You Have the Power

Matthew 18: 19-20 I say to you, that if two of you agree on earth about anything that they make ask, it shall be done for them by My Father who is in heaven. For where two or three have gathered in My name, I am there in their midst.

There is power in the name of Jesus. There is power in fellowship and in numbers. Power to live the life promised to you comes in fellowship and agreement with others. Dont isolate yourself from other believers.

When you come into agreement with other believers, Satan has to flee. He cant stand it when two or more believers in Jesus get together in prayer. For many years, Satan has tried to stop the movement of Jesus but like a mighty army, the church keeps moving onward.

We have the power in the name of Jesus. Though Satan rages, you cant be defeated because you have the power in the name of Jesus Christ. Use His name when you face battles you cant win.

Remember Jesus promised that when two or more of us get together in His name and ask for help He would answer. Today find another Christian and ask Jesus to give you the power to overcome whatever obstacle stands in your way of victory.

The battle has already been won all you have to do is walk in that victory. You will not be defeated in the name of Jesus. You will soar like an eagle today in the name of Jesus. In the name of Jesus, you will see mountains moved. In the mighty name of Jesus, you will see your life change.

Today be determine to find other believers and join hands with them in prayer and power. You dont have to go through this life alone, find others, and find power in the name of Jesus Christ.

Prayer Focus: Lord, lead to me to others who share my faith in You. Teach me how to use your power to overcome obstacles in my life.

Dr Bob Wilkerson is author of the book, "I Will Not Be Defeated Anymore". He is dedicated to helping others recover from life altering circumstances. Dr. Bob is a motivational speaker/singer with a true life story of God's power to change any individuals life. If your Church or organization is looking for a dynamic speaker/singer please email him today. challenger7777@gmail.com

Separation of Church and State? Says Who?

Excerpts from fellowship about the real Jesus and the role of Christians in society today:

If you understood that Yeshua is the I AM - He not only had the Canaanites destroyed for their pagan religious practices, He sent Israel and Judah into captivity for refusing to follow His biblical religion and as Yeshua drove out of "My Father's House" the moneychangers with a whip in His hand! Certainly that was met with raised eyebrows and shaking of heads, not to mention FEAR! Yes, fear religion!

And anybody who is a Christian who dares to deny that Christ will rule, as necessary with a ROD OF IRON, enforcing PEACE THROUGH STRENGTH, simply is either in denial or woefully ignorant of the biblical King of Kings and Lord of Lords who will soon reign on Earth from Jerusalem with TOUGH LOVE!

You're talking Old Testament.

I'm talking the Law and the Prophets that Yeshua upheld and will enforce when He reigns perfectly from Jerusalem with TOUGH LOVE, giving different strokes for different folks.

Notice that God hasn't ordered the execution of anyone since Jesus walked the earth.

Yes, He has, time and again through the Law and the Prophets that haven't been made null and void by the tender mercies of our God, the Sermon on the Mount, except for those who are truly repentant as we can best determine with the help of God. Why do you think it is written about the ministers of State: "He bears not the SWORD in vain?" And that such ministers of state are to enforce the Law of God, serving as the vengeance of God? Romans 13 shows God has ordered the execution and other forms of punishment upon lawbreakers since Christ, since His Word remains true and hasn't changed or been altered to accommodate fickle men and fleeting societies.

Jesus never told us to establish any form of government on earth. He clearly taught that His kingdom was not of this earth. If He wanted a government here now, He would have made one here, now. We, as disciples, are not called to rule here or even govern here.

Now you sound like the traditional Worldwide Church of God and those groups who have forsaken it in droves since the Great Apostasy after the death of Herbert W. Armstrong, concerning avoiding politics, shirking your responsibilities, your civic DUTIES, failing to render to Caesar what is Caesar's and to God what is God's, and by such woeful neglect and sinful negligence, have forfeited the reigns of government to the wicked and then cry about how awful things are! "All that is necessary for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing." I submit they're not such good men or they would do something!

Yeshua revealed HIS Kingdom of God-Beings, the ruling Kingdom-Family of God administering the Law of God, is yet future, that's true, of which He will be the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. However, as the I AM, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, He has established an earthly kingdom called Israel and Judah today, our family of nations - the Anglo-Saxon and white peoples of Northwestern Europe with our Jewish brethren. And to us, which includes those called to be Christians now: "REMEMBER THE LAW OF MOSES MY SERVANT WITH THE STATUTES AND JUDGMENTS" (Malachi 4:4).

