handled skillfully in the novel.

It is about Biblical and Muslim prophecies.  There are many similarities between prophecies from the Bible and Muslim prophecies because many of the latter were borrowed from the Bible. This novel helps us understand where these different schools of thought agree and disagree.

It is about the rise of Islam and the confusion about whether Antichrist could be a Muslim. The story takes into consideration the phenomenal changes that are occurring in the Islamic world, including the Arab Spring, terrorism, and tension between Sunni and Shia Muslims. It shows that it is not likely that an Islamic Caliph will be the final Antichrist of the end times.

It is about courageous evangelism by Christians and amazing conversions of Muslims. Rosenberg’s passion is the revival of the Church in these troubled times and the evangelization of Muslims. The conversion of some of the characters in the book is a heart-warming aspect of the plot. Dreams and visions directly from Jesus play a part in this aspect of the story.

It is about the fulfillment of some end times prophecies and the preparation for others. There are warnings in the Bible about the destruction of several of Israel’s ancient enemies, including Damascus. These battles are in addition to the War of Gog and Magog (Ezekiel 38 and 39) that Rosenberg has explained in his earlier novels. This series shows how some of these other prophecies could be fulfilled in our times, and still leave the specter of the Ezekiel war for a near-future time when Israel may be living in peace.

It is about love. We should really let you discover this touching aspect of the story for yourself.

Posted in Apologetics, Egypt, Eschatology, Evangelism, Islam, Israel, Revival, Syria | Tagged , , , , , | 1 Comment

Revelation Verse-by-Verse

Posted on February 27, 2013 by admin

Rejoicing in RevelationWould you like to join me in a fascinating adventure? I felt the Lord’s urging to write a commentary on The Revelation, a few verses, or sometimes just a few words at a time, and make it available day by day on the Internet.  I began three weeks ago, and so far I have found it incredibly challenging and equally fascinating.

The Revelation is not a closed, dark and mysterious book. In fact, it is the very opposite of that.  The first words of the book set the tone. They are: “The Revelation of Jesus Christ!” Revelation means “unveiling.” It is not a hiding of some truth but the revealing, or showing of the truth.

It is not primarily about horrible events in the future, though it does explain the course of the Tribulation. It is really about the person, the work, and victorious plans of the Lord Jesus Christ, in all of His glory!

It is not mainly about Antichrist and his final evil empire, though it does show what a loser he will be in the end. Instead, it is about our wonderful Savior and His incredible Second Coming as King of Kings and Lord of Lords!

So far, we have almost finished the first chapter of the book. It is there on our site, in what we hope will be a “daily dose of life-changing encouragement” from this incomparable portion of God’s Word.

Will you stop by from time to time?  Read as much or as little as you want. If you do, you will be blessed – not because of our commentary, but because of God’s own promise – the only one of its kind in the Bible.  Here it is:

Blessed is he who reads and those who hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written in it; for the time is near. – Revelation 1:3

Posted in Apologetics, Eschatology, Evangelism, Rapture, Revelation, Revival | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

What if the Next Pope is the Last One?

Posted on February 12, 2013 by admin

From Wikimedia Commons

The retirement of Pope Benedict XVI will have a stunning effect. A document that has been known to prophecy scholars for some time is about to become common knowledge, and is sure to cause a great deal of speculation and debate. The document is the “Prophecy of the Popes,” supposedly written by Saint Malachy, a Bishop in Armagh, Ireland in 1139. It is a list of 112 future Popes from his time to the present… and just beyond.

The shocking thing is that the present Pope is next to last in the list. Now he has announced his resignation. The next Pope will the last one on the list and the prognostication for his reign is not encouraging. A translation of the prophecy says,

“In the extreme persecution of the Holy Roman Church, there will sit Peter the Roman, who will nourish the sheep in many tribulations; when they are all finished, the City of Seven Hills will be destroyed, and the dreadful judge will judge his people. The End.”

