Daily Devotional

Posted by & filed under Mikes Blog.

Son, I have made you a watchman. Therefore, listen to what I say and warn the people for Me. Remind them that I take no pleasure in the death of wicked people. I only want them to turn from their wicked ways so they can live. So tell them this! Tell them to turn from their wickedness.

 

Son, you are a watchman; when you see the enemy coming you must sound the alarm to warn My people. If you don’t sound the alarm – I will hold you responsible. Whether they obey or not, you must keep sounding the alarm.

 

My children will come pretending to be sincere. They will listen to your words, but they have no intention of doing what you say. When all these terrible things start to happen – as they certainly will – then they will know that a prophet has been among them.

 

Son, I told your forefathers to beware that in their plenty not to forget Me and disobey My word.  I told them in the future when the people of America have become full and prosperous and have built fine homes to live in, and their silver and gold have multiplied along with everything else, to BE CAREFUL! Do not become proud and forget Me by saying, “We did all this by ourselves. We have achieved this wealth with our own strength and energy.” They must remember Me, that I am the one who gave them the power to be successful, in order to fulfill the covenant I made with your ancestors. So tell them, “I assure you of this: If you ever forget Me and follow other gods, worshiping and bowing down to them, you will certainly be destroyed. Just as I destroyed other nations; you also will be destroyed if you refuse to obey Me.”

 

Son, tell those lazy shepherds of My children, “What sorrow awaits you when you feed yourselves instead of My children. Your concern is for your own self, and you have let My children starve. You have not taken care of the weak. You have not tended the sick or bound up the injured. You have not gone looking for those who have wandered away and are lost. Instead, you have ruled them for your own purpose and advantage.”  I now consider these shepherds My enemies, and I will hold them responsible for what has happened to My children. I will take My children away from them, and I will rescue them.

 

Son, tell My children I will bless them, and I have broken their chains of slavery from those who have enslaved them. They are a holy people who belong to Me; they are My special treasure. So tell them not to be afraid, but remember that I am among them, and I am a great and awesome God. Therefore, they must not covet silver or gold, and do not bring any detestable thing into their homes.

 

Lord, You know how foolish I am; my sins cannot be hidden from You. Who am I that You would call me Your watchman. In Your unfailing love, help me to be faithful and not fearful.

 

Daily Devotional

Posted by & filed under Mikes Blog.

While I was growing up the conversation around the rapture of the church always intrigued me. I was told there are many passages in the Bible that talk about the second coming of Christ and the rapture of the church. There are unique characteristics that distinguishes the rapture from the return. The rapture, Jesus will come by himself, with a loud shout of an Archangel, and we will meet Jesus in the air. I was also told that there are three views of the rapture, Pre-tribulation, Mid-tribulation, and Post-tribulation.

 

The two passages in the Bible that are commonly used to show the rapture of the church are 1 Corinthians 15:50-52 and 1 Thessalonians 4:16-18.

 

1 Thessalonians points:

The Lord Himself

Shout of the Archangel

Trumpet Call

We meet Him in the clouds

 

1 Corinthians points:

A wonderful secret or mystery

At the last trumpet sounding

 

Now I would like you to read Revelation chapter 10, because everything mentioned in Thessalonians and Corinthians is found here. It is my position that this is when the rapture of the church takes place, in Revelation chapter 10:7. 

 

Most people would say that I must be a Mid-tribber. No, I believe in Pre-tribulation because in Revelation there are “3 Woes.” The end of the first woe is mentioned in Revelation 9:12, the end of the second woe is mentioned in Revelation 11:14. The last woe is from Revelation 11:15 on.

 

It seems that each woe has a set time of duration. The last two woes seem to be mentioned in Daniel as the last week of years (7). So, what is the first woe? Read what takes place in Revelation chapters 6-9. It seems to be a time of great testing for His children.

 

I am not so bold as to say this is the way it will happen, but if it does, then His church better be ready. When I read other passages about the end times it says there will be a great falling away. Why? Could it be because of the great persecution most people will deny Him because, they think that to do so will stop their suffering?

