This is written by a friend of mine. I wanted to post this on my blog because I know it will encourage those who hear.
The article below was written in an apparently popular Russian Journalism Publication. We are going to be, and already are to some degree, the laughing scorn of all the world. Our shameful & blatant wretchedness, greed, murder, abortion, covetousness, sexual immorality, lust, shamefulness, and apostate religion is beginning to come home to roost. Surely it is true that, "God will not be mocked, for whatsoever a man (and/or nation) sows, that shall it also reap." What we are beginning to see now is merely the tip of the iceburg. I am not "psychologically bent" with some natural tendency towards "gloom and doom", but am rather just a realist whom God has spoken to (among MANY others) about "something big (that) is coming" to this nation. Prepare yourself now for eternity.
Are you walking with the Lord in the cool of the day as Adam did, or are you simply going to the temple and making your "mandatory" spiritual sacrifices for the week as did the Pharisees? What do you know better - God's Word or your favorite TV show? Think about that.............. If I asked you about anything Biblical, would you KNOW what the scriptures say (not what you think it says, or what your preacher said)? Now, if I asked you about who is winning on American Idol, or about an episode of Survivor, or about what John & Kate Plus 8 are up to, or about who is marrying/divorcing who in Hollywood, or who is winning in the NBA playoffs - what are you most familiar with? What has your heart - prayer or entertainment? Evangelism or sports? The prophetic Word from the heartbeat of God or America's Funniest Home Videos? World Missions or your personal career advancement? The Law, the Prophets, & the Gospel, or little league sports activities? In fact, are you more familiar with the gospel according to Charles Stanley, Joyce Meyer, Myles Monroe, (insert your favorite teacher here), etc., than you are with the "full counsel of the Word of God" yourself? Can you quote your preacher but can't quote the Words of Jesus (this would make you a prime candidate for any deception and "new wind of doctrine" - Ephesians 4:14) The plight of the poor, needy, and persecuted, or the comfort and happiness of you and those in your own castle? You can fool man - but you can not fool the one who made you and who sees every deed, action, word, and thought in your heart (and what you waste your time on). We will all give account soon before the throne of the Lord of Glory, and it's not going to be like the circus show of Judge Judy's court. His eyes of flaming fire will penetrate your very being. Is that the Lord you walk with daily as you carry your cross? In what way are you currently "purifying yourself" (I John 3:3)? How have you "forsaken all to follow Him"? How are you "d ieing to self daily" and "taking up your cross daily and following Him" (Matthew 16:24)? Think about it.
I was at a home yesterday with someone who had a mailout from the largest church in Rockwall's mailout. It talked about "Vital Verses" for scripture memorization and topical preaching/teaching for each week of the next 3 months. They were all itemized with captions like Faith, Forgiveness, Love, Joy, Peace, Heaven, etc. All very "feel good" aspects of Biblical themes. Something was sorely missing from it all though. The Gospel. It wasn't even "Gospel lite" as some call it, but it is "Another Gospel" altogether, as Paul called it in scripture. There were no scriptures on eternal judgement to come, conviction of sin, the wrath of God, the total depravity of man, holiness, sanctification, regeneration, the cross, denial of self, death to self, carrying your cross daily, forsaking the world, sacrifice, suffering, persecution, etc. Without these, you have no Gospel at all. You have religion and self-righteous works of the law which cannot save.
After all, we know by scripture that "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me (Jesus)." (Matthew 16:24, Matthew 10:28, Luke 9:23, & Luke 14:27). How are you doing that? ...........................Honestly, think about it - are you? And, we know that, "in fact, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted," (II Timothy 3:12). Are you being persecuted for your "faith"? Is God's Word untrue or is God a liar? No, "Let God be true and every man a liar" (Romans 3:4). So, if you aren't carrying your cross daily, suffering persecution, and at war with this world (God's enemy - James 4:4) then what makes you think you are "born again"? {"Jesus answered, 'I tell you the truth, no one can see the Kingdom of God unless he is born again..................... no one can enter the Kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit. Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit sives birth to Spirit." (John 3:3,5-6)}. We are in the time of the "great falling away" from the faith. The great apostasy. Everyone I talk to is either not aware of what I am telling you, or they are familiar with these scriptures and "that's the good thing about their church, it teaches the truth" (including the church who sent out the "half-gospel" mailout). If you have a "half-life" spiritually, then you have only death. Cut a living person in half and you half only two pieces of death. There is no longer any life without the whole.
