Sex sins are the darkest sins in the human family. Sex sins are against your own body and will literally destroy your mental, physical, and emotional health. Sex sins will make a wreck out of your life. Every sex sin is a work of evil spirits and cannot be taken into your life except in fellowship with devils. Sex sins in the Bible are always judged with the strongest of judgments. Not one person guilty of sex sins will enter the kingdom of God unless they repent and are cleansed by the Blood of Jesus. For an individual to claim the Blood or to testify that they are Christians or believers while they are living in sex sins is an abomination before God.

"Strong language," you say and you are right. Our Creator and God has always reserved very clear and strong language to deal with sins of immorality. For a man to invade the body of a woman who is not his wife is a violation of every law of decency. For a man to even look on another woman with evil in his heart is to violate that lady and to undress her in the dark recesses of his mind. Jesus said that it is fornication to even look on a woman to lust after her. Why did He say that? Because, you violate that person to whom you are not husband or wife when you look upon them and desire to undress them in your mind. "But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart." (Matthew 5:28). This truth applies equally to men and women.

Apostle Paul by the Holy Ghost said that fornication (sex between any two persons who are not rightfully married to each other) is a sin against the individual’s own body. "Flee fornication. Every sin that a man doeth is without the body; but he that committeth fornication sinneth against his own body." (I Corinthians 6:18).

Sin is a hateful thing. This generation has played with the idea of sin until it means very little to them. Most people now believe that it is okay to sin a little and they get angry when anything different is suggested. Listen carefully, "God still hates sin with a holy hatred." Regardless of the new standard, "No sin will enter Heaven or the presence of our God." If or when you sin against your body, deep inner things occur that will destroy your total person. It begins immediately, the moment you violate your body, and intensifies every time you commit another sex sin.

It only takes a few acts of fornication to reduce you to an empty shell of a person, going deeper and deeper into a pit of mire. Listen to the Word of God, "Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting." (Galatians 6:7-8).

Corruption of Your Body Starts Immediately
Have you ever realized that God our Creator invested Himself, specifically, in the design of our bodies? (Fearfully and Wonderfully Made, page 11.) We are made in the image of God. He breathed His spirit of life into our marvelously made physical person. We are a mystery that the greatest doctor cannot fathom. Every design of our being is beyond description of the greatest mind of this educated generation. We are made in His likeness and after His design and for His glory. To unite this body with evil spirits and commit a sexual sin is to start an immediate process of corruption. No wonder Paul the Apostle said, "Flee fornication."

"Flee fornication" is a strong, incredibly strong, warning that suggests the seriousness of this sin. It is not just a sin to reject or to avoid, but one of which we must flee from. The apostle knew it was more than a sin but it was also a trap from which few souls can escape. Job gave one of the most powerful descriptions of a man that gives himself to fornication/adultery. Here are the words spoken by the Holy Ghost to Job, "The eye also of the adulterer waiteth for the twilight, saying, No eye shall see me: and disguiseth his face. In the dark they dig through houses, which they had marked for themselves in the daytime: they know not the light. For the morning is to them even as the shadow of death: if one know them, they are in the terrors of the shadow of death." (Job 24:15-17).

Solomon described equally the women who follow this lifestyle. "For a whore is a deep ditch; and a strange woman is a narrow pit." (Proverbs 23:27). "To keep thee from the evil woman, from the flattery of the tongue of a strange woman." (Proverbs 6:24).

The Holy Ghost said something overwhelming through Solomon’s pen. It sounds almost hopeless for a fornicating man to ever escape the pit of a harlot’s house. "For her house inclineth unto death, and her paths unto the dead. None that go unto her return again, neither take they hold of the paths of life." (Proverbs 2:18).

The words used in these passages are plain scary. Look carefully at them so that each of us might flee this pit of death.

• They are in the terror of the shadow of death.
• Her house inclineth unto death.
• Neither take they hold of the paths of life.
• But, her end is bitter as wormwood.
• By means of a whorish woman a man is brought to a piece of bread.
• The mouth of a strange woman is a deep pit.
• For a whore is a deep ditch.

What warnings God gives to the wise man and woman! "Flee fornication" with all of your soul. Teach your families that fornication and adultery is a deep ditch, a pathway into death and a dark mire that few can escape.

Your Body Comes Apart in Sex Sins
Your body was created by the infinite hands of the Creator God. He formed it in a mysterious likeness to Himself and breathed His own life into that body. This created masterpiece was so created to live forever and to enjoy the same purity that God the Creator enjoys. But, sin entered by the disobedience of Adam and Eve and death began its horrendous destruction. Bypassing all that occurred in the garden, let’s deal with what is happening to this body, spirit, and soul masterpiece with the sins of sex.

One of the mysteries of our bodies is the male and female design. God made man and woman to be joined together and prescribed that union to be pure and set apart from all other human beings. God’s order set each man and each woman to be a partner with one other man or woman of the opposite gender. Anything else but this standard He proclaimed to be contrary and forbidden. For men and women to lay with others in intimacy wreaks havoc because it violates the inward stability and creativity of our very soul.

Something happens in fornication that the Bible describes in no other sin. Apostle Paul addressed it in writing to the Corinthians. Here are his words, "What? know ye not that he which is joined to an harlot is one body? for two, saith he, shall be one flesh." (1Corinthians 6:16). Then, notice the next verse where he likened this false and dark union to the same level on the evil side as our holy union to the Lord on the spiritual side. "But he that is joined unto the Lord is one spirit." (1Corinthians 6:17). An act of fornication actually makes you a soul mate of the fornicator and to the demon of the sin of fornication.

No wonder that a person who becomes involved in sexual sins is bound by cords of darkness and deception almost impossible to break. It is a sin that unites the fornicator to demons and fallen spirits that then becomes their master. The fornicators do what those masters say. They fill the heart with lust and godless passions that control and fill them with an endless and unsatisfying list of emotions. It is a downward spiral that has no bottom, but hell itself.

No wonder that men and women who become fornicators in the sins of heterosexual acts soon degenerate to the sins of lesbianism and homosexuality. The spirits of sexual sins have one ultimate goal and that goal is to submerge their victims in an endless list of vile blasphemies to God the Creator. Sex sins cannot be separated from the demons that direct and promote these acts.

A Corrupted Body
It is sad to look at what happens to the physical body of a fornicator. Every sex sin they commit is actually driving nails in their own coffin. Because they do not die the next day most people tend to ignore the slow death of sex sins. The emotions of a fornicator always become frayed and sharp. Some people can hide their emotions better than others, but the power of sin is still at work. Slowly, this person will become defensive, possibly angry, and certainly critical of anyone that dares to question his/her sinful life. Many fornicators actually develop such emotional problems as to be either slightly or grossly insane and lose all sense of self-discipline. Responsibility for family or loved ones is eventually forsaken. Mothers or fathers will actually forsake their own children and the mental well-being of these children to be joined to this new mate as two possessed people joined to one another.

The body will slowly begin to react to this corruption in the soul and spirit. Resistance against infection is clearly tied to our emotional well-being. With frayed and troubled emotions, the physical person will begin to deteriorate. The body always follows the well-being or the sick condition of our inner person. You cannot be well of body if you are not well of soul and spirit. "Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth." (III John 1:2).

Before we go deep into the physical body, diseases, and sickness, let’s deal with the spirit of man. The spirit is without question that part of man that relates directly to God. It is god-breathed and god-related. We can communicate to God by our spirit and this is the only way we can communicate to Him. Apostle Paul said, "For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father. The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together." (Romans 8:14-17). What a passage of truth! Every believer must learn to appreciate their spirit and the necessity of living in and by the spirit. It is our "well-being" in every sense of the word.

Since our spirit is life within us (It is the God-life of man.) we must guard against anything that deadens that life or puts out the light of God in our person or soul. That’s exactly what sin was from the beginning and is now. It is the work of Satan and his fallen host to lead or influence us to sin so the light of God will go out in us and then these spirits can have freedom to operate. Listen to the Spirit speak to the church at Corinth. "Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness? And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel? And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you." (II Corinthians 6:14-17).

Your spirit will die within you if sin is allowed freedom in your life. Remember, that when you were saved, the Holy Spirit was said to "regenerate and renew" you unto salvation. "Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost." (Titus 3:5). You were not saved by your good works, but by His grace and the glorious renewing of your dead spirit. Sin will put out the light of that spirit that dwells within and which gives you the joy of fellowship with God.

Sex sins are sins against your own person and when allowed in your life start their horrible destruction by death to your spirit. With your spirit out of the way, the evil spirits will go to work without hindrance. It will not take long before your body begins to express the brokenness of your life.

King David cried, "Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me." (Psalm 51:10). The sin of fornication had put out the light and his body was bearing the result. While all sickness is sin-related by the fall in the garden, some sins like fornication are directly affecting our bodies today. Fornication is a "sin against your body." (I Corinthians 6:18).

Look at what David said was wrong in his life. "There is no soundness in my flesh because of thine anger; neither is there any rest in my bones because of my sin. For mine iniquities are gone over mine head: as an heavy burden they are too heavy for me. My wounds stink and are corrupt because of my foolishness. I am troubled; I am bowed down greatly; I go mourning all the day long. For my loins are filled with a loathsome disease: and there is no soundness in my flesh. I am feeble and sore broken: I have roared by reason of the disquietness of my heart." (Psalm 39:3-8). But God answered.

The beauty of God’s mercy can restore your soul. Sex sins are grievous, but you can repent. Most sex sins, when repented of early and quickly can be healed without lasting sorrow. Every day you continue in them makes repentance less likely and more difficult. The point can easily be passed where there is no returning and millions have passed that point. David was renewed and forgiven, but never saw his family whole again. He suffered every day the rest of his life for his sex sins. Many are in this same shape today. You can be forgiven and then do all within your power to see those affected: your children, wife, husband, or friends, healed and forgiven. The Blood of Jesus Christ is speaking forgiveness and healing to every soul that will repent and turn totally to trust in the cross and the victory of His shed blood.

"What can wash away my sins?
Nothing but the Blood of Jesus.
What can make me whole again?
Nothing but the Blood of Jesus.

O, precious is the flow
That makes me white as snow.
No other fount I know
Nothing but the Blood of Jesus."

The very first trick Satan often tries on a brand new believer is to get them looking for Christian based items to add to their new life. Modern religious bookstores are reaping millions in an effort to help Satan do this.

Few believers seem to realize that the advertisement of the believer is the radical change in their life and their Christ-honoring good works. Things, like a meek and quiet spirit, are overlooked for the more exciting "Christian jewelry." Satan wants to sidetrack the new saint from real faith.

It is more fun to listen to "Christian" music than fast or pray. Many religious books exist to keep them from reading large portions of Scripture. While some bumper stickers are okay, it will not replace the labourer going into the harvest and verbally spreading the Good News.

T-shirts, bookbags, purses, keychains, neckties, watches, pictures, decals, flags, and many other items are sold to help you show what you are. But, look at the paraphernalia of the early church. They sold their extra possessions. They had home prayer meetings. They prayed until God gave mighty miracles. They helped their neighbors with good deeds that were done in Jesus’ name. They didn’t need a fish symbol on their cloak. It was evident what they were. Would you rather be used to heal a lame man or get a new "Christian" t-shirt? Which one really reveals your religion?

I am not against some of these items. (The New Testament speaks against jewelry.) I think we easily fill up the new life with Christian paraphernalia instead of filling it up with Jesus Himself! The Spirit of God will work with you as you seek REAL Christianity. It seems that the last days are filled with a false version of Christianity. Sadly, most Christian retailers are aiding and abetting this false look and shallow conversions. Let’s wake up and seek a deeper experience that looks more like the Bible believers of the New Testament!

Don’t let your fruit be replaced by paraphernalia!
Sinners will see through your apparent shallow experience!

Religious fads are the most dangerous fads of all. Any religious leader that will lower himself to create and perpetuate a religious idea that has the potential to promote a "faddish idolatry" is in serious trouble. Misplaced fads of a Christian nature cannot be called anything but idolatry. Superstitious or soulish people have no capacity to discern between a religious fad and the true faith of our Lord Jesus Christ. Fads capture these types of people and carry them along on a false journey of imaginary faith. It is impossible to prevent these dark souls from grabbing the next dream just as soon as some guru can create it.

In my lifetime I have watched one fad after another make a multi-million dollar fortune for their creators. The God Chasers fad is still in motion, carrying along with it millions of souls from the charismatic vein. Apostle Luke spoke of this kind of idolatry being promoted by religious leaders who were looking for a following of self-disciples. "Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the Church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood. For I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock. Also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them. Therefore watch, and remember, that by the space of three years I ceased not to warn every one night and day with tears. And now, brethren, I commend you to God, and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up, and to give you an inheritance among all them, which are sanctified. I have coveted no man’s silver, or gold, or apparel." (Acts 20:28-33). My soul is repulsed by it all. I weep for those without shepherds who have no one to warn and prepare him or her to reject such idolatry in the name of the Christian faith.

The Prayer of Jabez is "Faddish Idolatry"
Of course, this prayer in its original content was very beautiful and created a lovely picture of a believing Jewish gentleman. His prayer was apparently prayed in the perfect will of God and it set him apart from the multitude of his contemporaries. It has the potential of a great sermon and a wonderful example. We can and should use this text as both. But, to elevate it to a "paradigm breaker" that is the model for all Christians would be laughable if it were not so serious. There is not one Scripture in the Bible, even the "Lord’s Prayer," that should be used to create a mantra. In fact, the Lord Himself forbids us to pray any prayer in repetition, but we will discuss that later.

It’s impossible to understand idolatry, unless you understand the faith of Biblical Christianity. It is just as easy to be an idolater with false ideas concocted out of Scripture, as it is to worship in a pagan religion. The Scripture warns us to "rightly divide" the Word of God and speaks often of false prophets and men who come in His name to deceive others.

The Biblical Faith is Personal
A Biblical relationship with the Lord Himself leaves no room for "faddish idolatry." We that are "Born Again" have been spiritually birthed into a personal relationship with God. We know Him for ourselves and we commune with Him one-on-one. Nothing is more contrary to us than for someone to prescribe a religious mantra or to create a system that makes us bound within that system. A born again believer is a free soul that willingly and spiritually unites with the local body of the church. Religious systems of thought control outside the local body are quickly rejected.

Every cult uses a form of idolatry to enslave its members. Mormonism, Jehovah Witnesses, and to a lesser degree, many modern day television ministers each have there pat ideas which enslave people and hold their loyalty. In the past, most cults were different enough to be easily discerned. More and more as we approach the end of this age, cults are within the range of truth that renders them easily misinterpreted. Any idea that captures you and overemphasizes one or more Scriptures out of content can easily lead to "faddish idolatry." The "Jesus Only" doctrine is a case in point. They teach Jesus, His death on the cross, and other very Biblical truths. Yet, their idea of this "oneness" doctrine of Jesus Christ, excluding the "Godhead of three express persons," is clearly "faddish" and outside the beautiful revelation of Scripture. People in this cult are bound by the idolatry of false worship to a schizophrenic god who does not know whether He is the Father, the Son, or the Holy Ghost.

I hope you understand what I mean by "faddish idolatry." You must know the God of the Bible for yourself. He sent His Son to establish redemption from sin into sonship and His great big family. His Holy Book is not of private interpretation. You do not need someone’s concocted idea to be an anchor for your faith. There is no such thing as a "New Revelation." His word is long ago "settled in Heaven." The testimony of His completed Book is seen in Revelation 11:19, ready to be revealed at the designated hour. We already enjoy its total truth and must learn to be wary of anyone claiming some great miracle or spiritual experience based on his or her own new revelation. If someone else has got to prescribe a prayer for you to get God’s favor and blessing, you are already in trouble.

Every promise that the author of The Prayer of Jabez claims for you has been real in my life for almost fifty years. I have often wept before God embarrassed for my blessings. He has never failed me. His Word, from Genesis to Revelation, is personal to me. His daily "mercies" are renewed day after day without anyone’s "mantra" or "repetitious request." He knows me and I know Him and that is exactly what He has claimed for every person created in His universe. He wants to be "your" God and He wants you to be His "son or daughter."

Christianity can never be reduced to a "system" or a "prescribed formula." It’s personal. He has no grandsons or granddaughters. We are all "first born" by the Blood of His Son.

The Prayer of Jabez, Pagan Idolatry
Why do men take an idea or truth from Holy Scripture and then seek to create a religious system out of that truth? Religious systems always become idolatry, because men worship the system instead of the God of the Whole Bible. Idolatry is anything to which we give a godlike attention. Pat doctrines are most often worshipped in today’s churches. As a Pentecostal, I have watched a multitude in our ranks worship the Pentecostal experience far above the "God of Pentecost." This is true of every segment of the Christian church. Anyone that allows a kind of worship that cheats them from knowing personally the "Great God of the Bible" has been led into error. What a loss!