God calls upon our Israelite family of nations to RESTORE HIS LAW AND ORDER, and we'll receive blessing to the degree we love and obey and He will bless our NATIONAL EFFORTS that reflect national repentance, learning to go by God's Word as LAW, trusting in His wisdom, rather than leaning to our own understanding with all our different political parties of men. We must recognize we are suffering national curses for national disobedience and repent and avert further national disasters (Daniel 9:11). God will draw near to us as we draw near to Him. God's Kingdom on Earth has always been through the physical descendants of Jacob-Israel, and we're to be a TYPE of the future Kingdom of God-Beings that will reign over us as we reign over other nations.

We are called to be Christ on earth. To show others by our example, who He is. Would Jesus have advocated war? How about slaughter?

Yes, we are called to reflect Christ on Earth, and our NATION is called to reflect GOD on Earth, as a "Light to all nations," a MODEL NATION for others to follow, seeing our sound mindedness and wisdom, peace and prosperity from following God's heavenly law here on Earth.

Christ would certainly advocate war, if and whenever necessary, without hesitation, as revealed in the Law and the Prophets, the Law of Moses that our peoples and professing Christians have forgotten to our confusion and shame! Onward Christian Soldiers!

This is where groups like the KKK confuse the heck out of me. They obviously don't know Christ. If they did, they'd know that He'd never treat another human the way they do.

I don't know a single member of the KKK and from personal experience know how a group's beliefs can be misrepresented by hysterical mobs. If the KKK is biblical on this or that, I support them on this or that. Where they're not biblical, I would say so and not offer support but call upon them to change.

The racist NAACP obviously doesn't know Christ or they wouldn't judge everything falsely by the color of someone's skin rather than the content of character (while ignoring national issues that are biblically based on ethnicity), and they wouldn't hold people down and under and back so they can keep their self-important positions they've prostituted themselves for at the expense of their own people whom they've sold down the river, listening to the siren calls of the race hucksters like Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson, both of whom should move to Africa and lead the way and create opportunities for others to follow. I would support them expressing such creativity in action instead of always cursing the real or imagined darkness rather than lighting a candle.

So many people claim to be followers of Jesus, then turn right around and go against His teachings. Jesus taught us to turn the cheek, love our enemy, bring peace and love to the sick and hurting. Deliver others of demons and heal the sick. I see none of this in our government body and I see very, very little of this in the corporate church body.

God's one government has two branches. Jesus was talking to individuals (Sermon the Mount) and He was talking to the NATION (10 Commandments/Law of Moses) when He revealed how we are to live. So many people claim to be followers of Jesus, then turn right around and go against His teachings. He said to expel sworn enemies from our Land; to execute various criminals and cleanse the Land, to wage war, if and whenever necessary, and not to show the mercy of fools to nations or individuals who hate our guts and would slit our throats their first opportunity. We're to love our neighbor as ourselves, not more than ourselves.

Yeshua said to be "wise as serpents and innocent as doves." He was referring to an ATTITUDE, a willingness to go the extra mile, out of our way, but not indefinitely! If we take all of Yeshua's teaching on any given subject, rather than twist His teachings into some hippy pacifism, you'll see there's a time and a place, which is why He could act so violent and knock over tables and chairs and drive both men and animals from the Temple with a WHIP IN HIS HAND!

Certainly doesn't fit the traditional false image, does it? His harsh words against the religious leaders of His day certainly weren't smooth and pleasant to listen to, especially if you were on the receiving end of His verbal attacks! And when He reigns, He will rule with a ROD OF IRON and rebuke some nations, punish others and even destroy some.

Folks would do well to not try to tell the REAL JESUS about His teachings or to remember His Sermon on the Mount! Jesus will perfectly exercise the Law of Moses tempered by the Sermon on the Mount, as divine wisdom calls for, and we're called to whatever extent we're offered in this life to do the same, whether it's in the home, office, pulpit or political position. That's why our kings, our rulers, are commanded by God to read and study His Word daily that it may be the LAW OF THE LAND, and they can be humbled by realizing they're merely human instruments of God's grace, God's rod and staff.

