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It was around the middle of October. Our church was preparing to celebrate “Hallelujah Night” instead of Halloween. Our pastor was seeking volunteers to supervise games in the gym and lots of candy for prizes and participation. I went to our local Dollar Store to buy some bags of candy. I expected to see candy and also a few Thanksgiving Day supplies. I saw the candy, and then some Halloween products: costumes, artificial pumpkins, fake ghosts, etc. But before I got to any Thanksgiving Day supplies, there it was: Artificial Christmas trees, lights, rope, wrapping paper, ribbon, sacks, etc. I...

In June, the world anxiously watched as the nation of Israel extraordinarily executed the largest targeted military campaign in the country’s history since its reestablishment in 1948. Following months of failed negotiations between the United States and Iran to broker a new deal intended to curtail Iranian aspirations to acquire weapons-grade enriched uranium, Israel took the initiative to decisively eliminate the Iranian nuclear program. Throughout an intensive and concentrated campaign that lasted twelve days, Israel engaged in precision strikes on nuclear enrichment facilities, destroyed ballistic missile launchers, eliminated scientists, top-ranking military officials, and other assets related to Iran’s nuclear program....

Author’s note: This article was first published on Monday, June 12, 2006. Considering we are, I believe, in the time that’s “as it was in the days of Noah” foretold by Jesus (Luke 17:26), I believe it’s good to again think a bit on the obvious invasion from the evil dimension the world faces. We know of the violence taking place in the world today. It might even be equal to the violence of those antediluvian times. However, the other primary evil of Noah’s day is a bit harder to equate to this day and time. The other “evil” I...

Temptation has been with mankind since the Garden of Eden. In Genesis 3, the serpent tempted Eve, and in Matthew 4, satan tempted Jesus. Both were approached with the same schemes, but their responses were drastically different. Eve yielded and fell, while Jesus stood firm, rebuking satan by quoting Scripture. The Apostle John explained this pattern in 1 John 2:16, identifying satan’s threefold method of attack: “the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life.” These are the enemy’s tools—whether in the garden, in the wilderness, or today in our technology-driven world. With every...

Prophetic progression has suddenly accelerated, but not exactly in the direction many Bible prophecy “watchers on the wall”—including yours truly—anticipated. For a number of years, we’ve heard Israel is prophetically destined to be the victim of an attack from its immediately surrounding enemies. This is termed the “Psalm 83 war.” I have tried to see this threat in order to agree with many of my colleagues who propose that passage is about a literal military assault on the verge of taking place. But I have continued to maintain that the Psalm 83 matter is an imprecatory prayer by God’s chosen...

As the time of Jesus’ appearing approaches, our understanding of Bible prophecy continues to grow. For example, we have much greater clarity today regarding the mark of the beast (see Revelation 13:16-18). The combination of technical advances in the following areas during the past twenty years not only makes it possible for one man, antichrist, to control worldwide buying and selling, but also increases its likelihood of happening in the not-too-distant future: 5G cellular technology that may increase to 6G. The creation of gigantic databases. Artificial Intelligence (AI). Central Bank Digital Currencies (CBDCs). Other biblical signs of the times are...

Paul’s description of last days attitudes and negativity in 2 Timothy 3:1-5 bears reviewing. “But understand this, that in the last days there will come times of difficulty. For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, heartless, unappeasable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not loving good, treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power. Avoid Such People.” (ESV – all emphasis is mine) The fact is that being hated for being a Christian is not a...

Daniel had predicted the exact day Israel’s Messiah would arrive (69 weeks of years; 173,880 days after the command to restore and rebuild Jerusalem on the Jewish calendar; Dan. 9:25; Neh. 2:1-8). That day had arrived. He and His 12 disciples were walking toward Jerusalem. They were approaching the towns of Bethpage and Bethany on the Mount of Olives (Luke 19:29). He sent two of the 12 ahead to look for a colt that had never been ridden and to bring it to Him. They found the colt, took it back to Jesus, cast their garments on the colt, set...

I was deeply moved by a Terry James’ article recently titled, “Warning the Clueless.” We all deal with them—the clueless and unaware. Many are clueless by choice! His point was that we as “watchmen on the wall,” who know what’s coming, must warn clueless people—Christians and non-Christians—that time is running out. As Terry says, “These believers are not being taught about Christ’s return—about the rapture—from most pastors in most pulpits. This is a neglected teaching in even well-known evangelical church bodies today.” Terry continues, “When Christians truly understand the nearness of the call from Jesus Christ, many will have a...

Brian Niccol, I call on you to bargain a fair contract with Starbucks Workers United baristas! I support Starbucks baristas in their fight for a union and a fair contract, and pledge not to cross the picket line. That means I will not patronize any Starbucks store when baristas are on strike. Why is this important? Baristas are the most important part of the Starbucks experience. Baristas open the stores every morning and close them every night. They greet customers, make the coffee, clean up the spills, and remember customers’ names and favorite orders. Yet, it’s too hard for baristas...

