We Must Be Ready

Matthew 24:44So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.

Matthew 25:10"But while they were on their way to buy the oil, the bridegroom arrived. The virgins who were ready went in with him to the wedding banquet. And the door was shut.

Luke 12:35[ Watchfulness ] "Be dressed ready for service and keep your lamps burning,

Luke 12:38It will be good for those servants whose master finds them ready, even if he comes in the second or third watch of the night.

Luke 12:40You also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him."

Luke 12:47"That servant who knows his master's will and does not get ready or does not do what his master wants will be beaten with many blows.

1 Thessalonians 5:2for you know very well that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night.

1 Thessalonians 5:4But you, brothers, are not in darkness so that this day should surprise you like a thief.

Christianity, The World, Satan

The Lord showed me a new paradigm to look at life through. The world and satan present the things of this world to us as bait. This bait promises one thing but delivers another, just like fishing bait men throw in the water and drag past the fish. The bait promises fulfillment, fullness and peace, but delivers a hook in the jaw, death and emptyness. This is the same for both fish and men, the only difference is the kinds of bait used.

EU Wants a Middle East Free of Nukes

This may be the reason advertised for the coutries of the Gog-Magog war of Ezekiel 38 to invade Israel.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/12/15/AR2006121500005.html

BRUSSELS, Belgium -- The European Union called Thursday for a Middle East free of weapons of mass destruction, responding to recent comments by the Israeli prime minister that have been interpreted as acknowledging his country has a nuclear arsenal.
In interview with a Germany television station broadcast Monday, Ehud Olmert appeared to list Israel among the world's nuclear powers. The next day, however, he denied having "outed" his country's nuclear program.

Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, center, meets with Israeli Paralympians in his office in Jerusalem, Thursday, Dec. 14, 2006. Candid TV footage of Olmert and his Italian counterpart, Romano Prodi, showed Olmert coaching Prodi on what to say at their joint press conference in Rome. (AP Photo/Sebastian Scheiner) (Sebastian Scheiner - AP)
PHOTOS

BRUSSELS, Belgium -- The European Union called Thursday for a Middle East free of weapons of mass destruction, responding to recent comments by the Israeli prime minister that have been interpreted as acknowledging his country has a nuclear arsenal.'
Although Israel is widely assumed to have nuclear weapons, it has maintained a policy of ambiguity since the 1960s, refusing to confirm or deny it.
"The position of the European Union is very clear," said EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana. "In the long term, we don't want to have the Middle East with weapons of mass destruction."
Olmert's remarks came when the interviewer asked him about Iran's calls for the destruction of Israel.
"Iran openly, explicitly and publicly threatens to wipe Israel off the map," Olmert said. "Can you say that this is the same level, when you are aspiring to have nuclear weapons, as America, France, Israel, Russia?"
The next day, Olmert insisted that Israel "will not be the first country that introduces nuclear weapons to the Middle East."
Solana has been the U.N. Security Council's point man in negotiations with Iran over its nuclear program. The Islamic country says its program is meant only to generate power, but the U.S., its European allies and Israel fear Iran is seeking to develop nuclear weapons.
The Security Council could vote next week on whether to impose sanctions on Iran for refusing to halt uranium enrichment, a process that can generate power or create the fissile core of nuclear warheads.
At a summit Thursday, 25 EU foreign ministers urged Syria to play a constructive role in Middle East peace efforts and encouraged Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas to keep up efforts to form a coalition government between his Fatah party and the Islamic militant Hamas. Factional violence between Fatah and Hamas has pushed the rivals closer to civil war.


