NATE IS ON THE WAY
TROPICAL STORM WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT
This morning on a local news program, I watched a compilation of reports on how people were preparing for the latest tropical storm. It will reach north from its American landfall all the way into Georgia and Tennessee. One reporter spoke with a man living on the coast who was buying plywood. Continue reading “B R E A K I N G N E W S”
As I’ve followed more closely current events and reporting over the last several months, I see three broad divisions in news reporting originating here in America. The first is what has become to be known as the mainstream media (MSM). These include corporately owned outlets such as CNN, Fox, ABC, CBS, NBC, and the major newspapers and magazines that publish online, such as the Wall Street Journal, the Washington Post, and my favorite, the Christian Science Monitor. While there are hundreds of television networks and print media, I’ve read that all are owned by only six corporations. Interesting, if true.
Generally, all media in this division report the news in a journalistic fashion, using a variety of sources, are written in a news-reporting style, and, unless in an opinion column, leave out opinions except where quoted by a source. Can these news outlets slant the news? Of course. How a report is put together, the various sources and what they say, and IF an event is even reported, all work toward a particular self-interest.
The second group are not outwardly owned by corporate media, are relatively well written and well reported, yet occasionally contain some reporter opinion within the main articles. An example would be Breitbart. These sites offer their own take on the news that is reported in the mainstream, as well as adding news that isn’t generally covered, or is covered in a limited way.
Then there are the individuals and small teams that say they report the news that the mainstream media isn’t telling us. They know something that the mainstream either doesn’t know, isn’t paying attention to, or doesn’t want you to know. At least that’s what they’ll tell us. This group is collectively referred to as “conspiracy theorists.” Yet while they aren’t corporately owned, many are heavily sponsored by one company. My favorite in this category is Steve Quayle. Most of the articles are links to other, similar, news sources. Of those written by Mr. Quayle, I read that he’s a Christian, believes that satin with come to Earth through a stargate, and will do so very soon, perhaps in September during the final blood moon. Many in the category of news quote each other. Mr. Quayle becomes an expert that is quoted by the All News Pipeline, for instance.
These news outlets have in common a lack of journalistic style, poor grammar, dubious sources or un-named sources, and after an article or two, leave me wanting to run, not walk, for the hills in abject fear of any of a hundred very horrible things that are about to happen, and happen especially to me. Often, we are called “shepple,” and ridiculed for not believing in what they write, by believing the mainstream media, whom they say are liars. We all, we are told, are being lied to by government officials. One of these websites that foretells of the fall of money, that the banks will soon close their doors along with our access to what we though was our money, will sell us silver and gold. Mostly they give away fear.
The thing about these sites, another common bond, is that there is a thread of truth to their writing. Take the simple fact that our own government is spying on us, has set up fake cell phone towers to listen in on our phone conversations and read our texts, and does have a very large database that tracks us. This we know, if we are any bit an American citizen, is completely against our rights under the Constitution. From this simple fact of spying conducted against Americans by the National Security Agency (NSA) and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), these blogger newsies tell us our names are compiled into a “red list.” They say this list that will be used this summer to raid our homes and drag us all off to concentration camps. They say there are thousands of “disposable coffins” stashed for ready use. Wait, disposable coffins? Does that mean there are also reusable coffins?
But wait, there’s more. To continue the Orwellian nightmare, the military exercise this summer know as Jade Helm 15, has train cars with shackles in the floors traveling to the southern states, foreign troops being smuggled into America through our southern border, and lots of stuff is being stored in closed-down Walmarts in several states. There are even tunnels beneath most Walmarts we are told, that lead to airports and connect other Walmarts and military bases. All of this so troops can freely move about. (Back in the day I used to shop at the Post Exchange, but maybe Walmart is under contract.) And the reason for the military exercise coming up? Well, if we wouldn’t bury our heads in the sand, if we’d wake up, these newsies tell us, then we’d know that the military is practicing for martial law and confiscation of our guns. Well, confiscating guns somebody’s, that is. Can’t get guns from homes where there are none.
NOTE TO NSA, or to whomever: See, I’ve just been doing some research. Really. Please take my name of the Main Core watch list now. Thanks in advance. Yours Truly, Wil Robinson.
