INCREASED DEVIL ACTIVITY: BP - GREED

"Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness but instead expose them." Ephesians 5:11

When I lived in Swindon, I worked for Castrol then BP - when they bought Castrol in 2000. I worked for them for a total of almost 14 years. The overriding impression I got was that during that period they became more and more obssessed with profit. Staff were expected to do more and pay rises became smaller. This was apparently also the case with other companies. I sat through many an excruciating staff briefing where profit was the star of the show. Previous year's quarter performance, market share, market segment, niche market, gross profit, net profit, trading profit were all terms that were often used while I struggled to stay awake. To me, in a word, it's simply all about greed. Generally speaking, as time has passed by, more people, especially big companies, have become greedier - while the devil gleefully rubs his hands. What makes it worse is that oil companies, like BP, are largely responsible for global warming and for the all too often oil slicks resulting from leaking tankers that cause untold damage to the envrionment and to wildlife. In other words they play a part in the destruction of God's beautiful planet - again much to satan's delight.


Oil giant BP reports £11bn profits

Oil giant BP made profits of £11.34 billion during 2006, despite reporting a fall of 12% for the final three months of the year.The fourth-quarter slide to £1.98 billion came as a result of pressure on refining margins and a disappointing production performance.Higher oil prices meant the group still saw a 15% gain in annual profits, although the year was tarnished by a series of high-profile problems, including the temporary shutdown of its large Prudhoe Bay oil field in Alaska.

And chief executive Lord Browne announced last month that he would be standing down earlier than expected.Production in the fourth quarter was hit by weather-related delays in Alaska, unusually low seasonal gas demand and Opec quota restrictions. BP indicated that production rates were likely to remain flat in the coming year after it forecast output in the range of 3.8 to 3.9 million barrels of oil equivalent, compared with 3.93 million in 2006 and 4.01 million in 2005.Looking further ahead, BP said it expected production of more than four million barrels by 2009 and more than 4.3 million barrels by 2012.Profits in exploration and production in the fourth quarter were down 23% on a year ago to £2.58 billion, which BP said reflected a number of other factors, including lower gas prices and higher costs.

The refinery and marketing division reported a fourth quarter loss of £359.9 million after a charge of £471.5 million from death and personal injury claims relating to the explosion at its Texas City refinery which killed 15 workers in March 2005.A report last month criticised BP for "safety deficiencies" at its five refineries in the US, including at Texas City. Forecourt margins fell in October and November due to the increasing cost of oil, before stabilising in December, BP added.

MSN News 6 February 2007


“No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money." Matthew 6:24

http://www.blogarama.com/
http://www.globeofblogs.com/

JOHN MELLOR - JESUS HEALS THROUGH HIM

The Story Up To Now....

John Mellor is originally from the Northern Territory of Australia where he ministered with the Aborigine tribes. The local witch-doctors and people were astounded by the miracles that God did amongst them. From there John travelled to Scotland where a week's visit became extended to over a year because of the miracles that began to happen! The ministry was birthed out of what the Lord did in Wishaw, Scotland, and is now international. John is a Christian evangelist who categorically insists Jesus is the healer! The main aim of the ministry is that people come to know Christ personally... Here a few testimonies:-


Jami Ann Gets her Sight Back

In 2002 during labour I had a major bleed in my left eye and the sight was lost. The doctors told me there was nothing that could be done for me and I would be permanently blind in that eye.
I had recurring Iritis which was agony. During prayer my vision gradually became restored, getting brighter and clearer until it was restored. God is good!!!


Testimony of Diana Hughes

Now, nearly five months after being healed from glandular fever, chronic fatigue syndrome, ross river fever, stiff neck and back, sore joints, insanity, paranoia, tormenting and harassing spirits and schizophrenia, I am full of energy. I don't need to sleep more that six to eight hours a night, there is no pain, no medication what so ever, my mind is clear and life is great. Praise be to God my loving Father, my beloved Jesus for His precious blood and sacrifice and the comforting and guiding presence of the Holy Spirit…………….

Another lady was wheeled in a wheel chair straight from hospital where she had been for many months. She had a kidney disorder and blood disease and had been told by her doctors that there was no hope. She walked out of her wheelchair and then walked unaided out of the service!

For many more testimonies of miraculous healings click on:

http://www.johnmellor.org

AS MAN THINKS

Today I will think like a dynamic servant of God, because I am what I think.

I am not always what I think I am;
I am what I think.

I am not what I eat; I am what I think.

Clothes do not make the man; thinking makes the man.

Therefore, I will keep my thought processes active and open to the voice of God.

God did not call me to a life of failure, but to a life of success. This being so, I cannot fail as long as I do His will, allowing Him to work in and through me, motivating my every thought.

Because my God is a big God, I will think big with confidence, knowing my thoughts can never be bigger than my God.

Today I will think like the apostle Paul when he said: "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me" (Phil. 4:13)


The Christian Life New Testament - Thomas Nelson Publishers 1984. Taken from the introduction by Porter Barrington

UFOS - TRIPPERS FROM OUTER SPACE?

The recent release by the Mexican government of a video apparently showing 11 flying saucers circling one of its patrol jets has boosted the claim that this planet is regularly visited by trippers from outer space. Belief in UFOs is now an established part of the worldview of millions of people, especially in the western world where for many it has become a substitute religion. This is the subject of a video ‘The X Files’ in which Michael Penfold gives fascinating insight into the nature of UFOs (available from us for £9.99 + £1 post and packing). These are some of the main points he makes.

When former US President Jimmy Carter put a message in the Voyager spacecraft for aliens to read and hopefully respond to, he was expressing the desire of many to make contact with some other beings in the universe. Belief in visitors from outer space is not new – it can be found in ancient Egyptian and Roman civilisation – but it is now widely accepted as an undeniable fact that UFOs are real. The current preoccupation with UFOs began in 1947 when Kenneth Arnold, a US pilot, claimed to see 9 flying saucers at Rainer, Washington. Two weeks later it was claimed that two UFO craft crashed in Roswell, New Mexico and that the US government has since conducted secret experiments on alien corpses. Since then there have been numerous sightings, some witnessed by thousands like one in Gibraltar in 1989. 95% of supposed sightings can be explained away as not really UFOs. Either they are deliberate hoaxes or something else – meteors, weather balloons, birds, tricks of the light or the imagination of the viewer. But there are 5% which cannot be explained this way. Michael Penfold looks at the possible ways to explain these sightings.

Option 1. They are visitors from outer space

There are an estimated 20,000 billion, billion stars in the universe. These stars have planets around them. So, the reasoning goes, there has got to be life on one or more of these planets somewhere. For those who believe life on earth began by the chance process of evolution, finding life elsewhere would be a tremendous boost to the credibility of their theory. If life could have spontaneously come into being somewhere else in the universe it would give weight to the idea that this is how we came to be here. For those who are perplexed at the state of the world today the idea that aliens from a more advanced civilisation could come and help us out of the hole we are in is a comforting thought.

It is impossible for humans to go outside this solar system to find out whether there is life in space, because the distances are too great. But that does not stop us trying to find out if there is life out there. A major motivation for the project to land a man on Mars is to determine whether that planet has ever supported life forms. The Seti (Search for Extra Terrestrial Intelligence) project is backed by some of the world’s richest men and uses the most powerful radio telescopes to search the universe for signs of life. However nothing has been discovered. Carl Sagan has written, ‘The receipt of a single message from space would show that the transmitting civilisation has survived. No such message has ever been received.’

Life requires an incredibly fine balance of circumstances to exist. A planet needs to be stable, the right distance from the star so that it neither fries nor freezes, packed with the ingredients to support life (air, water, soil etc), with an atmosphere shielding it from dangerous elements in space and protecting the environment below. There are at least 100 different parameters for life to exist and if any of these were altered by a fraction life would disappear. Even if you have a planet which has the right conditions to support life, you also need the right circumstances for life to come into existence spontaneously if you accept the theory of evolution. (We do not believe in evolution and have a number of books and videos available on this subject).

If such a life form could come into being in a distant galaxy it then has to develop the most incredible technology to cover the vast distances in the universe to reach us. The nearest star to us is 4.3 light years away. The Milky Way galaxy is 100,000 light years wide. The closest galaxy after the Milky Way is 1.5 million light years away. A spacecraft travelling at one million miles a day would take 70,000 years to cover the 4.3 million miles to the nearest star. To reach a distant star in the Milky Way or another galaxy altogether and we are beginning to talk in terms of millions of years.

A craft travelling at the speed of one million miles a day would be going so fast that if it hit even a very small object in space (which it probably would) it would explode. Leaving this problem aside, only beings with the most incredible technology who have a life span of millions of years and do not need a huge supply of food and drink to keep alive could cross the universe in spacecraft. If we are to believe the claims of UFO magazines such craft are not only making it across the universe but also doing so in huge numbers. Almost every day there is a report of a sighting.
The sightings themselves raise a number of problems. At the same event they may be seen but not photographed or photographed but not seen. Despite apparently reaching incredible speeds of up to 18,000 mph they have never given off a sonic boom. They violate the laws of physics making 90% turns at very high speeds. They may change shape, size and colour at random. This is not the behaviour of a physical craft or being. This raises the possibility of a second option.

Option 2. They are supernatural entities

Some UFO researchers who are not believers in God or the Bible have come to the conclusion that this is a possible explanation. J Allen Hynek in an article ‘Machines made of Shadows’ has written: ‘The spiritual theory explains why UFOs can make right angle turns. It explains why they can be dematerialised, why sometimes they are picked up on radar and sometimes not.’

