Jesus I Know…But Who Are Ye?

Grace and peace to the hands and feet of God, in the name of the Head: the Lord Jesus Christ.

Saints, in case you think that I’m just blowing smoke when I say we are in a war, please take a look at the following very troubling dialogue.  It will be readily apparent where I got it:

What do I do to get rid of a menacing spirit that is trying to terrorize my family?

It has manifested itself in many horrifying ways. It hasn’t hurt anyone but my family is too frightened to sleep or be alone in the house. I paid BIG bucks for this house and I refuse to leave. What can I do?

Best Answer – Chosen by Asker

what do i do to get rid of a menacing spirit that is trying to terrorize my family?
answer= you need lots of prayers , find a good pastor, have him come and pray in your house. good luck,and god bless.
Asker’s Rating:
4 out of 5
Asker’s Comment:
Thanks. This really helps.

Not the right answer? Try Yahoo! Search

 

Other Answers (5)

  • Try a Christian organization or the Catholic Church. Might be that someone had been using drugs in the house before you moved in.
  • go to a voodoo shop. or go rent the excorcism of emily rose
  • Go to A&E’s website and found out how to contact one of their teams of speacialists.
  • call ghost busters!
Call a pastor and have them bless your home. Or call that guy from that show “Paranormal State”
  • 4 years ago  

It is obvious from the tone of the person experiencing this demonic manifestation that he is not playing games.  Yet, observe the sublime cluelessness of those who answered.   What is even sadder is what was considered the “best answer”:

 “[Y]ou need lots of prayers, find a good pastor, have him come and pray in your house. good luck, and god [sic] bless.” 

This man asked for a flashlight, but what he got was a candle with a spent wick.  I am willing to bet that this supposed expert considers himself a Christian.  Yet his answer provided no real solution to this man’s problem.  This man indeed needs prayer, but that is not all he needs.  He needs deliverance.  He needs salvation. He needs Jesus.  Jesus. That is what is missing from this response.

I’m sure the gentleman meant well, but you don’t need a pastor to find Jesus.  I found Jesus without a pastor—many do.  You may call a pastor to your house to cast out an evil spirit only to find out that he cannot.  But you can, if you know Jesus.

If you or your house are being menaced by an evil spirit, you must understand that if you are not first a Christian, you are powerless to do anything about it.   Only the mighty name of Jesus can get rid of evil spirits.  Remember that when the seventy disciples, whom Jesus sent forth to witness, returned unto Him, they told Him:

 “Lord, even the devils are subject unto us through thy name” (Luke 10:18).

All demons are subject to the name of Jesus.  That name has power.  But it is not magic.   In order for you to use the name of Jesus with authority, you must believe in Him to Whom that name belongs.  That means you need to have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.  You need to be saved.

Some have heard of the power of the name of Jesus to cast out evil spirits and have tried to invoke that name without really knowing Him.  The results were not at all what they had intended. 

Remember the seven sons of Sceva?  Recall that these seven men took it upon themselves to attempt to cast out a demon from a possessed man.  The Bible tells it thus:

“Then certain of the vagabond Jews, exorcists, took upon them to call over them which had evil spirits the name of the Lord Jesus, saying, We adjure you by Jesus, whom Paul preacheth.

“And there were seven sons of one Sceva, a Jew, and chief of the priests, which did so.

“And the evil spirit answered and said, Jesus I know, and Paul I know, but who are ye?

“And the man in whom the evil spirit was leapt on them, and overcame them, and prevailed against them, so that they fled out of that house naked and wounded” (Acts 19:13-16). 

You see, these men did not really know Jesus.  They had no personal relationship with Him.  That is why they referred to Him as “Jesus, whom Paul preacheth.”  And because they didn’t know Jesus, the demon didn’t know them. 

Now we know that the demon knew these men.  The devil knows each and every one of us from the day of our birth until the day we shuffle off this mortal coil.  What the demon meant was he didn’t recognize their authority to command him to leave the man—because they didn’t know Jesus. 

You see if you know Jesus, then the devil knows you and recognizes your authority in the name of Jesus.  If you are walking in the Spirit, the demons know you too, because we are in a war, and a soldier always knows his enemy.  But if you are not walking in the Spirit, you are a soldier without a weapon.  You’re a civilian—an impotent civilian—and may end up collateral damage, like the sons of Sceva. 

Just saying the name of Jesus without knowing Him is like the couple that crashed the Presidential ball.  You may look the part, you may dress the part, you may know all the words, but unless you have an invite, you are persona non grata.  And you will find yourself on the pavement. 

There are plenty of pastors and evangelists who claim to be able to cast out demons, heal the sick, even raise the dead to life, but at the end of the day, most of these charlatans are in the devil’s back pocket.  Satan will allow an unbeliever or an apostate minister to “cast out” a demon if it will gain him a convert or divert someone seeking the true Light to a false prophet with a counterfeit gospel.  In reality, since it was Satan who afflicted the person with the demon in the first place, he can cause the demon to leave the person.  But the person will just end up with something else—maybe something even worse.  

Why?  Because Isaiah Chapter 14 says that Satan does not open the house of his prisoners.  In other words, once he has you, he will not set you free—unless he is commanded to do so by the Lord Jesus.  So, while it may appear the demon has left the person (and it may have), rest assured the person is still in bondage.  Perhaps Satan only exchanged one demon for another, or commanded the demon to behave differently, or perhaps the person was possessed by many spirits, and Satan only commanded one to leave (recall the Gadarene demoniac, who was possessed by over 2000 spirits).  This is why many who have been “healed” or supposedly had a demon cast out of them manifest other problems: some much worse than the original. 

Only the mighty name of Jesus permanently casts out demons.  And then only if the person invoking that name really knows Jesus, not just knows of Him.  And rest assured the power is in the name of Jesus, not in you.  Do not presume to go against the powers of darkness in your own strength.  I have a personal testimony of what can happen when one attempts to wage spiritual warfare in one’s own strength. 

You may be familiar with my testimony regarding my struggles with the powers of darkness as outlined in Chronology of Joy, and that I am often attacked with electro-magnetic weapons by the Light Workers who follow the Prince of Darkness.   

Well, one night I was attacked so fiercely I was unable to sleep.  At about one o’clock in the morning, after almost three hours of trying to go to sleep, I donned my clothing and went out on the sidewalk to preach the Gospel to my neighbors, as all of them are involved in persecuting me.  One of the neighbors came out and cursed me for about ten minutes, before going back in the house.  About twenty minutes later, he came back out and tried a more subtle approach.  With a broad smile, He walked up to me and offered me a Roman Catholic “saint” card. 

Understand that the Bible says behind every idol is a demon (1 Corinthians 10:19-20).  Roman Catholics, as you may know, worship and venerate dead “saints,” which qualifies them as idols.  The “saint” on this card then, was actually a demon.  My neighbor was trying to curse me. 

I rejected the card, telling the neighbor that this card was not Christian.  At that he hunched down in the most peculiar manner and began to hiss and curse me.  For the first time in the three years I have known him, I looked into the eyes of the demon that possesses this man.  I was not afraid, but I tell you, I was stone-cold sober.  This was the first time this has ever happened to me.  Though I have dealt on many occasions with people who were possessed, and have even cast out a demon from a possessed person, until this night, I had never looked directly into the eyes of one.  

At this, I commanded the demon to be silent, as the man was hissing and cursing me in the most infernal manner imaginable.  Now this is where it got interesting.  If the man had not been possessed, he would have said anything except what he did say; he might have even laughed.  But at my command he yelled, “NO!” as he backed up towards his house.  I immediately realized my error: I  had forgotten to command the demon in the name of Jesus.  He realized this because he began to retreat to his own house.  He didn’t want to wait around to be cast out.

Though I was greatly disappointed at myself for this grievous error, I later realized that God allowed it as a teaching point.  Since He had already shown me the power in Jesus’ name, He took this opportunity to show me the complete absence of power when we fail to call on Him.  We must never presume to engage in spiritual warfare in our own strength.  It is the mighty name of Jesus that gives us power over the devils.   We must never forget that. 

The name of Jesus has power.  At His name all infernal spirits must submit.  But only those who know and obey Him have the privilege of using that name.  

If you are a born-again Christian, who “keeps it under the blood”; in other words, you are walking in the will of God and striving to be obedient to his Word, know that you have the ability to wage spiritual warfare in the name of Jesus: that includes casting out spirits from the possessed.  If you have family members who are oppressed of the devil with illnesses such as epilepsy, depression, or bipolar disorder, you can cast out the demons that are causing those problems in the authority of Jesus Christ.  But you have to know Him.  

It is not enough, however, to just know Him.  We must also obey Him.  We must make sure that we are glorifying the Lord Jesus in our lives.  We must sanctify ourselves and eschew sin; and when we do sin, we need to confess that sin immediately, before we forget.  

Unconfessed sin is the number one reason besides unholy living and disobedience that weakens a Christian and makes him unfit for spiritual warfare.  Unconfessed sin includes generational sin.  We must, therefore, avoid sin and confess those sins that we do commit.  

If you are not a Christian, but are being vexed by an evil spirit or there is a spirit tormenting your house, there is a spiritual reason for this.  Know that you will be powerless to cleanse your house of this infernal presence if you are not saved.  This is not to scare you or try to coerce you to become a Christian.  This is simply the plain truth.  

A demonic presence is an indication of great spiritual impurity or sin in a person’s life.  It may even be a curse.  You must first be delivered of your sins by the blood of Jesus Christ.  Then you will have power over the demons in the house.  It may even be that once you are saved, the demon will leave.  But the first step is salvation.  Click here to learn how you can be saved.

After repenting and praying for salvation, read our article on Generational Curses.  It may help you to understand what is going on in your life and what you need to do to fix it.

We have the power to confront the powers of darkness in the name of Jesus, but we must first know Him.  If we know Him, then the demons know us and are subject to us in the name of Jesus.

“We are of God, little children, and have overcome them (the forces of darkness).  Because greater is He that is in you than he that is in the world” (1 John 4:3).

Be encouraged and look up, for your redemption draweth nigh.

The Still Man

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The Still Man Podcast

Grace and peace to the saints of God and greetings to the unsaved.  

Our podcast is now available in the iTunes store.  You can subscribe for free by clicking on this link, which will take you to the Preview page of the podcast.  From there click on “View In iTunes” and you will be taken to the iTunes store where you can subscribe.  

You can also access the podcast by going to the iTunes store, and searching the podcasts under the Religion & Spirituality —>Christianity” category under “These Last Days,” which is the name of the podcast in the iTunes store.  You can also find it by doing a power search under the author name The Still Man.

I will work diligently to update the podcast regularly as well as this blog.  I appreciate your patience.

Be encouraged and look up; your redemption draweth nigh.

The Still Man

Copyright © 2011 Anthony Keeton, The Still Man ®.  All rights reserved.

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What Is Salvation And Why Do I Need It? Part 3

Grace and peace, Saints, and greetings to those who are searching for the Truth.

The last installment of our discussion on What Is Salvation And Why Do I Need It? is available at the iTunes Store.  Subscribe to our free podcast here.  For your convenience, it is also available below.  I pray it blesses you.

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Christianity in America and the Persecuted Church

Grace and peace to the body of Christ, and greetings to those who abide in darkness.

Saints, we are so blessed to be living in a country where, for the time being, we can worship the God of our choice in the manner of our choosing.  This can be a good thing or a bad thing, for with freedom comes responsibility.  There will always be those who will abuse their freedom to do evil.  To counter this evil, therefore, the freedom to do good must be equal to the freedom to do evil.

This is where the freedom to worship as we choose is important, and why the Christian Church in the West—and particularly here in America—is so important.  We are not only free to worship as we choose, but we are free to act on our faith; that is, we are free to do those things that our faith requires us to do.  Among those things is loving the brethren:

“We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love the brethren” (1 John 3:14).

Our brethren in other countries are suffering persecution by the forces of darkness, for the forces of darkness are running these countries, and their chief goal is to extinguish the Light of God and the children of that Light.  

Communism is God-less atheism, and the God-less atheists have always worked to extinguish the Light of the World in Communist countries.  Islam claims to worship the same God that we do, but the god of Islam, Allah, is not the God of the Bible; for Islam teaches that “Allah had no son.”  But the Bible teaches that God the Father had a Son whose name is Jesus:

“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life” (John 3:16).

Allah, then, cannot be the same God that we worship.  

Further proof of this is the fact that Muslims are killing our brethren in Christ.  If they were our brothers in Christ, this would not be (not to mention the fact that they too would be called Christians).

Our brethren are in trouble.  Brothers don’t let their brethren suffer alone, if they can help it.  There is little that we can do for them, but we should do that little that we are able to do.  Such as we have we should give them freely.  Chief among what we have is prayer.  We can pray for our brethren.  And we can’t pray for them unless we know who they are.

How many of our churches are informing the body of Christ that our brethren in other parts of the world are suffering?  I know mine isn’t.  The persecuted church should be at the top of the church’s prayer list and certainly near the top of our own prayer lists.   There is a reason why God has allowed the Western church and particularly the American church to be free of persecution at this moment: so that we can feel for our brethren and come to their assistance.  

That is how God wants to use America with its freedoms and our Constitution which ostensibly protects those freedoms.   We should be praying for the suffering saints in the world.  But not only should we be praying for them, we should be offering financial assistance to them.  Now it is folly to think that we can help every single person out there.  But we can help out some of them.  

Take, for instance, the case of the Ugandan pastor, Umar Mulinde, who is now receiving treatment in an Israeli hospital for burns suffered when he was beset by Muslims who threw acid in his face.  Though the Sheba Medical Center has agreed to treat Mulinde free of charge–and that is a huge blessing—there are other considerations.  

If his wife and child remained in Uganda, which is highly likely, they will probably need some financial assistance, as Pastor Mulinde may have been the breadwinner in the family.  Also, Mulinde suffered a traumatic incident which left him blind in one eye. Though doctors are working to restore his sight in that eye, there is no guarantee that they will be successful.  

This has undoubtedly had some emotional effects on Pastor Mulinde.  He will require emotional support as well as physical rehabilitation.  Support from his wife and family will be crucial during this time, because, for all the help he is receiving, he is still in a strange country among strangers.  He probably has little there in the way of emotional support, so he needs to hear from his wife and child as often as possible, for their benefit as well as his.  He will be in the hospital for at least a month, so the telephone bill could get very expensive.

And this is only the tip of the iceberg.

Anyone who has suffered a debilitating accident knows that the financial damage it can inflict on a family is every bit as real as the physical and emotional suffering.  Even under the best of circumstances, it can take a tremendous toll.  We can defer at least some of the costs of someone like Pastor Mulinde, for every penny that can be saved on some expense—even a phone bill— is a penny that can go toward another.  

Consider also the case of Susan Ithungu, a fifteen-year-old Ugandan girl whose father locked her in a closet for six months without adequate food and water.  He did this, he said, because Susan had converted to Christianity and changed her Muslim name of Aisha to Susan, a Christian name.  As a result of having to lie on her side the entire time, Susan cannot walk or stoop and can only sit for short periods.  

There are probably thousands of children who, like Susan, are suffering for their faith.   My three youngest children, as a matter of fact, are so suffering.  We cannot help them all, but we can help some of them, or at least one of them.

I realize that, in this economy, financial assistance may not be possible for many of us, as it is enough just to take care of our own families.  But we can at least pray for the persecuted.  And we cannot pray for them unless we know about them.  And we cannot know about them unless we care enough to learn about them.

If you care enough, please take the time to pray for Pastor Mulinde and Susan Ithungu. Also take the time to research the persecuted church and ask the Lord what more, if anything, you can do to help. 

The Still Man

Copyright © 2011-2012 Anthony Keeton, The Still Man ®.  All rights reserved.

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What Is Salvation And Why Do I Need It? Part 2

Grace and peace, Saints, and greetings to those who are searching for the Truth.

This is Part 2 of What Is Salvation And Why Do I Need It? is now available for free at the iTunes Store.  I pray it blesses you.  For your convenience, we have also provided it below.

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What Is Salvation And Why Do I Need It?

Grace and peace to the brethren and greetings to my brothers and sisters in Adam.

As you know, the Bible tells us in 2 Corinthians Chapter 11 that there is another Jesus, another spirit, and another gospel.  It should not surprise us, therefore, that many believe that there are many paths to salvation. 

We Christians must know this, because many of us are “fellowshipping” with people who call themselves Christians, but are not.  They have appropriated our terminology, but they ascribe a different meaning to these terms.  

One of the terms they have appropriated is the word salvation.  As you will see, the word salvation to some that call themselves Christians means something entirely different than what we mean by that term.  This podcast addresses this issue. 

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The Still Man

 

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That I May Know Him

“That I may know Him, and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being made conformable unto His death” (Phil. 3:10).

Grace and peace to the brethren, and greetings to those who languish in darkness and know not whither they go.

In our earnest zeal to know Jesus and to be like Him, we try to fashion ourselves in His image.  We try to be honest in word and deed.  We try to be forgiving.  We try to be loving. And we stay in the Word as well as pray and fast more to draw closer to Him.  We do all these things; and we do well to do these things, for they are pleasing to God.  

But when we go through trials and afflictions, we sometimes get discouraged.  We think that because we are working so hard to please God, it is unfair that we should suffer so. We neglect a crucial teaching: to truly know Jesus is to suffer, because Jesus also suffered.

By “suffer” I am not just talking about the Cross.  Jesus suffered in many ways.  The very fact that Paul uses the plural confirms that Jesus knew suffering on many levels.

Jesus was and is God.  When He was born, He was called Immanuel, which means “God with us.”  When Jesus was manifested in the flesh, He never stopped being God.  Yet He was treated like a criminal, even by other criminals.  Hebrews 12:3 says:

“For consider [Jesus] who endured such contradiction of sinners against Himself.” 

Jesus, Who neither sinned, nor indeed could sin, was accused of sinning by sinful men. 

Ask anyone who has been wrongfully accused of a crime and you will learn that it is one of the worst of experiences—especially when the testimony that convicted them came from the real perpetrator!

This is what happened to Jesus.  Though innocent of any wrongdoing, He was constantly accused of doing wrong, and that by wrong doers.  For an innocent man to be constantly accused of a crime is a form of suffering.  It is emotional suffering.

And constantly is the operative word here.  Most—I dare say all—people have experienced being falsely accused to a greater or lesser degree at some point in their lives.  But Jesus endured false accusations until the very end of His life, as even when He was dying on the cross, one of the criminals who hung there with Him said 

“If thou be Christ, save thyself and us” (Luke 23:39).

This was accusing Jesus of being a liar, because He said He was the Son of God.  If you are not convinced of this, note that the other criminal said,

“Doest not thou fear God, seeing thou art in the same condemnation?” (v. 40).

The Gospels testify that Jesus suffered emotional suffering in the form of false accusations His entire adult life.

Emotional suffering can take many forms.  Have you ever told the truth and had everyone tell you that you were lying?  Jesus endured this.   Now it is bad enough when a person tells the truth about something which he cannot prove, but when he backs up his claim with proof, yet people continue to claim he is a liar, this can be unbearable.

This very thing happened to Jesus.  He said that He was the Son of God: this was saying that He was in fact God, as the following dialogue clearly demonstrates:

 “My father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father’s hand.

“I and my Father are one.

 “Then the Jews took up stones again to stone Him.

“Jesus answered them, Many good works have I shewed you from my Father; for which of those works do ye stone me? 

“The Jews answered him, saying, For a good work we stone thee not; but for blasphemy; and because that thou, being a man, makest thyself God” (John 10:30-33).

In case you missed that, Jesus said that God the Father gave the believers to Him.  But then He says that no man is able to pluck them from His Father’s hand, not his own hand. Jesus was saying that His Father’s hand was His own hand.  He was saying that He is God. And the people understood this very well.

Now, one may be able to understand their indignation if Jesus had gone around saying that He was the Son of God, but hadn’t done anything to suggest this were true.  But by this point, Jesus had done many miracles, including giving sight to a man who had been born blind (John Chapter 9). 

And to top it off, in the very next chapter of the book of John, as if in answer to their disbelief, Jesus raises Lazarus from the dead.  Yet what happened?  I can show you better than I can tell you:

“Then many of the Jews which came to Mary, and had seen the things which Jesus did, believed on Him. 

“But some of them went their ways to the Pharisees, and told them what things Jesus had done” (John 11:45-46). 

“But some of them went their ways…”  If these had believed that Jesus was the Son of God, they would have fallen at His feet and begged for mercy instead of running back to the Pharisees to snitch.  These were likely the very ones who continued to falsely accuse Jesus.  

How do you think it made Jesus feel to be God in the flesh and have sinful people continue to disbelieve even after He did things that only God could?

Understand that these people had no reason to doubt Jesus by this point.  He had raised a man from the dead.  True, Elijah had raised a child from the dead, but this child hadn’t been dead long, so it was possible for the people to say that the boy wasn’t really dead.  Jesus had also raised a little girl from the dead.  But like in Elijah’s case, the little girl had only just died, so it was possible to argue she was not really dead.  But Lazarus had already been dead four days when Jesus raised Him:

“Jesus said, Take away the stone.  Martha, the sister of him that was dead, saith unto him, Lord, by this time he stinketh: for he hath been dead four days” (11:39).

There was no doubt that Jesus was God.  He was their Father.  Yet they continued to reject Him. 

“But though He had done so many miracles before them, yet they believed not on Him” (12:37).

This was undoubtedly hurtful for Jesus.  This was emotional suffering.

Let me put this in terms you can appreciate.  For those of you who are parents, especially you mothers, how would you feel if your very children who you brought into this world—WITH PAIN—nursed, fed, clothed, anguished over when they were sick, worried yourself sick over when they were in trouble, and would have walked through Hell with gasoline underwear on for, denied that you loved them and even denied that you were really their parents?  I can tell you that this would wound you deeply.  I know what this feels like.  Some parents would never recover from the grief.  Some haven’t. 

This is what they did to Jesus.  Though He did everything short of create a human being right in front of their eyes to convince them that He is God, they continued to deny Him and called him a blasphemer.  And this is what many of us do to Jesus today—even many who claim to be of the household of faith.

But not only did they falsely accuse Jesus and deny him, Saints, they also called Him crazy.  They called the Creator of the universe crazy!

 “Thou hast a devil” (John 7:20).

 “Say we not well that thou art a Samaritan, and hast a devil?” (John 8:48).

They were saying that Jesus was possessed, which at that time meant one was crazy, as insanity was the principle way possession was manifested.  Jesus went around curing the sick, restoring sight to the blind, healing the cripple, and raising the dead, yet the best compliment they could muster was to call Him crazy. 

Moreover, not only was He rejected by the people, but His own family denied Him:

 “For neither did His brethren believe in Him” (John 7:5).

Friends, it is bad enough when the world rejects you, but when your own family rejects you…Saints, I submit to you that this was the epitome of emotional suffering.

So you see, suffering was as much a part of Jesus’ life as were his piety, chastity, wisdom, love, honesty, mercy, grace, truthfulness, and miracles.  We tend to forget the former and concentrate only on the latter.  But as Paul wrote, to really know Jesus is to know “the fellowship of His sufferings.”  Only when we have suffered emotionally on the behalf of Christ Jesus, can we even begin to imagine what it must have been like to walk in His shoes.

Scripture says that it is given to us on behalf of Christ not only to believe on Him, but also to suffer for His sake.  And as you have just seen, Jesus not only suffered physically, but emotionally as well.  In fact, this type of suffering characterized His entire ministry. 

This message will resonate with many of you reading this.  Many of us have been disowned by family, rejected by friends, ostracized at work, shunned by neighbors, left by our spouses, and denied by our children.  Many of us have lost jobs, wives, husbands, girlfriends, boyfriends, friend friends, pets, mailmen, jewelry, money, property, and more, all for the cross of Christ.  We should not be surprised: Jesus told us that this would happen:

“And ye shall be betrayed both by parents, and brethren, and kinsfolks, and friends; and some of you shall [these same people] cause to be put to death” (Luke 21:16).

If this sounds like you, be of good cheer: you are closer to Jesus than you think.  For to know Jesus is not only to taste of His goodness, but also to suffer on His behalf.

This teaching is available as a podcast for playback on your iPhone, iPod, or other mp3 player.  You can subscribe to our free podcast at the iTunes Store.   For your convenience, it is also provided below.

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So, be encouraged and look up; for your redemption draweth nigh.

The Still Man

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What Is A Christian?

Grace and peace, Saints, and greetings to those still in the world.

The story about the Ugandan Christian leader who was attacked by Muslim extremists who threw acid in his face got me thinking about the nature of Christian persecution. While researching Christian persecution overseas, I noticed that many of the groups that are being persecuted as Christians, such as Roman Catholics, aren’t what the Bible calls Christians.  I am not saying that this is the case with Umar Mulinde, however, as I don’t know what he truly believes.

This prompted the following podcast.  We need to know what a Christian really is and if we are that, we need to stand on it.  We need to stand up for Jesus.  If the non-believers can do it, we should be able to.

The Still Man

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Sorry For The Inconvenience

Grace and peace, Saints.

I’m having problems getting the media player to play the podcasts on the blog pages.  It could be that it cannot play the new AAC format audio files.  Until I get this sorted out, you can still hear the podcast by subscribing in your iTunes player.  Click here to subscribe for free.

I’m sorry for any inconvenience this may be causing you.

The Still Man

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The Truth Will Out

Grace and peace, Saints!  The first podcasts are ready.  I’m new to podcasting and audio editing, so there is a rather steep learning curve for me.  I appreciate your patience and indulgence.

I want to start by podcasting some of the most popular posts, so if there is a particular post that you would like to hear, shoot me an email and I will put it at the front of the queue.  

Click here to subscribe to our podcasts for free at the iTunes Store.

Thank you, and God bless each and every one of you.

The Still Man

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To All Backslidden Christians, Satans Says, “Thanks!”

Grace and peace, Saints, and greetings to those who are stumbling in the dark.

Today I happened upon a site that serves as a clearinghouse for junk mail, and I found this letter.  No author was listed, so I cannot credit it to anyone.  I include it here for your edification.  Someone out there will identify with it.  It was originally called “A Letter From Satan,” but, since I used that title for my post on email chain letters, I have changed it.

[START OF LETTER]

“I saw you yesterday as you began your daily chores.  You awoke without kneeling to pray.  As a matter of fact, you didn’t even bless your meals, or pray before going to bed last night.  You are so unthankful, I like that about you. I cannot tell you how glad I am that you have not changed your way of living.  Fool, you are mine.

“Remember, you and I have been going steady for years, and I still don’t love you yet.  As a matter of fact, I hate you because I hate God.  I am only using you to get even with God. He kicked me out of heaven, and I’m going to use you as long as possible to pay him back.

“You see, Fool, GOD LOVES YOU and HE has great plans in store for you. But you have yielded your life to me, and I’m going to make your life a living hell. That way,we’ll be together twice.  This will really hurt God.

“Thanks to you, I’m really showing Him who’s boss in your life. With all of the good times we’ve had. We have been:

▪                watching dirty movies

▪                cursing people out

▪                stealing

▪                lying

▪                being hypocritical

▪                fornicating

▪                overeating

▪                telling dirty jokes

▪                gossiping

▪                backstabbing people

▪                disrespecting adults in leadership positions

▪                NO respect for the church

▪                bad attitudes……

“SURELY you don’t want to give all this up.  Come on, Fool, let’s burn together forever. I’ve got some hot plans for us.

“This is just a letter of appreciation from me to you.  I’d like to say “THANKS” for letting me use you for most of your foolish life. You are so gullible, I laugh at you.  When you are tempted to sin, you give in. HA,HA,HA, you make me sick!!  Sin is beginning to take its toll on your life. You look 20 years older.

“And now, I need new blood.

“So go ahead and teach some children how to sin. All you have to do is smoke, get drunk or drink while under-aged, cheat, gamble, gossip, fornicate, and live being as selfish as possible. Do all of this in the presence of children and they will do it too.
Kids are like that.

“Well, Fool, I have to let you go for now.  I’ll be back in a couple of seconds to tempt you again. If you were smart, you would run somewhere, confess your sins, and live for God with what little bit of life that you have left. It’s not my nature to warn anyone, but to be your age and still sinning, it’s becoming a bit ridiculous.

“Don’t get me wrong, I still hate you.

“IT’S JUST THAT YOU’D MAKE A BETTER FOOL FOR CHRIST.

“P.S. – And if you really love me, you won’t
share this letter with anyone.”

[END OF LETTER]

Wow.  

Unfortunately, this applies to a great many people who name the name of Christ.  If these words pricked your conscience, chances are they fit you like a glove—like a hand-made pair of Italian shoes.  The good news is that if you feel bad, then there is still hope for you.  You have not yet hardened your heart against the Lord.  You can repent and ask Jesus to forgive you and determine within yourself to start living right.

But you must understand that though Jesus will forgive you, He does not have patience for hypocrites.  If you are serious, get right with the Lord today, and confess your behavior to Him and ask Him to help you to do right.  He can and will do it, if you are serious.  Are you?

If you are, please read this article on how to get back right with Jesus.  It is scriptural, and if you read it with humility and couple it with a broken and contrite heart, you will soon have your joy back and again be on good terms with the Lord Jesus.  

God bless you. 

Be encouraged and look up, for your redemption draweth nigh. 

The Still Man

Copyright © 2011-2012 Anthony Keeton, The Still Man ®.  All rights reserved.

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Bearing About In the Body

  

Bishop Umar Mulinde of Uganda

Grace and peace to the body of Christ, and mercy to those who do not yet know the goodness of God.

Saints, this story is already over a week old, but I neglected to write on it.  I am doing so now, because we as Christians need to see and know how our brethren are suffering the world over for the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Compass Direct News reports that on December 29th, In Uganda, a man who names the name of Christ was beset upon by Muslim extremists, who threw acid in his face.  

You can read the complete story here.

Bishop Umar Mulinde, pastor of Gospel Life Church International, was on his way to a party for Christians in his congregation when a man claiming to be a Christian approached him, calling out for him.  When he turned around, the man threw acid in his face, while others poured acid on his back and neck.

Mulinde lost an eye as a result of the attack and the sight in his remaining eye is threatened.  He also suffered deep burns on his neck and back.

Saints, we are so very blessed to be living in a country where, at least for the time being, it is possible for us to witness to the lost without fear for our lives.  But this will not always be the case.   Brethren, seeing that our brothers and sisters in Christ are suffering great persecution for the Gospel, even until death, can’t we, who “have not yet resisted unto blood” at least share the Gospel with someone?  

Understand that not everyone who says they are a Christian really is.  Without exception, every online Christian publication that I know about that follows Christian persecution considers Roman Catholicism just another Christian denomination.  Therefore they report on Catholic churches being burned down and Roman Catholics being killed as part of Christian persecution.  But this is not so.  Roman Catholicism is not Christianity.

But, if Roman Catholics are dying for a lost cause, because unfortunately, they are not trusting in the blood of Jesus Christ, and are, therefore, not Christians, why can’t we, who are not yet (for the most part) dying for Jesus here in the United States at least occasionally share the Gospel with the lost?

I don’t know if Bishop Mulinde is a true Christian, but he believes he is and was viciously attacked as though he were.  Those of us who know we are Christians should be willing to take some risks and share the Good News with a lost and dying world.  This is what we have been called to do.

The time will come–and very soon–when we will have no choice in the matter.  Not only will we risk certain death sharing the Gospel with the lost, but we will risk certain death just identifying ourselves with the Lord Jesus.  It is a matter of prophecy.  Therefore, would it not be to our benefit to get ourselves in the mindset that if we would save our life we shall lose it, but if we would lose our life for Christ’s sake we shall find it?

Below is a video showing what Bishop Mulinde looked like before the attack.  

Update: Pastor Mulinde was flown to Israel for medical treatment at Sheba Medical Center.  Let us pray that he makes a speedy and full recovery.

“Always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body” (Philippians 4:10).

The Still Man

Copyright © Anthony Keeton, The Still Man ®.  All rights reserved.  

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A Letter From Satan

Grace and peace, Saints.

As you may recall, in our piece, Breaking Generational Curses, we explain that email chain letters are of the devil.  They are actually witchcraft.  We explain how this pagan practice has infiltrated the Christian church in the form of email chain letter blessings and prayers. 

Before today, I hadn’t received one in some time, because once you let people know in no uncertain terms where you stand on this practice, they tend to take you off their email lists (as well as their Christmas lists).  So I had not seen one in a while.

Well, lo and behold, today more than five years after receiving my last such email, a former colleague sent me one, which I post here in its entirety for your edification.  If you receive such an email, you need to let the sender know where you stand on this practice, because it is of the devil.  State in no uncertain terms that sending and forwarding chain letters is witchcraft, and that you, as a Christian, stand against witchcraft.  If you don’t, then you can count on receiving another.

Chain letters and lucky letters are European medieval practices that involve sending letters to multiple recipients to bring good or bad luck.  Each person who curses or blesses the letter supposedly increases its potency.  Email chain letters are merely a modern form of the same practice.  It has been modernized, but it is still witchcraft. 

Remember that anything that causes you to take your eyes off Jesus is a sin, as “whatsoever is not of faith is sin” (Romans 14:23).  So when you recite a prayer that someone emailed you with the instructions that you should forward it to a certain number of people and then back to the person who sent it to you, you are practicing witchcraft. 

The goal of witchcraft is to get you to sin by trusting in something or someone other than Jesus for a blessing and/or attempting to manipulate the forces of darkness to control events in your favor.  This is a no-no for the Christian.  Witchcraft is an abomination to God, and is punishable by a generational curse.

Now, if you have a problem with this because you don’t believe in generational curses, or you believe they were part of another dispensation, then you need not read any further.  Only if I were you, I would formulate a backup plan.  Furthermore, it probably would not hurt to invest in a quality pair of asbestos underwear.  You may need them. 

Below is the text of the email chain letter the former colleague sent me, followed by my response:

“Hope all is well. When you have a moment to yourself, read this, It was difficult for me to decide who I thought would DO this because many people claim to pray, but not everyone does. I’m sure I chose the right twelve.

“Please send this back to me (You’ll see why). May everyone who received this message be blessed. There are 12 months/ 12 disciples/ 12 tribes of Israel / Jesus’ birth celebrated in the 12th month. There is nothing attached. Just send this to twelve others. Prayer is one of the best free gifts we receive.

“There is no cost, just a lot of reward. Make sure you pray, and pray believing God will answer.”

[Prayer]
May today be all you need it to be. May the peace of God and the freshness of the Holy Spirit restore your thoughts, rule in your dreams tonight, and conquer all your fears.. May God manifest himself today in ways you have never experienced. May your joys be fulfilled, your dreams be closer, and your prayers be answered I pray that faith enters a new height for you; I pray that your territory is enlarged. I pray for peace, healing, health, happiness, prosperity, joy, true and undying love for God. In Jesus Name, Amen…

“Now send this to
12 people within 5 minutes and remember to send this back…..

“I count as 2, you’ll see why.” [Brackets mine, boldface mine, parentheses in the original.]

This was my response:

 Absolutely not.  In the name of Jesus, I renounce this abomination as another tactic of Satan, who was a liar and a murderer from the beginning.  I send this back to the sender with every ungodly spirit attached to it bound by the blood of Jesus.  I break this infernal chain, sent by the blind to the blind.

[Former Colleague], I am serving you notice: never again send me anything like this masquerading as Christianity.  It is witchcraft: an abomination in the eyes of God.  I have no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, neither do I fellowship with the ungodly.  Commit this to memory.

You have my email address for professional use only.  My advice to you is to use it as such, and not for nefarious purposes.

Don’t you ever do this again.

 [End response.]

You may think my language was a bit strong, but this is no game.  I can only imagine how many families have been cursed by chain letters.  Believe me: I won’t have to repeat this response again.  I am sure he got my meaning; and that was my intention.

There is a lot wrong with this email.  For one, why does he keep saying, “You’ll see why?”  Why all the suspense?  Why not just tell us?  Because you wouldn’t like it, that’s why; because there is no reason.

You see, we all love a mystery.  We love secrets and riddles and unlocking hidden meanings.  The writer of this email knows this fact all too well.  The promise of “finding out why” is very enticing.

What could be the mysterious reason the receiver should send the email back to him (the sender)?  And what could be so important about him being number 2 that he couldn’t just tell us from the beginning?  Isn’t it just a bit curious that he would be number 2, yet he chose twelve people? Wouldn’t that automatically make him number 1?  Of course it would.

The answer is that there is no great mystery.  There is no reason he is number 2.  This man is into cabalistic numerology.  And I’ll prove it.

As you may recall from our post dealing with numerology entitled, “The Occult Significance of the Norway Shootings,” the numbers 3, 9, 13, 18, 21, 27, and 33 among others, are very important in the occult world.  Read the post if you’d like to know why.  What is important for us to know here is that the numbers 9 and 18 are significant.

Recall that the book of the Revelation tells us that the number of the Antichrist, the Beast, is 666.  6 + 6 + 6 = 18.  The number 18 is formed of the numbers 1 and 8 and 1 + 8 = 9.  So the number 9 has the triple number of the beast or 666.

Now notice that the numbers and the reasons he gives for the numbers have nothing to do with the supposed reason he sent the email: prayer.   They are merely an excuse for him to use the number twelve repeatedly.  Let’s examine it.

First, the number twelve is listed six times: five times numerically and once spelled out.  Now 12 + 6 = 18 and 18 = 6 + 6 + 6.

Also, 6 x 12 = 72, and the number 72 is formed of the numbers 7 and 2, and 7 + 2 = 9, and 9 = 1 + 8 which form 18 which equal 6 + 6 + 6: the number of the Beast.

You will also see that no number here is arbitrary.  So the number 2 plays a role.  He says that upon receipt, one should email the prayer to 12 people in 5 minutes, and that he is number 2.  Notice that these constitute a second group of numbers, so they should be considered by themselves:

2 x 5 + 12 = 22.  22 is the number 11 doubled.  The number 11 is sacred in Cabala, therefore, all multiples of 11 add power to the number.  Remember 9/11?  Well, 9 x 11 = 99.  Incidentally, isn’t it interesting that things almost always cost x amount of dollars and 99 cents?  ($2.99, $19.99, etc.)  Well, 99 = 9 x 11 or 99 = 9 + 9 = 18, the number of the beast.  Either way, it’s not just an arbitrary number.  Just that it’s so ubiquitous proves that.

22 comes up an awful lot.  Many famous and infamous events happened on the 22nd. President Kennedy was assassinated on November 22nd.  Look it up.  Adding up all the digits in this email yield 22.  Coincidence?

There are other numbers and combinations here, but the point is that we should beware of email chain letters, because they are not of God. 

I’m sure someone reading this has received an email similar to this, as the person who sent it to me was also a recipient.  Understand that if you are walking in the Spirit, witchcraft has no power over you.  I truly believe that witches will try things like this to get Christians to sin; and if they can get us to sin, then they can cast spells on us.  And we don’t want that.

Finally, it is worth mentioning that the way this person beguiles the receiver into forwarding the email on to twelve people is by flattery.  This he does from the outset by saying that it was “difficult” finding twelve worthy people who would do his bidding, and that he is “sure [he] chose the right twelve.”  

An unwary person would consider this a testament to his own piety and holiness, and would be flattered that someone recognized his ability to pray effectively and thought him worthy to receive the high honor of receiving and forwarding this email.  Beware of flattery.

What is most significant about his words is that he said he was “sure he chose the right twelve.”  Do we know of Someone else who also chose twelve?  Is this a coincidence?  I doubt it.  

This man is putting himself in the position of Jesus Christ, the same thing that the Antichrist is going to do. And the Antichrist is at the very bottom of this activity.  I guarantee it.

So, Christians, stay away from email chain letters.  No more letters from Satan.

The Still Man

Copyright © 2011 Anthony Keeton, The Still Man ®.  All rights reserved.

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The Still Man Podcast

Grace and peace to the brethren and to those in the world who are groping for the Light.

I’m sorry that we haven’t posted anything for a while, but we are working on a podcast as a companion ministry to this blog.  This will give us the opportunity to reach a wider, more diverse population with the Gospel of reconciliation.  God willing, we plan to gradually broadcast all relevant posts from this blog on the podcast, beginning with the most popular, in addition to new material.  The podcast will also include sermons, Bible study, and study helps.  

What I envision is the podcast and the blog in some ways working in tandem such that the blog could almost be used as a transcript for the podcast, though there will undoubtedly be material on the podcast that will not be on the blog.  This would enable us to reach those who would not normally benefit from this blog, such as the blind and visually impaired. If you know someone in this demographic, you may want to subscribe to the podcast for their benefit.  And the podcast will enable you to listen to God’s Word in your car, at your work, or on the train or bus.  

We want to equip you with the truth, power, and encouragement of God’s Word in these, the last days of the Last Days, and this podcast will help immeasurably.  Please pray that it will get off the ground and that God will bless it and the body of Christ.

For your information, we have already completed the first broadcast, which is basically an introduction to the podcast for those who are not familiar with this blog. Though somewhat of a rant, I have been admonished to put it out, so, God willing, you can look forward to hearing it in the near future.  When the podcast is up and running, we will let you know.

Be encouraged and look up; your redemption draweth nigh.

The Still Man

Copyright © 2011 Anthony Keeton, The Still Man ®.  All rights reserved.

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A Relationship With Jesus: The Reason For The Season

Grace and peace to the Saints of God and the sons of Adam alike, on this, the season of our Lord’s birth! Hallelujah! Glory to God in the highest!

Whew!  Man, am I ever in the Spirit today!  God is good all the time! Ok, slow down Homes…

I meant to have a Christmas message posted before Christmas day, but, for various reasons, it never happened.  But I thank God that at this moment I have a sound body and am clothed in my right mind, so I can take this opportunity to extend this message to the Body of Christ and our brethren in the world.

Today I heard a man preach today on the “reason for the season,” and I have to say, he hit the nail right on the head:  Jesus is the reason for the season. 

(By the way, I heard this sermon on “Gregory Gospel,” a gospel station I found on iTunes.  This is an unsolicited endorsement of this station, meaning I don’t personally know them or they me.  So, they have no idea that I am doing this.  But I know that there are others like me out there who are always looking for genuine Gospel music, which is hard to find in today’s apostate climate.  So, if I find something that appeals to me, I’m going to share it with the Body of Christ.  

Now, they blend classic and contemporary Gospel, so occasionally they may play something that may not appeal to the Gospel purist, but those selections are few and very far between.  The important thing is that the music is pure Gospel: meaning that the songs constantly quote Scripture and praise that worthy name of Jesus: things which are sorely lacking in much of today’s contemporary Gospel music.  

Artists I’ve heard include the Rev. James Moore, the Canton Spirituals, the Racy Brothers, and the Might Clouds of Joy.  There are also many that I have never heard before but can’t wait to hear again.  And the quality is excellent.  The programming also includes Bible teaching, and from what I have heard thus far, they are straight Bible.  So you not only get soul-stirring, Jesus-uplifting music, but sound Bible doctrine that ought to keep you going in between your Sunday and Wednesday evening worship services. 

Now I’ve only been listening to them for a few days, so this endorsement is not based on a complete study.  But, I can usually tell pretty quickly if a work is anointed or not, and so far, Gregory Gospel has passed muster. 

Now, to continue, Jesus is the Reason for the Season.  You know, at this moment, we are blessed in this country to be able to worship Jesus without fear of reprisal.  Our brethren in other countries are not as fortunate.  Scarcely a day passes that Christians are not martyred somewhere in the world.  Christians in Communist and Muslim-dominated countries would give anything to be able to worship the Lord Jesus freely and without fear for their lives. 

We have that freedom in America—at least for the time being.  For now we are able to openly celebrate the birth of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.  Christmas is a barometer of America’s apostasy, for the name Christmas is derived from Christ—the surname of our Lord Jesus.  You will know when the end is come: when America completely divorces itself from the Lord Jesus, and a clear sign of this will be when the antichrist forces succeed in eliminating Christmas.  And they are working hard towards that end. 

One way they are doing this is by spreading the propaganda that December 25 is not really the birthday of Jesus Christ: that this day is actually the celebration of the winter solstice.  Be that as it may, I say to you that it makes no difference what day He was actually born.  The important thing is this: Jesus died for our sins, and if He had never been born, He could never have died. 

The very fact that Jesus died means that He was born, and if Jesus was born, then the witness of the Apostles is true: 

“And the Word was made flesh and dwelt among us” (John 1:14).

Our salvation hinges on Jesus’ death and resurrection, this witness is true.  But His death and resurrection could never have happened had He not been born.  Therefore, the day our Lord was born is irrelevant.  What is important is that HE WAS BORN. 

So, let us be glad and rejoice during this Christmas season.  The Savior of the world is come! 

By the way, do you have a relationship with Jesus Christ?  If you don’t, you have no idea what you are missing.  You will never know love until you taste and see that the Lord is good.  Salvation is not about religion.  It’s about a relationship with the One who died for your sins and mine.  Jesus already knows you.  He just wants you to know Him.  Why?  Because He loves you. 

Come on and get to know Him.  Never mind what people have told you about Him.  Find out for yourself.  Begin a relationship with Jesus today.  And make a new start.

Click here if you would like to begin a relationship with Jesus Christ, the Son of the Living God.

Be encouraged and look up; your redemption draweth nigh.

The Still Man

Copyright © 2011 Anthony Keeton, The Still Man ®.  All rights reserved.

Speaking of relationships, for your listening pleasure, I give you this selection by the incomparable James Moore, Enjoy.

 

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Christians and Pornography: The Naked Truth

“I will set no wicked thing before mine eyes: I hate the work of them that turn aside; it shall not cleave to me” (Psalm 101:3).

Grace and peace to the brethren, and greetings to those who are searching for the Light. 

As Christians, we struggle against the flesh and its worldly cares and desires, some of which can be quite dangerous.  Pornography is no exception.  Pornography has almost single-handedly destroyed morality in America, and our media-saturated culture makes sure that pornography is always just an arm’s length away, or a mouse click away, or a 1-800 speed call away, or one channel over on the remote, or just to the left or right on the magazine rack.  Pornography is the destroyer of souls. 

Scripture says that Satan, “like a roaring lion, walketh about seeking whom he may devour” (1 Peter 5:8).  When God asked Satan in the book of Job where he had just come from, Satan replied, “from going to and fro in the earth, and from walking up and down in it” (Job 1:7).  These verses reveal two crucial aspects of Satan’s character: He is a relentless predator, and he never rests. 

Satan is always on the prowl for souls.  Even though we Christians have slipped through his fingers, Satan knows that if he can just get us to sin, there is always a chance that he can bring us under bondage.  And if he can bring us under bondage, even if he can’t take us to Hell with him, he can ruin our testimony.  And that is his end game.  Remember, Satan is “the accuser of the brethren” (Revelation 12:10). 

Bondage is Satan’s specialty, and bondage starts with sin.  Therefore, Christians must be ever on the lookout for ways in which Satan can cause us to sin.  In fact, next to the reading of the Word and witnessing, the avoidance of sin should be a high priority for every Christian. 

The best way to avoid sinning is to be holy.  Scripture says that we should be holy as God is Holy.  Holiness is not a passive activity for sinful creatures.  It involves deliberate action on our part.  We have to work at it. 

But God doesn’t have to work to be holy.  He is Holy.  The angels don’t have to try to be holy either.  They are holy.  Now, they were created with free will just like us.  But have you noticed that since Lucifer sinned and took a third of the angels with him, no other angels have rebelled?  I believe that since they don’t have bodies of sin like ours, once they make up their minds, their minds are made up.  But I digress. 

Again, we have to work to remain holy as God is holy.  This requires diligence.  As a matter of fact, Scripture say that we should guard our hearts with all diligence.  How do we guard our hearts?  By not setting any wicked thing before our eyes.  This is very important if we are to win the battle against pornography.  We cannot let it come before our eyes. 

The eyes are more than just “a window to the soul”:  they are a doorway to the soul.   Whatever comes in through the eyes is imprinted on the brain, and whatever is imprinted on the brain is indelibly imprinted on the soul—just like a computer.

Did you know that a computer is actually based on the human body?  It’s true.  The brain is like a CPU/hard disk.  It is like a hard disk in that it receives, stores, and retrieves information.  It is like a CPU in that it processes that information; that is, it takes the data and puts it into a usable context so that the human body can do something with it.  But the brain is completely impassive and logical: it operates on 1s and 0s.   It cannot discern good and evil. 

That’s where the heart comes in.  The heart is like an antivirus program.  A computer antivirus program analyzes data and determines whether the data is benign or malignant. Most antivirus programs can be configured so that data can be analyzed before it gets stored.  If the data is malignant, it will be identified and eradicated before it can infect the system.  If it is benign, it will be passed through and stored. 

But the human body differs from a computer in that data completely bypasses the heart (the antivirus program) and goes straight to the brain (the hard disk drive).  Whatever data comes in through the eyes and ears is stored in the brain whether it is harmful or not.  And once it is stored in the brain, it can be accessed again and again and again, even if a person does not want to access it. 

That is why it is extremely important that as Christians, we be careful what we allow our eyes to see and our ears to hear.  Once an image is seen or a sound heard, it is stored indefinitely.  Bad information, like a virus, once stored, begins to wreak havoc on the system, and performance is degraded.  The entire system could ultimately be destroyed.  To restore the system to proper functionality, the virus must be identified, isolated, and eradicated. 

Whether it is a computer or a person, the process of eliminating the virus and restoring the system to proper functionality can get very expensive.  In terms of souls, it is priceless. The key, then, is to be proactive rather than reactive.  It is dangerous to wait until the virus has become a part of the system before we act.  We have to control what comes in through our eyes and ears before it can make it to the brain and infect and possibly destroy the system.

The first step in doing this is to recognize that we are vulnerable.  We have to recognize that we are not impenetrable.   We must also recognize that there is someone out there writing malicious programs for the express purpose of destroying our lives.   That someone is Satan. 

The second step is to familiarize ourselves with Satan’s methods.  Paul says that we should not be ignorant of Satan’s devices.  Now, we don’t have to study Satan or his ministers to do this.  There are countless apologetics ministries dotting the Christian landscape all claiming to be experts on all sorts of religions, yet the Christian church is as confused now as it ever was.  Why?  Because this activity is neither prudent nor scriptural. 

God would rather we be wise concerning good and ignorant concerning evil (Romans 16:19).  We must only familiarize ourselves with the Word of God.  Once we know what is of God it’s not hard to then know what is not of God.  Read the Bible. 

The Bible has this to say about pornography: 

“Thou shalt not uncover the nakedness of a woman and her daughter…it is wickedness” (Leviticus 18:17). 

Pornography, then, is not of God, but of Satan. 

Since pornography is not of God, we should fight it.  This is the third step.  The Bible never tells us to run from evil.  We are to resist the devil, and he will flee from us (James 4:7).  There are several ways to do this.

The first way is the most obvious.  We should rebuke Satan as Jesus rebuked him when He was tempted in the wilderness.  When we are tempted in our mind to sin, we must identify whence came that temptation.  Scripture says that God doesn’t tempt any man (James 1:13).  So it is Satan who tempts us with pornography.  We must, therefore, rebuke Satan by saying, “Get thee behind me, Satan!” (Matthew 16:23).  

