Bad Raps For The Rapture

The teaching of the Rapture doctrine was first published about 1788 by Morgan Edwards (1722-1795). Before that time, it was unknown. Later, it was adopted about 1827 by John Darby, (1800-1882) and popularized by the Scofield Bible of 1909. However, today, since the 1970s the doctrine has taken a serious and well-deserved beating.

Speculations abound concerning the Rapture. It is a system filled with contradictions some of which are noted below. The Rapture supposedly occurs at some time in the future before the alleged final return of Christ. It is alleged that Christians will be raptured out of this world before, (pre) during (mid) or after (post) the great tribulation. Of the three, the pretribulation position is most common.

Contradictions with Scripture and the Rapture Theories.
Every passage in the Bible strongly teaches or implies that no one was raptured before the second coming. The parable of the tares teaches that the Son of man sowed good seed in his field. But while men slept, the devil sowed tares. The servants wanted to perform a sort of rapture on their own by gathering up or separating the tares from the wheat. They were forbidden. The command was to leave them alone. Let both grow together until the harvest, and at the time of the harvest I will say to the reapers, First gather together the tares and bind them in bundles to burn them, but gather the wheat into my barn. (Matthew 13:29, 30)

Contrary to the Left Behind advocates, the scriptures teach that both the wheat (Christians) and the wicked were sown together in the world. Both would remain together in the world until the time of the harvest, stated to be the end of the age, (Matthew 13:40) at which time they would be cast into the lake of fire. Thus no separation or rapture of Christians takes place before the harvest (Christs second coming and time of the resurrection).

Confusion Over Where to Place the Millennium
There is a very clear starting point and ending point for the endtime scenario mentioned in the parable of the tares. Observe that the good seed are sown by the Son of Man. This refers to Christians who obey the gospel. During this same time, the wicked are sown by the devil. They are so for rejecting the message of the Messiah and his reign. (Psalms 110:1; Acts 2:34, 35; 3:22,23; John 8:44). Both grow together without interruption until the harvest.

Now the harvest is the second coming of Christ which follows both the millennium and the great tribulation. Since the wicked and the righteous both grow together until the end of the age, there is no rapture before or during the great tribulation which of necessity precedes the end. When Christ returned at the end of the age, the millennium was over. So both righteous and the wicked are on earth for the entire duration, through the great tribulation and through the millennium. They are not separated until the time of the harvest, the time millennialism and rapture advocates agree is the final endtime judgment.

Left Behind Gets The Behind Out Front
Next, observe that the servants wanted to rapture the wicked, not the righteous. Do you want us then to go and gather them up? (Matthew 13:28). While they are forbidden to prematurely gather wicked, the Lord does explain that the reapers who attend the end of the age gathers the tares first and the wheat afterwards. First gather together the tares and bind them in bundles to burn them, but gather the wheat into my barn.

This is directly in contradistinction to the Left Behind advocates. Most importantly, it is the righteous who are left behind in the kingdom. After the wicked are cast into the lake of fire the scriptures read. Then the righteous will shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears to hear, let him hear.

In every text where Jesus speaks of his return, it is always the wicked who are taken and the righteous are the left behind. The writers of the Left Behind series along with other Rapture advocates have reversed Gods order. They want the Christians raptured, before the end the age while leaving the wicked behind. This does not accord with the text.

In our last example, Jesus offers an analogy of the endtime scenario from Noah. For as in the days before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and did not know until the flood came and took them all away, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. (Matthew 24:38, 39.

From the above, we learn that it is the wicked who are the taken, seized (a meaning of the word rapture) being overcome in the flood while the righteous were left behind to repopulate the world.

This scenario would repeat at the Lords coming. Then two men will be in the field: one will be taken [the wicked] and the other left. [the righteous], -just as in the days of the flood. (v. 40)

Two women will be grinding at the mill: one will be taken [the wicked] and the other left [the righteous]. (v. 41)

Finally, the chronology of the rapture is its greatest miscalculation. The events of Matthew 13:37-43 occur at what is called the end of this age. That is not our current age. That was the Jewish age of the first century in which Jesus and his disciples then lived. Suffice it to say that Jesus died in the end of the age, (Hebrews 9:26). That certainly could not describe our present age, but refers to the first century.

What the Bible teaches about the second coming of Christ, the end of the age and the harvest, all occurred within the end of the Jewish age, which age ended in 70 A.D..

William Bell is a speaker on Covenant Eschatology and is the author of the Re-Examination, a critique of futurism. Learn more about these and other endtime subjects at http://www.allthingsfulfilled.com and http://www.rapture-rap.com.

The Story of Chosun, Part 1

They say all of history is "His story." I agree with them. As I begin with you today an accounting of some of the major moments in Korea's past, I offer the accompanying encouragement that what I shall be sharing is not just the past. You will see how Korea was shaped and eventually prepared for the call of God on her life. Yes, the Gospel finally came to that land, and has produced in the South a harvest unimaginable.

But it took a long time for the Koreans to see their need and to reach out for something better than they had. Because of that long refusal and/or ignorance of the Good News, the pattern of independence followed by attacks and foreign domination and independence again, clung to this nation for thousands of years. Homer Hulbert, who will be our guide through most of this history, lived in the 19th - and wrote at the beginning of the 20th - century:

"Hulbert saw that Koreans of the nineteenth century were held captive by a small elite group of aristocratic bureaucrats whose vested interests lay in maintaining government by intrigue and corruption and in keeping the people as isolated as possible from the egalitarian influences of the West..."

That was true then, it was true through much of her history, and even to this day, a portion of the peninsula is dominated by an oligarchy. This particular dynasty of our day represents a foreign power. It is an alien government, a decidedly non-Korean turn of events. But all of that in good time.

For now, let's go back to the beginning, as far as we can anyway. Using Hulbert's classic 2-volume set, History of Korea, 1905, we begin.

PART I: ANCIENT HISTORY. 2322 BC- 892 AD

Legend has it that Korea was founded by a "son of God", God being the creator "Whanung". This was supposed to have happened somewhere between the days of the flood and Abraham. So far we're not as distant from the truth as you might expect. Following the flood account in your Bible is the story of the beginning of nations, especially focusing on one Nimrod, the real man behind all the myths of ancient peoples. Korea's mythological wonder man is "Tan-gun." Tan-gun was born when Whanung breathed upon a woman who wanted a son. That sounds pretty Biblical too. (Did I mention that the woman had once been a bear?)

It is not Seoul but Pyongyang that is Korea's first capital. Today this city is North Korea's number one place. Tan-gun reigns there until about 1122 BC, around the time of the judges of Israel, then disappears from the earth. If long lives trouble you, remember that our Bible has a Methuselah.

The word "chosun" arises during this period. "Land of morning calm" will be the idea attached to the Korean peninsula. And it probably had its calm moments. But the name, historically, is as meaningful as Jerusalem, "city of peace." It's a great idea, and in the future the idea will be realized, but for now...

It is from China that Korea is to be given its first major endowments:leadership, poetry, manners, music, medicine, sorcery, silk culture, weaving. And many attempted take-overs.

For the next 1000 years, the area covering the two provinces nearest Pyongyang today is governed by one Kija and his descendants. Kija is the son of Li, who is the 2nd son of Wuyi, Emperor of China in the 1100's BC. Kija first becomes an advisor to Emperor Tajung, known as the "Nero" of China. Kija actually places himself in exile but later is granted permission by the Chinese government to set up a kingdom on the nearby peninsula. It is independent of China, yet China seems to have regretted the decision at times, and tries to bring it under its control. All these attempts are rebuffed by the growing people group in Chosun.

This Kija kingdom is the first recognizable dynasty. One dynasty will follow the other in Korea until South Korea forms a republic in the mid 20th century. The world is hoping for the end of dynasties altogether in Korea. Somehow the word hasn't gotten up North that dynastic power is not the most efficient way to deal with 21st century citizens.

That's where you and I can come in and change Korea's history. Heart-felt, gut-involved, loud persistent knocking on the door of Heaven. Jesus has let us know that that kind of prayer really does work. Will you join multitudes worldwide in this movement of true liberation?

