Weekly Thoughts July 09
July 31, 2009
ABC Family - Satanists?
ABC Family hosts the 700 Club at 11 PM. I watch it as much as I can. At around 10:45 PM, I turned to that channel and waited for it to come on. Sure enough, Harry Potter was on and almost over. Then before the show, a huge disclaimer said, "The following program does not reflect the views of ABC Family". Then the 700 Club came on.
It was like they placed Harry Potter there on purpose just to piss off the Christians. I was blown away. I am so glad that God has opened my own eyes to things like this. How the enemy has slithered its way into the homes of America...
July 30, 2009
SWINE FLU & PERFECT TIMING
Is it a coincidence that a major pandemic occurs right when America's leaders stole our money and freedom offering us yet another great depression? Do you think that it's a coincidence that an outbreak would keep Americans in their homes instead of outside rebelling against this take-over?
WHO is asking for mandatory vaccines. In a few months, hundreds if not thousands will die worldwide and once our traitor president gets the ok from the Illuminati, they can easily declare martial law. Did you know that Obama has already ordered troops to handle the outbreak? Is that the military's responsibility?
Does any American NOT feel that something is wrong in our country? I read an article that makes absolute sense to me. It explained that most of the Media complains along with you, but none of them tell you what to do. What can we do?
Well, the first thing I was told was to write my senator and congressman. Wow, was that a waste of time. Write and you do get a response. But, the response is just cut and paste. Nothing nourishing came of it.
What next? Well, you can throw a tea party. Or picket outside your local government establishment. It may get some coverage, but all it does is annoy than do good.
What did the Germans do when they were taken over by a dictatorship? Pretty much exactly what we are doing. Nothing. I think there really is nothing we can do and here's why.
1/3 of us are on anti-depressants. That doesn't help. Common sense can point to less violence this way. Who wants to get off the comfortable couch? Our media lies to us. There probably are 100 or more angry protests a day nationwide, but not one will cover it. We have more people than we did back when we rebelled against the British and/or the civil war. That makes it difficult to form together and get training for war. Uhhhg... I am rambling again...
Hmmm... I don't know... Perhaps we are just so dumbed down that no ones cares or understands what has been going on or how their freedoms were taken away at the stroke of many pens. Perhaps God hardened America's heart and is allowing this to happen to us because we felt we didn't need Him in our schools or on our money or in our courts.
Yet, I highly doubt that God created this pandemic that will keep Americans at home and not shooting at congress. Many articles I have read state that the strains are from so many different types of the flu we had in the past that many noted doctors are saying they were released on purpose.
For what purpose? Could it be population reduction? Yes. Could it be to keep us at home and not out fighting for our country back? Yes. Or could it be for an ultimate sacrifice to the coming Anti-Christ? Now, that is interesting....
July 26, 2009
THE FINAL INVASION OF THE UNITED STATES?
source
The following information was released January of 1997
by Dr. Al Overholt. Titled, "THE FINAL INVASION OF THE U.S.??", the
document reads: From the INTERNET, 12/96 [quoting:] The following, about
a possible planned 'invasion' of the U.S., is, I know, the sort of
alarmist thing one hears from time to time. Yet it ties in with other
events that make it not readily dismissible.
(1) U.S. forces sent to Bosnia, not here in the USA to protect us.
(2) U.S. forces going to Zaire, further diminishing National Security.
(3) Gulf War Syndrome, decimating U.S. military.
(4) Gradual infiltration [known] of GERMAN military into the U.S. Like I
say, the following might be only alarmist claptrap. Then again....
*caveat lector*. This means, "reader beware." In other words, it is up
to the reader to form her/his own judgments as to the following. [End
quoting] From: Stop All Federal Abuses Now! S.A.F.A.N. Internet
Newsletter, No. 129, November 15, 1996 (Take note on how the New World
Order is trying to incite civil war between British Columbia and French
Quebec, Canada, and use this emergency as an excuse to activate
unconstitutional executive orders in America.
This has not been the first attempt to create an "emergency" that would
"justify" martial law in America, and if this one fails, then it will
certainly NOT be the last attempt. I take this report very seriously,
being that my own ancestors were Frenchmen who became British citizens
and later immigrated to America. Just WHAT force would try to create a
civil war between French Quebec, British Columbia and America? Could it
be, just possibly, that same "force" which was responsible for killing
hundreds of thousands of French, British and American allied soldiers
during World War I and World War II? - Branton)
THE COMING INVASION OF AMERICA INTERNET: Posted by Roger D. Cravens
(rbg@CCDOSA1.EM.CDC.GOV
The following is most of the message printed in THE PROPHECY CLUB
NEWSLETTER from Intelligence sources in Canada and New England,
[quoting:] Preparations for the COMING INVASION OF AMERICA by
Russian/NWO FORCES are progressing rapidly in Canada! As candidly
admitted to me by many Canadians [including author and lecturer Grant
Jeffery of FINAL WARNING and many other books explaining the coming New
World Order takeover] Canada it totally sold out to the NWO and its
heinous agenda of world domination. (Note: I would suggest that this
statement is somewhat extreme. Certainly those ADVOCATES of a New World
Order operating within certain executive levels of Canadian government
are sold out to the agenda, but no more so than the advocates for the
NWO operating within various executive levels of the AMERICAN
government. It is obvious that the majority of Canadians AND Americans
desire to maintain their national independence, and it is THESE who the
advocates of the New World Order are apparently willing to sacrifice in
the devastating civil wars that they have 'planned' for America and
Canada. We must realize that just as there is an electorate AND a secret
government within America, the same holds true with Canada as well. -
Branton)
America has long been a thorn in the flesh of the NWO planners, because
of our Christian heritage and its isolation from Europe. With little
over three years left to move this Western Hemisphere into their NWO
agenda by the year 2000, they are making rapid use of Canada's [NWO
advocates'] willingness to betray America into their control. How is
this taking place? Canada has opened her doors wide to NWO forces,
including GERMAN, RUSSIAN AND CHINESE. As Grant Jeffery admitted to me
personally one month ago, "we have MORE GERMAN MILITARY FORCES IN CANADA
NOW THAN WE DO CANADIAN MILITARY FORCES [emphasis mine]!" Indeed, for
next to Dease Lake, Canada, Germans have been handed a military air base
for their use. They are actively practicing bombing and strafing runs
for the coming Invasion of America...much as they are doing down at
Holloman AFB, which has been permanently turned over to the Germans (in
NEW MEXICO). The traitorous NWO elements within our own government are
fully aware of the motives of these GERMAN NWO FORCES both in Canada and
America and welcome their presence into the Western Hemisphere as part
of the solution to subduing patriotic Americans who simply refuse to
surrender national sovereignty to a foreign power. Russian and Chinese
forces are also very active in Canada. They are "re-building and
strengthening railroad tracks for the anticipated heavy use of railway
transportation of incoming military personnel from the West Coast" [both
Russian and Chinese forces] as well as transporting military vehicles
and armaments and food supplies. New tracks are also being laid between
border states and Canada. Those people who are arrested as resistors or
dissidents will also be transported in specially prepared prisoner
boxcars to the death camps already established near the border, such as
the one near Cut Bank, MT. The death camp outside of Cut Bank has been
conveniently located right off a major AMTRACK express line in the
anticipation of transporting resisters and dissidents conveniently to
their deaths by rail.
Reports have been received from INTEL sources nationwide which indicate
that certain boxcars are quietly being renovated from the inside so that
they can be used for prisoner transport to such death camps.
