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These DVD’s are not just someone standing at a podium and speaking to an audience, they are full length docudramas just like you would see on the Discovery Channel or the History Channel. They make wonderful witnessing and teaching tools and many churches show them to their congregations and youth groups as well as using them in home Bible study groups.

Are we in the last days? Some think the Apostle Paul thought he was in the last days. Notice what he said in 1 Thessalonians 4:13-17, “But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.” It does appear at first glance that he may have thought so, but I think he was leaving it open. I feel that he knew Jesus could return while he was alive, if He chose to, but I believe He knew that Jesus could also return much later.

Over 2,000 years have passed, so obviously he was not in the last days. Or was he? Where does that leave us? In my opinion, Paul was in the last days, and so are we. The Church has always been in the last days of the Church age, because the removal, or Rapture, has always been imminent. It could happen at any time. So why is God waiting so long, at least in our view? Peter says it well, “The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.” (2 Peter 3:9) Jesus Himself also provides this information, “And they shall fall by the edge of the sword, and shall be led away captive into all nations: and Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled.” (Luke 21:24) “Until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled” fits perfectly with Peter’s statement in the previous verse (2 Peter 3:9). I say that because in my opinion, the “Ark” is almost full, except this time it won’t be a flood, but a Tribulation unlike anything this world has ever witnessed.

The Church Age could be compared to a yardstick. The Apostles were at the one inch mark. I think, from what I am witnessing, we are well toward the other end of the yardstick. Could we be at the 33” mark, 34” mark, 35” mark, or even very close to the 36” mark? I’ll leave that answer up to our Lord, but surely we are somewhere very close to the end. We are not to predict, but He has told us to watch for the signs He provides and be ready.

I strongly feel that we are now in the last days of the Church age, not the last days of the Tribulation of course. Think about this, if Jesus came today for His Church, there would still be at least seven more years to fulfill the Tribulation. Seven years is nothing, even ten years. Think back seven or ten years in your life. I don’t know about you, but to me, it seems like yesterday. So either way, when we mention “last days”, it can easily include the Tribulation and a short time prior to this horrible event. So this is where I am coming from in this article.

Some prophecies of the last days to consider in answering our question are weather patterns, the economy, society, placement of countries who will come against Israel, modern day technology that provides the means for fulfillment of end-time prophecies, but especially those concerning the State of Israel. In addition to all this though, the beginning Scripture passage of this article should answer this prevailing and burning question. Are we in the last days? If we are now seeing signs that are preparation indicators for the Tribulation, can the Tribulation be that far off? Since the Rapture precedes the Tribulation, then obviously it would be even closer.

Those of us who study prophecy, and I do not consider myself as well-versed as many of the writers, usually indicate that there are no signs for the Rapture. I believe there is one very clear sign; not of the Rapture itself, but the possible closeness of it. The sign is the context of Revelation chapters two and three. Seven literal churches are mentioned, and one of the things indicated is that each church represents a time in history. Each church progressively describes a period in our church history. The last period for the Church to exist is the Laodicean age. I feel, without a doubt, that we are in this Laodicean age. Now I grant you, we don’t know the length of this age, but we do know it is the last one. The Rapture will end this age as Revelation 3:22 moves over to Revelation 4:1 where we see a door standing open in Heaven, and the Church is not mentioned again until it is seen in Heaven, while the Tribulation is unfolding on earth. Clearly to me at least, the Church Age has traversed the entire length of the yardstick, and the end is nigh.

In our lead passage above (2 Timothy 3), Paul is explaining to Timothy how people will behave in the last days. Some feel that Paul is referring to the last days of the Tribulation, but I feel that he is including the time just before the Rapture and on into the Tribulation. When the Church is removed, the sinful acts of mankind will increase exponentially. So is there anything in Paul’s message to Timothy, in all these verses, that could describe us today, not just faintly but strongly?

Paul told Timothy to be on guard because the last days would be perilous, (difficult or dangerous). We live in a day, right now, when it is not wise to no longer lock our doors and windows as in the past. Even in the daytime, danger lurks. It is unsafe to walk alone in many areas. Even in some parts of some cities, police agencies would rather not enter, especially at night. The criminal element today has no qualms about attacking or even murdering a police officer, let alone a civilian. If you have ever watched any of the real-life crime shows on television, you will be sickened at the lack of respect one person has for another.

