A Word for Troubled Times--The US Economy Will Not Recover-The Only Hope for America is 2 Chronicles 7:14

Following is what I believe the God is revealing about America:

1. Do not be lulled into complacency by recent reports that the US economic recession is easing;
2. The current leveling-off of delining US and international markets will be short-lived;
3. Following a brief respite, the US economy will enter a more protracted period of precipitous and painful decline; we are being given a reprieve to get our financial houses in order.
4. Unemployment rates will climb sharply, well above the current rate of 9.4%;
5. The President's approval numbers will plummet as increasing numbers of Americans awaken to his radical and destructive agenda.
6. As unemployment lines lengthen and people lack basic necessities, civil unrest will ensue. Mounting credible evidence of Obama's foreign birth will add fuel to the fires of civil discontent. National Guard troops could be deployed to American cities to suppress unrest.
7. The President's America-flagellating diplomacy and wishy-washy stand on international crises, his languid response to the Iranian regime's brutality toward its citizens and North Korea's nuclear saber rattling, will embolden Islamic terrorists to strike at the heart of America during this period of ecomomically-induced malaise. We need to pray that God will protect us from nuclear or other types of weapons of mass destruction; I am concerned that such attacks will be colossal and dramatic.
8. The White House's diplomatic adultery with anti-Israel, Arab-Islamic interests in the Middle East at the expense of our friendship with the Jewish state will draw the ire of Israel's God and hasten America's demise.
9. In the aftermath of another major terrorist attack, disillusioned American citizens will not rally behind the President and national resolve will wither. It is at this point that America will be most vulnerable to the designs of any number of anti-American regimes.
10. The troubles that are unfolding in America are from the hand of God who is "giving America over" to the reprobation so many have have insisted upon. (Romans 1:28) God will not be mocked. We "have sown the wind" and we will "reap the whirlwind." (Hosea 8:7)

To those who put the unraveling of America decades into the future, think again. World events are accelerating rapidly.

The shipmaster shook the prophet Jonah from his slumber with the words, "What meanest thou, O sleeper? arise, call upon thy God, if so be that God will think upon us, that we perish not!" (Jonah 1:6) So must the Body of Christ arise and shake off sleep for America's time is short. Do not believe those who say, "all shall be well" and "peace, peace; when there is no peace." Such are false prophets. The prophet Joel wrote:

Blow ye the trumpet in Zion, and sound an alarm in my holy mountain: let all the inhabitants of the land tremble: for the day of the LORD cometh, for it is nigh at hand ... the people shall be much pained: all faces shall gather blackness ... for the day of the LORD is great and very terrible; and who can abide it? Therefore also now, saith the LORD, turn ye even to me with all your heart, and with fasting, and with weeping, and with mourning: And rend your heart, and not your garments, and turn unto the LORD your God: for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and repenteth him of the evil. Who knoweth if he will return and repent, and leave a blessing behind him; even a meat offering and a drink offering unto the LORD your God? Blow the trumpet in Zion, sanctify a fast, call a solemn assembly: Gather the people, sanctify the congregation, assemble the elders, gather the children, and those that suck the breasts: let the bridegroom go forth of his chamber, and the bride out of her closet. Let the priests, the ministers of the LORD, weep between the porch and the altar, and let them say, Spare thy people, O LORD, and give not thine heritage to reproach, that the heathen should rule over them: wherefore should they say among the people, Where is their God? (Joel 2:1,6,11,13-17)

There is Hope

During the 1970's America faced multiple major crises including the nation's first ever defeat in the Vietnam War, an OPEC oil embargo, critical shortages of oil and gasoline, skyrocketing fuel and food prices, endless lines at gasoline pumping stations, American diplomats held hostage in Iran, interest rates above 20%, high unemployment and inflation, the legalizing of abortion on demand, and to top things off, the spectre of nuclear annihilation at the hands of the Soviet Union during tense years of the Cold War era. But also during the 1970's, the "If My People" prayer movement began and spread across America as Christians of every persuasion came together in unity, prayer, intercession, and worship for a nation in trouble. The movement was based on the pattern for national healing outlined by God Himself in 1 Chronicles 7:14, If My People was a movement of prayer and intercession for the healing of America:

"If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land." (2 Chronicles 7:14)

"If My People" bore miraculous fruit during the 1980's. Ronald Reagan was elected President for two successive terms as one of the most popular presidents in American history, across party lines. America entered a period of unprecedented economic growth and prosperity. The Iranian hostages were released immediately after Reagan's inauguration. The Iron Curtain separating East and West Europe crumbled like the walls of Jehrico and the spectre of thermonuclear war evaporated. The Gospel was freely preached and bore fruit again in every Eastern bloc country where it had once been prohibited by law. In short, the "weeping" that endured through the long night of the 1970's gave way to "morning joy" during the 1980's.

