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The love of many will grow cold.

Ok, I'm about to go on a rant/get on my soapbox and babble for a few, because I believe that Jesus has laid on my heart the urge to emphasize a few things that haven't quite been discerned or understood. So please forgive me if this is offensive to you, that is NOT my intent. My intent is to remind you and impress upon you the seriousness of this matter.

There are many things that Christians believe and many things that they don't. Sometimes the issues are doctrinal. Scriptural Doctrine trumps ALL things, period. If it's not in the Bible...it ain't truth.
Many issues that are still argued about today are extra-biblical items. (Extra-Biblical items are topics that many have assumed over the years, ie: who the Restrainer will be, etc. Things that are not specifically written down in the Bible and only assumed.) We all have our belief systems and we all believe we have the correct ones. To be honest, if you read in Daniel, the angel told Daniel to seal up these things for they are not yet to be. Dan 12:7-10.

There are still many truths that we haven't learned from Scripture. And yet folks argue and break fellowship over "assumptions and spiritualizing" the Bible that the Devil is going to take a whole lot of folks, who thought they were Christians, with him.

There is a great "turning away" coming, and I believe it's coming VERY soon. Where people will "turn away from sound doctrine and believe the lies". That includes preachers, teachers, and folks who we always believed were doctrinally correct and sound in their teachings. Have you really and truly read and understood in your heart of hearts that there will be false teachers that WILL deceive many, even those who already call themselves Christians? Some folks who USED TO BE doctrinally sound, teachers, preachers, and evangelists who could make your heart sing and the fire of the Holy Spirit well up in your soul WILL TURN AWAY!! Do you truly understand that these things are going on today? If you do not understand these things in your heart of hearts, then I beg you to hit your knees and pray to our Lord Jesus Christ for wisdom, knowledge, and discernment of the Scriptures. HE WILL ANSWER THAT PRAYER!

Eph 1:17-19 "17that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you a spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of Him. 18I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you will know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, 19and what is the surpassing greatness of His power toward us who believe. These are in accordance with the working of the strength of His might…"

Prov 2:6,9-11 "For the Lord gives wisdom, and from his mouth come knowledge and understanding.... Then you will understand what is right and just and fair--every good path. For wisdom will enter your heart, and knowledge will be pleasant to your soul. Discretion will protect you, and understanding will guard you."

Matthew 24:4-13 "4 And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you. 5 For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many. 6 And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. 7 For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places. 8 All these are the beginning of sorrows. 9 Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for my name's sake.

10 And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another.
11 And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many.
12 And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold.
13 But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.

24 For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect."

Please, above all things, examine the Scriptures to make sure that what is being said, preached, taught, etc., is in there. It breaks my heart to think that probably more than half the people I love and have befriended won't be in Heaven to greet me and I them.
With all love, in Christ, Kelly

The Heathens Rage

The Heathens Rage
By Ron and Nathele Graham

“For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him: and he is before all things, and by him all things consist” (Colossians 1:16-17).

The “him” in this verse refers to Jesus. He created all things and he holds all things together. Anyone who thinks they are better off without God is foolish. If God were to let go of His hold on creation, everything would cease to exist, instantaneously. It is foolish for men to reject God, yet so many people deny He exists. Not only do they deny Him, but they also live in opposition to Him. They rage against Him.

In order to oppose God, a person must admit God exists. There is a big difference between knowing God exists (head knowledge) and faithfully trusting Him with your eternity (heart knowledge). Non-Christians know God exists, but they believe His laws to be a burdensome stone with too many restrictions. They don’t like His “rules” and believe He ruins all their fun. God set laws in place to protect humanity from disease like AIDS, yet God is mocked, His laws broken, and the heathen rage on and on.  “Why do the heathen rage, and the people imagine a vain thing?” (Psalm 2:1).

Heathens are people who oppose God Almighty and they rage against Him and against those who love and follow Him. These heathens are like children who throw a fit if they don’t get their way, even if getting their way means aligning themselves with Satan. It isn’t only individuals who rage against God, but presidents, kings, and emperors also rage against Him.