Then we must combat that sinful thought with righteous thoughts.  The Bible says we must think on things that are true, honest, just, pure, lovely, of good report, virtuous, and praiseworthy (Philippians 4:8-10).  When you are tempted to look at pornography, start thinking virtuous thoughts.  Read the Bible.  The Bible is true, honest, just, pure, lovely, of good report, virtuous, and praiseworthy.  So read it when the Enemy comes in like a flag.

We can also sing songs of praise to God.  True gospel music and hymns fill all of the above criteria.  The Bible says that God inhabits our praises.  If we, therefore, sing praise songs, the Spirit will fill our hearts and minds, and Satan will have to flee.  This absolutely works. I’m a witness.

Lastly, we should take steps to avoid pornography altogether.  It is nearly impossible for us to avoid all pornography as it has become socially acceptable.  We are a part of society; so is pornography.  It is inevitable, then, that the twain shall someday meet.   But we must do everything in our power to keep that meeting from happening, or at least to control the terms of that meeting.  We must control our access to pornography.

We must not only control our access to pornography, but we must also control pornography’s access to us.  Satan is always trying to circumvent our defenses by coming in under the radar.  He will find a way to get us to view pornography.  Did you know that pornography is a major part of Satan’s plan to destroy morality in America?  Did you know that Mystery Babylon’s plan for the total degradation of society calls for every single child in America and the world to have seen every conceivable sex act by age thirteen?

Having trouble digesting this?  Well consider that in 2008 The Cartoon Network in Nashville “mistakenly” aired porno for an hour.  Thankfully the offensive material was shown while most children would have been asleep.  But if even one child saw it, think of the damage that would have been done.  

Consider also that in 2009, a man bought his son a toy digital camera and was shocked to discover that the camera came pre-loaded with pornographic images.  And earlier this year, a New York woman found pornography on a children’s DVD she bought for her kids. It is important to note that both of these events had one thing in common: Disney.  Walt Disney has always had a penchant for pornography.  Look it up.

The Cartoon Network debacle is not hard to understand when you consider that the Cartoon Network is owned by Turner Broadcasting System Warner Brothers Entertainment Inc. and shares programming space with Adult Swim.

Listen to what Wikipedia has to say about Adult Swim:

“Adult Swim is an adult-oriented cable network that shares channel space with Cartoon Network from 9:00 pm until 6:00 am ET/PT in the United States…

“The network features myriad stylistically-variable animated and live-action shows, including original programming, syndicated shows, and Japanese anime, generally with minimal or no editing for content.  The programs featured on Adult Swim are geared toward an 18+ audience, in contrast to the originally all-ages daytime programming on Cartoon Network.

Broadcast since 2001, much of the network’s general content is known for its risqué, unorthodox and often bizarre presentation, while many of the series’ features are developed in stark contrast with traditional American television programs.  In the United States, Adult Swim has, over the course of its history frequently cycled through and aired either recent or older features of adult animation.” 

Tuner’s foray into children’s programming is not surprising when you consider that he is a high-ranking adept of the Mysteries.  Their agenda: the destruction of Christianity and all Christians.  One way they are attempting to do this is by destroying our children’s innocence.   

Clearly then, it is crucial to guard our eyes and ears and to control our access to pornography and pornography’s access to us.  This may entail drastic action.  It may mean cancelling our cable subscriptions.  It may mean blocking outgoing 1-800 number calls.  It may mean cancelling our internet subscriptions.  It may mean restricting our cell phones from receiving graphics files.  But whatever we have to do to guard our hearts we must do it. 

This is especially true if Jesus has delivered you from pornography.  There is an old adage that says, “Once bitten, twice shy.”  The modern version of this is “Fool me once, shame on you; fool me twice, shame on me.”  The message is clear: once you have run into a tree and gotten a knot on your head, from that moment on, all trees are suspect. 

We do this with everything but sin.  Often even after we have been delivered from terrible bondage, we somehow feel that we can still wallow in the mud with the pigs and not get dirty.  If you are recovering from an addiction to pornography, no matter how slight, you must avoid it at all costs. 

Let me share something with you.  At one time in my life, I was addicted to pornography.  It was very strange that this could happen given that I went through my entire military career and never saw one X-rated movie.  Even though I was not saved, I knew it was bad business.  Now, my addiction wasn’t bad, in that I never bought pornography, neither from a bookstore nor an Internet site, and wasn’t obsessed with it.  But, it got to the point that, if I was on my computer, it was a sure bet that at some point I was going to be watching pornography. 

It started when I would get spam emails from pornography sites.  And let me tell you: just what showed up in my spam box was enough.  It was so graphic, I couldn’t believe I was getting it for free.  And that was the plan.  It was ingenious.  They would send me just enough to pique my interest, because they knew that at some point, I would follow the links to their site.  And I did.  Only once there, they said I had to pay for “premium” content.  There I drew the line. 

When I realized what was happening to me, I changed email providers.  Only now it was too late: the seed had already been planted.  I started surfing the net looking for free content; and I found it.  You see, Satan has something for everybody.  If you’re willing to pay for it, he will give it to you, and if you’re not, he will still give it to you.  Because money is not the object: it’s your soul he’s after.  Satan is looking for slaves. 

There is a happy ending to this story.  Like I said, I wasn’t heavily addicted.  So, when I got saved, the Spirit gave me the strength to say no.  And I never looked back.  But don’t think for one minute that Satan has left me alone.  Remember, he never sleeps.  He is always trying to lure you back into his camp. 

About six months ago I noticed that ads containing scantily clad women started popping up when I would check my email.  One in particular was for a cruise ship company and featured a woman dressed in a string bikini looking out over the ocean and with her back (and backside) facing the viewer. 

This had Satan written all over it.  I let this go on for months until the Spirit let me know that this was not good.  He told me that I needed to take some action immediately.  So I ordered the provider’s “Plus” service which for $19.99 a year includes POP (Post Office Protocol) mail and allows me to receive email via email client software that is available for free as part of virtually all operating systems.

This allows me to get my mail without having to log on to their site and see their offensive ads.  So for the price of a pizza, Coke, and a Twinkie, I avoid the temptation that leads many into the pit of pornography. 

You see Satan rarely entices us to commit grievous sins like pornography outright.  He prefers to initiate us into this kind of sin by degrees.  He baits the hook and gets you to bite.  Then he drags you a little ways.  When you’ve eaten all the bait off the hook, he re-baits it, and you bite it again and get dragged a little farther.  And each time the bait gets a little bigger—and so does the hook.  Then one day, you find that the hook is set in your jaws so deep, that you can’t get it out, and when you look up, you find that Satan has dragged you all the way to the cannery.  Then it’s too late.  You’re cat food. 

That’s why it’s important to realize how Satan works so you can recognize when you’re being baited.  For only when you know that you’re being baited can you take the proper steps to avoid Satan’s hook. 

Not only is pornography an abomination in God’s eyes, but it is also a major cause of violent crime, including sexual assault and murder.   On January 24, 1989, condemned serial killer, Ted Bundy, in an interview given shortly before his execution, made this chilling admission: 

“Those of us who have been so influenced by violence in the media, particularly pornographic violence, are not some kind of inherent monsters. We are your sons and husbands. We grew up in regular families. Pornography can reach in and snatch a kid out of any house today. It snatched me out of my home 20 or 30 years ago. As diligent as my parents were…

“I’ve lived in prison for a long time now, and I’ve met a lot of men who were motivated to commit violence. Without exception, every one of them was deeply involved in pornography – deeply consumed by the addiction. The F.B.I.’s own study on serial homicide shows that the most common interest among serial killers is pornography.”

 “[T]here are those loose in their towns and communities, like me, whose dangerous impulses are being fueled, day in and day out, by violence in the media in its various forms particularly sexualized violence. What scares me is when I see what’s on cable T.V. Some of the violence in the movies that come into homes today is stuff they wouldn’t show in X-rated adult theatres 30 years ago.

“[T]here are forces at loose in this country, especially this kind of violent pornography, where, on one hand, well-meaning people will condemn the behavior of a Ted Bundy while they’re walking past a magazine rack full of the very kinds of things that send young kids down the road to being Ted Bundys. That’s the irony.”

Did that not raise goose bumps on your arms?  It did mine.  Ted Bundy, a convicted serial killer, who confessed to raping and killing dozens of girls and young women, the youngest of whom was only twelve years old, said that it all started with pornography. 

Certainly some will say that this was merely a cop out; that Bundy just didn’t want to take responsibility for his crimes.  What people do not understand is that although Bundy committed the crimes, Satan was ultimately responsible. 

You must understand that when you are enthralled by pornography—when you are under its spell—you are under demonic influence.  And when you are under demonic influence, you no longer have the ability to reason.  You have lost it.  Bundy’s next statement proves this in chilling fashion: 

Interviewer: “After you committed your first murder, what was the emotional effect? What happened in the days after that?”

Bundy: “It was like coming out of some horrible trance or dream.  I can only liken it to…being possessed” 

Convinced?  Watching pornography results in demonic possession.  This is consistent with the Bible, wherein God says that those who commit such acts are under a generational curse.  It is entirely possible that Bundy’s predilection for pornography was handed down to him.  If we take part in it, we not only curse ourselves, but our children and their children as well. 

It is important to point out that Bundy came from a Christian family.  Yet, as he said, pornography reached in and snatched him out of his home.  We’ve been warned. 

Can you understand now why it is so important that we as Christians guard our hearts with all diligence?  We are at war, and the Enemy is ruthless.  Pornography is only one of Satan’s devices, but it is one of his most potent weapons.  Watch out for it. 

If you are addicted to pornography, you may be under a generational curse.  Click here to find out how you can be set free. 

The podcast to this teaching is available at the iTunes Store for use with your iPhone, iPod, or other mp3 player.  Subscribe to our podcast for free here.  For your convenience, it is also provided below.

Play
 

You may view the interview with Ted Bundy below.

 

Below is the true story of a teenaged boy who struggled with porn addiction.


Be encouraged and look up; your redemption draweth nigh. 

The Still Man

Copyright © 2011-2013 Anthony Keeton, The Still Man.  All rights reserved.

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What is the Unpardonable Sin?

“Verily I say unto you, All sins shall be forgiven unto the sons of men, and blasphemies wherewith soever they shall blaspheme: 

“But he that shall blaspheme against the Holy Ghost hath never forgiveness, but is in danger of eternal damnation” (Mark 3:28-29).

Grace and peace, Saints.

Most of us in the Body of Christ are familiar with blasphemy against the Holy Spirit—the “unpardonable sin”—so called because Jesus said that a man guilty of this sin would not be forgiven, though he be forgiven every other sin, including blaspheming the name of Christ (Mark 3:28-29).  Many however, are unclear about what actually constitutes blasphemy against the Holy Spirit, and this has led to a bevy of opinions on the matter. 

Some, for instance, believe that blasphemy against the Holy Spirit is when a Christian knowingly sins, while others believe blasphemy against the Holy Spirit is unconfessed sin. But 1 John 1:9 tells us that if we confess our sins, Jesus is “faithful and just to forgive us our sins.”  Jesus said that all sins would be forgiven.  Many have sinned with complete malice of forethought and God still forgave them.  Clearly then, this is not blasphemy against the Holy Spirit. 

With respect to unconfessed sin, God is merciful (Exodus 34:6).  If He knows that our will is to do His will, he will not hold unconfessed sin against us.  And if there is some sin that God really wants us to confess, God will chastise us to get our attention or the Holy Ghost will bring unconfessed sin to our remembrance, so we will confess it.  Unconfessed sin then, is not blasphemy against the Holy Ghost. 

J. Vernon McGee, in the book, Marching Through Mark, a commentary on the Gospel of Mark, has this to say:

“Since Jesus is not here today casting out demons, it is impossible to commit this sin.  Jesus died for all sin.  No overt act of sin is unpardonable.  There is no remedy for unbelief. It is not an act, but a state, or condition” (p. 17).

This is not a true statement.  Jesus is not here today casting out demons, but the Holy Spirit is still here today casting out demons, in the name of Jesus.  And the blasphemy is against Him, not Jesus.  It is indeed possible to blaspheme the Holy Ghost, but a true born-again Christian would never blaspheme God, even unintentionally.  So, only an unsaved person can or would blaspheme against the Holy Ghost.  Therefore, if you are a true Christian, you needn’t worry.  (I’ll tell you why later.) 

Incidentally, J. Vernon McGee, in saying that “no overt act of sin is unpardonable,” is calling Jesus Christ a liar.  He is treading on very thin ice.

To understand the nature of blasphemy against the Holy Ghost, let us refer to Jesus’ discourse in Mark Chapter 3, in particular the verse which precipitated Jesus’ warning about blaspheming the Holy Ghost.  A clue to the nature of the unpardonable sin can be found by looking at to whom Jesus was speaking.

“And the scribes which came down from Jerusalem said, He hath Beelzebub, and by the prince of the devils casteth he out devils” (v. 22).

Jesus was talking to the scribes.  The scribes were a very learned group of men who were considered experts on the Law and were usually in the company of the Pharisees.   Jesus never had anything commendable to say about either group, as Matthew Chapter 23 illustrates in dramatic fashion:

“Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites!” (v.v. 13, 14, 15, 23, 25, 27, 28.)

Wow.  Seven times Jesus says, “Woe unto you!” and calls these men hypocrites.  He also calls them “blind,” “fools,” “serpents,” and “vipers.”  Those who insist that Jesus was only love should be paying close attention.

Now, Webster’s defines a hypocrite as,

 “1.  A person who puts on a false appearance of virtue or religion.

“2. A person who acts contrary to his or her stated beliefs or feelings.”

Beginning with verse 12, Jesus launches a scathing verbal assault on the scribes and the Pharisees that leaves no doubt about why He calls them hypocrites.  For the purposes of this essay, I would like to concentrate on verse 12.  Jesus says:

 “Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye shut up the kingdom of heaven against men: for ye neither go in yourselves, neither suffer ye them that are entering to go in.” 

What does Jesus mean by this statement?  Jesus uses the metaphor of a door to illustrate how the Pharisees actually kept some men from going to heaven, by shutting the door to salvation and not letting anyone in.  This would suggest that they held the key.

This is consistent with Luke 11:52:

“Woe unto you, lawyers! for ye have taken away the key of knowledge: ye entered not in yourselves, and them that were entering in ye hindered.” 

So, the scribes and Pharisees held the key of knowledge and denied others access to that knowledge.  A clue to the specific knowledge they withheld from men can be found in the second definition of a hypocrite, which is “a person who acts contrary to his or her stated beliefs or feelings.”

To see how this definition applies to the scribes, recall that they said that Jesus “hath Beelzebub” and by him cast out devils.  Beelzebub is another name for Satan.  They were saying that Jesus was possessed.  To say that Jesus was possessed was to call Him a sinner. And to call Him a sinner was to say that He was not the Messiah, the Son of God.

For the Pharisees to “act contrary to [their] stated beliefs or feelings,” they would have to secretly believe that Jesus really was the Messiah, but publicly proclaim that He was not.  And this is exactly the case. 

In Matthew 22:16 the Pharisees say to Jesus,

 “Master, we know that thou art true, and teachest the way of God in truth.”

In Luke 20:21, the chief priests and scribes say to Jesus,

“Master, we know that thou sayest and teachest rightly…[and] teachest the way of God truly.” 

In John 3:2, Nicodemus, a Pharisee, tells Jesus,

 “Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God.” 

Did you see that?  They knew!  They knew that Jesus was sent from God and was no devil. Yet, they not only denied that he was the Christ, but they also accused Him of of being the devil.  But as we have just seen, they knew full well that Jesus Christ was God Almighty.

Further proof of this can be found in the same discourse between Jesus and the Pharisees that we discussed earlier in the book of Luke, which dialogue continues in Chapter 12. After telling them that they “have taken away the key of knowledge,”  He says this to His disciples:

“Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy.

“For there is nothing covered, that shall not be revealed; neither hid, that shall not be known.

“Therefore whatsoever ye have spoken in darkness shall be heard in the light; and that which ye have spoken in the ear in closets shall be proclaimed upon the housetops” (Luke 12:1b-3).

Now, this statement of Jesus about things spoken in darkness being proclaimed upon the housetops is often taken to mean that the things we say in this life in secret, Jesus will reveal at the Judgment.  Though this is true, this is not the context in which Jesus makes this statement.  

Jesus said that the leaven of the Pharisees was hypocrisy.  Recall that hypocrisy means to believe one thing, but to declare another.  Now we have already seen that the scribes and Pharisees believed that Jesus was sent from God, yet they denied Him before men.  Jesus knew what they really believed and that is why he called them hypocrites and said that what they said in secret would be declared in public.  Their secret dialogue, to which Jesus referred, is recorded in John Chapter 11:

“Then gathered the chief priests and the Pharisees a council, and said, What do we? for this man doeth many miracles.

“If we let Him thus alone, all men will believe on Him: and the Romans will come and take away our place and nation” (John 11:47-48).

These men weren’t really concerned for their nation.  It was the loss of their positions of power and influence that concerned them.  They knew that if all the people believed on Jesus, there would be no place for them.  It’s clear that they knew Jesus was the Messiah.  But they also knew that, in Jesus’ theology, they had no place, and they had become very accustomed to a favored position in the life of the average Jew.

Jesus was a threat.  And he had to be discredited.

That is why Jesus called them hypocrites.  Not only because their shows of piety were a sham, but because they knew He was the Messiah, the Holy One of God.  But because they feared the loss of their prestige, they denied Him publicly.  Jesus’ words in Luke 12:8-9, spoken immediately following his admonition regarding “the leaven of the Pharisees,” adds strength to this argument:

“Also I say unto you, Whosoever shall confess me before men, him shall the Son of man also confess before the angels of God:

“But he that denieth me before men shall be denied before the angels of God.” 

These men knew that Jesus was the Messiah, yet they denied Him.  How did they know?  The Holy Spirit told them. 

In John 16:8, Jesus tells the disciples that when the Holy Spirit comes, He would “reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment.”  The Holy Spirit gives Himself to whomever He will.  It is the Holy Spirit that convicts us of sin.  And when we respond to that conviction, we repent and are converted.

But a person can also resist the Holy Spirit by not yielding to Him.  Rather than submit when he is convicted of sin, he hardens his heart.   Paul talks about this in 2 Timothy Chapter 3.  Speaking of the false teachers, Paul says:

“Now as Jannes and Jambres withstood Moses, so do these also resist the truth: men of corrupt minds, reprobate concerning the faith” (v. 8). 

“Jannes and Jambres” is a reference to the book of Exodus.  They were Pharaoh’s magicians who hardened his heart against God by duplicating all of Moses’ plagues: all, that is, except one: the plague of the lice. 

This is very important, because it demonstrates that there are those who know God is real, but choose not to worship Him.  Let us listen to the Bible:

“And the Lord said unto Moses, Say unto Aaron, Stretch forth thy rod, and smite the dust of the land, that it may become lice.

“And they did so…and it became lice in man, and in beast…” 

“And the magicians did so with their enchantments to bring forth lice, but they could not… 

“Then the magicians said unto Pharaoh, This is the finger of God… 

“[But] Pharaoh’s heart was hardened, and he hearkened not unto them…” (Exodus 8:16-19).

Did you see that?  Pharaoh realized that God was more powerful than his magicians, but rather than submit to God, he hardened his heart.  So did the magicians.  Paul is saying that men of this sort know that God is real because they have seen what He can do, but they choose to harden their hearts and resist Him.

In the book of Acts, Stephen, when brought before the Jewish council on sedition charges, tells them:

“Ye stiffnecked and uncircumcised of hearts and ears, ye do always resist the Holy Ghost” (7:51).

Again, these men knew that Jesus is the Christ, but they willfully resist the Holy Spirit, and deny Him. 

These men not only resist the Holy Spirit by denying the truth of Jesus, but they also withhold this truth from others.  Romans Chapter 1 illustrates this perfectly: 

“For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness;

“Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them. 

“For the invisible things of Him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse: 

“Because that, when they knew God, they glorified Him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened” (Romans 1:18-21).

Did you get that?  God has shown these men the truth of Himself, but rather than share that truth, they withhold it from the people.  They harden their hearts against God.

Why do they withhold the truth?  Because the truth is freedom.  Jesus said that those who sought after the truth would find it in Him.  And that truth would make them free (John 8:32).  The Jewish religious machine wanted to keep the people ignorant and in bondage. So, although they knew that Jesus was the Christ, they denied Him publicly.  They were hypocrites.

Hypocrisy is blasphemy against the Holy Spirit: not the hypocrisy of “putting on a false appearance of virtue or religion,” as many are guilty of this, but the sin of “acting contrary to ones stated beliefs.”  This is important because the scribes and Pharisees were not only priests, but teachers.  They wielded tremendous influence and their word was law. Had these men proclaimed Jesus as the Christ, everyone would have followed Him.  But because they denied Him, many of the people denied Him also.  And they not only denied Him, but they taught others to do the same.  

This is blasphemy against the Holy Ghost: to proclaim and to teach something contrary to the truth that the Holy Spirit has revealed to you.  That truth is that Jesus Christ is “the Way, the Truth, and the Life (John 14:6).”  It is blasphemy, because one who is guilty of this is calling the Holy Spirit a liar.  And the Holy Spirit is God.

This is why a true Christian can never commit the unpardonable sin.  No true believer would deny that Jesus is the Christ: the Son of the Living God.  And he certainly wouldn’t teach it.

The unpardonable sin is committed, for the most part, by those who have been entrusted with the souls of men to turn them to righteousness.  They are supposed to teach and preach the Word of God, but instead they teach damnable heresies.

These include preachers like T.D. Jakes, Joel Olsteen, and Billy Graham, all  of whom say that there are many ways to heaven.  They blaspheme the Holy Spirit, because they know that is a lie.  These shall have their part in the Lake of Fire, which burneth with fire and brimstone. 

I love what Jude has to say about such men:

“Woe unto them!” (v. 11). 

Isn’t that just like his Big Brother? 

The companion audio podcast to this teaching is available for free at the iTunes Store.  You can get it by clicking here.

For your convenience, it is also provided below.

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Be encouraged and look up; your redemption draweth nigh.

The Still Man

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Without Natural Affection 2: The Cleanup

Grace and peace to a peculiar people; cherished and beloved of God, and greetings to those who still walk in darkness.

Remember the unfortunate riot in Vancouver, BC, which occurred after the Kanucks lost to the Boston Bruins in the Stanley Cup finals?  Remember how the now-(in)famous photo of the “kissing couple” surfaced shortly thereafter in what seemed like an obvious attempt to clean up Canada’s once-squeakly-clean-then-very-tarnished image?

Well in a seemingly similar move, a video out of China is currently making the rounds on YouTube.  Apparently, a little girl decided to sit in the middle of the street in a reported attempt to keep from going to school.  Amazingly, the girl’s mother leaves her there and walks away.  

Right on cue, an SUV appears and runs right over the little girl, stopping right on top of her.  At this, a swarm of passers-by promptly appear and together lift the SUV off the little girl.  

Thankfully, she survived.

As you may recall, China was the venue for a similar event that unfortunately ended tragically.  Is this China’s attempt to clean up its image?  If so, it failed miserably.  For one, that the Chinese continue to run over little children again demonstrates an apparent disregard for life. That they are little girls is especially troubling.

This is further demonstrated by the mother leaving her daughter in the middle of the street; an act made worse given that the last little girl who found herself similarly situated was cruelly run over and is no longer among the living.  Have they so quickly forgotten?

But, as if all this wasn’t enough, this little girl still had to go to school!  The fact that she survived being run over by an SUV was apparently subordinated to the needs of the state. In case this has failed to register on your morality meter, when was the last time you asked your daughter how her school day went and she responded that other than getting run over by an SUV, it wasn’t too bad?

Why am I talking about this?  Because this is where America is headed.  We are fast becoming a Socialist/Humanist state.  We are becoming more secularized with every passing day, as God is being pushed further toward the periphery of daily American life. Soon, very soon, He will be wiped completely out of the average American’s conscience.

God has already been wiped out of the average Chinese citizen’s conscience, and we have already seen the results in disturbingly graphic fashion.  This is a chilling portent of America’s future. 

Many have bought into the feel-good, warm fuzzy, oneness propaganda of the one-worlders, but this is a sham.  What is coming will be nothing like what anyone is used to.

China is trying to warn us what happens when God is eliminated from daily life.  Is anyone listening to her?

Pray, Saints. 

The Still Man 

 

 

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The Death of Common Sense

Grace and peace believers and non-believers alike.

Someone going by the user name Iwin Moa left this comment on a news site in response to a particularly unfortunate incident.  The circumstances surrounding the incident, which would seem to suggest horseplay, prompted the person to leave the comment.

I repost it here for your reflection.  Though humorous, it makes some very salient points.

“Today we mourn the passing of a beloved old friend, COMMON SENSE, who has been with us for many years. No one knows for sure how old he was, since his birth records were long ago lost in bureaucratic red tape. He will be remembered as having cultivated such valuable lessons as:

    – Knowing when to come in out of the rain;
    – Why the early bird gets the worm;
    – Life isn’t always fair;
    – And maybe it was my fault.

COMMON SENSE lived by simple, sound financial policies: Don’t spend more than you can earn and adults, not children, are in charge.

His health began to deteriorate rapidly when well-intentioned but overbearing regulations were set in place. Reports of a 6-year-old boy charged with sexual harassment for kissing a classmate; teens suspended from school for using mouthwash after lunch; and a teacher fired for reprimanding an unruly student, only worsened his condition.

COMMON SENSE lost ground when parents attacked teachers for doing the job that they themselves had failed to do in disciplining their unruly children. It declined even further when schools were required to get parental consent to administer sun lotion or an aspirin to a student; but could not inform parents when a student became pregnant and wanted to have an abortion.

COMMON SENSE lost the will to live as the churches became businesses; and criminals received better treatment than their victims. COMMON SENSE took a beating when you couldn’t defend yourself from a burglar in your own home and the burglar could sue you for assault. COMMON SENSE finally gave up the will to live, after a woman failed to realize that a steaming cup of coffee was hot. She spilled a little in her lap, and was promptly awarded a huge settlement.

COMMON SENSE was preceded in death, by his parents, TRUTH and TRUST, by his wife DISCRETION, his daughter RESPONSIBILITY, and his son, REASON. He is survived by his 4 stepbrothers – I KNOW MY RIGHTS … I WANT IT NOW … SOMEONE ELSE IS TO BLAME and I’M THE VICTIM HERE. Not many attended his funeral because so few realized COMMON SENSE was gone.”

The Still Man

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Does God Hate Blacks? Part 1: From Babylon to the New World

Grace and peace to the children of God, and greetings to the lost.

A friend asked me a couple of days ago why it is that blacks are hated the world over.  Every race, she noted, has its problems, and in just about every culture there are those groups that are demonized for political, religious, or other reasons.  But blacks are the only people in the history of the world that are hated as a race.  “Does God hate blacks?” she asked in frustration. 

I can understand her frustration: for blacks have certainly suffered their share of hatred and persecution.  But I reminded her that it is not entirely true that blacks are the only people in the history of the world that have been hated as a race.  The Jews have also suffered their share of hatred and persecution.  As I said this, the force of this realization hit me like a sledgehammer.  No other people on the face of the earth have suffered such intense hatred and persecution, as have the Negro and the Jew. 

I believe that everything going on in the world today, even political and social-economic issues, can be explained from a biblical perspective.  I further believe that God is firmly in control of everything—the good and the bad.  If it is good, it comes from God and is a blessing.  If it is bad, it is of the devil and is allowed by God.  Racism is bad, therefore, racism is of the devil.  This means that the root of racism—specifically hatred of blacks and Jews—is of the devil.  Satan must hate blacks and Jews.  And if Satan hates blacks and Jews, then we should be able to find the genesis of this hate in the Bible.

But before we discuss the genesis of Satan’s hatred of Blacks, let us dispel the popular myth that God hates blacks.  God does not hate blacks, as this verse of Scripture clearly shows:

“Are ye not as the children of the Ethiopians unto me, O children of Israel?” (Amos 9:7).

The Ethiopians are the Negro race—the Blacks.  The name Ethiopian has come to mean those black Africans from the country of Ethiopia.  But when the Bible was written, Ethiopia, as a country, did not exist.  The Masters Study Bible defines Ethiopia as the “region of Nubia just south of Egypt, from the first cataract of the Nile into the Sudan; modern Ethiopia is further to the southeast.”

Christian historian Alexander Hislop in The Two Babylons, tells us that the name Ethiopia means “Land of Ethiops.”  Ethiops, which means “The Black One” (Hislop, 48), was another name for Cush, a son of Ham and grandson of Noah (Genesis 10:6).  Cush was also known as Al Khem, “The Burnt One,” as was his father Ham (Hislop, 25).  Cush was the father of the black race.  For centuries, Africans were known as Cushites and Khemites.  So, when the Bible speaks of Ethiopians, it is referring to all blacks.

Notice that Amos 9:7 compares God’s chosen people, the Jews, with the Ethiopians, the blacks.  This is proof that rather than hating blacks, God loves Blacks: so much so, that He compares His love for them with His love for His beloved Jewish people.

Noah’s son Ham, the father of Cush, was the father of all dark-skinned people, including the Egyptians.  The Bible calls Egypt “The Land of Ham” (Psalms 105:26-27, 106:21-22).   Ham was also known as Al Khem “The Burnt One.”  

Throughout the Bible, there is an indelible link between Egypt and Israel.  God told Abraham to sojourn in Egypt with his wife, Sarah, and later, Abraham fathered a child with an Egyptian woman, who bore him a son.  We read that Jacob’s son, Joseph, was enslaved and taken to Egypt, where he later rose to prominence as its first prime minister. Joseph also married an Egyptian woman.  God used the Egyptians to punish the Jews for having forsaken Him and turning to idols, and it was in Egypt that God revealed His power by bringing Israel out of that land with a mighty hand.  Moreover, God told Joseph, Jesus’ stepfather, to flee to Egypt with his family to avoid being killed by Herod’s troops. God had no problem sending the family of our Savior to “The Land of the Blacks.”

Even further proof of God’s love for the Black race is the fact that Moses, the prophet of God, married a black woman:

“And Miriam and Aaron spake against Moses because of the Ethiopian woman whom he had married: for he had married an Ethiopian woman” (Numbers 12:1).

Miriam was the sister of Moses.  Chapter 12 goes on to explain how God was angered because of Miriam’s criticism of Moses saying, “[W]herefore then were ye not afraid to speak against my servant Moses?” At this, He struck Miriam with leprosy (v. 10).   Now, God did this because, as He explained in verses 6-8, He spoke to Moses face to face and not in dreams or visions like other prophets.  God was saying, in other words, that if He had had a problem with Moses marrying a black woman, He would have told Moses so.

Now, Miriam and Aaron did not rebuke Moses because they were racists, but because Moses took a non-Jew to wife and it was the Jews’ custom to marry only other Jews.  God is not a racist.  Recall that one of the first converts to Christianity was an Ethiopian (Acts 8:37).  And the Holy Spirit specifically directed Philip to talk to him.  It is clear then, that God loves the Black race.

The question, therefore, is not if God hates blacks, as we have just seen biblical proof to the contrary.  Neither is there a question of Satan’s hatred of blacks, as the historical record of atrocities towards blacks bears sufficient witness that this is the case.  The question, therefore, is “Why does Satan hate blacks?”

The short answer is that Satan hates blacks because God loves blacks, just as Satan hates the Jews because God loves the Jews.  But this answer does not sufficiently explain the world’s intense hatred of the black race.  There must be a particular biblical incident that we can point to that explains the enmity between Satan and the Blacks.  

And there is.  But before we look at it, it is important to our discussion to understand that Satan’s hatred of Blacks has its origin in the Garden of Eden.  Subsequent to Satan tempting Eve to eat the forbidden fruit, God pronounces the undying enmity between Satan and the Jews:

“And I will put enmity between thee (Satan) and the woman (Israel), and between thy seed and her seed” (Genesis 3:15).

Now the woman, Israel, has two seeds: physical and spiritual.  The physical seed are the descendants of the twelve sons of Jacob: the Jewish people.  The spiritual seed of the woman are Christians and non-Jewish proselytes to the Jewish faith, who worship the God of Israel.  With regard to Christians, the Bible says that all who believe on the name of Jesus Christ are saved by faith, and are thus the spiritual seed of the woman:

“And if ye be Christ’s then are ye Abraham’s seed (spiritual Jews), and heirs according to the promise” (Galatians 3:29).

It is the spiritual seed that concerns our discussion regarding Satan’s hatred of Blacks; for the first spiritual seed of Israel just happened to be a black man.  That’s right: a black man.

But before we go into that, understand that blacks were not always the enemy of Satan.  The first king of Babylon, and, in fact, the world, was a black man, and his name was Nimrod (Genesis 10:8-10, Hislop, 69).  It is a known fact that idolatry began at Babylon, as Nimrod and his wife were worshipped as gods (Genesis 10:8).  (“Mighty one” is the word El, which means a god or an idol.) Nimrod was a very immoral man, who married his own mother, Semiramis.  It is also known that Nimrod worshipped Satan and he and the Babylonians practiced child sacrifice. 

Nimrod seemed to be doing everything that Satan would approve of, so something must have happened, besides the prophecy of Genesis 3:15, that made Satan the bitter enemy of the Black race.  Something did, in fact, happen.  And that something can be found in Chapter 18 of the Book of Exodus, which reveals an important dialogue between Moses and his father-in-law, Jethro.  

It happened on this wise: shortly after the exodus out of Egypt, Jethro, a Black man, brings Moses’ wife and children to where the Israelites are encamped.  Now, the next day, all the Israelites come before Moses, as was their custom, with all their grievances.  The Bible tells it thus:

“And it came to pass on the morrow, that Moses sat to judge the people: and the people stood by Moses from morning unto the evening. 

“And when Moses’ father in law saw all that he did to the people, he said, What is the thing that thou doest to the people? Why sittest thou thyself alone, and all the people stand by thee from morning unto even?

“And Moses said unto his father in law, Because the people come unto me to inquire of God: When they have a matter, they come unto me; and I judge between one and another, and I do make them know the statutes of God, and His laws.

“And Moses’ father in law said unto him, The thing that thou doest is not good. 

“Thou wilt surely wear away, both thou, and this people that is with thee: for this thing is too heavy for thee; thou art not able to perform it thyself alone” (Exodus 18:13-18).

Jethro went on to suggest to Moses a way to minister unto the people without killing himself.  I have never, ever heard a sermon preached on this passage of scripture, but it is crucial to an understanding of Satan’s rabid hatred of Blacks.  It also showcases his diabolical cunning.  

Understand that God and the Israelites had just scored a major victory over Satan and the powers of darkness.  Tradition has it that Noah’s son, Shem, the father of the Jewish people, killed Nimrod because of his abominable practices like child sacrifice.  Satan then took revenge on the descendants of Shem, the Jewish people, and He used Pharaoh and the Egyptians to do it.  Pharoah was Satan’s man, the new Nimrod, and Satan used him to persecute God’s people, Israel.  But Moses, the mighty man of God, went in and by the power of God, led Israel out of that land and forever destroyed Egypt as a world power.

But Satan never rests.  He still had a plan to destroy the Jews.  His plan was to wear Moses out and kill him by having the people come to him with all of their problems and complaints.  The Israelites numbered more than six hundred thousand men, not including women and children (Exodus 12:37).  A very conservative estimate of their number could very comfortably be placed at one million.  Moses sat alone in front of all these people and listened to their problems from morning until evening.  Most professional counselors and psychologists can handle no more than ten clients per day and retain their sanity.  Any more and they run the risk of becoming a casualty themselves.

Satan planned to kill Moses with stress.  He figured that if he took Moses out, the Israelites would have been left without a leader and would perish in the wilderness.  But God had an ace up His sleeve.  He had Moses’ father-in-law come and give him godly advice on how to minister unto the people:

“Hearken now unto my voice, I will give thee counsel, and God shall be with thee…” (Exodus 18:19).

God allowed Moses to take advice from a black man.  And the advice that this black man gave enabled Israel to endure (v. 23).

But what is even more significant, is that this black man’s suggestion affected not only the welfare of God’s people, but also the way that the Jews organized themselves for thousands of years.  In fact, Jethro’s suggestion has been used in Israel right up until this very day: and not just in Israel, but all over the world, in a way that is so significant, that I’m going to cover it in a separate post.  I could hardly believe it when the Spirit led me to see it.  You will scarcely believe it yourselves.  But it’s true.  You don’t want to miss part two of this essay.

I believe that this is when the Blacks became the enemy of Satan.  God used Jethro to save Moses and the Israelites, and his suggestion transformed Israel from an unorganized mob into a feared fighting machine.  No wonder Satan hated Jethro, and why he still hates the Blacks.  Jethro, a Black man, conferred with Moses, a Jewish man, and they defeated Satan’s plan to destroy the Jews.  This league was orchestrated by God.  

But there is something else we need to understand about this black man.  Not only did Jethro advise Moses, but he also worshipped his God.  Jethro was the priest of Midian (Exodus 3:1), but he knew and respected the Most High God.  Listen to what the Bible says:

“And Moses went out to meet his father in law, and did obeisance, and kissed him; and they asked each other of their welfare; and they came into the tent.

“And Moses told his father in law all that the Lord had done unto Pharoah and to the Egyptians for Israel’s sake, and all the travail that had come upon them by the way, and how the Lord delivered them.

“And Jethro rejoiced for all the goodness which the Lord had done to Israel, whom he had delivered out of the hand of the Egyptians.

“And Jethro said, Blessed be the Lord, who hath delivered you out of the hand of the Egyptians, and out of the hand of Pharaoh, who hath delivered the people from under the hand of the Egyptians.

“Now I know that the Lord is greater than all gods: for in the thing wherein they dealt proudly He was above them.

“And Jethro, Moses’ father in law, took a burnt offering and sacrifices for God: and Aaron came, and all the elders of Israel, to eat bread with Moses’ father in law before God” (Exodus 20:7-12).

Did you see that?  Moses’ father in law, a Black man, worshipped God.  And not only that, but he worshipped right along with all the elders of Israel.  This would make Jethro the first spiritual Jew!  Jethro was the very first non-Jewish “seed of the woman.”  And Satan’s hatred of Jethro and his seed is a literal fulfillment of the prophecy of Genesis 3:15!

But there is something else very important here that we ought not miss:   Jethro ate bread with the Jews before God.  Perhaps the significance of this escapes you for the moment, so let me unpack it for you.  Moses took the trouble to point out that these men ate bread together before God.  He wanted us to know that they weren’t just eating to be eating.  This was an act of worship.  These Jewish men and this Black man were eating bread together in fellowship and worship of God.

Saints, this was a foreshadowing of the Lord’s Supper.  This was a picture of the Christian church!  Understand that these were Jews and a non-Jew (Gentile) partaking of bread together as an act of worship.  Thousands of years later, Jews and Gentiles would again eat bread together before God in the person of Jesus Christ (Acts 2:42,46; 20:7).

This was a picture of the Lord’s Supper, and the first non-Jew to eat it was a Black man.  Is this not glorious?  If you understand that nothing is trivial, accidental, or coincidental with God, then you must also understand that this was very intentional on His part.  God loves the Blacks.

This is very significant.  Understand that all the other nations feared and hated the Jews.  But the Blacks loved the Jews—and their God.  This is why God loved the Blacks and still loves them, and why Satan hated them and still hates them to this very day.  Though not His chosen people, Blacks are also beloved of God.  This is the only possible explanation for why of all the nations that were hostile towards the Jews, the Blacks are not numbered among them, though they lived as closely to them as many of the other nations.  The Blacks knew God.  

There is New Testament proof of this.  Remember that in Acts Chapter 8 the Holy Spirit specifically tells Philip to go speak to the Ethiopian eunuch.  Listen to this:

And he (Philip) arose and went: and behold, a man of Ethiopia, an eunuch under great authority under Candace queen of the Ethiopians, who had the charge of all her treasure, and had come to worship,

“Was returning, and sitting in his chariot read Esaias (Isaiah) the prophet” (Acts 8:27-28).

Did you see that?  The Ethiopian was reading from the book of Isaiah.  Blacks still worshipped God!

Now, pay close attention to what the Bible says next:

“Then the Spirit said unto Philip, Go near, and join thyself to this chariot” (v. 29).

Philip preaches the Gospel to the Ethiopian eunuch

Now did you see that?  The Holy Spirit specifically told Philip to go speak to this Ethiopian.  It was God’s plan that he be saved.  But there is much more here that is often overlooked, so we need to look at it.

First, the eunuch was on leave from the court of Candance, the Ethiopian queen.  This is important, for if the Ethiopians had been pagans, then this man would never have been given leave by the queen to go to Jerusalem to worship the God of Israel.  This is proof that the Ethiopians still worshipped God.  Moreover, this man had charge of the queen’s treasure.  He was an important man, and his absence would be felt.  Yet, he was allowed to personally go and worship in Jerusalem.  It can be reasonably assumed, therefore, that the worship of God was as important to the queen as it was to the eunuch.  And, if this is true, then it is highly likely that she, too, worshipped God.  And if the queen worshipped God, it is a forgone conclusion that her subjects did also.

It is also important to note that Candace, Queen of the Ethiopians, was known of Luke, the writer of the Book of Acts, because he names her.  There was still a spiritual connection, evidenced by the Holy Spirit sending Philip to witness to the Ethiopian. 

It is very significant that one of Jesus’ first acts after His ascension into Heaven was to make sure that the Blacks knew that there had been a major change in the plan of salvation.  And Philip preached Jesus to the Ethiopian.  I don’t have to tell you what happened next—but I will.  The Ethiopian gladly accepted the Gospel and was baptized.  Scripture says, “He went on his way rejoicing.”

Do you know that this Ethiopian’s confession and subsequent baptism is the only such event recorded in the Bible?  This man—this Black man—confessed Jesus Christ as the Son of God, and was baptized.  God did not forget the Blacks, but reached out to them with the Gospel.  This shows His love for them. 

This unique account disagrees with profane history, which records that Africans were always pagans and savages before missionaries went to Africa.  But as we have seen, the Bible clearly records that the Blacks already knew God and were also among the first non-Jewish people to worship the Lord Jesus.  They were not hostile to the Gospel.

Is it not strange that the Black race is the first race, other than the Jews, recorded in the Bible as having worshipped God?  Again, this would make Blacks the first spiritual Jews.  Can you now see the significance of the Black race in biblical history?  Do you now understand Satan’s intense hatred for Blacks?

Isn’t it also strange that, according to the Bible, all the other nations to which the Gospel went were pagan EXCEPT the Africans (Ethiopians)?  One need only read the book of Acts and Paul’s epistles to see how pagan the Gentiles were.  But remember that when Philip preached the Gospel to the Ethiopian, he was reading from the Book of Isaiah.  He was already a believer.  

This is extremely important.  This Ethiopian—this Black man-WAS READING THE BIBLE.  Do you know that this is the only instance I know of where the Bible records a non-Jewish, non-Christian person reading from the Bible?  And he is Black!  This is huge!  Many believe that the Europeans brought Christianity to Africa, but according to the Bible, the Africans knew God long before the first white man ever set foot on the Dark Continent.

This has to be true.  We know that during the time of Jesus,  the Jews were under Roman rule.  Yet this Ethiopian eunuch traveled freely to and from Jerusalem to worship God.  This would not have been possible if the Africans had been primitive pagans under Roman rule.  If they had been, then the Romans, to secure their rule over them, would have kept them as pagans.  Yet they knew God.

But there is something else to consider: this Ethiopian was READING.  He could read! This is of major importance, because history records that Africans were always an ignorant and illiterate people.  But as one can plainly see, this is entirely false.  What’s more is that this black man was reading THE BIBLE.  This is significant for several reasons:

  1. If he was reading the Bible in Hebrew, it would show the unbroken solidarity in worship between the Africans and the Jews since the time of Moses.
  2. If he was reading the Bible in his native tongue, then this would mean that the Bible had been translated into his language, even more demonstrating the love his people had for the Word of God.
  3. If he was reading the Bible in Greek, then this would not only mean that he was a very educated man—again, contrary to popular history—but it would also mean that the Old Testament was translated into Greek before the New Testament was even written. This would demonstrate the immense popularity of the Word of God, among the Africans, because Greek was the language of education and commerce at that time.

Any of these scenarios disproves the popular belief that the Africans were always an ignorant, illiterate, savage, pagan people.  To the contrary, they were an highly intelligent, enlightened, and God-fearing people, because God had blessed them.  Can you see why Satan hates the Africans so?

This is another reason Satan is trying to destroy the King James Bible.  Not only because it is the precious Word of God, but because it destroys the myths and false history that his Satanic university and seminary professors teach.  Historical and archaeological sources prove that the Africans were an advanced and prosperous civilization.  What brought them down?  Paganism.  They turned their backs on God.  The same thing is happening here in the United States right now.  We used to be prosperous too.

God does not hate the Black race.  As a matter of fact, they have a cherished place in His heart.  Satan does not want us to know this.  He wants us to believe that God hates Blacks when, in fact, it is Satan himself who hates Blacks.  Satan doesn’t want Blacks to realize the special love God has f0r us.  Satan doesn’t want us to know that his hatred of Blacks is a fulfillment of God’s prophecy of Genesis 3:15 concerning the enmity between Satan and the “seed of the woman.”  Now you know the truth.

Understand that the prophecy of Genesis 3:15 says that there would be enmity not only between Satan and Israel, but between Satan’s seed and Israel’s seed.  And Blacks were the first spiritual seed of Israel.  Regarding racism, this is extremely important, and I’ll tell you why.  

It has been established by credible sources that wealthy Jews in the United States, such as Judah P. Benjamin, played a major role in both the Confederacy and in the American and West Indian slave trade.  Books such as Dope Inc. reveal this fact, as well as the William Cooper series of broadcasts based on this book, entitled The Ugly Truth About the ADL. But what most, if not all, of these sources fail to do, is to emphasize that these Jews were not, in fact, true Jews: that is, Jews who worship Jehovah God.  These dope dealing, slave trading, Black hating Jews “say they are Jews, but are not,” and are what Jesus called the “Synagogue of Satan” (Revelation 2:9, 3:9).  Rather than worshipping God, these Jews worship the goddess.

This is important, because if the Synagogue of Satan existed then, then the Synagogue of Satan exists today. And if the Synagogue of Satan were responsible for the slave trade then, then the Synagogue of Satan is also responsible for racism today.  This means that they were also responsible for the Black Codes, Jim Crow, segregation, apartheid, and the Ku Klux Klan.  

Speaking of the Klan, most people profess ignorance as to what “Ku Klux” actually means. I have even heard that it was an incorrect transliteration of the Greek word kyklos, which means “circle.”  Since it has been established that the Ku Klux Klan was formed from a pre-Civil War occult group known as The Knights of the Golden Circle, I accepted this explanation.  But understanding the importance of the “circle of light” in the occult, and the fact that it was the Synagogue of Satan (false Jews) and the Romans (Latins) that crucified Jesus, I decided to look up the words circle and light in Hebrew and Latin.  

What I found out will amaze you, for I discovered that circle in Hebrew is the word chug (pronounced “koog”), while lux is the Latin word for light.  Pronounced together, koog-lux sounds remarkably like ku klux, wouldn’t you say?

So, it would seem that just as the Synagogue of Satan and the Romans combined to murder Jesus and subsequently persecute the Christian church under Herod, Nero, and a host of Caesars, so were the Synagogue of Satan and Rome responsible for the slave trade and the subsequent persecution and murder of countless Blacks.  For not only is it a fact that false Jews were involved in the American slave trade, but it is also a fact that the Roman Catholic church controlled slavery.  For it has been firmly established that the Vatican’s Treaty of Tordesillas (1494) divided the African slave trade between Portugal and Spain, and Portugal and Spain are Roman Catholic countries.  It has also been established that many of the slave ships that brought African slaves to the New World were largely owned by wealthy Jews.  But these Jews were not true Jews.

You must understand that God does not hate black people, but, in fact, loves them.  And if God loves Blacks, then Satan is compelled to hate Blacks.  And if Satan hates Blacks, then the Synagogue of Satan also hates Blacks.  And it is the Synagogue of Satan that created black racism and was and is responsible for black oppression in the United States and the world.

Blacks must understand this, because the “Curse of Ham,” a heretical doctrine born of an incorrect and entirely deliberate misinterpretation of Genesis 9:25, was used to justify slavery.  The satanic New Age Movement has resurrected this blasphemous teaching and, consequently, many blacks have turned their backs on God and Christianity.  Did you know that there are some Blacks who will not come to Jesus Christ because they think that Christianity is just for whites?  It’s true.  They feel that all that has happened to Blacks throughout history is a result of God’s hatred of Blacks.

I have personal experience with this.  I once witnessed to a Nigerian coworker.  One Friday night after clocking out, I was in the locker room changing my clothes to go home, when I noticed him sitting on a bench looking very sad.  When I asked him what was the matter, he explained that his sister back in Africa was deathly ill and could die at any moment.  I explained that if it were His will, Jesus could heal his sister.  He became slightly angry with me, and told me that Christianity was a white man’s religion, because whites were responsible for all of Africa’s problems, and that most of those whites claim to be Christian.

I told him that anyone who does harm to another could not be a true Christian.  I told him that Jesus loves Blacks.  He told me that he practiced Voodoo because this was a black man’s religion.  I asked him why he was worried about his sister if Voodoo were real.  I persuaded him to pray with me for his sister.  I only understood later that this act of praying with me, though in desperation, was an act of faith, however small.

Well, Jesus healed his sister.  But he still had a hard time accepting Christianity as a religion for Black people.  He, like many other Blacks, had been thoroughly brainwashed.  I still pray that he will one day accept Jesus as his Savior.

I wrote this essay because a friend wondered out loud why the Black race has had such a hard time throughout history.  I had wanted to write it for some time, and she gave me the impetus to do it.  I hope I have answered this question to her satisfaction—and yours.

If you are Black, know that Jesus loves you.  He has always loved you.  

Just because someone claims to be a Christian, doesn’t mean that they are.  Many horrible acts have been perpetrated against Blacks and others in America, Africa, India, Australia, and other parts of the world under the guise of Christianity.  But this is not true Christianity.  

Jesus loves the Black people.  And he wants you to come to Him.  He laid it on my heart to extend this message of love and truth to you.  If you are Black and would like to know Jesus Christ, click here.

The audio podcast of this discussion is available for free at the iTunes Store.  It has much more information than this article.  You may get it by clicking here. 

For your convenience, it is also available below.

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Be encouraged and look up, for your redemption draweth nigh.

The Still Man

Source: The Two Babylons, By Alexander Hislop, Published by Chick Publications.

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Pagans, Witches and Druids, Oh My!

Air Force Academy dedicates pagan worship circle

Grace and peace believers, and greetings to the unbelieving.

I was mildly surprised to hear that the United States Air Force Academy recently dedicated a $80,000 pagan worship center.  You may not realize it, but this actually has prophetic significance.