 

Isn’t it interesting that after Revelation chapter 10 God sends His two witnesses to the earth? God will never leave this earth without a witness for Him. I believe the two witnesses come to replace the “raptured” church. 

 

The next question I get from Christians, is why would God allow His church to go through this time when 1/2 of the worlds population is killed. If you read in Exodus, the children of Israel went through the first three plagues that God gave to Egypt, and then it says in Exodus 8:22 that He made a distinction.

 

Why does God allow any of His children to suffer? I believe it is to show us that He is much much greater than any suffering or hardship we can face. The first century Christians understood this perfectly.

 

Has the church bought into the lie that God will not allow His church to suffer intense persecution and hardship? It is my belief the church will go through the things mentioned in Revelation 6-9. All will suffer and many will be martyred. Therefore, watch and pray; know the times that we are living in and be prepared for what is coming.

Are We Losing the West – Part 4 – The Fall

Posted by & filed under Franks Blog.

Genesis 3:1-7 “Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, ‘Did God really say, “You must not eat from any tree in the garden?”’ The woman said to the serpent, ‘We may eat fruit from the trees in the garden,’ but God did say, “You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die.”’ ‘You will not surely die,’ the serpent said to the woman. ‘For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.’ When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it. Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they realized they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves together and made coverings for themselves.”

 

In this passage we see several things. First, we see the Fall that took place and why this world is in the mess that it is in. Secondly, we also see the battle lines that are being drawn that we are faced with today.

 

We see this type of human reasoning coming out in the Garden of Eden with Satan’s philosophy called “DiaPrax.” This philosophy comes from two Latin words dia: to dialogue to reach agreement and prax: to practice.

 

There are three parts to this philosophy:

 

1. Thesis: what God says

2. Anti-thesis: human reasoning

3. Synthesis: result, which one of these two do we choose?

 

This to me is where the real battle is being fought today, especially here in the West. Our battle is not over homosexuality, abortion, humanism, postmodernism, socialism, etc., but whether we choose to go with God’s revelation or man’s reasoning.

 

Jean-Jacques Rousseau’s philosophy, we will look at in later weeklies, probably did more damage to what we faced in the 20th century than any other set of ideas.  If we examine his philosophy of the FALL, or why we are in the mess that we are in, he would say that the source of oppression and suffering (the Fall) is the society or civilization itself. His philosophy was to revolt and with revolution overthrow the entire social order and build a new one from scratch and create the “THE NEW MAN!” This is what led to some of the ‘isms’ today where millions were killed including the bloody French Revolution which France today is still recovering from.

 

His philosophy was that we are autonomous beings with no social contract including families. In his opinion, the reason we are in the mess we are in is because of oppressive relationships not of our choice. So all moral bonds of families, spiritual bonds of church and even genetic bonds of clan and race are the reasons why we are in such a mess. So the only bond for Rousseau is where the people choose for themselves the bonds they want, or do not want.

 

This is why we have the values we have today:  Our values used to be: SACRIFICE, LOYALTY, MORALITY, ACCOUNTABILITY,  but they have changed to INDEPENDENCE, PERSONAL HAPPINESS, TOLERANCE, COMFORT, INSTANT GRATIFICATION, RIGHT TO MAKE ONE’S CHOICES. We see in our society today the result of the choices.

 

So when we compare Rousseau’s worldview of the FALL with the biblical worldview of man through his own human reasoning choosing to go his own way – we need to ask ourselves which one is right and which one is wrong?

 

 

 

Daily Devotional

Posted by & filed under Mikes Blog.

Son, I promise to bless you when people hate you, exclude you, mock you and curse you just because you follow Me. When that happens, be happy! Yes, leap for joy! For a great reward awaits you in heaven. In the days ahead it will be hard for you and My children, but keep My promise in view that what you have gone through for Me will be richly recognized.