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

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

Why all the Hate

Is Money A Big Part Of Organized

Book Writing - Page Count and Chapter Length

Regardless of genre, there is no hard and fast rule about how many pages or words each chapter should contain or how many chapters should be in a book. However, there are some general guidelines in this article that may help you determine the page count and chapter length needed for your book.

Pages in a Chapter:

Many people read in spurts, at lunch time, or on the subway to work, readers enjoy chapters that can be finished in ten to fifteen minutes.

I try to set my chapter lengths by how long it takes me to read the material. If it goes past fifteen minutes, I may decide to divide a chapter in half and make two chapters out of it. Take into consideration that I write mostly non-fiction.

As you probably know, there's a difference in the way fiction and non-fiction are handled. In a fiction book, writers use shorter chapters. Some are only one page if that is all it takes to catch the reader up on the action of other characters in other scenes. When writing non-fiction, your chapter content needs to be specific to your chapter's heading or title.

Twenty pages per chapter is a good rule of thumb, but the most important thing is to include everything that relates to a particular topic in one chapter. For example, if your book is about fishing, you want to include the bulk of your information about fly casting in one chapter. All your info about bait and lure would be in another chapter.

Chapters/Pages in a Book:

These guidelines should give you a general idea of how to determine the length of your chapters and your book.

If your book is titled "The Accuracy of the US Census" you may have 52 chapters (one on each state). If your book is titled "Ten Tips for Marketing" you may have only ten chapters. There's no rule about how many chapters a book can or must have.

In order to be considered a book rather than a pamphlet or booklet, a book needs to be at least 10,000 words. If your book has more than 475 pages, you might want to consider producing it in two volumes.

Because you will submit your manuscript as an 8.5" x 11" word-processing document, you cannot be certain of its final length until after your publisher formats it for print. I have found that 250-300 words will approximate one page of 12-point font text in a standard size (5.5"x8" or 6"x9") perfect-bound book.

Yvonne Perry is a freelance writer and the owner of Writers in the Sky Creative Writing Services (WITS). She and her team of ghostwriters are ready to assist you with writing and editing for books, eBooks, Web text, business documents, resumes, bios, articles, and media releases. For more information about writing, networking, publishing, and book promotion, or to sign up for free email delivery of WITS newsletter, please visit http://www.writersinthesky.com New subscribers receive a free eBook Tips for Freelance Writing

Christianity Saved My Life

The Deity of Jesus Christ - Psalms

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Believing In Yourself

Don't Tithe If You Can't Afford to - Poor Christians Beware of Motivated Church Leaders

Meditating On Religious Scriptur
Effects Of False Prophets

Conversations With My Master About Quantum Physics

CONVERSATIONS WITH I.F. QUANTUM PHYSICS

For 30 years I studied with my spiritual master, I.F. Now that I look back I can see that he understood the Laws of Quantum Physics and he taught it to me in all the occult and mystical examples and sciences he used. Only he used the language of the discipline he was teaching. Runes, Tarot, Astrology, Hermetics, Numerology and Egyptology.

It is only now when I look back in retrospect that I see the seeds of the Laws of Quantum Physics in his words and writings. Years before Quantum Physics became in known to the masses.

Now, part of my dharma is to not only carry on I.F.'s work, but to also, to the best of my ability, show the golden thread of the Laws of Quantum Physics that ran through all of the Ancient Wisdom Teachings.

Here is a very basic description of the Laws of Quantum Physics that I use as my measuring stick.

"There exists an infinite ocean of thinking, intelligent energy called the Quantum Ocean, or the Mind of God. Everything that ever was, is or will be is contained in the quantum ocean. There is no time there, No past, present nor future. Only the Now! There is no space there, only the HERE!. Therefore the Mind of God or the Quantum Ocean is an infinite point in the HERE-NOW!. We all live in two realities. Our physical one and our quantum ocean one.

Inside the quantum ocean are divine blueprints, or energy patterns or energy matrices that when projected onto the physical plane become part of our reality.

Thoughts are things and what we think we attract out of the quantum ocean and into our aura. Our aura is the energy filed that connects us to both our physical reality and our blueprint in the quantum ocean. We become what we think.

Here are some of the ideas presented to me over 30 years ago in the form of Study Letters by I.F. You judge the similarity to the Laws of Quantum Physics.

I.F. said that there is a blueprint for each person's life, but within that blueprint there are many possible variations and fluctuations,ramifications and many areas in which to operate

Every one's blueprint for life is to expand consciousness. To grow and become more aware of who and what we really are and to live in accordance with our blueprint. But the way we grow is up to the individual.

Life is a constant stream of choices. it is a choice from the very beginning.

As you expand your consciousness you make better choices. it is all a mathematical process. Use discrimination, wisdom and selectivity combined with balanced living to structure a whole (HOLY) life.

It fits so well with the ideas that thoughts are things and that we create our lives by what we think. We think thoughts or health, wealth and happiness along with the desire to be more conscious then we live a full productive life. The more conscious or god-like we become the better choices we make. The better choices we make the more conscious we become.

It works in the other direction also. The worse choices we make the more bestial we become and the lower our consciousness becomes. The lower our consciousness the more bestial. It brings up a very interesting occult question as far as reincarnation goes. According to some of the Eastern Religions you can be reborn as an animal. Something to think about?

Ellis Peterson AKA Ragnar Storyteller is a retired math professor and electronics engineer. He has been studying astrology, runes, radionics, metaphysics and alternate healing treatments for over 30 years. He is 70+, in very good health and lives in the boonies of the Pocono mountains with his wife Lory. His writings are unique and refreshing. To see more of his writings visit his websites.

http://www.olevikingshop.com/

and

http://www.runes-for-health-wealth-love-now.com/

Or go to Google and type in his pen name RAGNAR STORYTELLER for his listings. He is also a ghost writer and will write and article for you. Email Ragnar for his FREE 10 PART MINI-COURSE, "How-To use Quantum Physics in Your Every Day Life to Attract More Wealth, Health and Love, Now." You can contact him by email.

Do You Read The Bible Regularly

Does God Make Mistakes
Nothing Will Be Impossible

A Calling to a Career in Ministry

Do you want to be part of a community of believers committed to learning about god? Pursuing a degree program based on faith is an exciting prospect for some students. When you earn a degree in Christian studies, you are teaching yourself to share the message of Jesus with the world. Your Christian studies degree can lead you - not in to temptation, but in to a variety of ministerial and service positions around the world.

What They Do:

Ministers work to spread the word of god. They act as counselors and spiritual guides for members of their church and the community at large. They not only lead their church, but they coordinate educational and leadership programs as well. Ministers are mainly responsible for overseeing and managing the daily activities of the church.

Training:

Earning a degree in Christian studies or theology can get you started on a road to several interesting careers. Your basic coursework will cover basic curriculum in areas such as sociology, history, and civics. You will also be required to take courses that are focused on history and history of world religions. You will take classes that further your learning of god and his word like courses in scripture, theology, ancient languages, church history, and ethics.

Job Opportunities:

Earning a degree in Christian Studies can prepare you for other careers than simply ministry. There are opportunities in fields such as life ministries, religious systems management, and education. You can also find careers in nonprofit, publishing, and education. Museums also hire people with a background in art and religion to work in specific areas of expertise. Salaries tend to vary in this field. Your salary may be in the $40,000 range, but the work you do is priceless.

Mary Hart is an in-house writer for Online-Degrees-Today.com and has been writing about online business degree programs since 2004. To find out more information about earning your online Christian studies degree, click here.

Prayer In My Earlier Life and Its Effects

Meditating On Religious Scriptur
Another Crappy Rule In The Bible

Why do Muslims and Islam Honor Jesus and Mary

Many do not know that Muslims honor Jesus and Mary as part of their religious beliefs. The following highlights some of the facts regarding Muslims beliefs about Jesus and Mary.

* Muslims believe in Jesus as a prophet. They believe that God (Allah) sent many prophets to mankind and Jesus was one of them

* As the Muslim religions foundation is to believe in one God and not to associate anyone with God and His powers and attributes, Jesus was only a human being that was raised by God and will return him to this earth in this life. Jesus will then die as a regular human being.

* Muslims believe that Bible was revealed on Prophet Jesus. However, with time, as that book was changed, God (Allah) revealed His last book, the Quran on the last prophet, Prophet Muhammad.

