UGW
Our Weapons of Warfare
With all of the confusion and division going on amongst us as believers, many of us forget that our warfare isn’t carnal nor is it against flesh and blood. There is a spirit (good or evil) behind all that manifest itself here on earth. There is a spirit behind the rise and fall of nations, kings and rulers, all dependent upon the type of warfare the believer chooses to fight. We have been called into this Christian army to engage in this life according to the Will of our Heavenly Commander in Chief, God Almighty. As we look at Christ and all the Apostles as examples, they didn’t live this life to defend themselves, nor a particular race, nor special group of people. They lived to carry out the will of God and stood on His Word.
Many have refused to stand on the side of Truth according to God’s Word and due to this particular stance, evil prevails. The warfare in which we have been called to fight is the fight of faith. To maintain faith in the Cross of Christ at all time no matter what, so that His Power can prevail in the earth. Are you fighting the fight of faith in the Cross of Christ?
~Shonette
2 Corinthians 10
2 But I beseech you, that I may not be bold when I am present with that confidence, wherewith I think to be bold against some (refers to the fact that Paul would only use boldness if it was absolutely necessary), which think of us as if we walked according to the flesh. (Paul’s enemies thought this way because they functioned in the flesh themselves, which means that they didn’t have the Power of God.)
3 For though we walk in the flesh (refers to the fact that we do not yet have Glorified Bodies), we do not war after the flesh (after our own ability, but rather by the Power of the Spirit):
4 (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal (carnal weapons consist of those which are man-devised), but mighty through God (the Cross of Christ [1 Cor. 1:18]) to the pulling down of strong holds;)
5 Casting down imaginations (philosophic strongholds; every effort man makes outside of the Cross of Christ), and every high thing that exalteth itself against the Knowledge of God (all the pride of the human heart), and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ (can be done only by the Believer looking exclusively to the Cross, where all Victory is found; the Holy Spirit will then perform the task);
6 And having in a readiness to revenge all disobedience (refers to that which is opposed to the Cross, where alone all Victory is found), when your obedience is fulfilled (is fulfilled when looking exclusively, as stated, to Christ and the Cross).
7 Do ye look on things after the outward appearance? (It is Faith alone that counts.) If any man trust to himself that he is Christ’s, let him of himself think this again (refers to the false teachers who laid claims to being followers of Christ by way of eminence), that, as he is Christ’s, even so are we Christ’s. (Paul is simply saying that he is of Christ as well!)
Swaggart, J. (2005).
Daniel 10
(13) “but the prince of the kingdom of persia withstood me one and twenty days: but, lo, michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me; and i remained there with the kings of persia.”
The structure is:
1. The phrase, “But the prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me one and twenty days,” refers to a fallen angel appointed by Satan to control the Persian Government. Gabriel had to oppose this fallen angel and for reasons we will momentarily discuss.
2. The phrase, “But, lo, Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me,” pertains to Michael, the mighty Archangel, the Angel who is in charge of Israel, who came to help Gabriel regarding this conflict.
3. The phrase, “And I remained there with the kings of Persia,” doesn’t refer to earthly kings, but, again, to many fallen angels, who evidently were mighty and powerful. They were there to help the “prince of the kingdom of Persia,” the chief evil angel appointed by Satan as it regarded the Persian Empire.
The Prince of the Kingdom of Persia
This Scripture appears to reveal that Satan places an agent in charge of every nation (fallen angel); and, if so, this may explain national hatreds and national movements.
Similarly, God has His Angelic agents operating in opposition to Satan’s. The conflict of Ephesians, Chapter 6, and the battle of Revelation, Chapter 12, harmonize with this supposition.
Satan, as the “god of this world” and the “prince of the power of the air,” runs his kingdom of darkness in a military sense (II Cor. 4:4; Eph. 2:2).
It seems from the statement of Verse 13, that God involves His mighty Angels primarily in the carrying out of His Will regarding the fulfillment of Prophecy. God’s Angels also help the Saints (Heb. 1:14).
Prophecy
It would stand to reason that Satan would do all within his power to keep Prophecy from being fulfilled, and especially regarding the displacement of powerful nations and kingdoms; consequently, what is portrayed in this Thirteenth Verse is just such a contest.
The time had now come for the preparation of the moving out of the Medo-Persian Kingdom, and the bringing in of the Grecian Kingdom under Alexander the Great; however, even though beginning now, as Gabriel was to show Daniel (11:1–2), it was to some 200 years before this would actually be fulfilled. In fact, several more kings would reign after Cyrus; however, the events were already transpiring in the spirit world, that would ultimately bring all of these things to pass. The following is something else we learn from this Thirteenth Verse.
Disharmony in Satan’s Kingdom
It seems that various kingdoms in Satan’s domain vie or fight against each other. Even though the prince of the kingdom of Persia and the prince of Grecia, both fallen angels, were in the domain of Satan, they, in a sense, contested each other. Of course, this is unheard of among the Angels of God. But, it seems among the angels of Satan, one prince of darkness which rules a particular part of the world under Satan little desires to give up this place of leadership to another fallen prince.
From Gabriel’s description, it seems the fallen angel that was the power behind the kingdom of Persia did not desire to give up this particular position, and had to be forced by Gabriel and Michael to do so!
Even though the conflict lasted for some 21 days, still, Verse 20 tells us that the conflict still was not resolved, and further effort must be made.
It also seems that the contest was so difficult that Michael, the mighty Archangel, had to come help Gabriel respecting the situation.
The Archangel, “Michael,” as stated, and according to Verse 21, is the Mighty Angel who looks after Israel.
The phrase, “And I remained there with the kings of Persia,” refers to the Satanic princes of the kingdom of the Medes and Persians, of which there were more than one. So, there could have been, and no doubt was, a host of fallen angels promoting this Empire and, as well, greatly encouraging idol worship and all manner of iniquity. This, as well, should tell us some things about present-day events!
If it held true then, and certainly it did, it holds true today that fallen angels work behind the scenes controlling governments of this world.
THE FORMER SOVIET UNION
To use just one example, it was no doubt a fallen angel who instigated the horror of Communism in 1917 and, as well, was moved aside by powerful righteous Angels sometime back. We saw the results in the Autumn of 1989. At that time, Eastern Europe was released from Soviet domination; the Berlin Wall came down, and Russia seemed to change tactics.
This was not by chance, and it was not caused by U. S. State Department policy. Actually, it came as a surprise; but, in reality, and according to Scripture, it happened so that another one of Daniel’s Prophecies might be fulfilled (Dan. 7:7).
The ten horns that Daniel saw on this dreadful beast of 7:7 came up in the old Roman Empire territory, and included some of the Eastern European countries, such as Bulgaria, former Yugoslavia, and Romania, etc. So, according to Daniel’s Prophecies, these countries had to be loosed from Soviet domination, because the ten horns represent ten nations that will rise up in their own sovereignty, and pertain to this very area. Therefore, Soviet domination of this area had to be pushed aside for the sovereignty of these nations to come about.
The first part of Daniel’s Prophecy was fulfilled in the Fall of 1989, with Eastern Europe, in effect, being released from the dominion of the Soviet Union.
The ten horns (ten nations) out of this area have not yet formed an alliance to oppose Israel, but they will in the not-so-distant future.
Therefore, as the prince of Communism (Satanic prince) was pushed aside, the prince that will take his place, and, in effect, has already taken his place, will enable the ten-kingdom Empire to arise. He is now the ruling prince in this realm of darkness. This means that the events now coming about in the Middle East are all working toward this conclusion.
Quite possibly, righteous Angels had to force the prince of Communism aside, as in Daniel’s day, in order that the Satanic prince of the ten kingdoms may come forward, which is already now in progress, and will be fulfilled shortly.