 

Soon a man will arise who will have great pride and make many claims. He will try to bring peace to the earth. But, he is only a man, a very evil man making great boasts because he thinks he is a god. He regards himself as wiser than everyone and thinks no secret can be hidden from him. He will cause another great war. The results of this war: famine, disease and one fourth of the earths population will die. This will be the time when there will be a great falling away from Me and My word, and will bring about a great persecution and martyrdom upon My children. The earth will shake by what is happening; it will begin to shake with so much violence that islands will be moved and removed. When I bring judgment I reveal My holiness, and everyone watching will know that I am the Lord. So, tell My children to be ready.

 

Son, tell My children to watch and pray, and to be careful not to forget what they have experienced with Me; not to forget Me. Do not let these memories of My love escape from your mind as long as you live and be sure to pass them on to your children and grandchildren. They must remember this and keep it firmly in mind, “I am Lord of heaven and earth, and there is no other. If My children are faithful and obedient then I will be with them and their children during this time of testing.”

 

Lord, You faithfully answer my prayers with truthful words and awesome deeds. My life and the life of my family are in Your hands. Please keep us from stumbling and falling away from You. For You are the only hope of everyone on earth; therefore, I must tell everyone how glorious You are.

Daily Devotional

Posted by & filed under Mikes Blog.

Lord, I am so tired of hearing and writing about all of the sin and rebellion of this world. I have even tried to write something that makes people feel good, and yet You tell me to write about what is coming, so that Your children are prepared.

 

Son, tell them everything I command you to say, and I know this has been a load to carry, but you must continue to be faithful. For in the coming days My children will say to Me that I hate them because of what they are going through. But My children must learn to trust Me. If they refuse to trust Me then I will not be able to help them. If they go ahead on their own, they will be defeated. They must remember how I have blessed them in everything they have done. How I watched their every step so that they lacked no good thing. I will continue to do so even in this great time of judgment that is coming, as long as they trust in Me.

 

Son, tell My church, “I know all the things they do, and that they have a reputation for being alive-but they are dead. Wake up! Strengthen what little remains, for even what is left is almost dead. I find that your actions do not meet My requirements. Go back to what you heard and believed at first; hold to it firmly. Repent and turn to Me again. I know that they have little strength, yet when they obey My word and do not deny Me – I will give them an open a door that no one can close. I will protect them in the great time of testing that is coming upon the whole world.” 

 

Tell them that if they stay lukewarm, neither hot nor cold, I will spit them out of My mouth!  Those who refuse Me, say, “I am rich. I have everything I want. I don’t need a thing!” They don’t realize that they are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked. I correct and discipline everyone I love. So they must repent and turn from their indifference. Look! I stand at the door and knock, if they hear Me and open the door, I will come in, and I will share a meal with them as friends.

 

Lord, You are my God; I earnestly search for You day by day. My soul thirsts for You; my whole body longs for You in this parched and weary land where there is hardly a truthful mention of You. Your unfailing love is better than life itself; how I praise you! Your strong right hand holds me securely.

Daily Devotional

Posted by & filed under Mikes Blog.

Son, murder pollutes and defiles the land of America! Since 1973 there have been more than 53 million abortions performed in America. Every single day, more than 3,000 American babies are killed by abortionists and no one has stopped this evil. I hear the prayers of My people, but abortion persists with even more cruelty.

 

Some are killed by what they call a “Partial Birth:” I think everyone needs to know what is done to one of My little children. Guided by ultrasound, the abortionist grabs the baby’s legs with forceps. The baby’s leg is pulled out into the birth canal. The abortionist delivers the baby’s entire body, except for the head. The abortionist jams scissors into the baby’s skull. The scissors are then opened to enlarge the skull. The scissors are removed and a suction catheter is inserted. The child’s brains are sucked out, causing the skull to collapse. The dead baby is then removed.

 

Son, I know that reading this makes you sick, but I see everything. I hear each of their little cries, and no one is there to defend them and protect them. These little children that I gave life to, and that are hated – I love and know with every detail because I had great plans for them. So, it grieves you, but how do you think this makes Me feel to see their lives treated as human waste? 

