Alex Jones says Rapture a hoax?

Listening to Alex Jones this morning he is accusing 501c3 companies that teach the rapture are the problem.  So I need to address several issues here.

First most 501c3 corporations known as churches do not teach the rapture.  They are mostly amilliniel or don't teach any eschatology.  The true churches that have not become a 501c3 corporation. teach a rapture. What is a 501c3 corporation?  It is a not for profit organization for purposes of making charitable contributions.  Churches do not have to become one.  Red Cross, and other non church affiliated organizations do.

The accusation is that if your church is a 501c3, then they have to take orders from the government to keep their tax exempt status.  This is why churches are not allowed to endorse candidates for elections.  I don't advise endorsing candidates anyway because they are all corrupt at some level.  Ask Richard Nixon.

So what is going on with the Rapture theology?    The rapture in many circles is taught wrong.  I know I have heard it many times.  "Before it gets really bad we are out of here".  Jesus said in John 16:33, " that in this world you will have tribulation, but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world."  So we need to be prepared for tribulation.  Americans in this Laodecian society are very soft.  We can't handle it it if someone puts a gun to our head and says deny Jesus or die. 

The correct teaching is that we are to be engaged until he comes.  When I was running track, I was told to keep going until you hit the finish tape.  Many a race was lost in the last couple of yards when the one head relaxed.  Keep going.  Keep sharing the gospel.  Keep writing your congressman.  Keep attending your county party conventions.  Stay engaged and stay informed.  This is not a time to quit.  2 Thessalonians 2:7  tells us that he that letteth with let until he be taken out of the way.  Until it is gone, we are to be a force of good in this world.

As I wrote in a previous article, we are to play until we here the whistle.  Play until you hear the last trump.  Don't let Alex Jones or anyone else influence your theology.  Alex also believes that man is tens of thousands of years old and has evolved.  The Bible clearly puts man at six thousand years.  Get your theology from the Bible.  Keep going. 

It's not the economy stupid.

When Clinton was elected in 1992 the statement was made that it was all about the economy.  Bush had raised taxes and voters did not like it so they elected Clinton and he raised taxes more.  When Clinton did that the Democrats lost the congress but he was re elected in 1996.  Now lets skip ahead to 2012.  In 2008 we elected a man that America barely knew for President.  In 2012 we know him a little bit better.  We know there is a question mark on his country of origin.  We know there is a question mark on his associations growing up.  There are question marks on what he did in College.  There is no question mark on how he stands on foreign policy.  There is no question mark as to what he wants to do with the economy.  He has taken over companies.  He has given incentives to political friends while punishing supporters of his opponents.  We know that he has appointed provable criminals to cabinet positions such as Attorney General and Secretary of State.

When Carter lost the election in a landslide against Ronald Reagan the economy was sinking.  We had interest rates in the 20+% level,  Inflation was double digit, and unemployment was on the rise.  Under Reagan we somehow got inflation to hold at 4%  and interest rates have been on the fall ever since to where it is now almost non existent.  What people don't understand is that the FED has total control over interest rates and the presidential policies have nothing to do with it. 

Over the last half century, the education system in America and I am not talking about the public schools but all schools have taught that you need a good education, to get a good job.  What is a good job?  What people don't understand in America is how economies operates.  They think that you need good skills to get good jobs but don't understand where wealth comes from.  So let me explain.

All wealth comes from God.  Where does God put his wealth so we can get it?  He puts it in the ground.  So how do we get it out?  We get it out by farming, hunting, ranching, forestry, fishing, drilling and mining.  All industries and all wealth creation come from this.  We are being told we have left the Agricultural age and have left the industrial age and have entered the information age.  I am sorry, we don't eat information.  We eat food.  Food comes from farming and Ranching hunting and Fishing.  To be able to hunt and fish we need tools tools happen when items trees are cut down and minerals are mined.  Then they are refined in a factory and sold back to the farmer, hunter, or fisherman.    Miners also need equipment that is refined.  So we have used factories to build tools for that.  As we have evolved to be further from the core economies the less we think of those economies. 

