THE NATURE OF DECEPTION

 

Recently we discussed the root of deception. Today we will look into the nature of deception. Deception is meant to deceive. It is fraud disguised as truth. It is corruption made to look like true opportunity. It is illusion. It is a trap. It is meant to get the victim to change course and get off track. It preys on our human weakness and desires--greed, jealousy, and all our character flaws. It is Hasatan’s most powerful tool.

 

It begins with Eve in the Garden of Eden in Genesis chapter three when the adversary twists God’s instruction which he gave Adam and Eve. “Did God really say that? He didn’t really mean that. He is hiding something from you which you deserve.”

 

So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree desirable to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate. She also gave to her husband with her, and he ate. Gen 3.6

 

The tree appealed to their senses. It was good for food, pleasant to the eye, and desirable to make one wise. It appealed to their fleshly desires. They listened to the adversary’s broadcast and disinformation and Eve allowed herself to be deceived. She gave the fruit to Adam, who knew better and should have corrected her--he ate it too.

 

We husbands like to please our wives whether we want to admit it or not. Adam wanted to please her and he joined her in her disobedience without giving the situation much thought. Their eyes were opened to things God would have preferred they did not know or see. Their age of innocence was over.

 

Eve had left the covering of her husband and was deceived by the lie. She should have checked with Adam first before she ate of the fruit. Adam should have refused the fruit but did not want to have a family argument. Instead of following God’s word he went along with Eve.

 

Deception sows doubt in our minds. That was what the adversary created in Adam and Eve’s minds. He questioned Eve on the truth of God’s word. Eve didn’t take the time to go back to her husband and ask him exactly what God had told him. She didn’t take time to do her Bible study but listened to what sounded good to her. How often we do this without researching on our own.

 

Adam was downright negligent. He knew better. He let his guard down.

 

Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves coverings. And they heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden.

 

Then the Lord God called to Adam and said to him, “Where are you?” So he said, “I heard Your voice in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; and I hid myself.” And He said, “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree of which I commanded you that you should not eat?” Then the man said, “The woman whom You gave to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I ate.” And the Lord God said to the woman, “What is this you have done?” The woman said, “The serpent deceived me, and I ate.” Genesis 3.7-13

 

Adam blamed Eve. At least he was honest when he admitted he ate without questioning. Eve admitted that she had been deceived. The two innocents didn’t get to enjoy life very long before they where introduced to life’s hard reality. Hasatan once again was attacking God’s eternal plans. He had been cast down to earth and was broadcasting his selfish way of life into all of God’s earthly creation. Man had chosen to disobey God and sinned against God’s word--His instruction (commandments).

 

Now Adam and Eve would know death:

 

Then the serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die. For God knows that in the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”

 

They knew nothing of sin and death until they chose to go against God’s law. Hasatan deceived them. He told Eve the truth--they would know good and evil--with a subtle questioning of God. He put doubt into Eve’s mind and rather than going back and seek truth she took the bait.

 

The nature of deception is too create doubt in our minds. Hasatan constantly broadcasts this doubt through the air and into our minds. He subtly twists God’s truth in order to create doubt in our minds. Once we act upon that doubt we fall into sin. Doubt, in effect, is temptation. Doubt creates confusion and we are tempted to take impulsive action. The temptation appeals to our soulish or self nature. The lust of the eyes and flesh. Immediate self gratification.

 

The first defense against deception is to have a thorough knowledge of God’s word as written in the entire Bible--both Old and New Testaments. When in doubt, refer back to the Bible. Search for an answer. Let it be ingrained in the mind. “Bind them on our foreheads” as it says in Deuteronomy 6.8.

 

Our soulish or self nature is where the conflict of the lust of the flesh takes place. We desire to satisfy ourselves in all things. That is our soulish nature. We were created this way. We hunger, we eat. We want to be warm, we build a fire and warm ourselves. We want things, we work for the money to purchase them. This is natural.

 

Our soulish nature and desire of the flesh become sinful when we begin to fall into self gratification. When we begin to covet what our neighbor has rather than work for it ourselves. When we become jealous of what our neighbor has and steal or kill for it. This is what God’s law or Torah focuses on--righteous living--self sacrifice.

 

When our soulish desires become corrupted by lust, jealously, envy, etc, then we are breaking God’s law. If we go about living righteously and work honestly to provide for ourselves and families we are in effect obeying God’s Torah.

 

Nations steal, kill, and destroy for natural resources. Nations go to war because they jealously watch another nation prosper. This is sin on a national scale. This is how Hasatan operates in this present world. It is his domain until all things are put under Yeshua’s feet.

 

To achieve his ends, Hasatan will use deception to prey upon our soulish nature. He will broadcast lies into our minds in the form of gossip, slander, jealousies, envies, and the like, until we act upon these deceptions and lies.

 

God’s written word warns and prepares our minds for these attacks. The more we meditate on God’s instruction, law, and Torah the safer we are. Our minds begin to tune into God’s broadcasting station. We begin to discern between the lies and deception of the enemy and the truth of God’s word. We begin to have “the mind of Christ.”

 

The Lord told us to become as little children because little children will happily obey their parents. God’s commands are really very basic and simple. Our sinful nature and soulish desires rise up and we satisfy them in a sinful, rather than righteous way, of taking up our cross and crucifying these “evil” desires.

 

Again, desire itself is not evil. Soulish desire is natural. God wants us to discern the righteous way of living verses the soulish sinful and self gratifying way of living. We are to lay down our lives and wrongful desires at the cross.

 

As we learn to do this in a spiritual way we will find ourselves becoming stewards of all that God has blessed us with. We no longer want to follow Hasatan’s way of stealing, killing, and destroying in order to satisfy our desires. We are now walking in the spirit and the chances of being deceived by the evil one become neutralized as we abide in Yeshua and follow His commands.

