IN THIS ISSUE:
What Should We Do When We Hear End Time Warnings? — Betty Miller
Covenant — God Desires To Bless His People — R.S. “Bud” Miller
Spiritual Warfare — Recognizing the Enemy
Exposing Satan’s Devices — The Word is Our Sword
End Times — The Mark of the Beast and Finances
Prophecy — Glory or Terror? by Doug Fortune
Book Review — Prosperity and the Coming Apocalypse
Poetry and Story Corner — What God Won’t Ask
Little Foxes (Little Compromises) — That One Little Vote
Prayer Focus Spotlight — Fall Update 2000
Bridging the Generation Gap — Guest Article
Personal Word From the Millers — Fall Greeting
Purpose and Vision — Ministry Information
What Should We Do When We Hear End Time Warnings?
By Betty Miller
We are hearing warnings from all sectors of our society. There are health warnings, terrorist warnings, economic warnings, weather warnings, and end-of-the-world warnings. Some warnings are valid, others are simply the fears of certain people, and have no basis of accuracy. Governments issue warnings when they feel they are being threatened by invasion or aggression from other powers. Health agencies warn of contagious diseases that could be spread unless precautions are taken. We hear of economic warnings when certain indicators in the markets warrant caution. And of course, our weather agencies monitor the threat of storms, fires, earthquakes, hurricanes and other weather related dangers.
I want to address a particular kind of warning in this article, what is popularly known as an “end time” warning. These voices range from “end-of-the-world” scenarios to end time prophecies depicting all kinds of foreboding happenings that could threaten our world. Some of these warnings are valid and credible, while others are just people who want to be seen and heard. Most of these warnings are coming from the church. However, secular movies and videos have also been depicting “end time” themes with warnings that the end of the world could be near.
Should we heed these warnings? How do we know they are credible? The Bible tells us in 1 Thessalonians 5:21: “Prove all things; hold fast that which is good.” We are not supposed to believe every warning we hear, but rather we are to “prove all things.” How do we do this? First, we must check out spiritual warnings to see if they are Bible-based. The next thing we need to do is ask the Lord if the motives of the ones who are sounding the warnings are pure, and directed out of concern for the people. Some people prey on people’s fears to sell them something, while others like the attention they receive because of their inflated egos.
Bible Warnings
The Bible records many warnings throughout its pages. Those who heeded true warnings from God were spared the predicted consequences. Before we look at some of these, let us look at the primary dictionary definition of the word “warn”: to tell (a person) of a danger, coming evil, misfortune, etc.; put on guard, caution.
Throughout the history of the world, God has always made known to his people impending times of trouble, and given them time to prepare (or escape):
He warned Noah and his family of the coming flood and directed them how to prepare to survive it.
Hebrews 11:7: “By faith Noah, being warned of God of things not seen as yet, moved with fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his house; by the which he condemned the world, and became heir of the righteousness which is by faith.”
He warned Lot and his family of the coming destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah and told them to flee.
Genesis 19:14: “And Lot went out, and spake unto his sons in law, which married his daughters, and said, Up, get you out of this place; for the LORD will destroy this city. But he seemed as one that mocked unto his sons in law.”
He warned the Pharaoh of Egypt, through Joseph, of the coming famine and used Joseph to prepare stores of grain during the seven years of plenty, which saved Egypt and Joseph’s family when a seven year famine followed the times of plenty.
Genesis 41:30-31: “And there shall arise after them seven years of famine; and all the plenty shall be forgotten in the land of Egypt; and the famine shall consume the land; And the plenty shall not be known in the land by reason of that famine following; for it shall be very grievous.”
He warned the Israelites living under Egyptian slavery that the “angel of death” would kill all the first-born of every family and that they must protect themselves and their families by placing the blood of a lamb over the door posts, so the angel would “pass over” them.
Exodus 12:23: “For the LORD will pass through to smite the Egyptians; and when he seeth the blood upon the lintel, and on the two side posts, the LORD will pass over the door, and will not suffer the destroyer to come in unto your houses to smite you.”
He warned the wicked people of Ninevah, the capital city of Assyria, of God’s coming destruction through Jonah. When they repented, the judgment was averted and did not come for a number of years.
Jonah 3:4-5: “And Jonah began to enter into the city a day’s journey, and he cried, and said, Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown. So the people of Nineveh believed God, and proclaimed a fast, and put on sackcloth, from the greatest of them even to the least of them.
A Word From the Lord
Recently the Lord awakened me in the early morning with a word to warn His people to prepare for the judgements that are just ahead. He spoke to my heart that the most important preparation was spiritual preparation. He said that He was continuing to use his prophets and preachers to warn people of the coming troubles, but most of their warnings were general warnings. He also said that He would give individual warnings of what to do and when to do it to all that were totally committed to His will, and that they would be protected in the coming days. Those who are committed and obedient to God will hear specific instructions not only pertaining to their safety, but will be given assignments from the Lord with His empowerment to perform them. These assignments will be His plans for sharing the gospel with the world. He is going to use a company of believers that will do mighty exploits in this hour. If you desire to be among these overcomers you must begin your spiritual preparation now, before it is too late. The devil is deceiving and destroying people daily but the Lord desires for us to overcome him.