It is now to the point where the major economies in America right now is medicine, education, government, banking and entertainment. None of these economies create wealth.  Now you understand why the economy is failing.  Agriculture in all forms is under attack from the company of Monsanto.  Fishing is under attack from pollution entering the waters of this world as world.  Forestry is under attack from green people protecting trees.  Mining and drilling is under attack as our president has done everything he can to shut down those industries. Our industries are under attack by sending them overseas.  When you study the American Revolution you find that George Washington would create resources on his plantation in Virginia.  Then he would send them back to England and sell them to factories to be refined.  He would place orders for products and was told to bring back the extra money.  Washington almost always got an IOU on these journeys.  He got tired of it and led an Army against England for the right to create factories in America and control the price for which he sells his product. 

So what is it stupid?  It is sin.  We voted for sin in America.  In fact we used sin to vote for sin.  In all states where the law was followed in the election, Romney won.  In states with Election fraud going on, Obama won.  Not to say that Romney didn't use fraud.  I think he got nominated with election fraud.  But Obama promotes Same sex marriage.  Obama promotes criminals in the government.  He promotes abortion, and he has gone beyond to say you can kill up to age two and with Obama care, euthanasia has been endorsed.  If you aren't a producer, then you will be killed.  he has paid high dollars to government workers and made it a post of bribery. 

What he is going to do in the next 4 years is any ones guess. Speculation is that he is going to persecute his enemies.  He is going to stifle decent.  He is going to crush the once great US economy.  It isn't the economy stupid.  It is about having an Obama phone.  It is about no work for food.  It is about bullying enemies into submission.  It is about you not having a choice in religion. 

But before I have you too fearful, remember, God did not give us a spirit of fear.  But of power and love and of a sound mind.  God has promised to care for his own through tribulation.  The rest of the world has prayed for the American church to face tribulation.  We are lukewarm.    This will separate the men from the boys when it comes to your faith in Jesus Christ.  I will say, finally.  Look up for your redemption draweth neigh.  Sin must play out its course in America so God can fully judge it. 

Four more years?

The election last night was called for Obama quite early dispite that fact that Ohio, Florida, Virginia were all close races.  Interesting looking at states on a map that the Rural areas all went for Romney and the cities went for Obama.  How much of it was legal and how much of it was illegal is hard to say.  I know that both of the candidates are known for election fraud.  So neither of them really deserved to be there. 

The problem is going to be what is going to happen in the next four years.  If past record is indicative of future returns we know that House went to the republicans so they will continue to pass laws.  The Senate went for the Democrates and they will continue to table those laws so that nothing gets to the president.  The president will solve the crises by passing executive orders.  The House will hold hearings and scream at the cabinet members for disobeying the law and then not doing anything else about it.  What needs to happen is to get special prosecutors going again to bring charges against criminals in the Obama administration.  That probably will not happen.  At some point the TEA Party people will get upset again.  They will get cooped by certain moderates posing as conservatives and again nothing will happen.

Do you see where this is going.  Prophecy Club had a guest back in the 80s that is starting to make sense.  His name was Dmitri Duterman.  He said that an internal revolution will be started by the communist (Barack Obama) and then out of the seas Russia and a few other countries will attack and destroy America.  This I can see happening.  It is the rest of his prophecies that I call into question.   Even his list of countries is not correct.  He said there will be Latin American countries involved.  We know from the Ezekiel 38 passage that It is Iran, Libya, Turkey, Germany and Sudan that are the allies in this fight.

The Bible is strangely silent in this matter but I can now see under the "leadership" of Barack Obama that the country is ready to go downhill.  Be prepared for some tough times ahead.  The earthquakes will continue.  The Storms will still rage.  The persecution will intensify.  The Lord is coming back soon.  America will fall.  I pray that I am wrong but my gut and my Bible say differently. 

We cannot continue promoting Same sex marriage and have the blessing of God.  We cannot continue aborting babies and still please God.  We cannot continue to appease those who oppose Israel and still please God.  We cannot say we are one nation under God and then tell the chaplains to not pray in Jesus name.  We cannot force non profit organizations to pay for abortions and contraception against the statement of faith of that organization and please God. 

