Let’s see where we have come to! If you are saved by the blood of Christ, having repented and believed in His life, death, and resurrection, then you have not come to Sinai, but to Zion! “For you have not come to a mountain that can be touched and to a blazing fire, and to darkness and […]
Thank goodness it’s not Sinai, but Zion! — The End Time
One of my dearest friends and followers asked me to explain what we do as Ham/Amateur Radio Operators. So this post is devoted to the subject of Ham Radio and what we do. First let me define Amateur Radio per the ARRL: “Amateur Radio (ham radio) is a popular hobby and service that brings people, […]
What Ham Radio Operators Do — Padre Tatro’s Study
Peter Parker, of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, today posted a video primer on Shortwave Radio Listening: Quick introduction to shortwave radio listening.
In his video, Peter explains the basics of the shortwave bands, how radio waves get from the transmitter to the receiver, and shows a few ideas for outside antennas. Peter also demonstrates what broadcasts sound like when received. As you’ll see, the audio is not like a local FM station.
In writing about shortwave listening, my thoughts generally have been about Christians receiving Christian broadcasts with out internet or local stations broadcasts. In a quick trip across the bands, I mentioned a programs featuring talk radio and music. There are other ways that shortwave broadcasting is used today, as it has been for many years. This article, while a bit technical, explains how pro-democracy groups are beaming broadcasts to Chine, to citizens that are generally not able to hear anything but China propaganda: How Dissidents Are Using Shortwave Radio to Broadcast News Into China.
Then there are the Pirates. Pirate radio or a pirate radio station is a radio station that broadcasts without a valid license–Wikipedia. There are some famous, or infamous depending on one’s viewpoint, pirate stations. While the name pirate may sound sinister, not all are such.
“Pirate radio in the UK first became widespread in the early 1960s when pop music stations such as Radio Caroline and Radio London started to broadcast on medium wave to the UK from offshore ships or disused sea forts. At the time, these stations were not illegal because they were broadcasting from international waters. The stations were set up by entrepreneurs and music enthusiasts to meet the growing demand for pop and rock music, which was not catered for by BBC Radio services.” Wikipedia.
BBC pretty much had a monopoly on radio in the UK then. And the Brits wanted to listen to Rock Music. I can’t imagine being in London and not even being able to listen to the Beatles. Stranger still, the British government required citizens to have a permit to receive broadcasts, even if those broadcasts were from the British Broadcasting Company (BBC). If that isn’t enough, the permits excluded listening to certain stations, such as the pirate radio stations.
That reminds me of the many WWII movies I’ve watched that included as scene in which Nazis confiscated radios. And if radio transmitters were found, well, the owners were murdered.
L-RD Bless, Keep, Shine. . .
It doesn’t look good for the people of Earth these days. While we’ve weathered many storms, it seems we are in the midst of the Perfect Storm. Are we facing a second wave of of Corona Virus? Many countries are failing economically. Some are saying America is facing a another civil war, or at least a Constitutional Crisis.
How do we prepare?
Chip Ingram, in his Coffee Break series, compares these tribulations to those of the First Century. His short teaching is here: In Crisis and Uncertainty.
In other relevant “old news,” take a quick tour through Haggai, Ezra, Nehemiah. A remnant of Israelis returned to Jerusalem from exile in Babylon. Despite full support from Babylonian kings, they experienced opposition, to put it mildly, to their presence.
After many starts and stops, they rebuilt their homes, The Temple, and the walls around Jerusalem. Yet opposition continued. The gates to Jerusalem were destroyed. The people gave up hope.
When Nehemiah, still in Babylon as a wine steward to the king, heard, he sought permission to go to his people.
Nehemiah, accompanied by others, returned to embolden the other returned Israelis to rebuild the gates despite threats of war. When they had done so, they looked into the Law and discovered the command to celebrate The Feast of Succoth, (Nehemiah 8:13) which is also know as The Feast of Tabernacles, or The Feast.
Tonight begins The Feast. Yeshua celebrated The Feast, too, (John 7 through 9). Here’s an article by the International Christian Embassy Jerusalem:
L-RD Bless, Keep, Shine. . .
I read Dr. Dobson’s article on “What’s at stake” [Please read it for yourself.] for the election when it was first published. I took a look at the article again yesterday evening, and it’s as relevant today as it was three months ago. I particularly enjoyed the way Dr. Dobson takes a look at the various turning points throughout America’s history that puts us all in the position of being “ruled” by a handful of . . . men. . . men who I see as liberal/socialist judges that aren’t even elected by the American people. The action the Supreme Court, and many Federal Courts is seriously unConstitutional.
