Posted by: Yvonne | December 16, 2013

Dr. Martin Lloyd Jones on the Biblical View of Man

Posted by: Yvonne | August 12, 2013

Chuck Missler accused of plagierism

Gaylene Goodroad of Herescope blog writes of her discovery of plagiarism in Missler’s writings.  You can read the article, ‘Purloining New Age Ideas’,  here.

Posted by: Yvonne | August 10, 2013

Kitchen Killers

by Bill Perkins, Executive Director Compass International

Satan is the god of this world.
1Cor 4:4

Satan is the father of lies.
John 8:44
We are aliens on this planet.
1Pet 2:11

If Satan is the god of this world, and the father of lies, then it’s not a stretch to think that all the people on the earth are being lied to in one form or another, all the time. The only thing we can trust is the Bible.

So as Believers we look to the Lord to meet our needs. He is our sustainer. But we still have to live as aliens on a planet full of lies, waiting for God to redeem the earth from Satan’s control.

And as we mover closer to Rapture, we can easily see many of the end time events beginning to line-up. For instance, people of earth are looking more and more to the government to meet their basic needs–moving toward a one-world government.

But can the Government meet our basic needs?

The fruit of kicking God out of government is growing exponentially. If I could only use one word to describe it all, it would be “lies.”

Let’s face it, if you’re not seeking God, you ARE seeking Satan, who is “a liar and the father of lies.” John 8:44

It’s gotten to the point I don’t want to trust any government official, because I think they’re all liars!

And just when you thought it couldn’t get any worse, it has. It’s not just the President, the IRS and State Department that have been lying to us.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is just as guilty. For decades, they have allowed poison into the food supply. Yes, poison!

It’s an incredible statement to make but our grocery store FOOD is killing us! And they won’t tell you the truth.

Apparently there are a LOT of people who already know the problems with the food we consume daily. I admit I’ve been asleep at the wheel regarding this subject and am just now taking the time to look into it. But with very little research, the facts are shocking to say the least.

And I must apologize for rolling my eyes every time somebody would try to tell me things not to eat. I just couldn’t believer our food delivery system was that unhealthy. But it is… it’s atrocious.

Overweight America
Gallup tells us that 2/3’s of Americans are overweight. Duh. Look around. Seems higher than that.

But is all that extra weight due “lack of exercise” and “poor diet?” I will show you facts that say “no.”

Diabetes is skyrocketing. 20 million Americans have diabetes and another 57 million have pre-diabetes. What happened in the 70s and 90s that caused diabetes cases to escalate? Read on.

Another huge consequence of eating food on the “approved” list is heart disease. Some 75 million Americans have heart disease and the numbers continue to climb, despite millions on diets or drugs that lower cholesterol.

Heart disease is the leading cause of death for both men and women. 600,000 people will die of heart disease this year, one out of every four people. More people will die of heart disease this year than all other causes combined!

New research is showing that the major factors contributing to America’s weight gain, heart disease and diabetes are:

1) Chemicals that the FDA has approved to be
injected into animals we eat
2) Chemicals approved to be added to the foods
we consume
3) Genetically modified (GMO) plants that both
our animals eat or we directly consume.

You won’t hear this on TV. Or from the government. But what you are about to read is true.

Fact: Over 70% of the antibiotics used in this country are used in animal food production. What’s in the animals we eat affect each and every one of us.

Many, and some argue most, of today’s health problems like autoimmune disorders, food reactions, Alzheimer’s and heart problems begin in our gastrointestinal tract (GI)– stomach, intestines and all digestive organs.

If our GI can’t digest foods, or the chemicals added to processed foods, it becomes inflamed and our immune system doesn’t function properly. And therefore we are more likely to get sick, develop allergies, become resistant to antibiotics, etc.

And for the last 50 years or so, our GI has been getting more than it can handle! Hence the problems.

Dr. Dwight Lundell, who has preformed over 5,000 open heart surgeries, has thrown the medical community on its head by releasing a letter of apology last year. In his letter of apology he stated, contrary to supposedly scientific opinion, that cholesterol is not the problem in heart disease.

Dr. Lundell explains that it’s the inflammation in the walls of the blood vessels that causes the cholesterol to accumulate.

“I saw it in over 5,000 surgical patients spanning 25 years who all shared one common denominator — inflammation in their arteries.” Dr. Dwight Lundell

He goes on to state in no uncertain terms, that for decades we’ve been treating the symptoms, and not the problem. The problem is caused by the chemicals and altered/modified DNA (referred to as GMO) in the foods we’re eating, not high fat diets. In fact, the low fat diets CONTRIBUTE to the inflammation!
Cholesterol buildup in arteries is caused by inflammation in arteries, not from eating too much fat or red meat!
Inflammation is your body’s natural defense to unnatural substances like bacteria, toxins or viruses.

As we continue to pummel our bodies with foreign chemicals that we can’t process, inflammation is generated causing cholesterol to accumulate in our arteries. The result is high blood pressure, diabetes, obesity, stroke and heart disease.

So again, the problem is not cholesterol but rather the foods we eat that damage the walls and cell lining of our arteries. These chemicals also affect the delicate balance of natural and God-given good bacteria in our stomach and intestines that aid in digestion and work against infection.

The heart-breaker is that 60 countries ban GMO foods we digest daily. In 1988, at a scientific conference called “International Federation of Organic Agriculture” they released this statement about GMO foods: “There are unacceptable risks involved: threats to human health, a negative and irreversible environmental impact, incompatibility with sustainable agriculture, and a violation of rights for both farmers and consumers.”

In Europe, GMO food products must be labeled. But not here in America. Below are some reasons other countries have banned foods that we’re eating.

Corn
In a nutshell, don’t eat it. It is estimated that some 85% to 90% of corn grown in the United States is GMO — has been genetically modified (which is basically changing the DNA) so that it can withstand massive chemical spraying.

Known as “NK603 Roundup-resistant,” farmers can spray gargantuan amounts of toxic vegetation killer and only the corn survives.