What then should you do? Try to be more Holy? Try to be a "right wing christian conservative political fanatic" and bring on some degree of self-inflicted quasi-persecution? Try to make life harder than it is for you and deny yourself candy, coffee, or cake? No, realize that you can't do anything to earn salvation. Realize that you are lacking in what Christ said characterizes His true followers. AND PLEASE, FOR THE LOVE OF GOD, DON'T RUN TO AN APOSTATE CHURCH/PASTOR WHO HAS MADE YOU COMFORTABLE IN YOUR RELIGIOUS EXISTANCE FOR YEARS FOR ADVICE. Get out your Bible, get low before God in humility, cry out to God to truly know the truth, and seek Him with all of your heart. It is the testimony of most who I know who are genuinely converted, not some "sinners prayer" bit from some lukewarm preacher/counselor.
We know that the Lord tells us, "you will seek me and find me WHEN YOU SEEK ME WITH ALL YOUR HEART." (Jeremiah 29:13) So, understand your condition in light of truth, humble yourself before the Lord, seek Him with all your heart, search the truth out in the scriptures (Luther gave his life so that you could have your own Bible without an interpreter to tell you what it means), and stay focused on this one thing until you are truly converted. Nothing else really matters but this one thing. When the angels open up the Book of Life and look to see if your name is written in it, I promise you will remember this very e-mail and know that nothing else (not jobs, family, activities, tv shows, hobbies, pets, homes, etc.) will matter AT ALL. This is all that will matter - Is YOUR name written in that book or not. It will be too late to change course then. The day of grace will be expired and the day of judgment will seperate those who were truly His from those who lived their lives for themselves. And, contrary to popular deception, not many will be written therein. That is not my opinion, but Jesus Himself made that crystal clear when He said,
"Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and ONLY A FEW FIND IT." (Matthew 7:13-14)
These aren't "options" for the "super-spiritual", but are required and inherant tenants of the true Gospel, true salvation, and true regeneration & discipleship. If this all sounds a little "out there" to you, then make no mistake - you are outside the faith and will be "cast out" there into "outer darkness where there is weeping, wailing, and gnashing of teeth" (Matthew 8:12), unless you repent. Not do you "know these things (mental ascent)", but are they the reality of your everyday life? You cannot fool the Lord and the exhortation to repent is the greatest example of God's Grace/Love, not flattery and false comfort. "Examine yourselves, test yourselves to see if you are truly in the faith. Do you not realize that Christ Jesus is in you --- unless, of course, you fail the test?" (II Corinthians 13:5). Time is short my friend and you, yes you, will be judged by Him who sees and knows all. Love compels me to warn you of this soon reality.
And lastly, if you are in a church, or have gone to one before, and many of things sound foreign to your hearing and you don't hear them on a weekly basis from the pulpit and in the mouths of so-called "counsellors" there, then get out of that apostate church. RUN FOR YOUR LIFE!!! It will very well cost you that if you don't. These man-made kingdoms of religion and money are on the broad road that leads to destruction with the many. Not on the narrow path that leads to life. Choose to seek God alone, in His Word, until He brings you into true New Testament fellowship with the genuine "Body of Christ", and choose to rather be alone with God for a time rather than being in a large multitude of deceieved religionists on their way to hell. If you know, "Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved..." (Acts 16:31) and "Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved- you and your household" (Acts 16:31), and yet many of the other verses and key tenents of New Testament Christianity/Conversion that I mentioned/quoted earlier are foreign to you (and your church's focus), then get out of there now before it's too late. We, as a post-modern culture, don't even know what these scriptures mean when they use the word "Believe". To us, we "believe" anything and everything (if it serves to benefit us), and there is no risk in believing nothing at all or everything at the same time (including opposite viewpoints which is impossible and slightly mentally insane). You may "believe" in parachutes, but you don't truly "believe" in the biblical sense until you put one on and jump out of a plane. Then, it can be truly said, you "believe" in parachutes. Not before. You can "believe" in Jesus, and it can be said as James said, "you believe, ..... good, even the demons believe and tremble." (James 2:19), and obviously you understand that though the demons in hell, and the devil himself "believe that Jesus is the Son of God", they aren't going to heaven, because they haven't been born again and haven't put their trust in Him as their one and only savior!!