Michael Penfold shows that this is the most logical conclusion from the evidence available. He says that aliens are supernatural beings manifesting in a form which makes them acceptable to the modern mindset. Based on the evidence he also comes to the conclusion that they are malignant supernatural beings, i.e. demons or evil spirits. Whereas in the past evil spirits may have appeared as hobgoblins or ghosts or leprechauns today people are reluctant to believe in those things. So they appear as aliens – something which has become part of our mainstream culture through films like ‘ET’, ‘Independence Day’ and ‘Men in Black’. He gives 5 reasons why this explanation fits the facts.

1. ‘Aliens’ share the menacing characteristics of demons.

2. Alien abductions and UFO experiences come primarily to those who are already involved in the occult.

3. Post alien abduction symptoms match post occult experience symptoms.

4. Alien messages match the messages channelled by demons.

5. Alien names match names of demons.

Whitley Striber, in his book ‘Communion’ about his supposed abduction by aliens, wrote ‘I felt an indescribable sense of menace. Whatever was there seemed so monstrously ugly, so filthy and dark and sinister. Of course they were demons. They had to be.’ David Jacobs in ‘Abductions and the ET hypothesis’ wrote: ‘Physically the abduction experience can seriously harm a person and significantly alter the course of one’s life. Although the physical effects of abduction can be extremely severe it is the psychological problems that have the most destructive effect.’
William Alnor in ‘UFOs in the New Age’ wrote ‘After reading literally hundreds of messages from space brothers during the past several years and carefully analysing their views, I am convinced that these entities are trying to sell humanity one of the biggest deceptions of all time.’
Michael Penfold agrees that the UFO phenomenon is all about spiritual deception. It ties in with other influences like yoga, TM, hypnosis, Zen Buddhism, drug taking in altering consciousness so that the normal function of the mind is bypassed by a spiritual entity aiming to deceive. To back this claim up he cites the five main messages which have been communicated by supposed contact between humans and aliens:

1. We are on the threshold of a New Age of enlightenment.

2. God is an impersonal force of which we are part. We are god and our divinity is within.

3. There is no death. We are endlessly re-incarnated.

4. Good and evil are only illusions and one side of the same coin.

5. Jesus is just a great teacher and all roads lead to God.

This in itself should show us that these entities are not aliens crossing billions of miles of space. Why would they bother to make this hazardous journey in such vast numbers as is being claimed, just to give us the same message as you can find in books on the occult in most bookshops?
Dr Pierre Guerin, a secular researcher, wrote in Flying Saucer Review Vol 25 No 1: ‘UFO behaviour is more akin to magic than to physics as we know it. The modern UFOnauts and the demons of past days are probably identical.’

To confirm this it is remarkable that the names ‘aliens’ have given themselves are almost identical to the names given to pagan gods and demons throughout history. UFO contacts have been receiving messages from a being calling itself Ashtar for years. Variations of this name such as Astaroth, Asharoth, Astarte appear ancient literature, including the Bible, in relation to pagan gods. John Peel in ‘Operation Trojan Horse’ writes, ‘Mr Ashtar has been around a very long time posing as assorted gods and demons and now in the modern phase as another glorious spaceman.’

This raises the conclusion that these supposed visitors from outer space come from very much closer to home. We are not alone in the universe but we live alongside angels and fallen angels. Human rebellion against God has opened us up to the deception of Satan and his demons.
Most of the manifestations of UFOs come in the form of ‘bright lights in the sky.’ The Bible tells us that Satan is ‘the prince of the power of the air’ (Ephesians 2.2), that he is able to produce ‘lying signs and wonders’ (2 Thessalonians 2.9) and that he is able to transform himself into ‘an angel of light’ (2 Corinthians 11.14). Satan is using this phenomenon to change the way we think and to soften us up to accept his counterfeit Messiah, the Antichrist, as the answer to human ills. He also wishes to blind people to the real truth, the Gospel, and take as many people to hell with him as possible.

Going back to the 5 main messages of UFOs mentioned above, they are all wrong.

1. We are not on the threshold of a New Age of enlight-enment, but on the edge of the Great Tribulation, the worst time in human history which will precede the glorious return of the Lord Jesus the Messiah to the earth to judge the world in righteousness.

2. God is not an impersonal force, but a loving heavenly Father who can be known through faith in Jesus the Messiah.

3. We have one chance to get it right in this life. The lie of the devil in the Garden of Eden is ‘You shall not die … you will be like God’ (Genesis 3.4-5). This is being recycled in the New Age Movement of which UFO culture is a part. In fact after death we face the Day of Judgement when we give account of our lives to God.

4. The idea that right and wrong are only illusions and part of the same whole is Chinese Taoist philosophy which is also being recycled for popular consumption through movies like Star Wars and the Harry Potter books. In fact God is the Creator of all things and wholly good. The Bible teaches us the difference between good and evil and how to live in the light of God’s truth. Satan is a created being who is the source of evil and who is doomed to spend eternity in the lake of fire. There is one way we can avoid joining him in this fate – through repentance and faith in the Lord Jesus the Messiah who died as a sacrifice for our sins and rose again from the dead to give eternal life to all believers.

5. Jesus is a great teacher, but not just a great teacher. He is God made flesh who revealed the ultimate truth to all mankind.

Humanity has once been visited on earth, not from outer space, but from Heaven itself. If we reject the words of this heavenly visitor, then there is no further enlightenment coming for us from anywhere else. Simon Edge writing in the Daily Express (14/4/04) explains the widespread belief in UFOs: ‘People often say it would be lonely otherwise. Certainly there is something infinitely terrible about the emptiness of the universe – think of the scene in the movie Moonraker in which a space walking astronaut is cut off from his craft and floats screaming into eternity. In an irreligious age, fear of the void is even greater.’

There is no need to have this fear. We can make contact with an infinitely good God who cares for us and is able to communicate by the Holy Spirit to help us and guide us through this life. He also gives answers to the big questions: ‘Where do we come from? Why are we here? How can we know what is right? Where are we going?’ Don’t be conned by the subtle deceptions of our culture. Follow Jesus who says, ‘I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.’ John 8.12.

http://www.lightforthelastdays.co.uk

MICK JAGGER - MAN OF FAITH

Many people regard the Rolling Stones as demonic - basing this assumption on tracks like "Sympathy for the Devil" and albums like "Their Satanic Majesties Request". But after trawling the internet, as I do quite often, I've unearthed some very interesting lyrics - even though some are a bit negative. These lyrics tend to prove that Mick Jagger is a Christian. Considering I'm a Stones fan, I should know for sure, but I can only assume that Mick Jagger writes the lyrics while Keith Richards provides the music. Anyway, I've cut the songs down to the relevant Christian content:- RP - 23 March 2007


Out of Focus

I saw towering spires,
I heard beautiful chimes,
I heard them pealI saw visions of grace,
I saw heavenly place, then it disappeared

Wandering Spirit

When all the twelve Apostles try to ring me on the phone
Take a message but I won't return their call
For I have no eyes to see him and I thought I lost my way
And I know I've lost the keys to your door

(From Mick Jagger solo album: Wandering Spirit – 1993)



Blinded by Rainbows

Did you ever feel the pain
That he felt upon the cross
Did you ever feel the knife
Tearing flesh that's oh so soft...

Do you hide away the fear
Put down paradise as lost…
Are your clothes all wet
Do you see the light
Is the end in sight
See the face of Christ
Enter paradise
I doubt it

(From Stones album: Voodoo Lounge – 1994)


Saint of Me

And could you stand the torture
And could you stand the pain
Could you put your faith in Jesus
When you're burning in the flames

And I do believe in miracles
And I want to save my soul
And I know that I'm a sinner
I'm gonna die here in the cold

Flip the Switch

I'm not going to burn in hell
I cased the joint
And I know it well
Maybe my carcass
Would feed the worms
But I'm working
For the other firm

(From Stones album: Bridges to Babylon – 1997)


Joy

I was looking for the Buddha
And I saw Jesus Christ
He smiled and shrugged his shoulder
And lit a cigarette
Said jump for joy
Make some noise
Remember what I said
My soul is a like a ruby
And I threw it in the earth
But now my hands are bleeding
From scrabbling in the dirt
And I look up to the heavens
And a light is on my face
I never never never
Thought I'd find a state of grace

(From Mick Jagger solo album: Goddess in the Doorway – 2001)


Back of My Hand

I hear a preacher on the corner
Ranting like a crazy man
He says there's trouble, troubles are coming
I can read it like the back of my hand

I see love, I see misery
Jamming side by side on the stage
In the wind some mournful melody
I can read it like the back of my hand

(From Stones album: A Bigger Bang – 2005)

REVIVAL IN AFRICA

"Africa is Being Saved!" - CfaN Crusades / Conferences

"For over 30 years, Evangelist Reinhard Bonnke has been conducting crusades in the continent of Africa. Here, you can read detailed accounts of each CfaN crusade! You will see people coming to Christ by the masses! You can experience first-hand reports and testimonies from Evangelist Bonnke and Christ for all Nations Crusade Team! Finally, you can witness what the Lord is doing around the world and be encouraged to believe Him for the miracle you need in your life, today! "



Many thousands of people are being regularly saved and many miracles and healings are witnessed on these crusades such as the example below. The crowds have reached 750,000 in the past - an ocean of humanity! RP


"Mission Journal (February 2007) - Oshogbo, Nigeria: Day 5
I just returned from the last meeting of this Gospel Crusade. What a crowd and what a blessing. Hundreds of thousands of people prayed the prayer of salvation – it was glorious. And the miracles! A well-known witch surrendered to Jesus and cleaned up his old life. A retired police-officer, who had been totally blind for years, received perfect sight, etc. The crowd was roaring praises to the Lord..."