There is another corn Monsanto distributes called “Bt.” It has been genetically modified so that when insects eat the corn, it kills them. Let me repeat. When insects eat the corn, it kills the insects!

That means we’re eating pesticide poison when we eat corn. And the Center for Disease Control (CDC) and Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) admit pesticide is a carcinogen (cancer causing agent).

Sherbrooke University Hospital in Quebec did a study that found the Bt toxin was detected in the blood of 93% of pregnant woman, 80% of babies and 67% of non-pregnant women.

But tinkering with God’s DNA footprint has it’s downside. Bt has been toxic to humans and mammals since 1996 when it was introduced and there has been a corresponding rise in birth defects and disorders. A study in Italy where mice were fed Bt corn showed many problems as it adversely affected their immune systems.

The mice also had an increase in interleukin cytokines, which are associated with allergies, inflammations and even cancer. If you suffer from arthritis, MS or cancer, you have elevated interleukins. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to see a connection.

It’s safe to assume that if you’re eating corn, you’re probably eating GMO corn, and the poison in it. And, as I mentioned, the FDA and EPA admit that most of herbicide, weed killer and insecticides are cancer causing.

To the right is a picture of a rat that only was fed GMO corn. The study was done in France and is shocking. The corn caused premature death and up to 300% increase in tumors and liver and kidney damage of the rats. This is the same corn that comes in your corn-based breakfast cereal, tortillas and corn snack chips.

The French study was done over a two year period. When the scary results were tallied and made known, Monsanto, who sells both the corn seed and vegetation killers, did it’s own in-house study (but only three months long) trying to mitigate the revenue damage.

70% of all processed food contains corn. This has become such a problem (as the word is getting out about problems linked to corn) to manufacturers that they have gotten pretty good and deceiving you into thinking that corn is not in a product, when it is.

The ingredients listed on a package may not say “corn” but rather say “citric acid.” Citric acid can be, and usually is, made from corn. Other words substituted for corn are Ascorbic Acid, baking power (corn starch), cellulose, dextrose and starch. Even Morton adds dextrose to their salt!
Wheat
GMO wheat is being tested but thankfully it’s not been approved by the FDA. Red flags issued by scores of top scientists are screaming that it leads to liver failure. Hopefully the FDA won’t approve GMO wheat. But unfortunately the wheat we eat is already a problem.

Back in the 1960s and 1970s scientists began selectively breeding wheat in order for it to withstand drought, cold climates, insects damage and therefore increase crop yields. The modifications also made all wheat grow the same lower height making harvesting much easier. The result is that today’s wheat has little resemblance to wheat grown 100 years ago.

Tests have shown that the “gluten” problem can be traced to wheat consumption. Digestive diseases, obesity, diabetes, heart disease, arthritis, osteoporosis, lupus, infertility and dementia all can be traced to the modified wheat we consume daily.

Several studies have shown a direct link between Autoimmune Thyroid Disease and gluten intolerance. Some studies suggest as many as one out of every three people are gluten intolerant! Worse, 8 in 10 people are genetically predisposed to gluten intolerance.

White bread and whole wheat bread increase blood glucose more than pure sugar. When insulin and blood sugar levels rise and fall rapidly it makes humans more hungry…so we eat more and gain more weight. Most people will lose weight when they go on a wheat-free diet.
Milk
Most cows are fed corn. So both the milk and meat from corn-fed cattle contain poison if they’re eating GMO corn.

Bovine Growth Hormone (rBGH) is a genetically modified synthetic hormone that is repeatedly injected into cows to increase milk production. At least a third of all dairy cows are injected with this GMO hormone, which is a combination of cow DNA and bacteria.

Monsanto lists on it’s rBGH warning label some 20 adverse affects for cows including increase of bacterial infections, reproductive problems, milk quality problems and increase of pus in the milk! Good grief!

Because of these problems, all 26 countries in the European Union, as well as Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Israel and Japan have banned the use of rBGH.

The antibiotics, used to fight the pus, show up in the milk and enter humans. When we drink milk with antibiotics in it, our bodies become resistant to them and make it harder to fight infections.

But the biggest problem is that using rBGH increases “insulin-like growth factor-1” (IGBF1) in humans. When rBGH increases, the chance of breast, colon, prostate, and lung cancer as well as abnormal cell growth increase.

The FDA does NOT require labeling milk with these facts! And Monsanto has sued companies that HAVE labeled their milk as “rBGH free.” This gives you a hint as to how strong the dairy lobby is in the U.S.

Aspartame
In a nutshell, this stuff is poison. If you’re eating or drinking anything with Nutra Sweet or Equal in it, you’re eating/drinking poison.

Aspartame is in over 6,000 products consumed daily and I guarantee you it’s in products you never thought about-including most breakfast foods. And it’s worse for kids as their natural defenses against the ingredients in aspartame are not fully developed.

It should never have been approved. The story of its approval sounds impossible as the FDA listed 92 symptoms caused by the poison. This is why the FDA kept it away from consumers for 15 years.

You might think I’m getting a little carried away calling it poison, but up until it was approved for human consumption, the Department of Defense was considering using it for biological-warfare because it contained so much neurotoxin.

Arthur Evangelista, a former FDA Investigator, has written extensively about the problems with aspartame. He outlines the role politics played in the way it was approved. And that those who did illegally push it through the approval process left the FDA and took cushy jobs with the pharmaceutical companies that benefited most from the approval.

Evangelista states,
“Aspartame should never have been approved. It is
neurotoxic. Its components easily transcend the blood-brain barrier, interfering with normal nerve cell function. This affects the glutathione and calcium mechanisms in place,destroying nerve call integrity. ”

“The methanol then breaks down into formaldehyde-formic acid components, which denaturizes/mutates the DNA: a known scientific fact. The subsequent result from this interaction and from isolates of genetically modified amino acids, the methanol, is nerve cell necrosis and subsequent organ system degradation.”

