Is it true that there is good in all religions?

by L. Lenin G. Zapata

 

Most religions do teach that a person should not lie or steal. But, is that sufficient?

 

Would you be happy to drink a glass of poisoned water because someone assured you that most of what you were getting was water? Of course not!

 

A similar situation arises with regard to religion.

The Bible teaches that such worship is contaminated. And cautions us that not everything that originates with Satan may appear hideous. One of his chief methods of deceiving mankind has been false religion of all kinds, to some of which he gives a righteous appearance.READ - 2Cor. 11:14,15

　

No doubt many religious groups include sincere people who want to please God. That is why, it is important for them just like us to get out completely from "Babylon the Great," with its unclean teachings and practices. Why?READ - Revelation 18:2,                                                     

As we can see friends, here the Scriptures clearly tells us that false religion is being exposed for what she truly is; a dwelling place of demons".

 

So, what does Jehovah want for those with a sincere heart?- READ - Revelation 18:4.

　

Now is getting out of "Babylon the Great", with its unclean teachings and practices enough? Or is there something more?

　

In 2Tim. 3:2,5 Paul says that; "Men will be.　.　. .having an appearance of godliness but proving false to its power; then he highlights; and from these turn away."

 

So, regardless of their outward professions of love for God, if those who, do not sincerely apply his Word in their own lives, the Bible urges us to break off such association. READ - 2 Cor.6:14-17

                                                                                                                           

So, are we going to exchange our fellowship of righteousness for lawlessness? True light for darkness? Are we going to exchange our fellowship of faith and worship of the living GOD in spirit and in truth, for Satan's lie? How! How can we exchange one for the other?

 

By association with these individuals. You see friends, these could easily be our schoolmates, co-workers, neighbors or even family members who refuse to be known by Jehovah.

 

So, is it true that there is good in all religions? Jehovah doesn’t think so, should we?

　

  

　

　

                                                                                                                                                                   

　

                                                                                                                              

 

 

 

 

Jesus Was Accepted as the Messiah

by L. Lenin G. Zapata

Read (Luke 24:44) -The historical evidence found in the Gospels demonstrates that Jesus was indeed the Messiah. Persons in the first century, who were in position to question the witnesses and examine the evidence, accepted the historical information as authentic.

 

They were so sure of its accuracy that they were willing to endure persecution and die on behalf of their faith based on that assured information.

The historical Gospel records show that various individuals openly acknowledged that Jesus was the Christ. Read (John 1:41,45,49)

On occasion, Jesus admitted being the Christ, as in the case of the Samaritan woman. In John 4:26 Jesus said to her: " I am he, the one speaking to you "

In light of the scriptures, we can appreciate, the words of The Apostle Peter recorded at 2Peter 1:19 : "we have the prophetic word made more sure"

Why! Why would Peter say this? Read 2Peter 1:16

Here, we see that, Peters believe was on a solid basis of evidence, his faith was founded on his own eyewitness account of the fulfillment of the Hebrew Scriptures and how they were fulfil in Jesus.

 

 Lets now take a look at three Prophecies from the Hebrew Scriptures and see how they were fulfil in Jesus.

1) King and son of David. It was commonly accepted among the Jews that the Messiah would be a king of the line of David. When the astrologers asked about "the one born king of the Jews," Herod knew that they were asking about "the Christ." (Mt 2:2-4)

2) Born in Bethlehem. Micah 5:2, 4 had indicated that out of Bethlehem would come one to be "ruler in Israel" who would "be great as far as the ends of the earth." This was understood to refer to the Messiah. When Herod asked the chief priests and scribes where the Messiah was to be born, they answered, "In Bethlehem of Judea," (Mt 2:3-6).

3) A prophet who would perform many signs. De 18:18 Through Moses, God had foretold the coming of a great prophet. In Jesus’ day Jews were waiting for this one. (John 6:14) People expected the Messiah to perform many signs and he did.—John 7:31.

 Yes friends, the Gospel record of who Jesus was and did has been provided along side the Hebrew Scriptures, which supply abundant information about what he would do, so that individuals may know and believe that Jesus is indeed the Messiah. The evidence is clear. Read John 20:31

The Struggle for Existence

CLEARING THE GROUND

CAPITALISM AND SOCIALISM

 

The Means of Life. 

Man cannot live without food, fuel, clothing and shelter. He cannot live well without homes, books, pictures, music, literature, gardens, places of pleasure, and transportation for himself and his belongings, together with the leisure for their enjoyment.

Their Sources. 

Nature has provided in abundance the raw materials out of which the skill and industry of the workers may provide all these things, and the great improvements of modern industry have so increased the productive power of the workers that abundance for all can be produced and the working day so shortened that there will be ample leisure for

all.

Monopoly. 

But the lands, tools, shops, storehouses and transportation lines are legally owned by the few, and the many can use none of these things except with the consent of the few who are the legal owners. 

The many cannot live except they use these things to produce the means of life, and hence it is that the many cannot live at all except on terms named by the few. 1

 

Tyranny. 

The legal owners, moreover, do not consent that the workers shall use either the natural resources or the tools of industry except the legal owners keep control of both the natural resources and the tools of industry while in use, and so the few reserve to themselves the right of mastery over the many while using them and hence the many must live as the servants of the few, or not at all. 2

 

Inequality. 

Again, the legal owners of the lands, tools, shops, store houses and transportation lines, appropriate to themselves the total product of the industries, consenting that the workers shall have for themselves and those dependent on them only the barest subsistence. 

The legal owners do not guarantee that the workers shall always have an opportunity to be employed, even on these terms. 

