Author: Terry Wil Robinson

Learn about me at jonahzsong.blog.

As the World Turns

As the world turns was the name of a soup opera that my Mother watched many years ago. That’s what I thought of when I read the title of Geoffrey Grider’s blog “As The World Descends Into Turmoil, God Commands Bible Believers To ‘Fear Not’.” (Click on the title to redirect to the full article.)

In the article that is worth reading, Mr. Grinder makes many references to scripture about not fearing the turmoil that WILL come upon us with the Day of the LORD, as spoken of in Zephaniah, and many other places.

The great day of the Lord is near,
near and hastening fast;
the sound of the day of the Lord is bitter;
the mighty man cries aloud there.
A day of wrath is that day,
a day of distress and anguish,
a day of ruin and devastation,
a day of darkness and gloom,
a day of clouds and thick darkness,
a day of trumpet blast and battle cry
against the fortified cities
and against the lofty battlements. Zephaniah 1:14-16

ShockTop-EOTW1I felt it important to declare that America will not be destroyed by its enemies; this is also a warning to America’s enemies that they will be judged for their actions against America. This holds for all nations within which the Righteous of G-d may be found. For countries such as Islamic nation states, that persecute the Righteous within their own borders, they will experience the Wrath of G-d without restraint.

While America cannot be utterly destroyed, it has, can, and will be attacked from within and from without by unrighteous people and nation states. This means not only that we, the Righteous of G-d, experience various emotional and physical distress, but that many may experience the death of their bodies. But that is not death. For the Righteous of G-d live with G-d through the salvation gift from Y’shuaJesus. Praise the Lord!

Now, let me point out that in Mr. Grider’s blog, he states “I believe that the Lord does not want us reading about things that may happen, and of which we have no control. We are giving the devil room for his fiery darts when we focus on things which bring fear to our hearts.” While I agree that now doubt we will deal with fear when we read of various reports or theories of what could happen, even Y’shuaJesus said we would hear these things. We cannot avoid it. And we can use such reactions to our advantage. We can use reports to make us aware of how best to prepare. If we do not hear the warning, how will we be able to properly respond?

Read Mr. Grider’s article. Read the scriptures that calm our fears. Trust in our Lord Y’shuaJesus.

Lord Bless, Keep, Shine. . .

Wait. So G-d won’t destroy the United States next year?

GodBlessAmericajpgWhile there continue to be many of our American Churches that display the bold signs requesting that G-d Bless America, there continue to be many who feel G-d has no reason to Bless America, and should, in fact, cause its destruction. These people would say that Christians in America have let the country down. They would say that Christians allowed America’s decline by allowing it to foolishly follow the ways of the world, the entrapment of money, to fall into the pit of immorality. Christians are, some how, responsible for not stopping it. Whatever. . .

So lets do some simple figuring, comparing.

So it was that, when God destroyed the cities of the valley, God remembered Abraham and sent Lot out of the midst of the overthrow when he overthrew the cities in which Lot had lived. Genesis 19:29

G-d didn’t hold Lot responsible for Sodom, the town in which he lived. In fact, had G-d’s ambassadors found only ten righteous then He would have relented in Sodom’s destruction. So let’s look at a formula for determining if there are enough people in a country to prevent G-d from destroying it. Sodom’s population was about 1000 at the time it was destroyed. So G-d’s ambassadors needed to find at least ten righteous out of one thousand. That’s only one person out of one hundred. The United States of America has about 320,000,000 people living within its borders. One out of one hundred means about 3,200,000 righteous people need to be found. How many righteous are there in America? I suppose that depends upon your definition of righteous. Perhaps you don’t want to use the polls that say 80% of Americans are Christian as a valid number, preferring to narrow it down a bit to 25% evangelical. Perhaps we should narrow it down further, just because we all know not all who say they are evangelical are really True Followers. So lets say we consider 5% of Americans actually are followers of Y’shuaJesus, with righteousness imparted to them. That’s the equivalent of G-d’s emissaries to Sodom finding forty righteous with in the town.

