SOUND THE ALARM!

Written by Lars Enarson from Sweden

 "Blow a trumpet in Zion; sound an alarm on my holy mountain!" (Joel 2:1)

On May 25, Pope Francis will begin his two-day visit to the Holy Land. It will begin in Bethlehem with a large mass together with PA leader Mahmoud Abbas. Palestinians are already celebrating the visit, saying his choice to begin the trip directly in PA-held Bethlehem is meant to "recognize Palestine," and "oppose the occupation."

Hind Khoury, a former PA minister for Jerusalem affairs, has admitted that every detail of the visit "will be highly charged politically." Already in February, Rabbi Sergio Bergman, a member of the Argentinian parliament and close friend of Pope Francis, said that the pope intends to define himself as the "Che Guevera of the Palestinians" and support their struggle and rights during his visit.

After the mass services in Bethlehem, the pope is to visit a nearby "refugee camp." Ziyyad Bandak, Abbas's adviser for Christian affairs has explained that the pope "will have a lunch with Palestinians, with families suffering from the occupation ...then he will visit Dheishe refugee camp to witness the suffering of Palestinian refugees...This visit will help us in supporting our struggle to end the longest occupation in history."

Father Jamal Khader of the Latin patriarchate in Jerusalem told AFP, "Knowing who he is, and his sensitivity for all those who suffer, I am sure that he will say something defending all those who are suffering, including the Palestinians who live under occupation."

Everything about the pope's visit is carefully arranged in great detail to convey a political message. That the "Vicar of Christ on earth" has chosen to meet with the Palestinian leader Abbas before he meets with the Prime Minister of Israel, even though Abbas has just signed a unity agreement with Hamas, is no mistake even though the political implications are wicked and a desecration of the Name the pope claims to represent.

The pope's limited time in Jerusalem will be equally political in nature. After first visiting with Greek Orthodox Church leaders on the evening of his arrival, the first thing he will do the following morning is, not to go to the Western Wall, but to visit the Temple Mount-or as the Vatican expresses it, "The Esplanade of the Mosques"-accompanied by the Grand Mufti of Jerusalem in a show of approval of Islamic rule over the Temple Mount, Judaism's most sacred site in the world.

When the pope finally meets with Prime Minister Benyamin Netanyahu, he will not do so at the Prime Minister's residence or in the Knesset, but at the Vatican-owned Notre Dame complex! This is also a political statement, declaring in essence: "This land is really not yours but mine!" The Prime Minister might not have to bow to the pontiff, but he might be forced to sit lower than the pope during their meeting.      

Silent About Christian Persecution

Two weeks ago, Christian Arab residents of the village of El-Khader in the Bethlehem area were savagely attacked by local Muslims as they celebrated a Christian holiday. Christians attempting to enter Saint George's Monastery in the village were intimidated and attacked with rocks and stones.

Ever since the Oslo Accords handed over control of large parts of Judea and Samaria to the Muslim Palestinian Authority, Christians in Bethlehem have been suffering many examples of intimidation, beatings, land theft, firebombing of churches and other Christian institutions, denial of employment, economic boycotts, torture, kidnapping, forced marriage, sexual harassment, and extortion documented by Justus Reid Weiner of Hebrew University.

PA officials are reportedly directly responsible for many of the attacks, and some Muslims who have converted to Christianity have been murdered. The Christian population went from a 60 percent majority in 1990 to a 40 percent minority in 2000, to about 15 percent of the city's total population today, according to Weiner.

In a recent Op-Ed piece in the Wall Street Journal, former Israeli ambassador to the US, Michael Oren, wrote that "As 800,000 Jews were once expelled from Arab countries, so are Christians being forced from lands they've inhabited for centuries" throughout the Middle East. Citing statistics, Oren wrote that Ramallah was 90% Christian before the 1948 War of Independence and Bethlehem was 80% Christian. Today Ramallah is a large Islamic city and Bethlehem's Christians are near extinction.

But, ahead of his visit the pope has been remarkably silent regarding the violent persecution of Christians in Bethlehem, instead choosing to condemn alleged Jewish "price tag" vandalism against Christians and Muslims.

As the papal visit nears, the talk in the media - and statements from the Catholic Church - is about Jewish graffiti, not Bethlehem's Christian tragedy. The papacy has been up in arms over 'price tag' attacks, a euphemism for politically motivated vandalism and criminal damage usually attributed to Jewish extremists. The Vatican has expressed heightened concern over several attacks on Christian sites in Israel over the past several weeks.

"This wave of extremist actions of terror is surely of grave concern to all reasonable persons," said Fouad Twal, the most senior Catholic cleric in Israel, recently in Haifa. Twal accused the Israeli authorities of not doing enough to bring the perpetrators to justice, saying "the actions are only drawing condemnation by Israeli leaders, but few arrests."

The patriarch noted that the increase in attacks had occurred just two weeks before Pope Francis' visit to Israel. "At this point, the unrestrained acts of vandalism poison the atmosphere, the atmosphere of coexistence and the atmosphere of collaboration, especially in these two weeks prior to the visit of Pope Francis," he said.

Twal then continued to criticize what he called the "pedagogical effect of an official discourse that insists that the state is only for one group of people" as being a factor behind the wave of attacks. This is of course a veiled and sinister criticism of Israel's insistence to be recognized as a Jewish state in the negotiations with the Palestinians.

"There is a question of how are we educating our children? What do they learn about those who are different from them with regard to religion, nationality or ethnic identity? What is learned in those circles that are producing the young people who commit these acts of hatred?" he questioned.