THE POWER OF DECEPTION

 

The power of deception is the ability to deceive. It is the ability to disguise that which you are really trying to accomplish. It is trickery, the means of deceiving to achieve a particular end. It is the ability to get some organization, competitor, or the masses to be manipulated and tricked into doing what you want them to do--or to believe.

 

A great example of this is found in the game of football. On both sides of the ball--on offense and on defense--the plays are designed to deceive the opposing team into thinking they know what the other team is doing. As the play develops the true nature of the play becomes evident. If the deception is well played the opposing team will be fooled  resulting in a “big play” that can change the outcome of the game.

 

Coaches get paid big money to design offensive and defensive schemes to outwit the opposing team. Teams practice these plays over and over until these plays become convincing to the opponent. Some quarterbacks are expert at handing off the football and feigning that they still have the ball. Payton Manning in his younger days was very good at it along with Tom Brady.

 

Even the motion or direction of designed plays in football are designed to deceive the opponent. Some teams will run or pass the ball in the opposite direction in which it seems the play is supposed to go. The best teams have the best schemes and the best players to execute these plays.

 

In war, generals attempt to deceive the enemy into thinking the opposite of what they think they see. In corporate competition there are many deceptions. Corporations will try to get the competition to think they are working on a particular design when in reality they are working on something entirely different. The world we live in is rife with deception of every kind. It is the power of the spirit of the air of this present world!

 

Lucifer was cast down from heaven because he chose to live this way. He became full of himself and rebelled from his Creator Yehovah. See Isaiah 14 and Ezekiel 28 for all the details. Lucifer will do whatever he can to deceive mankind into disobedience towards God.

 

"You are of your father the devil, and you want to do the desires of your father He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth because there is no truth in him Whenever he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own nature, for he is a liar and the father of lies.” John 8.44

 

No wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. 2 Corinthians 11.14

 

But I am afraid that, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, your minds will be led astray from the simplicity and purity of devotion to Christ. 2 Corinthians 11.3

 

And the great dragon was thrown down, the serpent of old who is called the devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world; he was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him. Rev 12.9

 

…that is, the one whose coming is in accord with the activity of Satan, with all power and signs and false wonders, and with all the deception of wickedness for those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth so as to be saved. 2 Thess 2.9-10

 

As we have discussed in recent postings, our natural desires can lead us into sin if we allow ourselves to be deceived. Sadly the church has been infiltrated by new age, Wicca, and eastern religions to the point that many believers cannot discern the difference between what God requires and what are pagan practices. This can be a very contentious issue among believers and can cause serious conflicts.

 

A perfect example of this is the pagan religion of Marion which is embedded in the Roman Catholic Church. Mary is not a perpetual virgin, she is not sinless, did not ascend to heaven, and is not a mediator between mankind and Jesus. A thorough study of the Bible will prove this.

 

Jesus had brothers and sisters: "behold, His (Jesus') mother and His brothers were standing outside, seeking to speak with Him." Matthew 12:46

 

Mary was in need of salvation: And Mary said: "My soul exalts the Lord, and my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior.” Luke 146-47

 

Therefore she died and is awaiting her resurrection from the dead: “For my Father's will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and I will raise them up at the last day." John 6.40

Mary is not our mediator: For there is one God and one mediator between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus,
1 Timothy 2.5

 

Not only is the Marion doctrine false, it is one of the great deceptions of our adversary, Hasatan. There are millions, if not billions of people, who believe in her and believe she has appeared at various places and times. See this link:

http://theopenscroll.com/queenHeavenMary.htm 

 

Her cult is the classic angel of light Paul speaks of in 2 Corinthians 11.14. Her influence is great on the earth. She is the Queen of Heaven--in the spirit of Jezebel--deceiving the world. She is a real deceiving spirit that has misled countless millions of people. This is a real spirit--a demonic spirit of deception. She never tells her admirers not to worship her, in fact, she encourages her believers to worship her.

In the Bible angels of God never permit anyone to worship them. This is one way to determine the true from the counterfeit!

 

Search the scriptures for yourself. Don’t listen to me. Future deceptions coming upon this world will be similar in nature to the Marion Deception. Since many millions worship and pray to her what if at some future date she should appear and endorse a man as being her son? Endorse a man as being the Messiah we have been waiting for. These millions will be deceived into believing in an Antichrist false figure!

 

She has the power of deception in her bosom. She is the manifestation of many ancient goddesses. Isis, Asherah, Ishtar, Diana, Minerva, Juno, Columbia. Her roots are in all these manifestations we have seen down through the centuries. She is an angel of light--a false prophet--but millions swear by her and will never leave her tradition. They will keep the “traditions of men” rather than follow the true God Yehovah.

 

Here is an example of the power of deception. Signs and symbols have significant meaning. Many who have come to the Lord in the past were into the new age. It becomes easy to identify these believers because they unwittingly bring the signs and symbols from new age and mingle it with their faith in the Lord. They still have mixture that the Lord does not approve of in their walk.

 

Feminism is really a great part of new age beliefs. In reality the roots of feminism go back to Wicca and goddess worship. The female becomes the goddess of wisdom and understanding. The female becomes the defacto leader, without the lawful authority of God. The spirit of Jezebel is behind feminism. How does this line up with God’s chain of command as outlined in His word?

 

I don’t have a problem with women leaders. When men refuse to lead God will often raise up a woman to light a fire under the men as in Judges 4. Debra had to prod Barak to do what God wanted him to do. Debra got the credit for the victory but God balanced out the situation with Barak’s presence and participation. She did not go by herself.