Malachy’s vision does not carry the weight of Bible prophecy. It is more like the Quatrains of Nostradamus.  Some people claim that it has been about 80% accurate. Admittedly, that success rate has been achieved by a little creative explanation from its proponents, again, like the writings of Nostradamus. It also may have been a forgery since the other scholars of his own era did not leave any historical mention of the list. In 1595 it was “discovered” and published by a Benedictine named Arnold de Wyon in his history book Lignum Vitae. Skeptics note that the prophecies about the Popes in the list before 1595 were more accurate than the ones since that time. This suggests that the earlier ones were written after those Popes had lived. But the prophecies about Popes since then could not have been changed, and their fulfillments still turned out to be quite remarkable.

Bible prophecy teachers have been cautiously covering this subject for a couple of decades. I say, “cautiously” because it is not from the Bible.  We expect Bible prophecy to be 100% true. People do have dreams and visions, but they are not on a par with the Scriptures, and only time will tell whether or not their prophecies were right. We also have been warned by Jesus not to try to set dates for prophetic events. Too many writers have been discredited by making that mistake.

Hal Lindsey wrote about this Malachy prophecy a few years ago, before Pope Benedict XVI was chosen. Last year a big book was written with this prophecy in mind. It was Petrus Romanus by Thomas Horn and Chris Putnam. I wrote a favorable review of their work because they were careful to stress that they “do not claim to know” and that they are, “not prophets or apocalyptic date-setters, just researchers and commentators.”

It will be interesting to see what Catholic scholars and commentators say about this development. In Petrus Romanus, the authors say that The Roman Catholic Church has had over four hundred fifty years to reject the prophecies, but it never has.

It is likely that some Catholics will dismiss the prophecies outright, but others will explain the vision as a valiant attempt by the next Pope to counter the apostasy of the times in which we are living.

Other teachers might consider him a failure in that effort, so that the Beast of the Apocalypse (Antichrist) will be able to rise to power.

Some may even promote the idea that many have held before, that this Pope would actually become the False Prophet who will directly assist the Beast. Personally, I doubt that this scenario will develop, but only time will tell.

Is this Catholic-bashing? It is not meant to be. The Bible most definitely teaches that there will be a great apostasy, or falling away from the truth, in most denominations in the days leading up to the Tribulation. It also teaches that an amalgamation of religious groups will empower the Beast in his dictatorial drive.  Apostasy is a problem in all churches. But the reality is that the Roman Catholic Church is the largest and oldest branch of Christianity, and history shows that it has had some unfortunate lapses in the past, and is currently struggling with serious scandals.

And remember that during the Tribulation, when all of this comes to a head, born-again believers from all churches, including Catholics, will have been taken by the Rapture to be with the Lord Jesus Christ. Their absence will be the cause of the radical upsurge of immorality and violence during that time. That is why what is left of the Church would be willing to join with other faiths in a one-world religion that will empower the evil world dictator.

So, what should we do with this information? First, let’s not put too much emphasis on the Prophecy of the Popes. It won’t matter if it doesn’t come to pass. It is not from the Bible. And prophecy observers will not know if it is true or not as long as the next Pope is alive. Let’s just add it to the “big picture” of end times events and not discredit Bible scholarship by making irresponsible statements.

Posted in Apostasy, Eschatology, Persecution, Religions, Revelation | Tagged , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Rejoicing in Revelation

Posted on January 29, 2013 by admin

Rejoicing in RevelationThis coming Monday morning we plan to start our major project for this year. It will be a verse-by-verse study of the Book of Revelation. We will try to post a new installment each week-day so you can get a regular spiritual recharge, and learn all about this phenomenal book of prophecy, which ties the whole Bible together.

Most people’s first impression of the content of Revelation is that it is dark, scary stuff. There is plenty of that, especially if you take it out of context. But we will be looking for all the encouragements and the good news that actually permeates the book.

The first three words of this book in the original language of Greek sets the purpose of the entire work. The first word is “Revelation” (Gr. apokalupsis – disclosure, unveiling) which indicates that the information the book contains is meant to reveal truth, not conceal it. In other words, it is knowledge that can and should be understood.