Daniel 11:32: “And such as do wickedly against the covenant shall he corrupt by flatteries: but the people that do know their God shall be strong, and do exploits.”
Spiritual Preparation
Pray: Spend time daily in prayer seeking God as to what you are to do personally in the way of physical preparation. This could be in areas of moving to a different locale or simply storing some extra food and emergency supplies. If you have no money to make preparation ask the Lord in faith to supply for you. He will make a way when there is no way! Pray daily with your family and attend the prayer meetings at your church. (If your church does not have prayer meetings you should consider seeking another church or talking to your pastor about establishing one). Jesus said in Luke 19:46: “Saying unto them, It is written, My house is the house of prayer: but ye have made it a den of thieves.”
Study the Bible: Turn off the T.V. and spend time studying the Word of God. Christ Unlimited has Bible studies available to help you grow in God. A systematic study of the Word will equip you with the knowledge you need so that you can overcome the destruction facing us in the days ahead and to be able to hear the voice of God. Hosea 4:6 says, “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge.” The Lord will reveal many things that you need to know about how to overcome. You can gain direction for your life, principles to live by, and most of all, you will strengthen your faith in God. We will all need faith to be able to prevail and help others in the future. Romans 10:17, “So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.”
Assemble with like Believers: As believers we need each other. There is strength and protection as we stand together in unity. Strong relationships will be important in the days ahead as we will need to help each other. The Bible also tells us we should be submitted to church leadership as God equips His five fold ministry to lead the church. Hebrews 10:25, “Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.”
Reach out with the Gospel: As Christians we have been commissioned to take the good news of the gospel to the whole world. We must reach out to our family, friends, neighbors and others that have not heard and or need to be reminded of our Lord’s message to the lost and backslidden. We must share the gospel with those who will be seeking answers as troubles multiply in the world. Mark 16:15: “And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.”
Readjust Your Priorities: Seek God first and His righteousness. Place the importance on the above things, plus work on establishing good relationships with your family, friends, work mates and neighbors. Cut out worldly entertainment. It will take both spiritual and physical readjustments if we are to be ready for the tribulation, persecution and other judgements that the whole world faces at this time. These times are predicted to happened just prior to the coming of the Lord.
Matthew 24:42-51: “Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come.
43 But know this, that if the goodman of the house had known in what watch the thief would come, he would have watched, and would not have suffered his house to be broken up.
44 Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh.
45 Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his lord hath made ruler over his household, to give them meat in due season?
46 Blessed is that servant, whom his lord when he cometh shall find so doing.
47 Verily I say unto you, That he shall make him ruler over all his goods.
48 But and if that evil servant shall say in his heart, My lord delayeth his coming;
49 And shall begin to smite his fellowservants, and to eat and drink with the drunken;
50 The lord of that servant shall come in a day when he looketh not for him, and in an hour that he is not aware of,
51 And shall cut him asunder, and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”
Warnings are given so that we can take action and either prevent, prepare for, or flee the danger or suffering that is sure to come without a change in the course of affairs. Let us heed the warnings of the Bible and God’s prophets so we will be able to escape all of these things and stand before our Lord when He comes.
Luke 21:36: “Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man.”
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COVENANT: GOD’S GUARANTEE FOR VICTORIOUS LIVING
By Pastor R.S. “Bud” Miller
God Desires To Bless His People
If curses are operating in our lives, the problem is not on God’s part. He is a covenant-keeping God. Any lack is on our side through not keeping the covenant and walking in the commands of God.
Jeremiah 2:19: “Thine own wickedness shall correct thee, and thy backslidings shall reprove thee: know therefore and see that it is an evil thing and bitter, that thou hast forsaken the LORD thy God, and that my fear is not in thee, saith the Lord GOD of hosts.”
We have addressed this in previously, but before we go any further, we would like to remind you that a seemingly negative experience in our life is not necessarily the same thing as a curse. God leads all of us through difficult situations to test what is in our hearts and so that we will grow up in Christ. Some people mistakenly believe that any difficult situation in their life is the work of the devil. Often it is not so simple. However, in this article, we are referring to curses, or difficult circumstances that are not the will of God, but actually the will of the enemy. Many of us bear with the work of the devil in our lives, mistakenly believing that it is the hand of God. So, while we certainly are not discounting difficult situations that may be from the hand of our loving Father, what we are specifically referring to in this article is the work of the devil, that the Lord wants to protect us from.
Closing the Door to Sin
In both the Old and New Testaments, God clearly shows His character. He wants the best for us, and consistently warns His people to stay away from certain things that will open the door for Satan to wreak havoc in their lives. The Body of Christ, the Church, is called in the New Testament the same thing Israel was called in the Old Testament: “a peculiar people and a holy nation.” (Compare Deuteronomy 14:2; 26:18,19 with 1 Peter 2:9). Therefore, the principles and promises of the Old Testament are valuable for gaining insight into how God expects His covenant people to live.