 

We need to be careful to understand God’s chain of command. We will avoid many problems if we are doing things as outlined in the word. It is very easy for us to be deceived. A major problem in the church today is a misunderstanding of the roots of paganism--the spirit of the world--and how we have allowed the enemy to infiltrate our assemblies with pagan beliefs, signs, and symbols. Most blow it off and refuse to see the pagan mixture. Be careful! God gives those people over to deception: 2 Thessalonians 2.7-12

 

When I began to understand the Bible with a Hebraic understanding these things began to become clear. Many have relegated the Old Testament to the dusty book shelf. The key is to understand paganism as described in the O.T. so that we are able to identify these “spirits” in our assemblies today.

 

Many bemoan the fact that there is no power in the church. Until we have a clear understanding of paganism, and how it is active in our churches today, we will not be seeing God’s true power in action. God is not going to use a vessel that is full of mixture to reveal His healing and miraculous power to the world. He is looking for vessels that have allowed Him to search their hearts and cleanse them of any SELF serving agenda or foreign “gods”.

 

That how we will be able to discern true prophets of God verses false prophets performing signs and wonders. We will be able to discern those who have a SELF serving agenda and who are in it for SELF glory and not the glory of Yehovah. “Ye shall know them by their fruits.”

 

Marionism is a powerful deception that glorifies the goddess and takes our eyes off of Yeshua. It is a “form of godliness without the power thereof.” God is searching for those who will yield to Him in a much deeper way as we approach the end of this age. All SELF must die.

 

I close with a part of a poem by the English poet Rudyard Kipling. It is a condemnation of paganism in our modern world:

 

No doubt but ye are the People; who shall make you afraid?

Also your gods are many; no doubt but your gods shall aid.

Idols of greasy altars built for the body’s ease;

Proud little brazen Baals and talking fetishes;

Teraphs of sept and party and wise wood-pavement gods—

These shall come down to the battle and snatch you from under the rods? Rudyard Kipling.

If you apply yourself and study BOTH the Old and New Testaments you will know God's mind!

 

THE ROOT OF DECEPTION

 

 

Back in 2009 I began to seek the Lord in earnest about the end times and the true interpretation of His word. I asked two things. The first was to understand the end of the age in the context of the Book Revelation. The second was to learn to understand the truth presented in the Bible. This meant to allow the entire body of scripture interpret itself rather than follow the traditions of men and church.

 

The Lord told me it was necessary to first understand history as written in the Bible. That took some time as I had to reacquaint myself with the history of the children of Israel from Genesis through 2 Chronicles (including the books of the prophets).

 

During that process I began to understand the concept of chastisement. I saw it on a national scale in God’s dealings with His rebellious people. Then I began to understand it on a personal level. God works with nations and individuals through chastisement or discipline. He establishes the rules, and we are to follow those rules, or face His discipline.

 

On a higher level, God has given us His written laws and we, as good citizens, are to follow and obey His those laws. The written Torah is still in force in the world today. It is based on the ten commandments and gives examples of how we are to treat one another in following those commandments. Really quite simple!

 

As I read, prayed, and meditated on the Torah (first five books of Moses) and the rest of the Bible I began to see how nations and individuals were living lawlessly. A simple concept but I never really thought about it on a national scale. The world is lawless in the context of obeying the commandments written in the Bible. The world is lawless because we as individuals are lawless in context to the Biblical commands. It is incredibly simple!

 

We all do whatever seems right in our own eyes (Judges 21.25). Take marriage as an example. Modern courtship is practice for divorce. We go window shopping, pick someone we like, try it out for awhile, take it home, and when we get tired of it we go window shopping for another one!

 

Sometimes we make a mistake and get the someone pregnant. Then we marry some one for the wrong reason--or maybe we just don’t bother to marry so the breakup will be easier later. Before long we have dysfunctional families and relationships. We have totally ignored God’s written way of courting and waiting to get to know someone before committing to marriage. Lawlessness. Each small disobedience leads to dysfunction until we can’t cope with the compounding problems.

 

When we have our initial “born again” experience the first thing the Lord does is begin to get our disorderly house in order. He leads us back to becoming law abiding citizens of the Kingdom. Being “born again” opens our eyes to our former lawlessness. If it doesn’t then you better get on your knees and start asking God why your life is so out of order and full of problems.

 

Christians love to say, “We’re not under the law anymore.” That is the first great deception of our enemy Hasatan the adversary. If you believe that you are being deceived and are headed for believing the other deceptions which are coming upon the world.

 

Yeshua has saved us from the curse of the law. The law merely points out how incapable we are of totally obeying the law. We need a redeemer--a savior from the curse of the law--that law which points out our sinful nature.

 

The enemy would deceive us into believing we are “not under the law” in order that we continue to sin. Yeshua not only saves us from the curse of the law but He becomes our teacher of the law (Torah). If you are living in sin you are not living in the Kingdom of God.

 

The deceptions which are coming upon the church and the world are going to be very smooth and fraudulent. Deception is the act or state of deceiving. It is a trick, stratagem, ruse, hoax, subterfuge. It is never what it seems.

 

The primary deception in this world is that we are not “under the law” and can live anyway we want. After all, we have Jesus and He will forgive us. It is true He will forgive us, but if we are lawless we cannot experience the Kingdom of God in this present life.

 

If we love Him we will obey His commands (1 John 2.3-5). Yeshua taught the Torah. The sermon on the mount was instruction in Torah. We are to respect and treat one another the way we would like to be treated. There is a right way and a wrong way to live. The WORD of God has complete instructions.

 

Deception begins with lawlessness and a spirit of lawlessness. In Genesis 3 the serpent asked Eve, “Did God really say you shouldn’t eat the fruit of EVERY tree in the garden?” He twisted the word of God and created doubt in Eve’s mind. He deceived her by appealing to her senses. She saw it was good, pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired.

 

Eve, having free will, decided to disobey God’s simple command to avoid the one tree. She allowed herself to commit an act of lawlessness in direct conflict with God’s law. She allowed herself to be deceived by Hasatan’s smooth and twisted words. He took God’s command and twisted it.