As you may recall, in our post entitled Animal Rights and the NWO, we propose that the government may one day recognize human sacrifice as a religious privilege based on the errant philosophy that human beings are merely another species of animal. 

You see, Daniel Chapter 8 foretells that animal sacrifice will resume in Israel.  Though many will protest, it will happen, because it is prophetic.  It will no doubt survive opposition because it is a religious privilege. 

Now, if the “a dog is a cat is a pig is a boy” philosophy that the animal rights organization, PETA, espouses ever gains general acceptance, then the witches could use this doctrine to argue that they should be able to practice human sacrifice as a religious privilege.  Understand that this philosophy is being preached in just about every school in America.

Think about it: if the Jews are allowed to sacrifice animals for religious reasons, and if witchcraft is a religion that practices human sacrifice, and if human beings are also animals, then technically witches could also be allowed to sacrifice humans as a religious privilege. 

Understand that Daniel Chapter 8 foretells that The Antichrist “will cause [witch]craft to prosper” (8:25).  When you consider that human sacrifice is an integral part of witchcraft, the chances that this scenario will come to fruition increase exponentially.

An even more frightening scenario would be this:  if there is no difference between a human being and a dog, cat, or pig, cannibalism could also be sanctioned under this scenario.  Now do movies like “Food of the Gods,” “The Silence of the Lambs,” and “Hannibal” make sense to you now? Hollywood is playing prophet.

By the way, can you see the Satanic significance of “The Silence of the Lambs” when you look at a lamb from a Biblical standpoint?  Aren’t Christians lambs?  Wasn’t Jody Foster’s character a good little Christian girl who was being manipulated by a cannibal?  Isn’t cannibalism an activity of Satanism and Witchcraft?  Don’t satanists and witches hate Christians?  Think about these things.

In order for all this to happen, several things must first take place, one of which is that witchcraft has to be recognized by the government as an official religion.  The U.S. military and the prison system already do to an extent, in that their chaplains receive training in Wicca.  But this move by the Air Force Academy is tantamount to official government recognition.  Why?  Because this pagan temple was built with your tax dollars and the government pays the military.

Saints, prophecy is being fulfilled at such an alarming rate that there can be no doubt that we are in the last days of The Last Days.

If you are unsaved, but you are beginning to understand that if the Bible is right about Jewish sacrifices resuming, and you understand that Air Force recognition of witchcraft as a religion is a fulfillment of Biblical prophecy, then you should understand that the Bible is most probably right that Jesus is the only Way to salvation. 

Jesus is coming soon, friends, and believe me: you will want Him to take you with Him when He does.  Get right with Jesus, now.

Watch and pray, Saints.

The Still Man

Copyright © 2011 Anthony Keeton, The Still Man ®.  All rights reserved.

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Posted in Animal Rights, End Times, Mystery Babylon, New World Order, The Great Tribulation, Witchcraft | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Behold How Great A Matter A Little Fire Kindleth!

“The tongue is a little member, and boasteth great things…The tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity…it defileth the whole body, and setteth on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire of hell.  The tongue can no man tame; it is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison” (James 3:5-8).

Grace and peace to the brethren, and greetings to those still in the world.

I hope that you had a blessed Thanksgiving.  Ain’t God good all the time?

Now back to business.

No doubt you have heard of the cheerful Wal-Mart shopper who pepper-sprayed a crowd of people on Black Friday in an effort to fend off contenders for some Xbox consoles.  

This story made me both angry and sad.  After reading it, I sat back and reflected on the depravity necessary to transform a simple shopping day into a trip to the emergency room.  No one was robbing this lady and she was not being sexually assaulted.  Yet she deemed it necessary to brandish a can of pepper spray.  And for what?  An Xbox.  Imagine if she were going for the last jug of water and hurricane Gladys was about to slam the East Coast.  

Of course, if most people knew why it is called “Black Friday” they would stay far away from any shopping center on that day; but I spare you.

For some reason, this incident reminded me of a news story of a few months ago which reported a very unfortunate stabbing incident.

It seems that a man and his son were returning from the boy’s high school graduation.  When they got to their car in the parking garage, the father discovered that the bottle of cologne he had purchased as a graduation gift for his son was missing from the back seat.  Believing it to have been stolen by the two parking attendants, he confronted them.  A confrontation ensued, and one of the attendants brandished a knife, fatally stabbing the man’s son.

No charges were filed against the parking attendant because, according to the news story, the boy’s father allegedly attacked the attendant.  Eyewitnesses and surveillance cameras allegedly confirmed that the attendant acted in self-defense.

What makes this story so sad and troubling is that this man lost his son forever over a $150 bottle of cologne, which I’m sure was not worth the loss of his son.  It is important to understand that it wasn’t the missing cologne that sparked this incident: it was the verbal confrontation that led to the physical altercation ultimately ending in the death of this boy.  The photos I saw showed a man covered in blood and in obvious shock.  How tragic!

This man probably wishes daily that he can have that day back.  He probably wishes that he had just told his son that he had gotten him a nice gift, but someone had stolen it.  His son would likely have been grateful just knowing that his father thought about him.  If he was anything like me, the real gift was just having his dad come to his graduation.  There are endless alternative endings to this story, all of which are preferable to the actual one.

As Christians, we must be careful to avoid situations like this.  We must be very careful in our dealings with unbelievers.  The world is getting increasingly hostile to the Gospel and to the messengers of that Gospel, the Body of Christ.  Persecution often begins with verbal attacks.  People will intentionally orchestrate situations in an attempt to provoke us to retaliate.

  • A neighbor, for instance, might make a derogatory, inflammatory or otherwise threatening comment designed to provoke a verbal altercation.
  • People may react to a benign situation in a manner totally disproportionate to the perceived offense.  An example would be a person who curses you or threatens to harm you for stepping on his foot.
  • People could get physical with you.  For example, someone in a grocery store could nearly run into you with a shopping cart or one of those small cars for the disabled, pretending not to see you.  Or maybe while walking down the street, several people “accidentally” bump into you.
  • Perhaps someone follows you on the road at night shining his high beams.
  • Maybe one of your neighbors parks in front of your house when there is a perfectly usable space in front of his own.
  • Your neighbors or their friends allow their dogs to run up to you barking or leave a noxious little present on your lawn.

These things happen to believers and non-believers alike, but Christians must be extra careful not to overreact when something like this happens.  There are many who will expend a considerable amount of energy to get us to react in an un-Christ-like manner. 

Hatred for Christianity and all Christians is growing exponentially and with it, aggression.  This is all part of a chain of events that will ultimately lead to the outright physical persecution of the Christian church, such as we see in Nigeria, Indonesia and other countries.

In a YouTube video I watched last week, a Christian leader discussed how historically Christians have been persecuted under a variety of false pretenses which were skewed to make the Christians look evil.  Christians, he said, were never persecuted ostensibly for their faith, but were always maligned under another guise.  

Those times are upon us, so we must take care.  Our enemies would like nothing more than to get us heated up to the point that we say or do something inappropriate.  That way, we look like the bad guys.  They want us to appear a menace to society and a threat to “peace and security” so that even decent, peace-loving people will want us out of the way.  Then when they come to round us up, no one will stand up for us. 

This will happen.  But we must make sure that we are blameless.  The Bible says that if we are persecuted for well doing, this is acceptable to God, but when we are persecuted for doing wrong, God gets no glory.  We should, therefore, avoid potentially volatile situations.

Many situations begin with a verbal altercation and morph into something far worse.  So we must be careful what we say.  Our speech must always be pure and blameless.  Paul says that we should use “sound speech that cannot be condemned, that he that is of the contrary part may be ashamed, having no evil thing to say of you” (Titus 2:6-8).  

Though it may be difficult at times, when we find ourselves in a potentially volatile situation, we must take a moment to collect our thoughts and make sure that anything we say would not bring shame and reproach on the cross of Christ.

King Solomon has this to say about our speech:

“Put away from thee a froward mouth, and perverse lips put far from thee” (Proverbs 4:24).

That means we should not use profanity when dealing with people.   Profanity always complicates matters.  Notice the difference in these two statements:

“Why did you do that?”

“Why the !@#$# did you do that?”

See the difference?  It’s hard to get angry with someone who simply asks your motive for doing something.  But it is very easy to get mad at someone who curses at you.  The actual question takes an immediate back seat to the curse word.  No matter what happens to us, we don’t want to be guilty of this one.

Another problem some Christians have is that of joking around.  Have you any idea how many deadly arguments were the result of a joke that went horribly wrong?  People who like to start trouble are often itching for a person to say something that they can pretend to take the wrong way and lay hands on you.  

If you have a penchant for jest, you need to go to God in prayer and ask His help in breaking this habit.  The enemy will eventually take notice of this weakness in your character and try to use it to his advantage and your hurt.  Paul tells us that we should avoid foolish jesting.  We would do well to heed that advice.

We should also use discernment when we are witnessing.  While we should take every opportunity to witness to the unsaved, especially our neighbors, not all are honorable men.  There is a thin line between making every attempt to witness to someone who desperately needs it and getting ourselves mixed up with a fool.  Again King Solomon is our resident expert on this subject:

“Go from the presence of a foolish man, when thou perceivest not in him the lips of knowledge” (Prov. 14:7).

A foolish man cannot hide this fact for long.  At some point, it will become obvious that he is a fool, and you had better do everything you can to get away from him.  That doesn’t mean you should not pray for him or her, but understand that you cannot risk involving yourself with a loose cannon.  At some point, there will be trouble.  Solomon knows this; that is why he says,

“If a wise man contendeth with a foolish man, whether he rage or laugh, there is no rest” (Prov. 29:9).

Understand that a foolish man is so called because he is incontinent: he lacks self-control.  He cannot help but do, say, or think foolishness.  He is somebody’s problem waiting to happen.  But that somebody needn’t be you.  A wise man will do everything he can to avoid such a person.  Like Solomon said, whether you are joking around with him or going off on him, it will come back and bite you—hard.  Leave him be.

One sure-fire way to avoid many situations is to use Godly speech.  A friend once told me how she was once confronted by the enemy in a grocery store.  The lady greeted her in a cordial manner, but instead of a standard greeting, my friend responded with “Hallelujah.”  At this, the person growled and hurried away. 

This is an excellent example of how Satan hates the things of God.  Scripture says that God inhabits our praises, and “Hallelujah” is the highest form of praise.  My friend praised the Lord and the devil fled.  I love it!

The more we use Godly speech and not worldly, our conversation changes and we become less fleshy.  I have an example of this.  My three youngest children were very young when I got saved.  Most of their recollections of me, then, are of their daddy as a saved man.  I was not always that way though, and my speech reflected it.

Recently I sent them some home movies I made when they were just babies.  When I called to ask how they liked the movies, my youngest daughter replied that I sounded “funny.”  I asked her what she meant, but she couldn’t tell me.  I explained to her that I was an unsaved man at the time I shot those videos, and that I often said and did things that were not pleasing to God.  I then apologized for any colorful language they may hear, since I didn’t think to check for that sort of thing when I put the movies together.  

When I thought about it, I realized that it was a great teaching point: their daddy was an unrepentant sinner and acted like one.  Now he is a changed man thanks to the washing and regeneration of the Spirit.  I praise God for the work He wrought in me, which is so profound that even a child can see it.  

Since words lead to actions it follows that the timbre of our actions will match those of our words.  If we use Godly speech, therefore, our actions become Godly and likewise our responses so that we glorify God no matter what we do—even when we get angry.

This is not an exhaustive dissertation on the subject, but it needn’t be.  Let common sense prevail.  Better yet, let the Holy Spirit prevail.  Let everything we think, do, and above all, say, reflect Christ Jesus in us.  Remember that we are the sons of God.

“Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath:

“For the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God” (James 1:19-20).

Be encouraged and look up; your redemption draweth nigh.

The Still Man

Copyright © 2011 Anthony Keeton, The Still Man ®.  All rights reserved.

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Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving to the Brethren in the Lord and in Adam.

Brothers and Sisters, another Thanksgiving Day is upon us.  Let us enjoy it.  But while we are eating turkey, dressing, fried chicken, cranberry sauce, and pecan pie (I just gained five pounds writing that), let us not forget to thank the Lord Jesus for providing for our every need.

We should not only be thankful to God for giving us relative good health, a right mind, beans and rice on the table, and clothes on our backs and shoes on our feet, but we should also be thankful that we live in a relatively free country.  

Here in America we are free to worship the Lord Jesus as we please.  In many countries openly hostile to the Gospel, it is illegal to worship the Lord Jesus.  Christians in those countries risk their lives every day just trying to share the Gospel message with the lost, let alone spending a day giving thanks to the Lord.

America is one of the few countries in the world, if not the only country in the world that has a day dedicated solely to the giving of thanks to God for His providence.  That is truly a great blessing.  Let us not forget this while we are enjoying the fruits of freedom.

We should also not forget the less fortunate.  Let us not forget that there are many hurting people out there who need a material blessing as well as the love of Jesus.  Let us please say a prayer for them.

Let us also not forget to thank those whom God has allowed to come into our lives for a season: those who showed up at just the right time: to help us through a difficult trial, to pray for us, to pray with us, and to pray over us.  Those who listen to us, who cry with us, who grieve with us, and who laugh with us.  And those who simply come with a Word of encouragement at the precise moment that Word was needed.  And, lest we forget, those who bring a warm heart, a quiet spirit, and a love of the Word of God and for the brethren in the Lord: who clothe us with the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness. We must certainly be thankful for these.  I am.

Finally, let us take this opportunity to witness to our unsaved family and friends.  This is one of the few times when people’s hearts are supple and open to the truth.  Many who would normally be reluctant to share their troubles and fears may want to confide in a distant relative or total stranger.  This is especially true in this failing economy.  While conversing over a cup of coffee and slice of pie, you may find a perfect opportunity to give your testimony and slip in the Gospel of Reconciliation.  Be open to the possibilities.

In this season of Thanksgiving, I want to say that I am thankful for all of you who have come here for a word of encouragement, a word of admonishment, a word of wisdom (from the Lord), and, yes, even a word of rebuke.  I am grateful for those who have given me information, thanked me for this ministry, and lifted me up in prayer.   This is a ministry of love and your support has encouraged me greatly.  Yes, I am grateful for you.

And to my estranged family and friends, you are in my prayers.  I have not forgotten you. 

So be well, be thankful, and be safe.  Have a blessed Thanksgiving Day. 

And don’t eat so much that you can’t look up; for our redemption still draweth nigh!

The Still Man

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Confidence in Prayer

Grace and peace to the Body of Christ.

A major stumbling block in the Christian walk is praying with confidence.  Most of us know how to pray, but we don’t pray with confidence because either we are not sure if God will grant our prayer, or we aren’t sure we are praying for the right thing.  Consequently, we take our petitions to God and nervously wait for Him to move.  When we don’t get what we want when we think we should get it, we lose faith.  We could learn from Hannah, the mother of the prophet, Samuel, whose story is told in 1 Samuel.

In the first chapter, we learn Hannah’s story: that God had shut her womb so that she was unable to have children.  As the story goes, it was the custom of Hannah to travel to Jerusalem every year with her husband to offer sacrifices.  During this time, her husband’s second wife would torment Hannah so grievously because she was barren, that she would weep bitterly and would neither eat nor drink.  This went on every year.

During one particular visit, Hannah, grieving as usual, goes to the temple to pray.  In pouring out her supplication to God, she vows that if He would give her a son and take away her reproach, she would dedicate the boy to the Lord.  After Hannah says this prayer, she leaves the temple and goes home, no more sorrowful.  Scripture says,

“So the woman went her way, and did eat, and her countenance was no more sad” (1 Samuel 1:18).

Hannah believed that God would grant her petition, so she no longer fretted over it.  She was confident that it would be done.  Why?  Because she was obedient.  Remember that she and her husband went to Jerusalem faithfully each year to offer a sacrifice to the Lord. Hannah was obedient, and she knew that God is faithful.  So, she was confident that He would honor her obedience and grant her petition.  And we know that God did indeed grant her petition.

The apostle Paul gives another example of confidence in prayer as the fruit of obedience.  In his letter to Philemon, he writes:

“Having confidence in thy obedience I wrote unto thee, knowing that thou wilt also do more than I say.  But withal prepare me also a lodging: for I trust that through your prayers I shall be given unto you” (v. 21-22)

We can learn a great deal from this deceptively simple passage.  Notice that there is no hint of uncertainty in Paul’s words, nor in his actions: “I wrote,” “I know,” “I trust,” “I shall be given.”  There is even an imperative: “Prepare.”  These are all words of action, and they are all the result of confidence: confidence in one’s obedience and in the faithfulness of God.

How can we apply this example to our own prayer life?  First let us hear what God says about listening to our prayers.  Psalm 66:18 says,

“If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me.”

This means that if we sin indiscriminately; that is, we enjoy sinning, God will not hear our prayers.  Do you watch sinful programs like Sex and the City and Desperate Housewives, or reality TV programs like Jersey Shore or Basketball Wives?  Rest assured that if you do, God is not pleased.  If He has answered your prayers, it has been solely an act of grace and probably because you did it in ignorance.  God will fire a couple of warning shots across your bow to wake you up, but do not test His grace. 

This also applies to watching others sin.  Do you laugh at your co-workers’ dirty jokes?  When your roommate throws in an X-rated movie, do you watch too?  When a guest at your in-laws, do you stay in the room when someone throws in a horror flick?  If we tolerate sin in those with whom we live, work and associate, then God will not even hear our prayers.  They will go no farther than the ceiling. 

Therefore, if we want God to hear our prayers, we must hate sin.  This does not mean that we need to be sinless, for this is impossible for us.  But it does mean that we should not enjoy sinning and should do everything we possibly can to avoid it.  When we do sin, we should be sorry and confess that sin to God.  The Bible says,

“If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9).

Confession of sin is very important if we want to stay in the center of God’s will. 

Not only must we confess our sins to God, but we must also confess our faults to one another:

“Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed.  The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much” (James 5:16).

This does not mean that we should confess our sins to men such as a priest as is popularly believed.  Faults does not mean sins.  What this passage is saying is that when we have wronged someone we should go to that person and reconcile our differences.  We should admit they we made a mistake.  This keeps us from being guilty of the sin of pride.

The next thing we must do to make sure that God hears our prayers is to pray according to His will.  The Bible says,

“And this is the confidence that we have in Him, that, if we ask any thing according to His will, He heareth us…” (1 John 5:14).

This means that we must consider whether what we ask of God is what He would want for us, and not simply what we want.  This is very important, because sometimes we want things that may be good to us but are no good for us; that is, spiritually.  If it is of no spiritual benefit to us, we can count on God not wanting it for us.

Now this does not mean that God doesn’t want us to have anything unless it is of a spiritual nature.  A stereo is of no spiritual benefit at all.  But it can be used to play Gospel music that lifts up Jesus, which is good for the spirit.  It is not out of the will of God, therefore, to ask God for a nice stereo.

A car is of no spiritual value, but a car has many benefits, and in some circumstances, can be a necessity.  It is not out of the will of God, therefore, to ask God for a car.  But is it prudent to ask God for a Ferrari?  That depends.  I am of the mind that God sometimes grants those kinds of petitions, but it is on a case-by-case basis, and is determined by other factors such as spiritual maturity.  If God knows that Ferrari will not corrupt you and become an idol, He may give it to you.

In the end though, it is God’s will to give it to us, and we must want it that way.

Remember that in the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus prayed to God to take away the cup of suffering from which He was going to drink.  But even in His anguish, He ultimately prayed for God’s will to be done and not His own.  This is how we too must pray.

So, we know that in order for God to hear our prayers we must:

1.  Not willfully sin against Him

2.  Confess our sins to Him

3.  Pray in accordance with His will

The last thing that we must do to make sure that God will hear our prayers, is to make sure that we are being obedient: that we are doing God’s will.  The Bible says,

“And whatsoever we ask, we receive of Him, because we keep His commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in His sight” (1 John 3:22).

We must keep God’s commandments and do those things that are pleasing to Him.  Now, I’m not going to get very specific about what God’s commandments are, because they are sprinkled throughout both the Old and New Testaments.  I do, however, want to discuss the subject of obedience, because I have had a personal encounter with God due to disobedience.

I got saved six years ago.  The circumstances under which God saved me led me to have an understanding of spiritual warfare that many Christians only come to later in their Christian walk.  I won’t get specifics here; if you want to read more about it, click here.

To make a long story short, I got saved in Germany, a pagan country, and spent the next two years evangelizing.  Prior to my salvation, I had already lived eight years among the Germans: I lived among them, worked with them, played among them, learned their language, ate their food, and sent my children to school with them.  I also spent a great deal of time among the African Diaspora in Munich and even made some attempts to evangelize them. 

So, in a manner of speaking, I have already been on the mission field, though I didn’t face the dangers that missionaries in countries openly hostile to the Gospel face.  There were still dangers, but they were of a covert, spiritual nature.  Most people could probably not imagine stranger bedfellows than Germans and Africans; but believe me: when it comes to the works of darkness, they are of one accord.  I’m a witness.  Forrest Gump would say, “They get along like peas and carrots.”

The spiritual battle did not end when I boarded a plane bound for America and left that country behind me.  Enemies made on behalf of Jesus Christ are enemies for life.  I am still fighting a war: on my behalf, on behalf of my family, and on behalf of others.  I can tell you that to wage this kind of warfare, you must be in God’s will always.  And being in His will means being obedient.

But, sometimes we can think we are being obedient while, in reality, we are being rebellious and this can affect our ability to wage effective spiritual warfare.  This brings me to what I wanted to say with regard to obedience.

God allowed me to see deception and apostasy in the Christian church even before my conversion.  This created a huge problem for me, because once I saw that a church was out of God’s will, I would leave it.  For the most part, I left because I did not feel comfortable, but, on one occasion, even the pastor made it clear he didn’t want me there.  He didn’t tell me to my face, but he dropped little hints that were as plain as the nose on your face.

For this reason, I was never more than a year with any congregation.  Eventually, I gave up going to church, and would simply worship at home, asking God in prayer to find me a church home.

But my spirit would give me no rest, because deep down inside, I knew that I was outside of the will of God, for He told us to not forsake the gathering of ourselves together.  I tried to convince myself that because I had tried unsuccessfully to find a church home and had been praying for God to find me one, I had fulfilled my responsibility.  I basically placed my responsibility to fellowship firmly in God’s lap and said, “You handle it.”

Now, God’s didn’t get mad at me; He simply would not give me any peace on the matter.  And when God doesn’t give you peace, you will be miserable; not simply because you don’t have peace, but because you know that it is because of your own disobedience.  For someone who wants to please Him, it hurts to know you are not.

This can hurt you when you are trying to wage spiritual warfare.  God will still fight your battles, but you will clearly feel something missing, and that something will steal your victory.  This is the Holy Spirit saying, “You gotta fix this, Son.”

So, I found a local church a few weeks ago and joined myself with them this past Sunday. Are they perfect?  No.  Do we agree on every doctrinal issue?  Of course not.  Am I worried?  No.  Why not?  Because I know that God is getting ready to fix the Christian church in America.  We are about to be tried by fire.  This will solve any discrepancies; doctrinal or otherwise. 

The important thing is that I am being obedient and I know it.  The first place it showed was in my prayer life as I was able to fast and pray more efficacious.  This was a full week before I even made up my mind to join this church.  Once I determined in my heart to be obedient, even before I had formally decided, God gave me my peace back.  And peace is essential in spiritual warfare.

I said all of that (and it really was a lot) to emphasize that obedience is crucial for effectual fervent prayer.  In this age of “name it and claim it” few ministries preach obedience, because many pastors are themselves out of step with God.  But as we have clearly seen, it is important.

If you are sold out to Jesus, Satan knows that he will have little success tempting you with outright sin, so he will often try to make you disobey God in some way.  Satan knows the Bible better than you and I ever will.  He knows what we are supposed to do to please God, so He will try to get us to not do those things.  In my case, Satan used my zeal for the Word of God to discourage me from fellowship.  And it worked for a while.

Philemon was obedient and Paul knew it.  This was why Paul had confidence that God would answer Philemon’s prayers on his behalf.  Paul was so confident that he even went so far as to tell Philemon to make plans for his return.  We can have the same confidence Paul had.  The Bible says,

“And if we know that [God] hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions we desired of Him (1 John 5:15).

If God hears our prayers, it is a given–an absolute given–that He will answer us.  This should give us confidence.

There is one more very important thing that I want you to notice about this passage.  Let us look at it once again.

“Having confidence in thy obedience I wrote unto thee, knowing that thou wilt also do more than I say.”

Because of Philemon’s obedience, Paul knew that he would do more than he asked.  He had tremendous confidence in him.  What if I were to tell you that we can have that same confidence in God?  Would you be encouraged?  Then prepare to be encouraged.  The Bible says that God is:

“[a]ble to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us” (Ephesians 3:20).

This is wonderful news!  Paul had tremendous confidence that Philemon would do above what he asked him to do.  But God tells us that He will not only do exceedingly abundantly above what we ask Him to do, but also exceedingly abundantly above what we think!  God doesn’t just exceed our wishes, but He even exceeds our expectations by giving us what we didn’t even think to ask for.

A great example of this is the case of Solomon.  As we know, God told Solomon that He would give Him anything he asked for, and Solomon asked God for wisdom.  God granted his petition, but He even went one better.  He gave Solomon something he hadn’t asked for.  The Bible tells it thus:

“Behold, I have done according to thy word: lo, I have given thee a wise and understanding heart…

“And I have also given thee that which thou hast not asked, both riches, and honour” (1 Kings 3:12-13).

So, God gave Solomon not only what he asked for, but what he did not ask for.  And arguably, King Solomon is more known today for that which he did not ask, than for that which he asked.  Indeed, God is able to do “exceedingly above all that we ask or think.”

But you have to get your head around a crucial part of this verse.  God’s power works “according to the power that worketh in us”—our faith.  In other words, if we believe that God is able to do it, if it is His will, He will do it.  His power will manifest in your life according to your faith in Him. 

Now God knows the stubbornness of the human heart.  He knows that when it comes to faith, everyone comes from Missouri: we say “Show me.”  Therefore, God will reveal His power to us just like He revealed His power to the Israelites on the day He freed them from Egyptian captivity.  

He could have freed the Jews in less dramatic fashion.  Instead of just striking dead the first born of the Egyptians, He could have simply killed them all.  Then the Israelites could have taken their time getting their things together and simply moseyed out of Egypt.  He didn’t have to part the Red Sea; He could just as easily have had a ship tied up and waiting for them.  Better yet, He could have just taken them the Northern route and avoided the Red Sea altogether.  But God didn’t do these things.  He wanted to show the Israelites what He could do, by making it necessary for Him to do it.  He wanted the Israelites to trust Him.

Now if we believe that the Word of God is true forever and that He never changes, then we should believe that He can still do those things.  And if He can still do those things, then surely He can grant our pithy requests.  Is anything too hard for God?

God understands that such faith does not come automatically, but is developed over time.  This is one purpose of the trials He allows us to go through.  Every time God comes through for us, every time He delivers us from something, He proves His credibility.  That is why God not only blesses us according to our faith, but even exceeds our faith.  He does this to raise the bar and get us to reach higher with our faith.

This is naturally a struggle for us, but we must keep struggling.  God wants to bless us.  But we must trust Him.  If we are staying in God’s will by sanctifying ourselves, eschewing sin, confessing our sins, obeying His commandments, and praying according to His will, then when we pray we should not worry that our prayers will not be answered. 

Now, I’m sure that someone is wondering why I did not add “praying in faith” to the list, based on James 1:6-7 which says:

“But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering; for he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed.

“For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord.”

I did not add praying in faith to the list because like I said before, faith takes time to develop, because of our sin nature.  Faith is the fruit of experience.  If you sit in a chair and the legs break under you, even after you have repaired it, you are going to be very tentative sitting in it.  Only after you have sat in it a few times without incident will you begin to have faith that it will not break again.

It is no different with God.  Our faith in Him grows after He has proven Himself faithful over time.  What James means is that when a person to whom God has revealed His faithfulness continues to pray in unbelief, he is essentially calling God a liar.  This was the reason God had Israel wandering in the desert for forty years, when they could have completed the journey to the Promised Land in a few months.  G0d had revealed His power and providence to them on many occasions, yet they continued to doubt Him.  If we do this, God at some point will stop answering our prayers.  This is what James meant.

Now if God were hard and unyielding and 100% faithfulness were required for Him to answer our prayers, you and I would not be in the faith, because we would get tired of our prayers going unanswered.  This kind of faith is only possible for children, which is why Jesus said our faith must be as a little child’s.  Only after Jesus has proven Himself faithful on several occasions do we start to trust Him and have confidence in Him. 

Now some people are capable of this kind of faith right at conversion.  But it will be different with each person depending on what God has done for him and has delivered him from.  Like Jesus said, “He who has been forgiven much, loves (and therefore trusts) more.” 

Once we understand that all things are under Jesus’ feet and that He is 100% in charge, we will learn to pray according to His will.  If it is His will that we have it; we will, and if it is not; we will not.  Either way, it will be for our good and His glory.  We must remember that.

So when we pray, let us be like Hannah: let us go our way, and let our countenance be no more sad.  We can be confident that God is not only willing, but able to answer our prayers: even according to our faith. 

The podcast of this teaching is available for immediate download at the iTunes Store for use with your favorite audio device.  You can subscribe to our free podcast here.  For your convenience, it is also provided below.

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We pray that this teaching will edify and encourage you.

Be encouraged and look up; your redemption draweth nigh. 

The Still Man.

Copyright © 2011 Anthony Keeton, The Still Man ®.  All rights reserved.

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More Enigmatic Symbolism

Grace and peace, brethren.

What kind of hand sign is Gloria Cain, wife of Republican Presidential hopeful, Herman Cain, throwing up?  Is this a normal wave?

And lest you should think this was just an “accident,” New Zealand Prime Minister John Key appears to be doing the same thing below.  So does his wife.

New Zealand Prime Minister John Key with curious wave

By now y0u should realize that they are all in this together.  Regardless of political party, ideological bent, race, color, or creed, they are all of the same mind.  And it ain’t the mind of God.

They are acting out a play before our eyes.  Their mission: to deceive the unsuspecting sheep.  Sheep are always led to the slaughter. 

Update: We now know what this sign is.  To learn about the Cult of Mary, click here.

The Still Man

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Sorry For Any Problems

Dear Brethren in the Lord and in Adam:

If you experienced problems accessing this site in the past 24 hours, or if any comments posted have disappeared, I apologize.  We moved the site to another website hosting company and it is possible that at some point the site was down.  If you posted comments and they have not appeared, it may take awhile because the site has to be updated on servers all over the world and that may take a few days.

We thank you for your patience and understanding.

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1 Corinthians 12 and Dr. Seuss

hortonwhocover

Grace and peace, brothers and sisters, and greetings to the lost.

What do 1 Corinthians 12 and Dr. Seuss’ Horton Hears A Who have in common?  Both share the message “Everyone is a who, no matter how small.”

In the classic Dr. Seuss tale, Horton the elephant hears a tiny voice coming from a flower.  As it turns out, an entire town—a world—of people live in there.  If I recall the story correctly, no one believes Horton when he says that people actually live in the flower.  So, in order that people will know that he was right, Horton suggests that the entire town yell “We’re here!” so that everyone can here them.  So all the people in the little town yell, “We’re here, we’re here, we’re HERE!” into a microphone so loudly and strongly that eventually their voices break through the flower and everyone hears that there is indeed a little world of people living in that little flower.

The message of that story is that no matter how small or seemingly insignificant a person is, he is a person just like everyone else, and therefore, has just as much value as anyone else.

This is also the message of 1 Corinthians 12.  Paul conveys the message to the church that no matter how insignificant one may feel, we are all important to the body of Christ.  To illustrate his point, Paul uses the analogy of the human body.  Beginning in verse 12, Paul says,

“For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ.”

He continues this analogy in verse 14,

“For the body is not one member, but many.  If the foot shall say, Because I am not the hand, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body?  And if the ear shall say, Because I am not the eye, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body?”

He then explains that not everyone can be the eye or the foot, because if it were so, then the body would lack the other parts and their functions:

“If the whole body were an eye, where were the hearing?  If the whole were hearing, where were the smelling?” (v. 17).

He then explains that God has given every part of the human body a specific purpose according to His will…

“But now hath God set the members every one of them in the body, as it hath pleased Him” (v. 18).

…and if everyone were an eye or an ear, then the body would be incomplete:

“And if they were all one member, where were the body?” (v. 19).

Therefore, even though the human body is made up of many different parts, each one is part of the whole…

“But now are they many members, yet but one body” (v. 20).

…and none is more important than another:

“And the eye cannot say unto the hand, I have no need of thee: nor again the head to the feet, I have no need of you” (v. 21).

And the parts that seem to be the least important are, in fact, very important, and should be the more praised.  Therefore, the least beautiful members of the body are actually the most beautiful:

“Nay, much more those members of the body, which seem to be more feeble, are necessary:

“And those members of the body, which we think to be less honourable, upon these we bestow more abundant honour; and our uncomely parts have more abundant comeliness:” (v.v. 22-23).

For our most beautiful parts are not the most necessary, because God has made the body in such a way that the most beautiful parts are nothing without the least beautiful.  Therefore the least beautiful are the most honorable:

“For our comely parts have no need: but God hath tempered the body together, having given more abundant honour to that part which lacked:” (v. 24).

He has done this so that all parts of the body will receive the same honor; and there will be no division in the body:

“That there should be no schism in the body; but that the members should have the same care one for another” (v. 25).

And all parts of the body are alike; so that if one part suffers, the whole body suffers; likewise, if one part is praised, then the whole body should be praised:

“And whether one member suffer, all the members suffer with it; or one member be honoured, all the members rejoice with it” (v. 26).

Paul now brings the analogy home to the body of Christ:

“Now ye are the body of Christ, and members in particular” (v. 27).

And every member of the body has a different function and purpose:

“And God hath set some in the church, first apostles, secondarily prophets, thirdly teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, governments, diversities of tongues” (v. 28).

He next asks a rhetorical question emphasizing that not everyone in the Body of Christ can be a teacher or a prophet:

“Are all apostles? are all prophets?  are all teachers?  are all workers of miracles?

“Have all the gift of healing? do all speak with tongues? do all interpret?” (v.v. 29-30).

The idea is that no one in the Body of Christ is unimportant.  You may not be a pastor or a teacher, or have the gift of tongues or of healing; but that doesn’t mean that you are not important.  Everyone has an integral role in the Body of Christ.  One ministry, for example, that is often overlooked is prayer.  Prayer is the backbone of the Church, and all ministries need prayer.

If you are living a sanctified, separated, and righteous life; that is, a life totally committed to obeying Jesus Christ, and living your life according to His will, then God hears your prayers.  You are doing better than maybe sixty percent of those who name the name of Christ, whose prayers go no farther than the ceiling.

Pray, therefore.  You don’t need to be beautiful, handsome, eloquent, charismatic, or even smart to be an effective prayer warrior.  You only need to be obedient and willing.  The Bible says that prayer can move mountains.  “The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much,” says the Apostle James, the brother of Jesus (James 5:16).

Pray, therefore.  You can pray for your pastor, for Christian ministries, for missionaries, the sick and infirm, your elected officials, and most importantly, the unsaved.  You may even direct your prayers to a specific individual or group.

The important thing to remember is that you don’t have to look far for a way to be of service to the Body of Christ, and you need not feel as though you don’t have a purpose or ministry.  When God saved you, He already had a ministry set aside just for you, and it is a ministry that only YOU can perform.

Never forget that in the Body of Christ, every one is a Who no matter how small.

Be encouraged and look up, for your redemption draweth nigh.

The Still Man

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The Identity of the Antichrist

“And He put forth the form of a hand, and took me by a lock of mine head; and the Spirit lift me up between the earth and the heaven, and brought me in the visions of God to Jerusalem…

“[W]here was the seat of the image of jealousy, which provoketh to jealousy…and behold, northward at the gate of the altar this image of jealousy in the entry” (Ezekiel 8:3,5).

Grace and peace unto the brethren.

This morning I happened upon a certain “Christian” news site, where I came across the following headline:

“The Early Church Father’s Belief About the Antichrist.”

I was hesitant to investigate the article further, because when I hear the term, “church fathers,” I immediately know that it is not referring to the writers of the Four Gospels, but to the men to whom the Roman Catholic church looks for wisdom and light.  I can therefore always count on this interpretation being unscriptural.  But, I clicked on the article anyway, thinking that perhaps—just perhaps—I could be wrong.  I wasn’t.

The author goes on to make six statements about the Antichrist, which he attributes to the “church fathers.”  Though each of these statements is scripturally false, and therefore, doesn’t merit our attention, the second statement is important, as it reflects the opinion of many in the Christian Church:

“The Antichrist will be a Jew, and will achieve his stated objectives by being accepted as the Christ, the messianic King of the Jews, taking his seat in the rebuilt temple in Jerusalem, pretending to be God Himself, and thereby becoming the ‘abomination of desolation’ spoken of by the prophet Daniel and mentioned also by Jesus (Daniel 12:11, Matthew 24:15).”

The author claims that the Antichrist will become the Abomination of Desolation after taking the throne of David in a rebuilt Jewish temple.  But this is a false interpretation of Scripture.  Because many Protestant theologians also hold to this false belief, it behooves us to examine what the Bible has to say on the matter. 

As we shall discover, the Abomination of Desolation and the Antichrist are two separate entities, but they are irrevocably linked.  Therefore, when one discovers who the Abomination of Desolation is, one shall also discover who the Antichrist is.

Before we continue, let us go to the Lord for spiritual guidance.  Remember, the Bible is a spiritual book, so we need the Holy Spirit to guide us as we read.  We should always pray before we study the Bible:

“Heavenly Father, may your blessed Holy Spirit teach and guide us in your Truth, as we read from your Word.  In Jesus’ name, Amen.”

Now let us go to Scripture.  The author cites Daniel 12:11 and Matthew 24:15 as proof of his contention that the Antichrist is the Abomination of Desolation.  Let us examine these passages:

“And from the time that the daily sacrifice shall be taken away, and the abomination that maketh desolate set up, there shall be a thousand two hundred and ninety days” (Dan 12:11).

“When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand). (Matthew 24:15).

From these two passages it may be possible to believe that the Abomination of Desolation is a person.  However, it must also be noted that the Lord Jesus adds, “whoso readeth, let him understand.”  Whenever He says this, He means that we need to be reading with our spiritual eyes wide open.  It means that there is something more here than meets the eye.

First, it would serve our purposes to go to a secular source for a definition of the word abomination.  Webster’s defines abomination as:

“1. Something abominable 2. Extreme disgust and hatred : LOATHING.”

According to this definition, an abomination is a thing rather than a person.  Abomination in Strong’s Concordance is #8441 and is said to mean,

“Something disgusting [morally], i.e. (as noun) an abhorrence: especially idolatry or [concrete] an idol:– abominable (custom, thing), abomination.

Strong’s also defines an abomination as a thing: either a detestable act such as idolatry, or an idol.  This is extremely important.  There are a couple of instances in the Bible where God refers to a person as an abomination, but it is important to understand that it is in connection with the sin of idolatry.  Generally, the word abomination in the Bible refers to an idol or the act of idolatry.  Armed with this understanding, let us examine what the Bible says about the Abomination of Desolation.

As stated, the author cites Daniel 12:11 as the basis for his understanding that the Abomination of Desolation is the Antichrist, but there are passages in Daniel that show that the Abomination is a thing and not a person.  Ironically, Daniel 12:11, which the author quotes, is one of them.  Let us examine it again:

“And from the time that the daily sacrifice shall be taken away, and the abomination that maketh desolate set up, there shall be a thousand two hundred and ninety days” (Daniel 12:11).

People aren’t generally “set up,” but things are.  Now, some contend that “set up” in this sense means to establish in power.  But, as we shall see, Daniel 9:26 refutes this:

“And he (the Antichrist) shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease.

“[A]nd for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate” (Daniel 9:26-27). 

As one can plainly see from this passage, it is the Antichrist who shall take away the Jewish sacrifice.  This presents a problem for those who contend that “set up” in Daniel 12:11 means “to establish in power,” because, in order for the Antichrist to cause the Jewish sacrifices to cease, he would have to already be in power.  The Antichrist, then, cannot be what is being “set up.”  It must be something else.  This makes perfect sense if the Abomination of Desolation is a thing, as we contend, rather than a person.

Now, recall that the definition of abominations includes the act of idolatry.  Daniel 9:27 says that because of the “overspreading of abominations [the Antichrist] shall make it desolate.”  Strong’s says that desolate means, “to be destitute” or “to lie in waste.” In that it is the act of idolatry that is being discussed, it is logical to conclude that desolate in this sense means “desecrated” or “defiled.”  In that the “overspreading of abominations” immediately follows the cessation of the Jewish sacrifices, it is also logical to conclude that the place being made desolate is the Jewish temple, which is where the Jews historically performed animal sacrifices to God.

It would seem, therefore, that the Antichrist will order Jewish sacrifices to cease and commit idolatry in the temple and desecrate it.  In order to commit idolatry, one requires an idol.  The thing being “set up” in Daniel 12:11, therefore, could be an idol.  Daniel 11:31 would seem to support this contention:

“And arms shall stand on [the Antichrist’s] part, and they shall pollute the sanctuary of strength, and shall take away the daily sacrifice, and they shall PLACE the abomination that maketh desolate.” [Boldface and CAPS mine.]

Again, we contend that abominations in Daniel 9:27 means idolatry and that desolations in the same passage means desecration or defilement.  Note that this passage says that the sanctuary of strength shall be “polluted.”  A sanctuary is the central place of worship in a church or temple.  It is also where the altar is located.  Remember this, for it is important.  The pollution of the sanctuary of strength coincides with the taking away of the Jewish sacrifices, which historically took place at the Jewish temple.  Since the sanctuary is where the altar is located, it is logical to conclude that the “sanctuary of strength” is the Holy of Holies, in the Jewish temple.

This would agree with the words of Jesus in Matthew 24:15:

“When ye shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand).”

The Holy Place was the inner sanctum of the Jewish temple, where the Ark of the Covenant was kept.  Now, note that, in addition to being “set up” and “placed,” as we have seen in Daniel 12:11 and 9:27, we now see that the abomination will also “stand” in the holy place.  This is important for several reasons.  

First, it further proves that the abomination of desolation is a thing and not a person.   We have already seen that the Abomination will be “set up,” and we have proven that this term could not apply to the Antichrist.  We have also seen that the Abomination will be “placed,” further suggesting that it is a thing and not a person.  Now we see that the Abomination will “stand” in the “holy place,” which is where the ark of the covenant stood.  This further suggests that the Abomination is a thing and not a person, because the only thing that is supposed to stand in the holy place is an object of worship.

This brings me to my second point.  Recall that the author of the article states that the Antichrist would become the Abomination of Desolation after “taking his seat in the rebuilt temple in Jerusalem.”  But we have also seen that the Abomination would be “set up,” “placed,” and shall “stand” in “the sanctuary of strength,” or “the holy place.”  This is extremely important, because, again, the holy place is where the ark of the covenant stood, and the throne of David is not located there.  In other words, the Antichrist will not rule from the Holy Place, as it were, because the only thing that stands in the holy place is an object of worship.  The abomination of desolation, therefore, is not a person, but an object of worship; and anything that is worshipped other than God is an idol.  Mark 13:14 would seem to confirm this:

“But when ye shall see the abomination of desolation spoken of by Daniel the prophet standing where IT ought not, (let him that readeth understand,)…” (Mark 13:14).

One can plainly see that Jesus uses the third-person neuter pronoun it, which demonstrates conclusively that the abomination is a thing and not a person.  For if the abomination were a person, Jesus would likely have said:

“But when ye shall see the abomination of desolation…standing were HE ought not…” 

Moreover, Jesus yet again immediately follows up His reference to the Abomination of Desolation with “Let him that readeth understand.”  He is telling us to carefully consider the Abomination.  There is more here than meets the eye.  

Therefore, to summarize what we have discussed thus far, if the word abomination refers to an idol, and Daniel 11:38, Daniel 12:11, Matthew 24:15, and Mark 13:14 refer to a thing, as the passages suggest, then the Abomination of Desolation is an idol.  If the desolations spoken of in Daniel 9:27 is idolatry, and the Antichrist will commit these desolations, then the Antichrist will be an idol worshipper.  

We believe that the Antichrist is, in fact, an idol worshipper, and we will prove this by looking at some of his characteristics.  To begin, let us start with Daniel 9:26:

“And after threescore and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off, but not for himself: and the people of the prince that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary; and the end thereof shall be with a flood, and unto the end of the war desolations are determined.”

This verse deals with the prophecy of the 70 weeks given by the angel Gabriel to Daniel.  Now, these are not 70 weeks of days, but 70 prophetic weeks of years, the last week, or seven years, of which is the Great Tribulation.  Now, the “people of the prince that shall come” is important, because the “prince” is the Antichrist and the “people” refers to the nation that the Antichrist will come from.  The passage says that the people of the Antichrist shall destroy Jerusalem and the temple, and we know that this was, in fact, accomplished in 70 AD, when the Roman general, Titus, destroyed Jerusalem and razed the temple to the ground.  Titus was a Roman, so the “people” referred to here are the Romans. 

The Antichrist, then, who is “the prince that shall come,” will be a Roman: that is, a citizen of Rome.

Consider also that Matthew 24:15 and Mark 13:14 both state that the Abomination of Desolation will “stand” in a particular place.  But the author of the aforementioned article contends that the Abomination will “take his seat” in the throne of David.  If this were true, why doesn’t the Bible state that the Abomination of Desolation will sit?  Why, instead, does the Bible say that the Abomination of Desolation will stand?  This, together with the use of the pronoun it in Mark 13:14, may be the greatest evidence that the Abomination of Desolation is not a person, but a thing: specifically an idol.

We continue:

“Neither shall he regard the God of his fathers, nor the desire of women, nor regard any god: for he shall magnify himself above all.

“But in his estate shall he honour the God of forces: and a god whom his fathers knew not shall he honour with gold, and silver, and with precious stones, and pleasant things.

“Thus shall he do in the most strong holds with a strange god, whom he shall acknowledge and increase with glory” (Daniel 11:37-39).

Let us examine this passage closer.  The Antichrist shall not regard:

“The God of his fathers”

The word meaning God here is Elohim, which is the Holy Trinity, or God Almighty.  “God of his fathers” is a frequently used reference to Yahweh, or Jehovah, the God of the Jews (2 Kings 21:22, Acts 22:14).  If Jehovah is the God of the Jews and also the God of the Antichrist’s fathers, then the Antichrist has to be Jewish.  There can be no other explanation for this wording.

“Nor the desire of women”

The Antichrist will be celibate or homosexual.

“Nor…any god”

The Antichrist will not worship Jesus.

“But in his estate shall he honour the God of forces…a god whom his fathers knew not.”

This is very significant.  The his in “in his estate” is God Almighty.  Estate means “place.”  “In his estate” therefore, means “in God’s place” or “instead of God.” 

The use of this term is interesting, because it implies that one is doing something other than what one is supposed to be doing.  For example, if I am supposed to go to the store, yet I go to the beach, one can say that I went to the beach instead of to the store.  If it were not my responsibility to go to the store, however, and I went to the beach, one would simply say that I went to the beach.

The fact that this man worships the God of forces instead of God Almighty may imply that it is his duty to worship God.  In other words, he may be a priest.  This will be important later.

Next, the passage says that the Antichrist will worship the “God of forces.”  In this context, the Hebrew word for god is eloahh (as opposed to Elohim), and is found under Strong’s #433, which gives the following definition:

“eloahh, (el-o-ah), from 410; a deity or the Deity—God, god.  See 430.”

When we go to #410 we see that the word is el, which gives the following definition:

“strength; as adj.  mighty; espec.  the Almighty (but used also of any deity)—God (god), idol, mighty one, power, strong.”

So the word “god” in “God of forces” can mean God Almighty or a deity or idol.  Since verse 37 says that the Antichrist will not regard “the God of his fathers” or Jehovah, this means that the “God of forces” is an idol; for the Bible states that there are no other gods.  Note that the definition of el includes “mighty one” for it is important.

It yet remains for us to discover what the word “forces” means in “God of forces.”  Strong’s says that “forces” in this instance is the word mauz which is based on a word which means “a fortified place” and is defined as “a fort, a fortress, strength, and a strong hold.”  So, the “God of forces” is an idol of the “God of fortresses, or strength.” 

This is very interesting, because Christian pastor and historian, Alexander Hislop, says that the God of forces is Ala Mahozim (If you have your thinking cap on, you can make another important connection), which literally means “god of fortifications.”

In the book, The Two Babylons, Hislop writes:

“Who this god of fortifications could be, commentators have found themselves at a loss to determine.  In the records of antiquity the existence of any god of fortifications has been commonly overlooked; and it must be confessed that no such god stands forth there with any prominence to the ordinary reader. 

“But of the existence of a goddess of fortifications, every one knows that there is the amplest evidence.  That goddess is Cybele, who is universally represented with a mural or turreted crown, or with a fortification (fortress), on her head.” [parentheses mine.]

“The reason why the statue of Cybele wore a crown of towers was, ‘because she first erected them in cities.’  The first city in the world after the flood (from whence the commencement of the world itself was often dated) that had towers and encompassing walls, was Babylon…

“[I]t was Semiramis, the first queen of that city, who was believed to have ‘surrounded Babylon with a wall of brick.’ 

“Semiramis, then, the first deified queen of that city and tower whose top was intended to reach to heaven, must have been the prototype of the goddess who ‘first made towers in cities.’  When we look at the Ephesian Diana, we find evidence to the very same effect.”

Below is a picture of Diana of Ephesus.

Now listen to what Hislop says about the goddess Diana, because it is very important:

“In general, Diana was depicted as a virgin, and the patroness of virginity; but the Ephesian Diana was quite different.  She was represented with all the attributes of the Mother of the gods, and as the Mother of the gods, she wore a turreted crown, such as no one can contemplate without being forcibly reminded of the tower of Babel. 

Now this tower-bearing Diana is by an ancient scholiast [sic] expressly identified with Semiramis.  When, therefore, we remember that Rhea or Cybele, the tower-bearing goddess, was, in point of fact, a Babylonian goddess, and that Semiramis, when deified, was worshipped under the name of Rhea, there will remain, I think no doubt as to the personal identity of the “goddess of fortifications.”

“Rhea or Cybele, the ‘tower-crown’ goddess, was just the female counterpart of the “deity presiding over bulwarks or fortresses;’ and that this deity was Ninus, or Nimrod…If, therefore, Rhea (Cybele), the wife of Kronos (Nimrod) was the goddess of fortifications, Kronos or Saturn, the husband of Rhea, that is, Ninus or Nimrod, the first king of Babylon, must have been Ala mahozin, ‘the god of fortifications’” (Hislop, 31-32).

