Our Daily Bread
The Last Will Be First
December 1, 2017
Month: April 2020
Covid-19 ~ Have We Been Duped?
Maximum exposure, minimal influence
American Renewal Project
We have experienced a lengthy time of single-minded adherence to alarmist scaremongering scientism. This is due to the excessive belief that the “scientific” understanding of disease is the only relevant issue, providing exclusive access to the truth, whilst ignoring any other factors.
In a Wall Street Journal opinion piece, Allysia Finley observes that “Defenders of coronavirus lockdown mandates keep talking about science. ‘We are going to do the right thing, not judge by politics, not judge by protests, but by science,’ California’s Gov. Gavin Newsom said this week. Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer defended an order that, among other things, banned the sale of paint and vegetable seeds but not liquor or lottery tickets. ‘Each action has been informed by the best science and epidemiology counsel there is,’ she wrote in an op-ed.
“But scientists are almost never unanimous, and many appeals to ‘science’ are transparently political or ideological,” Ms. Finley commented. One of the dissenters tarred and feathered by the main street media clique is John Ioannidis, a Professor of Medicine, of Health Research and Policy and of Biomedical Data Science at Stanford University School of Medicine. Google Scholar ranks him among the world’s 100 most-cited scientists, having published more than 1,000 papers.
“In a March article for Stat News, Dr. Ioannidis argued that Covid-19 is far less deadly than modelers were assuming. … Chief among them was a study by modelers at Imperial College London, which predicted more than 2.2 million coronavirus deaths in the U.S. absent ‘any control measures or spontaneous changes in individual behaviour.’”
Calling it a “quest for very urgent, spectacular, exciting, apocalyptic results,” Dr. Ioannidis considered that “locking down the world with potentially tremendous social and financial consequences may be totally irrational. It’s like an elephant being attacked by a house cat. Frustrated and trying to avoid the cat, the elephant accidentally jumps off a cliff and dies.”1
Another dissenting voice is Johan Giesecke, a Swedish physician and Professor Emeritus at the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm. One of the world’s most acclaimed epidemiologists, Dr. Giesecke asserts that “The measures we should take against the pandemic should be evidence-based, and when you start looking around for the measures being taken now by different countries, you find that very few of them have the shred of evidence base.”
“The only measure ‘we know’ will work is [that] washing your hands is good for you and good for others when you’re in an epidemic, but the rest, like border closures, school closures, social distancing, there’s almost no science behind most of these.”2
In light of this, the foolhardiness of government bureaucrats, categorically timorous political leaders, and blatantly biased epidemiologists is beginning to show.
Unscrambling the political landscape, Tucker Carlson pronounced: “Dissent has been banned, and that ban is relentlessly enforced by the willing stooges in our media, who have finally stopped pretending they don’t hate you. They definitely do.
“What country is this? Well, it’s a country in a lockdown.
“We’re told we have no choice but to stop our lives completely. Mass quarantines, they tell us again and again, are the only way to save lives; but that’s a lie. They don’t know it’s true, despite what they claim. There’s no scientific record to consult, it’s never been done.
“We are currently living through the largest and most expensive experiment ever conducted in human history. We’ve spent trillions of dollars and crushed millions of [people’s lives], purely on the guess that a nationwide lockdown would save us from the Coronavirus.”3
We have experienced a lengthy time of single-minded adherence to alarmist scaremongering scientism. This is due to the excessive belief that the “scientific” understanding of disease is the only relevant issue, providing exclusive access to the truth, whilst ignoring any other factors.
In a Wall Street Journal opinion piece, Allysia Finley observes that “Defenders of coronavirus lockdown mandates keep talking about science. ‘We are going to do the right thing, not judge by politics, not judge by protests, but by science,’ California’s Gov. Gavin Newsom said this week. Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer defended an order that, among other things, banned the sale of paint and vegetable seeds but not liquor or lottery tickets. ‘Each action has been informed by the best science and epidemiology counsel there is,’ she wrote in an op-ed.
“But scientists are almost never unanimous, and many appeals to ‘science’ are transparently political or ideological,” Ms. Finley commented. One of the dissenters tarred and feathered by the main street media clique is John Ioannidis, a Professor of Medicine, of Health Research and Policy and of Biomedical Data Science at Stanford University School of Medicine. Google Scholar ranks him among the world’s 100 most-cited scientists, having published more than 1,000 papers.
“In a March article for Stat News, Dr. Ioannidis argued that Covid-19 is far less deadly than modelers were assuming. … Chief among them was a study by modelers at Imperial College London, which predicted more than 2.2 million coronavirus deaths in the U.S. absent ‘any control measures or spontaneous changes in individual behaviour.’”
Calling it a “quest for very urgent, spectacular, exciting, apocalyptic results,” Dr. Ioannidis considered that “locking down the world with potentially tremendous social and financial consequences may be totally irrational. It’s like an elephant being attacked by a house cat. Frustrated and trying to avoid the cat, the elephant accidentally jumps off a cliff and dies.”1
Another dissenting voice is Johan Giesecke, a Swedish physician and Professor Emeritus at the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm. One of the world’s most acclaimed epidemiologists, Dr. Giesecke asserts that “The measures we should take against the pandemic should be evidence-based, and when you start looking around for the measures being taken now by different countries, you find that very few of them have the shred of evidence base.”
“The only measure ‘we know’ will work is [that] washing your hands is good for you and good for others when you’re in an epidemic, but the rest, like border closures, school closures, social distancing, there’s almost no science behind most of these.”2
In light of this, the foolhardiness of government bureaucrats, categorically timorous political leaders, and blatantly biased epidemiologists is beginning to show.
Unscrambling the political landscape, Tucker Carlson pronounced: “Dissent has been banned, and that ban is relentlessly enforced by the willing stooges in our media, who have finally stopped pretending they don’t hate you. They definitely do.
“What country is this? Well, it’s a country in a lockdown.
“We’re told we have no choice but to stop our lives completely. Mass quarantines, they tell us again and again, are the only way to save lives; but that’s a lie. They don’t know it’s true, despite what they claim. There’s no scientific record to consult, it’s never been done.