* Quran was revealed over a period of 23 years

* Muslims believe in Mary as the Virgin mother of Prophet Jesus

* There is an entire chapter in the Quran that explains in detail the birth of Jesus, his family, etc. The chapter is called Chapter of Mary

* Muslims believe that Jesus although was put on the cross was never crucified. Instead, he was raised to the heavens by God (Allah) and another person instead was crucified in his place. These teachings and the fully story are narrated in the Quran.

* Muslims also believe that Jesus will come back to earth, unit the Christians and the Muslims and will kill the anti-Christ.

* The Quran teaches Muslims that Jesus though was a normal human being but had special powers from God (Allah) including raising the dead and curing diseases.

Waseem works for HilalPlaza.com, an Islamic and Middle Eastern Portal Website.

Don't Tithe If You Can't Afford to - Poor Christians Beware of Motivated Church Leaders

Meditating On Religious Scriptur
Personal Development

Christmas - The Birth of the Christ Consciousness Within

The Christ is not just one person. The Christ is an "office" or "position" we ALL attain to. The word Christ means, "the anointed one." Jesus came to show us the way to be a vessel for the Love of God to manifest.

When the Christ Spirit entered Jesus he had perfected His soul in many lifetimes to be a worthy temple for Love incarnate. Edgar Cayce said that Jesus was Adam. In the "fall" was the promise of full redemption.

The Christ Consciousness is part of the Trinity, known by different names in many religions. The Father is the Will and Power of God, the Son or Daughter, the Christ, is the Love of God, and Holy Spirit Mother is the Thought, Wisdom, Understanding, Truth, Faith and Wisdom of God Goddess.

Where did the concept of the Christ come to mean just one person? Was it a matter of control?

The Christ of our time was Jesus. In every age the Christ Spirit enters an advanced soul to bring higher learning to the people of that time. Moses, Abraham, Buddha, Krishna, and Mohammed, have all come to teach their people a more advanced connection to the Great Spirit. There is always a great teacher who comes to show us the way and the great possibilities of us as Human/Divine beings.

The biggest secret is that God is within each one of us, and also in every atom of space and in every form we see.

This Christmas, let us pray to truly forgive anyone who we may be angry with, including forgiving self. Let the power of Love heal all wounds.

Enjoy Christmas and observe the 12 Holy Days December 26-January 6, as a dedication to the 12 months ahead. Let this devotion bring you ever closer to the possibility of the Christ of Love being born within.

Let this sacred season bring us joy, peace and healing of all conditions. Let the Christ Consciousness of Love be born within each one of us so that we may usher in the 1,000 years of peace!

2008 Merry C. Battles

Merry C. Battles has worked in the healing arts since 1977. She has practiced the art of massage, Jin Shin Jyutsu (an ancient form of Japanese Acupressure), CranioSacral Therapy, Reiki, and foot reflexology. Merry is the author and illustrator of Christmas Meditations on the Twelve Holy Days December 26-January 6 Merry's book is a compilation of her 26 year meditation journey with the twelve holy days. Her book can be used all year as we travel through each sign of the Zodiac.

Merry has been a student of the ancient mysteries for as many years. Her greatest joy in life, along with her grandchildren, is to learn about the spiritual. This is reflected in all of her work.

http://merrybattles.com/

http://walkingthespiritualpath.com/

Can You Ask God For Wisdom

Are Your Prayers Being Answered
Effects Of False Prophets

Reflections on Goddess Religion

The renewed interest and critical discussion of the ancient goddess religion open a path to the Perennial Philosophy, a substratum of human culture and consisting of a cluster of ideas, insights, view points, and attitudes about life found in most, if not all, societies. Basic concepts of the goddess religion can also offer insights into Hermes' art, which is still relevant and beneficial today.

Pelasgians are a people and their language who populated the southern Balkan Peninsula, Aegean Islands, and coast of Asia Minor before Greek invasions of the second millennium B.C. They were the last of the Neolithic goddess cultures. The name is even mentioned in some alchemical texts. Fulcanelli, the Master Alchemist of the twentieth century, specifically states that the hermetic cabala, Hermes' language, maintains the essence of the Pelasgians' mother language. Hermes' language birthed from the Neolithic cultures, if not earlier.

The goddess has many images linked to her: cave, moon, stone, serpent, bird, fish, and tree; spiral, meander, and labyrinth; wild animals such as lion, bull, bison, stag, goat, and horse; rituals of fertility; and journey of the soul to another dimension. Each historical goddess has many of these characteristics and often several different ones.

Isis, the greatest goddess of Egypt, was worshipped for over 3000 years. Her attributes are the tree of life, cow, serpent, pig, bird, underworld, Sirius, words of power, and great mother goddess of the universe.

According to the twentieth century scholar Marija Gimbutas, the serpent crown refers back to the Neolithic snake goddess, who wore such a crown. These snake crowns symbolize wisdom and wealth. Struggling with a huge white snake will gain the seeker a crown. Wearing the crown, the initiate knows all, is able to find hidden treasures, and can communicate with animals. Hermes knows that the serpent goddess is the living water, the philosophical mercury, and the white queen. Gimbutas' book, The Living Goddesses, is filled with many insights and presents an excellent comprehension of Neolithic culture and the goddess tradition.

The ancient rock art in Australia that depicts hermaphroditic figures is similar to some goddess images in European Neolithic art. Humans have lived in Australia for more than 40,000 years, arriving there during the Paleolithic. The hermaphrodite (the word is a blending of Hermes and Aphrodite) is an important alchemical concept.

The discussion about the stone symbol in Anne Baring and Jules Cashford's The Myth of the Goddess is profound. A stone lasts a long time and can symbolize eternity or timelessness. During the Neolithic, or earlier, it represented the foundation or essence of life, such as the soul or spirit that endured after the death of the body. The stone is, of course, a dominant symbol in alchemy: its goal is to obtain the philosopher's stone.

Two major themes of religious ceremony, starting in the Neolithic if not earlier, are the sacred marriage and birth of the child. A union with a divine spirit is inherent in all mystical ceremonies and practices. Initiation into the great spiritual mysteries has been a human activity for thousands of years, perhaps since the beginning of time. The female signifies the continuous pattern of birth-death-rebirth, which is the principle of regeneration. The male signifies the life of the individual, the short span of temporal life beginning with birth and ending with death. The neophyte enters the hidden subterranean recesses and dies a first death and only then does rebirth occur. Now the worldly and spiritual realms remain open to each other. The goddess was the portal into the hidden dimension through which the dead passed on their way to rebirth.

The dying god, a religious theme originating in antiquity, symbolizes physical life that is constantly changing, and the goddess illumines the principle of life that endures by eternally renewing itself. The goddess represents continuity while the god, sharing in the impermanent essence of the seed, dies annually.

More insight is revealed in The Myth of the Goddess. In goddess culture the manifest is the physical emanation of the unmanifest. So time is cyclical, a movement of manifesting to non-manifesting to manifesting and so forth. This is the lunar cycle. Because patriarchal culture sees time in a linear fashion of conflict with and conquest of opposition or the other, war and warriors are the central theme of history. Conquest in battle is the primary means of overcoming separation, but it never completely solves the problem because some opposition continues and remains hidden until it grows strong enough to challenge the victor. Thus, life is viewed as a perpetual struggle, battling foes and winning victories or being defeated, an onerous happening.

The goddess trinity comprises a young woman, a mother giving birth, and an old woman. The trinity is an ancient concept, probably in use before the Neolithic.

The trinity or three goddesses are the three visible phases of the moon. The hidden fourth-the dark or new moon-is the goddess of the night or of the unmanifest. The child born to the mother is signified by the sun born from the moon. At new moon the night sky is dark. Afterwards, the sun is gradually resurrected until full moon when its full light illumines the night sky. Then daily the sun dies away until its light is gone.

The goddess as mother of life sends her children forth into the world and as mother of death gathers her children unto her as they return from the world. The natural cycles signify this process of life and death.

The visible part, the son or daughter, comes from and returns to the invisible: the whole is the mother goddess. This idea is found in the Bronze Age. Based on the observation of natural phenomena, the idea no doubt is primeval in origin.