So, according to Hislop, the goddess of forces is Cybele, who was also called Diana and Rhea (as well as many other names), which identifies her as Semiramis, the first queen of Babylon.  And Hislop says that her husband, Nimrod, the first king of Babylon, was the “god of fortifications” or forces.  Now, pay close attention to what the Bible says about Nimrod:

And Cush begat Nimrod: he began to be a mighty one in the earth.  He was a mighty hunter before the Lord” (Genesis 10:8-9).

Nimrod was a mighty one before the Lord.  “Mighty one,” as you recall, is one definition of el, which means a god or idol.  This is biblical confirmation of historical sources which say that Nimrod was worshiped in the ancient world as a God.

As we have seen, the Bible clearly records that the Antichrist will worship the God of forces.  In that the goddess of fortifications was worshipped under many names, including Diana, Diana of Ephesus, Cybele, and Rhea, it is possible that the Antichrist will also worship her under another name.   Therefore, the best way to identify this goddess in the present day would be to look at her attributes.  Hislop says that Diana was “depicted as a virgin, and the Ephesian Diana was “represented with all the attributes of the Mother of the gods.”  Remember this.

This is what we know about the Antichrist thus far:

– He will be a Roman (Daniel 9:26)

– He will be a Jew (Daniel 11:37)

– He will be celibate (Daniel 11:37)

– He will worship an idol (Daniel 11:38)

– The idol is a goddess (Daniel 11:38/Hislop)

– The goddess is depicted as a virgin and called “the Mother of the gods” (Hislop, 31-32)

The Antichrist and the goddess are inseparable.  So, in order to discover what name the goddess will be called (and is called), it will be necessary to further identify the Antichrist.   To do this, let us look at Daniel 8:23:

“And in the latter time of their kingdom, when the transgressors are come to the full, a king of fierce countenance and understanding dark sentences, shall stand up.”

The angel Gabriel is talking to Daniel about the future.  The “latter time” is the time in which we now live, and the “king” spoken of is the Antichrist.  Let us examine his characteristics.

The Antichrist:

1.  Is a king, which means a ruler.  This is a very significant detail, because when the Antichrist comes to power, there will already be four kings and their kingdoms in place, yet he is not numbered among them (Daniel 8:22).  Because he is already a ruler, yet not numbered among the rulers, it must mean that he is not ostensibly a ruler, but rules from behind the scenes.  In other words, perhaps his kingdom is spiritual, and not (ostensibly) temporal.

2.  Has a fierce countenance.  Webster’s defines fierce as “wild or menacing” and countenance as “face or visage.”  The Antichrist then, will have a fierce or menacing face.

3. Understands “dark sentences.”  This term is used in several places in the
Bible, always in a religious sense (SEE Numbers 12:8, Ps. 49:4, Ps. 78:2, and Prov. 1:6), and means “proverbs”, “riddles,” or “hard saying.”  Webster’s defines a riddle as “something or someone difficult to understand.”  Numbers 12:8 gives an excellent example.  God speaks:

“With him (Moses) will I speak mouth to mouth, even apparently, and not in “dark speeches.” [Parentheses mine.]

The Antichrist, therefore, will be a religious ruler who will speak in words difficult to understand.  Now, Revelation, Chapter 13 tells us something more about the Antichrist and his goddess idol that will be important to our understanding.

“And [the false prophet] deceiveth them that dwell on the earth by means of those miracles which he had power to do in the sight of the beast (Antichrist); saying to them that dwell on the earth, that they should make an image to the beast…

“And he had power to give life unto the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak, and cause that as many as would not worship the image of the beast should be killed” (v.v. 14-15).

It should be noted that an image is an idol.  Now, Bible scholars say the image spoken of in verse 14 is a replica of the Antichrist and I believe this to be true.  But they also believe this image to be the same as the image spoken of in verse 15, which I believe is false.  I will explain why.

At this point in the narrative, the Antichrist is already in power.  Earlier, Revelation 13:5 tells us that “power was given unto [the Antichrist] to continue forty and two months,” which is to say, three and a half years.  This is the midpoint of the seven year Tribulation, and, as we have seen, it is at this time that the Antichrist commands the Jewish sacrifices to end, and places an idol in the Holy Place of the Jewish temple.  So by Revelation 13-14, the Antichrist’s idol, the goddess, already stands in the Holy Place.

Moreover, notice in Revelation 13:14 that the image is “TO the beast” and not “OF the beast.”  The term “to the beast” here appears to mean “in honor of the beast” or “in the beast’s honor.”  We use this term the same way when we speak of making “a toast to someone.” It means paying tribute or honor to a person.

Also notice in verse 14 that the False Prophet says the world “should” make an image to the beast.  It is not a commandment.  Strong’s Concordance says that the word “should,” in this instance, implies “intent or expectation.”  In other words, he is suggesting that they make an image of the Antichrist in his honor.  The reason he suggests this is given in the second half of verse 14:

“And…[the False Prophet said] that they should make an image to the beast, which had the wound by a sword, and did live.” 

This wound is mentioned also in Revelation 13:12 which says,

“[A]nd [the False Prophet] causeth all the earth and them which dwell therein to worship the first beast (Antichrist), whose deadly wound was healed.”

That his wound was “deadly” tells us why they wanted to make a statue in the Antichrist’s honor.  Deadly means fatal as opposed to life-threatening.  If the wound were fatal, then the Antichrist should have died from it (or, in this case, stayed dead).  But since he didn’t, they are hailing him as a god.  This will become clear in a moment.

Bear in mind that verse 14 says that the wound is by a sword, and verse 12 says that it was deadly, but healed.  Now let us go to Revelation Chapter 13:3, which tells us where the wound was.  Now, in this part of the vision, John sees the beast as an actual creature coming out of the sea, “having seven heads and seven horns” (v. 1).  Notice what he says about one of the heads:

“And I saw one of his heads as it were wounded to death; and his deadly wound was healed; and all the world wondered after the beast.”

Both Revelation 13:3 and 13:12 describe a beast with a wound to the head.  Now we know that the Antichrist will be called The Beast and, like the beast from the sea, he has a wound to his head.  It is, therefore, safe to assume that both beasts are one and the same. So this is what we know about the Antichrist’s wound:

1. It is by a sword,

2. It is to the head,

3. It is fatal,

4. YET, it healed

Now, the preceding passages tell us that, in spite of his “deadly wound,” the Antichrist lived.  A wound cannot be “to death,” or fatal, if the person lives.  This is a huge clue.  I believe that the Antichrist will be either shot in the head or publicly beheaded in the sight of the world and later resurrected by the power of Satan, who will possess him.  He will then proclaim himself the Christ.  At that time the whole world will worship him (Revelation 13:4,8).  He will then use this miraculous healing to lay claim to the throne of David.  This is not a stretch, for Judas Iscariot was also possessed by Satan, and he went on to betray Jesus Christ (John 13:27). The Antichrist will be possessed by Satan and make claim to be the Christ.

Think about it.  The prophets foretold that the Jewish Messiah would be killed and resurrected on the third day, and this was fulfilled in Jesus Christ, but the Jews rejected Him.  Anyone proclaiming to be the Messiah, therefore, would have to be killed and resurrected.  The Antichrist will do this, by the power of Satan. 

This is important because if I am right about the identity of the Antichrist, then even though Jesus said that we should flee when we see the Antichrist’s idol, the Abomination of Desolation, standing in the Holy Place, we can know even sooner when to run.  If we see the man whom I believe is the Antichrist beheaded on live television, we can know for certain that he is the man.

This is the ultimate reason I believe the media have been showing us graphic images of death from the war zones of the world.  They are priming us for the time when they will show us on live television the beheading and miraculous resurrection of the Antichrist.  

The Bible supports this theory.  Recall that in Chapter 11 of the Book of the Revelation, we are told that the Two Witnesses shall testify for three and a half years and then be killed by the Antichrist.  Listen to what the Bible says about the world’s reaction:

“And they of the people and kindreds and tongues and nations shall see their dead bodies three days…”

“People, kindreds, and tongues and nations” means the entire world.  I believe this means that the killing of the witnesses will be seen globally, and the only way for this to happen would be for it to be televised live.  The Bible goes on to say that the witnesses will be resurrected and go up to Heaven in the sight of their enemies (Rev. 11:12).  

Because the witnesses’ deaths and resurrection follow the killing and resurrection of the Antichrist, and the Bible tells us that the whole world will see the witnesses bodies, I believe that we shall also see the Antichrist killed and resurrected. Again, given that CNN broadcasts graphic footage from the world’s war zones and trouble spots twenty-four hours a day, this is not at all a stretch.  We are being prepared for something  big.

Now recall that the Bible says that after the Antichrist’s deadly wound is healed, “all the world will worship the beast.”  I believe that what this passage is trying to tell us is that when the Antichrist is resurrected, all the world’s religions will follow him.  This will be the official beginning of the One World Church.  This man will claim to be the Christ and demand that all religions unite under him.  If a man who cannot be killed tells everyone that they must worship him, I don’t think there is one religious leader who will refuse. 

Also understand that the world’s great religions are all waiting for a great leader to appear.  The Jews are waiting for their “Messiah,” the Christians are waiting for Jesus to return, the Muslims are waiting for the Fifth Imam, and the New Agers, Hindis, and Buddhists are waiting for Maitreya (some say the Buddhists are waiting for Buddha). Antichrist will claim to be all of these.

Now let us get get back to the Antichrist’s image.  Revelation 13:15 says something very important about this image that merits our attention:

“And [the False Prophet] had power to give life unto the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak, and cause that as many as would not worship the image of the beast should be killed” (Revelation 13:15).

Notice in referring to the image of the beast, Jesus does not use the personal pronouns, he, she, or it, but instead repeats the phrase “the image of the beast” three times.  Now, it is very unusual to repeat a noun phrase in this way without once using a pronoun.  Something very important to our understanding is going on here.  The False Prophet has given life unto this idol, so that it is now a living thing.  It would, therefore, be correct to refer to it as he or she as well as it.  But Jesus continues to repeat “the image of the beast.”  Why?  Because He is calling our attention to it.  He wants us to think about it: to meditate upon it.  Let us do this, therefore.

Now, it has been proposed by many, including Jack Chick, that “the image of the beast” will be a statue of the Antichrist.  But, as we have established,  it is merely suggested that an image to the Antichrist be made.  There is no verse that tells us that it was, in fact, completed or even begun.  Recall also that by this time, the Abomination of Desolation, which is an idol, already stands in the Holy Place.  If the image of the beast is an idol of the Antichrist, then there would be three idols, because the Antichrist will be worshipped, making him an idol, and the Abomination of Desolation will also be worshipped.  Idols always come in pairs: a male and a female, not trios. 

I believe, therefore, that “the image of the beast” means “the image that belongs to the beast.”

If, for example, I say “Sally’s book,” I am actually saying “the book of Sally” or “the book that belongs to Sally.”  So “the image of the beast” could be the same as “the beast’s image” or “the image that belongs to the beast.”  If we substitute idol for “image” and Antichrist for “beast,” then the phrase becomes “the idol that belongs to the Antichrist” or “the Antichrist’s idol.”  This is clearer and agrees with my contention that, by this time, the Antichrist’s idol already stands in the Jewish temple.

There is something else to consider.  We are told that the Antichrist will desire the world to worship Him (Daniel 11:38), and the world will (Revelation 13:4).  Now, why would the Antichrist want the world to worship an idol of him when he will himself receive worship?  Now, you may say that this is not far-fetched, because Nebuchadnezzar also built an idol that he commanded all to worship.  But the Bible never tells us that Nebuchadnezzar’s idol was of himself, though this is believed by some contemporary Protestant theologians and avoided entirely by the rest.  Though the Bible doesn’t give any specifics about the image other than it was made of gold and was of a certain width and height, Daniel Chapter 4 does give us a very important clue as to the image’s identity that is crucial to this discussion.

But first, recall that Hislop writes that the Goddess of forces was worshipped since antiquity as Diana and Diana of Ephesus.  Recall also that Diana was called Rhea and Cybele, as well as other names, and that all of these were merely aliases for Semiramis, the wife of Nimrod, the first king of Babylon.  Now listen closely.  If all idolatry originated from Babylon, and Nebuchadnezzar was Babylon’s greatest king, then it is not only likely, but highly probable, that Nebuchadnezzar also worshipped the goddess of forces and that the idol that he built and commanded all to worship could have been Diana.

For proof of this, let us go to Daniel Chapter 4.  Now, recall that when Daniel was brought to Babylon by Nebuchadnezzar, he was renamed Belteshazzar.  This is what Nebuchadnezzar says about the name Belteshazzar:  

“Daniel came in before me, whose name was Belteshazzar, according to the name of my god” (Daniel 4:8).

Easton’s Bible Dictionary says this about the name Belteshazzar:

“Belteshazzar – Beltis protect the king!, the Chaldee name given to Daniel by Nebuchadnezzar (Dan 1:7).”

So, Nebuchadnezzar says that the name Belteshazzar was derived from the name of his god, and we see that this god was named Beltis.  Alexander Hislop has this to say about Beltis:

“The very name by which the Italians commonly designate the Virgin, is just the translation of one of the titles of the Babylonian goddess.  As Baal or Belus was the name of the great male divinity of Babylon, so the female divinity was called Beltis (Hislop, 20).

Bel or Baal, which means “Lord,” was just another name for Nimrod.  Beltis, therefore, being the female counterpart of Bel, was none other than Semiramis, who, as we know, also went by the name of Diana—The Virgin.  

You must understand the importance of this.  The Bible tells us that when Nebuchadnezzar built his idol and stood it in the plain of Dura in Babylon, he ordered that all should worship this idol or perish (Daniel 3:6).  According to what we have just learned, it is highly likely that the idol that Nebuchadnezzar set up was Beltis also called Diana, The Virgin.

Now the Book of the Revelation tells us that the False Prophet will do the exact same thing that Nebuchadnezzar did:

“And he (the False Prophet) had power to give life unto the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak, and cause that as many as would not worship the image of the beast should be killed” (Revelation 13:15).

You may ask why it is so important to draw the parallel between Nebuchadnezzar, Antichrist, and goddess worship.  It is important because I could not understand why Daniel 11:38 says that the Antichrist will “magnify himself above all,” yet he will himself worship an idol and demand that the world worship this idol also.  If he will sit “in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God,” then why would he not demand all the world to worship him exclusively?  

It is because the Antichrist, in point of fact, will be the new Nimrod, who was worshipped as a god (Genesis 10:8).  In keeping with the principle of duality, sacred to the Mystery Schools, if there is a god, there must also be a goddess.  The Antichrist’s idol, then, which, as we have seen, goes by the names of Cybele, Rhea, Diana, and Beltis, which are only aliases for Semiramis, the first deified queen, will be that goddess, the counterpart of the Antichrist—the god-man.

This is why the Antichrist is referred to as “the beast that was, and is not, and yet is” (Revelation 17:8).  Nimrod was the world’s first king.  He was not a godly man, which is evident by his name.  The name Nimrod is based on the Chaldee root mrd, which means “to rebel.”  The Jewish Encyclopedia says that Nimrod was “he who made all the people rebellious against God.”   Nimrod and the Babylonians practiced child sacrifice, cannibalism, and witchcraft, and tradition holds that for these crimes and others, he was killed by his great-uncle, Shem, the son of Noah and the father of the Semetic peoples, which includes the Jewish nation.  

The Antichrist will be the reincarnation of Nimrod, and for this reason, the Bible says that the Antichrist shall not “regard…the desire of women.”   His consort will be the goddess, Diana or Beltis, if you will, whom Hislop says was called, “the Queen of Heaven” (p. 103). The world will again worship Nimrod and Semiramis—the god and the goddess—only this time it will be done out in the open, whereas up to now, it has been done (almost) in secret.  This claim is supported by the fact that the Antichrist and “the image of the beast” are the only two individuals, if you will, whom the world will be mandated to worship.  

Now for those who believe that the image of the beast will be a statue of the Antichrist, consider this:  The Antichrist and his image will be located in the same place; to wit: the Jewish temple.  The Antichrist will be seated on the throne of David, and his image will be in the Jewish holy of holies.  Why, would the Antichrist desire worship of himself and also mandate that the people worship a statue of him located in the same building?  If the Antichrist’s image were to be located in another physical location like Nebuchadnezzar’s image, then there would be a logical basis for argument.  But since they will be in the same physical location, it would be pointless for the Antichrist to mandate that the people worship both him and a statue of him.  The only logical conclusion, then, is that the image will not be of the Antichrist, but of someone else.  

This will all make sense to you, when we recall what we know about the Antichrist and his idol:

– He will be a Roman citizen (Daniel 9:26)

– He will be a Jew (Daniel 11:37)

– He will be celibate (Daniel 11:37)

– He will be a ruler (Daniel 8:23)

– He will have a fierce, menacing face (Daniel 8:23)

– He will be a religious leader who speaks words difficult to understand (Daniel 8:23)

– He will worship an idol (Daniel 11:38)

– The idol is a goddess (Daniel 11:38/Hislop 31-32)

– The goddess is depicted as a virgin and called “The Mother of the gods” (Hislop, 31-32).

– She is also known as Beltis, “The Queen of Heaven” (Hislop, 103).

Once we determine the identity of the Antichrist, the identity of his idol, the abomination of desolation, becomes crystal clear: for you see, the Antichrist is none other than the Roman Catholic pope, Benedict XVI.

The pope perfectly fulfills all of the characteristic of Antichrist.  The Vatican sits in Rome, which would technically make the pope a Roman.  He is also celibate.  He is also a king, for Vatican City is recognized as a sovereign state, and one of the pope’s titles is that of “Sovereign of the State of Vatican City.”  This makes him a king in his own right.  He is also the head of the Holy Roman Empire, a theocracy, making him both a secular and religious ruler.  And as one can plainly see in the above photo, he indeed has a fierce countenance, and it shows in virtually every photo I have ever seen of him. 

Pope Benedict XVI fierce countenance

The Roman Catholic mass is said in Latin, a dead language, which is intelligible to the mass of society.  This would qualify as “dark speech.”  And all Roman Catholics, including the pope, worship an idol named Mary, who is called The Virgin, The Mother of God, and The Queen of Heaven.  

The popes have always worshipped Mary.

As for the pope’s Jewish ancestry, although he is German, I believe that at some point, his Jewish ancestry will surface.  Scripture says “all that dwell upon the earth” shall worship the beast (Revelation 13:8).  This includes the Jews, who worship Jehovah God exclusively.  Having denied Jesus, the Jews are still waiting for their Messiah, whom the Bible says will be a descendant of King David.  If the Jews will also worship the Antichrist, then this could only mean that they will believe he is Jewish and a descendant of King David. 

The Bible also says that the Antichrist will sit on the throne of David.  This would never be allowed if the Benedict XVI were not Jewish and his ancestry could not be proved.  If what this Catholic-Jewish lady says about Pope-Benedict’s Jewish-ancestry is true, then he is indeed Jewish, and therefore, fulfills all the characteristics of the Antichrist.

UPDATE May 29, 2015:  The above page discussing Pope Benedict XVI’s Jewish ancestry, was removed from the site.  Click here for my copy of it.

Many believe that it is merely the office of the pope that is the Antichrist, and not one particular person.  Though the office of pope is antichrist, one cannot deny the fierce, overwhelmingly evil countenance of Joseph Ratzinger.  I believe Jesus included this characteristic to make it crystal clear that He is talking about one specific person, and since He went to the trouble of calling this detail to our attention, we should not overlook it.  

 

With regard to the idol known as the Abomination of Desolation, as anyone of even the minutest discernment can plainly see, the Virgin Mary is, in fact, an idol, and she has the same attributes as Diana of Ephesus, who was depicted as a virgin and called “the Mother of the gods.”  Could it be merely a coincidence that the Roman Catholic Mary is also called “The Virgin” and “The Mother of God?”  The Virgin Mary is also called “The Queen of Heaven” as was the goddess Diana.

The Virgin Mary is the Abomination of Desolation, and thanks to the Ecumenical Movement, she is gaining ever increasing acceptance in the Christian church.  Proof of this is the fact that “prophetess” Juanita Bynum is known to have prayed to “The Many Breasted One.”  This is one of the titles of Diana of Ephesus.

We strongly suggest that the reader view our post comparing the Roman Catholic Virgin Mary with the goddess Diana entitled, A Goddess By Any Other Name.  You will also want to read The Star of Your God, The Star of the Sea, and Two Marys.  Collectively, these articles provide convincing evidence that the Virgin Mary is actually the goddess Semiramis, who was worshipped by the Phoenicians and apostate Jews, including King Solomon, as Ashtoreth.  We are confident you will be blessed by this information.

Saints, Benedict XVI is the Antichrist, and the Roman Catholic church is the true enemy of the Christian Church.  This will become all too clear in the very near future.

“He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.”

The podcast of this teaching is available for free at the iTunes Store.  You can download it to your iPod or other mp3 player and listen to it at your leisure.  For your convenience, you can also listen to it below.

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Now that you know who the Antichrist is, we strongly suggest you read our posts identifying The False Prophet and the Mark of the Beast.  A global financial crisis is on the horizon, and I believe that the mark will be offered as part of the solution.  But beware: all who take the mark will be damned for eternity.

Be encouraged, and look up, for your redemption draweth nigh.

The Still Man

Sources:

1.  Hislop, Alexander, The Two Babylons.  Chick Publications.  ISBN: 0-937958-57-3.

2.  Easton, M.G. “Belteshazzar,” Easton’s Bible Dictionary.  Blue Letter Bible.  1897. 24 June, 1996 – 5 June 2012. <http://www.blueletterbible.org/Search/Dictionary/viewTopic.cfm?type=GetTopic&Topic=Belteshazzar&DictList=2#Easton’s>

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Jesus: The Unnamed God

Grace and peace, Saints, and greetings to the lost, who sometimes appear more righteous than we.

I was on YouTube last night watching some Gospel video on a channel I found today.  This brother created his channel in memory of his sister who passed away earlier this year, and he really has some nice videos. 

One of them, however, really surprised me.  It is called “Lord, We Love You,” and it’s by the Barnes Family Reunion II.  Now, the music was nice and they are pretty good singers.  But I marveled at the fact that a song that I assume praises the Lord Jesus does not mention His name one time.

As you can see, quite a few names are rattled off in the course of the video, but not once is the name of Jesus mentioned.  One person even said, “We praise your name,” but he failed to name that name. 

How can this be?  Is not Jesus the name that is above every name?  Do we not believe that there is no other name under heaven by which we must be saved?  Then how is it that so many of us have a real problem saying it? We don’t seem to have a problem saying it when we get mad at somebody.

His name is not Lord; He is Lord.  And I’m sure He takes just as much issue with someone calling Him “Lord” always without saying His name as I would if someone were to constantly call me “man” and never mention mine.

Jesus said that not everyone who says to Him, “Lord, Lord” would enter into the kingdom of heaven.  We need to make it absolutely clear who we mean when we say, Lord.

God has a name.  Let’s start using it for more than a swear word.

By the way, this is what happens when the name of Jesus means no more to a person than Billy Bob, Jim, or Pete.

As you can see, no matter how many times you say it, if the name of Jesus doesn’t mean anything to you, you will never convince anyone otherwise.

The Still man

Copyright © 2011 Anthony Keeton, The Still Man ®.  All rights reserved.

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Eating and Drinking To Damnation

Grace and peace to the Saints in Christ Jesus.

The Last Supper is arguably the most important of all Christian ordinances, as it is the most tangible symbol of the redemptive death of Jesus Christ.  For this reason, many have attempted to restore it to its rightful prominence in the Christian church.  Unfortunately, most of these attempts have met with failure, mostly because they have been based on incorrect interpretations of 1 Corinthians 11.  This has led to some unscriptural practices.

Charismatic faith healer, Ana Mendez Ferrell, for example, reputedly partakes of the Lord’s Supper every day.  This is an obvious misinterpretation of the word “often” in verses 25-26 when Jesus said,

“[T]his do ye as often as ye drink it, in remembrance of me.  For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew the Lord’s death till He come.”

Pastor W.A. Criswell in his book, Criswell’s Guidebook for Pastors, writes that special emphasis should be placed on the accouterments of the ceremony as well as the position of the pastor, deacons, and the congregation.  This he bases on his misunderstanding of the word “worthily” in 1 Corinthians 11:29 to mean “in a worthy, spiritually effective manner” (p. 206).

It is important that we gain a perfect understanding of the Lord’s Supper, since Paul says that an incorrect observance of this ordinance is a heresy; one for which many in the church at Corinth were sick and dying (1 Corinthians 11:30).

To get a proper idea of how Jesus intended for us to eat the Lord’s Supper, we should not depend solely on the interpretation of a particular word in merely one passage of Scripture.  We should rather consider all the scriptures dealing with the ordinance, as each has important information necessary for a complete understanding.  

God’s mind on the Lord’s Supper is presented to us through the words and actions of Jesus, the Apostle Paul, and the disciples.  Jesus shows us how and why the Lord’s Supper should be eaten, Paul explains under what circumstances it should not be eaten, and the disciples show us who may eat it as well as when, how, and how often it should be eaten.  Combined, these examples present a complete picture of this ordinance, and prove that the contemporary observance of the Lord’s Supper has changed considerably from the first-century model.

As many churches today have a false or limited understanding of Paul’s mind on the Lord’s Supper, let us begin this discussion with 1 Corinthians 11, as this is the scripture that pastors most often quote with regard to the ordinance.  Paul speaks:

“For first of all, when ye come together in the church, I hear that there be divisions among you…For there must be also heresies among you…” (v.v. 18-19).

Paul begins by telling the Corinthians that the manner in which they ate the Lord’s Supper was a heresy and had been the cause of division in the church.  Paul next explains the heresy by first telling them what they should not do:

“When ye come together therefore into one place, this is not to eat the Lord’s supper.  

“For in eating every one taketh before other his own supper: and one is hungry, and another is drunken.  

“What?  Have ye not houses to eat and to drink in? or despise ye the church of God, and shame them that have not?” (v.v. 20-22).

In this context, the Greek word for “come together” means to “resort” in the sense of gathering for recreation or entertainment.  Paul is making a clear distinction between gathering for worship and socializing; the latter being an inappropriate time to eat the Lord’s Supper.   

Paul goes on to explain why the Lord’s Supper should not be eaten at social gatherings.  He notes how it was customary for the disciples to bring their own food and drink to these gatherings and that those who couldn’t bring their own food would go hungry.  Paul saw that this disparity between the “haves” and “have nots” showed a lack of charity that damaged the testimony of the church.  Moreover, it was inevitable that someone would get drunk.

Paul next explains in verses 23-26 why a hungry or drunk person should not eat the Lord’s Supper.  Using Jesus’ own words, Paul reminds them that the bread is Jesus’ body and the wine is His blood.  He then reminds them that Christians eat the Lord’s Supper in remembrance of Jesus’ sacrifice, and in so doing, we “show the Lord’s death till He come.”

This is what Paul meant by “worthily” in verses 27 and 29: regarding the bread and wine as food and not the body and blood of Jesus.  One who does so is “not discerning the Lord’s body” and is, therefore, “eating and drinking damnation to himself” (v. 29).  One who eats the Lord’s Supper to satisfy his hunger and thirst and not in honor of Jesus’ sacrifice is guilty of the body and blood of Jesus (v. 27).  This is why Paul says in verse 34, “If any man hunger, let him eat at home.”  

So, while it is wise to stress that only believers should eat the Lord’s Supper, pastors should also make it clear that it should only be eaten at church and then, not on an empty stomach.  The Lord’s Supper is a solemn privilege and should not be regarded as food, but as symbolic of the body and blood of our Lord.

Whereas Paul shows us under what circumstances the Lord’s Supper should not be eaten, the disciples show us who should eat it as well as when, how, and how often it should be eaten.  

“And upon the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread…”  (Acts 20: 7).

There are three very important things we may glean from this verse:  

First, the disciples came together on the first day of the week, Sunday.  It was on Sunday that Mary Magdalene, Peter, and John came to the sepulchre and found it empty.  Jesus was Risen.  Christians worship on Sunday to commemorate this momentous event.   The Lord’s Supper should also be eaten on Sunday because, as the broken bread and wine represent Christ’s crucifixion, eating the bread and drinking the wine on the day of His resurrection is a depiction of both Jesus’s death and resurrection.

Second, these were disciples of Jesus: believing Christians.  Only a believer should eat the Lord’s Supper.  I believe that just as God punishes believers with sickness and death because they dishonor the Lord’s Supper, so does He likewise punish unbelievers who eat the Lord’s Supper.  They are not saved and so do not really believe that Jesus died and shed His blood for the sins of the world.  They should not eat the Lord’s Supper.  

Third, it is vitally important to understand that the disciples came together “to break bread.”  The breaking of bread was specifically associated with Jesus.   Recall that in Luke 24, after Jesus’ resurrection, two disciples encountered Him on their way to Emmaus, but they did not know it was the Lord (Luke 24:13:35).  They invited Jesus to come home with them, and as they sat at meat, Jesus broke the bread.  At that moment, their eyes were opened, and they knew that it was Jesus.  He then disappeared, and they hurried back to Jerusalem and told the others what had happened:

“And they told what things were done in the way, and how He (Jesus) was known of them in breaking of bread” (v. 35).

This passage confirms that the breaking of bread was uniquely identified with the Lord Jesus.  The disciples continued this tradition in remembrance of Him:

“And they continued daily with one accord in the temple and breaking bread from house to house…” (Act. 2:46).

“And they continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine, and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers” (Acts 2:42).

This last verse is very important.  The disciples continued:

1. in the Apostles’ doctrine
2. in fellowship
3. in breaking of bread
4. in prayers

Fellowship, teaching of doctrine, and praying is essentially a definition of church.  This proves that eating the Lord’s Supper was a regular part of the worship service.  That means it was eaten every Sunday, not just on the first Sunday of the month, as in most churches today.

Not only is the breaking of bread important to the Lord’s Supper, but so is the sharing of the broken bread.  We are supposed to give the other half to a brother or sister in Christ.  Jesus perfectly illustrates this point at the Last Supper:

“And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and blessed it, and brake it, and gave it to the disciples, and said, Take, eat (it); [it] is my body.

“And he took the cup (that He was drinking from), and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, Drink ye all [from] it.”  (Matthew 26:26-27).  [Parentheses and brackets mine.]

Jesus and the disciples show that the bread and wine should be shared among the brethren.  It is a token of our unity in Christ Jesus and of our shared hope in His Coming.  It shows that, though we are separate persons, we are one in Christ.  Now, it is perfectly understandable that some would be reluctant to drink from the same cup as another, but it would not be unreasonable for the bread to be broken and shared between brethren.  If it was good enough for the early church, it should be good enough for us.

The contemporary observance of the Lord’s Supper is arguably the greatest evidence of the devastating effect the Roman Catholic Ecumenical Movement has had on the Christian Church.  In many churches, the bread has been replaced by a small, wafer-shaped disc similar to the Roman Catholic communion wafer.  In others, it has been reduced to a bite-sized morsel of a cracker—impossible to break any further, and thus, impossible to share with another. 

The failure of the brethren to break and share bread together is the greatest evidence of the success of Satan’s efforts to destroy the Christian church.  Divide and conquer is one of Satan’s favorite tactics, and there is no more effective way to divide the church than in the one ordinance that most represents the body of Christ.  This ought not to be.

We scream for a revival, but that revival will not come until the Christian Church properly exalts Jesus.  We can begin by properly “showing the Lord’s death till He come”   (1 Corinthians 11:26).  Then He will bless us and the Spirit can begin to move in our churches.  But we are so far down the road of apostasy that I cannot see this happening.

Think about this very carefully.  Obedience is better than sacrifice.  “He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.”

Be encouraged and look up; your redemption draweth nigh.

The Still Man

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Scouts Honor

Grace and peace to the brethren in Christ Jesus, and greetings to my brothers and sisters in Adam.

Richard Turley poses with his Scouting uniform on in an old picture taken in the 1980s.

I came across this incredibly sad story about a pedophile scout master with Boy Scouts Canada, who, despite being reported numerous times to the leadership for molesting young boys, was allowed to continued to maintain his position and continue to have access to boys.  You can find the original story here.

I will let you read this very troubling story for yourself.

Scouts failed to stop sexual predator: CBC investigation

Pedophile moved from troop to troop in B.C., California.

Boy Scouts of America leaders knew for years about incidents involving a Canadian pedophile who preyed on boys in the U.S. but failed to stop him as he moved back to Canada, where he continued his abuse.

The organization sometimes even helped him go undetected by authorities, an investigation by CBC-TV’s The Fifth Estate and the Los Angeles Times has found.

Scouts Canada learned of his inappropriate behaviour in the 1980s and kicked him out, but nearly a decade passed before police charged him with crimes.

Throughout the 1970s and ’80s, Richard Turley was involved with the Scouts across California and British Columbia, molesting at least eight scouts.

“It was easy,” the 58-year-old, who now lives in Alberta, says about how he used scouting to target his victims. “Kids were easily accessible.”

The CBC investigation, which can be seen in full Friday night on The Fifth Estate, catalogued nearly 80 cases in Canada, dating from the 1950s, where either active or former scout leaders committed crimes ranging from sexual assault to possession of child pornography. More than 300 children were abused by leaders while they were active in the movement.

Brazen kidnapping

In 1975, Turley did what he describes as the “craziest, stupid, bizarre thing” he would ever do. California newspaper headlines from 1975 dubbed it a “wild abduction tale.”  In a stolen single-engine Cessna, Turley kidnapped Ed Iris, an 11-year-old Nova Scotia boy living in La Puente, Calif., whom Turley had met while visiting a local scout troop.

A day earlier, he’d shown up at Iris’s house, telling Ed’s mother he was “one of Canada’s top scouts leaders” and asking if he could show the boy around town.  “He had badges all over the place,” says Iris, now 47 and living in Ontario. “He had his Canadian scouting book. It was impressive to a kid.”

Turley took the boy on a fun-filled day in the San Diego area. That night, the two slept in a car inside Turley’s double sleeping bag covered in scouts merit patches, said Iris. Turley later admitted to molesting the boy, though Iris says he slept through it.  In the morning, Turley stole a Cessna at a regional airport, vowing to take Ed back to Canada. With the plane low on fuel, though, Turley was soon forced to land.  Turley, then 21, was arrested and later pleaded guilty to child stealing. At trial, a judge committed him to a state hospital as a “mentally disordered sex offender.”

Police files obtained by The Fifth Estate and the Los Angeles Times show that Boy Scouts of America knew about the incident because they helped officers search for Iris and Turley.  Though the Boy Scouts of America have a decades-old practice of creating “confidential files” recording individuals barred from the group for sex abuse allegations — a system aimed at preventing pedophiles from hopping from troop to troop — it appears no file was created on Turley at that time.

Put on list

In November 1976, 18 months after Turley’s arrival at the Patton State Hospital, he was deemed well enough to be released. The judge ordered him to return to Canada and report for probation if he re-entered the U.S.  Within a year, Turley returned to Southern California to work at a Boy Scout camp near San Diego, an hour’s drive from the hospital. He spent the next three summers working for the camp.

‘Hopefully, he went back to Canada and that was their problem.’—Former Scout executive Buford Hill

On the last day of camp in July 1979, Turley arranged to stay an extra night with three boys from the Orange County troop. All three were molested that night, according to a confidential file later created by the Boy Scouts of America.  The next morning, one boy told his father, a scoutmaster, about the abuse.

The camp director, John LaBare, confronted Turley and “he readily admitted what he had done, expressed concern for his actions, immediately packed and returned to Canada,” according to a letter in Turley’s U.S. “perversion file.” The camp, meanwhile, was told Turley had returned home due to family problems.  Behind the scenes, camp officials requested that the Boy Scouts of America’s Texas-based national office create a “confidential file,” informally known as a “perversion file,” on Turley.

“The parents of the three boys agreed not to press charges if he would leave, but are quite prepared to do so if they hear of his involvement with scouting,” Scouts executive Buford Hill wrote.

Hill told the Los Angeles Times that he was following recommendations of the Boy Scouts of America at the time.  “I don’t remember what we decided, other than we didn’t want this person on our staff,” Hill said. “Hopefully, he went back to Canada and that was their problem.”

In a written statement to the Los Angeles Times, Boy Scouts of America stated that within 25 hours of learning of Turley’s conduct, they expelled him.  “In the 30 years since then, the BSA has continued to enhance its youth protection efforts as society has increased its understanding of the dangers children face,” wrote spokesman Deron Smith.

When Turley was shown the 1979 confidential U.S. file created by the Scouts on him, however, he shook his head in amazement that officials had not contacted police.  “That probably would have put a stop to me years and years ago,” said Turley in an interview at an Alberta motel where he works as a manager and handyman.  “And yet I went back to the Scouts again and again as a leader and offended against the boys until they came forward.”

Others were shocked Turley even made it into the Scouts after his kidnapping conviction and commitment as a sex offender.  “He should have never been there in the first place,” the scoutmaster whose son was allegedly molested by Turley told the Los Angeles Times.

Back in Canada

Though The Fifth Estate found documents showing that Scouts Canada and its American counterpart have traded information about pedophiles banned from their organizations, it appears the two did not share information about Turley.  By August of 1979, Turley had returned to the Victoria area, and within a few years, he’d begun leading a local scouts troop.

Court records show that Turley took scouts on camping trips once or twice a month, often luring boys to his tent by offering warmth or comfort. He used skinny-dipping as a pretense to molest boys and plied them with alcohol.

In his Victoria home, stocked with ice cream, candy, alcohol and porn, he entertained an endless number of boys, including scouts.

‘I absolutely wish now that I had thought about going to police rather than Scout House.’—Scouting supervisor Jean Buydens

“He had an Atari and worked for a candy company and his cupboard was full of candy,” said Jason Davies, one of his victims. “This is where we wanted to go after Scouts.”  While a Scouts Canada leader, Turley also organized trips to the U.S. with his troop and recalls filing paperwork with the Boy Scouts of America to have the visits approved.

Jean Buydens, a scouting supervisor, recalls hearing whispers about parties where Turley offered boys beer and camp outings where he shared tents with boys.  “I was very suspicious of that,” says Buydens, adding she passed on what she heard.

The Fifth Estate spoke to parents, victims and Scouts executives familiar with Turley and found no evidence executives called in the police to investigate. Turley says he was never contacted by police at that time. Scouts Canada said it won’t comment on specific cases. An assistant scoutmaster had also complained about Turley sharing his tent with boys, but the meddling assistant was moved to another troop, CBC News has learned.

As rumours persisted in the mid-1980s, Scout House, the regional headquarters, asked Turley to resign. Scouts Canada added him to a “confidential list,” sources say. The exact date is unknown.  “It should have been handled differently,” says Buydens. “I absolutely wish now that I had thought about going to police rather than Scout House, but I thought talking to Scout House would be enough.”

Canadian conviction

In 1988, Turley sexually assaulted a child at a swimming pool. He was sentenced to 30 days in jail and banned from associating with youth groups such as Scouts, YMCA and the Little League.  It was not until 1995 that police began their first large-scale investigation into Turley – 16 years after the Boy Scouts of America created a “perversion file” and nearly a decade after its Canadian counterpart put him on their “confidential list.”

In the end, it was not the Scouts organization that informed Saanich, B.C., police, but rather a suspicious girlfriend.  Turley was convicted in 1996 of sexually abusing four boys, three of whom were scouts, but later admitted to having at least a dozen victims.

First Victim:

In 1971 at age 18, Turley began more than a year of molestation with his first known victim, nine-year-old Joey Day.  Turley had moved from Toronto to Victoria as a member of the Canadian military, and had befriended Day’s mother.  He offered to take Joey to cub scout meetings, but instead Turley often took the boy to his apartment.  “He fed me alcohol and I believe he was drugging me,” said Day. “I would wake up and I’d be naked in his bed.”

During an undercover sting, Turley later admitted to an officer that being involved with the Scouts organization was a “good way to recruit young boys.”  Turley served five years in prison and seven years of long-term supervised parole, which he completed in 2009.When The Fifth Estate and the Los Angeles Times tracked him down in Alberta earlier this year, Turley said his sexual impulses are now under control thanks to an intense sex-offender program he underwent.

He’s no longer that “monster” moving from “troop to troop picking out people who I thought would be easy to offend against,” he said. “Rick Turley today is a caring loving person who just wants to stay below the radar.”  But he added that he believes the very nature of Scouts made it an easy place to find targets.  “If I look back at my own self, the availability, the trust that was involved with the parents at the time,” said Turley. “I was … the nice guy, who wanted to do everything.”

Screening process

Much in Scouts has changed since the 1970s and 1980s when Turley used the movement to find his victims.  Since 1997, Scouts Canada has required police record checks, reference checks and a special screening interview for all adult volunteers and staff.

The organization’s policies dictates that individuals accused of any sexual abuse are immediately suspended and then investigated, with information passed along to police and child protection authorities.  Scouts Canada also has a stringent “two-deep rule” requiring that two fully screened, registered leaders be present with youth at all times.

Turley recalls always having adult leaders present on his Scouts outings. “It didn’t stop anything,” he says.  Seattle-based lawyer Tim Kosnoff, who has viewed the U.S. “perversion files,” says historically the U.S. Boy Scouts “routinely” chose not to notify police when aware of child molesters, instead noting them in their own secret files.

Despite all the changes made to the Scouts organization, Turley maintains that “Scouting is still a flawed movement.”  “If I was a parent, I would never put my kids in Scouts.”

***********************************END STORY********************************

Please tell me how this man can “steal” an airplane?  How often does that happen?

 

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Inside Mecca

Grace and peace, Saints.

I found a very interesting documentary on Islam told from the perspective of three Muslim pilgrims (a black African, an Indonesian, and a white American) who make their way to Mecca to observe the Hajj.  Besides being very well done and informative, if you pay attention, this video reveals some interesting doctrinal comparisons and contrasts between Islam and Christianity that show why the two are irreconcilable.  

The Hajj is an incredible logistical feat.  I can’t think of anything that quite matches its scope besides perhaps the Olympic Games.  Unfortunately, as you will see, it illustrates that Islam, like all other religions except Christianity, is works-based, though much emphasis is placed on faith.

 

I found the video extremely educational.  I hope you will too.

 

Be encouraged and look up; your redemption draweth nigh.

The Still Man

Copyright © 2011 Anthony Keeton, The Still Man ®.  All rights reserved.

 

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Without Natural Affection

Grace and peace to the Body of the Lord Jesus, and greetings to those still in the world.

No doubt many of you have already seen this tragic story out of China involving a two-year-old girl who was mercilessly run over by not one, but two trucks in the middle of a street.  Incredibly, people just walked impassively by the bleeding child without even trying to help her.  After lying in the middle of the street for what seemed like at least 20 minutes, a lady pulled her to the side of the road and went from shop to shop asking for help and was told to mind her own business.

Eventually, the poor child was taken to the hospital, where she was reportedly in a coma. It is alleged that, if she lives, she will be in a vegetative state.  

This, dear children, is what Communism does to a society.  It sucks every ounce of compassion out of a people.  When the Light of Jesus is extinguished and supplanted with Godless atheism, man-worhipping Humanism, and chimp-blaming evolution; when man gets to decide who is OK and who is not OK; when man makes the rules instead of God, then brother you better hope you are in the majority, because if you are in the minority, you could end up like this little girl—or worse.

This story leaves many questions.  The person who posted the video said the little girl lived a mere 100 meters from where she was hit.  So, there’s a chance that she frequented that area.  If that were the case, then some of the shop owners may have known her.  I don’t buy the explanation that no one helped her because they were afraid it may have been a ploy to get money.  The reaction of the shop owners seemed to suggest that it was a bad idea for anyone to be seen helping that girl.  I wonder who her family were.  They may not have been very popular.  Worse, they may even have been Christians.  Is that a stretch?

Brethren, we have been given a taste of what the New World Order will be like.  A world where everyone just looks out for himself, and children have no value.  The Chinese, as you should know, are already living in the New World Order.

The media always portray China as a near-perfect society; a model of progress and efficiency.  China is made to look like a viable alternative to capitalistic America.  Lately, I have been seeing stories about Americans who prefer to live in China rather than in the U.S.  A few months ago, for instance, I read a story about an American who operates a restaurant in China where he sells his home made beer.  He was just smiling like China was the greatest place on earth.  Economically, it may very well be.

Yet this is the same China where couples are only allowed one child and often girls may be aborted in favor of a son.  This is the same China where the news ran a story a few months ago about a woman who kept her grown 40-something-year-old retarded son in a barn naked and chained to the wall.  This man should have been institutionalized and given the proper help.  But he wasn’t.  Do they not care about the disabled there?

China may be a model of efficiency, but a human soul obviously isn’t worth a dime there. You can always tell where a society is morally by how they treat the least of their people. And you know things are bad when the least treat the least—that is, the children—like dirt.

America is always made to look our worst in front of the rest of the world: Capitalism this, and Capitalism that.  But let me tell you something.  If that is what progress and efficiency look like…if that is what Communism looks like…Then I don’t want it.  At least in America there are some vestiges of Christianity left.  At least there are some scraps of morality left.  At least there are some morsels of decency left.  And it is to those vestiges…those scraps…those morsels, that I cling.  And I’ll cling to them tenaciously to the very end.

Saints, God wanted us to see this video.  God wanted us to know what is REALLY going on with China, morally.  And as you can see, it is not very pretty.  The problem is, that many Americans think that Godless Communism is a good thing.  But if they can do this to a helpless child, think what they can do to any one of us.  

True, we don’t have all of the facts.  But could there possibly be a good reason to treat this child so?

I’ve said it many times, Saints, and I’ll say it again: Witness, while there’s still time. America is fast becoming what you see in that video.  There are people right here in this country who are just as cruel, just as vicious, and just as apathetic as the people in that video.  Many of them are your neighbors.  BELIEVE ME.  Children in this country are being abused and murdered every day.  And it is getting worse.  The only chance to save this country, at least for a little while, is Jesus Christ.

And we must pray for the Chinese.

Pray, and hold fast to your children.

The Still Man

**********************************UPDATE*************************************

October 20, 2011.  Unfortunately, the little girl died today.  Oh, come quickly, Lord Jesus!

 

Copyright © 2011 Anthony Keeton, The Still Man ®.  All rights reserved.

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R.I.P. Rev. James Moore

Grace and peace, Saints.

I have been listening to this man for about three years on a gospel CD I have.  He’s singing with Dr. Bobby Jones and New Life and the name of the song is “He’s Sweet I Know.”  That song moved me so much that I had to find out more about this man.  

I found a lot of his music on YouTube and have been listening for about four hours now.  I had to share this with the Body of Christ.  This man can move me like no other gospel singer can.

To my great sadness and joy, I found out that he’s gone on to meet the Lord.  R.I.P. brother James.  Your music is still touching us.  This is gospel folks.  Enjoy.

Lord, what a beautiful song.  This ain’t no Mary, Mary, Kirk Franklin stuff.

This man was blind and deathly ill and he still praised Jesus with all his might.  Did you see the faces of the people?  Tears, praising…that’s what REAL gospel music does to you! That’s because the power of worldly music is in the beat, while the power of Gospel music…REAL gospel music, is in the words and the Spirit.

Now, if that don’t move you…if that don’t MOVE you, you need to check your pulse and see if you’re still alive.  

If you liked that one, wait until you hear what they did with Psalm 91 below.  Just beautiful.

You should also listen to the one entitled “When The Praises Go Up.”  That one really blessed my soul.

Let this music encourage you, Saints.  Dark times are coming.  Let this music remind us why we are in this fight.

The Still Man

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The Charismatic Movement, The Lord’s Supper, and the New Age

 “For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ” (2 Corinthians 11:13). 

Grace and peace to the Body of Christ and greetings to the world.

Today I watched a video featuring a woman named Ana Mendez Ferrel, who claims to be an apostle of the Lord Jesus (Whom she calls Yeshua).  Like many New Age false prophets, this lady claims miraculous powers, which, according to her, she received when the heavens opened and God “downloaded” His powers upon her.  Consequently, she purports to have this amazing ability to speak in previously unknown tongues.  She also claims to have the ability to raise people from the dead and even said that she resurrected her own daughter, who she said had died after breaking her neck.

Ms. Ferrel said that she received this power after she first repented to God, then asked Jesus to forgive her, and finally took “communion” (Charismatic speak for the Lord’s Supper).  She claims that the power to do these miracles comes from the blood of Jesus, and is available to anyone who partakes of the Lord’s Supper, which she claims to take every day.

This, of course, is an illustration of the Charismatic Movement’s emphasis on the gifts of the Holy Spirit, specifically tongues and healing.  As we discussed in our series on the Charismatic Movement, the ultimate goal of this movement is to bring the world’s religions, particularly Protestant Christianity, under the headship of the Roman Catholic pope; hence, Ms. Ferrel’s emphasis on communion and the reference to the wine being the blood of Jesus Christ.

If you watch the other videos on this series, you will notice that in the advertisement for Ms. Ferrel’s DVD series, “Jesus” is seen holding up and blessing a piece of bread that is large and perfectly round in the same manner that Roman Catholic priests hold up and bless the eucharist.

You will also notice that Ms. Ferrel never says the Lord’s Supper is symbolic: that the bread is symbolic of Jesus’ body and the wine is symbolic of His blood.  Rather, she says that the bread and wine are the body and blood of Jesus.  This conforms to the Roman Catholic doctrine of the Real Presence, which teaches that the body, blood, and divinity of Jesus are actually present in the communion wafer that Catholics receive in their mouths. That is why, when speaking of her encounter with “Satan,” Ferrel says Satan fled from Jesus’ blood “which was in [her].” 

We know that as Christians, Jesus’ blood is not in us.  Jesus’ blood served one purpose: to wash us free from sin (Hebrews 9:22).  Our power comes from the name of Jesus, not His blood.  One can claim that the blood of Jesus is in him, however, if one eats the Roman Catholic communion wafer believing that Jesus’ body and blood are actually in it.

This is why Ferrell claims to have such miraculous powers.  If one believes that Jesus’ divinity; that is, His Godhood, are in the communion wafer as well as His body and blood, and one consumes this wafer, then one can also claim to be able to perform miracles as Jesus did.  And if one has Jesus’ divinity in Him, then one can claim to be God; for Jesus said, “The Father is in me, and I in Him” (John 10:38).  This is what I believe Ms. Ferrel is really trying to say.  This exposes the New Age character of the Charismatic Movement, for New Agers also claim to be God. 

Steve Harvey, another New Ager, claims to worship God, but as we discuss in Is Steve Harvey a Christian?, this is simply not the case.  Remember that in Exodus 3:14, God told Moses that His name was “I Am.”  Jesus also claimed to be the Great I Am (John 8:58).  Steve Harvey makes the same claim below. 

Harvey is saying that he is God.  In case you are still skeptical, notice that the center portion of the “W” is a pyramid with a capstone.  This has special significance:

“DELTA.  The name of the fourth letter of the Greek alphabet.  In form it is a triangle, and was considered by the ancient Egyptians a symbol of fire, and also of God” (Macoy, p. 118).