“The hypothalamus alone (the major controller for much of the endocrine system), is at especially high risk to these effects…thereby, affecting many other organ systems.
I have seen first hand the effects on symptoms when individuals have abstained from ingesting the artificial sweetener, aspartame. Make no bones about it, aspartame is a major factor in many symptomologies due to its effects upon brain chemistry.”

The amount of clinical and scientific evidence against using Aspartame is staggering. Aspartame now accounts for over 75% of the adverse reactions to food additives reported to the FDA.

Scientific studies have shown aspartame links to birth defects,brain cancer, seizures and diabetes. Here is a partial list of other problems found:

Headaches
Migraines
Dizziness
Seizures
Nausea
Numbness
Muscle spasms
Weight gain
Rashes
Depression
Fatigue
Irritability
Tachycardia
Insomnia
Vision problems
Hearing loss
Heart palpitations
Breathing difficulties
Anxiety attacks
Slurred speech
Loss of taste
Tinnitus
Vertigo
Memory loss
Joint pain

And research now shows that the following chronic illnesses can be triggered or worsened by consuming even small amounts of Aspartame:

Brain tumors
Multiple sclerosis
Epilepsy
Chronic fatigue syndrome
Parkinson’s disease
Alzheimer’s
Mental retardation
Lymphoma
Birth defects
Fibromyalgia
Diabetes

In summary, when you consume Aspartame, it begins to destroy the neurons in your brain. It can destroy over half neurons before symptoms are seen. This type of damage has been linked to:

Multiple sclerosis (MS)
Parkinson’s disease
ALS
Hypoglycemia
Memory loss
AIDS
Hormonal problems
Dementia
Epilepsy
Brain lesions
Alzheimer’s disease
Neuroendocrine disorders

So I think it’s safe to call this poison. It should never have been approved and no one in their right mind should be consuming even small amounts.

BHA and BHT
Butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA) and butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT) are widely used preservatives (gum, cereal, nut mixes) that prevent oils in food from become rancid. It’s known to cause cancer in rats… according to our own U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).

BHA is suspected of causing allergies and hyperactivity in children. It’s banned from infant’s foods in the UK, Japan and all 16 countries of the European Union.

Olestra/Olean
This fat substitute (Think “Fat Free”) was in potato chips that were fed to rats in a study by Purdue University. The rats GAINED WEIGHT and had problems with diarrhea and bowels. Known to inhibit the absorption of fat soluble vitamins, the FDA requires vitamins A, D, E and K to be added to any product made with Olean or Olestra to make up for the loss it causes!

Olestra and Olean are banned in the UK and Canada.

Potassium Bromate
This is added to the bread, already made with the GMO wheat, to hold the dough together. The International Agency for Research on Cancer classifies potassium bromate as cancer causing agent. Studies have linked it to cancerous tumors, kidney damage and thyroid tumors.

It’s banned in Canada, China and all 16 countries of the European Union.

Arsenic
Seems hard to believe, but arsenic (poison) is added to over 90% of poultry to increase it’s weight while reducing the amount of food needed to keep the chicks alive.

Under the guise of treating parasites, it’s massively pumped into poultry. And the net result is that we eat the arsenic, a known carcinogen!

Arsenic in food is banned in the 16 countries of the European Union.

Red Meat with Sodium Nitrate
We’ve been hearing for years that red meat was bad for you. Which is a bit of a theological problem since the Bible tells us that it’s ok to eat red meat, even commanded in the Old Testament for festivals like Passover.

So what’s the answer? It turns out that it’s not the meat that is bad for you, but rather it’s what goes into a lot of meat that is awful!

Sodium nitrate is not in chicken or fish, but is added to red meat to produce that amazing red color, to preserve it until it can be sold and to control bacterial growth.

But the dirty little secret is that sodium nitrate causes cancer,according to the World Cancer Research Fund. It’s basically unfit for human consumption because it’s linked directly to the worst of all cancers: pancreatic cancer.

In the 1970s the USDA tried to ban sodium nitrate only to be inundated with the clever “They’re trying to ban bacon!” campaign launched by the meat packaging industry.

Most processed meats like packaged ham, bacon, sausage, hot dogs, pepperoni, salami and virtually all red meat used in frozen prepared meals like pizza have sodium nitrate in them.

A study by the University of Hawaii found that eating processed meats increase the risk of pancreatic cancer by 67%! Bottom line, if you’re eating sodium nitrate in meat, it’s like saying “I don’t care if I get cancer.”

More GMO related problems
GMO foods are causing all kind of problems in addition to human health. They’re creating superbugs andsuperweeds because only the strongest survive and become resistant to insecticide. Each year more and more chemical spraying is necessary.

Bee and butterfly populations are being decimated. Pollination of crops is vital for about 40% of our food supply. Currently farmers in California are having to import bees to get the job done as the bee populations are not replenishing themselves as they have for the last century.

GMO seeds are the patented property of large multinational corporations like Monsanto. Farmers are forbidden to use seeds from the GM crops already purchased and therefore are forced to buy new seeds each year, reducing the profitability of the operation.

Also, seeds are easily blown from farm to farm. If a farmer’s crops are unintentionally cross-pollinated with the GM patented seeds, the farmer is criminally liable to pay royalties and licensing fees. Monsanto actually sued a farmer and won even though the farmer didn’t intentionally use Monsanto seed.

Suicide rates
This one’s a heart breaker. Monsanto was able to get farmers in India to begin using their GMO seeds by promising increased crop yields.

Although the program was successful for the first five years, now it is no better than the former non-GM crop. And it costs a lot more to operate as they have to pay more and more for pesticides to kill the superbugs.

The farmers are now losing so much money they’re committing suicide by the droves–125,000 since the introduction of the GM seeds.

As a result, India’s Supreme Court recommended a 10-year moratorium on using the GM seeds so stricter regulations could be implemented.

So it seems our food supply is a mess. But trying to unplug from the traditional food supply system is a daunting task. You’ll find yourself looking for local farmers and making friends at the local organic foods store.

