The war in the middle East - Israel and Lebanon to be exact, have hightened some awareness to either the antichrist or the end time events. I read in Matthew 24 that there will be rumors of wars and wars... We look to events happening now and does it strike fear, concern, or nothing at all? Are we compelled to study more the Bible to seek knowledge and understanding or do we believe we already got all we need from the Bible? The Bible has prophecies relating to our time that many do not understand - some say it cannot be understood for example the Book of Daniel and Revelation are seen as books that are not meant for us to understand but the angel told Daniel to seal up the things of this book until the time of the end. I believe we are living in the time of the end judging from the evidences that present themselves and also to the fact that Daniel is now an open book for those who seek knowledge and understanding from it. The image of Daniel 2, and the beasts of Daniel 7 and 8 all refer to kingdoms to rise and fall and history have proven this so. So then Revelation also is what exactly it states a revelation: Revelation 1:1 "The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him, to shew unto his servants things which must shortly come to pass; and he sent and signified it by his angel unto his servant John:"...1:3 "Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein: for the time is at hand." It is stated that Blessed are those who read it and follow the things in it. The press now should be on end time events and understanding Bible prophecies. Understanding Bible prophecies does a number of things; it: Keeps You Safe, Prevents Deception, Warns the Lost, Strengthens Faith.

Many are afraid of the Book of Revelation or write it off as not meant for us to understand but it reads, “The Revelation of Jesus Christ.” That’s enough, really, to get to the ultimate purpose of prophecy. Whether you’re reading prophecies found in Revelation, Daniel, Ezekiel, or Genesis, never forget that Jesus is the focus. He’s the ultimate point. Just read Isaiah 53 to see what I mean, and if you still don’t believe me, trust what Jesus did: “And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself” (Luke 24:27).

The fulfillment of prophecy all culminates to Jesus and the salvation of His Saints. The Bible is seem now as a formality to read and to search, only on Church Day we open it. I admire a close friend of mine who wasn't a practicing christian before and he decided to read through the Bible to understand it for himself so as to not be deceived. Only if all would do this - we rely on the pastor, priest, evangelist to tell us what to believe but we should try each doctrine from the scripture for ourselves. We will not be speared in the judgement if all we can say is that our pastor told us this and he would know so we followed him. Bibles are even given out free but many don't know what truth is in it - do we ask questions at all or are we satisfied with our state because we attend church and pray and we are good in our sight. Many are called but few are chosen, straight and narrow is the way that leads to life and few that find it... The Bible states that judgement will start at the house of God, with His people. Those who call themselves christians and claim to follow God and His Commandments will be the first to be judged.

What else is left but I invite all to seek and start asking questions, ask questions, why this why that. Ask questions why we do not keep the Sabbath (Saturday, 7th day of the week), what is the state of the dead, who or what are the beasts in Revelation, what is the mark of the beast, etc. Ask and do not cease until God has revealed it through His words the Bible, accept nothing else but truth and clear understanding from the Bible.

I am always seeking and searching and invite all to do the same, God bless!

While we watch!

While all Jamaica (and the World) is shocked at the attitude of the Dayton Avenue Church of God's deacon who stood by and watched the gang rape of the innocent 14 year old girl, I think, we should also be judged accordingly for we , just the same sit by and watch almost similar atrocities happening without lifting a finger.....We relax, living in our comfortable lives and watch as little children hustle and sleep on the roads, only giving them a copper coin for them to fill their bellies. We obviously have no idea what it feels like to be hungry. Then we get upset when we here about homeless children being raped ,abused and murdered, but I tell you this we are all guilty through neglect. What would it have taken to help a child?What does it take to care? To offer not only money but time to help someone less fortunate, than yourself.That beggar you just ran away screaming GET A JOB! Will you hire him, when he comes to your gate asking for a days work don’t you tell him “NOT TODAY”. How do you expect him to survive. I know people out there right now with Degrees and Masters who can not find a job, how much harder for those who live on the streetsWe ask where is GOD when his people suffer? I say where are GOD’S PEOPLE when people suffer?

By my brother and friend: DeSica Brown

World Star!?

