Our greatest sin and the real cause of the present depression is forgetting God. That means failure to obey God, to listen to His Word, and to bring up our children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. Godlessness leads to disregard for law, corruption in politics, fraud in educational and state life, and hypocrisy in the Church.

Americans have forgotten God! Its parents, youth and citizens as a whole - these have forgotten God. Even ministers, educators and church officials have forgotten God. True, millions of Christians have not yet forgotten God, but the whole tendency in state life, school life, commercial life, and even in religious circles, is to forget God.

Though there are fifty million church members in the nation and many more Christians who are not church members, yet there are about seventy million outside the churches, living as if there were no God or hereafter.

America's history has been phenomenal. From the first there were many immigrants coming to America seeking religious liberty. In godly worship they settled our eastern shores, then moved westward, until they settled almost three million square miles of territory. They built cities, made marvelous inventions, improved everything possible, and now support approximately 124,000,000! For 157 years, God has been the God of this nation, piloting us safely through the pioneer periods, the five wars for freedom of oppressed peoples; and as a culmination, the people following the recent period of prosperity, have turned largely away from God! Then came the events which brought a general depression!

How does America and Americans forget God?  By largely banishing the Bible from schools and by misinterpreting it in universities, criticizing it in theological seminaries and colleges, and scoffing at it among the infidels and atheists of the nation. False cults numbering nearly ten million are sweeping the land with propaganda of denial, deceit and devilish doctrines. Atheists, modernists and communists have formed a deadly alliance against God, Christ, the Church, and the Bible. "But he that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh, the Lord shalt have them in derision."

Pleasure, newspapers, magazines, business and society have largely taken the pre-eminent place that God and Christian living ought to take. Crime gets the eye, not Christ! Society not salvation, business and not betterment of souls, money and not missions, earth and not Heaven is foremost in thinking. True, there are a few million Christians in America who still adore, worship and serve Him; but they are like salt in a rotting nation.

Judgment Is Coming.  Ancient Babylon, Greece, Rome, Medo-Persia, Assyria, and other empires all forgot God, and have been ruined and forgotten; but only until the judgment!

Oh, citizens of America! Will you ever learn a lesson from past history, from experienced adversity, from former judgments on the nations, that forgetting God does not pay? Can the professing Church of today continue to exist if she joins the world, praises the communists and denies God's divine rulership?

Macaulay, the English historian, writing nearly one hundred years ago, said of America, "She will be pillaged and looted in the twentieth century by vandals, and forces within her will cause her destruction." Indications prove him to be right, and unless something can be done by godly people to stem the tide of lawlessness, communism, modernism and immorality, she will go the way of the ancient nations. Will Christians, will governmental leaders, will its citizens awaken in time or too late?

What Will Cause America to Return to God?  Only a nation-wide revival of Christian teaching, the preaching of a crucified Christ, the return to the Bible, banishing communism, deposing false cult-teachings, baring worldly and sinful amusements, and all dangerous teachings in our public schools. God must find His rightful place in human hearts, the family altars must be restored, and the Church must cease pandering to worldly aspirations.

The prodigal son "came to himself," and America must come to herself. God's voice calls upon her to repent, confess her sins and return to the God of love and life. Mercy pleads with justice, grace pleads against judgment, truth opposes falsity, and wisdom foresees coming disaster, unless there is a change through national revival.

May God's faithful ones keep crying to God for a revival and "give him no rest" until He hear from Heaven with a mighty power as of old. Let us pay unceasingly.

By Evangelist Joseph T. Larsen
-- from the July 1933 Moody Bible Institute Monthly




"Wilt thou not revive us again, that thy people may rejoice in thee?" (Ps. 85:6)

The Feinstein bill will require ‘grandfathered weapons be registered’; calls for owners to be fingerprinted.

Following is a summary of the 2013 legislation:

• Bans the sale, transfer, importation, or manufacturing of:
  • 120 specifically-named firearms
  • Certain other semiautomatic rifles, handguns, shotguns that can accept a detachable magazine and have one military characteristic
  • Semiautomatic rifles and handguns with a fixed magazine that can accept more than 10 rounds
• Strengthens the 1994 Assault Weapons Ban and various state bans by:
  • Moving from a 2-characteristic test to a 1-characteristic test
  • Eliminating the easy-to-remove bayonet mounts and flash suppressors from the characteristics test
  • Banning firearms with “thumbhole stocks” and “bullet buttons” to address attempts to “work around” prior bans
• Bans large-capacity ammunition feeding devices capable of accepting more than 10 rounds.
• Protects legitimate hunters and the rights of existing gun owners by:
  • Grandfathering weapons legally possessed on the date of enactment
  • Exempting over 900 specifically-named weapons used for hunting or sporting purposes and
  • Exempting antique, manually-operated, and permanently disabled weapons
• Requires that grandfathered weapons be registered under the National Firearms Act, to include:
• Background check of owner and any transferee;
• Type and serial number of the firearm;
• Positive identification, including photograph and fingerprint;
• Certification from local law enforcement of identity and that possession would not violate State or local law; and
• Dedicated funding for ATF to implement registration

