The Pharisees and the Sadducees were the ruling authority in Israel while the Jews were under the yoke of Rome. They were supposed to be a light to the people a guide to the blind, especially the Pharisees who said they believed in the resurrection of the dead. Jesus pointed out to them that although they could read the signs in the sky regarding the weather, knowing the Scriptures they could not read the signs that their long awaited Messiah had at last come. Apart from hundreds of Scriptures that Jesus had personally fulfilled confirming that He was their Messiah; He was also casting out demons from the deaf and mute. Something the Pharisees themselves taught that only Messiah could do as their own people had to communicate with the demon to cast him out. This they found impossible with a deaf and mute demoniac.

On the very day that Jesus presented Himself as their Jewish King, although the disciples had recognized Him the Pharisees had not... or more precisely ‘refused to acknowledge’ 38 years later after another Jewish revolt against Roman occupation, Rome totally destroyed Jerusalem. When it fell three quarters of a million Jews perished in two days. Our God is merciful but when enough is enough He will act and He will act decisively. The Scriptures point to a time when the door of the ‘age of grace’ will close and then we see noted in the Book of the Revelation the wrath of God on an unrepentant Earth much like the fall of Jerusalem but on a World wide scale.

Over the last week I have been hearing some truly amazing things on the BBC (Radio 4 news). Today they said that they were going to freeze coral as they now knew that it was too late to save it by limiting green-house gases, things had gone too far. Earlier in the week Gordon Brown said “we have only got 52 days left to come to an agreement to prevent a World-wide catastrophe”. They also said that for the first time in summer they believe they will be able to send shipping over the North Pole because much of the ice will be gone allowing shipping access.
Islamic terrorism, there is a real fear that Pakistan could fall to the Taliban, as hard as they try Islamic terror seems to be only increasing. The Israel, Jerusalem issue is coming to a head with Iran and the nuclear bomb threat and nobody seems to know what to do! Here in the United Kingdom they are rolling-out the swine flue vaccine, it looks as though this time we have been lucky but that it is only a matter of time before a truly terrible strain of some-kind of virus hits the World scene. The World powers are doing all they can to bring about a one World Government to give them total rule in an attempt to combat these things. Strong attempts are being made to bring about a one World financial system to stabilize the financial situation and control the masses. And the Catholic Church with others are trying their best to unite all religions under one banner to subdue all religious tensions.

Governments now acknowledge that something massive is about to happen and their panic is beginning to spill out into the public domain, they can't hide it any longer. Yet it seems that none of them will publicly acknowledge that all these things are prophesied in the Bible and that the Church has been shouting about them for two millennium.

A few Biblical signs of the last days.
• Matthew 24:6 - Wars and rumours of wars (ethnic against ethnic)
• Luke 21:25 - Fear and confusion regarding the weather
• Luke 21:26 - Mens hearts failing because of what is happening (Fear)
• Zechariah 14:2 - The World fretting over Jerusalem
• Joel 3:3 & Zechariah 14:3 - Armageddon
• Revelation 17:5 - One World religion
• Revelation 17: 12-13 - One World Government
• Revelation 13: 16-17 - One World Financial system

As an unbelieving World begins to see these things take place it can only produce fear and terror, but for those of us who believe only a further surety that what God has promised is true. When I tell people of these Earth shattering events and some begin to consider that these things may be true; the most common reaction is “how can I survive what is about to take place?” There is often no consideration that they need to change their ways and ‘get right’ with God and so save their souls. As we have to be ‘born again’

I just heard BBC Radio 4 advertise a new program called ‘The Cross and the Crescent’, it is relating to the wars that were fought between Christianity and Islam. Although it sounds interesting and I certainly look forward to listening to it, I have to dispute the fact that those wars were ever between true Christianity and Islam at all. It is this incorrect belief that still today fuels a hatred and mistrust of all Christians by Muslims and Jews alike, mainly because of what happened in the Crusades.

A true Christian is so called because he is a follower of Jesus and so takes his example of how to behave and live from the teachings of Jesus. It was in a place called Antioch that followers of Jesus were first called ‘Christians’. I can find nowhere in the Gospels [the accounts of the life of Jesus on Earth] where Jesus tells us to physically fight for the Kingdom of God on this Earth as did the Crusades, on the contrary Jesus said: Looking at the rest of the New Testament which mostly gives us an account of the early Church and is an example of how we are to follow our Lord, again I see no examples of how Christians are taught to physically fight for the Kingdom of God on Earth, to do so is not inline with New Testament teachings. But rather we find these instructions: Why fight for something that is about to pass away? It is Jesus who is going to return and set-up His Kingdom on Earth not us or the Catholic Church. The Catholic Church killed more Christians than Islam ever did back then [not that Islam isn't now and wont in the near future] torturing Christian, burning and massacring them by the hundreds of thousands in the name of Christ just because they wouldn't bow down to their Pope and join-in in their pagan rituals and un-scriptural teachings.