<< Ezekiel 38 >> New American Standard Bible ©

1 And the word of the LORD came to me saying,
2 "Son of man, set your face toward Gog of the land of Magog, the prince of Rosh, Meshech and Tubal, and prophesy against him
3 and say, 'Thus says the Lord GOD, "Behold, I am against you, O Gog, prince of Rosh, Meshech and Tubal.
4 "I will turn you about and put hooks into your jaws, and I will bring you out, and all your army, horses and horsemen, all of them splendidly attired, a great company with buckler and shield, all of them wielding swords;
5 Persia, Ethiopia and Put with them, all of them with shield and helmet;
6 Gomer with all its troops; Beth-togarmah from the remote parts of the north with all its troops-- many peoples with you.
7 "Be prepared, and prepare yourself, you and all your companies that are assembled about you, and be a guard for them.
8 "After many days you will be summoned; in the latter years you will come into the land that is restored from the sword, whose inhabitants have been gathered from many nations to the mountains of Israel which had been a continual waste; but its people were brought out from the nations, and they are living securely, all of them.
9 "You will go up, you will come like a storm; you will be like a cloud covering the land, you and all your troops, and many peoples with you."
10 'Thus says the Lord GOD, "It will come about on that day, that thoughts will come into your mind and you will devise an evil plan,
11 and you will say, 'I will go up against the land of unwalled villages. I will go against those who are at rest, that live securely, all of them living without walls and having no bars or gates,
12 to capture spoil and to seize plunder, to turn your hand against the waste places which are now inhabited, and against the people who are gathered from the nations, who have acquired cattle and goods, who live at the center of the world.'
13 "Sheba and Dedan and the merchants of Tarshish with all its villages will say to you, 'Have you come to capture spoil? Have you assembled your company to seize plunder, to carry away silver and gold, to take away cattle and goods, to capture great spoil?'"'
14 "Therefore prophesy, son of man, and say to Gog, 'Thus says the Lord GOD, "On that day when My people Israel are living securely, will you not know it?
15 "You will come from your place out of the remote parts of the north, you and many peoples with you, all of them riding on horses, a great assembly and a mighty army;
16 and you will come up against My people Israel like a cloud to cover the land. It shall come about in the last days that I will bring you against My land, so that the nations may know Me when I am sanctified through you before their eyes, O Gog."
17 Thus says the Lord GOD, "Are you the one of whom I spoke in former days through My servants the prophets of Israel, who prophesied in those days for many years that I would bring you against them?
18 "It will come about on that day, when Gog comes against the land of Israel," declares the Lord GOD, "that My fury will mount up in My anger.
19 "In My zeal and in My blazing wrath I declare that on that day there will surely be a great earthquake in the land of Israel.
20 "The fish of the sea, the birds of the heavens, the beasts of the field, all the creeping things that creep on the earth, and all the men who are on the face of the earth will shake at My presence; the mountains also will be thrown down, the steep pathways will collapse and every wall will fall to the ground.
21 "I will call for a sword against him on all My mountains," declares the Lord GOD. "Every man's sword will be against his brother.
22 "With pestilence and with blood I will enter into judgment with him; and I will rain on him and on his troops, and on the many peoples who are with him, a torrential rain, with hailstones, fire and brimstone.
23 "I will magnify Myself, sanctify Myself, and make Myself known in the sight of many nations; and they will know that I am the LORD."'

<< Ezekiel 39 >> New American Standard Bible ©

1 "And you, son of man, prophesy against Gog and say, 'Thus says the Lord GOD, "Behold, I am against you, O Gog, prince of Rosh, Meshech and Tubal;
2 and I will turn you around, drive you on, take you up from the remotest parts of the north and bring you against the mountains of Israel.
3 "I will strike your bow from your left hand and dash down your arrows from your right hand.
4 "You will fall on the mountains of Israel, you and all your troops and the peoples who are with you; I will give you as food to every kind of predatory bird and beast of the field.
5 "You will fall on the open field; for it is I who have spoken," declares the Lord GOD.
6 "And I will send fire upon Magog and those who inhabit the coastlands in safety; and they will know that I am the LORD.
7 "My holy name I will make known in the midst of My people Israel; and I will not let My holy name be profaned anymore. And the nations will know that I am the LORD, the Holy One in Israel.
8 "Behold, it is coming and it shall be done," declares the Lord GOD. "That is the day of which I have spoken.
9 "Then those who inhabit the cities of Israel will go out and make fires with the weapons and burn them, both shields and bucklers, bows and arrows, war clubs and spears, and for seven years they will make fires of them.
10 "They will not take wood from the field or gather firewood from the forests, for they will make fires with the weapons; and they will take the spoil of those who despoiled them and seize the plunder of those who plundered them," declares the Lord GOD.
11 "On that day I will give Gog a burial ground there in Israel, the valley of those who pass by east of the sea, and it will block off those who would pass by. So they will bury Gog there with all his horde, and they will call it the valley of Hamon-gog.
12 "For seven months the house of Israel will be burying them in order to cleanse the land.
13 "Even all the people of the land will bury them; and it will be to their renown on the day that I glorify Myself," declares the Lord GOD.
14 "They will set apart men who will constantly pass through the land, burying those who were passing through, even those left on the surface of the ground, in order to cleanse it. At the end of seven months they will make a search.
15 "As those who pass through the land pass through and anyone sees a man's bone, then he will set up a marker by it until the buriers have buried it in the valley of Hamon-gog.
16 "And even the name of the city will be Hamonah. So they will cleanse the land."'
17 "As for you, son of man, thus says the Lord GOD, 'Speak to every kind of bird and to every beast of the field, "Assemble and come, gather from every side to My sacrifice which I am going to sacrifice for you, as a great sacrifice on the mountains of Israel, that you may eat flesh and drink blood.
18 "You will eat the flesh of mighty men and drink the blood of the princes of the earth, as though they were rams, lambs, goats and bulls, all of them fatlings of Bashan.
19 "So you will eat fat until you are glutted, and drink blood until you are drunk, from My sacrifice which I have sacrificed for you.
20 "You will be glutted at My table with horses and charioteers, with mighty men and all the men of war," declares the Lord GOD.
21 "And I will set My glory among the nations; and all the nations will see My judgment which I have executed and My hand which I have laid on them.
22 "And the house of Israel will know that I am the LORD their God from that day onward.
23 "The nations will know that the house of Israel went into exile for their iniquity because they acted treacherously against Me, and I hid My face from them; so I gave them into the hand of their adversaries, and all of them fell by the sword.
24 "According to their uncleanness and according to their transgressions I dealt with them, and I hid My face from them."'"
25 Therefore thus says the Lord GOD, "Now I will restore the fortunes of Jacob and have mercy on the whole house of Israel; and I will be jealous for My holy name.
26 "They will forget their disgrace and all their treachery which they perpetrated against Me, when they live securely on their own land with no one to make them afraid.
27 "When I bring them back from the peoples and gather them from the lands of their enemies, then I shall be sanctified through them in the sight of the many nations.
28 "Then they will know that I am the LORD their God because I made them go into exile among the nations, and then gathered them again to their own land; and I will leave none of them there any longer.
29 "I will not hide My face from them any longer, for I will have poured out My Spirit on the house of Israel," declares the Lord GOD.

