Lessons About Finishing Well

All the three ladies in my life (OK, to clarify here,  I mean my wife Andrea, my daughter Danae and my Mom) are into knitting and crocheting in a big way this year.  From various places in the house this fall and winter, I've heard intense "OH NO's!" as the reality of  what they've just done in error sinks in.  Stitches or "rows" that were STARTED WRONG, are pulled back apart for a better re-start! Their cries communicate the value of STARTING RIGHT.

When it comes to working out, I am the proverbial Goldilocks trainee. That is the "just-enough" workout - Not too hard (don't want to have a heart attack or re-injure my damaged knee) and not too easy (just don't want to be wasting my time).  Several times a week, I like to do some healthy activity moderately.  The treadmill works well for me as I can get my heart rate up a bit (ideally around 170 bpm), then slow it down for a time until I get back to a more sustainable 120. I repeat this cycle culminating with a half hour workout and a heart rate back around 120 as I walk away for a deserved cold glass of water.  Finishing well here prevents me from over-stressing and is important to my middle-aged body.  Psychologically,  a sense of well-being ensues when I observe the calorie counter showing a 300 calorie burnoff!  My reality is that although I may not ever fully win the battle of the bulge, when it comes to my workout, finishing well is important. To achieve this I have to pre-plan the workout.  I need to START RIGHT and I need to END RIGHT.

During my early teen years in the '70's, I grew up in the small northern Ontario mining community of Manitouwadge.  We'd moved there after Dad had pioneered a church at Madsen (another small Ontario mining town well north of Lake Superior) in the nearby Red Lake area.  For a variety of reasons, this larger community seemed to be much more vibrant than the previous mining town, albeit still quite isolated from the southern "outside" world. While Dad pastored the church there, it seemed that we frequently enjoyed a steady-stream of visitors to our town every few months. We often had the fun and excitement of entertaining evangelists, hunters, fishermen, relatives from the "south", and district pastors from surrounding communities.  The '70's occurred during much simpler times, and if on "church business", the travellers would inevitably end up staying in our home.  This meant that I would again have to give up my room and my bed. Bed-sharing a double bed with my little brother was definitely the downside, however, I very much enjoyed the conversations around our dinner table from the variety of transient visitors that came and amused us from the "outside" world. I could sit for hours and listen to captivating adult-life conversations over yet another round of Mom's roast beef, apple-pie and ice-cream.

In about 1971, one visitor left quite an impression on me. While his name has long since escaped my memory (I think it was Van-something or other!), I remember an old, tall, thin, and big-bearded Dutch evangelist that came through on his ministry circuit. His "schtick" was that of a stern-faced magician/sleight-of-hand guy who used the "magic" to draw a crowd, hold their attention and thence drive home his life-lesson. It was fun having him stay in our home.  He was sold-out to Christ and his enthusiasm was contagious, his accent exotic!  He arrived at our house with many wooden boxes and trunks full of stage-props squeezed into his station wagon. On-stage, he dressed in a formal long-tailed tuxedo, with a white shirt and bow-tie. He really knew how to draw a crowd to watch his hands in action. His white gloves waved a black wand, and you never knew what he was going to do next. His "magic" worked every time, and for every lesson, and at times you wondered if he held superpowers of some sort as he worked towards ending each performance with a "redemptive" theme. I remember seeing the spit fly out of his mouth during the passionate intensity of his delivery. Impressionable-aged kids, sat spellbound and mouths open, as white birds appeared out of red handkerchiefs or black velvet boxes and just as quickly disappeared back into thin-air.  He covered a lot of ground each weeknight giving his object lessons during the week of that "children's-crusade" winning hearts for Jesus.  After he'd put his birds and magic away, he would draw the now-fascinated children into still more object lessons and a bible story.  His altar calls were effective.

In one of the scenes, he walked up to his stage wearing a big beige sweater with many big brown buttons on it. With determination, he began to talk to the kids about "Life" in his accented, but clear-enough English.  Slowly he began to fasten each of the many buttons all the way up to his neck.  The "twist" in his object lesson, was that he purposefully started by mismatching the wrong button in the wrong button-hole.  As he continued up the long sweater, the kids could quickly see how this was going to end.  They began to call out from their seats "hey you started wrong - you missed one!" or "it's not going to work-you didn't do it right!", indicating their now-careful attention to watching every detail and every move he made.  But expressionless and seemingly deaf, he slowly continued buttoning up the sweater...which further drew in each child causing them to wonder why are you buttoning your sweater like that!   When he got to the top, his face expressed huge-shock, and aggravation as he feigned surprise that the amount of buttons and button-holes just didn't match up!  The children started to laugh hilariously at this silly old man who couldn't seem to properly button his sweater. Faking, he would start the re-buttoning process over and over in cantankerous fashion, again just not starting RIGHT! By now he had the children in stitches and on the edge of their seat, so it was time to deliver the punchline!   He loudly proclaimed, "Children, this is a life lesson.....IN LIFE...IF YOU START WRONG, WHAT HAPPENS?"   By now it was clear! The kids were absolutely right into the lesson and shouted back rhetorically with great enthusiasm, "YOU END WRONG!".   He'd figuratively sent an arrow straight into my heart, right where I sat in the back row.

All of 2015 is ahead of you.....a whole year to spend it as you want.  For the most part, forget about 2014 -good or bad - forget about 2014, ....you now live in 2015 and the finish line is still somewhere up ahead.  If you "START-RIGHT"...you'll probably "END RIGHT".  Take lots of time this year to honor King Jesus - MAKE HIM FAMOUS!!!  .... read his Word, communicate your heart to him in Prayer and spend time with other people who do the same (and befriend some who don't)!  Do you want to get to know Jesus just a bit better this year?  Do you want to increase your faith level?  Do you want to be able to trust Him?  The way to do this is to read His Word and get to know Him.  His Word will keep you from sin, or sin will keep you from His Word.

Pre-plan 2015 & get STARTED RIGHT, so you can END RIGHT!   Happy New Year!

