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Prophe-Zine Issue 079
PropheZine #79
June 4, 1999
Bob Lally Publisher
Mimi Nila Senior Editor
Rick Woodcock Asst. Editor
Abraham George Asst. Editor
Lori Eldridge Asst. Editor
Bob Ippolito Asst. Editor
ARTICLES
Dr. David R. Reagan.............The Acceleration of Life
Lori Eldridge...Book Review of - Heaven on Earth: Here and Now by Mary Ellen Gilliland
Ken Onweller.................Will A Man Rob God ?
COMMENTARIES
Berit Kjos..How Pokemon and Magic Cards Affect the Minds and Values of Children
POEMS, Etc.
Submitted by John Terry.... The Parable of Two Frogs
****************************************************************
Warm Greetings from Bob Lally:
For those of you in the northern hemisphere we find ourselves entering the warmest months of the year. A time for fun and being outdoors a good portion of the day. Take a moment and look around and notice the trees, shrubs, birds, small animals. Ask yourself how anyone could possibly believe this all came from 4 amino acids binding together in a puddle of mud billions of years ago. I think Hitler said that if you tell a lie often enough the people will eventually believe it as truth.
I have been reading materials by Dr. Kent Hovind (www.drdino.com) concerning Creation vs. Evolution. His materials are wonderful and provide quite an insight why evolution is a religion and not science.
We are accepting additonal advertising on the website and sponsors for the Newsletters. Also, I will be conducting a survey on the website (you will be informed in a few days) and will be asking how many people would be willing to pay a small fee to listen to a discussion by top researchers concerning The Dead Sea Scrolls. I am thinking of setting this up in the next few months.
May the Lord bless you and keep you;
Bob Lally
Owner PropheZine
**************************************************************************
NEW WINE FOR THE END TIMES
Getting out of sin; The two-bride post-wrath rapture theory. Timeline of
the great tribulation. FREE Book: Lord of the Sabbath, Second Edition
http://www.newwine.org
**************************************************************************
|==========================================
|
| The Acceleration of Life
| by Dr. David R. Reagan
|
Is it a Signal that Jesus is Returning Soon?
Have you noticed how almost everything in life seems to be accelerating in growth? Knowledge has exploded. We are traveling faster and farther than ever before. Instant, worldwide communication has become common place. And the power at our disposal is mind-boggling.
A Sign of the Times
The Bible teaches that this acceleration of technology which we are experiencing will be a sign of the end times - a sign that will signal the soon return of the Lord.
Consider Daniel 12:4. In this verse the Lord tells Daniel that one of the signs of the end times will be an acceleration of travel and knowledge.
Here's how the verse reads in the Living Bible paraphrase:
Daniel, keep this prophecy a secret . . . Seal it up so that it will not be understood until the end times when travel and education shall be vastly increased.
The same concept of end time acceleration is found in the New Testament.
Jesus spoke about it when He talked with His disciples about the signs of the end times that would herald His return (Matthew 24:5ff). He mentioned a great variety of signs - spiritual, natural, societal, and world political - and then He said these signs would be like "birth pangs" (Matthew 24:8).
As the birth of a baby approaches, the birth pangs increase two ways. They increase in frequency and intensity. Thus, Jesus was saying that the closer we get to the time of His return, the more frequent and intense the signs will become. There will be more earthquakes and more intense ones. Likewise things like famine, pestilence and war will increase in frequency and intensity.
The Mathematical Concept
In mathematics this acceleration is called an "exponential curve." This term comes from what happens when rapid growth is plotted on a chart. When graphing the growth of something, the growth is considered to be on an exponential curve when the plot line starts moving vertically because the growth is so rapid. You can see a classic example of this principle in the illustration on this page of the growth of the Internet company, America Online.
Now, the point is that the Bible indicates that the exponential curve will be one of the signs of the end times, and my thesis is that we are living in the midst of the exponential curve. Therefore, we are living in the end times.
Examples of the Curve
The 20th Century has been the century of the exponential curve. Let's consider some examples.
1) Population - Demographers estimate that the population of the world at the time of Christ was only 200 million. It took 1,650 years for the world's population to double! But thereafter it began to double very rapidly because the Industrial Revolution produced modern medicine, which, in turn, reduced infant mortality rates and increased longevity. As the statistics below indicate, the rate of doubling has now reached exponential proportions.
Time of Christ -- -- 200 million
1,650 years -- 1650 AD -- 500 million
200 years -- 1850 AD -- 1.3 billion
100 years -- 1950 AD -- 2.5 billion
30 years -- 1980 AD -- 4.5 billion
2) Power - Throughout most of recorded history, the maximum power at man's disposal consisted of bows and arrows, spears, and catapults. Even at the beginning of this century, war was still primitive. World War I turned into a stagnant war of attrition because neither side had sufficient power to break out of the trenches.
Eighty years later, we have air power, armored power, nuclear weapons, and sophisticated bacteriological and chemical weapons. We have ICBM's that can deliver a nuclear payload half way around the world. We have laser guided missiles that can guide a bomb down a smoke stack. And we have nuclear submarines that can circle the globe without surfacing. Incredibly, just one of those subs today has more firepower than all the bombs dropped in World War II! It is no wonder the Bible says that in the end times "men will faint with fear" over the expectation of "the things which are coming upon the world" (Luke 21:26).
3) Transportation - In 1900 the major means of transportation was what it had always been throughout history - namely, walking and riding a horse.
Bicycles had been invented, and the steam engine had been applied to ships and trains. But steam powered transportation was too expensive for most people.
I have photos that were taken in my home town of Waco, Texas in 1912, and they clearly show that most people were still getting around in horse drawn wagons and carriages.
Today we have automobiles (usually two or more to a family!) and airplanes.
We have bullet trains that travel 150 miles per hour and planes that travel faster than the speed of sound. And then, of course, there are rocket ships that take people into orbit around the earth.
In 1866 Mark Twain traveled to the Holy Land. It took him three months to get there. Today, a group can get on a jet plane in New York and be in Tel Aviv in 13 hours (and most will complain about how long the trip took!).
In 1900 the average number of miles traveled per year by a person inside the United States was 1,000. Today it is 25,000 miles per year, and many of us put twice that much mileage on an automobile in a year's time.