1 Corinthians 10:1-12: “Moreover, brethren, I would not that ye should be ignorant, how that all our fathers were under the cloud, and all passed through the sea; And were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea; And did all eat the same spiritual meat; And did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ. But with many of them God was not well pleased: for they were overthrown in the wilderness. Now these things were our examples, to the intent we should not lust after evil things, as they also lusted. Neither be ye idolaters, as were some of them; as it is written, The people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play. Neither let us commit fornication, as some of them committed, and fell in one day three and twenty thousand. Neither let us tempt Christ, as some of them also tempted, and were destroyed of serpents. Neither murmur ye, as some of them also murmured, and were destroyed of the destroyer. Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come. Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall.”
This sobering verse calls us to examine our hearts with the help of the Holy Spirit, to see if our own sin has opened the door to failure and destruction in our lives. Though we are under the New Covenant, which is superior to the Old, we still must follow the laws of our new kingdom if we are to receive the blessings of the kingdom. He is “the King of kings and Lord of lords” (Revelation 17:14), and since we are born anew into His royal family, we also are “royalty.”
Fulfilling The Royal Law
If we are to walk in the rights and privileges of our standing in Jesus, then we must understand the responsibilities of willing obedience that makes us “good citizens” and in right standing to receive the benefits of the kingdom. We already examined some of the effects that outward sin and rebellion had on our forefathers, as they crossed the desert with Moses. Perhaps you are not in outward sin or rebellion, yet you still know that your life is bearing the fruit of the curse, rather than the Spirit. There is a Royal Law referred to in Scripture, that if we are not keeping, we are opening the door to the workings of the enemy within our life. Not keeping this law is often the most common way for Christians give to place to the devil.
If ye fulfil the royal law according to the scripture, THOU SHALT LOVE THY NEIGHBOUR AS THYSELF, ye do well (James 2:8).
In other words, many Christians do not walk in love with one another. They gossip, criticize, judge, and even do things to harm one another, then go to church and sing about how much they love God. The Apostle John tied the two together. He said we cannot truly love God without loving our brothers.
1 John 4:20-21: “If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen? And this commandment have we from him, That he who loveth God love his brother also.”
If we are having problems with curses operating against us and we are not aware of any outward sin in our lives, probably the first thing we need to examine is do we have any unforgiveness in our life. We should check to see if we have any envy and covetousness, bitterness or animosity against others.
James 3:14-18: “But if ye have bitter envying and strife in your hearts, glory not, and lie not against the truth. This wisdom descendeth not from above, but is earthly, sensual, devilish. For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work. But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be entreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy. And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace of them that make peace.”
God Desires To Bless Us
God never wants us to walk out from under His blessings and come under the curses. That is not His best for us. God wants to bless us. He delights in pouring out blessings on us. He delights in the prosperity of His servants.
Psalm 35:27b: “…Let the LORD be magnified, which hath pleasure in the prosperity of his servant.”
The purpose of God in creating man has not changed: It was, and is, to have the earth filled with His glory (Psalm 72:19) as was the tabernacle and the temple. His covenant with those who receive Jesus is our guarantee that every promise He has made in His Word will be fulfilled.
What happened at Calvary was not a change in God’s plan, but an expanding of His plan to cover all races, nations, and peoples, not just those descended from Abraham in the natural. Those today called Christians are children of Abraham by faith in Jesus. We are called to minister to the rest of the world.
Both covenants were to be received through faith in God, although the old way was faith in God through animal sacrifices and the new way is faith in God through the sacrifice of His only begotten Son (John 3:16). God has given every child of His “a measure of faith” (Romans 12:3) to be able to receive. Then He gives us the power to become sons of God (John 1:12).
Under the New Covenant, God has made all of us kings and priests (Revelation 1:6). We gain an even greater blessing than our forefathers did under the Old Covenant. Today, we all can be a part of “a royal priesthood,” because Jesus was made eternal High Priest (Hebrews 5:6,10). Now, every believer becomes a priest to worship and praise God under Jesus.
We cannot do anything on our own, not even produce faith. Therefore, how do we take possession of our covenant blessings?
(Continued next issue) In our next issue of the Digest, we will have the conclusion of this series of articles.
Note: This teaching is continued from last month’s Overcoming Life Digest. See Table of Contents at top for Archives.
(Excerpt from the book entitled: COVENANT God’s Guarantee for Victorious Living by R.S. “Bud” Miller)
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SPIRITUAL WARFARE
By Betty Miller
Recognizing the Enemy in Personal Warfare
Spiritual Discernment
Spiritual warfare has become a subject much discussed and preached among Christians today. In recent years, the Holy Spirit has been emphasizing this subject to the church. Warfare means waging an assault against an enemy. God and His people are at war against Satan and his followers. Since this warfare is in the invisible spiritual realm, it is called “spiritual warfare.” We must have an understanding of the spiritual realm and be able to recognize the enemy and his tactics if we are to obtain victory.
The place to begin our warfare is on a personal level. Unless we are victorious in our personal lives, we will never be able to help others gain their needed victories, much less be able to battle spiritually for our cities and nation. We must learn to rule and reign in our individual lives by casting down the flesh or carnal desires and yielding to Christ in all things.
To win our spiritual battles, we must be aggressive against our enemy, Satan. We cannot be passive. We must take the initiative. Ours must be the offensive position, rather than the defensive. Truly God is calling His people to rise up and war against their enemy.