 

Eve was not a student of the law. If she was, she would have recognized the deception put before her. She sinned against the creator because she was not sure of what God’s command was. She had not paid attention to what Adam had told her. She had not meditated on God’s word (instruction).

 

God had made Hasatan the most beautiful and powerful angel in His government. He was a covering cherub over the ark of God (Ezekiel 28). He was perfect in his ways until he decided to become lawless. Just as God has given mankind a free will, so he gave the angels free will. God cannot create robots that simply obey Him. He desires we obey from a heart of love. Therefore he gave his created beings free will to choose.

 

Hasatan became full of himself and full of rebelliousness towards his creator. He had the highest place in God’s government until he rebelled and became lawless. “I can run this government better then God” he said. I know better than the founder of this company, then my boss, etc, etc. He became lawless and insane with jealousy towards God.

 

He was cast out of heaven to this earth and has been wreaking havoc ever since. He has deceived the whole world (Rev 12.9) into following his lawless way. Ephesians 6.12 and forward explains that we are in spiritual warfare. He is the prince of the power of the air (Eph 2.2).

 

Hasatan is a broadcaster. He broadcasts his lawless through the air into our thoughts just like listening to the radio! Just as we are led by the Spirit of God, the world is led by the spirit of the power of the air.

 

We must protect ourselves from his lies and deceptions by having a thorough understanding of God’s written word. That is the whole body of scriptures--not just the New Testament--the whole body of scripture is for our instruction (2 Tim 3.16). We will then understand what God is broadcasting and discern which broadcast is true.

 

Now the purpose of the commandment is love from a pure heart, from a good conscience, and from sincere faith,  from which some, having strayed, have turned aside to idle talk, desiring to be teachers of the law, understanding neither what they say nor the things which they affirm.

 

But we know that the law is good if one uses it lawfully, knowing this: that the law is not made for a righteous person, but for the lawless and insubordinate, for the ungodly and for sinners, for the unholy and profane, for murderers of fathers and murderers of mothers, for manslayers, for fornicators, for sodomites, for kidnappers, for liars, for perjurers, and if there is any other thing that is contrary to sound doctrine…1 Timothy 1.5-10

 

The law protects us from criminals and crime. Are we criminals or law abiding citizens of the kingdom? Know and understand the law. This will protect us from deception. The root of deception is lawlessness. Those who are lawless will believe the lie. Those who are lawless will be used and manipulated by the enemy. Romans chapter one is a good place to begin to understand lawlessness. If we insist on sinning God will give us over to sin.

 

When we read the word we must consider the entire body of scripture before coming to conclusions. We must search for consensus in the word, for confirmation, and example. The church believes in many false doctrines of men. Many of us believe in things that are unscriptural. God wants us to get rid of these traditions of men and follow His ways.

 

Once you know the truth, the truth will set you free. If you are exposed to truth, and resist and deny that truth, you will become a slave to the lie and the deception. In the days ahead those who walk in power and truth will have allowed the Spirit of Truth, God’s Holy Spirit, gently teach and woo them back to God’s truth. They will shed the traditions of men and walk in God’s truth.

 

This small end time remnant will not be in it for themselves or for personal glory and recognition. They will be in it because of their great love for God and His truth. They will have allowed themselves to be taught in the disciplined school of the Spirit and will know their God and he will know them. They are called “Overcomers” and have overcome all the sin that besets them. They will have laid down their lives for God’s glory and purposes.

 

The root of all deception is our lawlessness. Until we fully lay down our lives at His cross and obey Him we are susceptible to deception. In upcoming postings we will discuss and dissect deceptions based on traditions of men and Hasatan’s false broadcasting network. Once you hear the truth you become responsible for what you have heard. Read at your own risk!

 

 

 

 

GOD’S RIGHTEOUS JUDGMENTS

 

You shall observe My judgments and keep My ordinances, to walk in them: I am the Lord your God. You shall therefore keep My statutes and My judgments, which if a man does, he shall live by them: I am the Lord. Lev 18.4-5

 

Seven times a day I praise You, Because of Your righteous judgments. Ps 119.164

 

I will praise You with uprightness of heart, When I learn Your righteous judgments. Ps 119.7

 

We are to understand that all God’s judgments are righteous. Psalm 119 is all about the Torah and God’s righteous judgments.

 

My son, if you receive my words, And treasure my commands within you, So that you incline your ear to wisdom, and apply your heart to understanding; Yes, if you cry out for discernment, and lift up your voice for understanding, If you seek her as silver, And search for her as for hidden treasures; Then you will understand the fear of the Lord, and find the knowledge of God. For the Lord gives wisdom; From His mouth come knowledge and understanding; He stores up sound wisdom for the upright; He is a shield to those who walk uprightly; He guards the paths of justice, and preserves the way of His saints. Then you will understand righteousness and justice, Equity and every good path. Proverbs 2.1-9

 

God’s judgment and righteousness are always connected. That is what these verses in Proverbs are showing us. All of God’s judgments are righteous--sometimes we do not understand and are mistaken in thinking the judgment is not righteous. The big picture is expressed in Ps 9.8...He shall judge the world in righteousness, and He shall administer judgment for the peoples in uprightness.

 

We should not become angry with God if we do not understand what He is doing.

 

And I heard the angel of the waters saying: “You are righteous, O Lord, The One who is and who was and who is to be, Because You have judged these things. For they have shed the blood of saints and prophets, And You have given them blood to drink. For it is their just due.” And I heard another from the altar saying, “Even so, Lord God Almighty, true and righteous are Your judgments.” Rev 16.5-7

 

All judgment was not nailed to the cross--there is still some to come. All God’s judgments are righteous and have a purpose. God’s judgments have deep meaning in the course of eternity.

 

The entirety of Your word is truth, And every one of Your righteous judgments endures forever. Ps 119.160

 

God’s judgments have deep meaning in the course of eternity.