So perhaps America doesn’t deserve G-d’s Blessing. But G-d isn’t going to destroy it now. If He looks, if He wants to know, He will find at least three million Believers remaining in America. But will G-d protect America from its enemies? G-d is in charge. A country, a person, cannot come against America without G-d allowing it. America has enemies both foreign and domestic. But its enemies will not destroy it. Not this coming year, any way. The ninty-five percent of Americans–yes, a percentage that grows each year–will continue to live worldly lives, even immoral lives. Babies will continue to be murdered before birth. Immorality will continue to be preached by Hollywood through films and television, and in the schools through corrupt curriculum. And the American media will continue its selective reporting, hiding some truth while preaching some deception. And Americans will face danger, even death, at the hands enemies from within the country, and from enemies in other nations. There will continue a racial division that breeds distrust and hatred among Americans, all promoted by some individuals in trusted positions in our own government. Our law enforcement and military personnel will continue to be targets of hatred and violence. A form of lawlessness will continue in America.

PTL4But, do not take it that America is weak. For we are, as we were before World War II, a nation of people who can, and will, protect ourselves and each other. We are a people who, despite appearances to the contrary, come together against common enemies and prevail. Americans are free, therefore we are free to squabble. But the enemies, both within and without, need only take a look at history and beware what lies behind every blade of grass.

As we put in the past one more year, saying good-bye to 2014, let us pray that we who are among the five percent continue to seek the Lord, praying that all would do the same.

Lord Bless, Keep, Shine upon you and yours. . .

Happy New Year!

Slaughter of Christians–”History Repeating Itself”

In an article on Breitbart’s News Website reports that Judge Jeanine Pirro, host of the Fox News Channel’s Justice with Judge Jeanine” argued that the slaughter of Christians in the Middle East was “history repeating itself.” The article follows:

“Why do we stand by and watch the genocide of Christians in the Middle East, it’s history repeating itself. But remember, it is to our detriment this time. Six million Jews were killed in the Holocaust while the world looked the other way…let’s hope we speak out soon, so others will speak out for us” she declared.

She also criticized Pope Francis, stating “as men and women are butchered, children tortured, their severed heads displayed with pride by jihadists, the leader of the Catholic Church, Pope Francis, puts the enormous weight of his papacy behind the plight of Central American children already in the United States, and he works to normalize US-Cuban relations, and does nothing more than call for constructive dialogue with Muslims over the Christian genocide. Since when does the Catholic Church look to mediate the abuser with the victim?”

Pirro also argued that the threat of Islamic jihad was not isolated to Middle East, pointing to attempts to institute Sharia Law in the US and saying “the lone wolves are here in the United States. America was founded by people who gave up everything, their families, their fortune, and their livelihood to ensure through the First Amendment, that we would have religious freedom, that ‘Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion or prohibiting the free exercise thereof or abridging the freedom of speech.’ So why does it feel like we’re moving in the direction of our First Amendment rights being subjugated to the religions of others. When our president says an American should be prosecuted for exercising his First Amendment [rights] by making a video perceived as negative about Islam, when the former Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton says, we need to understand and empathize with our enemies, we are on a downward spiral.”

BC01MLThe persecution of Christians is happening throughout the world. In Nigeria, Islamists have taken over large areas and imposed Sharia Law, persecuting and killing Christians. In the Philippians Christians have been persecuted for thirty years in some areas. In Viet Nam, India, Nepal, and in Western Nations as well there is a growing number of cases of persecution against Christians.

And it’s getting worse.

But we don’t have parts of the United States under Sharia Law. Why is that? Isn’t religion protected? We have a Bill of Rights. The First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution reads:

“Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.”

The First Amendment says that the government cannot prohibit the free exercise of religion. So Sharia Law could come about, you may say. Yet it is possible to rule against certain actions or practices of religions. In 1878 the U.S. Supreme Court decided that America could not prohibit the thoughts and beliefs of people regarding religion, but in the Court opinion, “Laws are made for the government of actions, and while they cannot interfere with mere religious beliefs and opinions, they may with practices.”