American needs a fresh "If My People" movement for these troubling times; a Church fully engaged according to 2 Chronicles 7:14 is the only hope America has left. If the Church delays, we do so at our own and America's peril.

I welcome feedback and comment.

Feline Hit Man Headed for the Pound

A satirical response to countless stories on a case of cat abuse

Michael Vick killed dogs, but Tyler Weinman committed the unthinkable—cat abuse.[1] Investigators have been combing through Weinman’s Internet history and veterinary records of the deceased cats to find out if Weinman’s is just another case of a sadistic adolescent thrill seeking or honor killing by a dog lover over Vick’s canine abusing ways. Police also want to know if Weinman acted alone, but the cat’s got Weinman’s tongue.

The teenage kitty killer was released from jail today on $250,000 bond. Weinman will wear an electronic monitoring bracelet and remain under house arrest while he awaits trial on 19 counts of catslaughter. The question that has cat lovers choking on hairballs is “Why, would he stoop to such barbarism when there are humane ways to terminate Tabby?” One bereaved cat owner meowed, “Poor defenseless Tigger,” and fainted. Feline fanatics and police are both worried that there could be copycats.

Cat Coroner Henry Harebawl darted around the crime scene earlier today to assess the carnage. “These cats are in full rigor. I’m finding paws and claws everywhere!” he said. “By the looks of these carcasses, these puddy tats were probably catnapped around midnight and drugged with catnip; toxicology reports will tell us for sure. The toms usually go on the prowl for kitties around midnight. They were probably slain shortly after that; the Cat Examiner’s autopsy reports will pinpoint the times of death.” Harebawl also mentioned that “Cat owners, desperate to save their furniture, are so afraid of furtive feline rescuers that they won't carry kitty into a vet clinic in broad daylight. They end up turning to back alley cat butchers to get rid of their unwanted felines.”

Callie Calico of Cats Against Cat Abuse (CACA) arrived on the scene early to make sure investigators didn't overlook evidence. "I lost my kitty to a cat abuser," the moribund minx said." Calico added, "After that traumatic experience, I founded CACA and have given my life to stopping this kind of abuse from happening to other cat lovers. We’re working for a cat abuse-free world."

Weinman will be arraigned on July 6 and could get up to 158 human years in prison. That’s about 843 in cat years for the purr sadist. The defense is hoping that prosecution will accept the lesser charge of involuntary catslaughter by reason of insanity in exchange for a no contest plea. Lead investigator Bloodhound Bill Bowser (a.k.a. “Snoopy”) dismissed rumors that Weinman could end up in the same prison cell as Michael Vick. “Not on your leash!" Bowser growled. "They’d end up fighting like cats and dogs."

If my satiric take on this story strikes the reader as insensitive or offensive, I've hit my mark. I refuse to raise an eyebrow over the wanton slaughter a few cats in a society that approves the wanton slaughter of 4,000 helpless unborn human beings who are butchered, poisoned, chemically burned, and dismembered in the sanctuary of their mothers' wombs each and every day. Our priorities and indignation are misplaced and perverse and our damnation is just.

I would only ask that readers be equally indignant over the wanton slaughter every year in America of 1.5 million unborn human beings who are of inestimable value to God who made them, certainly far more valuable than any number of cats. If your contempt for cat abuse exceeds your disdain for child killing, then there is something in you that is as twisted as the neurosis that motivated Tyler Weinman to torture cats.

© 2009 Spin Cipher Publishing.

[1] Actual story can be found on numerous online news websites doing a Google search on “South Florida Cat Killer.”