The Night of the Broken Glass (Kristallnacht)--the infamous Nazi rampage against Germany's Jews--took place in November 1938.
It was preceded by the confiscation of firearms from the Jewish 
 

victims. After invading, Nazis used pre-war lists of gun owners to confiscate firearms and many gun owners simply disappeared. Following confiscation, the Nazis were free to wreak their evil on the disarmed populace, such as on these helpless Jews from the Warsaw Ghetto.

 

Finding out which Jews [or Americans] had/have firearms was not/will not be too difficult. The liberal Weimar Republic passed a Firearm Law in 1928 or 2013 requiring extensive police records on gun owners. Hitler signed a further gun control law in early 1938.

Other European countries also had laws requiring police records to be kept on persons who possessed firearms. When the Nazis took over Czechoslovakia and Poland in 1939, it was a simple matter to identify gun owners. Many of them disappeared in the middle of the night along with political opponents.
 

In 1941, U.S. Attorney General Robert Jackson called on Congress to enact national registration of all firearms. Given events in Europe, Congress recoiled, and legislation was introduced to protect the Second Amendment. Rep. Edwin Arthur Hall explained:

"Before the advent of Hitler or Stalin, who took power from the German and Russian people, measures were thrust upon the free legislatures of those countries to deprive the people of the possession and use of firearms, so that they could not resist the encroachments of such diabolical and vitriolic state police organizations as the Gestapo, the Ogpu, and the Cheka."

Rep. John W. Patman added:

"The people have a right to keep arms; therefore, if we should have some Executive who attempted to set himself up as dictator or king, the people can organize themselves together and, with the arms and ammunition they have, they can properly protect themselves. . . ."

http://www.stephenhalbrook.com/registration_article/registration.html

December 26, 2012....

As we reflect on yesterday' festivities, relaxing after the hustle and bustle, loosen our belt a notch after eating too much and anticipate, with dread, the arrival of credit card bills - the shallowness of our lives should shame us as across the globe we are grieved to learn that Pastor Youcef Nadarkhani on Christmas Day was ordered to return to prision. The charge - he must complete the remainder of his sentence .

In September, the pastor was acquitted of apostasy, for converting from Islam to Christianity. The court maintained his three-year sentence for evangelizing Muslims. As he had already served close to three years, the pastor was freed after posting bail. The court stated that the remainder of his sentence, which equaled roughly 45 days, would be served in the form of probation.

Since Pastor Youcef' release, Mohammed Ali Dadkhah, his attorney, has been imprisoned and remains in Iran’s notoriously brutal Evin Prison where his health is rapidly deteriorating and is being denied proper dental care, according to his family. He has been incarcerated for advocating Nadarkhani’s case among other human rights cases.

Please, pray for both of these our brothers. 

... there is no distance in prayer.

Time Square - NY, NY
a picture is worth a thousand words -




For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like mortal man and birds and animals and reptiles. Romans 1

The best Christmas gift of all...

"Wherewith shall I come before the Lord, and bow myself before the high God? Shall I come before him with burnt offerings, with calves of a year old? Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams, or with ten thousands of rivers of oil? Shall I give my firstborn for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?" Micah 6:6-7

The Israelites in this passage were asking a good question: "How can any human approach a holy God? How can we ever please Him and be accepted by Him? What kind of sacrifice does He want from us? Our blood, our bodies, our children?"

God's answer appears throughout the Scriptures: "I do not want your sacrifices, your good works, your promises, your moral deeds. Not one of these fleshly things is acceptable in My sight. Nothing can please or delight Me except My Son and all who are gathered in Him."

Think of the most moral, upright person you know. Even he or she is not accepted in God's presence outside of Christ. All of that person's good works, kind nature and generosity are filthy rags in God's sight.

So, how are we accepted by God? Paul writes, "He hath made us accepted in the beloved" (Ephesians 1:6). Our good works come as a result of being in Him.

If you have given your heart fully to Jesus, you have probably voiced the same questions Israel asked: "Oh, God, how can I please You? How can I be a delight to You? I've made promises and tried my best, but every time I think I'm making progress, I take two steps back. Should I read more of the Bible? Should I spend more time in prayer? Should I give more, do more?

Lord, what do You want from me?"

God answers us as He did Israel: "I don't want any of your sacrifices or good works. I recognize only the work of My Son, who delights and pleases Me. I chose you from before the foundation of the world to be wed to My Son. I wooed you, convicted you and through my Spirit I brought you into Him. I cannot hate My own flesh!"  (David Wilkerson)

...is not what we can give Him, but what He has given us.