The legal owners insist on the right to employ" whom they will, for such hours as the legal owners shall name, requiring such speed in the work as the legal owners shall choose, and paying such wages as the legal owners shall determine.

 

1. "The time once was when the ownership and control of property were largely coincident. We have been gradually, and for the most part unconsciously, growing away from these conditions in our endeavor to secure economies of modern production, and at the same time retain the institution of private property unchanged." Jones: Economic Crises, p. 52.

2. "The possession of the means of livelihood gives to the capitalists the control of the government, the press, the pulpit, and the schools, and enables them to reduce the workingmen to a state of intellectual, physical and social inferiority, political subservience and virtual slavery." National Platform of the Socialist Party of America, adopted at Indianapolis, 1901.

 

"The whole system of capitalistic production is based on the fact that the workman sells his labor power as a commodity." Marx: Capital, p. 431.

 

"There is no principle of justice which gives first terms [conditions] into the hands of one individual as if they were his alone. When they lapse into his possession, the slip must be corrected at once." Bascom: Sociology, p. 228.

 

No Legal Right to Life. 

If the legal owners choose to refuse employment to a particular worker, He is not admitted, under capitalism, or under the laws of any country on earth, to have any legal right to an opportunity of any sort to earn a living of any kind, not necessarily because of any fault of his, but simply because "no one hath hired him."3 

If the worker proves himself of great value to his master, his master may improve the lot of such a worker not because of any regard for that particular worker, or because of any lack of regard for other workers, but simply be- cause it pays the master better to do so.

 

Inherited Mastery and Servitude. 

A child born in the family of the legal owner may inherit productive property, and through this private ownership by inheritance of land and tools, which other must use, he is born to be their master as they are to be his servants, again, not because of the fault of either the servant or the master but because this is inherent in capitalism.

 

All this results in the great wealth of the few who, create no wealth, and  the great poverty of the many, who create all wealth.

 

V 3. "The four cardinal tenets of Trade Unionism the world over are:

(1) That employs shall have the right to say how long they shall work.

(2) How much work they shall turn out.

(3) How much they shall get for it.

(4) Who shall be employed. The Trade Unionist declares in the abstract that these principles are non-arbitral.

The critical examination of the demands made by the modern Trade Unionist will show that they contain the seed of industrial destruction."

This is taken from a secret circular mailed only to employers of labor by the American Manufacturers' Association.

The circular argues at length in opposition to these propositions, contending that the employers only shall determine the length of the day's work, the amount of the product required, and the wages to be paid, and insists that if the workingmen are to be heard on these questions it means industrial destruction.

The able-bodied man without money and begging for employment may be jailed as a vagrant in every State in the Union.

 

Collectivism. 

On the other hand, the Socialist insist the lands, tools, shops, store-houses and transportation lines, so far as they are collectively used by all of the people, ought to be owned by all of the people.4 

Then the many would not depend on the few, for the consent of the few, for the many to stay alive; nor would the many be obliged to bargain with the few in order to secure the opportunity to produce the means of life, such things as food, fuel, clothing and shelter.

Democracy. 

Again, the Socialists contend that those who do the world's work ought themselves to manage the work they do. 

Then the relation of mastery and servitude would cease, and self govern-ment would extend to the field of every day's activities and control by the common voice of all the toilers all the interests held in common by all the toilers.

 

Equality. 

And finally, the Socialists contend that, all men and women shall have an equal oppor tunity to become workers, if they shall so choose, 5 with equal voice in the management of industries carried on with the collective use of the collectively owned lands, tools, shops, store-houses and transportation lines, with the products belonging to the workers be divided among them as the workers alone shall determine.

4. "The Socialist Party of America, in national convention assembled, reaffirms its adherence to the principles of International Socialism, and declares its aim to be the organization of the working class, and those in sympathy with it, into a political party, with the object of conquering the powers of government and using them for the purpose of transforming the present system of private ownership of the means of production and distribution into a collective ownership by the entire people." National Platform of the Socialist Party of America, adopted at Indianapolis, 1901.

 

5. "Not only do we owe it to ourselves to pursue a serious calling, but likewise to society at large. The man who refuses to work in some way or other lives at others' expense. This is no less true of one who idly spends his inheritance than of the professional beggar or thief. From the legal point of view the former consumes what belongs to him and does no wrong; from the moral standpoint, however that is, in reality he accepts the products of others without making any return; he lives as a parasite at the table of the people, without helping to defray the costs." Paulsen: A System of Ethics, p. 533

 

Under Socialism. 

Then, inasmuch as all men and women would have the opportunity to be producers, with the free use of the lands, tools, shops, store- houses and transportation lines; and inasmuch as no one would then have the power, through private owner- ship of the industries, where others toil, or through the private management of the industries, where others are employed, or through the private appropriation of the products which others produce, either to enrich himself or to exercise the power of mastery over others, then the great unmerited poverty of the many and the great unearned wealth of the few, together with all industrial despotism, must disappear.6

 

Summary. 

1. Capitalism is the private ownership by the few of what the many must collectively use. 

Socialism is the collective ownership by the many of what the many must collectively use.

2. Capitalism is the private management, by the few, of the work which the many must do collectively. 

Socialism is the collective, democratic management by the many, of the work which the many must do collectively.

3. Capitalism is the private appropriation, by the few, of the products of the many with no one able to produce without the consent of some private owner. 

Socialism is the appropriation, by the many, for the individual and private possession and use of the many, of the products produced by themselves, with equal opportunity for all men and women to be producers, if they shall so choose. 