We are in a war. Note how the Bible describes our warfare: “For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh: (for the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds;) casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ; and having in a readiness to revenge all disobedience, when your obedience is fulfilled” (2 Corinthians 10:3-6). This passage points out that our warfare is a spiritual one, then asks, “Do ye look on things after the outward appearance?” (2 Corinthians 10:7a).
That’s a good question: Are we looking on things after the outward appearance? If so, we’re missing the reality that we live in a spiritual realm with an ongoing battle in that realm. We cannot be relying upon the appearance of things in the natural because it is the spirit realm that is influencing the natural realm. Thus, even though we are flesh and blood, we’re not to walk after the flesh, but rather after the spirit. “That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit” (Romans 8:4).
God wants His people to see with the eyes of the spirit and not look after the outward appearance. If we walk close to Him, totally yielded, He will give us discernment to see in the spirit realm. Then we can truly understand what is going on.
Looking at things with the natural eye will never suffice. “But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him. But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God. For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God. Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God. Which things also we speak, not in the words which man’s wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual. But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned” (I Corinthians 2:9-14).
Spiritual discernment is crucial. As God gives us spiritual eyes, we will see things correctly. For example, in the church, we will see one another in the proper light as brothers and sisters in Christ. Instead of focusing on one another’s faults and shortcomings, we will be set to help each other overcome any weaknesses. We will help through supportive prayer and by showing love and kindness to one another.
Spiritual discernment will open up our awareness of the spirit realm. What is the spirit realm? It is a realm made up of two kingdoms, one of darkness and one of light. While God rules the kingdom of light, Satan is master over the kingdom of darkness.
(Continued next issue)
Excerpt from the book Personal Spiritual Warfare; Click here to order from the CHAPEL BOOKSTORE
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EXPOSING SATAN’S DEVICES
By Betty Miller
The Armor For Our Protection
Ephesians 6:13-18
“Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. 14 Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; 15 And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; 16 Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. 17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God: 18 Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints.”
The Word is Our Sword
The armor mentioned above is mostly defensive until we come to the Word of God. We can now use our offensive weapon, the sword. “…and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God” (Ephesians 6:17). Up until now, we have used only defensive weapons. Numerous Christians never take any territory for God, but exist only by hiding under their “shield of faith,” and using the sword only to beat off the enemy when he attacks. This is not the highest purpose of God. We are to live victorious Christian lives. Instead, many Christians confess what a terrible time they have with the devil and how the devil is always after them. It should be the other way around. We should be constantly after the devil. He should tremble when he sees a Christian because the power that Jesus had is the same power that dwells in us through the Holy Spirit. “But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you” (Romans 8:11). If that power was able to raise Christ from the dead, is it not able to cause demons to flee, heal sick bodies, and overcome any obstacle in the path of a Christian? He is able if we use the weapons He has given us. We are to take His Word and let it become such a part of us that nothing can hinder us in our walk with the Lord. “Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us” (Romans 8:37). John 15:7 declares, “If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.”
The sword of the Spirit, which is His Word, causes the enemy not only to flee, but also to give up territory he has had in our lives and in the lives of others. Jesus, when he was tempted, overcame the devil by quoting the Word to him. Satan tried to get Him to turn the stones into bread since Jesus had been fasting forty days and nights. “But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God” (Matthew 4:4). From this statement by Jesus, we can see how important God’s Word is to us if we are to get the victory.
Excerpt from the book Exposing Satan’s Devices; Click here to order from the CHAPEL BOOKSTORE
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END TIMES
MARK OF GOD OR MARK OF THE BEAST
Betty Miller
INTRODUCTION
Much has been said on this subject of the mark of the beast, but little said about the mark of God. Will there be a literal mark tattooed on people’s foreheads and/or their hands in these end times to make it possible to buy and sell in a one-world monetary system that is being set up by an antichrist?
We can certainly see the possibilities of this becoming a literal reality in our day with the technology of laser beam tattoos and our president speaking of a “new world order.” Even now, pets can be tracked by tiny computer chips about the size of a grain of rice which have an identification number programmed into it that can be injected under the skin with a hypodermic needle. A special scanner generates a radio signal that reads the number through the skin of the animal when it is found.
This book is not disputing the possibilities of a literal tattoo, but rather exposing the spiritual implications behind that plan of Satan. How will this come about? Will it be one of the above new technologies or something yet to come? Personally, I find it hard to believe that men are going to be tattooed or branded with a literal set of three sixes on their foreheads or hands or that the letters J-E-S-U-S will be literally on the foreheads of God’s servants as spoken of in Revelation 22: 3-4: “And there shall be no more curse: but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it; and his servants shall serve him: And they shall see his face; and his name shall be in their foreheads.”
How will the beast mark those who follow him, and what is the mark of God set upon those who follow Christ? Let us begin with the mark of the beast, then look at how we are to receive God’s mark which protects us from destruction in these end times.
Throughout the Scriptures, the word beast refers to a system, and not to a man. The beast is a system that rules the world; it’s an antichrist system. Daniel 7 speaks of beasts and identifies them as earthly kingdoms. So the beast in Revelation is a beastly system that’s ruling the world (it’s a dictator beast). This beast is not just one human being, rather it is a system that has infiltrated every area whether it be politics, medicine, art or science; the beastly system is everywhere. This system is typically overseen by a powerful government with those in power making decisions that perpetrate the worldly system throughout mankind. When Revelation 13:1 speaks of the beast rising up out of the sea, what is meant by the sea? The Scriptures speak of the sea as “masses of humanity.” This beastly system is rising up out of humanity, out of all the people on the earth. When John, the author of Revelation, stood upon the sand of the sea, he was standing upon that which could not be numbered, among all the people of the earth.