Preparations noted by eye-witnesses include shackles being bolted into
the walls to restrain those taken prisoner until they reach their final
destination. From our intelligence source in Florida, we know that
Russian train engineer experts are already being trained in how to
operate American engines and how our rail system functions... Russian
railway procedures differ from American. As least fifty Russian
engineers are in training presently in Jacksonville, Florida. Many
others are apparently being trained in other locations as well. (Note:
Some have alleged that the sudden 'fall' of the Soviet states and the
Berlin wall was planned in advance as part of an agenda to merge the
East and the West into a so called
democratic-socialist/communist-socialist New World Order. East and West
Berlin would be at the forefront for the reunification of Eastern and
Western Europe and in turn -- they hope -- the rest of the world.
Germany has also led the way for European unification by establishing an
'open border' policy and encouraging other European countries to do the
same. This may sound benign on the outside but considering the facts it
may be a ruse to 'unify' Europe under German control, which was actually
Adolph Hitler's goal.
However in this case the unification is being accomplished through
economic means rather than military means. The control is still in
Germany but it is more subtle. The Third Reich established German
MILITARY control of Europe. The "European Economic Community" or E.E.C.
established ECONOMIC control. In most cases, in this world it is the
ECONOMIC forces which control 'governments'. Sad, but true. Notice how
the term "Economic" has now been removed, and the New World Order has
been re-named the "European Community". Very clever! In other words the
unification is no longer just along economic lines but is becoming
increasingly political, since the member nations have been pressured
into submitting to an E.C. constitution along MORE THAN mere economic
lines. France and England have been pulled into this alliance, in spite
of two devastating world wars with the country that is secretly
orchestrating the E.C., aka the New World Order. Come on France and
England, get a clue!!! Germany is not only the largest federated state
in the E.C., but in 1990 was the LARGEST economic power in the WORLD,
with a trade surplus totaling over $58 billion. With almost no foreign
currency reserves in 1949, Germany had accumulated nearly $80 billion in
reserves by 1989, compared with the $38 billion in the U.S.A. and $41
billion in Great Britain. A rather incredible "comeback" for a country
that had waged two world wars for the sole purpose of offensive
conquest, wars that had cost the Allies a HEAVY price in blood and
resources. Of course Germany is also the LEADING economic power in the
E.C. as well, possessing 35% of the Economic power-base of the European
Community according to the GROLIER ENCYCLOPEDIA. So just WHERE does the
real power lie in the E.C. / N.W.O?
Considering that the German Black Nobility -- who have controlled vast
financial empire's for over 1500 years and have ruled the [un]Holy Roman
Empire for centuries -- were the same ones who sent Vladimir Lenin from
GERMANY to Russia to start the Communist Revolution, AND the same powers
who backed Adolph Hitler... then it is not surprising that Communist
East Germany would merge into Democratic(?) West Germany with such ease.
It should not be surprising, therefore, to learn that GERMAN troops In
the United States AND Canada play a MAJOR role in the planned invasion
of North America -- since after all most of the New World Order agenda
had its roots in Bavaria region of Germany. Most do not realize that
Adolph Hitler's second book, after he wrote MEIN KAMPF, was titled --
believe it or not -- "THE NEW WORLD ORDER". - Branton)
Already seen being transported on these train lines are huge power
generators to various locations in Canada, in anticipation of the
planned power outages that will be triggered deliberately both in Canada
and America as the planned takeover methodically takes place.
Incredibly, we now have information that [All emphasis mine, below] THE
RUSSIANS HAVE FINALLY SUCCEEDED IN BRIDGING THE GAP BETWEEN SIBERIA AND
ALASKA THROUGH A VAST UNDERGROUND TUNNEL! (The Bering Sea between Alaska
and Asia is UNDER 100 miles wide at its narrowest point, so this would
not be an inconceivable undertaking - Branton) Although documented in
more than one newspaper report in Western Canada, THE AMERICAN NEWS
MEDIA HAS REMAINED SILENT ON THIS FEAT. RUSSIAN CIVILIANS (???) ARE
KNOWN TO BE COMING THRU THIS TUNNEL, 100 PER MONTH, PLUS HEAVY MILITARY
ARTILLERY. ALSO, THERE IS YET ANOTHER TUNNEL THAT HAS BEEN BUILT FROM
SIBERIA TO NORTHERN CANADA, THIS ONE BEING USED FOR RAILROAD
TRANSPORTATION PURPOSES. (Note: It is interesting that several
underground tunnels have been discovered by American troops which
originate in North Korea and run under the border, emerging at different
points in the border region of South Korea. Some of these tunnels are
well-built and modern and could accommodate massive troop movements. It
appears that North Korea may be planning something for the future,
possibly in conjunction with the Russian-Chinese plans mentioned above?
A U.S. Air Force Officer who wrote an expose on U.N. betrayal of America
forces during the Korean and Vietnam 'wars' has stated that based on
intelligence data he has gathered, those Vietnamese 'boat people' who
'escaped' to America AFTER -- not BEFORE -- North Vietnam took control
of the South, were and are die-hard Communists. The reason for this is
that when the North took control of the South of Vietnam they
immediately hunted down all known Anti-Communist activists and
sympathizers and exterminated them.
In other words the 'boat people' who left Vietnam FOLLOWING the 'purge'
were mostly Communist infiltrators masquerading as people who were
'escaping the Communists'. The USAF officer claimed that these
infiltrators are involved in a plan to bring down America, and that they
have been accumulating and storing huge weapon stashes in anticipation
for the time when they will be called in to action to join their
comrades in their war against America. - Branton) The extent of the
American Government's [the corporate fascist military-industrial
'government' as opposed to the Constitutional or electorate
'government'] betrayal of her citizens can be further evidenced in the
fact that these Chinese and Russian forces are RECEIVING PAYMENT FOR
THEIR PRE-INVASION ACTIVITIES THROUGH THE INTERNATIONAL MONETARY FUND...
ISSUED ON AMERICAN GOVERNMENT CHECKS. In anticipation of the coming
invasion from Russia and China [and German - U.N forces, etc.] Canada
has even gone so far as to disband its Western Coast Guard Division,
thus they are open to amphibious invasion of America from the West. This
was openly evidenced recently through the presentation of a documentary
report over the BBC television in London which detailed amphibious
assault forces practicing war maneuvers and strategy in the Formosa
Straits. When BBC newsmen were permitted to interview these soldiers in
training, they repeatedly asked them the following question. "What are
you preparing to use this training for?" The shocking, consistent reply
was "FOR THE COMING INVASION OF AMERICA!" When it became clear that a
gaff in security was created by airing this broadcast over television in
England, its scheduled re-broadcast for the next day in London was
hastily canceled. (So then, for our readers in our West Coast and
especially Hawaiian Naval bases, TAKE NOTICE. You are the last line and
front line of defense against such an action. Remember Pearl Harbor, and
learn from the mistakes of the past!!! - Branton)
SPECULATE NO MORE ON THE SUSPICIOUS SUICIDE OF ADMIRAL MICHAEL BOORDA
[FORMER DIRECTOR OF THE U.S. NAVAL FORCES]. I WAS INFORMED HE WAS
TERMINATED BECAUSE OF HIS REFUSAL TO COOPERATE IN THE COVERT PLAN BY OUR
TRAITOROUS NWO FORCES WITHIN OUR OWN GOVERNMENT TO ASSIST IN THE COMING
INVASION OF AMERICA. WHEN HE REFUSED TO GO ALONG WITH THE PLAN TO
COVERTLY BRINGING CHINESE FORCES INTO AMERICA THROUGH USE OF OUR OWN
NAVY VESSELS, ORDERS WERE GIVEN FROM ON HIGH TO TERMINATE HIM.