Prayer For Today

Philippians 1
9And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, 10so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless until the day of Christ, 11filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ—to the glory and praise of God.

The Secret to Living is Giving

This morning the Lord showed me something that made me smile. As I was driving in the morning traffic, watching everyone drive into work, I believe the Lord showed me a sliver of how everyone serves his purposes whether they know it or not. In order to survive, almost everyone has to in some way give to others. The "work" that people do is in essence service to others that's paid for, but it's service one way or another. The lesson here is that we have been created to give. We have value on this earth as long as we have something to give to someone. This is one of many reasons why there's never a reason for a person to commit suicide. There's always something a person can do to benefit another person in some way, however insignificant it may seem to us. In today's "me" world, even the smallest acts of giving to another in some unselfish way are tremendously meaningful. Giving in a society that's all about conquering and devouring is a magnified act that really shines. Because of the deep darkness of the world we live in, the smallest of lights shines like the sun. The way of the Lord is light. The Lord instructs us that we must be fruitful or we will be cutoff. We must "bear fruit."

Life by the Spirit
16So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature. 17For the sinful nature desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the sinful nature. They are in conflict with each other, so that you do not do what you want. 18But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under law.
19The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; 20idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions 21and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.
22But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. 24Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires. 25Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. 26Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other.

Ephesians 5
8For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light 9(for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth) 10and find out what pleases the Lord. 11Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them. 12For it is shameful even to mention what the disobedient do in secret. 13But everything exposed by the light becomes visible, 14for it is light that makes everything visible. This is why it is said: "Wake up, O sleeper, rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you."

Colossians 1:10And we pray this in order that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and may please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God,

We Are Like Musical Instruments

We are like musical instruments. I play the guitar and I could see myself as a guitar string and other believers as other strings on the same guitar. When we are obedient and faithful, the string is in tune and functions to make beautiful music. Along with other strings that are 'in tune' beautiful music can be made. Satan works to keep us out of tune as much as possible, keep us distorted and ugly sounding. We have to realize how beautiful the sounds of staying in tune really is.

The New World Order is Coming

Analysts: Dollar collapsewould result in 'amero'Think deep recession likelyregardless of Fed's actions
Posted: December 13, 20061:00 a.m. Eastern
By Jerome R. Corsi© 2006 WorldNetDaily.com
Two analysts who have reconstructed money supply data after the Fed stopped publishing it argue a coming dollar collapse will set the stage for creating the amero as a North American currency to replace the dollar.
The reconstructed M3 data – the broadest measure of money – published on econometrician Gary Kuever's website, NowAndFutures.com, shows M3 increased at a rate of 11 percent in May, compared to 9 percent when the Federal Reserve quit publishing M3 data earlier this year.
Asked why the Fed decided to stop publishing M3 data, Kuever told WND, "The Fed probably wants to hide how much liquidity is being pumped into the market, and I expect the trend to keep pumping liquidity into the market will continue, especially since the economy is slowing down."