I dare say with as close as the vote was that there are still some righteous people in America.  But when God has turned us over then we have problems.  I will ask Congress to begin impeachment proceedings against Obama.  There is more evidence against him then there was Nixon.  But after that it is important that every man be right with God.  It is going to be tough.  I would rather be persecuted by my government then fall to judgment of God.  Stand tall and God bless. 

Thomas Ice and non accreditated degrees.

Down below on one of my post the comment was made that Dr. Thomas Ice has an illegal doctorate from a small school in Texas.   Dr. Tommy Ice has a Doctorate from Tyndale Theological Seminary (http://tyndale.edu/) in Hurst Texas.  This happens to be a seminary that I have had some relations with.  I know Dr. Christopher Cone's Father.  Dr. Cone is the President of the school since 2006.  Yes this is a small seminary.  It is not as large as Dallas, Grace, Fuller, Southwest or other well known seminary.  The issue isn't about whether he earned it.  Which he did.  The issue as to whether the school can give a degree.  When it comes to religious education, who sets the standard for accreditation?  It cannot be the state.  We have a first amendment in America.  The Supreme court of Texas ruled as such and returned the fine that the school paid. 

The issue as to whether Thomas Ice's doctorate is recognized.  As a professor at Liberty University, he is recognized as having a Ph.D. by the school. 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Ice  
http://www.liberty.edu/academics/religion/index.cfm?PID=12360 

I remember a debate a few years back over the degree that Dr. Kent Hovind earned from Patriot University(http://www.patriotuniversity.com/) in Colorado.  This is another school that I have a relationship with.   Same situation.  The degree was earned.  The question is to whether the degree is recognized.  With no accreditation board, then the controversy is on.  There seems to be a degree of attack on the degree when the attacks on the work fall short.

Should Christians quit earning degrees from such small schools.  I don't think so.  The accreditation process often causes schools to compromise on principals.  It is the same thing about home schooling.  When a student finishes a course of study in a home school situation, did he/she earn the credit and the degree.  As long as the person did the work, he should be recognized as having the degree until it is proven that the school isn't giving a complete course. 

When you see the catalog of the schools and see the work that must be completed to get a degree sometimes you find that it is harder to get your degree this method then by going to an accredited school.  At an accredited school, the minimum standards are sometimes the only thing required.  When you attend and unaccredited school, they realize that you must perform better then the accredited school or you will not be recognized by anyone.  So as a result, their dissertation review can be more strict.  Their standards for passing classes can be tougher.   They cannot rely on their accreditation that keeps them in business.  They have to put out a superior product. 

If we are not allowed to study at an unaccredited school, then we are not allowed to do independent research. This blog encourages such.  The Bible says that you are to "Workout your own salvation with fear and trembling." Phil 2:12.  It is ultimately your responsibility to determine the truth.  Don't let someone say that you or someone else is a liar without first figuring out the source of it   Much of it is disinformation to try to confuse you.  The confusion is not of God.  It is of Satan.  So know your source and do your own research.  2 Tim 2:15.  "Study to shew yourself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. "

The Catholic Vote.

Interesting that the Catholics are going to wield their power in this election.  They have been working for years to play both sides against the middle.  Obama's top advisers during the first campaign were Jesuits.  Both VP candidates are Catholic.  What has happened different to make the Catholic Church come out against Obama.  The three items there are definitely issues.  But let just say.  Keystone Pipeline.  Destabilization of the Middle East.  Obama's attitude of putting the church under the state instead of the other way around.  The Dark ages were defined as a period where the Church crowned kings.  The Vatican must have the supreme position.  They liked Bush because he did "Bow the neck" to the Pope.  While Obama did it physically, he never did it in his policies.  He has to go.  Ever since the The Irish and Italian immigration of the late 1800's, the Church has been biding their time for such a moment as this.  As Romney wins with a strong Catholic vote, it will force Romney to "bow the neck" to the Vatican.  He will do what the church ask. 
 

Why is this important to prophecy? When you read "A woman rides the Beast" by Dave Hunt.  You realize that Revelation 17-18 as well as passages in Jeremiah, Isaiah and Ezekiel dealing with Babylon have a duel meaning for the city of Rome and the worst elements of the Catholic religion.  We can make the debate all day long as to who Babylon is but there is no doubt that the city with Seven hills mentioned in Revelation 17 is Rome.