Let’s look at the violations of established truth evident in The Prayer of Jabez book. I will give you five reasons why this book is a subtle form of idolatry that departs from the plain teachings of Holy Scripture.

• The Book Makes no Mention of Praying in Jesus’ Name - How can a book that claims such incredible miracles as a result of praying its formula completely ignore the first principle of New Testament prayer? Jesus said, "And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son." "If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it." (John 14:13-14). The established pattern in the Book of Acts is irrevocable. "Then Peter said, Silver and gold have I none; but such as I have give I thee: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk." "And his name through faith in his name hath made this man strong, whom ye see and know: yea, the faith which is by him hath given him this perfect soundness in the presence of you all." (Act 3:6; 16). If you do not pray in Jesus’ name, you cannot claim the answer came from God. How did Dr. Wilkinson miss this incredible fact? He said, "I want to teach you how to pray a daring prayer that God always answers." (The Prayer of Jabez, Bruce Wilkinson, p. 7.) That claim is beyond the grasp for any prayer, much less a prayer that has eliminated the name of Jesus. Is the author willingly or unwillingly advancing the cause of the Jesus haters of this generation? There is great controversy across America concerning the issue of "praying in Jesus’ Name." It appears that the main thrust in the religious world is to promote a religious consensus that accepts all religious actions on an equal footing, except that which includes praying in Jesus’ Name.
   
• This Book Promotes a Form of Prayer That is Easily Identified as Heathen or Pagan - One of the plainest of the teachings of Jesus Christ concerning prayer had this to say, "But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly. But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking. Be not ye therefore like unto them: for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him." (Matthew 6:6-8). Vain repetition is repeating the same words over and over. It is the creating of a mantra that fits the pagan idea of altering your consciousness and conjuring up evil spirits. No wonder Jesus thoroughly condemns such prayer styles.

To begin to understand why Jesus forbids repetitive prayers you must understand that He is a personal Lord who wants our prayers to be based on fellowship and trust, not memorized lines. We have fellowship with Him when we pray. We share our inner thoughts, emotions, and needs; and we do it as a son or daughter having joyous communion with a Father. A memorized prayer is an insult to His Sovereign Person.

Apparently, this author has himself experienced a paradigm shift. He admits to praying this prayer daily for over 30 years. Now, he states to his readers the promise of altering your consciousness. He said, "Just under the surface of each request lies a giant paradigm breaker." (Ibid, p. 14.) When you experience a paradigm shift, you have altered your consciousness. You do not think as in the past, but you have passed into an altered state. The end result of a total (He used the word "giant.") paradigm change in thinking is the leaving of the old way of communion and joining with the New Age crowd. The ultimate meaning is to think with the mind of the cosmos or to merge into the "Age of Aquarius." Reading a little from the "New Age writers" will scare you back to the New Testament if you have not already gone too far to return.

• A True Believers’ Glory is in Nothing but the Cross - The glory and praise of the Blood-bought saints is the death and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ. He is the Source of all the blessings and favors promised in the Word of God. To suggest that any one of the many prayers which were prayed and recorded in the Scriptures should be used as our main source is folly. The prayer of Jabez was answered in his day because of the Messianic hope, which sustained and undergirded every truth in the First Testament. So, to go back to the shadows of that day when we are now enjoying the glory fulfilled is to misinterpret the Word of God.

The Apostle Paul was a completed Jew that eloquently knew the whole of the law and prophets and proclaimed, "But God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world. For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision, but a new creature. And as many as walk according to this rule, peace be on them, and mercy, and upon the Israel of God. From henceforth let no man trouble me: for I bear in my body the marks of the Lord Jesus." (Galatians 6:14-17).

There were Judaizers in Paul’s day that kept trying to put the people under bondage to the old covenant of blessings. This great text makes it clear that my blessings are in Christ Jesus, not the rituals of the past. All we need to do to enjoy Heaven’s best is to glory and revel in the cross, while we obey and live under His Lordship. The very thought of going back to reciting an ancient prayer in some isolated text borders on blasphemy. We are free from the customs of the past. Jesus said to a Samaritan woman who was herself bound by the misunderstanding of worship, "But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him. God is a spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth." (John 4:23-24). The day of wailing or chanting certain Scriptures was over. The truth Himself had come.

• This Book is an Ecumenical Book Moving the Church One More Step Toward a "One World Religion" – Mr. Wilkinson himself has been deeply involved in ecumenical-type activities where Catholicism, Mormonism, and other strains of cultic worshippers are being united. This book is clearly absent of the fundamentals of our faith. It is a further uniting of the church with psychology and modern waves of thought.

The great faith of the past that taught self-denial, the crucifixion of the flesh, and sacrificial living is woefully missing. Yet, the author claims for his followers everything of blessing that has always followed obedience and self-surrender.

• This Book is Unashamedly Selfish - The Son of God left no room for a selfish Christianity. "Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it. For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?" (Matthew 16:24-26). No one, not even a book selling millions of copies, can change the truth of the Eternal Son of God. Selfishness and truth do not mix.

Conclusion
The church world is being inundated with many versions of blessings and carnal living. No one can answer all the questions being raised by the many popular "feel good authors." The only hope for a hungry soul is the plain and simple Word of God. Quit feeding on the fodder that is flooding our world from the pens and lips of the religious who have left the paths of Holiness. Separate yourself from the worldly crowds and their questionable teachings and get back to the cross.

If the cross of Jesus Christ and His physical death on that tree is not supreme, something is wrong. If the lessons and sermons are not calling for repentance and surrender to a cross-bearing life, something is out of frame. If you are not being led to deny yourself and present only Jesus to your world, then the enemy is in the camp. My suggestion is to spend a couple of months in the Book of Saint John and pray for a simple encounter with His all consuming presence. "Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you." (James 4:8). The encounter of a lifetime is to be "born again" and to live in the Word of God.

The Lord Jesus Christ by His eternal power is clearly credited with the creation of all thrones, dominions, principalities, and powers. "For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him: And he is before all things, and by him all things consist." (Colossians 1:16-17). Angels are composed of many different ranks from the Archangels to the servant angels. They perform many different tasks, but always for one pure purpose of bringing glory and honour to the Father and the Son. The Son of God created the angels with the purity of His own character. Except for the host of angels that followed Satan in his rebellion, the angels manifest the same pure nature as revealed in their Creator. Where or however they manifest themselves to mankind, the total expression of their appearance, conducts, words, and disposition will reflect the holy character of God.

The fallen angels are the servants of Satan with an equal devotion to him as found in the holy angels and their devotion to the Father and to the Son. These unclean angels will always be very religious and will masquerade as Holy angels. In exactly the same way that Satan imitates God the Father or God the Son the unclean angels imitate the holy angels of God. Unclean angels are also manifest in many different ranks from Satan himself to principalities, powers, rulers of darkness, and spiritual wickedness in high places. Apostle Paul warned us clearly to put on the whole armor of God that we might be able to stand against this horde of "spiritual" powers. He stated, "For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places." (Ephesians 6:12).

Nothing you will learn about unholy angels is more important than the spiritual nature of their activities and character. The Apostle Paul clearly called their activity, "spiritual wickedness." The unholy angels are an enemy to every holy person, to every truth of the Holy Bible, and to every activity of the Holy Spirit of God; but do not look for unholy angels to reveal their unholy nature or purpose. They convince many people to honor and follow their deception by hiding behind a false form of spirituality. We will try to detail the deceptive methods of these angels as we reach that aspect of this article.

Holy Angels: Messengers of God
The angels of God occupy a tremendous place in Holy Scripture and are extremely important to the performance of God’s business and kingdom. It is clear in Scripture that they were created before the earth and before God created men and women. Angels do not procreate after their kind; therefore, the holy angels are said to neither marry nor give in marriage. "For in the resurrection they neither marry, nor are given in marriage, but are as the angels of God in heaven." (Matthew 22:30). The creation of woman was a unique event to provide a helpmate for man. While man was incomplete without woman, no such fact existed with the angels. They were perfectly created for their heavenly role in glorifying God and acting as His messengers.

This reveals a sharp distinction between the angels of God and the human family. Angels are "ministering spirits sent forth to minister for them (us) who shall be heirs of salvation." (Hebrews 1:14). We are being prepared to be the Bride of Christ. The Scripture clearly teaches that Jesus was given a name above every name and ". . . is gone into heaven, and is on the right hand of God; angels and authorities and powers being made subject unto him." (1 Peter 3:22). The angels are presently in complete subjection to the Lord Jesus Christ and appear to uniquely serve Him and His kingdom on earth during the church dispensation.

Angels Played a Beautiful Role in Christ’s First Coming
From the announcement of His incarnation until He ascended back to the Father, angels appeared to have been given a kind of supervision and strengthening role to the Son of man. While it was the overshadowing power of the Holy Ghost that conceived Jesus in Mary’s womb, it was the angels’ business to make the announcement to her, to satisfy Joseph’s fear, and to even provide the name of Jesus to Joseph. Angels supervised the birth of John the Baptist and His role as the harbinger or forerunner of the Son of man. When Jesus was in danger of being slain with all the children of Bethlehem, an angel appeared to Joseph to warn him to flee to Egypt with the young child.

It was angels that came to minister and strengthen Him after fasting forty days and nights and suffering an intense attack by the devil against Himself. "Then the devil leaveth him, and, behold, angels came and ministered unto him." (Matthew 4:11). Jesus Himself testified to Phillip and Nathaniel that angels would regularly appear to Him during His ministry. "And he saith unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Hereafter ye shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of man." (John 1:51).

While the Scripture does not document this happening to any great frequency, there can be no doubt that it did, and His disciples apparently witnessed it, but were so accustomed to believing in angels that most of these events were not recounted in their Gospels. Luke did recount his witnessing of an angel appearing in the Garden of Gethsemane. He stated, "And there appeared an angel unto him from heaven, strengthening him." (Luke 22:43). All four of the Gospel writers shared the appearance of angels at His tomb following His resurrection from the dead. John told this event as following, "But Mary stood without at the sepulchre weeping: and as she wept, she stooped down, and looked into the sepulchre, And seeth two angels in white sitting, the one at the head, and the other at the feet, where the body of Jesus had lain. And they say unto her, Woman, why weepest thou? She saith unto them, Because they have taken away my Lord, and I know not where they have laid him." (John 20:11-13).

As Jesus concluded His earthly sojourn and returned to Heaven by a miraculous ascension, angels appeared to give instruction to the 500 people that were present. The angels’ message was a powerful encouragement and indication of what these disciples had witnessed. "And when he had spoken these things, while they beheld, he was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their sight. And while they looked steadfastly toward heaven as he went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel; Which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven." (Acts 1:9-11). It would be impossible not to give a paramount role to angels in God’s kingdom after viewing the closeness of angel activity to the Son of God.

Angels Served As Messengers In Both Testaments
There are several beautiful accounts of angels bearing messages to servants of God in Holy Scripture. Even Nebuchadnezzar, who certainly did not know God until late in his reign, received a dream in which he heard angels bearing a message to himself. He called one angel a "watcher" and another angel a "holy one", which indicates his language was as that of a pagan. Yet, he was troubled and sought an interpretation from his wise men. Not one of them, being sorcerers and false prophets, could interpret the message from the true God. When the king finally brought the message to Daniel, the message from his God was immediately recognized. Even though Daniel was troubled by the content, he recognized the judgment involved and warned the king of his pride and sin.

Zechariah received a message from angels over 2000 years ago that is presently in its early stages of fulfillment. This message was a prophecy of the future of Jerusalem and a coming day of glory for the nation of Israel. This particular message has a double fulfillment. One when Israel returned from Babylon and the last when God Himself should yet choose Jerusalem and cast out the horns (governments and their rulers) from the chosen city of the Lord. Here are the angel’s concluding words, "Then said I, What come these to do? And he spake, saying, These are the horns which have scattered Judah, so that no man did lift up his head: but these are come to fray them, to cast out the horns of the Gentiles, which lifted up their horn over the land of Judah to scatter it." (Zechariah 1:21).

Watching the governments of the world in their effort to scatter the Jewish nation surely adds a divine dimension to this ancient angelic message. There are considerable messages from angels in the First (Old) Testament, but also in the Second or New Testament. Angels did not cease their activities in the New Testament. We might even consider that it reflects an increase in the presence of angels.

In the Book of Acts there are several beautiful accounts of angels speaking and acting in behalf of the church. When several of the apostles were put in prison for preaching Jesus, the angel of the Lord appeared and took charge. Look at the story, "Then the high priest rose up, and all they that were with him, (which is the sect of the Sadducees,) and were filled with indignation, And laid their hands on the apostles, and put them in the common prison. But the angel of the Lord by night opened the prison doors, and brought them forth, and said, Go, stand and speak in the temple to the people all the words of this life." (Acts 5:17-20). Apparently, no one saw this angel except the apostles.

When Phillip had conducted a successful revival at Samaria an angel of the Lord appeared to him. "And the angel of the Lord spake unto Philip, saying, Arise, and go toward the south unto the way that goeth down from Jerusalem unto Gaza, which is desert." (Acts 8:26).

An angel appeared to Cornelius telling him to send for Peter, who would tell him "what thou oughtest to do." (Acts 10:6). An angel appeared to Peter in prison and performed miracle after miracle leading him to safety outside the locked iron gate, which opened of its own accord. (Acts 12:10). The Lord sent His angel when Paul was on board a doomed ship sailing in a stormy sea. Paul stated to his shipmates, "For there stood by me this night the angel of God, whose I am, and whom I serve, Saying, Fear not, Paul; thou must be brought before Caesar: and, lo, God hath given thee all them that sail with thee. Wherefore, sirs, be of good cheer: for I believe God, that it shall be even as it was told me." (Acts 27:23-25).

Angels are Busy with Matters of Holiness and Justice
Sometimes men tend to forget that God’s judgment is not just a future matter. It is a present reality. We quote Scriptures out of context like the beautiful passage that states, "Let both grow together until the harvest: and in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them: but gather the wheat into my barn." (Matthew 13:30). We then concur that judgment of wickedness is to all be reserved for the final hour. The passage above is certainly a warning for us not to take matters into our own hands that cannot be distinguished by mortals, but says nothing about what God does when His cup of wrath is full. The First and Second Testament both reflect some incredible acts of judgment performed or noted by His angels.

In Genesis, two angels appeared at the gates of Sodom. Three angels had appeared to Abraham some distance away, one of those angels apparently being the preincarnate Christ. The other two, after leaving Abraham, continued to complete the mission. Here is the Biblical account of their arrival at the gate. "And there came two angels to Sodom at even; and Lot sat in the gate of Sodom: and Lot seeing them rose up to meet them; and he bowed himself with his face toward the ground; And he said, Behold now, my lords, turn in, I pray you, into your servant’s house, and tarry all night, and wash your feet, and ye shall rise up early, and go on your ways. And they said, Nay; but we will abide in the street all night. And the men said unto Lot, Hast thou here any besides? son in law, and thy sons, and thy daughters, and whatsoever thou hast in the city, bring them out of this place: For we will destroy this place, because the cry of them is waxen great before the face of the LORD; and the LORD hath sent us to destroy it." (Genesis 19:1, 13).

When David sinned by numbering Israel, God sent his destroying angels to judge this unbelief. "And when the angel stretched out his hand upon Jerusalem to destroy it, the LORD repented him of the evil, and said to the angel that destroyed the people, It is enough: stay now thine hand. And the angel of the LORD was by the threshingplace of Araunah the Jebusite. And David spake unto the LORD when he saw the angel that smote the people, and said, Lo, I have sinned, and I have done wickedly: but these sheep, what have they done? let thine hand, I pray thee, be against me, and against my father’s house." (2 Samuel 24:16-17).

The Assyrian got an excellent lesson of the power of one of the Lord’s angels. "And it came to pass that night, that the angel of the LORD went out, and smote in the camp of the Assyrians an hundred fourscore and five thousand: and when they arose early in the morning, behold, they were all dead corpses." (2 Kings 19:35).