4) Communications - At the beginning of this century the telegraph had speeded up communications considerably, but the fundamental means which most people used to get information was still the newspaper.
Today our communication resources are overwhelming. We have telephones, radio, and television. We have exotic devices like fax machines, pagers, and cellular phones. And we can communicate world wide through satellites.
I never cease to be amazed when I see someone use a credit card in an Arab shop in the Old City of Jerusalem. The shop may be nothing but a primitive hole in the wall, but over in some dark corner there will be a machine where the merchant can swipe the card. A few moments later he receives an authorization. During those few moments, the card number has been transmitted to Tel Aviv, from Tel Aviv to New York by satellite, from New York to the credit card processing center somewhere in the States, and then back to the Arab shop in Jerusalem!
I am equally amazed at the way I can sit down at a computer at my home or office and use the Internet to send a letter in seconds to almost any place in the world.
5) Computers - Computer technology has contributed to the rapid acceleration of many aspects of life, but it is interesting to note that the exponential curve applies to the development of computers as well.
Anyone who tries to stay on the cutting edge of what is new in computer equipment knows that it is a never ending battle that requires a lot of money. Advances are so rapid that equipment is out of date within a few months.
In 1970 I was a professor at a college where we bought an IBM computer for $100,000. The computer filled a room and generated so much heat that we had to have the room equipped with additional air conditioning. The computer's memory was 64K!
Now, if you are not a computer buff, that may not mean much to you, but keep reading because I'm going to make it understandable; and in the process, I'm going to illustrate how rapidly computer technology has developed.
Ten years later in 1980, this ministry bought one of the first desk top computers made. It was a Tandy TRS 80, Model II. It cost $4,800. When I
turned it on, I was astounded by the first thing that appeared on the screen: "64K Memory." In ten years time we had gone from a computer that weighed more than a ton to one that sat on a desk top, and the price had dropped 95%. But the memory was the same!
Ten years later in 1990, I went to Radio Shack and bought an electronic Rolodex small enough to fit into the palm of my hand. It cost $90. And when I turned it on, guess what? The first message that appeared on the screen was "64K Memory."
The first floppy disk that we used in the TRS 80 was 8" in size. It held 300,000 bytes of information. A few years later the 51/4" disk appeared. It would hold 700,000 bytes. Then came the 31/2" disk. Its capacity was 1.4 million bytes! Now the hottest thing going is the CD Rom disk. I recently read an advertisement for a CD Rom disc that contained 134,000 pages of theological documents, the equivalent of 1,400 pounds of books!
6) Knowledge - The prophet Daniel was specifically told that knowledge would vastly increase in the end times, and it has. In fact, we have become so overwhelmed with the flood of new information that it is difficult to find wisdom anymore, because wisdom comes from reflection on knowledge.
When I was in graduate school in the early '60s, there were only two or three major academic journals in each field of study. Today there are dozens in each field, and they cannot begin to publish all the academic articles that are being written. Many have to limit the articles to one page abstracts, and even then most articles are rejected for a lack of space.
Encyclopedias are out of date before they can be printed. And I read recently where a research organization had determined that one Sunday issue of the New York Times contains more information than the normal person in the 19th Century was exposed to in a lifetime!
The most amazing thing to me in the area of information is the World Wide Web that can be accessed through the Internet. Using it, I can access the documents of the Vatican in seconds, and then in a matter of moments, I can go to the Israel Museum in Jerusalem, or I can dart back to the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C. In short, I can access information all over the world without ever leaving my office.
7) Violence - I don't think I have to emphasize that violence and lawlessness have been increasing. But it is hard to comprehend how rapid the increase has been in this century.
It is estimated by experts that the number of people killed in all the wars fought from the time of Christ until 1939 totals 50 million. In the next six years (1939 through 1945), 57 million people died in World War II.
Since that time, almost 60 million have died in armed conflicts, either in wars between nations or civil wars within nations. This has been a century of unparalleled carnage.
Within the United States, violent crime has increased 500% since 1960.
During the same period, the country's population increased only 41%.
8) Society - The disintegration of society has multiplied in speed as violence, wickedness, and immorality have increased exponentially. Jesus prophesied this would happen when He said that end time society would be like it was in the days of Noah (Matthew 24:37-39).
I have witnessed the decaying of society with my own eyes. I was born in 1938. When I was born, abortionists were sent to prison. Pregnancy out of wedlock was thought of as scandalous. Homosexuals were considered queer. Pornography was despised as a sickness. Marriage was sacred. Living together was taboo. Divorce was a disgrace. Homemaking was honored, and day care was provided by mothers in their homes. Child abuse was unheard of. Ladies did not curse or smoke. "Damn" was considered flagrant language in a movie. (A recent film featuring Jack Lemon had the "f-word" in it 170 times in 120 minutes!) I could go on and on about the many ways in which our society (and societies around the world) have decided to "call evil good and good evil" (Isaiah 5:20). But the most dramatic way I can think of to illustrate how rapid the deterioration of society has become in America is to consider the results of a poll concerning public school discipline problems. Consider the differing results between the '40s and the '80s (and weep!):
The Top Public School Discipline Problems
Mid-'40s 1) Talking
2) Chewing gum
3) Making noise
4) Running in the halls
5) Getting out of turn in line
6) Wearing improper clothing
7) Not putting paper in wastebaskets
Mid-'80s
1) Drug Abuse
2) Alcohol Abuse
3) Pregnancy
4) Suicide
5) Rape
6) Robbery
7) Assault (Source: Time Magazine, February 1, 1988)
9) The Gospel -But not all the exponential curves are bad. Modern technology has made it possible for the Gospel to be preached to billions of people through the use of such media as short wave radio, motion pictures, and satellite television.
Billy Graham's recent broadcast from Puerto Rico was carried by satellite to 185 countries and territories in a total of 116 different languages!
In 1800 the Bible was available in 71 languages. By 1930 the count had risen dramatically to 900. Today, the Bible has been published in 1,700 languages, with 1,000 more in progress. Computer technology has greatly speeded up the translation process.
10) World Politics - The exponential curve also applies to world events.
Habakkuk 1:5 is as relevant today as if it were written yesterday: "The Lord replied, 'Look, and be amazed! You will be astounded at what I am about to do! For I am going to do something in your own lifetime that you will have to see to believe.'"
