The short articles listed below are based on
my personal experiences and understanding of world events as I am maturing in
my faith and attempting to have a steadier walk and a stronger relationship
with God.
I do not claim any special revelations that may not be
available to anyone who is a student of the word of God. The Bible is inerrant
and only there you can find with certainty what God has in store for us.
My advice to the serious seekers is to investigate in an
honest fashion what the scriptures have to say but not without having asked
first for the guidance of the Holy Spirit.
This of course entails a prior knowledge of the nature of
the Holy Spirit which comes by making the most important decision of our lives
that of accepting the sacrifice that Jesus made and accepting him as our Lord
and Savior.
For those of you who want to learn how I came to believe
and surrender my life to God, I have created a special section of
articles which can be found by checking out the following link:
The following video, compliments of GodTube.com, expresses in a clear and
succinct way the Biblical assurance of the security of the believer in the
unshakeable and eternal saving grace of our Lord Jesus Christ.
After watching it, I would like you to check out these verses as you pray for
the Holy Spirit to guide you to the Truth.
JN 10:11 I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd layeth down his life for
the sheep.
LK 15:4 What man of you, having a hundred
sheep, and having lost one of them, doth not leave the ninety and nine in the
wilderness, and go after that which is lost, until he find it?
LK 15:6 And when he cometh home, he calleth together his friends and his
neighbors, saying unto them, Rejoice with me, for I have found my
sheep which was lost.
JN 10:27 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me:
JN 10:28 and I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish,
and no one shall snatch them out of my hand.
JN 10:29 My Father, who hath given `them' unto me, is greater than all; and
no one is able to snatch `them' out of the Father's hand.
November 23, 2008
Pistis vs Gnosis
My son and I had an interesting conversation the other day which touched on the
fascinating subject of faith [pistis] vs knowledge [gnosis]. As a young person
who is in the process of re-discovering his faith in a loving God, my son has
been frequently challenging my positions with some very intelligent questions.
He said something along these lines: " Mom and dad leaving aside your faith in
God and knowing how solid and reliable the Bible is as a well documented
historical and spiritual book, would you be prepared to state that even without
faith this book alone can answer convincingly what a person needs to know about
God?"
My answer was that I did not think that this book by itself can give him the
answers or the evidence he needs about the nature of God and/or the meaning of
life. He, then, proceeded to state that in that case this book is not any more
special than any other religious book [the Koran , for instance.]
I disagreed with him and tried to explain my reasons in the best way possible. I
told my son that his mom and I have come to trust this book not because of our
faith alone but because we had acquired a special kind of knowledge about its
value. He looked perplexed and curious to see how I would talk my way out of
this "bind".
Faith is the first step before moving on to knowledge. Believers in a sense are
not that different from scientists.
Just like them we start with a set of suppositions or hypotheses and go about
testing the waters , trying to prove them right or wrong. One of the biggest
misconceptions that non-believers have about us is that they think that our
lives are ruled by blind faith and that somehow we are not living in the "real
world".
To the skeptics, I say a resounding NO. A mature Christian is not somebody who
is really old and has been a church-goer all of his or her life. To me a mature
Christian is somebody who has developed a solid relationship with God- somebody
who has accepted the sacrifice Jesus made on the cross and works hard to follow
his commandments on a daily basis.
For a relationship to flourish, there needs to be good communication between the
two parties. We communicate with God through prayer and He answers our concerns
usually through his word-the Bible or through his faithful servants or through
dreams and visions and many other ways.
I learned to trust in the Bible and its message only after I made a commitment
to Christ. If the Holy Spirit had not drawn me to Jesus first, I would still
find this book as a book of contradictions, nothing more than Jewish propaganda
about a God who may or may have not existed at all.
You see, I started with faith and as I began maturing in my walk with the Lord
under the influence of the Holy Spirit, I developed a special knowledge about
Him at an empirical level. Jesus has been faithful in keeping His promises and
He has shown me the right path always. He has been with me in good times and bad
times and even when I felt "abandoned", I discovered afterwards that He was
there all along!