While the Catholic Patriarch Twal declared Jewish price tag attacks to be acts of terror, he did not say one word about Palestinian ongoing terrorist attacks and murders of innocent Jewish civilians. After all, spraying a wall with paint is not in the same league as spraying a car with bullets. Slashing a tire is not the same as slashing a throat.       

A Consistent Pattern

The pope's bias against Israel is no surprise. It follows a very consistent pattern over the past century from the very beginning of the Zionist movement.

Already in 1974, the Vatican recognized the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO), but it took almost fifty years to recognize the state of Israel. It did not happen until 1994, after Israel had signed the Oslo Accords. The Jewish State was never even mentioned in the famous "Nostra Aetate" declaration of 1965, in the "Guidelines" of 1974, or in any Papal statement before the 1980s.

The Vatican policy under the last two popes, John Paul II and Benedict XVI, has been very clear and consistent: theological dialogue with the Jews and full political support for the Palestinian Arabs. Both popes visited Auschwitz and synagogues, but they were also pioneers in the Palestinian Arab Islamic project.

Pope Francis will not be different. As Italian Journalist and author Giulio Meotti has expressed it, "His tears at the 'Palestinian refugee camp' will be purely political, while his tears at the Yad Vashem Hall of the Children will be totally hypocritical."

Pope Francis is forging a strong Muslim-Christian alliance that is preventing the Catholic Church from aiding persecuted Christians throughout the Muslim world. It leaves Israel out in the cold as the Catholic Church has adopted the Muslim narrative on Palestine.        

"The Vatican Against Israel: J'Accuse"

In Guili Meotti's recently released book, "The Vatican Against Israel: J'Accuse," Meotti examines how the Catholic Church has continued to be a willing and eager partner in the destruction of the Jewish people in the modern era. The following are excerpts from a review of Meotti's book by Janet Levy.[1]

The Catholic Church helped promulgate the anti-Semitic hoax The Protocols of the Elders of Zion. The first translation of this damaging blood libel was translated by Arab Christians and published by a periodical of the Catholic Community in Jerusalem in 1926.

When Adolph Hitler came to power in Germany, the Vatican was the first state to formally recognize the legitimacy of the Third Reich and it maintained diplomatic relations with the Nazi government through the very end of the war.

At the end of World War II, in the vilest disregard for the memory of millions who perished during the Nazi genocide, the Vatican sheltered from prosecution a number of Nazis, in effect, granting tacit approval for the actions of these Nazi butchers. War criminals, including Adolph Eichmann, Dr. Joseph Mengele, Klaus Barbie, Franz Stangl, and others fled through Italy with assistance from the Catholic network.

Mr. Meotti reports that Vatican support and admiration for the Nazis didn't end there. In 1994, Pope John Paul II conferred papal knighthood on documented Nazi war criminal Kurt Waldheim, who had gone on after World War II to become Secretary-General of the United Nations. The papal honor, given despite a well-known 1985 controversy over Waldheim's Nazi past, was in effect spitting on the memory of Holocaust victims, survivors, and their descendants.

To further confer disgrace on its actions, the Vatican recognized Waldheim's "efforts for peace," demonizing Israel for defending itself against Arab-Palestinian terrorism, which had occurred during Waldheim's tenure as Secretary-General. By welcoming Waldheim to the Vatican as an honored visitor, the Vatican was symbolically cleansing him of the stain of his Holocaust crimes and glorifying his work on behalf of the U.N. to destroy the Jewish State.      

The Creation of the Jewish State

In "The Vatican Against Israel", the author reveals how the Catholic Church initially fought against the British Mandate for Palestine that established Israel and, after its founding, demonized and delegitimized Israel's existence. Even as Jews were being gassed during the Holocaust, the Church was consumed with stopping the creation of Israel and the return of Jews to their ancestral land, because this ran counter to Church theology that Jews were condemned to eternal homelessness for their crime of deicide almost 2,000 years earlier.

The Church stridently maintained the position that Zionism was anti-Christian and anti-Catholic and that the sole route to salvation was through conversion. The ultimate founding of the Jewish State was problematic for the Catholic Church, because it invalidated the church's replacement theology and its doctrine about the Jewish people - that all Jews for generations to come were to be cursed and punished for deicide. As late as 1904, Pope Pius X told Theodore Herzl, Zionism's founder, that he would never approve the movement because "the Jews have not recognized our Lord."

It was not until 1965, 1,700 years after the Church had condemned Jews for all eternity, that the Vatican issued Nostra Aetate, releasing the Jews of today from responsibility for the death of Christ. However, the document failed to apologize for past Christian anti-Semitism and did not validate Judaism or recognize the Jewish State, which by then had existed for 17 years. 

The Vatican and Arab Muslims

As for political involvement in the Arab-Muslim war against Israel, Meotti describes how the Vatican made common cause with Arab-Palestinians, supporting their apocryphal claims to territory and even excusing acts of terrorism.

Pope John Paul II went so far as to publicly brand as an Israeli-initiated Shoah, what were actually falsified accounts of Israeli oppression of Palestinians.

Pope John Paul II granted several audiences to Yasser Arafat, the father of modern terrorism and the head of the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO), who had ordered and carried out attacks against Jewish civilians and was seeking publicity and legitimacy on the world stage. While openly proclaiming hatred of the Jews and plans to annihilate Israel, Arafat and his henchman were granted respectability by the Catholic Church.