The ancient Middle Eastern cultures of Sumer, Babylon, and Egypt demonstrate the change from goddess religion to god religion. Inanna, a Sumerian goddess who later becomes Babylonian Ishtar, is the Great Mother Goddess, who holds the caduceus and double-headed ax as symbols of her power. The lunar cycle represents her power of life and death. The queen of heaven and earth, she has these attributes: the tree of life (palm tree), dove, owl, lion, dragon, serpent, scorpion, planet Venus, and Sirius. In Sumerian times Sirius was known as the Bow Star and rose in conjunction with the sun at sunrise during the month of July. Dumuzi or Tammuz is the son-lover, consort of Inanna-Ishtar. The caduceus and double-headed ax become his symbols; he is also imaged as a fish-god and a shepherd and sometimes wears a skirt with a net pattern. The son-lover possesses some of his mother's features.

The great cosmic cycle of life and death can be described in this way: the soul comes from or is born from the goddess, and its life cycle resembles the lunar cycle; at death the soul returns to the goddess. This cycle is very conducive and supportive of reincarnation.

So much evidence leads to the conclusion that the Paleolithic moral order as encompassed in the goddess religion did not die but lives now albeit underground renewing itself. It will assert itself when the times beckon. An important cosmic principle is that the seed must die for it to live.

2009 All Rights Reserved

Having been a Humanities and English college teacher for thirty-six years, I now manage Ye Olde Consciousness Shoppe which presents ideas about transforming consciousness and reaching a higher level of reality. The website has information about my three books: Hermes Beckons, a tale of alchemy and magic; Foundation for a New Consciousness; and Reality Inspector, a novel of chess and computer-hacking.

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Physical and the Non-Physical Consciousness

The junction point between different states of consciousness; i.e. waking and sleeping is a good time to notice this experience.

As your mind and body start to settle down to rest. You become aware of the more subtle nature of the body, mind and aura. For me this experience is one of first scanning my body and my feelings and becoming aware of my deeper connection.

If I become aware of any discomfort in the body, I take my attention into that region and consciously breathe, relaxing the physical body and clearing the mind of any associated thoughts.

As you continue with this process, you may become aware of a third level of awareness; a field of energy that both surrounds and permeates the mind and the body. I say field, as it is a kind of electromagnetic field of energy, similar to magnetism.

This field of energy is the aura, the energy field of the body, it has consciousness too and you may notice your awareness passing from the physical body to the non-physical aura as you settle down to sleep.

Sometimes I experience this like clouds of white light washing over the body and passing through the body. As you take your awareness from your physical body and step over and become aware on your feelings as being within the clouds of white mist of the aura. You notice a freeing of your awareness an expansion and raising slightly of ones vibration.

The human body is such a wonderful thing as we can experience it on many levels and see the connections into may different aspects or dimensions of its nature.

As we become aware of this non-physical connection to our higher Self we may also become aware of its nature. We could invite in our guides and angels to come around us. We could take a few minutes just appreciating the work they do for us.

We could start to ask them for guidance or plan what we would like to do or experience tomorrow. This is a magical time, as we start to drift off into sleep, and if you witness your sleep, you may even have the experience of your spiritual awareness going out of body and astral travelling through the Universe.

This is all apart of your higher Self, the clouds of white light that you feel, is your spiritual connection into the non-physical world. This non-physical, although it is not localised like your body, is still as much apart of who you are as the physical nature of your body, in fact I would say is more your true nature.

So next time you are going to sleep, just in an innocent way, stay a little more aware of your feelings and experiences and consciously enjoy being aware of the many aspects of who and what you are.

Message channelled by George Lockett (C) Copyright 2006, All Rights Reserved.

* New book * "A Journey into the Self -- the multi-dimensional nature of being human": HealerGeorge Web Site and New Book

Description: What is this book going to do for YOU? For those who are seeking a complete energetic makeover, as you read it you will feel a stirring and awakening in the depths of your heart. For those who have questions about Shifts in Consciousness, Energy Balancing and Healing within the body, you will find clear answers.

Read HealerGeorges Blog: Curezone Blog or ask at question at: Ask HealerGeorge

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Lifestyle Evangelism

There are certainly many references in the Bible to evangelism such as John 4:35-38 and First Corinthians 3:5-9 or the most popular Biblical example towards the end of Matthew 28 where Jesus told his followers "Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you."

However, the means in which to tell other nations about The Lord and teach of the Bible was not specified. One of the more recent popular terms and practices is 'Lifestyle Evangelism' which simply means other ways of spreading the word of the Bible and Jesus (i.e., those of us who are not Ministers or who otherwise are looking for ways of spreading Christianity without necessarily preaching). So it could be interpreted as non-verbal means of spreading God's word by having others seeking to follow your ways (i.e., your lifestyle). Rather than pro-active means, Lifestyle Evangelism can mean reactive means of starting a conversation about Jesus, like wearing a Christian tee shirt certainly can be a conversation starter and lead to a discussion.

There are some who debate whether anything short of preaching or verbal evangelizing is really following God's word, but I think Matthew 28 is the best example in that it doesn't specify the MEANS in which to spread the word to other nations - it just says go out and spread the word.

Not everyone is the Type A personality that can start a conversation with anyone. Others need an ice-breaker and this has been for many the hardest part of fulfilling your need as a Christian to practice evangelism. So for many Christians, Lifestyle Evangelism can fulfill that desire to fulfill Jesus' statement in Matthew 28 by doing rather than by preaching. If others see that you're living a great life, doing good unto others, committing to family, friends, neighbors, people in need, then others will want to ask how you got there, and that's your ice-breaker to start a conversation. No you don't have to start that first discussion with reciting any Biblical text, but as you get to know the person, your beliefs and lifestyle will surely come out. Not by preaching, but in the things you do.

If you would like more about Lifestyle evangelism, we have an entire Blog on our website devoted to this topic and it's fun to see what ideas others have on this topic.

Bryan K. Johnson is the President and Owner of BlueHeavenTees.com

Blue Heaven Tees offers innovative and unique Christian Tee Shirts, Christian Hoodies and Sweatshirts and other great Christian gift ideas. Check out our new fall line now in stock!

http://www.BlueHeavenTees.com

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Albert Einstein's Quotes

Imagination is more important than knowledge, try to figure that one out.

Seek the wisdom and the truth shall set you free.

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The Significance of the Feast of Tabernacles Today and the Birth of Jesus Christ

Following Yom Kippur comes the Feast of Tabernacles, at the end of September or beginning of October, when Jews remember the forty days they spent in the wilderness, living in tabernacles or booths or tents. You will find the details in Leviticus Chapter 23.

This is the season of the year when Jesus was born. John tells us how Jesus Christ tabernacled amongst us. We need to remember that when it comes to December. Facts are important. Truth and accuracy is vital.

In Jerusalem, and Jewish communities around the world, decorated booths can be seen in gardens or balconies, during the Feast of Tabernacles.

For eight days people will have their meals in these flimsy temporary shelters, some even sleeping under the palm branch roofing, through which the sky can be seen.

It is a time for remembering and giving thanks to God, Who led His People, leading and bringing them to the Promised Land, a phrase we seldom hear these days.

Not only do the people remember, but they celebrate with willow, myrtle, palm and lemon. Each has a significance.

For over 3,000 years the people of Israel have kept and observed this Feast. Why? So that your descendents will know all about your being slaves in Egypt and how God set you free.

On the last day of the Feast in Jerusalem, the High Priest would take a container down to the Pool of Siloam returning to the Temple with it full of water. There was prayer for water for the crops, and for Messiah to come and refresh them.

John speaks of Jesus being in Jerusalem for the Feast, and on that day, shouting out in a loud voice, "If any man is thirsty, let him come to me and drink". Jesus saw people who had been at an eight day Feast or 'Conference' and they were dissatisfied. They had not had their spiritual needs truly met, and Jesus invited them to come to Him. Check this out in John Chapter 7.

Jesus was thinking too of the future when He would pour out the Holy Spirit.

If you are dry, dissatisfied, spiritually thirsty, confused or burdened, drink from Jesus Christ, and then you can refresh others.

Prime your pump and allow the rivers to flow.