I was desperately religiously deceived until I was 23 1/2 years old. Then, I got in God's Word for myself, sought Him with all my heart, saw both my wickedness and deserving of eternal punishment, and His righteous and Holy Law to which I could not stand up to. I cried out not to "get me out of a crunch" or to "soothe my conscience", but I cried out in humility before God that my life was worthless as it was, but I still surrendered it to him, no matter the cost, until I die, if He would accept me in His Kingdom. I was gloriously Born Again, praise be to God, and I was CHANGED from death to Life. God made me "a new creation, old things were passed away and behold, all things become new" (II Corinthians 5:17). I then hated the things that I before loved and loved the things that I before hated. God "put a new Spirit in me and took out my heart of stone and gave me a heart of flesh" (Ezekiel 36:26). You are different by nature when Born Again. You have a deposit of God within you and you don't "do good" because you know you are supposed to (self-righteous religion), but because God's Spirit is now within you changing your desires from self to the one who saved you. My sins were obvious and deplorable to all, and God saved me to show the extent of His mercy and grace for His glory. Most of you, by human definitions, are "better people" than I was, no doubt. But, "There is none righteous, no not one, for ALL have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23). This just means that you may have a harder time seeing your sinfulness and need for true repentance. Well, if that's the case, then you are headed for the same hell-fire of eternal torment that I was, and unless you repent, God will send you there because that is what we all deserve. Stop and think about these things before it's too late. And God as my wi tness, we don't have alot of time left.
Grace and Peace,
Jeff Marshall
(Russian Article)
American capitalism gone with a whimper Front page / Opinion / Columnists 27.04.2009 Source: Pravda.Ru
It must be said, that like the breaking of a great dam, the American decent into Marxism is happening with breath taking speed, against the back drop of a passive, hapless sheeple, excuse me dear reader, I meant people. BREAKING NEWS The United States of Torture The strict traditions of Sumo wrestling More... True, the situation has been well prepared on and off for the past century, especially the past twenty years. The initial testing grounds was conducted upon our Holy Russia and a bloody test it was. But we Russians would not just roll over and give up our freedoms and our souls, no matter how much money Wall Street poured into the fists of the Marxists. Those lessons were taken and used to properly prepare the American populace for the surrender of their freedoms and souls, to the whims of their elites and betters.
First, the population was dumbed down through a politicized and substandard education system based on pop culture, rather then the classics. Americans know more about their favorite TV dramas then the drama in DC that directly affects their lives. They care more for their "right" to choke down a McDonalds burger or a BurgerKing burger than for their constitutional rights. Then they turn around and lecture us about our rights and about our "democracy". Pride blind the foolish.
Then their faith in God was destroyed, until their churches, all tens of thousands of different "branches and denominations" were for the most part little more then Sunday circuses and their televangelists and top protestant mega preachers were more then happy to sell out their souls and flocks to be on the "winning" side of one pseudo Marxist politician or another. Their flocks may complain, but when explained that they would be on the "winning" side, their flocks were ever so quick to reject Christ in hopes for earthly power. Even our Holy Orthodox churches are scandalously liberalized in America.
The final collapse has come with the election of Barack Obama. His speed in the past three months has been truly impressive. His spending and money printing has been a record setting, not just in America's short history but in the world. If this keeps up for more then another year, and there is no sign that it will not, America at best will resemble the Wiemar Republic and at worst Zimbabwe. These past two weeks have been the most breath taking of all. First came the announcement of a planned redesign of the American Byzantine tax system, by the very thieves who used it to bankroll their thefts, loses and swindles of hundreds of billions of dollars. These make our Russian oligarchs look little more then ordinary street thugs, in comparison. Yes, the Americans have beat our own thieves in the shear volumes. Should we congratulate them?
These men, of course, are not an elected panel but made up of appointees picked from the very financial oligarchs and their henchmen who are now gorging themselves on trillions of American dollars, in one bailout after another. They are also usurping the rights, duties and powers of the American congress (parliament). Again, congress has put up little more then a whimper to their masters. BREAKING NEWS The United States of Torture The strict traditions of Sumo wrestling More...
Then came Barack Obama's command that GM's (General Motor) president step down from leadership of his company. That is correct, dear reader, in the land of "pure" free markets, the American president now has the power, the self given power, to fire CEOs and we can assume other employees of private companies, at will. Come hither, go dither, the centurion commands his minions.
So it should be no surprise, that the American president has followed this up with a "bold" move of declaring that he and another group of unelected, chosen stooges will now redesign the entire automotive industry and will even be the guarantee of automobile policies. I am sure that if given the chance, they would happily try and redesign it for the whole of the world, too. Prime Minister Putin, less then two months ago, warned Obama and UK's Blair, not to follow the path to Marxism, it only leads to disaster. Apparently, even though we suffered 70 years of this Western sponsored horror show, we know nothing, as foolish, drunken Russians, so let our "wise" Anglo-Saxon fools find out the folly of their own pride. Again, the American public has taken this with barely a whimper...but a "freeman" whimper.