“The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the LORD, and against his anointed, saying, Let us break their bands asunder, and cast away their cords from us” (Psalm 2:2-3).
They believe that if they can just pass legislation to get rid of God they can do what they want with no consequences. How wrong they are. Without God and His love holding all things together, the heathen and ungodly nations would cease to be. America, which was founded upon Judeo-Christian principles, has been turning against God for a number of years and is soon to face God's judgment.

Prayer was taken out of schools and then abortion, the act of offering children to demonic gods who demand human sacrifice, was legalized. The homosexual agenda is the final nail in America's coffin. We cannot continue to rage against God and expect Him to turn a blind eye to our sin. Christians either keep silent or they are ignorant of God’s Word, and so the heathens rage unchecked.  “He that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh: the Lord shall have them in derision. Then shall he speak unto them in his wrath, and vex them in his sore displeasure” (Psalm 2:4-5).

Raging against God is not wise. God will soon pour out His wrath upon all nations and upon all people. It will be a time such has never before been seen. Though it was written long ago, the Psalm referenced above is relevant throughout generations. When Peter and John had been arrested for healing and man and preaching about Christ, they were subsequently released and admonished not to preach about Him again. They went to their fellow Christians and they all recognized the rage against Christ among the Jewish leaders.

“And when they heard that, they lifted up their voice to God with one accord, and said, Lord, thou art God, which hast made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and all that in them is: Who by the mouth of thy servant David hast said, Why did the heathen rage, and the people imagine vain things? The kings of the earth stood up, and the rulers were gathered together against the Lord, and against his Christ” (Acts 4:24-26).

People have no reason to rage against God yet every generation and every nation opposes Him. This rage is specifically against the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob...the one true God. How often do we hear rage against the demon god of Islam? Who rages against the Buddhist god, or the Hindu god, or the god of the New Age folks, or any other false god worshiped by rebellious people?

Only the one true God—God Almighty as disclosed in the Holy Bible—draws the rage of the heathens.With their rage they seal their fate, just as Pharaoh’s heart was hardened and the first born in Egypt all died. That is, all except those who obeyed God and placed the blood of a lamb on their doorposts.
God’s judgment is coming and one day God will turn loose His hold upon creation. Who will these lost souls rage against then? Today the heathen kings and rulers stand in opposition to the Lord and His Anointed. They lead the heathen in rage against God the Father and God the Son. They are leading their nations to destruction.

It is simply astonishing to me that so many people have thoroughly hardened their hearts against God. Not only do they refuse to see the truth but they take great pleasure in denying it. It is comparable to a parent trying to teach a rebellious child not to touch a hot stove and that child defiantly placing his hands on the stove. Even though the pain is great it is more important to prove the parent wrong.

The heathen continually try to prove God wrong, but they are the ones who suffer. The pain and agony of spending eternity in the lake of fire will be sheer torture, but the separation from God will be unbearable. There will be no socializing in hell, no chatting with friends, and no peace. Satan, the liar who fell from grace long ago, is currently doing everything he can to convince people that God does not exist and that there is no right or wrong. Jesus was blunt when He confronted those who spoke lies against Him:  “Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar and the father of it” (John 8:44).

Many people follow Satan’s lies, and that should break the heart of every Christian. Instead of sitting back and watching this lost world march into hell, we need to share the gospel with them. Like it or not, they need to hear God’s truth. God will always allow the heathen an opportunity to change their mind and repent.
“I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish” (Luke 13:3).

God is full of grace and He is long-suffering. He is not willing that any should perish. Many will perish because of their hardened hearts and their refusal to repent. Their own choice separates them eternally from God, but that is not God's desire nor should Christians desire that they perish. We need to speak boldly of Christ. We need to tell the heathen of His love and be sure they understand what the consequences of their choice to reject Him are.

They need to know that heaven is real and so is hell. Eternity is a long time to spend knowing you made the wrong choice. It is so simple to accept the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ and live for Him on earth, but the heathen choose death. There is nothing to gain from rage and rebellion to God. Oh, how the heathen will regret the choice they’ve made for their eternal existence.