Incidentally, the “little horn” (7:8), who will come up among these ten nations, will be the Antichrist. He will actually be aided by the “prince of Grecia” (Vs. 20) who gave Alexander the Great such power.
J. Swaggart Ministries -Book of Daniel Commentary
Religion
Chapter Two
Religion is that which is conceived by man, birthed by man, instituted by man, and carried out by man, in order to reach God, or else to better oneself in some way. Anything of this capacity conceived by man, is unacceptable to God. This means that anything and everything that’s not strictly according to the Word of God is unacceptable.
Islam, Buddhism, Hinduism, Confucianism, Shintoism, modern Judaism, Mormonism, Catholicism, etc., all and without exception, come under the heading of religion.
Biblical Christianity
Biblical Christianity is not a religion, but rather a relationship, and that with a Man, the Man Christ Jesus. And yet, much of modern Christianity has been divorced from the Bible, meaning that it is perverted and twisted and, therefore, corrupt. It too must come under the heading of religion. Perhaps the simple phrase, “Jesus Christ and Him Crucified,” would come closer to explaining Biblical Christianity than anything else. Concerning this, the Apostle Paul said:
“Now the Spirit (Holy Spirit) speaks expressly (pointedly), that in the latter times (the times in which we now live, the last of the last days, which begin the fulfillment of Endtime Prophecies) some shall depart from the Faith (anytime Paul uses the term ‘the Faith,’ in short he is referring to the Cross; so, we are told here that some will depart from the Cross as the Means of Salvation and Victory), giving heed to seducing spirits (evil spirits, i.e., ‘religious spirits,’ making something seem like what it isn’t), and doctrines of devils (should have been translated, ‘Doctrines of Demons’; the ‘seducing spirits’ entice Believers away from the true Faith, causing them to believe ‘Doctrines inspired by Demon Spirits’)” (I Tim. 4:1).
While the words “religious” and “religion” appear in James 1:26–27, the Greek words originally used would have been better translated “spiritual,” and “spirituality,” making it read, “If any man among you seems to be spiritual …” and “Pure spirituality.…”
The Great Whore
The Holy Spirit, even as we shall see, takes a very dim view of religion, which, in fact, has been the nemesis of the Lord from the very beginning of time. We see religion at work in the case of Cain and Abel, the offspring of the First Family. The Lord had given instructions as to how communion with Him should be carried out, plus forgiveness of sins. It would be by the means of the slain lamb, offered up in sacrifice, which would be a symbol of the coming Redeemer. Abel offered up his sacrifice accordingly, and was accepted by God.
Conversely, his brother, Cain, refused to offer up that which God demanded, instead, offering up the fruit of his own hands, whatever that may have been. Please understand, Cain did not deny there was a God, and did not deny the need for a sacrifice, but rather that he offer a sacrifice of his own choosing, which God would not accept and, in fact, could not accept (Gen., Chpt. 4). Cain’s unacceptable offering was the first evidence of “religion.”
We know what the Lord thinks of religion, by what He said in the Book of Revelation:
“And there came one of the seven Angels which had the seven Vials, and talked with me (probably is the seventh Angel; however, we actually have no way of truly knowing), saying unto me, come hither; I will show unto you the judgment of the great whore who sits upon many waters (the ‘great whore’ refers to all the religions of the world that ever have been, which are devised by men as a substitute for ‘Jesus Christ and Him Crucified’; God’s Way is Christ and Him Crucified Alone; as well, the ‘many waters’ are a symbol for multitudes of people):
“With whom (the great whore, i.e., all type of religions) the kings of the Earth (from the very beginning, most nations have been ruled by some type of religion) have committed fornication (all religions devised by men, and even the parts of Christianity that have been corrupted, are labeled by the Lord as ‘spiritual fornication’ [Rom. 7:1–4]), and the inhabitants of the Earth have been made drunk with the wine of her fornication (proclaims the addiction of religion; the doing of religion is the most powerful narcotic there is)” (Rev. 17:1–2).
All of this means that all religion is devised either by demon spirits, or men, or a combination of both. In any case, as stated, it is unacceptable to God. Religion is Satan’s substitute for the reality of Christ.
To describe religion, the Holy Spirit used one of the most base, descriptive phrases (the great whore) that could be used. He did this for purpose.
The simple meaning of the word is that it pertains to a woman who practices promiscuous sexual intercourse for hire. It also means, “to pursue a faithless, unworthy, or idolatrous desire.”
Used in the spiritual sense, “it pertains to religious favors offered for a price.” As well, it will stoop to any level, strike any bargain, and go to any length, to attain its devious ends.
The Religion of Islam
I think I can say without fear of contradiction, that the most destructive religion that’s ever been birthed in the heart of evil man, is the religion of Islam. In one overwhelming sense of the word, it is very much akin to the religion of Baal worship in Old Testament times. This form of worship majored in human sacrifice, and I think it is overly obvious that the religion of Islam follows suit.
This religion made its debut in A.D. 622. It began with Muhammad of the tribe of Quraysh in Mecca. He claimed to have received a revelation that God (Allah) was “one” and that he (Muhammad) was to be Allah’s messenger of that truth.
He began this religion by making converts of some of his family members and close friends. Due to opposition, he left Mecca and went to the town of Medina, both in present day Saudi Arabia. This particular episode, his flight from Mecca to Medina, is now viewed as year “one” in the Islamic calendar. But actually it was the year 622 A.D.
The Jews
In Medina, Muhammad came into contact with a large Jewish community. Evidently his dealings with them resulted in him being influenced in that he adopted some of the Jewish practices. For example, at least at this particular time, he taught that faithful Muslims should pray facing Jerusalem. The Jews did the same thing and, in fact, had been doing the same thing for some 1,500 years. When the Jews rejected the message of Islam, which they did unequivocally, only then did he change his method of praying, by directing prayers toward Mecca.
He also taught his followers to fast on the tenth day of Tishri, the same day as the Jewish fast of Yom Kippur. This was later expanded to include the entire month of Ramadan.
In his so-called revelation, he also demanded that his followers abstain from pork and, as well, that all little Muslim boys be circumcised, which as most know, are standard Jewish practices.
He also claimed to accept the Jewish Prophets of Noah, Abraham, Moses, and David. He also included Adam in this list, as well as the “Prophet Jesus.” And yet, he strongly rejected the idea of the Deity of Christ. So, it’s difficult to understand how that he could claim that Jesus was a great Prophet, while at the same time being a liar, considering how much our Lord affirmed His Personal Deity.
Muhammad
Muhammad claimed that he was personally “the seal of Prophecy,” meaning that he was God’s final messenger. While he accepted some of the Scriptures of the Old Testament as well as the New Testament, still, he always perverted the Text. At any rate, his “revelations,” embodied in the Koran, became the authoritative “scriptures” for his faithful followers. These followers were called and are called “Muslims,” from the Arabic word “Islam,” meaning “submission” to the one God.
Due to his acceptance of some of the Jewish practices, he felt surely that the Jews would accept his message of “one God.” He found to his dismay, that the Jewish Rabbis gave him no credence whatsoever, ridiculing his illiteracy, and especially his confusion of Biblical traditions. But above all, the Jewish people could not even remotely accept a non-Israelite as God’s “seal of Prophecy.”
In a rage because of the rejection of the Jews, he initiated a policy of extermination that resulted in thousands of Jews being massacred, with thousands of others being evicted from their homes and, in fact, from Northern Arabia.
The Arab-Israeli Conflict
To understand the Arab-Israeli conflict, we must try to understand the attitude of Islam toward the Jewish people.
The land that we presently refer to as “Israel,” or “Palestine,” was conquered and ruled by the Muslims from the Seventh Century to the Twentieth Century.