There are many others too who do things in the name of Christ but does that mean they are Christians? In the crusades thousands upon thousands were ignorant of the Scriptures not being allowed to read them for themselves [under pain of death - the dark ages] but were only allowed to be taught the Catholic interpretation. Before people declare that someone is a Christian and doing something in the name of Christ, they ought to consider if they are actually following Christ's example. It says nowhere in the Bible that a follower of Jesus should kill anyone, the ‘Children of Israel’ did so under their Old covenant when God needed to seperate them, as a people from a pagan World full of every kind perversity, from child sacrifice, bestiality to buggery but Christians are told to be seperated [sanctified] from a godless society by following God's Word, God's Word which is truth. John 17:17

When Peter thought to fight for the kingdom of God on Earth by drawing the sword Jesus made it quiet clear what those who did so could expect. Remembering the little that I know of the Koran, with text that clearly instruct Muslims to kill in the name of Allah, not just for today but in for the future also, I find it difficult to see how there can be any ‘moderate Koran believing muslims’. As Dave Hunt [The Berean Call] points out, “If a Christian kills in the name of Christ he is doing so contrary to the Holy Bible but when a Muslim kills in the name of Allah, he is doing so in obedience to the Koran” as there is plenty of Koranic text to support such an action. However, try as you might you will not locate any such text in the Bible instructing the Christian to kill anyone.

I do not say that a Christian should not join the army or fight for his country, when Jesus came across any soldier He never encouraged them to go AWOL but rather to use the authority entrusted to them correctly. Many of them were using their position to extract gain from the local population.

Studying with my Sister Tuesday we both came to the conclusion that God maybe telling us that, as things stand the ‘works’ we are doing for the Kingdom are in danger of being burnt-up.

For the sake of any unbelievers reading this, that they do not fall into the bondage and lies of the wicked one I have to point-out that when I say ‘works’ I do not mean it in the way the Catholic Church, Mormonism, Jehovah's Witness-ism or any other faiths mean it. We can in no way earn our salvation by our ‘good works’. Our ‘good works’ are the result of a changed life because we believe God has himself paid the price for all of our sins, and through faith in Him and what He has told us in His Word we believe that we shall inherit eternal life.

A simple example might be that you promise to give me a million pounds next week if I take all my belongings and burn them tomorrow!   I may say I trust you but my faith in your sayings will be revealed tomorrow by my ‘works’ or lack of ‘works’. I may make a show of burning a few things but hold back things that are valuable to me just in case you don't come through on your promise [hedging my bets], what does that reveal about my faith in you and what you say? Many Christians say they believe in God's Word but what does their life or ‘works’ say about what they really believe about God?

Abraham believed God and it was counted to him as righteousness, but later this saving faith was to be put to the test and through his actions (works) was shown to be perfect. Abraham had been promised that through his son Isaac, was to come a multitude of people; yet before Isaac had even had one child Abraham was told to sacrifice him! Abraham was in a fix, how could God keep His promise that Isaac would bring forth a Nation if Isaac was dead before he had brought any children into the World? But trusting God completely Abraham concluded that God would have to bring Isaac back from the dead. He believed this because he knew that the God he served could not lie! Abraham had no doubt that his God could do such a thing! (However God prevented Abraham from carrying this out)

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If we sow into this World Worldly things we will reap Worldly rewards all of which the Bible says will soon perish. But if we sow into eternal things [which takes faith in what God has said is true] then we will eventually reap an eternal reward. All of us have some belongings, gifts and abilities such as:

• Money
• Assets
• Time
• Energy
• Skills
• Positions
• Opportunities
• Various Abilities
• God given gifts

Somehow we need to convert these temporary goods into eternal treasures that we will gain rewards when we enter eternity. For instance, we can convert many of these gifts into leading people in a multitude of ways to the truth so that they may gain eternity with us. I think of the ‘Market Trader’ who sells his fruit. I'm unsure just how long he has, maybe just a few days to convert his perishable goods into a more permanent currency. If he fails he will suffer loss but if he succeeds he will gain a reward. Like that market trader we have a limited amount of time to convert our perishable goods into an eternal currency before they too pass away. What does it say to non believers when they see Christians working every hour God sends to gain money and material wealth? How can Christians say to a dying World that “these things are worthless as they are about to pass away” if we ourselves lust after them? If the whole World is in darkness and we are supposed to be God's light how dark has our light become?
I do not say this that we should be depressed, God reveals things to us not that we should suffer depression but that through His kindness we may turn from the error of our ways. Worldly sorrow ‘leads too’ (doesn’t always get there) death and suicidal tendencies but ‘Godly sorrow’ leads to repentance which means we stop and change direction turning 180 degrees. The US Dollar or the British pound will have no value in the coming age, neither gold nor silver. We need to convert all we have into another currency and we need to do it fast because when either death or that great day catches up with us (and it will) it will be eternally too late. The Scriptures show us what men think of their worldly goods the day Jesus returns but by then it is too late, the door to salvation has already been firmly and eternally closed.