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The Mark of the Beast and Finances
Looking at Chapter 13 of Revelation, the mark in the right hand and the forehead could be literal as well as spiritual. Modern technology is set up to do that with the new laser tattoo. However, true believers are going to be marked by God long before there will be any marking system. But if we are compromising and denying God now, later we will not have the faith to resist the mark of the beast. We have to get our faith strong now, so we can resist the devil should a literal mark come.
“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” (Revelation 13:17).
That could refer to a computerized system, but let us look at it in a spiritual vein. The buying and selling system is becoming more and more wicked. As Christians, we cannot partake of the spirit of mammon and the ways of the world. Incidentally, if the marking system becomes manifest in the natural realm, logically a card system would not be used. A card showing our entire financial worth would be a powerful instrument that could too easily be stolen. If we do go to a marking system, it will have to be through implantation in the human body as that cannot be stolen.
“No man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast” (Revelation 13:17). Note that his mark, or his name, or the number of his name is required. That is why I do not feel this is a literal mark, but rather is a spiritual picture. What is the name of the beast? Satan, of course, for he is behind it all. Well, the world is not going to run around with “S-A-T-A-N” printed on their bodies. I doubt that people would be that foolish. Instead, Satan has to deceive the world into hell. People are going to hell because they are deceived into it. They do not realize that is where they are heading. They think somehow they are going to escape that. They do not really believe a literal hell exists. If people could see the reality of Satan and hell, they would not follow the devil. They’re following him because they are blinded. When they follow him long enough, they become like him. They become marked with “six, six, six.”
(Continued next issue)
Excerpt taken from the book The Mark of God or The Mark of the Beast; Click here to order from the CHAPEL BOOKSTORE
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PROPHETIC VOICE TO THE CHURCH
As some may not be familiar with prophecy in the church, we want to share this short explanation of Biblical prophecy before we share an actual prophecy from God. First, what is godly prophecy? It can be summed up as words that are spoken on behalf of God. A prophet or prophetess is one who is a spokesman for God. It is a divine utterance that comes from the Holy Spirit. (Note: Just as there are prophetic words from God, there are also false prophecies that the Lord warned us about in the Bible. In Matthew 7:15-16 Jesus said, “Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves. Ye shall know them by their fruits….” We must prove the source of prophecy before accepting it as coming from the Lord).
God is raising up many prophetic voices in the earth today. His gifts of prophecy are basically of two types. One is the “simple gift of prophecy” which every believer can express under the unction or direction of the Holy Spirit after they have been filled with the Holy Ghost.
The other is the “office gift” of the spirit which is given to a prophet or prophetess who is called to the “five-fold” ministry office as outlined in 1 Corinthians 12:28 which says “And God hath set some in the church, first apostles, secondarily prophets, thirdly teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, governments, diversities of tongues.”
Ephesians 4:11-12: “And he gave some, apostles; and some prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers. For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ.”
The basic difference between these two types, is that the simple gift of prophecy is given to all spirit filled believers as spoken of in 1 Corinthians 14:31, “For ye may all prophesy one by one, that all may learn, and all may be comforted.”
It is for the purpose of edification, exhortation and comfort as spoken of in 1 Corinthians 14:3, “But he that prophesieth speaketh unto men to edification, and exhortation, and comfort.”
The “office gift” of a prophet or prophetess is given to speak to the body of Christ at large. The ministers who are called to the office of a prophet or prophetess will deliver messages which include edification, exhortation and comfort, but their messages can also be directive in nature and futuristic in content as well (Ephesians 4:11-15).
Presently God is leading His people with prophetic preaching and teaching. A prophetic movement is taking place in the world.
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GLORY OR TERROR?
Taken from The Trumpet Call Bulletin
by Doug Fortune
A drastic change in the spiritual climate is about to occur. All that has been stored up is about to overflow… the heavens shall pour forth! The prayers, the intercession, the supplication that has risen before Me as incense, shall overflow. The wrath of My justice and righteous holiness shall overflow. All that which has held back this overflow shall be brought down. For this is My day… I am coming as LORD of hosts and I shall see My will accomplished.
For a time I have held back and stayed My hand… now I shall cry out as a woman in travail, and this cry shall topple kingdoms and hew down those thought to be mighty. The great and terrible Day of the Lord is at hand! And what is the trumpet sounding in the land, it is the shout of “Prepare ye the way of the Lord!” For those whose eyes are lifted and looking, and whose hearts are prepared with repentance and humility, it shall be the culmination and outpouring of the prayers of the ages, resulting in the greatest spiritual outpouring known to man. These shall be the days the prophets of old longed for and prophesied of.