The message is clear. This message is to inform those who may not know
the magnitude of the New World Order and its massive agenda. BE WISE AND
INVESTIGATE FOR YOURSELVES. We are not getting the truth from agents of
government. Examples are Vietnam, Waco, Ruby Ridge, Militias, TWA800,
Oklahoma, etc. Beware and prepare! God Bless America. [WE CERTAINLY
WON'T STOP IT WITHOUT HIS HELP.] We need his blessing. ARE WE GOING TO
WAKE UP IN TIME TO STOP THIS?? [The following accompanied the above
information, in the newsletter from which these reports were taken...]
The following articles are excerpts taken from advertisement flyers put
out by Serge Monast. They have short news-bites of VERY INTERESTING
INFORMATION THAT I FEEL IS WORTH PONDERING. For those who haven't heard
yet -- Serge Monast was recently deaded [killed] for his daring exposes
of the Elite. His son was kidnapped shortly before he was [killed], also
because of his exposing their dastardly deeds and plans to make most of
us their slaves... SOON!! I don't have any information whether or not
any of his reports are available since he has transitioned to the
heavenly realms. -- Al. FEMA: RED IRON PLAN -- NATIONWIDE STATE OF
EMERGENCY -- NATIONAL STATE -- SOVEREIGNTY ENDANGERED... Excerpted from
THE INTERNATIONAL FREE PRESS AGENCY 'REPORT', 12/96, [quoting:]
FORWARDED MESSAGE: FROM: U.N. Military Confidential Source. Sender:
Int'l Free Press Agency, Fax: 1 (819) 888-2949 Reply to: Int'l Free
Press Agency, Fax: 1 (819) 888-2949 To: Please forward this crucial
information to all networks -- World, National Date: December 3rd, 1996;
Time 15:00 GMT EXTREMELY URGENT... RED ALERT CONFIRMED HIGH U.N.
SENSITIVE MILITARY INFORMATION. NOTE: PLEASE PAY CLOSE ATTENTION TO THIS
ONE... KNOW THAT FOREIGN TROOPS ARE IN STANDBY... THEY ARE DAGGERS
POINTED AT THE HEART OF OUR HOMELAND AND SOCIETY... THIS IS REAL...
THAT'S ONLY THE BEGINNING... RED IRON FEMA PREPAREDNESS... FEMA: RED
IRON FEMA PLAN/NATIONWIDE STATE OF EMERGENCY / NATIONAL STATE
SOVEREIGNTY ENDANGERED... STORM WARNING IN AMERICA... Department of the
Army, FEMA, FBI, BATF, State and Local Police and other Federal Agencies
involved [knowingly OR unknowingly]... the R-EMAP regions correspond
exactly, by location and number, to the FEMA regions... R-EMAP, an EPA
program, stands for Regional EMAP... UN's Global Biodiversity Assessment
(GBA) for UN's Foreign Troops Global Training Centers & Detention
Facilities Areas... Bring about national disaster BY ALL MEANS, social
unjustified unrest into "Black communities", national financial crisis
as a result of massive budget cuts, national social crisis blamed upon
Militia and Religious Groups before the end of 1997... 1 million
patriotic Americans who may resist the New World Order and Americans who
are not "politically correct" are already listed and targeted to be
arrested... [Specifically mentioned are Christian followers of those who
run talk-shows throughout the country and Churches not under federal
control]...
Very high secretive United Nations Military Plans... Never released
before... TOP CONFIDENTIAL at high political level... also concern
RUSSIAN AND FOREIGN TROOPS DEPLOYMENT AND OCCUPATION OF U.S. TERRITORY
UNDER UNITED NATIONS MILITARY COMMAND... FEMA - U.N.
Multi-Jurisdictional Police/military operation "TO NEUTRALIZE ALL
PATRIOTIC AND CHRISTIAN ORGANIZATIONS IN AMERICA BEFORE THE END OF
1997"... ...FEMA canceled their scheduled Aug./Sept. 1996 "exercises"
and changed it to the period between Jan./March 1997 which link to
"PHILADELPHIA PHASE III" -- to start in Eastern Canada during the same
period... High-ranking politicians and military involved... Strong link
between main roads to be used by foreign troops stationed in MEXICO and
CANADA and Detention facilities areas, Biodiversity areas, some Military
bases and railroad centers... [End quoting]
Prisoner Train Cars - Halliburton Built - Ready In The US -
The Coming American Holocaust
source
I will never forget Bill Schneider, when I heard him talking about Gunderson Steel, the railroad car builder in Portland, OR that built railroad cars with shackles that were meant for humans ordered by the UN. Click here to see his testimony. Warning, it's disturbing.
Now, the Alien thing Bill talked about, I find hard to believe because I have seen a UFO but not an Alien myself, but the rounding up of terrorists (me, who speak of Liberty and the Constitution) and detain them in detention camps all across America is easy to believe. We already found the body containers (millions) or what the conspiracy dudes (like me) call "FEMA Coffins".
Personally, a picture is worth a thousand words. I truly believe the Elite (Luciferians) want to rid us all (useless eaters) and they will first bankrupt America, hope for a civil war, call for marshal law and round up the gun owners (terrorists like me). The Georgia Guidestones tells the tale of an Elite who feel it is their responsibility to depopulate the world by 1/3. They willfully spell their ENDGAME right in front of our faces. Only a few can truly see it.
Once they get rid of our guns, they win. Game Over. The only reason Japan stopped at Hawaii is because they knew they could not take over a land of gun owners. After you lose your gun rights, then comes the fun train ride a few million did half a century ago:
(click images to see larger pic) (yes, these are FEMA Trains)
That's absurd you say! You are being paranoid! Maybe so, but I am not going to sit back and do nothing in the case that something could happen. I always want to know what is going on around me. And the happenings as of lately is the erratic loss of freedom that our commi-congress has been relentlessly trying to rid us of.
Is it not enough for you to wake up as a business man to learn that the reason your company does not make any more money isn't because they wire tap our calls and emails? How else do you think Goldman Sachs was able to crush their competitors and rid us of middle class all in 8 years?
Is it not enough that they now can detain you without probable cause or a search warrant because we lost our Habeas Corpus?
It's almost over folks! Since we decided as a nation to allow Aleister Crowley's "Do as thou wilt" and rid our founding fathers religion of Christianity eliminating God from all doctrine and history, we inadvertently sold our souls to the devil himself. Amerika!
We allowed these pagans to spend our retirement and our homes. Each American Citizen is now responsible for $180,000 once born today in the US because of the recent bailouts. We said, "No Bailouts!" But they did it anyways.
Your elected officials has called our own American troops "Terrorists" because the soldiers did not approve of fighting in Afghanistan and Iraq due to the fact that they weren't hardly fighting at all, rather instead, killing mothers and their babies, detaining car mechanics and businessmen instead of real Hamas boogie men claiming them evil doers all in the name of 911 and Democracy! But we are a Republic! For the People by the People!
Yes, we have been sold out to the Elite. Some claim it's a Zionist ploy to rid us of free thinking and to prepare for the coming Anti-Christ. Others think it's just about greed and a group of rich Satanists (if you worship anyone other than The Father, Son and Holy Ghost, you ARE a Satanist) trying to control more.
Regardless who is wrong or right or who is the culprit behind the Death of America, it's a little too late to be waking up and learning that you are now a Socialist. Your professors and college mentors have taught you to rebel against your parents and to save the trees, hence the blow back is the loss of common sense and freedom of expression.