For Unto Us A Child is Born

Guard Your Heart

This Christmas Eve afternoon finds me in St. John's, Newfoundland nearing the end of a 34 hour layover, or pause between a series of flights.  My room has a view of the harbour some distance away. I started my shift with a trip on the B767, and in a few hours I will switch and take back our B757 full of westbound freight this Christmas Eve, just in time to be back home with my family for Christmas and our family celebrations tomorrow.  I enjoy the challenge of my work very much however, I need to recharge, and this quiet layover has been great for that as well as take time for some deep-down reflection.

My work related visits to "the Rock", have always brought warmth to my heart, mostly because of the inherent charm from the folks in this community.  The local TV news is playing clips of quick people interviews up on Signal Hill overlooking St. John's, where a new "compass star" will replace the old 5-point star, hoisted aloft each Christmas.  Several locals explain enthusiastically to the viewers that the new star will remind them more of the star that attended Bethlehem and ever-reminds them of "our Lord".

Several times yesterday I was called "me darling" and "me luv" by smiling, friendly faces while being waited on as a haircut and dining customer.  Relaxing in this hotel setting among warm hearts and refreshing dialects is a perfect place to reflect on 2015 looming just ahead.  A whole year of choices lie waiting for all of us.

23Above all else, guard your heart,

for everything you do flows from it. - Proverbs 4:23

Recently at our post-dinner evening family altar, I have been reminding our teenagers of the importance of 'guarding your heart'.   In my bible reading in 1 Kings this month, I was amazed to see how the nation of Israel rose and fell depending on how well the king guarded his heart.  My amazement caused me to go back and reread it all.   There are various ways to guard your heart.  Not only do we need to keep certain things 'out', we are to keep certain things 'in'.  On the "in-list", we need to retain the love and warmth that Christ offers our heart, and spread it around our sphere of influence.

Not only does a warm guarded heart better communicate the bible message and better orders your world, but I know only too well that projecting this proverbial warning to others is part of a huge self-reminder in my own quest as well.  During 2014 I met and worked with so many people who have allowed their heart to turn cold.  In 2014 I have also worked with many people who have kept their hearts warm.  No doubt you have likewise experienced similar temperature differences.  I really don't want my heart to grow cold....but I am aware that it easily can. You can often instantly tell who is which. Colder hearts consistently seem to have "No-faces", whereby you can foretell that the answer to your question, request, idea or thought will be a firm "No".  Contrast that face to warmer hearts with "Yes-faces", projecting "affirmation" with unconditional love, possibility and acceptance.

In his powerful two-minute song, "My Eyes Are Dry" (click) , musician Keith Green speaks volumes to my own, cold-prone heart.

My eyes are dry, my faith is old
My heart is hard, my prayers are cold
And I know how I ought to be
Alive to You and dead to me

Oh what can be done for an old heart like mine
Soften it up with oil and wine
The oil is You, Your Spirit of love
Please wash me anew in the wine of Your Blood

My eyes are dry, my faith is old
My heart is hard, my prayers are cold
And I know how I ought to be
Alive to You and dead to me

Oh what can be done for an old heart like mine
Soften it up with oil and wine
The oil is You, Your Spirit of love

Talking to the Cults - Jehovah Witnesses

Related: John Piper on JW's
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Question: What is a cult?     
Answer:  "a significant deviation from orthodox (normal) Christianity."  

...or "a group of people gathered about a specific person or person's mis-interpretation of the Bible."

One of the constant characteristics of the cults is that they deny the deity of Jesus Christ.  Some
time ago, I had pre-marked my bible with the eventuality of defeating this weak point.

I was reminded of this again this week when I was speaking to a lady in my home about Jesus over a cup of coffee.  I had just discovered that his lady was a former Catholic who had "converted" to Jehovah Witness thought about 12 years ago. She began to excitedly speak to me about what she now believed, with probably a view to "sharing her faith" with me.

I listened to her for a few minutes and then simply asked her, "Is Jesus God?".

Her answer didn't really surprise me as much as it saddened me.  "Oh No, He is not God, He's just the Son of God.  How can He be God?   .....when he prayed on the cross, ...did he pray to himself?"

I mentioned to her that I could show her, using her own bible that Jesus was God, and that the bible says He is.  She assured me that this was impossible.  I told her that if I did show her using her own bible, that I would expect her to agree with me that Jesus Christ is God - especially if it was her own bible. She said she was up for the challenge.

Before I show you what I showed her, I'd like to add that one of the books that is authoritative on the subject of the cults is Walter Martin's "Kingdom of the Cults".  Here are a few of his pointers:

• Strategy - Develop a personal relationship.  See them as a person, not a project.  Keep the conversation firm but friendly!

In talking to the cults he makes his strong case that before you go throwing around scripture, you make a keen effort to develop a personal relationship with this person and attempt to view them as Christ does.  Walter Martin adds "A discerning Christian who gives every indication of being unprejudiced, reasonably learned and having a genuine love for the welfare of the cultist himself (which is easily detectable in the Christian's concern for his soul and spiritual well-being generally) can have a devastating effect upon the conditioning apparatus of any cult system."

They indeed are brainwashed (psychologically conditioned) into wrong doctrinal interpretation of simple scripture passages. They talk about terms you've heard, but they twist the meaning of those terms.  You don't want a sparring partner, you want them to have the opportunity of experiencing Jesus in their heart!  So Be Winsome!

• Strategy - Introduce and plant "seeds of doubt" into the conversation in the nicest way.

The following is what I showed her in Revelation, and what I have had marked in the margins for decades, and this wasn't the first time I had occasion to use it.  I had her turn in her bible and read the following three passages:

• Revelation 1:8 - 8“I am the Alpha and the Omega (the First and the Last),” says the Lord God, “who is, and who was,  and who is to come, the Almighty.”   (We both agreed at this point that God is the Alpha and Omega, the First and the Last.  This is a JW teaching point.)