In the New Testament an angel of the Lord judged Herod because of his arrogance and neglect to demand justice for Apostle Peter. "And upon a set day Herod, arrayed in royal apparel, sat upon his throne, and made an oration unto them. And the people gave a shout, saying, It is the voice of a god, and not of a man. And immediately the angel of the Lord smote him, because he gave not God the glory: and he was eaten of worms, and gave up the ghost. But the word of God grew and multiplied." (Acts 12:21-24)

The writer of the Book of Jude adds beautifully to this idea. He said, "Likewise also these filthy dreamers defile the flesh, despise dominion, and speak evil of dignities. Yet Michael the archangel, when contending with the devil he disputed about the body of Moses, durst not bring against him a railing accusation, but said, The Lord rebuke thee. But these speak evil of those things which they know not: but what they know naturally, as brute beasts, in those things they corrupt themselves. Woe unto them! for they have gone in the way of Cain, and ran greedily after the error of Balaam for reward, and perished in the gainsaying of Core." (Jude 8-11).

There is no question but that angels are involved in the defense of the saints of God. How many stories have I heard in my short 46 years of serving the lord. Men and women that fight against truth and godliness always meet their judgment. Apostle Paul said, "Knowing therefore the terror of the Lord, we persuade men." (2 Corinthians 5:11). Apostle Peter spoke of false prophets among people that bring in damnable doctrines. Concerning them, he said, "by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of." Then he said, "whose judgment now of a long time lingereth not, and their damnation slumbereth not." (2 Peter 2:1-3). Our present world needs to open their eyes to the evidence of God’s growing judgment of our filth and wickedness. His angels are busy right now searching out and defending the helpless and the holy.

You can believe that the angels of the Lord will fight for the right. Why is it that right always prevails if we will just be faithful and wait on the Lord? It’s simple. "The angel of the LORD encampeth round about them that fear him, and delivereth them." (Psalm 34:7). Again, the Psalmist said, "For he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways." (Psalm 91:11).

There is so much more than we could say about "Holy Angels". They have not changed nor have they been retired from service. Let’s learn again to believe and expect the messengers of the Lord to be about the Master’s business.

Unholy Angels: Messengers of Satan
The unholy angels are busy about the unclean business of their unclean master. Demons, unclean spirits, spirits of wickedness, spirits of disease, and every spirit that is not of God is a fallen angel. The Bible records absolutely no other source for the origin of unclean spirits or demons. These unclean spirits or fallen angels are strong, just as strong as holy angels. If a holy angel is fighting with an unholy angel of the same rank, it will be a draw until one of the other gets help.

This was seen in the case of Daniel when he had prayed and an angel had been dispatched. Daniel explained it as follows, "Then said he unto me, Fear not, Daniel: for from the first day that thou didst set thine heart to understand, and to chasten thyself before thy God, thy words were heard, and I am come for thy words. But the prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me one and twenty days: but, lo, Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me; and I remained there with the kings of Persia." (Daniel 10:12-13).

This helps us understand why Jude spoke of the angel Gabriel struggling with Satan. Jude said, "Yet Michael the archangel, when contending with the devil he disputed about the body of Moses, durst not bring against him a railing accusation, but said, The Lord rebuke thee." (Jude 1:9).

The angels of the Lord in the New Testament do not fight by their own powers, but in the triumph of the cross. No wonder Apostle Paul said, "And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power." (Colossians 2:10). Again, I remind you of the fact that Jesus is in command of all the holy angels and they are subject to Him. "Who is gone into heaven, and is on the right hand of God; angels and authorities and powers being made subject unto him." (1 Peter 3:22).

This puts the unholy angels in the proper spiritual perspective of the New Testament. Yes, they are unclean and evil and they do great damage, but only because men do not surrender to and depend wholly upon the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and His bloody death and victorious resurrection.

The New Testament is full of the activity of these unclean angels. They made men dumb, they crippled children, deformed the bodies of the elderly, and did numerous dark things to their subjects. A dumb man was brought to Jesus. The Word of God describes the following victory. "As they went out, behold, they brought to him a dumb man possessed with a devil. And when the devil was cast out, the dumb spake: and the multitudes marvelled, saying, It was never so seen in Israel." (Matthew 9:32-33).

How did these unholy angels come to the place of such possession of these souls? When you study the religious atmosphere that had possessed the nation of Israel prior to the birth of Jesus, you have your answer. These angels or spirits masquerade in religious darkness until they capture the souls of the people. Then, the true picture of their nature is manifest.

How To Recognize Unholy Angels
Nothing is more important for a believer after they have been truly born again than to become aware of their enemies. If you cannot recognize the devil and his minions, then you cannot resist them or use the shield of faith to quench their fiery darts. (Ephesians 6:16). Remember, that Satan was an angel before he fell and all his spirits or demons were angels, also. They have the same abilities as a holy angel and can transform themselves into angels of light. Apostle Paul made this clear to the Corinthians. "For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ. And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light." (2 Corinthians 11:13-14).

If they have the same power as holy angels and can transform themselves into angels of light, then something besides their appearance is required for us to discern. Unholy angels were created as spirits of religious devotion. They act, talk, and promote religious ideas, but their religion is a perverted form that ultimately gives glory to Lucifer. We do not judge an angel by whether or not they are religious, but whether or not every iota of their ideas is absolutely true to Holy Scripture. The angels of God will give total respect to truth, but the unholy angel will use Scripture to pervert the right way of the Lord.

The character and conduct of an unholy angel will eventually convey their impure source. They will likely receive your honor to themselves, while the holy angels glorify the Father and the Son with total abandonment. Unholy angels may appear dazzling and flamboyant to arrest you with their glory. Holy angels will certainly be glorious, but not in a giddy and unreal sense. They will express purity, instead of giddiness, sweetness instead of lightness, and character above appearance. While an angel of the Lord may appear in a human form, they will certainly manifest a spotless holy life.

Every word from the lips of a holy angel will bring honor to God and the character of pure religion. The unholy angels will conceal truth with religious talk. Satan’s angels have proven themselves as trained strategists and can beguile unstable souls with witty revelations and dreams. Our present religious world is much taken with revelational knowledge and mystical dreams with practically no effort to discern the source. The dark angels of destruction love such mindless acceptance.

The New Age world has produced an invasion of angels in female form. These angel statues, pictures, figurines, dolls, etc. are really nothing but forms of goddesses. Usually, they are extremely attractive, feminine, sensual and worldly. There is no sense in which they show the purity of a divinely created angel. There is no such holy angel as a female one. Angels were each created to minister before God and for Him and they reflect the masculine nature of their Creator. To suggest that there are female angels is to attack the Fatherhood of God. We must discern the difference between a holy angel and a goddess figure. The Trinity Broadcast Network headquarters is loaded with goddess figures. These goddesses appear to be the major motif of the entire architecture.

A distorted view of angels is a sure sign that other theological issues are also suffering. The Bible is a grand book, an infallible revelation, and its total message must be protected as a "composite whole." You must understand that unholy angels are the exact same as the unclean spirits and that Satan himself is nothing but a fallen angel. Satan and his angels have been defeated by Jesus Christ and they will soon be disposed totally from their present kingdom. There are at least two holy angels for every one unclean angel. There are probably more than two for one because some of the unholy angels are bound in preparation for the final judgment. (Read Jude and Revelation 9:1-21.)

Unholy angels are not free to do anything they please, but are subject to the Father’s ultimate will. Satan is on a kind of leash because the Father is Sovereign over His total universe. There are perimeters in which Satan’s kingdom can function and that perimeter is much determined by the failure of men to live under the protection provided in the Holy Scriptures. Satan cannot violate God’s sovereign Word or anyone living in His perfect will.

The Father actually uses evil angels to send judgment upon rebellious and disobedient men. David spoke of this, "He cast upon them the fierceness of his anger, wrath, and indignation, and trouble, by sending evil angels among them." (Psalm 78:49).

If you will listen to some of the revelations that the modern Charismatics are telling, you will hear ideas and doctrines that are coming from these evil angels. As the Great Tribulation approaches, there will be an incredible increase in these kinds of deceptions.

Angels: Clean & Unclean
The world between Heaven above, the earth, and beneath the earth is expanding, opening, and quickly becoming one. The spirit world and the natural world are quickly merging. No person in today’s church can afford to be ignorant of these truths. Peter said on the Day of Pentecost, "And I will shew wonders in heaven above, and signs in the earth beneath; blood, and fire, and vapour of smoke: The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before that great and notable day of the Lord come." (Acts 2:19-20).

Unidentified flying objects (UFOs) are being reported worldwide. Religious apparitions of a spirit, calling herself Mary or calling himself Jesus, are occurring everywhere. There are beautiful Biblical signs and deceiving religious signs and you must learn to judge which is which.

There will be an incredible increase in angel activities as we approach the Rapture and judgments to follow. Anytime unholy angels begin to manifest themselves, you can trust that God’s holy angels will respond to the challenge. The last great battle of angels is seen in Revelation when Satan’s horde will be cast out of the mid-heaven and down to the earth. This is future and will not occur until after the Rapture. "And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels, And prevailed not; neither was their place found any more in heaven. And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him. And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night." (Revelation 12:7-10). Almost everything is over but the shouting!

Editors Note: Please Click Here to view an actual Editorial Cartoon of myself (Rev. Joseph Chambers) and the Pokemon issue as it was published in the Charlotte Observer. Plus, don’t miss the companion article Occultic Words and Ideas in Pokemon Material

The games our children and young people play have become largely "games of fellowship with devils." Nintendo has a proven record of introducing paganism to the world of games. They boasted years ago that they would change the gods worshipped in American. They are well on their way. It is amazing that Pokemon (short for POcKEt MONster) games, toys, videos, etc. is manufactured and distributed by Nintendo, which is a wholly-owned Japanese company. Their American headquarters is in Redmond, Washington. Their website makes some incredible suggestions. Here are a few:

"Carry your Pokemon (POcKEt MONster) with you, and you’re ready for anything! You’ve got the power in your hands, so use it!"

"You can catch a Mew by cheating with a Gameshark."

"Ahhh. The Gameshark…Cheating is not honorable. But many of you have requested and sent me this information, so I have put it up for all you cheaters."

"The Moon Stone evolves certain Pokemon (POcKEt MONster), such as Clefairy."

"Select your desired attack. Hold down the button until your opponent’s life stops draining."

"Once you have captured Zapados, you can use it to quickly lower the health level of Articuno…"

It is very clear as we look at Nintendo’s record that their games have been nothing but an introduction to devils and demons from their beginning. In Part One, we will document the facts of the world of Nintendo. Your children are being led into the "fellowship of devils," most likely right under your own roof.

You cannot read the available information and data about the Pokemon phenomena without having an immediate reaction. The entire method and purpose of the game is to induce the possession of the player by devils. It is sorcery, clear and simple. The ultimate results of these games are as follows:

• Children and youth learn how to play with devils, which the Bible identifies as fallen angels.
• Children and youth are being taught that they can make devils subject to them.
• They are taught that devils are their servants and that the devils will fight for them against their enemies.
• They learn that these devils (pocket monsters) can evolve into more powerful devils.
• They learn that these devils have psychic powers that appear to be supernatural. (Psychic is Satan’s imitation for supernatural in the Bible.)
• The children are challenged to become "masters" by conquering more and more monsters and the powers that operate in these creatures.

Let’s first try to understand the world where Satan and his devils operate. A game like Pokemon would not even exist if there were not something real about the whole subject of Satan and his psychic powers. When someone suggests that it is just a game, fun, or entertainment; only very naïve people believe them. There is no real fun in "make believe" unless there is some sense or form of reality behind the scene. Kids that play "cowboys and Indians" do so because of the history behind the idea. I cannot imagine any idea for fun or game that has no basis in facts. The fun is in trying to live out or experience some historic past or some future dream.

Lucifer & Fallen Angels
A fallen angel named Lucifer rules the world of evil. He is only a fallen angel and every devil in our universe is a fallen angel that rebelled against God along with Lucifer. Yes, they are extremely evil, they have great paranormal powers and they go about as roaring lions seeking whom they may devour (I Peter 5:8). But they are already defeated and have very limited powers, except when they possess evil people and can use their personalities and powers to affect other people. This is the strategy behind the game of Pokemon, most other role-playing type games, many toys, comic books, and television cartoons, etc. Satan and his devils need people to use and, as possible, possess them. Then, they can multiply the dark works of wickedness. Our world is witnessing an absolute bombardment of these kinds of influences.

There are only two kinds of powers in our world. The God of the Holy Bible is sovereign in the righteous world of Christianity. One reason we can know that Bible-believing Christianity is the only real religion is that all the other religions have similar ideas, doctrines, and powers in harmony with the world of Lucifer and his devils. The Hindus have the same black spots on their forehead that you will find in occultic toys and games. The vocabulary of occultic ideas is interchangeable with the vocabulary of pagan religions. Psychic powers, reincarnation, mind control, astral travel or teleporting, casting spells, multiple gods, magic, evolution, karate, mesmerization, hypnosis, crystals, magnetic stones, and transcendental meditation, just to name a few, are found in Pokemon. The only supreme power in this world is the power of Almighty God Jehovah.

The only other source of paranormal powers is Lucifer and his devils. There is absolutely no exception. If you encounter or play games with any description of paranormal powers, you are clearly having fellowship with devils. Any unbiblical vision or revelation that is connected to sudden displays of light or great energy is evil and suggests that a devil is looking for someone to use or possess. Satan or devils cannot enter into you against your will unless he has subtly deceived you into thinking that he represents something beautiful or spiritual. Many people have given themselves to strange powers because they were deceived into believing it was Jesus Christ or some other godlike being. We must learn that there are no other sources of the supernatural but God Himself and His angels and Satan and his devils.

The Powers of Satanic Possession
When the devil possesses a person, that person under satanic powers can become extremely powerful. The Bible records a single man that wounded and stripped seven men, because he was possessed by one devil. Let’s read that story. "Then certain of the vagabond Jews, exorcists, took upon them to call over them which had evil spirits the name of the Lord Jesus, saying, We adjure you by Jesus whom Paul preacheth. And there were seven sons of one Sceva, a Jew, and chief of the priests, which did so. And the evil spirit answered and said, Jesus I know, and Paul I know; but who are ye? And the man in whom the evil spirit was leaped on them, and overcame them, and prevailed against them, so that they fled out of that house naked and wounded. And this was known to all the Jews and Greeks also dwelling at Ephesus; and fear fell on them all, and the name of the Lord Jesus was magnified. And many that believed came, and confessed, and shewed their deeds." (Acts 19:13-18).

Can you imagine the powers that may be manifest when several devils possess one man or woman? Jesus cast a whole multitude of devils out of the demoniac of Gadara. "And when he was come out of the ship, immediately there met him out of the tombs a man with an unclean spirit, Who had his dwelling among the tombs; and no man could bind him, no, not with chains: Because that he had been often bound with fetters and chains, and the chains had been plucked asunder by him, and the fetters broken in pieces: neither could any man tame him. And always, night and day, he was in the mountains, and in the tombs, crying, and cutting himself with stones." "And forthwith Jesus gave them leave. And the unclean spirits went out, and entered into the swine: and the herd ran violently down a steep place into the sea, (they were about two thousand;) and were choked in the sea." (Mark 5:2-5, 13). It is a must that this generation learn to discern the devastating powers of demon-possessed people. Only a Godly person, full of the Holy Ghost, can even begin to deal with these devil-possessed individuals.

Pokemon is a Threat to our Society
Now, let’s document why Pokemon and other occultic ideas are a threat to our society and world. These kids, youth, and adults are not just playing games. They are having fellowship with devils. It is "deadly" serious and there will be a multitude of lives totally ruined. When I read where individuals state that they are Christians, but still love to play these games, I know immediately that this cannot possibly be true. Individuals can be religious and do anything without any consciousness, but if the person actually has experienced the cleansing blood of Jesus Christ, then a spiritual conflict would occur instantly. "Ye cannot drink the cup of the Lord, and the cup of devils: ye cannot be partakers of the Lord’s table, and of the table of devils. Do we provoke the Lord to jealousy? are we stronger than he?" (I Corinthians 10:21-22).

The event at Columbine High School was not an isolated occurrence. All across America and around the world, people are acting like they are possessed with devils because they are possessed with devils. Until somebody says, "enough is enough" this trend will escalate to a crescendo of hellish proportion. It all will be capped by the Antichrist himself when he appears to lead the world in its last rebellion before the kingdom of Jesus Christ becomes a reality.

