The greatest trap that Satan sets for every hungry Christian is to fill them with a love for religion and religious activities instead of a love for Jesus Christ. At many intervals of my life, I have found myself literally filled with enthusiasm for the Lord’s work, His Kingdom, souls that needed mercy, and every good work; but suddenly feeling empty inside. His wonderful mercy has on each occasion gripped my heart to refocus my attention on Him, the Lover of my soul. The greatest moments of our successes while laboring for the Lord are the most perilous times. The flesh is so quick to rejoice in victories and to enjoy the process more than our relationship with the Master.

I shall never forget a story I heard many years ago. The source I do not remember. A father and his daughter were very close and each afternoon would go for a walk together. Suddenly, the daughter was preoccupied and would beg to be excused from the walks with her dad. After weeks of excuses, the father was grief-stricken. His birthday arrived and he invited the daughter for an afternoon together. She joyously accepted and met her father at the appointed place. In her hand was the most beautiful sweater, hand woven and intricately designed by her masterful patience. "Dad," she said. "I have woven for you this special gift over many weeks because of my love for you." He suddenly knew and wept with joy; but his response was two-fold. "My daughter, your gift overwhelms my heart but please, please never wi thdraw your presence from me again to make for me a gift. Your presence to me is far more wonderful than the greatest thing you could ever create." What a story about our labor versus our time with Him.

Oh, the joy of just coming into the garden of love and worship to think of nothing but Him. To reach out in faith and attention to His triumph on the cross and His victory from the tomb and just to share that victory because we are redeemed is precious to Him. He is forever our Savior and Lord. To Him we owe all our praise and obedience. It is a relationship not just an experience. It is an experience, but religious people have experiences. Our experience must move into a relationship that we covet and build until we talk together one on one. If I could name one place where I have failed the most over fifty-six years as His servant, it would be this alone. All other weaknesses have resulted from this failure.

Jesus said as quoted by John the Beloved, "Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing. If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned" (John 15:4-6). This disciple is the only one to quote these words of the Master because he knew the meaning best. His leaning on Jesus’ breast opened his heart to the glory of his relationship over his experience. The greatest faith is learned not in the head but in the heart.

The perfect heart is not just a heart free from sin; it is a heart free from self and attached in unfailing love to Him. This is greatness of surrender that exalts the heart to be so overwhelmed with Him that we can worship without a song. We must all confess that worship is usually the result of great songs, powerful sermons, and wonderful fellowship with His saints. He wants us to learn to worship just because we are His and He is ours. Then, worship can move beyond a sanctuary to become a lifestyle. We will not want to miss His House of Worship once we learn the worship that consumes our greatest moments of every day.

He said, "If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you. Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples. As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you: continue ye in my love" (John 15:7-9). Remember, fruit is different from works. Works are our religious responsibilities, but fruit is the nature of the vine extended in the branches. Never allow the works to consume you until the vine cannot provide this nurture and nourishment of Him. Clinging to Him (abiding in Him) is the Believers’ greatest joy.

From the Writer: "I have trembled as I have committed myself to stay before the Lord until the elections on November 4, 2008. Only tenderness and deep intercession before God can protect our nation. I have cancelled plans for being out of the country during this week of November 2nd. Please join me in praying for the hand of God to intervene. Without question, America has many that live in spiritual darkness and are utterly deceiving in making good choices. Our nation also has many great saints that love the Lord. I’m claiming a miracle of direction."

Bible-believing Christians are joyfully anticipating the return of Jesus Christ, the true Messiah. Islamic followers have a false "Christ" for which they wait. He is called Mahdi, which means "Divinely Guided One." The full meaning is "a messianic deliverer who will fill the earth with justice and equity, restore true religion, and usher in a short golden age lasting seven, eight, or nine years before the end of the world." (Britannica, 1991 Ed. Vol. 7, Page 696.) It is scary to hear the hyper descriptions, reports of emotional titillation, and the actual term "messiah" being assigned to Barack Obama.