David Ben-Ariel, a Christian-Zionist writer and author of Beyond Babylon: Europe's Rise and Fall, shares a special focus on the Middle East, reflected in hard-hitting articles that help others improve their understanding of that troubled region. Check out the Beyond Babylon blog.

Redeeming the Time

The more we surrender our time to God, the less time will seem like an oppressive, systematic partitioning of days, hours and minutes. As God's Spirit consumes our time, the more it will seem like a wonderful mystery, awaiting definition from Him who is our Owner and Manager. And the pace at which He defines our lives is one day at a time. Of course we should be reasonable and dependable, utilizing our brains and adapting ourselves to wherever we are. But we need never live like machines or errand-runners.

Jesus' preference is a more relational, eastern point of view than the western, task-driven point of view. If we want to imitate Christ in our time usage, then we should perceive our lives as a patient movement from one loving relationship to next. This is opposed to the western standard for relationships, which is to treat people as means to accomplishing our chores. In the same way that Jesus saw eternal value in dealing kindly with whomever God put in His path, so also we should value and love whomever God places in front of us. As for how many people and exactly who we know, this is up to Christ who leads us. Don't worry, this is not a random process.

We westerners tend to be impatient because we reserve the right to get certain things done by a certain time. We feel annoyed when anyone fails to return our phone calls promptly or doesn't show up when they said they would. It seems outrageous to us that someone might turn down the vast honor we afforded them by fitting them into our schedules.

Granted, if I have appointments, I intend to keep them. But success for me does not depend on any person showing up when I expect them to. I will deliberately utilize my time for good, but this depends first of all on what is Christ's idea of "good." And if my time requires defending, then Christ will rise to the task, just as He defends and represents me in every other area of life. This makes sense, that I should leave it up to Him to manage what belongs to Him. Practically speaking, this means I have every reason to be patient.

Knowing Christ is the solace that assuages the steaming stupidity of road-rage. We have unbeatable freedom knowing that He is the ultimate Steward and Guardian of our time, even despite all the crowded freeways, jammed intersections and long lines in the world. He is our Reality Check as we sit in our little privacy-bubbles-on-wheels, getting hot-headed despite all our top-of-the-line, bubble-climate-controls. Our knowledge of God's greatness swallows up every reason to "loose it" during any situation that isn't going according to our preference. A Christ-follower who was arrested for his faith could sit in prison for decades and yet, because he sits by faith, he knows that Christ is still Lord over the passing years.

A Christ-dependent outlook on time frees a person from thousands of other distractions that seem like "good" things. We who know Christ know the One who is more fulfilling than every innovative distraction the world has to offer. Not that invention and improvement are bad things, but Christ-followers are called to focus all time and energy and attention on God's kingdom, regardless of whatever nice things are available for our tinkering.

We will strive toward maturity when we use less energy wrestling with itineraries and more energy wrestling with God's Spirit. It will never be a list of chores that helps us draw near to Christ or any heavenly goal.

Patrick is an average Christ-seeker. His goal is to turn people to Jesus Christ.

http://www.BooksByPatrick.com

An Explanation for the Existence of the Christian God Movie Video

Here's a pretty good interview about someone explaining the existence of God.

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Peaceful Warrior God

You are free to copy this article to your site as long as you include the following resource information with an active link to my site:

Greg Vanden Berge is a published author, internet marketing expert, motivational inspiration to millions of people all over the world and is sharing some of his wisdom with experts in the fields of writing,marketing and personal development.

Greg is currently working on a christian video library filled with great movies on a wide array of topics, like religion, self help and spiritual changes in the world.

Youth Ministry Myths

1. All Play and No Work. Whoever believes this one has never hosted a Junior High Lock-In. As in any ministry, working with youth has many unaccounted hours that the members never see. They see the cookout, but miss the 1 a.m. call from the police station. They see the beach retreat, but miss the flat tire along the way. They see the pizza party, but miss the 10 hour drive back from the work camp.

Tip: Combat this myth by keeping the congregation more informed about mission trips and service projects and less informed on the fun activities (since thats all they think you do anyway).

2. Keeping the Church Informed Will Solve Any Misconceptions. Dont use this as an excuse to keep people in the dark, but there will be some who think the worst of you and your ministry no matter how hard you try to explain it. Some will think the lock-in is a sex-in. Some will think the contemporary praise is Satans tool.

Tip: Combat this myth by thoroughly explaining the purpose behind each event.