Pokemon and the Bible
Pokemon is an excellent example of a story in the Book of Acts in the Bible. This story tells of businessmen that merchandised a demon-possessed damsel (young girl) to make money for themselves. Witchcraft, divination, and false gods have always been the means of great wealth. In Acts chapter nineteen we have Bible believing converts destroying the "curious arts" (witchcraft) books that they possessed from their former lives of sin. They did not sell them or give them away, they burned fifty thousand (50,000) pieces of silver worth of this occultic garbage as a testimony to their deliverance. "And many that believed came, and confessed, and shewed their deeds. Many of them also which used curious arts brought their books together, and burned them before all men: and they counted the price of them, and found it fifty thousand pieces of silver. So mightily grew the word of God and prevailed." (Acts 19:18-20).

This story of the businessmen is breathtakingly beautiful because of the end results. "And it came to pass, as we went to prayer, a certain damsel possessed with a spirit of divination met us, which brought her masters much gain by soothsaying: The same followed Paul and us, and cried, saying, These men are the servants of the most high God, which shew unto us the way of salvation. And this did she many days. But Paul, being grieved, turned and said to the spirit, I command thee in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her. And he came out the same hour. And when her masters saw that the hope of their gains was gone, they caught Paul and Silas, and drew them into the marketplace unto the rulers." (Acts 16:16-19).

The Holy Ghost filled Paul did not mince words with this situation. He commanded the devils and they immediately released the young girl. Just like the greedy business world of Nintendo and other entertainment and media kingpins, all they cared about was money. These men caught the Apostle Paul and Silas and carried them before the courts. These God-fearing men were beaten and jailed, but were singing praises to God that night at the midnight hour. The Holy God sent an earthquake and set two singing preachers free, saved the jailer and his whole family, and established a church at Philippi. What a story!

Pokemon and It’s Evil World
Only a demented mind, where Satan has robbed all value, except the value of wealth and mastery, could dream up such evil fantasy. It is indeed a fabulous world of evil intrigue, deception, paranormal activities and the ultimate idea of being a "master." The thought of a "master" is the ultimate in all Satanism. That’s the idea Satan designed that drove him to his first act of rebellion. The Supreme God was the "Master" of the universe and Satan envisioned that place of great honor. He designed a plan to acquire that honor for himself and created the "I will" of all rebellion.

Everything in the Pokemon world is driven by this idea of being the "master." The process is designed to occupy every interested individual through an incredible process that will bring billions of dollars to the creators. Already, there are 151 Pokemons (Pocket Monsters) that must be engaged in battle and defeated. Many of these evolve, some to the fourth level, into other creatures more powerful than the original Pokemon. They possess different levels of power and can become more powerful with the use of crystals, thunderstones, and other evolving techniques. It is very clear that the Nintendo creators from Japan never intend for anyone to be free from spending money for their enterprise.

Description of Some of These Monsters
Let’s look at a few of these "pocket monsters":

• Omanyte - The Pokemon Lab must clone this monster from the Helix Fossil. The description of the second evolution of this monster states that, "Scientists as yet have little data about this resurrected Pokemon." Notice its name, it is "Omastar."
• Meowth - This monster evolves into Persian, which has a Hindu identification mark on its forehead.
• Poliwag - Poliwag can evolve into Poliwhirl, which can evolve into Poliwrath. This creature uses "mental techniques" to increase its power to attack and destroy.
• Mankey – This monster uses the heathen idea of karate. Its second stage of evolution is Primeape. This creature has an incredible temper.
• Psyduck - "A Psyduck defeats its opponents by mesmerizing them with a piercing stare and unleashing a barrage of pent-up mental energy."
• Drowzee - These Pokemon "will use their psychic abilities to make other Pokemon fall asleep during combat." Drowzee evolves into Hypno, who "survives by putting its prey to sleep and consuming their dreams." Hypno holds in his hand a swinging pendulum used in hypnosis.
• Voltorb - This Pokemon will "self-destruct to avoid capture."

On and on goes the description of these monsters. Almost every one of them has powers, which can be clearly described as Satanic powers. Pikachu "triggers electrical disturbances in the atmosphere." Oddish can "poison or stun its opponents." Clefable can be taught "new abilities with a TM or HM" (transcendental meditation). Eevee is an ultimate demonic monster. "The Water Stone changes Eevee into Vaporeon, a water-type Pokemon; the Thunder Stone converts Eevee into the Electric-type Jolteon; and the Fire Stone transforms Eevee into Flareon."

There are ghost-like Pokemons, psychic Pokemons, Pokemons that can "teleport" or use astral travel to escape capture. Without a doubt this role-playing idea has succeeded in bringing every element of sorcery into one game. It is the ultimate trip in Satan’s world of deception, paranormal powers, and the Luciferian dream of being the "master." (All Pokemon description quotes taken from www.pokemon.com/pokedex.html.)

Pokemon’s Answers to Interesting Questions
It is quite unnerving to listen to some of their answers to questions as they propose the following:

"How can I win money in the Game Corner (Casino)? The slot machines in the Game Corner have different odds. Experiment with them to see which one pays out the most frequently, and stick with it."

"Why does my screen keep flashing while I am walking around? One of your Pokemon has been either poisoned, burned, or frozen. To fix this, you must return to a Pokemon Center and heal them, or give them an appropriate cure for what ails them. If you do not heal them, they will keep being damaged and eventually faint."

"When I try to attack with my Pokemon, it just ignores me. Why won’t my Pokemon Obey me? That Pokemon’s level is too high for you to control it. Until you get the corresponding Badge for its level, you will not be able to control it."
"Can I stop my Pokemon from evolving? Will they be able to evolve later? Yes, just press the B Button while they are changing to stop the evolution. As the character continues to gain levels, they will attempt to evolve again." (Taken from website at www.pokemon.com.)

Pokemon’s Doorway to Other Games
Pokemon does not stop with this one game. As I have researched this game, there is one thing I would like to suggest. A complete understanding of the game is probably equal to a year of college learning in the world of nonsense and Satanism. What a waste of mental energy and learning for a bright, young person!

Second, this game opens the door to a growing world of deception and sorcery. Here are a few links found on the Pokemon Trading Card Game website. Look at this list straight from their own website:

• "Magic: The Gathering – The original trading card game."
• "Legend Of The Five Rings – An incredible game and story set in mythical Rokugan."
• "Doomtown – Shake-downs and shoot-outs in the weird west."
• "Dungeons & Dragons – The original fantasy role-playing game."
• "Alternity – Science fiction role-playing with no limits."
• "Dragonlance – From best-selling novels to high-impact adventures, this fascinating world awaits."

Conclusion
The Pokemon message to your child or young person and to many adults is a message of sorcery and witchcraft. It is as dark as hell itself and will lead to depression, gloom, and suicidal tendencies. The long list of death and suicidal attempts connected to Dungeons & Dragons is undeniable history. This game is worse and targets much younger children. May God help the kids of undiscerning and foolish parents.

Author Berit Kjos says it well when she suggests the psychological addiction. "The televised Pokemon show brings suggestions and images that set the stage for the next steps of entanglement. It beckons the young spectator to enter the manipulative realm of role-play, where fantasy stimulates reality, and the buyer becomes a slave to their programmer." ("The Dangers of Role-Playing Games – How Pokemon and Magic Cards Affect the Minds and Value of Children," by Berit Kjos. Taken from website at www.crossroad.to.)

This game is a self-centered role-playing idea. The child or adult becomes the master of their world and forgets that our world is a world where every person is dependent on their family or friends. There is certainly no room for the God of the Bible. Every idea is an imitation of the supernatural, where God is replaced with a strange mystical power that clearly identifies the world of Lucifer and his devils. Possession by devils is the apparent goal of the creator or, at the least, the goal of the powers that control their lives. Let’s learn to play with those ideas that are beautiful, creative in a pure sense, and natural to the world where reality is sanity!

He was affectionately known by his followers as the "divine drunkard." Men and women traveled thousands of miles to drink from the "spiritual wine" he dispensed. When he touched his followers they would experience great "exhilaration and joy." His disciples would often manifest "uncontrollable laughter" after receiving a physical touch from him. Was he Rodney Howard-Brown, John Arnott, John Wimber, Swami Baba Muktanander or Guru Bhagvhan Shrei Rajneish? In one way or the other he was all of them.

This manifestation (mass "holy" laughter), previously known almost exclusively to the occult world, is sweeping the church. Is it the Holy Spirit or is it "deceiving spirits?" You will eventually have to answer that question for yourself. Sharp division between the real and the false will soon (if not already) be a requirement for Christian living and church attendance. For too long the church has drifted like a ship without a rudder. Bible truth has been treated lightly while social and emotional matters have demanded our attention. This closing hour does not allow for such carelessness nor a light treatment of the "spirit of discernment." Those who do not have a firm and conscious hold on Biblical values and Biblical truth will hardly survive.

A few proof texts of Scripture are not enough for this unprecedented hour. Jesus said, "For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many." (Matthew 24:5). Because someone says all the right things about Jesus does not prove they are speaking the truth. If the teacher, pastor, evangelist, or "prophet" can prove that some of his prophecies have come to pass: again, that does not prove one thing about his true standing before God. Jeanne Dixon and Edgar Cayce could prove the very same.

Over and over the Holy Scripture warns us of these last days. Apostle Paul in speaking specifically about the Antichrist said, "Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders, and with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved." (2 Thessalonians 2: 9-10).

Years ago when I read the Biblical statement made by Jesus, "For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect."(Matthew 24:24), it made no sense to me. Deceive the very elect if possible? I thought, how could that be? The great Christians that I served the Lord Jesus beside were solid as a rock. The real church world did not tolerate false doctrines or questionable activity that passed the points of acceptable order. That day is gone.

Calling "Psychic (Soul) Phenomena" The Gifts Of The Holy Spirit
When the Holy Spirit led me several weeks ago to write that "Holy" Laughter was an altered state of consciousness, I trembled that maybe that was too harsh. (The End Times November-December 1994). Little did I know that the so-called Kansas City Prophets and now the defenders of the "Toronto Blessing" were already saying that it was a kind of psychic phenomena, except they said it in a positive vein. In a book entitled, Some Said It Thundered (1991) by David Pytches (foreword by Dr. John White and afterword by Jamie Buckingham), dealing with the "Kansas City Prophets;" this kind of thinking was clearly believed and fully expressed.

Here are several clear statements reported from those interviewed, along with some of their rationale for this idea.

"Our first question was: How do prophets receive their revelations? Is it through the ‘psyche’ (soul) or the ‘pneuma’ (spirit)? This was important for us to clarify. For the average Christian the word ‘psychic’ is tainted by its association with the occult, but in fact the Greek word ‘psyche’ is a wholesome New Testament word translated ‘soul.’ Such a good biblical word clearly needs redeeming today. The psychic center in each of us seems to have a vital role to play in the area of revelation from God."

"Then if occultists get limited communication from the powers of darkness on to the psyche, which some claim to be the case (though obviously such revelations, even when true, have an evil origin for evil objectives), then such a counterfeit must be matched by a genuine experience from God almighty."

"They seemed to have no problem in accepting the term ‘psychic’ in this pure sense to describe one part of the process of divine revelation to human beings."

"The human spirit is a channel that picks up spiritual transmissions from God or from the powers of darkness, and these are reflected onto the screen of psyche, the soul. The same TV channel can carry beastly cruelty, pornography, or breathtaking beauty. The responsibility for the subject matter lies not in the channel itself but in the source of the transmission or the choice of the person tuning into the program." (Some Said It Thundered, David Pytches, pp. 106-107, 1991.)

Never in church history or my Biblical studies have I heard such thinking defended. The Word Study Dictionary says, "The soul (psyche: Greek) belongs to the lower region of man’s (immaterial) being…" (The Word Study Dictionary, page 1494.) The soul cannot be confused with our spirit, which is God’s breath or Spirit, existing in man as the spirit of man. That is our spiritual connection to God. Jesus said, "But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in "spirit" and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him." (John 4:23).

The Scripture clearly shows distinction between a man’s soul and his spirit. While both belong to the immaterial, the soul represents the lower region of this immaterial aspect while the spirit represents the higher. The soul is the seat of the depraved nature, while the spirit, though dead in the unregenerate man, is from the Lord. It is said that God made "the soul (of Jesus) an offering for sin." (Isaiah 53:10). But at the event of Calvary when the soul was being made an offering for sin Jesus said as His two closing statements, "It is finished" and "Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit."

Except for the three hours that the Father hid His face, Jesus Christ by His Spirit was in perfect fellowship with God His Father. To suggest that our relationships to the Holy Spirit are "psychic phenomenons" is to imply the same for Jesus Christ our perfect example. It is totally contrary to the western interpretation of Scripture and certainly the Scripture itself.

We do not nor cannot commune with Jehovah God through our soul. We can communicate with fallen spirits or Satan (if we are willing to pay the price Satan requires) by the soul, but not the Heavenly Father. The Scripture clearly forbids any communication with fallen angels or evil spirits because they now serve the enemy of God, Satan. God taught the children of Israel, "And the ‘soul’ that turneth after such as have familiar spirits, and after wizards, to go a whoring after them, I will even set my face against that soul, and will cut him off from among his people." (Leviticus 20:6). That is an irrefutable commandment coupled with a dire warning.

The Toronto Blessing Called "Altered State Of Consciousness"
Dr. Patrick Dixon, MA, MBBS (British Publication) has written a book, entitled Signs Of Revival. The subtitle is "Detailed historical research throws light on today’s move of God’s Spirit." He was clearly a defender of the psychic phenomenon called "holy laughter." In a chapter entitled "Medical Perspectives On Manifestations" he made several incredible statements. Notice carefully these remarks. He names the "new phenomenon of laughter" and then states, "We need to look at the possibility of auto-suggestion, hysteria and crown phenomena being responsible for some of the effects on people’s minds and bodies. Finally, I want to look at how many things, including prayer, fasting and speaking in tongues, can affect our conscious state, allowing us to become more or less aware of a spiritual dimension to living, and how altered states of consciousness are produced in Christian experience, and are a normal part of charismatic faith." (Signs Of Revival, Dr. Patrick Dixon, MA, MBBS, p. 233.)

He actually calls "altered states of consciousness" a normal part of Charismatic faith. I’m glad he said "Charismatic" instead of Biblical or "Classical Pentecostal." He further elaborates under a chapter subtitled, "Altered States Of Consciousness." "My own view is that we are not witnessing brainwashing on a grand scale, as Sargent would try to convince us, nor mass hysteria. We are, however, witnessing what happens when a large number of people experience an altered state of consciousness at the same time, as part of a profound spiritual experience." (Ibid, pg. 258.)

This same author asks the question, "What is an ‘altered state of consciousness’?" and answers, "Our normal state is considered to be our waking state." Then there is the sleeping state. However, the brain can also function in other states, too–altered states of consciousness. In our day-to-day vocabulary we may refer to ASCs as trance, hypnosis, dream or ecstasy, depending on the situation and our worldview. Yet there are no satisfactory definitions of any of these terms in psychiatry…ASCs are generally regarded negatively in Western culture and little research has been carried out in this field. Yet I believe it is the key to making sense of Christian experience, particularly what is happening in many churches today." (Ibid, pp. 259-260.)

I conclude his quotes with this statement and six characteristics of ASCs as he names them, "One could argue that ASCs, in the context of faith in Christ and prayerful obedience, are the basis of dynamic, personal, relevant, living faith."
(Signs Of Revival, Dr. Patrick Dixon, MA, MBBS, p. 260.)

Here is his list of characteristics of an Altered State of Consciousness:

1. "Alterations in thinking."
2. "Altered sense of time."
3. "Loss of control."
4. "Changes in emotional expression."
5. "Body image changes."
6. "Perceptual changes or hallucinations." (Ibid. p. 261-263)

If anyone reading this article can still believe that this describes the marvelous activities of the Holy Spirit in the temple of Godly saints or even an honest repentant babe in Christ, please reread the Holy Scripture.

The Big Picture
"Holy Laughter" is not an isolated phenomena. The seed of occultic deception has been growing in the Charismatic/Evangelical world for a number of years. There is clear integration between what is happening in the New Age cults and what is happening in the church. The direction is identical.

The Kansas City Prophets
The fellowship in Kansas City under Pastor Mike Bickle has exhibited clear occultic signs. In the book Some Said It Thundered, the whole story of this church is defended; yet, the picture is not a very pretty one. In his foreword Dr. John White stated, "Anyone who has experience in helping to nurture "baby prophets" realizes that they have difficulty in distinguishing the words that the Spirit speaks from those that come from their own hearts or even from evil sources. At first they make many mistakes. We know they hear from God because of the reality of the true words they speak. I suppose the biblical "schools of the prophets" dealt with this kind of problem." (Some Said It Thundered, David Pytches, p. xiv.) I have never heard of a "baby prophet" before. I have always believed God moved through people when they were spiritually prepared. I still do.