 

Thy mercy, O Lord, is in the heavens; and thy faithfulness reaches unto the clouds. Thy righteousness is like the great mountains; thy judgments are a great deep: O Lord, You preserve man and beast.

 

HOW DO RIGHTEOUS JUDGMENTS BENEFIT US?

They are designed to help us govern our ways. The judgment/chastisement brings blessing or cursing. God wants us to do things His way--the righteous way--and to stop blaming others:

 

The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever: the judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether. More to be desired are they then gold, yea, than much fine gold: sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb. Moreover by them is thy servant warned: and in keeping of them there is great reward. Psalm 19.9-10

 

And ye have forgotten the exhortation which speaketh unto you as unto children, My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of him: For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth. If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not? Hebrews 12.5-7

 

We are warned and taught through the chastisements of the Lord. Often we want to blame the Adversary for our troubles, but often the Lord is chastening us for our attitude. We need to understand the difference! God chastens us as individuals and as a nation. When the nation turns away from God He will chasten the nation through nature and through other nations.

 

God thunders marvelously with His voice; He does great things which we cannot comprehend. For He says to the snow, ‘Fall on the earth’; Likewise to the gentle rain and the heavy rain of His strength. He seals the hand of every man, That all men may know His work. Job 37.5-7

 

From the chamber of the south comes the whirlwind, And cold from the scattering winds of the north. By the breath of God ice is given, And the broad waters are frozen. Also with moisture He saturates the thick clouds; He scatters His bright clouds. And they swirl about, being turned by His guidance, That they may do whatever He commands them. On the face of the whole earth. He causes it to come, Whether for correction, Or for His land, Or for mercy. Job 37.9-13

 

Katrina, Sandy, and Athena were God’s chastening to our nation and specific areas. His desire is that people will turn back to Him and repent. It is His way of getting our attention. Sometimes Christians will be hurt by these destructive storms. God may be telling them to relocate because this area is not where He wants them. See Lot as an example.

 

THREE TYPES OF JUDGMENT

 

1. Eternal Judgment - John 3.14-16...And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.

 

Grace and salvation. Jesus saves us from eternal judgment. Acts 4.12...Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”

 

God wants us to practice righteousness by right living, but this eternal righteousness and salvation is imputed by Jesus--it is not earned!

 

Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away. And there was found no place for them. And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God, and books were opened. And another book was opened, which is the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to their works, by the things which were written in the books. The sea gave up the dead who were in it, and Death and Hades delivered up the dead who were in them. And they were judged, each one according to his works. 14 Then Death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire. Rev 20.11-15 Only Jesus blood and salvation gets us written in the book of life. The wicked dead rejected God’s word. Eternal judgment is “heaven or hell.”

 

2. Wrath Judgment - Gen 6.5-9...Then the Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. And the Lord was sorry that He had made man on the earth, and He was grieved in His heart. So the Lord said, “I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth, both man and beast, creeping thing and birds of the air, for I am sorry that I have made them.” But Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord. This is the genealogy of Noah. Noah was a just man, perfect in his generations. Noah walked with God.

 

These wrath judgments are unto death. Noah obeyed God’s word or law and was saved. The others experienced God’s end-time wrath--death. The same happened with Lot in the story of Sodom and Gomorrah. Gen 19.23-29

 

God delivers the righteous from wrath:

 

For if God did not spare the angels who sinned, but cast them down to hell and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved for judgment; 5 and did not spare the ancient world, but saved Noah, one of eight people, a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood on the world of the ungodly; 6 and turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah into ashes, condemned them to destruction, making them an example to those who afterward would live ungodly; 7 and delivered righteous Lot, who was oppressed by the filthy conduct of the wicked 8 (for that righteous man, dwelling among them, tormented his righteous soul from day to day by seeing and hearing their lawless deeds)— 9 then the Lord knows how to deliver the godly out of temptations and to reserve the unjust under punishment for the day of judgment, 10 and especially those who walk according to the flesh in the lust of uncleanness and despise authority. They are presumptuous, self-willed. They are not afraid to speak evil of dignitaries….2 Peter 2.4-10

 

For God did not appoint us to wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ…1 Thess 5.9

 

Then I looked, and behold, a white cloud, and on the cloud sat One like the Son of Man, having on His head a golden crown, and in His hand a sharp sickle. And another angel came out of the temple, crying with a loud voice to Him who sat on the cloud, “Thrust in Your sickle and reap, for the time has come for You to reap, for the harvest of the earth is ripe.” So He who sat on the cloud thrust in His sickle on the earth, and the earth was reaped.

Reaping the Grapes of Wrath

Then another angel came out of the temple which is in heaven, he also having a sharp sickle. And another angel came out from the altar, who had power over fire, and he cried with a loud cry to him who had the sharp sickle, saying, “Thrust in your sharp sickle and gather the clusters of the vine of the earth, for her grapes are fully ripe.” So the angel thrust his sickle into the earth and gathered the vine of the earth, and threw it into the great winepress of the wrath of God. Rev 14.14-19

 

3. Temporal Judgment - This is a judgment that leads or should lead to repentance. 1 Cor 11.32...But when we are judged, we are chastened by the Lord, that we may not be condemned with the world.

 

God disciplines us in order that we should not be condemned! It is God’s loving parental way of moving us in the direction we should go. This is God’s way. Remember the children of Israel knew His acts, but Moses knew His ways! God wants us to know Him in a deeper way.

 

He made known his ways to Moses, his acts to the people of Israel. Ps 103.7

 

It takes time for God to work His character into us because we are slow to learn and understand. The bottom line is that we trust Him to work His character in us. That means He will often use other people to point out areas in our lives that are not in line with His purpose in us.

 

When we understand this we can yield to the working of the spirit and allow this, rather than trying to escape. It is not always pleasant when we allow God to show us our short comings. The purpose is to create Godly character in us—a trait the world truly lacks in this day.