I took a Sabbatical in 1987 and wrote a book called Trusting God. Seven years later, in 1994, I took another Sabbatical and completely rewrote that book. The exercise gave me an opportunity to reflect back over the seven years between the two Sabbaticals. I was astounded - even overwhelmed - by the rapidity and "stupendity" of world events.
Who could have dreamed in 1987 that within the next seven years any of the following events would have occurred? -
The tearing down of the Berlin Wall
The peaceful liberation of Eastern Europe from Communism
The collapse of the Soviet Union
The reunification of Germany
The resurgence of Islam and its emergence as the greatest threat to world peace
The sending of 500,000 American troops to the other side of the world to defend a country most Americans had never heard of (Kuwait)
The handshake between Rabin and Arafat that has led to Israel surrendering its heartland to the PLO
In 1987 if you had predicted any of these developments, you would have been written off as "nuts." The rapidity of these events and their radical nature is breathtaking. They underscore the possibility of the impossible.
And they certainly reveal that man is not in control.
The Significance of the Curve
So, what does all this mean to you and me? I would mention at least three things.
First, the exponential curve is proof positive that Bible prophecy is true.
The Lord has told us what He is going to do in the end times, and we had better pay attention to it.
Second, the fulfillment of prophecy related to the exponential curve shows that God is in control. Even when it appears that everything on this earth is out of control, we can be assured that God is orchestrating all the chaos to the ultimate triumph of His Son in history (Psalm 2).
Third, the exponential curve is very strong evidence that we are living on borrowed time. It points to the fact that Jesus is at the very gates of Heaven, waiting for the command of His Father to return.
A Warning
I want to conclude by issuing a strong warning against taking time for granted.
Many people are doing that today. They are saying, "I'm going to get serious about the Lord when I get out of school;" or "after I get a job;"
or "after I'm established in my job;" or "after I get married;" or "after I
get my children raised." Time is precious. There is very little left. Now is the time to get serious about the Lord.
Let me illustrate how critical the timing is by returning to the exponential curve. Suppose you put one bacterium in a jar, and assume it doubles every second. How many bacteria do you think would exist in the jar at the end of 30 seconds? The answer, incredibly, is 1,073,741,824. That's more than a billion in thirty seconds! That's the ferocity of the exponential curve.
Now, let's carry the illustration a step further. If at the end of 30 seconds the jar is half full, how much longer will it take for the jar to become full? The answer is one second (because it will double in the next second). That is the suddenness of the exponential curve.
That's what the Bible means when it says that people will be saying, "Peace and safety!" when "sudden destruction" will come upon them (1 Thessalonians 5:3).
Are you taking time for granted? Don't do it. Non-Christian, now is the time for salvation. Christian, now is the time for holiness.
A Postscript:
The exponential curve illustrated is the one that could easily lead to the destruction of the United States. It took over 200 years for the nation's debt to reach one trillion dollars. Then, in only ten years, during the decade of the '80s, the debt more than tripled!
As of April 1, 1996, the debt totaled 5.1 trillion. With a population of 264 million, that means every man, woman and child in American now owes $19,182.84. The debt continues to run at the rate of one billion dollars per day. Some experts estimate that by the year 2000, all taxes collected will barely cover the interest due on the debt. In short, America is bankrupt.
The Nature of the Lord's Return
Is the Lord Returning in Love or Wrath?
When you think of the coming of the Lord, what do you think of? What is your image? Is it positive or negative? Is it a return in love or in wrath?
And what do you feel? Fear or joy? Comfort or anxiety?
How would you characterize your overall attitude about the Lord's return?
Desire or apathy? Do you pray for it? Or, do you try not to think about it?
Are you enthusiastic or passive?
Finally, how would you describe the Lord's coming? How would you explain it to someone who knows nothing about it?
The Scriptural Images
There are two detailed descriptions of the Lord's return in the New Testament, one written by the Apostle Paul and the other by the Apostle John. These descriptions are reproduced on page 2, side by side. Stop for a moment and read them carefully.
Now, let me ask you some more questions. How can these two descriptions be reconciled? I ask that because they are as different as night and day. Did you notice that?
Look again and make a careful comparison. Notice that they have absolutely nothing in common. In fact, they are totally incompatible.
Comparison and Contrast
The passage in 1 Thessalonians 4 presents a scene of love, mercy, and grace. The picture that is painted by Revelation 19 is one of vengeance and wrath. In the Thessalonian passage, the Lord appears in the sky, but does not descend to the earth. In the Revelation account, he come to the earth. Zechariah 14 says He will return to the Mount of Olives from which He ascended into Heaven.
One of the most significant differences between the two passages relates to the Church. In the Thessalonian account, the Lord comes for the purpose of taking His Church, both the dead and living members, out of this world. In Revelation, by stark contrast, He returns with His Church. This is indicated in Revelation 19:14 where it says that "the armies which are in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean were following Him on white horses." We know these people constitute the Church, because the same group is described a few verses before (verses 7 and 8) as being the "bride" of Christ.
Thus, in Paul's description of the Lord's return, He is portrayed as coming for His Church, to deliver believers from the "wrath that is to come" (1 Thessalonians 1:10). But in John's description, Jesus is portrayed as returning with His Church in great wrath. In Thessalonians Jesus returns as a Deliverer. In Revelation He comes back as a Warrior. In one scene He is coming to claim the righteous; in the other, He returns to condemn the unrighteous.
A Problem in Reconciliation
What is going on here? How could these two passages be talking about the same event? How can they be reconciled?
I believe there is only one way to reconcile them and that is to conclude that they are describing two separate events. That, in turn, implies rather clearly that there are going to be two future comings of the Lord.
One of those - the one described in 1 Thessalonians 4 - will be more of an appearing than a coming, for the Lord will not actually return to the earth. He will, instead, appear in the heavens and supernaturally draw the Church, living and dead, to Him.
The second future appearance of the Lord - the one described in Revelation 19 - will be the true "Second Coming," for the Lord will actually descend to the earth to pour out the wrath of God and establish His reign over all the world.
This means the "Second Coming" of the Lord is going to be in two stages.
The first stage will be what has come to be known as the Rapture - the snatching of the Church out of the world. The second stage, which will occur later, will be the return of the Lord to the earth.