The entire story appears to connect the Kansas City Prophets back to the Latter Reign Movement of the forties and fifties. In fact, one of the ministers of that period, Paul Cain, is intimately tied to this story and now serves with the staff of this church. The Latter Reign Movement was riddled with confusion, false doctrines, and was utterly rejected by the Pentecostal churches. Here is a quote from one of Cain’s sermons at Kansas City Fellowship:

"You know this message is 35 years old and I’m just preaching it again. Thank God I’ve found somebody to preach it to. I told you about the vision, what I’ve had. This recurring vision of standing at the crossroads of life and the angel of the Lord said, ‘You are standing at the crossroads of life. What do you see?’ And I saw a brilliantly lit billboard which reads, JOEL’S ARMY NOW IN TRAINING…See I’ve been wanting to share this so long and find somebody – how would you like to have something on the back burner for 35 years and nobody had any – boy this is, I mean this isn’t leftovers. I mean this has been hot with me all these years, but everywhere I tried to preach it, they cooked my goose. Don’t you boo me. This kind of fiery preaching is a lost art today except in a very mild degree." (Joel’s Army, cassette from Kansas City Prophets.)

Paul Cain, according to details in the book and other sources, has exhibited psychic characteristics from his childhood. The author of Some Said It Thundered included this story about Mike Bickle and Paul Cain.

"On one occasion after Mike Bickle had been complaining to his wife that he had ‘a bit of a sniffle’ or a slight cold – something he rarely had – the phone rang.

Bickle picked up the receiver and heard Paul on the line. He had heard about Paul’s gift so he said by way of a joke, ‘Hi, Paul! You’re all right today! How am I?’ Immediately Paul answered him, ‘Why, Mike, you’ve got a bit of a sniffle and you are all wet. Your hair is standing up on the left side of your head.’

"Bickle called his wife Diane to look at him. ‘Sweetheart, Paul says I have a "sniffle," I am all wet and my hair is standing up on one side. Am I all wet?’

‘Yes,’ she said. ‘You’ve just come out of the shower-’

‘And is my hair standing up on one side?’

‘Yes,’ she replied, ‘on the left side!’" (Some Said It Thundered, David Pytches, p. 30.)

Here is another story repeated in the book.

"On his (Paul Cain) first visit to Anaheim (to visit John Wimber) in February 1998 Paul saw powerful lights across the room, and a strong sense of the presence of God was accompanied by revelations in the word of knowledge. On that occasion an expensive video camera was short-circuited. This was battery operated and not plugged into any outlet. The next night the telephone system was blown out though no one was on the phone at the time." (Some Said It Thundered, David Pytches, p. 52.)

Is there any precedent for this kind of meta-physical or psychic powers in the Holy Scripture being identified as the work of the Holy Spirit? Such unbiblical thinking dominates almost every detail of these prophets.

The writer of this book stated, "The responsibility for the subject matter lies not in the channel itself but in the source of the transmission or the choice of the person tuning into the program." That statement would imply that the whole matter is like tuning a radio, either to heavenly voices or hellish voices and all without any similitude of spiritual maturity.

In the scope of the author’s interview with these so-called Kansas City individuals the following conversation was reported:

"John Paul shared how the Lord had dealt with him over a problem he had with occasionally confused visions that came to him as flashbacks resulting from watching TV too much. He said that for the prophetic ministry that God had given him, the more television he watched the fewer true visions from God he could experience.

"Bob Jones agreed that the Lord would not let him watch much TV either. ‘I can’t get into that fantasy realm – it cuts off my visions!’

"They advised watching carefully against counterfeit visions of any kind. Someone mentioned alcohol as creating confusion, since when taken in excess people can begin to ‘see’ things.’

"Another problem they shared was the danger of confusion over revelations where the person receiving them had particularly strong opinions, prejudices, or unresolved bitterness in certain areas. It was easy to distort such revelations and color their own interpretations." (Some Said It Thundered, David Pytches, p. 108.)

I was amazed to see drinking "excessive" alcohol listed as a possible deterrent to giving good prophecies. Please note that Bob Jones called prophetic revelations getting into the fantasy realm.

Kansas City and a Paradigm Shift
The author of this book clearly identified his experiences with the "Kansas City Prophets" as a paradigm shift. This New Age term is not lightly used by capable and skilled writers. The meaning is dynamite to anyone that knows this age and the spirit of the Antichrist. Every New Ager is calling for a "paradigm shift." Writer David Pytches said, "We felt we were experiencing a paradigm shift – we were beginning to see another way of looking at the foundational things we held dear, without having in any way to discard them. Perhaps that is what the Bible meant when it spoke about scales falling from Paul’s eyes." (Some Said It Thundered, David Pytches, p. 140.). Barbara Hubbard (noted New Ager) writes in her books:

"Teachings from the Inner Christ, how the human race will soon experience a day of ‘Planetary Pentecost.’ Hubbard, claiming to be in contact with ‘Christ,’ writes ‘the Planetary Smile is another name for the Planetary Pentecost. When enough of us share a common thought (paradigm shift) of our oneness with God, Spirit will be poured out on all flesh paying attention’ (p.79). In her book The Revelation, Hubbard says, ‘Christ,’ in describing the planetary smile, said: ‘an uncontrollable joy will ripple through the thinking layer of the earth."

"’…This massive sudden empathic alignment will cause a shift in the consciousness (paradigm shift) of Earth’ (p. 234-235). Writing in Happy Birthday Planet Earth, Hubbard repeats what she heard from ‘Christ.’ He said, ‘as the planetary smile ripples through the nervous systems of earth, separation is overcome, and I appear to all of you at once.’" (p. 10-11). (The words "paradigm shift" added at appropriate places.) (SCP Newsletter, Volume 19:2, p. 13. Published by Spiritual Counterfeits Project, P.O. Box 4308, Berkeley, CA 94704.).

Pentecostals/Charismatics/Evangelicals are having the same paradigm shift. They are learning a complete new way of looking at things, plus, they are using new "enlightened" words to still claim and describe the old discarded truth. All of this is identical to what is happening to the leading New Agers. The Planetary Pentecost described by Hubbard is identical to the different phenomenon going on in present day churches. Is it an accident or the "plan"?

Fear Mongers: Warnings of Judgment
The printed materials of these writers are filled with constant pronouncements and warnings of judgment to all resisters. They say that anyone who resists this "new move of God" is an enemy to the Lord.

Notice how Kenneth Copeland warns his audience and readers with fear mongering, "One of these days, you may just be talking to someone, asking them how things went at church last Sunday, and they may say, Oh, it was great! The glory of God was strong it healed ten cripples, opened the ears of thirty deaf people, cured seven cases of cancer and killed Brother Bigmouth and Sister Strife." ("Voice of Victory" October 94).

Christians have a vital choice to make, Copeland says, "When the fire of God begins to burn and the rivers of the Spirit start to flow, he’ll have to do one of two things: he’ll either have to yield to the Spirit and let go of that sin by repenting, or he’ll have to resist the flood of God’s Spirit and be swept away." (Mainstream,Winter 1994, p. 3. Published by Banner Ministries, Box 23, Belper, Derbys DE561QR, UK.)

In Rick Joyner’s latest book, Epic Battles Of The Last Days, his two themes appear to be 1) a call to battle and 2) a constant fearmongering to scare the socks off anyone who resists. He states, "Criticism is one of the ultimate manifestations of pride because, whenever we criticize someone else we are by that assuming that we are superior to them. Pride brings that which any rational human being should fear the most – God’s resistance. We would be better off having all of the demons in hell resisting us than God!" (Epic Battles Of The Last Days, Rick Joyner, p. 23.)

He appears to believe everyone is a stumbling block that resists these new directions. Whatever subject he discussed, he used it to warn people about judgment or resistance against what his book represents. When he discussed witchcraft, Jezebel or Antichrist he applied it to resisters. Of Jezebel he said, "Jezebel, who is one of the archetypes of witchcraft in scripture, used her power to control her husband who was the authority over Israel. She was also able to bring such depression upon Elijah that he sought death over life, even after his greatest spiritual victory. There is great power in this evil; those who are ignorant of it, or who presumptuously disregard its potential to affect them, are very often brought down by it, usually without even knowing what hit them." (Ibid, p.78.)
He did not ever touch what Jezebel really represented. His book can best be described as propaganda for the new theology and self-styled theologians that are sweeping churches. I get the feeling he is the New Breed’s rear guard to scare anyone who dares to resist or tell the truth about his false teachings.

Francis Frangipane does the same kind of fearmongering in his materials. In his booklet entitled The Jezebel Spirit he writes, "Jezebel’s worst enemies are the prophets; her worst fear is that the people will embrace repentance. Jezebel hates repentance. Though this spirit will infiltrate the church, masking its desire for control with true Christian doctrines, it will hide from true repentance…Jezebel hates the prophets, for the prophets speak out against her. The prophets are her worst enemies. When she wars, it is to stir people against the message of the prophetic church. More than she hates the prophets, she hates the word they speak." (The Jezebel Spirit, Francis Frangipane, p.6.)

The Fourth Dimension, Paul Yonggi Cho
Probably no one helped prepare the church world for this deception better than Reverend Cho. Tricia Tillin describes him and his ideas in an excellent publication from the United Kingdom.

"Paul (David) Yonggi Cho teaches the same thing. In ‘The Fourth Dimension’ he tells of his frustration that Buddhist monks and yogic healers could perform miracles. Then the Holy Spirit supposedly revealed to him that the fourth dimension, the spirit realm, is available to all whether Christian or not, for it contains both good and evil powers. ‘So men, by exploring their spiritual sphere of the fourth dimension of visions and dreams in their imaginations, can brood over and incubate the third dimension (the material world) influencing it and changing it.’ This applies to all men alike. Because God gave man dominion over the earth, says Cho, unbelievers can ‘develop their inner spiritual being’ and change the material world. Thus Christians also have the responsibility to ‘realize their inner potential’ and manipulate the fourth dimension for good." (Mainstream, Winter 1994, p. 11. Published by Banner Ministries, Box 23, Belper, Derbys DE56 1QR, UK.) Rev. Cho is dealing with "psychic phenomena" and the depraved soul, not the Holy Spirit. While there are some temporary results to these kinds of activities, they are totally evil and will eventually turn on the person’s head.

"Pre-Tribulation Rapture" Replaced With "Territorial Spirits" and "Dominion Theology"
Behind much of the present deception and/or confusion is the new prophetic view of Jesus Christ and His coming. Only a few short years have passed since the dominant message in the Evangelical World was the "imminent Rapture before the Great Tribulation." Even those who held to a mid or post-tribulation view were very close in spiritual kinship to the pre-trib view and proponents.

A deep bitterness now exists toward the traditional view of prophecy. This new breed of prophets and spokespersons is preparing for all out war to take the kingdom. Paul Cain says that there will be an army, called Joel’s Army, and that God will equip them to perform His judgments. In the book, Some Said It Thundered, the Kansas City Fellowship is identified as the location for training this army.

"By the time Paul Cain arrived in Kansas City the fellowship was well settled into their new meeting place at the Grandview Worship Center. Paul immediately recognized the location from the crossroads outside as the place which the Lord had showed him many times (possibly twenty, over as many years) as a spiritual training center for the soldiers of Joel’s army that God was raising up for the coming revival.

"’Many years ago,’ said Paul, ‘I came to the crossroads of life and I saw a vision of an illuminated billboard on which was written: "Joel’s army in training." It was on these crossroads with an arrow pointing to this spot – though there was no building on it then! I believe God has shown me that here he is going to raise up an army. This army is not a destructive army but a deliverance army…’" (Some Said It Thundered, David Pytches, p. 132.). His idea of deliverance is not the traditional loving idea. It’s "bow or burn" that these men are talking about.

Roger Forster wrote in a foreword to the book, Territorial Spirits, "These structures (territorial principalities) will be refurbished with a whole new personnel. The final overthrow of satan’s rebellious colonial government by the central government of God is preceded by the faith-sons of Abraham bringing blessing to all the families of the earth. This demands territorial claims and advance through the earth." (Emphasis added.) "Eventually, this resistance movement can provide sufficient numbers of trained personnel to take over the authority and administration of the colony from satan and his angels, giving the least amount of disturbance to the heavenly structural powers…until such a network of resistance against satan is found all over the earth, the second coming of our Lord is held up and his total reign restrained." (Mainstream, Spring 1994, p. 10.)

The following statements show how widely this view of this dominion theology has become.

Cindy Jacobs: "Today’s praying church is rising up in militant force to possess the promised land of our nations."

John Dawson: "There is not one reason why we, the Church, should concede one square inch of this planet to the government of territorial spirits. This is our planet."

Francis Frangipane: "All spiritual warfare is waged over one essential question: who will control reality on earth – heaven or hell?… We must see that our prayers, attitudes and agreement with God are an integral part of establishing the reality of the kingdom of God on earth!" (Mainstream, Spring 1994, p. 10.)

Rick Joyner, probably one of the most clever writers of this new breed, says the following,

- "The church is at war. This war will not end because we do not like it, or we do not want to fight. Fortresses of darkness are being raised up in all directions – in government, schools, business, entertainment, in our neighborhoods – they are even being raised up in the church! … Even so, as improbable as it may seem at this time – we have the enemy surrounded! The church is about to win her greatest victory. This is her finest hour – the retreat is over and the advance is about to begin." "…this generation has been called to carry the banner of the Lord into the greatest epic battle of all time. The last day church has been given one of the greatest privileges that has ever been bestowed by God upon men – to be on the field of the battle for the ultimate confrontation between light and darkness." (Epic Battles Of The Last Days, Rick Joyner, p. 13.)

-"The Lord has already defeated our enemies. He could have banished them to hell on the day of His resurrection, but He left them here for us because He wants His bride to share the honor! In these last days she will surely be, ‘As awesome as an army with banners’ (Song of Solomon 6:10)."

- "The Lord has called His bride to rule and reign with Him as joint heir. He let this conflict continue for over 2,000 years so that His bride could prove herself, and grow in the faithfulness and grace that is needed for her great position."

- "The whole creation, including the principalities and powers, is watching to see what the church is really made of. Will we love the Lord, truth, and righteousness, more than we love this present world? Only those who love not their own lives unto death are fit for the great throne that has been prepared for this bride of Christ."

- "This book is but one trumpet call among many that are now calling the saints to battle." (Epic Battles Of The Last Days, Rick Joyner, p. 14.)

This confused jargon is so utterly contrary to Biblical truth that it would be laughable if not for its deception. Mr. Joyner mixes a little bit of truth that applies to the future Millennium after Jesus returns to establish His kingdom with Kingdom Dominion Theology. "No error is ever so powerful as that error that is so filled with truth." You can read numerous accounts and prophecies describing this kind of Spiritual scenario. No wonder they are angry with Bible-believing Christians. Our refusal to give up our conviction that this world is a sinking Titanic and needs God’s judgment is hindering their effort to defeat the devil in the heavenlies and establish their earthly kingdom. There is a spirit in this entire doctrine that is foreign to Scripture. I believe that many who are caught in this web have already experienced the paradigm shift I mentioned earlier. They do not perceive the truth of Scripture any longer.

All the hype about a worldwide revival that will sweep billions into this religious kingdom fits the devil’s New World Religion, but it is totally contrary to the Holy Scripture. Satan and his angels will be cast out of heaven, but Michael and the holy angels will be the ones to perform the task. Christians meeting to bind territorial spirits is not a Biblical instruction. Many are sincere souls wandering from one hype to the next like sheep without a shepherd.

The Big Picture: Clear Demonic Deception
Christianity Today published an article several years ago, entitled "Are Charismatics Going Cultic?" It is clear that a large percentage of their churches are clearly operating in patterns of deceit and confusion. Ministering by radio and our prophecy publication, plus other materials; I communicate with thousands of pastors. The one absolute truth that I have witnessed, no church or individual that clings to true Biblical holiness and proven Biblical prophecy has fallen prey to these deceptive doctrines. Biblical holiness provides a pure conscience that is absolutely essential to a healthy and pure mind and good discernment.

Any sincere person can put the books, cassettes, videos, etc. that have inundated the church in the garage, or garbage, and take the Word of God (simple and plain) and have a personal awakening that will change their life. God is still ministering in the hearts of men. You can see a miracle, body or soul, just as easily as any minister or evangelist. You do not have the privilege of waiting! It’s time to seek the Lord Jesus.