We have known almost zero persecution for being a Christian in this country, up until the last few years. Christians today, in this country, are being persecuted for standing up against the elements of Satan. If you are a fundamentalist Christian, you are equated with terrorists. If you speak out in favor of child discipline (not abuse), or capital punishment, but against fornication, adultery, homosexuality and abortion you are classified as a hate monger. If you speak up for Christian values you will be called a do-gooder (or worse). If you say that the Bible, God’s Word, is the only source of Truth and the only yardstick for living, you are called a bigot. If you speak up for Jesus as the only way to the one and only true God, you will be called narrow-minded. If you speak out against the decadence of Hollywood and Washington, you are laughed at and called an old fogey. If you speak out against false doctrine, cults and liberalism you are called un-loving. If you speak up for the message of Christ’s Rapture of His Church, you are called an idiot and a simpleton. We are beginning to experience a push against true Christianity that we have never seen, but have only read about in other areas of the world. It is here folks, and it is going to get much worse. As we speak, Christians in this country are losing their freedoms, some literally.

1. Lovers of themselves: People who are lovers of themselves are self-centered or selfish. The psychologists would call them narcissists. Look at the trash people throw out on others properties for example. Notice the lack of concern many have for the plight of others. Observe the interest in self-gratification from young to old. Do you remember the line, “Just do your own thing”. It is an example of total self-centeredness, with no regard for others.

2. Covetous: Those who are covetous are greedy for money. Now almost everyone I have heard partially quote 1 Timothy 6:10, has said that money is the root of all evil. That is not what this verse says. It is the love of money that is the root of all evil. “For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.” (1 Timothy 6:10)

Many large corporation executives live like kings and queens, while sacrificing the jobs of the “worker bees” … for more money. Scams are abundant from those who try to bilk money from the innocent … for the love of money. Thieves steal what is not theirs … to convert to money. Murderers often kill for love of money. Children murder their parents for an inheritance … love of money. Spouses murder spouses for insurance pay-offs … love of money. Millions are spent on lottery tickets in the hope of being rich … love of money. There is nothing wrong with money, per se. It is needed to live. But went it controls us, we are a slave to covetousness.

3. Boasters: There is no shortage of people who will sing their own tune and blow their own whistle. Listen to all the braggadocio that comes from the mouths of self-made gods. There is certainly no shortage of windbags in our society. If you don’t believe me, just wait until election time. You’ll need to get your boots out of the closet though.

4. Proud: Very, very few give God the credit for the success in their life, but they’re sure quick to blame Him for the failures. We would do well to heed the words of Paul, “For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith.” (Romans 12:3) Pride was Lucifer’s downfall, and could be ours too. Many strut around like peacocks, but one day soon God is going to pluck out those proud feathers.

5. Blasphemers: Irreverence toward God flies in His face from Hollywood to the pulpit. There is no where you can go and not hear God’s name blasphemed. We also blaspheme Him by our sinful actions that we throw in His face and laugh off. He is blasphemed when His Church, which he died for, is ridiculed and persecuted. Our society has blasphemed His Law and even His Son. Some “ministers” of the church flaunt their sins in the face of God, while they preach to the flock from “the Good Book”. Some are even so brazen as to declare equality with God.

6. Disobedient to parents: The Dr. Spock method of raising children has resulted in a generation of hoodlums who have no respect for their parents or anyone else. If children will not respect their parents, tell me, who will they respect? The answer is no one. We are born into this world with sin in our heart. A child must be taught respect. It is not inherent.

7. Unthankful: We live in a society where most people think everyone else owes them a living. Why should they work, when someone else can work and keep them up? Others are blessed in so many ways, and have never thanked the source of their blessings. Children display an unthankful character when they are given whatever they want, without having to work to earn it. This attitude is often on display in your retail stores, a child crying and screaming because they want something, but what they really need is usually not what they get. So they continue to “throw tantrums”. These same children grow up, and become spoiled adults, totally unthankful, thinking they are entitled to anything they want.

8. Unholy: This word means “wicked” or “profane”. Walk on the beaches, take a stroll through Tinsel town, sit in a theater, watch the idiot box, travel to the legislative chambers, listen to the teachings of Satan’s little puppets, and the depravity of mankind will have you wanting to scrub yourself clean from the world’s sewage. Also, there is no shortage of those who claim Jesus as their Savior, but profane His Holy name every time they open their mouths. They call themselves preachers, teachers, evangelists, but they are Satan’s puppets. They’re on the airwaves with false healings, even claiming to be like God, while they wiggle their greedy, sweaty palms in your back pocket, searching for your wallet. These are unholy, and many there are.

