End Times: The Spirit of Our Age

 Editor's Note:  This post may be somewhat controversial.  It has been written as a warning of judgments that face our world as we approach the day of judgment.  

A church that I pioneered in Riverside, California recently celebrated twenty years of service to that community.  Looking back, it seems like a simpler time.  There was no real threat of terrorism in the US at that time.  The economy was working fairly well.  Race relations seemed less tense.

The church opened on August 5, 2001 and a few short weeks later was the attack on the World Trade center.  I remember thinking that this would cause people to come to church and hear from God.  It did to a certain extent.  People came to church, but not many stayed for the long term.  After they began to feel better, they went back to their old habits with regard to God.

I believe that through that attack, something changed in America.  Something was released into, not just the US, but the entire world – A spirit – the spirit of our age.  That’s what I want to post on today:

2 Thessalonians 2:1-8 (NKJV)
^2:1 Now, brethren, concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering together to Him, we ask you, ² not to be soon shaken in mind or troubled, either by spirit or by word or by letter, as if from us, as though the day of Christ had come. ³ Let no one deceive you by any means; for that Day will not come unless the falling away comes first, and the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition, ⁴ who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God or that is worshiped, so that he sits as God in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God. ⁵ Do you not remember that when I was still with you I told you these things? ⁶ And now you know what is restraining, that he may be revealed in his own time. ⁷ For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work; only He who now restrains will do so until He is taken out of the way. ⁸ And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord will consume with the breath of His mouth and destroy with the brightness of His coming.

The Spirit of Our Age – Lawlessness

I don’t want you to think that this is political.  I am not going to preach politics:

Romans 13:1 (NKJV)
^13:1 Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by God.

I believe this – God is in control and God can use governments for His purposes; for His own reasons.  He used the Assyrians, who were terrorists; pagan, godless enemies of Israel.  He sent His people to Babylon to serve under Nebuchadnezzar, another godless enemy. For seventy years they were subject to the whims of a corrupt government and king.

God used those nations and those authorities as His instrument of judgment.  His purpose was to draw the people back to Him.  That was His purpose for those leaders, so:

Joe Biden is the President of the United States; God has ordained him for this time, in the same way that Donald Trump was ordained by God.  This is not about politics or who’s the president, but in these times:

“In our age there is no such thing as ‘keeping out of politics’.  All issues are political issues, and politics itself is a mass of lies, evasions, folly, hatred and schizophrenia. – George Orwell 1984

I believe that Governments are being used by God, at this time, to prepare for the return of Jesus.  Th main thrust of what I’m writing about is this: On September 11, 2001 a spirit was released into the earth.  It has changed the course and direction of the entire world!

Look at these changes that have taken place in the United States.

1.      The “Patriot Act.”  Formally titled: The Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism Act of 2001, is intended to give the government the ability to monitor terrorists’ phone calls and be able to react accordingly to protect the nation from further attacks.

As a result, certain rights regarding search and seizure have been disregarded.  Your phone and computer are being monitored twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week.  Whereas in the past this was only possible through the use of a warrant, it is now routine.

It’s important to understand that the rights outlined in the constitution are God-given rights.  The Bill of Rights doesn’t list what rights the government has granted us, it lists the rights that the government can’t take away from us.

2.       We are seeing great government overreach, that’s when the governments steps beyond the rights we’re guaranteed.  An example would be the “Vaccine Mandate and Passport”.  You can’t work without the vaccine.  You can’t go into stores or restaurants without a vaccine.  You aren’t able to have customers in your stores unless your staff is vaccinated.

Revelation 13:17 (NKJV)
^13:17 and that no one may buy or sell except one who has the mark or the name of the beast, or the number of his name.

 I’m not saying that the vaccine is good or bad.  I’m not saying whether or not you should be vaccinated. I’m not even saying that this is the mark, but it sure looks like practice for the mark.  It’s conditioning to get people to accept it.

3.       There’s a lack of accountability on the part of our leaders.  A drone strike in Afghanistan is reported to have killed two leaders of ISIS-K, when, in fact, it killed a relief worker and seven innocent children.  The president of the United States refuses to even speak about it!

4.       Look at the massive lies in our media. You don’t know what’s true anymore.  You don’t really know what happened.  You can’t tell if it's news or propaganda.