It is under this criteria that the government has forced children to undergo medical treatment when the parents, for “religious beliefs” have withheld it. This is the reason that Sharia Law, as a action imposed for “religious beliefs,” may be interfered with by American Courts.

The government has an obligation to apply its laws equally to all people. Those practices,  those actions, that might be taken under Sharia Law that are illegal, that are against the Legal Law of America, may not be practiced.

At this time, despite some of the issues America has faced, that America continues to face, we are a Nation of Law and of Justice. Perhaps that is the very reason so many people would like to see America fall. But as long as there are some Christians, some Followers of Y’shuaJesus, remaining in America, America shall not fall.

[Abraham asked] Suppose ten are found there. He [G-d] answered, “For the sake of ten I will not destroy it [Sodom].” Genesis 18:32

Lord Bless, Keep, Shine. . .

A Christless Christianity

In his article, Thomas D. Williams writes:

“So much for taking Christ out of Christmas. New efforts propose the more radical agenda of taking him out of Christianity altogether.

“Every year, it seems, an attempt is made, usually around the Christian holidays, to debunk some aspect of Christian belief— usually involving the Virgin birth, or Jesus’ resurrection, or his relationship with women. This year features an effort to depose Jesus as the founder of the Christian church, replacing him with the apostle Paul.

“Millions celebrate the birth of Jesus without realizing that it was the Apostle Paul, not Jesus, who was the founder of Christianity,” writes James D. Tabor in The Daily Beast.

“As innovative as this proposition sounds, it is a reheated version of an old theory that has been exhaustively debated, and basically put to rest among serious scholars of Christianity.”

Well, while Mr. Williams would like to put us at ease when he says that such arguments have been “put to rest among serious scholars of Christianity,” there remains a lot of sheep left to lead astray.

Thinking of deception, not long ago I came across a book that explores the historical evidence that Jesus didn’t even exist. Basically, the author says it was all a great myth to subdue the population of Jerusalem and the occupied Israel and take away the people’s will to revolt against Rome.

It seems to me that this coming year will find us very much in the middle of lots of “proof” against the traditional teachings of the Bible, refuting all that we’ve come to know as Gospel. We must remain ever close to the source of our faith, our Lord Y’shuaJesus.

Lord Bless, Keep, Shine . . .

namaste

In her letter to the Light House Trails blog, a lady says, “Deception and the wiles of the evil one care not whom they lead astray, as long as His people are hurt by those they love.” She refers to a Christmas greeting she received from the wife of a church elder that concluded in “namaste.”  Read the post.

Oprah-WinfreyYou can also read an article about Oprah and her new age workshop, as one commentator described, ending with a “new age alter call.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lord Bless, Keep, Shine. . .

Killing us gently

aaa3_1193
Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula leader Nasr bin Ali al-Ansi holds what the group said was its first “press conference.”

CNSNews.com – Al-Qaeda’s Yemen-based affiliate, which on Saturday shot dead an American journalist and a South African teacher to prevent their rescue by U.S. Special Forces, wants the world to know that it opposes beheadings and other forms of brutality practiced by the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS/ISIL).

Read the article at CNS.com.

Wow. And there are “churches” that want to join together to form a religious alliance with these folks. I mean, seriously. If we aren’t facing the Last Days, if these things aren’t leading to the final battle between good and evil. . . I’m mean seriously, shooting a person dead is so much kinder than beheading. Wow!

Lord Y’shua, have mercy upon us. . .

How to Prepare

Prepare? For what shall we prepare? A quick look at Ready.com shows us that there are a lot of things that can happen for which we should prepare. And there are a lot of very practical things we can do in our preparation for various natural and unnatural disasters. But I’m not talking about those disasters at the moment. No. I’m thinking more about preparing for the a time when our G-d, who is slow to anger, has His fill and brings His wrath upon the earth. G-d said:

I will bring distress on mankind,
so that they shall walk like the blind,
because they have sinned against the Lord;
their blood shall be poured out like dust,
and their flesh like dung. Zeph 1:17

This distress that G-d will bring on humankind makes us walk like the blind. This distress is spoken of also in Joel 1:15, where there is great famine. There are many who say that war brings famine, which is followed by disease. But in the case of West Africa today, it is disease that came first, then famine is following closely behind. In South Sudan, war prevented planting of the fields, which is leading directly to famine over the coming months. The Day of the LORD is a day of great distress. Walking like a blind man could mean stumbling, like one might do if one were famished, ready to die from starvation. Walking like a blind man might also mean that the people simply don’t see they must humble themselves and seek the LORD, who is gracious to save.