9. Without natural affection: The tide rises in those who number in the group who have no feelings for others, who will take a life without a blink. Even within families, no regard is shown for human life. One would probably get more prison time if they killed an animal, than a person.

10. Trucebreakers: Those who will not keep their word are liars. They have made a promise, and failed to keep that promise. They have lied about their intent to be honest with another. I have seen many sign a contract, and while the ink is drying, they are thinking of ways to break it. If you haven’t run across many trucebreakers, your name must be Rip Van Winkle.

11. False accusers: Most will take no responsibility for their own actions. It’s always someone else’s fault. So they have no qualms in destroying another person’s life by destroying their name and/or character. These people are called slanderers, more commonly, gossips. Notice the politicians, especially when on the campaign trail, you will hear many false accusers. Anyone guilty of being a slanderer is a puppet of Satan, for he was called a devil (slanderer) in the beginning.

12. Incontinent: Since the Spock kids were not taught self-control when they were young, society now suffers from their antics. They have no self-control over their actions, because they were not taught self-control when they were young. Again, we should heed the words of Paul, “All things are lawful unto me, but all things are not expedient: all things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any.” (1 Corinthians 6:12) Our society commonly asserts “if it feels good, do it”, with no thought about the consequences. Incontinency, or self-control, must be taught from an early age. Otherwise, we just do whatever we want when the mood hits us.

13. Fierce: Movies and games have developed a desensitized society that does not flinch at the fierceness of its actions. Our consciences have grown cold, and iced over. Our society frowns on the influence of the Ten Commandments, because people just might be influenced to obey them. However, the cruelest inflictions that could be placed on another human being are freely displayed upon our children. Could this be why the atrocity of murder has become so common and gruesome? Mankind is losing its sensitivity toward the death and gruesome dismemberment of another fellow human being. Human life is no longer a valued gift from God.

14. Despisers of those that are good: True Christians today are rapidly becoming the most hated group of people in our society. In my opinion, the reason is that Christians stand for Jesus Christ and all that is about Him, such as holiness, purity, justice, Godly love, and a voice against all that is evil. Those who follow Satan do not want to see themselves as God sees them. They want to wallow freely in the mud of their atrocities against God and feel no guilt. They don’t want to be told that they are sinners, and they can only be saved by the precious blood of Jesus Christ. They don’t want to be told that without Jesus they will spend an eternity in hell. In other words, they do not want to give up their sins. On top of that, their father, Satan, hates the very thought of Christianity and its God.

15. Traitors: Our governmental leaders, who are supposed to be protecting the citizenry of this great country, are now betraying them and the Constitution upon which we stand. When they took their oath of office, they held up their hand and made a solemn vow to the citizenry of the United States of America, and before their hands reached their side, they knew they would not honor their oath. Greed has ruled the day. They are traitors. As far as they are concerned, the citizenry can eat cake.

16. Heady: What better example of a reckless attitude than those who handle the money of its citizenry? It is confiscated by taxes, and thrown to the wind. We are 14.3 trillion dollars in debt, and our corrupt leaders want more money from the citizenry to throw to the wind! As David Farragut said (at least attributed to him) at the battle of Mobile Bay, “damn the torpedoes, full speed ahead”. There is no thought for the future, only for the present. These heady, bull-headed people could care less about the repercussions and the fate of our children, as long as they get their way.

17. Highminded: This term refers to conceit, pride, and even stupidity (because of their pride). Our society is saturated with those who are choking on pride, and filled to the rim with conceit. We usually think of those who are wealthy when discussing conceited people, but I have found that is not always the case. It is more rare, but even the poor can have a serious problem with pride. Why is that? The sin of pride comes from the heart, not the pocketbook.

18. Lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God: Our American society is just one big playground of pleasure. It has gotten so bad in this country, most think it is an entitlement to have pleasures in life. We just move from one to the other. Also, many who claim to be Christians have set their pleasure of this world above their need of God. This is readily seen in the churches, either empty pews or social hours. “Let’s just have a good time.” “God cramps my style.” “It’s important that I have time for me.” Just notice what we spend on movies, books, music, boats, activities, sports, dining, clothes, and other toys and “for me” activities. How much is left for God? Our pleasures have become our gods.

19. Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: I have spoken of this in other articles, but briefly, we are a lot of talk, but we don’t walk the talk. Oh, we are blessed indeed with religion. It’s everywhere you look, but religion and Christianity are not the same. Religion is mankind seeking his own godliness. Christianity is a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, the Son of God. But … “We are sophisticated. We are so advanced in technology, science, our universe, well, just everything. Those people who lived before us just aren’t cultured like we are. We’re too smart for all that stuff about God. We are in control.” I wonder what God would say about that. Let’s see, “You cannot separate fools from their foolishness, even though you grind them like grain with mortar and pestle.” (Proverbs 27:22 NLT)

Out of the nineteen points that Paul tells Timothy to be aware of, do any of them sound like us today, even one? If we are on the same page, there is no doubt in my mind that every last one of them is clearly where we are today, not just in this country, but elsewhere also.

So, are we in the last days? I think we are most definitely in the last days of the Church age. When is Jesus coming back for His Church in the Rapture? As I have stated before, I haven’t a clue, but I do feel that we need to take Paul’s advice to Timothy in the latter part of our passage in 2 Timothy three. We need to continue in the Scriptures. If we haven’t started, then get started … now. Jesus rebutted Satan with Scriptures when He was tempted during the 40 days in the wilderness. If you don’t know the Scripture, how on earth are you going to stand a chance against Satan’s treachery? God expects us to know His Word. He didn’t go through the long process of having His Word written down, so we can use it for a dust collector. Time is running out. We need to be ready. Jesus is coming. Are you ready?

These DVD’s are not just someone standing at a podium and speaking to an audience, they are full length docudramas just like you would see on the Discovery Channel or the History Channel, except these are true! They make wonderful witnessing and teaching tools and many churches show them to their congregations and youth groups as well as using them in home Bible study groups.

What would a U.N.-ordained Palestinian state have to do with global jihad? Practically everything, because such statehood would mark a major victory in the long war on Israel's existence. And, whether unadmitted or unimagined, it is Israel on which the axis of Islamic jihad turns.

In a first-chapter primer on the relationship between the European Union and the Organization of the Islamic Conference, much of which revolves around mutual animus toward Israel, Ye'or revisits the hateful perversion that passes for political normal: the relentless mission of the Islamic world, with EU encouragement, "to appropriate a tiny piece of land" -- Israel -- as a political and religious cause despite the fact, as she reminds us, no town, village or hamlet of Israel is mentioned in the Koran or early biographies of Muhammad.

Why Israel? Ye'or asks. "Given the immense territories conquered and Islamized over thirteen centuries of expansion and war," she writes, "why would Muslim countries keep plotting to destroy Israel?" And further: "Why does the immense oil wealth of Muslim nations nourish a flood of hatred that poisons the heart of humanity against such a small nation? Why is Israel considered so alarming?"

To appreciate the depth and breadth of this perhaps obvious but seldom pondered explanation, it's essential to realize that Jewish and Christian Bible characters, from Abraham to Moses to Jesus, pop up in the Koran as Muslim prophets who actually preach Islam, not Judaism or Christianity. This is the time-wrinkling, religion-morphing way in which Islam repudiates what it regards as falsifications in both the first (Jewish) and second (Christian) testaments. Given that the Jewish and Christian religious books long predate the Islamic religious book, it's not surprising that in their Koranic guises the biblical characters "wander," as Bat Ye'or writes, "in uncertain space with no geographical or temporal references." Still, Muslims claim that these same "Muslim" characters lived in "Palestine," Bat Ye'or writes, on the basis of the "Jewish and Christian scriptures that they reject."

It follows from this highly unstable construct that Islam sees the biblical past as Islamic history "usurped" by Jews and Christians. Thus, "the land in which it took place -- though ... never mentioned in the Koran -- is (considered) a Muslim land, and Jewish and Christian holy sites are all (considered) Muslim," writes Ye'or, the pre-eminent modern historian of "dhimmitude," the diminished condition of non-Muslims under Islamic law (Shariah).

The land of Israel itself -- whose "every region, town and village is mentioned in the Bible with historical and chronological precision" -- is thus "sacrilegious" to Muslims, she explains. "They observe with destructive rage this unfolding return of history that they claim as their own. ... Any confirmation of the veracity of the Bible is seen as an attack on the Islamic authenticity of the Koranic figures taken from the Bible."

So much for those slivers of real estate as being the driver of war on Israel. It is, in fact, a jihad, a religious war against Judaism and the land of the Bible, root of Christianity. As Ye'or puts it, "Israel, in the land of its history, towns and villages, resuscitates the Bible, the book the Koran must supplant."