When PLO Chairman Arafat died in 2004, the pope eulogized the terrorist as a great leader in this "hour of sadness" and spoke fondly of his closeness to the Arafat family.

Meanwhile, Catholic acceptance of Israel has been tepid at best. Every attempt is made to demonize and delegitimize the Jewish State and support the Arab-Palestinian narrative, even following scores of suicide bombings and tens of thousands of rocket attacks on Israeli land. The Vatican advances the view that Palestinian violence is a justifiable reaction to "oppression and humiliation" by the Israelis.

Never mentioned are the openly stated goals of Hamas and Hezbollah to destroy the Jewish state. No Vatican condemnations have been made for over 11,000 rocket attacks that have murdered and maimed hundreds of Israeli civilians. Israel's attempts to defend itself have been characterized as acts of aggression.

In 2002, at the height of the Intifada, the Catholic Church condoned and legitimized Palestinian terrorism by terming the attacks against Israel as a "cry for justice." At a pro-Palestinian protest parade in Rome in 2002, Archbishop Capucci, who had used his Vatican immunity in the past to smuggle arms and explosives to Fatah terrorists, defended suicide bombers and stated, "Greetings to the sons of the Intifada and to the martyrs who go and fight as if they were going to a party. . . . We want our land, or we will die with dignity . . . Intifada till victory." No criticism or repercussions were forthcoming from the Vatican.

In addition to the above, Meotti lists a multitude of Catholic NGOs, such as Trocaire, Pax Christi, Cordaid, and Caritas which legitimate terrorist activities and demonize Israel through boycott, divestment, and sanction (BDS) campaigns. The NGOs also compare Zionism to Nazism and stage events in which Israel's security barriers, which have saved Jewish lives, are labeled as "apartheid walls."

Even today, many Vatican Christian pilgrimage and tourist tour maps fail to mention Israel. Instead, the area is labeled "Holy Land" or "Palestine." The Catholic Church's anti-Israel propaganda is intensified by tours that are purposely designed to cast the Jewish state in a negative light. Palestinian guides focus exclusively on controlled visits to the Palestinian territories and instill hatred of Israel by skewing the narrative and insuring that visitors leave ignorant of the true nature of the Jewish State, the only democracy in the region.

Meotti, in his account of Vatican history, prophesies that the Catholic Church's actions toward the Jews and Israel will result in tragic consequences for both Jews and Christians. By attacking Israel and resisting significant ties with Jews and the Jewish state in favor of a deadly Christian-Muslim alliance, the Catholic Church is sowing the seeds of its own demise. The future for Christians is glaringly spelled out by the drastically diminished populations of Bethlehem, Ramallah, Gaza, and the 'West Bank'", where Christians are used as human shields and Christian homes serve as rocket launch sites.

Throughout Muslim countries in the Middle East, Christians are being massacred and forced out of the land. The bombing of Christian shops, schools, and churches, and the torture and murder of priests has become almost daily fare, he shows. This is the future that awaits the Church and its Christian followers if they persist in aligning with Muslims and fail to overcome their historic and current anti-Semitic acts.  

Pope Francis and the Charismatic Movement

In February, Pope Francis sent a video recorded personal message to the annual Kenneth Copeland Ministers' Conference asking for unity in the Body of Christ. The message was enthusiastically received.

Shortly afterwards well-known Swedish Charismatic pastor Ulf Ekman announced that he is leaving his church, converting to become a Catholic. He stated that he needs the Catholic Church for his salvation and that the pope is the key to answering the prayer of Jesus for unity in the Church. Other Charismatic leaders in Sweden have expressed the same opinion about the pope and have lectured in events with that goal. There are even Messianic Jewish leaders in Israel that have been drawn into this false movement.

We must pray that this movement of unity under the pope, which clearly is against Israel and the Jewish people, will be exposed as a deception. Pray that God will use Pope Francis upcoming visit to Israel to open the eyes of those who have been blinded by the enemy, and set many free! This is a very serious issue and we encourage you to forward this urgent Prayer Alert to as many people as possible. We must also pray that the Government of Israel will not be deceived, and that the Prime Minister and other leaders will not be afraid to speak the truth to the pope.

There is a rumor that Pope Francis will lay a wreath at the grave of Herzl when he comes to Jerusalem as an apology for the pope's rejection of Herzl in 1904. This is a very nice gesture, but in reality a quite meaningless ceremony, since the Vatican now has recognized the state of Israel. The real question is if the person and the church, which claims to represent the Messiah of Israel, will acknowledge the countless promises given to the Jewish people concerning their eternal capital Jerusalem, as well as Judea and Samaria. The actions of the Vatican show that the answer is a clear "NO!" We must not be deceived!   

Lars & Harriet Enarson

WHAT IS YOUR DESTINY?

By Mike Taylor

Peter 2:5, 9 You also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ ... 2:6  Wherefore also it is contained in the scripture, Behold, I lay in Sion a chief corner stone, elect, precious: and he that believeth on him shall not be confounded.

2:7  Unto you therefore which believe he is precious: but unto them which be disobedient, the stone which the builders disallowed, the same is made the head of the corner,

2:8  And a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offence, even to them which stumble at the word, being disobedient: whereunto also they were appointed.

2:9  But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that you should show forth the praises of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.