• Revelation 22:12-16 - 12“Look, I am coming soon! My reward is with me, and I will give to         each person according to what they have done. 13I am the Alpha and  the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End.  

          (Again here, she shook her head affirmatively We both agreed at this point that God is the     
         Alpha and Omega, so I continued to the next passage.) 

• Revelation 1:17 &18 -  “Do not be afraid. I am the First and the Last. 18I am the Living One; I   was dead, and now look, I am alive for ever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and Hades. 

I pointed out "It says here that "I was dead, and now look, I am alive forever and ever".  I then asked her, "Who died?"   and she quickly replied "Jesus died".  I said who is Alpha and Omega, and she looked at me baffled.  "Alpha and Omega is God".  I reinforced the point of these Revelation verses. Jesus is God! ...and he died and is alive forever and ever!   

I paused in silence for quite a while to let this truth permeate her pre-conditioning.  "Hmmm  Ahhhhh  Welllll" was about all she said for a moment as she almost became speechless.  "I will have to look at this a bit more".

My intention was to introduce and plant a "seed of doubt" that I am trusting the Holy Spirit to continue to water and germinate. This had, as I had expected completely proved that her Bible proclaims Jesus is God, in direct opposition to what her cult system had conditioned her.  Pray with me that God will continue to illuminate her heart and make it open to her!

This is not the only passage you can use in scripture to explain Christ's deity, but the JW's seem to be able to readily track and grasp these Revelation series.  Paul teaches us in Colossians 1 about who Jesus is! 

"15The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. 16For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him. 17He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. 18And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy. 19For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, 20and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross."  -Colossians 1

The bible says that when a soul comes to Christ, all heaven breaks loose into party mode!  Our job is to be faithful when the opportunity for witnessing is there.  The Holy Spirit's job is to convict of sin and point to Christ.  Have you given much thought to what you'd say to someone asking you if Jesus was God?  I offer this for you to consider and prepare in advance for a witnessing opportunity.  It is almost a forgone conclusion that you WILL be contacted by the cults.  How you respond is up to you.
                       

That's When The Angels Rejoice

Larry Bryant

That's When the Angels Rejoice (Click for Video)

At the completion of the Golden-Gate
No the Angels did not celebrate
And When the Wright boys flew their bird
No angelic shouts were heard
There's only one thing that we're sure about
That can make those angels jump and shout
It's when a sinner makes the Lord his Choice
That's when the Angels rejoice

Now When the light bulb first lit up the town
No the Angels did not dance around
And when the first man stepped on the Moon

They didn't sing a victory tune
There's only one thing that we're sure about
That can make those Angels jump and shout
It's when a sinner heeds the Savior's Voice
That's when the Angels rejoice

Now Heaven doesn't strike up the band
For any old occasion at hand
It's got to be a special thing
To make those Angels sing

Now when the model T first hit the street
It didn't bring all Heaven to its feet
And when the first computer was born
They didn't blow old Gabriel's horn
There's only one thing that we're sure about
That can make those Angels jump and shout
It's when a sinner makes the Lord his Choice
That's when the Angels rejoice

Now when the United States became a nation
There was no Angelic Celebration
But one lost sinner comes back home
They dance for joy around God's throne.

> NEXT: TALKING TO THE CULTS - JEHOVAH WITNESSES PART 2

The 1948 "Battle of Netanyahu"

The Creation of the State of Israel

As the modern Zionist movement began to solidify and gather steam, Jewish immigration to the Land of Israel began in earnest. Beginning in the 1880s and peaking in the 1940s with the flight of Jews from Europe who had survived the Holocaust, Jews began to eye the Holy Land, the ancient Jewish homeland, as a place of refuge. Their plight, combined with the fact that there wasn’t a single country willing to accept any significant number of Jewish refugees, created a sense of urgency for the establishment of a Jewish state.

After World War II, hundreds of thousands of Jewish refugees from Europe attempted to immigrate to Israel (then called Palestine), which was then British-mandated territory. The British, always wanting to avoid friction with the Arab world, refused to allow the Jewish refugees to settle in “Palestine.” The increasingly volatile and violent situation between Jews, Arabs and the British convinced the British to leave Palestine to the United Nations.

mfa.gov.il

In 1947, the UN proposed the partition of Palestine into two states – one for the Jews and the other for the Arabs, with an internationally controlled area around Jerusalem. The Zionists, desperate to enable Jewish immigration, accepted the offer. The Arabs rejected it as they opposed any Jewish rule in Palestine.

Tensions peaked on November 29, following the UN General Assembly’s vote in favor of partition (dividing Palestine into two states), and Jewish communities throughout the Land of Israel found themselves under attack by local Arab gangs. On May 15, 1948,  Israel officially declared statehood. The very next day, the nascent Jewish state was invaded by the armies of Egypt, Syria, Jordan, Lebanon and Iraq.

One Miracle Among Many

While stories abound of miracles that took place during Israel’s War of Independence, one story sticks out. It is referred to as the Battle of Netanyahu. (The definition of the Hebrew word netanyahu is “God has given.)

As soon as Israel declared independence on May 15, 1948, she found herself in an untenable situation. The new state was populated almost entirely by war refugees and possessed no means of protection. With no army and no weapons, she was a sitting duck. According to legend, the fledgling nation possessed approximately five machine guns with about fifteen rounds of ammunition and one tank.

Miraculous Ingenuity

As if to give Israel a false sense of hope, the surrounding Arab nations did not attack immediately. They planned a major offensive against Israel for the eighth day after declaration of statehood. However, the Israelis, understanding that their very lives were yet again on the line, came up with a plan that they hoped would at least buy them some time to prepare for war. On May 23, at midnight, they lined up cars, trucks, taxis, and anything they could find with an engine, side by side along the beaches from Tel Aviv through Netanya and Haifa. They then removed the exhaust pipes from the vehicles, making them sound much louder.

David Ben-Gurion, first Israeli prime minister. (Photo: Knesset)

They then loaded large oil drums with rocks and took them to the top of the adjacent hill. When the time was right, early in the morning, the signal was given and the engines were started while the oil drums were rolled down the hill.