Why is this important?
"The trend line in my M3-plus-debt chart is staggering," Kuever said. "There has been a straight, long-term trend line of M3-plus-credit increasing since 2000. Long-term, we are creating inflation and the dollar has lost almost 98 percent of its value in the past 100 years."
Kuever, a retired investor, is concerned that with growing budget and trade deficits "the dollar could collapse."
"Especially if the Fed cannot increase rates, because we have already entered a recession," he said.
Analyst Gary Kuever's chart shows M3-plus-credit, short term, from May 2000 to September 2006
Bob Chapman, who issued a reconstructed M3 estimate to the 100,000 subscribers to his newsletter, "The International Forecaster", agrees.
"The world is awash in money and credit," Chapman told WND. "My numbers show M3 increasing at about a 10-percent rate right now."
Chapman believes the U.S. economy entered a recession in February. In his newsletter of Dec. 9 he predicted the Fed would hold interest rates at 5.25 percent.
"The Fed is in a very tough spot here," Chapman wrote, "If they raise rates, the real estate market will collapse, and if they lower rates, the dollar will collapse."
Meeting yesterday, the Federal Reserve Open Market Committee voted, as Chapman had predicted, to hold the overnight lending rates between banks steady at 5.25 percent. This was the fourth straight meeting the Fed had voted not to change rates. In its rate announcement, the Fed affirmed the economy had slowed.
Almost immediately after the announcement of the Fed's decision, the dollar weakened to a new 20-month low against the euro, with currency markets reportedly pricing in the expectation the Fed will be forced to lower rates next year to bolster the economy. Following the announcement by the Fed, the U.S. Dollar Index, or USDX, also dropped, with the dollar going below 83.
A dollar collapse is imminent, Chapman declared.
"Technicians studying the USDX think there is a support level for the dollar at 75, but I don't think so."
How low could the dollar go?
"If the dollar breaks through 78.33 on the USDX," Chapman answered, "my guess is the dollar will go through a 35-percent correction, which would put it at 55."
"The key in how low the dollar goes is the interest rates," Chapman told WND. "In January, the Fed is going to have to make a decision which way to go. If Fed rates go up, the dollar will hold in the 78.33 range, but the stock market and the economy will tank. If next year the Fed lowers rates to keep the economy from crashing, the bottom will fall out of the dollar, and I see it going as low as 55. Once the dollar hits bottom, it will take the stock market and the economy right with it anyway. The Fed is in a box they can't get out of."
As WND reported earlier this week, in an unusual move, the Bush administration is sending virtually the entire economic "A-team" to visit China for a "strategic economic dialogue" in Beijing Thursday and Friday. Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson and Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke are leading the delegation, along with five other cabinet-level officials, including Secretary of Commerce Carlos Gutierrez. Also in the delegation will be Labor Secretary Elaine Chao, Health and Human Services Secretary Mike Leavitt, Energy Secretary Sam Bodman, and U.S. Trade Representative Susan Schwab.
But Chapman doubts the trip will help the Fed to engineer a slow dollar slide.
"The Chinese are going to do what the Chinese want to do, not what we want them to do," he said. "I believe the Chinese are going to send Treasury Secretary Paulson and Fed Chairman Bernanke home packing, with little or nothing to show for the trip."
How severe will the coming dollar collapse be?
"People in the U.S. are going to be hit hard," Chapman warned. "In the severe recession we are entering now, Bush will argue that we have to form a North American Union to compete with the Euro."
"Creating the amero," Chapman explained, "will be presented to the American public as the administration's solution for dollar recovery. In the process of creating the amero, the Bush administration just abandons the dollar."

The End is Near: Signs

Worst Drought On Record Hits Australia's HarvestGrain farmer Eddie Valks hosted his daughter's wedding on his 800-hectare spread northwest of Sydney, complete with bride and groom sailing off on a small lake. Four years later the lake is gone, dried out by Australia's worst drought on record. "If the wedding guests from the cities saw the place now, they'd be shocked," said the 61-year-old Mr. Valks.

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/LAC.20061206.RTICKERMAIN06/TPStory/Business

The End is Near: Signs

No Winter for EuropeCentral Europe is experiencing its warmest winter in 500 years and the Alps haven't been this warm in over a millenneum. Ski resorts are suffering, as are the bears.

http://www.spiegel.de/international/0,1518,453041,00.html

Six injured as tornado hits London

LONDON, England (CNN) -- A tornado hit a residential area of London on Thursday, injuring at least six people, according to ambulance service staff.
Police were alerted to the tornado in north-west London at around 11 a.m., a Scotland Yard spokeswoman said.
One man was taken to hospital suffering from serious head injuries, and five people were treated at the scene for minor injuries and shock.
The storm, with winds of around 150 mph (240 kph), ripped roofs off some homes, tore down walls and trees, and left streets strewn with debris. One car was buried under fallen bricks, video footage from the scene showed.
"I could see a huge cloud rolling up the street, making this tremendous sound," resident Daniel Bidgood told the BBC. "I went to try to take a picture of it but a shower of debris smashed all the windows of my house."
Another eyewitness, Sally Johnson, said she thought she was going to die. "All the cars and the windows, everything (was) smashed in," she told Sky. "There's debris everywhere, you can hardly walk."
"It was like some sort of cyclone," said resident Tim Klotz.
"I looked up through a skylight and debris was falling through the air. I heard what seemed like large, clay dominoes falling, which I think were roof tiles," Klotz said.
Local authorities said several houses may have to be demolished due to damage caused by the tornado.
Several hundred people were expected to spend a night in emergency accommodation as workers tried to make buildings safe.
Experts say that while Britain experiences more than 30 tornadoes a year, it is rare for them to cause damage on the scale seen in London on Thursday.
Local weather reports said warmer than normal temperatures this fall contributed to formation of the tornado.
http://www.cnn.com/2006/WORLD/europe/12/07/uk.tornado/index.html

Gen Y: Ready For Antichrist

Those who have studied generations in the workplace, such as author David Stillman of Minneapolis, do have some insights. Stillman, who co-wrote the 2002 book When Generations Collide, say these young (generation Y) workers have very different ideas than earlier generations.
"This generation has the group-think mentality," he says.

http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2006-12-06-gen-next-entrepreneurs_x.htm

Your Body Is the Temple of the Holy Spirit

Why is Satan so interested these days in getting people to fornicate?