Therefore, I can say to my son or any other serious seeker that I believe in
Jesus with all of my heart but also with my mind because He has proven to me,
personally, with no doubt whatsoever that He is who he said He was: my Lord , my
God and my Savior.
August 12, 2007
Zeitgeist : The Movie
It is with great sadness that I have to report my
views on this movie which pretends to help us along the way to
"discovering the truth". The official site states the writer's "
hope
that people will not take what is said in the film as the truth, but find out for themselves, for truth is not
told, it is realized."
Despite this claim, the whole movie is presented in such a fashion and authoritative manner with the intention to convince this same gullible group of people who, supposedly, have been misguided and lied to by the religious, economical and political elites, to believe in "another gospel", the gospel according to the Zeitgeist writers and producers.
After watching Part I of the movie which belittles Christianity and questions the historicity of Jesus, I lost
interest in the rest of the story. I am not naive about the history of
Christianity and I am, also, very familiar with certain
adaptations of pagan symbols which made the transition to the new
religion easier. And if other religions have had similar stories about
their saviors and their lawgivers and if Christians by choice decided to celebrate the birth of Jesus to coincide with pagan festivals, so what?
This, in no way, negates the validity of the greatest story ever told.
The truth is out there and many of us have discovered it and
internalized it to say the least!
Did you know that there are more original
manuscripts of the Gospels than there are for the writings of
Plato and Aristotle? But you don't hear anybody in their right mind
questioning the historical existence of these philosophers. Oh but Jesus
never wrote anything. Well, I have news for you, Socrates did not
either!
Garbage documentaries which pretend to be based on
scholarly research seem to be the "in" thing these days.
I guess it is part and parcel of this Zeitgeist
or Spirit of the Times. And many of you who are reading these lines
know better than falling for the lie of this same spirit who has been
against us since the Garden of Eden.
April 4, 2007
Crisis of Faith
I just finished having the worst month of my entire
career and to top it all up, my son is facing some great personal problems
which are affecting the whole family adversely to say the least.
While on the one hand, I count my blessings [we are all
healthy and alive ] and thank God for sparing us from additional troubles, on
the other hand, I am having a great deal of emotional pain and suffering
leading to questions of faith whose answers are not anywhere in sight.
First, let me make it clear that I do not feel forsaken
or abandoned by God. I just feel confused and perplexed regarding the whys and
mostly the "why now?" or "why us?"
I understand fully what our Lord said about the fact that
we will have troubles in this world but nevertheless we need to be cheerful
because He overcame the world. I also know as Paul said that we can
3 ...rejoice in our
sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance,
4 and endurance
produces character, and character produces hope,
[Romans 5:3-4 ]
But despite all of this, I feel that I am missing something!
Jesus paid the ultimate price on the cross for me and the
sinful world. He defeated the Evil one two thousand years ago and set all of the
captives free. And yet as Good Friday is approaching, I can't help but feel
sad and a bit disappointed.
I feel sad for the passion of Christ but also mad and
disappointed that the defeated foe is still around. He is lurking in dark
alleys where crimes are committed, he is competing for the minds and hearts of
men and he is allowed to be the "delivery boy" of all sickness and filth,
atrocities and strife.
For this reason, I ask God the Father, the Master
Planner, the big WHY. Why my Lord?
You are the potter, we are the clay. You know what we are
made of. You know our thoughts and minds, our feelings and our hearts. You
know our past, present and future and better yet you knew us before you laid
the foundations of this world which was created for us because of your great
love!
Why was it necessary to let the Evil one stick around an
extra minute and never mind over two thousand years after the Cross? Why test
us when you already know whether we are going to pass or fail?
Oh Father, in this hour of tribulation, I need to hear
from you. I long for your love, your shelter, and your assurance that I will
not be given more than I can handle. And as I fall
[for I know I am prone to do that] be there to lift me up
, heal my wounds and mend my broken heart.