World Cup 2006 is here and I got the fever, I love football and it rekindled the dream I had in high school that I was one of the top players for some international team. I often wonder how it will be in heaven, I use to dream about how it would be there too when I was in high school. I wonder if they will have football? SMILE! I know however, that it will be perfect and much more better than here, better than my wildest dream. I can't even fully fathom living for ever and ever and never die. I use to look up to the sky and watch the stars alot, but I realize since of late I can't even tell when last I saw the moon. I started to look up every now and then when I remember - I think, just the thought of looking up to the sky brings back some deep feeling of God and Heaven. I use to lie on my back for minutes on end just looking at the stars, I could tell you where certain formations are, although I didn't know the exact names of them - I gave them my names. It reminded me of the awesomeness of God's creative power and it made me feel like He was looking down at me at that very moment. Back to World Cup 2006 and how it fits in, well it actually doesn't I guess, World Cup reminded me of my youth in high school and playing football and wanting to be a star and at that time in my life I use to stare up at the stars and think of God. I will try to establish that hobbie or whatever it is called in my life again, I will take the time out to look at the stars and the sky. I will look up and know that He sees me, in among all the people, trees, buildings, and clouds.

God Answers!

The position taken by most is that God doesn't answer prayers or we don't really think about it so when we pray our faith is non-existent so we sometimes forget or doubt that it will be answered and when it is it wasn't grand and full of magic for us to attribute it to God. But I believe without a shadow of doubt that God answers prayers and He answers them in different ways that we don't understand until we are past the situation or see the fulfillment of it. If we pray are we not expected to live a life where God is praised and we follow Him and His commandments? We expect to get without giving but Jesus will give us knowing that we will not believe it's from Him and we wont thank Him or follow Him. The selfless love He shows us is beyond compare and I sometimes try to put myself in His shoes, in the sense that if I answer someone prayers and then I ask them to follow me and love me and then they don't but do the complete opposite how would I feel? What if we walked by faith like prophets of old and depend solely on God? The popular notion is that - I am in control of my own destiny! - that's true but the Bible says that a man who follows his own wisdom will end up in destruction. The carnal man's natural path will lead him to sin and destruction that's why God implores us to follow His way because He knows the true path and only through Jesus we will find it. I will continue to pray for my family and friends, and those in positions less fortunate than I, and those suffering because of disasters and disease. Do we remember that we are better off than most? We forget because we are occupied with self and the thought of those suffering seems far and remote. We seek worldly pleasures and forget about our spirituality which is the only thing we will be bringing to the grave and it will then be used to judge us whether we go to Heaven or hell. I will pray for you all and I hope that you will pray for me and all others who are struggling on lifes journey. I will pray that God's truth and message will shine through the world and especially for those who are proclaiming it without fear and doubt. I will continue to pray because God still answers prayers.

For Bible Question and Answers: http://www.amazingfacts.org/media/radio/program_archive.asp

The Weather has changed...

The weather has changed practically overnight, the storm on the horizon is preceded by the sudden change in temperature, humidity, and wind speed. Flooding is even happening already and the hurricane season hasn't really started as yet. The impending disaster is a constant reminder that this world is not our home and that the Bible prophecies of end time events are clear and true. It is scary to think about it but the reality is clear no matter if we believe it or don't think about it. The political and religious weather has also changed and popular religion is gaining force in the political arena almost overnight. I wonder what it will be like this hurricane season since each year thus far has been worst than the last. Disaster causes a ripple effect in society especially one that is already ripe with corruption - the fear of economic disaster looms on the horizon if this hurricane season proves to be deadly than the last. I reach deep into my soul searching for assurance that I am right in the sight of God, that I am pleasing Him as Enoch did. What will I stand on when the earth beneath my feet is swept away? Is my assurance in my earthly possession; my wife, my house, my car, my job, which can be swept away in an instance? I want to develop and keep a sure foundation that if I loose all I will still love and follow God. My wife keeps reminding me that we need to have evening commune with God when we get home from work and I agree. The cares of this world overshadows the necessity to keep in constant commune with our Heavenly Father, the troubles the worries, the fears all distract us from what is eternal. The last hurricane that swide swiped us I went outside in the middle of it - on my veranda, in the middle of the night. It was pitch black because the power was out. The wind was so strong I was struggling to keep my footing, the rain drops were falling side ways as the wind carried them with such force that it felt like someone took up a handful of pebbles and threw them with all their might at me. My ears started to hurt and it felt like it would bleed so I had to run back inside for cover. The struggle is like that I believe, having faith in God is like standing in the midst of a hurricane, you can hardly keep your footing if at all but God said that He will take care of us. I often times wonder if the tribulation spoken of in the Bible that will affect God's people before He returns is soon to come up on us and if so are we ready? I look inside myself and ask what am I doing to prepare myself for this time of trouble? Will I be ready to stand? If I am faced with loosing my job because of my religious beliefs am I ready, not to mention if faced with death? I wrestle daily with these thoughts - I have to develop a trust in God and His word alone, I have to practice this daily if I plan to get anywhere. I will pray for you all as I pray for myself that we will be ready before time.