The movie "The Passion of The Christ" is a Catholic Mass performed by actors instead of a priest. That’s not my opinion, but the clear opinion of the Catholic news organization, Zenit. Here are their exact words, "This film, for its author, is a Mass: Let it be, then, in an obscure language [Latin], as it was for so many centuries. If the mind does not understand, so much the better." (www.zenit.org)

Terry Mattingly, a syndicated religious journalist, declared that Mel Gibson’s hidden purpose was indeed a mass. His words were, "It is crucial to realize that the images and language at the heart of ‘The Passion of The Christ’ flow directly out of Gibson’s personal dedication to Catholicism in one of its most traditional and mysterious forms – the 16th-century Latin Mass." (www.sacbee.com).

I would defend Mel Gibson’s right to make a film of his choice, but not to use that right to set a trap for his chosen beliefs and his Catholic Church. It would be hard to find another reason to spend thirty million dollars on a movie and then to use obscure languages unless to mystically intrigue the masses with emotional scenes planned to take the people into a religious experience of his making. Zenit plainly stated that it was better for Gibson and his Catholic design to use language that could not be understood. The whole movie is a Catholic trap. It is reported that Mel Gibson told on the Catholic Eternal Word Television Network that a Catholic Mass was his goal in this movie. His words were, "The goal of the movie is to shake modern audiences by brashly juxtaposing the sacrifice of the cross with the sacrifice of the altar [Holy Eucharist] – which is the same thing." (Mel Gibson, Eternal Word Television Network.) The words "sacrifice of the cross with the sacrifice of the altar [Holy Eucharist]" is Catholic terminology for the Catholic Mass.

A Catholic Mass is conducted in every Catholic Church every day of the year. Let’s make sure we understand what a Catholic Mass really is and means. The Catholic priest, and he alone, is said to have the right, conferred by the church, to transform the wafer into the literal body of Jesus Christ and the wine into the literal blood of Jesus Christ. Therefore, the Catholic Mass is a return to the passion or suffering of Jesus Christ in such a manner as to enable each Catholic participant to eat His flesh and drink His blood.

Let me allow the Catholics to describe this entire idea in a book, which was written specifically about this movie. It is entitled, A Guide to the Passion, with the subtitle, 100 Questions About the Passion of The Christ. Two Catholic publishing houses, Catholic Exchange and Ascension Press, published it. Here is the question that they propose, followed by their answer.

"Question: One of the men testifying against Jesus argues that Jesus claimed He was the ‘bread of live,’ and repeatedly spoke about eating His flesh and drinking His blood. Where is this in the Bible?

"Answer: This reference is to Jesus’ lengthy discourse in the Gospel of John, chapter 6, where Jesus refers to Himself as ‘the Bread of Life’ (John 6:48) and says that ‘unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in you’ (John 6:53). In response to this statement, many of Jesus’ disciples stopped following Him. What is interesting is that Jesus allowed these disciples to leave him. He did not call them back, saying ‘Hey, wait a minute. I didn’t mean that literally. I meant it symbolically.’ He let them go because He really meant what He said . . . " (A Guide to the Passion, published by Ascension Press and Catholic Exchange, p. 31.)

This question and answer proves beyond a doubt that, to a Catholic, this movie is totally Catholic in doctrine and presentation. But, believe me, we have only begun to see this trap for what it is.

The Catholics are Laughing at the Gullibility of the Evangelical World
In the introduction to this Catholic guide for the movie, the authors stated the following, "Yet, for all the sophisticated evangelization strategies, the irony is that our Protestant brothers and sisters cannot adequately speak to many of the issues and questions the film evokes because the film is so distinctly Marian, so obviously Eucharistic, so quintessentially Catholic – as is the New Testament itself. In terms of effecting conversions and motivating people to weed out sin from their lives – which is what meditating on the passion of Christ is all about – our evangelical friends have been an inspiration. But can their theology adequately or honestly mine such cinematic gems as the Last Supper flashbacks? Though the founders of some of the prominent Protestant denominations believed in and adored the Blessed Sacrament, this fact has been lost today in huge portions of American Protestantism. And without an understanding of Mary as our model in true Christian faith, one cannot begin to understand her significant role in the film. Only a solid understanding of the Catholic Faith can help us grasp these essential elements that figure so prominently in both in the Scriptural record and the apostolic (Catholic) Tradition. The film quite accurately links the sacrifice of the cross with the sacrifice of the Mass. In doing so, it faithfully depicts biblical and Catholic teaching." (Ibid, pp. 2-3.)

Please note the use of the word irony in describing the "sophisticated evangelization strategies" of the Protestant churches. Irony means "a condition in which one seems to be mocked." It also carries the meaning of "words of praise used as criticism or condemnation." The evangelical world has been duped and the Catholic press is clearly laughing at our ignorance. I do not blame them for laughing at the almost universal ignorance of churches that used to stand like a rock for the infallible truth of Scripture but are now open to anything promising religious hype.

The United States Conference of Bishops issued the following statement in describing this film as a Catholic Mass and, yet, our national leaders offer nothing but praise. The bishops said, "The juxtaposition (being positioned close together) of the wounded and bleeding body of Christ on the cross with scenes of the Last Supper compellingly underscores how the Eucharist is truly the body and blood of Christ." (www.usccb.org).

The churches of Bible-believing people were, in every case, started as bastions of great theological truth rooted in sola Scripture (Scripture alone). Yet, this film is unashamedly based on two books that have no kinship to the Word of God. We will review these two books under the heading of each. Their titles are The Dolorous Passion of Our Lord Jesus Christ and The Mystical City of God. Both books are filled with mysticism far removed from the Word of God. They both center on Mary and the Catholic doctrines of her as co-redemtrix with Jesus Christ. You cannot be a Bible-believing Christian and believe a word from either book.

Didn’t any religious leader in America know that these two erroneous mystical books were the script for this movie and not the Word of God? Men of the cloth have been deceived beyond my wildest imagination and they are really a laughingstock.

The Dolorous Passion of our Lord Jesus Christ
Please note the picture of this book and the clear statement that this book is the inspiration for Mel Gibson’s film, "The Passion of The Christ." The author, Anne Catherine Emmerich, was a nun that lived in Germany. She dedicated her book, not to Jesus Christ, but to "Mary, Mother of God, Queen of Heaven and Earth, Lady of the Most Holy Rosary, Help of Christians, and Refuge of the Human Race." (The Dolorous Passion of our Lord Jesus Christ, by Anne Catherine Emmerich, Dedication Page.)

Let’s look at a description of this writer and nun as she received the vision contained in her book. This will give you some idea of her state of mind and body. "During the whole time of the visions which we have just narrated (that is to say, from the 18th of February until the 8th of March), Sister Emmerich continued to suffer all the mental and bodily tortures which were once endured by our Lord. Being totally immersed in these meditations, and, as it were, dead to exterior objects, she wept and groaned like a person in the hands of an executioner, trembled, shuddered, and writhed on her couch, while her face resembled that of a man about to expire under torture, and a bloody sweat often trickled over her chest and shoulders. She generally perspired so profusely that her bed and clothes were saturated.

Her sufferings from thirst were likewise fearful, and she might truly be compared to a person perishing in a desert from the want of water. Generally speaking, her mouth was so parched in the morning, and her tongue so contracted and dried up, that she could not speak, but was obliged by signs and inarticulate sounds to beg for relief. Her constant state of fever was probably brought on by the great pains she endured, added to which she likewise often took upon herself the illnesses and temporal calamities merited by others. It was always necessary for her to rest for a time before relating the different scenes of the Passion, nor was it always that she could speak of what she had seen, and she was even often obliged to discontinue her narrations for the day. She was in this state of suffering on Saturday the 8th of March, and with the greatest difficulty and suffering described the scourging of our Lord which she had seen in the vision of the previous night, and which appeared to be present to her mind during the greatest part of the following day." (Ibid, pp. 225-226.)

Her book is filled with mystical events. Let’s look at just a few experiences or description of her. "Her angel-guardian used to appear to her as a child; and when she was taking care of sheep in the fields, the Good Shepherd himself, under the form of a young shepherd, would frequently come to her assistance . . . (She) was often favoured by visits from the Mother of God and Queen of Heaven." (Ibid, p. 3.) "When a priest passed by with the Blessed Sacrament (body and blood of Jesus), even at a great distance from her home or from the place where she was taking care of her flock, she would feel a strong attraction in the direction whence he was coming, run to meet him, and be kneeling in the road, adoring the Blessed Sacrament, long before he could reach the spot." (Ibid, p. 5.) "When relics (objects belonging to sacred events or persons) were shown to her, she knew what saints they had belonged to, and could give not only accounts of the minutest and hitherto unknown particulars of their lives, but also histories of the relics themselves." (Ibid.) The writer of these pages may here be allowed to remark that he himself has, in full daylight, several times seen blood flow down the forehead and face, and even beyond the linen wrapped round the neck of Anne Catherine." (Ibid, p. 9.) All kinds of occultic practices filled her life, such as levitation, astral travel, strange visions, and trips to Purgatory. She bore the actual signs, called stigmata, of Christ’s many wounds in her body. She was much given to prayer for the souls in Purgatory.

Many of the events seen in the film, "The Passion of The Christ," are from this script. The scene of the woman, named Veronica, is totally unbiblical, but it is found in this text. Let me quote a few words from her book. "Those who were marching at the head of the procession tried to push her back; but she made her way through the mob, the soldiers, and the archers, reached Jesus, fell on her knees before him, and presented the veil, saying at the same time, ‘Permit me to wipe the face of my Lord.’ Jesus took the veil in his left hand, wiped his bleeding face and returned it with thanks. Seraphia (Veronica) kissed it, and put it under her cloak … No sooner did she reach her room than she placed the woolen veil on a table, and fell almost senseless on her knees. A friend who entered the room a short time after, found her thus kneeling, with the child weeping by her side, and saw, to his astonishment, the bloody countenance of our Lord imprinted upon the veil, a perfect likeness, although heartrending and painful to look upon. He roused Seraphia, and pointed to the veil. She again knelt down before it, and exclaimed through her tears, ‘Now, I shall indeed leave all with a happy heart, for my Lord has given me a remembrance of himself.’" (Ibid, pp. 258-259.) It is said that the veil was seen as late as the fourteenth century AD and that it is, supposedly, preserved in the Vatican.

Numerous events in this movie come directly from this book about Anne Catherine Emmerich. "Christianity Today" stated, "This evangelical enthusiasm for ‘The Passion of The Christ’ may seem a little surprising, in that the movie was shaped from start to finish by a devout Roman Catholic and by an almost medieval Catholic vision (Anne Catherine Emmerich)." (www.christianitytoday.com).

The "TV Guide" review said, "Like all filmmakers inspired by the Bible, Gibson picks and chooses his lore, guided in part by the lurid visions of 18th-century stigmatic nun Anne Catherine Emmerich." (www.tvguide.com).

What many called artistic license is really nothing but the wild imagination of a greatly disturbed woman.

The Mystical City of God
This is the second book credited by Mel Gibson as his inspiration for the film. If the book, The Dolorous Passion of our Lord Jesus Christ, is demonic, then this book is even worse. There were actually eight books in the original series, but presently, these are divided into three parts. The primary book about Christ’s passion is book number six, which is in Part II. The picture you get in this book is of Mary, the mother of our Lord, being elevated far beyond Scripture and actually ridiculous in scope. Let’s look at a few quotes.

In this revelation, Mary makes unreal claims for herself. The demon portraying Mary said, "My daughter, all that thou hast written in this chapter is a most important warning for all those that live in the flesh and in the imminent danger of losing eternal happiness. It should teach them to seek my most kind and powerful intercession and to fear the judgments of the Most High; for in this lies an efficacious means of salvation and of meriting higher reward for the Lord. I wish to remind thee once more, that among the secrets revealed to the beloved John at the last Supper, was also this, that he had become the beloved disciple of Christ on account of his love toward me, and that Judas fell because he despised the mercy and kindness which I had shown him."

She is actually crediting herself with Jesus loving John and causing Judas to fall. Jesus is said to ask Mary for permission to enter into His sufferings. Read this carefully!

"My Mother, the hour decreed by the eternal wisdom of my Father for accomplishing the salvation and restoration of the human race and imposed upon Me by his most holy and acceptable will, has now arrived; it is proper that now We subject to Him our own will, as We have so often offered to do. Give Me thy permission to enter upon my suffering and death, and, as my true Mother, consent that I deliver Myself over to my enemies in obedience to my Father. In this manner do Thou also willingly co-operate with Me in this work of eternal salvation, since I have received from Thee in thy virginal womb the form of a suffering and mortal man in which I am to redeem the world and satisfy the divine justice. Just as thou, of thy own free will, didst consent to my Incarnation, so I now desire thee to give consent also to my passion and death of the Cross."

This is nothing less than blasphemy!

Mary further claims that she was miraculously transported to the transfiguration where she was able to hear the voice of God. This is, of course, adding to the Bible in an area, which is nothing but Catholic rhetoric. The book states, "For the purpose of recording this event here, I was given to understand that at the same time in which some of the holy angels were commissioned to bring the soul of Moses and Elias from their abode, others of her own guard carried the heavenly Lady to Mount Tabor, in order to witness the Transfiguration of her divine Son, for without a doubt She really witnessed it. There was no necessity of confirming the most holy Mother in her faith, as was necessary with the Apostles; for She was invincibly confirmed in faith." "She considered how her eyes had seen refulgent in glory that same bodily substance, which had been formed of her blood, carried in her womb and nursed at her breast; how She had with her own ears heard the voice of the eternal Father acknowledge her Son as his own and appoint Him as the Teacher of all the human race." "After the Transfiguration the most blessed Mother was brought back to her house in Nazareth; her divine Son descended the mountain and immediately came to visit her in order to take final leave of his parental province and set out for Jerusalem."

When you read the two mystical books that Mel Gibson used to prepare his script, there is no doubt that this film is first and foremost a Marian film. The Catholic book, A Guide to the Passion, plainly stated the same. More than Mel Gibson’s interest in Jesus Christ is his interest in elevating Mary as the co-redemtrix of our Lord Jesus Christ. We must see the last acts that Mary was said to have performed, as related to His body and His resurrection.

The chapter on the Resurrection in this script that Mel Gibson credited is quite revealing. The book stated, "The fullness of wisdom in the soul of our great Queen and Lady amid all her sorrows permitted no defect or remissness in noticing and attending to all the duties of each occasion and at all times." "The divine soul of Christ our Redeemer remained in limbo from half past three of Friday afternoon, until after three of the Sunday morning following. During this hour He returned to the Sepulchre as the victorious Prince of the angels and of the saints, whom had delivered from those nether prisons as Spoils of His victory and as an earnest of His glorious triumph over the chastised and prostrate rebels of hell. In the sepulchre were many angels as its guard, venerating the sacred body united to the Divinity.

Some of them, obeying the command of their Queen and Mistress, had gathered the relics of the sacred blood shed by her divine Son, the particles of flesh scattered about, the hair torn from his divine face and head, and all else that belonged to the perfection and integrity of his most sacred humanity. On these the Mother of prudence lavished her solicitous care. The angels took charge of these relics, each one filled with joy at being privileged to hold the particles, which he was able to secure. Before any change was made, the body of the Redeemer was shown to the holy Fathers, in the same wounded, lacerated and disfigured state in which it was left by the cruelty of the Jews." "Then, in the presence of all those saints, through the ministry of those angels, were united to the sacred body all the relics, which they had gathered, restoring it to its natural perfection and integrity." "Accordingly He penetrated through the rocks of the sepulchre without removing or displacing them, as He had issued forth from the womb of his most blessed Mother."

Here, we have Mary commanding the angels and aiding in returning to Christ’s body, relics, particles of flesh, and hair torn from His face. In other words, according to this script, which was used for the "The Passion of The Christ," Mary was the source of His bodily resurrection. No wonder the Resurrection of our Lord was given scant attention lest the multitude see the truth. The two books that Mel Gibson used are flagrant occultic ideas, and superstitious. They have no place in the glorious message of our Lord Jesus Christ. Believe me, when I say, I used a very small amount of the damning evidences from these two books.

The Subtle Message of the Passion
The apparent and clear message that subtly fills this entire movie is that there is no salvation outside the Catholic ideas about the passion of Jesus Christ. The Catholic Church has not changed its message, only its method. This film is so filled with His passion and the idea of the Catholic Mass as the only way to experience the life of that passion that it will affect a multitude of people. Our present church generation is weak, extremely weak of Biblical truth. Emotions and physical passions have become the life of most churches. Anything emotional moves such people without even a second thought from them.
"The end justifies the process" has become the philosophy of most religious leaders. "Give me a crowd whatever it takes" is the force behind the "seeker-friendly" churches. This movie is right down their alley. Mel Gibson has plainly stated, "There is no salvation for those outside the (Catholic) church, I believe it." (The Herald Sun.) The Catholic Church states, "The (Catholic) church in this world is the sacrament of salvation, the sign, and the instrument of the communion of God and man." (Catechism of the Catholic Church, p. 780.) This film has made more friends for the Catholic Church than it has made for Jesus Christ.