“We are currently living through the largest and most expensive experiment ever conducted in human history. We’ve spent trillions of dollars and crushed millions of [people’s lives], purely on the guess that a nationwide lockdown would save us from the Coronavirus.”3
On the basis of guesswork of titanic proportions and media fanning the flames of panic, 27 million people have lost their jobs. Moreover, the mania has led pliant politicians to irresponsibly charge an extra $2.5 trillion to America’s credit card, on top of the already $24 trillion debt.
As we wrote recently, government spending is just another word for private sector spending, orchestrated by politicians. Those doing this to our country should be voted out of office in November. And let’s not forget that we also need to remove the unelected bureaucrats whose faulty advice largely precipitated this fiasco.
In answer to Tucker Carlson’s query what country this is, we hold that America has “gone in the way of Cain and run greedily after the error of Balaam for reward.”4 It has done so by abandoning the Judeo-Christian biblically based culture laid down by its Founders. Given their understanding of human nature as irretrievably sinful and under God’s curse, they included checks and balances based upon Scripture in their design of society.
America’s miraculous rise notwithstanding, 20th-century secular atheistic educationists barged in, imparting to the last three generations the humanistic worldview that human nature is predominantly upright and in good standing with its Maker.
Genesis 4:1 describes Cain as a “man from the Lord.” Destitute of any adequate sense of sin, or need of atonement, however, he was self-willed and rejected God’s way. In a land where atheist secularists have removed God from public education and the culture, modern, apostate America has “gone in the way of Cain.”
To rectify the situation, two things need to be done:
1. Prayer must be restored to the American marketplace by “God’s people, called by God’s name, humbling themselves and turning from our wicked ways …”5
Pastors, this week I was asked to pray over our nation. As humbly as I know how, I shared my heart with God. Please allow me to share it with you. I pray that God will allow us to lead people through this crisis. Listen here.
2. Evangelical and Pro-Life Catholic Christians have to take their ‘civics’ game to the next level. Religious liberty will be won by prayer and organizing. Sunday sermons alone are not enough.
If America is to experience a 21st-century spiritual awakening, it will obviously require a model completely different from the one advanced over the last century. Today’s American Christendom is doing very well materialistically. It has publishing houses, Christian television, and Christian radio. It can count on Christian royalty, GMA Dove Awards, and National Religious Broadcasters. It has achieved prominence, popularity, position, profit, acclaim, applause, and White House visits. And yet, all it has is a teeny-weeny stick to powerlessly swing with in the community and culture. Jude 1:11 refers to it as that we “have run greedily in the error of Balaam for profit.”
As an example of the minimal influence, we once again refer to the Greater Dallas area church with tens of thousands of members and a multi-million annual budget. When the City Council bestowed in a 5 to 3 vote “special rights” upon pro-LGBT activists, all with the backing of the city’s republican mayor, an Evangelical leader threatened the mayor with the words “We’ll see you in November.” Raising $318,000 for his reelection, the mayor was reelected with a total of 14,180 votes. This in spite of the presence in the city of one of America’s largest churches, with a high-profile Christian school, 45,000 church members, and a $70 million annual budget.
To survive, we must return to Jesus’ Kingdom assignment found in Matthew 16:18. Expressly present in the public square, outside of the four walls of the church building, His ekklesia stand where “the gates of Hades shall not prevail.”
At just the right time, Gideons and Rahabs are beginning to stand.
David Lane
American Renewal Project
1. http://www.wsj.com/articles/the-bearer-of-good-coronavirus-news-11587746176
2. http://www.dailywire.com/news/epidemiologist-warns-lockdown-policies-not-evidence-based-unsustainable-in-democracies
3. Tucker Carlson http://www.foxnews.com/category/shows/tucker-carlson-tonight/transcript/tuckers-monologue
4. Jude 1:11
5. 2 Chronicles 7:13-15
Pandemic Setting The Stage For World To Accept Counterfeit Messianic Figure?
Breaking News Updates – April 28, 2020
By Michael Brown/AskDrBrown.org April 28, 2020
Pandemic Setting The Stage For World To Accept Counterfeit Messianic Figure?
The events surrounding the coronavirus have demonstrated how quickly the status quo can be overturned, how dramatically the fortunes of nations can shift, and how a call for one-world cooperation can arise. A number of recent developments help illustrate how quickly a false Messianic figure could emerge on the earth promising to solve all of our problems.
ARTICLE
Pandemic Setting The Stage For World To Accept Counterfeit Messianic Figure?
By Michael Brown/AskDrBrown.org April 28, 2020
A number of recent developments help illustrate how quickly a false Messianic figure could emerge on the earth, in both religious and secular circles.
Prepare to read some shocking quotes. But first, let me set the stage.
The events surrounding the coronavirus have demonstrated how quickly the status quo can be overturned, how dramatically the fortunes of nations can shift, and how a call for one-world cooperation can arise.
And what if there was a worldwide economic collapse, accompanied by plague and famine? Is it too farfetched to imagine that a powerful, problem solving leader could gain an international following?
I do not believe we are at that point. But I do believe that, in front of our eyes, we’re seeing how quickly the table can be set, even from an entirely secular point of view.
All the more does this become feasible when we add in religious beliefs.
Jesus famously warned His disciples, saying “Be careful that no one leads you astray! For many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am the Messiah,’ and will lead many astray.” (Matthew 24:4-5 TLV) He also warned that, “Many false prophets will arise and lead many astray.” (Matthew 24:11, TLV)
So, from a Christian perspective, before the true Messiah (= Christ) will return in the clouds of heaven, there will be counterfeit Messiahs (= antichrists) who will deceive many.
And this leads us to the promised, shocking quotes.
In the Islamic world, the belief in the Mahdi, the hidden Imam waiting to be revealed, could easily prepare the way for a counterfeit Messianic figure.
Muslims believe that Jesus is the Messiah (although, quite plainly, they do not believe in the Jesus of the Bible). So, technically speaking, the Mahdi is not the Messiah. On the other hand, since he functions in Islamic lore as the end-time redeemer, he could be the perfect counterfeit Christ type of figure.