(February 2007) Written by: Reinhard Bonnke:-
The Secret of Gospel Power :-
"Throughout most of the church’s history, the Holy Spirit was not much more than a name. The immediate answer to the question "Who is the Holy Spirit?" is the Holy Spirit is God in action on earth. For centuries, people thought of the “Holy Ghost” as just that, a holy ghost, a sort of religious fragrance or ambience lingering in Gothic churches. The majesty of the Almighty, the Third Person of the Godhead, seemed known only as a mysterious cathedral atmosphere. That is quite a status reduction!
Pinpointing When & Where:
To talk about Him, we have first to identify Him. He is the power of Pentecost. He began the Christian Church. We can pinpoint when and where this happened. It was in AD 29 at the annual Jewish festival held 50 days after Christ’s crucifixion, called the day of Pentecost. That morning the Spirit of God burst upon the world in reality; not as a sweet influence, but literally as a hurricane. He announced His own arrival with the miracle of 120 disciples speaking in tongues. This noisy outburst attracted the first Christian congregation...."



http://cfan.org




Iris Ministries


Rolland and Heidi Baker began Iris Ministries, Inc., an interdenominational mission, in 1980 and have been missionaries for the past twenty-five years. They were both ordained as ministers in 1985 after completing their BA and MA degrees at Southern California College in Biblical Studies and Church Leadership. Rolland is a third-generation missionary born and raised in China and Taiwan. He was greatly influenced by his grandfather, H.A. Baker, who wrote "Visions Beyond the Veil," an account of the extended visions of heaven and hell that children received in his remote orphanage in southwest China two generations ago.
Heidi was powerfully called to the mission field when she was sixteen and living on an Indian reservation as an American Field Service student. She was led to the Lord by a Navajo preacher. Several months later she was taken up in a vision for several hours and heard the Lord speak to her and tell her to be a minister and a missionary to Africa, Asia and England....Since this background article was written, Iris Ministries has expanded to over 5,000 churches all over Mozambique and into neighboring countries. The disastrous flooding of 2000/2001 catalyzed an overwhelming hunger for the things of God in the refugee camps where we ministered, and the Gospel continues to spread like wildfire. We now care for almost 2,000 children at our centers, and our churches are taking in orphans as well. Jesus is revealing Himself through signs and wonders, visions and dreams, and we have never seen such a harvest before us. May the Lord of the harvest send us workers!

There are many photos on this wonderful website of smiling happy faces, especially children, despite obvious poverty. They are so clearly full of the Holy Spirit. RP - March 2007

http://www.irismin.org

COMIC RELIEF: YARD WORK

YARD WORK - AS VIEWED FROM HEAVEN
(overheard in a conversation between God and St. Francis):

God: Francis, you know all about gardens and nature; what in the world is going on down there in the U.S.? What happened to the dandelions, violets, thistles and the stuff I started eons ago? I had a perfect no-maintenance garden plan. Those plants grow in any type of soil, withstand drought, and multiply with abandon. The nectar from the long-lasting blossoms attracts butterflies, honeybees, and flocks of songbirds. I expected to see a vast garden of color by now. All I see are patches ofgreen.
St. Francis: It's the tribes that settled there, Lord. They are called the Suburbanites. They started calling your flowers"weeds" and went to great lengths to kill them and replace them with grass.
God: Grass? But it is so boring, it's not colorful. It doesn't attract butterflies, bees or birds, only grubs and sod worms. It's temperamental with temperatures. Do these Suburbanites really want grass growing there?
St. Francis: Apparently not, Lord. As soon as it has grown a little, they cut it....sometimes two times a week.
God: They cut it? Do they bale it like hay?
St. Francis: Not exactly, Lord. Most of them rake it up and put it in bags.
God: They bag it? Why? Is it a cash crop? Do they sell it?
St. Francis: No sir, just the opposite. They pay to throw it away.
God: Now let me get this straight...they fertilize it to make it grow and when it does grow, they cut it off and pay to throw it away?
St. Francis: Yes, sir.
God: These Suburbanites must be relieved in the summer when we cut back on the rain and turn up the heat. That surely slows the growth and saves them a lot of work.
St. Francis: You aren't going to believe this Lord, but when the grass stops growing so fast, they drag out hoses and pay more money to water it so they can continue to mow it and pay to get rid of it.
God: What nonsense! At least they kept some of the trees. That was a sheer stroke of genius, if I do say so myself. The trees grow leaves in the spring to provide beauty and shade in the summer. In the autumn they fall to the ground and form a natural blanket to keep the moisture in the soil and protect the trees and bushes. Plus, as they rot, the leaves become compost to enhance the soil. It's a natural circle of life.
St. Francis: You'd better sit down, Lord. As soon as the leaves fall, the Suburbanites rake them into great piles and pay to have them hauled away.
God: No way! What do they do to protect the shrubs and tree roots in the winter to keep the soil moist and loose?
St Francis: After throwing the leaves away, they go out and buy something called mulch. They haul it home and spread it around in place of the leaves.
God: And where do they get this mulch?
St. Francis: They cut down the trees and grind them up to make mulch.
God: Enough! I don't want to think about this anymore.
Saint Catherine, you're in charge of the arts. What movie have you scheduled for us tonight?
St. Catherine: "Dumb and Dumber," Lord. It's a really stupid movie about....
God: Never mind--I think I just heard the whole story from Saint Francis!

Mountain Wings - June 2006

http://www.mountainwings.com

INCREASED DEVIL ACTIVITY - CHILD ABUSE

"Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness but instead expose them." Ephesians 5:11

The devil knows his days are numbered and he knows where he will end up. He's accelarating his campaign. He would like to drag everyone down to hell with him. As he becomes angrier, his activity increases and so does the evil in the world. He's showing his cards continually. This article is an example of what I call I.D.A. (Increased Devil Activity).
RP - March 2007.


BBC NEWS ONLINE: Thursday, 12 October 2006

Study reveals global child abuse

The report says over 220 million children are sexually abused. A shocking picture of physical, sexual and psychological violence being perpetrated against children on a daily basis has been revealed in a UN report.The first UN study of global violence against children says such abuse is often socially approved or even legal.It concludes that violence against under-18s occurs in every country, every society and every social group.The UN has called on states to outlaw violence against children and to ensure their rights are protected.The study, which was requested by UN Secretary General Kofi Annan, is the result of four years of research.Psychological scarsThe report's author, Professor Paulo Sergio Pinheiro, says the situation revealed is not acceptable and decades of silent abuse can no longer remain unchallenged."Protection from violence is a matter of urgency," writes Mr Pinheiro, "Children have suffered adult violence unseen and unheard for centuries."The UN is calling on every country to have a national strategy to prevent violence against children.

The report, the first of its kind, charts various kinds of violence, from prostitution to school bullying, taking place in different stages and spheres of children's' lives - at home, in the community and in institutions.It estimates that some 150 million girls, 14% of the planet's child population, are sexually abused each year, as well as seven percent of boys, or 73 million children.Such violence can leave serious long-term psychological scars which result in increased risky sexual behaviour, substance abuse and violence towards others in adulthood.Hidden violenceThe study suggests that between 80-93% of children suffer physical punishment in their homes, although many of them do not speak of it due to stigma, shame and a lack of faith in legal systems.

The home can also be a dangerous place for some of the estimated 82 million girls who marry before the age of 18 and can face violence from their partners."There are several modalities of violence that are invisible or there is a wall of silence - violence inside the school, inside the home, at the workplace, the community and institutions," Mr Pinheiro told the BBC.This is the moment to recognise children as being protected by rights, as full citizensPaulo Sergio PinheiroAuthor of the reportDR Congo children 'armed'Gender also shapes the likelihood of experiencing different types of violence.A study of 21 mainly developed countries, for example, found that up to 36% of women and 29% of men reported being sexually victimised during childhood.But boys, especially in the 15-17 age group, are up to four times more likely to be murdered than girls of the same age.

The authors said they were encouraged by the participation of 135 governments from across the globe.But the report recognises that one of the greatest challenges is changing a social mindset that tacitly accepts violence towards minors.It includes a list of recommendations including the creation of national commissioners to prevent violence against children and national legal frameworks to protect children."After the emancipation of the workers in the 19th Century, the emancipation of the women in the 20th Century, I think that this is the moment to recognise children as being protected by rights, as full citizens, and not as mini-human beings or the property of their families," Mr Pinheiro said.

HARRY POTTER AND GOD

Harry Potter? What Does God Have To Say?