There was one interruption during this period of time, and that was when the “Christian” crusaders ruled the land for less than 100 years. Islam presently finds it unacceptable that this land, originally conquered for Allah by his followers, to now be ruled by the Jews, a people who they considered to be inferior and subservient. At least that is the way it is pictured in the Koran.
The Muslims find it impossible to acknowledge the historic reality that the land of Israel, according to the Bible, which they do not consider to be the Word of God, but rather the Koran, belongs to the Jews. This is the real key to understanding the impasse that exists in Israel presently. The Arab countries, predominantly Muslim, refuse to accept a foreign, Jewish presence in a land that is supposed to be, according to them, a part of the “world of Islam.”
~J. Swaggart Ministries
What is the Relationship of Islam to the Bible?
Chapter One
In truth, none!
While the Muslims have misquoted the Bible, falsely interpreted the Bible, misapplied the Bible, and even changed the Bible, the truth is, Islam has absolutely no part in the Word of God. While the Koran contains illustrations from the Bible, generally those illustrations are twisted and perverted. In fact, while many religions have borrowed somewhat from the Bible, the Bible, the oldest Book in the world, has not borrowed from anything.
The Muslims claim that Ishmael is the promised seed, and not Isaac.
The Bible portrays Ishmael as a work of the flesh, and that he, along with his mother Hagar, were driven out of the household of Abraham.
The Scriptures say, and I quote from THE EXPOSITOR’S STUDY BIBLE: “And the LORD visited Sarah as He had said, and the LORD did unto Sarah as He had spoken (despite all of Satan’s hindrances, Isaac, the progenitor and Type of the Messiah, is born).
“For Sarah conceived, and bore Abraham a son in his old age, at the set time of which God had spoken to him. (Referring back to the past Chapter, if it be objected that this whole occurrence is incredible, because no heathen prince would desire to marry a woman upwards of 90 years of age, or to conceive such a passion for her that to secure her, he would murder her husband—the very fate which Abraham feared for himself—it may be replied that God must have miraculously renewed her youth, so that she became sufficiently youthful in appearance to suitably be desirable. Three times in these first two verses, the clause points to the supernatural character of Isaac’s birth.)
“And Abraham called the name of his son that was born unto him, whom Sarah bore to him, Isaac. (The name means ‘laughter.’ It speaks of blessing, increase, healing, life, and well-being [Jn. 10:10]. As Isaac was a Type of Christ, it would not be wrong to say that one of the names of Christ is ‘laughter.’)
“And Abraham circumcised his son Isaac being eight days old, as God had commanded him (this was a sign of the Covenant that God would ultimately send a Redeemer into this world).
“And Abraham was an hundred years old, when his son Isaac was born unto him (this verse is placed in the Text so that all may know that Isaac’s birth was indeed miraculous).
“And Sarah said, God has made me to laugh, so that all who hear will laugh with me. (The mention of Sarah’s name some five times thus far in this Chapter is done for purpose and reason; the Holy Spirit is impressing the fact that Sarah was in truth the very mother of this miraculous child. Sarah had once laughed in unbelief; she now laughs in Faith, a laughter incidentally expressing joy, which will never end. It all pointed to Christ. Because of Christ, untold millions have laughed for joy.)
“And she said, who would have said unto Abraham, that Sarah should have given children suck? For I have born him a son in his old age (this is a poem, and could very well have been a song, and probably was).
“And the child grew, and was weaned (the custom in those days was to nurse children for two to three years before they were weaned; however, there is some indication that Isaac was approximately five years old when he was weaned): and Abraham made a great feast the same day that Isaac was weaned (at this time, the boy was turned over to his father for training, at which time his education began).
“And Sarah saw the son of Hagar (Ishmael) the Egyptian, which she had born unto Abraham, mocking. (The effect of the birth of Isaac, a work of the Spirit was to make manifest the character of Ishmael, a work of the flesh. The end result of the ‘mocking’ was that Ishmael actually desired to murder Isaac [Gal. 4:29]. Ishmael was probably eighteen to twenty years old at this time, and Isaac was probably about five years old.)
“Wherefore she said unto Abraham, cast out this bondwoman and her son: (Isaac and Ishmael symbolized the new and the old natures in the Believer. Hagar and Sarah typified the two Covenants of works and Grace, of bondage and liberty [Gal., Chpt. 4]. The birth of the new nature demands the expulsion of the old. It is impossible to improve the old nature. How foolish, therefore, appears the doctrine of moral evolution!) For the son of this bondwoman shall not be heir with my son, even with Isaac. (Allowed to remain, Ishmael would murder Isaac; allowed to remain, the flesh will murder the Spirit. The Divine way of holiness is to ‘put off the old man,’ just as Abraham ‘put off’ Ishmael. Man’s way of holiness is to improve the old man, that is, to improve Ishmael. The effort is both foolish and hopeless.)
“And the thing was very grievous in Abraham’s sight because of his son. (It is always a struggle to cast out this element of bondage, that is, salvation by works, of which this is a type. For legalism is dear to the heart. Ishmael was the fruit, and, to Abraham, the fair fruit of his own energy and planning, which God can never accept.)
“And God said unto Abraham, let it not be grievous in your sight because of the lad, and because of your bondwoman; and all that Sarah has said unto you, hearken unto her voice; for in Isaac shall your seed be called. (It is labor lost to seek to make a crooked thing straight. Hence, all efforts after the improvement of nature are utterly futile, so far as God is concerned. The ‘flesh’ must go, which typifies the personal ability, strength, and efforts of the Believer. The Faith of the Believer must be entirely in Christ and what Christ has done at the Cross. Then, and then alone, can the Holy Spirit have latitude to work in our lives, bringing forth perpetual victory [Rom. 6:14]. It must ever be understood, ‘in Isaac [in Christ] shall your seed be called.’
“And also of the son of the bondwoman will I make a nation, because he is your seed (out of this ‘work of the flesh’ ultimately came the religion of Islam, which claims that Ishmael is the promised seed, and not Isaac)” (Gen. 21:1–13).
God’s Promise Concerning Ishmael
Some years before, Hagar, the bondwoman, and her son, Ishmael, were cast out of the home of Abraham, actually just before Isaac was born, the Lord said unto Abraham: “As for Sarai your wife, you shall not call her name Sarai (‘my princess,’ referring to the fact that she was Abraham’s princess alone), but Sarah shall her name be (simply means ‘princess;’ the idea is, whereas she was formerly Abraham’s princess only, she will now be recognized as a princess generally, and, in fact, in a sense, could be referred to as the ‘mother of the Church’).
“And I will bless her, and give you a son also of her (this is the first time in all of God’s dealings with Abraham that He had mentioned the fact that the promised son would be of Sarah): yes, I will bless her, and she shall be a mother of nations; kings of people shall be of her (her ‘blessing’ spoke of increase, which includes even the Church and, in a sense, the Lord Jesus Christ).
“Then Abraham fell upon his face, and laughed, and said in his heart, shall a child be born unto me who is an hundred years old (Abraham’s laughter was that of joy [Jn. 8:56]? and shall Sarah who is ninety years old bear (Paul said of him: ‘He considered not the deadness of Sarah’s womb’)?” (Rom. 4:19).
“And Abraham said unto God, O that Ishmael might live before You! (Abraham asked the Lord that Ishmael might have some place, and not be completely left out.)
“And God said, Sarah your wife shall bear you a son indeed; and you shall call his name Isaac (the name Isaac means ‘laughter’): and I will establish My Covenant with him for an Everlasting Covenant, and with his seed after him. (The Covenant is to be established with Isaac and not Ishmael. This completely shoots down the contention of the Muslims that Ishmael was the chosen one, unless you don’t believe the Bible. Through Isaac, the Lord Jesus Christ, the Saviour of mankind, would ultimately come.)