Making the Passion the Center of Worship
Nothing in this film is more dangerous than the idea of making the suffering of Christ central to worship. The New Testament is complete on the fact of His resurrection, not the fact of His passion. Bible-believing churches erect an empty cross, while Catholic churches erect a cross with the victim. The Son of God has risen from the dead, and He is glorified above all earthly limitations.

Contemplating His wounds and mutilated body will not elevate your soul into the glory and power of a Spirit-filled life. We glory in the cross because it is finished. We glory in the cross because the sacrifice is complete, and the sacrificial Lamb is alive forevermore.

Our Savior does not suffer every day. In fact, He shall never suffer the pains of death again. He is our first fruits of the first Resurrection. He is seated at the Father’s right hand. John saw Him in His great vision. Here is the scene, "And in the midst of the seven candlesticks one like unto the Son of man, clothed with a garment down to the foot, and girt about the paps with a golden girdle. His head and his hairs were white like wool, as white as snow; and his eyes were as a flame of fire; And his feet like unto fine brass, as if they burned in a furnace; and his voice as the sound of many waters. And he had in his right hand seven stars: and out of his mouth went a sharp twoedged sword: and his countenance was as the sun shineth in his strength. And when I saw him, I fell at his feet as dead. And he laid his right hand upon me, saying unto me, Fear not; I am the first and the last." (Revelation 1:13-17). That’s the Lord of the New Testament Church, not an emaciated and broken Christ.

Read the New Testament from the Resurrection all the way to the Book of Revelation and you will never see one saint contemplating the passion and sufferings of the Lord. They remembered His death, but they did not glory in the sorrow but rather the victories. We share His death by dying to ourselves, not by experiencing the stigmata of His wounds and His crucifixion.

Conclusion
The duty of every believing Christian is to take the attention given to this film and add the New Testament message of victory by His Resurrection. People that have been moved by His death must be led to rejoice in His life. Nothing could be more spiritually destructive than Christians spending hours going from one wound to another trying to experience the sorrows of His death. He was our substitute; He took our place; He was our sacrificial Lamb; and we are set free to live in His life, not in His death.

The world and the church are quickly witnessing the creation of a “god” that unholy men can worship. There is an invasion into the church of this “god”. He is Christian in appearance without being Christian in Biblical theology. His is a kind of hybrid Christianity with a pious facade that already has millions of church members quickly offering their souls.

For many years I have questioned how the entire world could be deceived into worshipping Satan and believing that he is God. Multiplied millions of people have seen and heard enough about the Biblical God to surely know better. Whatever idea or appearance of this strange god-like manifestation must be SatanÂ’s masterpiece of deception. For the devil to be able to pull off this final act of rebellion against the Great God of Eternity will require his best great act of masquerading powers.

Remember, Satan is the master deceiver who started a rebellion in the very heart of the heavenly temple and in the center of the angelic domain. Ezekiel paints a breathtaking picture of this beautiful creature that was created by Jehovah God and how his dwelling in the Heavenly domain was glorious until he sinned. Read this story carefully.

“Son of man, take up a lamentation upon the king of Tyrus, and say unto him, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Thou sealest up the sum, full of wisdom, and perfect in beauty. Thou hast been in Eden the garden of God; every precious stone was thy covering, the sardius, topaz, and the diamond, the beryl, the onyx, and the jasper, the sapphire, the emerald, and the carbuncle, and gold: the workmanship of thy tabrets and of thy pipes was prepared in thee in the day that thou wast created. Thou art the anointed cherub that covereth; and I have set thee so: thou wast upon the holy mountain of God; thou hast walked up and down in the midst of the stones of fire. Thou wast perfect in thy ways from the day that thou wast created, till iniquity was found in thee. By the multitude of thy merchandise they have filled the midst of thee with violence, and thou hast sinned: therefore I will cast thee as profane out of the mountain of God: and I will destroy thee, O covering cherub, from the midst of the stones of fire. Thine heart was lifted up because of thy beauty, thou hast corrupted thy wisdom by reason of thy brightness: I will cast thee to the ground, I will lay thee before kings, that they may behold thee. Thou hast defiled thy sanctuaries by the multitude of thine iniquities, by the iniquity of thy traffick; therefore will I bring forth a fire from the midst of thee, it shall devour thee, and I will bring thee to ashes upon the earth in the sight of all them that behold thee.” (Ezekiel 28:12-18).

After this picture, no one can doubt after this picture of the corruption which Satan is capable. This great rebellion did not take place in some dark region of the sin cursed earth, it took place in the very temple of God. Satan showed that he was capable of fomenting a rebellion so breathtaking that one third of the angels joined her foray. The Holy Ghost inspired the prophet Ezekiel to say of Satan, “Thou sealest up the sum, full of wisdom, and perfect in beauty.” No, my dear friend, he does not look like a dragon, that is his character; he looks absolutely perfect in his beauty. His great skill at presenting himself and deluding others (angels or humans) is called by this prophet, Ezekiel, “the multitude of thy merchandise.” The Spirit clearly describes this merchandise of Satan as having “filled the midst of thee (Satan) with violence.”

Satan Wants to be God Above All Else
Satan’s entire rebellion appears to have begun with the desire to replace God. That was his beginning of sin. He said “I will” five times as recorded by Isaiah. “How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations! 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. Yet thou shalt be brought down to hell, to the sides of the pit.” (Isaiah 14:12-15).

Because of man’s continuous sins and rebellion against God, Satan is going to be allowed his last great act of masquerading the Father’s likeness. Satan is the master at trying to imitate the Heavenly Father. Every false religion is established on some false premise or false promise. These religions usually started with some lofty experience or with some great expression of compassion, but quickly descended to just another wilderness of despair. Satan is hopelessly the master of failure and sorrows. Ezekiel said, “Thou hast defiled thy sanctuaries by the multitude of thine iniquities, by the iniquity of thy traffick; therefore will I bring forth a fire from the midst of thee, it shall devour thee, and I will bring thee to ashes upon the earth in the sight of all them that behold thee.” (Ezekiel 28:18). Yet, with all of Satan’s failures he will not give up until he is judged after this great display.

A God that Unholy Men Can Worship
Satan is the only god that unholy men can worship. Every expression of pagan religions, cults, or any distorted form of Christianity is a religion of Satan. Whatever the god of these religions may be called, behind that god is Satan. Even when men debauch the Christian faith and preach another gospel, the true personality behind the form is Satan. No wonder Jesus said, “For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many.” (Matthew 24:5).

Satan has no qualms at presenting himself behind the name of Jesus. That is probably his greatest act of masquerading when he can hide in the “greatest and sweetest” name of all human existence. I believe this end time deception must be done under the umbrella of the name of Jesus. Satan will present himself as God, but he will hide in the process behind a hybrid form of what will be called Biblical Christianity. John the Revelator saw this deception and recorded it beautifully in the Book of Revelation. No wonder Satan hates the Book of Revelation and has caused a multitude of preachers to reject, deny, or distort this final revelation of Holy Scripture.

Before we look at Satan’s “Unholy Trinity” that he will masquerade before the world, let me list four major reasons men reject the Holy Bible as the final revelation. Every form of deception will begin with one or more of these rejections.

The world hates the cross of Jesus Christ. The cross is the opposite of carnal and self-centered living. The flesh is always uncomfortable around the cross.
The world hates a narrow Christianity that claims exclusiveness. All expressions of the faith must be honored equally.

The world hates a book that is perfect and uncompromising. They want a Bible that the scholars can doctor or one they can play pick and choose with.
The world hates holiness. They want a religion that does not require separation from the profane and the worldly.

God the Father is going to give them what they want . . . “for a short season of seven years”.

Do not question for a moment that our Great God is sovereign. Satan will be allowed his final expose’ of delusion or masquerade, but it is God the Father that gives him this rope on which to hang himself. No one painted a more breathtaking picture of Satan’s last hurrah than Zechariah. Even as this prophet spelled out the end times, he stated clearly as he quoted His Father, “I will bring it forth, saith the LORD of hosts, and it shall enter into the house of the thief, and into the house of him that sweareth falsely by my name: and it shall remain in the midst of his house, and shall consume it with the timber thereof and the stones thereof.” (Zechariah 5:4).

The Heavenly Father is going to allow Satan to masquerade his “unholy trinity.” This act by Lucifer will be similar to his rebellion that occurred in Heaven. Nothing that Satan has ever produced will be more deceiving than what he is now planning. It will be his closest acts to the picture we saw in Ezekiel 28. Satan will present himself as God; he will produce his own “false christ” and his own “false spirit.” It will be such a perfect reproduction of the true trinity that the world will wonder after the dragon. As you consider this thought, let us read II Corinthians for a picture of Satan’s power to transform himself and his false apostles and prophets. “For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ. And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light. Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works.” (2 Corinthians 11:13-15).

This passage is breathtaking truth. It gives a picture of how Satan can metamorphous himself and his preachers into a distorted view. Here is the meaning of the phrase transforming themselves (It is one word in the original Greek): “to transfigure or disguise.” (Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance, Greek Dictionary Of The New Testament, p. 47.)

Do not underestimate the power of Satan to present himself as an angel of light and even as “God Himself.” As the Father allows Satan his final masquerade, the world will be swept off its feet just like one third of the angels were deceived thousands of years ago.

Satan and his Unholy Trinity
The world wants a “god” that unholy men can worship, and Satan will be allowed to give it to them. Satan has already begun this master plan and the groundwork is well-progressing. The key word in most theological thought today is “tolerant” or “unity”. Coupled with the attitude of tolerance and unity is a new interpretation of many wonderful Biblical truths. My article on the “Roots Of The New Wave” presented in the last edition of this publication is a picture of these new theologies. There is a major shift to these false theological ideas gripping the church world. This is Satan’s groundwork in preparing the church for his schemes.

He will be Cast Down to the Earth
The angels of God will cast Satan out of the mid-heavens almost as soon as the Rapture occurs. Let us read several verses from this graphic picture of war in heaven.

“And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels, And prevailed not; neither was their place found any more in heaven. And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him. And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night.” “Therefore rejoice, ye heavens, and ye that dwell in them. Woe to the inhabiters of the earth and of the sea! for the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time.” “And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.” (Revelation 12:7-10,12,17).

This incredible picture leaves Satan angry beyond measure and he is said to immediately plan war against the remnant of the sun-clothed woman’s seed, which are then identified. They are those people left on the earth that now “keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.” (Revelation 12:17).

The very next verse reveals SatanÂ’s immediate acts. A beast rises up out of the sea (geographical area of the Mediterranean) with all the types of Antichrist. The appearance of this beast is clearly connected to the dragon himself. It is his doing and he is now preparing his masquerade. He cannot present himself to the world as the dragon and convince the world to worship him. He must have a face that the world is expecting. All the world and all major religions are looking for a christ, an enlightened one, a great messiah, and a charismatic leader. Satan must have his christ, his son, even as God the Father sent the only begotten Son.

Satan Presents to the World his False Christ
Satan is going to have his false trinity as his final act of masquerade. He must begin by presenting the false christ to the world. Watch the Holy Scripture describe SatanÂ’s master stroke. John saw this vision of revelation as he apparently stood on the seashore from his isle of exile. He was actually standing on the Mediterranean seashore. Here are his words. Read them carefully!

“And I stood upon the sand of the sea, and saw a beast rise up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and upon his horns ten crowns, and upon his heads the name of blasphemy. And the beast which I saw was like unto a leopard, and his feet were as the feet of a bear, and his mouth as the mouth of a lion: and the dragon gave him his power, and his seat, and great authority. And I saw one of his heads as it were wounded to death; and his deadly wound was healed: and all the world wondered after the beast. And they worshipped the dragon which gave power unto the beast: and they worshipped the beast, saying, Who is like unto the beast? who is able to make war with him?” “And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.” (Revelation 13:1-4, 8).

The Scripture clearly states that the dragon (Satan) gives this beast (beast in only his character, not his appearance) his power, his seat, and his great authority. The beast or the Antichrist is a clear production of the devil. The Antichrist is SatanÂ’s partner and will be his identification to the world as a replica of what Jesus Christ was to His Father. We see the Father as the express image seen in the Son and the brightness of His glory. (Hebrews 1:2-3). Satan is going to masquerade this same idea as part of his deception.

As we see the Antichrist “wounded to death” and then “his deadly wound is healed”, we are witnessing what Satan will accomplish to make the Antichrist a world marvel and wonder. The Scripture gives little detail of how this will occur. It will undoubtedly be a marvelous miracle and probably a kind of reproduction of the crucifixion and resurrection. When you couple this idea with the Protestant/Charismatic return to the Catholic idea of the Mass, it becomes a striking picture that this will be an appearance of this false christ masquerading as Jesus Christ. Then he presents a reproduction, a graphic drama of death and resurrection where men literally handle and consume the bread and the wine as Catholics do daily in their “Mass”.

Please note that this prophecy states that “all the world wondered after the beast.” The beast or Antichrist is careful to give glory to the dragon because verse four states, “And they worshipped the dragon which gave power unto the beast.” These Scriptures clearly state that the world wondered after the Antichrist, but worshipped the devil, the anti-god. Satan’s schemes to this point are gloriously successful. He has hidden himself behind this false christ and allowed the false christ, with all of his facade of charismatic glory to hide the real face of Satan. The world has gone insane after this false expression of true Christianity. It is a hybrid form of all the church world has loved and because they left the “love of truth”, the deceiver has wrought his masterpiece. But it does not end there, Satan has more.

Satan Presents his “False Anointing” or “False Spirit”
Once Satan has reproduced a masquerade of the Lord Jesus Christ, he then proceeds to do the same with the truth of the Holy Ghost. Please remember we are simply watching the final form of this deception. It has already begun. The foundation of deception began with the apostasy of truth. The great apostasy has affected the liberal churches for at least 100 plus years, but the Evangelical/Pentecostal/Charismatic apostasy is in its third decade. Presently, it is overshadowing almost everything the church as a whole represents and appears to be very close to its crescendo.

Let us watch the Revelator John, share the enfolding drama as it was shown him. “And I beheld another beast coming up out of the earth; and he had two horns like a lamb, and he spake as a dragon. And he exerciseth all the power of the first beast before him, and causeth the earth and them which dwell therein to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed. And he doeth great wonders, so that he maketh fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men, And deceiveth them that dwell on the earth by the means of those miracles which he had power to do in the sight of the beast; saying to them that dwell on the earth, that they should make an image to the beast, which had the wound by a sword, and did live. And he had power to give life unto the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak, and cause that as many as would not worship the image of the beast should be killed. 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 13:11-16).

A second beast now appears from Satan’s masquerade. This person is his false spirit of false anointing. He is said to be like a “lamb with horns”, “pious, humble, but arrogantly vicious.” What a picture of false anointing. This very type is now being acted out by a multitude of “New Wave” leaders. They are humble when you agree with them, but immediately vicious when you disagree. This false anointing falls upon people like a rock, causing them to act in ways that express the nature of a dragon. Instead of beautiful worship in ecstasy of Calvary and the Holy Spirit, it is an anointing more like an army preparing for slaughter. In fact, they admit the same and call themselves “Joel’s Army.”

Please note that this “anti-spirit” exercises “all the power of the first beast.” This again is the masquerade. This false anointing is doing for the false christ what the Holy Ghost has done for Jesus Christ. It is all a replica of the Trinity of God. He even causes the people to worship the Antichrist, not himself. Notice that he magnifies the “deadly wound” that the false christ has experienced and uses that to induce the worship of this first beast.

Then, the false spirit begins his masquerade of the supernatural. He is not supernatural, he only masquerades supernatural powers. He does great wonders and miracles and deceives all the earth. He even gives power to an image of the Antichrist and requires everyone to worship him. It is not the Antichrist that requires the world to take the mark of the beast, but the false anointing or the anti-spirit.

That should arrest all of your attention. While the world is identifying the mark that may indeed use the bio-chip or some infrared mark on the skin, they are paying little attention to the false anointing that is preparing men for the real mark. I believe there will be a mark on the forehead or the right hand, but I believe that much deeper is the religious preparation to worship Satan as God. The mark will reflect a heart commitment to identify with the “false trinity” and to worship Satan.