Thought I'd just do a quick blog discussing the difference between Hades and Hell and as usual it became too big for a blog but way too small for a Topic  so I made a small article out of it. I have four or five 80 to 90 percent finished Topics laying around. It is difficult to finish them as they are so demanding but I'm determined to finish them soon. 

The King James Version of the Bible (as well as many others) interprets many Old Testament Hebrew and many New Testament Greek words into just one or two English words. Unless you are a Hebrew or Greek scholar (I'm not) you will miss this. However, we have today the ‘Strong's Number System’ to help us.

Anyway, here's the article: Hades is not Hell. As always, open to opinions, corrections etc...

Day		Hour
Monday		3 hrs
Tuesday		3 hrs
Wednesday		3 hrs
Thursday		3 hrs
Friday		3 hrs
Saturday		5 hrs
Sunday		5 hrs
		25 (hrs per week)
25 hrs × 52 weeks	=	1´300 (hrs per yr)
1´300 hrs ÷ 24 hrs	=	54 (24hrs days)
65 yrs × 1´300 hrs	=	84´500 hrs
84´500 hrs ÷ 24 hrs	=	3´520 days
3´520 days ÷ 365 days	=	Over 9½ years
Conclusion: Over 9½ years of the average UK citizen's ”conscious’ life is spent watching TV. Close to 20 percent of our waking hours.

I got thinking recently   (it happens) about how much time the average UK citizen spends watching TV. I'm guessing around 25 hours per week. I'm not sure what the average life expectancy is today, but opting for 70 years; ignoring the extra TV watched around holidays such as Christmas then generously dismissing the first five years of childhood and further, not adding any extra ‘TV time’ for the final 5 years of retirement, my calculations (see chart) compute that the average person spends over 9½ solid years of their waking life sat in front of the box, and that is being very conservative indeed. Considering we spend roughly 23 years of our 70 years of life sleeping, that 9½ years is around 20 percent of the remaining 47 years we spend awake!

1 Corinthians 15:33
Do not be deceived: Bad company ruins good morals.

Why? Because we pickup the values of those we spend time with, what values do we pickup if we spend 20 percent of our conscious life watching TV? Are they not the values of the World?

For those of us who believe that the Word of God is true we are told that although we are in the World we are not part of the World but we are to be sanctified (separated spiritually not physically).

We are not to conform to this World any longer but have our minds renewed by the reading of His Word (Romans 12:2). We also know that there is a real enemy who has blinded the whole world from the truth (2 Corinthians 4:4). We are not unaware of his schemes (2 Corinthians 2:11) and are told how to fight back (Ephesians 6:10-18). It is through the World and the love of the World that we see many of the traits of this defeated yet powerful entity, (1 John 2:16) and how very well he uses the medium of TV to promote his values as he promoted them to Eve (Genesis 3:4-5). He is a lier and the father of lies (John 8:44).

Many say that as Christians we are being brainwashed by reading so much of the Word, but brainwashed into what? Into loving our neighbour as ourself, is that so bad? But what is the World being brainwashed into when they spend 20 percent of their time watching the box? Even the most committed Christian is unlikely to spend as much time studying/reading God's Word as the average UK citizen does watching the box. I guess there is a place for the odd program and DVD as there is for wine and celebrations but what if it dominates most of our leisure time... as we know what we spend our time sowing will grow and one day develop into fruit, fruits of peace and contentment or fear, trouble and tribulation.

I was watching the film ‘Deja Vu’ recently, (this looks good sitting under the above blog! ) there is a bit near the end where Denzel Washington says to the bad guy:

“Satan thinks like a Man but God thinks in eternity”

I thought ‘There you go again,  that's not Scriptural, but everyone will think it is’. However, after I climbed down from my high horse  I realized that it does have a Scriptural basis. When Satan tried to use Peter to stop Jesus going to the Cross and fulfilling Scripture Jesus turned around to Peter and said: Isn't it good to know, that eventhough we maybe surrounded by troubles God has it all worked-out in eternity?