This back-to-basics interpretation allows us to see through the masks and deceptions to a war on Israel that is also a jihad against Christianity. Remember that the Koranic Jesus, Isa, has Muslim, not Jewish roots. As Ye'or writes, Muslims see Christians as having gone astray by "placing themselves in the lineage of the Hebrew Bible, because their real origin is Islam." The Islamic answer is to return Christianity to its supposedly Koranic origins.

A. This is a vital question to answer, because many people equate the two, or include the first as part of the second. But there are many differences that make these conclusions quite improbable. First there is the time element involved. While no time is specified for the Battle of Gog and Magog, most evangelical, premillennial, pre-Tribulational scholars place it at or near the beginning of the Tribulation. The Battle of Armageddon takes place at the end of the Tribulation (Revelation 16:16; 19:11-21).

Second, the participants of the conflicts are different. In the Battle of Gog and Magog, a great power to the north (possibly Russia or one or more former “southern-tier” Islamic Soviet republics) will move against Israel, along with specific nations, mostly Islamic and in the Middle East or northern Africa (Ezekiel 38:1-6). The Battle of Armageddon will include representative armies from all nations of the world (Joel 3:2; Zechariah 14:2).

Third is the direction of the attack. Since the Battle of Gog and Magog is led by a great power to the north of Israel, and some of its allies are from that direction as well, the attack will come primarily from the north (Ezekiel 38:15). Since the Battle of Armageddon involves all the nations of the world, they will come from all four directions.

Fourth, there is the purpose for the attack. The Battle of Magog’s objective is “To take a spoil, and to take a prey” (Ezekiel 38:12). Perhaps some of the attackers, several of which are virtually landlocked, will seek a warm-water port in Israel. Others may seek some of Israel’s mineral deposits, such as are purported to be in the Dead Sea. At Armageddon, the intent is to totally eliminate Israel once and for all (Zechariah 12:2-3) and later, to oppose Christ Himself who returns to fight on behalf of Israel (Revelation 19:19).

However, despite all of these differences, we should point out one similarity, and that is the outcome. In both cases, God will win and will gain victory on behalf of His people, Israel. After the great victory at Gog and Magog (Ezekiel 39:1-7), one would think that the unregenerate world would get the message. But only a few years later, on an even larger scale, the world will again gather its forces against Israel and against the Lord at Armageddon. The old adage will be proven again: the one thing people learn from history is that they don’t learn from history.

Apparently, the end is near for Libya's dictator, Muammar Gaddafi -- or at least the end of his regime. However, the Libyan rebels will not be able to claim complete victory until they have Gaddafi in their custody, either dead or alive. In their own words, until he is captured, he is capable of inflicting "awful damage" with his arsenal of chemical and biological weapons.

But that's not the most disturbing aspect of the Libyan war. I think it's the fact that we don't really know for sure who it is that we've been helping. We assume that many of them are honest Libyans wanting to rid their country of a brutal dictator -- one who rivaled Saddam Hussein -- and who, through his sponsorship of the bombing of Pan Am 103, directly attacked America. But we also know that many of them are associated with the Muslim Brotherhood. Some of the rebel commanders have told the European press that they either support al-Qaeda or are associated with that group.

Iran has entered the picture by warning the West not to interfere in Syria's affairs. But the continuing brutality of the Assad regime against the Syrians who oppose his dictatorship has finally caught the attention of even the United Nations Human Rights Council. The UNHRC, which has traditionally existed for the sole purpose of trying to destabilize and delegitimize Israel, finally had to acknowledge that all is not right with one of its members -- Syria. So now the UNHRC has decided to condemn Assad's regime and demand his arrest for crimes against humanity.

The troubling aspect of this situation is that, in an act of desperation to deflect attention from his regime, military observers worry that Assad may launch an attack against Israel. It would be calculated to rally the Syrians and the Arab and Muslim nations to Syria's defense. But the prophet Isaiah warns that an action like that would be a serious miscalculation on Syria's part. It may not be now, but Isaiah warns that at some point, Syria will attack Israel. That will bring about the immediate, utter destruction of Damascus, the oldest continually inhabited city in the world.

The Muslims have done a terrific job of intimidating the rest of the world into silence. No criticism of Islam is tolerated. Even the political cartoons critical of Mohammed a few years ago caused rioting and murder at the hands of Muslims both in the Middle and Far East and in Western Europe. When the Muslims demonstrate in Europe, they often carry signs that say anyone who criticizes Islam should be beheaded. And, sometimes, they follow up on their threats.