There will be a baptism, an initiation of religious nature that will accompany the actual mark. When we try to identify the mark, we are acting ahead of GodÂ’s revelation. The mark will be so deceitful that no one will recognize it as being satanic. The same is true of the Antichrist. Many have tried to identify who this person is and if he is now alive. Such foolishness would be laughable if it did not play so well with Satan. Satan will identify this man only after he himself has been cast out of heaven following the Rapture. Satan might have some idea, but the Antichrist must accept that offer when Satan extends it to him. When such a person accepts SatanÂ’s offer, then and only then Satan will give them their seat, authority, and power.

The False Trinity
This will undoubtedly be the master work of the fallen prince of darkness. He has produced many dark moments, but this will eclipse them all, maybe even his original rebellion before the throne of God. The kings of earth will gladly sell their souls to him. The church that has rejected infallible truth will joyously cling to his false Pentecost and its fleshly products. The remnant church never expected, nor desired the world’s favor, but the present church sees success and pomp as the final word and is willing to cloud truth for a temporary kingdom. Men have longed for a “god” that the unholy can worship and serve.

As you study church history, it is clear that every deception and apostasy in the church had its roots in the search for a “god” where unholy men could stop and worship. The Father has compassionately called His church back from the multitudes of backsliding. He has wooed a reluctant church to His glorious altar and forgiven our many errors of the way.

Finally, the Father will give the world and the church what it has so arrogantly sought. The Father will give the world a God that unholy men can abandon themselves to serve. This false god will have an unrestrained time to present his false trinity to a gullible world. The results will be that Satan, once he has received the false church and her worship, will hate her and destroy her with his false fire that was first used to deceive her.

I believe America is still a Sheep Nation. America is not Babylon as some suggest, neither is New York City Babylon. Babylon is Babylon unless you have a prefix to the name as in Mystery Babylon. Mystery Babylon is interpreted, according to end time theology, and represents the coming "One World Religion" where all religions become synchronized as serving the same god. We see this clearly in Revelation chapter seventeen. It is very important for Americans to understand our character as a Sheep Nation and to act accordingly. It is an incredible responsibility.

What Makes America a Sheep Nation?
The answer is, "the way we treat the Jewish people." This was one of the great teachings of Jesus Christ concerning his own people, the Jews. The Bible is filled with a picture of the latter days of time and the place Israel, as a nation and the distinct children of Israel, would occupy. The Bible says that Jerusalem would be a cup of trembling to all other nations. That particular statement in the book of Zechariah has been fulfilled to the ultimate. The words of Zechariah are breathtaking. "Behold, I will make Jerusalem a cup of trembling unto all the people round about, when they shall be in the siege both against Judah and against Jerusalem. And in that day will I make Jerusalem a burdensome stone for all people: all that burden themselves with it shall be cut in pieces, though all the people of the earth be gathered together against it. In that day, saith the LORD, I will smite every horse with astonishment, and his rider with madness: and I will open mine eyes upon the house of Judah, and will smite every horse of the people with blindness." (Zechariah 12:2-4). This development has been in process since 1948 when Israel became a nation and has finally reached a time of scary reality.

Jerusalem is the city of God. It is the central city of the entire earth already, but will become the capital city of the Millennium reign after the Son of God returns to set up His kingdom. All of this is presently in preparation as the nations of the earth are sifted. Every nation of the world is being forced to decide the place they will occupy and the action they are willing to take. As it develops in this war-like atmosphere, Jerusalem and Israel will continue to be a thorn. Will we try to stop terrorism everywhere but in Israel? Will Israel be forced to give up Jerusalem to become the capitol of Palestine? Whatever happens in the short term, it will be rectified in the final reckoning. Our duty as a nation is to make certain we never forsake Israel.

Suddenly, Israel’s problem with terrorism is being elevated to a worldwide problem. Of course, this was already happening, but no one dared draw a comparison. Now, we are forced to draw the comparison and to realize that Arafat is of the exact same character as Bin Laden. Our government, led by President George W. Bush, is doing a wonderful job of building constituents for the elimination of the horrible threat. Yet, in naming the terrorist groups, those operating in Israel were the only ones missing on the list. Why? Because of one reason alone and that reason is Israel. Will we allow this worldwide coalition to force us to forsake Israel? I do not think so, but it is scary to think about. Will we eliminate every cell of terrorist except those operating in Israel? Again, I do not think so, but the thought is grave.

The place of Biblical principles in American history has guaranteed our partnership with Israel. The presence of many Jews as American citizens has further assured our love for them and their right to a nation of their own. We have been blessed because of this union with the Lord Jesus Christ’s brethren. They may have been our enemies for the Gospel’s sake, but they are beloved of the Father. "As concerning the gospel, they are enemies for your sakes: but as touching the election, they are beloved for the fathers’ sakes." (Romans 11:28.) Many good people have spoiled their own life and misled many other people because they failed to rightly discern this passage of Scripture in Romans eleven. The Jewish nation and people as a majority still reject their and our Messiah, but that is soon to change.

America: A Sheep Nation
I cannot imagine a truth more important to America at this time in our history. When we speak of this idea of a "Sheep Nation," we are dealing with responsibility, not privilege. The Bible is perfectly clear that both individuals and nations will answer to the Creator and Sustainer of this universe. The Scripture states, "The wicked shall be turned into hell, and all the nations that forget God." (Psalm 9:17). Again the Psalmist David said, "Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord . . ." (Psalm 33:12). A nation that is a friend to Israel does not have the liberty to continue in the dark sins of greed, unbridled pleasure, etc., and, especially, the killing of the unborn in abortion, the acceptance of deviant lifestyles, and generally the forsaking of God’s commandments. We will be held to a higher standard because of knowledge and the millions of professing Bible believers in America. Our airwaves are filled with religious and Biblical broadcasting. We have sent tens of thousands of missionaries from these shores. We have no excuse for Biblical ignorance. Our great problem as a nation is that we are still conscience driven, but disobedient. Our character is one of deep conviction, but shallow living. In the last days since September 11, 2001, there has been a surge of deep soul searching, but very little repentance of sin. The majority of this nation still respects the Ten Commandments, but does not obey them with strict surrender. If God should judge us with the standard of Sodom and Gomorrah (Ten righteous people would have saved the city from fire and brimstone.), we will be spared. America still has a remnant of godly citizens in every religious tradition that live exemplary lives. We better be extremely grateful for this. But, we must not treat our sins as a nation lightly. Repentance should be the resounding message all across America.

Let’s look at Jesus’ Word, concerning the idea of what constitutes a Sheep Nation. This is a fairly long passage, but please read it carefully. "When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory: And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats: And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left. Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: For I was an hungered, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in: Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me. Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungered, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink? When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee? Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee? And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me." (Matthew 25:31-40).

The time of this ultimate fulfillment is after He returns to the earth to establish His kingdom worldwide. Yet, the basis of determining those nations that are judged as "Sheep Nations" will be by their deeds before He returns. If we are as close to the end as I believe we are, then our actions toward Israel at the present time will be the basis of His judgments. Please note that this entire judgment is premised on how we treat "His brethren." The nation of Israel and the Jewish people are not always easy to love. They are still a very secular people and often driven by the incredible fears and horrors of their past two thousand years. They are strong willed and even arrogant in their incredible capacities to be creative, successful, and to survive against multiple odds. The Jewish people are characterized with a passionate thirst for the future. If they have a characteristic that is most "Divinely given" it is their "passionate thirst for the future."

The future of Israel is absolutely incredible and we should share the joy of this by regularly "praying for the peace of Jerusalem." There is a passage in the writings of Israel, which reminds us of the future of Jerusalem. It is found in Isaiah chapter sixty-two. The entire chapter promises Israel of her coming glory. One verse will show you a picture of what the Heavenly Father is planning. "Thou shalt also be a crown of glory in the hand of the LORD, and a royal diadem in the hand of thy God. Thou shalt no more be termed Forsaken; neither shall thy land any more be termed Desolate: but thou shalt be called Hephzibah, and thy land Beulah: for the LORD delighteth in thee, and thy land shall be married." (Isaiah 62:3-4.)

But, the part I want you to see is how the God of Israel and the church has appointed angels to watch over Jerusalem. Remember, this began well over two thousand years ago. "I have set watchmen upon thy walls, O Jerusalem, which shall never hold their peace day nor night: ye that make mention of the LORD, keep not silence, And give him no rest, till he establish, and till he make Jerusalem a praise in the earth. The LORD hath sworn by his right hand, and by the arm of his strength, Surely I will no more give thy corn to be meat for thine enemies; and the sons of the stranger shall not drink thy wine, for the which thou hast laboured: But they that have gathered it shall eat it, and praise the LORD; and they that have brought it together shall drink it in the courts of my holiness." (Isaiah 62:6-9).

Already, for over twenty-six hundred years, angels have kept a vigil over the walls of this city. He then reminds every Bible reader and believer to give Him, our Eternal God, no rest until He makes this city, His city, Jerusalem, a "praise in all the earth." No wonder the city of Jerusalem is a thorn to the whole unregenerated world.

The Arab People
Being a friend to Israel must not mean that we are enemies to the Arab people. They are sons and daughters of Abraham, also. If we can convince the Arab people that we can defend both of these distinct peoples, Israel and the Arab nation, it would be a giant step toward some semblance of peace. Often we Christians, when defending Israel, come across as being enemies of everyone else in the Middle East. It is clear that millions of Arabs are just as willing to be friends of Israel as we are in America. Thousands of Arabs have died because they are not willing to join the jihad of radical Islam. There is a host of devoted Arab Christians that serve Jehovah God as we do. There must always be a clear distinction between Arabs that are our friends and Arabs that hate everything the West believes.

We must not, as a nation, allow ourselves to be drawn into a holy war on Islamic people. We defend every world citizen’s right to choose his/her own faith. At the same time, we must refuse to put our faith in a context of a "One World Religion" or compromise the uniqueness of the Lord God Jehovah that gave His only Begotten Son.

Conclusion
Reading the literal truth of Holy Scripture reveals the uniqueness of our present times. We are privileged to live in such an hour that Bible prophecy is experiencing an explosion of fulfillment. I have absolute assurance that the Rapture can occur at any moment. No one can set a date. It is a truth beyond argument that the Father will choose the day in which He will send His Son into the mid-air to rapture the overcomers. Be ready at a moments notice. If you have been cleansed by the Blood and there is no sin reigning in your mortal body and if the Holy Spirit is constantly allowed to maintain the fire of His presence in your life, you are ready.

The great prophecies of Ezekiel are as current as reading the daily news. The Cherubims that were prominent in Ezekiel’s day are quickly becoming prominent today. Cherubims are a special order of God’s celestial creatures, a type of Brigadier Generals leading an army of angels. There are either four Cherubims or four bands of Cherubims. The Bible is not perfectly clear whether there are four bands of Cherubims, or four Cherubims leading bands of servant angels. These incredible angels are called “beasts” in the book of Revelation; today’s English is better translated as “Living Creatures.” These are the same great celestial creatures that we witness in the Bible from Genesis chapter three. “So he drove out the man; and he placed at the east of the garden of Eden Cherubims, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to keep the way of the tree of life.” (Genesis 3:24)

An extremely important responsibility has been assigned by our great Creator to these Cherubims. They are the keepers of holiness in the entire universe but especially assigned as keepers of holiness in the earth. No unrighteousness can ever escape their scrutiny. It was probably a Cherubim who brought the wickedness of Sodom and Gomorrah to the attention of the Lord in the day of Abraham. “And the LORD said, Because the cry of Sodom and Gomorrah is great, and because their sin is very grievous; I will go down now, and see whether they have done altogether according to the cry of it, which is come unto me; and if not, I will know.” (Genesis 18:20-21) Righteousness is the character that the Creator determined for the whole earth, and anything less disturbs every expression of life on the planet. These Cherubims are constantly supervising every activity of man, every expression of nature, and every aspect of life on this earth in total. There is a price for every sin unless there is quick, honest repentance.

These great Cherubims create an exciting picture in Ezekiel’s prophecy. This is the one primary description of them in Scripture. “And I looked, and, behold, a whirlwind came out of the north, a great cloud, and a fire infolding itself, and a brightness was about it, and out of the midst thereof as the colour of amber, out of the midst of the fire. Also out of the midst thereof came the likeness of four living creatures. And this was their appearance; they had the likeness of a man.” (Ezekiel 1:4-5) They appear like a fire “infolding itself”, or a fire contained and burning within rather than burning without. Their brightness expresses the character of their God, whose glory in righteousness they manifest and defend. Their speed is like lightning; in fact, I would suggest that all lightning is an expression of their activities, or at least a reminder of their activities. These celestial beings have been provided with chariots that Ezekiel describes as wheels in the middle of wheels that make a dazzling display of the Father’s glory.

The Cherubims were prepared by the Heavenly Father to strike terror into the hearts of the wicked. Reading the first chapters of Ezekiel will convince anyone of the darkness and dread of sin. What mortal man dares to challenge the holiness of God protected by such awesome beings? Listen! “As for their rings, they were so high that they were dreadful; and their rings were full of eyes round about them four. And when the Living Creatures went, the wheels went by them: and when the Living Creatures were lifted up from the earth, the wheels were lifted up.” (Ezekiel 1:18-19) Every action of man in all the universe is known to these awesome Cherubims and their great bands of angels. Jesus is called the “Lord of Sabaoth” which means “the Lord of a host.” All angels of the many ranks are under His mastery and do His bidding. No wonder these great celestial creatures will be present at the Rapture and gathered around the throne.

When the saints are caught up to the Father’s presence in Revelation four, these “keepers of righteousness” are there to represent the Father’s glory and His holiness. Do not think for a moment that anyone will be accepted unless sin has been forsaken and forgiven by Christ’s blood. John said, “And before the throne there was a sea of glass like unto crystal: and in the midst of the throne, and round about the throne, were four Beasts full of eyes before and behind.” (Revelation 4:6) An announcement was made by each of these four Cherubims at the opening of the first four seals of the great book of redemption in Revelation chapters five and six. The four “Living Creatures” actually announced the four horses and riders which was the fulfillment of themselves, and their defense of holiness during the Seven Years of Tribulation. His “keepers of righteousness” will be an intimate part of the future fulfillment of the book of Revelation.

At the present time, there is a growing sense that the environment of the earth and the great calamities of hurricanes, earthquakes, tornados, etc., are destroying, and they surely are. These Cherubims of God were clearly the great angels that were involved in Sodom and Gomorrah when judgment was manifest. The Scripture teaches, “And while he lingered, the men [Cherubims] laid hold upon his hand, and upon the hand of his wife, and upon the hand of his two daughters; the LORD being merciful unto him: and they brought him forth, and set him without the city. And it came to pass, when they had brought them forth abroad, that he said, Escape for thy life; look not behind thee, neither stay thou in all the plain; escape to the mountain, lest thou be consumed.” (Genesis 19:16-17) Every angelic act that involves the defense of holiness identifies those angels as Cherubims.

Many of the key locations of recent storms are hotbeds of filth and wickedness. New Orleans is a case in point. The hurricane named “Katrina” arrived in that wicked city of voodoo and distorted sex only three days before the city was scheduled for a baptism of homosexuals and lesbians. These Cherubims of God know clearly where every main area of unrestrained conduct and lifestyle is welcomed. Any city that hangs out the welcome sign for such filth is also attracting the concern of God’s “Living Creatures.” Every citizen in such cities should be concerned and even consider moving.

The mighty hand of God, in the Person of the Holy Spirit, is directly involved with these Cherubims. Ezekiel stated, “Whithersoever the Spirit was to go, they went, thither was their spirit to go; and the wheels were lifted up over against them: for the spirit of the living creature was in the wheels.” (Ezekiel 1:20) Isaiah stated, “So shall they fear the name of the LORD from the west, and his glory from the rising of the sun. When the enemy shall come in like a flood, the Spirit of the LORD shall lift up a standard [Cherubims standing in restraint] against him.” (Isaiah 59:19) The word “standard” means a barrier between you and the enemy. That is the very purpose of the Cherubims – to defend righteousness and holiness. Many have been the Cherubims that came to stand beside or behind the godly saint that was in jeopardy.

These great celestial creatures, Living Creatures or Cherubims, have been clearly visible all through the Holy Scripture. Their responsibility is the “keepers of holiness and righteousness” on earth. That also means the defense of holy and righteous saints that dare to live separated from the defilement of our world, and that stand without compromise for His unfailing truth. If you live an uncompromising life, these majestic Cherubims will be intimately connected to your walk, to your ministry, and to your protection. You will have a defense that knows no limits and you will not need to defend yourself.