There is a movement afoot to eliminate Christianity from the entire world. The heathens will soon get their wish, but it won’t be through their vile raging. One day very soon Jesus will call those of us who follow Him Home.  “After this I looked, and, behold, a door was opened in heaven: and the first voice which I heard was as it were of a trumpet talking with me; which said, Come up hither, and I will shew thee things which must be hereafter” (Revelation 4:1).  Christians will soon hear our Lord call us to Him. Once we are gone in the Rapture, the heathen will have their way and they will get the leader they have been clamoring for. They don’t have any idea what horrors that will bring.
“And the angel took the censer, and filled it with fire of the altar, and cast it into the earth: and there were voices, and thunderings, and lightnings, and an earthquake” (Revelation 8:5).

Then things on earth will get worse. When the man of sin steps into the role of world leader, he will seem like a peace maker. It won’t be long until those non-believers who are left on earth after the Rapture will understand that God Almighty, who they raged against and rejected, loved them. God's love was available to them, but they will have chosen to reject Him to follow Satan.  After the Rapture when God’s wrath is poured out upon those who remain on earth, there will be some people who may had been toying with the idea of repenting of their sin and realize they should not have waited. Anyone who accepts Christ after the Rapture will suffer much and it will be a moment by moment choice to follow Him.

“And the third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, If any man worship the beast and his image, and receive his mark in his forehead, or in his hand, the same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb” (Revelation 14:9-10).
If you take the mark there will be no chance of salvation for you. If you refuse the mark you will belong to Christ, but your earthly life will not be safe.

“And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshiped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years” (Revelation 20:4).

Do you reject Christ today? Are you sitting on the fence trying to decide if it is worth giving up your life of sin and rebellion to accept Christ? Stop procrastinating. Any sin, doubt, or rage you hold on to is not worth facing life in the Great Tribulation or spending eternity in the Lake of Fire separated from God.
Forgiveness is available from God today...right now. No sin you have ever committed is so great that God will not forgive you. There is no hesitation or shortage ofgrace on His part when human hearts are softened and people repent of their evil ways. Our part is to come to Jesus with humility and loving submission, and to receive the forgiveness He offers by faith.

Set aside your rage toward God and ask for His forgiveness. Those who place their trust in God’s Son, Jesus the Christ, for their salvation are blessed for all eternity; those who continue to the end in their rebellious rage are without excuse. Where do you stand?  Why do the heathen rage? Maybe nobody has told them about Jesus and His love.

God bless you all,
Ron & Nathele Graham.
http://raptureready.com/featured/graham/g392.html