Sandy Shaw

Sandy Shaw is Pastor of Nairn Christian Fellowship, Chaplain at Inverness Prison, and Nairn Academy, and serves on The Children's Panel in Scotland, and has travelled extensively over these past years teaching, speaking, in America, Canada, South Africa, Australia, making 12 visits to Israel conducting Tours and Pilgrimages, and most recently in Uganda and Kenya, ministering at Pastors and Leaders Seminars, in the poor areas surrounding Kampala, Nairobi, Mombasa and Kisumu.

He broadcasts regularly on WSHO radio out of New Orleans, and writes a weekly commentary at http://www.studylight.org entitled "Word from Scotland" on various biblical themes, as well as a weekly newspaper column.

His M.A. and B.D. degrees are from The University of Edinburgh, and he continues to run and exercise regularly to maintain a level of physical fitness.

Sandy Shaw
sandyshaw63@yahoo.com

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The Holiday Epiphany

Most people are too distracted thinking about Christmas sales and promos, they tend to forget the celebration of Epiphany. The Epiphany is the time after Christmas when the 3 Magi visited the Child Jesus. Back then, the Epiphany celebration had the twelve days Christ's birth when the church celebrates Christ being shown as the Light of the world and remembers the journey of the three wise men.

Families in countries different from the US start the Epiphany celebration by remembering others on St. Stephens Day. St. Stephen's Day is on December 26 and commemorates Stephen, Christianity's first martyr. You might read Stephen's life story in Acts 6, 7, & 8.

His convictions about the revelation of Christ in the world brought about his death. In the book of Acts, he was considered the first martyr among Christians. For hundreds of years, people of the Christian faith have remembered his faithfulness on December 26, the day after Christ's birth is celebrated. This day is for selfless care for people in need, the unwanted, who have no people to love them.

Along with your family, it's nice to also find a needy family or support group to render services the day after Christmas. When most people are out shopping, you can be different by showing that you care by bringing food or gifts to an impoverished family.

In countries like Britain and Canada, December 26th is known as Boxing Day and considered an official holiday there. When my kids first heard of it, they were thinking of celebrating boxing as a sport. They never thought that Boxing day was about the service of love.

During this day, boxes of food are given to people in. Back then food and necessities were given to servants from their masters. The Wenceslaus' spirit is shown when people celebrate with great happiness the manifestation of the Good News of Jesus' coming to the world.

Most of the time churches plan for this day by specifically rendering humanitarian services to the needy and thus show that God's Word requires good deeds to people near them. On this day, you can visibly see true love as people give to their fellow man.

Kris King offers free advent calendars with daily Christmas activities to prepare your family for Christmas. Your family will learn more about holiday traditions with some of the daily activities

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What a Way to Live!

What a way to live. Even when he was not in jail, the Holy Spirit would tell the apostle Paul in every city: chains and trouble are coming. He could truly say 'remember the prisoners as though bound with them' for he was bound in the spirit, as was Jesus, when he approached Jerusalem and virtually every day of his life.

I wonder, are we so 'bound' today? Headed for 'Jerusalem'? Going there to die? Heading for chains and trouble and death? Our Master is. But you say, wait, there are some who are called to this suffering business and some who are not! This sort of thing in the first century was for Paul and the other apostles, who laid the foundation. Surely not all believers were or are called to suffer.

I agree. Those who are called to reign with Him are the ones who are called to suffer with Him. Are we people who love to go about bragging about how we will be a 'king' with Jesus some day, and in fact are a king right now? Do we have scars to prove it? Paul tells Timothy, "If we endure, we shall also reign with him..." Apostles Paul and Peter, who are the featured "sufferers" of the Book of Acts, both write to the church informing it that we have been called to join their suffering ranks if we are to be reigning some day.

No, it is not true that we are not called. It is only true that we don't want to hear the call, because it does not fit our comfort level. Here is the call:

First from Spirit-filled Peter, who rejoiced that he was worthy to suffer shame for His name (Acts 5:40-42):

I Peter 4:12 ff: "Beloved, do not think it strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened to you; but rejoice to the extent that you partake of Christ's sufferings, that when His glory is revealed, you may also be glad with exceeding joy."

Then Spirit-filled Paul, who after 39 lashes from a Roman guard, and a painful evening in a Philippian jail, was singing with Silas so loudly that the prisoners in adjoining compartments could not help but listen (Acts 16:22-25):

Philippians 1:27 ff: "To you it has been granted on behalf of Christ, not only to believe in Him, but also to suffer for His sake, having the same conflict which you saw in me and now hear is in me."

No one to lash us or throw us in jail yet? No one who will burn our house down or take away our income? Let's not panic, but rather, while we still can, let us be the ones who are called to "remember the prisoners, as though we were bound with them..."

That way, no one is left out of the suffering church who wishes to reign with Jesus. My own experience so far has been that the more I ask Jesus, "How can I truly relate to, 'remember', those who now suffer?" the more He shows me. Some of the responses are not too cheery. But what is good about this is that when the fire does fall here (and can it be much longer?) we who have practiced this relationship will be ready.

Yes, what a way to live had Paul. No matter what God showed him or gave him, he could say (Acts 20:23-24) that he was not moved. Unfortunately for too many of us, we listen to the things the enemy tells us are coming, and believe him. That is what the Bible would call "fear." We can believe the lies of the enemy about our future and cower in a corner threatened by it all, or believe that, even when God Himself says difficult times are coming, He will give us the sufficient grace he promises to endure. And that's what the Bible would call "walking in the Spirit." It's the only way for the believer to live.

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

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

Do You Believe In The Bible

The Story of Chosun - Part 14

Enter, once more, Japan. Seven of Chosun's worst years are spent battling invaders from just across their waters. Some background first: In 1568 King Myunjung dies before a successor is chosen, so his queen chooses Sun-jo. Reforms follow, but miss the mark of reforming the King. This will prove to be a costly omission soon.

There are few Japanese living in Chosun in the late 16th century, and they are limited to three settlements. To correct this, the Japanese government sends a message asking for the old relations to be restored, which would involve for one thing, freer trade status. Yes, says Chosun. But in far southwestern Pusan only. Other traders are to be seen for what they have been through the centuries: pirates. Not too pleasant to Japan's ears.

It is during this critical time, when unity of purpose is needed by the vulnerable Chosun, that the formation of political parties for non-political reasons erupts into national division. Factionalism for trivialities is seen as one reason the soon-to-occur invasion by Japan is a success. Clan warfare develops, personality issues take center stage. No longer right or wrong, but my party vs. your party. Even criminals are defended by their political buddies.

Korea's status in other ways: Morally much better. They still followed their leaders, they always have. But their leaders have changed. Incredibly, the Korean mind-set is to follow whoever is at the top, blindly. There is an almost Biblical rigidity to this command, yet even Biblical principles allow for civil disobedience when Christ's truth is at stake. For the Koreans, it seems there are no exceptions, as witnessed in the North to this day! How else explain the following of one like Kim Jong-il?

Other reasons for Japanese success: 1. Since the Chosunese are at peace, there are not many military trainees. 2. The peninsula has no firearms at all.

What about Japan itself? It was never one great mass. It is feudalistic. There is constant civil war. It seems that the multidude of islands is one great battlefield. The family of Wun has ruled for 200 years at this point. But The rising Hideyoshi is instrumental in bringing down the emperor and replacing him, though not with the same title.He remains a warrior, thirsty for world domain. His first target is to be China . Korea will be the first step toward this goal. And the last.

The King in Korea is asked to be a part of Japan's intentions against China: No, says Sun-jo. China is our mother. China is probably feared more also. So Korea braces itself for an invasion, believing Mother will greatly assist her, for her own purposes.

1592, the "Im-Jim" year. 250,000 soldiers invade, bringing 300,000 firearms. Kato and Konishi, two rival generals, are put in charge. But their differences are one reason they do not win a permanent victory. It is helpful that the Japanese mimic Korea's greatest weakness of the time: dis-unity.

Interestingly, General Konishi is a Roman Catholic convert of Portuguese missionaries! One sees in the art work of the period, soldiers carrying flags upon which are emblazoned the cross of Christianity! One only can imagine what a Japanese victory in the Far East might have meant for world religion.