It’s pretty much impossible to rid 100% of the poisons from your diet. But if you can cut out 80-90% you’ll be far healthier.

And finally, let’s keep everything in its proper perspective. The last thing we would want is for people to live longer, healthier lives and then split the gates of hell wide open.

The purpose of living healthier is to be able to be a better witness about what God CREATED. We get into trouble when the government ditches God and starts making making decisions irrespective of Biblical commands.

But as we see in the book of Jonah, it’s possible to repent as a nation and be given a reprieve for what we deserve. Judgement in Ninevah was delayed 100 years or so when people turned back to the Lord. For that we pray.

Bill Perkins

+++++++++++++++++++++++++

References:

http://www.ijbs.com/v05p0706.htm

http://www.centerforfoodsafety.org/

http://www.sott.net/article/242516-Heart-surgeon-speaks-out-on-what-really-causes-heart-disease
http://www.livecornfree.com/2010/04/ingredients-derived-from-corn-what-to.html

http://www.the-age-of-woman.com/Wheat-GMO.html

http://www.ewg.org/reports/bodyburden2/execsumm.php

http://rense.com/general37/ddly.htm

http://celiacdisease.about.com/od/celiacdiseasefaqs/f/Genetically-Modified-Wheat.htm

http://www.ourbodiesourselves.org/book/companion.asp?id=7&compID=119&page=2

http://dietandcancerreport.org/expert_report/recommendations/recommendation_animal_foods.php

http://au.news.yahoo.com/thewest/a/-/wa/14812749/gm-crop-could-cause-liver-failure-scientist/

http://www.naturalnews.com/011148.html

The Gluten-Thyroid Connection

I do not endorse Brannon Howes, but this audio from his radio interview with Mike Gendron is worth a listen.  If you are unsure of whether or not Francis Chan is false teacher then this should help clarify.

Posted by: Yvonne | April 16, 2013

Circling the Wagons

Pan Evangelicals Still Wield the Broken Sword 
of Political/Cultural Evangelism

An editorial by Orrel Steinkamp

“This appears to be a “circling the wagons” to recruit every able-bodied sort of evangelical into the new effort. Converting the culture appears harder than anticipated. […]  If you can’t defeat the culture in the ballot box or with political alliances then you need to circle the wagons. If you can’t dominate the culture by “apostolic and prophetic decrees” in league with political forces, and if you can’t become junior partners with the Vatican and Jesuits,… Well! recruit every able body in sight. Different doctrine does not deter them. Anyone can enter this wide circle.”

Read the entire article at http://herescope.blogspot.com/2013/04/circling-wagons.html

Posted by: Yvonne | April 15, 2013

Building Unity

The way to stimulate unity in the church is by a faithful ministry of your gifts to
the other members. The way to stimulate unity in the church is by getting involved so that what you are in the Spirit of God and what you are by the saving grace of Jesus Christ can make a contribution to what somebody else needs. You see the unity of the church is not kept by being silent about things you disagree with. The unity of the church is not kept by not making trouble, it’s kept by making a concerted effort to build the body of Christ into oneness. ~John MacArthur, ‘The Mystery Revealed‘ 

Posted by: Yvonne | March 26, 2013

Salvation by Osmosis

Conformists believe relationships, camaraderie, and affability will lead people to Christ.  It’s a sort of salvation by osmosis.  In their view, redemption will be subjectively induced without verbal definition.

The problem is, it doesn’t work that way.  Jesus’ command to preach the gospel to a lost and dying world is an absolute, not an option.  We can and should be pleasant folk, but you can’t smile people into heaven.  Remove the message of life-transforming salvation through faith in Jesus Christ and there is nothing left but another emaciated religious faction.” ~ Elwood McQuaid, ‘The Changing Face of America’

Posted by: Yvonne | February 17, 2013

Is There Any Hope For America? (part 2)

by Mark Dinsmore
The Berean Call
February 2013

“Everybody Wants to Rule the World”

Last month, we looked at a number of historical efforts to “Christianize” different cultures at different times—each one by political leaders who believed they were exercising “God-given authority” to rule over the earth. Usually, those involved in orchestrating such efforts misquote the book of Genesis and point to Adam and Eve’s failure to “take dominion” as the basis for needed “restoration” of this mandate. And of course, such a goal always comes by human effort—which is nothing but another attempt to reach “heaven” by climbing up another way (Jn:10:1).

Dave Hunt and  TBC  have long addressed Kingdom-Dominionism in many forms—from the heresies and evil deeds of Roman Catholicism to the aberrations of Reformed theology and modern Reconstructionism to the extrabiblical and occultic practices of the Charismatic Latter Rain movement (see  Whatever Happened to Heaven?  and  Temporal Delusion ). Each of these historic cults and schisms has shared the same goal: to establish a “Christian” religious and political authority—first nationally and then globally. Historically, however, such attempts have always led to the  removal  of “Christian liberty” through tyrannical oppression and eventual persecution of true saints in Christ. The same holds true for the ongoing advancement of ecumenical unity in the New Religious Right of today—a  converging  church that is being built on the foundation of “common ground” with Masons, Mormons, and even Muslims.

It should be clear from Scripture and history that our God-given assignment is not to take dominion over unregenerate individuals, nor to become lords over human government, but rather to preach the gospel and make disciples. Yet, the temptation for some to “Christianize” the nation—and ultimately, the world—through human government is too great.

In divining “God’s Plan for America,” (see Part One ) Pat Robertson and other Christian patriots have evidently not consulted with the Scriptures—or else they must not be familiar with the depictions of world kingdoms as they pertain to past, present, and future prophecy. Did not the statue dreamt of by Nebuchadnezzar and interpreted by Daniel depict Babylon as the head of gold, Medo-Persia as the chest and arms of silver, Greece as the thighs of bronze, and Rome as the legs of iron—all fulfilled in history? And despite all the emotional idealism about America’s unsurpassed wealth and unrivaled power, where does America fit into this vision of earth’s sequential kingdoms?