And here’s where it gets very interesting: there are Muslim leaders today who claim to have met the Mahdi numerous times.
Writing in the Jerusalem Post on January 20, Brian Schrauger explained that the Mahdi “is Islam’s messiah, the 12th of 12 Imams who are successors to Mohammed. Said to have been born in 879 CE, the Imam Mahdi is believed by Shi’a Muslims to still be alive, but hidden from mankind in ‘occultation’ until a time of such upheaval on the earth that only his reappearance will rescue mankind and, in fact, usher in an age of global peace; Islamic peace, that is; a kind of peace in which all mankind is living in submission to the Allah of the Koran.”
He continues, “Crazy to Western ears, this messianic creed is the raison d’être for the Islamic Republic of Iran according to its founders and leaders. It is also the basis of Tehran’s foreign and military policies; and it is impossible to overemphasize the Iran regime’s visceral commitment to it.
The Imam Mahdi is invoked in every public gathering, both civil and military; he is the singular inspiration for every policy, every tactic, every mission; indeed, he is nothing less than the regime’s reason for its existence and, as such, its singular and unwavering motivation for the future.”
And Schrauger can provide documentation for every single claim he has made.
In the words of Iran’s Supreme leader Ayatollah Khamanei, “The Iranian nation, enjoys a great privilege today: the atmosphere of the country is an atmosphere of Imam Mahdi. . . .” And, Khamanei states, “many of our great scholars have personally met with this beloved [Imam] of hearts of the admirers during his occultation; many have made a pledge to him in person; many have heard from him some heartwarming words; many have been caressed by him and many others have received his kindness, care, and love.”
The Islamic Mahdi is here, he is known to many insiders, and he is about to be revealed. And remember: this article was written before Iran was smitten with COVID-19. What are the leaders thinking today?
But there’s more.
A February 20 headline in Israel Today stated that, “Israeli Rabbi Says He’s Already Holding Meetings With Messiah.” And, “Israel’s biggest rabbis are all afraid to leave the country lest they miss Messiah’s coming.”
The article, by Ryan Jones, cited a three-hour radio interview in which Rabbi Yaakov Zisholtz “told religious broadcaster Radio 2000 that Khamanei recently told him that he (Kanievsky) is already in direct contact with the Messiah.”
Rabbi Kanievsky, now in his early 90s, is considered to be the leading authority in the ultra-Orthodox (haredi) community in Israel, and he has often spoken of the nearness of the Messiah’s coming. But it seems he is saying even more today.
According to Rabbi Zisholtz, “…the process of redemption is about to start happening very quickly and at a fast pace. It is important that people remain calm and steady to act properly in the right time.
“There is a potential Messiah in every generation and there are righteous men who know precisely who it is. This is, of course, true in this generation.
“Getting the word out now that the Messiah is closer than ever is a matter of life and death. Haven’t you heard of Gog and Magog? That is what is going to happen very soon. Right now, the situation is explosive more than you can possibly imagine. Everyone needs to know whether they are on the inside or if they are going to be left out.”
Yes, these are the words of an ultra-Orthodox rabbi in Israel, not those of an evangelical Christian, Bible in hand, with end-time prophecies heavily underlined.
While Rabbi Zisholtz was careful to say he couldn’t promise anything, he was certainly raising the bar with specific predictions and events. And again, he claimed that certain religious Jews knew exactly who the Messiah was and have even met with him.
Adding to all this was the statement of Israel’s Health Minister, Yaakov Litzman, himself ultra-Orthodox, as reported in HaAretz on March 26 and with reference to COVID-19: “We are praying and hoping that the Messiah will arrive before Passover, the time of our redemption. I am sure that the Messiah will come and bring us out as God brought us out of Egypt. Soon we will go out in freedom and the Messiah will come and redeem us from all the troubles of the world.”
The Messiah would be the cure to the coronavirus, and he would come (meaning, be publicly revealed, since in Jewish thought, he could already be here) by Passover.
Well, Passover ended on April 16. And, in case you missed the news, the expected Jewish Messiah did not come.
Ironically, Litzman himself contracted the virus, although he has since recovered. And for a number of reasons, including heavy criticism of his handling of the crisis, he is reportedly considering quitting.
But all this talk about the Mahdi being here, ready to be revealed, along with the traditional Jewish Messiah being here, ready to be revealed, underscores the point I have been making.
It would not take much for a counterfeit Messianic figure to arise and deceive many.
And so, while I believe the table has not yet been set for this grand finale, it could clearly be set on very short notice.
Let us, then, keep our focus on the Second Coming of the true Christ (= Messiah). But let us not forget the warnings about that false Messiah (= antichrist) who will come first.
Michael Brown is the author of “Jezebel’s War With America – The Plot to Destroy Our Country and What We Can Do to Turn the Tide ” – currently on sale from Prophecy News Watch here.
What First Century Christians Could Teach Us Today
By Michael Brown/AskDrBrown.org April 27, 2020
What First Century Christians Could Teach Us Today
ARTICLE
What First Century Christians Could Teach Us Today
By Michael Brown/AskDrBrown.org April 27, 2020
Growing up in a country like America where we get to vote and influence the government, it’s difficult to imagine what it would feel like to live under an absolute monarchy. Or a tyrannical dictatorship. Or an oppressive, all-controlling regime. Yet the early followers of Jesus not only lived in such environments, but they flourished and grew.
What can we learn from these early believers? What would they each us today?
Focus on the Great Commission
First, they would teach us that no matter who leads the nation, no one can stop the gospel. And no matter what form of government we have, the church can grow and thrive.
I do imagine these Christians would be amazed at the liberties we enjoy. (Obviously, they would be amazed by a lot of other things too.) They would like tell us to do our best to guard these liberties.
But they would remind us to put our trust in God not in government and not to confuse patriotism with the kingdom of God.
Second, they would encourage us not to get caught up in partisan politics, a concept that would have been largely unknown to them.
You see, in the Roman Empire, there were not rival political parties, with your vote making a difference between which candidate would come into power. You did not have Democrat vs. Republican (or the equivalent). And while there were different social and philosophical factions, there was not a political divide. For the most part, the emperor was supreme.
