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Prophe-Zine Issue 097
PropheZine Newsletter # 97
June 15, 2000
Bob Lally Publisher
Lori Eldridge Senior Editor
Bob Ippolito Asst. Editor
To Subscribe, Unsubscribe or Change email addresses see notice at the
bottom of this newsletter.
======================================================
IN THIS ISSUE:
- -GREETING FROM LORI
- -MINISTRY NEWS FROM BOB
- -PERSONAL NOTE FROM BOB
- -ARTICLES
Ken Onweller..... Dad (a Father's day message)
James BeauSeigneur..... The Second Trumpet Judgment -- An Explanation
through Dramatization
Dr. Dale Mark Johnsen..... What Should Believers Do Until Christ
Comes?
Paul Kusiak..... Overcoming Backsliding
- -POETRY
Ron g. Wallace..... Prayer
Robert Grob..... The Fight
- -SUBMISSION GUIDELINES
- -SUBSCRIBE and UNSUBSCRIBE
- -PRIVACY NOTICE
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GREETING FROM LORI ELDRIDGE
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Hello everyone,
I hope that all you fathers who are reading this issue of PropheZine will
be especially blessed on your special day this year. I personally feel that
the role of fatherhood has been sorely abused in our society today, and
especially in the media (commercials in particular), and we Christian
women, mothers, and daughters need to reinforce your God ordained role more
than ever as it gets progressively denigrated by the world. I would
especially like to thank Bob Lally for holding PZ together all these years.
He has steadfastly trusted in the Lord through numerous battles, financial,
spiritual and otherwise, trying to get the newsletter out and keeping PZ
running. His faith in God's provision is an inspiration and witness to us
all.
This issue we have a special article by Ken Onweller giving us another
focus on Father's day; another exciting story by James BeauSeigneur of the
2nd Trumpet judgment; an article on what Christ would have us do until he
comes and a bible study on backsliding.
As Senior Editor I am always looking for new articles, prayers, poetry and
devotional, submissions to PropheZine so if you're interested please see my
note at the end of this newsletter.
I hope something in this issue of PZ blesses your heart,
Lori Eldridge
lorel@ior.com
Senior Editor PropheZine
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MINISTRY NEWS
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Hi!
PropheZine was recently accused on another web site of supporting ecumenism
and false doctrines. Of course, this is hardly the case and I suggested the
offending parties read a few of the newsletters from April and May of
2000(http://www.prophezine.com/search/database/). It is in these
newsletters that we expose this movement and discuss false doctrines.
We have completely redesigned the look of the site
(http://www.prophezine.com). It is now ultra modern! Thank you Mark
Denbow. We also moved the audio index files
(http://www.prophezine.com/audiovideo) to the main server so the response
time will be faster.
I suggest that you subscribe to the News Bites to stay abreast of the
happenings in the world as they relate to Bible Prophecy.
(http://www.prophezine.com/text/lists)
Please feel free to send this email to all your friends. Have them
subscribe! It's free and always will be!
Bob Lally
======================================================
PERSONAL NOTE FROM BOB LALLY
6 months ago I accepted a new position with a Christian ministry at a much,
much lower salary. I believed at that time that the Lord would supply
additional income through PropheZine or internet consulting, to offset the
reduction in salary. This has not happened. Each day a thousand thoughts
why and each night I fall asleep without an answer.
At this time the Lally family is in a financial bind. No, we did not waste
what the Lord provided because after paying the bills there was nothing left
to waste! In fact, we have emptied the savings waiting for God to provide
the increase. We do have some income from PropheZine which covers half of
the monthly PropheZine costs. Praise God for that. But, on the other hand
I am forced to contribute the other half! PropheZine remains debt free and
will remain up and running.
What I am requesting is a moment of your time and ask that you pray for the
Lord to work a financial miracle for the Lally family. In no way am I asking
for you to send money but we are asking for prayer ONLY - l can not stress
that enough. Please pray that I hear the Lord's will for my family and pray
for an increase in monthly income. To buy a new car? No. To go on
vacation? No. To buy a new something? No. Just to make ends meet.
Thank you.