The Issue of Imminence
This method of reconciling these passages solves a serious problem that emerges when you think of only one future coming of the Lord. That problem relates to the emphasis that the Scriptures give to imminence.
What I am referring to, of course, is the constant warning of the Scriptures that the Lord may appear any moment and, therefore, we are to always be ready for the Lord's return (Matthew 24:36, 42, 44, 50 and 25:13).
If there is only one future coming of the Lord, then these warnings are a waste of time and there is no imminence because there are many prophecies that are yet to be fulfilled before the Lord can return. For example:
1. A peace treaty must be signed that will guarantee Israel's peace with all of its Arab neighbors (Daniel 9:27).
2. The Jewish Temple must be rebuilt in Jerusalem (Matthew 24:15, 2 Thessalonians 2:3-4, and Revelation 11:1-2).
3. The Great Tribulation must begin and run its seven year course, resulting in the death of over half the world's population (Revelation 6-18).
4. The Antichrist must reveal himself and begin an unprecedented persecution of the Jews - one that will result in the death of two-thirds of all the Jews (Revelation 12:13-17 & Zechariah 13:7-9).
5. The Gospel must be preached to every person on the earth (Matthew 24:14 and Revelation 14:6-7).
6. An unprecedented system of economic control must be established that will prevent persons from buying or selling anything unless they can display on their right hands or foreheads the mark or name of the Antichrist.
7. The worldwide kingdom of the Antichrist must be destroyed in "one hour of one day" (Revelation 17 & 18).
These are all events that are clearly prophesied in Scripture as occurring before Jesus returns to earth. None of them has yet been fulfilled in history. If there is only one future coming of the Lord, and it must take place after these events, then why should we be looking for Jesus Christ? We should be looking instead for the Antichrist!
Living with Expectancy
The only way that the imminence taught by the Scriptures can be maintained is to believe that Jesus can return any moment. The only way to maintain that belief is to conclude that the Lord's appearing for His Church (the Rapture) is an event that is separate and apart from the Second Coming and is an event that can occur any moment.
That is what I have concluded from my study of prophecy, and I therefore live looking for the Rapture to occur any moment. This is exactly what Paul commands us to do when he writes that we are to live "looking for the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Christ Jesus" (Titus 2:13).
I therefore do not believe there is one prophecy in the Bible that must be fulfilled before the Lord appears for His Church. He can appear any moment.
And the imminence of His appearing increases daily as the signs of the time point to the events that will culminate with His Second Coming. Those signs include, among others, the re-establishment of the state of Israel, the Jewish reoccupation of the city of Jerusalem, the reunification of Europe, and the rise of Arab militancy in the Middle East.
Keep in mind that the Rapture is not the event that will kick-off the Tribulation. That event is the signing of a peace treaty that will guarantee the peace of Israel with all its Arab neighbors and will also authorize the Jews to rebuild their Temple (Daniel 9:27). The Rapture could occur years before the Tribulation begins, although it is most likely to occur near the beginning because the Tribulation is the time for the pouring out of God's wrath, and 1 Thessalonians 1:10 says that Jesus will "deliver" His Church "from the wrath to come."
Hope or Terror?
To summarize, we should be looking for two future comings of the Lord - one at the beginning of the Tribulation, the other at the end. The first, the Rapture, will be the appearing of the Lord for His Church. The second, the Second Coming, will be the return of the Lord to the earth to "judge and wage war" against the enemies of God (Revelation 19:11).
The signs of the times point to the fact that Jesus is at the very gates of Heaven, waiting for His Father's command to appear for His Church. The Rapture is imminent.
Are you ready? Will Jesus appear (the Rapture) as your Blessed Hope? Or, will He return (the Second Coming) as your Holy Terror? The choice is yours.
**************************************************************************
NEW WINE FOR THE END TIMES
Getting out of sin; The two-bride post-wrath rapture theory. Timeline of
the great tribulation. FREE Book: Lord of the Sabbath, Second Edition
http://www.newwine.org
**************************************************************************
|==========================================
|
| Book Review of - Heaven on Earth: Here and Now by Mary Ellen Gilliland
| Published by Zoe Books/Alpenrose Press
| by Lori Eldridge
|
The first few chapters in this book try to explain our relationship with God and how we can improve that relationship with messages such as: "God desires to be known. . . God rewards those who seek him. . . drawing on God's goodness. . . God is alive. . . Jesus is life," etc. She not only gives us scripture to back up what she's saying but incorporates personal messages from God to further enhance her point.
A good portion of Mary's book speaks the truth of the Gospel--God is love, God is light, God is life, etc. However, these very basic doctrines of the Bible are presented in such a way as to gradually lead you into a NEW interpretation of those phrases. She doesn't come right out and tell you what she believes at first, she first showers you with a repetition of phrases which gradually lead you into these beliefs and then she tells you what "is" after your mind has been prepared to receive it.
It doesn't take long before you realize there is something seriously wrong with this method because there is just too much repetition in this book. Phrases are repeated so often that they resemble the worship services in some churches where they sing the same line over, and over, and over, and over. And then they are "blessed" with the laughter phenomenon or some other strange occurrence that is purported to be from God (which often has no scriptural basis).
For instance in the "I am in You" chapter this phrase (or a similar phrase) is repeated a total of 20 times on just the first page alone and it's not even a full page of type. This repetition is a well known method designed to produce a hypnotic trance which can lead people to believe anything that is said afterwards. A good website that exposes such methods of manipulating the populace can be found at <http://www.ior.com/~gregd/index.html> Christian Research Ministries.
In the "I AM Light" chapter Mary finally gets around to telling us that God told her, "I am in you. I am you. You are Me" (p 61). What is that saying? God is in us. God is us. We are God. Is that scriptural? This same theme is repeated over and over using different phrases throughout the book. For instance in the "I am in You" chapter we find, "I AM you; the very essence of you is Me. I am in you. You are Me . . ." (p 67). Several times she tries to counter this with "we are not God, BUT . . ." (pp 69, 74), i.e., she always qualifies these statements with a "but," very effectively leaving the door open for the possibility.
