MAKING HEAVEN ON EARTH IS OUR BUSINESS

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The founder of the Salvation Army, William Booth made this mission statement: “MAKING HEAVEN ON EARTH IS OUR BUSINESS”.

“When we consider that the only prayer Jesus taught us to pray includes up-front “Your Kingdom come, your will be done on Earth as it is done in heaven” Matthew 6:8-10, Booth got it right, and look what he achieved. Making disciples who were totally committed to praying and doing as Jesus commanded.

Sadly, now, like most institutions the Salvation Army has watered down God’s command and has compromised with the world. What is the lead statement on their website?

At the Salvos, we believe in good.

What does good mean to The Salvation Army? “Good is a unique word — a simple yet profound term that takes on different faces and meanings for all of us.

For the Salvos, it is more than a word – it’s a belief. It is helping someone at their point of need, walking alongside a community through and after a crisis, and lending a kind and caring space for someone feeling isolated. And a whole lot more.

At the Salvos, we believe in good for everyone. It is this belief that drives us to find new ways and places where we can make a difference. From times of personal crisis to moments of national grief, we are at work each day, providing support, safety, community, and opportunity.”

God does not get a mention up front and this mission statement is not Booth’s mission statement: MAKING HEAVEN ON EARTH IS OUR BUSINESS but the Mission Statement does get to God.

Why good?

“The meaning of good has been diluted over the years. But at the Salvos, we’ve always believed in the power of good. It reflects our belief in our good God and our calling to share the goodness of God with others. Through our decades of work, we know people can find themselves in hardship anywhere, at any time — be it homelessness or housing stress, drug or alcohol addiction, family and domestic violence, unemployment, financial stress, natural disaster, or another crisis.“

Sydney, Australia church spokesman Major Bruce Harmer says the Salvos offer services to all who are in need, regardless of sexual orientation. “The Salvation Army has worked for many years with gay and lesbian people through their treatment centres and welfare agencies, we have employees who are gay and members of our church who are gay,” he said. “So it’s easy to take one phrase and run with it, but in reality, the Salvation Army is not homophobic.“

In the end times, Jesus told us there would be a great falling away in the church, apostasy, and the love of many will grow cold. Christians need to be prepared for the coming tribulation and be totally committed to God’s agenda for their lives.

“Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day (The Day of the Lord) shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition;” 2 Thessalonians 2:3

“Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and you shall be hated of all nations for my name’s sake. And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another. And many false prophets shall rise and shall deceive many. And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold.” Matthew 24:9-12

Biblical prophecy gives us a picture of the church which God raptures to heaven before pouring out His wrath upon an unrepentant world.

To the Church in Philadelphia (Philadelphus the “love for a brother” What remains of the faithful Church will be bound in brotherly love by the persecution of earth-shaking proportions.

“‘I know your works. Behold, I have set before you an open door, which no one is able to shut. I know that you have but little power, and yet you have kept my word and have not denied my name… Because you have kept my word about patient endurance, I will keep you from the hour of trial that is coming on the whole world, to try those who dwell on the earth. I am coming soon. Hold fast to what you have, so that no one may seize your crown.” Revelation 3:8,10-11

Biblical prophecy also gives us a picture of the church that will be left behind to face the coming judgement.

To the Church in Laodicea (Laodicea is a combination of two Greek words (LAO, meaning “God’s people”; and DIKE, meaning “justice or judgment”) Judgement of God’s people

“‘I know your works: you are neither cold nor hot. Would that you were either cold or hot! So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth. For you say, I am rich, I have prospered, and I need nothing, not realizing that you are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked. I counsel you to buy from me gold refined by fire, so that you may be rich, and white garments so that you may clothe yourself and the shame of your nakedness may not be seen, and salve to anoint your eyes, so that you may see. Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline, so be zealous and repent.” Revelation 3:15-19

IS THE POPE COMPROMISING WITH THE WORLD?

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Pope Francis caused widespread controversy and confusion on Monday by appearing to allow priests to bless individuals and couples involved in unchaste same-sex marriages and unrecognized civil marriages, a decision faithful Catholics have said will “produce chaos” in people’s lives “and hurt souls.”

Pope Francis (front 3rd R) poses with religious leaders during a meeting at the Pontifical Academy of Sciences at the Vatican December 2, 2014. REUTERS/Osservatore Romano

The pope gave priests in the Roman Catholic Church, the world’s largest Christian denomination, “the possibility of blessing couples in irregular situations and same-sex couples,” as long as this is done “without officially validating their status or changing in any way the Church’s perennial teaching on marriage.” The decision came through a statement titled “On the Pastoral Meaning of Blessings” (Fiducia Supplicans) signed by the 87-year-old pontiff and issued by the Vatican’s chief doctrinal guardian, the Dicastery (formerly the Congregation) for the Doctrine of the Faith, now led by close Francis ally and fellow Argentine Cardinal Víctor Manuel “Tucho” Fernández. The blessing is not to be a wedding Mass, nor a “liturgical rite or blessing similar to a liturgical rite that can create confusion” that implies the Church has celebrated a wedding or nuptial service.