Another quote from George Orwell in his book 1984: 

The very concept of truth is fading out in our world.  Lies will pass into history.

5.       Finally, there’s the censorship of ideas and words that don’t fit into the political narrative.  The Hunter Biden laptop story comes to mind.  On social media the reporting about it was censored.  It was called misinformation; "Russian Disinformation".  They said it was to protect us from being misled, but recently, it was proven to be true.

I’m not being political.  This is not a political issue it is a spiritual issue, that’s pulling us into the time of judgment.  This spirit has a name.  It’s name is lawlessness.

2 Thessalonians 2:7-9 (NKJV)
^2:7 For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work; only He who now restrains will do so until He is taken out of the way. ⁸ And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord will consume with the breath of His mouth and destroy with the brightness of His coming. ⁹ The coming of the lawless one is according to the working of Satan, with all power, signs, and lying wonders,

The spirit of lawlessness already exists in our world.  So, we can say the spirit of antichrist already exists…and it is growing in power every day.  These are indeed perilous times.

2 Timothy 3:1-5 (NKJV)
^3:1 But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: ² For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, ³ unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, ⁴ traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, ⁵ having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away!

Look at this description of people in the last days.  Does it seem to you that more and more people are acting exactly like that?

For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud…

Billionaires, politicians, Hollywood actors – The Elite!

disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, ³ unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, ⁴ traitors…

Antifa, BLM, CRT, anarchists, Marxists – The Self Righteous!

headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God…

Pedophiles, hedonists, homosexuals, transgenders – The Deviants!

What do these people have in common? A spirit of lawlessness.  They have turned their backs on God.  Look at this:

Romans 1:28-31 (NKJV)
^1:28 And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a debased mind, to do those things which are not fitting; ²⁹ being filled with all unrighteousness, sexual immorality, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, evil-mindedness; they are whisperers, ³⁰ backbiters, haters of God, violent, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, ³¹ undiscerning, untrustworthy, unloving, unforgiving, unmerciful;

This is the spirit we’re witnessing in these last days.  It’s the spirit of lawlessness – the spirit of antichrist.

Our society is often defined as a “post-Christian society.”

Before Covid – It was estimated that eight thousand churches closed every year.  It is estimated that in 2021, that number could climb to sixteen thousand.  That equates to roughly forty churches every day. – church answers.com

People are leaving the church, both in-person and on-line; but this is prophesied in verse three of our text.

2 Thessalonians 2:3a (NKJV)
^2:3 Let no one deceive you by any means; for that Day will not come unless the falling away comes first…

The falling away is happening right before our eyes.  It is a product of the release of the spirit of lawlessness.  The next thing will be rapture, followed by the revealing of the “man of sin” – the lawless one; the antichrist.  We are very close to these events.  My thought is that the antichrist is alive and waiting to be revealed.

Do Not Be Fooled

The stakes are very high in our times.  Time is winding up.  We are rapidly approaching the end of the church age.  I believe we will see the rapture of the church:

1 Thessalonians 4:16-17 (NKJV)
^4:16 For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. ¹⁷ Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord.

“He who restrains will be taken out of the way.” This is from our text in verse 7:

2 Thessalonians 2:7 (NKJV)
^2:7 For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work; only He who now restrains will do so until He is taken out of the way.

I want you to think a moment how the Holy Spirit restrains.  It’s through Christians, through our lifestyles, through our words, and through our testimonies – the pressure that's placed on society by our beliefs.  This is why it is important for Christians to vote their consciences.

When we are removed what will be left to influence sinners?  The answer to that is their own morality, but their morality leads to abortion;

According to the CDC there are 186 abortions per 1,000 live births.  That equals 2,326 abortions every day, about 98 per hour, or one abortion every 37 seconds. – Guttmacher Institute

Their morality allows them to fight for the rights of pedophiles.  The theme for the 2015 Gay Pride Parade in Taipei was “Act Your Love, Not Your Age”. The meaning was that the age of consent should be repealed. 

Their morality allows them to fill school libraries with transgender and pornographic material.  The following is from a news article appearing on WND.com:

Stacy Langton opened by explaining that she watched what had happened at a Texas school board meeting after parents discovered two books accessible to their children, "Lawn Boy" by Jonathan Evison and "Gender Queer" by Maia Kobabe. Langton looked for and found the books at her own child’s school, Fairfax High School, as well as other places in the county, including Robinson Secondary School where students as young as 12 could access the books.