I had a dear sister ask me what will we be (the saints borne of God) during the Millennial reign of Jesus Christ ? She understood that we will be given duties by our Lord and Savior, but her question was “will we rule over the people still living after the tribulation? Besides what will we be:  will there be mortals able to sin during this time?” Good set of questions and those that I feel need  further exploration by looking at scripture to get an idea of just what we will be and our task during this 1000 year reign after the rebellion during the great tribulation is put down by our King of Kings, and Lord of Lords, Jesus Christ. Let’s start in Romans on our journey to identify our future destiny and responsibilities that our Lord will impart to all that are found in Him at His coming. Paul speaking by the power of the Holy Spirit reveals what we will be:

8:17  And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.

8:18  For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.

8:19  For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God.

Can you fathom what these verses means? It is almost too glorious to ponder and beyond our immediate comprehension of its full implications. Verse 17 says we will be “joint heirs” of our Savior Jesus Christ. Heirs of what? Simple answer is that all that He is in spiritual composition, in Spiritual matters, in the ability of our mind to comprehend, and in the inheritance that He, our Savior Jesus Christ has, we will be given the same inheritance. We will be adopted into the Family of God Almighty, our Father in Heaven. Our God and our Savior will the source of all of our glory and power upon this earth during a time when the earth is restored to its former glory as during the Garden of Eden. It will be a perfect environment with no war, no inclement weather, no disease, and no tempter of the nations. Satan will be given his Sabbath rest of 1000 years from being the source of all temptation and lies. It will be a near perfect world, but sin will still be around. We, His Saints, will be sinless, immortal and of the same new body that our Lord was resurrected with when He came out of the tomb and appeared to the living. He was able to walk through walls, but be handled and able to eat, but disappear at will. He had a new glorious body, and we will have the same body as He does. Jesus explained this to Nicodemus when he came to Him in the night: John chapter 3,

3:3  Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.

This totally confused Nicodemus as the following verses after this show that he did not understand what Jesus meant. Jesus went on to explain of being borne of the Spirit and of water (baptism that shows that a man or woman understands that they are buried with Jesus Christ and are dead to the world, but raised a new creature in Him,( by obediently following His footsteps in our life) a man cannot inherit the Kingdom of God or enter therein. He then said something that many overlook what we will be when He changes us into His likeness:

3:7  Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again.

3:8  The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit.

Did you catch that? We will be as the wind. We see the affects of the wind through the trees, but we cannot see the wind, but its effects on the material world. Spiritual bodies will come and go much as the wind, but appear at will to whomever we decide to let see us. It’s the ultimate description (to illustrate something we can comprehend) of our bodies when Captain Kirk on Star Trek says “beam me up, Scotty.” Our bodies will move at lightning speed without aid of some transporter as on some popular outer space program.

When Jesus comes for His saints, there will be an awards banquet in heaven. We call it the Marriage Supper of the Lamb. Here Jesus will impart to each of His saints a measure of ruler-ship by the deeds they have done for Him in this life. Paul speaks of the revealing of what we have done in the body in this life, and what we have done for Jesus Christ and  its eternal rewards: 1st Corinthians:

3:9  For we are labourers together with God: ye are God's husbandry, ye are God's building.

3:10  According to the grace of God which is given unto me, as a wise masterbuilder, I have laid the foundation, and another buildeth thereon. But let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon.

3:11  For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ.

3:12  Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble;

3:13  Every man's work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is.

3:14  If any man's work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward.

3:15  If any man's work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire.

What we have done in this life for Jesus Christ will stand and for that we will receive a reward, much like the following parable given by Jesus.

Note the parable of the talents: Matthew,

25:14  For the kingdom of heaven is as a man travelling into a far country, who called his own servants, and delivered unto them his goods. Jesus is this man, who has gone to heaven and is sitting beside our Father in Heaven, His Father and delivered unto us the servants, His goods. What goods? Let’s read on.

25:15  And unto one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one; to every man according to his several ability; and straightway took his journey. In ancient times, a talent was a measure of gold. It was the most precious of all possessions. I ask you, what is the most precious possession our God has given us? I tell you plainly, it’s HIS WORD! It is His instructions for living, for His reaching us by His Holy Spirit unto repentance and using that same Word to reach others.

25:16  Then he that had received the five talents went and traded with the same, and made them other five talents.

25:17  And likewise he that had received two, he also gained other two.Each of these servants added to what he was given, by sharing that Word with the world around him. How much of an impact does that Word have on the world? We may never know fully till it be revealed to us at this Marriage Supper, but we are commanded to share it with all who will listen.

25:18  But he that had received one went and digged in the earth, and hid his lord's money.

25:19  After a long time the lord of those servants cometh, and reckoneth with them.

25:20  And so he that had received five talents came and brought other five talents, saying, Lord, thou deliveredst unto me five talents: behold, I have gained beside them five talents more.

25:21  His lord said unto him, Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.

25:22  He also that had received two talents came and said, Lord, thou deliveredst unto me two talents: behold, I have gained two other talents beside them.

25:23  His lord said unto him, Well done, good and faithful servant; thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.

25:24  Then he which had received the one talent came and said, Lord, I knew thee that thou art an hard man, reaping where thou hast not sown, and gathering where thou hast not strawed:

25:25  And I was afraid, and went and hid thy talent in the earth: lo, there thou hast that is thine.

25:26  His lord answered and said unto him, Thou wicked and slothful servant, thou knewest that I reap where I sowed not, and gather where I have not strawed:

25:27  Thou oughtest therefore to have put my money to the exchangers, and then at my coming I should have received mine own with usury.