 

America has brought judgment on herself because she has forgotten Me and turned Her back on My laws of life. Therefore she must bear the consequences of her sins. I tried to cleanse her, but she refuses to repent and obey My Word. So now she will remain in her filth until My fury against her has been satisfied. I, The Lord, have spoken!

 

The time has come, and I won’t hold back. I will not change My mind no matter how My people pray. I will have no pity on this nation for she has not felt shame or guilt for all her crimes. She will be judged on the basis of all her wicked actions. She will waste away because of her sins, and many will mourn privately for all the evil she has done.

 

Son, I am still searching for someone to stand up and defend these little children; to end America’s right to kill children for any reason. I’m looking for someone that would rise up in My power and authority to rebuild the wall of righteousness that used to guard your land, so I wouldn’t have to destroy the land. But, now I will pour out My fury, consuming them with the fire of My anger. I will heap on their heads the full penalty for all their sins. I, The Lord, have spoken!

Are We Losing The West – Part 3 – Creation

Posted by & filed under Franks Blog.

“In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” Genesis 1:1

 

Before we can look at some of the men that have been instrumental with their ideas and philosophies that have had an impact upon Western Civilization over the past few centuries – there are some other aspects we need to consider first.

 

Every philosophy or ideology has to answer the same fundamental questions: 

1. CREATION: How did it all begin? Where did we come from? 

2. FALL: What went wrong? What is the source of evil and suffering? 

3. REDEMPTION: What can we do about it? How can the world be set right again? 

 

Nancy Pearcy said: “Every worldview starts with an account of Creation, which shapes its concepts of the Fall and Redemption. Whoever has the authority to shape a culture’s Creation myth is its de facto “priesthood,” with the power to determine what the dominant worldview will be.  To break the power of today’s secular “priesthood,” Christians need to have a basic grasp of the origins controversy, with its wide-ranging impact on American thought.” 

 

The Christian message does not begin with “accept Christ as your Savior;” it begins with: “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” The Bible teaches that God is the sole source of the entire created order. Thus His word, laws and creation ordinances give the world its order and structure. 

 

One way to examine every philosophy that comes our way is to see how they frame the same grid of Creation, Fall and Redemption.

 

Francis Schaeffer said that if we want to understand the Bible we need to have a grasp of the first ten chapters of Genesis and the Book of Romans. In both we see the biblical worldview being laid out.

 

CREATION: When we think in terms of creation we have to think of origins. Every worldview has to have a start of origins. Where did it all come from? Also, who are we and how did we get here? Did it just happen? Was there a first cause?

 

We are told from John 1:1 that God spoke the entire universe into being with His Word, called the Logos. The Greek word “Logos” not only means “Word” but also “reason” or “rationality.” The ancient Stoics used it to mean “the rational structure of the universe.”

 

This is why the Psalmist (under the influence of the Holy Spirit) said that the “heavens declare the glory of God.”  In other words, the entire universe reflects the mind of the Creator. What does this mean to us practically? It means that we are to look at every aspect of creation or any subject area of study in the light of its relationship to God.

 

Jonathan Edwards explained that God communicates not only “by his voice in the Scriptures to us but also in creation and in historical events.” This is important because human reasoning is not a repository of infallible truths. We will look later at some of the men whose philosophies have had a derogatory effect upon the West. Especially in our universities and higher education we see that any human reasoning must have a premise. So the question with human reasoning is: What is the premise? What do they base their reasoning on? Whatever premise we accept forms or shapes everything else that follows.

 

So, if you take any idea or philosophy and go back far enough you come to some starting point; something that is self-existent, and is their source of everything else.

 

Nancy Pearcy went on to say: “For the materialist, the ultimate reality is matter, and everything is reduced to material constituents. For the pantheist, the ultimate reality is a spiritual force or substratum, and the goal of meditation is to reconnect with that spiritual oneness. For the doctrinaire Darwinist, biology is ultimate, and everything, even religion and morality, is reduced to a product of Darwinian processes. For the empiricist, all knowledge is traceable ultimately to sense data, and anything not known by sensation is unreal.” 