The next two words are “Jesus Christ.” The clear implication here is that Jesus Christ is the central subject of the book. Therefore, we should not focus on the Tribulation or Antichrist or the terrible events that are described in these pages. Dreadful things will happen in the future, but these are preparatory to the glorious coming of Jesus Christ as King of Kings and Lord of Lords in chapter 19. This corresponds perfectly to Jesus’ own teaching in the Olivet Discourse that the coming trials are like birth pains. An expectant mother may suffer greatly with hard labor, but when the result is a beautiful baby, she will always say that the labor was worth it.

The focus on Jesus Christ is seen throughout the book. Chapter one includes a vision of Jesus in Glory. Chapters two and three are messages from Jesus to His churches, chapters four and five are a heavenly scene with Jesus in view to prepare the reader to know that He is righteous in all the tribulation that will follow. In Chapters nineteen through the end of the book, Jesus is shown to be the coming king.

A promise is given at the outset that whoever reads this prophecy, or even hears it, since many people did not know how to read, will be “blessed.” To be blessed means to be made happy. A person should never become fearful or depressed because of this book. It is meant to bring joy because of the outcome: the triumph of good over evil, the restoration of the earth to perfection, salvation of those who believe in Jesus Christ, and their deliverance from a corrupted world into one of indescribable beauty and opportunity!

Meet me at Prophecy Central Monday morning for Bible study!

Posted in Eschatology, Preparedness, Revelation, Revival | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

2012 in Review: The Year in Prophecy

Posted on December 31, 2012 by admin

Every year at this time we issue a recap of the top stories from the past year that relate to Bible prophecy. It is always a long report because there is so much drama in the world as we drift toward the End Times.  This year we have decided to do two things about this trend.

First, we will issue a free downloadable hypertext book with the full report. It will be titled

2012: THE YEAR THE WORLD DIDN’T END.

It will still be a few days before the book is finished. As some of you may know our precious first child, Judi, died in an accident at the beginning of December, and our lives have been moving in slow motion for the past few weeks.

The other thing we are doing is to give you a short list of Prophecy Central’s most important prophecy-related stories during the year. We will just list them and make brief comments about them here. The book will give greater detail and in a different order. Here is the list:

2012 in Review: The Year in Prophecy

1-Wars

2-Rumors of War

3-Presidential Elections

4-Persecution

5-Antichrist/ False Prophecies

6-The Economy

7-Apostasy

8-Revival

9-Natural Disasters

10-Signs in the Heavens/Fearful Events

1-Wars

Unfortunately, wars and rumors of wars dominate the news and have a definite connection with the End Times predicted in the Bible (Matthew 24:6). As usual, there are about 40 wars and conflicts festering in the world, most of which we are blissfully unaware.  On the other hand, some of these wars are constantly on the front pages of the news. Ever since Israel became a nation in 1948 there have been conflicts with the Palestinians who share the land. Terrorist activities, from suicide attacks in the past to rocket attacks in the present have caused great concern among Israelis, and periodic retaliation by the Israeli military. Hamas terrorists in the Gaza strip have launched more than 2000 rockets into Israel this year. And In November (while I was there, leading a tour!) Israel struck back with air attacks for eight punishing days. There is little left of the years of work on a peace process, and the Palestinians are seeking acceptance as a separate state without a peace agreement with Israel.

The “Arab Spring” is old news now. After nearly two years, the countries most affected – Egypt and Libya have fallen into Islamic control under Sharia law.

The American wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have produced little hope of true democracy in the region.

Syria has been the scene of a dreadful civil war for nearly two years, leaving at least 45,000 people dead, more than a million in refugee status, and a very doubtful outcome.

2-Rumors of War

A variety of important issues in our current world would qualify under Jesus’ prediction of “rumors of war” (Mark 13:7). Foremost among these is Iran’s nuclear ambition. Though they deny it, it is obvious that they are pursuing the development of nuclear weapons and are actually very close to reaching their goal. The leaders of Iran have repeatedly called for a world without Israel, so, unlike nuclear powers of the past, it is likely that they will use their weapons of mass destruction against Israel if they are allowed to produce the weapons.