Yet when a couple in a same-sex relationship approach their church pastor, the priest now has papal authority to offer a blessing on them collectively which “unites intercessory prayer with the invocation of God’s help by those who humbly turn to him,” says the document, “a blessing that descends from God upon those who — recognizing themselves to be destitute and in need of his help — do not claim a legitimation of their own status, but who beg that all that is true, good, and humanly valid in their lives and their relationships be enriched, healed, and elevated by the presence of the Holy Spirit.”

Earlier this year, the Catholic bishops of Germany overwhelmingly approved a document — in direct defiance of Vatican directives — promoting the blessing of same-sex unions. The proposal classified homosexuality as “a norm variant of human sexuality” and urged bishops to “officially allow blessing ceremonies in their dioceses for couples who love each other but to whom sacramental marriage is not accessible or who do not see themselves at a point of entering into a sacramental marriage.”

One German prelate, Cardinal Rainer Maria Woelki, tried to discipline a priest in his diocese for blessing same-sex unions. Woelki was promptly reprimanded by the Central Committee of German Catholics. Inspired by this, other priests in Woelki’s diocese disobeyed their bishop and the Vatican to host a rainbow-flag-studded gay blessing ceremony outside the Cologne cathedral. In a letter last month, Pope Francis admitted that Germany’s pro-LGBT bishops were trying to “steer” the Catholic Church in Germany “increasingly away from the universal Church’s common path.”

Meanwhile, bishops who boldly uphold a biblical understanding of sex and marriage, such as Texan Bishop Joseph Strickland or former Vatican official Cardinal Raymond Burke, are ostracized and penalized. However, the norms promulgated by the Vatican on Monday are abused, it is increasingly unlikely that the abusers will be reprimanded, but priests and bishops faithful to Scripture and the doctrines of the Catholic Church will still risk running afoul of the reigning pontificate, which the late Australian Cardinal George Pell described as a “catastrophe.”

This is surely another of the prophesied end times signs being fulfilled in our day. Paving the way for the false prophet and the Antichrist.

FALSE PROPHETS AND TEACHERS IN THE LAST DAYS

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Some of the most popular preaching in America presents a message of positive thinking. The alternative Gospel of Joel Osteen and the prosperity preachers, Copeland, Hinn, Hagan, Meyer, Hickey, Price, Roberts Hagee, Tilton, Koontz, and sadly many others, forgo the cross and advises us to merely “do our best.” At its heart, this is pure legalism of the worst variety. In this message, Dr. John MacArthur examines the alternative gospel of the prosperity preachers and explains why legalism-lite is still legalism. This message is from MacArthur’s 2010 West Coast Conference, “Christless Christianity” and is an end-times sign.

CONNECT WITH THE MINISTRY OF LAST REFORMATION

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You will be blessed by connecting to the ministry of Torben Sondergaard. This is an important podcast from TLR exposing false teaching and false teachers.

TLR shows what the Bible truly says about impartation and anointing and how the teaching we see in churches today about the anointing has opened the doors for many false prophets/false Christs. Jesus told us that in the “last days” false Christs like GeorDavie Maarifa will arise. There is a time to be quiet, and there is a time to speak. There is a time when what has happened in secret should be shouted from the rooftops, and TLR felt compelled to share about this false prophet GeorDavie Maarifa and his apostle Kathryn Krick. We encourage you to see this whole program, take your Bible, and see if what they are teaching is the truth. May this podcast be an eye-opener for you out there and set you free to live the life Jesus has truly called you to live! Please share this with others, and help to get this crucial word out to the churches! God bless you!

PROPHESIED END TIMES FALLING AWAY FROM FAITH ESCALATING

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“Let no one deceive you in any way. For that day (the coming of Jesus Christ) will not come, unless the falling away comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction, who opposes and exalts himself against every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, proclaiming himself to be God.” 2 Thessalonians 2:3-4

In the USA, the percentage of Christians in the 18–29 age group with a biblical worldview has been cut in half over the last decade,” says the Religious Views & Practices Survey which compared the 18–29 age group from 2010 with the same age group 10 years later, now 30–39. “This result is a startling degradation in worldview beliefs of Christians over just 10 years.

More than 60% of so called “born again” Christians in America between the ages of 18 and 39 believe that Buddha, Muhammad and Jesus are all valid paths to salvation and over 30% say they either believe that Jesus sinned just like other people when He lived on Earth or aren’t sure, according to a new study.