25:28  Take therefore the talent from him, and give it unto him which hath ten talents. This unfaithful and unprofitable servant hid His Masters goods, His Word, away and shared it not with those around him. Woe to those who fail to follow the command of our Lord Jesus.

25:29  For unto every one that hath shall be given, and he shall have abundance: but from him that hath not shall be taken away even that which he hath.

25:30  And cast ye the unprofitable servant into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

Did this man believe or just mouthed the words? Only God knows, but to hide away what we have been given determines our reward or our lack thereof. Each of these faithful servants were given a reward. They were made rulers over many things! Listen to what Jesus reveals to John the Beloved in Revelation:

» Revelation 2:7, 26; 3:21: To him who overcomes I will give to eat from the tree of life, which is in the midst of the Paradise of God. . . . I will give power over the nations. . . . I will grant to sit with Me on My throne.

» Revelation 5:9-10: . . . You . . . have redeemed us to God by Your blood out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation, and have made us kings and priests to our God; and we shall reign on the earth.

» Revelation 21:7: He who overcomes shall inherit all things, and I will be his God and he shall be My son.

Note that verse 9 of Revelation chapter 5 says we will be kings and priest before God? We have established that we will rule on this earth in the coming Kingdom of God according to our deeds done in this life for our Lord and Savior, but what about priest? What will be our duties as priest? Jesus Christ embodies all that is royal for a King, but is also our High Priest. He calls us kings and priests. If priest, then who will be minister to?

In ancient Israel, the priest were the ministers of God. They provided direction to the people and point them to God. They did the sacrifices given by the people for the atonement of their sins daily. Although the nation of Israel became blinded by the ceremonies of sacrifices in the Temple being a forerunner of the Supreme Sacrifice in the body of our Lord and Savior, they were the keepers of the oracles of God and were to be a priestly nation to shine before the Gentile world and lead them to God. We know that they failed miserably in their departure from following after God in spirit and in truth. They knew scripture inside and out, but failed to glean the central message when their Messiah was standing right before them.

There are four things that we can learn here about a priest, and actually three of them are spin-offs of the first one, which is this:

A priest had access to God that the other people did not have. Now because he had access to God, we therefore understand that the priest served God personally. Think of this in relation the life that’s coming, but do not detach it from today. Remember, you are a royal priesthood.

The priest ministers to others.

The priest was actually ministering to the average Israelite who came to him whenever he represented him before God. in the Old  Testament and we will minister to the mortals who need still a Savior.

He therefore had to have something to give. He had to have something to give to the Israelite, and he also had to have something to give to God. So it will be in the Millennium. You say mortals in the Millennium? That was one of the questions needing to be answered.

During this time of blessed peace and security that comes upon the earth, men will enter into the Millennium as mortal men and women. The Bible speaks of them  in Isaiah,

65:20  There shall be no more thence an infant of days, nor an old man that hath not filled his days: for the child shall die an hundred years old; but the sinner being an hundred years old shall be accursed.

65:21  And they shall build houses, and inhabit them; and they shall plant vineyards, and eat the fruit of them.

65:22  They shall not build, and another inhabit; they shall not plant, and another eat: for as the days of a tree are the days of my people, and mine elect shall long enjoy the work of their hands.

65:23  They shall not labour in vain, nor bring forth for trouble; for they are the seed of the blessed of the LORD, and their offspring with them.

65:24  And it shall come to pass, that before they call, I will answer; and while they are yet speaking, I will hear.

65:25  The wolf and the lamb shall feed together, and the lion shall eat straw like the bullock: and dust shall be the serpent's meat. They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain, saith the LORD.

Verse 20 speaks of the sinner? Yes, men will still have a mortal sin nature, but not to the extent as in our world now, as the tempter has been locked away for a 1000 years.  We will be the teachers of the ways of God as spoken in Isaiah:

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. We, as priest, will teach them the Way of the Lord and point them to the cross.

Understand, Jesus will be known to all, as the sea covers the earth.  Hebrews chapter 8:

8:11  And they shall not teach every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the Lord: for all shall know me, from the least to the greatest.

All people on earth will be subject to the righteous rule of Jesus Christ as He sits on the Throne of David and all the earth will know Him…..in their mind they will know, but in their heart they still possess a sin nature. That’s where we come into our responsibility. As princes of the King of Kings, our job, our commission is to be rulers, yes….priests to the people to point them to the Savior, most definitely. We are being instructed in righteousness right now, on this earth, in this time we have left.

I Corinthians 6:9 - 11

Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind. Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you: but ye are washed (you are changed), but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God.

I Corinthians 1:26 - 31

For you see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called:

God has chosen the humble, not the proud. He has chosen the poor, not the rich. He has chosen the weak, not the noble or strong. He has chosen a select group of people of this earth that you would not consider leaders in this life, but by the Holy Spirit, as 1st Corinthians 6:11 states, we are being changed into His likeness, one day at a time. We are being sanctified, as He also justified by His blood.  Romans,

8:29  For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.

8:30  Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified.

We have an appointment with the King of Kings, and Lord of Lords, very soon. One of these days in the near future, Jesus will break out of eternity into our time and say “come up here.” And we will be changed in an instant in the twinkling of an eye. 1st Corinthians:

15:49  And as we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly.

15:50  Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption.

15:51  Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed,

15:52  In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.

15:53  For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.

15:54  So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory.

You ask, “how do I become one of these kings and priest?”It’s so simple, that a child can do it. Want to know the secret to obtaining such a high honor of a king and a priest in God’s Kingdom? John 6,

6:28  Then said they unto him, What shall we do, that we might work the works of God?