So what is their beef in world Politics?  They want to rule over the kings of the earth.  Hitler was controlled by the Pope.  Napoleon was controlled by the Pope.  The future Anti-Christ will be controlled by the Pope.  It was only the Protestant British and Americans that brought down those   governments.  The Vatican has been working for years to try to bring down those two governments so that they will fall in line with the plans of the Vatican.  Both the Bushes and Reagan made many trips to Rome.  They gave Pope John Paul II  the credit for bringing down communism.  This was all a ruse to get other countries to pay homage to the Pope.  Vatican II Compromised a few catholic doctrines so that they could convince the world that they need to come together. Catholics will not compromise further.  Any  compromise in doctrine will be done by those who compromise with the church.  

This will be an interesting election.  Both VP candidates are Catholic.   The current and the previous speakers of the house are Catholic.  The current chaplain of the house is a Catholic.    Georgetown University, the closest school to the White House is run by Jesuit priest.  Your two most favorite talk show host on Fox, Sean Hannity and Bill O'rielly are Catholic.  Are you feeling surrounded yet?  You at least need to be concerned.  Abraham Lincoln defended a Catholic priest in a lawsuit against the church in 1856.  He paid for that with this life.  The country paid for it with a civil war.  "50 years in the church of Rome" by Charles Chiniquy.  

In the game of who is really behind the NWO?  Watch the church. 

Faction

In two of my recent post, I have done book reviews on books that would be considered faction.  They are fictional books used to tell a truth or a real story.  There are those out there that just do not like the genre.  They say that you should never get your doctrine from one of those stories. I have a hard time with that assertion.  Jesus used Parables to illustrate truth.  Preachers will tell you that you cannot preach a sermon without telling a story.  In fact some of them hire an assistant pastor with the task of finding illustrations for their sermons.  Not exactly good use of a personnel but that is not the problem I am dealing with today.

The point is that Fiction can be a wonderful way to illustrate the true story.  So here in is the problem. In reading these stories distinguishing the fact from the fiction.  When you read these stories, sometimes you have great story lines and sometimes not so great.  The Harbinger had a horrible story line but his facts were spot on.  Dan Browns "The De Vinci Code" on the other hand had a great story line and the facts were horrible.  Actually the facts of the De Vinci code set up the Anti Christ but I diverge.  

The point that I am trying to make is that there are people out there that will never set foot in the non fiction side of a library but will go to the fiction side to find a good read.     For those people we need to be doing a better job is our fictionalized accounts of prophecy.  The books by Tim LeHaye were good but to make a good story he ignored certain prophetic truths.    Joel Rosenberg, in his series of pre rapture events did a great job.  I though both the facts and the story went well together.

When you write in the genre, you have to have both aspects spot on.  Great fiction and great facts to go with it.  Great fiction includes, developing the characters and  having great conflict.  Sometimes you may have to take the story places that a Christian author generally should not take a story.  I am talking about violence primarily but could include language and sex.  The conflict will keep the reader interested and lead to a climax.  Again, the Joel Rosenberg series does a great job in this category.  Tim LeHaye does well here too.

When you have that right you have to go back and say, does this line up with scripture?  When you realize that fiction just brings out what you think that the scripture is saying then you have to make sure it doesn't violate any of the principals.  Tim Lahaye for instance violates the principal of 2 Thes 2:11-12, that those who have had a chance will be deceived by the strong delusion.  So the developing of the main character in his series was all wrong. 

All in all, I think we need good Faction.  There is a good market for it.  Make the stories good, and  let's keep the facts correct when we write it.

Thoughts from reading The Shack

Purchase Here

I found the shack to be an interesting and challenging read.  It is especially challenging when you hear the authors comments at the end of the audio version of the book.  So with that I need to get into what I found they did right and what they did not.

What they got right.

Christianity is not a religion; it is a relationship.  We need to walk with Jesus on a day by day bases not a go to church on Sunday or study about him in theology training and hope that someone gets it right.  Jesus wants to walk with and talk to us and minister to us through the Holy Spirit.  There is not a pastor or priest that can substitute for Him.