Feb 23, 2007
I am surrounded by Evil forces. My house, my
family is encircled. The enemy has wounded my son.
I pray that this is just a temporary
setback. I pray that His holy angels have already been dispatched to come to
our defense.
The Lord is our protector, His mighty shield
will guard us against the poisonous arrows of the Evil one.
Brothers , keep the faith and pray for us in
our hour of need.
Feb. 19, 2007
Pray for me!
Our walk with the Lord is not always easy or
without hiccups along the way. Like sheep we go astray being tantalized by
the excitement of new pastures or are distracted by the needs of our daily
life, our work and our family responsibilities.
Many times we run into troubles because we
forget to stay focused on the "shepherd" who leads the way. At other times ,
we become impatient and fall victim to our cultural predispositions and we
believe the lie that somehow we can do it by our own abilities and hard
work.
If you are considering Christianity or a
relationship with God because you believe that this will bring you happiness
and bliss, good fortune and a great life, you will be very disappointed!
One of the key promises that God makes to
those who place their trust in Him and the cleansing that comes from the
sacrificial work of His Son Jesus, is that He will never leave you nor forsake
you.
He will be there with you as you are
struggling to defeat your Enemy, your poverty , your addictions, lack of
self-esteem, health related issues and the like.
It is in these trying moments when one needs
to draw closer to the Lord but unfortunately for most of us the opposite
happens. We forget that we are "children" of the King and go to battle alone
and unprepared.
At times like these we need the help of the
brothers even more than we are willing to admit.
Therefore, I ask all of you brothers in
Christ to remember me in your prayers. Pray that I stay the course and that my
relationship with the Lord will be given a "boost" and a real re-vitalization.
Please remember that as you look to my site
for answers and support, I, too, count on your prayers and your letters for
spiritual food and encouragement.
Last April, I received such a letter which
produced such a blessing for me even more today as I am going through
some troublesome times.
I pray that the Lord will bless you and
strengthen you accordingly as you read its contents.
Dear Mr. Costouros,
I read some of your site and I thought some of it was pretty
interesting. I was having a pretty bad day with some faith related issues
but I can really say that I feel strengthened, the LORD always answers
prayers and he sure answered this one fast.
Psalm 28: 7
The LORD is my strength and my shield; my heart trusted in him and I am
helped: therefore my heart greatly rejoiceth; and with my song will I
praise him.
From:
A Christian Brother
August 3,2006
Shame and more shame!
Shame on all of us who claim
to be followers of Christ but turn the other way when crimes, atrocities and
injustices are committed. Shame on those who refuse to use the same universal
standard for good and evil that our Lord taught us. Shame on all who in the
name of political correctness stand by when innocent women and children are
being slaughtered in the Middle East and other places.
Woe to our American evangelists who are
preaching "another gospel" by failing to criticize all forms of "terrorism" and man's
inhumanity to man no matter where it comes from.
Woe to those who forget that our God is not
only pro-Israeli but also pro-Arab and pro-human!
Woe to all of us who by our actions against
other religious or racial groups are inciting the continuation of violence and
bloodshed.
Lord Jesus have mercy on us and come soon to
save this planet from the machinations of the Evil one!
October 17, 2005
No matter where I turn these days whether
it's TV or the newspapers, radio stations or the internet, I stumble
into the same stories of suffering and pain, of worldwide calamities, wars,
earthquakes and pandemic pestilences. In many homes, clouds of despair
because of unemployment, rising oil and gas prices etc, are gathering to
complicate people's lives even further.
However, I am thankful that sometime ago the
Holy Spirit drew me to Jesus so that today I can face the world from a
different perspective.
HAB 3:17 Although the fig tree shall not blossom, neither shall fruit be
in the vines; the labour of the olive shall fail, and the fields shall yield
no meat; the flock shall be cut off from the fold, and there shall be no herd
in the stalls:
HAB 3:18 Yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will joy in the God of my
salvation.