Notice he is also forming a triangle, or pyramid, with his hands.  This man thinks he is a god, just like Ana Mendez Ferrel.

Now taking this analogy further, if one truly believes that the body, blood, and divinity of Jesus are in the eucharist, and one is a thinking person, then one must not only believe that if he eats the wafer, he can perform the miracles of Jesus.  One must also believe that one is Jesus, for what is Jesus if not His body, blood, and divinity?  Jesus the Son of man was body and blood—human.  Jesus the Son of God is divinity—God. 

Therefore the thinking person who adheres to this doctrine would have to believe:

1. That he is able to pay for his own sins, thus, redeeming himself.  This doctrine is reflected in many religions like Freemasonry, Jehovah’s Witnesses, and Mormonism.  This is also seen in the New Age emphasis on self (self-improvement, self-help, self-healing through herbs, etc.)  All of these groups are “working” toward perfecting themselves—becoming gods. 

The catch phrase of the New Age religion is that one must be responsible for oneself.  That includes being responsible for your own sins.  In other words, they are not teaching that one should be sorry for his sins and accept Jesus’ sacrifice for sins.  They are teaching that one has to be responsible for redeeming oneself from one’s sins.  One must realize that one is God.

2. That if he can forgive his own sins, then he can also forgive the sins of others.  We have already seen the results of this blasphemous practice in Roman Catholicism.  And we will see it again, very shortly.

3. That he is sinless.  If Jesus was sinless, and Jesus is in him, then he is also sinless.

4. That there is no sin: For if he is God, and God determines what is sin, then one can claim that sin doesn’t exist.  He who makes the game makes the rules.

5. That he can decide for himself what is right and wrong.  After all he is God, and Satan said, “And ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil” (Genesis 3:5).  This is what spawned the New Age motto “Do your own thing.”  The problem with this is that there is no guilt for sin and therefore, no repentance.  Ultimately this goes back to #1, for if a person is able to redeem himself of his sins, as only God can do, then he should be able to determine for himself what is sin, because he is god.  We are seeing the tragic results of this thinking every day in the media.

6. That he is going to heaven even if he doesn’t accept Jesus as Savior.  If it is Jesus’ death and the shedding of His blood that saves us, as the Bible teaches, then if the person has consumed the body and blood of Jesus he can literally say that he has salvation within him.  He doesn’t need Jesus’ sacrifice.

7. That as Creator, he gets to say not only what’s right and what’s wrong, but also who is right and who is wrong.  This could be based on a number of factors including race, religion, gender, etc.  Do you see where this thinking could lead and is leading?

As you can see, only chaos, anarchy, self-righteousness, prejudice, and elitism can result from such a blasphemous doctrine as the Real Presence, and the effects on society would be disastrous.  Now take a look around you and consider the state of things.  You no longer have to ask yourself why things are as bad as they are. 

I want to point out that in the third video the advertisement for Sid Roth’s ministry says that the Jews will be won to Jesus “through signs and wonders.”  This means that the Charismatic Movement will also be used to join the Jewish religion to Rome.  This should not surprise us as Jesus said that the Jews rejected Him, who came in the name of God, but that they will accept one who comes in his own name (John 5:43).

Ana Ferrell Mendez is profaning the Lord’s Supper.  The doctrine that the literal body and blood of Jesus is present in the bread and wine is an abomination to God.  It is not Christian.  But then again, neither is the Charismatic Movement. 

Click here to learn how the Lord’s Supper is supposed to be observed. 

Be encouraged and look up, for your redemption draweth nigh.

The Still Man 

Source: A Dictionary of Freemasonry, by Robert Macoy.

Copyright © 2011-2012 Anthony Keeton, The Still Man ®.  All Rights Reserved.

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Warning To All Christian Bloggers and Websites

Grace and peace.

To All Christian Bloggers and Webmasters who use the WP-Bible plugin: It is inserting a message on every page where you have inserted Bible verses.  The message reads, “Izbrano poglavje ne obstaja!” It turns out that this is Slovenian for “The Selected Issue Does Not Exist.”

I discovered this phenomenon while checking entries in my statistics software.  I clicked on a link to a post a visitor had viewed, which was listed under a tag.  The above phrase appeared in the abbreviated content heading for some posts, but not for others. I then discovered that it only appears on pages that have a Scripture verse, because the plugin only runs on those pages.

I ran a google search for the term which brought up around 240,000 hits, the majority of which were Christian websites and blogs, and they all begin with this phrase followed by “WP-Bible Plugin.”  I then ran an internet translation program on the phrase, which produced the above translation.

The message will not come up when you call up or edit a webpage.  In my case, it only came up in my statistics program when I clicked on visitor entry that was under a tag, when I clicked on the “Post Tags” in Dashboard, and when I ran a google search for the phrase.  It must in some way be keyed to a search engine.

The programmer who created the plugin may just be a practical joker, but if he is a malicious hacker who dislikes Christians, he has found a beautiful way to find all Christian websites running his plugin to which he could do whatever he likes.

Than again, maybe this is something that plugin developers do to track how many people are actually using their software, as opposed to how many people have downloaded it.

Even so, it would have been nice to have known about it beforehand, rather than finding out about it the way I did.  I don’t like the idea that a program is doing something I don’t know anything about.  Then again they probably all do.

Watch and pray, Saints.  The enemy has a lot of tricks up his sleeve.

The Still Man

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Five-Year-Old-Boy Molested by Kindergarten Classmates

Grace and peace to my brethren in the Lord and greetings to those still in darkness.

In case you think that the proliferation of the homosexual lifestyle in Hollywood, the media, and the educational system isn’t affecting our young ones, think again.  Last month, a five-year-old boy was molested by his kindergarten classmates.  Apparently, they held the little boy on the floor, pulled his pants down, and performed digital insertion on the helpless child.

Besides emotional trauma, according to the boy’s mother, he has also suffered some gender confusion and was afraid to return to school.  Thankfully, he was allowed to transfer to another school as a safety concern. 

This dear child is going to need a lot of psychological counseling.  

Folks, the sodomites in Sodom and those spoken of in Judges Chapter 19 both organized themselves into vicious gangs and tried to forcibly rape a heterosexual male.  The media, which cater to homosexuals, have gone to great lengths to make their sordid lifestyle appear peaceful, caring, and loving.  But the Bible is clear on just how perverted they truly are.  That’s why they hate the King James Bible, because it hits them where they live, and convicts them of their abominable sin.  

This little boy could easily have been your child or mine.  We should not be afraid to speak out against homosexuality and we should witness to homosexuals whenever possible.  Some of them no doubt desperately want out of their prison of immorality, but have been told that they were “born that way” and that there is no way out.  But my Bible tells me that anyone can become a new creature through Jesus Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17).  

Homosexuals are working feverishly to silence Christians’ witness by getting soul-winning declared as hate speech and the Bible as hate literature.  We must witness to homosexuals and warn the Body of Christ before its too late.

The Still Man

Copyright © 2011 Anthony Keeton, The Still Man.  All Rights Reserved.

 

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Occult Symbology and the Christian Church

Grace and peace to the brethren and greetings to the unsaved.

As some of you may be aware if you have followed this site since its start a few months ago, as well as doctrinal issues, some current events, and whatever the Spirit moves us to talk about, we have also from time to time touched on the ancient pagan religion of Babylon.  This is because the symbology associated with this religion is more prevalent today than in any other time since the Dark Ages.

With the Protestant Reformation, the world came out of the Dark Ages and was again filled with the knowledge of God and of His Savior, Jesus Christ.  And once again, as it did upon the death of the great rebel Nimrod, paganism went underground were it was kept alive through the secret societies, fraternal organizations, and other groups.  But it was always their intent to resurface once again and indoctrinate the newer generations with their poisonous practices.

The pagans began to resurface and infiltrate key areas of power and influence including the educational establishment, our military, law enforcement, the government, and most especially the entertainment business and the media.  Slowly they began a “silent war” or quiet revolution, the goal of which was to destroy the Christian religion and any faith in the Almighty God and supplant that faith with the worship of Lucifer, the Fallen Angel, who we know as Satan.

As we drifted ever farther from God, the vestiges of the old pagan worship began to surface in the form of symbols.  The pyramid, the five- and six-pointed star, the ankh, the obelisk, the broken cross (peace sign), and other symbols became ubiquitous to the extent they became associated with ordinary areas of life.  

During WWII a strange hand sign appeared in the so-called “v” for “victory” sign made famous by Winston Churchill.  After a brief slumber, this hand sign again appeared in the 60’s, now supposedly meaning peace.  Gradually other signs such as the familiar El Diablo/Il Carnuto, the “hang loose” sign, and others began to appear.  These hand signs, which formerly had only been used as covert communication by initiates of the pagan religions, became widely used by the “profane.”

Even many Christians used them.  Most had no idea what they were really saying, but their use by the uninitiated lent an air of legitimacy to them.  This actually helped the pagans because one could no longer be certain that someone using such a hand sign was into the occult.

And now in the 21st Century the pagans have literally infiltrated every aspect of society. No area of existence is free from their influence.  Hollywood pushes their amoral values, the media glamorize their sordid lifestyle, the fashion industry peddles their scandalous clothing, and the educational system parrots their religion. Pagan terminology is now a permanent part of the English lexicon.  Did you know, for instance, that the terms “more power to you” and “may the force be with you” were initially used only between witches? It’s true.

Masonic Church of Christ

Now the pagans have succeeded in taking over many of our churches.  They have always been there, but now, for the first time we can see that they are conquering them.  They haven’t conquered the True Church, which consists of the true followers of Jesus Christ, and they will never conquer her.  Jesus said that the gates of hell shall not prevail against her.  The Bible says that the church will possess the earth and all the world’s kingdoms.

That doesn’t mean that we should just sit back and be complacent as we see Satan moving on our churches.  We should warn the Body of Christ of Satan’s devices.  That is why I included the information on the symbology of Mystery Babylon.  I thought that it would help Christians to be able to recognize symbols when they see them.

But I’ve come to realize that the enemy is using the subject of symbology and the ancient religion of Babylon to lead the church astray.

Yesterday for example, I followed a link on YouTube to a video by G. Craig Lewis.  As you may know, Lewis often preaches on the occult influences in the Hip Hop industry.  As I was watching one of his videos he suddenly flashed very obviously the el diablo, horned-devil sign.  I was shocked.  I rewound it several times to be sure that I really saw that, and, sure enough, I did.  Now my reaction wasn’t based solely on this one action.  I had seen him flash the three-six sign (also called the “three rings) a couple of times before in this same video, but I gave him the benefit of the doubt.  I see occult influence in so many areas of life, that I have sometimes wondered if in my zeal for truth, I am only seeing what I want to see.  But I am not.  The occult really is that prevalent.  The Bible says the world will worship the Beast.  And the people are already primed for him to make his appearance.

Now, since I made this discovery, I wondered if anyone else had noticed the same thing. It turned out that others had also noticed him flashing satanic hand signs and posted videos showing him doing it.  On one video, for instance, he flashes the three-sixes sign (the “OK” sign) several times during his message:

DISCLAIMER: AS IS COMMON ON YOUTUBE, THIS PERSON EXPOSES A TRUTH, BUT HE MIXES HIS OWN ERRANT BELIEFS IN WITH IT.  IN THIS CASE, HE PROMOTES THE BELIEF THAT JESUS WAS A BLACK MAN. PATENTLY FALSE.

Now the problem is this:  C. Craig Lewis tells a lot of truth about the occult, but most of what he says has already been said by others.  For example, what Christian doesn’t know by now that Satan controls the music industry (including most Gospel music) and that most, if not all, of your favorite music artists and Gospel singers worship Satan (or Lucifer)?

Chris Brown flashes covert satanic El Diablo sign

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Any Winehouse pays homage to Satan

Whitney Houston throws up the Satanic El Diablo hand sign.

Kirk Franklin covertly declares his allegiance to Satan

What Christian doesn’t know by now that Satan totally owns and controls the Hollywood entertainment industry and that most, if not all, of your favorite celebrities worship Satan?

What Christian doesn’t know by now that Satan totally owns and controls the sports industry and that most, if not all, of your favorite sports heros worship Satan?

Dennis Rodman flashes satanic El Diablo sign

Rick Patino flashes the satanic El Diablo sign

Usain Bolt flashes satanic El Diablo sign at the IAAF World Athletics Championships - Osaka 2007 - Nagai Stadium

This explains a lot, doesn’t it?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Who woulda thunk it?

 

 

 

 

 

 

What Christian doesn’t know by now that Satan totally owns and controls the government, politics and the military and that most, if not all, of our politicians, royalty, and top military brass worship Satan?

Sargent Shriver, father of Maria Shriver, flashes a covert El Diablo sign

Prince William flashes satanic El Diablo sign

 

 

 

 

 

General Dempsey flashes satanic El Diablo sign

 

 

 

 

 

 

So what does it profit the Church of Jesus Christ to continue to beat this dead horse?  We should know by now that if it is of the world, it is of Satan.  We cannot partake of heaven and of hell.  We cannot drink the cup of the Lord, and the cup of devils.

If you are a Christian who watches TV or listens to secular music, you are in danger (as was I), because not only do these artists worship Satan (or Lucifer), but many, if not most, blaspheme Jesus Christ in their music.  Yesterday for example, I was listening to the radio and a certain song by The Notorious B.I.G. came on.  I don’t normally listen to the radio for enjoyment, but for the past eight months I had developed a routine of listening to it during my morning workout.  Certain songs are easy to workout to because of their rhythm.  But there is a danger in this, as I discovered yesterday.  It happened on this wise:

While I was working out, a song by Biggie Smalls came on called “Hypnotize.”  Anyone who has heard this song knows that it has a nice beat and if you can imagine it, you can see how its rhythm is perfectly suited to certain workout movements.  So, I’m working out and listening to the music, when I think I hear the word, Jesus.  In fact, I know I hear the word, Jesus.  Instantly, I get up and turn the radio off, and I reflect on the fact that as a Christian, I can’t even listen to this music when I’m working out, because just about all of it blasphemes the name of Jesus.

So this morning I got on the internet to search for the lyrics to the song to see if I really heard Biggie Smalls say the name of Jesus.  Sure enough, he did.  Here is the line that has the irreverent reference to our Lord:

“So I just speak my piece, keep my peace,
Cubans with the Jesus piece, with my peeps…”

Now, the Bible tells us not to take the name of the Lord in vain, for to do so, is an abomination unto the Lord.  Biggie is not paying homage to Jesus, and if you were to hear the rest of the lyrics to the song, you would know that to associate the name of Jesus Christ with a song like that is blasphemy of the highest order.  I did not know that the song was so filthy until I actually read the lyrics today.  They set the lyrics to a really nice beat, and there lies the problem, because the beat stays in your head long after the song is over.  And if the beat is in your head, the words are too.  This is happening on a spiritual as well as a physical and emotional level.  It has Satan written all over it.

I had to ask our Lord for forgiveness and to help me attempt to sever all secular music (except classical) from my life.  I hadn’t listened to it regularly since I got saved, but I realize now that even in minute doses, secular music is poison to the soul.

Even a lot of jazz music is bad.  A couple months ago, I started keeping my radio tuned to a local jazz station and would listen to it passively in the background as I went about my tasks.  Though there is not a lot of profanity, the themes of the songs are often troubling. There’s talk of infidelity, gratuitous sex, self-reliance (and not dependence on God), and just evil. There is even a song entitled “I’m An Evil Man.”

So, I’ve come to realize that I can’t listen to any secular music, because it does not glorify Jesus Christ.  It could also plant unGodly thoughts in your head.  All Christians should endeavor to leave off secular music altogether.

Now getting back to the subject, if we as Christians know that TV, movies, sports, and music have all been tainted by Satan, then we should expect that all these will contain material that we ought not expose ourselves to.  We should also expect that the people who make television programs, movies, music, and sports are not Godly people.  So, there is no need for pastors to spend a great deal of time showing us people in the entertainment business making satanic hand signs or using backwards masking to implant satanic lyrics in their music.  If we know that movies and music are satanic, we should avoid them at all cost.  So, there is no need for this ministry.  Yet ministries such as C. Craig Lewis’ have sprung up all over the Christian landscape.  And many divert our attention away from the Gospel of Jesus Christ to the world of the occult.  This ought not to be.

Consequently, it has become an obsession for many Christians to devote an inordinate amount of time listening to music trying to detect and decipher hidden messages, or to watch movies attempting to find occult symbols.  They then post these songs and movie clips on YouTube to supposedly warn the Christian community.  But if you pay attention, you can see that many of these “ministries” have an occult agenda, and have nothing to do with the truth of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  They only exist to mislead and distract Christians and divert their attention from the truth unto fables.  Even those with good intentions are unwittingly serving the same purpose.

Unknowingly, I too was helping to further this effort, but I have eliminated most of the material dealing with the occult leaving only those such as The Occult Significance of the Norway Shooting, which edify the Body of Christ and admonish us to watch in all things. Christians should not study the occult; rather we should study the Word of God.  We should also study our pastors and ministers to make sure that they teach the Truth.  The closer we walk with God, the better we will be able to discern what is not of God.

An example of an occult knowledge that edifies is the following.  There is a hand sign that is popping up all over the place.  It is used by movie stars, singers, musicians, and others. Here are some examples.  Notice the two middle fingers:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Football great Aaron Rogers displays occult handsign

 

"Der Fuhrer" flashes occult handsign

 

Rapper Big Krit flashes occult handsign

 

Bonnie Bentley flashes occult handsign

Christopher Columbus displays occult handsign

Prince William and Kate flash occult handsigns

Elvis flashes occult handsign

Tina Turner flashes occult handsign

Swizz Beats flashes occult handsign

Up and coming tennis pro Sloane Stevens flashes occult handsign

Richard M. Nixon flashes occult handsign

Michelle Obama flashes occult handsign

The First Lady flashes occult hand sign

Regis flashes cult of mary hand sign

 

Pope Benedict flashes covert occult sign

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Pope Benedict XVI flashes decidedly un-Christian handsigns

Pope Benedict XVI flashes occult hand sign

Occult hand sign in Chick tract, Why is Mary Crying?

 

A Catholic saint flashes an occult hand sign

The Virgin Mary and the child “Jesus” flash an occult hand sign

It also shows up in famous paintings:

Medea

Michelangelo’s “The Creation of Adam”

Look closer at the fingers:

Occult hand signs in Michelangelo’s “Creation of Adam”

This hand sign and the handsign of the triple six (the “OK” sign) are also very prevalent in another famous painting.  Note the hands of nearly all the women as well and some of the men:


 

“Apotheosis of French soldiers fallen in the Napoleonic Wars,” by Anne-Louis Girodet de Roussy-Trioson,

 

Now the photo above of Madonna is highly suggestive of the true meaning of this hand sign.  Below is a photo of Baphomet, considered by some the god of Freemasonry. Notice that he also is holding up two fingers on each hand.  More importantly, however, is the position of his arms.  Coincidence?

 

While Baphomet may explain why most all popes have been depicted holding up the first two fingers, it doesn’t explain the mystery of the two middle fingers.   

Charles Whitman

 

 

 

 

 

Now, for a bit of history.  On August 1, 1966, a former marine and student at the University of Texas at Austin named Charles Joseph Whitman went on a shooting rampage from the observation deck of the university’s tower killing 16 people and wounding 32 others.

One of the victims, Karen Griffith, died from her wounds a week after the shooting. This too has meaning.

The massacre happened shortly after Whitman allegedly murdered his wife and mother at their homes. Whitman was killed by Austin Police Officer Houston McCoy, assisted by Austin Police Officer Ramiro Martinez. Below is a photo of Whitman’s body. Notice his middle fingers.

Charles Whitman after being killed by police.

Is it merely a coincidence that the position of Whitman’s fingers mirrors that of the others, especially since he was dead when this picture was taken?  You see, we should not necessarily study occult symbology, but we had better know when something is rotten in Denmark.  

Click here to learn more about the ancient Babylonian origins of this hand sign as well as another, both of which are grounded in the worship of Queen Semiramis, the wife of Nimrod.  Semiramis is today known to most of the world as the Virgin Mary.

Be encouraged and look up; your redemption draweth nigh.

The Still Man

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Statement of Faith of a Charismatic Church – Part 3

Grace and peace to the Elect of God, and greetings to those who are still in darkness.

Today we complete our examination of the Charismatic statement of faith.

6. “By the power of God, He was raised from the dead in the same body now glorified.  He ascended into Heaven where, at the right hand of God the Father, He continually makes intercession for us.” 

Notice that they say that Jesus was raised from the dead “by the power of God.”  If Jesus Christ is God (as they claim in statement #4), then saying He was raised “by the power of God” is like saying He was raised “by His own power.”  There are Scriptures that state that the Father raised Jesus up, that the Spirit raised Him up, and that He raised Himself up.  These were provided for us so that we would believe Him when He says, “The Father is in me, and I am in Him” (John 10:38).  If we believe that Jesus was and is God, it suffices to say, “He rose.”  For, if He is God, that is exactly what He did.  Protestant Reformation churches have always stated, “He rose on the third day.”

As stated, charismatic churches subordinate Jesus Christ to the Holy Spirit, though they pay lip service to Jesus, for example, in ending prayers in Jesus’ name.  But they don’t properly exalt Him or obey Him.  This will become evident shortly.

7. “The Holy Spirit is co-equal with the Father and Son; regenerates the believing sinner; indwells, guides, instructs and empowers the believer for Godly living and service; comforts the children of God.  The Holy Spirit guides and gives power to the church, the Body of Christ, to fulfill the Great Commission, and convicts the world of sin, righteousness, and judgment.”

No problem. 

8. “Man was created in the image and likeness of God; but through the sin of Adam, mankind fell into sin and is, thereafter, lost apart from Christ.  Unless a person is born again, they cannot see the kingdom of God.” 

There is nothing doctrinally wrong with this statement, however, the use of the third-person plural pronoun they to modify person shows that this church strives to be politically correct: using gender-friendly, inclusive language to placate the liberals and feminists.  As stated before, a charismatic church believes that in the Bible we have the words of men, not of God.  They therefore believe that the Bible is full of errors and reflects the prejudices of the time it was written: specifically the antiquated notion that women were second-class citizens. 

Feminists resent that God gave the man headship (not ownership) of the woman in the hierarchy of the family and they do not like the fact that the Bible uses the masculine subjective pronoun “he” to refer both to men and women.  They argue that the use of such language subordinates the woman to the man and that women then lose their own identity.  For this reason, charismatic churches will say that one bible is as good as another, but because they don’t like the “biased,” “hateful,” and “judgmental,” language of the King James Bible, you will not see it used often, if at all.  

Moreover, the use of the term “born-again” here is unclear, because an unsaved person would not understand the meaning of this term.  To include it here necessitates an explanation, which is not forthcoming.  But as you will soon see, there is a reason they introduce it here.

The next three statements dealing with Salvation are what identify this church as Charismatic, so pay close attention.  We will list them together and comment afterwards. 

9.  “Salvation is the gift of God and includes the forgiveness of sins, the imputation of the Righteousness of Jesus Christ, and the gift of eternal life.  Union with the triune God provides all blessings in this life and the life hereafter.

10.  “Salvation is received by faith in Christ’s finished work alone, apart from all good works and merit.”

11.  “A believer is saved by the washing of rebirth and renewal of the Holy Spirit (Titus 3:4-7), and is baptized into Christ (1 Co 12:13, Eph. 4:5) [sic] the instant a person genuinely repents and wholeheartedly trusts in Him as Lord (God) (Ro. 10:9-10).

This is why the Charismatic Movement is so dangerous: it is very deceptive.  First of all, notice that only now does this church give any Scripture references for their beliefs.  Why now particularly?  Because they know that what they are claiming here is unscriptural and that the spiritually discerning Christian will know it right away.  So they mount a tactical offense by attempting to put up a Scriptural defense.  But as we shall see, in so doing, they wrench the Scriptures out of context to their own destruction.

Second, it is interesting that they never explain exactly what salvation is.  We are told it is a gift (9) and we are told it includes forgiveness, imputation of righteousness, and eternal life.  But we are not told how to get it.  Note #10 tells us that salvation is received, and the use of this word is very interesting, because Christians don’t normally speak of salvation as being “received.”  We usually say we “got saved,” not “received salvation.”  Nowhere does the Bible speak of “receiving” salvation.  The use of this term is actually a clever and diabolically deceptive endorsement of the Roman Catholic communion. 

You see, the Roman Catholic church teaches that the actual body, blood, and divinity of the Lord Jesus Christ are present in the communion wafer that Catholics eat.  This doctrine is known as the “Real Presence.”  So, when a Catholic receives the wafer in his mouth and eats it, he may then say that he has “received” (literally consumed) Christ.  That is what a Catholic means when he says he has received Christ as his Savior.  He can’t mean it in the sense that we do, because instead of believing his sins are washed away by the blood of Jesus, he believes that after death he must spend time in Purgatory until all his sins are “purged” away.  But the Bible tells us that belief that the shedding of His blood for the remission of our sins is sufficient for salvation (Romans 3:24-25).  Why then, the necessity for Purgatory?

By stating that salvation is received, the Charismatic Movement cleverly endorses the Roman Catholic communion and the blasphemous doctrine of the Real Presence.  This
is why I don’t feel Christians should say that we have “received Christ” when referring to our salvation.  It is better for us to say that we are trusting in the blood of Jesus Christ. The inclusion of this term in the Protestant Christian lexicon is proof positive of the infiltration of Roman Catholic theology into the Christian Church through the Charismatic Movement.

What’s worse is that because Roman Catholics and many Christians claim to have “received” Christ, they are both misled into believing that Catholics are saved, and they are not.  There is no longer a clear line of demarcation between the Roman Catholic church and the visible Christian church.

When Protestant churches were strong in the U.S., you would never see a Roman Catholic attend a Protestant worship service and be comfortable there; it would be way too foreign to him.  And the Holy Spirit moving in that place would be an affliction to their very soul as they fell under conviction for their sinfulness. 

Today that is no longer a problem.  Some Roman Catholics regularly attend Protestant worship services.  Charismatic churches have so watered down the Gospel and have made the Christian message so “accessible,” that sinners no longer feel uncomfortable in their sin; in fact, they feel very much at home.  This ought not to be.

Statement #11 cleverly implies that salvation is a separate process from repentance and becoming a believer in Jesus.  The sentence construction is very deceptive.  Walk with me as we deconstruct it.

“A believer is saved by the washing of rebirth and renewal of the Holy Spirit (Titus 3:4-7), and is baptized into Christ (1 Co 12:13, Eph. 4:5) [sic] the instant a person genuinely repents and wholeheartedly trusts in Him as Lord (God) (Ro. 10:9-10). 

Grammatically, this sentence is incorrect, and it is not by accident.  There should really be a period after “baptized into Christ,” because there are two subjects: believer and person.  There is no period, however, as the intent is to obscure what the author really wants to say: that when a person accepts Jesus Christ as his Savior, he is not yet saved.  I will explain how they do this.

As stated, there are actually two subjects here: believer and person.  If they were the same person, the author could have repeated believer or used the third person singular pronoun he.  And if he wanted to be politically correct, he could have used the third person plural pronoun they as he did in statement #8.  Here are some examples:

1.  “A believer is saved…the instant [the believer] repents…”

2. “A believer is saved…the instant [he] repents…”

3. “A believer is saved…the instant [they] repent…” 

But he does neither of these things because the intent is to obscure that they are talking about two different people: the unsaved person before becoming a believer and the believer.  This is because there are two actions being discussed:

  1. Getting saved.
  2. Being baptized into the Body of Christ.

If the author wanted to say that salvation happens when a person repents and trusts in Jesus for his salvation, he could have said:

“A person is saved the instant he repents and wholeheartedly trusts in Jesus as Lord.” 

This would be a true statement.  But the author doesn’t say a person is saved when he accepts Jesus as Lord.  He says that a person is “baptized into Christ the instant [he] genuinely repents and wholeheartedly trusts in Him as Lord.”  This is different from the believer, who he says is “saved by the washing of rebirth and renewal of the Holy Spirit.” 

Make no mistake: the author doesn’t use the word person as a politically correct alternative to he, because as we have seen, he uses they for this purpose (#8).  The author is talking about two distinct people and two distinct actions: a person who”trusts Jesus Christ as Lord” and a “believer [who is] saved…by the Holy Spirit.”

This is the Charismatic doctrine of the “Baptism of the Holy Spirit.”  They believe that when a person repents and trusts in Jesus, he is merely baptized into the Body of Christ, but he is not saved until he experiences the Baptism of the Holy Spirit evidenced by the speaking of tongues.  We can prove this by looking at statement #14:

“The Baptism in the Holy Spirit, according to Acts 2:4, is given to believers who ask for it, with the Bible evidence of tongues.  It is essential to be an effective witness of Christ.” 

Now he says that the Baptism in the Holy Spirit is only essential to be an effective witness, but in the earlier statement he said that it was what saves the believer. Remember, the writer says that a believer (as opposed to a non-believer) is “saved by the washing of rebirth and renewal of the Holy Spirit.”  This is code for Baptism of the Holy Spirit. 

This doctrine makes salvation a separate process from repentance and accepting Jesus Christ as Savior.  That is why they say that a person “trusts Jesus Christ as Lord” instead of as “Savior.” They believe a person who merely trusts in Jesus is not yet saved.  This is why they never explain what salvation really is, because if they did, they would have to explain that remission of sins (salvation) involves the shedding of blood (Hebrews 9:22). And only Jesus Christ shed His blood for us, not the Holy Spirit.  The Bible says it is trusting in the blood of Jesus Christ as sufficient for remission of sins that saves us (Romans 3:25).

This doctrine actually blasphemes the Holy Spirit—the unpardonable sin, because nowhere in Scripture does the Holy Spirit have the ministry of salvation.  The Holy Spirit did not shed His blood for us—Jesus did.  As a matter of fact, when Jesus completed his work on the cross, God the Father and God the Holy Spirit had separated themselves from the Lord Jesus (Matthew 27:46), because He had become sin (literally a curse) for us (2 Corinthians 5:21).  The work of salvation was completed by Jesus Christ and Him alone.  Why then, does the Charismatic Movement exalt the Holy Spirit into the position of Savior?  This is blasphemy!

This is where this charismatic church reveals its agenda, for they know that salvation is not a ministry of the Holy Spirit.  Look at Statement #7 and see if you see salvation among the ministries of the Holy Spirit.  It is not there.  Also notice that, among all the ministries they attribute to the Spirit, one is strangely absent: and it can be found in 1 John 5:8, which says,

“And there are three that bear witness in earth, the Spirit, and the water, and the blood.”

Witnessing.  That is the ministry of the Holy Spirit that is missing.  Jesus said that the Holy Spirit would remind of us of everything that He ever said (John 14:26), and Jesus never said that the Holy Spirit would save us.  He said He was the Way and that no man could come to the Father but by Him (John 14:6).  The doctrine of salvation through baptism in the Holy Spirit calls Jesus Christ a liar.

Moreover, why list statements ten and eleven separately?  If this church truly believed that a person is saved when he believes in Jesus’ finished work on the cross, then statement #11 would not be necessary.  The only plausible explanation for its inclusion is that they don’t really believe a person is saved only through trusting in the shed blood of Jesus Christ.  As a matter of fact, there is no mention of the blood at all.

The doctrine of Baptism in the Holy Spirit makes salvation a two-step process:

  1. A person repents and trusts in Jesus.  He is now a believer.
  2. The believer experiences the Baptism in the Holy Spirit evidenced by speaking in tongues.  He is now saved.

I take this whole doctrine, ball it up, and throw it away.  It is now trash.  Paul told us that there was only one thing we need do:

“Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved” (Acts 16:31). 

Interestingly, this church states that speaking in tongues is necessary to be an effective witness.  But how can one be an effective witness if no one understands what he is saying?  Paul is very clear on this matter: 

“Now, brethren, if I come unto you speaking with tongues, what shall I profit you, except I shall speak to you either by revelation, or by knowledge, or by prophesying, or by doctrine?

“For if the trumpet give an uncertain sound, who shall prepare himself to the battle?

“So likewise you, except ye utter by the tongue words easy to be understood, how shall it be known what is spoken?  For ye shall speak into the air.

“Therefore, if I know not the meaning of the voice, I shall be unto him that speaketh a barbarian, and he that speaketh shall be a barbarian unto me.

“Else when thou shalt bless with the spirit, how shall he that occupieth the room of the unlearned say ‘Amen’ at thy giving of thanks, seeing he understandeth not what thou sayest?

“I had rather speak five words with my understanding, that by my voice I might teach others also, than ten thousand words in an unknown tongue.

“If therefore the whole church be come together into one place, and all speak with tongues, and there come in those that are unlearned, or unbelievers, will they not say that ye are mad?

“How is it then, brethren?  When ye come together, every one of you hath a psalm, hath a doctrine, hath a tongue, hath a revelation, hath an interpretation.  Let all things be done unto edifying.

“If any man speak in an unknown tongue, let it be by two, or at the most three, and that by course (one at a  time); and let one interpret.

“But if there be no interpreter, let him keep silence in the church; and let him speak to himself, and to God” (1 Corinthians 14:6-28).

It is obvious the Charismatic Movement does not follow this advice.  I have visited many charismatic churches and I can tell you that once the preacher gets fired up, most everyone starts speaking in “tongues”—especially the preacher. 

Tongues are dangerous unless there is an interpreter present because a person speaking in an unknown tongue (as opposed to a foreign tongue) can be saying something that does not glorify Jesus Christ.  They could even be paying homage to Satan.  This does not edify the Church. 

Notice that in verse 28 above Paul says, “if there be no interpreter, let him keep silence…and let him speak to himself.”  Why doesn’t Paul say, “if there is no interpreter let him speak only to God?”  The obvious answer is that God would not give someone tongues unless He also provided an interpreter so that the Body of Christ could be edified.  So, if an interpreter is not available, those tongues are not of God.

Some people who attend charismatic churches have serious concerns about their salvation because they cannot speak in tongues.  Conversely, I have seen others pretend to speak in tongues so they would not be considered “left behind.”  One woman even told me that she was coached to say “Jesus saves” many times in rapid succession until it seemed she was speaking in tongues.  In reality, she was only babbling.  These are man-made tongues.

“Gospel” singer, Kirk Franklin, gives a perfect example of man-made tongues in one of his songs, when he says that the church “taught [him] how to speak in tongues.”  This is not of God.

At one charismatic church I visited, I went to the altar for prayer and the pastor, a woman who claimed to be a prophetess, kept slapping me on the forehead and crying “Loose him!” When I did not fall back or start speaking in tongues as the others did, she said that I was resisting the Holy Spirit.  From that day forth, I was on this woman’s list of uncool people.  This is the danger of the Charismatic Movement: it is about “going along to get along.”  It is a diabolical form of peer pressure.

As stated before, the Charismatic Movement emphasizes the works of the Spirit, rather than the finished work of Jesus Christ.  Another one of the works that they emphasize is healing:

13. “The redemptive work of Christ on the Cross provides perfect healing of the human body in answer to believing prayer.” 

The Charismatic Movement again disregards what the Bible says about both prayer and healing.  The apostle John tells us:

“And this is the confidence that we have in Him, that, if we ask any thing according to His will, he heareth us” (1 John 5:14). 

Belief only does not guarantee we will get what we ask of God.  Paul was given “a thorn in the flesh,” a messenger from Satan so that Paul would not be “lifted up” by all the revelations that God had shown Him.  For Paul was such a faithful witness of Christ in the midst of all his trials, that God showed him a bit of what awaited him to keep him motivated. 

Satan, therefore, to keep him humble, afflicted Paul (students differ on the nature of this affliction).  Paul asked God three times to take it away from him and each time Jesus said no, adding finally that His grace was sufficient for Paul, for God’s strength was “made perfect in [Paul’s] weakness” (2 Corinthians 12:1-10).  The apostle Paul was as close to God as a human being can get, having been taken to the “third heaven,” and yet, God did not grant him the healing he asked for.

Healing is according to the will of God.  It may be His will that we remain sick.  We can pray all we want for healing, but if it is not God’s will for us to be healed, we will not be healed. That doesn’t mean that we shouldn’t pray for healing, but we cannot compel God to heal us.  Healing, like all the works of the Spirit, is an act of grace. 

God also allows us to be sick for a variety of reasons.  It could be, as in Paul’s case, an envoy from Satan that God allows to keep us humble and depending on Him.  It could be punishment for sin, such as when someone partakes unworthily of the Lord’s Supper (1 Corinthians 11:27-30).  It could also be because of unconfessed sin in one’s life (James 5:14-16).  And I don’t have to remind you how Job was afflicted by God though he was innocent. 

The point is that God allows sickness for a number of reasons, and merely praying believing you will be healed is not a guarantee of a healing. 

Many have bought into this unscriptural teaching and have been ultimately disappointed, even going so far as pretending to be healed.  Others have been told that they have not received healing because they didn’t believe they would be healed.  This can really cause a crisis of faith for some Christians.  That is the danger of the Charismatic Movement.

We will look at the remaining statements a little out-of-order for the sake of comparison and emphasis.

15. “The Church is composed of all those regenerated by the Spirit of God by whom they have been baptized into one Body of Whom Christ is the Head.  The purpose of the Church is to witness concerning Jesus Christ according to the Scriptures, and to preach the Gospel among all nations. 

Again, they emphasize regeneration by the Holy Spirit.  This statement really says that the true Church is all believers who have been baptized by the Holy Spirit (evidenced by speaking in tongues).  If it were not so, they had merely to say that the Church is composed of all believers or all who are trusting Jesus Christ as their Savior.  But they emphasize those who have been “regenerated by the Holy Spirit.”  Regeneration is part and parcel of salvation, so special emphasis should not be necessary; unless, of course, they have something else in mind; which they do. 

The next statements are curious:

12. “Water baptism is for born again believers only, and does not save.  It is essential for obedience to Christ.”

16. “The Blood and Body of Christ are not physically present in the Lord’s Supper, which is given to remind believers of His Sacrifice of which they partake spiritually.”

They seem eager to differentiate themselves from the Roman Catholic church.  This would not be necessary if they were a real Protestant Reformation Christian church.  But since their doctrines are decidedly charismatic, which movement was begun by the Roman Catholic church, they feel the need to specifically state for the record their position on the two most contentious doctrines between Christianity and Roman Catholicism.  This, however, does not fool the discerning Christian. 

17. “Jesus Christ will come again to receive to Himself those who believe in Him, that where He is, they may be also.  He will come again personally and visibly to establish His kingdom.” 

No problem.

18. “The resurrection of the believers will be to eternal glory in Heaven, and the resurrection of the unbelievers will be to eternal punishment in Hell.” 

No problem.

As stated before, the Charismatic Movement is very deceptive, because it retains some traces of authentic Christianity.  Satan always mixes truth with error to make his unscriptural doctrines more palatable.  As Kent Hovind loves to say, rat poison is 99.9% good food.  It’s that .1 percent that is deadly.

The Charismatic Movement is sweeping Christianity leaving doubt, confusion, and destroyed churches in its wake.  They are preaching another Jesus, another Spirit, and another Gospel.  Beware of this many-headed hydra and pray that it doesn’t come to your church.

I know that some reading this will not appreciate what we have said here, but it is 100% scriptural.  Take it to the Word in prayer and see if it’s true.  And as always, watch and pray.

If you doubt that this statement of faith is authentic, it can be found on the internet under a ministry called Born-Again-Christian.Info.  We are not attacking this ministry or the webmaster of this site.  We randomly found the site and were perusing it when we came across this statement of faith.  When we read it and realized that it was charismatic, we decided to do this piece, because before we read their SOF, it really seemed like a Christian organization.  Unfortunately, this is not the case.  They may be good, sincere people, but if they adhere to the beliefs in their SOF, they are tragically deceived, and are deceiving others.

We only offer the information on this ministry so that you can see that we are not making any of this up.

Remember, we must watch in all things.

Be encouraged and look up; your redemption draweth nigh. 

The Still Man

Copyright © 2011 Anthony Keeton, The Still Man ®.  All Rights Reserved.

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Statement of Faith of a Charismatic Church – Part 2

Grace and peace to the Brethren, and greetings to the lost.

We resume our expose’ of the Charismatic Movement.  Let us continue to examine the Statement of Faith of a charismatic church with statement # 5: 

“In His earthly ministry He lived a sinless life, performed miracles, and died on the Cross as a sacrifice for our sins according to the Scriptures.”

There is a tremendous problem with this statement that must not be overlooked.  Jesus was sinless, it is true, and He did perform miracles and die on the cross.  These are true statements.  But He was not merely a sacrifice for our sins, He was The—meaning The Final—Sacrifice for our sins.  There need not be another sacrifice. 

“But this man, after He had offered one sacrifice (READ The Last Sacrifice) for sins forever, sat down at the right hand of God” (Hebrews 10:12).

It is important to understand that though this may seem like an exercise in semantics, in actuality the seemingly innocuous use of the indefinite article here obscures the most important teaching in all of Christianity: That the vicarious death of Jesus Christ on the cross at Calvary was the absolute Final Sacrifice for the sins of all mankind.  Our very salvation hinges on the verity of that statement.  If Jesus’ sacrifice was not sufficient, then we are still in our sins.  And if we who believe are still in our sins, then “we are of all men most miserable.”

Now you may think this is unimportant, but it is crucial—nay, vital. 

The Jews rejected Jesus as their Messiah.  To them, His crucifixion was nothing more than the righteous murder of a demon-possessed blasphemer, who went around saying that He was the Son of God.  Because they don’t accept Jesus’ sacrifice as sufficient atonement for sins, Scripture says that they will reinstitute animal sacrifice for atonement of sins during the Tribulation, and in so doing, “cast down the truth to the ground” (Daniel 8:12, 9:27).  The truth that they will cast down to the ground, is that Jesus is the Last Sacrifice.

The Roman Catholic church purports to be Christian, yet it crucifies Jesus Christ twenty-four hours a day every day all over the world in the continuing bloodless sacrifice of the mass.  Why would they do this if they believed Jesus’ sacrifice was sufficient atonement for sins?  I assure you they do not believe this, as every Roman Catholic (and Lutheran for that matter) that I have talked to about the issue of salvation has been uncertain if they are going to heaven.  They all say they don’t know if they have been “good enough.” 

Remember, Roman Catholics believe that when they die they are going to Purgatory, where they will spend an indefinite length of time until their sins are “purged” away.  The length of time they will spend there, they believe, depends, among other things, on how “good” they were in this life.  This is unscriptural, as the Bible says:

“For by grace ye are saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God.

“Not of works, lest any man should boast” (Ephesians 2:8-9). 

That is why the performance of good works is so important to Roman Catholics.  They are not trusting in the blood of Jesus Christ.  His sacrifice means nothing to them.

Jehovah’s Witnesses claim to be Christian, yet not one Jehovah’s Witness believes he will go to heaven.  According to their doctrine, the only ones who are assured of entrance into heaven are the “144,000,” the elite “inner circle” of the Jehovah’s Witness organization, most of whom are now dead.  Never mind that the Bible teaches that the 144,000 are JEWISH (Revelation 7:4-8), not to mention that they are supposed to be virgins (Revelation 14:4); they still adhere to this blasphemous doctrine.  When I mentioned this to one Witness I witnessed to (pun absolutely intended), she said that this refers to “spiritual” Jews and “spiritual” virgins.  Sigh.

Now, since the average Witness believes he cannot see heaven, what does he think will happen when he dies?  He doesn’t know for sure, but he believes he may be able to reign with Jesus Christ on earth during the Millennial Kingdom if he has been “good enough.”  What does he do to be “good enough?”  He tirelessly goes door-to-door canvassing neighborhoods passing out literature and trying to gain converts.  That is why you see them out there under some of the worst conditions.  To them, their salvation depends on it.  The Witnesses, also, base their “salvation” on works, which, again, is unscriptural.

I am not just talking out of the side of my neck.  I have heard this from conversations with real Jehovah’s Witnesses.

I have great respect for most Jehovah’s Witnesses.  Most of them are some of the hardest working, diligent, and sincere people you will ever meet.  But they are terribly deceived.  They consider themselves Christians, yet they deny the sacrifice of the very God whom they claim to follow and are trying to obtain salvation by their own efforts.  But they will fail miserably.  They have denied a free gift from the Almighty God, Who, by the way, they deny is Jesus Christ.  To the Witnesses, Jesus was merely a created being.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, commonly known as the Mormons, also claims to be a Christian denomination, yet they too, deny the sacrifice of Jesus Christ.  For one, they teach that Jesus Christ and Satan are brothers.  That’s right.  Brothers.  

They believe that there was a heavenly council held by God (Elohim), Jesus Christ, and His brother, Lucifer, to decide who was going to go to earth to “redeem” mankind.  It was decided that Jesus would be given the chance.  When Lucifer heard that, he got angry and rebelled against God, taking a third of the angels with him.  There is a lot to this story that Christians need to know, for Mormonism is but a spawn of Satan and is steeped in occultism and Freemasonry.  In fact, “prophet” Joseph Smith, the founder of Mormonism, was himself a 33rd degree Freemason.

But to make a long story short, Mormonism teaches that Jesus failed to redeem mankind when He was crucified.  So, the crucifixion of Jesus Christ, according to Mormonism, did not free mankind from sin.  As a matter of fact, Mormonism explicitly teaches that there are some sins that the blood of Jesus Christ cannot atone for, such as the marriage of a Mormon to a Black person.  They teach that an individual guilty of such a sin must have his blood shed by a member of a group specially commissioned for this purpose called the Danites.  I kid you not.

The Mormon is not concerned about reaching heaven anyway, as his religion teaches that if he follows Mormon doctrine and teachings, which include marrying plural wives (though many Mormons deny this is practiced today) and having as many children as possible, he will achieve godhood and will one day be given his own planet to populate. 

All this may sound incredible, but according to Ed Decker, former Mormon and author of The Godmakers, it is absolutely true.  Get the book and read it.  The sound of your eyes popping open will be heard for miles. 

By the way, if you are Black, understand that Mormonism and Black-ness are seriously incompatible, despite their recent efforts to include those of the Negro persuasion.  When you read The Godmakers, you. will. be. angered.  If you are Black and are a Mormon, you, my friend, have been marvelously deceived.  I could tell you what the Mormon doctrine is concerning the Black race, but it is so incredible that you will not fully appreciate it until you read it for yourself.  I want you to do your own research.

In case you believe that this is merely anti-Mormon propaganda, check out the video version of The God Makers.  It is very enlightening, to say the least.

Notice the Mormon chairman says that “if they are worthy” a Mormon will dwell forever in the presence of the Father.  This confirms that the Mormon church teaches that salvation is “works-based” rather then faith-based.  This teaching rejects Jesus’ sacrifice for the sins of the world, and bases salvation on our works rather than on the finished work of Jesus Christ.

I could go further, but I think you get the point.  As you can see, the issue of the efficacy of Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross for remission of sin is crucial not only to our salvation, but to our identity in Christ Jesus.  It is what makes us Christians.

So, you see, a doctrinal statement that calls Jesus’ death on the cross merely “a” sacrifice for our sins, is not only an exceptionally gross understatement, it is actually false.  Jesus was the Last Sacrifice—THE Last Sacrifice.

The danger of this statement is that it says that Jesus’ work was not finished and justifies the need for other means of salvation such as the continuance of the Roman Catholic mass and the performance of “good works.”  Moreover, those religions that call themselves Christian, yet deny the efficacy of Jesus’ sacrifice as sufficient atonement for sins, are in actuality calling Jesus Christ a liar.  For Jesus said,

“It is finished” (John 19:30).

If Christians would trust in Jesus as the Final Sacrifice for sins and if Christian churches and ministries would emphasize this fact, there would be fewer Christians who are unsure of their salvation, and more Christians would be aware of the differences between the true Christian Church and the many imposters which teach “another Jesus, another spirit, and another gospel.”

As you can see, the devil truly resides in the details, and one must be very careful to read a church’s statement of faith under the auspices of the Holy Spirit.  Charismatic churches are very deceptive. 

Not convinced this church is charismatic?  You will be.  We are nearing the meat and potatoes of this charismatic statement.  God willing, I want to finish this study in the next couple of days.  When we finish, you will have no doubts that the Charismatic Movement is not of the Lord Jesus.

“But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ. 

“For if he that cometh preacheth another Jesus, whom we have not preached, or if ye receive another spirit, which ye have not received, or another gospel which ye have not accepted, ye might well bear with him” (2 Corinthians 11:3-4).

Click here for Part 3.  Click here for Part 1.

Be encouraged and look up; your redemption draweth nigh.

The Still Man

Copyright © 2011 Anthony Keeton, The Still Man ®.  All Rights Reserved.

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Get Thee Wisdom, Not Entertainment

Grace and peace to the body of Christ.

I’m sorry that I haven’t posted anything new in a couple of weeks, but I have been otherwise engaged.  But rest assured: God has been busy.  And as most of us know, whenever and wherever God is, the Devil is somewhere to be found, and is also busy. There is much I want to say, but it would only be informative and not edifying, so I will refrain from sharing it with you.  It suffices to say that we need to take every opportunity to witness, as time is truly running short, and many, many people are lost.

I prefer to cite the sources for the information I share; whether Biblical or secular.  With secular sources, this is not always possible, because some of the information I obtained before I started doing formal research.  In other words, I was doing research before I actually started doing research, and back in those days, I didn’t always record where I got the information.  

Now and again, however, I will come across a reference to a particular source and I am able to retrieve the information and record its source.  I am always pleased when this happens with secular sources, but I get absolutely beside myself when the Bible verifies secular information, as was the case today.

I was in the Word today, in the Book of Genesis Chapter 30, when I made a most remarkable discovery.   As you may recall, in our post on generational curses, we explain how partaking in games of chance or a belief in good luck are harmful for Christians, not only because when one does these things, one is depending on something other than Jesus for a blessing, which is sin, but also because belief in luck or fortune is actually god and goddess worship, because Fortune was actually the name of a Babylonian deity.  

So belief in luck or fortune, whether good or bad, is actually idolatry.  

Well, today, the Spirit led me to look up the meaning of the names of Jacob’s (Israel’s) children.  I used Strong’s Concordance for this purpose.  Word studies are great, because they often provide a deeper meaning to a particular passage and, in some cases, actually change the entire context.

Well, I was looking up the meaning of Gad, whose name, in the 1990 edition of Strong’s, can be found on page 25 of the Hebrew and Aramaic Dictionary of the Old Testament. The Hebrew language is very rich, and even a subtle change in the pronunciation of a certain vowel or the use of an upper-case or lower-case letter can produce an entirely different word with an entirely different meaning.  

Such is the case with Gad. Upper-case Gad (pronounced gawd), the son of Jacob, is listed under number 1410 and is said to mean “a troop.”  Lower-case gad (also pronounced gawd), is listed under 1409, and is said to be derived from a word that means fortune (in the sense of distributing).  In other words, bounty.  

This is where it gets interesting.  Upper-case Gad (pronounced gad) gives the following definition:

“a [variation] of 1409: Fortune, a [Babylonian] deity:—that troop.” [Brackets mine, boldface mine, italics in original.]