The unsuspecting Arab forces were suddenly awakened by the incredible noise, which completely shook the area. Since they had no idea from where the racket was coming, they could only guess – and they assumed that American forces had come to Israel’s rescue with Sherman Tanks.

The entire Arab army fled, leaving behind a treasure trove of artillery and thus arming the Israelis.

Author: Penina Taylor, United with Israel
(With files from NYJtimes)

Towards the Coming of Jesus -Fern Sarrafo

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Traveling @ Lightning Speed Towards the Coming of Jesus

By Fern Sarrafo

Hope everyone is doing well in Him.

For the past decade many voices in the field of eschatology and Bible prophecy have in the midst of much opposition been proclaiming that Islam is the system that will bring the Antichrist to power in the last days. Voices like Walid Shoebat, Joel Richardson, John Preacher, Dave Watchman, Rodrigo Silva, Perry Stone and many others have been warning the church in America that the beast system of the Antichrist is being formed before our eyes.

Traditional interpretation of end time prophecy has for the past century caused Christians to look at the European Union (EU) as the beast of Revelation, and the pope as the Antichrist. The voices that have been warning the church that the EU cannot be the beast kingdom of the Antichrist have for the past decade faced much opposition from those who refuse to see the rise of Isalmic fundamentalism which seeks to revive the Islamic Caliphate as the Antichrist system.

The Bible says (I am paraphrasing) not only “In the last days knowledge will abound” but also “Revelation will be made available for all to see” (Daniel 12:3 & 4). I guess only if one shuts himself off from the Creator he will not know the Truth.   

Would like to recommend  a Video, and if you are like me a visual person this is a great way to learn.  In order to better appreciate this Video, let me give you in brief some of the doors I knocked on, maybe you can relate.

Way back in the 70's in my teen years Hal Lindsey came out with a book called “The Great Late Planet Earth” at the time it was a best seller and catapulted Hal to the lime light of the “Bible Prophecy Expert Club”.

I remember so vividly going with mom and dad to the Food City store to get groceries at Caledonia and St. Clair  in Toronto back in the 70's and purchasing the book, and when got home read it from cover to cover in one sitting. Which for me still today is extremely unusual to read a book like that.

Hal famous book was for me at the time “it” and for many years was too busy with school and career and did not bother going deeper, but today I see it as a good introduction.

It wasn't until early 90's that I started my quest again into the “End of Time” subject.

I remember we started to attend Halton Hills Gospel Center in Georgetown (now GCF), and at the Georgetown public library I discover a VHS Video of Nostradamus, again really study that video by watching over and over again and making notes.

Nostradamus is not in the bible and I am not sure he was even a Christian, he was a scientist and sometimes operated under some prophetic influence (debatable if evil or good) but at the time was very respected in Europe specially in France, in fact he came up with a cure for the mysterious fatal disease called the Black Plague.

Without going into detail for me the greatest contribution related to the end times that I learned from the man, had to do with connecting the end time events with the Middle East and Arabic leaders which was fascinating, specially today, if taking into consideration that Nostradamus wrote his prophecies in the early 1500's.

I must add that for me Nostradamus increased my curiosity and made me turn to the Holy Scriptures to look for the Truth but for some they go in the other direction or the occult, so be careful on what books you read make sure you are guided by the Holy Spirit of Heaven and not a demonic spirit of Hell.

My next important analysis was the work of bible teacher Jack Van Impe.

Into the late 90's we were pastoring a church in Brampton Ontario and because of my love to minister on the “End Time Subject” I connect with brother Jack loved his scripture memorization and how he came across as a scholar, as a result was really pushing his material at our church, and many were getting excited. Well that was until brother Jack made a enormous blunder. It's okay even for a scholar to make blunders will all do, but for me it's not okay to say nothing to move on as if nothing happen special in an important subject like bible prophecy and if you a large audience like brother Jack. The brother made just that, it was when the European Union was increasing members at a fast rate and brother Jack  would go on Sunday after Sunday how the European Union was the 10 (horns) countries where the Antichrist would come out, of then one day, the EU went from 10 members states to 14 members states and brother Jack on a following Sunday changed from EU 10 member states to 10 world regions, and never give a proper explanation, so goodbye brother Jack.

I have researched many others, but the reason I am using these “prophecy teachers” as examples is because one must be ever so careful with our sources of information.

I personally find some to be just pure sales scams they just want yours and my money to keep “there

ministries” on TV and live off the sweat of hard working people, just like we see in John 2:13 – 16, Jesus just kicks them out and wants nothing to do with them  and we should do the same. Others have teachings that do not line up with the Holy Scriptures in fact if you check them out they even go against them (Scriptures) therefore let us be like the Berean Jews in Acts 17:11 who checked the Scriptures to see if they are preaching/teaching the Truth, and finally others are just “To American” all of bible prophecy revolve around the USA. Let's be realistic the USA is not in the bible! In fact the nations and regions mentioned in the Bible you never hear about them, which shows very poor research, and even laziness.

Some years back I came across Walid Shoebat a Middle Easterner which early on spoken English with a heavy Arabic accent. But Walid got my attention not only because he has a direct connection with the nations and cultures of the Bible but for the first time through him I hear Bible prophecy being explain using the names in the Bible with respect to nations and regions.

For me it was definitely a paradigm shift on end times Bible prophecy and I strongly recommend to give Walid a ear.

Lately Walid interpretation has become more popular I even hear that brother Jack has started to mention things that Walid has been saying for years, and by the way Walid has been very active in helping out our brothers and sisters through the middle east war crisis, I am so surprised how he manages to stay alive, it has to be God!

The video was elaborated in South Africa by John Preacher, it's practically one hour long with excellent imagery, therefore take time to watch, learn, enjoy and be blessed.