Feb 2/2005
A Clarification
As I revisited my site the other day, I felt
a strong impulse to clarify a few issues before they become needlessly
controversial.
Let it be known that I have no "beefs" with
the American people as such. If anything, I am a great fan of many of their
traditional values and of ideas which some may view as "simplistic",
"backwards", or "red neck".
Despite their shortcomings, this great
nation is composed of many individuals with a "heart of gold". These are the
same people who rushed to the aid of war torn Europe during World War II.
Through the Marshall Plan, my own country of Greece benefited greatly in its
efforts to rebuild its economy.
I will never forget that tasty American
cheese which came in one gallon containers in cardboard boxes labeled "Donated by
the People of the United States of America". To this day, I recall vividly how
as a young elementary school pupil, I struggled to make sense of this strange
alphabet and foreign language.
When the recent tsunami devastated many
countries in Asia and Indonesia, the American people showed their caring and
great compassion by "outgiving" many peoples of the world including my fellow
Canadians.
It is easy to generalize and criticize
anyone and any system. However, this does not excuse us from neglecting to
point out the truth as we perceive it in an honest and responsible manner. And
the truth is painful: the American people have been deceived by many of their
spiritual and political leaders.
As I look at the policies of the American
government throughout the world and how the religious right are "buying"
everything "hook line and sinker", I can't help but feel both sad and
outraged.
I am sad because millions of people have put the joy and rewards of
their salvation at risk by failing to "see" this great deception. Also, I am
outraged because this pseudo-religious and political elite is leading this
country into a New World Order and the eventual revelation and establishment
of the Antichrist's rule.
Therefore, I ask my fellow American
Christians to pray fervently and continuously for the Holy Spirit to help them
perceive the evil games played by powers in dark places. May the Lord Jesus
grant you peace and the knowledge and confidence to stand firm against the
machinations of the Evil One and his cohorts.
January 23/2005
Lessons from History: Alexander's Legacy
As mentioned before, nothing significant has
changed regarding the war in Iraq. America is getting deeper and deeper into
another Vietnam as more American mothers are shifting through body bags to
identify their children "coming home".
Many of the leaders of the major American
Christian denominations have fallen for Satan's lie that this war is about
preservation and the defense of our Western and Christian values. The current
and previous Bush administration has proven to be a more skillful and cunning
opponent than their critics are willing to admit.
Under the guise that this war is about
Christianity vs militant and terrorist Islam, democracy vs dictatorship, human
rights and decency vs violence and lack of respect for life, the architects of
the diabolical plot to invade Iraq having secured the nomination of a
so-called "born again " president, have succeeded in "deceiving" the
"shepherds" to lead "the flocks" into "trap filled" pastures!
En masse, the simple, church-going folks of
America turned out to re-elect this president and give him a rubber stamp to
protect "the American way of life". And what did the "liberal" media do? They
were duped into believing that making fun of a leader, who did not know how to
pronounce the word "nuclear" or whose vocabulary included some strange
expressions not familiar to the educated [former Yankee] elite, would somehow
deter many from voting for him.
Let us be serious for a moment. If anyone
decided to do an in-depth analysis of the education levels of all Americans or
better yet of their knowledge of world history and geography, one should not
be surprised to find that the overwhelming majority have "no clue" about
certain significant historical events or geographical places. [ Check out "the
facts" before you write to me about my anti-American bias!]
Therefore, we should not be surprised if the
current administration is history and world culture illiterate. This is truly
a government "of the people "!
But "thank God" for Hollywood and some of
their blockbuster movies which have at least attempted from time to time to
shed some light on a few historical events. Hopefully, some of the key members
of the current administration enjoy watching movies for it is clear that
history and geography books have not been that appealing to them.
So, there you are Mr. Bush and company, it
is about time to take your wives out to the movies. May I recommend a flick?