Here we have Biblical evidence that Fortune was the name of a Babylonian idol.  This was confirmed by another source.  The Illustrated Dictionary of the Bible (a book on Biblical archaeology) defines Gad thus:

“A foreign deity of good fortune worshipped by some Israelites in the period after the Exile (Is. 65:11).  In a bilingual Aramaic-Greek inscription from Palmyra the deity is identified in Greek as fortune‘.  Is. 65:11.”

Isn’t this incredible?  Here we have biblical and secular confirmation that Fortune was a Babylonian god—an idol.  Now we know that idols always come in pairs.  If there is a god, there must also be a goddess.  So, if Fortune is a god, what are the odds that Fame is a goddess (fame and fortune)?  I think they are very good.

But that isn’t all I got from this word study.  As I stated, the Illustrated Dictionary of the Bible gave Isaiah 65:11 as the source of the term, that troop, which is Gad (pronounced gad).  Isaiah 65:11 tells how some of the Israelites had begun to worship idols:

“But ye are they that forsake the Lord, that forget my holy mountain, that prepare a table for that troop, and that furnish the drink offering unto that number.”

As we have seen, that troop is listed in Strong’s Concordance as the Hebrew word Gad and is said to mean, “Fortune, a Babylonian deity (idol).”  What do you think that number means?  Well, it can be found in Strong’s #4507 as:

“Meniy (pronounced menee): the Apportioner, i.e. Fate (as an idol).

Did you see that?  Fate is also an idol.  Is this not incredible?  This is proof that paganism has so infiltrated American life, that pagan terminology is part of the American lexicon.  When something goes well for us we say we had “good fortune” (an idol, the god) or good luck (Lucifer), and when it goes bad, we say “that was our fate” (an idol, the goddess).  We are idolaters!  Is it any wonder that America has so many problems seeing that idolatry is forbidden by God, and the penalty is a generational curse?

I have known for some time that Fortune and Fortuna (also known as Fame and Fortune) were a god and goddess, but I had no idea that this was in the Bible.  Now I know that everything we need to know is in that Book; if we would only read it.

As we told you in Juanita Bynum: Prophetess or Witch?, all idolatry, both ancient and modern, goes back to the Babylonian worship of Nimrod and Semiramis.  What is incredible is that just as they have been worshipped since antiquity in every country in the world under different names, they are mentioned in the Bible under many names, but most of us don’t know this.  In fact, all the characters from all the myths from every culture on the globe go back to just two people: Nimrod and Semiramis. Incredible, isn’t it?  Alexander Hislop made this very claim in The Two Babylons, and this has been borne out in my own research.  Today’s find was merely more icing on the cake.

Whether you call them Fortune and Fortuna (or Fame and Fortune), Yin and Yang, Isis and Osiris, Shiva and Parvatti, Apollo and Aphrodite, Diana and Kernos, Odin and Frigga, etc.  They are all just nicknames for Nimrod and Semiramis.  Many of the people who kneel to these false gods would have a heart attack if they knew who and what they really are.  I know, but I’m not going to tell you.  You will have to find out for yourself.  And you should, because therein lies the key.

Do you see why I rarely watch television?  Television provides entertainment, not knowledge.  The Bible says, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom”  (Proverbs 9:10).  So, all the knowledge in the world is ultimately useless if it doesn’t bring you to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ.  

Incidentally, the man who introduced me to the New World Order which ultimately led me to the Lord Jesus is himself not saved; which is strange, because one of the books he used to bring me to this knowledge was the first in The Crusader series by Chick Publications. Chick comics are not just ordinary comic books.  They are Gospel tracts that are meant to save souls.  This man had the entire Crusaders collection, but he never accepted the Gospel message they contained.  He basically only used them as history books.  He was “every learning, but never able to come to a knowledge of the truth” (2 Timothy 3:7).

By the way, the etymology of the word entertain is very interesting.  It comes from the French word entretenir, which Webster’s Dictionary says is formed from the words entre + tenir.  Interestingly, Webster’s says that tenir means “to hold,” but it doesn’t tell us what entre means.  So, I go to my handy-dandy Harrap’s French and English Pocket Dictionary, which tells me that entre means “between.”  So, entertain literally means “to hold between.”  

Why would Webster’s not want you to know that entertain literally means “to hold between?” Why, because Webster’s, is politically correct, and doesn’t want you to know how bad things really are; for, you see, it is you who are being “held between”—literally suspended—between Heaven and Hell. 

You must understand that if the Bible is true, then when we die we either go to Heaven or Hell (Hebrews 9:27).  If the media, therefore, were truthful (not to mention godly), they would be telling you this and would be promoting one or the other—either Heaven or Hell.  

But the media do neither.  In fact, if you really look at the messages most of the programs convey, they are telling you that neither heaven nor hell are real; that when we die, we either get recycled into a worm or a plant or come back as another person either on earth or on another planet or in another dimension.  They hold you in suspended animation between heaven and hell.  They don’t want you to know that you must make a decision.

Unfortunately, that won’t cut it with the Lord Jesus.  He says you must be either hot or cold.  If you’re lukewarm, Jesus will spit you out of His mouth (Revelation 3:15-16).

Further proof of the real purpose of entertainment is the fact that Webster’s Dictionary, Eleventh Edition, defines entertainment as “amusement or diversion.”  The meaning of diversion in this sense is to direct one’s attention from what it should be on to something else.  In this case, from the truth to fables.  This is what the media do: they direct your attention from the truth of God to lies. 

Moreover, Webster’s Encyclopedic Dictionary of the English Language, Vol. 1 (p. 291), defines entertainment thus:

The pleasure which the mind receives from anything interesting, and which holds or arrests the attention; that which entertains; that which serves for amusement.”

Again, the idea is to “hold” (tenir) or “divert” your attention onto something other than what it should be on.  They do this through entertainment.  The media use entertainment to get you to look to the right or to the left instead of up, where there is a piano suspended above your head. Don’t fall for it.

The etymology of amusement, like entertainment, is also very revealing.

“A” is a a prefix that means among other things, “not.”  So when you want to say something is not a particular thing, you can put the affix “a” in front of it.  For example, a person who is not moral is said to be a-moral.  A person who does not believe in God is said to be an a-theist (theo is Greek for God).  Now, the word muse means “to think.”  So, what would you call a person who does not think?  That’s right.  A-mused.  Now, you know the true purpose of Hollywood and the entertainment industry.

If you are a Christian and watch a lot of television, sports events, or other entertainment, know that it is impossible for this behavior not to affect your Christian walk in some way.  In fact, if you are experiencing problems reading and/or understanding the Word of God, this alone could be the cause.  

If you are not saved, and realize that you have been entertained and amused all your life and are in danger of being spit out of the Lord Jesus’ mouth because of it, you need to get saved now.

Saints, let’s get out of the entertainment business and into the Word of God.  It is very revealing.

“Wisdom is the principle thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding” (Proverbs 4:7).

Be encouraged and look up; your redemption draweth nigh.

The Still Man

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Dr. Juanita Bynum: Prophetess or Witch?

Grace and peace to the brethren, and greetings to those still in the world.

This morning while reading the headlines at a Christian news site, I came across this one:

“Televangelist Juanita Bynum Raises Brows With ‘Tongues’ Prayer on Facebook”

It seems that Ms. Bynum was praying for the congregation of recently deceased mega-church pastor Zachary Tims, who was found dead in a NYC hotel room a few weeks ago.  Apparently, Bynum, a self-proclaimed prophetess, who at one time appeared on Divorce Court to talk about her pending divorce from her pastor husband Thomas Weeks, frequently posts prayers on one of her Facebook pages. 

The prayer begins in a commendable fashion:

“God, we pray for the Destiny Church family.  We pray for the strength of Pastor Riva Tims.  Mighty God, give us strength.  We are the body that feels this pain.  We all feel it.  cover the minds of his children.  Grab them up in your arms Lord Jesus…”

Then it gets strange…

“Be a comfort to them.  You are the Many Breasted One.”

We’ll come back to this.  Now, as if the reference to Jesus as the “Many Breasted One” isn’t troubling enough, in her third post, curious characters appear:

“Gird them up in the Spirit.  Give them a mind to pray like never before.  We call on you Jesus.  You are our Help and our Hope!!! NDHDIUBGUGTRUCGNRTUGTIGRTIGRGBNRDRGNGGJNRIC You are our Help and our Hope!!!

RFSCNGUGHURGVHKTGHDKUNHSTNSVHGN You God…You are our Help and our Hope!!!

Our hope is in you Father.  Our strength for such a time as this is in you Father.  Help us now.  Lord, we don’t ask for help for just them.  This is us.  This is a part of our own body.”

The article goes on to say that many such posts containing these intelligible characters began to appear on Bynum’s site.  These prayer posts soon caught the attention of the media and one reporter surmised that Bynum was communicating “in tongues.”

This has sparked a major debate and controversy in the online “Christian” community.  Though some have spoken against the notion of Holy Ghost-filled, tongue-speaking keystrokes, Bynum’s posts have reportedly garnered 2,000 “likes” and “hundreds of supporting comments.”

But is such a thing scriptural?  Those of us who know the Word of God know that it is definitely not.  Paul has this to say on the subject:

“Now, brethren, if I come unto you speaking with tongues, what shall I profit you, except I shall speak to you either by revelation, or by knowledge, or by prophesying, or by doctrine?

For if the trumpet give an uncertain sound, who shall prepare himself to the battle?

“So likewise you, except ye utter by the tongue words easy to be understood, how shall it be known what is spoken?  For ye shall speak into the air.

“Therefore, if I know not the meaning of the voice, I shall be unto him that speaketh a barbarian, and he that speaketh shall be a barbarian unto me.

“Else when thou shalt bless with the spirit, how shall he that occupieth the room of the unlearned (doesn’t speak tongues) say ‘Amen’ at thy giving of thanks, seeing he understandeth not what thou sayest? 

“How is it then, brethren? When ye come together, every one of you hath a psalm, hath a doctrine, hath a tongue, hath a revelation, hath an interpretation.  Let all things be done unto edifying.

“If any man speak in an unknown tongue, let it be by two, or at the most three, and that by course (one at a time, instead of everyone at once); and let one interpret.

“But if there be no interpreter, let him keep silence in the church; and let him speak to himself, and to God” (1 Corinthians 14:6,8,11,16,27,28)

As you can see, tongues were a problem even in the early church.  But, as he says, tongues mean nothing unless it is a word of prophecy, revelation, or knowledge: in other words, edifying to those listening.  But if a person is just blabbering and no one understands him, the body of Christ does not profit from it.  It is useless.  

Now I don’t know about you, but I don’t know anyone who speaks holy keyboard.  So “Prophetess” Bynum should keep her fingers shut.  This clearly is not of God.  But if it is not of God, then of whom is it?  We should go back to Bynum’s first post to determine this, for it is very enlightening.

Notice that at the end of this post, she calls Jesus, “The Many Breasted One.”  Where in Scripture is Jesus Christ called by this name?  Since Jesus is a Man, and men don’t have breasts, it should be clear to any Bible-believing Christian that “The Many Breasted One” is not Jesus Christ.  Who then is this person?

Well, The Many Breasted One is actually in the Bible, but before I tell you where you can find her, first I’ll show you a picture of her:

The Many Breasted One is one of the many names of an idol; namely, the goddess Diana of Ephesus.  And the many symbols on this idol speak volumes about her true identity.

A picture very much like the one above can be found on page 29 of the book, The Two Babylons (which every Christian should have).  In the book, author Alexander Hislop has this to say about Diana:

“In general, Diana was depicted as a virgin, and the patroness of virginity; but the Ephesian Diana was quite different.  

“She was represented with all the attributes of the Mother of the gods, and, as the Mother of the gods, she wore a turreted crown, such as no one can contemplate without being forcibly reminded of the tower of Babel.  

“Now this tower-bearing Diana is by an ancient scholiast expressly identified with Semiramis…a Babylonian goddess” (Hislop, 30).

Semiramis was the wife of Nimrod, the world’s first king.  Both were worshipped as gods in the ancient world.  After God confused their tongues at the Tower of Babel, everyone went to the four corners of the earth.  And they took the idolatrous worship of Nimrod and Semiramis with them.  So, Diana is really Semiramis, the “Virgin Daughter of Babylon” (Isaiah 47:1).

Now the Book of Acts tells us that Paul had much trouble when he was in Macedonia because he preached against all idolatry, including the worship of Diana.  He had sent two of his companions into Macedonia at about the same time a meeting of idolaters was being held concerning Paul.  We pick up at this point:

“For a certain man named Demetrius, a silversmith, which made silver shrines for Diana, brought no small gain unto the craftsman;

“Whom he called together with the workmen of like occupation, and said, Sirs, ye know that by this craft we have our wealth, Moreover ye see and hear, that not alone at Ephesus, but almost throughout all Asia, this Paul hath persuaded and turned away much people, saying that they be no gods, which are made with hands:

“So that not only this our craft is in danger to be set at naught; but also that the temple of the great goddess Diana should be despised, and her magnificence should be destroyed, whom all Asia and the world worshippeth.

“And when they heard these sayings, they were full of wrath, and cried out, saying, Great is Diana of the Ephesians” (Acts 19:24-28). 

There you have it: Biblical collaboration that Diana of Ephesus, “The Many Breasted One,” is a Babylonian goddess—an idol—who was worshipped all over Asia and the world.  And she is still worshipped all over the world today —in many different guises.

Now remember that idolatry is devil worship, as the Bible teaches that behind every idol is a demon (1 Corinthians 10:19-20).  So when “prophetess” Bynum pays homage to the “Many Breasted One,” she is in actuality paying homage to Lucifer—Satan.

Having problems digesting this?  Well let us look at where the Bible tells us this idol Diana comes from:

“And when the townclerk had appeased the people, he said, Ye men of Ephesus, what man is there that knoweth not how that the city of the Ephesians is a worshipper of the great image which fell down from Jupiter?” (Acts 19:35).

Folks, Jupiter is just another name for Nimrod, who worshipped Satan.  For this reason, Jupiter is used by “those who know” to represent the fallen angel, Lucifer.  Look it up.  So, ultimately, when “prophetess” Bynum pays homage to the “Many Breasted One,” she is actually worshipping Satan. 

But that’s not all.  Did you know that this same Diana, the “Many Breasted One,” is also the goddess of Witchraft?  Well she is.  

From this perspective, Bynum’s digital “tongues” begin to make a little more sense:

“NDHDIUBGUGTRUCGNRTUGTIGRTIGRGBNRDRGNGGJNRIC YOU ARE OUR HELP AND OUR HOPE…

RFSCNGUGHURGVHKTGHDKUNHSTNSVHGN YOU GOD…YOU ARE OUR HELP AND OUR HOPE!!!!!”

Notice that in both instances, the indiscernible characters come right before “You.”  She is addressing a person, but it ain’t Jesus.  Remember, she’s talking to the “Many Breasted One.”  For lack of a better example, this is like a digital representation of the backward masking the music industry uses to inject Satanic messages into their music. 

So, is Juanita Bynum a prophetess, a witch, or neither?  You, my friends, must decide that for yourselves.  

Now if the true body of Christ knew the identity of “The Many Breasted One,” would “Prophetess” Bynum make such a blasphemous and revealing declaration? Definitely not. But she probably knows that her followers fall into three camps:

1.  Fellow Diana worshippers

2. Sincere, but lost sheep

3. Those who are just along for the ride, and could care less what Bynum really believes

To which group do you belong?

Diana of Ephesus is really Semiramis, the wife of the great rebel, Nimrod, the first king of ancient Babylon.  Semiramis and Nimrod were worshipped as gods in the ancient world, and were called many different things, depending on the specific attribute or personal quality that was being recognized. 

Semiramis was not only worshipped as Diana, but as Aphrodite, Astarte, Demeter, Ceres, and others.  For proof of this, let us look briefly at Acts 19:24 again:

“For a certain man named Demetrius, a silversmith, which made silver shrines for Diana, brought no small gain unto the craftsman…”

Strong’s Concordance of the Bible says that the name Demetrius is derived from “Demeter (Ceres)” (SEE #1216).  Webster’s Dictionary describes Demeter as “the Greek goddess of agriculture—compare CERES.”  We are told that Demetrius worshipped Diana, yet his name is derived from the goddess, Demeter.  So we have both biblical and secular proof that Diana and Demeter are one and the same.  Because his name is derived from Demeter, it is a logical conclusion that Demetrius worshipped the goddess as both Demeter and Diana. 

Note that both publications reference the goddess Ceres.  You may be interested to know that according to the Oxford English Dictionary, Ceres is the Roman goddess of agriculture and cereal grains.  In fact, it is from the name Ceres that we get our modern word cereal.  So both a biblical and a secular source prove my contention that the goddess Diana went by other names.  

Now if Semiramis was worshipped under different names two thousand years ago, and the Bible tells us that she was worshipped in “all Asia and the world,”  is it a stretch to believe that she may still be worshipped all over the world today—including in the United States—under different names?

No, it is not a stretch, as you will soon see.  Goddess worship is still going on today, and Juanita Bynum is proof.  But Semiramis is not being worshipped only as Diana.  A clue to another name under which she is being worshipped may be found among her many traits and aspects; for Semiramis was also known as a Virgin and the Mother of the Gods.  Click here to find our more.

In the Book of the Revelation this goddess is called The Abomination of Desolation.

Think. 

The Still Man

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Animal Rights and the New World Order

Grace and peace, saints.

Since I accepted Jesus Christ as my Savior and understood that many of the fantastic things going on in the world are actually a part of Biblical prophecy, I have always tried to view the world in the context of the Bible.

I know, for instance, that the goal of the ecumenical movement is to unite all churches into a One World Church under the pope.  So when I see events such as the Episcopal parish that wants to join the Catholic Church, I understand that this is a fulfillment of Biblical prophecy.  When the media accused Norway shooter Anders Breivik of being a “Christian fundamentalist,” I understood that this was a part of the prophesied great persecution of the Christian Church.  I also understand where various movements like the environmental movement fit into the Biblical picture.

What I could never understand, however, was what role animal activism played in prophetic events.  I know that Satan likes to take the word of God and twist it to suit his purposes, so I thought that this unnatural affinity and reverence for animals was merely Satan profaning God’s commandment.  For God said:

“Every moving thing that liveth shall be meat for you; even as the green herb have I given you all things” (Genesis 9:3).

According to the Bible then, every animal on the face of the earth is suitable for consumption, including dogs and cats—animals that we have come to think of more as friends and family than food.  Yet God’s Word is clear:  dogs and cats are edible.

Don’t get me wrong: I am in no way suggesting that keeping a dog or cat as a pet is going against the Bible, and I don’t think God disapproves of the practice.  After all, dogs have more than proven themselves invaluable in many capacities, and in the case of the disabled, they are not only viable as companions, but are also a means for them to maintain some kind of independence.  And the soothing and comforting qualities of cats have made them an ideal companion for the infirm, the elderly, and those who live alone.

But the animal rights movement has gone so far in their activism that they seem almost to be trying to win the same rights for animals that human beings enjoy.  Listen to this statement from PETA, the animal rights organization:

“People often ask if animals should have rights, and quite simply, the answer is ‘Yes!’”

They go on to explain that, by this, they mean “animals deserve to live their lives free from suffering and exploitation.”

But they also make the following statement:

“Only prejudice allows us to deny others the rights that we expect to have for ourselves.”

This seems to suggest that animals are entitled to civil rights—just like human beings.

They go on to identify animals with groups such as blacks and women by suggesting that they are being similarly discriminated against:

“Whether it’s based on race, gender, sexual orientation or species, prejudice is morally unacceptable. If you wouldn’t eat a dog, why eat a pig? Dogs and pigs have the same capacity to feel pain, but it is prejudice based on species that allows us to think of one animal as a companion and the other as dinner.”

According to this statement, they believe that those who eat pigs and cows, but not dogs, are discriminating against those animals, and violating their rights!  And they don’t base animals’ entitlement to civil rights on their capacity to reason or talk, but on their ability to suffer.

“Suffering [is] the vital characteristic that gives a being the right to equal consideration. The capacity for suffering is not just another characteristic like the capacity for language or higher mathematics.

“All animals have the ability to suffer in the same way and to the same degree that humans do. They feel pain, pleasure, fear, frustration, loneliness and motherly love. Whenever we consider doing something that would interfere with their needs, we are morally obligated to take them into account.

So the decision to eat or not to eat animals is no longer simply a matter of personal preference, but a moral consideration.

This next statement goes even further:

“Supporters of animal rights believe that animals have an inherent worth – a value completely separate from their usefulness to humans. We believe that every creature with a will to live has a right to live free from pain and suffering.”

Do not mistake what they are implying here.  A will is a human characteristic and entails the ability to choose and to distinguish right and wrong.  This statement redefines animal behavior from what was previously thought of as instinctual to intentional and effectively makes an animal not an animal, but a person.  The next statement makes it crystal clear that this is exactly what they have in mind:

“Animal rights is not just a philosophy – it is a social movement that challenges society’s traditional view that all non-human animals exist solely for human use.

“As PETA’s managing director, Ingrid E. Newkirk has said, ‘When it comes to pain, love, joy, loneliness and fear, a rat is a pig is a dog is a boy. Each one values his or her life and fights the knife.'”

By calling animal rights a social movement, they are comparing it to the civil rights movement and the fight for women’s suffrage.  Social movements involve people, so by considering animal rights a social movement, they are calling it a human rights issue. Moreover, by grouping a human boy with a rat, a pig, and a dog, Newkirk is putting us all on the same level.  This is unscriptural, because God clearly distinguishes man from animals and has given man the dominion over animals:

“All that moveth upon the earth, and upon all the fishes of the sea; into your hand are they delivered” (Genesis 9:2b).

Besides having major implications for society, this actually has prophetic significance.  There are two possible scenarios that could occur whether the animal rights agenda is realized or not, simply because it has become such a major issue:

If the animal rights movement succeeds in gaining civil rights for animals and they become legal persons, then it could be considered murder to kill an animal and cannibalism to eat an animal.  This sounds fantastic, but it is totally possible given the great strides the animal rights movement has made in the past decade.  I don’t believe such a law would be accepted internationally, but countries that signed a United Nations resolution in this regard could accept it.  There are a number of U.N. resolutions that have not been accepted by all the member states, but are enforced in those countries that have accepted and signed the resolution.

The prophetic significance of this is that Daniel 8:12 tells us that the Jews will again practice animal sacrifice:

“And a host was given him (the Antichrist) against (in preparation for) the daily sacrifice by reason of transgression, and it (the host) cast down the truth to the ground; and it practiced and prospered” (Daniel 8:12).

A host in this sense means a group of priests whose commission will be to begin the sacrifice of animals again for sin atonement; for, as we know, the Jews reject Jesus as the Last Sacrifice.  That is what is meant by, “casting the truth to the ground.”  The practice of animal sacrifice is denying that Jesus Christ’s sacrifice on the cross was sufficient atonement for sins.

Now the devil has always demonized the Jews and gotten the support of the people before he tried to kill them.  In Germany, the Jews were blamed for the hated treaty of Versailles and they were accused of being the authors of the Protocols of Zion and the founders of international Communism.  All this was to turn international opinion against the Jews in preparation for the great “cleansing” perpetrated by the Nazis.

In America, the media has for years launched its own assault on the Jews.  They are constantly accused of being the true power in the world and ultimately responsible for all of its problems.  More recently the Jews have received bad press over the issue of circumcision, which is portrayed in the media as a barbarous and satanic practice.

 

Now, if animal rights gains worldwide acceptance—and there is every reason to believe it will—then when the Jews start practicing animal sacrifice again, then the whole world could be against them.  We know this could happen because the Bible says that in the middle of the seven-year agreement the Antichrist will make with Israel (a tenet of which will be their permission to practice animal sacrifice) he will renege on his word (Daniel 9:27), and put a halt to the sacrifices.  This will coincide with the Antichrist placing an idol in the Jewish Holy of Holies (Daniel 11:31).  His change of heart could ostensibly be a result of worldwide outrage at the practice of animal sacrifice.

It is conceivable that Americans can be beguiled into turning against the Jews for animal sacrifice.  It has been said that Hitler offered to let America take the Jews and America refused, though I cannot substantiate this.  If anti-Jewish rhetoric increases, and Americans continue in their militant zeal for animal rights, one can see the possibility of this scenario.

Even if animal rights does not succeed, there is still the potential for trouble.  If the idea that humans are merely higher-evolved animals ever gains public and God forbid, legislative acceptance, cannibalism can be legalized.  After all, if human beings are merely a species of animal, and it is legal to eat all kinds of animals, then it should be technically OK to eat humans.  This is barbarous, but under these circumstances, totally conceivable.  The likelihood of this scenario is increased by the fact that cannibalism is actually being discussed in the public forum.

This would agree with Scripture, for Daniel 8:25 says that the Antichrist will cause witchcraft to prosper, meaning it will be government approved.  Since witchcraft is a religion, and human sacrifice is a practice of witchcraft, then human sacrifice could become a religious privilege—with government sanction. 

Think about it: if the Jews are allowed to sacrifice animals for religious reasons, and if human beings are also animals, then technically witches could also be allowed to sacrifice humans as a religious privilege.  All that is needed is:

1.  For witchcraft to gain legislative acceptance as a religion. This is almost the case.  Military and prison chaplains receive training in Wicca so they can minister to witches.  The military and prisons are taxpayer funded and this means that the government recognizes it.  And since we pay taxes, it essentially means we do too.

If this seems a stretch to you, consider that the United States Air Force Academy recently dedicated an $80,000 outdoor pagan worship center.  The dedication was presided over by two witches.  Convinced?

2.  For witchcraft to gain public acceptance as a religion. With the success of Harry Potter and Twilight, and all the witchcraft programming on T.V., witchcraft is already enjoying enormous public approval.  This is because the majority of the public has no idea that human sacrifice is a major part of witchcraft.

3.  For humans to be considered just another species of animal.  This is being taught to our children every day in anthropology classes all over America, and being reinforced by Hollywood, the media, the Discovery Channel, and in many of our churches through evolution theology.  Just a cursory glance at most of our children and one will plainly see that they have bought into it.

4.  For animals to be granted human rights.

Now do you understand all the media coverage and movies about animals like chimpanzees, gorillas, and dolphins that exhibit human qualities?  Now do you understand the wave after wave of news stories lately about animals attacking human beings?  The one thing that has differentiated humans from animals is our capacity for senseless violence.  Animals, on the other hand, have always been seen as instinctual creatures that only kill for food and to defend their young.  With the media’s coverage of unprovoked attacks on human beings, however, people will soon begin to see animals as indiscriminate killers—just like us.  There will soon be no difference between the two.  And that will play right into the puppet masters’ hands.

All this is frightening when you consider that the Bible says the Antichrist will “cause craft (witchcraft) to prosper.”  He will give it his seal of approval.  Then it will be Hell on earth.

I hope that you now understand the danger of the animal rights movement.  Humanizing animals de-humanizes human beings.  I also hope you understand that it is actually a fulfillment of Biblical prophecy.  From now on, when you see an animal related story in the media, consider it in the context of Biblical prophesy.  You may come to believe that animal rights is not such a good idea after all.

The first rabbinically-approved Jewish sacrifice in over 1500 years was performed in June of this year in Israel.  My thanks to Craig Boliek for providing that information.  It’s coming down to the wire, folks.

If you are reading this and you do not have a relationship with Jesus Christ, but you have come to realize that if the Bible is right about Jewish sacrifices starting up again in Israel, then it is probably right when it says that Jesus is the Christ—the only way to salvation. And if the Bible is right about that, then it is also right about God’s coming judgment on this sinful world.

If you want to escape that, plus have the added bonus of peace in this life and the assurance of spending an eternity with Jesus Christ free of want, pain, sadness, or loneliness, then click here.

Be encouraged and look up; your redemption draweth nigh.

The Still Man

Source: http://www.peta.org.uk/issues/why-animal-rights/

Copyright © 2011 Anthony Keeton, The Still Man ®.  All rights reserved.

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Vancouver and the Trail of Tears

Grace and peace to the brethren and greetings to the unsaved.

When Kanucks in Vancouver, B.C. got upset because their team lost in the Stanley Cup finals a few months ago, mayhem ensued, and the world did a double take. Despite the media’s best efforts, the Canadians themselves showed us that, their reputation as a “laid back” people notwithstanding, they are just as capable of violence as the residents of Los Angeles.  Welcome to the family!

A couple of weeks after this episode, I came across a story about Vancouver’s Trail of Tears as Canada’s Highway 16 is known, so-called because over 500 girls and women have been murdered or have gone missing in areas near this highway in thirty year’s time. Most of the women have been Native American.

I was very surprised that such a thing is occurring just North of us and yet it has gotten little if any attention from our news media.  I was going to post something about this, but thought better of it.  But now another story has come out of Vancouver that instantly reminded me of this one.

It seems that a human foot wearing a tennis shoe washed ashore in Vancouver, B.C., the latest in a grisly trend that began in 2007.  The article states:

“In previous cases, police said it appeared the feet separated from bodies naturally in the water and foul play wasn’t suspected.”

I don’t know if I believe this statement, because if the feet separated from the bodies naturally and no foul play were involved, wouldn’t other body parts or even an entire body have washed up on at least one occasion?  And why does a foot always show up wearing a shoe, if there were no foul play involved?  Moreover, that the police say there was no foul play “in previous cases,” seems to suggest that, in this case, there may be foul play, and perhaps the foot did not separate naturally.  With the media one must always read between the lines.

And why does the article say that “at least two” of the feet belonged to men.  Can’t they be any more precise?  This wording may suggest that only two of the feet were of men.  That would mean that ten of the feet belonged to women.  If that were the case, what are the chances that this case is in some way related to the cases of the missing and murdered women on the “Trail of Tears?”

This has a definite satanic feel to it.  Many of the women who were killed on the “Trail of Tears” were last seen hitchhiking.  Jack Chick writes in his comic tract, “The Broken Cross” (co-written by former Druid witch John Todd) that many women that Satanists use in human sacrifice rituals are picked up hitchhiking.  Though there was no sign from either of the above stories that the deaths were occult related, one can’t help but entertain this notion, especially considering that all the feet found were wearing a shoe and attached to a leg bone.   This seems to suggest occult overtones.

Brothers and sisters, witchcraft, Satanism, and human sacrifice are alive and well.  The Bible says that the Antichrist will “cause craft (witchcraft) to prosper” (Daniel 8:25).  That means witchcraft will be government-sponsored during the Antichrist’s reign.  Both witchcraft and Satanism involve human sacrifice.  I don’t have to tell you what that means for the innocent.

Brethren, we will see a lot more of this sort of thing as the Spirit withdraws and the appearance of Antichrist grows nearer.  I am neither a sensationalist nor a conspiracy theorist.  I am a born-again, Bible-believing Christian, and the Spirit is speaking to His people.  Get under the blood of Jesus and protect your family.

I suggest that you do not let your children take part in sleepovers with anyone, saved or unsaved—even if they are your best friends.  You don’t want your precious child to end up like this poor lady, whose daughter was murdered by the daughter of actor Billy Bob Thornton for no clear reason.  She had allowed her children to spend the night with her friend, even though she claimed she could tell something wasn’t right with her.  And now her daughter is gone forever, just because she didn’t act on her instincts, which were telling her to get away from this woman.  Don’t be a victim.

The Holy Spirit is withdrawing and as the time of Antichrist nears, people are getting increasingly evil.  Moreover, the world is rife with people who practice the dark arts.  These people are all over the place and may even be your family and friends.  They certainly were mine.  Their motto is:

“Do as thou wilt shalt be the whole of the law.”

In other words, if it feels good, do it.  That includes murder and human sacrifice.  If you think about it, that would explain a lot of what we see going on around us.  People are living this creed every day of their lives—and the innocent are paying for it.

That is the reason I believe Cayce Anthony got off for murdering her daughter.  Until now, the media, Hollywood, and the education system have been teaching us “If it feels good, do it,” “There are no moral absolutes,” and “The end justifies the means.”  But, those who actually live out that creed are treated as criminals by the justice system—as they should be.  This is inconsistent, and I’m sure someone noticed the hypocrisy.  But with Anthony, they seemed to have established a precedent.  What other reason could there possibly have been for acquitting her?  Everyone knew she was guilty, including the jury, yet they let her off.  C’mon folks.  Something is rotten in Denmark.

Pray, dear ones, for your children; and keep an eye on them!  And let us say a prayer for the families of those murdered girls on the Highway of Tears.  Let’s keep it under the blood.

Be encouraged and look up; your redemption draweth nigh.

The Still Man

Copyright © 2011 Anthony Keeton, The Still Man ®.  All rights reserved.

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God Is In Control

Grace and peace, believers!

As I write this, it is 12:03 a.m.  I just got through reading a document that provided a great deal of clarity to me and proved yet again, that God Is In Control.  

Yesterday evening, I was reading Codex Magica, a book on symbolism written by Texe Marrs. 

DISCLAIMER: Christians should avoid this book, as it is full of New Age anti-Jewish propaganda.  It is also very deceptive.

On page 32, I came across a previously highlighted reference to a book by a researcher named Jim Keith, entitled Mind Control and UFOs: A Casebook on Alternative 3.  I couldn’t remember why I had highlighted the reference before, so I went to Amazon and attempted to locate the book, which I did.  I decided to read the reviews of all of Keith’s books, beginning with a book entitled, Mind Control, World Control.  This is where it got interesting.

One reviewer posted the following comment: 

“I read this in 1999 and found it to be an accurate primer for those who have long suspected that things in America aren’t quite ‘right’.

“Having undergone 30+ years of non-consensual experimentation, harassment, stalking and other crimes here in the US, I can recommend this book to others who may just be coming to the realization that they, too, are under attack.”

This was no ordinary review.  It was placed there by someone from the mind control community to entice those who may have experienced some strange occurrences to research the books he recommends. These books have been written for the express purpose of sensitizing the researcher to mind control techniques.  I will touch on this subject again later. 

Now, I have had experiences similar to those that this gentleman claims to have had, so I went to the websites he posted.  One of them dealt with the government’s use of mind-control and EMR (Electro-magnetic radiation) weapons on unsuspecting citizens, and includes testimonies by individuals who are under EMR attack. I had originally posted a link to an online document found at one of the sites, but I took it down because it may have had the potential to sensitize someone to mind control techniques.  To give you a flavor of some of the things discussed, I have included some harmless excerpts from the document:

“Victims are subjected to various kinds of harassment and torture, twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week, for years on end.”

This happens.  If you refer to my post, Chronology of Joy, I explain that I am always followed and surveilled, and my harassers don’t even bother to keep it a secret. 

“Most believe that some type of technology can remotely track, target, and control every nerve in their bodies. Heart and respiration rate can speed up and slow down, and stomach and bowel functions are regulated.”

I can verify some of this.  Muscles in my face, arms, buttocks, legs, and elsewhere often twitch uncontrollably.  Sometimes, when I am about to fall asleep, I will be jerked awake by some part of my body: either my foot would kick (like when the doctor is checking your reflexes), or an arm, finger, or toe would jerk.  Occasionally a hand will close and then open, or my mouth would open and shut violently, waking me.  Often the muscles in my buttocks, thighs, or stomach will spasm. There have even been times when I have been awakened because my mouth opened and closed or my head nodded up and down.  My lips have even puckered.  It sounds fantastic, but it is true.

“Most victims describe a phenomenon they call “street theater.” For example, people around the victim have repeated verbatim, the victim’s immediate thoughts, or harassive [sic] and personalized statements are repeated by strangers wherever the victim may go.”

I have heard people I don’t know repeat things in a public setting that I have said in private, or say something about me that only a family member or close friend would know. Once, for instance, I heard a person talking on his cell phone say the nickname of my youngest grandchild; a name that is so different, that it could not be a coincidence. Therefore, the person must have been given personal information about me.  

Conclusion: I am under surveillance.  I am being followed and spied on, and my phones are probably tapped.

“Emotions can be manipulated.  Almost all victims say repetitive behavior control techniques are used and include negative, stimulus-response or feedback loops.” 

Skinnerian operant conditioning techniques are common with this harassment.  I will discuss this later.  They do indeed use very sophisticated behavior control techniques designed to effect the behavior of the target individual.

“Many have been labeled mentally ill and live with financial ruin, loss of health, social life, and career. Victims theorize that the goal of the experiments would appear to be the development of weapons to neutralize the enemy, without killing them. All say the technology is unbelievably sophisticated and effective.” 

I don’t believe these are experiments.  These are deliberate attacks.  The American government has been involved in mind control experiments for decades, and I don’t believe there is anything more that they can learn.  The attacks, therefore, are deliberate.

Now, I can imagine how a victim of harassment could be labeled mentally ill.  If you were to tell someone, who has no knowledge of these things, what you were going through, they probably would be inclined to label you insane.  And that’s the idea.  That is why you don’t tell just anyone about it.  If you were diagnosed with HIV, you would probably tell only those whom you really trust, so that you would not be treated like a pariah.  It is no different with harassment. Resist the urge to share your experiences with anyone, unless you are certain you can trust them; and even then, use caution.

When I first realized what was happening to me I was afraid, because I didn’t know things were actually this bad.  I didn’t know that human beings, especially Americans, had become this base.  This was the extent of the “What A Wonderful World” programming that was done on me—the same programming that is being done on you, through the “big eye” in your living room.  It was like I went to sleep one day and woke up in another world.  I found out what the movie, The Matrix, was really all about.  I had taken the red pill, and was plumbing the depths of the rabbit hole.  I now live in the real world, while most everyone else, including many Christians, lives in a world of make believe.

Then the Lord showed me why my fear was unfounded.  He showed me in His Word that Christians are strangers and pilgrims in this world.  That means that everyone else is right at home; we are the ones who are out of place.  We are the ones with the problem as far as the world is concerned.  That is why they hate us.  We represent the Lord Jesus, and the world hates Him too.  Jesus also told me that if it is true that He is in charge, and that He sees and knows everything, and all power is His, then He has allowed this in my life.  And if He allowed it, then it has a purpose: my good and His glory.  

He also showed me in His Word that:

“All who will live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution”

and

“It is given unto you in the behalf of Christ, not only to believe on Him, but also to suffer for His sake” (Philippians 1:29).

These verses mean that I will be persecuted until Jesus returns.  But He also showed me something very encouraging that helped me to put everything in perspective.  It can be found in 2 Corinthians 10:13: 

“There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man.  But God is faithful, Who will not suffer you to be tempted (harassed) above ye are able, but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye shall be able to bear it.”

Translation: God will not put more on you than you can bear.  This is wonderful news!  It means that no matter how bad things get, no matter how hopeless they may seem, they will never get so bad that I can’t handle them.  There are nights when I get only a couple hours of sleep, if any at all; but Jesus always gives me strength. In most cases I have had more energy the next day than when I have slept a full night.  I have learned to rely solely on Him; and He’s made good on His promise not to put more on me than I can bear.

Let me give you an example.  At one point, the noise campaign around me had gotten really bad.  As I related in Chronology of Joy, the harassment I have been subjected to is primarily a result of my efforts to evangelize Roman Catholics and Muslims, and because I speak out against the errors of Roman Catholicism and Islam.  St. Louis is a Roman Catholic city, and the neighborhood in which I live is an old traditionally Irish Roman Catholic neighborhood. So, as you could probably guess, my neighbors are not too pleased with me.  In fact, they are involved in the harassment.

Now, the house I live in is a poorly-insulated frame house that does not keep sound out as well as it could.  If a dog barks outside, I can hear it pretty well inside.  If someone mows their lawn, I can hear that pretty well too.  In fact, I can hear just about anything going on outside from inside the house.  This makes my house perfect for a noise campaign. So, it got so that whenever I would go to bed, the next-door neighbor’s dog would start barking the moment I would begin to fall asleep, and/or someone would repeatedly slam their car door, and/or someone would actually kick the side of my house.  And while all this was happening, there would begin a loud ringing in my ears.  

Well, you can probably imagine how hard it was for me to get a night’s sleep.  So, I began to wear earplugs when I went to bed.  But then I would be worried that someone would try to break into my house while I was asleep and I wouldn’t hear anything. What a dilemma!

Then God showed me a verse in the Bible that put the situation into perspective:

“I will both lay me down in peace, and sleep; for thou Lord, only makest me dwell in safety” (Psalm 4:8).  

With this verse, God was showing me two very important things:

1. God is the Lord of sleep. Therefore, if God wants me to sleep, then I will sleep; no matter what my neighbors did.  God reminded me how the Bible says Adam went into a deep sleep, before God took his rib in order to make Eve:

“And the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam, and he slept…” (Genesis 3:21).

God showed me how He caused the great patriarch Abraham to fall into a deep sleep so the Lord could show him a horrifying vision of the future of Israel:

“And when the sun was going down, a deep sleep fell upon Abraham…” (Genesis 15:12).

God showed me how He made King Saul and all his soldiers go into a deep sleep in order that David could steal into the cave and take his water and spear:

“So David took the spear and the cruse of water from Saul’s bolster; and they gat them away, and no man saw it, nor knew it, neither awaked; for they were all asleep; because a deep sleep from the Lord was fallen upon them” (1 Samuel 26:12).

And God showed me in the Book of Acts how He made the prison guards fall into a deep sleep so that Peter could walk out without harm (Acts 12:5-11). There are other examples of how God makes men fall into a deep sleep when He wants.  GOD IS THE LORD OF SLEEP. 

But notice that Psalm 4:8 contains a very important word: Both:

“I will both lay me down in peace and sleep.”

The inclusion of the word both means that David would not only go to sleep, but he would sleep in peace and security. With this verse, God was showing me that He will protect me while I sleep, because He has the power to do just that.

When I understood what God was telling me, I prayed and told Him that I would put Him to the test.  So, I took out the earplugs, and I went to sleep; and, for the first time in weeks, I got a full night’s sleep.  Every night from that point on, whenever my neighbors would try to rob me of my sleep, I would repeat Psalm 23 (“The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want…”) until I fell asleep.  And I have never put on earplugs again.

Now, there are still nights when I can’t go to sleep immediately because of the activities of my neighbors, and there are times when I go to sleep right away, but am awakened hours before I would like to get up.  But I now understand that if God is truly in control–and He is–then He is allowing this to happen.  So when I can’t sleep, or am awakened in the middle of the night, I get out of bed, get on my knees, and pray.  Then I either read my Bible, study, or write a blog post that God has laid on my heart.  Sometimes I go back to sleep.

When I reflected on it, I realized that sometimes this happens when I have been lax in my prayer life: for example, when  I haven’t been praying for the people on my prayer list as regularly as I should.  So, Jesus knows what He’s doing.  Moreover, Jesus has told us in His Word that we Christians will suffer for His sake. Persecution is a part of this suffering. And harassment is persecution. 

I also realized another important thing: most of the people involved in my harassment would never step foot into a church, or come into contact with Christians under normal circumstances. I realized then, that God had provided me with an opportunity to witness to these people. And that is exactly what I do.  You must understand that these people are horribly deceived.  They will be among the first to be eliminated when the New World Order is established.  Why?  Because they know too much.  There will come a time when they will realize that they have been used and are no longer of any use to their slave masters.  It is my hope that at that moment, they will remember my witness and call on Jesus Christ to save them.  It could be right before they draw their last breath.  

Allow me to elaborate further on this last point, because it is very important.  It is a known fact that the Nazi regime eliminated not only the Jews, but also, as it is reported, the mentally and physically disabled, people with epilepsy, drunks, bums, homeless people, drug addicts, homosexuals and anyone else who was considered undesirable or less than perfect.  Now, most history books will tell you that Hitler and the Nazis were into perfection, and that through eliminating these people, the Nazis were ridding the world of blemishes on the otherwise smooth face of the perfect utopian society they were striving to create.  

But, during the course of my persecution, I noticed something very significant.  Recall that I am under surveillance twenty four hours a day.  There is scarcely a moment–if indeed there is such a moment–that I am not being watched or listened to.  I began to notice that, wherever I was, there would be an unusual number of physically disabled people, mentally ill people, drunks, bums, homeless folks, drug addicts, and, yes, homosexuals.  Now, it was not only their presence that alerted me that something was not right with them, but their actions, movements, and body language.  In short, they were just all wrong.  I eventually understood that these people were surveilling me, and, in some cases, were active participants in my harassment!  

It suddenly dawned on me that this was probably the reason the Nazis eliminated those groups of people I related earlier: not only (if at all) because they were considered a blight on society, but because he had used those people to spy on German citizens who did not support the Nazi regime as well as others that the Roman Catholic church considered enemies.  Never forget that Hitler was considered a very good Roman Catholic.  In fact, Hitler was never excommunicated by the Roman Catholic church for his crimes.  

Now Hitler’s elimination of those groups made sense to me, because it had never really made sense to me before.  I believe that history has been doctored to conceal Hitler’s real agenda in eliminating these people: to tie up any loose ends, and to make sure that there was no one left to tell what really happened to bring the Nazis to power and who was really behind it.  Lenin and Stalin did the same thing in Communist Russia.  

So, nothing has changed.  As Hitler eliminated many of those unfortunate thralls who helped bring the Nazis to power–drunks, bums, the physically disabled, homosexuals, people with mental problems, AND Roman Catholics who were deemed insufficiently zealous for their faith, so will the Antichrist do exactly the same in the New World Order.  Satan always double crosses his slaves.

Now, not all of these people are what we would normally consider an enemy.  Many are our friends, family, and neighbors and have, in some way, had their reasoning compromised. Consequently, they are living double lives.  The Bible says that a double minded man is unstable in all his ways, and I have seen this first hand.  Many are quite literally insane. Because of their actions, they have sunken lower than they can ever recover. They will never be “normal” again, if indeed they ever were.  They can never go back.  They have gone over to the “Dark Side” and can never come back again without help from Jesus.  

They are also horribly deceived if they think they are not being spied on too.  The puppet masters want to enslave everybody; and their first slaves are always those who they have enlisted to help them—our friends, family, and neighbors.  As the Bible says, they are “deceiving and being deceived.”  They have enslaved themselves. 

This is actually God at work.   The Bible says that Jesus is going to separate the sheep from the goats.  A sheep has always been a symbol for a follower of Jesus.  A goat has always been the symbol of Satan worshippers.  So Jesus is going to make sure that everyone picks a side.  There will be no fence sitters.  They may not directly worship Satan, but as far as God is concerned, they might as well be.  He who is not with Jesus is against Him, and He is going to make sure that there is a clear line drawn in the sand.

So to this end, Jesus has sent a “strong delusion,”  so that many will be deceived into doing things they never dreamed they would do. Why is Jesus doing this?  I can show you better than I can tell you:

“Because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved.  

“That they all might be damned who believe not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.”  (2 Thessalonians 2:10, 12)

This is a frightening verse.  God doesn’t do anything by half.  So, when God sends you a delusion–a strong delusion–then you can bet your bottom dollar that you will be deluded beyond any concept of the word. This explains why many of our unsaved friends, family, and neighbors are starting to have all kinds of weird beliefs and practices.  This is why many of their lives have been turned literally upside down.  God has sent them to La-La Land.  Next stop: Hell.

I am sharing this with you, brothers and sisters, so that you will be encouraged and not discouraged; courageous and not afraid, because strange things may be happening to you that you can’t explain.  Maybe you’ve tried to explain them to someone and have been ignored, written off, or been called crazy.  I’m here to let you know that I understand, because I’ve been there; and I’ve given you at least one explanation for your troubles.  I’m here to let you know that you’re not alone, and that you’re not crazy. This is happening to many of us.  Be strong in the Lord, and in the power of His might (Ephesians 6:10).   He will get us through.

If this is happening to you, but you are not a Christian, maybe you have an enemy.  In the Bible, Jesus tells the parable of the man who sowed good seed, but when the corn came up, weeds came up with it.  The man’s servant said to him, “Master did we not sow good seed?” to which the man replied, “An enemy has done this” (Matthew 13:24-26).

Notice the man didn’t say, “My enemy has done this.”  This is because he may not have known exactly who did this to him, but he had sense enough to know that such a thing had been done by someone hostile to him, rather than friendly.  Thus, he called him an enemy.

The same applies to us.  Understand that you do not have to do anything in particular to have an enemy.  The Bible says, “we wrestle not against flesh and blood” (Ephesians 6:13). The material world is influenced by the spirit world.  The angel Gabriel told Daniel that on the first day he started fasting and praying, God had sent him with the answer to Daniel’s prayers. But Satan sent a demon that held Gabriel up for three weeks!  Michael the Archangel had to come to Gabriel’s rescue (Daniel 10:12-13).

This truth is not limited to Christians.  Satan hates all mankind, and his demons are constantly at work causing enmity and division between people.  So, just because you don’t know you have an enemy, doesn’t mean he isn’t there.  If he doesn’t want you to know he is your enemy, you may never know, until something happens.  Most enemies masquerade as your friends.  It gives them enormous pleasure to do damage to you behind your back and smile to your face.  

Now a person who dislikes you is not necessarily an enemy.  What distinguishes an enemy from someone who just may not care much for you, is the amount of time an enemy will spend thinking about you.  An enemy will be absolutely obsessed with you, and will wake up thinking about you, go about his day thinking about you, and go to bed thinking about you.  You may find it unbelievable that such people exist, but those of us who have had experience with such people can tell you that they in fact do. People like this make the perfect tool for an harassment campaign, because they don’t do it for ideological, political, or religious reasons, but for the sheer pleasure of wreaking havoc on your life.  A person like this would do it even if he had a full-time job and family responsibilities, because you have become the center of his existence.  

Now, a person with a job and responsibilities would be bad enough, but imagine if this pawn were someone who had nothing but time on his hands.  Imagine if this person were someone whom people would normally classify as a loser: someone who had no job, no family, no friends, no responsibilities, and no prospects–in short, no life.   And imagine if, to top it off, he had psychological problems and/or an addiction of some kind, like alcohol, drugs, or sex.  Even better would be a person who had something to hide: such as a pedophile, rapist or other sex offender, who the neighbors don’t know about yet.

Now imagine if someone offered to pay this person’s rent, pay his utilities, buy his groceries, and supply his addiction, and the only thing he had to do was harass you.  Do you think he would do it?  Of course he would!  This would be his idea of heaven under any circumstances; but, in this economy, even someone who might have had misgivings about doing something like this before would now leap at the opportunity.  Now you know another reason our economy has been deliberately sabotaged.

It is even possible that you may not be the primary target of this person.  Maybe the primary source of the harassment is targeting someone else, but the person he is using is taking advantage of the opportunity to harass you.  Maybe you were his enemy and you didn’t even know it, or maybe he sees you as a threat (competition for a job, a man or woman, or public office). Maybe you have a good job (or just a job), a pretty wife or girlfriend, a nice house, or maybe you dress nice.  Then, again, maybe it’s for no particular reason at all.  Maybe you are merely collateral damage.

It is important to understand that one thing that motivates a great many people to do evil is the sense of having power and control over another’s life.  As one surveillance expert said in a recent NPR interview, “There is no greater temptation to spy on a neighbor than to know more about you than you know about him.”  When you add economic considerations to the picture, the temptation for a weak unstable individual to descend into perversion can be overpowering.