For the early Christian, then, the divisions were more basic. There was light and darkness. There was the church and the world. There was the kingdom of God and the kingdom of Satan. There was heaven and hell. And there was saved people and lost people.
That is how they saw their world, and that is how they saw their mission. Put another way, although they brought about powerful cultural change through the gospel, their focus was not on reforming the Roman Empire. Their focus was the Great Commission.
They still had to deal with the distractions of the flesh and the world, just as we do today. But partisan politics did not vie for their attention. Or consume their emotions. Or divide them as believers.
That’s why I say that they would encourage us not to get caught up in partisan politics.
Again, they might well encourage us to exploit our democratic liberties to the full and even to run for office, if some of us were called to do so. But I believe they would help us to step above the political frenzy that so dominates and divides our nation.
Christianity is Not a Spectator Sport
Third, they would remind us that the church is not a building, especially at a time like this when our church buildings are shut during the COVID-19 crisis.
In my just-released book When the World Stops, I have an entire chapter devoted to this subject, titled, “What Is Church and How Do We Do It?” And I am convinced this is one of the major lessons we must learn during this forced lockdown: the church is not a building and Christianity is not a spectator sport.
I would think that these first believers would be stunned to see our large church buildings and cathedrals. But it would not be because they had never seen magnificent buildings. To the contrary, those who were alive to see the Second Temple (which was destroyed by the Romans in 70 AD) would have seen something far more spectacular than our largest megachurch facility. And the Romans themselves knew how to build.
It’s just that the believers met in homes back then. There was no such thing as a church building. Consequently, a greater emphasis was put on being the church more than on going to church (although they certainly emphasized the importance of meeting together).
In this context, they would remind us that the preacher is not a performer. And the Body is not an audience. And, to say it again, Christianity is not a spectator sport.
This doesn’t mean that they wouldn’t welcome church meetings of all sizes and buildings of all sizes. It’s just that their emphasis would be put on every member of the Body being connected and activated. It would be on the priesthood of every believer.
The Power of the Spirit Can Rock the World
Fourth, these early Christians would remind us of the need to rely on the power of the Spirit. While they would rejoice in the many ways the gospel can spread today, ways that would have been unimaginable to them, they would encourage us not to lean on technology. Or human personality. Or worldly techniques.
Instead they would urge us to remember the words of Jesus, who said, “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” (Acts 1:8)
It is by the power of the Spirit that they rocked their world. It is by the power of the Spirit that we can rock ours.
Michael Brown is the author of “Jezebel’s War With America – The Plot to Destroy Our Country and What We Can Do to Turn the Tide ” – currently on sale from Prophecy News Watch here.
Originally published at AskDrBrown.org – reposted with permission.
Is America approaching a ‘Lazarus moment’?
Is America approaching a ‘Lazarus moment’?
After the stoning of Stephen, “A great persecution arose against the church that was in Jerusalem; and they were scattered … therefore those who were scattered went everywhere preaching the word.” [Acts 8:1 and 4]
As frequently occurs in Scripture, what seems to be a setback is used by God for His glory and the advancement of His Kingdom.
The Bible is full of examples of God imparting or restoring life. Regarding Aaron’s almond wood staff in Numbers 18:8, “It happened on the next day that Moses went into the tent of the testimony; and behold, the rod of Aaron for the house of Levi was budded, and put forth buds, and produced blossoms, and bore ripe almonds.”
Another example concerns Jesus’ friend Lazarus of Bethany and his sisters Martha and Mary. Mary had at one time anointed Jesus with “fragrant oil and wiped His feet with her hair.” The sisters sent for the Healer when Lazarus became sick, and “had already been in the tomb four days” when Jesus finally arrived. Deeply moved, Jesus went to the tomb and, as we are told in John 11:43, called in a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out!” And the man who had been dead came out, still wrapped in his burial shrouds, illustrating the hold that death has had on him.
With the Coronavirus bringing America into peril, modern Christendom may possibly be approaching a “Lazarus” moment; and ever do we need it. How easily we tend to forget that America’s system of higher education had its roots in American Protestantism, with 106 of the 108 colleges being distinctly Christian.1
With the collapse over the last 60 years of the theological and epistemological foundation of public education, having been explicitly Christian for 350 years, liberty for our children and grandchildren is no longer a certainty. The Bible makes clear that righteousness – i.e., morality, integrity, virtue, uprightness – is the main key to exalting a nation. Solomon reminds us in Proverbs 3:1 to “not forget my teaching, let your heart retain my precepts.”
Jewish Hebrew scholar Michael V. Fox explains why this is extremely instructive for contemporary America: “To ‘forget’ (šakah), as Hame’iri observes, usually refers not to the natural slippage of memory but to willful neglect and diversion of attention.”
The terms “willful neglect” and “diversion of attention” perfectly capture what has happened in America over the last century. Take for example Thomas Jefferson’s drafting of the Northwest Ordinance and its requirement for admitting new states to the Union in 1787: “Religion, morality, and knowledge, being necessary to good government and the happiness of mankind, schools and the means of education shall forever be encouraged.”
Indeed, America’s Founders required that all new, additional states entering the Union had educational systems all set for the accentuation, cultivation, and instruction of Christian principles in the education of America’s youth.
Sandy Barker-Mitchell is quoted as the source of the following message about the Coronavirus pandemic: “In three short months, just like He did with plagues of Egypt, God has taken away everything we worship. God said, ‘You want to worship athletes, I will shut down the stadiums. You want to worship musicians, I will shut down the Civic Centers. You want to worship actors, I will shut down theaters. You want to worship money, I will shut down the economy and collapse the stock market. You don’t want to go to church and worship Me, I will make it where you can’t go to church.’”
She might have added: “If government-run education bureaucrats want to indoctrinate America’s K-6 by way of the exaltation and normalization of sin through homosexual and transgender friendly curriculum, I’ll shut that down too.’
As we dare guessing, the Coronavirus pandemic looks like America is to receive mercy, instead of the judgment we deserve. The plight and predicament the virus puts us in may be moving the nation and our culture back or closer to God.