3. Working with Christians Is Easy. Christians can be some of the most unforgiving, harsh, and judgmental people you will ever encounter.

Tip: Combat this myth by being like Christ no matter how unChrist-like some of the people you work with may seem.

4. Staff Relations are Fantastic. Sometimes the staff will seem like a dream, and other times like a drip. Jealousy, gossip, clashing personalities, can quickly grip a staff. One co-worker may feel that another is trying to take over his position. Another may feel that she is being pushed out because of age.

Tip: Combat this myth by putting forth your best effort to make the staff fantastic. Never let it be said of you that you are the one being difficult.

5. If You are Open and Honest with Teens, They Will Be Open and Honest with You. You can be as open as an entrance with no door and some kids wont tell you a thing. Instead, they may go behind your back and make fun of your openness.

Tip: Combat this myth by continuing to be open because of the impact it will have on the teen who will choose to open up. Never let the negatives of the few over come the blessing of the many.

Protect your youth ministry from these myths and create a stronger base for your support and longevity.

Al Millergren is the co-founder of Teen Life Ministries a youth ministry resource site. Teen Life's free weekly tips reach over 35,000 youth workers. Sign up at http://www.teenlifeministries.com or visit the youth ministry blog.

Struggling With Spiritual

I have wrestled with this thing called your spiritual side for many a year. When someone would say to me, you need to get in touch with your spiritual side I would close down. I was brought up in a strict religious, church going family. I started rebelling against the church when I was a teenager, so when someone said I needed to get in touch with my spiritual side; to me they were saying go back to church.

Now for me that was not an option. I had tried going back to a few different churches and I could never find one that I felt comfortable with. A few years ago I started re-reading the Bible, it had been at least forty years since I had even looked at one. I guess I picked up one that had been changed, because it was saying things that were different than what I had been taught as a kid. Of course it was the same bible that my folks had given me when I was about fourteen. I guess maybe because I was just reading it without any preconceived notions, or maybe because I read the whole thing and not just the selected parts.

This started me on a quest, which Ill probably be on for the rest of my life. The problem I have with most churches is that they accept the bible as the final word and wont even look at any other evidence of history. If there is anything said that might contradict how they have been told to interpret it, they just say its not possible. To me that is just not acceptable. Im sure there are those who say we dont have to look because we know this is the truth. For myself, I have found that a lot of what we thought we knew as truth, turned out to be something entirely different.

About this point your probably wondering ok where is he going with all of this, weve heard all these religious arguments before. True enough, I am just trying to establish where I am coming from. This spiritual thing is a whole new ball game for me.

OK what is this spiritual side? To me it is getting to know and accept yourself. Once you start down that path, then you start to realize, you have to also love yourself. For those of us that have been around for over a half a century that is a little hard to come to grips with. After all, men had to be tough, showing emotions was not allowed. Wonder whom the insidious jackass that came up with that was?

Lets go back to loving yourself, just what does that mean. Like any form of love putting it in words is never easy. I mean, gee whiz I want to be taller, more muscular, better looking, etc. I dont believe that is what this is about. We have to accept our inter-self, how we think, act and react. When someone cuts you off in traffic, can you just forgive them? How about when it happens apologize to them for being in the way. Wow now hes gone off the deep end. Well maybe, but I have read some who say that any negative reaction is caused by our own self and if we apologize to the person that we think created that negative reaction then both will benefit.

If we cant love ourselves then how can we love anyone else? Is love, hate too strong? Well if we are uncomfortable with who we are, isnt that going to cloud how we see others? When you look up the original word for devil in the bible, one of the definitions in Strongs concordance when translated into English is adversary. Now who is our biggest adversary? In my opinion our biggest adversary is our own ego. Does your own ego keep you from loving yourself? I think it does, because we dont want to admit that we are wrong, or something we did caused the problem, no it had to be the other person. That brings to mind a saying I heard years ago, My situation is myself. Darn I think that means Im responsible for myself.

Once we can love ourselves, we can begin to love others. Now the bible says to love your enemy, thats a tough one. Well how about when someone does something that we disagree with or is against your core beliefs. What if instead of getting mad or upset with that person or thing you stopped and thought to yourself, that poor person sure must be lacking in love. Put your love out, if you cant direct it directly to that person or thing just put love out to the universe and let it go where it will do the most good. If they will accept it good if they cant then someone else can have the benefit.