Now, with this in mind, consider the fact that unemployment in the U.S. is at an all-time high.  We are also in a recession.  Now consider that a recession and record unemployment have not affected the private sale of surveillance equipment.  Do a Google or YouTube search for consumer surveillance equipment, and you’ll see what I mean.  Now, while you ponder that, consider that rape, child molestation, child abduction, and other sex crimes are also on the rise. I don’t believe in coincidences.  One is not required to have morals to purchase surveillance equipment.  Think of the potential for abuse.  

Now, I’m not trying to scare you.  I’m just trying to get you to think critically: a skill that is sorely lacking in today’s mind-controlled society.  I’m trying to get you to understand that people are being encouraged to misbehave.  This is the reason for all the media coverage of consumer surveillance equipment and the explosive growth of reality TV.  People want to know what others do behind closed doors.  The puppet masters know that a significant portion of society has deviant tendencies, and they want to exploit that fact for their own purposes. That is the purpose for all the movies about ordinary people who are spies, like “Mr. and Mrs. Smith,” and cartoons about kid spies. The puppet masters are creating in the average citizen a taste for voyeurism and espionage. They are creating a culture of spying.

But they not only want people to spy on and harass one another.  They also want people to be afraid of and mistrust their neighbors: that way, they won’t talk to one another.  And it is working: people are becoming increasingly isolated.

So, if you have friends or loved ones who are behaving strangely—possibly even seeming to live a double life—I’ve just given you one possibility.  Believe me: some of our family, friends, and neighbors are behaving very, very badly.  I know mine are.  If, like me, you have family like that, pray for them.  They are being deceived.

By the way, remember a couple of years ago when the Department of Homeland Security announced the formation of the Citizen’s Corps?  

Have you heard anything else about it?   I haven’t; but I’m not stupid enough to think that no one has.  What do you suppose the “citizens” that make up the Corps do?

At this point, it should be emphasized that many who claim to be fighting mind control and informing the public about this activity are actually controlled by the enemy (including most, if not all, organizations that deal with mind control).  The mind control movement is closely linked to the whole UFO/extraterrestrial movement, and many so-called alien abductees claim to have been mind controlled.  While some aspects of mind control (such as EMR weapons) may very well be real, most mind control promoters say the perpetrators are the “global elite.”  They never mention the occult, demonic aspect of this issue.  They never say that the Great Whore of Babylon, the Roman Catholic church, is to blame.  But she is.  Believe me.

The testimonies of those who say that thoughts have been implanted into their mind, to me suggest demonic possession or obsession.  A Spirit-filled Christian cannot be mind controlled in that way, though he can be harassed, as I am, which, if successful, is a form of mind control.  I do believe, however, that a Christian, who is living in sin, can be mind-manipulated in some way.  Many mind control testimonies contain elements of an unmistakably satanic nature.

Harassment in the manner I have described is real and is happening.  But what you are not going to hear from most sources is that it is Satanic and demonic in nature.  You will also not hear most sources make any connection between mind control, the Roman Catholic church, and our military.  That’s right: our military. 

You see, mind control (one of the “silent weapons for quiet wars”) is a part of military psychological operations (PSYOPS), and PSYOPS units form a part of United States Military Intelligence.  This is a known fact.  What is not universally known, however, is that psychological operations were invented by the Roman Catholic Jesuit Order, according to a U.S. Army psychological operations training video. And the Jesuit Order was formed by the Roman Catholic church for the express purpose of stamping out the Protestant Reformation.

Are you starting to make some connections? 

The link between mind control, persecution and the Roman Catholic church is a very important one. I believe that Christians, such as myself, who are not afraid to speak the truth, and who are actively evangelizing Roman Catholics and/or Muslims, are being targeted by the Roman Catholic church as part of Phase Three of  The Roman Catholic Takeover of America.  Psychological operations are being used by Satan to persecute the Body of Christ, and anyone else they consider a threat.  As a matter of fact, it is a known fact that U.S. military psychological operations units, equipment, and tactics were deployed against the Branch Davidians during the United States government’s illegal and un-Constitutional raid against the Mount Carmel Center and Church during the siege at Waco.  See how deep the rabbit hole goes?

One more thing:  do not waste your time researching mind control and harassment.  The enemy has been very busy printing books on the subject of mind control and disseminating information on YouTube that actually explains the specifics of mind control and what to look out for.  These books and videos contain what are known as “triggers.”  A trigger is designed to invoke (or provoke) a certain response in a targeted individual. A trigger has no effect unless the victim knows what it is.  That’s why Satan wants you to go out and research mind control.  He knows that you will go out and look for those things, and they will make certain that you find them.  And once you find out the subtle cues the enemy uses–diabolically subtle cues–you will become sensitized to them and they will start to affect you.  Then the harassment will begin.  They are “priming the pump,” so to speak.  This is classic psychological warfare.

This is called “operant conditioning,” pioneered by Ivan Pavlov and developed into an art by behaviorist B.F. Skinner and others.  Skinner said that the goal of operant conditioning is “to shape an individual’s behavior by controlling his environment.”  Skinner was a sick, twisted individual who believed that since people are going to be manipulated anyway, “I only want them to be manipulated effectively.” Operant conditioning is a very effective means of manipulation. Everything that is being done to you is designed to elicit a response, and how you respond determines what the manipulators will do next.  In this manner, they can control your actions and even your thoughts.  The ultimate goal is to create fear in the subject and ultimately reshape his personality and, if possible, even drive him insane (or cause others to think he is insane). This effectively neutralizes the individual.

This is a perfect way to discredit a targeted individual.  If everyone thinks he is paranoid or insane, no one will listen to him. America has already been programmed to believe that anyone who behaves in a way that does not fit into their socialist worldview is mentally unstable.  And the media has played a big role in this.  The Encyclopedia Britannica, 1985 edition, for example, lists paranoia as one example of schizophrenia, and gives as an example someone who believes he is being followed or spied on.  This has been done well in advance to condition the public to classify anyone who claims he is being followed, harassed, or spied on as mentally insane.  In that Christians are on the government’s list of targeted individuals, you should now understand why many, including President Barack Obama, have implied that Christians are mentally insane.  

If you believe you are the target of a harassment campaign, the key is to understand what is being done to you and why, and to take steps to minimize its affect on you.  Once you understand that the purpose of this harassment is to control your thoughts and actions, then you will understand the purpose for each and every tactic the enemy uses and you will not react in the manner that your tormentors would like.  With time, you will see their tactics and understand them, but you will not be moved to react to them.  They will become a part of life.

It is important therefore to understand that the key to overcoming persecution, especially mind control, is not to react or even act, for that matter. The key is to keep on doing what you always do. For the Christian that means to pray and to preach. Notice that, in the Bible, Satan always reacted to what Jesus, the Apostles, the prophets, and the Christians did, and never was it the reverse. The Christians’ reaction to what Satan did was always the same: they prayed and they kept on preaching.

What did Peter say after the Jews arrested him and John and commanded them not to speak in the name of Jesus?

“Whether it be right in the sight of God to hearken unto you more than unto God, judge ye.

“For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard” (Acts 4:19-20).

What did the Christians pray when they heard what had happened?

“And now, Lord, behold their threatenings: and grant unto thy servants, that with all boldness they may speak thy Word…” (Acts 4:29).

What did the Apostles do when the high priest and the Sadducees put them in prison and God released them from prison?

“[T]hey entered into the temple early in the morning and taught” (Acts 5:21).

What did the Apostles do when the Jews arrested them again, beat them, and commanded them not to speak in the name of Jesus?

“They departed from the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for His name.

“And daily in the temple, and in every house, they ceased not to teach and to preach Jesus Christ” (Acts 5:41-42)

What did Paul do after escaping an attempt on his life?

“[H]e spoke boldly in the name of the Lord Jesus and disputed…” (Acts 9:27).

Notice that the Apostles never missed a step even when they were being persecuted. They just kept on doing what they always did. In fact, they did it more. And this is exactly what we must do. If the goal of the persecution is to change who we are, then we resist by continuing to be who we are and to keep on doing what we do. When the persecution increases, pray for more strength to overcome. This will strengthen your testimony, and you will grow stronger spiritually as you learn to rely solely on Jesus Christ.  Anyone who is being or has been harassed in this fashion, knows that you are powerless to do anything about it.  And that’s the key. Acknowledging that you are powerless is the first step.  The next step is to run to Him who has all power and to throw yourself at His mercy.  And Jesus will bring you though.  I’m a witness.

I believe the harassment is a form of torture and has even been described as such.  The Dominican monks during the Roman Catholic Inquisition used torture to try and force Christians to reject Jesus and convert to Roman Catholicism.  I believe harassment and gang stalking are being used for the same purpose.  Those who reject Jesus either outright or by becoming less vocal or conspicuous in their faith as a result of the harassment will be left alone for the most part, as long as they do what they are told.  Those such as myself, however, who will never reject Jesus will continue to be harassed. We must choose whom we will serve.  I’ve already made my choice. 

Again, resist the urge to research harassment and gang stalking, as many, if not all, of the resources available are intended to sensitize you to mind control programming techniques and to inculcate fear.  If you must do research, get books written by those suffering from long-term or terminal diseases, like cancer, who share how they didn’t allow the disease to stop them from living, but found ways to live with the disease and accept its limitations on their lives. Avoid anything on mind control or harassment as they only engender fear and bondage.  And God has not given us the spirit of fear, but of power, of love, and of a sound mind (2 Timothy 1:7).

Once you understand that this is all satanic, you will begin to see it as just another manifestation of the age-old battle between good and evil.  Pray to God for wisdom concerning what is being done to you and He will show you what is going on and tell you what to do.

For the Christian, it is vitally important to stay in the will of God to get through this persecution.  If we place our trust solely in Jesus Christ, and understand that He is in control of everything, He will ease our suffering.  Remember, He promised not to put more on us than we can bear.  But we must trust Him, and to trust Him we must first know Him. If you don’t know Him yet, why don’t you now?

To support my belief that many mind control organizations and websites are really misinformation/New Age sites, one such site has posted a video of a man named Ginter, who claims to have been subjected to mind control experiments in prison.  Besides making some less than credible (in my opinion) claims, this gentleman uses some curious hand gestures:

Notice the so-called El Diablo sign (actually a Cult of Mary hand sign)?  Ask yourself if you or anyone you know holds a cup in this manner.  But in case you believe this to be a coincidence, check out what he does next:

He does this several time during the course of the interview.  The two thumbs up in this fashion form the “horned devil” sign and communicate to those who know that this man is a “light worker”–a servant of Lucifer, called Satan.  I only watched about half the video, because I realized this man is on a mission–and it ain’t from God!

Ginter also makes a statement that further demonstrated to me that he is part of the New Age Antichrist forces.  He says that “Jews control everything” and that he is fighting them. This is the same claim made by Texe Marrs and others who say they are “revealing” the New World Order.  This hatred for the Jews shows their satanic nature.  Satan hates the Jews and throughout history has tried to destroy them.  All New Age adherents will have something against Jews, Christians, and Blacks, because Satan hates Jews, Christians, and Blacks.  They may try to conceal it, but if you pay close attention, you will see and hear it. They can’t always keep their guard up.

The fact that Texe Marrs cites Jim Keith’s book demonstrates the link between the New Age, mind control, and UFOs.  Alternative 3 is a supposed government plan to colonize outer space and involves a supposed moon base.  More New Age mumbo-jumbo. This also tells us something about Texe Marrs.  I have always believed him to be a New Age light worker, despite the fact that he claims to be a Christian.  He has made statements that demonstrate a hatred for God’s beloved Jewish people and an affinity for the Catholic church.  Do not be surprised:  The New Age has many such “Christians” on a leash.  

Moreover, I believe Texe Marrs to be a crypto-Catholic (ironic, since he’s always talking about crypto-Jews) because, of all the occult hand signs he discusses in Codex Magica, he doesn’t discuss the Marian Salute or Cult of Mary hand sign, which he would be compelled to do if he were a real Christian. Use discernment, saints. Texe Marrs is not what he appears to be.

This should not surprise you, dear brethren.  We are in a war.  And in war, anything goes. The enemy is pulling out all the stops in their insane quest for power and revenge.  One weapon Satan uses to great effect is fear.  If you can get people afraid for their lives, the battle is won before a single shot is fired.  We must, therefore, not fear; we must pray.  God is not only willing, but able.  I’m a witness.

The enemy will win many battles, but they shall not prevail.  They will have their New World Order, but only for exactly 42 months.  Then Jesus will flex.  And we will see it.

We as Christians have a mandate to give the world the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  Even if we are being harassed, spied on, and otherwise persecuted, we are to obey the Great Commission.  I know it is tough, but for this purpose have we been called.  Let us take courage in the fact that our reward awaits us on the other side.  Remember the words of our Lord Jesus:

“Blessed are ye, when men shall hate you, and when they shall separate you from their company, and shall reproach you, and cast out your name as evil, for the Son of man’s sake.

“Rejoice ye in that day, and leap for joy: for, behold, your reward is great in heaven: for in the like manner did their fathers unto the prophets” (Luke 6:22-23).

Watch and pray, brothers and sisters.

Be encouraged and look up, for your redemption draweth nigh!

The Still Man

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Reply To A Christian About the Charismatic Movement

Grace and peace, believers, and greetings to those still in the world.

The following post is a reply to a comment made by a dear soul who believes the Charismatic Movement is of God.  I am posting it here for the edification of the Body of Christ.

“Thank you, for your comment, Lisa, and thank you for the loving way in which you presented your argument and your disagreement with my position on a very sensitive, but important, topic.  The Body of Christ could benefit from your charitable example. 

“Good intentions notwithstanding, dear sister, you are uninformed about the nature of the Charismatic movement.  Perhaps the best way to inform you would be to take your comments point by point.

“To begin, you are correct when you say, “many Charismatic movements have arisen through Protestant churches.”  As you know from my essay, I hold that the goal of the Charismatic movement is to unite all religions (specifically Protestant Christianity) with Roman Catholicism on something they can all agree on, since doctrinally they will always disagree.  Within Christianity, that something is the works of the Holy Spirit; hence the name, Charismatic.  The Charismatic movement can best be seen in the Protestant Church, because it is this church that Satan wants to destroy.

“You are mistaken, however, in your belief that errors such as salvation with the evidence of speaking in tongues “have been outgrown through the maturity of the movement and are no longer in practice.”  This practice is in place at this very minute, and in today’s atmosphere of “oneness,” is gaining popularity with a people who no longer believe that the Christian church should separate itself from the world.  Knowing this is not dependent on how many years you have been a Christian (praise God for blessing you 20 years in the faith), but on how sensitive you are to the leading of the Holy Spirit, from Whom comes discernment.

“At this moment, I do not have a church home, because, with one exception, every church that I have visited in my hometown since returning to America three and a half years ago has been charismatic—and the one exception was still ecumenical. 

How do I know?  Because when I hear a teaching that is not Biblical, I talk to the pastor about it, to know if he is doing it out of ignorance or if he has an agenda.  Not one pastor I have talked to has been able to defend a false teaching with Scripture.  And because they neither concede that their teachings are unscriptural, nor defend them with Scripture—unless they wrench It out of context—I conclude that they are purposely teaching it.

“Let me give you a couple of examples.

“At one church I visited, the pastor talked about “the Holy Ghost” so much that it seemed that he was subordinating Jesus to Him.  When he went so far as to say that a person is not saved unless he demonstrates his salvation through the speaking of tongues, I confronted him. 

When we went to Scripture, I noticed that every passage he used referred only to the Holy Ghost, while the ones I used referred to both the Holy Ghost and the Holy Spirit.  I told him that his argument seemed to suggest that the Holy Ghost and the Holy Spirit were two different persons, to which he replied, “They are!” When I asked him what was the difference between the two he replied, “More power; that’s all, just more power.”  Incredible, but true.

“A few months ago, I answered a church advertisement for an associate pastor.  I sent the senior pastor my résumé and he sent me an email asking me to go to his website and that, if I agreed to his Statement of Faith and his “Supplementary Agreement,” contingent on the interview, I looked pretty good for the job.  I went to his website and upon reading the Statement of Faith, I understood that this church was Charismatic. 

But I gave him the benefit of a doubt, and examined the “Supplementary Agreement,” which included a statement to this effect: “The applicant must agree that salvation is evidenced by the speaking of tongues.  Scripture references can be given.”  When I wrote the pastor back and gave him the Scripture verses that refute this errant belief, he came back with, “We should have a teachable spirit” and even said that speaking in tongues is not essential to salvation, even though the “Supplementary Agreement” says it was.

“This is why one must “quibble” about wording.  Charismatic churches have realized that discerning Christians know speaking in tongues as an evidence of salvation is unscriptural, so they mask it or ostensibly drop it altogether, such that one would never know unless one were to press the pastor about it.  I always do.  Believe me: the devil is always in the details. 

“The aim of the Charismatic Movement is not, as you say, “to use Jesus as the example.”  It is to use the gifts of the Holy Spirit (Greek: charismata) as the common denominator.  Jesus said the Holy Spirit would remind us of everything He ever said (John 14:26), not center the Christian faith around the Spirit’s works, which is what the Charismatic Movement does.  The Charismatic Movement is works centered, not faith centered.  And works cannot save us (Romans 3:19, 4:4-5).  Remember, our works should be a sign of our salvation, not a requirement for our salvation.  The only requirement for salvation is faith in the shed blood of Jesus Christ as sufficient for atonement, or remission of sins (Romans 3:25). 

“Moreover, Jesus Christ is not to be used merely as an example.  Jesus is the Way (John 14:6), not an example of the way.  That would be a map.  There are a plethora of unbelievers who say they are Christians simply because they use Jesus Christ as an “example.”  Oprah Winfrey is one of those people, yet she says God is merely a “force” and not a person.  This is totally unscriptural. 

“Your reading different bible verses “side by side” suggests that you don’t think that any one version is the correct one, and you go so far as to say so.  This is also a belief of charismatics, who believe that only the “original writings” were error-free.  This is saying that we don’t have what Jesus actually said anymore, which is calling Jesus Christ a liar, for He said that His words would never pass away (Luke 21:33). 

This is also calling the Holy Spirit a liar, for He wrote the Bible.  This is blasphemy against the Holy Spirit—the only unpardonable sin.  This is the sin of the Charismatic movement.  And all that are in this system will perish unless they leave it and repent of it. 

“So, although you believe me to quibble over semantics, I am merely zealous for the word of God, as all Christians should be; for Scripture says that we should be ready to avenge all disobedience, when our obedience is fulfilled (2 Corinthians 10:6).

“My spirit tells me that, by your words, sister, you are wanting for discernment: for if you believe the Charismatic Movement is of Jesus, you are terribly deceived, and it could cost you your soul.  I’ll be praying for you, because time is short.  I would advise you to research the Charismatic Movement under the guidance of the Holy Spirit so that you are not deceived into the Pit.”

I plan to complete my study of the Charismatic movement very soon.  I’m sorry for the delay.  I understand that there are many who need this information.

Be encouraged and look up; your redemption draweth nigh.

The Still Man

Copyright © 2011 Anthony Keeton, The Still Man ®.  All Rights Reserved.

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Does President Obama Think All (Christian) Gun Owners Are Terrorists?

Grace and peace unto you, brothers and sisters.

President Obama has just told us what the war on terror is really all about.  In a CNN interview, he reportedly made the following statement with regard to the government’s terrorism focus:

“The biggest concern we have right now is not the launching of a major terrorist operation, although that risk is always there.”

“The risk that we’re especially concerned over right now is the lone wolf terrorist, somebody with a single weapon being able to carry out wide-scale massacres of the sort that we saw in Norway recently.”

“You know, when you’ve got one person who is deranged or driven by a hateful ideology, they can do a lot of damage, and it’s a lot harder to trace those lone wolf operators.”

Recall that we previously discussed that the USA PATRIOT Act revised the government’s prior definition of terrorism.  It used to read:

“Acts that attempt to affect the conduct of a government by assassination, or kidnapping,”

It has now been amended to read:

“Acts that:

“involve acts dangerous to human life,

“appear to be intended to intimidate or coerce,

“influence the policy of a government‚ 

“affect the conduct of a government by mass destruction, assassination, or kidnapping.” 

The change considerably broadened the definition of terrorism.  

Now the president has given us the definition of a new type of terrorist: the “lone wolf,” and it ought to worry everyone reading this.  To show you why, let’s look at the first sentence of the president’s statement again.

“The risk that we’re especially concerned over right now is the lone wolf terrorist, somebody with a single weapon being able to carry out wide-scale massacres of the sort that we saw in Norway recently.” 

A student of language can appreciate the grammatical sleight-of-hand the president uses.  It is both simplistic and deceptive.  Let’s break this sentence down.

“The risk that we’re especially concerned over right now is the lone wolf terrorist…”

Cut and dry.  The government is concerned about lone wolf terrorists.  Now President Obama goes on to tell us what a lone wolf terrorist is: 

“…somebody with a single weapon…”  

That’s it.  According to President Barack Obama, a lone wolf terrorist is “somebody with a single weapon.”  The rest of the sentence describes the weapon:

“being able to carry out wide-scale massacres”

The phrase “being able to carry out wide-spread massacres” is not intended to be a part of the definition of a long wolf terrorist.  If it were, the clause would read:

“…somebody with a single weapon, who is able to carry out wide-spread massacres…”

But the President does not say, “who is able.”  He says “being able.”

If he wanted to be clear that he was describing the ability of the weapon, he could have said:

“…somebody with a single weapon which (or that) is able to carry out wide-scale massacres…”

But he uses the phrase “being able,” which makes it unclear whether he is referring to the person or the weapon.  Anyone who has heard him speak knows that President Obama chooses his words very carefully.  One may assume, then, that the president said what he meant. 

Because of the terms “single weapon” and “wide-scale massacres,” it would seem the president was referring to a grenade or bomb, both of which are single weapons capable of producing mass casualties.  Is a lone wolf terrorist then, a person armed with a bomb?  Perhaps the rest of the sentence will tell us: 

“…of the sort that we saw in Norway recently.” 

Obviously, the president is not talking about a bomb, because a handgun and an automatic rifle were supposedly used in Norway.  The “single weapon” that President Obama is referring to, then, is a gun.  Wait.  Is the president calling handguns and rifles (even a .22 squirrel rifle) weapons of mass destruction?  The phrase “single weapon…able to carry out wide-scale massacres of the sort we saw in Norway” would seem to suggest that very thing. 

This is incredible, but totally consistent.  The War on Terror was supposedly about weapons of mass destruction.  If a handgun were classified a weapon of mass destruction, then the government could consider it a terrorist weapon.  Anyone carrying a gun then, could be classified as a terrorist.  Remember that President Obama defined a lone wolf terrorist as “somebody with a single weapon.”   That translates to ‘anybody with a gun.’ The War on Terror comes to Anytown, USA.

The problem is that the president bases his description of a lone wolf terrorist on the capability of a weapon and not the actions of an individual.  Instead of describing a lone wolf terrorist as “a single person who carries out wide-scale massacres,” the president focuses on the capability of a weapon to produce mass casualties as the basis for his definition.  He’s making it about the weapon and not the person.

This is frightening.  It would be the same if a guy went around bashing people’s skulls in with a baseball bat.  Would the government consider baseball bats weapons of mass destruction?  Would all baseball players then be considered terrorists?  Do you see where this type of thinking would go in a hurry?

But what separates baseball players and terrorists is, among other things, ideology.  We should know something of the psychology and ideology of the lone wolf.  The President’s next statement gives us some ideal:

“You know, when you’ve got one person who is deranged or driven by a hateful ideology, they can do a lot of damage, and it’s a lot harder to trace those lone wolf operators.”

This is the final characteristic of a lone wolf terrorist.  Not only does he carry a “single weapon” (READ handgun), “able to carry out mass-scale massacres,” but he is “deranged” and “driven by a hateful ideology.”  No one would disagree with the first part of this statement.  A deranged person with a handgun can do a lot of damage.  I would have a problem with the second part, however, because the President doesn’t define what he (and by extension, the government) considers a “hateful ideology.”

Or doesn’t he?

Remember, the president referred to the Norway massacre, and it’s no secret that the media is calling the alleged shooter, Anders Breivik, a “Christian fundamentalist.” 

Is “Christian fundamentalism”—what we would call Biblical Christianity—the “hateful ideology” to which President Obama refers?  Well, anyone who has heard his opinions on Christianity would have no difficulty answering this question.  Also notice that, with his wording, the President associates insanity with Christianity.  That ought to tell you what he really thinks of us.

Understand, folks, that the President is communicating a major policy shift with regard to terrorism.  When Bush invaded Iraq, beginning the War on Terror, the impetus was supposedly weapons of mass destruction, which, at the time, meant nuclear weapons (remember the hearings on C-Span featuring that one Arab gentleman talking about the nuclear weapons inspections in Iraq?), and the terrorists were the Taliban.

Now what President Obama is essentially saying is that, at least for now, the Taliban is on the back burner, and “lone wolf terrorists,” (which, by his definition, means anyone with a weapon and a “hateful ideology”), are the government’s primary concern.  The term “weapons of mass destruction” no longer applies only to nuclear weapons, but has been expanded to include a “single weapon” (such as a handgun), because it is “able to carry out wide-spead massacres.” 

It is being implied (but later it will be openly stated) that handguns are weapons of mass destruction, and it is being implied (but later it will be stated openly) that Christians are terrorists.

What Christians need to understand is that it seems the President is giving us a very simple math equation.

A person + A handgun + A Christian ideology = A Terrorist

It will soon be open season on all Christians.  And that is what this is really all about.

By the way, have you noticed that the media have conveniently forgotten that survivors of the Norway massacre originally said that there was a second gunman?  In a court of law, their testimony would be considered evidence and conveniently forgetting it would be obstruction of justice.  The same thing happened at Columbine, where the survivors said there was a third shooter.  The same thing happened on 9/11, where survivors AND firefighters on the scene said there were explosions in the towers.  We are being set up–again.  

I have believed all along that the Norway massacre was a planned event that would be used to get rid of guns–and Christians.  

Prior to his election, President Obama was rabidly anti-gun.  

He only employed pro-Second Amendment rhetoric to get elected.

The Bible has given us ample warning that these things would come to pass, and now we are seeing it with our own eyes.  Persecution is coming.  Are you spiritually prepared?  Is your family?  Get right with Jesus.  Pray for the strength to overcome to the end.

If you need encouragement, go to the end of The Book.  We win.  

If you are not a Christian, but you can see that the Bible predicts events like Norway, and you realize that if the Bible is right about that, then perhaps it is right about other things–like God’s coming judgment on this sinful world, then you need to get right with Jesus.

Understand that things like the Japanese tsunami are merely a dress rehearsal for the final act, coming to a neighborhood near you.  Make the right move.  Get right with Jesus now.  It will be the best decision you will ever make.

Be encouraged and look up; your redemption draweth nigh.

The Still Man

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Breaking Generational Curses

Grace and peace unto you.

The subject of generational curses is so controversial, that it is rarely, if ever preached.  I have never heard it preached in my entire life, yet generational curses are responsible for destroying more people’s lives than possibly any other reason.  It is also responsible for destroying many Christians’ testimonies.

That this subject is not being preached is not surprising given that most churches today are more concerned with keeping the offering basket filled than with the spiritual well being of their congregations.  Truth be told, many preachers are themselves under a generational curse, and this affects their ability to preach hard-core gospel.

We here don’t have that problem; so today we will discuss this menace, because many unsaved people’s lives have been utterly ruined by a generational curse, while many Christians are having great problems in their Christian walk and are having their testimonies destroyed because they are in bondage to sin due to a generational curse.  We will therefore discuss:

  1. What is a generational curse.
  2. Why one comes under a generational curse.
  3. How one comes under a generational curse.
  4. How you can know if you are under a generational curse, and
  5. How you can remove a generational curse (yes, you can do this yourself!).

First let us go to the Lord for peace, perseverance, and protection.  Satan does not want you to have this information, so he may either try to distract you, fatigue you, or even harm you.  Let us pray:

“O Gracious and Loving Father, please grant us your peace during this discussion.  Let no one call us or otherwise distract us, and please help us to lend our whole heart, as we strive to be obedient to your Word.  Furthermore, Father, please protect us from the power of Satan through the mighty name of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, in whose name we pray, Amen.”

To begin, a generational curse is a curse that God will place on a person’s family when that person is guilty of committing a sin which is so detestable to God that He considers it an abomination.  Webster’s Dictionary defines abominable as, “Worthy of or causing disgust or hatred: DETESTABLE.” An abomination, therefore, is something that God detests and hates.  Remember, God is Holy.

One sin that is high on God’s list of abominations is idolatry.  In fact, the first time God talks about the generational curse it is associated with this sin.  Let us turn to Exodus Chapter 20, which begins with the Ten Commandments.  In verse 4, God says,

“Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth:

“Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the Lord thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me.”

The prohibition is clear:

  1. We must not make any idols.
  2. We must not bow down to them.
  3. We must not serve them.

The second half of the passage contains the penalty for breaking this rule.  Let us examine it.  

“Visiting the iniquity of the fathers…”

The word visiting in this sense means to bestow or appoint.  Iniquity, of course, is sin.  In other words, God will put the sin of the parents…

“Upon the children…”

God will curse the children with the sin that the parent(s) committed…

“Unto the third and fourth generation.”

God will curse four entire generations with the very sin that the parent was guilty of.  So, if the parent committed idolatry, four generations of descendents will also commit idolatry.  If the parent practiced witchcraft, four generations of descendents will also practice witchcraft (we will revisit this subject later).  This is because God has cursed the children for the parent’s disobedience.

But it doesn’t end there.  God will also curse the descendents of each of the four generations, also for four generations.

Exodus 34:7 reads:

“Keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, and that will by no means clear the guilty; visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children, and upon the children’s children, unto the third and to the fourth generations.”

That’s sixteen generations of descendents under God’s curse, all because of the sin of one ancestor.  Over time this will become a perpetual curse because, if the original sin is not dealt with, each succeeding generation will commit the same sin and will be cursed anew.  Without intervention, the entire lineage will ultimately be accursed.  Many reading this have already started to make some connections.

Now that we know what a generational curse is and why God places a generational curse on a family, let us examine the sins that God considers abominations.  As we have seen, idolatry is number one on the list.  Leviticus Chapter 18-20 gives us several more.

Pornography.  Leviticus 18:1-19 deals with the various flavors of this sin.  What few in our time understand is that, according to the Bible, to see anyone naked other than our spouse or our children is an abomination to God and is thus, pornography.

Children naturally know this.  When they reach an age that they begin to know their bodies, they are naturally modest.  Not only do they not want anyone to see their nakedness, but they aren’t particular about seeing anyone else’s nakedness either. Beginning in grade school, society makes children ashamed of their modesty. 

Americans touting an open society cite how “uninhibited” the Europeans are.  But what few, other than those who have lived abroad, know, however, is that the Europeans are obsessed with sex. Being “liberated” and “uninhibited” has not had any positive results for the Europeans: it has only made them want to have sex more.  Only they don’t do their dirt at home.  They go to third world countries like the Philippines to live out their sexual fantasies.  It’s called sex tourism.

Adultery. “Thou shalt not lie carnally with thy neighbor’s wife, to defile thyself with her” (SEE also 20:10).

Child Sacrifice.  “Thou shalt not let any of thy seed pass through the fire to Molech” (18:21a). 

Molech was a Babylonian deity—an idol.  Parents would sacrifice their children to this idol by tossing them into a fire before his image.  This is still practiced today in secret.

Profaning the name of God.  “Neither shalt thou profane the name of thy God” (18:21b).  

This means using the name of Jesus Christ as a swear word (which Americans do ad infinitum), texting “omg!”, or saying “God$!*@it!”

Homosexuality.  “Thou shalt not lie with mankind, as with womankind: it is an abomination” (18:22).  (See also 20:13).

Besides being a perversion of God’s intention for sexual relations to be exclusively between a man and a woman, homosexuality is a sin against the body, because the body is God’s temple (1 Corinthians 6:18-19).

Sodom and Gomorrah are God’s warning to us that He hates homosexuality.  He hates it so much that He not only destroyed those two cities, but he destroyed “all the cities of the plain” with the exception of the city to which Lot and his family fled (Genesis 19:24-29). God basically destroyed an entire state for the sin of homosexuality.  He seriously hates it.

Many homosexuals hate the Bible, especially the Book of Leviticus, because it reveals God’s hatred of the homosexual lifestyle.  Many so-called Christians who defend homosexuals like to say, “God hates homosexuality, but He loves homosexuals.”  I don’t like to use this saying, because it glosses over God’s abhorrence of the homosexual lifestyle.  It is like saying, “God hates murder, but He loves murderers” or, “God hates child molestation, but He loves child molesters.”  Clearly this conveys the wrong idea.  It is best to say that God loves the person, but He hates their sin. We should love homosexuals enough to tell them the plain truth.

Bestiality.  “Neither shalt thou lie with any beast to defile thyself therewith” (18:23).

Dishonoring one’s mother and father.  “For every one that curses his father or his mother shall be surely put to death” (20:9).

Incest.  “If a man shall take his sister…it is a wicked thing” (20:17). 

Witchcraft.  We will look at this sin more in depth, because it is so widespread today, that even many Christians are practicing it unwittingly.  There are several types of activities that God calls witchcraft, and they can be found in Deuteronomy Chapter 18.

“There shall not be found among you any one…”

“That maketh is son or his daughter to pass through the fire…

This means child sacrifice, a common practice among the ancient people. Parents would sacrifice their children to the god Molech by tossing them alive into a fire before his image.  Child sacrifice has never stopped.  As a matter of fact, there was a news story a few days ago about a Nigerian ‘baby factory’ that was raided, wherein 32 young girls were being used as breeders.   The children which they produced were sold into prostitution, slavery, and child sacrifice. 

But, this practice is not just limited to Nigeria; it is going on all over the world, especially in the United States.  For more on this read, The Franklin Coverup: Child Abuse, Satanism, and Murder in Nebraska by John DeCamp.  You will be amazed–nay, horrified–to know what is going on in every city in America right under our noses.

“Or that useth divination…

Divination is the practice of attempting to see the future.  This includes going to a fortuneteller, having your palm read, reading tarot cards, pendulum swinging, using an Ouija board, or any number of occult practices that attempt to determine future events.  This even includes reading fortune cookies if you actually trust them.  Notice the root word of divination is divine; in other words, this is an activity that is meant only for God to engage in.  Anyone trying to see the future is attempting to usurp the authority of God.

“Or an observer of times…

This means astrology.  Yes, astrology is an abomination to God.  When God created the sun, the moon, and the stars He said,

“Let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days, and years” (Genesis 1:14).

He didn’t say that we are to use them to tell the future.

Let me repeat this for you, because some Christian out there is going to try to justify his or her participation in this activity.  God said–GOD said:

“Let us put lights in the firmament of the heaven to divide the day from the night; and let. them. be. for. SIGNS, and for seasons, and for days, and years (Genesis 1:14).

Signs means omens.  God is going to use the planets and stars as omens of the impending coming of the Lord Jesus Christ.  When you practice astrology, you profane our Lord, and by reading your horoscope in the paper or online you are actually committing an abomination in God’s sight.  The same goes for those Christians who call themselves Leos, Virgos, or any other astrological sign.  

Astrology is diametrically opposed to the Bible because astrology teaches that a person’s personality is immutable and is determined by what sign he was born under.  But the Word of God says that anyone can change through the blood of Jesus Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17). Therefore, astrology calls Jesus Christ a liar.  Telling the future is the devil’s counterfeit of the power of God.  Only God knows the future.

“Or an enchanter…

Another word for enchanter is sorcerer.  This is a person who does magic through the use of spells and incantations.  An example of this would be a witch who waves a wand while uttering an incantation like, “Abracadabra.”  What is interesting is that the Hebrew root of this word is similar to the word for a serpent’s hiss.

Enchantment also means hypnotism, as the Hebrew word also means “to whisper” (as in, “to utter in secret”).  In view of this, does “The Horse Whisperer” make more sense to you now?  In this sense, bewitching would be the appropriate term.  An example of enchantment in the form of bewitching or hypnotism can be found in the book of Acts, in the case of Simon the Sorcerer, who had hypnotized an entire country:  

“But there was a certain man, called Simon, which beforetime in the same city used sorcery, and bewitched the people of Samaria, giving out that himself was some great one:  

“To whom they all gave heed, from the least to the greatest, saying, This man is the great power of God.  

And to him they had regard, because that of long time he had bewitched (hypnotized) them with sorceries” (Acts 8:9-11).  [Boldface and parentheses mine.]

Now, if you think it hard to believe that an entire country can be hypnotized, think again. Whole countries have been bewitched in the twentieth and twenty-first centuries.  Do you think Hitler beguiled the German people into thinking killing the Jews was a good idea just by being charismatic?  Those people were mesmerized—enchanted.  It happened here in America in the last presidential election.  And it will happen again on a worldwide scale, when the world worships the Antichrist.

Meditation also falls under enchantment, except a person does it to themselves.  Take Yoga for instance.  When a person chants (en–CHANT–ment) a mantra, they are in effect saying an incantation; they are hypnotizing—enchanting—themselves.  The danger in this is that they become an empty vessel, which can be filled with something—like a demon.  By the way, the term Yoga in Sanskrit means “to yoke” or bind.  Would you like to guess to what?  Could it be with any of Hinduism’s over three hundred and fifty million gods and goddesses?  That would be my guess.  

Silva Mind Control is a form of self-hypnosis.  Hypnotism is forbidden by God and is very dangerous.  I once witnessed to a young lady who had been hypnotized as a child after witnessing a horrible accident.  The psychologists were successful in erasing the memory of the event from the woman’s mind, only there was a devastating consequence: she completely lost the ability to form a mental picture or see anything with her mind’s eye. In other words, she could no longer imagine.  This is demonic. 

“Or a witch…

This is a general term for a person who practices magic through the use of spells and incantations. Witchcraft apologists argue that the term “witch” originally meant “wise one” and that witches were just knowledgeable individuals who have been given a bad name by the Christian Church.  But this is not true.  The word witch comes from a root that originally meant “willful one.”  In other words, a witch attempts to affect events by sheer force of will, using occult power.  The source of the power of witchcraft becomes crystal clear when you consider that Satan said, “I will” five times when he rebelled against God. (Isaiah 14:12-14).

“Or a charmer…

This is a person that does magic through the use of charms, fetishes, amulets, potions, enchanted jewelry, etc.  It is similar to an enchanter except that the incantation is said over an object, which is then used for a specific purpose.  A person who sells love/hate potions or voodoo dolls would be a charmer.  A person who practices this type of magic or has enlisted the services of a charmer is guilty of enchantment.  

Charming also involves the use of fetishes: personal objects or a lock of hair or the fingernails of a person, which a witch says an incantation over in order to cast a spell on the individual.  Also, if you carry something like a rabbit’s foot in your pocket or wear a “charm” or amulet around your neck or wrist for good luck, you are actually practicing witchcraft. This is a superstition, also a form of witchcraft.  We will discuss this further later.  

“Or a consulter with familiar spirits…

This is a medium, or seer, more commonly known as a psychic.  People engaging in this practice usually hold séances where they attempt to summon the spirit of a deceased person, which in reality is a demon able to imitate the appearance and speech of that person.  I believe that the spirit is familiar not merely in the sense that it knows the person, but in the sense that it is a family (adjective form, familiar) spirit: that is, a spirit that has inhabited one or more members of a family, usually in succeeding generations, and is therefore privy to inside information about persons in that family.  

This also includes activities like channeling or automatic writing.  Witches who engage in mediumship like to say that they become a “human chalice.”  This is because they literally become a vessel for a demonic entity.  New Age author, Alice Bailey, claimed that she wrote the book, Externalization of the Hierarchy by automatic writing under the influence of an “ascended master” who called himself Djwhal Kuhl.  This was actually a demon.  

Channeling is a very common activity.  A friend of mine who is a recording artist once told me that the words to the songs on her first CD were dictated to her through channeling.  Actors and actresses who have rendered incredible performances have admitted to channeling the spirits of dead actors or personalities in order to better play the role.  These spirits are demons.  Is there any wonder then, that celebrities have such terrible problems?

Or a wizard…

A wizard is similar to an enchanter, only a wizard performs magic by using incantations to summon evil spirits to do his bidding.  Former Druid High Priest, John Todd, said that when he worked as an executive for a major recording label, they would have witches conjure up a powerful demon and request that it do two things:

  1. Bless (or curse) the master copy of an album, so it would be a success.
  2. Send a demon with every copy that came off the master (every CD), which would inhabit the home of every person who bought the album.  This is still being done today.  This is why satanic rap, rock, and even country music are so popular.  It is also the reason why people who are really into this music are being possessed in ever increasing numbers.  I challenge you to look at the world around you and disprove what I am saying.

“Or a necromancer…

A necromancer is a person who communicates with the dead.  An example would be the little boy from the movie, “The Sixth Sense” who spoke to “dead people.”  This practice is forbidden because the Bible says,

“It is appointed unto man once to die, but after this the judgment” (Hebrews 9:27). 

If the Bible is true, then everyone who dies goes immediately to his reward, be it Heaven or Hell.  Therefore, anyone who claims to communicate with dead people is actually communicating with demons.  

There are many religions that practice necromancy.  Roman Catholicism is probably the best known.  Roman Catholics pray to the Virgin Mary and also to dead saints.  The Virgin Mary of Roman Catholicism is not the mother of Jesus Christ, but an ancient goddess.  However, because they believe they are praying to Mary, who is dead, Roman Catholics are actually communicating with demons.  This means that Roman Catholics are practicing witchcraft.  They are earning themselves a generational curse.

Moreover, because prayer is a form of worship, Roman Catholics are worshipping demons.  In fact, according to Strong’s Concordance of the Bible, necromancy is a form of worship.  (See Strong’s #1875 and 4161.)

“For all that do these things are an abomination unto the Lord.” (Deuteronomy 18:10-12.)

Now can you see why witchcraft is so prolific today?  During the 60’s and 70’s everybody was into astrology—even me, and Ouija boards, tarot cards, and séances were all the rage.  Many European families brought magic and witchcraft practices with them from the “old country,” and slaves brought voodoo practices with them from Africa.  Asians have their own form of witchcraft, and even Arabs and Jews have mystical practices. 

In short, every culture in the world has practiced some form of witchcraft.  And most of these cultures are represented in America.

Now, if God was serious about cursing the families of those who practice witchcraft (and God does not make idle threats), then possibly every family on earth at some time has been under a generational curse.  In that almost every culture in the world is represented in America, that means that virtually every American family has been cursed with the sin of witchcraft.

John Todd, a former witch and member of the Grand Druid Council, once said that people who come from generational witchcraft families are preferred as witchcraft initiates because they already have psychic abilities.  That is because they have been cursed with the sin of witchcraft that their parents practiced.  Is it any wonder that witchcraft is the fastest growing religion in America?  Now that doesn’t mean that every family is knowingly and openly practicing witchcraft (though in many families, witchcraft is practiced over many generations), but it does mean that many, if not most, families are practicing some form of witchcraft and are under a curse.

Now, recall that God first mentions the generational curse as a punishment for the sin of idolatry.  Witchcraft and idolatry go hand in hand.  Almost every time God mentions witchcraft in the Bible, it is in conjunction with idolatry.  Listen very closely.  Roman Catholicism is idolatry.  Roman Catholics worship an idol they call the Virgin Mary.  The Virgin Mary is not the mother of Jesus, but a goddess that has been worshipped since afer the time of the Great Flood.  This is why often you will see Roman Catholics like the pope bowing down before an image of Mary alone, without the image of “Jesus.”  This is because it is actually Mary they are worshipping—not Jesus.  For more on this, read the books, The Two Babylons, and Fifty Years in the Church of Rome.

Remembering God’s hatred of idolatry, Roman Catholics would have to be under a generational curse, because this is God’s punishment for the sin of idolatry.  In that God said that He would punish the descendants of idolaters with the sin of idolatry, is there any wonder that Roman Catholicism (idolatry) is practiced over many generations?  Is it also any wonder that witchcraft is practiced in many cultures that practice Roman Catholicism?

Europe is mostly Roman Catholic, and witchcraft is prevalent in Europe.  In fact, there is a book called The Six and Seventh Books of Moses that is very popular among witchcraft families, especially in Germany.  This profanes the name of God’s prophet and blasphemes the Holy Spirit, because Moses only wrote five books.  Brazil is a Roman Catholic country, yet macumba, African witchcraft, is widely practiced in Brazil.  Haiti is Roman Catholic, and voodoo is very popular there.  Central and South America are definitely Roman Catholic, and Santeria, a mixture of witchcraft and Roman Catholicism, is practiced there.  Great Britain, especially in Ireland and Scotland, is mostly Roman Catholic, and Druidism is very popular there; so much so, that England recently made Druidism an official religion.

Remember, idolatry and witchcraft go hand in hand.

Now I want you to see something else.  Homosexuality is closely tied with idolatry and witchcraft.  In the first chapter of Romans, Paul tells us what happened when people began to practice idolatry:

“Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools,

“And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image (idol) made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things,

“Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves:

“For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature (they became lesbians):

“And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly…” (Romans 1:22,23,26,27).

Did you see that?  Those who began to practice idolatry also began to practice homosexuality.  Why?  Because they were cursed by God, and under this curse, other sins began to enter in, the first of which was homosexuality.  This is an historic as well as biblical fact.  History clearly records that homosexuality was widespread in the Roman Empire.  The Roman Caesar, Caligula, for example, was a notorious homosexual, and the Romans practiced idolatry.

Now bearing this in mind, is it any wonder that the Roman Catholic church has such a problem with homosexual priests?  This is a problem that will never go away.  But, not only does every Catholic parent risk having their child sexually abused by a pedophile priest or nun, but they also run the risk of the child becoming a homosexual himself—a penalty for idolatry. 

Do you now see how great a problem this is?  I would sincerely like to know the percentage of homosexuals who were raised Roman Catholic, for I feel that the statistics would be very telling.  Moreover, if the Bible is true, then homosexuality—an abomination to God—should also run in families.  And it probably does.

Further proof of the link between idolatry, witchcraft, and homosexuality, is the fact that former witch, John Todd, said that witchcraft initiates have to perform a bisexual act.  Bisexuality is an empty term.  If you regularly have sex with someone of the same sex, you are a homosexual.  The fact that you occasionally have heterosexual sex doesn’t change anything.  If I am regularly a meat eater, but occasionally go weeks eating only vegetables, am I therefore a vegetarian?  of course not.  We are defined by what we do regularly.

Look at what else happened to the idolaters:

“And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient” (Romans 1:28).

Because they turned their backs on God, God turned His back on them and allowed Satan to have his way with them.  And Satan literally infested them with demons.  Idolatry results in demonic possession.  This is why people who practice idolatry ultimately become homosexuals, practice witchcraft, and commit many other evils.  They are often possessed.

This is reflected elsewhere in the Bible.  Recall that Jesus cast seven demons out of Mary Magdalene (Luke 8:2).  Tradition holds that Mary Magdalene was a prostitute, and prostitution was associated with goddess worship–idolatry.  Her idolatry resulted in her being demon-possessed.  

The reason idolatry results in demon possession is because behind every idol is a demon:

“What say I then?  That the idol is anything, or that which is offered in sacrifice to idols is anything?  

“But I say, that the things which the Gentiles sacrifice, they sacrifice to devils, and not to God” (1 Corinthians 10:19-20).

When one worships an idol, one inherits the devil or demon that is behind that idol.  And demon possession is always the result.

This brings me back to Roman Catholicism.  Remember, Catholics worship an idol named Mary.  Now idolatry is an abomination to God.  This alone would mean that every Roman Catholic is under a generational curse.  But they are also under a curse for another reason:  the crucifix.  Let me explain.

The Bible says that when Jesus hung on the cross He became a curse:

“Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree” (Galatians 3:13).

The tree of course, is a metaphor for the cross.  So, Jesus on the cross is a curse.  This would make the crucifix, which features Jesus hanging on a cross, a curse.  Moreover, because the crucifix features a graven image of Jesus, which many Roman Catholics pray to, it is also an idol—an abomination to God—and God says that anyone who has an abomination in his house is cursed:

“Neither shalt thou bring an abomination into thine house, lest thou be a cursed thing like it: but thou shalt utterly detest it, and thou shalt utterly abhor it; for it is a cursed thing” (Deuteronomy 7:26).

So, the crucifix is a two-fold abomination to God, because it features a graven image of Jesus, making it an idol, and it has Him hanging on a cross, making it a curse.  Anyone having a crucifix in his house, therefore, is cursed.  This applies to the idol called the Virgin Mary also.  Moreover, if the Bible is true, anyone with these in their house is not only cursed, but could also have demons attached to them.  Remember, behind every idol is a demon.

Now let us look at what else happened to the idolaters, for when God turned His back on them, they became:

“Filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity, whisperers,

“Backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, without understanding, covenantbreakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful.” (Romans 1:30-31).

This sounds a lot like the world today.  If the Bible is true, all the problems of the world are a result of our turning our backs on God and supplanting Him with something else, like sports, gambling, women, men, movies stars, etc.  This is idolatry.

Idolatry is not only the worship of an idol or deity, but also “extravagant respect or admiration for or devotion to an object of esteem” (Webster’s Dictionary).  Is it merely a coincidence that celebrities are also called “idols?”  Does the title, American Idol make sense to you now?  Did you know that some rock stars have called their rock concerts “churches?:

“This is my church.  This is where I heal my hurts.” –Faithless

On the DVD, They Sold Their Souls for Rock and Roll, a teenage girl makes the following eye-opening comment:  

“They have totally changed my life; they are gods.  I love Korn.”

Is it so strange then, that most people who rabidly follow celebrities or listen to rock, rap, and other music obsessively also have many other problems in their lives like alcohol and drug abuse, premarital and/or illicit sex, suicidal thoughts, violence, and many other abnormal tendencies? Again, this is because they are committing idolatry, and God hates idolatry.  They are under a curse.

It is important at this point to explain that not only does God curse subsequent generations with the sins of the parent(s) (such as witchcraft), but He also curses them with the punishment for that sin.  This is consistent with Paul’s statement that some sins are open and go to the judgment before a man dies (meaning he will be punished in this life), while other sins are hidden and will follow a man to his grave to be judged later (1 Timothy 5:24).

For proof of this, let us look again at the abomination of homosexuality.  Now, Romans 1:27 says that homosexuals “receive within themselves the recompense (payment) of their error which was meet (due).”  If the Word of God is true, that would mean that homosexuals should receive the punishment for their sin NOW, in this life.  And they do:  It is called AIDS. 

Seen from this perspective, that would put a whole new spin on things.  It would debunk the lie that AIDS came from Africans in the Congo having sex with monkeys.  It would destroy the myth that AIDS was created in a laboratory by the government as a population control measure.  If the Bible is true, it would appear that AIDS has been around as long as homosexuals have been around.  Let God be true and every man a liar.