I am writing this urgent message because I was once a witch. I lived by the stars as an astrologer and numerologist casting horoscopes and spells. I lived in the mysterious and shadowy realm of the occult. By means of spells and magic, I was able to invoke the powers of the "controlling unknown" and fly upon the night winds transcending the astral plane. Halloween was my favorite time of the year and I was intrigued and absorbed in the realm of Wiccan witchcraft. All of this was happening in the decade of the 1960’s when witchcraft was just starting to come out of the broom closet. It was during that decade of the 1960’s, in the year 1966, that a woman named J.K. Rowling was born. This is the woman who has captivated the world in this year of 2000 with four books known as the "Harry Potter Series." These books are orientational and instructional manuals of witchcraft woven into the format of entertainment. These four books by J.K. Rowling teach witchcraft! I know this because I was once very much a part of that world. Witchcraft was very different in the 1960’s. There were a lot fewer witches, and the craft was far more secretive. At the end of that spiritually troubled decade, I was miraculously saved by the power of Jesus Christ and His saving blood. I was also delivered from every evil spirit that lived in me and was set free. However, as I began to attend fundamental Christian churches, I realized that even there witchcraft had left its mark. Pagan holidays and sabats were celebrated as "Christian holidays."

As time went on, I watched the so-called "Christian" churches compromising and unifying. I also watched with amazement as teachings from Eastern religions and "New Age" doctrine began to captivate congregations. It was a satanic set-up, and I saw it coming. Illuministic conspirators were bringing forth a one-world religion with a cleverly concealed element of occultism interwoven in its teachings. In order to succeed in bringing witchcraft to the world and thus complete satanic control, an entire generation would have to be induced and taught to think like witches, talk like witches, dress like witches, and act like witches. The occult songs of the 1960’s launched the Luciferian project of capturing the minds of an entire generation. In the song "Sound Of Silence" by Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel, we were told of seeds that were left while an entire generation was sleeping, and that the "vision that was planted in my brain still remains."

Now it is the year 2000. All of the foundations for occultism and witchcraft are in place. The Illuminists have to move quickly, because time is running out. It was the Communist revolutionary Lenin who said, "Give me one generation of youth, and I will transform the entire world." Now an entire generation of youth has been given to a woman named J.K. Rowling and her four books on witchcraft, known as the Harry Potter Series. As a former witch, I can speak with authority when I say that I have examined the works of Rowling and that the Harry Potter books are training manuals for the occult. Untold millions of young people are being taught to think, speak, dress and act like witches by filling their heads with the contents of these books. Children are obsessed with the Harry Potter books that they have left television and video games to read these witchcraft manuals.

The first book of the series, entitled "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone", finds the orphan, Harry Potter, embarking into a new realm when he is taken to "Hogwart’s School of Witchcraft and Wizardry." At this occult school, Harry Potter learns how to obtain and use witchcraft equipment. Harry also learns a new vocabulary, including words such as "Azkaban", "Circe", "Draco", "Erised", "Hermes", and "Slytherin"; all of which are names of real devils or demons. These are not characters of fiction! How serious is this? By reading these materials, many millions of young people are learning how to work with demon spirits. They are getting to know them by name. Vast numbers of children professing to be Christians are also filling their hearts and minds, while willingly ignorant parents look the other way.

The titles of the books should be warning enough to make us realize how satanic and anti-christ these books are. The afore mentioned title of the first book, "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone", was a real give away. The second book was called "Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets", while the third book was entitled "Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban."
Sadly enough, this blatant witchcraft has been endorsed by well-known and respected "Christian" leaders, such as Dr. James Dobson and Chuck Colson, who have proven themselves to be modern day Judas Iscariots. Nothing could be more obvious than that Harry Potter books are pure witchcraft and of the devil. The "Christian" leaders, however, defend them by saying that good magic always wins and overcomes evil magic. This is the oldest con game ever hatched out of hell. As a real witch, I learned about the two sides of "the force." Apparently, so do many "Christian" leaders. When real witches have sabats and esbats and meet as a coven, they greet each other by saying "Blessed be", and when they part, they say "The Force be with you." Both sides of this "Force" are Satan. It is not a good side of the force that overcomes the bad side of the force, but rather it’s the blood of Jesus Christ that destroys both supposed sides of the satanic "Force."

High level witches believe that there are seven satanic princes and that the seventh, which is assigned to Christians, has no name. In coven meetings, he is called "the nameless one." In the Harry Potter books, there is a character called "Voldemort." The pronunciation guide says of this being "He who must not be named." On July 8 at midnight, bookstores everywhere were stormed by millions of children to obtain the latest and fourth book of the series known as "Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire." These books were taken into homes everywhere with a real evil spirit following each copy to curse those homes. July 8th was also the 18th day (three sixes in numerology) from the witches’ sabat of midsummer. July 8th was also the 13th day from the signing of the United Religions Charter in San Francisco. Now we have learned that the public school system is planning to use the magic of Harry Potter in the classrooms making the public schools centers of witchcraft training.

What does God have to say about such books as the Harry Potter series? In the Bible in the book of Acts, we read the following in the 19th chapter, verses 18 – 20: "And many that believed came, and confessed, and shewed their deeds. Many of them also which used curious arts brought their books together and burned them before all men: and they counted the price of them, and found it fifty thousand pieces of silver. So mightily grew the Word of God and prevailed." As parents, we will answer to God if we allow our children to read witchcraft books. The Word of God will prevail mightily in your life only if such things of Satan are destroyed. This tract has been prayed over, and I hope it has helped you. If we may be of further assistance, please contact us.

Pastor David J. Meyer
Published by: Last Trumpet Ministries International
PO Box 806
Beaver Dam,
WI 53916
USA

http://www.lasttrumpetministries.org

READY TO GO HOME / SALVATION / ISAIAH

"...and the lion shall eat straw like the ox."

READY TO GO HOME - Hank Williams

There's comin' a day when the world shall melt away

And Jesus shall come to claim His own

No more tears, no pain, no woe, in this wicked world below

Then will you be ready to go home

Will you be ready to go, ready to go home

To live with Him up there around the throne

When He says come unto Me, will your soul be clean and free

Then will you be ready to go home

In this world of greed and hate will you wait til it's too late

To claim the Saviour for your own

For He's coming someday, to bear your soul away

Then will you be ready to go home

As you travel day by day, down life's long highway

Are you on the road that leads to wrong

If you'll just travel in His light and pray both day and night

Then you'll be ready to go home

Jesus answered and said to him, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.”John 3:3

Our Lord Jesus is returning soon to take control of this planet. He will judge everyone - no-one will escape. If you want to be among those of us who are saved, and will inherit the revitilazed earth, then say the following prayer. But say it with a sincere, repentant and humble heart:-

SALVATION PRAYER

Dear Heavenly Father, I admit that I am a sinner and need your forgiveness. I believe that Jesus the Messiah died in my place, shedding His blood to pay for my sins, and that He rose again from the dead to give me eternal life. I am willing right now to turn from my sin and accept Jesus the Messiah as my personal Saviour and Lord. I commit my life to you and ask you to send the Holy Spirit into my life, to fill me and to take control and to help me become the kind of person you want me to be. Thank you Father for loving me.

In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Light for the Last Days

Box BM-4226

London 1N 3XX

http://www.lightforthelastdays.co.uk/

Once you are born again and filled with the Holy Spirit, you can look forward to a time when the earth will be completely transformed. Under the perfect reign of Jesus, the planet will become a global paradise:-

The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb,

The leopard shall lie down with the young goat,

The calf and the young lion and the fatling together;

And a little child shall lead them.

The cow and the bear shall graze;

Their young ones shall lie down together;

And the lion shall eat straw like the ox.

The nursing child shall play by the cobra’s hole,

And the weaned child shall put his hand in the viper’s den.

They shall not hurt nor destroy in all My holy mountain,

For the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the LORD

As the waters cover the sea.

ISAIAH 11:6-9

There is one phrase in particular from this beautiful passage that fires my imagination: "and the lion shall eat straw like the ox." Love will reign supreme. Humans will no longer want to eat animals because they'll love God's creation so much. The same will apply to animals - carnivores will become herbivores. We will all become vegetarian - as God originally intended. RP - March 2007

JACK CHICK AND THE DEVIL

Jack Chick has been writing, illustrating and publishing comic style gospel tracts for over 40 years. They always end in an easy to understand salvation message. I very much believe that his ministry has God's blessing and that Jack is doing God's work. He is still alive today and still producing new tracts.

A few years ago, I thought of an expression I've heard many times in American films. This expression, I would think, is widespread in the USA. Jack Chick is American. The phrase never really caught on in the UK. It's "Jack Shit" - vulgar I know. It means nothing - for example: "You don't know Jack Shit". I believe this expression originated from satan. As usual, he twists things - as well as insulting Jack, he is inferring that he and his work are nothing. In fact, the opposite is true: the gospel message of salvation is everything! RP - November 2006

(Visit http://www.chick.com/)

SWEATSHOPS AND SPACE TRAVEL

BBC News Online: 7 March, 2002:

Spotlight on Indonesian 'sweat shops'

Oxfam's latest report on Nike and Adidas factories in Indonesia says tens of thousands of employees are still living in extreme poverty and work in dangerous conditions. It also says many live in fear of their employers. The report, entitled We Are Not Machines, is based on interviews with more than 30 workers at Nike and Adidas factories in Java. The aim was to assess whether there have been any significant improvements in conditions since Oxfam's first report was released more than 18 months ago. That report alleged extreme abuse of workers' basic rights, including threats of violence against those taking part in industrial action.'Workers' fear'Oxfam's Tim Connor, who carried out the latest investigation, said the key issues to emerge this time were wages; union rights; and working conditions. Nike has contracts with about 700 factories worldwide "Poverty and fear is still dominating the lives of Adidas and Nike workers in Indonesia," he said. He said full-time wages as low as $2 a day do not give families enough to live on. He alleges active trade unionists fear losing their jobs or even being attacked."Workers still work in difficult and dangerous conditions," he said. "They're still shouted at when they work too slowly." Respiratory illnesses from inhaling toxic chemicals are still occurring, as are accidents in which workers lose fingers in cutting machines." For those workers... the question is always the alternative - without that job, where would I go?Rizal Mallarangen, Centre for Strategic and International Studies Several of the factory workers who gave statements to Oxfam for the report also agreed to be interviewed by the media, but on condition their names were not used.