First of all it's disobedience, it's sin. Even more than that it's desecration of God's temple. If that was'nt enough, we are sealed with the Holy Spirit to be ready at all times for the rapture and or salvation at death, whichever comes first. No Holy Spirit within means no salvation, simple as that. It is also a snare to men's souls, getting them to turn to the world for fulfillment instead of to the Lord. It cripples prayer and understanding of the Word of God. It severely limits a person's capacity to interact with the Lord. There are just so many reasons why this one area of disobedience really SERIOUSLY destroys a man's life. It's also one of the fastest ways to destroy a man. Look at King Soloman in the Bible. Look at King David. It's the same recurring theme over and over again. Satan uses the same tricks over and over again.

John 2:18 Then answered the Jews and said unto him, What sign shewest thou unto us, seeing that thou doest these things?19 Jesus answered and said unto them, Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.20 Then said the Jews, Forty and six years was this temple in building, and wilt thou rear it up in three days?21 But he spake of the temple of his body.22 When therefore he was risen from the dead, his disciples remembered that he had said this unto them; and they believed the scripture, and the word which Jesus had said.
1 Corinthians 3:16 Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?17 If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are.
1 Corinthians 6:13 Meats for the belly, and the belly for meats: but God shall destroy both it and them. Now the body is not for fornication, but for the Lord; and the Lord for the body.14 And God hath both raised up the Lord, and will also raise up us by his own power.15 Know ye not that your bodies are the members of Christ? shall I then take the members of Christ, and make them the members of an harlot? God forbid.16 What? know ye not that he which is joined to an harlot is one body? for two, saith he, shall be one flesh.17 But he that is joined unto the Lord is one spirit.18 Flee fornication. Every sin that a man doeth is without the body; but he that committeth fornication sinneth against his own body.19 What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost [NKJV: Holy Spirit] which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?20 For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's.
Ephesians 2:19 Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God;20 And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone;21 In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord:22 In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit.

Receive a Rich Welcome

2Peter1
And this same also -- all diligence having brought in besides, superadd in your faith the worthiness, and in the worthiness the knowledge,6 and in the knowledge the temperance, and in the temperance the endurance, and in the endurance the piety,7 and in the piety the brotherly kindness, and in the brotherly kindness the love;8 for these things being to you and abounding, do make 'you' neither inert nor unfruitful in regard to the acknowledging of our Lord Jesus Christ,9 for he with whom these things are not present is blind, dim-sighted, having become forgetful of the cleansing of his old sins;10 wherefore, the rather, brethren, be diligent to make stedfast your calling and choice, for these things doing, ye may never stumble,11 for so, richly shall be superadded to you the entrance into the age-during reign of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law" (Gal. 5:22,23).

1 Corinthians 13:4
Love is patient and is kind; love doesn't envy. Love doesn't brag, is not proud,5 doesn't behave itself inappropriately, doesn't seek its own way, is not provoked, takes no account of evil;6 doesn't rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth;7 bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.8 Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will be done away with. Where there are various languages, they will cease. Where there is knowledge, it will be done away with.9 For we know in part, and we prophesy in part;10 but when that which is complete has come, then that which is partial will be done away with.11 When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I felt as a child, I thought as a child. Now that I have become a man, I have put away childish things.12 For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I will know fully, even as I was also fully known.13 But now faith, hope, and love remain-these three. The greatest of these is love.