Muammar al-Qaddafi, president of Libya — one of the nations to join Russia and Iran in marching on Israel — recently endorsed Obama. Here are his words, "There are elections in America now. Along came a black citizen of Kenyan origins, a Muslim, who studied in an Islamic school in Indonesia. His name is Obama," said Qaddafi. "All the people in the Arab and Islamic world and in Africa applauded him Â… have even been involved in legitimate contribution campaigning to enable him to win the American presidency." (Klein, WorldNetDaily.com, October 17, 2008) The last figure I heard stating the unidentified contributions to Obama’s campaign was two hundred million dollars ($200,000,000). (Sunday, October 19, 2008, Interview in Fox News with Senator John McCain.) Are Muslims trying to buy Obama’s election? Many believe the answer is, yes!

Farrakhan — one of Obama’s friends and a friend of his pastor, Jeremiah Wright — said earlier this year, "When Obama talks the Messiah is absolutely speaking." He further proclaimed about Obama, "You are the instruments that God is going to use to bring about universal change, and that is why Barack has captured the youth. And he has involved young people in a political process that they didn’t care anything about. That’s a sign. When the Messiah speaks, the youth will hear, and the Messiah is absolutely speaking." He continues, "Barack Obama to me is a herald of the Messiah. Barack Obama is like the trumpet that alerts you something new, something better is on the way." (February 24 Speech – Posted on You Tube web site.) Louis Farrakhan is a leading Muslim in America and a noted radical that hates Israel and America.

Jesse Jackson has some telling things to say about Obama. He calls Obama his neighbor and a member of the family. Jesse’s son is a close friend to Obama himself and their daughters are classmates. Jesse was speaking before the World Policy Forum in France last week and talked of the new direction of an Obama presidency. "He promised ‘fundamental changes’ in US foreign policy – saying America must ‘heal wounds’ it has caused to other nations, revive its alliances and apologize for the ‘arrogance of the Bush administration.’ The most important change would occur in the Middle East, where ‘decades of putting Israel’s interests first’ would end." ("The O Jesse Knows," New York Post, October 14, 2008.)

Recently, Hamas, the terrorist organization of the Palestinians endorsed Obama for the American presidency. A key spokesman for the Prime Minister of Hamas stated the following, "We like Mr. Obama and we hope that he will win the election." When John McCain heard of this endorsement he said, "I think that the people can make judgment accordingly." He added, "I think that the people should understand that I will be Hamas’ worst nightmare." (The Obama Nation, Corsi, p. 269.)

This terrorist organization is also reportedly swooning over Biden for Vice-President. In a report from Jerusalem we read this senior Hamas official’s words, "In an exclusive interview tonight, a senior Hamas official heaped praise on Sen. Joe Biden, calling him a ‘very nice’ person and a ‘great man’ whose record ’speaks volumes’ and who can be counted on by the terror group to engage in the ‘right policy’ toward the Middle East. During the interview with WND’s Aaron Klein and WABC Radio’s John Batchelor, the Hamas figure also expressed hope regarding Sen. Barack Obama’s ‘vision for change,’ announcing Hamas will send Obama a letter of congratulation ‘the moment he will win the election.’ Ahmed Yousef, Hamas’ chief political adviser in the Gaza Strip, called Biden a ‘very prominent figure when it comes to the politics of the region.’" (Jerusalem, World Net Daily Exclusive, October 19, 2008.)

What a picture of questionable support from out of the Islamic world for Senator Barack Obama and Senator Joe Biden. Almost everyone believes that the unreported two hundred million dollars are very likely to have been raised in Arab and African countries. It is illegal to receive political donations from foreign countries. This level of funds is not only questionable, it is inconceivable. If a conservative received a few thousand dollars in this fashion, the liberal media would swarm upon them. At some point the truth will be known, and Obama and Biden will be disgraced.