6:29  Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent.

That’s it in a nutshell. Believe with your heart and ask Jesus to come into your heart and life, and by example, live as He lived, as  humanly possible.

 And so my reader, thus will begin our eternal destination of being kings and priest before our God, to lead other men who enter the Millennium to the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ. We will rule righteously and give the message of the Gospel of Jesus Christ unto the living mortals who still have their free moral will to accept or reject the message. We will not coerce anyone to believe and accept, but as Jesus does by His Holy Spirit now, we will point them to the same cross that we came to know, and the same perfect sacrifice that we accepted upon our own lives for the remission of sins, our Lord, Savior and soon coming King, Jesus Christ. So come Lord Jesus, yes, Amen.  Come my Lord. We await our destiny of being redeemed by your blood. That is our destiny of all who believe on His name, by faith and obedience to His call. Will you be counted as being changed into the likeness of Almighty God? Or will your destiny be different, because you have rejected His call, rejected His payment for your sins in His own blood. Today, not tomorrow, is the time to make your destiny sure and set in stone. In comes down to the object of the whole writing of Holy Writ, your bible, in this one verse:

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

This is Pastor Mike Taylor praying for your salvation through Jesus Christ, our Lord. If there be any need for prayer, counseling, or just a listening ear, email me at realteam1999@sbcglobal.net, God bless you all till we meet at Jesus feet.

New Age Paganism

By Pastor Mike Taylor

I have many people write me concerning the coming tribulation and one of their family members involved in the New Age movement.  A lot of the time, it involves a young person who has been influenced by this world and thinking that they can be a “soldier” to battle the coming One World Government that is shaping up and headed by some force called the “Illuminati” or an elite group of manipulators of this present age. First we need to define what this New Age Movement is grounded upon.  If you look up the definition of New Age via even Wikipedia, you find this about the movement:

The New Age movement is a Western spiritual movement that developed in the second half of the 20th century. Its central precepts have been described as "drawing on both Eastern and Western spiritual and metaphysical traditions and then infusing them with influences from self-help and motivational psychology, holistic health, parapsychology, consciousness research and quantum physics".[2] It aims to create "a spirituality without borders or confining dogmas" that is inclusive and pluralistic.[3] Another of its primary traits is holding to "a holistic world view,"[4] thereby emphasizing that the Mind, Body and Spirit are interrelated[1] and that there is a form of Monism and unity throughout the universe.[5] It further attempts to create "a world view that includes both science and spirituality"[6] and thereby embraces a number of forms of science and pseudoscience.

People who believe this apostasy worship the earth, and call it Mother Earth or some other pagan belief that denies the Son of God.  Romans:

1:20  For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse:

1:21  Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened.

1:22  Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools,

1:23  And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things.

1:24  Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves:

1:25  Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen.

Satan is a master of deceiving mankind to look unto themselves as being in control of their own destiny in regards to events on this earth. They look for a utopian society based on pagan beliefs of the created and worshiping the earth and the stars that they can see, instead of the Creator who made all things on earth and placed them under man’s control. God made the heavens and those things in them to govern the processes of seasons, day and of night for the betterment of the creation made on earth, including His supreme creation, man.

THE PAGAN INFLUENCE ON OUR CHILDREN

Young people are the most easily influenced by dark forces that are rampant and abounding now, as Satan knows he has  but a short time, as even he knows what the Word of  God says, so his demon horde is working overtime to twist men’s minds into believing a lie, to the damnation of their souls.

Sadly, young people that are highly impressionable by older pagans who wish to warp the mind of the coming youth into what Satan wishes them to believe. They look to creating a heaven on earth, to fight against a coming “revolution” involving a One World Government, and a false One World Religion. They could not be more mistaken.

These pagans, young and old, believe that they can use the powers that be of mysticism and their misguided beliefs to change what is coming upon the earth. I counsel people that adhere to this apostasy that there will be no heaven on earth, this side of the coming of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

There are many forms of this utopian society, or heaven on earth, that are joined to this movement known as “New Age”. If you look online and Google “new age movement” you will find many examples of  kinship between New Age,  “Dominionism and Kingdom Now,” theology. How are these related?

DOMINIONISM, KINGDOM NOW, AND THE NEW AGE MOVEMENT

"There has been a significant rise of cross-pollination between evangelical dominionists and New Age Theosophists.41 Since the late 1970s there has been a closeted fraternization between dominionists and Theosophists for the purpose of finding common ground for the future. Both groups seek to bring in a "Christ" (Can you say Anti-Christ?) figure to solve the world's problems. Both groups have grand utopian plans to create "peace" on earth. During the past decade, the two groups began borrowing doctrinal terminologies from one another and working on common theologies. The events of 9/11 gave a new impetus to this effort. Jay Gary, who has been a leader within all three sects of dominionism has had close ties with the Theosophists and is adopting new theologies, including a hybrid of preterism called "transmillenialism." Bob Buford of Leadership Network ... has been working since the mid-1990s to create a youth culture based on "emergent" theologies called the Emergent Church - a mixture of New Age paganism, eastern mysticism and evangelical dominionism. And Patriotic Dominionist leaders have long-standing, close ties with the Rev. Sun Myung Moon, who has his own messianic kingdom ambitions. (Lighthouse Trails Research Project)

That should give you warning bells right away when you hear the names of Sun Myung Moon, or Bob Buford working in the Emergent Church heresy that even denies the divinity of Jesus Christ. Dominionism teaches:

The Gospel of Salvation is achieved by setting up the "Kingdom of God" as a literal and physical kingdom to be "advanced" on Earth in the present age. Some dominionists liken the New Testament Kingdom to the Old Testament Israel in ways that justify taking up the sword, or other methods of punitive judgment, to war against enemies of their kingdom.