Capitalism involves the unmerited wealth of those who are idle, and the unmerited poverty of those who are the creators of all wealth. 

Socialism involves the wealth of those who merit wealth by becoming its producers, and the poverty of those, only, if such there be, who, having the opportunity to live in comfort, choose rather the merited poverty, the fruits of voluntary idleness.

6. "Property [in the means of production] is today a lie for the majority of men, a robbery for the minority. Socialism would make property the possession of everyone. It would convert it into a truth, secure to the worker within society the full proceeds of his labor and destroy the capitalistic system of plunder from its foundation. * * * Our end is: The free democracy with equal economic and political rights; the free society with associative labor. The welfare of all is for us the one end of the state and society." Liebknecht: Socialism, What It Is and What It Seeks to Accomplish, p. 23.

So then

 

By what process did capitalism come to be?

How did the few get possession of the natural resources and of the tools which all must use or perish ?

Why do the many submit to this needless tyranny of the few?

Why do the many continue to surrender the wealth their toil produces to make millionaires of others while they remain in such pitiless poverty themselves?

Whence come these proposals of the Socialists?

On what grounds do they rest their claims?

By what process has the movement grown in power?

What defense has their position among the thoughtful and sincere students of affairs?

What effect will the coming of Socialism have on the most serious interests of life and the great social problems of the hour?

Can these proposals of the Socialists be adopted, and if so, by what means can a worker contribute most to a peaceful and speedy victory of the Socialists ?

To answer these, questions is the purpose of this article.

 

Ask your self these questions.

1. What are the means of life?

2. What are the means of producing the means of life ?

3. Are the means of production and the workers, ready and able to use the means of production, abundant? Defend your reply.

4. If so, why do not the workers proceed to produce and keep for their own use sufficient for their needs?

5. Why are the workers obliged to get the consent of those who do not work before they are able to produce the means of life ?

6. To what relation must all workers now submit before they are permitted to earn a living for themselves and families?

7. Are the children of the workers born to be the servants of others?

8. What results from this dependence and subordination of those who work as related to those who do not work?

9. Give three points of contrast between what prevails under capitalism and what would prevail under Socialism.

“The immortality of the soul is one of Plato’s favourite topics.” —Body and Soul in Ancient Philosophy

Plato (c. 427-347 B.C.E.) was a pagan Greek philosopher. He was born in Athens to an aristocratic family and received the customary education of a well-to-do Greek youth. He was greatly influenced by the celebrated philosopher Socrates and by the followers of Pythagoras, a philosopher and mathematician.

QUICK FACTS

( Plato is considered one of the most influential thinkers in the history of Western culture.

( As a young man, he took an interest in politics but became deeply disillusioned.

( He later wrote on such topics as ethics, justice, knowledge, moderation, piety, the soul, and valor.

( Plato’s most distinguished pupil was Aristotle, who became an educator, philosopher, and scientist.

AFTER traveling about in the Mediterranean basin and engaging in the politics of Syracuse, a Greek city in Sicily, Plato returned to Athens, where he founded the Academy. Often referred to as Europe’s first university, the Academy became a focal point for mathematical and philosophical research.

WHY SHOULD YOU CARE?

The teachings of Plato have profoundly influenced the religious beliefs of millions of people, including pro- fessed Christians, many of whom wrongly assume that these beliefs are based on the Bible. Foremost among Plato’s teachings is the concept that humans have an immortal soul that survives the death of the physical body. Plato had a deep interest in life after death.

The book Body and Soul in Ancient Philosophy says that “the immortality of the soul is one of Plato’s favorite topics.” He was firmly convinced that “the soul outlives its present incarnation, to be duly rewarded or punished” in the afterlife, based on how the person lived while on earth.

 

Although Plato popularized the notion of the immortal soul, he was not the first to adopt it. In its various forms, the concept had long permeated pagan religion, including that of Egypt and Babylon

HOW DID PLATO’S TEACHINGS SPREAD?

During the nine centuries that Plato’s Academy functioned, from 387 B.C.E. to 529 C.E., it was highly influential. Platonic thought became popular in lands dominated by Greece and Rome. The Jewish philosopher Philo of Alexandria adopted Platonism, as did many religious leaders within Christendom. As a result, pagan philosophical concepts, including the immortality of the soul, crept into the teachings of Judaism and Christianity.

“All Christian theology is dependent, to an extent at least, on contemporary Greek philosophy, primarily Platonism,” says The Anchor Bible Dictionary, “but some Christian thinkers . . . merit the title of Christian Platonists.” Compare what the following sources say.

What Plato said: “[At death,] that which is the real self of each of us, and which we term the immortal soul, departs to the presence of other gods, there . . . to render its account,—a prospect to be faced with courage by the good, but with uttermost dread by the evil.” —Plato—Laws, Book XII.

What the Bible says: The soul is the person himself or the life that he enjoys. Even animals are souls. At death, the soul ceases to exist. Consider the follow- ing scriptures: “The first man Adam became a living soul.” —1 Corinthians 15:45. “God went on to say: ‘Let the earth put forth living souls according to their kinds, domestic animal and moving animal and wild beast of the earth.’” —Genesis 1:24. “Let my soul die.”—Numbers 23:10. “The soul that is sinning—it itself will die.”—Ezekiel 18:4.

Clearly, the Bible does not teach that the soul survives the death of the physical body. So ask yourself, ‘Are my beliefs based on the Bible or the philosophy of Plato?’ ˛

The Bible teaches that the dead are asleep, as it were, awaiting a res- urrection. (Ecclesiastes 9:5; John 11:11-14; Acts 24:15) In contrast, so-called immortal souls cannot die and would need no resurrection.