Mary also said several things that make God look like a weakling. Speaking about giving up His Son to die on the cross she said, "This love made Almighty God vulnerable." On page 111 Mary claims when Jesus gave his famous speech, "the spirit of the Lord is upon me . . . to preach the Good news . . . to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord" in Luke 4:18-19, that when the people tried to throw him over a cliff that this was a blow to Jesus' faith, "their rejection must have been devastating." If she thinks God is vulnerable and Christ lacks faith then it is understandable why she thinks we can be like God.
There were a multitude of places where she doesn't give a scripture reference for her statements, and when she does it is usually from the Amplified Bible or five other Bibles when the need arises. The question is: Why? If one Bible doesn't say it all then it makes it look like one is searching for just the right wording to prove their point.
Also the quotes from a voice from "God" to Mary are italicized, as well as scripture, so that it is hard to tell the difference between the two, i.e., it makes it appear the voice has the same authority as scripture. The massive amount of these "messages" from God take up at least 1/4th of the total text of this 260 page book. God didn't even speak to Moses this often.
The main theme in this book is that God wants to reward us, he wants to give to us all that we ask for, to answer our every need, life in abundance and especially during the time of His wrath. Mary tells us to, "prepare for the Age of the Father's Love. His love abiding in us will set the captives free. His anointing of compassion in us will overcome all the world's hate" (p 46). This goes contrary to what Jesus said, "I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. For I have come to turn a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, . . ." (Matt 10:34). And Jesus, himself, is the one who opens the seven seals that start the judgement on an unrepentant world during the Tribulation in Revelation 6 Mary gives us the first glimpse of her eschatological stand on page 58, "the people of light will drive back the darkness. His orchestrated campaign will establish the messianic reign of the Lord Jesus Christ in our time, the latter time," and then she asks the question, "how can we help bring about Christ, the Anointed One's, messianic reign?" This theme progresses throughout the book. This is what is known as Kingdom Now theology--Christ can't come back until WE Christians bring the world to it's knees.
However, the church has been promised apostasy during the endtimes--not revival. And the major part of the book of Revelation is about the Wrath of God on an unrepentant world, "the hour of trial that is going to come upon the WHOLE world to test those WHO LIVE ON THE EARTH" (Rev. 3:10). No one is excluded from this wrath, not even believers so numerous that they can't be counted (Rev 7:9-17).
Mary also believes in a partial rapture, i.e., only those that suffer with Him [in the Tribulation] will share in His resurrection glory (p 78). She claims that those who refuse to grasp the "truth"--that we can achieve the height of Christ's own perfection--will "delay the millennial reign of the Lord Jesus Christ" (p 86) and that the day of the Lord has already arrived (p 98). Mary claims that the church is the 144,000 witnesses (p 104,105) and totally ignores the fact that they come from the 12 tribes of Israel (Rev. 7:1-8). She also believes that the church will be triumphant at the end of the age (p 122) which runs contrary to the apostasy that Paul warned us about in 2 Thess 2. What is even worse is that she believes the Church is Spiritual Israel (p 100, 101,103, 122, 134, etc.) which is nothing more than Replacement Theology--one of the most unscriptural beliefs ever accepted by Christendom.
Two of the "evangelists" she admires are James Robison and Kenneth Copeland, which explains where some of her beliefs are derived from. One of the very few eschatological statements she made that I agree with is that America is the Babylon of Bible prophecy (see my critique of America the Babylon by Richard Coombes in Amazon.com).
The "About the Author" on page 5 says Heaven on Earth is Mary's first spiritual book and her previous books were written about the outdoors, hiking books, etc. What is interesting, as well as scary, is that the "National School of the Prophets" highly approved of this book.
Lori Eldridge Copyright 5-27-99
lorel@ior.com
For more of Lori's poetry, articles, stories and book reviews check out:
http://www.prophezine.com/poetry/lori/index.html
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| Will A Man Rob God ?
| by Ken Onweller
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There are many who believe that they are robbing God unless they faithfully pay 10% of each and every paycheck they receive. Since this belief is based on Scripture, it is fruitful to make sure that the Scripture is truly understood that you can be assured that your faithful obedience is founded on BIBLICAL FACT!
Will a man rob God? Yet you have robbed Me! But you say, 'In what way have we robbed You?' In tithes and offerings. (Mal 3:8)
This is the passage that many churches will use to support their position on Tithing, or the giving of 10% of your gross income to the work of God. There are many ways this Tithe is collected: passing the basket, a box at the entrance to the worship room, checks that are mailed in, and so forth. But the issue isn't in how a church defines the Tithe, but in how the Bible defines the Tithe.
Deut 14:22-29 is where this Tithe is defined. So, if you are going to tithe the correct way, you need to do it in the way which the Bible states. Do you agree?
Let's see how this tithing in Mal 3:8 is actually defined, then.
You must truly tithe all the increase of your grain that the field produces year by year and you shall eat before the Lord your God, in the place where He chooses to make his name abide, the tithe of your grain and your new wine and your oil, of the firstlings of your herds and your flocks, that you may learn to fear the Lord your God always.
(Deut 14:22-23) This tithe is based on your increase and is given YEARLY in the PLACE WHERE HE CHOOSES to make his name abide. This "YEARLY in the PLACE WHERE HE CHOOSES"
is a reference to:
Three times a year all your males shall appear before the Lord your God in the place which He chooses: at the Feast of Unleavened Bread, at the Feast of Weeks, and at the Feast of Tabernacles; and they shall not appear before the Lord empty-handed. (Deut 16:16) So it would be reasonable to assume that these tithes were paid in three parts when the men (or heads of household) would appear before the Lord for the three above-mentioned Feasts.
We have now established that the tithe was most likely paid three times per year. But what about how it was paid?
But if the journey is too long for you, so that you are not able to carry the tithe, or if the place where the Lord your God chooses to put His name is too far from you, when the Lord your God has blessed you, then you shall exchange it for money, take the money in your hand, and go to the place which the Lord your God chooses. (Deut 14:24-25) In our day, we don't really have produce, oxen, wine, oil, etc. But we certainly have money which is what was just mentioned. At this point then, the requirement for tithing is that it be done three times per year with respect to the Feasts of Israel. Now notice something surprising:
And you shall spend THAT money for whatever your heart desires: for oxen or sheep, for wine or similar drink, for whatever your heart desires; you shall eat there before the Lord your God, and you shall rejoice, you and your household. (vs. 26) WAIT A MINUTE!?!?! Did that verse say what I think it just said? That the one paying the tithe three times per year was to actually SPEND THAT TITHE ON HIMSELF!?!? It certainly says that to me. So stop and think about this a minute. Would the full 10% actually be given to the Lord, then, if we are to be spending part of it on ourselves? No way! So, in effect, the ACTUAL amount given was LESS THAN 10%!!!!!