You have likely heard of the Jewish 'Ten Days of Awe' that occur from Tishri 1 (Rosh Hashana, or the Feast of Trumpets) to Tishri 10 (Yom Kippur, or the Day of Atonement); however, do you realize that Christians have their own 'Ten Days of Awe'? Let's first examine the Jewish ten days of awe before we delve into the Christian version. Israel The Jews today have three basic calendars: a civil calendar, a religious calendar, and the Gregorian calendar. Rosh Hashanah, the Feast of Trumpets, is the fifth feast of the Lord. It occurs on the first day of...

I used to work in a parish religious education office, and once when I was at that job, a parishioner asked me when the rapture would happen...Now, when this person asked me about it, I was initially surprised, but then after a few moments, I realized that the question actually wasn't as odd as I thought it was. See, the rapture is a Protestant idea; we Catholics don't believe in it. In fact, even most Protestants don't believe in it. The belief is barely a few hundred years old, and it's found mainly in American strands of Protestantism. In other...

Psalm 2 reads: “Why do the heathen rage, and the people imagine a vain thing? The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the LORD, and against his anointed, saying, Let us break their bands asunder, and cast away their cords from us. He that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh: the Lord shall have them in derision. Then shall he speak unto them in his wrath, and vex them in his sore displeasure. Yet have I set my king upon my holy hill of Zion. I will declare the decree: the LORD hath...

Author’s note: The article for this week was first posted Monday, September 20, 2010. My reason for reposting it this week might seem rather unusual–perhaps even odd. Let me explain. Upon awakening early the other day, as is my usual way, the first moments of clarity came to me out of nowhere and wouldn’t leave. The thought was that I had been saved at the age of six. Since I was born in 1942, that made the year I was born again 1948. The thought wouldn’t leave. I was “born again” the same year–1948—Israel was “reborn” as a nation into...

Have you had enough yet? Violence and lawlessness seem out of control. Senseless violence. Snipers unleashing bullets carved with evil messages on them! Who thinks this way? The line-up of atrocities never ends. An innocent Ukrainian woman coming home from her pizza job, casually scrolling on her phone on a train in North Carolina, is stabbed to death by a demonized thug. She had left war-torn Ukraine for the supposed safety of America. Yet a monster lurked in the shadows and ended her young life. And it was all captured on camera. Beyond Our Imagination My hometown made notoriety again...

A Christian lady recently said to me, I have a problem that you may be able to help me with. If my sins have been forgiven, why do I have to go before the Judgment Seat of Christ? My answer was: Understand that there are several different judgments mentioned in the Bible: the Christian’s sins were judged on the cross, there will be a judgment of the sheep and goat nations, a judgment of the fallen angels, the Great White Throne Judgment of unbelievers, we must judge ourselves, etc. Every Christian must appear before the Judgment Seat of Christ to...

“Millie! Get out of the street!” The yelling from the room next to me pulled me from my nap. “Millie! Get out of the street!” The plea sounded again, and a few more times. By now, I was almost fully awake while sitting upright in my office recliner. My wife was trying to reason with a cat—not even our cat—to get out of the middle of the street in front of our home. Over the many years, a number of our cats had met their demise in that street. So, the imploring wasn’t without a reason (although reasoning was a...

I can’t sing worth a flip, but several years ago, I agreed to preach at a small church for at least two Sundays. When I showed up, I was told the church didn’t have a song leader or a piano player, and the preacher always leads the singing. I told the congregation I couldn’t sing and asked for a volunteer. No one would do it, so I did. When I went back the next Sunday, the Church had hired a song leader and a piano player. Even though I can’t sing, there are some songs that I really like (Midnight...

We are living in amazing times. A great day is coming, and it looks like we can see it approaching. Jesus talked about it. He said there hasn’t been anything like it since the beginning of the world, no, nor ever shall be (Matt. 24:21). The prophet Jeremiah talked about it. He said, “Alas! For the day is great, so that none is like it: it is even the time of Jacob’s trouble: but he shall be saved out of it” (Jer. 30:7). The prophet Zephaniah saw it. He said, “The great day of the Lord is near, it is...

Palestinian statehood comes at the end of negotiations for a two-state solution and that process can no longer be held in abeyance, Germany’s Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul said Thursday. “A negotiated two-state solution remains the only path that can offer people on both sides a life in peace, security, and dignity,” he said in a statement issued shortly before his trip to Israel and the Palestinian territories, as reported by Ynet News. “For Germany, the recognition of a Palestinian state comes more at the end of that process. But such a process must begin now.” Wadephul’s remarks follow a string...