When a pastor in Florida burned a Koran a few months ago, hardly anyone in the world noticed. However, radical imams in a remote part of Afghanistan seized on the event and whipped up a crowd to storm a UN building in their city. Several UN workers and Afghans died. Everyone blamed the US pastor, but no one condemned Afghan President Hamid Karzai for seeming to publicly encourage retaliation or the three radical imams for leading the rioters to the UN outpost. That sounds like a double standard to me.

Which brings me to the recent news about Iran's burgeoning Bible-burning industry. In one incident alone, 6,500 Bibles were burned in northern Iran. Everybody in the Mainstream Media yawned. No howls of condemnation. Yet reports are suggesting that Bible burnings and other orchestrated programs of intimidation and persecution are increasingly being pursued by the government of Iran and the Mullahs who run the place.

Interestingly, there have been thousands of Bibles burned, churches and relics desecrated, Muslim converts to Christianity imprisoned and sentenced to death, yet no vast, violent protests by Christians. No Ayatollahs or Mohammeds burned in effigy. No imams or commentators hunted down and murdered by Christians.

I guess this is a perfect illustration of how followers of Mohammed value death while followers of Christ value life. Islam is a religion which may preach peace, but practices intolerance, subjugation, and violence. Christians preach love and tolerance and practice it by allowing those who oppose Christianity to do so openly and safely in their midst -- something Islam never has and never will do.

Also this week, I'll take a look at what the recent uptick in UFO sightings may indicate. And I'm going to tell you what I think about UFOs and ETs. Plus, I'll share with you bits of a report on some 'scenario-fantasizing' by a couple of researchers associated with NASA and Penn State. Let me just say that Al Gore is probably beaming! Fortunately, NASA is already trying to create some distance from the shenanigans.

Finally, even though some NASA wonks may be trying to prepare for one alien invasion, it appears that the US government may be welcoming another. Even the liberal newspaper, The Detroit News, sees what's happening. In a surprising editorial, the News implies that President Obama is behaving more like a dictator than a President. The editors write, "President Obama's strategy is clear. When the Congress doesn't adopt his agenda, he'll do it himself. The expansion of executive power is on display again with the President's plan to virtually stop enforcing immigration laws." They conclude, "Bush's power grabs pale in comparison to Obama's."

We adults tend to attach a lot of emphasis to the verbiage that we use in prayer or to the length of our prayers, but God doesn't care about those things so much. He is not really interested in the eloquence of our prayers. And He certainly is not impressed by long prayers. In fact, the great prayers of the Bible are brief. I believe that our prayers in private should be long, while our prayers in public should be short. But the main thing is that we need to be praying.

Then why pray? The value of prayer is that it keeps us in touch with God. Prayer should be thought of as a relationship between a father and child. We may think that God will give us everything that we need, for every situation, all at once. But if God were to give us all of His glorious gifts in one lump sum, there would be the danger of enjoying the gifts and forgetting the Giver.

“Folks, it's all beginning to unravel. America is in more danger of falling than at any time in its history. But I believe Bible prophecy predicts this very decline. From this point on, we believers have to get serious. We are going to face discouragement, disillusionment and, most certainly, persecution in the time between now and the Rapture. But don't be discouraged or disillusioned. The coming turmoil will provide us unrivaled opportunities to share the good news of the Gospel. So be ready to share your faith and your hope with those who need Christ. We still have time to reap a great harvest of souls for God's kingdom!” – Hal Lindsey

I ask that you would prayerfully consider partnering with us to get the Word out and keep the world informed. Remember, your gift, no matter how small, does make a difference! You will be helping to touch lives, around the world, 24 hours a day, seven days a week, thanks to the internet your generosity carries a global impact! – Thanks!

Our Prayer for You - "Now he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness. You will be made rich in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God. This service that you perform is not only supplying the needs of God's people but is also overflowing in many expressions of thanks to God. Because of the service by which you have proved yourselves, men will praise God for the obedience that accompanies your confession of the gospel of Christ, and for your generosity in sharing with them and with everyone else." 2 Corinthians 9:10-13

“A scorner seeketh wisdom, and findeth it not: but knowledge is easy unto him that understandeth.” Proverbs 14:6. Most people today simply shrug off any idea that demons might actually be a real phenomenon. The desensitizing of the populous has been very successful, in fact the very thought of demons and fallen angels conjures up, in the minds of average folks, nothing more than ghouls and goblins making ready to do their thing at Halloween. The fact is demons, and their leader Satan, do exist and are very active in the world today. Only the foolish say “There is no such a thing as demons.”