Terrorism has been a factor in our world for a long time, but since the attacks on September 11, 2001, the fear of other great terrorist acts has been a constant matter of concern.  Osama bin Laden is dead, but Al Qaida is stronger than ever. Our own Ambassador to Libya and three other Americans were killed by an Al Qaida attack there a few months ago, and no one has been brought to justice about the matter. The Muslim Brotherhood, which spawned the Hamas terrorists in Gaza and was banned in Egypt before the Arab Spring, has taken control of the Egyptian government and caused great persecution of Christians in the country.

Other matters of potential war are: the EMP threat – the possibility of a high-altitude nuclear explosion over our own country that would do irreparable damage to our electrical grid and computers; Cyberwar – the ability of computer programmers to shut down vital processes and steal secret information; A new and growing Cold War between the United States and Russia; and the military build-up of countries like North Korea, Pakistan, and China.

3-Presidential Elections

Not all Christians see this the same way, but it is safe to say that the vast majority of evangelicals were seriously disappointed by the outcome of the elections because of the clear moral differences that were at stake and because of the slide toward socialism and the unsupportable burden of entitlements. We must remember that God is in control, and we might need a wakeup call that can only come by experiencing bad government.

But God is the Judge:
He puts down one,
And exalts another.    – Psalm 75:7

4-Persecution

Fallen humanity is naturally selfish and prejudiced, so racism and persecution of people who are different is a world-wide problem. However, it is especially focused against Christianity (Matthew 24:9). With more than 200 million (!!) persecuted Christians in the world, it is a growing problem, especially in Communist and Radical Islamic countries. They are being driven out of the Middle East in such numbers that some predict there will be no openly Christian believers there in the future. Even in the United States there is a noticeable rise in opposition to Christians, especially if they take a stand on the moral issues of the day.

5-Antichrist/ False Prophecies

We cannot know who Antichrist will be before he is revealed during the Tribulation (2 Thessalonians 2:3-12), and even then most people will consider him a messiah who can finally deliver the world from its’ great problems. But what we can know is that the world is getting more ready than ever before for a powerful charismatic leader who might be able to turn things around.

One obvious preparation for Antichrist is the rapidly-advancing technology that will undoubtedly be used for him to impose the Mark of the Beast at the mid-point of the Tribulation (Revelation 13). Quantum leaps in computer technology, the Internet, and devices like the smart phone are undoubtedly paving the way for that time of economic dictatorship.

False prophets and their messages are also a problem. One of these, the so-called Mayan prophecy about the end of the world on Dec. 21, 2012, obviously did not come true. In fairness, it should be said that Mayan experts had told us long ago that the end of their long-count calendar did not really mean destruction. It would only start a new cycle of time.

6-The Economy

Ever since the world-wide economic melt-down that began in 2008, the U.S. has also suffered economically. At the moment we are facing the so-called “fiscal cliff,” meaning the end of the year when tax cuts of the Bush era will no longer be in effect, and drastic cuts to our military establishment will be imposed. We have suffered runaway spending for many years, and are in danger of leaving an unmanageable debt to our children.  If our governmental leaders cannot find a way to turn this crisis around, it could very well be the reason the U.S. is not mentioned in prophecy.  We are rapidly losing our leadership in the world.

Daniel 2 predicts a final evil world empire. If the United States declines, leaving no world superpower, the time might be right for the emergence of that entity out of the political and economic chaos of the world.

7-Apostasy

2 Timothy 4:2-4 says that the time will come when people will gather teachers around themselves who will preach what they want to hear. In order for this to happen they will have to stop paying attention to the Bible as the Word of God. While there are still many Christians who cling to the truth of Scripture, there is a growing majority of so-called Christians who really don’t care what it says. With that mindset, and pastors and teachers who will ignore whatever is difficult in the Bible, we are drifting away from biblical morality, as evidenced in part by the movement toward acceptance of homosexual marriage. While we agree that Christians should approach those who disagree with love and understanding, it is still a sin, and the Bible makes this abundantly clear. Our concern for those who practice this lifestyle, as in the case of all other sins, should be for their deliverance from it.