Salvation. We are talking about Salvation. And if humankind suffers distress, humankind won’t seek out the LORD for His salvation to come. The time to seek the LORD is, and always has been, now. First, we must SEE and understand G-d’s purpose of salvation. “For G-d so loved the world that he gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life,” (John 3:16). Second, we must SEE and understand that our problem is separation from G-d. “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of G-d,” (Romans 3:23). Third, we must SEE and understand that G-d’s remedy is The Cross. “For there is One G-d and One Mediator between G-d and men, the Man Christ Y’shuaJesus, who gave Himself as a ransom for all, to be testified in due time,” (1Timothy 2:5,6). Fourth, we must SEE and understand that we must respond by trusting in Messiah Y’shuaJesus. “But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of G-d, to those who believe in His Name,” (John 1:12). And Fifth, we must SEE and understand that G-d provides assurance though His Word. “For whoever call on the Name of the Lord shall be saved,” (Romans 10:13). [From commentary in The Billy Graham Training Center Bible)

And we have this to consider BEFORE the distress of the Great Day of the LORD:

Seek the Lord, all you humble of the land,
who do his just commands;
seek righteousness; seek humility;
perhaps you may be hidden
on the day of the anger of the Lord.” Zeph 2:3

Lord Bless, Keep, Shine. . .

Ebola Update

The following is an update on the Ebola outbreak in West Africa. Anita Femiano, from Renewal Ministries Fellowship, is in regular contact with pastors throughout Africa and Asia who have provided a wealth of information.

“When we unite together in prayer even the worst, most terrible situations can be transformed into testimonies of praise. We are beginning to hear such testimonies from Liberia and Sierra Leone, nations that have been so devastated by the Ebola outbreak.

“In May 2014 Ebola was spread from Guinea to the city of Kenema in Sierra Leone. A woman turned up at the Kenema hospital with a fever, and was bleeding heavily after a miscarriage. She and 13 others had become infected at the funeral of a ‘traditional healer’ who had been ‘treating’ Ebola victims in neighbouring Guinea. These people had brought the virus into Sierra Leone and it started spreading throughout the nation. As the hospital started collapsing under the weight of the ensuing epidemic the Red Cross built a treatment centre there. Now some of those who have recovered from the virus are returning to the Red Cross treatment centre to be trained to help others suffering from Ebola. As these Ebola survivors were interviewed on a secular radio program each one gave glory to God as they shared that their recovery was due to their prayers and the prayers of their family, friends and church. One young man testified that after he had been diagnosed people gathered to pray for him and he suddenly felt better and went on to recover fully. These ones who have recovered now have some immunity to the disease and so, instead of hiding in fear, they are boldly returning to the very place where they suffered so much and learning to care for others who are now suffering.

“Contrary to all predictions and expectations the Ebola infection rate in Liberia (the country worst hit by this virus) has started declining. There are empty beds in treatment centres and the number of burials has declined. There may be as much as a 25 percent week-on-week reduction in cases in Liberia.

“This does not mean that the crisis is over. Around 4,000 children in Sierra Leone have now lost one or both parents to Ebola. In Monrovia countless children are left orphaned by Ebola, then shunned by neighbours terrified to even touch them. Liberia and Sierra Leone are suffering food shortages (many small farming communities have lost 30-40% of their population so food production has become most difficult) and huge price increases are making life difficult for everyone in these nations. The health systems in both nations have suffered terribly and people are dying of treatable diseases and complicated labours because so much is consumed with Ebola that these health needs are not being met. A decline in the infection rate is not yet a defeat of the disease, it can easily have a resurgence – we need to remain vigilant in our prayers and continue upholding our brothers and sisters in these nations.