Chris Matthews of MSNBC admits that he gets chills up his legs when the subject is Obama. According to numerous reports, it has become common fare to witness people swooning as if in a fainting spell or swaying emotionally at the Obama rallies. Note the words used by Colin Powell — a man we had always considered a well-balanced former Secretary of State under President George W. Bush — when he endorsed Obama. Here are the words of Mr. Powell, "He has both style and substance. I think he is a transformational figure." Powell believes that Obama’s election will electrify our country. (Huffington Post, October 19, 2008.) When Powell mentioned whether or not Obama was a Muslim, he said, "But the really right answer is, What if he is? Is there something wrong with being a Muslim in this co untry? The answer is, No, that’s not America." (Newsmax, October 19, 2008)

The idea that Obama is preparing to change the whole world cannot be ignored. His political world tour in the spring was strange and clearly prophetic of his dreams. He is being called, "A man to change the world." American does not need a president to change the world unless you are speaking of a New World Order and the total loss of our "American Sovereignty."

Senator Barack Obama is clearly a dream out of the world of liberals and those that hate traditional American values. He is as phony as Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck. He represents everything that a Bible-believing person rejects.

This election will set the direction for our nation for the last short period until "Bible prophecies are fulfilled." If you want America to be the exact reverse of our Biblical underpinning, you will vote for Obama-Biden. If you want to hold onto the values that are left from America’s past greatness, you cannot vote for Obama-Biden. We must stop this descent into the strange world that one would hear and experience in the church of Jeremiah Wright. The influence of twenty years under his pastor did not change when Obama decided to run for our great office of president of the United States.

There is only one power that is protecting our world from a cataclysmic upheaval. The world is on the verge of a baptism of wickedness and filth. Marriage between men and women will shortly become obsolete. Fundamental Christianity will be forbidden. Anyone claiming Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord will be put to death. The Sovereign power that holds all of this horror at bay is the person of the Holy Ghost. One of the offices of the Holy Ghost is "the restrainer of the Antichrist’s mastery." When the Spirit is removed, all hell will be unfettered and loosed.

God the Father is the "mind" of this universe. God the Son is the "Word" and "Words of God" — both in person and in the spoken Word. God the Holy Ghost is the "supernatural action and right hand of power" of this awesome Trinity. From the beginning of Creation to this moment, the Holy Spirit has restrained Lucifer in his design to become "god." A spirit of Antichrist or anti-God has battled against the Eternal Father from the moment of Satan’s fall. The office of the Holy Ghost has served to restrain the devil and he is on a leash. The Holy Ghost holds him at arm’s length.

Let’s establish this Supernatural Person in His restraining position. When the Father thought to create man and his domain called earth, all the Trinity went into action. The Father’s "mind" formed the plan, the Son spoke, "Let there be light," and the "Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters" (Genesis 1:1-2). Darkness was put to flight and a formless expanse exploded into a "world enclosed with its own heaven." While the Son of God spoke great creative words, the Holy Spirit gave creative powers to those words, and a beautiful world came into being. Darkness could not master these creative thoughts because the "Word" gave them wind and the "Spirit" gave them protection and action.

Time after time and experience after experience, the Holy Spirit held all resistance in defeat. Satan could never destroy anything or anyone that rested in the Spirit’s victory. Isaiah voiced the perfect picture of the actions of the Holy Spirit. "When the enemy shall come in like a flood, the Spirit of the LORD shall lift up a standard against him" (Isaiah 59:19b). When the Holy Ghost moves, the results are settled. He is infinite and omnipotent.

The Second Testament is absolutely potent with Holy Ghost powers. Jesus Christ put His Divine nature on hold and was anointed by the Holy Ghost for every act of His redeeming triumph. The only begotten Son could have acted in His Divine nature at any moment, but had no need because the Spirit was upon Him in His fullness. The Bible spoke of this anointing of Jesus Christ by the Spirit as being "without measure" (John 3:34). The church was required to wait for the Spirit’s Baptism before one sermon was preached. "And, behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you: but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on high" (Luke 24:29).

Now that we understand this Divine plan of the Spirit’s empowerment and restraining activities, we can rightly understand His removal back to the throne of God. When the Restrainer is gone, Satan will have his first "free reign" on man and on this earth. For a limited time, Satan will turn this earth into a wilderness. It will be hell on earth. Everything of order and every principle of the Creator will be reversed. Satan will present himself in a "fog of divinity" and mankind will herald him to a god-like stature. It will be a wild ride to hell.