Seoul must be evacuated. A horrible destruction spreads across the country. The Royal party escapes first to Kaesong, then Pyongyang, then farther north still, to the Chinese border at Uiju. The people despise their king from that day.

And, Koreanesque, within a few days of the beginning of the invasion, people begin to return to their homes. They even try to adjust to Japanese rule. After all, they've adjusted so many times before!

The Military is sent to the Im-Jim River, halfway between Kaesong & Seoul. It is fooled by the Japanese, who pretend to go. An argument develops in the Korean camp as to whether they are gone or not. A General takes some people with him to prove he is right. But they are not gone. A great defeat follows.

This is of course only one of many war stories that have been passed down. Generally speaking, there is a seven year period of defeat, that, according to historian Hulbert, "was not because they were not brave nor because luxury had sapped the vitality of the noble classes, but it was because no one would work with anyone else. It was because they saw in war nothing but the chance of personal advancement. And so each one deplored the successes and rejoiced in the failures of every other."

This is a disease that can still sap the vitality of a people, even the church. And speaking of the church, 16th century Korea still awaits the arrival of vital Christianity. Is it not sad to you that the only introduction the Korean people have so far to the things of Christ is the Japanese flag bearing a cross? How long does it take for the populace to overcome this militaristic view of Christ, an image that should never have appeared in representation of our Lord, whose only mission was to save sinners and befriend them for eternity.

May our generation correct once and for all any false impressions Koreans might still have of the suffering and risen Saviour. Let us go in and let us not fail in raising up the truth of Jesus.

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

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

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Hitler Lives - In North Korea

Today's topic is the Nazi-like meaningless lives lived within concentration camps in modern day North Korea. You remember the Nazis? They were the ones from whom the Communists "freed" places like Romania and Czechoslovakia. Similarly, Kim Jong-il is freeing North Korea from the Japanese, the Americans, the Chinese, the Russians, the South Koreans, and the entire civilized world. To do this he has instituted elements of Stalin and Hitler and Ceaucescu in his pretty mix of poison.

And I do not speak of history here. This is what is happening as I type. Says Mike Kim in his new book:

The regime depends on forced labor for every industry imaginable... prisoners are given strict quotas, and if they don't meet them, they will not receive food that day.... An MSNBC report indicated that products made by North Korean prisoners might end up in U.S. stores having been "washed" first through Chinese companies that serve as intermediaries.

Repatriated [sent back from China] refugees are worked the hardest of all the prisoners. Young-Kuk explained, "They would work us harder because we ate so well while we were in China. They made us carry heavy loads, and when they beat us, they would use all sorts of things with which to hit us..."

Mrs. Park, a refugee woman in her forties, described what her days inside a North Korean prison were like. "We started our physical labor early in the morning. We began working at 6:00 A.M. and then ate breakfast at 8:00 A.M.... we had to cut wood... Oftentimes we worked straight through the day until dinnertime... Even if there was no work for us to do, they made up meaningless work for us. There was a big pile of large rocks. The guards would say, 'Separate the rocks! Move all the big rocks to the right side and all the small rocks to the left side!' "

Then the directions would change. Put the rocks back in one big pile. Move all big rocks left, small rocks right, and so on and on... Kim reminds his readers that this is exactly how Hitler broke the spirits, and not only the backs, of his own people. Prisoners there died not only from exhaustion, but from "the purposelessness of their work."

May God clarify our own purposes. For me, I want to give myself to Christ and His people in North Korea. Occasionally I hear from some of you who have made a similar decision. There is still so much to do...

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

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

Something You Don

Scientific Theories to Support Religion

Can you believe in God and scientific theories of how the universe started.

Seek the wisdom and the truth shall set you free.

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Disaster Preparedness - What is a Christian's Responsibility?

As Christians, what should be our role in disaster preparedness? This question has never been of greater significance than today. In fact, it is absolutely vital that we weigh in on this issue. We can no longer afford to sit on the fence and let others debate this topic for us. Each one of us needs to be fully persuaded in his own mind. We each must decide what Jesus Christ expects of us personally, based on what He says in His Word.

Many Christians are taught that doing physical works of preparedness is a lack of faith. That it shows a lack of trust in Jesus Christ, our provider. But is this really true? We are all familiar with I Tim. 5:8 which says, "But if any provide not for his own, and especially those of his own house, he hath denied the faith and is worse than an infidel." This scripture is referring to more than just "going to work" and "paying the bills", and "putting food on the table". The word "provide" actually means to "consider in advance, i.e. look our for beforehand." This is interesting. Jesus is telling us that in order to properly provide for our house, we must be able to forecast, in advance,the potential problems coming our way, and to act accordingly. This is putting our faith into practice. Otherwise we have "denied the faith".

God tells us in Proverbs 27:12, "A prudent man foreseeth the evil and hideth himself: but the simple pass on and are punished." This scripture tells us that those who cannot foresee in advance the coming evil are actually punished! That when the coming flood of problems arise, they will be swept away by it--because they did not prepare in advance for this disaster. Remember Noah? Hebrews 11:7 says, "By faith Noah being warned of God of things not seen as yet, moved with fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his house." The Holy Bible is our road map. This story is written for us! Almighty God in heaven is thundering to those of us who can hear Him. "The flood is coming, children! Start preparing!" Floods and storms and evil is coming. In fact, it is here now. What are you doing right now to prepare to save your family? Will you be able to provide for them when disaster strikes?

The world is standing on the precipice of an enormous, catastrophic collapse. Massive earth changes from a polar shift is bearing down on us. Terrible famine, horrible pestilence , apocalyptic warfare, and persecution of Biblical proportions is looming. Yet, why should we be surprised by all this? Isn't this what Jesus warned us about in His Word? Are we the "simple" who blindly continue along just waiting for the evil to overtake us? Or, are we the "prudent" who can foresee this and are taking steps to avoid it? If we are not preparing for the coming disasters, both spiritually and physically, we will fall. Not only will we fall, but our entire house will fall--and great will be the fall of it!

Furthermore, if you're not preparing because you are waiting for the "rapture", you're in big trouble. Because--there is no pre-tribulation rapture. Nor is there any Biblical evidence for one. The word rapture is not even in the Bible. Also, if you are waiting for an angel to come and knock at your door and whisk you off to safety--you better think again. It's not that this can't happen. It's not that this won't happen in a few special cases. But, its that Jesus expects us to act on faith before the event to show our faith. To witness our faith to others and for others. Doing nothing, and yet waiting for God to do it for us is displeasing to Him. "Faith without works is dead." We must "walk in the steps of our faith" by taking action.

Whether we prepare for a localized flood, power outage, hurricane, or earthquake-- or worldwide famine, pestilence or warfare--it's all the same. It take spiritual preparation to survive a spiritual crisis. And it take physical preparation to survive physical crisis. The Great Tribulation bearing down upon us is a literal physical one, and must be physically survived. But, it is also physically occurring for spiritual reasons. Therefore to completely survive, one must be prepared spiritually as well. The issue of spiritual preparedness will be covered in future articles. But for now, suffice it to say, without adequate physical preparations, we will not be able to provide for our house.

This is the purpose of this article and future articles. To help Christians prepare for the coming storm. To direct them to sources of food and equipment necessary for survival, as well as provide them with the knowledge and tips needed to make these challenging times more easily weathered. Pray about it, use the links at the end of this article, and take action!

C.L. Carr has been living off the grid, "in the wilderness" for many years Interests include, solar and non-electric living, gardening, survival skills, self-sufficiency and Biblical studies.. For more insightful information and strategies for survival please visit http://emergencyfoodpreservation.blogspot.com or http://survivalcentral.blogspot.com

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How Daniel Saw The Anti-Christ and the End of All Things

Let's look at the last prophecy of a 91-year-old man of God, Daniel the prophet, following the lead of Jesus who told us that we are to be in search of the abomination of desolation mentioned by this man (Matthew 24:15).

Daniel 10, 11, and 12, are all a part of one long prophecy. In those 3 chapters, there is extensive preparation, followed by the prediction itself, then some follow-up questions to deal with.

We cannot get past the first verse (10:1) without seeing an odd phrase: "the appointed time." The Spirit wants us to know that the time of this fulfillment will be "long". Later, the "time of the end" is mentioned, as in chapter 8.