For whom the Lord loves He chastens, and scourges every son whom He receives.” If you endure chastening, God deals with you as with sons; for what son is there whom a father does not chasten?  But if you are without chastening, of which all have become partakers, then you are illegitimate and not sons. 

Furthermore, we have had human fathers who corrected us, and we paid them respect. Shall we not much more readily be in subjection to the Father of spirits and live?  For they indeed for a few days chastened us as seemed best to them, but He for our profit, that we may be partakers of His holiness.  Now no chastening seems to be joyful for the present, but painful; nevertheless, afterward it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it. Hebrews 12.6-11

 

THE CURRENT ISLAMIC THREAT AND WAR ON TERROR

 

It is important to understand that Islam does not worship the same God as Judaism and Christianity. The Pope and various other religious leaders have told us this is so but it is absolutely not true.

 

How do I know this is absolutely true? Because I believe the Bible is the absolute Word of God. The first epistle of John in chapter 2 verses 22-23 settle the issue:

Who is a liar but he that denies that Jesus is the Christ? This same is antichrist, who denies the Father and the Son. Whosoever denies the Son, the same does not have the Father. Whosoever confesses the Son, has the Father also.

The Dome of the Rock, a Muslim Mosque on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem, says in Arabic: God has no son.

That settles the issue for me!

 

The current war raging in the Middle East is being waged by an entity that calls itself The Islamic State (IS). This entity is composed of those who call themselves Sunni Muslims. They are seeking to establish a Muslim state without borders that adheres to Sunni beliefs. They are in direct conflict with Iran and Assad who rules Syria.

 

After World War One Britain and France created new borders and nations in the Middle East. This carving out of new borders was called the Sykes–Picot Agreement. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sykes%E2%80%93Picot_Agreement

 

The Islamic State wants to wipe out those borders and unite the area into a large Sunni State. To be successful they must overthrow Assad in Syria along with both Iraq and Iran to create a single Sunni Islamic State. They are just as radical as Iran in their religious fervor and terrorism.

 

It is very difficult to understand events in the Middle East as it is difficult to determine who is supporting who. Russia backs Assad in Syria but could easily change sides. Right now they are aligned with, and supporting Iran, who supports Assad. Russia is in no hurry for the conflict to end. Chaos in the Mid-East works for them.

 

Chaos in the Middle East is bad for the United States and the Total Spectrum Dominance surround Russia doctrine. Putin holds the cards and could easily support the rebels if they win because Germany supports the Sunni rebels--and Germany and Russia are trading partners.

 

Germany has been biding their time and have their own objectives in this region to develop an axis with Middle Eastern states that oppose Iran. Germany has been stepping up its political involvement and its financial and military investment in Saudi Arabia and other Gulf States, Turkey, Lebanon and Jordan. It has formed solid trade relationships with virtually all these countries, covering many industries from telecommunications to the military.

 

As far as Germany is concerned, Syria’s revolution isn’t about a humanitarian crisis at all. It’s about geopolitics and how Berlin can aggressively advance its strategic interests in the Middle East! America has been too weak to tame Iran and neutralize its allies, but Germany is moving in and filling that power vacuum.

 

Germany is also cozying up to Israel and has been making trade and construction deals with them. We saw in the previous posting how young Israeli’s are attracted to Germany and living in Berlin. Russia is flexible, Germany is Russia’s friend right now, and both of them have interest in working with Israel as America vacates the scene. Where is this headed?

 

Saudi Arabia, being a Sunni country, is supporting IS and is miffed with Obama for not taking Assad out. They are also annoyed with Russia for supporting Assad in Syria and I believe they have increased oil production to drive down the price of oil to hurt the Russians. What a tangled web the Middle East is!

 

Germany is the western nation to watch as all of this plays out with ISIS goals. Germany wants to secure the Mediterranean and be on friendly terms with the Sunni’s and Israel. They also want to have access to the Holy Land for trade, tourism, and peace. The Vatican has for millennia desired to administer the Holy Land religious sites and they look to Germany to help them establish their goal.

 

It is important to note that Germany has historically been a friend and ally with Turkey since before World War One. They allied with Germany in WW 1 and were neutral/supportive towards Germany in WW 2. They have been signing agreements with Germany for years. Both nations have kept a low profile in the current Middle East conflicts in order to maintain their relationship.

 

There is no question about who is the true enemy in the Middle East. It is the terrorist sponsoring nation of Iran that every Middle Eastern country fears. Shia Iran is outnumbered by Sunni nations and believers but that has not held them back from trying to overthrow Sunni states from within. They already control Iraq, support Hezbolla in Lebanon and Hamas in Gaza. Their target is Israel, Europe, and America. But ISIS is as much a threat to the West as Iran.

 

ISIS is targeting Iran and her allies, Israel, Rome (as they refer to Europe), and America. If Iran can be neutralized than the door is open for the Sunni’s and IS. There is no doubt that a clash between the West and Islam is coming soon. Even Russia has her own fears concerning Muslim uprisings in the Baltic and Muslim states on her southern border. Conflict looms large.

 

At this time it is hard for me to envision America’s role in the coming clash. They may or not be involved--it depends on when the financial collapse and overthrow of the dollar as world reserve currency occurs. This will determine how involved America is in anything in the Middle East and the World going forward. America may become isolated.

 

It is interesting to look at Psalm 83 in the context of what we’ve just discussed: “Keep not thou silence, O God: hold not thy peace, and be not still, O God. For, lo, thine enemies make a tumult: and they that hate thee have lifted up the head. They have taken crafty counsel against thy people, and consulted against thy hidden ones” (verses 1-3).

 

In this Psalm we see a coalition of nations coming against the nation of Israel: “They have said, Come, and let us cut them off from being a nation; that the name of Israel may be no more in remembrance. For they have conspired together with one mind; against You they make a covenant.”