If I had heard that a few years ago, I probably have said what in the world is he talking about? Has he become one of those New Ager guys with all kinds of wild ideas? Putting love out into the universe, how can you do that? Maybe thats what this spiritual side is about. Because it makes sense to me now and I can feel love and wish love to go out from me to someone or just out to the universe for whom ever needs it. Its actually a great feeling when you do it and as the old saying goes what goes around, comes around. Now I dont know about you, but for me I prefer to have love coming back to me.

Charlie Phillips has been in construction, and has done everything from labor, carpenter, heavy equipment operator and contractor. Owned and operated of his own truck over forty-eight states and three provinces in Canada. He never attempted much writing until he came across a little tool called spell checker. There are no titles after his name, just a lot of life experiences. Website: http://www.charliephillips.net

North Korean Gulag

North Korea is a land we need to love and pray for. Absolutely no attempt is being made to defame or deride a person or a nation by the following descriptions. But the story must be told by a free people. Holding our mouths shut may be "wise" but for the victims it is fatal.

Mr. David Hawk describes the entire hierarchy of prisons to be found in North Korea as a "gulag" reminding us of the terminology tossed around decades ago when even at that time we humans thought we had come of age. But the problem persists.

If you have a problem with claustrophobia as do I, the subject matter here may be difficult.The thought of going to an enclosure where I will be locked in for an unknown period of time is pure torment. Add to it that I go there because I was hungry and looking for food, or because I am a Christian, or because I accidentally crumpled a newspaper with a picture of my government's leader on it... unspeakable horror.

Hawk divides the NK prison system like this:

First there are the Kwan-li-so, to which a prisoner is banished for life with his entire family. It is run by the federal government. It is huge, covering as much as four or five hundred square miles! Tens of thousands of prisoners can be in such a place. The prisoners are "politicals" , that is, persons who said or thought something against the government.

The Kyo-hwa-so is smaller. There is much hard labor. It is for those who commit "normal" crimes, but some political prisoners are mixed in. Sentences are set. But many persons die due to the hard work expected of them before their sentence is up. The true "penitentiary."

Then there is the Ka-mok or Ku-ryu-jang. These are along the northern border, where escapees can get to China. When it is their misfortune to be returned to their home country, it is here that they are interrogated and punished. We'd call this a "jail."

The jip-kyul-so is for low-level crimes and for repatriated refugees. They can stay here for up to six months of hard labor. Here there is a high death rate because of the nature of the work and the serious lack of food.

And then there is the ro-dong-dan-ryeon-dae, where sentences are even shorter, created by locals to deal with the over-flow of famine-related cases.

Odd. Here we say that misfortunes such as hunger are worthy of compassion, aid, support. We may nopt agree with "religious" people but we have a certain respect for them. And one may speak against leadership freely here, even try, using the system available, to replace that leader. All these things are worth of imprisonment and death "over there."

Continued tip of the day, and the only real reason I share all of this: Prayer really does change things, people, and situations. So pray!

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

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

Dying with Jesus

One thing we've got to admit about the current crop of Muslims. They really believe what they believe. Death is considered part of the bargain when you enter Islam. Have we ever seen so many people willing to give away their lives?

Well, as a matter of fact, yes. Through the years the Christian Church has seen more of its people sent to an untimely death than any religion or people group on earth or in history. As many as seventy million may have paid the ultimate price for their faith.

Just dying, or just suffering, is not that to which God's people are called. But dying with Jesus. Remember the old song?

"Dying with Jesus by death reckoned mine.Living with Jesus a new life Divine.

"Looking to Jesus till glory doth shine, moment by moment, O Lord, I am thine."

Peter says that the mindset that agrees, "Jesus suffered, so must I," is a healthy one. It is the norm for us. We've lived enough in the flesh. We've had enough of this life. Let's lay it down and experience the new life.

This is where Islam falls so tragically short. When Muslims die they are sent to the prison where the dead wait for their judgment at the "resurrection of damnation." A blaze of pain and seconds of "glory", then that's it. When we die with and in Him, whether virtually now or in actuality later, we go to be with Jesus, our spirits free from these old bodies, and basking in the light of His Presence.