The homosexual lobby tries to counter this biblical perspective by pointing out the fact that innocent children have contracted AIDS from their mothers, and that others such as Arthur Ashe, have gotten AIDS from blood transfusions.  I have my beliefs as to why this happens, but I can’t pretend to know why.  But, I am sure that God knows. As far as children are concerned, they are merely the victims of the actions of their parents. If we are guilty of committing abominations, it is we who have condemned our children—not God.  He has already given us a warning.  We are to blame if we don’t heed it.

Take the case of King David in the Bible.  2 Samuel Chapters 11 and 12 tell us how David was guilty of committing adultery with Bathsheba, the wife of Uriah, one of his valiant generals.  David even had Uriah killed so that no one would discover that David had gotten the man’s wife pregnant.  Now the Bible says that David was a man after God’s own heart.  God loved David.  But when it came to David’s crime, God’s love for him did not shield David from the responsibility for his actions. 

Remember, God said that He would by no means clear the guilty.  This included his servant, David.  For his crime, God killed the first child Bathsheba bore to him.  Did David curse God?  No.  He knew he was guilty, because he knew God’s rules.  He took comfort in the fact that his child was with God, and he knew that someday he would join him (2 Samuel 12:23).

So it is with those children who are stricken with AIDS.  After suffering the penalty for their parent’s disobedience, they will go and be with the Lord.  God, in His mercy, will not condemn a child for his parent’s sins.  And this is true for all children, including those who are the victims of abortion and children who suffer from mental illness.  God is merciful.

We have discussed the what, the why, and the how of generational curses, and have discussed briefly some of the sins God punishes with a generational curse.  Having laid the groundwork for the remainder of our discussion, we shall next discuss other sins that Christians are guilty of that seem innocent, but are actually witchcraft.  The first of these is superstition.

Many people, some of them Christians, are superstitious.  They are actually afraid of opening an umbrella indoors, and are terrified to break a mirror, step on a crack (break your mother’s back), or spill salt.  Others have developed a habit of doing a particular thing on a particular day, at a particular time, or in a particular way.  They do this not for simplicity’s sake, but for fear that if they deviate in any way from the established pattern, they will bring themselves “bad luck.”  Athletes are notoriously superstitious.  

While on the surface, superstitions appear to be merely harmless idiosyncrasies, they are actually very dangerous.  Superstitions are, in fact, witchcraft.

Webster’s defines superstition as

“A belief or practice resulting from ignorance, fear of the unknown, trust in magic or chance, or a false conception or causation.”

The ignorance Webster’s speaks of is ignorance of the Word of God.  This ignorance leads to fear, and fear leads to superstition or trust in magic or chance.

Those who know the Bible know that nothing is a result of chance.  God is in complete control.  If it is good, God caused it and it is therefore, a blessing.  If it is bad, God allowed it, and it is either a curse (as a result of sin), a trial (sent by God to test us and strengthen our faith), or a chastisement (a stern rebuke by God to steer us back on course).  In any case, God is in charge.  Scripture says,

“God has not given us the Spirit of fear, but of power, of love, and of a sound mind” (2 Timothy 1:7).

A Christian does not fear the unknown, because He knows that all things have been put under Jesus’ feet.  That includes us.  If Jesus is in control, why should we fear?  We have but to depend on Him.  A person who does not trust in Jesus, however, does not have this assurance.  Such a person believes that life is just a series of random events governed by the laws of chance.  No one is in charge.  Everything just happens for no particular reason.  This produces fear of the unknown and fear of the future; and fear results in a belief in magic and chance.  Magic, in the form of superstition, offers a modicum of security and some sense of control to the unbeliever.

Such a belief is dangerous for the Christian.  The apostle Paul said, “whatsoever is not of faith (in God) is sin” (Romans 14:23).  That means that faith in anything but the operation of God in our lives is sin.  That includes faith in luck.

Did you know that luck comes from the Devil?  The Bible says that the Devil or Satan, used to be named Lucifer, which means “the light bearer.”  The Bible also calls Satan an “angel of light” (2 Corinthians 11:14).  Lux (pronounced lucks)is Latin for light, and is also used as a pseudonym for Lucifer.  So the word luck actually comes from Lucifer, or Satan.  This is consistent with Webster’s Dictionary, which defines luck as “a force that brings good fortune or adversity.”  The Bible also calls Satan “the god of forces” (Daniel 11:38).

Webster’s uses the terms “good fortune” and “adversity” because it is a secular publication.  The Bible never mentions good fortune or adversity; it only mentions blessings and curses.  That’s because both good and bad fortune come from the Devil. 

Incidentally, the word fortune is actually the name of an idol.  The god of good luck was called Fortuno, and the goddess of bad luck was called Fortuna.  This can also be found in the Bible.  Isaiah 65:11 tells how some of the Israelites had begun to worship idols:

“But ye are they that forsake the Lord, that forget my holy mountain, that prepare a table for that troop, and that furnish the drink offering unto that number.”

That troop is listed in Strong’s Concordance under #1408 as the Hebrew word Gad (not to be confused with the Hebrew tribe Gad), which is said to mean, “Fortune, a Babylonian deity (idol).” 

The Illustrated Dictionary of the Bible defines Gad thus:

“A foreign deity of good fortune worshipped by some Israelites in the period after the Exile (Is. 65:11).  In a bilingual Aramaic-Greek inscription from Palmyra the deity is identified in Greek asFortune‘.  Is. 65:11.” [Boldface mine.]

Belief in fortune, luck, or chance, is therefore, idolatry.  By the way, Chance or Fate is also the name of a Babylonian goddess or idol.  That’s right.  Fate is a goddess.  She is referred to as “that number” in the same passage of Isaiah mentioned above.  I’ll let you research that one yourself.  The principle of duality holds that the male is the positive pole, while the female is the negative pole.  That is why when we leave things to chance, and they go well, we say we had “good luck” (the god), and when they go bad, we say “that was our fate” (the goddess).

Now do you see why so-called games of chance are dangerous?  You are putting your life in the hands of Satan instead of the hands of God.  Good luck and bad luck are the same as Fortune and Fortuna, Yin and Yang, white and black, Britain and Britannica, Americus and America, Shiva and Parvati, Diana and Kernos, Odin and Frigga, etc.  It’s all idolatry—the worship of false gods and goddesses, which, in all actuality, are really Nimrod and Semiramis.  And now we have come full circle.

Where did superstitions come from?  John Todd called superstition “Christian witchcraft,” and explained that witches found that they could not cast spells on genuine, born-again Christians, who keep it “under the blood,” so to speak.  In other words, witchcraft is useless against a Christian who is sold out to Jesus Christ. Witches, therefore, had to find a way to get Christians to “cast spells on themselves,” as Todd said.  So, they invented superstitions to get Christians to stop depending on Jesus and to start believing in chance or luck.  Remember, whatsoever is not of faith in God is sin (Romans 14:23).  Christians, then, who stopped depending on Jesus, became vulnerable to magic attack, because they were now living in sin.  

You may ask why witches have such a problem with Christians, when they appear to be so nice, liberal, and inclusive.  This is only a facade.  Witchcraft and Christianity are irreconcilable, because Jesus and Satan are irreconcilable.  Everything witches are for, God is against, and vice versa.  So, if you are a born-again Christian who is truly walking in the Spirit, witches cannot cast spells on you, but if they can get you to take your eyes off Jesus, and to start depending on something or someone else for a blessing, then they can influence your life. 

That is another reason why many Christians have problems: they are under magic attack. Trust me on this one.  I have been doing battle with witches for almost seven years.  I was once even married to a witch.  If you are not walking 24/7 in the Spirit, then you may not be protected, and witches can then hurt you in many ways, including financially, psychologically, and physically.  This is one of the reasons why I believe many Christians, such as myself, are under surveillance by the forces of darkness.  The enemy is baiting many Christians by influencing them to get involved in activities that will bring them under bondage to Satan.  Once under bondage, they become vulnerable to magic attack, and then Satan can begin to destroy their testimony.  

Let me share something with you.  Before I got saved, my family and I moved into a certain apartment building in Munich, Germany.  Our neighbors were very friendly at first, and our next-door neighbors even came over and introduced themselves and brought us a house-warming gift.  About six months later, we started getting all kinds of illnesses: uncontrollable diarrhea, vomiting, tumors, sleepwalking, epilepsy: you name it, we got it.  The doctors had no idea what was going on (or so they said).  

When I got saved three years later, most of the illnesses went away, but a strange thing happened: our neighbors stopped being nice and became very evil.  With time, God showed me that my next-door neighbors (and most of the people in the building) were actually witches.  What had happened was that when I got saved and began to pray and intercede for my family, their magical attacks didn’t work anymore and probably even began to backfire on them (one of the neighbors died very suddenly).  That was why they stopped being friendly toward us and showed their true character.  I’m sure I’m not the only person this has happened to.

This is no joke.  Even as I write this, I am under attack.  They can’t hurt me with magic, but they do have other means at their disposal, one of which I believe is extremely low frequency, electro-magnetic weapons (also called directed energy weapons).  I don’t know this for sure, simply because I am not that familiar with those weapons.  But judging from the things that are happening to me and what I do understand about these weapons, I don’t believe I am far from the truth.  If you would like to read more about this, click here.  We are in a war, saints.

Thus far, we have discussed the what, the why, and the how of generational curses.  You should now know that it originates with idolatry and could lead to witchcraft, homosexuality, and many other evils.  You should understand that idolatry is not only the worship of false gods, but also excessive attention paid to objects, things, people, and the belief in luck or chance. 

For this reason, superstition is also a form of witchcraft, because it takes our eyes off Jesus.  All of the above could open you up to further bondage by Satan and could make you susceptible to magic attack and deception.  This can weaken your Christian walk and even cause you to leave the faith.  This should make determining if you or your children are the victim of a generational curse a major priority in your life.

Now that you know that sin is at the root of a generational curse, here is a brief list of the things to avoid and that can cause you to be cursed.  This is in addition to the sins we have already discussed:

 

Dependence on anything other than Jesus for a blessing.

 

Gambling, Bingo, the Lottery, and other “games of chance,” Betting: (horse racing, sports games, etc.).  Remember, if you are depending on anything other than Jesus for a financial blessing, you are practicing witchcraft.  Also avoid any card games like poker, where you are playing for money.  John Todd said that playing cards used to be used as tarot cards.
Satanic Board Games:

Avoid board games like Dungeons and Dragons and Game of Thrones, which use witchcraft concepts and terminology.  Also avoid Star Wars trading cards, as The Force is Satan.

Chain Letters.

In my experience, professing Christians will send out emails with prayers in them.  Each recipient is to say the prayer and in turn forward the email to a specified number of people who are to do the same thing.  They are told that if they follow these instructions, they are guaranteed to receive a spiritual or material blessing.  This seemingly innocuous practice is actually spiritual arsenic.  Besides the fact that anyone who trusts in a blessing from this activity is not trusting in Jesus, and, is therefore, committing a sin, chain letters are a medieval form of witchcraft. And there is always the danger that someone in the chain has placed a curse on the email. 

Chain letters are a doorway for Satan to enter your life and home.  They are also a way that a witch could beguile a Christian to stop trusting in Jesus thus opening him up to magic attack.  If you recall that superstition is a form of witchcraft, and that email chain letters are superstition, then you will see how a great many Christians are probably cursed because of this activity.  Click here to read more about chain letters.

Freemasonry.

Many Christians are members of occult secret societies like the Freemasons, and have had their lives and testimonies destroyed.  Many have been deceived into believing that Freemasonry is Christian, or that it can be reconciled with Christianity.  But, this is a lie from the pit of hell.  Freemasonry is the enemy of Christianity and of Jesus Christ.  I could give many, many examples to prove this, but for the sake of time and space, I will just give a brief example that could be easily proven.

Let’s look at the apron of a Freemason.  Freemasonry says that the apron is a “spotless emblem…a symbol of the purity of the order” (A Dictionary of Freemasonry, p. 87).  But this is a lie.  Chapter 3 of the Book of Genesis recounts how, after being deceived by Satan, Adam and Eve ate of the forbidden fruit of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil and became aware of their nakedness.  The Bible tells it thus:

“And the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together, and made themselves aprons.

“Unto Adam also and to his wife did the Lord God make coats of skins, and clothed them” (Genesis 3:7,21).

As you can see, God rejected the aprons that Adam and Eve made, and, instead, made them coats of animal skins.  God did this, because they used the aprons to cover their shame and rebellion (sin), but God knew the only thing that could cover (atone) for sin was blood (Hebrews 9:22). So God shed the blood of animals (a foreshadowing of the animal sacrifices of the Jews and of the crucifixion of Jesus Christ for the sins of mankind), and covered their sin with those. 

Nothing has changed. As it was then, the Freemason’s apron is still an emblem of shame and rebellion and is a reminder of Adam and Eve’s sin.  And God rejects it. Yet, Freemasonry sees the apron as an emblem of purity. 

Isn’t it interesting that Freemasonry usually runs in families?  That’s because Freemasonry is witchcraft, and God has cursed succeeding generations with this abomination.  If you or any of your ancestors were or are involved in Freemasonry, you are under a curse and so are your descendants.  If you are a Christian, this will affect your Christian walk in some way.  You must be delivered.  This sin must be confessed.

Pornography (even so-called soft porn)

Reality TV (it is a form of pornography).  

Movies featuring violence, horror, magic  (Harry Potter, Twilight, Goosebumps, etc.)

Books featuring violence, horror, sex.  

False religions and churches:

Yoga, Jehovah’s Witnesses, Mormonism, charismatic churches, etc. etc.  

Martial Arts:

Because they get into Eastern Mysticism. Remember Yin and Yang are a god and a goddess.  That’s idolatry. The “Chi” force that they speak of is a demon.  

Sexual sin

Homosexuality, fornication (sex outside of marriage), incest (even if you were the victim), etc.  

Murder.

Abortion.

Abortion is the taking of a human life and is therefore murder.  If you are a man and allowed your partner or spouse to have an abortion, you are still an accessory to murder, and are guilty of this sin.

Trophies.  

If you look at a trophy, it is basically a little idol.  An idol of whom?  You.  You are worshipping yourself and your own accomplishments, instead of worshipping Jesus and what He has accomplished.  

Trophies are not bad in and of themselves, but if you spend a great deal of time looking at them, and if you have a room dedicated to them (commonly called an “I Love Me” room), you are flirting with idolatry.  Did you know that such rooms were (and are) used by idol worshippers to house their deities?  It’s true.

Cigarettes:  

That’s right.  Cigarettes are a drug.  The Oxford Dictionary of English defines a drug as,

“a substance that has a physiological effect when ingested or otherwise introduced into the body, in particular:

1.  a medicine, especially a pharmaceutical preparation,

2.  a substance taken for its narcotic or stimulant effects.”

The second definition is an accurate description of a cigarette.  One of the telltale signs of a drug are the physiological and psychological effects on a person when use of the drug is abruptly curtailed.  This is known as withdrawal.  Cigarette smokers commonly testify to going through intense withdrawals when they stop smoking.  

Did you know that drug use is a form of witchcraft?  The word from which we get our modern-day word “pharmacy,” is the Greek word, pharmakeia, which, besides meaning medication, also means sorcery and witchcraft.  Remember, a drug can either be a medicine or a narcotic or stimulant.  So, what makes a drug witchcraft depends on whether it is being taken for valid medicinal purposes or for purely recreational purposes. Cigarettes have absolutely no physiologically beneficial effects and are actually harmful. That makes cigarettes a drug and means that the cigarette smoker is guilty of witchcraft.  

Now, in that the person that practices witchcraft will come under a generational curse, and his descendants will also be cursed with the same sin (as well as the penalty for that sin), it should come as no great surprise that cigarette smoking runs in families.  The smoking family is under a curse.  That is why many, if not most people who smoke also have other substance abuse problems, like alcoholism or abnormally high caffeine intake.  It is because they are under a curse.  

Besides being a drug, cigarettes are just plain deadly.  Did you know that cigarettes contain over 7,000 different chemicals, including formaldehyde–embalming fluid?  Did you know that 43 of those chemicals are known to cause cancer?  That means the person who smokes is slowly killing himself.  He is committing suicide.

The Christian who smokes is not only killing himself, but he is destroying the temple of God, which temple is his body.  The Christian smoker is committing a grievous sin.

Given all the chemicals contained in cigarettes, they should be a controlled substance like other drugs. Why, then, are they not?  Because Satan wants as many people to smoke as possible. While many people wouldn’t dream of becoming a witch, they don’t have a problem smoking a cigarette.  And, because cigarettes are a drug, and drug use is witchcraft, and practicing witchcraft will earn you a generational curse, then cigarettes are an easy way for Satan to bring the mass of humanity under a curse and into bondage. Is there any wonder, therefore, why society has so many problems?  Moreover, Satan hates humanity, and would like very much for people to kill themselves with cigarettes, as this makes his job a lot easier.

This is not an exhaustive list of generational sins, but if you let the Holy Spirit be your guide, He will reveal more things to you.  Practically everything the “world” says is OK is not.  Notice that virtually everything on this list is promoted on television and movies. That ought to let you know what Hollywood is really up to.  

How do you know if you are under a generational curse?  

Well, if you are not a Christian, it may be more difficult for you to know because a generational curse manifests as sin in your life and society is used to sinning.  Truth be told, most of the world is under a generational curse.  This is why society has such a serious problem with murder, abortion, homosexuality and other sexual perversions, pornography, alcoholism and drug abuse, and mental illnesses like bipolar disorder (schizophrenia).  If you have a serious psychological, behavioral, or, in some case, medical problem in your life for which there is no ordinary solution, then you may be under a generational curse.  

If this sounds like you, understand that only Jesus can break a generational curse.  And the only way He will do it is if you ask Him to do it.  But you must first hear the Gospel of Jesus Christ and believe that He has the power to save you.  Because if you believe that Jesus has the power to save you, then you will believe that Jesus has the power to break the curse that is ruining your life.  If you are willing to do this, keep reading; we’re almost to the good part.

For the Christian, a generational curse is easier to spot because the Bible says,

“If any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are past away; behold, all things have become new” (2 Corinthians 5:17).

If you are not sure you are saved, find yourself doubting the Word of God, and/or there is absolutely no change in your life (meaning you are struggling with sin just as much now as before you got “saved”), chances are, you are not saved.  You should go back to square one: repentance.  That means you should be sorry for your sins and want to be forgiven by the Lord Jesus.  You need to understand why you need salvation and why Jesus is the only One who can save you.  Then you need to believe in your heart that only Jesus can save you, repent of your sins, and ask Jesus to save you.  If you are ready to do this, click here. If you are at the end of your rope, and need forgiveness RIGHT NOW, then click here.  Afterwards, come back to this page.

If you have repented of your sins, asked Jesus Christ for forgiveness and have trusted Him as your Savior; in other words, you know you are saved, but you are having difficulties in your Christian walk, it may be due to generational sin.

A generational curse can manifest itself in the following ways:

-      You struggle with sexual sin (adultery, pornography, homosexuality, etc)

-      You have unnatural urges (spying, peeping Tom, stalking)

-      You are drawn to some form of witchcraft (refer to above)

-      You manifest psychic abilities or psychic phenomena take place around you

-      You struggle with addiction (cigarettes, drugs, alcohol, food, sex, etc.)

-      You lack discernment (are easily deceived)

-      You can’t seem to read your Bible

-      You can’t pray

-      You lack joy and contentment in your life

–      You have trouble coping with hardship

–      You struggle with depression

Other ways it can manifest itself:

Sickness (like epilepsy)

Mental illness: bipolar disorder (schizophrenia), excessive compulsive disorder, panic attacks, etc.

Troubling behavior in your children

This is not an exhaustive list, but you should now have an idea of the kinds of things that can occur to one who is under a generational curse.  The idea is that if it is not of God, it is of Satan.

What you can do to break a generational curse.

If you are a Christian, you must understand the difference between salvation and deliverance.  Salvation is an act of grace by God (Ephesians 2:8-9) whereby He cleanses us of original sin (Romans 5:12), our own past sins (Romans 3:25), and declares us justified or righteous (Romans 5:1): meaning we are no longer guilty of past sins.  We are saved when we believe the Gospel, which is that Jesus Christ, the Son of God, died and shed His blood on the cross at Calvary for the remission of our sins (Romans 3:25).  When we believed, we were saved, and God forgave us, washed away our sins, and wrote our names in the Lamb’s Book of Life. Salvation is believing on the name of Jesus and that His blood was sufficient payment for our sins (Romans 3:25, Romans 10:9-10, Acts 2:38, Acts 3:19, Acts 16:31).  

Deliverance is also an act of grace, but whereas salvation removes the ultimate penalty for all sin, which is death, (Romans 6:23), deliverance involves removing a curse, which, according to Exodus 20:5 and 34:7, is the punishment for committing sins that God truly hates.  If we are living under a curse, then we are living in sin.  And we cannot experience a joyous Christian life if we are living in sin.  In other words, salvation has to do with the life to come, while deliverance has to do with this life.

Now, remember that Exodus 34:7 says that God will “by no means clear the guilty,” and remember that God said this in connection with a generational curse.  This means that at that time, a person guilty of generational sin could be forgiven those sins, but the person could not be delivered from the penalty for that sin, because Jesus had not yet paid the blood for sin at Calvary.  (Many thanks to the late John Todd for helping me understand this concept.)

There is Biblical precedent for this.  Recall that King David committed adultery and murder; both of which will earn you a generational curse.  The Bible says that God forgave David:

The Lord also hath put away thy sin; thou shalt not die” (2 Samuel 12:13).

But, because David had committed adultery and murder, God still had to punish him:

“Now therefore the sword shall never depart from thine house…

“I will raise up evil against thee out of thine own house, and I will take thy wives before thine eyes, and give them unto thy neighbor…

“For thou didst it secretly: but I will do this thing before all Israel, and before the sun” (2 Samuel 12:10-12).

As a result, David’s family had all kinds of problems.  His son Absolom rebelled and attempted a coup.  Another one of his sons committed incest with his sister and was killed by the girl’s brother, Absolom.  And another son of David, King Solomon, began to worship idols, turning his back on God (though he eventually repented).  All this happened because David sinned, and God cursed his children for David’s sins.  The only explanation for why God still punished David, even though He forgave him, is that Jesus had not yet paid the blood for sin at Calvary.

Only after Jesus paid the blood, could the Apostle John say:

“If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and cleanse us of all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9).

Notice that Paul says, “If we confess our sins.”  This is very important, because many believe that this verse means that when we are saved, all our sins, including generational sins, are washed away.  But this is not true.  This verse emphasizes confession.  Confession of what?  Sins.  

Very few of us con-fessed any sins when we accepted Jesus as our Savior.  Most—and I dare say all—of us only pro-fessed that we were sinners, and asked to be forgiven.  But there is a difference.  With respect to sin, the difference between a pro-fession and a con-fession is that the latter deals with admitting to having committed a specific act.  It is an admission of guilt.  For lack of a more poignant example, it is the difference between saying, “I am a murderer” and saying, “I murdered So and So.”  Do you see the difference? 

To be saved, we need only believe that Jesus Christ died and shed His blood for us on the cross and that His blood washed away our sins. But to be delivered, we must confess the sin or sins that we are guilty of.  1 John 1:9 says that if we confess our sins, then Jesus will forgive those sins.  This goes for generational sin also.  If we confess generational sin, then Jesus will forgive generational sin.  And if Jesus will forgive generational sin, then Jesus will deliver us from generational sin.

This is important, because there are genuine, born-again Christians who have all kinds of problems in their lives.  There are Christians who are alcoholics, drug addicts, chain-smokers, Freemasons (witchcraft), play the lottery (witchcraft), gamble, and struggle with pornography, adultery, anger, bi-polar disorder (schizophrenia/manic-depression), compulsive lying, and other problems.  Some even manifest psychic abilities (witchcraft). Why weren’t they delivered from these things when they got saved?  I believe it was because their forebears committed those sins, and, because the sins were generational, they were passed down to seceding generations. 

It is important to understand that we may not necessarily be guilty of the exact same sins as our parents, but our sins may fall into the same category of sin.  One, for example, may have a parent who practiced witchcraft.  Though the person may not himself practice witchcraft in the form of casting spells, he may be into astrology, play the lottery, or use drugs, which things are also witchcraft.  

For illustration, let us compare David’s sins to those of his children:

Rebellion.  David rebelled against God.  Absolom rebelled against David.

Murder.  David had Uriah killed.  Absolom killed his brother.

Sexual sin.  David committed adultery.  David’s son committed incest.

Idolatry.  Covetousness is idolatry (Colossians 3:5); for that which we covet becomes the center of our lives.  David coveted another man’s wife.  His son, Solomon, committed idolatry with false gods.  

As you can see, David’s children did not all commit the exact sin he did, but the sin fell under the same category.  This is how a generational curse works.  So, while the children of a witch may not necessarily cast spells, they may simply be rebellious.  And the Bible says that “rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft” (1 Samuel 15:23).  They may also read their horoscope, which the Bible says is also witchcraft.

A generational curse may not seem like a generational curse, because it manifests in a person’s life as sin, and we are used to being sinful.  Moreover, society and the media promote sin and have taught us that sin is normal.   So we may have no idea that we are under a curse and that many of the activities we engage in and practice are actually an offense to God.

I understand that most of us are not aware what specific sins our parents are guilty of. But, if you are under a curse, you will commit the same type of sins your parents were guilty of. So while they may not have cast spells, they may have practiced idolatry (Roman Catholicism, Yoga, Buddhism, Hinduism, Islam, etc.), false religions (Mormonism, Jehovah’s Witnesses, etc.), and Occultism (Wicca, Freemasonry, Scientology, astrology, voodoo, 1-800-Psychic, etc.).

An ancestor may even have done something seemingly harmless involving folk practices like pendulum swinging (i.e. swinging a button over a pregnant woman’s hand to see if it will be a boy or a girl), using a divining rod to find water, folk magic to cure illnesses in people or animals, etc. without our knowledge.  Whether they did it wittingly or unwittingly, if they did not abandon, repent of, and confess these sins, rest assured, the affects are manifested some way in your life and will also manifest in your children’s lives. If you are saved, it won’t hurt your salvation, but like David, your life will continue to manifest the consequences of this curse until it is confessed.  

A curse may not necessarily manifest itself in your life in a way serious enough to get your attention, but it could show up in your children in a major way.  In my case, the result of my sin manifested in my children in a way that could not be overlooked.

At this point you now understand what a generational curse is, why one comes under a generational curse, how one comes under a generational curse, and how you can know if you are under a generational curse.  We will now discuss how you can remove a generational curse.  

Many so-called deliverance ministries offer help with this, but generally, a humble, repentant, and obedient heart is all you really need.  There is no special prayer that needs to be uttered.  There is no such thing in the Bible.  I believe you must confess these sins specifically to the Lord, and we have already discussed why.  In my case, I wrote down on a piece of paper every single sin I could think of that I had committed and everything that I knew was an abomination to the Lord.  This took several days of prayer and diligent thought.  I then took the list and went into a quiet place by myself and confessed those sins: every single occasion I could think of.  

For instance, fornication: that is, sex outside of marriage, is an abomination to the Lord.  And sexual sin was a big problem for me.  So, I confessed every occasion I could remember that I had sex out of marriage, and I asked God to bring to mind others I could not readily remember and to forgive those that would not come to mind.  During the course of my confession, the Holy Spirit also revealed to me specific sins I had committed.  He was actually showing me what He wanted me to confess.  Most importantly, I renounced Freemasonry, as I was a Master Mason.

I had read in a Jack Chick tract on Freemasonry that Baphomet, a demon said to have been worshipped by the Knights Templar, is the god of Freemasonry.

baphomet

That meant that in being a Freemason, besides practicing witchcraft, I was also committing idolatry.  In that behind ever idol is a demon, then I was probably possessed with a demon of Freemasonry.  

And I was.  Proof of this was that once, while visiting a church, the pastor asked me to come back that evening to hear a man preach on Freemasonry.  I instantly got angry at the pastor and told him that there was nothing wrong with Freemasonry.  Now, I was not that crazy about being a Freemason, but the demon inside me wanted to make sure that I did not come back to hear what the preacher had to say.  So, the demon caused me to react the way I did, and I didn’t come back.

Next, I confessed those things that I knew or suspected my parents and grandparents were guilty of.  I then asked God to forgive my children for the sins I had brought on their heads through my disobedience, rebellion, and ignorance.  Then I burned the list.  Then I started casting demons out of me in the name of Jesus, beginning with the demon of Freemasonry.  Next, I cast out the demons that I believed were in my children, beginning with my middle daughter, who had epilepsy.  Lastly, I cast out the demon of every other sin I could think of from my home in the name of Jesus.  I cast out the spirit of discontent.  I cast out the spirit of pride.  I cast out the spirit of strife and contention.  Whatever was going wrong in my home, I perceived there was a spirit in the house causing it, and I cast it out.  Then I thanked God for His mercy and went to bed.

The immediate result was that the child that had epilepsy was completely cured.  Her epilepsy had been so bad that she was having seizures at least once every three months, and her cognitive skills were steadily deteriorating.  I wasn’t even aware that she had been cured until, during one of her checkups, the doctor remarked that she had been seizure-free for two years.  It was then that I realized that it had been two years since the night of my confession.  That was six years ago, and my daughter is still epilepsy-free and not on any medication.  The doctors can’t understand it.  But I can.  

There is Biblical precedent for this:

In Matthew 17:14-21, Jesus heals a possessed boy.  The boy’s father told Jesus,

Lord, have mercy on my son: for he is lunatick, and sore vexed: for oftimes he falleth into the fire, and oft into the water” (v. 15).

The Greek word for lunatick means “crazy or possessed.”  The Greek word for falling, in this context, is very revealing, because it means “thrashing about” (Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance).  This boy was possessed with a spirit of epilepsy.  My daughter’s epilepsy was also caused by a demon, which I cast out the night of my confession.  God is good!  

In verse 21, Jesus told His disciples that this type of spirit can only come out by prayer and fasting.  This is very important if you need to cast out a spirit of epilepsy.

Much, much more happened, but the power of repentance and confession in the name of Jesus to destroy the works of the devil is what I want to emphasize here.  Jesus healed my daughter, because He forgave me; and He forgave me, because I asked for forgiveness.

This is consistent with James 5:13-16:

“Is any among you afflicted?  Let him pray…

“Is any sick among you?  Let him call for the elders of the church; and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord:

“And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him.  

Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed.  The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.

Verse 14 says “pray… in the name of the Lord.”  The Lord has a name: it is Jesus.  It is confession and prayer in the name of Jesus that heals.  Don’t just say “Lord” or “God.”  Say His name and mean it in your heart.  There is incredible power in the name of Jesus. Believe me.  Take advantage of it.  Say His name with conviction.  Give Him all the respect and reverence He is due, and couple it with a broken and contrite heart.

Verse 15 says, “If he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him.” Again, this is consistent with 1 John 1:9.  Confession of sin is crucial to deliverance from a generational curse.  In fact, without confession, there is no deliverance.  We must do this.  Don’t hold back.  That’s why I suggest a list. 

Now, it’s not magic that has to be said a certain way at a certain time using specific words. That is why, unlike many deliverance ministries, I am not going to tell you what to pray.  I didn’t have any idea what I was doing when I prayed for deliverance.  I just identified my sins one by one and asked God to forgive them.  And I knew that He would understand my prayers, because Romans 8:26 says,

“Likewise the spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.”

The Holy Spirit will translate our prayer for us.  We don’t speak God’s language, because it is a heart language that only the Spirit understands.  So don’t worry about whether you are saying the right thing.  Concentrate on the meaning, not the words.  The only words that cannot be omitted are Jesus, please, forgive me, and “thank you.” God will honor your prayer if it comes from the heart.

James 5:16 tells us that confession and prayer heals.  Did you know that demonic affliction is a spiritual sickness?  Well, it is.  This verse also applies, then, to generational curses, because a curse is caused by demonic activity.

James 4:7-8 best describes what our attitude should be when we approach the Lord for spiritual healing:

Submit yourselves therefore to God.  Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.  (I’m a witness!)  

Draw nigh to God, and He will draw nigh to you.  Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double-minded.  

Be afflicted, and mourn, and weep: let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to heaviness.  

Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He shall lift you up.”

The abridged version: Repent!  Humble yourself!  Let go all pride!  Be sorry!  

Don’t be casual about this.  Your sin should hurt you as much or more than it hurts God. Submit, repent, renounce, humble yourself, and thank the Lord for His forgiveness, and you will be healed.

I have told you what worked for me, and it did work.  If you have trouble receiving this, go to the Word in prayer, and see if it is scriptural.  I wouldn’t mislead you.  I want you to have the victory that I did.  And you can.  But it all starts with confession of sin, and you must realize this. 

Be honest with yourself and with the Lord.  Confess your sins to the Lord Jesus.  Renounce ungodly practices and religions like Freemasonry and Roman Catholicism, which are idolatry. Rededicate yourself to the Lord.  Ask Him to crucify you in the spirit and to raise you up again in newness of life.  And watch God move.

Now, as I said, I didn’t have any idea what I was doing when I prayed for deliverance, so I asked forgiveness for the sins of my parents and grandparents.  I now believe that, because we are cursed with the same sins as our forefathers, it is enough to confess our own sins to break the cycle of sin.  It is not unscriptural, however, to confess your parents’ or grandparents’ sins, especially if you know what they are.  If it were, I would have received no deliverance.

After you confess those sins, be sure to thank God for His goodness.  I didn’t know how important this was at the time I confessed my sins.  But I now realize what a huge blessing it is to be able to go to Jesus at any time and in any place and receive forgiveness for whatever sins we have committed.  No other god grants this type of mercy.  And neither can it.

And don’t believe that your sin is so bad that God won’t forgive it.  No matter how serious our sins may seem to us—and they may be—understand that they are nothing to God.  He has seen it all.  So no matter how repulsive our sins may be in our own sight, they are a trifle matter for God when our desire is to do His will.  God is a Good God and His love for us endures.

The next step is to get everything out of your house that has to do with the sinful practices you repented of.  These include:

Any magic paraphernalia.  

Rock or rap CDs/DVDs/posters of rock stars or other celebrities.

Books, magazines, or other media containing sinful material: pornography, Harry Potter, Twilight, etc.

Idols and religious paraphernalia: Crosses with dead guys on them, prayer beads, shrines, statues of saints, little Buddhas, the Virgin Mary, etc.  

African or Asian masks (they are the faces of demons), Native American artifacts (Dreamcatchers, spears, etc.)  

“Peace” symbols, Yin/Yang, or any, ANY symbols, including stars.  If you would like to know the occult significance of stars, click here.

Drug paraphernalia.

Books on Yoga or meditation.

Ask the Holy spirit to reveal to you anything He doesn’t want in your life.  These things could block you from receiving the filling of the Holy Spirit, and that’s what every Christian should want.  They can also be a gateway for a demon to come back into your life.  Understanding what is not of God is an ongoing process (part of the process of sanctification) and could take years as you grow in knowledge and become more sensitive to the leading of the Holy Spirit. 

For example, I just got rid of my X-Files collection last year.  I loved the X-Files, but it had to go, because The X-Files deals with witchcraft, paranormal activity, murder, horror, devil worship, demons, cannibalism, UFOs, and other ungodly subjects.  These things are not of God.  He let me keep them as a learning tool for a time, but ultimately they had to go.  

I had to get rid of most of the movies I liked, because even the ones that seemed to be wholesome blasphemed the name of Jesus.  I was amazed, for instance, that in the movie, “Twister,” the male lead, Bill Paxton, used the name of Jesus as a swear word more than a few times.  This is an abomination to God.  Before I was saved, I never noticed this.  In the movie, “Hancock,” which seems like a good ol’ super hero movie, Will Smith uses the name of Christ as a swear word.  Incest is also a theme of the movie.

I got rid of most of my comedy collection for the same reason.  Seinfeld will be the last to go, and it’s going this week.  Seinfeld is hilarious, but it glorifies gratuitous pre-marital sex (for example, the “Yada, Yada, Yada” episode), irresponsibility (Kramer and Castanza are basically deadbeats), lying and stealing (the “Jacket” episode), human imperfections (the “Man Hands” and “Nose” episodes), and many other sins.  Seinfeld also blasphemes the name of God as in almost every episode someone says, “Oh my God!”  In another episode, Jerry decides that whenever someone sneezes, rather than say “God bless you,” he would say “You look marvelous,” or something like that.  

And Seinfeld is most obviously against the institution of marriage, as it glorifies the “single life” just like “Friends” and just about everything else out of Hollywood. Hollywood is singlehandedly responsible for the destruction of the marriage institution in America. That is why I don’t own a television.

Seinfeld even has occult overtones.  On episode 16 of Season 3, at 34:24, a scene begins with a shot of an intersection to the right of which is the restaurant frequented by Jerry and the gang.  Featured prominently in the background, is the satanic Cathedral of St. John the Divine.  The Cathedral of St. John the Divine was, at one time, the headquarters of the Luciferian movement in the United States.  

Moreover, the boxed DVD set of the Seinfeld series features cast members Jerry Seinfeld, Jason Alexander, Mary Louise Dreifuss, and Michael Richards in rather enigmatic poses that are clearly occult in nature. It is said that they all practice Cabala: Jewish ritual witchcraft.   

Notice Mary Louise Dreifuss’s hands in the photo below.  They are displaying the Cult of Mary hand sign: 

seinfeld_mc

Remember, the Bible says that we are to “keep our heart with all diligence” (Proverbs 4:23).  That includes being careful what we let come in through our eyes and ears.  And we must be especially careful with our children.  They soak up things like a sponge.  My rule of thumb is, if I wouldn’t let my children see or listen to it, then I shouldn’t be seeing or listening to it either.  Moreover, if those whose movies we watch and whose music we listen to are against God and the Bible, we must not patronize them.  If they are not for Jesus, they are against Him, which means they are against us too.

Remember to cast any demons out of your house left over from your days of sin, in the name of Jesus.  This is much easier than it sounds, because the demons are not fleeing from us, they are fleeing from the name of Jesus.  If we are living right; that is, if we do not “regard iniquity in [our] heart” (Psalm 66:18), then we have the authority to cast out demons in the name of Jesus.  I suggest that you ask the Holy Spirit to tell you what you should say, and then follow His lead.  That is what I did, and it worked.

I pray this information blesses you and my prayers go with you as you shake the vestiges of generational sin from your life.  God will then be able to move in your life in ways you never thought possible.  And when He does, tell somebody.

If you have not accepted the Lord Jesus as your personal Savior and Lord, but these words have spoken to your heart, and you can see how sin has damaged your life, why don’t you tell Jesus about it?  Click here for forgiveness.

And please pray for me.

“If a man therefore purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honour, sanctified, and meet for the master’s use, and prepared unto every good work” (2 Timothy 2:21). 

Our five-part companion audio series on generational curses is available for free at the iTunes Store.  You can get it here.  For your convenience, Part One of the series is provided below. 

Be encouraged and look up, for your redemption draweth nigh.

The Still Man

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Witnessing: Every Christian’s Ministry

Grace and peace.

Many Christians are concerned because they don’t know what specific work God has called them to do, and they feel discouraged when they hear others talk about their personal ministries.  But God has a work for all of us to do—a ministry that He has equipped every one of us to fulfill.  That ministry is witnessing.

I have always believed that not all of us are called to witness to many, but we are all called to witness.  It may be that we have been called to witness to one particular person, and perhaps it is that person who will go on to affect the lives of many more.

Take Abraham Lincoln.  History has been doctored such that there is no singular account of Lincoln’s faith.  By some accounts he was a Christian, but by others, he was merely a man of high moral standards.  Among those who believe he was a Christian, some believe he was so raised, while others say that he was converted while viewing the graves of thousands of soldiers killed in war.  Still others say that he converted to Christ after the death of his son. 

Among those who believe Lincoln was not a Christian, the consensus is that it was not out of religious conviction that Lincoln freed the slaves.  They believe that Lincoln held no particular regard for the Negro or his plight, and that his only concern was to keep the Union together.

In the book, Fifty Years in the Church of Rome, Charles Chiniquy writes that Lincoln was indeed a very devout Christian, and I tend to agree, for freedom is a biblical concept.  Had Lincoln not signed the Emancipation Proclamation freeing the slaves and gone on to sponsor the 13th Amendment to the Constitution permanently abolishing slavery as an institution, blacks would be in bondage to this very day.  Given that his very life was at stake—and there is every sign that he knew it was—I don’t believe that Lincoln or any other man would have given his life merely to hold a nation together.  

No, it was something more.  Many men are willing to die for a cause; some are even willing to die for principles.  But it is a rare man indeed who would give his life for another man.

“For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die.

“But God commended His love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:7-8).

Abraham Lincoln was emulating his Master, the Lord Jesus, who gave his life to set mankind free.

I believe that at some point Lincoln heard the Gospel and that Gospel changed his life and ultimately the lives of millions of others.  God used Abraham Lincoln in a mighty way.  And it was the witness of one faithful person that began a chain of events leading to what is one of the greatest events in the history of a people.  And it all started with a witness.  Even if that witness was Lincoln’s mother or father, it was no less significant.  In fact, if that were the case, it would even better illustrate my point.

So, if you are trusting in the shed blood of our Lord Jesus Christ for your salvation, you have a ministry.  It may not involve preaching before many people or even teaching a Sunday school lesson.  And it may not entail a radio ministry that reaches millions of listeners or publishing a book that will inspire many.  It may only be sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ with one person; and that person may go on to do great things for God and man.

You may not be gifted with a charismatic personality or a great speaking voice.  You may even be reluctant to speak to people.  But if you are a true Christian, you have a testimony.  And if you have a testimony, at some point, there will be an opportunity for you to give it.  That one opportunity may be your entire ministry.

Believe me when I tell you that if you have been saved by the blood of Jesus, you can testify to what God has done for you:

  • You could testify how God delivered you from some sin or addiction you previously had no power over.                
  • You could testify how God brought you through some very difficult time: whether it be losing a job, life after a difficult divorce, or just coping with everyday life.
  • You could testify how God showed you that contrary to what everyone else in your life thought, you are somebody.
  • You could testify how God was your comfort after suffering the loss of a friend, loved one, family member, or child.
  • You could testify how God delivered you from depression or profound sadness.

Understand that our lives are hidden with Christ.  Therefore, absolutely nothing in our lives is coincidence.  God allows us to go through difficulties not only to make us stronger, but so that we may incorporate the experience into our testimony—that it may be of benefit to someone else.  Believe me, there are people in this world who are hurting. Most of them don’t know the Lord, so they are powerless over their circumstances.   These people could benefit greatly from knowing how God brought us through.  This is the importance of our testimony: to testify of the all-providence, protection, and goodness of God in Christ Jesus.

Even if we haven’t been faithful, God still does for us.  He is better to us than we are to Him.  That in and of itself is a testimony.  Scripture says, “If we believe not, yet He abideth faithful: He cannot deny Himself” (2 Timothy 2:13).  God is putting beans and rice on your table. So, He is making good on His promise to provide for you.  It may not be steak and potatoes, but it’s keeping you alive.  In this economy, that may be the most comforting testimony of all!

Now, Satan is not going to be happy with our witnessing, so we must be constantly on the alert.  Satan will do everything in his power to demoralize and discourage us.  It is not unusual for people who are on fire for the Lord to have all kinds of personal problems.  People may see this as a sign that the person is being punished for some sin, but it may very well be that the person is living a life that glorifies Jesus and Satan is not happy about it. Sometimes the intensity of our persecution is in direct proportion to our obedience to God.

If Satan can’t keep you from witnessing, he will try to destroy your witness.  In other words, he will try to put you in a situation that makes you act contrary to your avowed Christian faith, so he can accuse you (Revelation 12:10) of being a counterfeit Christian.  Once in this position, your witness will be ineffective.

I have read that one tactic Satan uses is to lure a male Christian such as a pastor or evangelist into a compromising situation with a female.  He may do this is by having the female receive counseling from the male without another female present.  In this situation, she may reveal some sexual indiscretion such as a sexual liaison with someone not her husband or a sexual addiction.  Satan will always use a situation like this to his advantage.  Without another female present, the male could be beguiled into falling into a sexual relationship with the unfortunate woman.  From that point on, Satan owns the individual.  Many have had their witness destroyed in this way and have compromised the Gospel.  Others have left the ministry altogether.

Another way Satan can do this is to have a male constantly approached or passed by women dressing in provocative clothing to get him to react in a way that is unchristian.  In the digital age, recorders are getting smaller and smaller, and people are just itching to post something on YouTube.  It would be easy to compile a digital record of a Christian male with an eye for the opposite sex.  Rest assured that there are people who would—and do—go to that extreme.

For example, sometime ago, I became aware that an inordinate number of women were passing me on the street wearing “daisy dukes.”  It all started when a young lady in one of my classes wore daisy dukes on the last day of class.  Usually, this girl dressed in very good taste, but on this day, she wore the shortest pair of shorts that I had every seen. Now this girl was attractive and liked attention, so she normally came to class fashionably late.  Yet this day she showed up almost an hour before class and didn’t bring any book or study materials.  She told me that she was not worried about passing the test.  So why did she come to class so early?  Because I always come to class early for tests.  The enemy orchestrated this meeting so that I and the girl would be alone for almost an hour—and we were.

I knew instantly that Satan was trying to set me up.  So I first rebuked the girl for the way she was dressed.  I told her that she should show more respect for herself than to wear something that showcased what she had downstairs rather than upstairs.  Then I witnessed to her.  I gave her a Gospel tract entitled Unloved.  As God would have it, she ended up telling me that her father was in jail serving a life sentence and that she had suffered serious abuse as a child.  This changed the entire course of the conversation.  A few minutes later, she got a text, and she stopped talking to me.  Her handlers knew that they had lost this battle and I imagine they told her to cease and desist.  

Afterwards, when I saw her in the hallway and on the train, she avoided making eye contact with me altogether.  I had succeeded in deterring her from further attempts to distract me, and I never saw her again.  The Bible is true: “Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.”

Another tactic Satan uses is to attempt to discourage us from witnessing by putting people in our path who have no desire to hear the Gospel.  Their mission is to keep us from witnessing to others who need it, by wasting our time on them.  In my case, for example, Satan will fill a train with people who will outnumber 10 to 1 those who really need and want to hear the Gospel.  I have also had people walk up to me who will strike up a conversation that will inevitably come around to religion.  The person will pretend to want salvation and will ask questions, sometimes even pretending to make a decision for Jesus.  Ultimately he only wanted to occupy my time and keep me from witnessing to someone who really needed to hear the Gospel.

We should not be discouraged when this happens.  We are in the last days of the Last Days, and Jesus said it would be as in the days of Noah before He returns.  Not everyone who hears the Gospel will accept it, and they are not intended to.  Our ministry is not only to lead people to the Lord, but also to give Jesus the means by which He will later condemn those who refused to hear the Gospel (2 Thessalonians 2:12).  God told Jeremiah that not one person would be converted by his preaching.  Jesus told the disciples that if a town rejected the Gospel, they were to shake the dust off their sandals for a testimony against them.  Scripture says that Noah’s ark was an indictment against the sinful people of his day.  So it is with our witness.  The point is that since we don’t know who will ultimately accept or reject the Gospel, we are simply to witness and let the Holy Spirit do the rest.

Often I will even give a tract to these people because they too are souls for whom Christ died.  It makes no difference whether the person genuinely wants to hear the Gospel or is trying to waste our time; the important thing is that we witness.  As you gain experience and become more sensitive to the leading of the Holy Spirit, He will reveal to whom He wants you to witness, and you will find yourself wasting less time.  In the meantime you are in training, and every person is a training opportunity—even the rebellious. Remember, God is in control, and He will find a way for those He wants to hear the Good News.

We must fulfill the Great Commission for it is for this purpose that we are in the world.  We must witness.  If we can’t, we can at least pass out Gospel tracts; they are available from several ministries.  I rarely leave home without a number of tracts in my pocket.  I either pass them out directly or leave them where they will be found.

I hope this encourages someone who is wondering what work God has for him to do.  Whether you are someone who doesn’t know how God could use you, someone who thinks he doesn’t have the gift of preaching or a talent for expositing Scripture, or someone who feels he hasn’t been through enough to have a testimony; if you want to be used, God will use you.  Right now.  You already have a testimony.  Just tell people what God has done for you.  I guarantee He’s done something.  He saved you, right?  If you can’t muster up the courage, tracts always work.

If you already have a ministry, but the Devil has discouraged you almost to the point of giving up (I’ve been there)–don’t.  Your work in the Lord has not been in vain.  If Satan is leaning on you, it’s because you have been faithful and are disrupting his plans.  There will be pushback.  So hang in there.  God will see you though.  I’m a witness.

If you have not yet made a decision for Jesus Christ, click here to know why you should.

Stay encouraged and look up; your redemption draweth nigh.

The Still Man

Copyright © 2011 Anthony Keeton, The Still Man ®.  All Rights Reserved.

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Is St. Louis Preparing For A Terrorist Attack?

Grace and peace, saints.

Sunday morning was a busy one for emergency responders, law enforcement, and other select personnel who participated in a joint exercise at the Scottrade Center, home of the St. Louis Rams.  Read the story below.

Emergency responders conduct drill at Scottrade Center

ST. LOUIS • Some 350 emergency responders and volunteers, complete with firetrucks and other equpment, gathered outside City Hall this morning to conduct a large-scale scheduled drill across the street at the Scottrade Center.

The exercise began in the late morning and was to continue for four to six hours, said Capt. Dave Neighbors, a St. Louis Fire Department spokesman.

As to the exact nature of the exercise, “We will not tell until it’s done,” Neighbors said.

In addition to units from the St. Louis fire and police departments, the exercise includes hazardous materials and SWAT teams from St. Charles County, a St. Louis County hazmat team, and the 7th Civil Support Team, a National Guard unit from Jefferson City.  [Read original story here.]

Interesting.  It is not the joint training between the emergency responders, law enforcement, and fire department that is of interest, but the inclusion of hazmat teams, SWAT, and the  7th Weapons of Mass Destruction Civil Support Team out of Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri that has me wondering.

And apparently this is not the first joint training mission these units have participated in. In 2009, they collaborated for baseball’s All Star Game, also held in St. Louis.  This is intriguing; especially since the FBI, Missouri Department of Natural Resources, U.S. Department of Energy, the St. Louis Police Department and the Explosive Ordinance Disposal unit also participated.  Why the Department of Natural Resources and the Department of Energy?  Do they anticipate a terrorist attack on our water and/or energy reserves?

This reminds me of the Rex 84 type training exercises that William Cooper wrote about that are being held in cities across the nation.  The goal of Rex 84 is continuity of government in the event of a national emergency and the institution of martial law.

And the New World Order just keeps rolling along.  Watch and pray, saints.

If you had no idea that Rex 84 is actually a fulfillment of prophesy, and you now understand that if the Bible was right about Rex 84, it was right about God’s coming judgment on this sinful world, you need to get right with Jesus Christ–ASAP.

The Still Man

Copyright © Anthony Keeton, The Still Man ®.  All Rights Reserved.

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