How about "Alexander" ? Oh, I know it is an Oliver Stone movie but I
promise you that it is not conspiratorial at all. It is not another JFK
movie to be sure. For the most part, it is based on real, recorded historical
facts. However, it needs to be said that, the sexual innuendos and the-how-to-please-the
homosexual-Hollywood-lobby attempts to portray a bisexual Alexander
[non-historical and purely fictional] mar this otherwise significant movie.
[Play following video regarding the lies about homosexuality in Ancient Greece]
The one other thing that I lament about is that this
movie did not come out sooner than it did! If it came out last November, may
be this administration would learn that Macedonia was an area in Ancient
Greece much like Thessaly, or Epirus or Peloponnesus. The Macedonians of
Alexander were Greeks, spoke Greek and when along with the rest of Greece
conquered the Persian Empire, guess whose culture and language, values and
civilization they promoted : that of Greece.
Today, Mr. President, after a long war of
independence against the Ottoman Empire, the biggest part of that ancient land
of Macedonia belongs to Greece under the same name. During the Balkan wars
some smaller parts of the old Macedonia went to Bulgaria and the former
Yugoslavia.
After the dissolution of Yugoslavia, there
was an emerging new country recognized by the United Nations as The Former
Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia or F.Y.R.O.M.. But unfortunately, lacking the
confidence to rely on their true Slavic roots and their own historical
experience, this tiny country of two and a half million people proceeded to
falsify history and steal a chapter or two from the glorious Greek past.
They had the audacity to adopt the flag of
Alexander the Great as their national one and to rewrite history by claiming
him as one of their own. They, even, went as far as circulating a map showing a major part of Greek Macedonia including Thessaloniki as land that should legitimately be theirs. Needless to say this provoked the Greeks who used any economic means at their disposal to force this northern neighbor country into negotiations on the country name and the removal of
Alexander's symbols from their official documents.
With the above issue still unresolved, the
Bush administration, showing total disrespect for the United Nations and the
rule of international law [ what is new?] proceeded to recognize this new
country under the name "Macedonia".[ This act went against the wishes of the Greek people who would prefer the use of some sort of a different name for this country like Nova Macedonia or Slavic Macedonia so that its official name is not confused , internationally, with Greece's northern province of Macedonia.] Of course, the Bush government waited to secure the vote
of the Greek Americans first before proceeding. The official announcement came
only a few days after the American election!
As, I mentioned elsewhere, Alexander the
Great was a true internationalist and saw the importance of all human
values and cultures. He had a great understanding of the Middle and Far East,
of the indigenous populations , their traditions and ways of life.
Alas, the American administration has no
clue about the world and maybe its leaders ought to learn some lessons from
Alexander.
Alexander did not have the benefit of a rich
Christian tradition and yet he was more responsible, compassionate and fair
towards the world's citizens than many of our so-called "born again" leaders.
Take a look at the "Oath" of Alexander the
Great written around 324 BC:
"It is my wish, now that wars are coming
to an end, that you should all be happy in peace. From now on , let all
mortals live as one people, in fellowship for the good of all.
See the whole world as your homeland,
with laws common to all, where the best will govern regardless of their race.
Unlike the narrow-minded, I make no distinction between Greeks and barbarians.
The origin of citizens, or the race into which they were born, is of no
concern to me. I have only one criterion by which to distinguish them: virtue.
For me, any good foreigner is a Greek and
any bad Greek is worse than a barbarian! If disputes ever occur among you, do
not resort to weapons but solve them in peace. If need be, I shall arbitrate
between you.
See God, not as an autocratic despot, but
as the common father of all and thus your conduct will be likened to that of
brothers within the same family.
I, on my part, see you all as equals,
whether you are white or dark-skinned and would like you to feel not as
subjects of my commonwealth, but members and partners of it.
To the best of my ability, I shall strive
to make my promises to you reality and therefore keep this oath that we made
tonight with our ceremonial drinks[ libations] as a symbol of love for all."
But who am I kidding to believe that any
history lessons would change the course of the American Empire? The Bush
administration are simply puppets with dark and sinister forces pulling all
the strings behind the scenes. The world is changing and there is a
presence of evil in the air.