The kind of thinking that dominates many of our western cultures today is that there is no such thing as a devil, therefore demons and the whole idea of fallen angels is ridiculous. This is of course exactly where Satan wants our thinking to remain. He has been working in the media for many years trying to change his image from the malevolent supernatural enemy of God and man to one of a cartoon character that no one need fear. He’s seen as a strange character with a red skintight suit, horns, a long pointed tail, and his weapon of choice is a pitch fork. Laughable yes, especially when you consider what the Bible says about his appearance. “And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light.” 2 Corinthians 11:14.

A process of disinformation is at hand dismissing any idea that demons are real and thus relegating them to nothing more than myth and fairytales. Even many Christians these days have fallen for the same desensitizing efforts of the enemy and simply dismiss the fact that demons are present with us today; they too will do anything to disassociate themselves from any notion that demons are real. Demons, fallen angels, and the master of them all (Satan) are only present in books and if they were ever roaming the earth it was during some long past bygone era. Sure, demons may have been present during the time Jesus Christ walked the hills of Judea and the country of the Gadarenes, but after all, we know the Bible tells us that Jesus ushered them all into a herd of swine. All demons?

Demons are disembodied spirits. In other words, they had bodies at one time but are now bodiless, thus what do you suppose is their most sought after and treasured possessions? You guessed it, living bodies. The bodies that they prefer are those where they find no obstructions, bodies that voice no objections to these entities moving right into their new habitat. It’s not difficult to attract demons; people do it all the time. The difficult part is ousting them once they’ve taken up residence in a human body. “Be not forgetful to entertain strangers: for thereby some have entertained angels unawares.” Hebrews 13:2. Just as Paul the Apostle mentions, some folks have entertained angels unawares, so too have many folks entertained demons and gone a step further, they’ve invited demons to dwell within their own bodies, most of the time unawares.

Demons are present everywhere and poised to pounce like a lion hidden and waiting on its prey. Give them the opportunity and they will take advantage of the situation while fully exploiting the human being as they take control of that person’s self-will. God’s word is specific about what not to do in regards to attracting demons. God’s prohibitions are for the good of all humanity. He doesn’t want anyone to attract and invite demons to embed themselves in a human body, mind, and heart. They are spirit and all they need is a portal in which to enter and set up residence in a human’s body. Portals are easy to open, but they must be opened by a human being. The demon, or demons, can’t just come in, they must first be invited, whether intentionally or unintentionally, the invitation must be given. These bottom dwellers are not really very picky but they are tenacious, they will wait, and wait until a human invites them into their new habitat. There are many opportunities for a human to open a portal and allow a demon to enter.

Now, before I go any further let me explain that those of us who are born again believers in Christ cannot be indwelt by a demon or demons. We are already indwelt by the Holy Spirit of God and He doesn’t share space with malevolent misfits. But, and here’s the rub, Christians can allow a demon to erect a stronghold over their lives whenever they get into something they shouldn’t and that something becomes an addiction. Very tough to break away from addictions.

So how do folks go about inviting the enemy to come in and take up residence within their bodies? I hesitate to even pursue this any further as there may be some reading this commentary who will actually try it just to see if it works. Let me first put this warning in place: Believer or non-believer, don’t attempt any of the following exercises since in either case the result will be horrendous, and in many cases irreversible. Remember. if you’re not an in Christ, born again believer you can be demon possessed. It doesn’t matter who you are, demons want and need embodiment and anybody will do.

Opening a portal or entry point for a demon isn’t difficult, but it does take placing one’s self in a posture that is contrary to God. An obvious way to invite a demon in is the use of drugs and alcohol, which leave a person vulnerable to a supernatural, malevolent invasion. Another door opener is meditation coupled with speaking a word over and over (a mantra) which ultimately opens the portal to the supernatural world and allows the demons unabated entry.

Many people these days are attracted to meditation and yoga exercises which are purposely designed for attracting spirit guides (demons). When folks adhere to a practice of meditation, along with the process of clearing a person’s mind, that’s all the invitation a demon needs to enter. The process is quick and simple, and soon a demon will be attracted to that person as they recognize their opportunity has come to grasp hold and never let go of their new residence. Playing with a Ouija board is another way to open a portal for the demons, the ominous children’s game dungeons and dragon is another, a pursuit of mysticism, getting involved in witchcraft, these are all ways to open portals and invite spirit guides (demons) into your life.