“And as for Ishmael, I have heard you, behold, I have blessed him, and will make him fruitful, and will multiply him exceedingly (the Lord would bless Ishmael, but not as it regards the Covenant); twelve princes shall he beget, and I will make him a great nation (the blessing here pronounced was not because of Ishmael, but because of Abraham, and Abraham alone).
“But My Covenant will I establish with Isaac, which Sarah shall bear unto you at this set time in the next year (so now they knew when the child would be born).
“And He (the Lord) left off talking with him, and God went up from Abraham. (Communion with the Lord is the most profitable exercise there is)” (Gen. 17:15–22).
~J. Swaggart
Karl Marx (May 5, 1818 through March 14, 1883) was a German philosopher, sociologist, economic historian, journalist, and revolutionary socialist. He was heavily critical of the socio-economic form of society and taught that Capitalism must be destroyed. Marx tried to make Capitalism the cause of all society’s ills, but history has proven this notion wrong time and time again. Marx s theories about society, economics, and politics, collectively known as Marxism, hold that all societies progress through the dialectic of class struggle. Dialectic is a dialogue or method for resolving conflict between two or more people holding different points of view about a subject. To Marx, this dialectic occurred between two main classes, the proletariat and the bourgeoisie. The proletariat is the labor or working class, the people who earn their livelihood by selling their labor power and being paid a wage or salary for their labor time. The bourgeoisie are those who earn their income not from labor as much as from the surplus value they appropriate from the workers who create wealth. And, according to Marx, the income of the Capitalists is based on their exploitation of the workers (the proletariat). He thought that this conflict could not be abolished without replacing the system of Capitalism itself. You see, for Marx, democracy under Capitalism is actually a bourgeois dictatorship.
The Common Man?
Now, at first glance, his theory makes Marx appear to be a man concerned for the “common man” and a friend to all, but let s dig a little deeper, first into Marx s psyche (and real beliefs), and secondly into the negative effects the system of Socialism always has on a country. Keep in mind that, in order to change things, you must create a crisis, a reason for needing change. Marx used our human compassions for the poor to bring about his own political power, which was a power that would deny religious freedom in the end. The poor were not his cause but his vehicle to produce revolution. Marx often quoted the phrase, “Religion is the opium of the people.” We Believers may concur with this statement in general, agreeing that yes, true Christianity is NOT a religion, but when Marx said it, he was referring to all religions, including true Christianity. You have to keep in mind that his Marxist system, which was designed similarly to Communism, would be used to oppress true Christianity as is evident in the testimony of Brother Richard Wurmbrand, a Believer who spent eight years in a Communist prison for preaching the Gospel and ideas contrary to Communist doctrine. Remember, Socialism is something that sounds good on the surface but, in reality, is not. Its practical application does not hold up to its naive ideals. Yes, some employers and business owners take advantage of Capitalism and exploit their workers, but we cannot forget that Capitalism has a very important aspect. It allows for freedom! If we allow for the loss of any freedom, eventually we will lose all freedoms, even religious freedom! Carefully read this quote by Marx: “The abolition of religion as the illusory happiness of man is a requisite for their real happiness. The call to abandon their illusions about their conditions is a call to abandon a condition which requires illusion. . . . “ (“Was Karl Marx a Satanist?” by Richard Wurmbrand, Diane Brooks Pub. Co., 1976, p.6.) If we do not allow the opportunity for Americans (or people of any country) to make as much money as they desire, we eliminate the opportunity for all to make their desired amounts of income. God will take care of those who abuse the privilege. “Behold, the hire of the laborers who have reaped down your fields, which is of you kept back by fraud, crieth: and the cries of them which have reaped are entered into the ears of the Lord of Sabaoth” (James 5:4).
Without God!
In his youth, Karl Marx professed to be a Christian. His father, a lawyer, was relatively prosperous and came from a Jewish background, and his mother was a Dutch Jew from a prosperous business family. His maternal grandfather was a Jewish Rabbi. Prior to Karl s birth, his father converted from Judaism to the Protestant Christian denomination of Lutheranism. This is believed to be because he was barred from the practice of law due to being Jewish. http://www.notablebiographies.com/Ma-Mo/Marx-Karl.html. So, the conversion could have been more for business reasons rather than actual spiritual ones. Nevertheless, Marx s first written work was called “The Union of the Faithful”, so there is evidence Marx adhered to Christian beliefs early on. However, for reasons unknown, he started to become very anti-religious! A new Marx began to emerge. He began to display a terrible hatred toward God. What exactly produced this hatred, no one seems to know. He wrote the following line in his poem, “Invocation of One in Despair”: “I shall build my throne high overhead.” In another poem he wrote, “Then I will be able to walk triumphantly, like a God, through the ruins of their kingdom. Every word of mine is fire and action, my breast is equal to that of the Creator.” In his poem, “The Pale Maiden”, he wrote, “Thus Heaven I ve forfeited, I know it full well. My soul, once true to God, is chosen for Hell.” Clearly, this man was very tormented. He went from blasphemous claims of considering himself equal to God to acknowledging he was going to a Devil s Hell.
The Dance Of Death
In reading Marx s poems, one quickly discovers not only that he hated God, but actually the gods of any religion. In a little known drama he composed, “Oulanem”, you see a very dark side of Karl developing Devil worship and the Black Mass. During a Black Mass, the Bible is burned and an orgy follows. In a poem called “The Player” he pens these words, “The hellish vapors rise and fill the brain, till I go mad and my heart is utterly changed. See this sword? The prince of darkness sold it to me. For me beats the time and gives the signs. Ever more boldly I play the dance of death.” Now, in the higher initiations of a Satanist s cult, an “enchanted” sword, which ensures success, is sold to the candidate. He pays for it by signing a covenant, a blood-oath. Yes, blood taken from his wrists, and he agrees that his soul will belong to Satan after death! In “The 18th Brumaire” (pg. 119), Marx quotes this, “Everything in existence is worth being destroyed.” These were the words of Mephistopheles in “Faust,” and Marx loved these words. Stalin actually acted on these words and destroyed even his own family. In “Faust,” the spirit that denies everything is called Satan. In his poem, “Human Pride,” Marx admits his aim is not to improve the world, reform, or revolutionize it, but simply to ruin it and to enjoy it being ruined. He wrote, “With disdain I will throw my gauntlet full in the face of the world, and see the collapse of this pygmy giant whose fall will not stifle my ardor. Then will I wander godlike and victorious through the ruins of the world, and, giving my words an active force, I will feel equal to the Creator.” You see, in further, deeper study of Karl Marx, I found a man that had a deep hatred for God and for man as well. It was his desire to draw all of humanity into the abyss and to follow them laughing. And really, there is every evidence that Karl Marx was actually a Satanist. He is even buried in Highgate Cemetery in London. Highgate Cemetery is Britain s center of Satanism. Mysterious rites are held and celebrated at this tomb.