I remember the mental fight I had when I had to go in for a certain medical procedure. I'm a pretty cowardly guy in my natural man. I almost did not keep my appointment. But the benefits were there. The doc said I had to do it. And when I woke up, I knew it was all worth it. I felt great!

That's how it must be here. Entering into death on a regular basis, unafraid, knowing that Doc has prescribed these operations to bring us out perfect and happy on the other side. Arm yourself with that attitude, says Peter. Suffering and martyrdom and laying our lives down, it's our norm. Live with that mindset and life will certainly look different than it does now.

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

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

Daniel's 70 Weeks and the Antichrist

In a detailed study of the "70 weeks" of Daniel (chapter 9),one thing emerges right away. The seventieth "seven" (week) does not immediately follow the sixty-ninth. Verse 27 speaks of an end to sacrifice and offering. We know for certain that when Daniel speaks of this happening, he is speaking of the end time, not of Antiochus of old. We have Gabriel's word on that in chapter 8. But now we have Daniel himself admitting that this does not occur until Jesus is killed, some 200 years after Antiochus!

We have a problem of a different sort if we try to attach this verse to the Romans of A.D. 70. The Spirit says there are 490 years, and that after 490 years, the Millennium begins, sin is gone, etc. Those who try to stop the "clock" at Jesus (as they should) but start it up again with Titus (A.D.70), will find that the clock runs out in A.D. 77, with no return of Christ. That was the dilemma of thinking back in those days, when Jesus did not come, though the "abomination" had surely occurred. They thought.

In fact, the only place to put a final "week" or seven years, is in the end of history. But that is done easily enough, because that is where Jesus places the event of the end of sacrifices, and the following abomination and desolations that verse 27 mentions.

Ultimately, this series of events we are studying does not end with the abomination, the desolations, the end of sacrifices, the surrounding of the city, the army. All of this is present, but my question has to do with the man. In verse 26 there is one called "the prince who is to come." This same one seems to be referred to in 27, as "he" and "one who makes desolate."

I cannot prove here that all three of these persons are one. But I think they are. The coming "prince" seems to be the dictator over a revived Roman Empire, the final form of the beast seen by Daniel and John. He makes a treaty with the Jewish people that lasts for one week (27a), or seven years. This same person who made the treaty will break it (27b) half-way through. That's about three and one half years later, leaving another three and one half years for judgment and chaos, the Great Tribulation. It is this three and one half year period that is mentioned in Daniel and Revelation as Earth's final time.

The prince thus starts the "clock" of Judaism ticking again. No matter that Jewish sacrifices cannot take away sin. They never could. They pointed to Christ. They will still point to Him. No matter that God is not commanding a Temple be built. The Jewish people will be like Israel of old, seeking to go to the Promised Land after God has already pronounced judgment. They will be given seven years to play all of this out, a new Temple, revived worship in the Jewish way, world-wide prominence, even peace for a time. But only a short time. Then the reversal, followed by what Daniel seems to be calling an outpouring of judgment . He uses the word consummation, and "poured out", reminding us of the bowl judgments of the book of Revelation, chapter 16. And he pinpoints the "one who makes desolate." Notice here it is not referred to in the neuter sense. Not a "thing" placed in the Temple, but a man.

It is said this man will be on the "wing" of abominations (9:27). The old King James used the word "overspreading," but that word would be a very uncommon usage of the Hebrew "kawnawf". "Wing", as in a bird, is a common usage of that word in Scripture. It can even refer to angels' wings. I was a bit taken aback as I searched further and found that it is the wings of cherubim (man-made) that sit above the Ark of the Covenant, and are a part of the "mercy seat" Moses was commanded to make. According to Exodus 25:22, God ordained that this would be the special place where he would speak with his man, between the two overspreading wings of the cherubim. Here God would actually appear "in the cloud above the mercy seat" (Exodus 16:2). Is it possible that when the Jews put together this magnificent structure again that they will create once more the "mercy seat" in all its detail? And will the one who is so jealous of our God decide to sit there and mock His Holy Name before the world? Could this be the "wings" of abomination?

Be that as it may, the clock of old Jewishness ends when the final earthly-satanic messiah is cast into the Lake of Fire and Christ's true Judaism is set up in the Holy City. Soon perhaps will come one who will announce to the world that the clock of Israel is about to begin its last workings.

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

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

What I Learned From A Hoeryong Prison

Such presumption. To suggest that I actually suffered in North Korea and have returned to tell you about it. How arrogant and insensitive.