Seriously, though. There are things happening that aren’t explainable. There are wars and rumors of wars. There are earthquakes and Tsunamis. Fish are dying in the Pacific Ocean, chickens and turkeys in several northern states of America. There are riots and there is lawlessness in the land. And don’t forget the desertification of my home state of California, the once-great Republic of California that we so affectionally called the ROC. And what about the spiritual forces, dark forces, that are moving gullible men and women to commit acts, or support them, that are abominable in the eyes of our Lord Y’shuaJesus. Certainly we are on the eve of destruction, and the Second Coming is, well, coming.
Turning and turning in the widening gyre
The falcon cannot hear the falconer;
Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold;
Mere anarchy is loosed upon the world,
The blood-dimmed tide is loosed, and everywhere
The ceremony of innocence is drowned;
The best lack all conviction, while the worst
Are full of passionate intensity.
Surely some revelation is at hand;
Surely the Second Coming is at hand.
The Second Coming! Hardly are those words out
When a vast image out of Spiritus Mundi
Troubles my sight: a waste of desert sand;
A shape with lion body and the head of a man,
A gaze blank and pitiless as the sun,
Is moving its slow thighs, while all about it
Wind shadows of the indignant desert birds.
The darkness drops again but now I know
That twenty centuries of stony sleep
Were vexed to nightmare by a rocking cradle,
And what rough beast, its hour come round at last,
Slouches towards Bethlehem to be born?
—Second Coming, by William Butler Yeats
For some interesting notes and links to “end time” fulfillment of Biblical prophesy see Running from Babylon.
Let us pray that we not fall prey to fear, that we look to the Lord and to His Word, which is a lamp for our feet and a light for our path. The lamp that shows us where we are, where we stand; the light thats illuminates the path upon which we are to journey.
Let us pray we look not to the hills to rescue us, but the Lord of Heaven, the Creator, the Father of our Lord Y’shuaJesus.
Let us pray we have the strength and wisdom to act in accordance with the will of our Lord Y’shuaJesus. We are not to simple stand by, watching and waiting, but we are called to some action, or will be soon.
Let us be prudent and store up that which is appropriate against the day in which there will be nothing left in stores, or that we are not allowed to buy (see Revelation 13.)
May G-d have mercy upon us in these troubled times.
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. . .
There is a simplicity to being “saved.”
The author of Hebrews addresses a Believing Jewish audience; an audience that believes in Y’shuaJesus as Lord, Messiah. In the first five chapters he writes at length presenting the arguments of Y’shuaJesus as the awaited Messiah. In chapter six the author writes:
Therefore let us leave the elementary doctrine of Christ and go on to maturity. . . Hebrews 6:1
He wants to move on to other things, but first he recaps the basics of Messianic Judaism: 1) repentance from dead works; 2) faith in G-d; 3) the teaching of ritual washings; 4) laying on of hands; 5) resurrection of the dead; and 6) eternal judgement. (Heb 6:1-3) It is my belief that a Jew does not “convert” to Christianity. Rather, a Jew simply becomes “completed.” I learned of this from Pastor Jeff Sheldon, of southern Oregon.
So then, the non-Jew, the “Gentile,” who doesn’t have a relationship with G-d, finds salvation in Y’shuaJesus in another way if the Gospel’s presentation. In the Billy Graham Training Center Bible, the normal condition of mankind means that there is a need to be “delivered from sin and it consequences to find true peace and fulfillment. An understanding is required of G-d’s purpose, which is salvation, John 3:16 There is a problem here though, as there is a separation from G-d, Rom 3:24. G-d has a remedy, which is the Cross, 1 Tim 2:5,6. We must respond through trusting Messiah Y’shuaJesus, John 1:12. We finally accept G-d’s assurance through His Word, Rom 10:13.
Henry David Thoreau wrote that “the mass of men lead lives of quiet desperation.” This then is the man or woman who is separated from G-d. There is a struggle within the unsaved that often means pushing the Gospel away, defiantly. It is rebellion.
It is critical, I think, that we understand the differing perspectives of a person with whom we come into contact. We must be able to respond the that person in a way that he or she becomes willing to shed defiance and rebellion. Thus, that person can be lead to submit to Y’shuaJesus.
These precarious times in which we live, these times of crisis, are also great times of opportunity. We may be called upon to assist people who recognized that the world seems to be unraveling and don’t know how to do anything about it.
We must be prayed up to respond. We must be alert, and sober.
Lord Bless, Keep, and Shine. . .
Jonah’s Song 