America will be rounded up and the so called terrorists on "The List" will be drugged for brainwash, or killed if unresponsive. By the time you wake up from your soaps, you will realize your husband has been taken in the name of National Security never to return home.
Your loved one will be riding a train packed with other men to detention camps for ethnic cleansing. 90% will not return and the FEMA Coffins fields will be empty. The second greatest human sacrifice for the coming Anti-Christ.
Your enemy is now domestic! Our leaders have proven to be liars and thieves. Ask anyone around you if they trust government, your answer will be an enthusiastic and rather angry NO! They deserve to be tarred and feathered, drug out in the streets and hung in a court surrounded by We The People! Unless we put down our tea bags and picket signs and pick up our guns and start shooting at every elected official nationwide, they will overpower us and march us straight into crematories.
They already have everything built to hold your freedom loving friends and family for torture and rehabilitation. When will you put down the cheeseburger and realize only YOU can prevent COMMUNISM!
When will this happen? When will the Elite turn the trains on? 1 Thessalonians 5:2-4 (NIV) for you know very well that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. 3 While people are saying, "Peace and safety," destruction will come on them suddenly, as labor pains on a pregnant woman, and they will not escape. 4 But you, brothers, are not in darkness so that this day should surprise you like a thief.
I will be ready. I will be trying to save as many souls as I can before their heads are chopped off from the guillotines inside these enormous human trafficking trains. Think I am lying? Go and do some homework, and you will realize that you are a Laodicean Hypocrite. You may find that you do not want to be one of those useless eaters and that God wants you to live free on Earth in harmony with everyone else.
James Carner
July 11, 2009
Good For Nothing Christians
by Chuck Baldwin
July 10, 2009
source
"Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savour,
wherewith shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to
be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men." (Matt. 5:13 KJV)
Jesus said that salt without savor is "good for nothing." Savor is the
ingredient, the character that gives salt its quality--and its value.
When salt is as it should be, it is a most precious commodity. Not only
is it used as a seasoning; it is, more importantly, a preservative. As
most everyone knows, salt was the primary source of food preservation
before the days of refrigeration. Salt has been deemed to be so valuable
at times that wars have actually been waged over it. During times of
unusual deprivation, salt can be even more valuable than precious
metals. But when salt loses its saltiness, it is absolutely worthless;
it is "good for nothing."
Jesus plainly proclaimed that He viewed His disciples as being the salt
of society. In other words, when believers have the character they
should have, they provide the preservation of the land. They hold back
and retard the putrefying properties of spoilage and decay. But when
Christians lose their character, when they lose the internal resistance
to decay, they become "good for nothing" and the result is, the land is
"trodden under foot of men."
It grieves me to say that, for the most part, the modern Christian, the
modern pastor, and the modern church have lost their savor. Taken as a
whole, we have lost our inner character: the ability to resist decay and
preserve the land has long departed, and America is fast being "trodden
under foot of men."
Our churches are no longer places of respite from the world: they are
mirrors of it: the same dress; the same attitudes; the same carnality;
the same spirit; the same stubbornness; the same pride. Churches are no
longer bastions of truth: they are glorified social clubs or mere
corporations, where Christianity is never allowed to interfere with
business. Instead of being watchmen on the wall, our pastors are CEOs
or, even worse, politicians. Popularity and personal ambition far
outweigh commitment to truth and an independent mind. And as for
Christian homes, forget it. The modern American home is straight out of
Isaiah chapter three: "babes shall rule over them." In the average
"Christian" home, children rule the mothers, and mothers, in turn, rule
the fathers. Discipline and instruction are out; leniency and ignorance
are in.
We have a pandemic all right, but it's not the swine flu: it is a
pandemic of spineless Christianity. Parents who cannot stand up to their
own children; pastors who cannot stand up to their own congregations;
religious leaders who cannot stand up to politicians; and churches that
cannot stand up to unconstitutional government.
Our so-called "conservative Christian" special interest groups are far
more concerned about not losing financial contributions than they are
about confronting the real evils of society. And as far as the Religious
Right is concerned, it lost its soul somewhere early on in the first
administration of George W. Bush.
If one is looking for someone to blame America's demise on, don't look
to the prostitutes, drug dealers, or crooked politicians: look no
further than the doorsteps of America's churches. While the ominous
clouds of oppression and tyranny boil overhead, our churches are content
to play kid games and wallow in their own materialism and laziness. I
realize there are exceptions to the rule, of course, but they are few
and far between.
Sadder still is the lack of anything on the horizon that points to any
kind of spiritual awakening. Look at the churches that are growing: for
the most part, they are of the Joel Osteen and Rick Warren variety,
where conviction has been replaced with compromise, and popularity has
replaced principle. Genuine Bible prophets usually occupy the pulpits
where hardly anyone attends. Truth has been replaced with entertainment,
and calls for repentance are drowned out by the clamor for prosperity
theology.
I can tell you from personal experience that, in more than 34 years of
Gospel ministry, it has never been harder to continue to carry the torch
of truth than it is today. It takes a toll on one's physical health and
emotional being, and even on one's family. Any pastor desiring to carry
the torch of truth today need not expect to have many friends. And any
evangelist desiring to carry the torch of truth today need not expect to
get many meetings. Truth is about as popular as a bad case of the
measles, and yes, I mean among today's professing "Christians."
Should it surprise us, then, that we see the encroachment of our
liberties and the erosion of constitutional government coming hard and
fast? Should it surprise us that America is losing its conscience--not
to mention our heritage? Should it surprise us when we see hundreds of
large, empty internment camps popping up everywhere? Should it surprise
us when we read of would-be tyrants in Washington, D.C., trying to pass
egregious legislation that would strip us of our Bill of Rights? Should
it surprise us when we see multinational corporations working with
foreign governments to erode the sovereignty of these United States?
Should it surprise us when we see both Republican and Democratic
Presidential administrations look the other way while our borders are
being invaded and even erased?
When the salt loses its savor, it is "cast out, and to be trodden under
foot of men." And that is exactly what is happening to us today.
Does all this make me fatalistic? Not at all. I am absolutely convinced
that God will always reserve to Himself a faithful remnant and a land of
liberty for those who desire it. But before we talk about the land, we
must be sure that our hearts are willing to pay the price to obtain it.
We'll leave that discussion for another time.
In the meantime, the clarion call to "come out" of this apostate,
compromising, and carnal "church" is a good place to begin. We created
our Black Regiment directory to help people find churches that were
willing to stand up for Christ and liberty, as did colonial preachers of
old. To locate Black Regiment churches and pastors in your area, or to
volunteer to be a Black Regiment pastor, go to
http://www.chuckbaldwinlive.com/blackregiment.php
*If you appreciate this column and want to help me distribute these
editorial opinions to an ever-growing audience, donations may now be
made by credit card, check, or Money Order. Use this link:
http://www.chuckbaldwinlive.com/donate.php
© Chuck Baldwin
This column is archived
here
July 9, 2009
Preparing for civil unrest
By Claire Wolfe
source
The most remarkable thing about civil unrest is that there hasn't
been more of it.
Politicians are making a hash of this country—and much of the rest of
the civilized world. We know it. They know it. They know we know it. But
we don't feel we can do anything much to stop them.
That right there is the pre-condition for civil unrest—when people are
frustrated and politicians are nervous.
Worse, that was how things stood before last fall's crash. Before pols
on both left and right launched the biggest mass transfer of wealth in
history—transferring our wealth (what we had left of it!) to their
friends on Wall Street and in the banking industry. In other words,
that's how things were before things got bad!