The Lally Family
Bob, Donna, Rebecca and Aaron
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ARTICLES
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Dad
By: Ken Onweller
======================================================
In honor of Father's Day I thought it would be a nice touch to look at what
Scripture has to say about our Father in Heaven. All too often we don't
view him with the proper attitude and as a result miss out on so much of
what he has to offer us.
It is my hope that this little study will help all of you to appreciate
your Dad.
OUR DADDY
"For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have
received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father." (Rom. 8:15)
"And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into
your hearts, crying, Abba, Father." (Gal 4:6)
When you look up Abba in Aramaic you'll see that it means, literally,
Daddy. Not some stuffy and formal father-figure, but a warm and loving
daddy eager to spend time with his kids.
OUR COMFORTING BIG SHOULDER TO CRY ON
"Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of
mercies, and the God of all comfort; who comforteth us in all our
tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble,
by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God." (2 Cor. 1:3-4)
"Cast they burden upon the Lord, and he shall sustain thee: he shall never
suffer the righteous to be moved." (Psa 55:22)
"Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you." (1 Pet 5:7)
No matter how bad things are in your life, if you go to a quiet place and
turn to him, he is there with a shoulder big enough for anything you have
to cry about. In the process of getting these burdens off of your chest you
will feel a supernatural peace and lightness. This is the comfort which God
affords all those who come to him.
NOTHING TO FEAR
"I, even I, am he that comforteth you: who art thou, that thou shouldest be
afraid of man that shall die, and of the son of man which shall be made as
grass..." (Isa 51:12)
"For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have
received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father." (Rom 8:15)
I have a daughter at home who is almost 18 months. Sometimes she'll get
scared and start crying for her Daddy. As soon as I hear her I rush over to
see what is going on and help to dispel her fears.
Now consider how much greater this is with our Daddy in Heaven. If you cry
out to him in prayer, don't you think he'll come running to see what is
wrong too?
PURPOSE IN LIFE
"And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God,
to them who are the called according to his purpose." (Rom 8:28)
Our daily walk isn't always so smooth and easy is it? Sometimes things will
just plain go wrong. Sometimes they are annoyances. Sometimes they are
heartbreaking blows threatening to crush our joy forever.
But we are not helpless and alone.
No matter what is going on, this verse proclaims that our Dad has a plan
for you and I. And everything which happens in our lives is somehow a part
of that plan.
Look at the story of Job. He lost everything and yet would not lose faith
in God. Can the same be said of you?
If things are not working out so well, talk to your Father in heaven about
it. Continue to ask him why until you understand. And even if it seemingly
takes forever for the answer, it will one day come.
Everything we experience in this life is preparing us for the eternity
which our Dad has waiting for us.
OUR BIG BUDDY
"That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may
have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and
with his Son Jesus Christ." (1 John 1:3)
I looked up "fellowship" in the Greek and discovered that it is far more
than a social arrangement. Yes, it is a very deep and intimate association.
Putting this differently, the kind of fellowship being spoken of here is
that of a best friend or a buddy.
Doesn't it seem incredible that the God of the Universe not only wants to
be your Dad but also your best bud, too?
HE LOADS US DOWN WITH BENEFITS
"Blessed be the Lord, who daily loadeth us with benefits, even the God of
our salvation. Selah." (Psa 68:19)
This is something that I need to reflect on all the time when I begin to
feel as though I'm not getting those things I want or think I need. The
gifts which Dad gives us each and every day are simply without measure.
How many fatal car accidents, for example, have been averted by him without
you knowing it? How many times has he kept trouble away from you? How many
times does he put a thought into your mind which cheers you up when you are
down?
The list goes on and on, but as you stop to reflect, you should be able to
list the many benefits that you have been loaded down with even this very
day!
"Delight thyself also in the Lord; and he shall give thee the desires of
thine heart. Commit they way unto the Lord; trust also in him; and he shall
bring it to pass." (Psa 37:4-5)
When you do things Dad's way, it'll not only work out better for you, but
he'll also take care of you. When we were kids, we would do chores which
resulted in an allowance. How much more, then, as we do things for our
Father that we won't be immediately rewarded in this life? (NOTE: If your
motivation for obedience is reward then you are missing the point.)