Is America “The Stone Kingdom”?

Most conservative evangelical scholars would agree that the US will be squeezed into the “western” foot and/or toes mingled of iron and clay. Yet, Robertson insists that “the magnificence” of the US  dwarfs  that of every single kingdom identified in the vision of Nebuchadnezzar? This is, at best, pure delusion! That is, unless Robertson somehow believes that America is itself the “stone cut out of the mountain without hands” (Dn 2:45) that crushes them all. But how could such a twisting of Scripture occur? And where is the discernment of viewers and the rebuke of leaders who seek to protect their flocks from such deception?

Probing further, it appears that Robertson’s hopes are indeed pinned on a little-known aberrant doctrine that refers to America as “The Stone Kingdom.” In a book by that title, author E. Raymond Capt claims to present “compelling evidence that the United States of America  is that final kingdom!” In fact, the author declares that America will “become a great mountain and eventually fill the whole earth.” At first glance, one may dismiss this notion as ridiculous but harmless. However, as TBC has long documented, Christian Dominionism is a “doctrine of devils,” which continues to deceive millions while laying the foundation for the coming kingdom of Antichrist.

Strange Doctrine Makes Stranger Bedfellows

One basis for this heresy is the doctrine of British Israelism, an idea originating in the mid-1600s, which attempted to prove that Western Europeans were principally descended from the “lost” tribes of Israel. Some even attempted to connect the Royal Family to the lineage of King David. A number of “Bible teachers” pursued this idea, and by the mid-1800s it became a significant “Christian” movement, impacting the direction and development of various cults—including those established by Joseph Smith, Mary Baker Eddy, and Herbert W. Armstrong. Joseph Smith declared that “the whole of America is Zion itself from north to south” (http://globalmormonism.byu.edu/?page_id=9). Even today, Christian Science adherents proclaim that “America is The Cradle for the Second Coming of the Christ” (http://mbeinstitute.org/America/AmerIntro.html). Pat Robertson’s declaration that all the kingdoms of history “are dwarfed by the magnificence of the United States” seems to echo these unbiblical sentiments.

When viewed in this light, one can begin to see the method behind Pat’s mantra when he repeatedly insists: “God has a plan! And he’s not finished with this nation yet! We are a covenant people! Don’t let any politician tell you we’re not! This nation was ordained by God in the midst of the nations of the earth…. We are here! God Almighty has a plan, and that plan is not finished yet.”

Tragically, not only is Robertson filled with the pride of Christian nationalism—which is rooted in the unbiblical doctrines of British Israelism, Freemasonry, and Mormonism—but he is sadly mistaken that such defiant declaration is warranted on the basis of Scripture. Though he evidently intends to encourage anxious believers and crestfallen patriots lamenting the course of their nation, his position is in direct conflict with the Scriptures.

Viewed in this light, calling America “the stone kingdom” is exceedingly dangerous. Under no circumstances should the professing church exalt America to the position reserved for Christ! This nationalistic idolatry is particularly offensive when one understands the extent to which the United States was conceived and built not by God, nor by his Spirit, but by  Masonic  hands that  literally  cut out and established America’s capitol—as well as its first great cities. Were true Christians among these occultists? Absolutely. Did they invoke the name of God? Most certainly. But America’s founding was an unholy mixture of the sacred and profane—with evil men and seducers, being deceived and deceiving others, mingled with many good men (some godly) who “knew not what they did.”

The pattern of deception continues now as it did then: True believers and professing Christians alike engage in ecumenical efforts for the building or restoring of “God’s kingdom on earth.” In the process, they “wittingly or unwittingly” practice occult methods for the purpose of “entering” the heavens, after the manner of ancient pagan kingdoms. Tragically, while believing themselves to be more educated and advanced, many “modern” Christians are no better off than the ancient Hebrews who “ignorantly” worshiped Baal.

The Cornerstone of American History—or Heresy?

Perhaps one of the most obvious examples of America’s occult foundation can be seen in the Babylonish ceremony for the laying of the US Capitol cornerstone. Dressed in full Masonic regalia, our nation’s first president, George Washington, presided over the elaborate parade and ceremony—entirely conceived and conducted by  Freemasons —which concluded with a ritual “dressing” of the cornerstone with an engraved silver plaque, on top of which was poured corn, wine, and oil, and “sealed” with a Masonic chant.

Is such ritual Christian—or pagan? Could America’s “destiny” have been “sealed” from its very foundation and dedication to the god of Freemasonry? Lodge records faithfully document every detail of the cornerstone ritual’s procession—which concluded with “The President of the United States, the Grand Master… and the Worshipful Master of No. 22, taking their stand to the East of a huge stone; and all the Craft, forming a circle westward, stood a short time in silent awful order”  (http://www.phoenixmasonry.org/masonicmuseum/gw_laying_the_cornerstone_mural_medallion.htm ).

If the modern reader did not know the event being described, the parallels to the practice of witchcraft (also called “the  craft ”) are striking—particularly with regard to the reverence paid in “silent awe” to the  East . In a counterfeit reference to Christ’s Second Coming (Mt 24:27), Freemasonry regards divine light, or knowledge, as coming “from the East.” This is why the former women’s auxiliary of Masonry (now open to all male and female relatives) is called the Order of the  Eastern  Star. Though cloaked in a “Christian” veil, the Gnostic light of this star is Lucifer, “light bearer,” which Scripture also depicts allegorically as “a bird of prey” (Jer:49:16).

What about 2 Chronicles:7:14?

In clip four of the preview for  God’s Plan for America , Robertson simultaneously issues a caveat and a call to action with the question:

And so God says to us, “Will you be faithful to the covenant? Will you renew the covenant that I made with your forefathers on the shores of the Atlantic Ocean when they knelt in prayer and claimed this land for me? Will you renew that covenant?” And if we do, we will enter a period of unprecedented prosperity and blessing, and the blessing of heaven will be showered down upon us. And that’s the challenge that I give you and He gives us. To renew once again that covenant, and to grasp hold of the plan that God had before the creation of the earth, that this land would be here, as first among nations.