God is love.  Now I will have more to say about that in the other half of this paper, but what I have have said here is true.  We need to get back to loving God not just talking about him.

God wants to heal relationships.  There is a lot  to talk about here but the healing of relationship was the major theme of the book for those who wanted something else to come from the book.  So if that was all that would come from a book where someone meets God it would be sufficient. 

Healing of the relationships is through forgiveness.  What he has to say about forgiveness is very true.  I am not sure about Biblically accurate but it is true in the way it is presented.

Judgment is not for us to do, at least not at this time.  There is a major scene where the hero of the story is asked to judge various people and then is condemned for doing so.  While the Bible does say to judge not lest ye be judged., final judgment is not for us at this time.  The book should have went on to say that we will judge at the final judgment but for now it is not the time.  We are to be looking to bring this person into relationship with God not trying to throw the book at him. 

How they represented Jesus.  You can't go wrong when the only explanation of how Jesus looks is in the Bible.  They got that one right.  I'll say more about the other two later.  

What they got wrong.

First of all, I don’t think you will ever get to meet the Father or the Holy Spirit even in eternity.  No matter how you would have represented them, it would have been wrong.  Jesus said in John 14, that if you have seen me, you have seen the Father.  I and the Father are one.  All we need to know about God the Father and the Holy Spirit can be summed up in the person of Jesus.  As far as the spirit goes, I like the name that was given but the way that he was represented leaves much to be desired.  The spirit does dwell within you so therefore the spirit will testify when things are right and wrong.  I think his explanation on why the Father(Papa) must appear as a black woman is adequate, the whole notion does not fit with scripture.  I would have him as an Older Samoan man myself.  Why Samoan?  Take a genetics class and you will see that they are closer to the average skin tone and hair structure of the genetic code.  Not white, not black not kinky hair not straight.  Right in the middle. 

The opening story about the great spirit and how one person sacrificed themselves to the spirit so the rest could live.  Wow, what a story but it was later said that the Great Spirit and God were the same.  No they are not.  God does not wish that we should ever equate him to any other gods.  The only human sacrifice he ever demanded he stopped by providing a lamb to sacrifice instead.  It is only the gods of paganism that require a human sacrifice.

The overemphasis on love to the lessoning of Judgment.  While it is true that God is love, he is also a God of Justice and Judgment.  It is only through the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross that we can have forgiveness of sins and divert the wrath of God.  It is God’s grace that diverts judgment.  Man who continues to defy God will in the end face the judgment of God.  The only mention of hell is when the main character wishes his daughter’s murderer to go there.  God said he wanted to reconcile him.  While that is true, the fact that hell remains there for that person that does not repent is still true.

There is a reemphasis on the election and predestination doctrine even though at one point Jesus said he would travel any road to find disciples.   That statement has made several commentators think that have written negatively on the book comment that this made the god of the Shack a Universalist, I don’t think so.  I think that is accurate in the fact that he will travel any road to find those whom he has called.  What is not emphasized in that statement which needs to be is that he has to call them out of the religious system that they are in. 

De-emphasis on prophecy.  Apparently the author had been reading Rick Warren because not once is anything prophetic mentioned.   When he had Paul in the wilderness, prophecy was taught to him.   When Jesus was here the first time he spent a lot of time discussing the future with his disciples.  He wanted them to know what to expect next.  While he didn’t give details he did give enough that they were able to discern the times they were living.  Speaking of which.  Matthew 24 says that if someone says that Jesus is somewhere, don’t go there.  He is not.  I know it wouldn’t make for good fiction if he had refused to go find out if God was really at the shack.  The fact that nothing was said about, You won’t have long now.  I will be returning soon to set up the Kingdom was not ever once said.  With the nearness of the second coming, I would hope that there is a building of enthusiasm for it on the part of Jesus.   There is a discussion about the Bride of Christ but does not mention the wedding.  That was very disappointing.

What about that ending?  His transformation was good but the explanation of what had happened to him that weekend had the feeling of the TV series “Lost”.  It is all  the more reason to leave the story as a work of fiction.  Leave the Gospel to the scriptures and enjoy the story for what it is.  Fiction.