It gets even more interesting:
You shall not forsake the Levite who is within your gates, for he has no part nor inheritance with you. At the end of every third year you shall bring out the tithe of your produce of that year and store it up within your gates. And the Levite, because he has no portion nor inheritance with you, and the stranger and the fatherless and the widow who are within your gates, may come and eat and be satisfied, that the Lord your God may bless you in all the work of your hand which you do. (vss. 27-29) Every three years you are supposed to give the tithe to the poor in your community, not to GOD!!!! Can you believe that?!?! Look at the last sentence of verse 29, "...that the Lord your God may bless you in all the work of your hand which you do."
So we see, then, that BIBLICAL TITHING is done under these conditions:
1) Three times a year at the Feasts of Unleavened Bread, Weeks, and Tabernacles, you are to take 10% of your increase to the Lord.
2) You are allowed to convert this increase into money.
3) Along the way and during these Feasts you are allowed to spend of that 10% on yourself for "...whatever your heart desires..." That which is left over would then be given as your offering.
4) Every third year you give the entire 10% to the poor and needy with whom you are in contact. During these years you are not to give the money to the Lord: it is for the poor and needy.
So, when you hear Pastors preaching Mal 3:8 at you claiming that you are robbing God by not tithing, they aren't telling you the full story. The tithing that God is talking about in Mal 3:8 was the above-mentioned tithe. And since these Pastors aren't telling you the correct way to tithe and since you are following their words rather than the Bible's, YOU ARE STILL ROBBING FROM GOD!!!!
This is the truth. Believe it or not.
For sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under law but under grace. (Rom 6:14) In other words, the Law has no bearing on Christians. We are under grace! The Law, itself, refers to the entire Mosaical system under which the nation of Israel fell. And this law included: the 10 Commandments, the dietary laws, the religious Festivals, the Sabbath, AND TITHING! We in the church are simply not under that system! We are under a different one.
For if that first covenant had been faultless, then no place would have been sought for a second. . .In that He says, "A new covenant," He has made the first obsolete... (Heb 8:7,13) Now don't get me wrong, the Bible in NO WAY STATES that a Christian (one under the new covenant) is NOT TO GIVE TO THE WORK. Quite the contrary. WE ARE COMMANDED TO GIVE!!!!
So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver. (2 Cor 9:7) How much, then, should you give? I wish it were easy to give you an exact number or percentage, but I cannot. The Bible doesn't give one for Christians. It must be an offering from the heart that you are excited about giving. If you violate 2 Cor 9:7 in ANY WAY then your offering will be rejected. So make sure that in WHATEVER you give, you can MEET THE REQUIREMENTS.
It is sad that so many churches are forcing their congregations to pay 10% of their gross income. Whether they realize what they are doing or not, they are TWISTING SCRIPTURE and laying a burden on their brethren which EVEN THE ISRAELITES DID NOT HAVE TO BEAR!
Please take this matter before God in prayer and ask Him to open your heart so that you can be cheerfully generous NOT BECAUSE YOU HAVE TO but because YOU WANT TO!!!
Ken Onweller
kender@ix.netcom.com
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NEW WINE FOR THE END TIMES
Getting out of sin; The two-bride post-wrath rapture theory. Timeline of
the great tribulation. FREE Book: Lord of the Sabbath, Second Edition
http://www.newwine.org
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Prophezine Commentaries
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The Dangers of Role-Playing Games
How Pokemon and Magic Cards Affect the Minds and Values of Children
by Berit Kjos
"Who are the strange little creatures from Japan that have suddenly become global super-stars? Most kids know the answer well: They are called Pokemon (short for POCKEt MONster and pronounced Pokeymon), and they have stirred up some mixed reactions.
"We just sent a letter home today saying Pokemon cards are no longer allowed on campus," said Paula Williams, a second-grade teacher in Danville, California. "The kids know they're supposed to be put away when they come in from recess, but they're often in the middle of a trade, so they don't come in on time. In the more extreme cases, the older kids are getting little kids to trade away valuable cards . It drives a teacher crazy." 1 It concerns parents even more. "Recently, my children were given a set of Pokemon cards," said DiAnna Brannan, a Seattle mom. "They are very popular with the children at our church and elsewhere. I was instantly suspicious but couldn't discern the problem. We have since been told that they are stepping stones to the 'Magic cards' that have been popular for the last few years, which we do not allow."
She is right. For instance, any child exploring the most popular Pokemon websites 2 will be linked to a selection of occult games such as Sailor Moon, Star Wars, and others more overtly evil. A click on the ad for "Magic: the Gathering" brings Pokemon fans to a site offering promotions such as this: "A global games phenomenon, Magic: The Gathering is to the 1990s what Dungeons and Dragons was to the 1980s, but with the added dimension of collectibility. Here is the official reference to the biggest new teen/young adult fantasy game of the decade, complete with full-color reproductions of every existing Magic card."
THE POKEMON MESSAGE. The above websites gives us glimpse of the mysterious little creatures called Pokemon. Ponder the suggestions in this greeting:
"Welcome to the world of Pokemon, a special place where people just like you train to become the number-one Pokemon Master in the World!"
"But what is a Pokemon, you ask. 'Pokemon are incredible creatures that share the world with humans,' says Professor Oak, the leading authority on these monster. 'There are currently 150 documented species of Pokemon. . . . Each Pokemon has its own special fighting abilities. . . .
Some grow, or evolve, into even more powerful creatures.. . . Carry your pokemon with you, and you're ready for anything! You've got the power in your hands, so use it!'" 3 What if children try to follow this advice? What if they carry their favorite monsters like magical charms or fetishes in their pockets, trusting them to bring power in times of need?
Many do. It makes sense to those who watch the television show. In a recent episode, Ash, the boy hero, had just captured his fifth little Pokemon. But that wasn't good enough, said his mentor. He must catch lots more if he wants to be a Pokemon master. And the more he catches and trains, the more power he will have for future battles.