“The notion of the soul surviving after death is not readily discernible in the Bible.”—New Catholic Encyclopedia.

“Only in the post-biblical period did a clear and firm belief in the immortality of the soul take hold . . . and become one of the cornerstones of the Jewish and Christian faiths.” —Encyclopaedia Judaica.

“The belief that the soul continues its existence after the dissolution of the body is a matter of philosophical or theological speculation . . . and is accordingly no- where expressly taught in Holy Scripture.”—The Jewish Encyclopedia.

Money Problems

Money Problems: Only for the poor?
 
Why are there so many people in the midst of money problems today? Is it really because of high living expenses and the gap between the “haves and the have-nots” driving people to live outside of their means? "Robbing Peter to pay Paul" is the way that many households are run, and one crisis can tip the scales from solvency to disaster.

Many seek financial counseling for answers, and some who take that route do find solutions which help them begin to live within their means. It is also true that financial problems are not entirely confined to those without what is deemed as adequate financial resources -- for many with larger incomes also find themselves in the same boat of living from paycheck to paycheck.

Money Problems: Stewardship

Correcting money problems is a matter of being a good steward of the resources we have and allocating those resources in a manner that brings benefit rather than burden. This is a learned skill and begins with the choice to be the master of money rather than allowing money to master us.

We do not break the bad habit of debt through earning more money, but rather we break any habit by replacing it with a better one.

Therefore, in order to correct money problems we must change the way we view and use the money we already have through self-discipline. How do we find the self-discipline it takes to correct our money troubles?

Every freedom we have comes with responsibility, and income is no different. How we use what we are given determines our contentment with what we have, for money does not bring happiness nor contentment. So if we seek to satisfy the desires of our hearts with things then we will always need bigger and better things to satiate us.

Money Problems: Biblical view

The biblical view of money (and indeed the marshalling of our resources) is that we use it for the glory of God (1 Corinthians 10:31). Rather than seeking to gain more and more of what the world has to offer we need to seek after the things of God, and He in turn will supply all of our need.

"But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well" (Matthew 6:33, ). "And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus" ( Philippians 4:19, ).

Wars and Rumors of Wars

Wars and Rumors of Wars: The Source

“You will hear of wars and rumors of wars…” These words were part of the response Jesus gave His disciples when they asked about “the signs of His return and the end of the age.” This passage in Matthew 24:4-7 takes place on the Mount of Olives where Jesus cautioned His devoted followers of specific things to come. Jesus showed them that there are a number of signs that will fall into place marking the launch of what He called the beginning of sorrows or the beginning of birth pains (Matthew 24:8).

Jesus’ description of the world’s deteriorated condition just prior to His Second Coming has been fodder for dozens of books and conspiracy or science fiction movies. Millions of people across the globe are asking whether the increasing chaos and disasters plaguing the world today are the very signs that Jesus predicted.

Poor understanding and wacky liberties taken in books or the movies have aided in trivializing, scoffing, and apathy concerning Jesus’ forewarning.

Wars and Rumors of Wars: What’s New About Wars?

Wars and Rumors of Wars have always been. So why should today’s events be of concern? As I write this article, headlines in various news sources listed dozens of world regions and countries where there are present day conflicts, wars, and threats of attacks going on. Among those listed are Libya, Yemen, Israel/Gaza Strip, Nigeria, Mexico, Afghanistan, Sudan, Somalia, Dagestan, Iraq, Philippines, Egypt and once again we see the great conflict of the ages between the "KING OF THE  NORTH" & the "KING OF THE SOUTH".(this will be a topic in the near future) 

We cannot leave out the rumors of war by way of nuclear threats from Iran and North Korea. Nor can we leave out other escalating and violent uprisings such as the “Arab Spring” or the 2011 “Occupy” protest in Greece, England, France, Italy, and within the United States.

True, wars and rumors of wars are not new, but the degree of intensity and frequencies of outbreaks across much of the world at the same time is at a precarious high. When these events are put together with other named “signs of the end times,” they are worth paying close attention to. We can actually see the Bible’s prophecies playing out in the principal news stories in headlines every day.

When Jesus spoke about these signs being as birth pains, He was comparing the increased intensity to literal physical child birth. The closer the time of delivery comes about, the closer together and the more severe the pains are. In this sense the earth will experience the delivery pains in much the same way as the arrival of Christ gets closer. There is to be a strong increase in wars, false prophets, famines, earthquakes, and pestilences.(Matthew 24; Revelation 6)


Besides the obvious increase of wars and rumors of wars, we can already see the rest of these things escalating around the globe as well.

• Starvation and dangerous food shortages are prevalent in many nations
• Strange date-setting or false prophets are prevalent
• An alarming increase of false teachers leading many astray from God and His Word
• Earthquakes with resulting tsunamis and other catastrophic natural disasters have greatly increased breaking centuries old records

Wars and Rumors of Wars: The Final War

Wars and rumors of wars are a prelude to one final war according to Scripture. There will be an ultimate, horrific finale of nations and kingdoms warring against God that will happen in Armageddon. (Revelation 16:14, 16)

Jesus states that the signs listed in Matthew 24:3-4 should not alarm us. These are signs the end is nearing . In addition, this chapter pronounces severe persecution and lawlessness, followed by the “abomination of desolation.” These events will precede the Second coming of the Messiah and Armageddon.