There’s a “striking decline” in evangelical religious beliefs and practices over the last 10 years, as the number of self-proclaimed believers to hold these beliefs has increased by nearly 25%, says Probe Ministries in a statement announcing the results of its Religious Views & Practices Survey.

The study, which interviewed 3,100 Americans ages 18 to 55 in 2020 and looked at various other previous studies, saw a drop in “basic biblical worldview” — God’s attributes, the accuracy of the Bible, salvation and Jesus being sinless — from 47% in 2010 to 25% in 2020 among previously classified “born again” Christians.

The drop in the “expanded biblical worldview” — beliefs about Satan and morals being objective — went from 32% in 2010 to 16% in 2020. There’s an even greater drop off among the general population, the study found. For the basic biblical worldview, there’s a drop off from 13% to 6%. For the expanded biblical worldview, the decline is from 9% to just over 3%.

These disturbing trends are in part due to pastors not consistently teaching biblical inerrancy. But probably more to schools and universities teaching a godless origin for the Cosmos. Evolution is one of Satan’s greatest ploys to undermine belief in God and His Word, the Bible. Moreover, evolution has made its way into Bible Colleges where so called scholars have tried disastrously to fit evolution into the Bible’s history.

As well, Satan has provided an abundant source of distractions for the young, to keep them from the truth, with their phones, electronic media particularly social media, Facebook, Twitter etc.

Thank God, He has raised up ministries such as Creation Ministries, http://www.creation.com, that are doing a great job and producing wonderful resources to prove the inerrancy and authority of Scripture. Make sure you support them.

There are more prophecies about the events that precede Jesus second coming to earth than there were about His first coming and there were at least 300 of those that Jesus fulfilled, hence, we should not be taken by surprise at the coming tribulation and increased persecution of Christians. In fact, if we truly are following the leading of the Holy Spirit many opportunities will open up to witness to non believers and to disciple believers in the coming days of lawlessness ahead.

“And because lawlessness will be increased, the love of many will grow cold. But the one who endures to the end will be saved. And this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.” Matthew 24:12-14

FALSE TEACHERS IN THE LAST DAYS

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Sadly teachers abound in Bible Colleges and churches who deny the inerrancy of Scripture. They deny the Bible teaches a direct connection between God’s original acts of creation and His absolute control of every event in time.

The doctrine of creation teaches that God made the physical world using language. He then formed man in His image and gave him the ability to use words to know the world. This includes man’s capacity to record past events and accurately communicate them to others.

This control includes accurate communication through His prophets about real events which He brings to pass. As Isaiah tells us:

“Thus says the Lord, your Redeemer, who formed you from the womb: ‘I am the Lord, who made all things, who alone stretched out the heavens, who spread out the earth by myself, who frustrates the signs of liars and makes fools of diviners, who turns wise men back and makes their knowledge foolish, who confirms the word of his servant and fulfils the counsel of his messengers, who says of Jerusalem, ‘She shall be inhabited,’ and of the cities of Judah, ‘They shall be built, and I will raise up their ruins.’” (Isaiah 44:24-26)

According to Isaiah, there is no essential division between function and matter, language and event, theology and history. One need only read Isaiah 40-48 to see that God forms real materials for specific functions. He explains His words and deeds in space and time through His servants the prophets. He directly connects theology to His actions in history.

Dr. Nicholas Perrin, a professor of Biblical studies at Wheaton who specialises in Gnosticism in the early church, explains this essential connection between God and history:

“God made history and history matters. Apart from the conviction that our faith is a historical faith, we are left only to cast about. But, when we are fully persuaded that sacred history meshes with the history in which we live and move and have our being, that is when biblical faith becomes a real possibility…. The heart-and-mind value of reconnecting the biblical world with the ‘real world’ can hardly be overstated. Somehow in our confused modern-day thinking, we have managed to put asunder what God has joined together.”

Is it any wonder then, that although Biblically false, Christians in the USA believe:

70% of Christians believe Jesus was the first being God created

66% of evangelical Christians say heaven is a place where all people will be reunited with their loved ones.

54% of Christians believe everyone sins a little, but most people are good by nature.

It follows that many church denominations are accepting gay marriage, homosexual and even transgender pastors/leaders. The Bible gives us many examples of God bringing judgement upon Israel and other nations that transgress His laws, why do we think He will not do so today. Jesus said that prior to His Second Coming people would be like they were in the days of Noah. They will call good evil and evil good. Wickedness will abound.

A time of increasing tribulation is coming for believers but eventually God’s wrath will be poured on the unrepentant during the trumpet and bowl judgements. At the sixth seal (Revelation 6:17), we read “For the great day of His wrath has come, and who is able to stand.”

In these last days, it will be imperative you are in a church that believes in the inerrancy of God’s Word. The Bible provides a true history of this world and all of the prophesied events in both the old and new testaments have come to pass. Proof it is God’s Word.