 

We see this coalition taking crafty counsel against Israel to cut her off from being a nation. They have conspired together with one mind and made a covenant together. These are the nations involved in the conspiracy:

 

The tents of Edom and the Ishmaelites, Moab and the Hagrites; Gebal and Ammon and Amalek, Philistia with the inhabitants of Tyre; Assyria also has joined with them; They have become a help to the children of Lot. (vv 6-8).

 

“Edom” is Turkey; “the Ishmaelites” are Saudi Arabia; “Moab” and “Ammon” both refer to Jordan; “Gebal” is Lebanon. The Hagarenes anciently dwelt in the land known today as Syria. Philistia is Gaza, Tyre is Lebanon.

 

Now if we look at the current situation in the Middle East this is what we see: Turkey, the Syrian rebels, Jordan, and Saudi Arabia are all Sunni nations who would like to see Syria fall to the Sunni rebels. Gaza and Hebolla are represented in Philistia and Tyre (currently aligned with Iran). It would not be difficult to see all these countries united against Israel if Syria should fall to the Sunnis. Hezbolla and Hamas could easily switch sides.

 

The only remaining nation in this confederation is Assyria. Who are they? Could they be the nation of Germany? Look at what I found concerning Germany on Wikipedia concerning the founding of Trier:

 

According to the legendarium recorded in the 12th-century Gesta Treverorum, the city was founded by an eponymous otherwise unrecorded Trebeta, an Assyrian prince, placing the city's founding legend centuries before and independently of ancient Rome: a medieval inscription on the façade of the Red House in Trier market,

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trier

 

The Red House is in Trier Germany! According to legend Germany was founded by an Assyrian prince. Assyrians are related to Noah’s son Shem out of which line come the white Semitic peoples! Could Assyria represent Germany in Psalm 83?

 

Now let’s take it a step further. What if Germany, as head of a coalition of European nations, and these Sunni nations, clash with Iran and her allies? What if Israel is aligned with Germany in this coalition to come against nuclear Iran who is out to destroy her. This could happen! Israel could be aligned in a combat role or in a behind the scenes quiet role trusting Germany to look out for her interests in this coalition.

 

Iran and her allies are defeated in a terrible conflict that ravages the Middle East and the nation of Israel. Israel is dependant on the victors, led by Germany and other EU countries, to rebuild. A U.N. or some other type of world body enters Israel to administer justice and allow access to the Holy Land by all nations and religions. The Jews resign themselves to this for promises of peace.

 

Jerusalem is divided to appease Muslim, Christian, and Jewish religions. The Vatican is given control over the Holy Christian sites. The Radical Islamic threat has been quelled and the Jewish people are no longer a sovereign state. Perhaps the Jews are given permission to rebuild their temple on the Temple Mount.

 

The foundation is now laid for the rise of the Antichrist in Jerusalem. Perhaps it is he who allows the Jewish Temple to be built. The Jews have basically been double crossed by the coalition. They are forced to agree to harsh terms because they have been so weakened by the war. It was “their fault” that this war took place the world says. Peace is finally established in the most contested ground on earth.

 

Something like this is certainly possible. It is not looked at this way by most prophetic teachers but it is possible it could play out this way. The Psalm 83 War is a conspiratorial war that has crushed the spirit of the Jewish nation. There are many historical presidents that lend weight to this very possibility.

 

SUMMARY

 

In the meantime we should watch the events taking place in the Middle East with IS and Iran and her allies. Keep an eye on how Germany takes control of the EU and the financial situation there. Watch Russia in relation to Europe and energy supplies. Follow China in her drive to become an economic power and world currency leader.

 

The currency wars will be fought by nations debasing their currencies in a vain attempt to inflate the debt away. Keep track of the gold and silver markets and how the metals fluctuate. Never forget Russia and China are the major buyers of gold--it will back whatever new currency is coming.

 

There will be a new world order in which the United States will not be leading. The three critical nations are Germany, Russia, and China. All three are in the process of negotiating trade and currency deals. Focus on Israel and how she is being squeezed to trade land for peace. Israel is going to be betrayed in some manner after a coming conflict that will weaken her and damage her sovereignty as a nation. She will have no other choice.

 

Biblical prophecy is happening before our eyes. The world is changing over to a new order. Jerusalem is ground zero. The Bible tells us so!


All of the most current events are playing into this: Britain leaving the EU, Mr. Trump putting America first and pulling out of "bad deals", the escalating terror attacks in Britain and the rest of Europe, and the debate about borders and immigration. All are slowly leading to the New World Order.

 

http://www.economist.com/news/business/21599034-german-exporters-are-pushing-back-against-economic-sanctions-russia-lovers-not-fighters/

 

 

https://www.thetrumpet.com/article/12217.18.0.0/world/military/the-russia-china-axis-is-here-and-its-changing-the-world

 

http://www.german-foreign-policy.com/en/fulltext/58798

THE MIDDLE EAST: OIL, WAR, AND ISRAEL

 

In order to even begin to understand the Middle East we must understand the difference between Shi’a Islam and Sunni Islam. It is all about who should have been Mohammed’s legal successor when he died in 632 A.D. Those who accepted Abu Bakr, Mohammed’s father in law as successor became known as Sunni. Those who believed that Ali, Mohammed's son-in-law, was properly the successor became known as Shi'ites. They've been fighting ever since.

 

Secondly we must understand how each country in the Middle East is divided on this issue. Here is the list:

 

                                                               Shia             Sunni

                                                             Muslim         Muslim

 

                            Bahranin                        70%              30%

                            Egypt                                                     90%

                            Iran                                 90%               9%

                            Iraq                                 63%               34%

                           Jordan                               2%                92%

                           Lebanon                            36%               22%

                           Qatar                                14%                86%

                           Saudi Arabia                     5%                95%

                           Syria                                  13%               74%

                           Turkey                               15%              85%

 

Source: Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life

 

We see in the above numbers that Iran has the largest Shia population of any of the Muslim countries followed by Iraq and Lebanon. Iran is vying to become the leading nation in Islam and backs many terrorist organizations. On the other side Egypt, Jordan, Syria, Saudi Arabia, and Turkey have large Sunni populations.