''Every year Christmas is celebrated across the globe as one of the most important Christian festivals ~ commemorating the blessed birth of Jesus Christ in Bethlehem some two thousand years ago.

Ironically the passion for Christmas runs high without the passion for Christ.

Jesus’ birth in Bethlehem brought change in the lives of the people amongst whom He lived, walked and preached. He lived as a common man of Israel, feeding the hungry, healing the sick and proclaiming the message of love, compassion and mercy.

I wonder why the humble birth of the King of kings and LORD of lords does not prompt us to help the poor, the oppressed or the persecuted?

We tend to miss the message of Christmas and celebrate the holiday as part of a tradition rather than the message of God’s boundless love and promise to mankind. The Savoir was sent to liberate the whole of mankind from man’s original sin in the Garden of Eden.

Christmas with Christ is the beginning of a happy, transforming and everlasting/eternal life....

a Christmas without Christ....."

ShekinahToday
 http://shekinahtoday.com/2012/12/15/christmas-every-day/

Imagine my surprise when I heard an elder at our church say Santa Claus was rooted in Christianity. I wrote others with my concerns and was even more surprised when they heartily agreed - with the elder.

It seemed obvious, at least to me, that far too many had become immersed in tradition - accepting the Catholic Christ-mas and Jolly Ole St. Nick as “Christian” instead of seeing it for what it is - a tradition steeped in Catholicism, a counterfeit of the blessed hope of the coming of the LORD Jesus Christ and notice, with a grieved spirit, the elevation of ‘saints’ and myths to a place reserved only for God.

Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man sows, that shall he also reap…

Indeed, many websites share the "christian" legends of St. Nicholas, born during the third century, “Bishop Nicholas became known throughout the land for his generosity to those in need, his love for children, and his concern for sailors and ships. By his example of generosity to those in need, especially children, St. Nicholas continues to be an example for the compassionate life” [St. Nicholas Center, http://www.stnicholascenter.org]

 Live a life filled with love, following the example of Christ, Who loved us and offered himself as a sacrifice for us, a pleasing aroma to God…

Others paint a much different picture of Jolly Old Saint Nick.

Nearly all Santa researchers agree that some traits of the man in the red suit were borrowed from Norse [Scandinavian] mythology:

Mythologist Helene Adeline Guerber presents a very convincing case tracing Santa to the Norse god Thor. [Encyclopedia Britannica describes the role of  Nordic mythology in the life of Santa.

Sinterklaas was adopted by the country's English-speaking majority under the name Santa Claus, and his legend of a kindly old man was united with old Nordic folktales of a magician who punished naughty children and rewarded good children with presents. ("Santa Claus" Encyclopedia Britannica 99)

There is a little-known piece in the life of Santa that time and tradition has silently erased. Few people are aware that for most of his life, St. Nicholas [SinterKlass Christ-kind,] had an unusual helper or companion. This mysterious sidekick had many names or aliases. He was known as Knecht Rupprecht; Pelznickle; Ru-Klas; Swarthy; Dark One; Dark Helper; Black Peter; Hans Trapp; ; Krampus, Grampus, Zwarte Piets; Furry Nicholas; Rough Nicholas; Schimmelreiter; Klapperbock; Julebuk...

And what about these little 'helpers' of Santa’ -

Before you completely discount elves to the world of fantasy, witches, the occult and kooks, consider the research of Dr. Kurt Koch. Dr. Koch is without question the world's foremost authority on demonism and the occult. Dr. Koch, a devout Christian, has spent a life-time traveling world-wide, researching and documenting the real-world of demonism, devils and the occult. Dr. Koch has three complete pages documenting "Goblins and Elves" in his book Occult ABC. Dr. Koch writes of elves: 

"These elves often appear to children and even play with them. The moment an adult comes on the scene, the elves disappear. . . If a person wants their help, he must apply to their chief, the devil himself [Santa?]. This however, would cost a person his salvation. The idea these spirits are demonic in origin is in accordance with the Bible." [Kurt Koch, Occult ABC, p. 82, 83]He sees you when you're sleeping, He knows when you're awake
He knows if you've been bad or good, So be good for goodness sake.Santa appears to be omniscient, omnipresent and omnipotent - Santa never fails.

What are we teaching our children?

Whither shall I go from Thy spirit? or whither shall I flee from Thy presence?  If I ascend up into heaven, Thou art there: if I make my bed in hell, behold, Thou art there… Psalm 139:7-8

The eyes of the LORD are in every place, beholding the evil and the good. Proverbs 15:3

He's making a list, He's checking it twice, He's gonna find out who's naughty or nice...