Regardless of wars and rumors of wars, we need to equip ourselves to be ready to give an answer to others for the hope that lies only in knowing "The Truth". No doubt the signs He gives in these verses will be very frightening to most people. However, having the knowledge that God is sovereign, offers our only comfort and hope. In the darkest of days ahead for this world you can have peace and assurance that God is in control and if you are faithful to Him, you will reap His protection and promise of entering His "Earthly Kingdom".

Conspiracy Theories

Conspiracy Theories: What are they?
 
Conspiracy theories abound everywhere you look and many have been widely accepted as fact simply due to years of repetition. 

Conspiracies do exist, but most are mere theories and found to be untrue. 

Conspiracy theories have invaded various segments of life such as government, entertainment, science, and religion.

Things found to be unexplainable or lacking concise explanations are fodder for those who tend to see a conspiracy wherever they look. 

Many people want solid proof of a given event or happening. 

People have a hard time accepting that some things aren’t provable or that they won’t ever be solved. 

Human nature yearns to have verified answers to almost everything. 

When something cannot be confirmed or explained, some tend to let their imaginations run amok. 

This is how THEORIES begin. 

Conspiracy: The most popular

Some of the most popular Conspiracy are about the deaths of John F. Kennedy, 9/11, weather modification or weather warfare,  population control, mk ultra or mind control, gmo`s the list goes on and on. 

Other conspiracy theories are rooted in New World Order speculations, secret societies like the Illuminati, the Skull and Bones Society, Mason, Jesuits, and even in the political spectrum.

SOME POPULAR CONSPIRACY OR THEORIES  

The Da Vinci Code book and subsequent movie produced a flurry of conspiracy theories. 

The “Code” brought to light the mysterious Priory of Zion and Opus Dei societies. 

In addition, it began a firestorm of speculation about a marriage between Jesus and Mary Magdalene, WHICH IS TOTALLY FALSE. 

The tragedy with author Dan Brown’s fiction is that it wholly misrepresents and misleads those in SEARCH  OF BIBLICAL  AND SPIRITUAL TRUTHS. 

The uninformed take the book or movie to be true since it claims to have biblical basis; albeit most of the story is highly corrupted when (COMPARED  TO SCRIPTURAL  TRUTH.) 

Conspiracy theorists radicals want to claim the Holocaust didn’t happen despite irrefutable photographs, documentation, and meticulously kept records by the Nazis. 

The testimonies of many Holocaust survivors as well as some of the Nazi guards, officers, and others cannot be disputed. 

It is a good example of Joseph Schumpeter’s famous quote: 

( “THE FIRST THING A MAN WILL DO FOR HIS IDEALS IS LIE” ) 

No doubt this is applicable to those with an extreme agenda.

Conspiracy : Some basis for truth

Some conspiracy can have a basis for at least some truth. 

For instance, the “mark of the beast” is based on the Bible’s warning of a time coming when the world will be under an anti-Christ’s rule. 

Though God forbids receiving it, the mark will be required on every person in order to buy and sell anything (Revelation 13:17). 

People have taken this concept and base a conspiracy on it.

The quest for world domination is nothing new. 

Wars have been fought for centuries for such a purpose and continue today. 

The desire for a New World Order is being promoted currently by many nations’ leaders. 

As the world is falling into total economic collapse and religious turmoil, some believe moving toward a global currency, a global government leader, and a global religion is the answer.

What is conspiracy theory and what is truth? 

God promises that all believers in Christ Jesus will be saved from the punishment that Satan brings. 

Christ offers a glorious life for eternity to all who repent of sin and accept Him as their Lord and Savior. 

If you don’t know Jesus, wouldn’t you like to have all the blessings He offers you? 

He is not a theory; He is the way, truth and the life (John 14:6).

Isaac Newton and Prophecy

Isaac Newton and Prophecy – Foundations in Science
 
In addition to his scientific work, Isaac Newton devoted a substantial portion of his enormous energy to the study of the Bible, history, and prophecy. He read the Bible daily throughout his life and wrote over a million words of notes regarding his study of it. Isaac Newton believed that the Bible is literally true in every respect. Throughout his life, he continually tested biblical truth against the physical truths of experimental and theoretical science. He never observed a contradiction. In fact, he viewed his own scientific work as a method by which to reinforce belief in biblical truth.

Isaac Newton was a formidable biblical scholar, was fluent in the ancient languages, and had extensive knowledge of ancient history. He believed that each person should read the Bible and, through that reading, establish for himself an understanding of the universal truths it contains.

Newton's strong belief in individual freedom to learn about God without restraints from any other individual or church or government, once almost cost him his position as Lucasian Professor at Cambridge. The matter was resolved when King Charles II made the exceptional ruling that Isaac Newton would not be required to become a member of the Church of England.

Isaac Newton and Prophecy – Rare Publication

Regarding science, Christianity and prophecy, Isaac Newton spent his life in intense scholarship, but he left the publication of his work to Providence. Much of what he wrote has still never been published. His (and the world's) greatest scientific work, the Principia, was published only after his friend, Edmund Halley, accidentally learned of the existence of Part I which Isaac Newton had written 10 years earlier and put in a drawer. Halley convinced him to finish Parts II and III and allow Halley to publish the work.

Only one of Newton’s books about the Bible was ever published. In 1733, six years after his death, J. Darby and T. Browne, published Observations Upon the Prophecies of Daniel and the Apocalypse of St. John.

Isaac Newton and Prophecy – The Prophecies of Daniel and John

With his prodigious knowledge of ancient history and languages and his unequaled mental powers, Isaac Newton is the best qualified individual in this millennium to have written about biblical prophecy. His study of the book of Daniel began at the age of twelve and continued to be a special interest throughout his life. Moreover, he writes of the prophecies with a modesty that indicates that he, himself, is in awe of the words he has been given an opportunity to read.