The Communist Manifesto
In college Marx became involved with a group of radical thinkers known as the “Young Hegelians,” who gathered around Ludwig Feuerbach and Bruno Bauer. The Young Hegelians were critical of G.W.F. Hegel s metaphysical assumptions, but still adopted his dialectic method, in order to criticize established society, politics, and religion. Marx befriended Bauer, and the two scandalized their class in Bonn by getting drunk, laughing in church, and galloping through the streets on donkeys. It was in Paris, on August 28, 1844, that Marx met German Socialist, Friedrich Engels, and these two began a friendship that would last a lifetime. On February 21, 1848, Marx and Engels s most famous work was published, which came to be known as, “The Communist Manifesto.” Marx and Engels both came from privileged families and both held a grudge against all religions. “Running left-wing movements has always been the prerogative of spoiled rich kids. . . . The phoniness of the claim to be a movement of the working class was blatant from the beginning. When Engels was elected as a delegate to the Communist League in 1847, in his own words, a working man was proposed for appearances sake, but those who proposed him voted for me. “ (Thomas Sowell, 1993 book, “Is Reality Optional”. Hoover Institution, p. 81.) Marx also met Moses Hess, a man who played a most important role in his life, the man who led him to embrace the Socialist ideal. No, Karl Marx did not love mankind. He was not prompted by concern for the poverty of his fellowman. He did not love them, but rather referred to them as nuts, asses, and rascals. He even described them using obscenities. No, Marx s chief aim in life was the destruction of religion and to send mankind to Hell. Marxists always appealed to the basest passions of men, such as stirring up envy toward the rich and encouraging violence. Marxists will exploit things such as racial differences or the so-called generation gap. They encourage an abolition of all morals, making everything permissible.
Occult Satanism
Socialist and Communist movements are, in reality, front organizations for occult Satanism. Karl Marx (and his satanic Marxism) is not a model for countries to follow, and any country that does follow this socialistic path will wind up broke with its people living in poverty, which is Satan s desire, to destroy God s Creation! The doctrine of Socialism is seething with contradictions. Its theories are at constant odds with its practices. Indeed, no precise distinct Socialism even exists. Instead, there is only a vague, rosy notion of something noble and good, of equality, of communal ownership, and of justice. It is believed that the advent of these things will bring instant utopia and a social order beyond reproach. Yet, in any country that practices Socialism or Communism, you will not find any semblance of anything pertaining to a glorious future for its citizens. Look at China, Russia, and Europe. Look at the bloody experiments at the time of the Reformation utopias of European thinkers, the intrigues of Marx and Engels, the radical Communist measures of the Lenin period, or the heavy-handed methods of Stalin! So, why is Socialism being pushed down the throats of the American people today when it has always been a failure in any country of the world? It s plain and easy for anyone to see that Socialism seeks to reduce human personality to its most primitive levels and to extinguish the highest and most God-like aspects of human individuality. Actually, Socialism has already proven to be a failed experiment here in the United States of America. The Pilgrims, the 104 people who arrived at Plymouth Rock on December 21, 1620, were organized under a charter which imposed a seven year period of joint ownership. Thus, the day they arrived in the new world, all clothing, houses, land, crops, and cash were jointly owned. So, no matter how hard a man might have worked, he had little hope of personal gain for his effort.
The Pilgrims
Thus, the Pilgrims started life in the New World with a system of common ownership forced on them by Plymouth Colony investors. That quasi-socialist arrangement proved to be disastrous. It had to be scrapped for one that gave these first Americans the right to keep the fruits of their labor and incentive to produce more. The communal arrangement also ill-fitted the Pilgrims for the demands of life on the edge of a “cruel” wilderness. The Pilgrims buried forty-four people within the first three months, and a total of fifty died within the first year. The ground proved to be unyielding, so Pilgrims gathered a “small harvest” and celebrated their first Thanksgiving with the Indians in the autumn of 1621. Another small harvest followed in 1622. Such a meager return came in part because the Pilgrims were unskilled at farming and because of the sandy New England soil. However, it was the lack of any promise or return for their labors that caused even these God-fearing and devout settlers to fail to fully work the land. It also led to a social order at odds with the dictates of human nature, so there were dissensions and insubordination in unthrift and famine.
Private Enterprise
In March of 1623, Governor Bradford allowed each man to plant corn for his own household and to trust themselves for that. So, every family was assigned a parcel of land, according to the proportion of their number. This proved to be very successful. It made all hands very industrious, so that much more corn was planted than would have been by any other means anyone had devised. Suddenly, these heretofore mediocre farmers made their own Capitalist “great leap forward.” Whereas 26 acres of corn, barley, and peas were planted in 1621, they planted nearly 60 acres the next year and, in 1623, they planted 184 acres. Governor Bradford reported that, instead of famine, God gave them plenty, and things changed. And they gave thanks to God. Under the new system of private enterprise, the Pilgrims grew in prosperity and were soon able to buy out the interest of their investors and obtain clear titles to their land. Governor Bradford wrote this, “The experience that was had in this common course and condition, tried sundry years and that amongst godly and sober men, may well evince the vanity of that conceit of Plato s and other ancients applauded by some of later times; that the taking away of property and bringing in community into a commonwealth would make them happy and flourishing; as if they were wiser than God.”
Private enterprise is “God-given” and what this Nation was founded on. Socialism, Marxism, and Communism were all founded in Satanism. Private industry is what America was established on, and it has resulted in the greatest nation ever produced on the face of the Earth.
~J. Swaggart
WHILE JESUS WALKED ON the earth in preparation for His death and resurrection to redeem mankind, he brought a reformation. His teachings brought Israel back to the Word of God. He exposed errors taught by the religious leaders of Israel.
From Genesis to Malachi, the scarlet cord of redemption pointed toward our Lord’s vicarious death for the penalty of our sin. During Jesus’ time in Israel, religious tradition had plagued the covenant people, causing them to move their faith from the promise of redemption given by God toward burdensome works fashioned by tradition. The interpretation of the law by religious leaders through tradition left the laymen without spiritual freedom or liberty. The yoke of man’s laws gained supremacy over God’s righteous laws.
CONDITIONS FOR REFORMATION
The reformation that took place in the 15th century beheld similar conditions as was evidenced at the time of Christ with Israel. The seeds of dissatisfaction held by reformers, who initially sought to change the religious system from within the Roman Catholic Church (RCC), were later met by protestors who chose to leave the RCC and declare their spiritual independence from the pope. The questions of the hour ranged from, “How is a person saved?” to “Where does religious authority lie?” Martin Luther’s reply to these questions defined his opposition to the institutionalized Roman Catholic system of works. He would herald, “Not by works but by faith alone.” He declared that spiritual authority is not in the Roman Catholic institution but in the Word of God found in the Bible. Luther’s predecessors, John Wycliffe, John Huss, and Girolarmo Savonarola, to name a few, saw the behavioral corruption within the Roman Catholic Church leadership. The reformers began to question the authority and dominion of the Roman Catholic Church. These men were raised up in the teachings of the RCC and served as monks and priests. In fact, some of John Wycliffe’s inspiration came from one of his college professors at Oxford, one Richard FitzRalph, who argued, “Why should the state of grace be required only of temporal rulers? Do churchmen have the right to rule when they live in moral sin?”
During the Reformation era, the immoral complacency of popes and religious leaders became intolerable to reformers. They desired to see a demonstration of righteous living instead of the hypocrisy displayed by popes who had adulterous affairs and sought earthly wealth and personal aggrandizement. The heightened malcontentedness of the reformers culminated in Martin Luther nailing his 95 thesis to the door of the Castle church in Wittneberg, Germany, on October 31, 1517. Indulgences had been sold by the Roman Catholic Church for over 200 years preceding Luther’s denouncement of Tetzel’s sale of indulgences. However, now in Luther’s time, indulgences were for the sake of raising funds for the rebuilding of St. Peters church in Rome. In order to get these funds, the people were promised remission for sins they had not yet committed, and their relatives were assured release from purgatory. Tetzel summed up his doctrine in this fashion: “The moment the money rattles into the box, the soul for whom it was given escapes from purgatory.” The idea that the Church could assume the authority to sell salvation became unacceptable to Luther and the reformers.