Now everybody's talking about the ongoing catastrophe (even if we are in
a momentarily sunny mood). But almost nobody is talking about the
logical—maybe even inevitable—consequences of cynical or desperate
politicians abusing an already fed-up populace: civil unrest.
I mean people taking to the streets. Or mass resistance. Or crackdowns
because the government fears we might do something to upset its apple
cart. It's going to happen. Somewhere. At some time. It's going to.
One of the few VIPs to mention the matter openly was Zbigniew
Brzezinski, former National Security Advisor and the ultimate insider's
insider. He commented on the millions of unemployed or
soon-to-be-unemployed and the "...public awareness of this extraordinary
wealth that was transferred to a few individuals at levels without
historical precedent in America." He told "Morning Joe" Scarborough,
"Hell, there could be even riots." I'd say that's an understatement.
Although few in power are talking about it, rumors abound that
governments at many levels are planning for civil unrest. One rumor is
about a document supposedly being circulated right now among top federal
officials. It's called the "C&R Document"—with C&R standing for
"conflict & revolution." The much-storied paper is said to be a plan for
controlling the American people when we get out of hand. True? Who
knows. But the very rumor tells us a lot about these times.
Other things are not mere rumor. When the federal government established
a North American Army command in 2002, its purpose wasn't to repel
foreign invaders. It was domestic operations—something long and rightly
forbidden by the Posse Comitatus Act. In February of 2009, when military
commanders in Canada and the U.S. signed a pact allowing their armies to
operate inside each other's country they didn't even bother to get
authorization from Congress—an illegal and unprecedented move. And once
again, the purpose was handling "domestic civil emergencies."
For several years, the Centers for Disease Control tried to get states
to adopt something called the Model State Emergency Health Powers Act
(MEHPA). This act would allow state governments to become police-state
dictatorships in event of any ill-defined health emergency—vaccinating
people by force, destroying or seizing property without compensation,
and rationing medical supplies, food, and fuel. To their credit, most
state governments rejected the act. A few adopted portions of it before
a fervent opposition campaign caused the CDC to back off. However, the
concept of a health dictatorship hasn't gone away. Not hardly. Within
days of the news that a new strain of swine flu had arisen in Mexico in
April 2009, states were again considering legislation to give themselves
martial-law powers in event of an epidemic.
And what of the dozens and dozens of federal agencies that now have SWAT
teams? Seriously, what justifies the Bureau of Land Management or the
Department of Housing and Urban Development having paramilitary units?
Now maybe you like the idea of an Army that watches over its own
citizens. Maybe it makes sense to have a government seize total
dictatorial power in event of a health emergency. Maybe you believe SWAT
teams will never be used except against bad guys. But do you really
trust these people?
After all, these are the same folks, and this is the same mentality,
that not only spent $325,000 to produce a souvenir photo of a
presidential 747 zooming low over the Statue of Liberty, but ordered the
New York Police Department, the FBI, the Secret Service, and the New
York mayor's office not to tell the public. Never mind that they
realized full well that passenger jets and military planes plunging low
over Manhattan would evoke panic.
Still, peace reigns. Mostly. At least here in North America. But not
everywhere. Not long ago, France was brought to its knees by night after
night of rioting. In that country it's become almost common for workers
to hold their bosses hostage in hopes of winning economic concessions.
Greece, too, saw its normal life and business shut down by days of
rioting. So did Iceland—a country that's normally the picture of
civility.
Can the U.S. be forever immune?
It might not take much—and it could be something out of the blue,
something impossible to anticipate—to set us against each other and
against the "Trust us; we'll fix it" political crowd.
In a way, this national silence on a matter so many people are afraid of
is similar to the silence about general preparedness issues before 9-11
or Hurricane Katrina. Only Mormons and us wingnuts spoke of preparedness
way back when. Since then, of course, advice on preparedness is
mainstream and common.
In another sense, this silence is different. Because when unrest finally
erupts, it's not going to be us merely taking care of ourselves. It's
going to be "us against them." It might be workers against bosses. Or
the poor against bankers. Or blacks against Hispanics. Or little folk
against Big Men in public office. Or farmers against the USDA. Or
xenophobes against xenophiles. But however it happens, the implications
aren't as Boy-Scoutish as just taking care of ourselves in an emergency.
Defining civil unrest
Look up "preparations for civil unrest" on Google and...What's that echo
I hear?—you'll find nothing that's going to help you. In fact, you won't
even easily turn up a good definition of what civil unrest is.
Like "indecency," the definition seems to be in the eye of the beholder.
I wouldn't consider a peaceful anti-war march to be civil unrest, for
instance, but a police chief might. Similarly, I wouldn't consider acts
of localized non-violent lawbreaking (like environmental activists
chaining themselves to a tree) to be civil unrest; but a timber company
official probably believes otherwise.
Civil unrest occurs when anger, frustration, or fear turn disruptive on
a mass scale. Or when government officials crack down because they
anticipate such disruptions. Crackdowns can lead to further frustration,
leading to further crackdowns and so on—especially when the crackdowns
look unwarranted and tyrannical.
In other words, civil unrest can arise from the anger of people or the
folly of government or both together.
Anger over an unpopular policy, a new war, a collapse of the currency,
panic over a pandemic, a food shortage, a bank run—anything like that
could cause civil unrest, especially in a population that's already on
edge and no longer trusts its authority figures.
Another thing you won't find via Google is how various types or levels
of unrest are likely to affect us and how we should respond, if we're
affected. Again, although the men and women at the top are quite
concerned for their own sakes, they (and their media mouthpieces) would
rather not talk about what we should do in event of civil panic.
But that's not good enough for we independent-minded people, is it?
Here are my definitions of levels of civil unrest and a little bit about
how they might affect us:
LEVEL ONE: The lowest level of civil unrest is when people turn on their
own neighborhoods—as happened during the race riots of the 1960s and the
Rodney King riots in Los Angeles. Level One civil unrest can be deadly
and destructive, but primarily to people who live, work, or must travel
in the immediate area. Level One unrest is spontaneous, Dionysian, is
confined to a narrow geographical zone where the protestors live. Police
response may be harsh, but it's localized. Unless you're in the middle
of it, you're unaffected.
LEVEL TWO: Level Two civil unrest may also be focused on a single area.
But in this case, rioters or protesters have deliberately targeted a
business district, a facility, a transportation system, or an
organization to impose maximum disruption. One example: the World Trade
Organization protests in Seattle in 1999; young people with violence in
mind and rage in their hearts attacked an entire downtown, affecting
hundreds of businesses and tens of thousands of workers who hardly knew
what hit them. Another example: This spring, protesters in Thailand shut
down the Bangkok airport, affecting who knows how many individuals and
businesses. Level Two unrest is usually planned or semi-planned. The
target is chosen deliberately. Although still focused in one area, Level
Two can disrupt normal life and business in a whole region or country.
LEVEL THREE: Level Three comes when mass unrest or authoritarian
crackdown causes disruption at state or regional level. Then, no matter
what the original cause or location of the trouble, everyone in the
region is affected. Effects might include travel restrictions, random ID
checks, mass arrests, food and fuel rationing, controls on money and
banking, roadblocks, and other harsh "emergency" restrictions.
LEVEL FOUR: Level Four is Level Three—but on a national or even
international scale. It's martial law. If things ever get this bad, it's
likely that the government itself will be a far bigger threat to
everyone's well being than whatever the original cause of the clampdown
was.
And of course, any level of civil unrest can lead to laws, regulations,
and harsher police policies that end up affecting everybody in the long
run.