Isaac Newton concluded that it is intended that Revelation will be understood by very few until near the end of history, the time of judgment, and the beginning of the everlasting kingdom of the Saints of the Most High.

Isaac Newton states his belief that these books of prophecy were provided so that, as they are historically fulfilled, they provide a continuing testimony to the fact that the world is governed by the Providence of God. He objected to the use of the prophecies in attempts to predict the future.

On page 251, for example, he writes:

"The folly of Interpreters has been, to foretell times and things by this Prophecy, as if God designed to make them Prophets. By this rashness they have not only exposed themselves, but brought the Prophecy also into contempt."

Through these 323 pages, he traces human history since the writing of the prophecies. He shows that, according to his scholarship and at his time in the early 18th Century, part of the prophecies had been fulfilled and part remained to be fulfilled. In accordance with his evaluation, this is still true in our days.

Decorated (as are his scientific works) with interesting asides such as derivations of the exact dates of Christmas and Easter and of the number of years during which Jesus taught, and permeated with a depth of scholarship that no longer exists among modern scholars, this book by Isaac Newton may be the most important work of its kind ever written.

Isaac Newton and Prophecy – Scientific Evaluation of Biblical Truth

The central message of Isaac Newton’s prophecy book for modern readers may not be so much in what it says but in what it is. During his entire life, Isaac Newton continually compared his experimental and theoretical understanding of science with his reading of the Bible. He found the content of these two sources of truth to be so completely compatible that he regarded every word in the Bible to be as correct as the equations of mathematics and physics.

Therefore, throughout this book, Isaac Newton takes each word of the prophecies to be exactly correct. He never doubts the content. He only seeks to understand it.

He never strays from his determination not to present predictions of the future based upon the biblical prophecies. On pages 113 and 114, he does give an identification of the last horn of the Beast and a numerical evaluation of his reign. He also gives the approximate time of the beginning of this reign, but does not add the numbers or make a prediction.

Addition of these numbers, however, places the time of judgment and the beginning of the everlasting reign of the Saints of the Most High approximately in the time period between the years 2000 and 2050.

Are there errors in Isaac Newton's evaluation of Bible Prophecy? He would reply that he would not have written this evaluation unless he believed it to be without error, but that it is the obligation of Christians to study the Bible and to reach their own conclusions.

Bible Prophecy

Bible Prophecy - Foresight or Fraud?
 
Is Bible prophecy compelling evidence vindicating the Bible's claim that it is the truly inspired Word of God or is it nothing more than an elaborate hoax? How do Biblical prophecies stand up next to secular history? The Bible declares, "'Present your case,' says the LORD. 'Bring forth your strong reasons... Let them bring forth and show us what will happen... declare to us things to come. Show the things that are to come hereafter, that we may know that you are gods... Indeed you are nothing, and your work is nothing; He who chooses you is an abomination'" (Isaiah 41:21-24). How does the God of the Bible stand up to His own challenge?

Bible Prophecy - The Book of Daniel
 
The Book of Daniel is a stunning example of Bible prophecy. The book claims to have been written sometime in the 6th century BC, but because of the accuracy of its detailed predictions, Daniel's critics insist that it must have been written after the events described. They contend that it must have been written sometime after c.160 BC. Nevertheless, Flavius Josephus, court historian for three successive Roman Emperors, documents Alexander the Great receiving a copy of Daniel upon his annexation of Jerusalem in the autumn of 332 BC (Antiquities of the Jews XI, chapter viii, paragraphs 3-5). Furthermore, according to both the pseudo-aristeas account and Josephus (Antiquities of the Jews XII, chapter ii), Ptolemy Philadelphus (308-246 BC) commissioned the translation of the Septuagint (a.k.a. the LXX) from Hebrew into Greek in the 3rd century BC. Daniel is included in the LXX. Daniel is also included among the Dead Sea Scrolls (DSS) which date from about 200 BC (the oldest Daniel manuscript, 4Q114, dating from the late 2nd Century BC).

Bible Prophecy - Daniel 11
 
Having established the credibility of Daniel, let's compare Bible prophecy found in Chapter 11 of that book with accepted secular history. The book of Daniel describes with incredible accuracy the fate of the Grecian Empire; how upon Alexander's death his empire would be divided into four portions, the conflicts between two of these divisions, Egypt and Syria, and the affect which these wars would have upon the nation of Israel which was situated between the two. In fact, many of the conflicts were over the control of Palestine (Israel). The Syrian kings are referred to as the "kings of the North" (that is, north of Israel, the prophecy being given from Israel's perspective); the Egyptian kings are referred to as the "kings of the South" (south of Israel). Let's go through the first 20 verses to prove the point. Each passage is followed by secular history which is included in the brackets. There are several secular online encyclopedias if you're interested in looking up any of the following information for yourself.

Daniel 11:1-2: "In the first year of Darius the Mede, I arose to be an encouragement and a protection for him. And now I will tell you the truth. Behold, three more kings are going to arise in Persia. Then a fourth will gain far more riches than all of them; as soon as he becomes strong through his riches, he will arouse the whole empire against the realm of Greece."

[Darius the Mede was viceroy in Babylon during the reign of Cyrus II (a.k.a. Cyrus the Great, who ruled from c.550-530 BC; Note: the dates provided here and following represent a period of monarchial reign, not the ruler's actual life-span). The three kings which succeed Cyrus were Cambyses II (530-521 BC), Smerdis (521 BC) and Darius I (521-485 BC), son of Hystaspes. The fourth king, Xerxes (486-465 BC), excelling in wealth and power, launched an elaborate campaign against Greece.]