Langton discovered that the books depicted pedophilia and sex between men and boys, including one book that showed a fourth-grade boy performing oral sex on an adult male. – This is from Sept. 2021

https://www.wnd.com/2021/09/mom-reveals-books-school-libraries-depicting-child-porn-pedophilia/

As this woman testified before the school board, they shut off her microphone.  Those are just three examples.  I haven’t even mentioned human trafficking, slavery, sexual abuse of children and women, racism, political corruption or the thousands of other perversions and defilements, their morality allows them to be a part of.  If the restraint of the Holy Spirit is removed, anything goes.  Lawlessness will abound and the “lawless One” will arise.

Let me also just say they will be happy when you are gone.  They’ll be happy when you aren’t preaching your morals to them.  They’ll be happy – until the fruits of their sin begin to be felt.  They’ll rejoice in the antichrist until the judgments begin:

Revelation 6:2 (NKJV)
^6:2 And I looked, and behold, a white horse. He who sat on it had a bow; and a crown was given to him, and he went out conquering and to conquer.

I believe this is the rise of the antichrist, a counterfeit of Jesus, and a political leader.  He comes first as a man of peace, but eventually:

Revelation 6:4 (NKJV)
^6:4 Another horse, fiery red, went out. And it was granted to the one who sat on it to take peace from the earth, and that people should kill one another; and there was given to him a great sword.

This is war.  Peace will be taken from the earth, by the same political leader.  He will make war against the tribulation saints.

Revelation 6:5-6 (NKJV)
^6:5 When He opened the third seal, I heard the third living creature say, "Come and see." So I looked, and behold, a black horse, and he who sat on it had a pair of scales in his hand. ⁶ And I heard a voice in the midst of the four living creatures saying, "A quart of wheat for a denarius, and three quarts of barley for a denarius; and do not harm the oil and the wine."

 The black horse represents famine; food shortages.  The rider, again the antichrist, will determine who gets food and who doesn’t.  This is the time that the mark of the beast will be implemented.  No one can buy and sell without the mark. Finally:

Revelation 6:8 (NKJV)
^6:8 So I looked, and behold, a pale horse. And the name of him who sat on it was Death, and Hades followed with him. And power was given to them over a fourth of the earth, to kill with sword, with hunger, with death, and by the beasts of the earth.

Violence, pestilences, wild animals, a quarter of the world’s population will be destroyed.  There will be other judgments as well, martyrs, earthquakes, asteroids and many people will die.  Hell will follow with him.

This is to what the spirit of lawlessness leads.  At the end of all of this Jesus will come back.  The power of the antichrist will be destroyed.  That will be followed by the Day of Judgment.

Why is All This Necessary

What is the purpose of God’s judgment?  It’s always to draw people back to Him.  He uses governments for judgments.  This post is a wake-up call, that was my intention.  I believe that we are posed on the edge of the rapture and subsequent judgments. 

World evangelism is like igniting a fire that consumes the earth.  I’m using this post to emphasize the urgency of the fire.  We stand at the crossroads of eternity and judgment.  The Door Church in Tucson, Arizona has always been an ignition point.  We have lit a blaze that is burning right now in countless cities and nations.  The fire has been lit by the releasing of men and their wives into the nations to enlarge the kingdom of God.  Pray that it becomes a conflagration befoe the church age winds up.

John 9:4 (NKJV)
^9:4 I must work the works of Him who sent Me while it is day; the night is coming when no one can work.

The Night is coming.  The spirit of lawlessness is like twilight.  The Darkness draws near!

Barak the Messiah

Editor’s Note: This sermon was written in 2008 immediately following the election of Barak Obama as President of the United States of America it has been updated to reflect current events.. President Obama is a polarizing figure in American Politics. The mention of his name can incite anger on both sides of the political spectrum. The Standing Stones Sermon blog is not a political blog. There is no commentary being made on his fitness or competency in the office of President of the United States. This sermon is based on observations of the media and press during his campaign. The sermon is on the possibility of ascendancy of the Antichrist. We are not suggesting that Barak Obama is the Antichrist. We are only attempting to show how it will be possible, at some future time, for people to accept the antichrist as a god.