Prayer

At root we are selfish and self-willed. We nourish our own ambitions, and our own expectations for ourselves and others, and our own desires. Worse, we still claim the right to harbor certain grudges against others, and hurts from others, which we have cultivated through years of careful attendance and devotion. In short, we’re selfish.
If we are to act as disciples of Christ, we must become increasingly God-centered, desiring His will and seeking after His way of accomplishing that will. And we must become increasingly self-forgetful, rather than self-absorbed.
How is this to be done? Prayer is the means appointed by God. By it, we lose our self-will and become God-centered. Through prayer, the Kingdom of Self is broken down and the Kingdom of God lifted up. Learning how to pray in a Kingdom manner is critical the healthy life of all Christians. The following two steps outline important elements in prayer.
Step One: Pray as the Son or Daughter of the King.
It is critical to recognize, right at the beginning of prayer, that we are there to meet with our Father. We are His sons or daughters, coming to communicate with our Father, God – to enjoy Him, to greet Him, worship Him, and adore Him. "When the time had fully come, God sent His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those under law, that we might receive the full rights of sons. Because you are sons, God sent the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, 'Abba, Father.' So you are not longer a slave, but a son; and since your are a son, God has made you also an heir." (Galatians 4:4-7). We make a terrible mistake when we rush off into other areas of prayer before this foundational fact is realized in our prayers.
There will be times when this relationship registers itself to us in an experiential way. It’s safe to say that you might feel or sense God’s presence as you bow your heart to Him: praising Him, reviewing the way He called you to faith, giving thanks for the provisions He’s made, and especially as you consider the cross of Christ, and the access to God it has provided for you. "For in Him and through faith in Him we may approach the Father with freedom and confidence." (Ephesians 3:12).
On the other hand, there will be times when no sensation of God’s presence is experienced. Don’t fret over this or struggle to feel some presence. Count on the truth of Scripture: When you cry out in the name of Jesus, you are in God’s presence whether you feel it or not. Jesus says in John 14:23, "If anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching. My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him."
In either case, it is your privilege to come before the King of Kings and Lord of Lords, to enjoy communion with our Father in Heaven who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ Jesus, who has chosen us before the creation of the world, predestined us to be adopted as His sons, redeemed us and revealed great things to us. (Ephesians 1:3-8). Enjoy!
Step Two: Pray as a Partner with God.
"And truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with His Son Jesus Christ" (1 John 1:3).
On this passage, George Muller wrote:
The words fellowship and partnership mean the same thing. The believer in the Lord Jesus does not only obtain forgiveness of all his sins through the shed blood of Jesus, by faith in His name; he does not only become righteous before God, through the righteousness of the Lord Jesus; he is not only born of God, a partaker of the divine nature, and therefore a child of God and an heir of God; but he is also in fellowship or partnership with God.
All that we possess in God as His partners may be brought down into our daily life and be enjoyed, experienced, and used. We may make unlimited use of our partnership with the Father and with the Son and draw out, by prayer and faith, the inexhaustible fullness in God.
I need not despair because the living God is my partner. I do not have sufficient wisdom to meet these difficulties, but He is able to direct me. I can pour out my heart to God and ask Him to guide and direct me and to supply me with wisdom. Then I have to believe that He will do so. I can go with good courage about my business and expect help from Him in the next difficulty that may come before me. As I do, I find that I am truly in partnership with the Father and with the Son.
If I desire more power over temptations, more wisdom, grace, or anything else that I may need in my service for God, what else should I do but make use of my fellowship with the Father and with the Son? In all simplicity, we can pour out our heart before God, because your worries have become His worries too! That is the nature of partnership. And God will give to us according to our need.
Do not let the consciousness of your unworthiness keep you from believing what God has said concerning you. If you are a believer in the Lord Jesus, then this precious privilege of being in partnership with the Father and the Son is yours.
And if God is in partnership with you, you are also in partnership with Him. Therefore, His concerns must also become your concerns. What are God's concerns?
The Kingdom of God was the passion of Jesus' earthly life. "The kingdom of God is near. Repent and believe the good news!" Jesus proclaimed (Mark 1:15). "This then is how you should pray: 'Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven." (Matthew 6:9-10). Jesus said to the disciples, "I confer on you a kingdom, just as my Father conferred one on me!"
As a partner with God, pray for the success of His Kingdom. Begin with the Kingdom of God in your own heart. Then pray for the extent of the rule of God over your family. Pray for the Kingdom of God over your church, then your work, then your neighborhood, the nation, foreign lands. Pray with God's concerns in mind. You a partner with God!
These two steps are the basics of prayer: Pray as a son. Pray as a partner.

Thoughts For Today

Communication in warfare is very important. As Christians, we are at war. We communicate with our commander to make all kinds of requests through................prayer.

Here are some reasons for prayer:
Because God, our Creator and King, commands us to pray. - Romans 12:12; Ephesians 6:18; Colossians 4:2; 1 Thessalonians 5:17.
Because Christianity is not about religion, but relationship. Relationship requires communication. Sons talk to their Father. - Exodus 33:11; Matthew 6:9; Hebrews 4:15-16.
Because we are weak and helpless and need much more than we have. - Psalm 54; Matthew 7:7-12; Philippians 4:6; James 5:13.
Because we are sinners and need a changed heart. - Psalm 51:10; Luke 18:9-14; James 5:16; Jude 20.
Because other people need God to do things in their life and we can pray for them. - Job 42:7-9; Luke 6:27-28; Colossians 1:9-12; 4:3.

If we are to act as disciples of Christ, we must become increasingly God-centered, desiring His will and seeking after His way of accomplishing that will. And we must become increasingly self-forgetful, rather than self-absorbed.
How is this to be done? Prayer is the means appointed by God. By it, we lose our self-will and become God-centered. Through prayer, the Kingdom of Self is broken down and the Kingdom of God lifted up. Learning how to pray in a Kingdom manner is critical the healthy life of all Christians. The following two steps outline important elements in prayer.

"I have not stopped giving thanks to God for you. I always remember you in my prayers, asking the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, to give you a spirit of wisdom and revelation so that you will know him better. I pray also that you will have greater understanding in your heart so you will know the hope to which he has called us and that you will know how rich and glorious are the blessings God has promised his holy people. And you will know that God's power is very great for us who believe." — Ephesians 1:16-19.