On the other hand, the machinations by government bureaucrats and secular politicians in the Coronavirus pandemic are illuminating for everyday Americans who put in 50-hr workweeks, raise their families, coach Little League, and teach Sunday school. Everyone is well aware of abiding by common sense safety practices. However, are malevolent forces also at work, taking advantage of the crisis to intentionally tank the economy ahead of the November election by sowing panic? Will some use it to foist the next impeachment scheme?
As to contemporary culture, 1) All wealth is created in the private sector; government spending is just another word for private sector spending orchestrated by politicians. Margaret Thatcher’s advice should be displayed in Klieg lights above Speaker Pelosi’s door, “The trouble with socialism is that eventually you run out of other people’s money.” And 2) That government bureaucrats dictate liquor stores as ‘essentials’ and churches as ‘non-essentials’ explains much. After all, culture is the public manifestation of religion.
Secularists have misinterpreted their victory of the last 100 years. The only reason they have commandeered the economic, political, cultural, educational, professional, and recreational levers of power in America is that God is using secularism to discipline His people. In this period of time His people have drifted away from Jesus’ Kingdom-ekklesia assignment in Matthew 16:18 and now seem complacently content with a Christian subculture replete with Christian radio, Christian television, Christian publishing, and zero catalytic ability to affect and transform the American culture.
“The language used by the women of Israel when celebrating the death of Goliath and the defeating of the Philistines, gave plain indication that their hearts and minds were occupied only with the human victors. ‘God was not in all their thoughts’ (Ps. 10:4). Alas that this is so often the case today: we are living in an age of hero worship, and Christendom itself is infected by this evil spirit. Man is eulogized and magnified on every hand, not only out in the world, but even in the so-called churches, Bible conferences, and religious periodicals – seen in the advertising of the speakers, the printing of their photos, and the toadying to them. O how little hiding behind the Cross, how little self-effacement there is today. ‘Cease ye from man’ (Isa. 2:22), needs to be placed in large letters over the platforms of all the big religious gatherings in this man-deifying age.”2
Again, the plight and predicament Covid-19 puts us in may be shifting the nation and our culture back or closer to God.
Gideons and Rahabs are beginning to stand.
David Lane
American Renewal Project
1. Arthur W. Hunt III, The Vanishing Word.
2. Arthur W. Pink [1886-1952], The Life of David; 1932-36
Modern Day Prophet ~ Reverend David Wilkerson
David Wilkerson, the founder of Time Square Church, wrote many great Christian books. His crowning achievement was The Cross And The Switchblade. I read some of his books that were based on Bible prophecy. Consider the following:
1986 Prophesy of David Wilkerson Concerning Plague
“I see a plague coming on the world, and the bars, churches and government will shut down. The plague will hit New York City and shake it like it has never been shaken. The plague is going to force prayerless believers into radical prayer and into their Bibles, and repentance will be the cry from the man of God in the pulpit. And out of it will come a third Great Awakening that will sweep America and the world.”
-David Wilkerson in 1986
Number one New York Times best selling author Mike Evans has written an astonishing book on it called “A Great Awakening Is Coming!”
To Order go to http://www.foz.org
If this nation will experience revival, it will take a plague or similar hardship to bring it.
Maranatha, Pastor Steve <><
End Times Prophecy – How Close Are We?
By Ron Dee Mallett April 08, 2020
End Times Prophecy – How Close Are We?
By Ron Dee Mallett April 08, 2020
Luke 21, Mark 13 and Matthew 24 all relay Jesus’ lecture to his disciples on the subject of His return and end-times rule of the world from Jerusalem. Each writer employs unique terminology, but all agree on the Master’s ultimate message. Matthew offers the most detailed of the three renditions:
Matthew 24: 3-14 (Summarized): As Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples asked “… what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?”
4 Jesus answered: “Watch out that no one deceives you. 5 For many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am the Messiah,’ and will deceive many. 6 You will hear of wars and rumors of wars… Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. 7 Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. 8 All these are the beginning of birth pains.
9 “Then you will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death… hated by all nations because of me. 10 … many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other, 11 and many false prophets will appear and deceive many people. 12 Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold… 14 and this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.
Each of the renditions by the three apostles agree on seven specific events, postulates, and outcomes for which we should be aware.
THE SIGNS IN COMMON
1. Wars and Rumors of War
2. Earthquakes in Numerous Places
3. Famine
4. Pestilence
5. Hatred
6. Pretenders/False Prophets
7. Gospel Preached to Whole World
A study of each category in our present era is very revealing. We no longer need ask: “Where are we today in fulfillment of the end-time prophecies of Jesus?”
1. Wars and Rumors of War
Each of the following 20 nations experienced from significant war dead in the past year. Yemen, Ukraine, Turkey, Thailand, Syria, Sudan, Somalia, Pakistan, Nigeria, Mexico, Libya, Iran, Israel/Palestine, Lebanon, Iraq, Egypt, Congo, Columbia, Central African Republic, Cameroon, Afghanistan.
Other conflicts also aflame in 2020: namely Tunisia, Algeria, Morocco, Uganda, Mali, Mauritania, Niger and Chad. In the Middle East we are also seeing armed combat in Yemen and Oman.
In total, in the past decade, we have also seen some 45 separate and deadly “religious” conflicts. Led notably by Malaysia, the Philippines, China, Afghanistan, Pakistan and Myanmar, some 35 countries are experiencing significant masses of people killed.
Year 2016 was one of the most violent years since the end of the Cold War. While violence levels decreased slightly from another high in 2017, non-state conflicts and internationalized intrastate conflicts continue to frustrate all attempts at global peace.
The gruesome total for armed conflicts resulting in significant numbers of deaths inflamed some 75 nations in the past decade. Other outbreaks are simmering in another 10 regions/countries yet lacking enough deaths to tip the statistical scales.
Enough said on wars: Jesus’ prophecies on the topic are occurring today in great number!
Conclusion: Fulfilled Prophecy
2. Earthquakes in numerous places.
The statistics are staggering. The National Earthquake Information Center records an average of 20,000 earthquakes every year (about 50 a day). There are, however, millions of earthquakes occurring every year too weak to be recorded.