“Today, America would be outraged if U.N. troops entered Los Angeles to restore order (referring to the 1991 L.A. Riot) Tomorrow they will be grateful. This is especially true if we were told that there was an outside threat from beyond, whether real or promulgated. It is then that the people of the world will plead to deliver them from this evil. The one thing every man fears is the unknown. When presented with this scenario individual rights will be willingly relinquished for the guarantee of their well-being granted to them by the World Government…” Dr. Henry Kissinger 1991

“Did you ever get the feeling that the only reason we vote is to see if the polls were right?“ Robert Orben

“Democracy is voting for the candidate you dislike the least.” Robert Byrne

We are living in extraordinary times; I am increasingly convinced that we are living in the last of the last days. In the last week we have seen an unprecedented natural disaster occur in Japan, in addition to a man-made disaster in the meltdown of a nuclear power plan. Protest in Libya, Saudi Arabia, Egypt have accelerated, the government of Libya in attacking, both unarmed and armed rebel-citizens has resulted in attacks on that nation by The US, UK and Canadian forces. Less recently, the call for a world currency has been made by Russia and China, and for the first time in history, the government of the United States is supporting that call. We are living in the days of Biblical prophecy.

The times are winding up, the hoof beats of the four horsemen of the apocalypse are being heard in our generation. I believe we will be the generation that will see the return of Jesus Christ and the rapture of the church. In this post I want to examine the “Signs of the Times.”

Matthew 16:3
3 “and in the morning, ‘It will be foul weather today, for the sky is red and threatening.’ Hypocrites! You know how to discern the face of the sky, but you cannot discern the signs of the times.

Matthew 24:4-16
4 And Jesus answered and said to them: “Take heed that no one deceives you.5 “For many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and will deceive many.6 “And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not troubled; for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet.7 “For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be famines, pestilences, and earthquakes in various places.8 “All these are the beginning of sorrows.9 “Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and kill you, and you will be hated by all nations for My name’s sake.10 “And then many will be offended, will betray one another, and will hate one another.11 “Then many false prophets will rise up and deceive many.12 “And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold.13 “But he who endures to the end shall be saved.14 “And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come.15 “Therefore when you see the ‘abomination of desolation,’ spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place” (whoever reads, let him understand),16 “then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains.

The Rise of the One

“Many see in Obama a messiah like figure; a great soul and some affectionately call him Mahatma Obama”. - Dinesh Sharma – Marketing Science Consultant

“(He is) A light worker – an attuned being with a powerful luminosity and High-Vibration integrity who will actually help usher in a new way of being.” – Mark Morford – Reporter San Francisco Chronicle

“He communicates God-like energy.  He’s a lot closer to a Jesus-type than any other candidate…What if God decided to incarnate as men preaching, “hope and change.” And what if we didn’t recognize them, because we are so dull and let them slip away, not availing ourselves of the chance to be led by God!”Steve Davis, an average voter in South Carolina

Matthew 24:23-24
23 “Then if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Christ!’ or ‘There!’ do not believe it.24 “For false christs and false prophets will rise and show great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect.

I’m not saying that President Obama is the Antichrist. But this is the type of fervor that will sweep the Antichrist into power. Never before in history have things like this been said about any political candidate. There has always been conversations about a candidate’s ability to lead. We have always heard about charisma. But we have always stopped there: We’ve never dared to call a candidate the Christ.

“This is bigger than Kennedy…this is New Testament”
Chris Matthews, MSNBC Commentator

“Obama’s finest speeches do not excite...They do not inform. They don’t even really inspire, they elevate…He is not the word made flesh but the triumph of the word over flesh…Obama is, at his best, able to call us back to our highest selves.”
Ezra Klein, Associate Editor, The American Prospect Magazine

Even president Obama in his inauguration speech noted that, “this is the time when the rise of the oceans began to slow; when the planet begins to heal.”

Revelation 13:5
5 And he was given a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies, and he was given authority to continue for forty-two months.

Very quickly comes the time when the world will embrace a man as the savior of the world: The bringer of world peace: A man that will usher in the time of the tribulation and the final curtain call of the earth.

It’s amazing how much of the world embraced the election of Barak Obama. 210,000 people in Germany went to see him. They said that he brought peace to the Niger Delta region. He hadn’t even taken office yet. The Pope has prayed, “May God help Obama bring peace.” They were looking to him to solve the Mideast problems.