Another strong sign of the apostasy is the lack of interest in prophecy in the majority of churches. When missions were strong and the church was revived there was great interest in this subject, which comprises more than a quarter of the Bible.

Lawlessness is also a critical issue in our generation In 2 Timothy 3:1-6 there is also a warning that people will be violent lawbreakers who only care about themselves. The recent massacre of 26 people including 20 Kindergartners in Connecticut is one of many such travesties.

8-Revival

Our greatest hope in these dark times is that Christians in America will experience repentance and that the Lord will send us a refreshing End Times revival! The Bible tells us that God does not want any to perish. For that reason, He always gave opportunity to sinners to repent before allowing judgment to fall on their city or nation. In the case of Nineveh (Book of Jonah), there was a great revival when the people realized that they deserved judgment. There are some encouraging signs about revival, not only here, but around the world. In the forthcoming free book we will share stories about the incredible growth of the Church in spite of persecution, the spread of the Gospel in developing countries, and major developments, some of them supernatural, to win Muslims to Christ.

9-Natural Disasters

This was not the worst year for earthquakes, tsunamis, storms, famines, and plagues, but there were some major disasters, such as our own super-storm Sandy, which devastated much of the East Coast. We can expect the frequency and severity of these events that are beyond our control to gradually increase as we approach the End Times.

10-Signs in the Heavens/Fearful Events

In Luke 21:10-11 Jesus said that there would be fearful events and great signs in the heavens in the days leading to the End Times.  One obvious possibility for this is the Mayan calendar scare based on the position of the Earth in relation to the rest of the Universe. Other fearful things from the heavens might include solar storm, UFO’s, space junk, the threat of an EMP attack (see wars above), and man-made interference with the atmosphere.  At the end of this year we just received news that a previously unknown comet (Ison) will visit our atmosphere next year, be visible much of the time, and be brighter than the Moon at some point. At least it is not on a collision course with our planet!

So?

As you can see, these are definitely the kind of times Jesus and the prophets said would come. However, we should not be afraid, because the bad times are just a prelude to a wonderful new chapter in our history. Jesus will return to put a stop to the evil, will rule in righteousness for 1000 years, then usher in a “New Heaven and New Earth” (Revelation chapters 20 through 23)! In the meanwhile, let us heed Peter’s advice: “Therefore, since all these things will be dissolved, what manner of persons ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness,”  - 2 Peter 3:11

For more information on any of these issues, visit Prophecy Central and use the search feature. You may also click on the Study Topics button near the top left of the home page, and browse to the subject you would like to review. Of course, Scripture references are listed on the topic pages and in the forthcoming book.

If you need help seeing the “big picture” of prophecy we recommend our book, Connecting the Dots: A Handbook of Bible Prophecy.

 

ALSO COMING SOON!

REVELATION VERSE-BY-VERSE

As soon as the new free book is finished we will begin a daily installment of a new commentary on the Book of Revelation. It will focus on a few verses (or few words) each day, starting with chapter 1, verse 1!  We expect that it will take about a year to carefully consider each word of this amazing book.  It is the only book in the Bible with this kind of promise:

Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear it and take to heart what is written in it, because the time is near.  – Revelation 1:3

Visit Prophecy Central daily to keep up with what is happening in these most-important days, and take a couple of minutes to get your “daily dose” of the Book of Revelation.

Posted in 2012, Apostasy, Connecting the Dots: A Handbook of Bible Prophecy, Earthquakes, Egypt, Elections, Eschatology, Evangelism, Fearful Events, Islam, Israel, Libya, Mark of the Beast, Middle East War, New World Order, Peace, Persecution, Plagues, Revelation, Revival, Syria, Technology, Terrorism, UFOs, United States of America, Wars | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Christmas Blessings!

Posted on December 25, 2012 by admin

From Wikipedia

Like most people, we love music. And Christmas music has always been our favorite. We usually start listening to it in September, and hate to see it recede in January.  In Church, the chorus, “O Come let us adore Him” [O Come All Ye Faithful], is appropriate in a worship set any time of the year.  Some of the famous traditional Christmas hymns have incredible theological content.