Do Good!

The belief that we are living in the best of times is circulating like wild fire. Since of lately too, in the local media, there are predictions left, right and centre by professed Spiritual leaders of prosperous times ahead, great economic boom. Matthew 24:11 "And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many." I speak from the Bible when I say that the nearer Jesus' second coming is the worst things will be (Matthew 24, Revelation 13 & 14). Selfishness abounds, people care only about themselves - the news media reports are desensitizing individuals by the events displayed of moral decay and corruption. Sensual sexuality is fueled in every thing which breaks down the barriers that use to keep us in check and causes promiscuity to abound and fornication. Emails filled with pornography are the leading forwards. God's TEN COMMANDMENTS are frowned upon and seen has being restrictive or done away with. The love that should eminate from each of us towards each other is choked up and cut off and only supplied to gratify our own selfish desires and when those are not met we curse God for forsaking us and not blessing us with material things to keep us happy and destracted from the truth at hand. Isaiah 30:10 "Which say to the seers, See not; and to the prophets, Prophesy not unto us right things, speak unto us smooth things, prophesy deceits:" The church leaders I see on the television preach and teach that members should ask God for their blessings, position themselves for blessings, etc. etc. God will make you prosper beyond your wildest dreams... This is pumped into their minds heart and nothing is said that they should accept Christ, take up the cross and follow Him. Allowing Jesus to change their evil ways. They preach self and what God will give to you and never what you should give up and give away, can you imagine if Jesus came today in one of those churches and say that they should sell what they have, give to poor and follow Him! The call I sincerely believe is for each of us to be our brothers keeper, not just in earthly material things which is necessary for sustaining life (sharing and helping someone less fortunate) but most importantly eternal things, things to prepare someone for the life to come (helping others to come to truth of Jesus Christ). The devil is playing a serious trick by burdening us down with the cares of this world which blocks our view from what is really important - Following Jesus Christ. He makes others comfortable in their current position - they then look around them and say that we are not stealing and killing and therefore they are tempted to compare themselves to sinners when we should be comparing ourselves to Christ. Share your "lunch" with someone who doesn't have any - not just the physical but also the spiritual, that's what Jesus was talking about when He told the people about the parable of the good Samaritan.

Are we truly free?

We think we are free but we are in bondage, the freedom we feel is incomplete because we are limited by the laws of nature and of the land. The belief that you are in charge of your destiny is also a fictional thought implanted in our psyche mainly propelled by the media led Hollywood. No matter how we think we control ourselves, emotions tear us down, and we can't even add a minute measure of increase to our statue. We are fed the definition of freedom which is corrupted and defined by sinful man. God gives true freedom and His law completes it - some may say that following God's law is legalistic but it keeps you safe and healthy. If everyone was following God's law, especially who we consider popular, it would be "cool" to do it. But the devil is bonding us to his side which seems more liberal and "free". It is almost impossible to speak to people today about God's commandments and tell them that he said if you love Him you will keep His commandments. The commandments can't save nobody but he said that if we accept Him then we would follow Him and how do we follow Him? True freedom is the absence of sin, fear, guilt, lust, hate, crime, selfishness, the works and the likes of them. We are free but we struggle to pull the locks to get in to our homes and apartments, to open the car and turn off the alarm, to go home before it gets too late, to avoid that neighbourhood and dark allies. Fear is bondage. Trust is freedom, trusting in what is sure and pure, God will take care and lead. I wonder at times how God feels looking down at us as we go along - I try to imagine how it must look to Him seeing us bypassing the obvious and seeking something that is more illusive or doesn't exist when He is just right there for us to come to Him. Above it all though, He still cares for us even when we don't think, or care that he does. Mercy will run out someday, don't want to sound like a "Doom sayer" but that's what the scriptures say. There is a prophecy in the Bible that there will be a time of famine near the end, not a physical famine of food and water (although that is true in some places) but a famine of the prophecies and truths in the Bible. Issaiah 30:10 has this to say; "Which say to the seers, See not; and to the prophets, Prophesy not unto us right things, speak unto us smooth things, prophesy deceits:" People going to church now like to hear smooth sayings and when it comes to Bible prophecy they don't want to hear it or say that it isn't for now, or something else to bypass the matter that is fast approaching. I wish for you all a heart and mind that is geared to the Bible and especially the prophecies that it holds for us today. A person can be in a physical prison and be free, a person can be physically free and be in bondage. Are we truly free?