The second letter to the Thessalonians makes this prophecy come alive. First, the Apostle Paul speaks of our gathering together unto Him and then of the developing picture of the world after the Rapture of His saints. The Apostle by the Spirit warned us, "And now ye know what withholdeth that he might be revealed in his time. For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way. And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming" (II Thessalonians 2:6-8).

This plainly speaks of a person, the Restrainer, and declares the Antichrist helpless until that Restrainer is removed. The Bible interprets the Bible and no one can change an established truth. The Restrainer has never been anyone but the Holy Ghost. The Holy Spirit does not cease to be the Spirit of life in this world, but He does cease temporarily to be the Restrainer of all satanic darkness. The Pentecostal era ends but His life-giving presence continues. The Sevenfold person of the third member of the Trinity is seen around the Throne with the twenty elders or the Bride of Christ (Revelation 4:5).

Satan is clearly given a short period (almost seven years) to have his last try at godhood. He will produce a false "Christ" and a false spirit, and his unholy trinity will spring into action. The false church from Rome, America, and the religious centers of every apostate organization will unite with a false prophet to give wind to the new godhood. A revival of false signs, wonders, and incredible miracles will occur. It will be a religious revival that cannot be discerned except by a Bible believing fundamentalist.

There will be an identification plan to give continuity to this "One World Church." A new baptism will be required and a "Mark" of pride in this conversion will be applied to everyone. Tattoos for religious identification are already exploding and it will be the joy of the crowd. This financially rich religious explosion will offer discounts and instant acceptance to everyone bearing the sign of membership. Those that reject this sign of membership and those that reject this move of "god" will not be able to buy or sell and will be put to death. It will be a free ride until the Antichrist and his government decides they do not need this religious option any longer. Rome will then be burned as the first sign that the false revival is over. "And the ten horns which thou sawest upon the be ast, these shall hate the whore, and shall make her desolate and naked, and shall eat her flesh, and burn her with fire" (Revelation 17:16).

There is no excuse for anyone to be here after the "Restrainer is removed." The Blood-washed, overcoming saints, will be gone at any moment. There is still hope for you to surrender unconditionally to Jesus Christ. HE waits for the "precious fruit of the earthÂ…" Turn wholly to Him today.

Jehovah God is soon to be known by the world and, especially, by the enemies of Israel. The configuration of the nations in the Middle East, including Russia, will be forever changed. Russia, Iran, Syria, Sudan, Ethiopia, Libya, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, plus all their allies will no longer exist as government entities. There is the possibility that as many as twenty-five or thirty nations will be utterly destroyed. The full extent of this cataclysmic war has never been fully declared or understood. The Bible makes it clear that the nations which have determined to destroy Israel will be decimated. The Holy Spirit said, "And it shall come to pass in that day, that I will seek to destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalam" (Zechariah 12:9).

The War of Gog and Magog will be the first step towards making the entire earth conscious of the one and only Supreme God. This war will also open the way for the Antichrist to rebuild Babylon and to become the dominant force in the ancient Eastern leg of the Roman Empire. Iraq is known in the Bible by her past names of Sumer, Chaldea, Mesopotamia, and Babylon. This nation has always been one of the strongest enemies to Israel and the Jews.

Yet, the perfect prophecies of Holy Scripture leave Iraq out of the Gog and Magog coalition. The elimination of Saddam Hussein from the Iraqi political scene was a powerful preparation for the end time events. Iraq had to be the uneasy democracy that it represents today in order for the Assyrian — the final beast of a man — to step onto the stage. His face will be revealed only after the Rapture of the chosen saints.

As we await the Rapture, this war of Gog and Magog is gathering forces. The next American president will most likely be shackled with the duty of deciding whether to or not to respond to Jerusalem and Israel’s defense when the Gog and Magog multitude show their intentions. It will be one of the most telling moments of American history. Which man — President McCain or President Obama — will put our entire nation at risk by sending our warships and planes face-to-face with the largest coalition of nuclear armed troops in history? You had better answer that question before you vote. It will decide the future of America.