TODAY
The Message of the Cross is the reformation message to the modern church fraught with error. It is the balm that soothes the pain from the damages caused by the abuses of false teachers. The hopes of many believers have crashed into the rocks of despair near the shores of desperation. The modern day indulgences are the promissory notes of so-called preachers who promise prosperity and wealth in this world – but only if one gives to their ministry. Failure to give to these false prophets leaves the unfaithful believers with the fear of temporal punishment – they will live in material and spiritual poverty in this world. Guilt is used by these purveyors of unrighteousness as the means to deceive and imprison its followers. If they can only have more faith, they will be rewarded. Meanwhile, the object of their faith leaves little desire for spiritual things – for they seek after worldly wealth.
Along with the Word of Faith’s misplaced definition of faith comes the Purpose Driven Life model. Its indulgence is the promise of global peace by transforming the modern church into becoming the lowest denominator in finding common ground with anyone who desires to work toward social justice. The crown of compromise is given for the tolerant – the tolerant who champion those who are intolerant! Love is defined by a feeling of well-doing, but in the end, the blind are leading the blind, and they all will fall in the ditch.
The Cross is the light that exposes error but is also the beacon that illuminates the way back to God. The Cross is the only meeting place where man can meet God. Likewise, it is the only place that man can meet man. The Message of the Cross is the reformation message for today. It shows us how we are justified, but it also tells the believer how to live. The stalwart scripture of the early reformation was, “The just shall live by faith” (Heb. 10:38). Today, we can also say, “As you have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him: Rooted and built up in him, and established in the faith” (Col. 2:6).
~John Rosenstern
i beseech you therefore, Brethren, by the Mercies of God, that you present your bodies a Living Sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, Will of God (Rom. 12:1–2).
The first evidence of real Christian life is consecration to God and transformation from the world. This is not an outside mechanical action, but an inward perpetual renewing of the mind, a seeking for, the doing of, the Will of God.
In this consecration, the Holy Spirit through Paul demands of the Believer that we “present our bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God.” Then he tells us that this is our “reasonable service.”
How is this to be done?
Whenever the word “sacrifice” is mentioned in the Bible, as it refers to the Lord, always, and without exception, it goes back to the Cross. The only way that one can present one’s physical body as a “living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God,” which, incidentally, is the only thing acceptable to God, is, as we have repeatedly stated, by the Believer placing his Faith exclusively in Christ and His Finished Work. The Holy Spirit will then do that which is necessary in the heart and life of such a Believer, which will make the Believer what he ought to be.
If anything else is presented to God, and I speak of any manner or way other than the Cross, it is totally unacceptable to God.
“So then they who are in the flesh cannot please God” (Rom. 8:8).
When the Believer attempts to function outside of the Cross, the situation becomes impossible. Sin and failure are the constant results, no matter how hard one may try otherwise. However, when the Believer places his Faith exclusively in Christ and His Finished Work, i.e., “the Cross,” the Holy Spirit then does for us what we cannot do for ourselves, and the situation then becomes easy. In other words, that which the Lord requires becomes a “reasonable service.”
That’s what Jesus was talking about when He said, “Come unto Me, all ye who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
“Take My yoke upon you (the “yoke” of the “Cross” [Lk. 9:23]), and learn of Me (learn of His Sacrifice [Rom. 6:3–5]); for I am meek and lowly in heart: and you shall find rest unto your souls (the soul can find rest only in the Cross).
“For My yoke is easy, and My burden is light” (what He requires of us is very little, just to have Faith in Him, and His Sacrificial Atoning Work [Mat. 11:28–30]).
Then, and only then, can such a Believer present his physical body as “a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God.” He will then find that what God demands is a “reasonable service.”
~JSM
By F. Swaggart
On Thursday, January 10, 1963, Florida Congressman A. S. Herlong, Jr., stood on the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives and read a list of 45 “Current Communist Goals”—an excerpt, he said, from the book The Naked Communist.1
All of these goals are listed on page 17-18, but I would like to comment on just a few of them:
Number 3: “Develop the illusion that total disarmament by the United States would be a demonstration of moral strength.” A simple comparison of the size and strength of our armed forces now to what they were just 30 years ago will show how the U.S. military has been cut down again and again.
Number 26: “Present homosexuality, degeneracy, and promiscuity as ‘normal, natural, healthy.’” The president of the United States just appointed the first openly transgender man who dresses as a woman to be a recruitment director in the White House.
Number 32: “Eliminate prayer or any phase of religious expression in the schools on the grounds that it violates the principle of ‘separation of church and state.’” This goal was met more than 50 years ago. In 1962 and 1963, the U.S. Supreme Court banned state-sponsored prayer in schools.
I could go down the entire list of these communistic goals and show how each one has been accomplished—completely or in part—inside of one generation.
This infiltration of communistic ideals did not happen overnight. The change happened gradually—accelerating over the past 50 years as America shifted from her capitalist foundation to reach out for socialism and communitarianism, only to find herself completely conditioned for communism.
WHAT IS CAPITALISM, ANYWAY?
Webster’s dictionary defines capitalism as a way of organizing an economy so that the things that are used to make and transport products—land, oil, factories, ships—are owned by individual people and companies rather than by the government.
We see capitalism taught throughout the Bible, beginning with the book of Genesis:
“And the LORD God took the man, and put him into the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it” (Gen. 2:15).
God planted the garden, but He gave man the innovation, strength, and wisdom to work it. For Christians, this is capitalism in its truest form—believing in God’s provision while doing the work at hand.
A WORD ABOUT WORK
In Proverbs, Chapter 14, Verse 23, we read, “In all labor there is profit.” I believe that God expects all those who are able-bodied to work.
Having said that, I completely understand that some people—due to circumstances beyond their control or because of sickness or disability—simply cannot work. We sympathize with these precious people; they are the very ones our government absolutely should help and assist.
But there are millions of Americans out there who are capable of taking a job yet refuse to work.
Statistics show that of the 316 million people who live in the United States, 46 million receive food stamps. Think of that.
One news report claimed that the U.S. has more people dependent on food stamps than the total populations of Argentina, Columbia, Kenya, or Ukraine. The same report said, “Households on food stamps got an average benefit of $261.44 during the month, and total benefits for the month cost taxpayers $5,978,320,593.”2
So, basically, those who are working support those who either choose not to work or those who cannot work.
This dependency on government lines up with the communist agenda credited to Karl Marx.
His Manifesto of the Communist Party includes Frederick Engels’ “Draft of a Communist Confession of Faith,” which is written in a question-and-answer format. One question reads, “What will be your first measure once you have established democracy?”
The Marxist answer: “Guaranteeing the subsistence (amount of food, money needed to stay alive) of the proletariat (lowest social or economic class of a community).”3
WHAT DOES GOD SAY ABOUT WORK?
When the Lord established the nation of Israel, He showed them how the nation was to be governed. He set their economy in motion with instruction on bartering, commerce, free enterprise, and trade. Provisions were also made for the poor:
“And when ye reap the harvest of your land, thou shalt not wholly reap the corners of thy field, neither shalt thou gather the gleanings of thy harvest. And thou shalt not glean thy vineyard, neither shalt thou gather every grape of thy vineyard; thou shalt leave them for the poor and stranger: I am the LORD your God” (Lev. 19:9-10).
Notice that the landowner did not gather the food and hand it over to the poor. No, his part was to leave some of the harvest—some of the work—for the poor to do.
We see this “law of gleanings” carried out in the Bible story of Boaz and Ruth:
“And when she was risen up to glean, Boaz commanded his young men, saying, Let her glean even among the sheaves, and reproach her not: and let fall also some of the handfuls of purpose for her, and leave them, that she may glean them, and rebuke her not. So she gleaned in the field until evening, and beat out that she had gleaned: and it was about an ephah of barley” (Ruth 2:15).
Gleaning barley is hard, physical work, yet we see Ruth out there from morning until night doing what she needed to do to feed herself and her mother-in-law.