And just as true is Dr. Dobson’s closing remark, “I’ll say it again. We can’t afford a mistake this time around. There is just too much at risk. Our great nation is in serious danger.“ While much can, and most likely will, happen between now and the election, I have grave concerns about any candidate that will be put on the ballet this November. At this time, it appears that Mr. Donald Trump and Madame Hillary Clinton will be the prime contenders. I suppose a vote for Mr. Trump could be considered a vote against Ms. Clinton. But will Mr. Trump act, even unknowingly, in G-d’s interest as did non-Jewish kings whose actions are recorded in the Bible? Will Mr. Trump actually be able thwart America’s slide toward oblivion? I am not hopeful. Has a modern Abraham cried out to G-d to search for enough True Christians to prevent destruction? Will G-d, not finding the required number of True and Genuine Believers, allow the Islamic State to further its invasion, intensify its destruction? Even now, borders are constantly being crossed, countries invaded, by those who would contribute to a slaughter of Christians given the opportunity.
Some time ago I shared The Rev. David Wilkerson’s warning to America. In his conclusion, he suggested preparing a food supply for the times of disaster he believed will come to America. It can’t hurt have a well-stocked pantry for the use of our family and to help other Genuine Christians in the Church.
The world as we know it is about to end. We face devistating geological upheavals, increasing in number and scope. The Pacific Ocean is becoming radioactive, fish are dying. Chickens and turkeys are being killed, millions so far, as they are diagnosed with avian flu. We face and imminent monetary collapse, and not just in Greece. Riots rattle America. Racial tension is at an all-time high, like a pot about to boil over. A spirit of control pervades the world, as liberty is sent packing for a long, lonely holiday. We face tyrannical individuals that have allied themselves against the people of G-d. Islamic terror spreads its ugliness, its lawlessness throughout the world. We face deception from within our own ranks, within the Church. And in these times of trouble, to whom shall we turn? We must remember—we must not forget—how David responded:
Behold, God is my helper;
The Lord is the upholder of my life.
He will return the evil to my enemies;
In your faithfulness put an end to them.
— Psalm 54:4
Matthew Henry commented that “If we are for him, he is for us; and if he is for us, we need not fear. Every creature is that to us, and no more, which God makes it to be. The Lord will in due time save his people, and in the mean time he sustains them, and bears them up, so that the spirit he has made shall not fail. There is truth in God’s threatenings, as well as in his promises; sinners that repent not, will find it so to their cost. David’s present deliverance was an earnest of further deliverance. He speaks of the completion of his deliverance as a thing done, though he had as yet many troubles before him; because, having God’s promise for it, he was as sure of it as if it was done already. The Lord would deliver him out of all his troubles. May he help us to bear our cross without repining, and at length bring us to share his victories and glory. Christians never should suffer the voice of praise and thanksgiving to cease in the church of the redeemed.”
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
I 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. . .
An article Vatican Astronomers Ramp Up Their Search For “Brother Extraterrestrial,” by Michael Snyder, is a bit disturbing, yet it goes hand-in-hand with United Nations’ thinking when it appointed an ambassador to deal with extraterrestrial beings.
Snyder states that in a presentation at the 2013 Strategic Perspectives Conference, a Dr. Thomas Horn told the audience that they [aliens] are coming here and they’re going to baptize us into their faith and it is going to require us to make changes to our knowledge, to our understanding, of the Gospel. In fact, some of their deepest theologians have said, “Perhaps everything we think we know about the Gospel is going to have to be thrown out.”
Okay. So some one may be reading too much science fiction, and maybe thinking it wasn’t fiction at all. But when an institution such as the Roman Catholic Church begins express the same views, it’s goes from disturbing to just plain weird. Recently, from the Vatican’s extraterrestrial hunt, a prominent Vatican astronomer, Guy Consolmagno, has publicly suggested that aliens could actually be the “saviors of humankind.” That’s right, the Vatican is hunting for extraterrestrials. And the Vatican seems to think those same aliens could be “perfect beings, without sin.” Nervous yet?
In the article by Snyder, he asks: “So what would happen someday if “aliens” showed up and claimed that they seeded life on this planet, guided our evolution and are now here to lead us into a new golden age?
“And what would happen if the Catholic Church gave those aliens their stamp of approval?
“That sounds absolutely bizarre, but there are very important Vatican officials that are apparently thinking very hard about these things.”
At RNN.com, we learn that “Horn, speaking quickly and efficiently, yet making sure to cover all issues on the roster comprehensively, continues on to reveal even more startling themes of the current hierarchy of the Roman Catholic Church. His research is thorough and transparent (even referencing some hitherto unavailable documents, which he obtained directly from one of Rome’s top astronomers) and quotes the works of select individuals within the Church who perpetuate the idea that our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, is a descendant of alien life and that Mary’s virgin birth was a direct result of an alien abduction scenario.”