After a period of sorrowful fasting over some unknown issues, probably longing to know more of the plan of God (verse 12), Daniel sees a vision much like John will about 600 years later on the island called Patmos. The first person he sees seems to be the Son of God. Mixed in with messages from this Person are those of the angel Gabriel, who tells Daniel that once more he has been sent to him, but was involved heavily in spiritual warfare with demons controlling Persia and Greece, the two nations that were the subject of chapter 8. This latter piece of information points us to Gabriel as opposed to Jesus. As in Revelation there is some confusion about who is being seen, who is talking.

But whoever is talking, it seems as though this message to Daniel is being opposed in a mighty way. After all, if Daniel receives this message and passes it on, the Enemy's plan will be exposed for the whole world and church to see. But although the angel prevails, and the message is recorded, the book of Daniel has been hit so hard by "scholars" that in many circles it is totally discredited. Those who do believe it is the very word of God find that most churches just aren't interested. After all, merely to read the book is to "name names" of people and nations. So it is not politically correct to preach from it. Those who take it seriously have relegated all its prophecies to the past, making it true but irrelevant. We have the word of angels to the contrary, but thus will the book remain "sealed" until the time is upon us (12:9). What wisdom of God! How the Enemy must have thought he had ripped this book from the Collection. But he will be exposed in due time!

In the remaining verses of chapter 10, Daniel is encouraged, strengthened, so that he can take in the predictive details of the following message, nearly every one of which certainly happened in history. But it is the way that history blends into prophecy that is the fascination of this message. Before you have heard it all, you too may need time to regain your strength. Are you ready for this?

The prophecy proper begins in chapter 11.And those first few verses are nothing more than chapter 8:3-8 retold. . He starts with familiar ground, and leads into greater detail. Persia is in chapter 8? Here, It shall rise. It shall be great. A Persian king (we call him Xerxes) will stir up trouble with Greece ( the push west is mentioned in 8). Indeed the march of Xerxes' armies westward was rivaled in history only by the subsequent eastward march of Alexander the Great, mentioned here in verse 3. Verse 4 then tells of the breaking up of Alexander's Kingdom among his four generals (not among family members, adds this chapter's vision). All known facts, right?

11:5-20 . The Spirit then travels ahead to the kingdoms that arise from Alexander's heritage. He lets us know that they have been established now, and are in competition. But his focus has narrowed already from four to only two. Later it is one that will be at center stage, the one from whence comes "the little horn." For this is where the angel is leading us...

The little horn. The man of sin. The antichrist.

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

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

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I'm Waiting!

How long have you waited for something special in your life? How many are still waiting or are now waiting for something else? You have heard me say that I'm not a doctor; therefore, I have no patience!

Jesus is in Jerusalem for a feast. We do not know for sure if it was the Feast of Passover or one of the other feasts, but we do know that He was in town particularly for this event. John is the only Gospel writer who mentions Jesus doing miracles in Jerusalem.

The Pool of Bethesda is located just north of the Temple mount, surrounded by five covered colonnades. People believed that there were healing properties in this spring fed pool and would wait by the side of the pool for that "sign" (a troubling of the waters) that someone could be healed. Verse 4, which is omitted by most reliable manuscripts, said that an angel would trouble the waters and the first person to step in at that time would be healed of their malady. God can overrule the laws of nature and perform His miraculous deeds whenever He wants!

Waiting Requires us to be Patient - John 5:5
We do not know how old this man was, but he had been an invalid for 38 years. The nature of his handicap did not leave him totally paralyzed, but he was unable to get to the pool fast enough but what someone else stepped in and got the blessing. It is here that he encounters someone who can cure him faster and better than the pool. We should be thankful for the health that we have!

Abraham waited 100 years from birth, 10 years from the time God promised him a son. Joseph languished in prison 13 years. Israel waited 400 years, then another 40 because of unbelief. The Apostles waited until they were empowered by the Holy Spirit. Paul waited 3 years before he started evangelizing. HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN WAITING?

Waiting Requires Acknowledging Helplessness. - John 5:6-7
What would draw Jesus to the Pool of Bethesda, and on a Sabbath when one was only allowed (by the Pharisees) to walk a limited distance during the day? Regardless, He is there and among however many other people might be there, He only talks to this one individual. Jesus asks him the obvious, "Do you want to be healed?" Some people remain ill because they don't want to admit their illness or are unwilling to ask for help!

There isn't a person in the whole world that likes being handicapped, ill, diseased or suffering from any malady. The man answers with an excuse. Before he can get to the water, someone else steps in and is cured. Your health is a gift from God! We will all have perfect health in eternity!

Waiting Requires Obedience. - John 5:8
Jesus merely speaks to the man to get up, take his mat and go home. No dramatic prayer, chant or ritual. He doesn't even reach down to help the man up. The invalid has to act in obedience all on his own! When we obey God, He works through His words. That is all we need!

Of course, as he starts to act, he finds the strength, coordination and balance to comply with what Jesus commanded. Not only that, but he is able to do it as if he had never been handicapped or an invalid all of his life. His cure is immediate, complete and permanent!

Obedience is to God, Not Man. - John 5:9-13
As the man is obeying Jesus by carrying his mat, he is confronted by some religious leaders, which have made a law (tradition) that makes it illegal for a person to carry a mat on the Sabbath. They define that as work that they consider this man to be in violation of the Sabbath.

He replies to their question that he was commanded to do so by the man who healed him. How many well-intended Christian leaders let their traditions get ahead of God's leadership? Power can corrupt and absolute power can corrupt absolutely.

Later, Jesus sees the man and advises him to stop any sinful behavior that he has in his life, or something worse than being an invalid will happen to him. The man now recognizes and realizes that this is Jesus, from Nazareth. He goes and tells the Jews who had quizzed him earlier.

The Jewish leaders criticize Jesus for His act of kindness because it was done on a Sabbath day. When they see Jesus, they start to challenge Him about violating their traditions about the Sabbath.

Waiting Requires Acknowledging Our Benefactor - John 5:14-18
Jesus' first response is to remind His accusers that His Father (God) doesn't take a vacation and therefore, He is justified in "working" on the Sabbath if He sees fit to do so. This riles the Jews and a faction is now growing that wants to kill Jesus to stop Him from what He is doing! God is more concerned with our relationship to Him than some perfection of our actions!
God bless you and have a great week!

These articles are related to the "Getting To Know Jesus" Bible study series, a non-denominational Bible study that is written to help you become more like Jesus! Jesus is a role model and a testimony of God's best being given to us!

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Glen Copple is an ordained minister who has over 25 years of preaching and teaching experience in ministering to non-denominational churches. In 1983, he earned a Master of Arts in Ministry from Pacific Christian College (now Hope International University) in Fullerton, CA, and has had ministries in Kansas, Missouri, and California.

In previous ministries, Pastor Glen taught through the Life of Christ and developed the structure for "Getting To Know Jesus." He knew that God led him to put his years of ministry and Bible study to work to share with you, your family and friends in this non-denominational study of Jesus Christ, his life and teachings.

Starting With Simple Things

The Scant History Of The Pre-Tribulation Rapture Theory

We must travel 1400 years from the first mention of a pre-tribulation "catching away" before we find another word about it, and the source we find is not altogether convincing. The story goes that a Mr. Morgan Edwards was in his 20's at the writing of this paper, and wrote it for a college professor who wished Edwards to defend the literal interpretation of Scripture, a process not in vogue in that day. To do so, Morgan invented "a new doctrine" which it seems he did not espouse for himself, but rather he theorized as an intellectual pursuit. He even used Acts 17:19, 20 on his title page: "May we know what this new doctrine is of which you speak? For you are bringing some strange things to our ears." Morgan actually quoted the words of pagan philosophers!

And Mr. Edwards certainly would have delighted the men of Mars Hill, for not only does he come up with a pre-tribulation rapture, he also speculates that the lake of fire is in the moon, and that all planets in the solar system are inhabited. Some historians looking for the modern beginnings of pre-trib teaching discount Edwards altogether.

So there is this fourth-century hermit and a Bible college student on assignment espousing the pre-trib view, and they lived 1400 years apart. Not exactly a part of the "stream of revelation" one would expect for such a serious doctrine, if it be serious.