Mike Oppenheimer had it about right when he wrote:

“There has been a change of focus and ministry over the years in our preparing for His coming. The Bible teaches that the church is to be taken to a place that He told us about almost 2,000 years ago (Jn.14 that we will be with Him where He is in heaven; He is coming to take us to the heavenly Jerusalem). Instead the strategy has changed to other desires replacing the church’s hope of heaven. Now many are saying - we must make it change, we are now in charge to bring the kingdom to earth. When Peter writes of their saying the fathers fell asleep, it has to do with those of faith who have died, we can safely assume this is connected to the awaiting resurrection. The day when the saints (bodies) who died in Christ will arise from the grave.

If we are at the end of the age and threshold of the rapture of the church and the resurrection of the saints and the tribulation taking place (though there various views of which takes place first), then those who have accepted this new paradigm of kingdom now dominionism are actually fulfilling Biblical prophecy! At certain times in the past individual groups sat around waiting for the rapture to occur to solve all their problems. Today many have ridiculed the hope of being taken to heaven replacing it with a new hope of the Church being called to take over the world and establish the kingdom of God on earth. Both are wrong views. Jesus never told us to wait for the rapture but to be busy working doing what he told us, so we are found doing His Fathers will when He comes again. On the other hand the focus has changed from our winning souls to be citizens in heaven, to an immediate earthly concern. This involves social agendas of cleaning up society, christianizing the world and even delivering cities and nations of demons by spiritual warfare; called spiritual mapping, done by binding territorial spirits, by now I’m sure you have heard of these terms. (The end times 'paradigm shift )

I see a larger danger in all this blending of the New Age movement, Kingdom Now, and Dominionism. They are relying on themselves, instead of God. They look to the earth, as New Agers do, and worship the creation, or believe that they can be spiritual enough that they can usher in the Kingdom of God. They are wrong on both accounts. What I see in these heresies is the opening up of the acceptance of the coming One World Government and the ruling king, known as the Anti-Christ. Why do I say that? One reason only and that is they deny the power of the Holy Spirit, the salvation of Jesus Christ that is obtained by no other entity created by sinful men to replace what God has planned for men through His Son, Jesus the Christ/Messiah.

I counseled those who are concerned about their family being involved in these movements that they are opening themselves up to being denied being a part of the removal of the church in the near future. They looked to the year of  2012 of being a paradigm shift in things on this earth in either economics, environmentalism, spiritual warfare, or the coming Apocalypse called the end of the age. They relied on a pagan belief known as the Mayan Calendar that 2012 would bring catastrophe to the inhabitants of the earth, and they must fight the “Illuminati” and the elite of this world to usher in a New Age of utopian existence. What they will do is ghastly to ponder. They will throw themselves headlong into the coming Tribulation, as they have NOT believed in the One God has sent: John,

3:36  He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.

John 6:29,

6:28  They said therefore unto him, What must we do, that we may work the works of God?

6:29  Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent.

How many have Jesus Christ in their heart that believe in these heresies? God knows, but it is direct conflict with the Word of God so I fear for their beliefs in wrong ideologies. If they believe in creation of this earth manifested as their god, as environmentalist clearly do, then God is not in them as they may not have the Son, which in Him is all life. I see a greater danger in the near future. If they miss the calling of Jesus Christ and do not believe in the Creator as proclaimed by John:

1:1  In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

1:2  The same was in the beginning with God.

1:3  All things were made through him; and without him was not anything made that hath been made.

1:4  In him was life; and the life was the light of men.

If they refuse to believe on the only begotten Son of God who came into this world to save a world that could NOT save itself, then they are condemned to endure the most horrifying time on this earth, know as the Great Tribulation.  These misguided individuals will have, what I perceive as only two choices should they miss the only opportunity to be removed from the coming Wrath of God. Remember 1st Thessalonians chapter 5 and hold onto it with both spiritual hands:

5:9  For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ,

5:10  Who died for us, that, whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with him.

5:11  Wherefore comfort yourselves together, and edify one another, even as also ye do.

Speaking to the two choices that I just mentioned before these verses, which describes the coming tribulation, and the coming wrath that envelopes every man, woman and child that is so foolish to believe not in the Only Begotten Son of God, let us examine those two choices.

1st choice:

To believe that the coming Anti-Christ is the leader of the New Age/Kingdom Now/Dominionism of a Utopian society that will usher in a era of peace. These folks look for a leader, a “savior” of mankind. It will be a short lived false peace brought on by a false messiah. They will be ripe to believe the lie, as all truth has been extinguished from the earth, as the Church has made an exit, stage right. (or should I say “stage up”?). They will have no strength, no faith, or foundation to believe otherwise. All who are cast into the coming tribulation will most likely take a mark of loyalty to the government that rules this earth, and its leader, the Anti-Christ. Revelation chapter 13:

13:14  And deceiveth them that dwell on the earth by the means of those miracles which he had power to do in the sight of the beast; saying to them that dwell on the earth, that they should make an image to the beast, which had the wound by a sword, and did live.

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

13:16  And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads:

13:17  And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name.