THIS STUFF TELLS ME THAT. . .
Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted, while evil people and impostors will go on from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived. But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have firmly believed, knowing from whom you learned it and how from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work. 2Timothy 3:12-16
The scene is being set for the prophesies John on Patmos, as recorded in Revelation. In a way, it’s like a mind-boggling movie in which a con artist is setting up the marks. And we are the marks. The con artist has read the Bible. The con artist knows human beings, too. We want a savior to come down and rescue us. Hum. Sounds a bit like the story of the first advent of Messiah, in which a nation of people were waiting for the Messiah to rescue them too.
Oh, I get it, we won’t make the same mistake as we did last time, in which we rejected the Messiah because He didn’t fit our expectations. No, we’ll accept the first guy down from some “heavenly” planet that says, “Hey, I’m back!”
We need to read Revelation! We need to be prepared to weather out a big storm and wait for the Conquering Messiah. You know, the one riding the white horse carrying a sword, with flaming eyes. We need to wait until we hear the trumpet blow. We need to wait until Y’shuaJesus calls our names. He’ll read them from The Book of Life. We’re in there. We need to have patience.
Lord Bless, Keep, Shine. . .
In earlier posts I spoke of how, while living in rural ranch country, a snow storm could come through causing the main highway to be closed for a week or more. I spoke of preparing a nice pantry and storing it with things to eat. I spoke in another post of my recent rebuilding of my pantry. It’s funny, ‘cuz it has less in it now than before I started to redo the shelves. We intentionally used a lot so we didn’t have to deal with it while my slow rebuild was in progress. It will get back up to a nice level as soon as I shop again at CostCo.
Since writing/blogging about preparing for storms, stocking pantries and such, the eastern United States has been struck with a hurricane and a Nor’eastener. Two back-to-back storms that have played havoc on millions of people. A neighbor here in Georgia finally reached her sister, who lives in Long Island, and evacuated to a place that was safe, but didn’t have electricity. She was hard to reach, as she’d left her cell phone off to conserve power, having no way to recharge it. This brings to mind a communications plan. My aunt once posted a contact list to our family’s website/Yahoo! group. She was traveling and wanted us all to know who to contact “just in case.” It’s a pretty good idea. Make a Plan. Share the Plan.
Okay. So here’s a parable told by Y’shuaJesus, recorded for us by Matthew:
“Then the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom. Five of them were foolish, and five were wise. For when the foolish took their lamps, they took no oil with them, but the wise took flasks of oil with their lamps. As the bridegroom was delayed, they all became drowsy and slept. But at midnight there was a cry, ‘Here is the bridegroom! Come out to meet him.’ Then all those virgins rose and trimmed their lamps. And the foolish said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.’ But the wise answered, saying, ‘Since there will not be enough for us and for you, go rather to the dealers and buy for yourselves.’ And while they were going to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the marriage feast, and the door was shut. Afterward the other virgins came also, saying, ‘Lord, lord, open to us.’ But he answered, ‘Truly, I say to you, I do not know you.’ Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour.
Matthew 25:1-13
There are two types of people spoken of in this parable: wise and foolish. If the parable were set today, there might be three types. The third being the doormat Christian. Think about it. I’ll get back to you.
In the meantime: Lord Bless, Keep, Shine. . . and help you prepare for the night that comes before the dawn.
. . . turns to what can only be thought of as the desolation of winter, I trust that Spring is just beyond. Hope in spring makes winter more tolerable, even enjoyable. And fall means that winter is soon to come.
Trust is a gift of G-d for those who will believe in His Son, Y’shuaJesus. Trust. Faith. In the midst of winter, spring is yet unseen except through the eyes of faith. In the midst of seeming desolation, there is hope for those whose names are written in the book of life. In Messiah Y’shuaJesus, there is life.
There are other types of winters. One is the winter of disaster. It is not bound by a set number of months, and occurs often without warning. Earthquake is a great example. It affects regions of a country. And there is the winter faced by only one or more families when paychecks end after layoffs from jobs. To weather these calamities we must trust in the LORD.
The LORD redeemeth the soul of his servants: and none of them that trust in him shall be desolate.
Psalm 34:22
And:
Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment. . . . Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature?
Matthew 6:25, 27
There are practical considerations to be made as winter approaches. I’ve written about these before. While we are to trust and have faith, we are also called to be prepared. Please check out From the Lighthouse blog for a very balanced article on this subject. Then visit our government’s preparedness website READY.GOV. It’s not too late to “Be Informed; Make a Plan; Build a Kit.”
Lord Bless, Keep, Shine. . .
Jonah’s Song 