Babylon the Great & The Caliph Antichrist (Video) 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uY20IFaWlsQ

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Ed's Note:
Fern Sarrafo (remember Fern's recent article on Portugal?) has sent me his narrative and some information on research that was recently done on ISLAM.  He has included this video called Babylon the Great & The Caliph Antichrist .  Using bible passages, this documentary essentially points out the (likely) scenario that the Antichrist will arise from ISLAM. Fern suggested I share it with The ANVIL Newsletter readers.  Fern and I share a common interest in how the middle eastern world is shaping up to totally align with Bible prophecy. You may have concluded by now that God's prophetic focus is not on Canada or the USA.  Israel and the nations that will attack her however, remain front and center in His plan much like main actors arriving at the stage for their soon-coming performance.  Fernando has sent this to me in step with some recent biblical end-time articles that have been presented on The ANVIL Newsletter.  I have published Fern's article here for your viewing interest.

However, I also want to add that for some readers, this research may be overwhelming in terms of it's depth and reporting scope.  To better understand it biblically, I would suggest that a viewer have a working knowledge of Daniel and Revelation, ...and for that matter the entire Bible from a prophetic viewpoint.  This compelling video represents many hours of research that it's author has compiled and is convinced to his satisfaction represents truth.  Most of it's commentary has been sourced from scripture and seems to be true to what we are seeing develop in our changing world. Due to the large scope of study this "new" information entails, I (and probably you) am not able to quickly verify each aspect of it's study.

I also want to add, and I'm sure that Fern will agree with me, that at the end of the day our focus needs to remain on Christ.  While we can follow each new bit of info and thereby "put the puzzle together", it's Jesus who remains our sole focus.  In his Thessalonian letters, Paul says to use information like this to encourage one another about Christ's soon return. The writer of Hebrews says"
"1 Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, 2 fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God." -Hebrews 12

Jesus is the One who was sent to bear my load of sin, Jesus is the One who wants me to have abundant life, Jesus is the One who wants to indwell me with his Holy Spirit.  ...and Jesus is my Soon Coming King!  Have you acknowledged His Presence in your life today?

The Dragon

"....and the dragon stood before the woman (Israel) who was ready to give birth, to devour her Child as soon as it was born. (Revelation 12:4)

Read Revelation 12

Ed's note:  Dr. David Jeremiah's new book "Agents of the Apocalypse" is a recent read of mine and I highly recommend it.

The technique that Dr. Jeremiah uses in this book, is to capture a "player's scene" in Revelation and through the interaction of the players, helps you better understand the associated scripture passage. Each of the prominent Revelation players are each featured in their own dramatized cosmic roles, and then Jeremiah explains the scripture behind the story.  This helps you better understand and apply the scripture.
Let's look at a few paragraphs from the chapter called "The Dragon", which  in my opinion has everything to do with Christmas, ...albeit a behind the scenes look at what's really happening!

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Chapter 5 - THE DRAGON

     Golden light danced around the angels as they gathered in the second heaven.  The vast assembly waited expectantly as Lucifer, the greatest and most beautiful of the archangels, made his way to the front.  In moments he would take his seat at the head of the great angelic congress to report God's latest instructions to them.
     But instead of mounting the steps to the marble dais, Lucifer took aside his closest aide, Michael, an archangel like himself.
     "The congress will have to wait," Lucifer said.  "Dismiss the assembly.  We must speak immediately."
     Michael made the announcement and the gathering dispersed, leaving the two archangels standing alone.  Michael could see by Lucifer's dark countenance that he was not here to discuss a light matter.
     "You are troubled, Lucifer.  What has happened?"
     "As you know, I have just returned from the high heaven, where God is enthroned.  He has revealed to me His most recent project - a vast and daring one.  He has created a new physical world beneath the lowest heaven.  It is utterly glorious - perhaps the most beautiful thing He has ever made aside from ourselves.  He is populating this world with a new race of creatures, and He has modeled them after Himself, granting them intelligence, free will, and creativity.  He will charge them with the rule and care of His new world and infuse them with His own Spirit."
     "Lucifer, you baffle me.  Why is this not good news?  Why does it disturb you?"
     "Why does it disturb me?  I'll tell you why!"  Lucifer shouted.  "God wants us, His angels to minister to these new creatures.  We are to be messengers to them, protecting and assisting them in their little endeavors.  How can He expect us, the highest order of creatures in all of the universe, to stoop so low as to become errand runners and servants to inferior beings?  We should be ruling them, not serving them.  I tell you, Michael, this is not to be tolerated!"
     A short time later, Lucifer reconvened the great council of all the angels.  When they were assembled, he mounted the steps to the dais and addressed the legions of mighty beings before him.  He first explained the new assignment God had charged them with, and then, to their amazement, he spewed out his disdain:  "We run God's errands, We watch over and protect His creation.  Why should we be required to forever submit to His will and stifle our own?  I tell you, my oppressed comrades, we must not accept this degradation any longer.  Hear me, and hear me well:  we possess the power to seize the throne of God."
     Michael, positioned in the first tier beneath the dais, stepped forward immediately.  "My dear captain, think about what you are saying.  Have you forgotten who we are?  Like these newly formed earth beings, we, too, are God's creation.  He gave us a vital role in His universal Kingdom and made us to find joy in serving Him.  Who are we to defy our Creator?"
     As the debate between the two mighty archangels escalated, so did Lucifer's rage.  His rising anger began to infect some of the angels in the assembly, and as he ranted on, the rebels' cries swelled until a great chorus of voices echoed their leader's outrage.  Such vocal support bolstered Lucifer's belief that he had won the unwavering loyalty of the other angels.  At last, he raised his hand, and the entire host fell silent.
     "Your affirmation confirms that you are with me.  Therefore I call all of you to battle,"  he commanded.  "We will depose that arrogant tyrant who humiliates and oppresses us.  We will take His throne, and we will make His high heaven our dwelling place.  Are you with me?"
     His words were met by a roar of assent.
     Lucifer, however, had miscalculated his support.  The angels who had cheered him on were merely the most vocal ones, numbering only about one-third of the whole.  But Lucifer remained undeterred, assembling his army and leading the march forward.  He immediately found his way barred by Michael, who had rallied the rest of the angels against him.
     The two armies clashed in a titanic supernatural battle.  Michael's army drove the rebels back and hurled them from the second heaven.
     The fallen leader heard the voice of Michael speak from high above him: "Lucifer, you have been my friend, and it grieves me deeply that you have severed our unity.  You have chosen hatred over love, pride over humility, evil over good, and darkness over light.  Therefore, God has decreed that your name shall no longer be Lucifer, the bearer of light.  From this day forward you shall be called Satan, the adversary.  No longer will you be a creature of love and beauty.  You will be a dragon, a hated, loathsome creature whose utterances and deceptions will deliver those who heed you into eternal fire."
     In an instant, a smoldering Satan sat brooding beside a stream on the newly created planet.  One thought obsessed him:  How can I spite God and regain power?  After a great deal of scheming, he arose and called his lieutenants to him.  He presented a detailed plan by which they could wrest from God the new world He had made, annihilate its inhabitants, and make it their own domain.
     "While it is much too small a kingdom for a being of my stature," he bragged, "it will serve as a power base from which we can launch subsequent attacks, until we have wrenched the entire universe from the hand of God."
     "But how can we do this?"  one of his minions asked. "You told us that God has placed His own Spirit within the two humans.  That gives them power we cannot overcome."
     Satan smirked.  "When God explained this new creation to me, He said that if the human couple ever disobeyed Him, His Spirit would depart and they would die.  Our task, then, is to get the man and woman to disobey God.  I will deceive them into thinking He is not their benefactor but a selfish tyrant."
     Satan left his lieutenants and disguised himself as one of the more cunning earthly creatures.  And using a mix of lies and half-truths, he seduced the couple into rejecting their Creator.  But to his consternation, they did not immediately die.  God confronted them with their disobedience and revealed the pain, sorrow, and eventual death that would come as a result.  But He also promised something their seducer had never anticipated - that one of their future descendants would restore all they had lost and would crush Satan's head.
     When Satan heard this prophecy, new outrage boiled in his heart.  He charged a full battalion of his fiercest demons to conduct a guerilla war to prevent the promised Redeemer from coming.  Throughout the centuries, they attacked the family, the kings, and the nation charged with bringing God's promise to fruition.  But neither Satan nor his legions could keep the promised Child from being born.