But I have learned something from the sufferings of others there. I've learned to obey the Biblical mandate to "remember the prisoners." I learn from the saints there to trust God one day at a time in my own negative situations. I'm seeing that one must wait for God to open prison doors, but that one must continue to be faithful while waiting.

I hear them teach me that God's grace is sufficient.

I learn from Hoeryong that carrying the cross is not for a selected few, but for all who would follow the crucified Christ. I learn that things don't matter, but people do, and One Person in particular. I am learning that I actually need the cross, and I need the North Koreans more than they need me.

It is certainly a romantic notion that I actually desire what they have, though I want to believe that I do. I have seen my grumbling ways over the smallest of difficulties. My tolerance for pain or even discomfort or inconvenience is near zilch. Yet the spirit touched by God that He is making me, reaches out to the fellowship of His suffering and ignites a burning of the heart. There is a sweetness about it somehow. The days I spent with the suffering church in Romania were among the most difficult yet the most blessed ever.

I think that in seeing these saints move on in spite of the pain, in viewing their patience, their selflessness, I have seen Christ. It is Him I desire after all. But how shall I ever attain to this vision? I who have lived in a land of plenty, where balance is a virtue, and the quest for security is downright heroic. Very few have ripped off the mask of these two impostors to see that one is lukewarmness and the other is the love of this present evil world.

I invite my readers today to visit North Korea sites and gather more information with which to approach the Father. May we not be swallowed up with distractions. Jesus is still in great pain.

http://chosunhouse.com is a website made to ask believers to pray for North Korea. Recently I have added Bible teachings to the menu. There are nearly 300 blogs , a live news feed , lists of resources, picture essays, and ways to respond to the overwhelming need in North Korea. Let's love Chosun together! Contact me any time at diakonos5@yahoo.com. Audio teachings at sermonaudio.com under my name.

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

Only God Can Do This

The subject today is church unity.
Most people point to John 17 when speaking of church unity, and so will I.

Point one. This prayer of Jesus is addressed to God, not the church. There is nothing in this chapter that any man should try to do. Jesus asked His Father for grace on the church of all ages, and we believe the Father granted that grace.

Point two. Specifically, the prayers for unity offered in John 17 were given to God. Unity of the type that Jesus prayed for MUST be created by God. When man attempts it, it starts looking like the old "Holy" Roman Empire, with its political correctness, its lack of toleration for dissension, its hierarchy, its made-to-order meetings, its uniforms, and its armies standing by to enforce the rules in the flesh. This is not God's unity.

Point three. There's a clue given to us in verse 21 of John 17 as to what kind of unity Jesus prayed for. Jesus said that He wants us one "so that the world may believe You sent Me."

Now I ask you, when Christendom was assembled under one roof, threatening the world with total control, did the people of this world want to come to Jesus and examine His claims? Was repentance on their mind because the "Church" was "one"? I think not! In fact, the world hurried away from that to our shores and others' so as to be able to seek God on their own! And seek Him they did. That sort of seeking has been going on ever since.

Here is Christian unity: a Christian prisoner of the Nazis lives her life to such an extent that a brutal guard working for those same Nazis wants to come to Christ, and is even forgiven totally by that same prisoner who bore his abuses, and those two are united in Jesus' love, I say the world looks at that unity, and says "I want this Christ." (The true story of Corrie Ten Boom)

Men, get your hands off of John 17. Let God do the work of saving and thus unifying His people in His Spirit, and using THAT kind of unity to reach this world.

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

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

The Story of Chosun, Part 9

It is the 14th century . In England, the Reformation of the church of Jesus Christ gets underway. In America, the native citizens still rule. And on the Korean peninsula there's trouble in the south. Its focal point is a little island that is now a honeymoon spot for Koreans. My wife and I visited it once. No love is wasted on Cheju-do (then, Quelpart Island) in the 1300's. Rebellion against Koryo/Mongolia is brewing.

Soon the Mongols overrun the area and the rebellion is quelled. But there is a rebellion that is nearly impossible to stop once it gets underway, namely the corruption that wastes away a people when its king is evil. North Korea to this day suffers from such a malaise.

Several kings in a row vie with each other for low debauchery levels. And rather than take personal interest in their people,they all want to stay in Peking, the center of power and wealth. Chosun suffers from neglect.