We spoke to one woman who for the past six years has worked at a factory just outside Jakarta supplying shoes for Adidas. She said the company often forced her and her colleagues to work overtime to meet production targets."We're not given any choice," she said. "If they say we can only go home at seven-thirty at night, then that's what we have to do."There are many examples of this. In one case, a mother whose child was sick was not allowed to leave early. She cried for an hour." Despite this, most of the workers we spoke to said there had been some improvements in recent years. "Since the international campaign began, conditions have got better," said one woman, who works in the sewing department of a Nike factory. "Before, it was very difficult to get permission to take our annual leave. "But now we can get this."

'Job opportunities'
But not everyone in Indonesia is happy about the campaign against Nike and Adidas being pursued by human-rights activists, as there are fears it could scare away foreign investors."Workers in multi-national foreign companies in Asia are much better off than the workers working for domestic companies," said Rizal Mallarangen, a leading political economist at the Centre for Strategic and International Studies in Jakarta. "For me, the first priority is stable income for the workers. Indonesia is a very poor country, it is in a crisis. There are millions of people without jobs." For those workers in these foreign factories, the multi-national factories, the question is always the alternative - without that job, where would I go?"They will have to return to the slums, without any stable job, or go back to their villages without any land. So life for them will be much worse." But Tim Connor of Oxfam said this missed the main point."The workers are being paid close to the lowest that's legally possible, and these particular companies are extremely profitable," he said."Between them, Nike and Adidas control 50% of the lucrative US sports shoe market, and Nike's net income last year was more than $500m."So companies of their size and profitability are in a far better position than other companies to ensure that workers have safe conditions and are paid enough to look after their children."

In the conclusion to its report, Oxfam Community Aid Abroad warns consumers they cannot be confident that sportswear produced by Nike and Adidas is made in decent conditions.This is not something the companies would wish to hear at any time, but least of all, in the run up to the World Cup.


BBC News Online: 15 September 2006:

Madonna space flight plan snubbed

Moves to get official backing to send Madonna into space have been blocked. The Russian parliament voted down a proposal to put the pop icon on the international space station in 2008. Member Alexei Mitrofanov had said her involvement would guarantee the station international coverage and could potentially help future projects.But despite the rejection, a spokesman for the Russian space agency said there were vacancies for $20m-a-head space tourists from 2009.Mr Mitrofanov was quoted by the RIA-Novosti news agency as saying: "Because of the television possibilities, it would be a pretty serious event in the year of elections in the United States and Russia."The same agency quoted space agency spokesman Igor Panarin as saying: "Taking into account her good physical preparedness and financial capabilities, the dream of [Madonna] Louise Ciccone of a space flight could be realized in 2009."Madonna played before 35,000 people in Moscow on Tuesday night, despite religious protesters' threats to disrupt the concert.Three private individuals have paid for the 10-day trips to the international space station.


BBC News Online: 28 September 2006:

Branson unveils Virgin spaceships

Sir Richard Branson has unveiled a mock-up of the rocket-powered vehicle that will carry clients into space through his Virgin Galactic business.The Virgin "spaceships" are designed to carry six passengers and two pilots to an altitude of about 140km on a sub-orbital space flight.Tickets on a Virgin Galactic flight are expected to cost £100,000 ($190,000)!!!! ....

NELSON MANDELA - NO EXCUSES

The next time you feel like being bitter, resentful and angry - even if the circumstances justify these emotions - consider the inspiring words of a man who, after 27 years of imprisonment by his government, had every right to be bitter, resentful and angry:

"Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate,Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure.We ask ourselves, 'Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented and fabulous?' Actually, who are you NOT to be? You are a child of God.Your playing small doesn't serve the world.There is nothing enlightening about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you.We are born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It's not just in some of us; it's in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others."

These are words of Nelson Mandela, who gave this inaugural speech in 1994, after being elected President of South Africa. He became the leader of the government that had for so long sought to take away his voice. This man had every right to be bitter, resentful and angry at the world. How dare he inspire us to greatness? Shouldn't he have instead approved our sloth? After all, is anyone really appreciated for what he does, regardless of the extent of the sacrifice? Nelson Mandela confirms that you are expected to be great. Nothing less. You can even be more than great if you decide to ignore the non-existent limitations that everyone else can see. What kind of glasses are they wearing? I know I'm gorgeous, brilliant and talented. Simply put, I am fabulous. What about you?

~A MountainWings Original By C. Elijah Bronner (With credit to Nelson Mandela)~

http://www.mountainwings.com

COMIC RELIEF: ALTERNATE MEANINGS

Each year The Washington Post has a contest where readers are asked to supply alternate meanings for various words. And winners are...

1. Coffee (n.), a person who is coughed upon.
2. Flabbergasted (adj.), appalled over how much weight youhave gained.
3. Abdicate (v.), to give up all hope of ever having a flatstomach.
4. Esplanade (v.), to attempt an explanation while drunk.
5. Willy-nilly (adj.), impotent.
6. Negligent (adj.), describes a condition in which you absent mindedly answer the door in your nightgown.
7. Lymph (v), to walk with a lisp.
8. Gargoyle (n.), an olive-flavored mouthwash.
9. Flatulence (n.) the emergency vehicle that picks you up after you are run over by a steamroller.
10. Balderdash (n.), a rapidly receding hairline.
11. Testicle (n.), a humorous question on an exam.
12. Rectitude (n.), the formal, dignified demeanor assumed by a proctologist immediately before he examines you.
13. Oyster (n.), a person who sprinkles his conversation with Yiddish expressions.
14. Pokemon (n), A Jamaican proctologist.
15. Frisbeetarianism (n.), The belief that, when you die, your soul goes up on the roof and gets stuck there.
16. Circumvent (n.), the opening in the front of boxer shorts
....and MountainWings own
17. Washington (v.), the day of the week that you do laundry.

http://www.mountainwings.com/

INCREASED DEVIL ACTIVITY: GREED - IVORY HAUL

"Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness but instead expose them."Ephesians 5:11

As well as the blatant greed involved in the ivory trade, there is obviously also a complete disregard for one of God's most wonderful and endearing creatures: the elephant. They are mercilessly butchered in the almost holy name of profit and the devil, as usual, basks in anything that undermines or destroys God's creation... RP 22.3.07


MSN NEWS - ITN 1.3.2007 :-

Huge ivory haul seized in Japan

Japanese customs officials have arrested two men on suspicion of smuggling the country's largest haul of ivory. Officials discovered the three-tonne shipment in a container registered as "synthetic marble" that arrived in Osaka last August. The amount of ivory is equivalent to the tusks of about 100 elephants. Japanese police suspect a large-scale smuggling ring may have been involved. International trade in elephant ivory is for the most part banned under an international treaty.
But ivory remains popular in Japan for use in crafts and to make carved name seals that are used instead of signatures on legal documents.

LET THERE BE JOY

Let there be joy, let there be peace,
Let there be power, let there be praise,
Let there be joy, joy in the Holy Ghost
It was for freedom, we were set free
Let every mountain, be cast to the sea
Let there be joy, joy in the Holy Ghost

We will declare it, to the heavens
The righteousness of God
In which we stand
We will proclaim it, to the nations
Every eye shall see every ear shall hear,
Every heart will understand

(Copyright 1997 Bruce Napier - Ironspiration Music)

DO YOU SMELL THAT?

At the end of this story, it gives you two options. I think you will figure out what option I chose.

A cold March wind danced around the dead of night in Dallas as the doctor walked into the small hospital room of Diana Blessing. She was still groggy from surgery. her husband, David, held her hand as they braced themselves for the latest news. That afternoon of March 10, 1991, complications had forced Diana, only 24-weeks pregnant, to undergo an emergency Cesarean to deliver couple's new daughter, Dana Lu Blessing. At 12 inches long and weighing only one pound nine ounces,they already knew she was perilously premature. Still, the doctor's soft words dropped like bombs. I don't think she's going to make it," he said, as kindly as he could. "There's only a 10-percent chance she will live through the night, and even then, if by some slim chance she does make it, her future could be a very cruel one."

Numb with disbelief, David and Diana listened as the doctor described the devastating problems Dana would likely face if she survived. She
would never walk, she would never talk, she would probably be blind, and she would certainly be prone to other catastrophic conditions from cerebral palsy to complete mental retardation, and on and on.

No! No!" was all Diana could say. She and David, with their 5-year-old son Dustin, had long dreamed of the day they would have a daughter to become a family of four. Now, within a matter of hours, that dream was slipping away.

But as those first days passed, a new agony set in for David and Diana. Because Dana's underdeveloped nervous system was essentially 'raw', the lightest kiss or caress only intensified her discomfort, so they couldn't even cradle their tiny baby girl against their chests to offer the strength of their love. All they could do, as Dana struggled alone beneath the ultraviolet light in the tangle of tubes and wires, was to pray that God would stay close to their precious little girl.
There was never a moment when Dana suddenly grew stronger.
But as the weeks went by, she did slowly gain an ounce of weight here and an ounce of strength there.