Yes, it can involve us
We make a mistake if we think civil unrest is strictly an urban
phenomena. It can happen anywhere.
When 400 government agents and soldiers descended on one isolated family
in the Idaho mountains, the roadblocks, helicopters, Humvees, media
presence, and furious protestors surrounded the Randy Weaver family and
brought the normal life of Boundary County, Idaho, to a halt. The siege
against the Branch Davidian church in Waco, Texas, wasn't conducted in
the inner-city, either. Yet both of these were large scale catastrophes
with all the hallmarks of civil unrest—individuals or groups resisting,
government insisting.
I can easily envision strictly rural-based unrest that urban dwellers
will never even hear about (except perhaps in highly distorted reports).
What happens, for instance, if farmers, 4H families, owners of saddle
horses, and holders of small chicken flocks decide to resist en masse
the National Animal Identification System (NAIS)? It's easy to imagine,
in these crazy days, USDA SWAT teams descending on the countryside to
make arrests, forcibly register or destroy non-compliant animals, and
burn down non-registered facilities.
The future could see rural resistance to invasive census-taking, forced
vaccination programs, land takings, water-rights policies, or the
destruction of herds for real or bogus health reasons. As country people
increasingly see governments as foreign organizations driven by the
interests of city dwellers, pharmaceutical companies, and
mega-agri-business, it wouldn't surprise me.
If we ever have serious food shortages, expect rural areas to be
besieged.
Even when civil unrest confines itself to the cities, airports, or
highways it can affect us in crazy ways. Here's a funny example of
unpredictable (in this case mild) consequences. A friend was due to have
her first book published in Canada. She was very excited—then
disappointed when weeks dragged by and the book didn't appear. Turns out
that a band of Indians was blocking a highway bridge the printer's truck
had to cross. The union truckers, in solidarity, refused to route around
the protest. Just one small consequence. But you can see the
unpredictability.
The simple truth is that we don't know what kinds of unrest to
anticipate. We don't know when, or if, we'll see civil unrest. But
thinking about the problem and preparing ourselves mentally and
physically to deal with it should be just another aspect of our personal
preparedness.
What we can do
1. Keep standard emergency preps up to date. First thing to do is make
sure all our typical household preparedness supplies and plans are
current. As BHM readers know, backup food, water, and other supplies are
our mainstay for everything from bad storms to long-term unemployment,
from power outages to social breakdowns. During civil unrest, especially
at Level Three or Four, we might not be able to get out to buy things we
need—or we might consider it more prudent to stay at home. On the other
hand, if we ourselves are part of the unrest, we may need those supplies
to sit out a siege.
2. Don't fall into foolish complacency. We who live in the country tend
to have an "it can't happen here" attitude toward political violence or
social upheaval. We see those things as urban pheonomena. And mostly,
they are. But there's no ironclad rule that says they have to be. If
anything disrupts the supply chain, for instance, rural areas could be
the first to be cut off from food, medicines, fuel, or other
necessities. If government breaks down to the point where it can't
deliver food stamps, housing vouchers, social security, or bureaucrats'
pay, the rural poor and unemployed could become just as restive as their
urban counterparts.
3. Watch your health. As I write this, the airwaves are shrilling about
swine flu. This outbreak may fizzle; after all, perfectly normal flu
kills many every year without causing panic, martial law, or incessant
media coverage. On the other hand, it's certain that one day some
illness will rampage across the globe. Few things inspire public panic
more quickly than contagious disease, and once again rural areas are not
immune. Take all the standard recommended precautions like frequent
handwashing. Make sure your preparedness kit includes surgical masks and
disposable gloves as well as a selection of frequently updated
medications. And be ready to lay low at home for a long time in the
event a serious plague gets loose.
4. Make common cause with your neighbors. I've said it before, but
establishing a strong bond with people in your community—right now—is
vital to every sort of emergency preparedness. In event of a Level One
or Two emergency, these are the folks who could come to your house to
make sure you're okay. They might give you a ride out or a place to
sleep if you accidentally end up in a "hot zone" of riot or protest. In
a deeper or more long-term emergency, they could pool resources with you
to make supply runs. They can advise you if they've spotted a roadblock.
They might let you cross their land to avoid a route that has become
dangerous.
5. If you grow crops or raise food animals and the unrest is due to a
food shortage (or something has driven city people out into the
countryside), prepare to protect your resources day and night. Here
again neighbors can do each other valuable services, like taking shifts
guarding fields, barns, private roads, and gardens. Yes, this is an
apocalyptic scenario. Not a likely one. But if it happens, it's a Level
Three or Level Four emergency—delivered to your own front yard.
6. Get advance word on local conditions when traveling. We're used to
hopping into our vehicles or onto airplanes and going wherever we want
to go. But as the worldwide economy deteriorates, it's wise to keep an
eye on our destination. Right now, this warning pertains more to
overseas travel than jaunts within the U.S. If you plan to go abroad,
visit online sites like Travelfish.org. They'll have bulletins about
adverse conditions in areas you plan to visit; you may even be able to
receive alerts via email that will warn you about anything from
political protests to disease outbreaks in places you plan to go.
7. Watch for signs of trouble when in an unfamiliar area. Sometimes the
only advance notice you get is the notice your own senses give you. When
walking, driving, biking, or otherwise traveling in unfamiliar places,
stay in what gunfolk call "condition yellow." This is different than the
meaningless colored threat levels the Department of Homeland Security
puts out. It just means "be alert!" Never simply allow yourself to
slouch along obliviously. Always be aware of who's nearby and what's
going on around you. If you spot trouble developing, turn. Avoid it if
at all possible.
8. If you stumble into a "hot zone" of unrest, be prepared to think on
your feet. Not many people are qualified to give you advice about how to
behave if you unavoidably find yourself in the midst of trouble—a riot,
a mass protest that suddenly engulfs your familiar downtown, a spot
where police are bashing heads or hurling tear gas seemingly at random.
That's because not many people have ever been there and every
catastrophe is different. If street-level chaos surrounds you, do your
best to keep a cool head, move away from the worst of it if you get the
chance, and get inside if possible.
9. If you're swept up in mass arrests during a riot or demonstration,
the officers probably aren't going to be listening to your protestations
of being an innocent bystander. You'll only tick them off and possibly
get a charge of resisting arrest. The best advice I've received from my
friends who've been busted during out-of-hand protests: Go along as best
you can. Usually, all charges in such cases are either dropped or
reduced once calm is restored. Only if we've reached the extreme point
where police are rounding people up and throwing them into detention
camps or "disappearing" them is fighting cops on the street likely to be
worth it; then...fight like a demon.
10. Have a good lawyer and carry his or her card with you. Once again,
in the heat of chaos it may not do you much good. But that card will
come in handy later. Besides, if you and a police officer have an
encounter in calmer circumstances, a lawyer's card, along with your calm
assertion of your legal rights, will help you to be taken seriously.
Police officers are like anybody else; they're more likely to go after
easy targets than ones who are obviously knowledgeable and prepared. My
lawyer has a helpful little list on the back of his card of the things
you should do—nor not do when accosted by a police officer. I'd trust
that more than my own nerves in a tight situation.