-excerpted from Chapter 5, "The Dragon" - "Agents of the Apocalypse"  by Dr. David Jeremiah
- This book available through the Dr. David Jeremiah, Website
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Wow!  I can better understand some aspects of the Christmas story now that I've been behind the scenes.  When the prophesied Child was finally born, Satan instilled fear and hatred in King Herod, who had all the babies in Bethlehem murdered under Satan's influence.  He thought that thereby surely the promised seed would be slain. (Matthew 2).

 Israel (or "the woman") is pictured in Revelation 12:4 :  "....and the dragon (Satan) stood before the woman (Israel) who was ready to give birth, to devour her Child as soon as it was born.

Can you now better understand why Satan has such a hate on for Israel?

1). Israel is where Christ was born and
2). Israel is where he will rule from in His Millennial Kingdom after His Second Coming. Satan is trying to destroy this country so this will not happen!  Satan has attempted and is attempting to foil every aspect of God's Salvation Plan for mankind.

I trust that this will add a new dimension to your appreciation this Christmas, of what God has done for us through sending Jesus Christ!  His love for us, and the lengths He will go to on our behalf to redeem us to Himself is incredible.

Fernando and Teresa Sarrafo & Family- Missionaries to Portugal

Fernando and Teresa are currently living in Brampton Ont. Teresa manages a private estate and Fernando is subcontracting in the area of counselling (from a Christian perspective). Fernando was raised in the city of Toronto, but has always had a heart for the nation of Portugal. He spent several years in Portugal to learn the culture and language and to understand the Lords vision for his life and for that nation. While there he met and married Teresa. Since 1996 Fernando and Teresa have been working alongside Portuguese speaking churches in SW Ontario helping families deal with many issues. Their focus now is to bring this proven ministry to Portugal. Over time they have been involved with short term missions where ministries and agencies have been established. Their goal is to develop a Family Center which will provide urgently needed services to hurting families. These services will include family/marriage counselling, women’s outreach, teaching and discipleship.

The Sarrafo's : Vida Nova Family Center.
 David (missing), Reuben, and Joshua

                                               __________________________________
*Ed's Note:  A technical glitch in a computer system prevented this missionary family from expressing fully what was on their heart for missions when they visited our church recently. The glitch caused the Powerpoint player to stop working.   I've asked Fernando to share a few of his Powerpoint pictures with us online at the ANVIL Newsletter, to give us a taste of what we missed that day.  This is a very exciting project!  Europe is in many ways closed to the gospel, yet God has a plan and people in place to begin to accomplish His Plan.  

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PORTUGAL:  Their Mission Field (Vida Nova Family Center.)

   We approach the "Midnight Hour" at lightning speed (for human kind).  The ones that have been called out from the world to serve the God of the Universe and His Son the Majestic King of Kings Yeshua  (Jesus) are getting ready for the greatest encounter between men and divinity that can ever be imagined.  We believe that Jesus wants to soon rapture His worldwide Church!

   One of the ways to get ready for the hour is to put away all forms of evil and focus on Godly things,

• study the Holy Scriptures, 
• pray and listen attentively to the ever so precious Holy Spirit and last but not least 
• work in a God-given mission field.

   This mission field can be anything from prayer to preaching to crowds or what ever He wills.

   Never despise the small beginnings of work for Him.

  

Here are a few examples of Sharing the Gospel:

     James, a dear friend and brother,  told me that he came out of small group of praying seniors that got together for prayer for over 50 years.  He described prayer so intense that many times angels would appear to listen in.  He described prayer meetings like an open “portal to heaven” where you could walk up the stairs to the Throne of Grace. This is James's prayer ministry.  Other people have other ministries.  Evangelist Reinhard Bonnke preaches to millions each year. 