So Ash sets out again in search for more of the reclusive, power-filled, little Pokemon. His first step is to find the "psychic Pokemon" called Kadabra and snatch it from its telepathic, pink-eyed trainer, Sabrina. With the ghost Haunter on his side, it should be a cinch!
But Ash had underestimated the power of his opponent. When he and Sabrina meet for the battle, both hurl their chosen Pokemon into the air, but only Kadabra evolves into a super-monster with a magic flash.
Haunter hides. "Looks like your ghost Pokemon got spooked," taunts Sabrina .
Obviously, Ash didn't understand the supernatural powers he had confronted. Neither do most young Pokeman fans today. Unless they know God and His warnings, they cannot understand the forces that have captivated children around the world. And if parents underestimate the psychological strategies behind its seductive mass marketing ploys, they are likely to dismiss the Pokemon craze as harmless fun and innocent fantasy. In reality, the problem is far more complex.
MARKETING A NEW LIFESTYLE
The Pokemon mania supports a financial conglomerate that knows how to feed the frenzy. The television series is free, but it drives the multi-billion dollar business. It also inspires the obsessive new games that disrupt schools and families by giving the children --
a seductive vision: to become Pokemon masters a tempting promise: supernatural power a new objective: keep collecting Pokemon an urgent command: "gotta catch them all"
These enticements are drilled into young minds through clever ads, snappy slogans, and the "Pokeman rap" at the end of each TV episode:
"I will travel across the land
Searching far and wide Each Pokeman to understand
The power that's inside.
Gotta catch them all!"
The last line, the Pokemon mantra, fuels the craving for more occult cards, games, toys, gadgets, and comic books. There's no end to the supply, for where the Pokemon world ends, there beckons an ever-growing empire of new, more thrilling, occult, and violent products. Each can transport the child into a fantasy world that eventually seems far more normal and exciting than the real world. Here, evil looks good and good is dismissed as boring. Family, relationships, and responsibilities diminish in the wake of the social and media pressures to master the powers unleashed by the massive global entertainment industry.
No wonder children caught up in the Pokemon craze beg for more games and gadgets. The Japanese makers count on it. Since the means often justify the economic ends in the entertainment industry, the Pokemon website is full of tips, explanations, and ads that encourage the urge to splurge * and to express the darker side of human nature. Ponder their influence:
"You can catch a Mew by cheating with a Gameshark."
Ahhh. The Gameshark. . . Cheating is not honorable. But many of you have requested and sent
me this information, so I have put it up for all you cheaters."
"The Moon Stone evolves certain Pokemon, such as Clefairy."
"Select your desired attack. Hold down the button until your opponent's life stops draining."
"Once you have captured Zapados, you can use it to quickly lower the health level of Articuno. "
"Super Smash Brothers. . . . This unique fighting game features all of Nintendo's biggest stars in a bruising brawl-fest . . . ."
While children delight in these mysterious realms, concerned parents worry and wonder. What kinds of beliefs and values does the Pokemon world and its links teach? Why the emphasis on evolution, supernatural power, and poisoning your opponent?
CHANGING BELIEFS and VALUES Barbara Whitehorse started seeking answers after her son asked a typical question: "Mom, can I get Pokemon cards? A lot of my friends from church have them." Much as she wanted Matthew to have fun with his friends, she gave a loving refusal. Matthew's tutor had already warned her that the Pokemon craze could stir interest in other kinds of occult role-playing games such as Dungeons and Dragons. At the time, she wondered if the tutor had just over-reacted to some harmless entertainment. After all, the cute little Pokemon creatures looked nothing like the dark demonic creatures of D&D. But when she learned that a local Christian school had banned them because of their link to the occult, she changed her mind.
Later, during a recent party for Matthew, Barbara heard two of the boys discussing their little pocket monsters. One said, "I'll just use my psychic powers." Already, the world of fantasy had colored his real world. So when some of the kids wanted to watch the afternoon Pokemon cartoon on television, Barb again had to say "no." It's not easy to be parents these days.
Cecile DiNozzi would agree. Back in 1995, her son's elementary school had found a new, exciting way to teach math. The Pound Ridge Elementary school was using Magic: the Gathering, the role-playing game called which, like Dungeons and Dragons, has built a cult following among people of all ages across the country.
Mrs. DiNozzi refused to let her son participate in the "Magic club." But a classmate gave him one of the magic cards, which he showed his mother. It was called "Soul exchange" and pictured spirits rising from graves. Like all the other cards in this ghastly game, it offered a morbid instruction: "Sacrifice a white creature."
"What does 'summon' mean?" he asked his mother after school one day.
"Summon? Why do you ask?"
He told her that during recess on the playground the children would "summon" the forces on the cards they collect by raising sticks into the air and saying, "'Spirits enter me.' They call it 'being possessed.'" 5 Strange as it may sound to American ears, demonic possession is no longer confined to distant lands. Today, government schools from coast to coast are teaching students the skills once reserved for the tribal witchdoctor or shaman in distant lands. Children everywhere are learning the pagan formulas for invoking "angelic" or demonic spirits through multicultural education, popular books, movies, and television. It's not surprising that deadly explosions of untamed violence suddenly erupt from "normal" teens across our land.
Occult role-playing games teach the same dangerous lessons. They also add a sense of personal power and authority through personal identification with godlike superheroes. Though the demonic realm hasn't changed, today's technology, media, and multicultural climate makes it easier to access, and harder than ever to resist its appeal.
ROLE-PLAY AND PSYCHOLOGICAL ADDICTION The televised Pokemon show brings suggestions and images that set the stage for the next steps of entanglement. It beckons the young spectator to enter the manipulative realm of role-play, where fantasy simulates reality, and the buyer becomes a slave to their programmer.
Remember, in the realm of popular role-playing games * whether it's Pokemon, Magic the Gathering, or other selections -- the child becomes the master. As in contemporary witchcraft, he or she wields the power. Their arm, mind, or power-symbol (the pokemon or other action figure) become the channel for the spiritual forces. Children from Christian homes may have learned to say, "Thy will be done," but in the role-playing world, this prayer is twisted into "My will be done!" God, parents, and pastors no longer fit into the picture fantasized by the child.