We have been blessed beyond words by some of the more recent Christmas songs. Here are links to three of them in the hope that you also will also sense the awe of Christmas once again.

Click on these to view them on You Tube:

While You Were Sleeping – Casting Crowns

How Many Kings? – Downhere

I Heard The Bells on Christmas Day – Casting Crowns (New arrangement of the Traditional Classic)

Love,

Ron and Barbara Graff

Posted in Christmas | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

Frank Pastore: True Hero of the Faith!

Posted on December 17, 2012 by admin

It doesn’t seem possible, but Frank Pastore, a great champion of the truth, has been called to his heavenly home, where it is certain that the Lord Jesus will tell him, “Well done, you good and faithful servant!”

Hundreds of thousands of his listeners have been praying for his recovery from a tragic motorcycle accident a few weeks ago. It didn’t seem likely to us that the Lord would allow his powerful voice to be silenced while the world so desperately needs his message.

One thing is for sure. The Lord never makes a mistake. Frank must be overjoyed to be in His presence now!

After many years when Frank helped all of us understand how wonderful Jesus is, and how credible the Bible is, perhaps it is time now for all of Frank’s followers to take stock of our own lives and consider what responsibility we have to propagate the faith to our own audiences – our neighbors, co-workers, and families.

I can imagine Frank quoting the Apostle Paul:

You therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. 2 And the things that you have heard from me among many witnesses, commit these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also.– 2 Timothy 2:1-2

Maybe it is time for his broken-hearted disciples to open ourselves up to a great End-times revival.  Frank encouraged his listeners to understand the times, and to be ready for the Rapture of the Church. He did a masterful job as Master of Ceremonies for our Prophecy Conference at the Ontario Convention Center a couple of years ago. As the world gets darker spiritually, the light of truth in Jesus becomes brighter.

It didn’t seem right for Jesus to die as young as He was, or for the Apostle Paul to die when he did, but Christianity flourished because the same Holy Spirit that was in them was given to all true believers.

We will miss him terribly, but the best tribute to his memory would be the revival of multitudes of his listeners at such a time as this.

Visit: Frank Pastore Page on Apologetics Central

Posted in Apologetics, Eschatology, Evangelism, Heaven, Rapture, Revival, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

What Good Can Come From This Tragedy?

Posted on December 17, 2012 by admin

The horror of the Sandy Hook school massacre is the worst possible news for our generation. It is beyond comprehension.

Among the many questions that are prompted by this tragedy is this one: “What is the prophetic significance of this event and others like it?”
2 Timothy 3:1-4 says.

But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God…

While this prophecy applies to ungodly behavior of people of all ages, the phrase “disobedient to their parents” shows that it is especially true of many teens and young adults. Of course, they are not intrinsically worse than previous generations, but they are the ones who have inherited an extremely troubled world, and understandably do not have much faith in a peaceful and prosperous future. Their temptations to addictive substances and immoral activities are intense.  We have allowed God and prayer to be taken out of their education, and have handed them a world-view that denies absolute truth. Most of them do not know the Bible or have a personal relationship with Christ. They are the victims of the apostasy of our end-times generation.

Though he was inspired to write these prophetic words, the Apostle Paul could not have imagined the effect that the violent media of this age – including some of the music, many of the movies, and most of the video games – would have in searing the conscience of its young victims.

On the other hand, if the Lord sends us the revival that we so desperately need and desire, young people will lead the way, or at least, be a vital part of such a wonderful event. There are already many promising movements that could lead to a full-grown “Great Awakening,” and hundreds of thousands of young people who are faithful disciples of The Lord Jesus Christ.”

Let us pray earnestly for the families of these precious children from the Sandy Hook Elementary school, and for the families of the adults who died protecting them. And let us pray that the godly young people of our generation will lead the way in sharing the Gospel with their peers.

Posted in Apostasy, Eschatology, Evangelism, Revival, United States of America, Youth | Tagged , , , , , | 2 Comments