Islam Rising in the West A Prophetic Perspective

Early nineteenth-century Liberalism,[1]

"… stresses the importance of human rationality, individual property rights, natural rights, the protection of civil liberties, constitutional limitations of government, free markets, and individual freedom from restraint as exemplified in the writings of Adam Smith, John Stuart Mill, Montesquieu, Voltaire and others … The qualification classical was applied in retrospect to distinguish early nineteenth-century liberalism from the "new liberalism" associated with Thomas Hill Green, Leonard Trelawny Hobhouse, and Franklin D. Roosevelt, which grants a more interventionist role for the state."[2]

Liberal and Liberalism as they are used today, retain very little of their original meanings. Today’s Liberalism equates to Statism[3] and today’s Liberal is, for all intents and purposes, a Statist. Before they can plunder a society, statists know they must first “bind the strong man” of truth because truth is the statist's greatest enemy. Statists achieve this objective by infecting a society’s time-honored traditional values with pathogenic philosophies such as Multiculturalism, Feminism, Homosexuality, Abortion, and other vile ‘isms.’ Statists act as parasites that carry the societal plague called Statism. The first stage of Statism involves co-opting the host culture’s language, particularly as it relates to traditional values—a free society's first line of defense against tyranny. To illustrate, American Statists have hijacked Classical Liberalism’s ‘individual liberty' by shackling to it an “anything goes” meaning that amounts to moral turpitude.[4] Thus, Statists have turned America's time-honored value of individual liberty against our society in much the same way that an autoimmune disease turns the body's own immune response against itself.

The Apostle Peter spoke of the days we now live in: “While they promise them liberty, they themselves are the servants of corruption: for of whom a man is overcome, of the same is he brought in bondage.” (2 Peter 2:19) The Psalmist wrote, “But unto the wicked God saith, ‘What hast thou to do to declare my statutes, or that thou shouldest take my covenant in thy mouth? Seeing thou hatest instruction, and casteth my words behind thee.’” (Psalm 50:16-17) Why is this important?

The West has tossed out God’s Law and a terrifying irony is unfolding as a result—a tyrannical ideology is rushing in to fill the spiritual and moral vacuum in Europe, Canada, and the United States. What is this terrifying irony and what is its prophetic significance?

Muslim populations and thus, Political Islam, are metastasizing indomitably across Europe, Canada and the United States. Muslim birth rates in the west are far outpacing native population birth rates. If these demographic trends continue, the only thing that stands between Eurabia, Canadistan, and Amerabia is time, and not much of it.

The terrifying irony is this: As Political Islam (a redundancy) ascends to prominence, the Law of the one and only God who is love, will gradually be replaced by an intolerant, oppressive, imposed Islamic morality that is at war with everything modern Liberals hold dear. The neo-Liberal values the West has stubbornly refused to let go of will be ripped from its hands to be replaced with Sharia.[5] Voluntary adherence will be replaced by forced subjugation to Islamic law which rejects Multiculturalism, Feminism, Homosexuality, and Abortion and imposes austere penalties for law-breakers, capital punishment among them. Then the West which opted for absolute “freedom” over the perfect “Law of Liberty” (James 2:12) will be given absolute tyranny. As the scenario above plays out, the West will find itself in the horrible predicament described in the first chapter of Proverbs for those who reject God’s wisdom and counsel:

"Because I have called, and ye refused; I have stretched out my hand, and no man regarded; But ye have set at nought all my counsel, and would none of my reproof: I also will laugh at your calamity; I will mock when your fear cometh; When your fear cometh as desolation, and your destruction cometh as a whirlwind; when distress and anguish cometh upon you. Then shall they call upon me, but I will not answer; they shall seek me early, but they shall not find me: For that they hated knowledge, and did not choose the fear of the LORD: They would none of my counsel: they despised all my reproof. Therefore shall they eat of the fruit of their own way, and be filled with their own devices." (Proverbs 1:24-31)

© 2009 Seeds for Good Soil. For reprint permission, send email to: spincipher@comcast.net.