Historically, I suggest that 1830 is a more substantial date for the beginning of this doctrine . It was during this year that 15-year-old Margaret Macdonald, a "prophetess" of the newly arising Pentecostal movement in Scotland, uttered a vision that stated that Christians were to be raptured just prior to the Great Tribulation.

This event surely causes many, especially the Pentecostals of our own day, to give pause. Surely if something was spoken by a "word from the Lord," one cannot take it lightly, they reason. Yet these same people would have to take the words of Jesus and Paul lightly, to believe Margaret. One sadly lacking gift in the explosion of charisma over the years has been the gift of discernment, whereby utterances should, yea must, be challenged and compared to what God has already said. And when it is discerned that deception is at hand, a further discernment is needed, namely the identification of the spirit coming forth into the meeting and the subsequent repudiation of it along with the teaching it promotes. One doesn't

see this too often. It seems Margaret was not challenged then and is not now.

Within a year or two afterwards, Presbyterian pastor Edward Irving, of "Irvingite" fame in London (The Catholic Apostolic Church), heard about this dream, developed it theologically, and began teaching the pre-tribulation rapture to his congregation. By the time dispensationalist Darby got hold of it, it was already circulating fairly well. But Darby we will talk about another time.

For now, the point is made, I think, that the idea that Christ will catch away His bride before trouble breaks out planet-wide, then come back in 7 years to set up His Kingdom, having left "tribulation saints" behind to be punished for their lackadaisical ways... historically, it's just not there.

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

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

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Misquoted Bible Verses or Misused Bible Verses Which is Worse

A clich is a trite expression or idea conveyed so often it becomes common. Clichs usually lack interest or originality but their real failing is that they are rarely ever questioned or investigated. They have a way of creeping undetected into the everyday language of the people. The sheer force of repetition establishes a clich until it is held as something sacred or immutable. For example take the common saying "God helps those who help themselves." This saying is repeated by thousands of people the world over and most of them think it is taken from the Bible. It is not a Bible verse but it has taken on almost as much authority as one. This clich is not just a few degrees off the mark but it is diametrically opposite the Bible teaching. God is a helper especially to those who cannot help themselves. The simple, the fatherless, the widows are all promised special help from God because of their helplessness. Christians have their share of unquestioned clichs. While many of them have some measure of truth in them they beg to be more meticulously scrutinized. Here is one very important example.

"Never Take a Scripture Verse Out Of Context"

This clich is often used when we are trying to establish whether a teaching or doctrine we've heard is true. It is often used to pinpoint the errors of the cults and the so-called pseudo-Christian religions.

The truth is that it is often necessary to take a verse out of its context to convey its most basic meaning. To include the verse preceding or following some verses would tend to cloud their truest meaning in literally hundreds of instances. The scriptures for the most part are not written in a narrative form. This is especially true of the New Testament epistles. A few examples are as follows... In Proverbs 11: 28-30 are three verses that are totally unrelated. If we were to be emphasizing the necessity of keeping peace in the home verse twenty-nine would be a good verse to use.

He that troubleth his own house shall inherit the wind: and the fool shall be servant to the wise of heart. (Proverbs 11:29)

Verses twenty-eight and thirty have absolutely nothing to do with keeping peace in the home. We are forced to extricate or disengage the verse from its context to gain the fullest use of it. We can carry our example still a step further to illustrate the weakness of the clich. The first sentence of verse twenty-nine is separated from the second by a colon. The second sentence is in no way thematically connected to the first. In order to get the greatest impact from this verse if we were stressing the idea of peace in the home it would be necessary not only to remove the verse from the context of the passage but we would be forced to split up the verse and leave part of it out altogether. Hundreds of Bible verses are found in similar complexity

Subject matter changes so frequently in the New Testament that it becomes necessary to remove a whole passage from its context to gain the full meaning of it. The weakness of this clich is perhaps best seen in the sayings of the Lord himself. He was notorious for dangling quoted verses in mid air without supportive contextual inclusions.

Many times Jesus would say, "It is written" or "Have ye never read" and quote a single verse taken right out of its context. He made no apologies for not including the preceding or following verses and the effect of his single verse sayings often stopped the mouths of his enemies or illustrated a great principle to his followers. Sometimes the verses he quoted were taken from texts that originally had nothing to do with the subject he was dealing with. Such is the case where Jesus was criticized by the Pharisees for accepting the praise of the little children in the temple...

And when the chief priests and scribes saw the wonderful things that he did, and the children crying in the temple, and saying, Hosanna to the son of David; they were sore displeased... (Matthew 21:15)

Jesus answered with a single verse taken from Psalm 8:2 that in its original context had nothing to do with establishing the inspiration or accuracy of a child's spontaneous praises. Psalm eight is a song of recognition of God's glory because of His wonderful creation and a query of the invested powers given to man by God. Yet out of this seemingly unrelated passage Jesus extracted and wielded a single verse to the shame of his enemies, the Pharisees.

...And Jesus saith unto them, Yea; have ye never read, Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings thou hast perfected praise? (Matthew 21:16)

If he had included the preceding and following verses of the passage it would have made absolutely no sense. Jesus in fact quoted verses taken out of context over twenty times as recorded in the four gospels. While some are repeated in the parallel gospels this only serves to verify that he did make a general practice of it. Even more amazing is the fact that unlike the apostles, Jesus never quoted more than one verse of scripture at a time. The apostles quoted two or three but never more than four at a time.

The apostles and the writers of the New Testament epistles far exceed the Lord's proclivity for taking verses out of context. Over ninety times from the book of Acts to Revelation verses are pulled out of context and used as proof texts. Less than ten times do they include more than one verse of scripture. The closest some of them come to even identifying their source is with such phrases as "David saith" or "Isaiah saith it" The rest of the quotes begin with such phrases as "he saith also in another place," "Wherefore he saith," "What saith the scriptures," "Wherefore as the Holy Ghost saith," "The prophets saith," "wot ye not what the scripture saith," "The scripture saith" and "What saith it." Thirty-eight times the above sayings were used to quote a verse out of context. Only a well studied student with an excellent memory could even hope to guess at where such scriptures might be located. Keep in mind also that they were quoted over thirteen centuries before the printing press was invented. The hearers had to depend largely on the integrity of the speaker or writers for the accuracy of the quote. They couldn't whiz through the pages of their Bibles and read verses preceding or following the quoted verse. If taking a verse out of context is the crime we hold it to be then not naming the source of our quotation must be a cardinal crime and all the writers and figures of the New Testament were guilty of it.

The term used most profusely in the New Testament in connection with a verse taken out of context is "It is written." Every verse Jesus quoted was preceded by it and the apostles used it over fifty times themselves. It is the equivalent of a more modern saying that we are all familiar with, "The bible says." We have all heard preachers who warn that a verse should never be taken out of context and then we hear them say, "The Bible says," literally thousands of times in their teachings This is one inconsistency we should be thankful for because without it teaching would often be incomprehensible and quite dull.

It has become an accepted fact among believers that the enemies or false teachers are the ones who make the habit of taking verses out of context. But by contrast we can see that it is in fact the believer or the Lord himself who have exercised this practice most often A few times the Pharisees said, "Why did Moses write..." or a similar expression and it is recorded twice that the devil said, "It is written." Beyond doubt we can see that the opposing forces of the kingdom rarely practice this most dreaded habit. The reason for this is plain. Paul once said that some men were preaching the Gospel out of envy hoping to add further affliction to him by stirring up the anti-Christian forces. He concluded that it didn't matter why they were doing it. The effect was the same. Souls were saved. (Phil. 1:15-19) Satan doesn't like to quote any scripture even if it is out of context.

For this very reason, in many of the cults the scripture quotes are reduced and often not quoted at all. Another authority or special spiritual experiences often replace them. In reality false teachers do no more than the true teachers when they take a verse out of context. The difference is in the intention. Where there is an evil intention even verses quoted in context can be twisted and misused. We should be far more involved in discerning the spirit in which we are taught rather than the letter. If our teachers have a history of giving sound teaching, and have recognized and certified ministries shouldn't we allow them reasonable latitudes? We should give them the freedom to extract verses for our learning even if they must occasionally resort to the dastardly Practice of "taking a verse out of context."

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

http://americanprophet.org

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