At last, when Dana turned two months old, her parents were able to hold her in their arms for the very first time. And two months later, though doctors continued to gently but grimly warn that her chances of surviving, much less living any kind of normal life, were next to zero, Dana went home from the hospital, just as her mother had predicted.

Five years later, when Dana was a petite but feisty young girl with glittering gray eyes and an unquenchable zest for life. She showed no signs whatsoever of any mental or physical impairment. Simply, she was everything a little girl can be and more. But that happy ending is far from the end of her story.

One blistering afternoon in the summer of 1996 near her home in Irving, Texas, Dana was sitting in her mother's lap in the bleachers of a local ballpark where her brother Dustin's baseball team was practicing. As always, Dana was chattering nonstop with her mother and several other adults sitting nearby when she suddenly fell silent hugging her arms across her chest, little Dana asked,
"Do you smell that?" Smelling the air and detecting the approach of a thunderstorm, Diana replied, "Yes, it smells like rain."Dana closed her eyes and again asked, "Do you smell that?"Once again, her mother replied, "Yes, I think we're about to get wet. It smells like rain."
Still caught in the moment, Dana shook her head, patted her thin shoulders with her small hands and loudly announced, "No, it smells like Him. It smells like God when you lay your head on His chest." Tears blurred Diana's eyes as Dana happily hopped down to play with the other children. Before the rains came, her daughter's words confirmed what Diana and all the members of the extended Blessing family had known, at least in their hearts, all along. During those long days and nights of her first two months of her life, when her nerves were too sensitive for them to touch her, God was holding Dana on His chest and it is His loving scent that she remembers so well.

You now have 1 of 2 choices. You can either pass this on and let other people catch the chills like you did, or you can delete this and act like it didn't touch your heart like it did mine.

IT'S YOUR CALL! "I can do all things in Him who strengthens me."
This morning when the Lord opened a window to Heaven, He saw me, and He asked: "My child, what is your greatest wish for today?" I responded:" Lord please; take care of the person who is reading this message, their family and their special friends. They deserve it and I love them very much" The love of God is like the ocean, you can see it's
beginning,but not its end.
ANGELS EXIST but some times, since they don't all have wings, we call them FRIENDS.
Pass this on to your true friends.

(Email received from 'Doc' - January 2006)

HEAVEN AND HELL

The Garden of Eden - Rubens & Breughel

VISIONS BEYOND THE VEIL by H A Baker - PARADISE

This is an amazing book that deals with a mighty outpouring of the Holy Spirit on an orphanage in Adullam, China. The children are transported, in the Spirit, to heaven and hell, are able to see angels and demons and are given prophesies. Here is a section that describes paradise:

"The angels were dressed in seamless garments of white; their faces were perfect; one was not more beautiful than another. "When they smiled—Oh, I can't describe that," the boy said, "there is no way on earth to describe the angels' smile." Similar and surpassing beautiful scenes in Paradise were seen, repeatedly seen, by a large number of Adullam children. In Paradise they saw trees bearing the most delicious fruit, and vistas of most beautiful flowers of every color and hue, sending forth an aroma of surpassing fragrance. There were birds of glorious plumage singing their carols of joy and praise. In this park were also animals of every size and description: large deer, small deer, large lions, great elephants, lovely rabbits, and all sorts of little friendly pets such as they had never seen before.

The children held the little pets in their arms and passed them from one to another. Or perhaps they found the lion peacefully lying beneath a tree. In that case they climbed on his back, ran their fingers through his shaggy mane, brushed his face, and put their hands in his mouth. If they so desired they curled down beside him to enjoy together the love of their common Maker. Why not? Some where "the wolf also shall dwell with the lamb and the leopard shall lie down with the kid; and the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; and a little child shall lead them. Their young ones shall lie down together" (Isa. 11:6-8).

Little children rode the small deer, while older children rode the larger deer or the friendly elephant. All was perfect love. All was great harmony. Such shouts of joy! Such happy childish laughter! Who but our Father in Heaven ever thought of or planned such a Paradise? Eating and Drinking in the Heaven "Park of Pleasure and Fruits" When hungry, the children ate of the wonderful fruit or gathered freely the sweet tasting, refreshing manna that was scattered all about. Were they thirsty? Here and there trickled little brooks of the stimulating and refreshing water of life."

http://www.godspeak.org/veil/veil_intro.html




THE BIBLICAL DESCRIPTION OF HELL. . . by Kathy A. Smith

A place of weeping and gnashing of teeth - And cast ye the unprofitable servant into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth" (Matthew 25:30).

A place of outer darkness - "Then said the king to the servants, Bind him hand and foot, and take him away, and cast him into outer darkness; there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth" (Matthew 22:13).

A place of torments - "And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom" (Luke 16:23).

A place of Sorrows - "The sorrows of hell compassed me about; the snares of death prevented me;" (2 Samuel 22:6).

A place of everlasting destruction - "Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power;" (II Thessalonians 1:9).

A place where men are tormented with fire and brimstone - "But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death" (Revelation 21:8).

A place where fire is not quenched - "Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched" (Mark 9:44).

A bottomless pit - "And he opened the bottomless pit; and there arose a smoke out of the pit, as the smoke of a great furnace; and the sun and the air were darkened by reason of the smoke of the pit" (Revelation 9:2).

A place of no rest - "And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name" (Revelation 14:11).

It is ultimately a lake of fire - "And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death" (Revelation 20:14).

A place of hopeless of unsatisfied desires - "And he cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame " (Luke 16:24). The rich man wanted water but could not get any.
A place of hopelessness and suffering - as a woman is about to give birth to a child, many go through painful labor that can last from a few minutes to a few days. But through this painful anguishing time, there is hope that when the child is born this terrible labor pain will subside. Just imagine if you can if that pain was multiplied many times over and you would never have hope of it ever going away forever? You would do anything to die to get rid of the pain, but it would always remain and continue forever and ever and ever. THIS IS HELL!

A place of memory - When a person is tormented with a bitter memory they sometimes may commit suicide as a way out. In hell this is impossible because your spirit will never die, but will always remember how you sold your soul for the pleasures of this short sinful life. You will continue to always wish you were in heaven instead of hell, if only you would have made the right decision.

Oh man or woman, boy or girl without Christ, if only you would realize how dangerously close you are to hell. With each second that passes by, you are drawing nearer and nearer to hell. Actually this night your soul may be required of you and will pass into an eternity of the fires of hell that are never quenched!

Oh how completely the opposite is the Christian who knows the Lord Jesus as their Lord and Savior. They are living for Him now and wait with expedient hope of His return or when they will also get to pass into eternity and experience the complete glorious bliss called heaven.

Why do most people give up heaven for hell?A). Is it because they don't want to change their lives and live for their creator who is really the only one worthy of living for? Is it because they want to live for themselves their own way until their hearts are content? Those who live this way believe that this will give them happiness. But sadly, they are giving up heaven for not only hell, but failures, despair, and some times of what some would call hell on earth. This kind of living will never "fill the void" or will never bring "fulfillment", but will always amount in a longing for more out of life. As a person lives for themselves they become selfish. This selfishness brings forth sin, and sin only produces death and destruction.

By rejecting Christ, people are really giving up a heaven on earth. The void is completely filled with the only one that can fill it. Jesus Christ is the only one who brings true purpose and meaning to lives, not material items. A hope of eternal life with Christ the Savior fulfills and is all the heart truly needs.

© Copyright 2001 Fill The Void Ministries. This article may be copied for personal use or reproduced to give to others. Article must be kept in original format and may not be sold for profit.

http://www.fillthevoid.org/Christian/Hell/HellBiblicaldescription.html

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RIGOR MORTIS CORPSE LEAVES HIS COFFIN

Daniel Ekechukwu showing his death certificate


Rigor Mortis Corpse Leaves His Coffin
The Story of Daniel Ekechukwu

Report by Robert Murphree and George Canty© Christ for All Nations 02-07 Used by kind permission

Why should any of you consider it incredible that God raises the dead? Acts 26:8 Holy Bible NIV


Crossing Death's Path

In the morning of November 30th 2001, Daniel Ekechukwu, the pastor of the Power Chapel Evangelical Church in Onitsha, with his friend Kingsley Iruka took a Christmas present of a goat to his father in a village near the town of Owerri. Daniel drove his 20-year-old Mercedes 230. On the way back home, travelling down a steep road, the Mercedes brakes failed. Daniel could do nothing. Gathering speed the vehicle hurtled downhill unstoppable. Its career, and Daniel's, ended as it smashed into a stone pillar. Without a seat belt Daniel was catapulted violently forward. His head hit the windscreen and the steering wheel and knob punched into his body. Daniel's friend Kingsley Iruka, shocked though not badly hurt, turned to Daniel, hoping all was well. But the sight appalled him. Blood was pouring from Daniel's nose from a head injury, and then he began vomiting blood from heavy internal hemorrhage.