_______________________________________________

[1] Liberalism: Also known as Classical, Traditional, Laissez-Faire, and Market Liberalism. (Source: Wikipedia).
[2] Ibid.
[3] Statism: 1. “the political expression of altruism [which] is collectivism … [statism] holds that man’s life and work belong to the state—to society, to the group, the gang, the race, the nation—and that the state may dispose of him in any way it pleases for the sake of whatever it deems to be its own tribal, collective good.” 2. “A statist system—whether of a communist, fascist, Nazi, socialist or “welfare” type—is based on the … government’s unlimited power, which means: on the rule of brute force. The differences among statist systems are only a matter of time and degree; the principle is the same.” (The Ayn Rand Lexicon)
[4] Moral Turpitude: Vile, shameful, or base character; depravity. A vile or depraved act. (Source: Wikipedia)
[5] Source: Wikipedia entry Demographics of Islam.

Rock Bottom

“He will regard the prayer of the destitute, and not despise their prayer.” (Psalm 102:17)

There is a slogan that goes like this: “Rock Bottom—you’ll know it when you get there.” Are you at rock bottom?

Hitting bottom is never a soft landing. At this point some of you might be thinking, “Bottom would be a vast improvement!” You’re looking up at the bottom. Your circumstance is known as “destitution.” Take courage; there is great blessing to be found at rock bottom.

It is only natural to forget that rock bottom is a place of answered prayer when we are afflicted. In his own destitution, the Psalmist cried, “He will regard the prayer of the destitute, and not despise their prayer.” (Psalm 102:17)

Whoa! You mean God's not mad at me? These things aren't happening because God is against me? This isn't payback for some sin I committed? God actually wants to bless me? That's right.

When we find ourselves in crushing circumstances and see no way out, it is difficult to believe that God wants to show Himself strong on our behalf. Instead of crying out to God in prayer, however, we give up and accept defeat. But resignation is not the response God is looking for.

The “prayer of the destitute” often ascends as a faint whisper—our prayers don’t seem very powerful to us when we are at rock bottom. Without conditions, the psalmist puts the onus on God during rock bottom times—"He will regard the prayer of the destitute," he writes. He doesn’t adjectivize ‘prayer’ in this sentence. Not powerful prayer, not loud prayer, not joyful prayer, not triumphant prayer—a whimper will do!

If you are at rock bottom, don’t give up five minutes before your miracle happens! You are on the verge of a miracle! Don’t look down; look up—past the bottom. Realize that a loving Father is leaning toward you, His ear tuned for your faintest prayer.

Waiting is the Pits!

I waited patiently for the LORD; and he inclined unto me, and heard my cry. He brought me up also out of an horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my goings. And he hath put a new song in my mouth, even praise unto our God. (Psalm 40)

Waiting for anything in an instant gratification society may seem like “the Pits,” but since "elapsed time" takes up the better part of our lives, we would do well to use it wisely. Few would argue that sleep is a waste of time, yet we spend about 24 years in slumberland during our brief stay on earth. Rummaging through the Bible to find "escape clauses" that justify a lathered lifestyle will only prove that the Bible is as much a book about waiting as it is about faith.

The time that we receive an "encouraging word" from the Lord, is not a time to breathe a sigh of relief! It is time to begin training for the marathon! Noah waited 100 years for the flood. Abraham waited ‘til he was one hundred years old for Isaac. Esau sold his birthright for a bowl of soup because he couldn’t wait 'til dinner. Jacob waited 14 years for Rachel. Joseph spent years in slavery and waited at least two years in prison before his God-given dreams became reality. Moses was a fugitive for 40 years while he waited for God’s call on his life. Israel spent 400 years in bondage waiting for Moses and another 40 in the wilderness before entering the Promised Land. Impatience buried an entire generation of Jews in the wilderness. David waited over 15 years after Samuel anointed him before ascending to his kingly throne. The Jewish people waited thousands of years for Messiah, only to miss the “time of their visitation.” (Luke 19:44) God continues to wait patiently for sinners to repent and believe the gospel before He will wait no longer. As Christians, we eagerly wait for Jesus to return. So we see that faith and waiting are inextricably linked.

Wystan Hugh Auden, Noted twentieth century Anglo-American poet, wrote the following about impatience:

Perhaps there is only one cardinal sin:
impatience. Because of impatience we
were driven out of Paradise, because
of impatience we cannot return.

King David understood the importance of waiting on the Lord. When he found himself in a deep “pit,” neck-high in “miry clay,” did David try to craft a “plan of action and milestones” to extricate himself? Would wriggling, wrestling, or writhing have enabled him to lift himself out of his quicksand pit? On the contrary, knowing that struggling would cause him to sink deeper, David remained still and “waited patiently for the Lord” to intervene.