I think it is interesting that the US media was afraid of George Bush and his declaration that he was called by God to be the President of the United States, but they have no fear about referring to president Obama as the “word of God” or his election being of New Testament proportions. Its as if it get easier to look for the Messiah.

“Obama comes along and he seems to have the answers, this is New Testament.”
Chris Matthews MSNBC

Suddenly the press is looking for Jesus and finding Him in a political candidate. Have you ever wondered how a man, an unknown could rise to the office of the most powerful man in the world in only four years. It cannot be merit. There were no accomplishments there was no merit. But yet the press hails him as a messiah-like figure and the man who can save the world. This is so unbelievable that it can only be possible if a spirit is behind it.

Revelation 16:13-14
13 And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs coming out of the mouth of the dragon, out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet.14 For they are spirits of demons, performing signs, which go out to the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty.

The world today is a very divided place. A leader can either bring it together or divide it further. Look at the political landscape of the United States att this point in history. The only time where the nation was more divided than this was in 1861, when the Civil War broke out.

America has become a nation where anything goes. Everyone is choosing up sides. It seems that common ground can’t be found; every group is against another. Racial violence is up…Liberals and conservatives are at war with each other…every possible divide is exploited and every chasm becomes an abyss. Christians are verbally assaulted and shouted down. We’re called haters and bigots. Organizations are looking to remove every vestige of the God of the Bible from the public life. When push comes to shove, I wonder where the President will stand…Will he, like everyone else, in the interest of peace denounce Christians?

We may not be seeing the rise of the Antichrist, but we are seeing the rise of the Antichrist spirit. When the Antichrist is in power we will call him God all the time thinking that he’s Jesus, the Messiah.

Revelation 13:12
12 And he exercises all the authority of the first beast in his presence, and causes the earth and those who dwell in it to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed.

But Jesus will not be ushered in by an election or by a world crisis, He will return like this:

Matthew 24:27

27 “For as the lightning comes from the east and flashes to the west, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be.

Wars and Rumors of Wars

“From what we have seen in recent years – the creation of a missile defense system, the encirclement of Russia with military bases, the relentless expansion of NATO – we have gotten the clear impression that they are testing our strength” – Dimitry Medvedev, President of Russia quoted on Fox news - November 5, 2008

“Mr. Medvedev is first expected to usher constitutional changes that would allow Mr. Putin to return to his old job for 12 more years…the report bore all the signs of deliberate Kremlin leak designed to prepare the Russian Public for Mr. Putin’s return.” London Telegraph - Nov 7, 2008

“"As one Russian observer put it, weapons sales create allies. Russia is using weapons and nuclear reactors the same way imperial Germany used railroads – to bolster and influence the dominant power in the Middle East.” The Heritage Foundation – March 5, 2007

Who are Russia’s allies in the Middle East?  The Organization of the Islamic Conference: The OIC has tried to make its presence felt in areas of interest to the Muslim world, an approach which appears to have the tacit approval of the Russian leadership. In 2003, President Vladimir Putin was invited to deliver the opening address at the OIC summit. This event was followed by a marked warming of relations between Moscow and the OIC with new positions created in the Russian Foreign Ministry to improve ties. Business Network Summer 2005

Who is the OIC? It is an organization of 56 Islamic Countries. Afganistan, Bahrain, Itran, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, Palestine, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Tajikistan, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, Uzbekistan and Yemen are all members. Find them on a map and then look at this:

Ezekiel 38:1-6
Now the word of the LORD came to me, saying,2 “Son of man, set your face against Gog, of the land of Magog, the prince of Rosh, Meshech, and Tubal, and prophesy against him,3 “and say, ‘Thus says the Lord GOD: “Behold, I am against you, O Gog, the prince of Rosh, Meshech, and Tubal.4 “I will turn you around, put hooks into your jaws, and lead you out, with all your army, horses, and horsemen, all splendidly clothed, a great company with bucklers and shields, all of them handling swords.5 “Persia, Ethiopia, and Libya are with them, all of them with shield and helmet;6 “Gomer and all its troops; the house of Togarmah from the far north and all its troops—many people are with you.

After you’ve found those nations on a world map, turn to the back of a Bible and look at a map of the ancient world and find the nations listed in this scripture. You will be amazed to see that these are the same nations.