Once again, Robertson exposes his own heresy with the declaration that God intends for  America  to be “ first  among nations.” This is defacto anti-Semitism. And yet, even those evangelicals who reject this unbiblical doctrine fall into the same trap of exalting America to an idolatrous height. As we’ve seen, American believers in particular love to view Scripture through the myth of an imagined covenant with God—which they believe makes the United States a “Christian nation.” Though it  was  once a nation of predominantly Christian-minded people who long enjoyed peace and prosperity—as a partial result of governing and living by biblical values—America was never ordained to be “The Stone Kingdom.”

This aberrant view of history, in turn, results in a skewed perspective when it comes to interpreting and applying Scripture. As Dave Hunt responded on  Search the Scriptures Daily  radio: “If you don’t recognize that there is a difference between Israel and the church, you will be very confused both as to salvation and the Rapture [and] the Second Coming. God…has promised full restoration of Israel to her land. There’s no restoration to a land for the church. There’s no way that you can make the prophecies to Israel fit the church, but people try…. For example, you have 2 Chronicles:7:14:

If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.

Dave continues, “Now, there are people who…say, ‘Now, look, if the church in America would just confess her sins, and get right with God, and really—let’s have a campaign of prayer, and pray and  pray  for our country—God would turn America into a Christian nation.’ But of course, God…never gave the Americans America, and he certainly never gave the Christian Americans America. So they are badly mistaken when they try to apply [2 Chronicles:7:14].”

Tragically, innumerable campaigns, programs, and crusades have been based on this single verse alone—leaving untold millions of believers under the delusion that this is a promise of God  for   America . Stop right there. Consider the context! The entire chapter is about Solomon’s dedication of the temple and consecration of the nation of  Israel  to God—an account that starts all the way back in the second chapter. Throughout Scripture, the  only  nation and the only culture that God addresses as “my people” is Israel and the Jews.

Although it is true that the account of Israel throughout Scripture has various application for  believers  both personally and corporately, it is a patent falsehood to misapply this promise to the United States—or to any other country. For example, can you picture an evangelistic crusade in China based on 2 Chronicles:7:14? In India? In Syria? Why not? After all, if the promise of this passage is directed to God’s people everywhere  (the Bride of Christ), then why not encourage the persecuted church to rise up and proclaim this promise for a communist nation? a Hindu nation? a Muslim nation?

The absurdity of this suggestion should illustrate the seriousness of wresting Bible passages from their context. And yet, even “solid” evangelicals have put their trust in a promise  never intended  for American believers. But despite decades of political activism and countless perennial prayer events, faith in America’s flag—along with its moral fabric—has continued to unravel. Even culture warrior and psychologist James Dobson acknowledged bleakly in his farewell address at Focus on the Family:

We are awash in evil and the battle is still to be waged. We are right now in the most discouraging period of that long conflict. Humanly speaking, we can say we have lost all those battles….

The secular media was quick to rejoice at this admission, as  Washington Monthly  columnist Steve Benen gloated in his “Political Animal” column of April 12, 2009:

Whether Dobson and his cohorts give up now or not, his assessment about their lack of success is nevertheless accurate. The culture war is all but over, and far-right evangelicals have precious little to show for their efforts. After about three decades of fighting, the culture warriors are hard pressed to point to any progress at all.

Considering this dismal reality (from an earthly perspective), is our goal for evangelism  really  to help make America “be a great nation again?” If that’s the hope we’re promoting through grand crusades with popular bands and patriotic bunting, then I fear it is false advertising for God. It’s like the well-intended, but misguided gospel presentation of the classic Campus Crusade tract,  Four Spiritual Laws,  in which the first law states: “God loves you and has a wonderful plan for your life.” Really? What if that plan includes pain, suffering, trial, tribulation—and by worldly measure, abject failure?

The  truth  is, God’s word declares: “All that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution” (2 Tm 3:12). And unlike the imagined “God’s Plan for America,” this is one principle repeated throughout the New Testament that  does  apply to the church in America. Therefore, if crusade converts pray to receive Christ, and then have their earthly dreams fall apart—or after years of ceaseless labor in some ministry of conservative political activism, they see the degradation and depravity in our nation continue to spiral out of control, what will be the end of their faith? As the Apostle Paul mused, “If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable” (1 Cor:15:19).

With great respect for all those who have labored for the vision of a “Christian America,” I submit that our God-given purpose in evangelism is not  to “dominate” government, nor to restore an Edenic utopia. Our Creator has promised to do this in His time: “Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, saith the LORD” (Zec:4:6). Until that day, we are strangers in a strange land—pilgrims on this planet, whose assignment is  not  “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness” (the endless material accumulation for ourselves and our posterity) but rather to participate in God’s great rescue mission—which was that of Christ, who came “to seek and to save that which [is] lost” (Lk 19:10).

Unlike America’s broken (and impossible) promise of “liberty and justice for all,” only one King and His Kingdom offers true “liberty and salvation  for all” who believe: Jesus Christ. This alone is the greatest (and only) hope for America—and for the world.

With whom will you share God’s  truly  wonderful plan today?

Posted by: Yvonne | February 16, 2013

Is There Any Hope for America? (part 1)

by Mark Dinsmore
The Berean Call
January 2013

“God’s Not Finished with U.S. Yet”

How many of us have heard this statement recently: “God isn’t yet finished with the United States of America”? How many of us have spoken it? Well, if you’re reading this and still breathing anywhere within the confines of the 50 states, that’s a pretty safe statement to make—for if God were truly “finished” with America, then none of us would be here.

Given the frequency and fervency with which this statement is often made, it seems apparent that it’s born out of deep-rooted conviction that holds broad appeal among Christians of all denominations whose love and commitment to political conservativism rank right up there with “God, apple pie, and baseball.” But what does this popular statement mean?