Often, when confronted with difficulty, we reflexively “spring into action” without asking God for wisdom and guidance, without seeking Him for an answer, without knocking on Heaven’s door. Our intentions may be good, but without God’s intervention and wisdom, we often make matters worse.

When I was a child, one of my parents’ favorite aphorisms was Benjamin Franklin’s “God helps them that help themselves.” I lost count of the number of times I heard, “God expects you to use your head. That’s why He gave it to you.” or ”Don’t just stand there, do something!” Sayings such as these were repeated so often that they became “mantras” seared into my brain like a brand on a bovine’s rump. It wasn’t until I began to understand God’s word that I realized “common sense,” isn’t always “sound wisdom.”

Scripture tells us that God’s ways are higher than ours, “as high as the heavens are above the earth,” (Isaiah 55:8-9). We are instructed not to rely on our own shallow understanding but to acknowledge God, not only in difficult or impossible situations, but in “all our ways.” (Proverbs 3:5) Are we wiser than the Wisdom of Solomon? Why then, do we rely so heavily on “common sense” in our decision making and problem solving?

As an example of someone who paid a hefty price for failing to “wait for the Lord,” the story of Israel’s first King, Saul, is one of the saddest in Jewish history. Jonathan, Saul’s son, had attacked and slaughtered a garrison of Philistine troops stationed at Geba. This drew the ire of their foreign occupiers who intended to crush the fledgling insurrection before it spread further. The Philistine army amassed a formidable invasion force at Michmash from which they would stage their campaign. In addition to infantry “as the sand which is on the sea shore in multitude,” there were "30,000 chariots, and 6,000 horsemen" that contributed to Israel's dismay. (1 Samuel 13:5) Seriously outnumbered and “outgunned,” the panicked Israeli army in Gilgal began to disintegrate. With Samuel nowhere in sight, Saul felt he had to do something! In a desperate attempt to rally his troops, Saul took it upon himself to offer the burnt offering and peace offerings; a privilege reserved exclusively for the High Priest, in this case, Samuel.

No sooner had Saul finished the offering, did Samuel appear. Upon learning what Saul had done, Samuel rebuked him and pronounced an end to his kingdom and God’s intention to replace him with a king who would be "a man after His own heart." (1 Samuel 13:14) Saul's confession to Samuel reveals why he acted so presumptuously:

Because I saw that the people were scattered from me, and that thou camest not within the days appointed, and that the Philistines gathered themselves together at Michmash. Therefore said I, The Philistines will come down now upon me to Gilgal, and I have not made supplication unto the LORD: I forced myself therefore, and offered a burnt offering. (1 Samuel 13:11-12)

A little saying I have grown fond of is, “Don’t give up five minutes before the miracle happens.” Had Saul waited only five minutes longer, his kingdom would have been established forever. (1 Samuel 13:13) Instead of waiting on the Lord, Saul allowed fear to control him. As a result, he acted impetuously and forfeited his chances for an enduring kingdom.

We see in Saul how unbelief fueled fear that caused him to abandon waiting on the Lord and take matters into his own hands. What does it mean to “wait upon the Lord?” Does the “waiting” David speaks of in Psalm 40 imply sitting around and doing nothing? Sometimes, but not always. Consider the list below for a few examples of what it means to “wait upon the Lord.”

Waiting on the Lord means …

• I do not rely on my own understanding to resolve problems; I acknowledge God “in all my ways.”


• I do not violate my integrity to achieve an objective; I act with integrity, leaving the results to God.


• I do not act out of fear; I respond in faith based on God’s faithfulness and promises.


• I do not seek ungodly advice; I seek the counsel of godly men and women.


• I do not form alliances with ungodly men: I seek relationships with others on the “narrow way.”


• I do not yield to temptation; I approach the “Throne of Grace” in times of testing.


• I do not use prayer as a last resort; I devote consistent time to God in prayer, in good times and bad.


• I am not miserly with God’s provision; I honor God in my giving knowing He is my provider.


• I am not impatient when God’s answer is delayed; I wait upon the Lord for His answer and provision.

While “waiting” may seem counter-intuitive or unproductive, the Scriptures teach us that those who wait upon the Lord reap tremendous benefits.