“Be encouraged by the ways that God is answering our prayers and keep on praying until we see this disease eliminated and these nations restored.”

Lord Bless, Keep, Shine. . .

Asia Bibi, a Pakistani Christian, will be martyred

Asa Bibi, Prisoner in PakistanThe appeals are over for Asia Bibi, who has been tried and convicted of blasphemy (see earlier post). Unless the Islamist government of Pakistan grants some extraordinary stay she will be executed soon. The Spirit of G-d has upheld Ms. Bibi; the Lord’s right hand kept her from falling away from her commitment to our Lord. She has not denounced Messiah. She has endured.

Have you ever seen one of those action movies where a team of mercenary soldiers go into a country to rescue someone? This is one person that should be rescued. But that isn’t likely to happen, unless the Lord opens the cell doors and releases her. Our prayers and our hopes for her release, for her return to her children, have come to nothing. Well, that isn’t totally true. For she has endured. Lord willing, she shall endure until the end. Then shall she be summoned to the foot of our Lord, given a new white robe, and encouraged to wait a little while until all who are to die for the Lord Y’shuaJesus do so.

But the one who endures
to the end will be saved.
Matthew 24:13

And yet I have to ask a few questions: Why didn’t I do something for Ms. Bibi? Why hasn’t there been an outcry from Christians worldwide against her being held a prisoner? Why hasn’t there been an ‘million man march’ on Washington to get attention to the injustice being committed by a country we support, that is suppose to be our ally?

We’ve been told that Islam is a peaceful religion. We’ve been told that only a few Muslims are terrorists, and that they don’t really follow the Qur’an. Pakistan is our friend. Our friend is going to murder Ms. Bibi for expressing herself. Expressing herself is not her right, according to the law in Pakistan. Is Pakistan then not following the Qur’an? Or is Pakistan carrying out what is actually in the Qur’an? Is that the way it’s going to be throughout the world where Islam is able to take over?

It seems to me, as Christians, we’ve turned the other cheek a few too many times; we’ve been good little doormats. Here in America we’ve let atheists and homosexuals and humanists determine the way we conduct ourselves in public. Hotels and motels are being pressured to remove Bibles from rooms. Christian clubs are forbidden in many schools. Even children who bring Bibles to school are being sent home. In Houston, TX, pastors are not allowed to exercise their rights of free speech and freedom of religion as granted by the U.S. Constitution. Christians who meet at home are, in some places, in violation of a local ordinance prohibiting such acts. In some “free” countries, speech can be termed “hatefull,” and the speaker fined or jailed or both. Christian businessmen and women are being told they must go against their own faith and do what is unthinkable just so as not to offend an unbeliever. For instance, Christians who run businesses having to do with weddings are told they must take on homosexual wedding customers. (And if you say, “What’s wrong with that?” to any of the above, then you are part of the problem; and you are a lukewarm mouthful of water that the Lord will one day spit out.)

Soon we’ll be coming to the winter holiday season. Yes. Winter Holiday Season. Not Christmas anymore. We’re told not to say “Merry Christmas” because someone might be uncomfortable with it. And, yes, I know, the Apostle Paul talked about not eating meat sacrificed if it may make a weaker brother stumble. Does that apply? But really, is Christmas our holiday or theirs? And, yes, it’s about them and us. Us being the Christians. Them being the pagans, the unbelievers.

Lord forgive us. We really haven’t a clue of what we’re doing. We don’t deserve Your blessing. We don’t deserve being kept by You. We don’t deserve You shining upon us. We don’t. But by the grace You granted to us, through the sacrifice of Y’shuaJesus, we are saved anyway, not based upon our actions or in-actions, but based upon Your desire, Your decree.

For God So Loved the World:

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God. And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil. For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed. But whoever does what is true comes to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that his works have been carried out in God.
John 3:16-21

Lord Bless, Keep, Shine. . . for it is for this that He came, died, and rose. Praise The Name of the LORD our G-d.