Spiritual Warfare

"The moment a person accepts Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior and receives God's Holy Spirit, that person is instantly and literally translated from the kingdom of darkness of this world into the kingdom of God's light by God's Holy Spirit of truth. The Apostle Paul describes this process as the "mystery" revealed, which is "Christ in you" the hope of glory.
Col 1:13 Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son:
Col 1:27 to whom God was pleased to make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory:
God rescued us from the power and bondage of the world, the flesh, the devil, and supernaturally.
Principalities, Powers, World Rulers of Darkness, and Spiritual Wickedness in Spiritual Warfare
Our Spiritual Warfare is Against "Principalities, Powers, World Rulers of Darkness, and Spiritual Wickedness in High Places"
What are the meanings of these terms?
A special note: The purpose for this teaching is that we may begin to understand the goodness of God as opposed to the evilness of the devil. These two parameters are often blurred and confused, whereby evil is wrongfully attributed to God, the Father of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Understanding the goodness of God is first and foremost in spiritual warfare, in order to build the kind of faith that will move mountains and fulfill God's promise of victory in our lives.
The Apostle Paul tells us to put on our spiritual armour because our battle in this world is a "spiritual" one. A warfare that involves the trickery and power of the devil, as opposed to a human battle. Even though human beings will certainly play a role in line with the schemes of the devil, they are being used by these entities for the purposes of accomplishing evil. Evil spirits are the true power behind those who oppose the things of God (knowingly or unknowingly).
1 - Prepare Your Heart for Spiritual Warfare
The battlefield or realm in which our spiritual warfare takes place is in the mind of every believer in Christ. We wrestle, or strive and struggle in our minds against world systems, the flesh or the carnal nature, and the devil. The mind encompasses our thoughts (imagination, reasoning, and intellect) as well as our emotions and will. In all of these aspects lie the very heart of an individual. By our thoughts and feelings we determine our will and purpose for our lives. As Christians, we seek to live by the truth and power of God because they are our assurance of God's promised victory in each and every situation in life, and we are not ignorant of the reality of evil, and the destruction that surrounds our world on a daily basis. It is in this process that we will encounter a very real spiritual struggle in our thoughts, emotions and will because the adversary knows that these areas are directly related to. . .
2 - The Spiritual Armor of God
"And the Lord said, Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat.” (Luke 22:31)
The Spiritual Armor of God in Spiritual Warfare
When Christians make a commitment to trust their lives to the promises and power of God, they are still living in hostile territory that presently is under the influence and power of Satan, sin, and a fallen world. This leaves the Christian at a disadvantage, in which we are cautioned in God's Word to put on the whole spiritual armor of God, because like it or not, we are in spiritual warfare. As Paul has revealed to us, the true nature of this battle is against supernatural evil. The purpose of the armor of God is to equip us with the power of God, in order to stand against the evil schemes and deception of the devil, who has blinded the minds of those who believe not.
The power of God is released, as we utilize every piece of the armor of God against evil spirits, who are labeled by Paul as principalities, powers, rulers of darkness and spiritual wickedness on high. We are asked to prepare ourselves as soldiers in spiritual warfare, because as a forbearer of God's truth and power, Christians and God's work are targets of the devil for destruction. The intense hate of the devil, and his devil spirits against God's creation is unimaginable, but nonetheless real, he is cruel and merciless; however, he cannot defeat God, and therefore he uses trickery and deception to defeat believers, or draw them into vulnerable positions. Some of these positions are: fear, doubt, confusion, condemnation, temptation through pressure or pleasure, spiritual blindness, pride, affliction or persecution, intended to frustrate the purposes of God through His people. He is cunning and attempts to oppress us in our weakest areas (through our thought life or other people and circumstances), in which the "unaware" are led into chains of depression and other forms of bondage.
The Apostle Paul tells us that we actually wrestle against these forces of evil; Many times we will find ourselves in a literal struggle from within and without, described by Paul as hand to hand combat (direct contact) in order to overcome them. However, this wrestling is spiritual, in which the devil and his demons will take many forms in order to attack or distract us in our thought life, and disarm our faith and the power of God. If we believe their lies, then they succeed in gaining their foothold. The devil and his evil spirits have the power to manipulate the realms of the world and the flesh, in an attempt to obstruct God's truth. God has not left us defenseless, and as we will see, He has provided us with a greater power, providing everything we need to stand.
3 - Evil Angels Cohabitating with the Women of Genesis? Fastening the Belt of Truth in Spiritual Warfare.
Are the "sons of God" in Genesis 6 fallen angels?