If I may take a swing at it, it seems that this statement is generally aimed at providing encouragement for quick relief from depression over election outcomes or other statistics that depict the erosion of long-held liberties and the onset of advanced societal decay. But is it biblical? And does it have any more lasting effect or theological depth than other popular Christian clichés? Indeed, the belief that “God’s not done with the US yet” is generally based on hope for national spiritual revival and a second “rebirth” of America.

Selling this hope also seems to be the stock and trade of politicians and Christian leaders alike who seek to rally their constituents and reassure their flocks of better days yet to come, usually based on misapplication of Scripture. Capitalizing on the fears of many who are anxious at the changes occurring in our nation—which threaten to irreversibly affect the quality of life for generations to come—a myriad of ministries compete for the pocketbooks of those who give as generously as possible in a last-ditch effort to “restore America.”

Pat Robertson’s (Misplaced) Hope for America

Not surprisingly, one such proclamation is still being uttered post-election by the perennial prognosticator and purveyor of hope in Christian Patriotism— 700 Club founder and one time presidential candidate, Pat Robertson. Robertson continues his tradition of raising “ministry” funds by selling hope to anxious viewers concerned over what’s happening in America.

Titled God’s Plan for America: How to Prepare for the Days Ahead , Pat Robertson’s newest DVD claims to reveal “the covenant God has with America and the steps necessary to see the blessings of heaven showered down on our nation.” The marketing copy declares that “there is still an opportunity to enter into a period of unprecedented growth and national blessing—if we will follow the plan God has for us.” But this DVD is “not for sale in stores.” It’s not even available for purchase on the CBN website, for any amount. No, in order to discover, understand, and implement this plan, prospective viewers must “become a CBN partner” for a minimum monthly donation of $20 ($240 per year)! Inspiring clips and compelling testimonies of those who endorsed the DVD will undoubtedly pay for this slick production thousands of times over—especially considering that many “club members” will remain on the roles long after the DVD is either collecting dust or used for target practice.

Before dismantling Robertson’s case for American exceptionalism, we must acknowledge that he is not alone in his belief, which is echoed, as we’ll address, by many other conservative evangelicals. But even without the benefit of hearing Pat’s entire message, the promotional clips give us sufficient insight to evaluate whether Robertson’s hope for America is biblical—or bogus. The first clip opens with Robertson reading from Isaiah:46:9-11

, which he follows with this bold declaration, “Now I want to submit to you today that God has a plan for the United States of America. To say that this land is not exceptional is to insult the word of God Almighty.”

By “exceptional” Robertson does not mean “better than average” but rather means “specially selected, prophetically promised, divinely ordained.” He also appears to justify this misplaced faith by finding America in this passage described as “a bird of prey” (an eagle). However, the context describes the then-future judgment of Israel “from the East,” and does not depict a nation from the west (most scholars agree that this prophecy was fulfilled by King Cyrus).

Dreams of American Grandeur

In clip two, “A Covenant People,” Robertson declares, “America has risen to be the greatest nation on the face of the earth. It’s the richest nation, it’s the most powerful nation, of all the kingdoms and all the empires that have been in the history of mankind. Whether it’s the empire of Greece, or the empire of Rome, or the empire of Alexander, or the empire of the Persians, the Babylonians, or the whoever. They are dwarfed by the magnificence of the United States of America.”

Oh my! Is such aggrandizement of the US yet rational? Especially considering the country’s precipitous national debt, which is poised to enslave future generations? Yet most taxpayers remain unaware that the “Federal Reserve” (which is neither Federal nor has any reserve) is likewise indebted to foreign banks and multinational corporations, which, in turn, hold enormous equity in America’s vast natural resources. As but one example, Red China now owns more than $1 trillion dollars of US debt (enough to collapse our economy overnight) (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_public_debt) and has begun the purchase of US land for the construction of massive walled “free trade” cities from coast to coast (http://www.idahostatesman.com/2010/12/31/1472023/chinese-company-eyes-bo…) with the aid and approval of corrupt politicians (http://www.breitbart.com/Big-Government/2012/09/04/Harry-Reid-s-Son-Repr…). This is potentially the realRed Dawn , of which most citizens are completely oblivious. And yet, “Christian Patriots” believe that we’ll somehow be able to “take back” this land? And take over the government to boot? (Talk about “strong delusion”!)

It would take another article to document what appears to be a systematic coup underway in our nation—and yet, even as the heathen rage and “imagine a vain thing” (Ps:2:1-6) it is with full consent of our sovereign God, who “changeth the times and the seasons: he removeth kings, and setteth up kings” (Dn 2:21a). But in spite of what many consider to be “handwriting on the financial wall” for the US, Robertson brazenly asserts that America remains at the pinnacle of world power and prominence.

What Went “Wrong” in 2012?

The impossibility of achieving “Christian Dominion” should be evident by the outcome of the 2012 elections, which not only highlighted increasing corruption in the entire candidate selection and election process but also an unprecedented degree of ignorance and apathy in both political parties. On the Democratic side, the number of activists and voters who don’t know (and don’t care) about the history of the communist cry, “Forward!” (Obama’s chosen campaign slogan) is astounding. On the Republican side, Romney’s campaign suffered from a split within conservative evangelicalism: Some, offended by his Mormon faith, forgot they weren’t appointing a pastor, but a president. (These voters also failed to consider the fact that many past “Christian” presidents have been so in name only; and that for those in office who embraced Freemasonry, the Lodge—not God—is the higher authority to which they had already sworn allegiance. This, too, is “Satanic.”) Intent on derailing a second term of perceived Muslim-Marxist influence, many prominent evangelicals switched tracks, jumping on the bandwagon of the New Religious Right—even to the shocking extent of removing references to Mormonism as a cult (as did the Billy Graham Association website). But after the stage-managed media shutout of Ron Paul, not even the combined ecumenical might of conservatives could elect the RINO (Republican In Name Only) Romney. To top off this political circus, Bill Keller (tireless self-promoter of “Live Prayer” fame) even bragged that he got over 1 million evangelicals to write in the name of “Jesus” for President of the United States. What utter absurdity!