There shall also be a great outpouring of My wrath upon those who have rebelled against Me, for I shall harden their hearts and turn them over to their reprobate minds. Did I not say that “Darkness will cover the earth, and gross darkness the people?” I will allow a spiritual darkness that is so pervasive and intense that the efforts of man will have no effect upon it. However, My glory shall also be rising upon a people who have humbled themselves in prayers, fastings, repentance and humility. These shall walk in a spiritual authority that has not been known to man because the unanswered prayers of the ages and injustices suffered for ages shall suddenly overflow in recompense.
Lift up your eyes for the day is coming and the bride must make herself ready! I ask you, will you be ready or will you be found wanting? Will you be among those upon which My glory is rising as a covering of authority and power?… or will you be among those to whom My glory is a burning inferno of judgment? Search your heart… search your ways… search your words… remove the leaven while there is time, for the day is approaching when I shall shut the door that no man can open… and woe unto those who are unprepared!
You may contact Doug Fortune at THE TRUMPET CALL (http://www.mpks.net/homepage/revival/)
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If you are interested in other prophetic words you may go to this link:
What Does the Bible Say About Prophecies
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BOOK REVIEW
Prosperity and the Coming Apocalypse
by Jim Bakker
Do you remember Jim Bakker? Most of us do. My images and memory of him have nothing to do with actually seeing his PTL program on television, but rather the barrage of new stories covered in every media outlet from Time to the National Enquirer during the eighties. I was a young teen and curiously fascinated Jim and Tammy Faye.
When I got a hold of his recent book, “Prosperity and the Coming Apocalypse” I was interested to hear what Jim himself had to say. I knew that he had repented while in prison, and that the message of this book was forged in those fires of humiliation and hunger for God. As I read the book, I was blessed and encouraged by his obvious love and esteem for the Lord and for His Word. He truly is a sincere and godly man.
The subtitle to this book is “Avoiding the dangers of materialistic Christianity in the end times.”
Jim Bakker is not afraid to confront the idolatry in much of the church concerning the “sacred cow” of materialism. Jim himself, was one of the leading teachers of the gospel that some now refer to as the “name it and claim it” gospel–a gospel that teaches that material possessions are one of the primary rights of a Christian, and should be contended for with utmost fervency.
What I admire about Jim Bakker was his willingness to humble himself while in prison and seek the Lord who he truly loved. Previous to hearing his own words, I had supposed that he never really had much of a real relationship with the Lord–but after reading this book, I can see a man who was led astray by the popular doctrine of his day, and yet nonetheless was a true believer and lover of God. The proof is his response to being in prison. Rather than try to defend his position, he cried out to the Lord from the depths of his cell, and opened the pages of the Book that he had only “picked and chosen” his way through before. As he re-read that Book, this time he did not try to explain away the passages that did not agree with his theology–instead, he asked the Lord to teach him the full counsel of the word of God.
The second thing I admire about Jim Bakker is that, not only was he willing to be corrected, but he was also willing to not completely throw away what was truly precious within his previous theology. So often we see the church fighting each other from extreme doctrinal positions, where there is absolutely no room for the opposite view to be considered. Jim is faithful to point out that God does indeed want to supply our needs, and takes no pleasure in seeing his children live in abject poverty. He does, however, take a strong stand against unrestrained greed, guised in the name of “God’s will.”
Enter the prophetic message of this book. Jim shows through Scripture how the materialistic focus that much of the church is caught up in is paving the way for great deception in the last days. This is more than a theological issue, he argues. It is a matter of life and death for much of the church! At the core of the materialistic gospel is the belief that God will not let anything “bad” ever happen to His children. This delusion, he argues, is molding the minds of generations who are expecting to live in prosperity and then be whisked away in the rapture before anything “bad” happens on earth. In other words, the church will not have to suffer persecution or hardship because “it is not God’s will.”
Today, Jim Bakker firmly believes that the church will have to go through at least a part of the tribulation mentioned in the book of Revelation, and perhaps all of it. He makes a strong argument based upon scripture. Whether you agree with this end-time scenario or not, it is worth it to read this book and consider the scriptures that he teaches from.
There is a pervasive humility throughout this book, coupled with a strong sense of awe and delight in the Word of God. Another term might be “the fear of the Lord.” The fear of the Lord is a treasure and missing element in much of today’s church. Let the hard-earned wisdom that Jim Bakker gained through losing his kingdom and the respect of the world be a lesson to us all.
–Book Review
Prosperity and The Coming Apocalypse is an hardback edition and is priced at $19.99. Check our CHAPEL BOOKSTORE (Click here to order)
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POETRY AND STORY CORNER
W h a t G o d W o n ‘ t A s k
Author Unknown
1. God won’t ask what kind of fancy car you drove.
He will ask how many people you took to church who didn’t have transportation.
2. God won’t ask the floor area of your house.
He will ask how many people you helped who didn’t have a house.
3. God won’t ask how many fancy clothes you had in your closet.
He will ask how many of those clothes you gave away to the poor.
4. God won’t ask what social class you were in.
He will ask what kind of “class” you displayed.
5. God won’t ask how many material possessions you had.
He will ask whether those material possessions dictated your life.
6. God won’t ask what your highest salary was.
He will ask if you trampled over any people to obtain that salary.
7. God won’t ask how much overtime you worked.
He will ask did you work overtime for your family.
8. God won’t ask how many promotions you received.
He will ask what you did to promote others.