 

Syria's Bashar el Assad, in power since June 10, 2000, is one of the Middle East's most ruthless, autocratic, minority rulers in one of the world's most closed societies. Assad also maintains Syria's pivotal role on the Middle East's strategic map: He is an ally of Iran's Shiite theocracy, he supports and arms Hamas in the Gaza Strip, as well as Hezbollah in Lebanon, all enemies of Israel.

 

Even though Syria is predominately Sunni, Assad is a member of a sect known as the Alawites who follow a branch of the Twelver school of Shia Islam. Hence he is Iran’s ally and Syria is supported by Iran. The Syrian Sunni’s form the rebel cause in Syria. Iran and Russia support Assad against these rebels. The U.S. and Europe support the Sunni rebels because they are fighting against Russia and Iran’s man Assad.

 

Saudi Arabia fears Iran’s Shia leaders and also supports the U.S. against Assad. The Saudi’s are angry with Obama because he did not bomb Assad but relented to Putin’s peaceful chemical weapons solution. Turkey would prefer to see Assad deposed but are taking a careful approach and trying not to become involved.

 

Israel is surrounded by Assad, Iran, Iraq, Lebanon (home of Hezbolla), Gaza (home of Hamas), Egypt, and Saudi Arabia. Since Israel is fighting against Iran’s sponsored terrorists in Lebanon and Gaza, Egypt and Saudi Arabia allow Israel to fight against them without interfering for the moment.

 

In addition, Saudi Arabia fears Iran stirring up trouble with the Shia minority who mostly populate the area where Saudi gets their oil. That is why Saudi is afraid of a Shia uprising in nearby Bahrain. As you can see it is quite complicated.

Putin is content to supply Assad in Syria and not get involved militarily at this time. Since Iran and Russia are allies at this time this works out well for Russia. It gives the U.S. a difficult time in the area.

 

The Saudi’s feel the U.S. is not properly protecting the Royal Family’s interests and they are making deals with the Chinese to build a giant oil refinery on the west coast. They are also talking with the Chinese to protect them. China in return is encouraging Saudi Arabia to accept payment for oil in Yuan.

 

When Saudi Arabia announces they will accept payment in currencies other than the U.S. dollar (known as the Petrodollar) the status of U.S dollar as world reserve currency will end. This is an event we should be on alert for. It will be the end of U.S. dominance in world trade and lead to financial collapse of the dollar.

 

Both the Russians and Chinese are playing the Arab world and waiting for the right time to make their moves against the dollar. It is a full blown currency war. If America is forced out of the Middle East by these events Russia, China, and Germany (along with the EU) will become the dominate players in the region. Where does this leave Israel?

 

The United States under the Obama administration has been turning her back on Israel. This has caused Israel to begin to look in other directions for support. Ironically one of those directions is the nation of Germany. The Jewish people have had a long history with Germany--both good and bad.

 

Jews have lived in Germany throughout history. Yiddish is based on the German language. Prior to World War One the German Kaiser encouraged the Zionists who were moving to Palestine to make German the native tongue of what would later become Israel. He even offered to build schools to teach German to the children of these immigrants.

 

The Zionists were looking to restore ancient Hebrew as a modern language that would be spoken in the future nation they envisioned. The Kaiser built the schools when the Jewish settlers agreed that German could be the second language taught.

 

Today there is a huge contingent of Jewish young people living in Berlin. They number well over 15,000. Germany and the Jews have a long history that goes beyond the Holocaust. That past evil is mostly forgotten by today’s younger Jews and Germany is a desirable place for them at the moment. Germany will play a key role, along with the EU, in any future security agreements Israel makes with the west.

 

Israel also has strong ties to Russia. Hundreds of thousands of Russian Jews have immigrated to Israel. In fact, many of the early Zionists were Russian and that is why the kibbutz was the favorite type of settlement in those early days. They were collective farms based on the soviet system.

 

Vladimir Putin once referred to Israel as “a Russian speaking country.” When he was a young boy he credits a young Jewish woman teacher as being instrumental in his grasp of speaking other languages. Israel is 20% Russian populated and 10,000 Russians migrate to Israel each year. More than 600,000 Russian tourists visit Israel each year.

 

Russia has also signed several agreements with Israel to develop the vast natural gas deposits recently discovered off shore. This will be a lucrative deal for Russia and help them to supply southern Europe, Turkey, and Cyprus with natural gas. Israel could become an economic partner with both Russia and Germany. In addition to all that, both Germany and Russia are signing many energy agreements, and a non aggression pact with one another.

 

As the United States begins to back out of the Middle East and Israel both Germany and Russia are waiting on the sidelines to capitalize on U.S. absence. How will the U.S. figure in the new world order? Will they be involved abroad or trying to fix the economic mess that is going to collapse the dollar?


To update, I need to address President Trump's recent visit to Saudi Arabia. During his visit with the Saudi King, Mr. Trump visited the Saudi Global Center for Combating Extremist Ideology. This center was promoted as a tool to combat world terrorism. Apparently the NSA will coordinate with the Saudi's by sharing information through this center.


The question is what is defined as "Extremist Ideology"? This center can be used to identify whatever they choose to be "extremist" in nature. Could this center be used in the future to identify Christians who preach the Gospel? Could a time come when Christians are labeled as extremists?


I think we would have to say yes, this center could be used to identify and persecute Christians in the Middle and throughout the world. The Saudi's are very clever. They are one of the world's largest abuser of human rights---are they suddenly going to change?


In light of prophetic world events we need to be alert at all times. Watch and pray.

 

Next: The Current Islamic Threat and War on Terror