11. Be careful of roadblocks. This is a hard one. If we reach Level
Three or Four of unrest, we may not only see the obnoxious police
"checkpoints" we're burdened with today. We might also see two other
things. One would be expanded police roadblocks, with warrantless
searches, harsh questioning, and possibly mass arrests. Another could be
"freelance" roadblocks—roadblocks set up by anybody from political
protesters to highwaymen. (Just as gangs of home invaders now masquerade
as SWAT teams, highwaymen might masquerade as government officials to
rob the unwary.) If it's humanly possible, avoid roadblocks. It's not
illegal to turn away from them, as long as you don't disobey any traffic
laws. Police do consider it suspicious behavior and may come after you,
even if you've done nothing wrong; but in a time of civil unrest,
avoiding a roadblock could save your skin. Of course, both police and
freelancers will set up their blockades to make them as hard as possible
to avoid—all the more reason to be alert, know where roadblocks are
likely to be, and have a mental map of alternate routes. If, in a time
and place of unrest, you're in a line approaching a roadblock, watch
what happens to the people ahead of you. If you see any sign that the
motorists ahead are being abused, get out of there.
So far, we've talked mostly as if civil unrest is something apart from
us—something we might have to be wary of, something we might stumble
accidentally into. But the fact is that as our country becomes less
free, we might of course be the civil unrest.
We might resist having our premises tagged for NAIS or having our herds
slaughtered for real or bogus health reasons. We might end up fighting
evictions (as farmers and many rural dwellers have for centuries during
hard times). We might be the ones who say, "Hell no, we won't go!" when
the mobile vaccination van comes to town, or the ones who try to keep
our neighbors from being rounded up and sent to camps. Times are
uncertain. We simply don't know.
But in every case, preparedness, foreknowledge, and a cool head will
come in handy.
Some of us already have lines in the sand that would inspire us to
resist abuses of authority. And that, right there, is something our
would-be masters fear—our disobedience. What will happen? And when?
Nobody has a crystal ball. But the combination of public frustration and
governmental apprehension is an explosive one. Someday, somebody will
light the match.
July 4, 2009
Here is a good article about the rapture that comes before the tribulation. source
Truth Ablaze
Why the rapture must be before the tribulation
I suppose that there are a handful of topics that are always
controversial, and the subject of eschatology (study of end-time events)
is no different. Most are firmly entrenched in their position and are
unwilling to be moved from their stance no matter the amount of
scripture that is presented. So, having said that, if you are of a
different mindset, I don't expect to change your opinion overnight. But
the truth is, all views of end time events cannot be right. Some of them
must be wrong, just by using plain logic. Let's examine why this writer
believes that the pre-tribulational rapture is the only position that
will rightly divide in the Word of God.
The Church is not appointed to wrath
The tribulation period is signified as the wrath of God upon an ungodly,
unbelieving, and unrepentant world.
Luke 21:23 But woe unto them that are with child, and to them that give
suck, in those days! for there shall be great distress in the land, and
wrath upon this people.
Revelation 6:16 And said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and
hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the
wrath of the Lamb: 6:17 For the great day of his wrath is come; and who
shall be able to stand?
Revelation 11:18 And the nations were angry, and thy wrath is come, and
the time of the dead, that they should be judged, and that thou
shouldest give reward unto thy servants the prophets, and to the saints,
and them that fear thy name, small and great; and shouldest destroy them
which destroy the earth.
Rev.14:9 And the third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, If
any man worship the beast and his image, and receive his mark in his
forehead, or in his hand, 14:10 The same shall drink of the wine of the
wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his
indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the
presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb
and again in verse 19
14:19 And the angel thrust in his sickle into the earth, and gathered
the vine of the earth, and cast it into the great winepress of the wrath
of God.
Rev 15:1 And I saw another sign in heaven, great and marvellous, seven
angels having the seven last plagues; for in them is filled up the wrath
of God
Rev 15:7 And one of the four beasts gave unto the seven angels seven
golden vials full of the wrath of God, who liveth for ever and ever
Rev 16:1 And I heard a great voice out of the temple saying to the seven
angels, Go your ways, and pour out the vials of the wrath of God upon
the earth
The church however, does not have this same fate
Romans 5:9 Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be
saved from wrath through him
I Thess 1:10 And to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from
the dead, even Jesus, which delivered us from the wrath to come
I Thess 5:9 For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain
salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ,
The tribulation period is not intended to purify the church. Only the
blood of Christ can wash us clean of the iniquity and sin. The
tribulation period is referred to as the time of "Jacob's trouble", and
God will supernaturally deliver the Jewish people. We must be careful to
distinguish between God's plan for the church, and His plan for Israel.
Jeremiah 30:7 Alas! for that day is great, so that none is like it: it
is even the time of Jacob's trouble; but he shall be saved out of it
The tribulation period is the time of Jacob's trouble-not the church's
It is also commonly referred to as Daniel's 70th Week. We don't have
enough time and space to discuss Daniel in-depth, but here is the
reference for you to do some research on your own. Perhaps at a later
date, we will do an article dealing specifically with Daniel's prophecy.
Daniel 9:24 Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people and upon thy
holy city, to finish the transgression, and to make an end of sins, and
to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting
righteousness, and to seal up the vision and prophecy, and to anoint the
most Holy
The 70th Week prophesied in Daniel is a period of seven years. This is
perfect harmony with the fact that the tribulation period is 7 years.
The doctrine of Imminence is only maintained with a pre-trib view
If there is one theme throughout the New Testament, it is that of the
imminent return of Christ. Any view that holds that other events (most
notably the tribulation) must precede the rapture of the church,
violates the doctrine of the imminent return of Christ. We can infer
from the writers and writings of the New Testament, that the early
believers expected Christ at any time. Here are just a few verses that
are crucial to the doctrine of imminence (which is only preserved with a
pre-trib view).
Matthew 24:42 Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth
come
Matthew 25:13 Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour
wherein the Son of man cometh
Mark 13:33 Take ye heed, watch and pray: for ye know not when the time
is. 13:34 For the Son of man is as a man taking a far journey, who left
his house, and gave authority to his servants, and to every man his
work, and commanded the porter to watch. 13:35 Watch ye therefore: for
ye know not when the master of the house cometh, at even, or at
midnight, or at the cockcrowing, or in the morning: 13:36 Lest coming
suddenly he find you sleeping. 13:37 And what I say unto you I say unto
all, Watch
Rev 3:3 Remember therefore how thou hast received and heard, and hold
fast, and repent. If therefore thou shalt not watch, I will come on thee
as a thief, and thou shalt not know what hour I will come upon thee.
The tribulation period will be full of signs, and fearful happenings
that would alert any astute Christian that the time would be near. The
student of prophecy also is aware that the "abomination of desolation"
(which is marked by the antichrist sitting in the temple claiming to be
God himself) takes place in the middle of Daniel's 70th week. It
wouldn't take a mathematician to realize that exactly 3 and one half
years later, Christ will return (bodily) to the earth, thus destroying
the element of imminence. (Side note: Again, the abomination of
desolation spoken of by Daniel and Jesus is beyond the scope of this
generic article. There are volumes of studies written about the
tribulation period and should be further studied in-depth.)
The restrainer must be removed before the antichrist can be revealed
II Thessalonians 2:7 For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only
he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way. 2:8 And
then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the
spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his
coming: This passage is one of the most misunderstood passages in the
entire Word of God. We could devote a whole article to just this one
passage in II Thessalonians. But briefly, let me just point out a few
things. Notice the mystery of iniquity is already at work. John tells us
that "there are many antichrists" and evil has been at work in the world
for many years. But the passage in II Thessalonians, is not referring to
just "an antichrist" but "THE" antichrist (referred to as "that Wicked
in the above text).
I want you to notice something very important here. Notice right now,
someone is hindering, restraining, or as the text stated above "letting"
(old word for restraining/hindering). This restrainer is none other than
the church full of God's Holy Spirit power. Right now, the overcoming
church is the salt and light that is keeping this world from becoming an
absolute cesspool of debauchery. The antichrist could not rise to power
as long as the church is on the earth. I know you might be wondering
"how can that be?".......well, let me show you from the scriptures.