"I ask the Father in his great glory to give you the power to be strong inwardly through his Spirit. I pray that Christ will live in your hearts by faith and that your life will be strong in love and be built on love. And I pray that you and all God's holy people will have the power to understand the greatness of Christ's love—how wide and how long and how high and how deep that love is. Christ's love is greater than anyone can ever know, but I pray that you will be able to know that love. Then you can be filled with the fullness of God." — Ephesians 3:16-19.
"Pray in the Spirit at all times with all kinds of prayers, asking for everything you need. To do this you must always be ready and never give up. Always pray for all God's people. Also pray for me that when I speak, God will give me words so that I can tell the secret of the Good News without fear. I have been sent to preach this Good News, and I am doing that now, here in prison. Pray that when I preach the Good News I will speak without fear, as I should." — Ephesians 6:18-20.
"This is my prayer for you: that your love will grow more and more; that you will have knowledge and understanding with your love; that you will see the difference between good and bad and will choose the good; that you will be pure and without wrong for the coming of Christ; that you will do many good things with the help of Christ to bring glory and praise to God." — Philippians 1:9-11.

Continue praying, keeping alert, and always thanking God. Also pray for us that God will give us an opportunity to tell people his message. Pray that we can preach the secret that God has made known about Christ. This is why I am in prison. Pray that I can speak in a way that will make it clear, as I should." — Colossians 4:2-4.
"Epaphras, who is one of you and a servant of Christ Jesus, sends greetings. He is always wrestling in prayer for you, that you may stand firm in all the will of God, mature and fully assured." — Colossians 4:12.
"We always thank God for all of you, mentioning you in our prayers." — 1 Thessalonians 1:2.

First, I tell you to pray for all people, asking God for what they need and being thankful to him. Pray for rulers and for all who have authority so that we can have quiet and peaceful lives full of worship and respect for God. This is good, and it pleases God our Savior, who wants all people to be saved and to know the truth." — 1 Timothy 2:1-4.

The End of All Things is Near, Be Ready

Supertyphoon Leaves at Least 388 Dead in Philippines (Update6)
By Ian C. Sayson and Francisco Alcuaz Jr.
Dec. 1 (Bloomberg) -- Supertyphoon Durian, which slammed into the Philippines yesterday, packing winds of 249 kilometers (155 miles) an hour, left at least 388 people dead in Albay province in Luzon, said an official who called for outside help.
``A lot of people have been hit,'' said Richard Gordon, chairman of the Philippines Red Cross. ``We don't know exactly how many people are still missing.''
The typhoon damaged at least 1 billion pesos ($20 million) worth of infrastructure, TV station GMA Network Inc. reported on its Web site, citing public works department Regional Director Oscar Cristobal.
The storm, the ninth to make landfall this year in the Philippines, started mudslides on Mayon volcano near Legazpi city, the capital of Albay, after rains softened the debris accumulated from eruptions this year, officials said. Since 1991, floods and landslides triggered by typhoons have displaced about 1 million families and killed at least 10,000 people, according to the Web site of the Haribon Foundation, a Philippine environmental group.
The death toll was for areas around Mayon, said Gordon, who is also a senator. ``The work is long and arduous. Additional hands and relief goods are always welcome. We may need the help of the international community for this.''
Albay province officials ordered 200 body bags for the Mayon mudslide, Glenn Rabonza, administrator at the National Disaster Coordinating Council, said in a press briefing today in Manila.
Worst Catastrophe
The storm prompted the evacuation of 13,928 people in 16 towns and three cities in seven provinces in southeast Luzon, Rabonza said. Mudflows struck five villages in the town of Daraga near Mayon, he said.
``This is the worst catastrophe in our province's history,'' Fernando Gonzalez, Albay province's governor, said in a phone interview. ``We don't have the capacity to handle the devastation it caused.''
About 60 percent of Albay's 1.1 million population were affected by the typhoon, he said. At least 112 people were killed, 138 injured and 159 persons missing because of the mudflows alone, Gonzalez said.
``There was rampaging flood all over the province and houses were buried. It's very grim,'' he said. ``Bridges that were over 100 years old, dating back to the Spanish colonization, were destroyed.''
Stranded Passengers
One person died after being hit by roof metal and 14 people were injured in Camarines Sur, a province neighboring Albay, Rabonza said. At least 3,920 passengers are stranded in various ports in provinces south of Manila, he said.
Transmission lines were damaged in the provinces of Albay, Sorsogon, Camarines Sur, Camarines Norte and Quezon, Rabonza said. Around eight villages in Legazpi were flooded, he said.
Gonzalez said it was unclear how long it would take to restore power in Albay, which, along with other areas in the Bicol region and the Bondoc peninsula, doesn't have electricity.
``We don't know when electricity will be back,'' Gonzalez said. ``We just finished putting up the electricity poles three days ago from the previous typhoon and now they are down again.''
Durian, which is the name of a pungent-smelling tropical fruit, skirted to the south of the island of Catanduanes before hitting southeast Luzon island north of the city of Tabaco.
The storm crossed the southern Luzon peninsula before entering the Ragay Gulf, swept across the Bondoc peninsula into Tayabas Bay southeast of Manila from where it passed between the islands of Luzon and Mindoro and headed into the South China Sea.
Durian's center was 239 kilometers south-southwest of Manila at 2 a.m. today, according to the latest advisory on the Web site of the U.S. Navy Joint Typhoon Warning Center. The storm's winds slowed 166 kilometers per hour.
The storm is expected to weaken into a tropical depression as it approaches the southern Vietnam coast line around Dec. 4.