Unquestionably, the earth is seeing a ton of earthquake activity, and some environmental activist ‘scientists’ are predicting an increase in both frequency and intensity because of global warming for the near future.
Whatever the claims/statistics, we can safely and surely say this particular prophecy of Jesus is with us today in full force.
Conclusion: Fulfilled Prophecy
3. Famine.
After nearly a decade of progress, the number of people suffering from hunger has slowly increased over the past three years, with about one in every nine people globally suffering from hunger today, according to a United Nations report released in late 2019. An estimated 820 million people do not have enough to eat, up from 811 million last year – third year in a row that the number has increased.
This gruesome statistic somewhat softens the hard fact that children suffer the most from this world-class malady simply because they are most vulnerable to the depredations of those older and larger than themselves. We see no need to dwell further on this very unhappy, obvious topic.
Conclusion: Fulfilled Prophecy
4. Pestilence
Ironically, this writer had already formed the basic outline for this prophecy report before the current ‘Corona Flu’ epic made headlines in world newspapers. We probably don’t need to cover the topic further, but a few of the statistics we unearthed are interesting. So… here goes!
A pandemic is an outbreak of global proportions. It happens when a bacterium or mutated virus becomes capable of spreading rapidly. It causes serious illness and can spread easily from one person to the next. The Spanish flu pandemic, from 1918 to 1920, is estimated to have claimed betwen 50-100 million lives. It is considered the worst in history. The Black Death claimed the lives of over 75 million people in the 14th Century.
Other outbreaks of significant import include:
HIV/AIDS PANDEMIC
Death Toll: 34 million
HONG KONG FLU PANDEMIC (1968)
Death Toll: 1 million
ASIAN FLU (1956-1958)
Death Toll: 2 million
So, we see that pestilence can kill millions with very little warning. And such diseases as HIV, Ebola, dengue, malaria and so forth are also killing their millions even at this moment. In totality, we can securely state that this prophecy of Jesus is being fulfilled even as we read these words. Simply watch the Five O-Clock News tonight.
Conclusion: Fulfilled Prophecy
5. Hatred
The bells are tolling on this one. Unfortunately, this human trait is a two-way street in many instances. Jesus makes it clear that we are to hate the sin, not the sinner. I know too many Christians filled with hatred for people outside the mainstream Christian categories of desired behavioral valuation. In this regard, we will experience some hatred that we or others have brought upon ourselves.
But, I believe Jesus was referring only to the fact we are hated for the same reasons he was hated. God’s standards of intellectual morality and behavioral practices are absolute. The unsaved world prefers that these issues be addressed as situational.
Murder, for example, is generally unacceptable, but killing babies in the womb is okay. The Bible says drug addiction and witchcraft are unacceptable. Sexually deviant lifestyles are also frowned on, but most people now consider such trends to be normal and highly acceptable behavior.
How many pastors are hesitant to even push the concept of Hell and eternal punishment? It’s illegal hate speech in some circumstances according to Canadian and certain U.S. laws. Bottom line, our Bible-based positions on these and other belief paradigms are becoming so severely offensive in the minds of the majority that Jesus says they will justify killing us in droves.
We’re quickly reaching the point where the entire world mimics Sodom and Gomorrah (the practice of sodomy deriving its name from that latter city… the wickedness to which Jesus referred in Matt. 24:13). Indeed, we are now at that point!
Conclusion: Fulfilled Prophecy
6. Pretenders/False Prophets
Few people fathom the enormous presence of false beliefs and metaphysical practices embedding our ‘modern’ world. Watchman Fellowship built a reference index listing over 1,200 distinct religious organizations and belief systems, not counting the major world religions (including Christianity).
Upon reading short statements defining a mere handful of these indexed belief systems, my head swirled. It was as though I had crashed into a condensed pool of swarming Hollywood-style cartoon mythologies… each crazier than the one before. Take a look for yourself and test my reaction.
In the book, Loving God’s Way!, Gary De Lashmutt and co-author Dennis McCallum list over 40 distinct cults and sects within Christianity itself. Given the prevalence and near-endless range of belief systems swirling about the world… what are young seekers to believe?. For many, it must seem a hopeless riddle… leaving them with sensualism and pursuit of personal purpose (humanism?) as the ‘natural’ response… simply living life as a feel-good matter of ‘anything goes.’
Could Christ’s warning of false belief systems get any more profound and imbedded than what we have today?
Conclusion: Fulfilled Prophecy
7. Gospel Preached to Whole World
“And the end will come.” Christian television networks have played a major part in helping to ensure that the entire world is being reached with Christianity’s message via radio (including short wave), television towers, satellites and mobile recording and playing devices. The last decade has seen a rapid growth of Christian broadcast networks well beyond just the United States.
Most recently, the internet communications phenomenon has completed the paradigm of realized personal contact. It is impossible to imagine any further communications systems/devices/applications than those existing today in terms of reaching every last human being We have more missionaries from more countries than at any time in prior human history daily using all of these informational tools.
What more is left to do in terms of carrying the Word to a waiting world? True, pockets of people, such as the Tarahumara (Raramuri) of the Sierra Madres, Mexico, have not yet heard the gospel. But, in all such cases, these groups have been identified and efforts are underway to bring them into Truth.
Jesus did not say everyone will be reached. He said The Gospel would be a testimony to all nations. If there are nations that legally reject the gospel (Muslim, Eastern Mysticism, etc.) and fail to expose their populace to the Christian belief system, that is on them, not on Jesus. God has been quoted as saying it is not His will that any should perish. That is far different than saying none will perish. A hard truth.
Conclusion: Soon Fulfilled Prophecy
I see the minute hand ticking very near the High Noon deadline on God’s Pre-Ordained Clock of World Forebearance Time. Do we have but seconds remaining? Considering all of the above… what say you?
Ron Dee Mallett is a retired newsman and former corporate communications director for several multinational corporations. After ‘retirement’, he worked seven years in full-time directorship of jail and prison ministries, and co-founded a Mexico outreach named Shine On Mexico.