Matthew 16:18 And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon
this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not
prevail against it
We know that when the man of sin is revealed, that he will have a
government so powerful that the whole world will say "who is able to
make war with the beast?". But Jesus has promised that as long as His
church is on the earth, the government of hell will not prevail against
it.
Luke 10:19 Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and
scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any
means hurt you
I John 4:3 And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is
come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist,
whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in
the world. 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
I hope that you can see from just these few passages, that the church is
indeed restraining the antichrist. He cannot be "revealed" (II Thess
2:8) until we are taken out.
We can look at past examples of God removing His people before judgment
II Peter 2:5 And spared not the old world, but saved Noah the eighth
person, a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood upon the
world of the ungodly; 2:6 And turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah
into ashes condemned them with an overthrow, making them an ensample
unto those that after should live ungodly; 2:7 And delivered just Lot,
vexed with the filthy conversation of the wicked: 2:8 (For that
righteous man dwelling among them, in seeing and hearing, vexed his
righteous soul from day to day with their unlawful deeds;) 2:9 The Lord
knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations, and to reserve the
unjust unto the day of judgment to be punished:
Here we see the character of God revealed in these two Old Testament
examples. Both Noah, and Lot were spared from the wrath of God, while
the sinful and unbelieving were punished. The LORD definitely wants us
to learn from these two examples. These two Old Testament figures are
pictures of the end-times fulfillment. Jesus also referenced these two
men in his preaching about the last days:
Matthew 24:37 But as the days of Noe were, so shall also the coming of
the Son of man be.
Luke 17:26 And as it was in the days of Noe, so shall it be also in the
days of the Son of man. 17:27 They did eat, they drank, they married
wives, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into
the ark, and the flood came, and destroyed them all. 17:28 Likewise also
as it was in the days of Lot; they did eat, they drank, they bought,
they sold, they planted, they builded; 17:29 But the same day that Lot
went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven, and
destroyed them all. 17:30 Even thus shall it be in the day when the Son
of man is revealed
So we can see that even in the midst of a crooked and perverse
generation, there are those like Noah and Lot that will find grace in
the eyes of the LORD and be spared from the terrible tribulation period.
The church meets the LORD in the air, not on the earth
I Thess 4:16 For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a
shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and
the dead in Christ shall rise first: 4:17 Then we which are alive and
remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the
Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.
For those who believe the church will go through the tribulation, there
is a big problem. When Jesus comes for His church, he comes to the
clouds and stops. When Jesus returns to the earth (the 2nd coming-not
the rapture), He will set his feet upon the mount of Olives to rule and
reign forever more:
Zechariah 14:4 And his feet shall stand in that day upon the mount of
Olives, which is before Jerusalem on the east, and the mount of Olives
shall cleave in the midst thereof toward the east and toward the west,
and there shall be a very great valley; and half of the mountain shall
remove toward the north, and half of it toward the south
Israel (and the remnant of the nations that are alive when Jesus returns
at the end of the trib) Will meet Jesus on the earth. The church will
meet him in the air and evermore shall be with him. Let's explore this
even further by looking at I Thessalonians again, but this time
contrasting the pronouns:
I Thessalonians 4:17 Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught
up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so
shall we ever be with the Lord. 4:18 Wherefore comfort one another with
these words. 5:1But of the times and the seasons, brethren, ye have no
need that I write unto you. 5:2For yourselves know perfectly that the
day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night. 5:3For when they
shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them,
as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape. 5:4But
ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as
a thief. 5:5Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the
day:we are not of the night, nor of darkness. 5:6Therefore let us not
sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober. 5:7For they that
sleep sleep in the night; and they that be drunken are drunken in the
night. 5:8But let us, who are of the day, be sober, putting on the
breastplate of faith and love; and for an helmet, the hope of salvation.
5:9 For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by
our Lord Jesus Christ, 5:10Who died for us, that, whether we wake or
sleep, we should live together with him. 5:11Wherefore comfort
yourselves together, and edify one another, even as also ye do.
Ok, I know that's a lot to digest. But I've underlined the pronouns so
you can clearly see who is being addressed. We (the church) are in the
clouds while they (those left behind) are on the earth receiving wrath.
I don't think it could be any clearer. I might also add, that the
message of the rapture of the church brings comfort (note verse 11
above), but the message of pending wrath brings anxiety and stress. It's
hard to comfort someone with the fact that they are about to endure the
wrath of God.
Some things to notice that are different about the second coming and the
rapture (the appearing)
At the rapture, only those who are looking for him will see him :
Hebrews 9:28 So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and
unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin
unto salvation.
Now contrast that with the second coming to the earth
Rev 1:7 Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and
they also which pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail
because of him. Even so, Amen.
At the rapture, Jesus comes FOR His church :
I Thessalonians: 4:17 Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught
up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so
shall we ever be with the Lord
John 14:3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again,
and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also
However, at the second coming (after the tribulation period) , Christ
comes WITH His saints.
Jude 1:14 And Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these,
saying, Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his saints
Revelation 19:14 And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon
white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean
At the rapture, the LORD calls His church up to a wedding/marriage
Matthew 25 25:10And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came; and
they that were ready went in with him to the marriage: and the door was
shut.
But at the second coming to earth, He is returning from a wedding
Luke 12 12:36 And ye yourselves like unto men that wait for their lord,
when he will return from the wedding; that when he cometh and knocketh,
they may open unto him immediately.
When the Lord comes to the earth bodily (the second coming), the Jewish
people will have had to flee to the wilderness, and much of the earth
and it's population will have been destroyed. (Some believe close to
2/3's of the earth's population will be destroyed during the trib.
period). However, the psalms tell us that Christ is coming when Israel
(Zion) is being built up.
Psalm 102:16 When the LORD shall build up Zion, he shall appear in his
glory.
But the most convincing evidence for a pre-trib rapture is this.....
For me personally, the greatest evidence that the overcoming church will
be raptured prior to the tribulation can be summed up in two verses:
Luke 21:36 Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted
worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand
before the Son of man.
Jesus was clearly talking about the horrors of the tribulation hour that
is coming upon the world. The very fact that He instructed us to pray
that we may be accounted worthy to escape this tribulation, is evidence
enough to me that we most assuredly can escape this terrible time
(otherwise that verse makes no sense whatsoever).
Rev 3:10 Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will
keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the
world, to try them that dwell upon the earth.
This promise was specifically to the church of Philadelphia, but it
applies to all that are overcomers by their faith. This "hour of
temptation" indicates something much deeper than just the everyday
trials of life that we all must endure as good soldiers of Christ. This
is a "worldwide" hour of trouble that most assuredly is a reference to
the tribulation period.
The conclusion of the matter
I realize that there are true Christians on both sides of the debate.
When I first became a Christian, I held to the post-trib position
myself. But after being instructed by my pastor who had spent hundreds
and hundreds of hours researching bible prophecy and teaching it to
others, I became convinced that the pre-trib rapture is the only
position that reconciles all of the difficult passages of scripture.
Now, fear of the unknown has been replaced with the expectancy of my
blessed hope. I hope that after diligent study of the scriptures, you
will come to the same conclusion.......that there is a way of escape for
true believers! As always, I'd like to leave you with one of my favorite
passages about the rapture of the church!
Titus 2:11 For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to
all men, 2:12 Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts,
we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world;
2:13 Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the
great God and our Savior Jesus Christ;
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