In 1329 the horrible excesses of the court defy description. In 1340 the next son is the same, some say even worse. The Emperor has him brought to Peking, from whence he is exiled, and dies. Then there is an 8-year-old king who dies at age 16. "Sin is a reproach to any people," says the Bible.

Then it is the Japanese. Again. From 1350-1400, Korea's neighbors behave much like the infamous Vikings.

In 1333 the last Mongol Emperor comes to throne. He too is licentious. His name is Tohan Timur. Finally in 1355, there is a rebellion against the old Mongol Dynasty. Chu Yuan-chang takes Nanking. The Mongols ask Koryo for aid against the rising Ming dynasty. Koryo is faithful to the end. For Koryo's sake, not just because of a great love for Mongols. And there is less and less loyalty as the Mongols fall.

Slowly the king of Koryo rises to the task of reorganizing the nation as the Mongols slip away into history and the new Ming Dynasty supplants them.

1359. The Japanese raids reach such alarming proportions that a wall must be built.And as they create the wall, yet another threat of trouble appears in the form of the "red head robbers", Hong du juk . They try to set up the Sung Dynasty again. They get to Pyongyang but then are driven out.

In 1360, the Japanese reach Kangwha island, the palace, the center of Koryo's heart. Quickly the Capital is moved to Seoul because it is farther inland, not within reach of Japanese raiders.

Next the Red-heads return, defeat the army, and take Song-bo. There are orgies. Horrible excesses, children are eaten...

But King Ta-jo captures their leader and the story goes that 100,000 people die in one night. Bodies are heaped up in Kaesong, the city in the news this very day as Kim Jong-il says all bets are off on his new cooperation with South Korea in that town..

Many myths grow up about this Ta-jo (as is true of the Kim dynasty heads of today)...

Yet another problem in Korea is pointed out by historian Hulbert, whom we have been following. He says the curse of Korean history is the constant lies given by one Korean man to another in authority, out of jealousy for a 3rd man. The one in authority believes and acts accordingly. Often good men are killed.

Mongolians. Japanese. Red-heads. Corrupt rulers. Liars. Problems within and without. Is there a solution for it all? We are asking that God's people pray that Jesus be allowed to take His place in the North as He has in the South. That should help quite a bit... But Christians are not only out to "change the world." Our job is to preach the Gospel. But even that cannot be done effectively, nationally, at this time. Lots of praying still to do!

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

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

North Korea - A Second Quiz

North Korea's a pretty isolated place, but there are still quite a few things we know. Try these:

1. How big is the North Korean army?

2. How many Koreans have risked imprisonment and death by fleeing from this Communist "Paradise" ?

3. What percent of North Korea is mountainous?

4. What percent of NK's 18,000 miles of roads is paved?

5. What religion dominated the land before Christianity/atheism?

6. How long has Kim Jong Il reigned?

7. Is there any prosperity in North Korea?

8. What was Korea's name before it was called Korea?

9. Just how far back does Korean history go?

10. What is Korea's most famous food?

Answers:

1. Perhaps one million? It is the 4th or 5th largest in the world. It is the reason Korea can continue to wreak havoc on its people. It is the reason for the widespread starvation. It is the reason the man in the middle can turn an angry face to the West and spurn the world's warnings. Let us pray for the Lord of armies to do what only He is able to do...

2. Upwards to 50,000 are now living in Northeast China. Many others have fled to South Korea, Mongolia, other parts of China, even the United States.

3. 80. A truly rugged land.

4. 10

5. Buddhism (later overtaken by "non-religion" Confucianism)

6. Too long. Since 1994. But the Lord of all Lords knows what is going on and will rise up...

7. Yes. Obviously the government and the military show the world a face of fatness. The farther a visitor is able to travel from Pyongyang, the more the tragedy of North Korea is revealed. 8. For one thousand years prior to this era it was known as "Choson", the land of "morning calm." 9. Up to 5,000 years, but much of that is blended in with mythology. Fabled figure "Tangun" was said to have set up Korea's first dynasty sometime between Noah's flood and the days of Abraham. (2333 B.C.)

10. Kimchi. Spicy cabbage. Very hot.

Loving our neighbors involves knowing them. Please continue to pray for these descendants of the morning calm who long for the calm of morning to dawn on them. Oh may Christ be once more lifted up in this land!

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

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