Rescue presently came. Marvelously Daniel held up until he was placed in the local hospital's intensive care, or the Nigerian best equivalent of it. His wife, Nneka was sent for. She found Daniel still alive but only just. He hung on to life to ask her to have him taken to his family doctor's hospital in Owerri -- a very serious mistake. It meant anything but a smooth ride of one and a half hours. Within minutes of being lifted into the ambulance Daniel felt himself dying. He tried to whisper his last words and instructions to Nneka. Especially he begged her to see the work of their church continued. He also tried to inform her about one or two church situations she ought to be aware of, but his speech slurred, became incoherent and stopped as he drifted into unconsciousness. The ambulance driver pushed on however, at full speed, warning sirens blaring. Reaching the Owerri Regional Hospital they ran in shouting "Emergency! Emergency." Daniel's doctor, however, was not on duty. Instead a member of the medical staff took charge and checked Daniel's now limp form. He turned to them with a sad face. He could only certify that Daniel was already dead.

His wife Nneka naturally was shocked. But a Bible verse had been ringing in her mind from Hebrews 11 Women received their dead raised to life again.
An irrational conviction seized her. This meant her. She would see Daniel alive and well again. In what follows Nneka was the key figure. The text in Nneka's head made it impossible for her to accept the plain evidence that Daniel had gone or allow him to be buried. Her agitation dictated that something must be done. They hurried to see Daniel's uncle, Okoronkwo Emmanuel living near the hospital and asked if he knew where their own family doctor was. He did not know, but led them to see his own doctor, Dr. Jossy Anuebunisa at the St. Eunice Clinic. Daniel was taken there and seeing Nneka's determination again the doctor checked. He could only confirm death had taken place. The time registered was 11:30 p.m. of the day of the car accident. The doctor then wrote out his report on the decease of his patient and asked if they wished to have Daniel laid in the clinic's mortuary. They declined. Instead they again moved the body to Daniel's father in the village near Owerri and from there to the Ikeduru General Hospital Mortuary, not far away. The resident mortician, Mr. Barlington R. Manu, also carried out the normal checks and by then it was after midnight, one o'clock Saturday morning. The mortuary having no cold storage facilities, the mortician administered the usual chemical injection and prepared the body for embalming on the following morning. With a staff member he laid the body out on a mortuary slab between two other dead people. Everyone then retired for the night.

Faith: The Turning Point

Meanwhile Daniel's wife convinced her husband would live again, wanted his body taken to the church in Onitsha where Reinhard Bonnke was to speak at a dedication ceremony of the Grace of God Ministries. Daniel's father, however, was a Mormon and declared he would decide. He said he would go and "hit him with the Bible seven times", and if Daniel did not rise, then Nneka must accept the fact that he was not going to rise from the dead, and that must close the matter. He did go and struck the corpse as he said seven times, with no result whatever.
Nneka, being a Christian, considered a Mormon would not understand. His performance meant nothing except to put her off. She would not give up. She pestered her father-in-law. Daniel must be taken to the Bonnke meeting. Realizing that if he refused this favour, she would remember all her life he had denied her request on behalf of her husband. Eventually he relented.

On the next day, Sunday, December 2, they went to take the body from the mortuary. But the mortician was worried about their intentions. To hide the fact that a body was being taken away as it was, with a one and half hours drive to Onitsha, as a pretext he dressed the body as for the funeral, placed it in a coffin and shut the lid. They took Daniel in his coffin and set off.
Arriving at the Onitsha church compound, the State security officer and the ushers saw them entering with a coffin and ordered them to turn round and leave immediately. Nneka however was determined. She pleaded and persisted not only for the coffin to be allowed in the church compound but brought into the church itself. Seeing her agitation, the State security office checked that the coffin did contain a body and was not a terrorist trick to plant a bomb. Finding only a pallid corpse he allowed them to proceed. However the idea of bringing a coffin or a dead body into a crowded church brought consternation and upheaval. Finally the Head Bishop's son Pastor Paul Jr. sought his father's permission to get the body into the building, but it would have to be only into the children's department. The children were ushered into the lower hall, and the corpse brought in the upper room and laid out on a table. The Bishop's son, Paul, and another pastor on the church staff, Bathcomery Nkwando, attended to this and found rigor mortis had stiffened the limbs.

Life Returns!

Two other staff pastors, Lawrence Onyeka and Luke Ibekwe joined them to guard the body. Meanwhile Reinhard Bonnke knew nothing of this and was preaching and praying upstairs in the main auditorium. After a while the pastors noticed a slight twitching of the stomach of the corpse. Then the corpse drew a breath, and presently irregular breathing took place in "short bursts" as they reported. Encouraged, the pastors threw themselves into powerful petitionary prayer, stripped the body of the mortuary gloves, socks and shirt and began massage from head to foot, Daniel being as said "as stiff as an iron rod". They asked for fans to be brought in to give Daniel more air to breathe. As this news broke out in the sanctuary above it created hysterical pandemonium. Then, said Pastor Lawrence, at 5:15 on the Sunday afternoon, nearly two days after death had taken place, Daniel opened his eyes, sat up and leaned on Pastor Lawrence.

People began crowding into the hall to see this resurrection man. Pastor Lawrence was worried Daniel would not have enough oxygen, so he lifted and carried him into the church sanctuary. Daniel spoke for the first time "Water. Water." They gave him sips and then warm tea. To give him a clear space they seated him on a chair on the platform, where hundreds of people saw him slowly recovering. He had not yet collected his thoughts and for a while could not recognize anyone, not even his own son who came up to see his dad. However, he progressed, and within only hours, during the evening, he had full consciousness and coherence. He became a wonder, and crowds besieged his home, so he was taken away to a secret location for two days of physical re-strengthening. The once-dead man not only rose from his coffin, but the serious injuries, which had brought about his death, were also healed without the slightest trace. Reinhard Bonnke meanwhile had left the immediate scene to board a planned plane flight. Any doubts? Here are some hard facts that won't go away. For two days Daniel did not breathe, his heart had stopped beating. It was in a hot climate, not suspended animation in an ice chamber. He had been injected with a harsh chemical to keep back mortification. As a corpse he was carted around for hours, pulled about, and lay in an airless narrow coffin for hours. He should have had severe brain damage, but he is alive now without any ill effects.

This is no unsupported claim of bringing someone to life privately, as in a house. Here was a public event, an open demonstration of revival from death. If anyone has to be named, it is Nneka. Her incurable faith alone prevented Daniel's burial simply to bring him where she was convinced God could bring him back to life. She regarded Reinhard Bonnke as a man of God and that in the atmosphere of faith where he ministered this miracle was possible.
The faith of Nneka dictated the whole event and her faith was honoured. By whom? Who honoured her faith? If not God, who else?

http://www.born-again-christian.info/african.resurrection.htm



This other link gives a more detailed account and describes how Daniel was taken to heaven and hell, in the spirit, before coming back to life:

http://www.deceptioninthechurch.com/Resurrection_of_Pastor_Daniel_Ekechukwu.htm

GOD'S PLAN FOR WORLD PEACE

God's Plan for World Peace: A Sure Thing!

Mankind's agreements for enduring peace never last. But God has promised us a period of peace that will endure for 1,000 years. Can we realistically believe that promise? - by Roger Foster

Humanity's past is the tragic story of man's cruelty to man. Our present world is no better. We have witnessed several intractable conflicts—one of which, the Middle East, again has tragically burst into the headlines in recent weeks. Last year alone, the world was plagued by 32 armed conflicts in which more than 1,000 people have died. More than one in eight countries experienced violent armed conflict within its borders.
In the book of Isaiah, our Creator sums up our appalling inability to live at peace with each other: "Their feet run to evil, and they make haste to shed innocent blood; their thoughts are thoughts of iniquity; wasting and destruction are in their paths. The way of peace they have not known, and there is no justice in their ways; they have made themselves crooked paths; whoever takes that way shall not know peace" (Isaiah 59:7-8, emphasis added throughout). What an apt description of our world, a world whose only times of peace are those rare, brief interludes between wars. It will not always be that way. Real, lasting peace is coming. But first we need a Peacemaker capable of enforcing an enduring peace. Jesus Christ, the Prince of Peace, will be that Peacemaker. That is His assigned mission and purpose! "For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given; and the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called . . . Prince of Peace. Of the increase of His government and peace there will be no end" (Isaiah 9:6-7).

A new government required for peace.

Peace and good government are inseparable. To bring peace to the world, Jesus Christ must return and assume control of all the nations and peoples on earth. At that time it will be said, "the kingdoms of this world [will] become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ, and He shall reign forever and ever!" (Revelation 11:15). The prophet Daniel foresaw Jesus Christ and this Kingdom in vision: "Then to Him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom, that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve Him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and His kingdom the one which shall not be destroyed" (Daniel 7:14). That's our hope for peace—that Jesus Christ will return to change the world. And what a wonderful world it will be when He does!

Let's examine the promise of that wonderful world of the future. Let's see what it will be like and learn how Jesus Christ will bring about world peace. Let's also see why that peace will endure. God's first action to establish world peace will be to send, as the returning Messiah, "Jesus, who must remain in heaven until the time of universal restoration that God announced long ago through his holy prophets" (Acts 3:20-21, New Revised Standard Version). As the King of Kings He will immediately begin restoring God's principles for managing the earth and the people on it. Throughout the prophecies of the Bible we find this promise of restoration and hope consistently presented as the only lasting solution to the problems and evils so graphically described by the prophets. Jesus will return to the Mount of Olives, just east of the Temple Mount in Jerusalem (Zechariah 14:4). He will rapidly begin establishing His rule over all the earth, making Jerusalem the capital of His government (verses 9, 17). Once fully established, His rule will produce worldwide peace and justice that will last uninterrupted for 1,000 years.