The End is Near, Be Ready

"We've had some ice storms before. This one puts them to shame," said Ron Zdellar, vice president of energy for AmerenUE, who has worked for the company for 35 years. ( Watch cars and even a plane get stuck )

http://www.cnn.com/2006/WEATHER/12/04/wintry.weather.ap/index.html

Ready for The Rapture Means No Earthly Attachments

Matthew 25 KJV
1 Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins, which took their lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom.2 And five of them were wise, and five were foolish.3 They that were foolish took their lamps, and took no oil with them:4 But the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps.5 While the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept.6 And at midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him.7 Then all those virgins arose, and trimmed their lamps.8 And the foolish said unto the wise, Give us of your oil; for our lamps are gone out.9 But the wise answered, saying, Not so; lest there be not enough for us and you: but go ye rather to them that sell, and buy for yourselves.10 And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came; and they that were ready went in with him to the marriage: and the door was shut.

Luke 17 KJV
.31 In that day, he which shall be upon the housetop, and his stuff in the house, let him not come down to take it away: and he that is in the field, let him likewise not return back.32 Remember Lot's wife.33 Whosoever shall seek to save his life shall lose it; and whosoever shall lose his life shall preserve it.34 I tell you, in that night there shall be two men in one bed; the one shall be taken, and the other shall be left.35 Two women shall be grinding together; the one shall be taken, and the other left.36 Two men shall be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left.

Remember Lot's wife.33 Whosoever shall seek to save his life shall lose it; and whosoever shall lose his life shall preserve it. This idea of going back to ones house or going to buy more oil for the lamps or leaving the fields to get one's stuff seems to be tied into the idea of seeking to save one's life here on earth. Some kind of earthly tie in that we should not have. We should apparently be ready at the time of His arrival to abandon this world in it's entirety, right then. As evidenced by the ten virgins, there will be no time to "get more oil" or make the changes necessary to meet the bridegroom. You have to be ready when He shows up.

1 Thessalonians 5
4But you, brothers, are not in darkness so that this day should surprise you like a thief. 5You are all sons of the light and sons of the day. We do not belong to the night or to the darkness.

There's no way to instantly change the attitudes and condition of one's heart. It is where it is today and it takes time to change. When the Lord shows up our hearts must be ready to leave this place without a hint of attachment to it. That time is very very soon. If that day was today I would not be surprised. Many of our hearts confirm that He is standing at the door even now, ready to open it. Time is short.

Rapture Musings

I spent some time with the Lord this weekend and asked Him to shed more light on His word in a few areas.

Here's what stood out:

For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them

When would people be saying "peace and safety?" During a time of perpetual war and fear sounds like a reasonable response. A time like today. It also occurred to me, that as with most other things in the bible we might literally start hearing the this slogan either in politics or in some other widely broadcasted means. This would be a spinning siren light and in our face warning that it's right on top of us.

It's also talking about sudden destruction coming on the people of this world. Depending on the time span over which the first seals are opened in the book of revelation, this could very well be the opening salvo of seals being opened on this world. If they are opened in rapid succession the outlook would be very grim indeed.

The days of the Son of Man-this was probably the most exciting thing that leapt out at me was this idea of the "days of the Son of Man."

22Then he said to his disciples, "The time is coming when you will long to see one of the days of the Son of Man, but you will not see it."

Why would men long to see one of the days of the Son of Man? Well, we know that the days of the Son of Man are just like the days of Noe:

Just as it was in the days of Noah, so also will it be in the days of the Son of Man. 27People were eating, drinking, marrying and being given in marriage up to the day Noah entered the ark. Then the flood came and destroyed them all.

It was the same in the days of Lot. People were eating and drinking, buying and selling, planting and building. 29But the day Lot left Sodom, fire and sulfur rained down from heaven and destroyed them all.
30"It will be just like this on the day the Son of Man is revealed. 31On that day no one who is on the roof of his house, with his goods inside, should go down to get them. Likewise, no one in the field should go back for anything. 32Remember Lot's wife! 33Whoever tries to keep his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life will preserve it. 34I tell you, on that night two people will be in one bed; one will be taken and the other left. 35Two women will be grinding grain together; one will be taken and the other left."[d]

The days of the Son of Man are normal days, days very unlike the days of the tribulation period which are days of distress unlike anything the world has ever seen. Today is one of the days of the Son of Man....... The days of the Son of Man are days in which the true Body of Christ still exists on the face of this earth as salt and light. It makes perfect sense that during the tribulation period men would want to see "the good old days" again, but the Lord said they will not. What will be happening on the earth during the days of the Son of Man?

Days of the Son of Man:
Eating,
Drinking,
Marrying and being given in marriage
buying and selling,
planting and building

Up to the day Noah entered the ark, Then the flood came and destroyed them all. Up to the day Lot left Sodom, when fire and sulfur rained down from heaven and destroyed them all. Up to the day that the true believers leave this earth and the events of the tribulation destroys them all.