Hope Out Of Ashes
Genesis 45:27 King James Version (KJV)
27 And they told him all the words of Joseph, which he had said unto them: and when he saw the wagons which Joseph had sent to carry him, the spirit of Jacob their father revived:
Jacob was old and his days were spent mourning his losses. Rachel was dead, he believed Joseph was too and God’s promises seemed as dry as the desert sand. His remaining comfort, Benjamin, had been whisked away in a time of famine and crisis (Genesis 43:14). Surely the end was near! But God used Jacob’s surrender of Benjamin to bring about a marvelous deliverance. God proved that circumstances don’t dictate our reality – He does. Jacob was revived, restored and renewed when his hope was in God alone. May this be our experience. -Deborah Manera
“God is ready to assume full responsibility for the life wholly yielded to Him.” -Andrew Murray
Falsehoods About Coronavirus
Quotable Quotation:
“75% Of Americans know no one who has coronavirus.”
I know of one. Yet he was a distant relative who died in his nineties. He died of pneumonia. Coronavirus was thrown into the equation, but I have my doubts.
Our daughter works a very unique job in southwest Florida, touching base with both assisted living establishments and two hospitals. She serves around five hundred seniors and knows no one with coronavirus!
Whether or not there is legitimacy to the alleged severity of this virus, it certainly has been a boon for globalists who are taking notes on population control, as our nation has been ordered to stay home. The trophy for the biggest wack job goes to Governor Gretchen Whitmer of Michigan, ordering all citizens to stay at home- they cannot go to summer homes, they cannot paint, mow lawns, plant seed or fertilize, they cannot take a motorboat out on a lake, and more. Needless to say, nonviolent protests are the order in Michigan. When the smoke clears in the near future, we will find that erroneous information from bureaucrats have dictated the day. Governor Whitmer does not have the right to micromanage anyone in her state, with her personally concocted “sandlot baseball rules.” Remember, citizens have rights, and the legislature (not the governor or president) makes the laws.
One of the greatest disappointments to me, was observing our church denominations’ annual convention cancelled over two and one half months in advance! Also, countless churches stopped their services in lockstep with one another, all convinced that it was the right thing to do. Where we serve, our desire and focus is to continue services and cancel NOTHING! We encourage the older seniors and those who care for them to stay home. We encourage anyone with physical limitations, who could be negatively impacted by the virus, to stay home. We feature drive in services once a week on Sunday morning, doing all we can to provide safe parameters for our congregation. Yes, we also stream our services, yet we are in agreement that nothing takes the place of convening to worship a just and holy God TOGETHER, who will protect us from the plague and the pestilence. I mean do we just quote Psalm 91:3,6-7, or will we put feet on our faith and really believe it applies to us? Hebrews 10:25 is what gives our church body the desire to worship together. Amen and amen. And of course we pray for the Lord to protect our flock from this virus. Do you think that if we obediently follow Him, He can do it? Because of Him, Pastor Steve <><
Who is the King of America?
Time To Reopen Texas
Steve Riggle
April 18 at 6:25 PM ·
***PLEASE SHARE***
TIME TO REOPEN TEXAS
We have been patient, even though every projection of the impact of the Coronavirus has been grossly wrong. We were told to flatten the curve because there was no cure, even though a very small number actually die from the virus in comparison with the population and other diseases and causes of death we live with on a daily basis. Now, over 22,000,000 people have lost their jobs in one month… and there is more economic fallout to follow… much more. In our county, in the same period of time that we had five Corona-related deaths, we had fifteen suicides.
We waited for our Governor to tell us he was ending the restrictions that have ruined our economy and our livelihoods. Instead, he made an announcement about an announcement and appointed a task force to further delay getting everyone back to work when he could have restored everything with a stroke of his pen. Since he as our governor put the restrictions in place by his edict, he should have simply removed them with some guidelines by the same process. Shockingly, his big action was to tell those struggling with mental and emotional health issues to go to the state parks with a mask on rather than opening the churches and suggesting they seek help there. He also decided to allow some elective surgeries since the hospital systems in Texas are losing money because so few are actually in the hospital. And he allowed retail businesses to open up for curbside shopping… he didn’t say where the change rooms were, presumably in your car or on the sidewalk.
Enough of the ridiculous!
It is time to open up Texas based on the following five words…
We have Rights,
we are Americans who have a constitution and a bill of rights.
We are Rational,
Consider the following FACTS from the Texas DSHS website as of April 17:
Population of Texas: 29,000,000 est. (twenty-nine million)
Tested for COVID-19: 169,536 (.0055 or ½ of one percent)
Positive for COVID-19: 17,371 (.0006 or 6/100 of one percent)
Hospitalized for COVID: 1,522 (.00005 or 5/1000 of one percent)
Deaths due to COVID: 428 (.000014 or 1/1000 of one percent)
You could read the data and interpret it that “protecting some” has actually become “needlessly punishing all.”
We take Risks,
we are Texans who stand tall and realize that life has some risks. That should be our choice, not the mandate of the state attempting to protect us from every perceived harm.
We understand Responsibilities,
we are citizens who will do the responsible thing. Those who are at risk should stay home. Those who are afraid should stay home.
We will Resist,
because it is our right to do so, we are free people. Unless an overwhelming number of people let our officials know that we are done with their mandates and edicts, we will continue to be controlled by them.
If you feel as I do, call the Governors office and all of your elected officials and tell them to Reopen Texas Now.
Steve Riggle
#reopentexas #covid19
—
Governor Greg Abbott … 512-463-2000
Lt. Governor Dan Patrick … 512-463-0001
Attorney General Ken Paxton … 512-463-2100
Comptroller Glenn Hegar … 512-463-4444
**************************************
Who’s is the King of America?
American Renewal Project via auth.ccsend.com
In regard to the overreach by some government bureaucrats and elected officials, we raised in our last op-ed the legitimate question who, in a constitutional sense, is the King of America.