Hast thou not known? Hast thou not heard that the everlasting God, the LORD, the Creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not, neither is weary? There is no searching of his understanding. He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might he increaseth strength. Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall: But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint. (Isaiah 40:28-31)

We simply can’t afford not to wait on the Lord.

(c) 2008, Seeds for Good Soil. (Last updated: 3/11/2009 9:23 AM)

Bottom Feeders?

Several years ago at the church where I was one of several pastors, a senior staff member referred to people who participated in our 12-step recovery ministry as "bottom feeders." Our church was facing difficult financial challenges and she saw "twelve-steppers" as "non-contributors" and a drain on valuable pastoral staff time.

Jesus told a parable about a rich man and a bottom feeder:

"There was a certain rich man, which was clothed in purple and fine linen, and fared sumptuously every day. And there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, which was laid at his gate, full of sores, and desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man's table. Moreover the dogs came and licked his sores." (Luke 16:19-21)

In a society where just about everyone "fares sumptuously" every day and the “almighty dollar” is the unit of measure for everything's valuation, it is easy to forget that the Almighty doesn't assign worth in dollars and cents. The Bible has something to say about rich and poor.

Listen, my beloved brethren: did not God choose the poor of this world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom which He promised to those who love him? (James 2:5)

God the Father has extended a special invitation to bottom feeders (i.e. the hungry, the thirsty, the stranger, the naked, the sick, and the prisoner) to feast with Him:

Then said he unto him, A certain man made a great supper, and bade many … Then the master of the house being angry said to his servant, Go out quickly into the streets and lanes of the city, and bring in hither the poor, and the maimed, and the halt, and the blind. (Luke 14:16, 21)

Prosperous societies like to locate bottom feeders at a safe distance, especially from our consciences. Occasionally we will stumble over one, but for the most part they have been removed to inner city missions, halfway houses, and rehabilitation centers. We won't even know they are there unless we allow God to remove the dollar signs from our eyes.

Jesus takes special note of how we treat bottom feeders; the way we treat them will weigh heavily in our eternal destiny. A life lived in careless disregard toward the needy will not be worthy to join Lazarus the beggar in Abraham’s bosom.

Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me. … Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me. (Matthew 25:40, 45)

Paul said that God richly supplies us with all things to enjoy (1 Timothy 6:17). The temptation to confuse temporal prosperity with God’s approval is real. Speaking to the church at Laodicea, Jesus said,

Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked. (Revelation 3:17)

The rich young ruler, a Bill Gates in that day, thought his wealth would garner Jesus' favor, just as it had everyone else. Jesus didn't see him as an endowment; on the contrary, demonstrating that temporal wealth was of little consequence for the advance of His Kingdom, Jesus directed him to sell everything and give the proceeds away to bottom feeders:

Jesus looked at him and loved him. One thing you lack, He said. Go, sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me. (Mark 10:21)

I can picture Judas Iscariot grimacing as Jesus cavalierly dismissed enough wealth to bankroll their ministry for the foreseeable future.

What about you? What about me? Truth be known, I have stepped over many a Lazarus in my day. Do I have ears capable of hearing Jesus say, sell it all and give to the poor? Or, have I “dispensationalized” Jesus’ teaching that "it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God." (Matthew 19:24)

So how do we get our personal camel through the eye of Heaven’s needle? Like the rich young ruler, we first need to ask Jesus what, if anything, He wants us to take on our journey. After that it is all about our GPA, Generosity, Perspective and Attitude:

Generosity: Instruct them to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share … (1 Timothy 6:18)

Perspective: But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. … storing up for themselves the treasure of a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of that which is life indeed. (1 Timothy 6:6-7, 19)

Attitude: Instruct those who are rich in this present world not to be conceited or to fix their hope on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly supplies us with all things to enjoy. (1 Timothy 6:17)

What is your GPA?

They Are Here

Following is taken from a recent post by Brigitte Gabriel of Act for America:

Already in 2009, we are seeing numerous alarming signs that the Islamist threat has reached our shores. There is not much time.