Some people get involved in what’s known as “necromancy”. Necromancy is defined as the conjuring of the spirits of the dead. Why would anyone want to do such a thing? Most of the time, the purpose is for very selfish reasons. They believe that summoning the dead to this present time and dimension can magically reveal the future or that they (the dead) can influence the course of events. The Bible refers to necromancy as “divination, sorcery and spiritism” and all are practices that are forbidden by God. The word of God is quite specific concerning the prohibition of necromancy; God refers to it as an abomination. It is something that the Lord speaks very strongly against and it is to be avoided as much as any evil.

The idea that dead people’s spirits can be contacted for information is false. Those who attempt such contact inevitably contact demonic spirits, not the spirits of dead loved ones. Those who die go immediately to heaven or hell – heaven if they believed in Jesus as Savior, and Hell if they did not. “…neither shall ye use enchantment, nor observe times.” Leviticus 19:26b. Also “There shall not be found among you any one that maketh his son or his daughter to pass through the fire, or that useth divination, or an observer of times, or an enchanter, or a witch, Or a charmer, or a consulter with familiar spirits, or a wizard, or a necromancer. For all that do these things are an abomination unto the LORD:” Deuteronomy 18:10-12. Of course there are many prohibitions given to us from our Creator which people will ultimately ignore, but the practice of necromancy is far beyond dangerous, it’s a set course that results in demonic possession which in many cases is irreversible.

Necromancy is always going to involve demons. Anyone who practices it opens themselves up to a massive demonic attack. Satan and his demons seek to destroy human beings; their intention is not to communicate to humans truth or wisdom, but pure lies. We are told to “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:” 1 Peter 5:8.

There is no contact between the dead and the living. The Lord’s own account of the rich man and Lazarus tells how communication and/or travel back and forth between the living and the dead is not possible. Part of the conversation between Abraham and the rich man gives the answer to the idea of contacting the dead. “between us and you there is a great gulf fixed: so that they which would pass from hence to you cannot; neither can they pass to us, that would come from thence.” Luke 16:26. Therefore, if those who have died can’t pass from the torment side of Hades to Abraham’s bosom or vice versa, they certainly aren’t able to come back to where the living reside.

On the other hand contact with the supernatural, malevolent spirit world is quite possible, but God says don’t even attempt to do so. Our sole/soul contact in the here and now and any other dimension is God Almighty, no conversation with any other entity is to be pursued. There’s a very good reason God gave us His word containing His many precepts which contain, among many exaltations, prohibitions – which are always meant for the good of mankind. Many have turned a deaf ear to any warnings concerning contact with the spirit world or to the fact that this world is replete with demons.

There seems to be a very intense draw to the unknown and humans have an innate desire to pursue after that which should be left alone. Therefore, no matter how much we might attempt to warn some folks concerning these malevolent spirit guides, our warnings seem only to provide the catalyst which acts to reinforce their resolve in their pursuit to initiate some form of communication between them and demons.

Still, many others today simply refuse to believe in the fact that supernatural beings exist whether benevolent or malevolent, but the worst part is the spirits that accept contact from humans are quite hostile to humans. When these hostile beings (demons) take control of people their departure is never a foregone conclusion. As I’ve already stated, demons are quite tenacious and when they acquire a new home they aren’t going to be inclined to vacate the premises without quite the prolonged battle. Many human lives have been destroyed by demons not willing to turn control back over to the rightful owner.

Believing in demons and fallen angels is not difficult for the informed Bible student, but for those who are without any spiritual discernment, demons and the fallen angels – the spirit dimension – becomes not only hard to grasp, but in some cases an impossibility. Most folks today, rather than acknowledging the truth about demons, simply ignore the facts while attempting to live in a demon infested world. Ignoring the fact that demons exist won’t make them go away. The problem with this kind of thinking is that the demons will have them whether they believe in them or not. They don’t need for humans to believe in them, only the openness of mind to allow them to have access.

Satan doesn’t want you to believe he exists. On the contrary, he functions quite well in the arena of unbelief. When he’s resisted he’s useless, powerless, and he must flee from those who resist him “Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” James 4:7b. He already owns those who reject Christ, and he’s doing everything in his power to disrupt the lives of those who no longer belong to him. When Christians refuse to believe in Satan and his minions of evil they’ve fallen for his lies. Sooner or later they too will find that the reality is demons are very prevalent and quite busy in these last days. No, these aren’t just costumed pranksters wearing masks; they are pure evil amassed to destroy humanity. They are relentless as they understand all too well their days are numbered. You don’t believe demons, fallen angels, and the Devil exist? Trick or Treat?