9. God won’t ask what your job title was.
He will ask did you perform your job to the best of your ability.
10. God won’t ask how many promotions you took to chase a dollar bill.
He will ask how many promotions you refused to advance your family’s quality of life.
11. God won’t ask how many times you didn’t run around on your spouse.
He will ask how many times you did.
12. God won’t ask how many degrees you had.
He will ask how many people you thanked for helping you get those degrees.
13. God won’t ask what your parents did to help you.
He will ask what you did to help your parents.
14. God won’t ask what you did to help yourself.
He will ask what you did to help others.
15. God won’t ask how many friends you had.
He will ask how many people you were a friend to.
16. God won’t ask what you did to protect your rights.
He will ask what you did to protect the right of others.
17. God won’t ask what neighborhood you lived in.
He will ask what other neighborhoods you visited for Him.
18. God won’t ask how many times you told the truth.
He will ask how many times you told a lie.
19. God won’t ask about the color of your skin.
He will ask about the color of your heart.
20. God won’t ask how many times your deeds matched your words.
He will ask how many times they didn’t.
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LITTLE FOXES
(Little Compromises That Cause Big Problems)
By Betty Miller
Song of Solomon 2:15 says, “Take us the foxes, the little foxes, that spoil the vines: for our vines have tender grapes.” Foxes sometimes in search of food would enter into the grape orchards and devour the grapes and spoil the crop. However, the little foxes were too small to reach the grape bunches so they would chew on the vines and it would kill the whole vine. Instead of the farmer just losing his crop, he would lose his vine which was more disastrous. Spiritually some things we do or allow that we might think are little or insignificant can also be disastrous for us.
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That One Little Vote
By Betty Miller
Exercising Our Civil Responsibility of Voting
Song of Solomon 2:15 says, “Take us the foxes, the little foxes, that spoil the vines: for our vines have tender grapes.” Foxes sometimes in search of food would enter into the grape orchards and devour the grapes and spoil the crop. However, the little foxes were too small to reach the grape bunches so they would chew on the vines and it would kill the whole vine. Instead of the farmer just losing his crop, he would lose his vine which was more disastrous. Spiritually some things we do or allow that we might think are little or insignificant can also be disastrous for us.
Listed below are some of the “little foxes” that generally keep us from our civic responsibilities, in the area of voting. The devil uses these lies and others so that he can keep godly men and women away from the polls and get the candidates of his choice elected. If we do nothing, it makes it easy for the enemy to help those who could become the wrong leadership for our nation.
“My one vote doesn’t count anyway.” “I’m disillusioned by the whole political process.” “I’m already too busy to take the time to cast an informed vote, so I just don’t vote at all.” “Politics are corrupt anyway and as a Christian I don’t want to be involved.”
These are just some of the excuses that people use to justify their failure to exercise their civil responsibility to vote. Only heaven will reveal the many opportunities that we had to change things for the better in this nation, yet, we failed to do so because we failed to use our right to vote. We do not realize the privilege we have to be able to have a voice in the choice of “who shall be our leaders and what kind of laws should govern our land.” If we were to go to a country that did not afford its people this right and live under the usual dictators that rule those countries, we might be more thankful for this advantage.
The heart of God is expressed in the Bible as to His concern for government leaders and leadership by telling us as Christians that we should pray in this vein when we look at the admonition in the following verses:
1 Timothy 2:1-42:1 I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men; 2 For kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty. 3 For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour; 4 Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.
Should we not assume that if the Lord would have us pray for leaders, would He not also want us to use every opportunity to assist in electing the leaders that would be the best ones for promoting peace and righteousness? Yes, Jesus, himself said to “…Render unto Caesar the things that Caesar”.
Matthew 22:16: “And they sent out unto him their disciples with the Herodians, saying, Master, we know that thou art true, and teachest the way of God in truth, neither carest thou for any man: for thou regardest not the person of men.
17 Tell us therefore, What thinkest thou? Is it lawful to give tribute unto Caesar, or not?
18 But Jesus perceived their wickedness, and said, Why tempt ye me, ye hypocrites?
19 Show me the tribute money. And they brought unto him a penny.
20 And he saith unto them, Whose is this image and superscription?
21 They say unto him, Caesar’s. Then saith he unto them, Render therefore unto Caesar the things which are Caesar’s; and unto God the things that are God’s.”
Caesar was the Roman emperor at that time, so Jesus was telling them they were to pay their taxes, as well as support the work of God. These scriptures tell us as Christians that we are to be good citizens and pay our taxes as well. As good citizens in our government structure here in the U.S.A., we should not leave the operation of the government to ungodly men. How can we prevent that? One way is to use our one vote wisely. We will be accountable before God as to how we voted. Another issue will be did we spend the time in study and prayer so that we could vote wisely for the proper candidates, as well as the right issues?
As Christians we should consider how the candidates stand on the issues and not get caught in the trap of voting strictly along party lines. Check voting records and see which candidates most closely follow Biblical standards. Some Christians just vote the Democratic or the Republican ticket because their parents voted that way. We should vote for the best man or woman for the job. They should not only be qualified for the job but should be moral people with good character traits. Voting for someone just because they tell us certain things that sound good is not the way to vote.