Having studied the threat in-depth, I’ve learned and continue to learn everything I can about Islam and the true intentions of Islamists toward the West, especially the United States. I have listened to briefings given by scholars, experts and intelligence officials who advise US Government agencies regarding the Islamist threat including the “stealth jihad.” I have written numerous times in blog entries and in e-mails about the very real threat North America faces from Islamism’s slow and steady march. Ignorance is not helpful. Denial is worse.

Contrary to what we normally hear from US Government officials, violence is not the greatest threat we face from terrorists. The far more insidious threat to our culture, system of government, way of life, and religious freedoms is unfolding, unnoticed, right under our noses. Unfortunately, our ignorance makes America Islamism's “frog in the kettle.” The US will face circumstances similar to our European allies who are dealing with emboldened Islamists demanding more and greater accommodations. Having a President who seems sympathetic toward Islamists’ ‘concerns’ does not bode well.

Islamism is gaining ground in Europe at an alarming pace. Some say there is still hope for Europeans to pull their continent out of its cultural nose dive. Absent a major Christian spiritual awakening across Europe, I do not expect Europe to recover. In fact, widespread Christian revival in Europe is likely to spark persecution of Christians by Islamists who can almost taste a soon-to-be restored Caliphate.

I see Islam in Europe through a prophetic prism. I do not know how much longer it will be before European countries begin falling to Islam-imposed sharia law, but it is not far off, unless of course you consider a few decades to be "far off." Once Europe begins to fall, the US will be further isolated and weaker, both economically and in alliances. The pressure to enact similar ‘reforms’ will be hard to fight.

As of January 27, the following events have already taken place in the US and around the globe (courtesy: Act for America):

• An Islamist protest in Britain turned violent as an angry Islamic mob shouting “Allahu Akbar” chased dozens of British police officers for blocks. See the shocking YouTube video. How long will it be before 50,000 ranting Muslim demonstrators chase riot police in America? Know this; what Islamists tried and succeeded in doing in the UK will be exported to the US.
• Pro-Hamas, anti-Israel Islamist demonstrators carried out protests in several US cities during the recent Israeli military campaign in Gaza. Many of these so-called “religion of peace” members carried signs expressing genocidal hatred toward Israel including “Go back to the ovens,” an obvious reference to Hitler’s “final solution.” Some of the cities where protests occurred include Ft. Lauderdale, Washington, DC, New York City, Atlanta, Boston, Colorado, and Los Angeles. (links lead to actual video footage for some of these cities).
• The Amsterdam Court of Appeals will try Dutch parliamentarian Geert Wilders for making “insulting” statements deemed harmful to “the religious esteem” of Muslims.
• Austrian parliamentarian Susanne Winter convicted of incitement for public statements she made, including the claim that the prophet Mohammed was a pedophile.
• Muslim protest marches in Italy ended with mass prayer vigils conducted directly in front of Catholic churches, an obvious attempt to intimidate.
• A just-released official US Government report has concluded that Hezbollah-sponsored terrorist cells are forming in the U.S. and could activate at any time.
• The UN is pressing forward with the anti-Israel “Durban II” Conference which calls for the suppression of public “defamatory” speech against Islam. Durban II coincides with a parallel effort by the Organization of the Islamic Conference to get the UN Human Rights Commission to pass a resolution condemning public “defamation” of Islam. How will these events intimidate free speech in America?
• Islamic enclaves known as “no-go-zones” in Europe are beginning to form in America. Dearborn, Michigan has been nicknamed “Dearbornistan.”

Islamists, principally members of the Muslim Brotherhood, have infiltrated every stratum of American society and Government and are patiently executing a unified strategy to transform the United States into an Islamic state. Do not dismiss what I am saying as sensationalist or fear-mongering. The Islamic threat is REAL and growing in America. Every person reading this e-mail owes it to our children and our God-given country, to pray and be informed.

Islam is energized by a formidable demonic principality in the heavenlies that has been turned loose on the nations. Many countries have been infiltrated so significantly that they have passed the point of no return.

I am not advocating that churches and Christians in America drop everything and join a new ‘crusade’ against Islam. Waking up to the threat would be a step in the right direction, however. The transformation that is taking place in Europe and to a lesser degree in America is the result of Christianity’s decline in western society and Christians’ who, not having a biblical world view, vote in direct opposition to Kingdom values!

We must act now, “for the night is coming when no man can work;” (John 9:4) the time we have remaining to stop the advance of Islamism is very short.