Daniel 11:3-4: "And a mighty king will arise, and he will rule with great authority and do as he pleases. But as soon as he has arisen, his kingdom will be broken up and parceled out toward the four points of the compass, though not to his own descendants, nor according to his authority which he wielded, for his sovereignty will be uprooted and given to others besides them."

[The "mighty king" was Alexander the Great (336-323 BC) who, shortly after conquering the Persian Empire, died abruptly at the age of 32. His empire was not bequeathed to his children (who were murdered) but instead was divided up amongst his generals (the Diadochi). Four lesser kingdoms emerged from the rubble of Alexander's empire: Greece, Asia Minor, Syria, and Egypt.]

New World Order

New World Order: What does this term mean?
 
New World Order is a term used to describe an accord of the world's superpowers to rule, secure, and maintain the premise of "global peace." The concept is to bring the world under submission to one supreme government, enforce one controlled common religion and one worldwide economic system. (The EU has already instituted this with the 'Euro' currency.) In reality, it is a move toward a socialistic, controlled, and godless world.

This is not a recent New Age plan or idea. Though 20th and 21st Century world leaders have talked a great deal about entering a "new era" and the establishment of a "New World Order," the plan is said to have begun prior to the 12th Century with a group known as the Illuminati leading to the Knights Templar and The Scottish Rites Free Masonry.

New World Order: Who is involved?

New World Order advocates believe the cause is a worthy one, after all, who wouldn't want world peace? While many university students, professors, and others adhere to the schema, the highest echelon of NWO engineers are said to include many of the world's wealthiest people, top political leaders, and the corporate elite.

For instance, Soviet Prime Minister Mikhail Gorbachev, addressed the UN in December of 1988 saying, "Further global progress is now possible only through a quest for universal consensus in the movement towards a new world order." In a 1990 meeting in Finland, the former US President George H. W. Bush quoted, "The foundation for the new world order would be laid in Helsinki and it would be established under the United Nations.” Bush added later at a news conference, "If the nations of the world, acting together, continue as they have been we will set in place the cornerstone of an international order more peaceful than any that we have known."

New World Order Socialists became more public during Bill Clinton's US Presidency. A powerful lobby, the Progressive Caucus, began openly promoting the principles of socialism and signed onto the agenda of the Democratic Socialists of America. Clinton quite successfully pushed toward 'big government' involvement into American private life. This paved the way for subtle, democratic freedoms to slip away as more and more governmental control was established.

Movies including Skulls and National Treasure have been made about 'secret-societies' such as The Skull and Bones Society. Other reportedly involved secret brotherhoods and/or international organizations include the Bilderbergers, the Trilateral Commission, the Illuminati, the World Health Organization, and the United Nations. Unlike some conspiracy theories, these are matters of general public knowledge.

New World Order: What Would This Mean?

As the world becomes increasingly secularized and atheistic, we find many other influences moving people toward a New World Order agenda. False Political Correctness and desensitization (to crime, violence, genocide, godlessness, occultism, etc.).

 Mr. Ron Riffe (Cutting Edge) writes: "This world is currently awash with occult literature such as The DaVinci Code and the Gnostic Gospels. Extremely expensive television programs about UFO's and many other occult themes are being aired during network prime time because they know the audience is ripe for the picking. A mass hypnosis is taking place before our eyes and the evidence is overwhelming."

Texe Marrs, author of Mystery Mark of the New Age, reminds us that those familiar with the Bible will recognize that there will be a one world government under direct authority of the Antichrist,( friends that is actually happening right now. First, it materialized with the League of Nations and now under the guide of the U.N. )The Bible says God will prevail against all evil. The New Age message is nothing new! It is the same old rebellion against God!

Learn what God’s Scriptures say regarding the plan of the Antichrist and what you can do as these things take place. “My people are being destroyed because they don't know me. It is all your fault, you priests, for you yourselves refuse to know me. Now I refuse to recognize you as my priests. Since you have forgotten the laws of your God, I will forget to bless your children” (Hosea 4:6).  

End Times

End Times - In the Words of Jesus Himself
 
The End Times: You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. All these are the beginning of birth pains. (Matthew 24:6-8; Mark 13:7-8).

Then he said to them: "Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be great earthquakes, famines and pestilences in various places, and fearful events and great signs from heaven." (Luke 21:10-11).

End Times - A Record of Recent Earthquakes in the 90's

Signs of the "End Times" are all around us. Just check out a chronology of major earthquakes over the last twenty years:

December 12, 1992 - Indonesia - A quake measuring 6.8 killed at least 2,200 people throughout an eastern section of islands.

September 30, 1993 - India - A string of quakes killed almost 10,000 people in western and southern India. The largest quake measured 6.4.

June 6, 1994 - Columbia - A quake and resultant mudslides killed about 1,000 people in the Paez River valley in southwestern Colombia.

January 17, 1995 - Japan - A quake measuring 7.2 killed 6,430 people in Kobe.

May 28, 1995 - Russia - An earthquake measuring 7.5, Russia's largest on record, killed 1,989 people in the eastern portion of the country.

February 28, 1997 - Iran - A quake measuring 5.5 killed about 1,000 people in northern Iran.

May 10, 1997 - Iran - A quake measuring 7.1 killed 1,560 people in eastern Iran near the Afghan border.