 

Every system of thought begins with some ultimate principle and if it is not God then it is some dimension of creation such as material, biological, etc. So when examining these different ideas the question is: Which is true and which is false? This is why we as believers cannot just abandon the so-called ‘secular subjects’ to the non-believer, but with godlywisdom and love we must examine the intellectual idols that have been set up and to be able to construct biblically based alternatives.

 

Later we will be looking at some of these intellectual idols that have been set up especially here in the West and have brought us to the place we are today. Like I said before, it did not happen overnight but over several centuries, precept upon precept, until we have the strongholds we have today. 

 

Daily Devotional

Posted by & filed under Mikes Blog.

Son, let Me tell you how I see your country. The people are grumblers and complainers, living only to satisfy their desires. They brag loudly about themselves, and they flatter others to get what they want. Men commit adultery with their neighbors’ wives, and defile their daughters-in-law, or rape their own sisters. There are hired murderers, loan racketeers, and extortioners everywhere. They never even think of Me or My word. They have become like unthinking animals; they do whatever their instincts tell them, and so they will bring about their own destruction.

 

Now let Me tell you about your leaders. They are the ones who are creating divisions among you. These evil leaders follow their natural instincts. Listen to the filth that comes from their mouths; their words cut like swords. They don’t even try to hide their evil intentions. Everything they do is evil and is obvious for all to see. Because of the sinful things they say, and the evil that is in their hearts, they will be captured by their pride, their curses, and their lies.

 

Son, I searched for someone to stand in the gap of your country’s wall; someone who would rebuild the wall of righteousness that used to guard your land, so I wouldn’t have to destroy the land, but I found no one. So now I will pour out My fury, consuming them with the fire of My anger. I will heap on their heads the full penalty for all their sins.

 

When the people ask why you are groaning, tell them, “I groan because of the terrifying news I have heard.  The Lord will shake our land and split it open. He is about to unsheathe His sword to destroy the people, the righteous and the wicked alike. Everyone in the world will know that I am the Lord.” When it comes true, the boldest heart will melt with fear; their strength will disappear. Every spirit will faint; strong knees will become as weak as water. It is coming! It’s on its way! Then everyone will know that I am the Lord.

 

Lord, every morning I will read with joy about Your unfailing love. For You are my refuge, a place of safety when I am in distress. Because Your truth lives in me forever, I can do mighty things. Therefore, I must build others up for You, praying in the power of Your Holy Spirit, snatching them from the flames of judgment. I must show mercy, but with great caution, hating the sins that contaminate their lives. I must defend the faith that You have entrusted to Your holy people. Loving You means doing what You have commanded, and living according to the truth.

Daily Devotional

Posted by & filed under Mikes Blog.

Yesterday while watching the news, they showed a photo of California’s parched cracked land and another photo of crowds of people praying for rain. A thought came to me of when Elijah said it would not rain for three years. What broke Elijah’s drought was the turing away from false religions and realizing the true God. It is my belief that the drought of California is because of our sins, and this drought will not stop until we have confessed our sins and begin to live up to the vows of our forefathers.

 

Lord, I am tormented by the wickedness of California that I see and hear day after day.

 

Son, the leaders of California are proud and arrogant; they laugh at supernatural beings without so much as trembling. They brag about themselves with empty, foolish boasting. They promise freedom, but they themselves are slaves of sin and corruption. Sodom was never as wicked as California has become. Sodom’s sins were pride, gluttony, and laziness. Sodom had become proud and committed detestable sins, so I wiped her out. Now this is what I say about California, “I will give her what she deserves, for she has taken the solemn vows of her forefathers lightly and has broken them.”

 

Only foolish people say, “There is no God.” Those who say this will become corrupt, and their actions evil; none of them can do any good! Your forefathers made their vows and pledges to Me and those who follow after must never break them. They must do exactly what I say for them to do. They must not exchange their vows to Me for anything else; not for craving physical pleasures, nor for the things they see of this world.