But, God will decide the future of Israel. This nation’s existence in the homeland of God’s Promise Land is set in Biblical perfection. God will defend Israel with a show of divine deliverance that will never be forgotten. Every nation of the earth will tremble. The heavens will come alive with a display of destruction. Such a demonstration of power will be unleashed on this army and the homeland of every government involved that the whole earth will either respect or hate this Sovereign God. Those that hate this act of God the Father will be prepared to join the Antichrist for the last great Battle of Armageddon.

The world will be brought to the edge of total obliteration. Many commentators will be on the airwaves and internet calling the developing schemes of this massive army "the end of human existence." Russia will threaten the nations with nuclear holocaust if anyone comes to Israel’s defense. The only words of hope will be those of Bible believers – men and women that have read God’s final words of prophetic promises. If our governmental officials do not understand what God is going to do, they will bow to the Russian warnings. Europe will be hiding in their basements and deep government enclaves. Even the atheists will probably be praying.

Just before this massive offensive reaches the heart of Israel, God will direct the outcome. An overflowing rain will likely be the first sign of action. It will be such a flood falling on the entire Middle East that a tremor of fear will begin to develop. Pestilences will strike terror as unreal swarms of scorpions and other creatures attack the terrorist soldiers. Great bolts of lightning will interrupt communication systems and hot brimstone will fall upon the armies and throughout the nations that have joined this coalition. Missiles will literally be stopped in midflight and will fall on the stations of those very armies that are firing them towards Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, and the cities of Israel. Hail will fall with such sizes and weights that it will destroy airborne planes or tanks that are plowing through the mud. Five of every six military personnel will be slaughtered.

The capitals and cities of every army involved will be under this deluge. The cell phones of these soldiers will begin to ring with the terror felt at home. Imagine this army as they learn that this destruction is not just on the battlefield but throughout their personal world. The soldiers will begin to turn on each other in their insane stupor, fear, and anger.

The Bible clearly promised God’s great defense of Israel. Our God said, "And I will call for a sword against him throughout all my mountains, saith the Lord GOD: every man’s sword shall be against his brother. And I will plead against him with pestilence and with blood; and I will rain upon him, and upon his bands, and upon the many people that are with him, an overflowing rain, and great hailstones, fire, and brimstone. Thus will I magnify myself, and sanctify myself; and I will be known in the eyes of many nations, and they shall know that I am the LORD" (Ezekiel 38:21-23).

This would be catastrophic enough if it was only happening to this great army marching towards Jerusalem. The Bible promises that their homeland will also be utterly destroyed. The words of God clearly state, "And I will send a fire on Magog, and among them that dwell carelessly in the isles: and they shall know that I am the LORD" (Ezekiel 39:6).

The prophet Joel joined in with his declaration of the results of this Heavenly display. What is left of this army will march back to the ruins and destruction of their nations. "But I will remove far off from you the northern army, and will drive him into a land barren and desolate, with his face toward the east sea, and his hinder part toward the utmost sea, and his stink shall come up, and his ill savour shall come up, because he hath done great things" (Joel 2:20).

Do not look at this great destruction as some ugly and negative event. The Islam religion is a false and dark work of Satan to deceive and destroy. It must be judged or our God will have to repent to Noah’s world and to Sodom and Gomorrah. Out of this Divine display our Heavenly Father will begin a work of His Holy Spirit and multitudes will be converted to Jesus Christ. The emerging church and the religious deception in the church world will be seen for its error and departure from truth. Those that still refuse the infallible Word of God will be given reprobate minds to become the Antichrist army that will develop after the Rapture.

It’s imperative that every reader opens his heart to Biblical, prophetic truth and warnings and that he carefully allows Jesus Christ to be the Lord of his life. There is nothing to fear but fear itself. The Lord is in charge. It’s His world and He is preparing for His eternal kingdom of righteousness.