The signs for the Lord's return are
multiplying daily as devastating earthquakes and tsunamis kill over 200,000
people and destroy the lives of millions in Indonesia and nearby countries.
Many areas are also experiencing "unusual"
weather patterns with catastrophic results.
It is, definitely, "harvest time" for those
with ears to hear and eyes to see!
March 2004
The Passion of the Christ
It is finally out and I have seen it! Mel Gibson's award deserving film has
hit the mark: bull's eye! His portrayal of the last hours of Christ's
suffering and crucifixion is both biblical and historically accurate: Biblical
because it is based to a great extent on the gospel according to John and
historically accurate in its portrayal of Roman crucifixion practices. { If there is any criticism directed towards the movie, in my view, is the failure of Mel Gibson to take into account the plain historical fact that the language spoken by the Romans at the time of Jesus was Greek [ KOINH koine=common ] and not Latin with an Italian accent and pronunciation!}
Also, this movie is controversial in some other ways to be sure! And no, I am
not talking about the unfair charge regarding its anti-Semitic character and
the sympathetic depiction of Pontius Pilate [ read the book for your own
conclusions ] but about the impressions and feelings that it will create in
the minds and souls of the Christians themselves.
I believe that most if not all things happen for a reason. The timing of
this movie could not have been any better. I pray and trust that the Holy
Spirit will touch the believer and the non-believer in a mighty way so that
the name of the true God and of His Christ will be glorified.
For many Christians brought up in the protestant and evangelical
traditions, this movie will introduce you to a new aspect of the Lord that you
may have forgotten over the years: Jesus was fully divine and fully human. The
cross was not always empty. Our sins were purchased at a very high price.
He was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our
iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes
we are healed. [Isaiah 53:5]
So, when you see him in the garden of Gethsemane agonizing over the death
he is about to face, disregard his divinity and concentrate on his humanity.
Forget what your preachers and evangelists may have told you. It was not God
who died on the cross for our sins! It was God who had emptied himself and
having taken the form of a servant, lived life like any other human,
feeling pain , hunger and thirst, anger and compassion with one exception: He
was without sin!
The stripes and the nails were real! But that was not all. The
spotless-sinless Lamb of God took upon him all the sins [atrocities, murders,
lies, strives , etc.] of the world, past, present and future. In this
sense, the Jews did not kill Jesus, we did!
Therefore, when we look at the passion events, let us not forget the high
price that our Lord paid for our redemption. Let us come to the cross with the
kind of reverence that the character of mother Mary had in the film. And like
the thief may we ask the Lord to remember us when he comes to his kingdom.
Last and definitely not least, let us not forget that the cross and the
tomb are now empty. We serve a living God who is asking us to partake freely
of the water of life as we accept his sacrifice and make him the Lord and
Savior of our lives.
December 31, 2003
Turmoil and suffering for the world's poor and under privileged reign
supreme as another year draws to a close. The mothers of America whose sons
and daughters are fighting and dying in Iraq and Afghanistan are crying out to
God for their safety while the war cartel and rich establishment are enjoying
the fruits of their conniving and sinister plans.
The signs for the Lord's return are multiplying daily as mudslides in
California and the great earthquake in Iran destroy the lives of thousands of
people.
A broken and pitiful Saddam Hussein emerges from his rat hole if only to
remind many of us how sinister and devilish the plan to invade Iraq was.
It just does not make any sense that he was the man commanding the great
Republican Army of 100,000 men with weapons of mass destruction in his hands.
Lucifer's agents have been placed in critical and strategic positions as we
are speeding towards a New World Order and the eventual rule of the
Antichrist.
Ordinary Americans are kept in the dark by their mass media and their
government about world events and are utterly confused while traveling to
other parts of the world as they are met with great hatred and genuine
dislike.