 We are not all called for the same thing or have the same gifts.    
What about YOU?  
     
     Maybe you are like my brother "Henry" in the Lord.  In his spare time, Henry makes wood shelves in his garage and sells them.  The money is used to buy things for children in the third world.  Erika, his wife places the goods in the Samaritan Purse boxes and out they literally go to the ends of the earth!

   I urge you my brother or sister just simply do something for Him! Because when we go, nothing of this world can be taken with us, example; no houses, cars, gold or silver they all will have to be left behind, the only thing we can do is populate Heaven by telling people of the Way (Jesus).   We can support missionaries, by giving things or money.  -Money represents work!

   I love to give, and many of you reading this also like to give, we all feel real good about giving! 

    My family has a history of giving!  I remember my grandfather well.  He never turned anybody away that came asking for help,  My grandfather would say that “Only God knows what has happened in that man's life for him to live in such a way” Now, how much more should we give to expand  His Kingdom in these the last days?

   While pastoring in Brampton, our congregation decided we would like to build roofs for church's in the slums of Managua City in Central America.  We were moved with compassion at how those brothers and sisters lived.  All of us have seen third world countries with people wearing rags just begging, and as result we pitched in to help. Some helped in giving finances.  Others by actually taking time off work and going down to work those countries. One day I overheard a missionary that was working in one of those newly open Eastern European nations saying “While flying to the mission field I fly over the graveyard”, 
...so we asked the missionary, ..."what graveyard?”  
The missionary quickly explained that it was Western Europe! ... a very high-tech modern society that had expelled God from everything and was building the social fabric founded on socialism and atheism.  Europe is a pluralistic post-Christian society.

   Today one of the greatest mission fields in the world is Western Europe!  

     But wait, ...this seems backwards!  Hundreds of years ago it was Europe evangelizing the world, resulting in many places across the globe experiencing revival.  However, Western Europe has not experienced such revival.  Western Europe continues on building kingdom after kingdom on the blood of it's citizens.   The latest kingdom being the European Union, which already experienced two wars; one in the Baltic and yet another that is raging and growing in the Ukraine. ...Some even saying it's the beginning of World War III.

     Prosecution of the saints is just beginning.  A missionary friend mentioned that his home bible study in Belgium has been interrupted by assault police, resulting from calls from neighbors who accused them of holding “secret meetings”.  The missionary eventually had to get city authorization to do home group bible studies!  For the moment things have calmed down,  but evangelical Christians are frequently on the list of anti-government sympathizer groups. Only God knows how long this will last, and how it will spread to other parts of the continent.

     We have decided to take on a area in the European nation of Portugal.

     Just cannot explain these God things, but even though was raised in Toronto ever since I can remember always had the nation of Portugal in back of my mind. So much so that back in the 80's I did an European tour with a 74 Super Beetle and when arrived in Portugal decided to stay and not come back!  Of course the Lord was in it and he let me stay for a while not knowing it was a first step in preparation for my mission field. During that stay I not only was able to learn how to properly speak and write Portuguese but also meet a wonderful young lady that became my wife. Our firstborn son was born in Lisbon.  Soon after this,  the Lord placed in our hearts that it was time to leave and move back to Canada. It was in Canada that we took our first steps in serving the Lord in ministry and things have never been the same ever since.

   About 12 years ago I had a vision of the Glory of the Lord!

   It was coming out of the Throne of the Lord and coming down in the nation of Portugal. In the background there was a unseen choir singing in a crescendo; glory, Glory, GLORY... and when I asked the Lord where was his Glory falling?  

...He said “The Glory is Falling in the Glory of Ribatejo”.

   Later on that day I went to Google looking for “Glory of Ribatejo” and found out that it really exists. It wasn't until the Christmas of 2007 that we managed to get some money together to be able to go to Portugal and seek the Lord.  We wanted confirmation whether we had a calling for the project.  God did confirm that He had work for us in Portugal! 

     Upon our arrival back in Canada, we started the process to become Global Workers and in 2011 our first steps were taken in Portugal.

   With respect to town of Glory we discover that it's a very close-knit community, with no evangelical work whatsoever. We discovered another community about 10 Km away there is a Pentecostal church that is struggling to have proper installations for the congregation, therefore the town of Glory is not in their plans.

     But even though men has no plans the Lord of Heaven has, in fact He plans to have His Glory poured in that region, I told that to the pastor but he was more focused on having the much needed church building one day constructed, I wish that I could bless them... boy they sure need it!

  Portugal - My Power Point

     So having said that, let's take a closer look at present-day Portugal in pictures. These pictures tell a compelling story!

     Portugal is a maritime nation with a very large ocean territory, located in the southern west tip of Europe with a population of 10.5 million. It's made up of a continental mass and two archipelagos the Azores to the west and Madeira to the south. The Azores are only 2300 Km from Newfoundland, with old family ties to North America. 

     Portugal is one of the oldest European nations.  It became a nation in June 24 1128 and has a rich Christian  heritage with a early connection to Judaism, carved out of the Muslim caliphate that existed in the southern Iberian peninsula.

     The Portuguese sailed to every continent and establish an empire that lasted over 600 years.

I strongly believe the fall of the Portuguese empire had to do with the expulsion of the Jews and the embracing of a idolatrous type of Roman Catholicism, of which I will explain later.

     Today Portugal is a very modern nation with a network of universities, high speed rail, highways, health care system, even the Net works at higher speed than here. It's a founding member of NATO and a European Community nation.

With the forward trust to become a first world nation Portugal has embraced all that Europe represents, that is a socialist oriented government system, where humanistic values and mindsets prevail and godly moral values become more of something pass-e connected to older generations which according to the young generation “Christianity, religion, 'holds back progress”.

     As men move further away from God  the Heavenly Hand of protection is further away and as result a few years back the nation economically hit rock bottom, throwing many to the streets with no jobs. With the system saying that there is no God most people lost all hope, and today at night the main streets of the cities are fill with youth looking for something that they “hope to find”.