During that time, the resurrected martyrs and saints of God will share with Him the supervision of this new era of peace (Revelation 3:21). The apostle John says plainly that they will reign "with Christ for a thousand years" (Revelation 20:4). Jude passes along this prophecy: "Behold, the Lord comes with ten thousands of His saints, to execute judgment on all, to convict all who are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have committed" (Jude 14-15). And Daniel says: "Then the kingdom and dominion, and the greatness of the kingdoms under the whole heaven, shall be given to the people, the saints of the Most High. His kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and all dominions shall serve and obey Him" (Daniel 7:27).

God's way of life will bring blessings.

Jesus Christ will begin ruling from Jerusalem. The first people to experience the effects of His rule will be the peoples descended from ancient Israel. Jesus will immediately establish a permanent relationship with them.
Through His prophets God prophesied this long ago: "Moreover I will make a covenant of peace with them, and it shall be an everlasting covenant with them; I will establish them and multiply them, and I will set My sanctuary in their midst . . . Indeed I will be their God, and they shall be My people. The nations also will know that I, the LORD, sanctify Israel, when My sanctuary is in their midst forevermore" (Ezekiel 37:26-28).
"'For this is like the waters of Noah to Me; for as I have sworn that the waters of Noah would no longer cover the earth, so have I sworn that I would not be angry with you . . . My kindness shall not depart from you, nor shall My covenant of peace be removed,' says the LORD, who has mercy on you" (Isaiah 54:9-10).
With Christ's throne established in Jerusalem, the people of Israel will play an important role in helping other nations implement God's ways. After forgiving all of their past sins, God will then use a truly humble and repentant Israel to spread the knowledge of His law to other nations.

All of the world will be taught—and gradually come under the administration of—a unified code of justice, the law of God. This massive reform of world rule will be coordinated by Jesus Christ from Jerusalem.
Concerning the living descendants of Israel, God says: "I will heal them and reveal to them the abundance of peace and truth. And I will cause the captives of Judah and the captives of Israel to return, and will rebuild those places as at the first. I will cleanse them from all their iniquity by which they have sinned against Me, and I will pardon all their iniquities . . . "Then [Jerusalem] shall be to Me a name of joy, a praise, and an honor before all nations of the earth, who shall hear all the good that I do to them; they shall fear and tremble for all the goodness and all the prosperity that I provide for it" (Jeremiah 33:6-9). As the people of Israel learn to follow God's ways, their example will powerfully influence other nations to begin living the same way of life and reap the same blessings. "'Yes, many peoples and strong nations shall come to seek the LORD of hosts in Jerusalem, and to pray before the LORD.' Thus says the LORD of hosts: 'In those days ten men from every language of the nations shall grasp the sleeve of a Jewish man, saying, "Let us go with you, for we have heard that God is with you"'" (Zechariah 8:22-23).

Nations will see that obeying God's law works. They will come to Jerusalem to learn how they can apply it in their own lands. "Many nations shall come and say, 'Come, and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob; He will teach us His ways, and we shall walk in His paths.' For out of Zion the law shall go forth, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem" (Micah 4:2). During that time "the earth will be full of the knowledge of the LORD as the waters cover the sea" (Isaiah 11:9)

Fruits of applying right knowledge

With Jesus Christ in Jerusalem, the city will become the center of learning for the whole world. God's Word, the Bible, will provide a solid foundation for the development of education and knowledge. Notice some of the changes Christ will bring. Instead of reaping curses, people will see the land bring forth blessings. "So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; . . . it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it. For you shall go out with joy, and be led out with peace; the mountains and the hills shall break forth into singing before you, and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands. "Instead of the thorn shall come up the cypress tree, and instead of the brier shall come up the myrtle tree; and it shall be to the LORD for a name, for an everlasting sign that shall not be cut off" (Isaiah 55:11-13). Prosperity will greatly increase; crime and corruption will cease. "Instead of bronze I will bring gold, instead of iron I will bring silver, instead of wood, bronze, and instead of stones, iron. I will also make your officers peace, and your magistrates righteousness. Violence shall no longer be heard in your land, neither wasting nor destruction within your borders" (Isaiah 60:17-18).

Spiritual transformation of mankind

But it takes much more than mere knowledge to bring peace and cooperation to mankind. A spiritual change must occur in all people. This transformation in the people of Israel will inspire other nations to admire their way of life and seek to emulate it. God tells Israel: "For I will take you from among the nations, gather you out of all countries, and bring you into your own land. Then I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you shall be clean; I will cleanse you from all your filthiness and from all your idols. "I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will keep My judgments and do them" (Ezekiel 36:24-27). The spiritual restoration of humanity is the most important change that will occur during this millennial period. The Spirit of God will enable people to willingly and enthusiastically obey God from the heart. "But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the LORD: I will put My law in their minds, and write it on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people" (Jeremiah 31:33; Hebrews 8:10). God's Spirit in people will produce phenomenal social changes such as universal righteousness, honorable leadership and a stable society. "I will restore your judges as at the first, and your counselors as at the beginning. Afterward you shall be called the city of righteousness, the faithful city" (Isaiah 1:26). These changes will be permanent, lasting for generations. "Also your people shall all be righteous; they shall inherit the land forever . . . A little one shall become a thousand, and a small one a strong nation. I, the LORD, will hasten it in its time" (Isaiah 60:21-22).

Each new generation will be prepared to carry on this tradition of righteousness. "All your children shall be taught by the LORD, and great shall be the peace of your children" (Isaiah 54:13). Their example will be noticed and respected the world over. "Their descendants shall be known among the Gentiles, and their offspring among the people. All who see them shall acknowledge them, that they are the posterity whom the LORD has blessed" (Isaiah 61:9). As people from other nations see what happens in Jerusalem and its environs, they too will want to become the servants of the living God and humbly obey His laws:
"Also the sons of the foreigner who join themselves to the LORD, to serve Him, and to love the name of the LORD, to be His servants—everyone who keeps from defiling the Sabbath, and holds fast My covenant—even them I will bring to My holy mountain, and make them joyful in My house of prayer . . . For My house shall be called a house of prayer for all nations" (Isaiah 56:6-7). Finally the barriers between Israel and other nations will be broken. This will occur because they will all eventually realize that "it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes: first for the Jews, then for the Gentile" (Romans 1:16, New International Version). God is the God of all peoples (Romans 3:29).

Deception disappears

This wonderful spiritual rejuvenation in society could never last if God allowed Satan the devil to continue deceiving human beings as he now does (compare Revelation 12:9). Immediately after Christ returns, Satan—and all the demons working with him—will be restrained. God will completely remove their influence over mankind for the next 1,000 years. "And I saw an angel coming down out of heaven, having the key to the Abyss and holding in his hand a great chain. He seized the dragon, that ancient serpent, who is the devil, or Satan, and bound him for a thousand years" (Revelation 20:1-2, NIV). By eliminating the source of the confusion that undermines and derails all attempts to bring peace to our world today, the spiritual transformation of society in the coming Millennium will last. (For plain evidence of the devil's existence be sure to request our free booklet

Is There Really a Devil?) As people all over the earth begin to obey God—first getting their spiritual priorities straight—they will realize unprecedented physical prosperity. "Behold, the days are coming," God says, "when the plowman shall overtake the reaper, and the treader of grapes him who sows seed; the mountains shall drip with sweet wine, and all the hills shall flow with it . . . They shall build the waste cities and inhabit them; they shall plant vineyards and drink wine from them; they shall also make gardens and eat fruit from them" (Amos 9:13-14). Isaiah compares this time to a perpetual feast, offering the best of everything: "On this mountain the LORD of hosts will make for all peoples a feast of rich food, a feast of well-aged wines, of rich food filled with marrow, of well-aged wines strained clear" (Isaiah 25:6, NRSV).

Notice also this beautiful description of those blessings yet to come: "They shall build houses and inhabit them; they shall plant vineyards and eat their fruit. They shall not build and another inhabit; they shall not plant and another eat; for like the days of a tree shall the days of my people be, and my chosen shall long enjoy the work of their hands. "They shall not labor in vain, or bear children for calamity; for they shall be offspring blessed by the LORD—and their descendants as well. Before they call I will answer, while they are yet speaking I will hear. The wolf and the lamb shall feed together, the lion shall eat straw like the ox; but the serpent—its food shall be dust! They shall not hurt or destroy on all my holy mountain, says the LORD" (Isaiah 65:21-25, NRSV).

This is a vision of the world of tomorrow, a vision that is not an illusion but a promised reality. If you believe in God and believe that the Bible is His Word, you have every reason to confidently expect these promises to be fulfilled. Jesus Christ will return to spiritually transform this world and usher in this literal paradise.
The combination of removing Satan's influence, giving humanity God's Holy Spirit and teaching the whole world the principles, laws and ways of God will produce lasting world peace and a society blessed beyond our wildest dreams. Yes, peace is coming. It's a sure thing! GN

Recommended Reading

Many people believe that Jesus Christ will return to the earth. Few, however, really understand why He will return. Yet Scripture plainly tells us in prophecy after prophecy that He will return to establish on earth a world-ruling kingdom—the Kingdom of God. Only then will mankind at last experience true peace! To learn more about how this Kingdom will come about, and the awe-inspiring role God has planned for you in it, request or download your free copy of the

Gospel of the Kingdom.

The Good News Magazine: September - October 2006 http://www.gnmagazine.org