So, should it be any surprise to discover that the Democratically controlled Congress of America is working on passing a new regulation that would give the American Treasury department the power to set "fair" maximum salaries, evaluate performance and control how private companies give out pay raises and bonuses? Senator Barney Franks, a social pervert basking in his homosexuality (of course, amongst the modern, enlightened American societal norm, as well as that of the general West, homosexuality is not only not a looked down upon life choice, but is often praised as a virtue) and his Marxist enlightenment, has led this effort. He stresses that this only affects companies that receive government monies, but it is retroactive and taken to a logical extreme, this would include any company or industry that has ever received a tax break or incentive.
The Russian owners of American companies and industries should look thoughtfully at this and the option of closing their facilities down and fleeing the land of the Red as fast as possible. In other words, divest while there is still value left. The proud American will go down into his slavery with out a fight, beating his chest and proclaiming to the world, how free he really is. The world will only snicker.
Stanislav Mishin
This just occurred to me a couple days ago. While I was sitting on the couch meditating on the Lord's ways a clear word popped in my head. The word was "you don't have a home". I came to understand the word immediately and agreed with joy! Yes, I do not have a home here on earth! God has brought me to a place like Jesus, where He says that the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head. Meaning, He did not have a permanent home on earth. Now I'm not saying that the christians who have homes are in sin. Its about not setting your heart, your affections on your house where it can bind you. How does it bind you? When you are working stressfully in supporting your lifestyle, your home, more than you need, that God can't use you because your so busy establishing a home on earth and working for it.
When our family sold our house in Texas, not realizing at the time that He was doing a wonderful work in our family. We put our house for sale not knowing where we would be living, where God was leading us too, but by faith forsaking all knowing He will be faithful in showing us the next step after we take the first step. Through giving up our home the Lord has taken away all desires in us to establishing a permanent home anywhere. The great thing about this is that Sean and I have no worries about not having a permanent home on earth and take joy in truly believing and trusting that God will take care of us!
We knew in the beginining that Mexico would not be a permanent stay, but that God has greatly used Mexico to continue to refine us, kept us from settling and making a comfortable home here knowing that He will call us to preach in other places. God has truly use Mexico to strip us from all the world's pleasures. Sean and I truly do not desire any pleasures from this dying world and find that we only desire to know and follow Jesus wherever! God has open another door again and called us to preach and glorify Him in another land, not even having a desire to set a home there either, but to be faithful to Him wherever He calls us. Knowing we will only be here on earth for a short time till we go home and be with our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ!
Before we make our journey to Asia, the place we are called to next, we will be making a stop in Texas so we can have our baby there and get his passport. But to think that we go back to Texas where Sean and I were raised, having no place to call our home, but that our home for our family will be wherever we lay our heads! There's no permanent home for us in this world and I can't believe how great I feel about this! It is definitely the Lord who worked this wonderful grace in me causing me to desire and be one with His cross! We do look forward greatly to our home in heaven, to be with our Lord and Savior Jesus!!!
Sean and I always had a passion from the beginning to reach Asia and the Middle East. And knew without a doubt that God will call us out on HIS TIMING. It seems what He has promised us in the begining by birthing in us a passion to proclaim Him over seas has come true! It took awhile for this promise to be given to us, but we understand that the Lord had to take us through the wilderness, to refine and mature us, to build us up and set our face like a flint toward His way that we may not look back. For those who keep looking back to Egypt (the world) are not worthy to be His disciple and be entrusted to carry His Gospel (Luke9:62). God has surely brought us to the cross, to die to our rights and obey Him no matter the cost! We can surely say our life is not our own to do as we please, but it is the Lord to do as He please with our lives and I pray that our family will glorify Him to the utmost!
We will surely miss Josef and Lina. They are true brethren who surely care about the glory of God more than their life! They understood from the beginning and knew Sean's passion to see muslims saved so they were not surprise that God has called us out from Mexico and into a place that is more populated with muslims. I can testify also that this couple "has nowhere to lay their heads" and that they take joy knowing that a better home is awaiting them in heaven. Sean and I do pray that the Lord would have us meet up with them again someday, until then we both know that this separation for a short time is for the greater glory of God, that we all may glorify and proclaim Christ in Mexico and Asia! To God be all the glory!
Luke 9:57-59
The Cost of Discipleship
57 Now it happened as they journeyed on the road, that someone said to Him, "Lord, I will follow You wherever You go."
58 And Jesus said to him, "Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head."
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