Then they that feared the LORD spake often one to another: and the LORD hearkened, and heard it, and a book of remembrance was written before him for them that feared the LORD, and that thought upon his name. Malachi 3:16

And I saw in the right hand of him that sat on the throne a book written within and on the backside, sealed with seven seals. Revelation 5:1

And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire. Revelation 20:12-15

“For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north, I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High…” Isaiah 14

Our children, our grandchildren, know more about Santa than they do the LORD.

Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world...Matthew 28

What are we teaching our children?

From a sermon preached by Charles H. Spurgeon
December 24, 1871:

"We have no superstitious regard for times and seasons. Certainly we do not believe in the present ecclesiastical arrangement called Christmas. First, because we do not believe in the mass at all, but abhor it, whether it be sung in Latin or in English. Secondly, because we find no Scriptural warrant whatever for observing any day as the birthday of the Savior; and consequently, its observance is a superstition, because not of divine authority. 'Superstition' has fixed most positively the day of our Savior's birth, although there is no possibility of discovering when it occurred. ... It was not till the middle of the third century that any part of the Church celebrated the nativity of our Lord; and it was not till very long after the Western Church had set the example, that the Eastern adopted it. ... Probably the fact is that the "holy" days were arranged to fit in with the heathen festivals. We venture to assert, that if there be any day in the year, of which we may be pretty sure that it was not the day on which the Savior was born, it is the 25th of December. ...

Regarding not the day, let us, nevertheless, give God thanks for the gift of His dear Son".

In October many celebrated National Coming Out Day and Halloween. November brought us the election, Thanksgiving and Black Friday. December will be filled with the hustle and bustle of  Christmas - Santa Claus, Rudolph, Gnome nativity sets, Christmas trees and jingle bells.

Christmas, the Mass of Christ.

Perhaps it is time to take a hard look at Christ-mas, X-mas to some. Does Christmas REALLY celebrate the birthday of Christ? Was Jesus born on December 25th? Did the original apostles, who knew Jesus personally and were taught by Him, celebrate His birthday on December 25th? Did they celebrate it AT ALL?

If Christmas is the biggest Christian holiday of the year  [or is the "biggest Christian" holiday Easter complete with bunnies and colored eggs] ~ then WHY do so many non-Christians observe it?  Why do people exchange presents with family members, friends and relatives at Christmas time? Was it because the wise men presented gifts to the Christ-child? [Remember, the wisemen did not exchange gifts among themselves, but "they presented unto HIM gifts." They gave their gifts to Christ, not to their friends, relatives, or to one another].

Nowhere in scripture are we instructed to celebrate the birth of Christ. Christmas came to the world from the Roman Catholic Church, and has no authority but that of the Roman Catholic Church. It was not instituted by Christ or the apostles, or by Bible authority. Holly wreaths, mistletoe, gift exchange, Christmas trees and yule logs all have their origins in pagan worship.

Christmas has become a commercial season. It's sponsored and kept alive by the heaviest retail advertising campaigns of the year. You see a Santa  in every store with elves at his side while Rudolph waits at the North Pole for the big night to arrive. Ads keep us deluded and deceived about the "Christmas spirit." A gullible people has become so inoculated, many take offense when told the truth. But the "Christmas spirit" is created each year, not to honor Christ, but to sell merchandise. Like all Satan's delusions, it appears as an "angel of light" made to appear good. Just check out the colored lights throughout neighborhoods across America - count the chreche, then count the Santa's, reindeer... Billions of dollars are spent in this merchandising spree every year, while the cause of Christ and the work of the LORD suffer.

We profess to be a Christian nation, but we dwell in Babylon and we don't even know it.

As we see the end of 2012 and the beginning of 2013 approaching, remember:

 On Sunday March 21, 2010 the Senate Healthcare bill HR3200 was passed and signed into law the following Tuesday.

'Obamacare'  requires an RFID chip be implanted in all of us “Not later than 36 months after the date of the enactment” ~~

March 23rd 2013.

This chip will not only be link to our bank accounts but will have our personal records plus tracking capability built into it.

http://polidics.com/news/another-hidden-secret-in-obamacare-rfid-chip-implants.html

http://beforeitsnews.com/alternative/2011/05/hidden-obamacare-secret-rfid-chip-implants-mandatory-for-all-by-march-23-2013-665502.html

RFID Chip Implant For All Americans? - Rumor or Fact.??.

http://www.prophecynewswatch.com/2012/August08/082a.html

"And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads..." Revelation 13:16

On September 13, 2012, the Dept of Homeland Security graduated its first class of FEMA Corps youth, aka the Homeland Youth.

The federal government calls them FEMA Corps. But they conjure up memories of the Hitler Youth of 1930’s Germany. Kids, aged 18-24 and recruited from the President’s AmeriCorp volunteers, they represent the first wave of DHS’s “Youth Corps”, designed specifically to create a full time, paid, standing army of FEMA Youth across the country! 

 
"Stay alert! be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour." I Peter 5:8