Since it is God's light that dispels the darkness, then as part of our spiritual warfare it is important to work through even some of the most controversial and difficult Scriptures, at least to the best of our ability. Otherwise, we can easily be misled and mislead others into superstitions and other false beliefs of spiritual consequence. For example, if we believe that God sends evil spirits to afflict His people in order that they may grow spiritually, then why resist the devil since it is God's will? If we believe that everything that happens to us is God's will, then why pray for deliverance since it is God's will? When we reflect on these ideas, we begin to realize the implications and significance of fastening the belt of truth, as we know, the devil's greatest weapon is "deception."
4 - Abiding Under the Shadow of the Almighty in Spiritual Warfare.
Perhaps there are some of you who are struggling with the same issue as part of your personal spiritual warfare; I would think that some of us may find ourselves dancing with devils because we are still holding on to or trusting in the arm of the flesh. The flesh I'm speaking of is the fallen nature that we all have to deal with as Christians. The flesh lusts against the Spirit and the Spirit against the flesh and this is a very real struggle and a part of our daily spiritual warfare. If you are concerned about your spiritual condition, then the Lord is working in your heart and is drawing you to Him. Listen to the sweet voice of the Lord Who said,
Isa 30:21 "And thine ears shall hear a word behind thee, saying, This is the way, walk ye in it, when ye turn to the right hand, and when ye turn to the left."
5- The Power of Praise in Spiritual Warfare
Psalm 149: 5-6, "Let the saints be joyful in glory: let them sing aloud upon their beds. Let the high praises of God be in their mouth, and a two-edged sword in their hand."
The Main purpose for writing this post is to emphasize the power of praise in spiritual warfare, an expression of one of the highest forms of faith, prayer, and worship, and described in God's Word as a "two-edged sword" for the saint.
Isa 59:19 " . . . When the enemy shall come in like a flood, the Spirit of the LORD shall lift up a standard against him."
1Pe 5:9 Whom [devil] resist stedfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world.
A Prayer of Petition for the Lord’s Help! “The effectual and fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much (Ja. 5:16),”
Psa 34:7 - The angel of the LORD encampeth round about them that fear him, and delivereth them.
Important Principles Learned
Aside from verbalizing the name and blood of Christ, declaring the Word of God and equipping ourselves with the whole armor of God, below is a summary of some of the most important principles I learned in spiritual warfare.
1. If you are unsure if God is directing you in a certain situation, then ask Him for a sign (silently in your mind not verbally). He always confirms His guidance.
2. Remain diligent and watchful against the schemes of the devil, especially after winning a victory, this is when you become the most vulnerable.
3. One remarkable technique the devil uses is to get us in the flesh. He wins these battles and is his means of distracting us by catching us in a snare. We cannot lean on our own understanding, or give in to our emotions, or fight back with our carnal nature. We need to stay on track and trust God in these situations. We become more skilled with practice. When we fail we don't dwell on our failures, but we learn from them.
4. The devil has his minions all over the world, we may even meet one or two on a bus, a train, or a street corner. Remember that the eyes are the mirror of the soul. One might encounter an evil that doesn't reflect anything we know of a human soul. Pray and praise God for His protection and move on, and if need be rebuke that presence under your breath using the name of Jesus Christ.
5. Always look to God and not your circumstances.
6. Don’t be surprised if a disproportional number of misunderstandings occur in some social situations.
7. I would suggest not telling anyone what the Lord is planning to do in your life, because then, you just told the devil too!
8. Always be sensitive to the leading of the Holy Spirit within.
9. When you feel that you are under an attack “praise God,” praising God in faith is a two-edged sword in your hand.
10. When your not sure if you are under attack, or if there is really an evil presence, then praise God and if there is an evil presence you will know it in some way.
11. Do your best and trust God to do the rest.
12. Every worrisome thought that crosses your mind, give it to God in prayer and let His peace rule your heart!
13. Understand that God’s power is according to the situation at hand, if you are experiencing great power then you are also experiencing a great task.
http://battleinchrist.com/

Bereans in a World gone crazy.

We are Bereans. Which means we diligently search Scripture to see if what's being said, taught, and circulated is of God's Word. We talk about Biblical doctrines, current events, End times prophecies, false teachers, and a myriad of other Biblical things. That being said....

If you have a question for us, (and no question is silly or wrong), we will do whatever we can to find you a Biblical answer, one that is aligned with what the Bible says. If it offends you, then I suggest you hit your knees and pray, pray, pray. God's ways are not our ways.

We don't compromise, lie, or even sugarcoat the truth for the sake of someone's ego or pride. When we give you an answer, it is from the Bible...God's Word. It's not our job to convict you, that's the Holy Spirit's job. It's not our job to save you, that's the Holy Spirit's job. And it's not our job to draw you to God or convince you to believe God's Word. That's the Holy Spirit's job.

We are commanded to spread the gospel to all the nations. That's it. We plant the seed, God waters it, and the Holy Spirit makes it grow. We are committed to sharing with as many people as we can. So, if you feel offended, hurt, get angry, or sad at the answers that you receive, I just want to remind you of this: The spirit of offense, anger, and depression are all from Satan. Don't let Satan rule your mind or your heart. Those belong to God. We love you all. In Christ, Kelly Rickman