Nowhere in the Word of God will you find laziness rewarded in any shape, form, or fashion. Instead, you will find Scripture after Scripture condemning slack hands and slothful living:
“He becomes poor that deals with a slack hand: but the hand of the diligent makes rich” (Prov. 10:4).
“The hand of the diligent shall bear rule: but the slothful shall be under tribute” (Prov. 12:24).
“He also that is slothful in his work is brother to him that is a great waster” (Prov. 18:9).
“The desire of the slothful kills him; for his hands refuse to labor” (Prov. 21:25).
“But if any provide not for his own, and specially for those of his own house, he hath denied the faith, and is worse than an infidel” (I Tim. 5:8).
In America, we are guilty of rewarding laziness with our welfare programs. People who won’t work (but laugh) go out and buy their alcohol and drugs with money for which we have worked very hard and paid in taxes to the federal government. Then the federal government doles it out to people with no accountability for the money they receive. That’s a sin.
God had no welfare program for Israel. He made no provision for people who were lazy. In Bible times, people who refused to work were looked down upon; they were outcasts of society, and they didn’t exist for long.
God gives us the ability to work and expects us to work to provide, not only to help meet the needs of ourselves and our families, but also to have some left over to give to others.
In Ephesians 4:28 we read: “Let him that stole steal no more: but rather let him labor, working with his hands the thing which is good, that he may have to give to him that needs.”
Christians are instructed to give to the Lord. The Bible shows Israel giving to build the tabernacle so the presence of God could dwell among them. Then we see the temple constructed, again so that the people could experience the presence of the Lord. Today we have the tithe, which helps support the place we worship the Lord and finances the propagation of the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ.
America is a blessed nation because it has always been a Christian nation, a nation built on a strong work ethic – a capitalist nation. And it’s the capitalist countries, not the communist ones, that are producing and have overflow.
I’ve been on the docks in foreign countries where goods are shipped in – food, water, and medical supplies – in response to something like a natural disaster, and all the food that’s being brought in is coming from the United States of America. It’s a patriotic feeling to see that huge ship and know it’s from the United States of America. However, as patriotic as that may look or feel, goods and services are not this country’s greatest export.
As you’ve probably heard my husband say many times, “As long as the gospel of Jesus Christ is America’s greatest export, the jackbooted heels of foreign invaders will never walk on American soil.”
Karl Marx may be the founder of communism, but God the Father is the founder of capitalism, and we must hold fast to God’s way as outlined in His Word.
As Christians, we must continue to seek the face of the Lord and pray—especially heading into this most important election year – that America returns to her roots as a capitalist and a Christian nation.
Sidebar of 45 Communistic Goals
Extension of Remarks of HON. A. S. HERLONG, JR., of Florida in the House of Representatives on Thursday, January 10, 1963.
Mr. HERLONG: Mr. Speaker, Mrs. Patricia Nordman of De Land, Florida, is an ardent and articulate opponent of communism, and until recently published the De Land Courier, which she dedicated to the purpose of alerting the public to the dangers of communism in America. At Mrs. Nordman’s request, I include in the RECORD, under unanimous consent, the following “Current Communist Goals,” which she identifies as an excerpt from The Naked Communist, by Cleon Skousen.
CURRENT COMMUNIST GOALS
1. U.S. acceptance of coexistence as the only alternative to atomic war.
2. U.S. willingness to capitulate in preference to engaging in atomic war.
3. Develop the illusion that total disarmament by the United States would be a demonstration of moral strength.
4. Permit free trade between all nations regardless of Communist affiliation and regardless of whether or not items could be used for war.
5. Extension of long-term loans to Russia and Soviet satellites.
6. Provide American aid to all nations regardless of Communist domination.
7. Grant recognition of Red China. Admission of Red China to the U.N.
8. Set up East and West Germany as separate states in spite of Khrushchev’s promise in 1955 to settle the German question by free elections under supervision of the U.N.
9. Prolong the conferences to ban atomic tests because the United States has agreed to suspend tests as long as negotiations are in progress.
10. Allow all Soviet satellites individual representation in the U.N.
11. Promote the U.N. as the only hope for mankind. If its charter is rewritten, demand that it be set up ‘as a one-world government’ with its own Independent armed forces. (Some Communist leaders believe the world can be taken over as easily by the U.N. as by Moscow. Sometimes these two centers compete with each other as they are now doing in the Congo.)
12. Resist any attempt to outlaw the Communist Party.
13. Do away with all loyalty oaths.
14. Continue giving Russia access to the U.S. Patent Office.
15. Capture one or both of the political parties in the United States.
16. Use technical decisions of the courts to weaken basic American institutions by claiming their activities violate civil rights.
17. Get control of the schools. Use them as transmission belts for socialism and current Communist propaganda. Soften the curriculum. Get control of teachers’ associations. Put the party line in textbooks.
18. Gain control of all student newspapers.
19. Use student riots to foment public protests against programs or organizations which are under Communist attack.
20. Infiltrate the press. Get control of book-review assignments, editorial writing, policymaking positions.
21. Gain control of key positions in radio, TV, and motion pictures.
22. Continue discrediting American culture by degrading all forms of artistic expression. An American Communist cell was told to “eliminate all good sculpture from parks and buildings, substitute shapeless, awkward, and meaningless forms.”
23. Control art critics and directors of art museums. “Our plan is to promote ugliness, repulsive, meaningless art.”
24. Eliminate all laws governing obscenity by calling them “censorship” and a violation of free speech and free press.
25. Break down cultural standards of morality by promoting pornography and obscenity in books, magazines, motion pictures, radio, and TV.
26. Present homosexuality, degeneracy, and promiscuity, as “normal, natural, healthy.”
27. Infiltrate the churches and replace revealed religion with “social” religion. Discredit the Bible and emphasize the need for intellectual maturity, which does not need a “religious crutch.”
28. Eliminate prayer or any phase of religious expression in the schools on the ground that it violates the principle of “separation of church and state.”
29. Discredit the America Constitution by calling it inadequate, old-fashioned, out of step with modern needs, a hindrance to cooperation between nations on a worldwide basis.
30. Discredit the American Founding Fathers. Present them as selfish aristocrats who had no concern for the “common man.”
31. Belittle all forms of American culture and discourage the teaching of American history on the grounds that it was only a minor part of the “big picture.” Give more emphasis to Russian history since the Communists took over.
32. Support any socialist movement to give centralized control over any part of the culture-education, social agencies, welfare programs, mental health clinics, etc.
33. Eliminate all laws or procedures which interfere with the operation of the Communist apparatus.
34. Eliminate the House Committee on Un-American Activities.
35. Discredit and eventually dismantle the FBI.
36. Infiltrate and gain control of more unions.
37. Infiltrate and gain control of big business.
38. Transfer some of the powers of arrest from the police to social agencies. Treat all behavioral problems as psychiatric, which no one but psychiatrists can understand or treat.
39. Dominate the psychiatric profession and use mental health laws as a means of gaining coercive control over those who oppose Communist goals.
40. Discredit the family as an institution. Encourage promiscuity and easy divorce.
41. Emphasize the need to raise children away from the negative influence of parents. Attribute prejudices, mental blocks, and retarding of children to suppressive influence of parents.
42. Create the impression that violence and insurrection are legitimate aspects of the American tradition; that students and special-interest groups should rise up and use united force to solve economic, political, or social problems.
43. Overthrow all colonial governments before native populations are ready for self-government.
44. Internationalize the Panama Canal.
45. Repeal the Connally reservation so the United States cannot prevent the World Court from seizing jurisdiction over nations and Individuals alike.
THE BIBLE USES DIFFERENT metaphors to describe the spiritual connection Christians have one with another.