Oh America, it is not your Christian and democratic values that the world
despises but your arrogant attitude and gun-slinging mentality, your visions
of world domination and your "might is right" approach to world affairs.
Oh leaders of the world's most powerful nation, if you could learn from
history!!!
When Alexander the Great conquered the Middle East, he was truly received
as a great liberator. Why? Because he showed respect for the values and
traditions of the local peoples. Alexander was a true internationalist as he
encouraged his soldiers to marry local women thereby spreading the values of
the Greek civilization while keeping and maintaining the local customs and
traditions in a way that left the dignity of the indigenous population intact.
If you do not want to learn from that, why don't you look at the fall of
the Roman Empire? What is happening in America today is eerily similar to the
last days of the empire. Sodom and Gomorra and the days of Noah are also upon
us. Homosexuality, violence, greed, selfishness, injustice and racism just
like in the days of Caligula and the like are here.
In the name of freedom , human rights etc., we have abandoned the values
and principles on which this country was built. The Ten Commandments have
become the Ten Offenses. We are not allowed to pray in school and are being
forced by politically correct legislators and gutless and corrupt judges to
alter the meaning of religious symbols and holidays. The silent majority is
being bullied by a small group of perverted or otherwise confused individuals
into removing Christ from Christmas , justice from the courts and goodwill
towards one another.
Oh America, if you could only wake up and change your ways! You are the
harlot and the modern Babylon! I lament for you and your children for the
wrath of God is about to be poured upon you.
Nov. 10, 2003
There are many changes which are taking place in global politics these
days. The average person is lost in trying to understand the position of the
superpowers vis-a-vis the Middle East, Africa, North Korea and Afghanistan,
Indonesia etc.
Confusion, springing out of deliberate misinformation by the world's
governments and mass media, is reigning supreme. Roadmaps to peace or to
comprehending what is happening around us are leading to dead ends.
We are being encircled by evil powers in high places. As Christians, we
should sense it and as students of Bible prophesy, we ought to know it.
However, many of us, victims of our cultural predisposition towards the
"Reader's Digest " version of any interpretation of world affairs are also
failing to see "clearly" the big picture. Our excessive dependence on the
select few "gurus" of Christian American TV is leading us down the wrong path.
In the middle ages, Roman Catholicism kept the masses in the dark by
"chaining" the bibles to the pulpit. In the 21st century America, it is the
Christian masses who are "chained" to the TV pulpits and are spoon-fed a
low-cal "spiritual pabulum" and are then lulled to sleep with "fanciful
stories" about the Antichrist and his European background, Israel, the Arab
world or Armageddon.
Woe to the shepherds for failing to protect the sheep from the wolves
roaming in our own back yard! Woe to those spiritual leaders of America who,
blinded by their own TV fame, forgot their Christian agendas of bringing a
lost and desperate world to the source of life, our Lord and Savior, Jesus
Christ.
August 8, 2003
The occupation of Iraq continues with new casualties on
a daily basis. It is now evident that the Bush administration may have chewed
more than it can handle. The elimination of the two Hussein brothers, a
victory of some sort, may lead to additional complications as a wounded
Saddam is vowing revenge from his secret hideout.
The stage for the return
of the Lord has been set! However, it is difficult to predict the pattern in
which the final events may unfold.
For years, students of
prophesy have attempted to discover the meaning of Revelation or of Daniel in
regards to the final world power and the identity of the Antichrist.
Many have seen the rise
of the European Union as the revival of the late Roman Empire and therefore they have sought to
connect its destiny with the rise of this world leader.
I believe that many
proponents of this scenario may have been blinded by their patriotism and
failure to check out their own “backyard”.
America may be that final world power!
Look to the Group of Eight and its further expansion into the Group of Ten.
Keep also in mind that
three of these kingdoms will be kicked out at the time of the end.
If the Berlin wall is to teach us anything, it
is the speed with which some of these critical events may unfold.
Be vigilant and
“watch” the skies for our Lord may come much sooner than we
think!