     The party starts at sunset and goes on through the early hours of the morning. A lost generation looks for love and acceptance at the bottom of a cup, or in the smoke of a joint, maybe a combination of light, sound and drugs. The system says “it's okay for they are only young people starting in life finding there way and as long everything is done in order and safety we should let them do it”.

     But when you lose your morals, youth, job, and savings, with the children at home living off a $300 dollar monthly government welfare check you become “Portuguese road kill” wandering from truck stop to truck stop, struggling emotionally living off the social garbage dump.

     Roadside prostitution is nothing more that beautiful people looking for love and acceptance on the wide and busy highway of life going no where to hell. Jesus said, “Narrow is The Way to Life and few find it”.

There was a time the Portuguese were great missionaries, the “Ordem de Cristo” in the 1500's sent missionaries all over the world, the Gospel was heard for the first time in southern India, Indonesia, Brazil, Africa, Japan, and Tibet, today it's completely opposite, the same way the empire has fallen so has the missionary zeal.

   In the center of the nation, the Roman Catholic Church has a city (Fatima) just for the practice of the “Marian Cult” to a deity call the Queen of Heaven or as the locals call it “Our Lady of Fatima”.

Because of separation church & state this harlot generates the money to maintain the Portuguese Roman Catholicism, therefore it's of utmost importance. “The love of money is the root of all evil”.       

     Exodus 20-3,4,5. "You shall have no other gods before Me. You shall not make for yourself an idol, or any likeness of what is in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the water under the earth. You shall not worship them or serve them; for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children, on the third and the fourth generations of those who hate Me”.

     There is a famine in the land! one has only to look at their faces, a famine not for food or water but for the Pure Living Water of the Word and Spirit of the God of Heaven.

Maybe seeing this will help shine some light on the great need in Europe/Portugal!

     The national obsession is soccer.  The national TV and others, have not one but various 3 hour long programs debating soccer stuff.  When people do not have a relationship with a loving Heavenly Father, Saviour, and Spirit, they consume themselves with superfluous things of no value which matter nothing in the scope of time and eternity.

     It's so sad to see people mostly men many of low income standing in line for hours pay way more than a days wage to go and see and worship these idols (Benfica team also known as The Red Devil), while at home they have depraved families, special the children.

     The family disintegration in Portugal is phenomenal 1 in 4 marriages end in divorce.

     In a economy where people have a low purchasing power, business do not last long, as a consequence many lose their jobs. Portugal along with other southern European nations have been under a economic recession.  Obviously the European Project is not working as promised, and as a result we have a drastic rise of fascist and communist parties at the polls.  This eventually will produce fanatic laws just like Nationalist (Nazi) Party in the last century.      

     (Unemployment Line) I remember growing up in Toronto in the 70's hearing “Go west young men go west”.  Here in Portugal, the word you hear today is “immigrate”. As you travel through out the cities what you see is mainly seniors.  Many young people, especially the skilled qualified workers pack their bags and leave the country due to the high unemployment.    Psalm 127:1  “Unless the LORD builds a house, the work of the builders is wasted. Unless the LORD protects a city, guarding it with sentries will do no good”.

     Maybe we cannot help all of Portugal, surely we can help some lives. Why not start in one small city? Telling one person at a time that there is a hope and a Way, and that one can be rich without having money and one can be sure of a good future to come now and in eternity for ever more. 

In a dry weary land a small cup of water can go a long way, yes we are small but He is Big, and all He needs is willing hearts.

     The town of Glory do Ribatejo has no evangelical church. It's a very close community.  The youth wander the streets at night, yet the mayor says, "...all is well".   Obviously he is living in denial!

Little does he know that the Lord of Heaven has a big plan for his city, “The Glory is coming to the Glory”.

     Pastor Alexander is about 10 kms away from Glory. He rents a building that is small and in desperate need of repair.  Thanks to the brothers and sisters in Canada we were able to bless him.   
The Word of the Lord for the pastor was of “Taking the territory for the Lord and to focus on that”. We have hope and pray that he will "hold-fast" and follow through. 

     The congregation was blessed with some property; yet they lack the finances to build a church.  Pastor Alex, Pastor David and myself prayed at the altar in the field.  We are trusting that the Lord will provide through his Beloved Church, which is "His Hands" and "His Feet" here on Earth!

   Less than an hour away we have also a girls orphanage, it's run by the Portuguese Assembly of God, unfortunately the boys lost their orphanage do to lack of funds to rebuild the deteriorated building.  Because of a great need for orphanages the government still does not interfere with biblical teachings and the Godly way of running this particular orphanage.  This reminds me of the picture of the beautiful flower that pierced the concrete in the broken sidewalk. Here we have many flowers.

   Portugal is a completely "different" mission-field, compared to what many are accustomed to.   Portugal requires a completely "different" approach, ...one must be living in the community, building bridges, creating relationships, meeting needs.   These wonderful people are so far from God and His Ways.  This is a mission field too large to be ignored!  We know that if we begin to minister, God is faithful and this people group will respond to the gospel! There is no substitute that will meet the need we all have deep inside of each of us.  Not sports, Not religion, and certainly Not government!  Only Jesus living on the inside can fill the void,  ...AND above all He has already promised to pour out His Glory, and, who can resist.

Thank you for checking this out and helping with our Vida Nova Family Center.

Fern 

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Ed's note:   Donating to the Sarrafo's Mission Plans: 

Yes people can receive tax charitable receipt from the PAOC here is the link.

https://paoc.org/donate/browse?page=2&location=Eurasia

Then click on Fernando & Teresa picture. OR
Contact below and say to donate: Fernando & Teresa Sarrafo/Portugal

The Pentecostal Assemblies of Canada
2450 Milltower Court
Mississauga, ON L5N 5Z6
Canada

905-542-7400

The PAOC also issues Tax Charitable Receipt to residents in the USA need to contact them for that.
email: Fernando Sarrafo  @ wordoflifecc@hotmail.com