In John, Jesus refers to believers as branches, with Himself as the vine, and God the Father as the husbandman (Jn. 15:1-2). Paul talked about the believing Gentiles being grafted in (Rom. 11:17). The church is referred to as a building that is built on the foundation of the apostles and the prophets with Jesus Christ being the cornerstone (Eph. 2:20). Peter added, “You also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house” (I Pet. 2:5). And there’s more. Today, I want us to look at the church as being the body of Christ!
NOT ALL IN A CHURCH ARE PART OF THE CHURCH
Let me first of all state that not all that attend church are part of the church. Sitting in a burger joint, no matter how fancy that restaurant is, does not make you a burger. Sitting in church, even participating in services, does not make you a Christian. To be part of the body of Christ, you have to “confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus, and shall believe in your heart that God has raised him from the dead” (Rom. 10:9). Only those who have placed their faith in the completed work of Calvary are part of the spiritual body of Christ.
Paul talked often of the body of Christ. “Now you are the body of Christ, and members in particular” (I Cor. 12:27). In Paul’s discussion on the purpose of the five-fold ministerial gifts, he said it was “for the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ” (Eph. 4:12). Clearly the church is the body of Christ.
DIFFERENT PARTS, DIFFERENT FUNCTIONS
Just as in the natural, the body of Christ has different parts with different functions. “For the body is not one member, but many. If the foot shall say, Because I am not the hand, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body?” (I Cor. 12:14-15). We can’t all be evangelists. We cannot all be preachers. We can’t all travel the world spreading the Message of the Cross, but we can all do our part. We can help finance those who go. We can purchase the Expositors Study Bibles that are being sent around the world. The body moving in a well-orchestrated fashion can be instrumental in reaching the world for Christ.
EVERY BODY HAS A HEAD
Every living body has a head. Although man often attempts to usurp His authority, Jesus Christ is clearly the head of the body of Christ. “For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and He is the Saviour of the body” (Eph 5:23). As the head, Jesus coordinates and instructs the individual members of the church. “And He is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things He might have the preeminence” (Col. 1:18). We are, therefore, His physical representation on earth.
WHAT DOES THE WORLD SEE?
How well is the church representing Christ? We have to acknowledge that what is being presented as Christianity is a poor reflection of true Christianity. The prosperity gospel, the seeker sensitive movement, Kingdom Now, the Emerging Church movement, and much more do not reflect Christ. As we preach the Word, share the Word, and live the Word of God, Jesus will be lifted up. “If I be lifted up … I will draw all men unto me” (Jn. 12:32).
By Mike Muzzerall
We mean by the Rapture (Resurrection) of the Church, the catching up of all true Believers in Christ to meet the Lord in the air. This event is simply and clearly predicted in Luke 21:34–36; John 14:1–3; I Corinthians 15:23, 51–58; Philippians 3:20–21; Colossians 3:4; I Thessalonians 4:13–17.
If one carefully reads I Thessalonians 4:16–17, there is no room for misunderstanding. So it is obvious that if one does not believe in the Rapture (Resurrection) it is because he does not believe the Bible. In fact, if one believes in the Resurrection, one must believe in the Rapture, for they are one and the same.
THE COMING OF THE LORD
The Rapture of the Church is called the “Coming of the Lord” but never the Second Coming of Christ. At the Rapture, Christ does not appear visibly to those on the Earth, but He comes in the air above the Earth to catch up or Rapture the dead and living Saints who rise together to meet Him in the air.
There are many different ideas about these two Comings of Christ, which have made it difficult to distinguish one Coming from the other. There are so many Scriptures that have been misapplied to the one or the other Coming that one might readily see why many have found themselves involved in difficulties from which they are unable to clear themselves.
The Rapture is purely a New Testament Doctrine and was first revealed to Paul as a special revelation (I Cor. 15:51–58), while the Second Coming of Christ is not only a New Testament Doctrine, but is one of the chief themes of the Old Testament as well.
THE OLD TESTAMENT AND THE CHURCH
The Old Testament Prophets never saw the New Testament Church, much less the Rapture of the Church. The Rapture should never be called the Second Coming or Second Advent of Christ, for He does not come to the Earth at that time. Also, it should never be referred to as one stage or phase of the Second Coming of Christ for the two will be separated by at least seven years, and possibly longer.
The Rapture is a distinct Coming in itself, not to the Earth, but in the air where Christ meets the Saints and then takes them back to Heaven to present them blameless before God (Jn. 14:1–3; I Thess. 3:13; 4:16–17).
THE DIFFERENCE IN THE TWO COMINGS
1. The Rapture takes place several years before the literal Advent of Christ to the Earth.
2. The Saints are in Heaven before God, from the time of the Rapture to their coming again with Christ to reign as kings and priests (Zech. 14:5; Jude vs. 14; Rev. 19:14). This seems clear from the facts that the Saints are judged, are given their rewards, and partake of the Marriage Supper in Heaven, immediately before the Second Coming (II Cor. 5:9–10; Rev. 19:1–10).
3. At the Rapture Christ comes for the Saints (I Thess. 4:16–17); at the Second Coming, He comes back to Earth with the Saints (Jude vs. 14; Zech. 14:5).
4. At the Rapture, the Lord comes from Heaven as far as the air above the Earth, and the Saints will be caught up to meet Him in the air. At the Second Coming, the Saints are already in Heaven, and will come back with the Lord to the Earth together.
5. The Rapture (Resurrection) takes place before the coming Great Tribulation, whereas the Second Advent takes place after the coming Great Tribulation.
6. The Rapture could occur at any moment. The Second Advent cannot occur until certain things happen such as the rise of the Antichrist, etc. (II Thess. Chpt. 2).
1 Corinthians 15:24
(24) “THEN COMETH THE END, WHEN HE SHALL HAVE DELIVERED UP THE KINGDOM TO GOD, EVEN THE FATHER; WHEN HE SHALL HAVE PUT DOWN ALL RULE AND ALL AUTHORITY AND POWER.”
The phrase, “Then cometh the end,” does not refer to the time immediately following the Rapture or even the Second Coming, but when all satanic rule, authority, and power will have been put down, which will take place at the conclusion of the Millennial Reign (Rev. Chpt. 20). The final conclusion will actually be Satan loosed out of his prison for a short period of time, which will take place at the end of the Millennial Reign, when the Lord will make short order of this last attempt by the Evil One, with him being “cast into the lake of fire and brimstone … and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever” (Rev. 20:7–10).
The phrase, “When He shall have delivered up the Kingdom to God, even the Father,” tells us what happens when the “end” comes.
END OF WHAT?
The phrase, “When He shall have put down all rule and all authority and power,” refers to every last vestige of evil and wickedness under the auspices of Satan and his minions, which actually began with Satan’s rebellion against God and is described by both Isaiah and Ezekiel (Isa. 14:12–15; Ezek. 28:11–19). This began long before the episode in the Garden of Eden.
As a result of this rebellion, in which a third of the angels threw in their lot with Lucifer (Rev. 12:4), untold sorrow and heartache have come to the Earth, with possibly much more elsewhere.
JESUS THE VICTOR
It is Jesus Who will “deliver up the Kingdom to God,” a Kingdom incidentally, that will then be free of all Satanic “rule,” “authority,” and “power.”
Jesus defeated Satan at Calvary and the Resurrection.
The idea is, that the Lord Jesus has received or been entrusted with an important power or office as Mediator; that He has executed the purpose implied in that trust or commission; and, that He is now rendering that to God (or will in that day) the Office and Authority which He had received at God’s Hands.
As the work has been accomplished which had been contemplated in His Design; as there would be no further necessity for mediation when Redemption should have been made, and His Church recovered from sin and brought to Glory, there would be no further need for that peculiar arrangement which had been implied in the Work of Redemption, and, of course, all the entrustment of Power involved in that which will now be restored to the Hands of God.
~J. Swaggart Ministry 1 Corinthians 15