 

Son, keep telling My children that live in California, I have given them everything they need for living a godly life. My promises will enable them to share in My divine nature and escape the world’s corruption caused by human desires. They must not love this world or the things it offers, for when they begin to love the world, their love for Me goes cold!

 

Lord, I know that You have been patient with us, and it is not Your desire that anyone be destroyed, but You require us to repent and turn from our evil ways. WE DO NOT NEED TO PRAY FOR RAIN – BUT FOR REPENTANCE!!

 

 

Are We Losing the West – Part 2

Posted by & filed under Franks Blog.

Psalms 111:10 “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; all who follow his precepts have good understanding.”

 

Proverbs 1:7 “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and discipline.”

 

Proverbs 9:10 “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.”

 

Proverbs 15:33 “The fear of the Lord teaches a man wisdom, and humility comes before honor.”

 

Colossians 2:3 “Christ in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.”

 

When we look at the West (this would be true of any country in the world) we see that the battle lines are drawn for the mind of man on whether we will go with man’s thinking and reasoning, or that of God’s.

 

We see from the Scripture verses listed above in both the Old and New Testament that wisdom and knowledge begins with God and not anyone else, or any government, or any group of ‘know-it-alls.’

 

That is why intellectual growth and spiritual growth go together. The Lord tells us to take every thought captive to obey Christ. (2 Corinthians 10:5) Yes, we have a Savior for our souls: God, but we also must remember that He is the Lord of all creation and because of that we must interpret every aspect of creation in the light of His revealed Truth. Our problem has often been that we look at Christianity as a collection of truths, but not as the TRUTH.

 

When there is no “Christian mind,” no shared, biblically based set of assumptions on subjects like law, education, economics, politics, science, or the arts, we then have a choice to make and the Bible teaches us that the overriding factor in the choices that we do make bring out our ultimate belief or religious commitment. In other words, our lives are shaped by the god we worship whether the God of the Bible or the one of our own making.

 

Since God is the Creator then God must be the premise or foundation of all that we do. When it comes to law, education, economics, politics, science or the arts – where is God and His thinking? We have cast God out. How did this happen? It is not something that happened over night, but over several centuries and we will be looking at these men and their philosophies that have brought us to the place where we are.

 

To understand a culture we must understand something of the underlying belief system that is there. Taking the axiom that the Lord laid down for us in His Sermon on the Mount: Matthew 7:17-20 “Likewise every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them.”

 

When I consider what the West has become, it is because of what they, the leaders believe; it becomes their belief ‘system.’ This is what we need to change. It starts with us as individuals in seeing our transformation taking place through the renewing of our minds (developing a biblical worldview).

 

In these weekly letters we will be looking at some of the man-made belief systems that have been brought in through human reasoning and how brick upon brick or idea upon idea a fortress has been built that is keeping us enslaved within that fortress. We are first prisoners in our own minds.

 

This is why we must develop a biblical worldview. God’s view is not an option as if we consider it among other views; it is a “must.” Nancy Pearcy in her excellent book TOTAL TRUTH said: “Word (worldview) was later introduced into Christian circles through Dutch neo Calvinist thinkers such as Abraham Kuyper and Herman Dooyeweerd. They argued that Christians cannot counter the spirit of the age in which they live unless they develop an equally comprehensive biblical worldview, an outlook on life that gives rise to distinctively Christian forms of culture with the important qualification that it is not merely the relativistic belief of a particular culture but is based on the very Word of God, true for all times and places.”

 

When we look at the morals of the West we must realize that they stem from its worldview. In order to be effective for Christ’s Kingdom, we have to understand and take on the underlying worldview. 

 

ALBERT WOLTERS said: “A Christian worldview involves three fundamental dimensions: the original good creation, the perversion of that creation through sin , and the restoration of that creation in Christ.”

 

In the next few weeklies we will look at this: the creation, fall and restoration – before getting into the ‘reasoning’ or ‘philosophy’ of man starting with Thomas Aquinas.