February 4, 1998 - Afghanistan - A quake measuring 6.1 killed at least 4,500 people in the Takhar province.

May 30, 1998 - Afghanistan - A quake measuring 6.9 killed about 4,000 people in the Takhar province.

July 17, 1998 - Papua New Guinea - An under-sea quake measuring 7.1 created three tidal waves, which killed approximately 2,100 people.

January 25, 1999 - Columbia - A quake measuring 6.3 killed about 1,170 people in the central region.

August 17, 1999 - Turkey - At least 17,800 people were killed by a 7.4 quake.

September 21, 1999 - Taiwan - A quake measuring 7.6 killed at least 2,000 people in central Taiwan.

End Times - 21st century Earthquakes

January 26, 2001 - India - An monster earthquake measuring 7.7 struck the western state of Gujarat and neighboring Pakistan, killing at least 19,700 people.

March 26, 2002 - Afghanistan - At least 1,800 people were killed when a series of earthquakes struck northern Afghanistan and destroyed the district capital of Nahrin.

June 22, 2002 - Iran - A quake measuring a 6 killed at least 500 people in northwestern Iran.

February 24, 2003 - China - A magnitude 6.3+ earthquake killed at least 266 people in western China.

May 1, 2003 - Turkey - A 6.4 quake killed 167 people in southwestern Turkey.

December 26, 2003 - Iran - A massive earthquake killed more than 30,000 people in Bam, Iran.

December 26, 2004 – Off the coast of Northern Sumatra – A 9.0 underwater earthquake devastated the Indian Ocean region with tsunamis that killed over 283,000 people.

October 8, 2005 – Kashmir – A 7.6-7.8 earthquake killed about 86,000 and injured 40,000 more.

May 26, 2006 – Java, Indonesia – A 6.3 earthquake killed 6,234 people and seriously injured another 20,000. More than 340,000 were left homeless.

August 15, 2007 – Peru - An 8 magnitude earthquake killed 513 people and injured 1,090 more.

May 12, 2008 – Wenchuan District, Southwest China – A devastating 7.8 magnitude earthquake killed more than 90,000 people.

September 30, 2009 -- Sumatra Island, Indonesia -- A total of 3,000 people died and 450,000 were left homeless after a 7.6 magnitude quake and severe aftershocks.

November 7, 2009 -- Port Vila Coasts, Vanuatu – A 7.9 magnitude earthquake killed 452 people and injured 786 more.

January 12, 2010 -- Haiti – A 7.3 magnitude earthquake killed approximately 300,000 people and left more than one million homeless.

March 11, 2011 – Japan – A 9 magnitude underwater earthquake and tsunami off the northeastern coast, which left more than 10,000 dead, 17,000 missing, and hundreds of thousands homeless.

End Times - We Knew It Was Coming

The End Times: But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God -- having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with them. (2 Timothy 3:1-5). But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything in it will be laid bare. (2 Peter 3:10).

EARTHSHAKING events will soon occur in our life-time

L. Lenin G. Zapata

Please Read 2 Peter 1:19 - Why would Peter counsel us this way? Well he knew that Jesus mandated his followers to "keep on the watch". The apostle Paul also urges us to "keep our eyes . . . on the things unseen." Why! EARTHSHAKING events will soon occur in our life-time. The fulfillment of Bible prophecies confirms this fact.

One event is mentioned in (1 Thessalonians 5:3-Please READ) Here, Paul draws attention to "Jehovah’s day." The period that will start with the destruction of false religion and will end in the war of Armageddon.

So, as we can appreciate from 1Thessalonians 5:3, when world leaders including the clergy are saying "Peace and security!" That historical development will indicate that Jehovah’s day is to begin.

What event will take place next?

Paul mentions : "then sudden destruction is to be instantly upon them."  Revelation 17:16 highlights the first phase of this "sudden destruction".

That attack against all forms of false religion, including Christendom, is the start of the "great tribulation."

It appears, that, after false religion has been destroyed, God’s servants will become the object of an all-out assault by "many peoples." (Ezekiel 38:14-19.) God’s prophetic Word describes that development as the attack by Gog of Magog.


What earthshaking event will be triggered by that attack on Jehovah’s servants?

By means of Jesus and the heavenly armies, Jehovah will intervene, That intervention on behalf of His people, will be "the war of the great day of God the Almighty"—Armageddon.

What will the nations do then?

Just as, the ancient Egyptian attackers who pursued the Israelites at the Red Sea, the nations will be forced to acknowledge Jehovah when they attack his servants.(Ezekiel 38:23)

How close are we to the start of this chain of events?


A prophecy in the book of Daniel enables us to establish where we are in the stream of time. Daniel describes an image in human form made up of different metals. The metals, represents successive world powers that have had a major influence on God’s people, past and present.

 The same prophecy indicates that God’s Kingdom, pictured by a large stone, was cut from the mountain of Jehovah’s sovereignty in 1914. That stone is now hurtling toward its target—the feet of the image. At Armageddon, the feet and the rest of the image will be smashed. (Daniel 2:44)

After these event, when all wickedness is gone, a new chapter in life—Christ’s Millennial Reign, Under Messianic Rule, Gods Kingdom will take progressive steps to undo all the damage done to the humans family and our home, planet (Earth).

The Thousand Year Reign will bring about the fulfillment of the heartwarming promise by Jehovah God: "I am creating new heavens and a new earth; and the former things will not be called to mind, neither will they come up into the heart."

What a glorious future awaits all of us. Although the grand blessings are yet "unseen", keeping them clearly in mind will help us to focus on what truly is important in our lives, in these critical times.