The answer is We the People. Conspicuous by its absence in the coronavirus conundrum is any citizen participation or representative debate about the actions to be taken. Although President Trump and other elected executives do have constitutional emergency powers, who decided this was such a dire exigency that the actions taken were justified? That decision was made by unelected government bureaucrats, selected “experts,” doomsday soothsayers, computer models and a frenzied media. Only now that their ever-changing predictions have fallen flat, dissenting voices are starting to be heard. Where were the freedom and constitutional protections of speech, assembly, religious observance, and democratic process? They were found unutilized, hidden behind face masks and quarantine’s closed doors.
Freedom allows citizens to evaluate and reprove their government; the importance of which can’t be overestimated. Whereas everybody has the right to be wrong, some politicians, government bureaucrats, and local and county officials have exercised that right to the greatest possible extent during the COVID-19 tribulation.
With that said, a Gideon by the name of Dr. Steve Riggle stands in Houston. http://www.facebook.com/watch/?t=98&v=224905495460976
Pastor Steve and Becky Riggle met in college. It was love at first sight for Steve. Nine months later they were married, Steve being 19 by two weeks, and Becky 20. They have now been partners in life and ministry for more than 50 years.
While doing ministry in a Philippines prison in 1978, Steve and Becky were taken hostage by four prisoners armed with knives. During the attempted escape from the prison, police killed the four prisoners. Stabbed multiple times, Steve almost died. Becky was shot, after which she spent 9 months in a body cast, had 5 surgeries and needed another 9 months to learn how to walk again.1
In 1983, Steve and Becky moved to Houston, TX, to begin Grace Community Church in the NASA community. During their tenure, the church grew to 17,000 members and a 250,000 sq. ft., 10,000-seat worship center was constructed, located on 80 acres, ministering to the NASA community.
Pastor Steve wrote on Saturday, April 18:
“Liberate Texas Now/Time to Reopen Texas.
“We have been patient, even though every projection of the impact of the coronavirus has been grossly wrong. We were told to flatten the curve because there was no cure, even though a very small number actually die from the virus in comparison with the population and other diseases and causes of death we live with on a daily basis. Now, over 22,000,000 people have lost their jobs in one month … and there is more economic fallout to follow [i.e., 43% can’t afford to go more than one month without a paycheck, and 24% have less than $250 in their bank accounts preceding payday.]2 In our county, in the same time period, we had five corona-related deaths and fifteen suicides.
“We waited for our Governor to tell us he was ending the restrictions that have ruined our economy and our livelihoods. Instead, he made an announcement about an announcement and appointed a task force to further delay getting everyone back to work when he could have restored everything with a stroke of his pen. Since our governor put the restrictions in place by his edict, he should have simply removed them with some guidelines by the same process. Shockingly, his big action was to tell those struggling with mental and emotional health issues to go to the state parks with a mask on rather than opening the churches and suggesting they seek help there. He also decided to allow some elective surgeries since the hospital systems in Texas are losing money because so few are actually in the hospital. And he allowed retail businesses to open up for curbside shopping … he didn’t say where the change rooms were, presumably in your car or on the sidewalk.
“Enough of the ridiculous!
“It is time to open up Texas based on the following five words…
“We have Rights; we are Americans who have a constitution and a bill of rights.
“We are Rational, consider the following FACTS from the Texas DSHS website as of April 17:
Population of Texas: 29,000,000 est. (29 million).
Tested for COVID-19: 169,536 (.0055 or ½ of one percent).
Positive for COVID-19: 17,371 (.0006 or 6/100 of one percent).
Hospitalized for COVID: 1,522 (.00005 or 5/1000 of one percent).
Deaths due to COVID: 428 (.000014 or 1/1000 of one percent).
You could read the data and interpret it that ‘protecting some’ has actually become ‘needlessly punishing all.’
“We take Risks, we are Texans who stand tall and realize that life has some risks. That should be our choice, not the mandate of the state attempting to protect us from perceived harm.
“We understand Responsibilities; we are citizens who will do the responsible thing. Those who are at risk should stay home. Those who are afraid should stay home.
“We will Resist, because it is our right to do so, we are free people. Unless an overwhelming number of people let our officials know that we are done with their mandates and edicts we will continue to be controlled by them.”
Historian William J. Federer ended one of his presentations with this story:
“Someday you will be dead – but you will be in Heaven because you believe that Jesus died on the cross to pay for all of your sins.
“Imagine being in heaven ten thousand years – you will probably run into Moses – maybe walking along the streets of gold. Maybe he will invite you over to his place. He’ll probably have a pretty nice place, maybe having one of those big fireplaces where the logs don’t burn up – (he saw the burning bush in the wilderness and it did not burn up!)
“You are there with all the guests, and Moses is seated at your table. You ask, ‘Moses, what was it like? I read the book, and even saw the movie, but here you are – can we hear it first hand?’ Moses stands up and says, ‘I was 80 years old, and Pharaoh’s army was charging at us, and we were totally unarmed,’ and I held out my staff and said, ‘God, use me to deliver your people – and the waves parted, we went through, and Pharaoh’s army was drowned.’
“Everyone in the room will be in awe! Then you look around the table, and there is David, so you ask him, ‘David, tell us your story. David stands up, the room is quiet, ‘I was just a teenager, and this giant thug Goliath was mocking our God and mocking our faith, and the grownups were too chicken to do anything. So I took my sling, hit him in the head with a stone, and used his own sword to chop his head off.’
“… Everyone in the room will be in awe.
“Then you look, and see Gideon and say, Gideon, tell us your story. Gideon stands and says, ‘There were 120,000 Midianites and I had 32,000 Israelites, and God said, ‘That’s too many, tell everyone who is scared to go home.’ Great, now I only had 10,000. God said, ‘That’s still too many, go drink from a creek,’ and He whittled it down to 300. ‘With 300 we defeated the Midianite host!’
“One-by-one, everyone around the table tell their stories, Deborah, Elijah, the Apostle Paul … then they come to you and say, ‘Tell us your story!’”
Out of 6,000 years of recorded history God has placed us here, in 2020. This is our time. This is our kairos.
What story are we going to tell?
Gideons and Rahabs are beginning to stand.
David Lane
American Renewal Project
1. gracewoodlands.com/leadership-team/
2. John W. Whitehead, The State of the Nation: A Dictatorship Without Tears.
Even Steven 