Some young girls have married the wrong men because they were smooth talkers and those guys swayed them with their good sounding words. These girls regret their choices because the men played on their emotions and they later found out they had no character. We must live with our choices and living with someone with no character eventually destroys a marriage. Without the traits of faithfulness, honesty and unselfishness these marriages usually fail. So it is true with the leaders we elect. We must have good honest leaders if we are to live in a national environment that will produce peace and harmony and create benefits that will be fair to all. The Bible tells us that if a man is not faithful in small things, he will not be faithful in the larger matters. Luke 16:10: “He that is faithful in that which is least is faithful also in much: and he that is unjust in the least is unjust also in much.”
According to George Barna in his book, The Second Coming of the Church, the number of Christians that registered to vote in a poll taken in 1997 was 83% as compared to 79% of non-Christians. If we have complaints about those in leadership that are immoral and the new laws that have been passed that are offensive and anti-Biblical; we might lay the complaint at the steps of the church. What about our responsibility as good citizens? Are you registered to vote? Will you take the time to study the voting records and lifestyles of candidates? Which candidates most closely follow Bible standards? Will you set apart some time to pray about who would make the best leader? Will you take time to study the propositions? How will voting “for” or “against” an issue affect God’s plans for humanity? Then, most importantly… WILL YOU VOTE?
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Editor’s Note: This is a reprint from an earlier Digest but the message is timely and deserves to be shared again. We urge Christians to copy this article and share with their friends.
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GUEST ARTICLE
Bridging the Generation Gap
The Bible paints a very interesting picture of the “last days.” On one hand we see great tribulation, yet we also see an increased measure of His Spirit being poured out on all flesh.Many end-time biblical scholars will focus on just one side of this spectrum. Yet, God wants us to see and be prepared for the “big picture.”The better we can grasp the gloom and the glory of the last days, the better prepared we will be to function successfully in these times, and to disciple the nations according to the full truth of God’s plan.
Power in Generational Unity
Although there are many aspects to the way that the glory and judgements of the Lord will be manifested on the earth in the last days, I want to address one particular issue in this article: God’s plan for restoring the generations. By the time most of you read this, The Call DC will be history. As I understand it, this assembly was first directed only to the youth of the nation to gather in Washington D.C. for a solemn day of prayer and fasting. Later, it was made a multi-generational assembly, calling for children and parents to assemble together at the nation’s capital. I am convinced that calling all the generations together was pleasing to the Spirit. God, I believe, prefers to work within the scheme of many generations interacting with each other, rather than an isolated generation. One of His most revealing titles for Himself is “the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.” He is the God of many generations.
Throughout His word, the righteous declare that their purpose is to declare the glory of God to the next generation.
“Even when I am old and gray, do not forsake me, O God, till I declare your power to the next generation, your might to all who are to come” (Psalm 71:18 NIV).
“One generation shall praise thy works to another, and shall declare thy mighty acts” (Psalm 145:4 KJV).
From these, and many other scriptures, we can see clearly that each generation is called to build on the foundation left by the previous generation. Therefore, all generations are in great need of each other to complete the work that God has called His corporate Body to fulfill.
Satan’s Plan of Destruction
Because of this, we can expect that there will be great generational warfare at the end of the age. Within the tribulation and chaos of this time, Satan has a plan to cause tremendous disunity and mistrust between the generations. This is already happening in the world in a greater measure than we have ever seen. Nevertheless, Satan will ultimately fail, because the Lord has already ordained that a key movement in the end times will be one of restoration among the generations!
“Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the LORD: And he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with a curse” (Malachi 4:5-6 KJV).
Part of the reason this work of restoration will be so glorious, is because of the severe darkness of the times. Even as we see as fulfillment of Malachi 4:5-6, we will also the see the fulfillment of 2 Timothy 3:1-4:
“But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God” (NIV).
Even as Satan is attempting to create outright warfare among the generations, the Lord is restoring unity to them, and He is beginning this work inside the church. Within our families, ministries, churches, jobs, schools, etc., God is knitting together multi-generational teams that will fulfill various purposes for His kingdom.
Restoration Begins on a Personal Level
Let me share some personal experience with you in this area. God called me to serve at Christ Unlimited Ministries several years ago when I was in my early twenties. At that time, there was a full-time staff of three; Bud and Betty Miller and myself. They were in their late 50’s and 60’s, and many people assumed that we would not be able to relate to each other well because of our age gap. However, the Lord did an amazing thing between us, knitting our hearts together with such a deep love, that we scarcely noticed the age difference. The first year that I worked for Christ Unlimited, all of our differences were swallowed up in Christ’s love.
However, during the years that followed, I began to find myself in a greater struggle. Many of the things that seemed to be obvious problems to Bud and Betty, seemed to be very minor and debatable to me. I particularly did not agree some of the presentation on this website regarding issues that are very dear to my generation, such as tattooing and body piercing. Nevertheless, my love and admiration for Bud and Betty only grew in other areas. Despite my inner turmoil, I knew that I was exactly where the Lord wanted me to be. I saw that He was teaching me valuable lessons, and if I would be willing to humble myself, He would give me great endurance and wisdom.
After all, the Lord could put us in an environment where everyone feels the exact same way that we do! I suppose there are some groups that have this luxury. However, I wonder if it is really