Rosh is Russia, could Vladimir Putin be Gog? Many of the recent problems with Iran and nuclear weapons follow the sale of centrifuges used to enrich plutonium for use in reactors and weapons from Russia to Iran Putin is aligning himself to once again lead Russia. Iran and other Islamic nations are allied with Russia and eager to declare war on the west. Time and time again the president of Iran has threatened to “Wipe Israel from the map:” The complete annihilation of Israel. With nuclear weapons made from enriched plutonium this indeed becomes a possibility.

In recent days we have seen the “democracy movements” in the Middle East. Protestors have risen up against the tyrants of the Middle East. But look closely who is being overthrown. It is in secular Middle Eastern nations that we are seeing this revolution. Of course, there is no doubt that these are tyrannical dictators leading these countries, but whom are the “revolutionaries” representing? In Egypt it was the Muslim Brotherhood. The Muslim Brotherhood has sworn to destroy Israel, one of the goals of those who were fighting for democracy in Egypt was the suspension of Mubarak’s peace treaty between Egypt and Israel. These people are the enemies of Israel. Vladimir Putin and Russia may soon be in a position to lead these countries to war against Israel.

With this war and the rise of the Antichrist we could see the rise of the One World Government. If you think a world government is not on the horizon look at this:

“In the next century nations as we know it will be obsolete, all states will recognize a single global authority. National sovereignty wasn’t such a great idea after all.”

Strobe Talbot – President Clinton’s Deputy Secretary of State 1998

The sovereignty of all nations is threatened with the establishment of a Global financial system. A one-world economy, if you will.

“The world’s most influential finance ministers and central bankers broadly agreed today that its financial system needed reform amid the worst financial crisis in 80 years, but they fell short of their task of outlining a detailed framework for change. The finance officials at this weekend’s gathering of group of 20 officials in Sao Paulo, Brazil, had intended to come up with concrete proposals as a basis for discussion by their heads of state at meetings in Washington D.C. on November 14-15.”

Dow Jones Newswires November 9, 2008

Every head of state is looking for a solution to the world’s financial crisis and that solution may be in the creation of Global economic system. China and Russia have both called for the establishment of a world currency. This is not unusual on its face, in recent years both of these nations have called for this before. But for the first time the United States Government has supported the idea of a global currency. A global currency will further erode the idea of sovereignty among nations. The one-world economy of the Bible is c,oser than you think.

Revelation 13:16-17
16 He causes all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on their right hand or on their foreheads,17 and that no one may buy or sell except one who has the mark or the name of the beast, or the number of his name.

How Does That Make You Feel?

As I’ve said before, this is not a political piece. The idea of this is not to infuse you with fear and hatred. But politics are the signs of the soon return of Jesus Christ. I believe we are close to his return and the rapture of his church.

On the one hand I find it terribly exciting to be a part of the last generation: the generation that will see the return of Jesus Christ. I believe there are people reading this who will never taste death. This event is on the horizon line of time and we are rushing toward it.

The problem is that not everyone will hear the call. Not everyone will hear the trumpet’s blast, only those that are “in Christ.” I am filled with a sense of urgency to reach the lost.

I live in Taiwan and the percentage of those who are of a Western Religion is about 5% of the population. The percentage of Christian is smaller still. Of the 23 million people living here only a small portion will hear the final call.

With the world stage such as it is, how much time could possibly be left before these Biblical prophecies are fulfilled? How much time could be left before Jesus returns?. How many people do you personally know that would be left in the event of the final call?

These are highly polarized times. Close elections in the US demonstrate a fifty-fifty split. Violent protests in recent days demonstrate the depth of emotion for one side or the other and the depth of hatred for righteousness grows day by day.

2 Timothy 3:1-7
But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come:2 For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,3 unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good,4 traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God,5 having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away!6 For of this sort are those who creep into households and make captives of gullible women loaded down with sins, led away by various lusts,7 always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.

This is the signature scripture for our day and hour. We are unable to turn back to simpler times so we must prepare for the times that we face. This is the time when Christians must galvanize into the Army of God and press forward to draw others into his safety. We can no longer allow ourselves the luxury of complacence. There is little time left. On the one hand I am comforted by the knowledge his soon return but on the toehr hand I am filled with a sense of urgency.