Psychologists have warned that role-playing can cause the participant to actually experience, emotionally, the role being played. Again, "the child becomes the master." Or so it seems to the player.
Actually, the programmer who writes the rules is the master. And when the game includes occultism and violence, the child-hero is trained to use "his" or "her" spiritual power to kill, poison, evolve, and destroy -
over and over. Not only does this repetitive practice blur the line between reality and fantasy, it also sears the conscience and causes the player to devalue life. The child learns to accept unthinkable behavior as "normal" .
To be a winner within this system, the committed player must know and follow the rules of the game. Obedience becomes a reflex, strengthened by instant rewards or positive reinforcement. The rules and rewards force the child to develop new habits and patterned responses to certain stimuli. Day after day, this powerful psychological process manipulates the child's thoughts, feelings, and actions, until his or her personality changes and, as many parents confirm, interest in ordinary family life begins to wither away.
You may have recognized those preceding terms as those often used by behavioral psychologists. They point to a sophisticated system of operant conditioning or behavior modification. The child must exercise his own intelligent mind to learn the complex rules. But after learning the rules, the programmed stimuli produce conditioned responses in the player. These responses become increasingly automatic, a reflex action.
Naturally, this can leads to psychological addiction, a craving for ever greater (and more expensive) thrills and darker forces.
WHAT CAN PARENTS DO?
It's hard to teach restraint to children who are begging for gratification. Wanting to please rather than overreact, we flinch at the thought of being called censors once again. Parental authority simply doesn't fit the fast-spreading new views of social equality taught through the media and schools. Yet, we must obey God. He has told us to train our children to choose His way (Proverbs 22:6), and we can't turn back now.
If you share my concerns, you may want to follow these suggestions. They will help you equip your child with the awareness needed to resist occult entertainment:
1. First, look at God's view of contemporary toys, games and cartoons. As a family, read Scriptures such as Ephesians 5:8-16, 6:10-18 (the armor of God); Philippians 4:8-9; and Colossians 2:9. Compare them with the values encouraged by Pokemon and other role-playing games.
2. Share your observations. Spark awareness in a young child with comments such as, "That monster looks mean!" or "That creature reminds me of a dragon," along with "Did you know that in the Bible, serpents and dragons always represent Satan and evil?"
3. To teach young children a Biblical attitude toward evil before they learn to delight in gross, ugly characters, make comments such as, "Who would want to play with that evil monster? I don't even like to look at him. Let's find something that makes us feel happy inside."
4. Model wise decision-making. Tell your child why you wouldn't want to buy certain things for yourself.
When your child wants a questionable game or toy, ask questions that are prayerfully adapted to your child's age, such as:
1. What does this game teach you (about power, about magic, about God, about yourself)?
Discuss both obvious and subtle messages.
2. Does it have anything to do with supernatural power? If so, what is the source of that power? Does it oppose or agree with God's Word?
3. What does it teach about violence or immorality and their consequences?
4. Does the game or toy have symbols or characteristics that link it to New Age or occult powers?
5. Does it build godly character?
In a nation consumed with self-indulgence, self-fulfillment, and self-empowerment, godly self-denial seems strangely out of place. But God commanded it, and Jesus demonstrated it. Dare we refuse to acknowledge it? According to the age of your child, discuss Jesus' words in Matthew 16:24-26, then allow the Holy Spirit to direct your application.
Far more than earthly parents, God wants His children to be content and full of joy. But He knows better than to give us all the things we want. Instead, He gave us His word as a standard for what brings genuine peace and happiness. The apostle Paul summarized it well:
"Whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy * let your mind dwell on these things." (Philippians 4:7-8) After hearing God's warning and praying for His wisdom, nine-year-old Alan Brannan decided to throw away all his Pokemon cards. "My friend did the same," said his mother. "Her twelve year old son had been having nightmares. But after a discussion with his parents about the game and its symbols, he was convicted to burn his cards and return his Gameboy game. That night slept well for the first time in a month."
"It seemed to us that these cards had some sort of power," continued DiAnna Brannan. "Another nine-year-boy had stolen money from his mother's purse ($7.00) to buy more cards. When questioned, he confessed and said he had heard the devil urging him to do it. The family quickly gathered in prayer, then saw God's answer. Both the boy and his little sister burned their cards, warned their friends, and discovered the joy and freedom that only comes from following their Shepherd.
Endnotes
1. Laura Evenson, "Seeing Red and Blue at Schools," San Francisco Chronicle, April 20, 1999.
2. http://www.pokemon.com and http://www.wizards.com/Pokemon/Rules/Welcome.html
3. http://www.wizards.com/Pokemon/Rules/Welcome.html
4. "Haunter versus Kadabra," aired on May 20, 1999.
5. Transcribed from a recorded interview with Cecile DiNozzi in Pound Ridge, New York.
For more information about "lifelong" training in the new global values, read Brave New Schools (Harvest House Publishers) and A Twist of Faith (New Leaf Press - 800-643-9535) by Berit Kjos. Available through Christian bookstores web site: www.crossroad.com1 800-643-9535.
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NEW WINE FOR THE END TIMES
Getting out of sin; The two-bride post-wrath rapture theory. Timeline of
the great tribulation. FREE Book: Lord of the Sabbath, Second Edition
http://www.newwine.org
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Poems...etc.
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The Parable of Two Frogs
A group of frogs were traveling through the woods, and two of them fell into a deep pit. All the other frogs gathered around the pit. When they saw how deep the pit was, they told the two frogs that they were as good as dead. The two frogs ignored the comments and tried to jump up out of the pit with all of their might. The other frogs kept telling them to stop, that they were as good as dead. Finally, one of the frogs took heed to what the other frogs were saying and gave up. He fell down and died.
The other frog continued to jump as hard as he could. Once again, the crowd of frogs yelled at him to stop the pain and just die.
He jumped even harder and finally made it out. When he got out, the other frogs said, "Did you not hear us?" The frog explained to them that he was deaf. He thought they were encouraging him the entire time.
This story teaches two lessons. There is power of life and death in the tongue. An encouraging word to someone who is down can lift them up and help them make it through the day. A destructive word to someone who is down can be what it takes to kill them. Be careful of what you say.
Speak life to those who cross your path. The power of words....it is sometimes hard to understand that an encouraging word can go such a long way. So from this day forward, think before you speak.