13:18  Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast: for it is the number of a man; and his number is Six hundred threescore and six.

This choice is to damn your soul to the lake of fire, designed for the devil and his  fallen angels. Revelation:

14:9  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,

14:10  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:

14:11  And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name.

2nd CHOICE

This is the only real choice a person has to make it into the realms of glory, or the coming Kingdom of God after the Tribulation starts. Unfortunately, this will apply in the majority to the nation of Israel. Few Gentiles will find the truth, or believe what the 144,000 Jewish evangelist preach and what is prophesied by the Two Witnesses from the Temple Mount and the newly built Jewish Temple. I believe that the coming Tribulation is designed for two things only, right along with the two choices I’ve listed and that is:

To remove all rebellion from this planet through the pouring out of the wrath of God onto a unbelieving world full of the sins likened to Sodom and Gomorrah through environmental disasters and divine judgment that will destroy 2/3 of all living life on this earth, including men, women, and children. Not to mention the zeal that the Anti-Christ and the False Prophet will pursue to track down any and everyone who does not take their mark.

To refine Israel, as gold and silver is refined in the fire. Israel will be purged of her unbelief. She will become close and personal with the God of Heaven, until she cries out aloud, as Jesus proclaimed to them in Luke 13:

13:34  O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, which killest the prophets, and stonest them that are sent unto thee; how often would I have gathered thy children together, as a hen doth gather her brood under her wings, and ye would not!

13:35  Behold, your house is left unto you desolate: and verily I say unto you, Ye shall not see me, until the time come when ye shall say, Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord.

And Malachi proclaimed the coming trial by fire of the nation of Israel:

3:2  But who may abide the day of his coming? and who shall stand when he appeareth? for he is like a refiner's fire, and like fullers' soap:

3:3  And he shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver: and he shall purify the sons of Levi, and purge them as gold and silver, that they may offer unto the LORD an offering in righteousness.

3:4  Then shall the offering of Judah and Jerusalem be pleasant unto the LORD, as in the days of old, and as in former years.

3:5  And I will come near to you to judgment; and I will be a swift witness against the sorcerers, and against the adulterers, and against false swearers, and against those that oppress the hireling in his wages, the widow, and the fatherless, and that turn aside the stranger from his right, and fear not me, saith the LORD of hosts.

3:6  For I am the LORD, I change not; therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed.

Zechariah spoke of what Jesus proclaimed and all Israelites left alive will recognize their Messiah, instead of this false messiah who has deceived the world and the preceding and following verses will trigger His coming to set up His Kingdom on earth:

12:10   And I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and of supplications: and they shall look upon me whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for him, as one mourneth for his only son, and shall be in bitterness for him, as one that is in bitterness for his firstborn.

That’s it folks. Those two choices are what will transpire in the Tribulation. Extinguishing all rebellion of Christ rejectors, and the refining of Israel by fire, is what those 7 ghastly years will produce and emerge before Jesus sets up His Kingdom upon His final return to earth. 

WHAT IS  IN STORE FOR YOU?

The choices are clear in the above passages. You will be left without God in your life, and most likely will accept the mark of loyalty to the Beast power and live, for a short while until Jesus comes to destroy all rebellion, including you. OR:

You will believe the message of the Jewish evangelist and by grace and mercy, believe in the Son of God that takes away the sin of the world. To believe then, will put a mark on your person. Instead of a mark of loyalty, you will be marked for death. Many will die of the nation of Israel, but a remnant will be saved, but of a gentile it is your immediate death sentence by the authorities to demand complete allegiance to their idolatry.  Chances are great that you will believe the first choice and be lost FOREVER.

Man has been given a clear cut choice. The choice is not hard and the yoke is easy this side of the Tribulation. John 3:

3:16  For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

3:17  For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.

3:18  He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.

3:19  And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.

Men look unto themselves to find salvation in their own deceitful hearts. There is none and there will be no pardon when standing before the Great White Throne judgment of God in the cusp of eternity: Revelation,

20:11  And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them.

20:12  And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.

20:13  And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works.

20:14  And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.

20:15  And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.

If you stand before God the Father, clothed in anything but the righteous of His Son Jesus Christ, then you will have no defense of good intentions, no excuse, and nothing but eternal death awaits you. No manner of heresy that proclaims anything but Jesus Christ and Him crucified, raised from the dead, and coming again to rule and reign for a 1000 years in it’s lead up to eternity, will be found in these books opened.

What are these books? They are the books of your bible that speak of the coming Messiah who did come and was slain. Did you find Him? Did you seek His face? Did you accept His free gift of grace and mercy? If not, I call upon you now to make that decision for Jesus Christ. Accept Him today as your Lord and Savior. Believe in your heart that Jesus is God. Romans:

10:10  For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.

10:11  For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed.

10:12  For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him.

10:13  For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.

When you, by grace and understanding that through His Word, believe that there is no other way to come to God the Father except through His Son accepting  Him by faith, then leave the herecies of this world to the ash heap of history and turn away from such sorcery. God will honor you and accept you as a son, just a soon as you profess His Son in your life and live the life He wishes for you.

This is pastor Mike Taylor, praying God’s salvation comes into your life by faith. If there is anything I can help you with, pray with you about, counsel you, or just listen to your concerns for a biblical direction, then drop me a line atrealteam1999@sbcglobal.net, or visit me online at www.churchofgod-usa.org for more biblical teachings from God’s Word.  God bless you, till we meet at Jesus feet.