Add that to the gross manipulation of candidates by the media, forcing out any non-establishment candidate with truly Constitutional views, and mix it with a corrupted mail-in and electronic voting system that has vastly increased undetected tampering, and top it off with a massive influx of “undocumented citizens” whose votes are “pre-purchased” by the promises of progressive incumbents—and it should be abundantly clear that no uncompromising, Bible-believing Christian will ever win popular approval. Should American Christians be surprised? Should we react with patriotic indignation? Or should we remember the words of Scripture:

If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you. If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you. (Jn:15:18-19)

Yet, every four years, there a fresh fervor—even frenzy—among concerned Christians to “put the right man (or woman) in office.” But is our faith in ballots? or in the Bible? God’s Word states, “It is better to trust in the LORD than to put confidence in man. It is better to trust in the LORD than to put confidence in princes” (Ps:118:8-9). Even if another “Ronald Reagan” could win the election, the victory would be symbolic, not substantive. As the media-driven antichrist culture shift overruns the moral and Constitutional restraints of former generations, American believers need to prepare their own hearts and minds—as well as those of their children and grandchildren—for this “new” reality, which, as long as the Lord tarries, threatens to darken our future with tangible consequences.

In spite of this, those who know and love God should not be anxious or fearful, recalling the words of Jesus: “These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world” (John:16:33). This assurance is echoed in 1 John:4:4: “Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.”

Church Is “Clogged”—Someone Call Roto-Rooter!

There is an even more critical issue facing the church than any presidential election, and that is this: The majority of professing Christians are either ill-equipped—or unwilling—to address the stench of corruption, immorality, and doctrinal deception in the church! How, then, could they ever hope to rise up and “restore” an entire nation? It is no wonder that the world views the church as hypocritical.

The fact is, biblical moralism can’t be legislated, at least for very long. It didn’t work during Prohibition—and it didn’t work for John Calvin in 16th century Geneva during his dictatorial reign as “Protestant Pope” (see Calvin’s Tyrannical Kingdom ). Likewise, attempts at “Christianizing” the Netherlands at the turn of the 20th century by the Dutch Reformed statesman Abrahm Kuyper (Prime Minister of the Netherlands from 1901-1905) seem to have produced a permanent boomerang effect: The “modern” city of Amsterdam makes America’s most immoral cities appear family-friendly.

Expanding on his Calvinistic worldview, Kuyper developed the Reformed doctrine of “Common Grace,” which in his view not only enables the ungodly to “develop the creation positively, that is, according to God’s standard and toward God the Creator,” but also “permits Christians, indeed calls them, to join hearts and hands with the ungodly in this positive development of culture” (http://www.mountainretreatorg.net/eschatology/worldview.html).

In other words, Kuyper was an early proponent of perhaps the first ecumenical “moral majority” tasked with social and political activism to build a better world. Interestingly, it is Kuyper’s concept of “sphere sovereignty” that led to development of the heretical Latter Rain agenda for restoration of America through the “Seven Mountain Mandate”:

In 1975, Bill Bright, founder of Campus Crusade, and Loren Cunningham, founder of Youth With a Mission, had lunch together in Colorado. God simultaneously gave each of these change agents a message to give to the other…. Francis Schaeffer was given a similar message [that] if we are to impact any nation for Jesus Christ, then we would have to affect the seven spheres , or mountains of society that are the pillars of any society. These seven mountains are business, government, media, arts and entertainment, education, the family and religion…. God was telling these three…where the battlefield was [and] where culture would be won or lost. Their assignment was to raise up change agents to scale the mountains and to help a new generation…understand the larger story. (http://www.reclaim7mountains.com/)

This extra-biblical “revelation” was picked up and championed by motivational speakers like Os Hillman as well as the mystical leadership guru, Lance Wallnau (disciple of self-proclaimed “Super Apostle” C. Peter Wagner). But ironically, even Christians who recognize the doctrinal errors of the New Apostolic Reformation (NAR) and who realize the futility of this unbiblical “mandate” still fall prey to the same delusion that we must somehow “reclaim” society. However, God has not called us to redeem the culture, but to redeem the time , “for the days are evil” (Eph:5:16).

When All Else Fails, Read the Instructions!

Considering the past, present, and future failure of each of these “restoration” movements—especially when a secular majority begins to overwhelm a moral minority—the church should recognize that it’s been on the wrong mission all along. “If the foundations be destroyed, what can the righteous do?” (Ps:11:3). Even John Adams, our second president, declared that “Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other.” Christians should by now realize the futility of “bringing heaven to earth,” whether by false “revivals” or spreading “democracy.” True democracy (51 percent) is mob rule—and that clearly explains the spoiling of our republic through corruption, collusion, and what some foresee as a second American “revolution.”

Population statistics alone confirm that the demographic landscape—and political future—of America is being permanently altered, in terms of national “identity” and religious conviction. Historically, this is normal over time through legal immigration. But one would have to be blind not to see an agenda behind the “failure” to protect our nation’s borders since 9/11. The number of US troops entangled in foreign wars, serving at the pleasure of the military-industrial complex, has only increased since the so-called “war on terror.” Yet, the same powers—under both Democratic and Republican administrations—that have sworn to protect our nation from enemies “foreign and domestic” have been repeatedly caught assisting with the international flow of drugs, guns, and money at the expense of American lives, both enlisted and civilian, with apparent impunity.

Understandably, such blatant racketeering and disregard for the rule of law has left conservatives and Christians alike concerned for the future of their country. Many are asking: “Is there hope for America? What is a biblical response? Where is America in Bible prophecy? Can we claim the promises of God in 2 Chronicles:7:14?”

We’ll address these issues and more next month, in Part Two .

Posted by: Yvonne | December 7, 2012

Genius – The Movie

http://youtu.be/o7pe3_VQbUM

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