JAS 5:7-8 Be patient, then, brothers,
until the Lord's coming. See how the farmer waits for the land to yield its
valuable crop and how patient he is for the autumn and spring rains. You too,
be patient and stand firm, because the Lord's coming is near.
Updated April 14, 2003
As the war in Iraq is
about to "end", I can't help but wonder about what is next. For
months, the Bush Administration tried to win public opinion by pointing out
the horrors of the Saddam Hussein regime and the imminent danger to peace and
security that it posed.
The war script that we
were given included fierce battles against the Republican Guard Army of
100,000 men, small number of civilian casualties and the strong likelihood
that the enemy may use biological and chemical weapons against us.
Yet, what we saw was
completely opposite. There were no organized military resistance and no scuds
for the controversial "Patriots" to shoot down. Instead, we
witnessed human cruelty as thousands of bombs fell in civilian areas and pain
and suffering for the innocent were shown live on our TV screens.
Strangely enough the
coalition's stated target, the dictator and
his cohorts disappeared into thin air much like Bin Laden and many of the Al-Qaeda leaders during the Afghanistan war.
There is no doubt in my
mind that this recent conflict and the next ones in the very near future are
nothing but the birth pangs of a New World Order of "universal
brotherhood", of one religion and one world government.
Lucifer's agents having
infiltrated the highest levels of political, military, financial and
religious orders are about to sacrifice a big percentage of humanity through
wars, artificially created famines and lab-manufactured, antibiotic-resistant
viruses.
REV 6:4 And another `horse' came forth, a red horse: and to him that
sat thereon it was given to take peace from
the earth, and that they should slay one another: and there was given unto
him a great sword.
As the plagues and wars continue many of the living will refuse to open their spiritual eyes and see the Light.
REV 9:20 And the rest of the men which were not
killed by these plagues yet repented not of the works of their hands, that
they should not worship devils, and idols of gold, and silver, and brass, and
stone, and of wood: which neither can see, nor hear, nor walk:
REV 9:21Neither repented they of their murders, nor of their sorceries, nor of
their fornication, nor of their thefts.
As the human race is
decimated by the evil powers in high places, the stage is set for the advent
of a new charismatic world leader who will bring "peace and
security" to the weary citizens of this planet.
However, this peace is to
be short-lived. The armies of the world will march against Jerusalem for a
great final battle at Armageddon.
At that time, our Lord
Jesus followed by millions of heavenly armies will appear in the clouds to
put an end to the Satanic rule and to liberate planet Earth. In a last minute
effort, this world ruler [the Antichrist] along with his false prophets and
religious leaders will convince the peoples of the world that we are under
attack by some sort of an extraterrestrial enemy.
A futile battle to
prevent the "landing" of our Savior will ensue and many will
perish. Earth will be truly liberated and our human civilization will witness
its highest achievements during a golden era of a
1000 years under the reign of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
Do you want to be part of
that millennium era? Do you want to live forever in a Paradise earth and an
eventual new heaven and new earth with our God where there is no pain and
suffering?
If you are reading these
words, it is not too late. Ask God the Father for forgiveness for disobeying
His laws and commandments, invite His Son Jesus through the Holy Spirit into
your heart and mind, make a commitment to a God-pleasing lifestyle and
actions and you will be saved!
"Put all your
rebellion behind you, and get for yourselves a new heart and a new spirit.
For why should you die, O people of { the world}? I
don't want you to die, says the Sovereign LORD. Turn back and live! " [Ezekiel 18: 31-32]
The purpose of this site
is to present my own experiences as I struggled to come to a state of
surrender. Surrendering to God control over our lives is what the Christian
walk is all about. It is not easy and it requires a lot of discipline and
help from above.
However, we serve a
loving God who knows our hearts and minds, a God who lived in our
"shoes" in the person of Jesus Christ. He is compassionate and
understands our pain and daily struggles. He is faithful even when we are
not.
So, read on , discover for yourself, get a glimpse of what God has
in store for us who love Him!!!