And if you see someone doing things the wrong way and living very well
because of it, don't take it too seriously. It isn't that God wants you to
go without, but some of the rewards just won't be given out until after the
Rapture. Sure, that may seem quite a ways away, but it'll be here before
you know it. And when you are able to finally see the Father in all of his
glory will anything in this life really matter?
THE DESTINY HE CREATED FOR US
"Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you
the kingdom." (Luke 12:32)
God promised Abraham that he would inherit the entire universe and
everything contained within it. But the timing for that inheritance
wouldn't be until the distant future. Because we've been born again through
Jesus, we also share in that inheritance.
Stop and think about it. After the Rapture you'll be able to go to the
depths of the seas to see the beauty which God created there. You'll be
able to travel across space faster than thought!
In addition, you'll have a part to play in ruling this earth and teaching
people about Jesus during the Millennium.
There is so much involved with inheriting the Kingdom that a lifetime could
be devoted to its study, I suppose.
What an amazing legacy our Dad has set up for us!!!!!
"Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we
should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not,
because it knew him not." (1 John 3:1)
This is probably the only part about being one of God's kids that is the
most unpleasant. You can no longer fully relate to unsaved people as you
once had. There is a difference between you and them. More often than not
they pick up on it and begin to distance themselves from you. We've all
lost many close friends, I'm sure, because of Jesus Christ.
But think of all there is yet to gain!
One day soon, that great trumpet will sound. We will suddenly feel
different as our bodies are transformed in a moment, in the twinkling of an
eye, into spirit. We will rapidly rise into air to meet our Father in the
greatest family reunion of all time!!!!
"But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have
entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them
that love him." (1 Cor 2:9)
JESUS IS THE SPITTING IMAGE OF DAD
"Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou
not known me, Philip? he that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how
sayest thou then, Shew us the Father?" (John 14:9)
"All things are delivered unto me of my Father: and no man knoweth the Son,
but the Father; neither knoweth any man the Father, save the Son, and he to
whomsoever the Son will reveal him." (Matt. 11:27)
Do you really want to have more insight into what your Dad is like? Read
the gospels. Every single thing that Jesus did was EXACTLY what the Father
would do. In fact, Jesus didn't do anything without the Father's permission
first.
So, look at the life of Jesus and apply the things he did to Dad.
SALVATION AND FORGIVENESS!!!
"Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from
the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of
turning." (James 1:17)
"For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through
Jesus Christ our Lord." (Rom 6:23)
Before we were saved we had this occasional twinge of guilt when we did
something wrong but that was pretty much it. At some point, Dad sent his
Holy Spirit into our life to begin convicting us with this guilt. Soon
enough, we realized how rotten we were and our need for cleansing. Again,
Dad came through by sending his first- born son to die and thereby paying
the price for the penalty of yours and my sins.
But it doesn't just stop there. No, our Father in heaven CONTINUALLY helps
us to go on toward perfection. It isn't that the Holy Spirit makes us aware
of how bad we are, but that he also transforms us into righteous and holy
children of God.
"If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins,
and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." (1 John 1:9)
"Saying, Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are
covered. Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute sin." (Rom
4:7-8)
As we continue through our physical lives we'll stumble and fall but our
Father is ALWAYS there to set us back on our feet when we admit our wrong.
When my baby daughter eats spaghetti it is quite a sight. She is completely
messed up. I grab a cloth, wipe her clean, and then play with or cuddle
her. I bet that God is the same way with us when he wipes the sin-sauce off
of our face and pulls the sin- noodles out of our hair. He only wants to
shower us with loving affection.
OUR DAD IS LIKE NOTHING IN THE WORLD
"Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man
love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in
the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride
of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. And the world passeth
away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for
ever." (1 John 2:15-17)
Just look at the differences between Dad and the world. The world has
fleshly lusts, visual lusts, and pride.
Is it any wonder then that we might have trouble understanding Dad as the
loving God and Saviour which he is? He is absolutely like nothing we've
experienced in this world!!!!
In the same passage we also see how important the world and its things are
to Dad. He's going to burn up everything in the Lake of Fire after the
Millennium. Seeing then, that nothing is going to last, we should seek from
him only those things which will.
LOVE!
"Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that
loveth is born of God, and knoweth God. He that loveth not knoweth not God;
for God is love. In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because
that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live
through him. Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us,
and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so
loved us, we ought also to love one another. No man hath seen God at any
time. If we love one another, God dwelleth in us, and his love is perfected
in us." (1 John 4:7-12)
What is the one thing which motivates Dad? Love.
Why did he create the universe? He wanted to share it with you and I. Why
did he send Jesus to die? Because he didn't want anyone to have to burn in
Hell. Why is he going to put the world through seven years of terror before
Jesus returns? Because he loves those who have refused him and is trying to
get their attention before it is too late. Why is he going to have Jesus
rule for 1000 years? Because he wants to show the world what it is like
when Satan and the evil ways of the world are completely done away with.
So, then, how ought we to be treating one another? With the same love. A
love that looks not only at the here and now but at the big picture. All of
our actions to one another should be motivated with their best interests in
mind. And all the more so for fellow believers!
If you are having trouble loving it means that you are still a baby in
Christ. Why not start crawling and eventually walk as you learn to grow in
the love which is what makes our Dad who he is: God.
"And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love;
and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him. Herein is our
love made prefect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment:
because as he is, so are we in this world. There is no fear in love; but
perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth
is not made perfect in love. We love him, because he first loved us. If a
man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that
loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath
not seen? And this commandment have we from him, That he who loveth God
love his brother also." (1 John 4:16-21)
We see the need for loving one another again made clear in this passage. In
short, if you aren't growing in your capacity to love then the problem is
you and not God. Go to him. Beg and plead with him to show you what you are
doing wrong. Don't try to hold back on anything but let your entire soul be
stripped bare before the eyes of your loving Daddy in heaven.
As this love grows you'll find your silly and petty fears diminishing. As
you learn to appreciate love you begin to grasp and understand what Rom
8:28 means in saying that nothing happens without God's control; so what is
there to fear? Our destiny is to be given new bodies at the Rapture and to
rule during the Millennium and then to enter Eternity with God and each
other forever. What is there to be afraid of? God is bigger than the
boogey-man, after all...
Happy Father's Day, Dad, we'll be home soon!
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The Second Trumpet Judgment -- An Explanation through Dramatization
by James BeauSeigneur
======================================================
"The second angel sounded his trumpet, and something like a huge mountain,
all ablaze, was thrown into the sea. A third of the sea turned into blood,
a third of the living creatures in the sea died, and a third of the ships
were destroyed." (Revelation 8:8-9)
In the previous issue of PropheZine we saw how the events of the first
trumpet judgment (Rev. 8:7) could result from an asteroid passing through
the earth's atmosphere. With the description of a "huge mountain, all
ablaze" in the second trumpet judgment, the likelihood that the Apostle
John is describing the effects of the earth's encounter with a series of
asteroids becomes even stronger. Based on John's description of the third
and fourth trumpet judgments (Rev. 8:10-12), which will be addressed in the
next issue of PropheZine, this hypotheses is made nearly inescapable.
Still, the specifics of how a "huge mountain, all ablaze" being thrown into
the sea could result in the effects described leaves much to be considered.
Perhaps more perplexing is the question of why the results are not even
more catastrophic. By now everyone has heard the descriptions of the
asteroid which many scientists say impacted off the coast of the Yucatan
Peninsula near Chicxulub, Mexico, 65 million years ago. That collision is
credited with the extinction of the dinosaurs. Whether or not we accept
that theory, the point is that we can see from those descriptions the scale
of the devastation which can result from an asteroid strike on the earth.
The Yucatan asteroid is estimated to have been about six miles in diameter.
How big is John's "huge mountain?" "Huge," is of course, relative. The best
we can do is to make an educated guess, based on what we know about the
mountains with which John was likely familiar from what we know of his
travels. Israel's highest mountain, Mt. Meron, is .75 miles. Lebanon's
Qurnat as-Sawda is 1.92 miles in height. Mount Olympus in Greece is 1.81
miles. Of course, there is much more to a mountain's overall size than its
height. But if we assume the minimum size mountain which John would have
considered to be "huge" was 1.92 miles, we at least have the foundation for
our estimate of how big the "huge mountain" John saw was (and will be).
So we're back to the original question: why are the results of the impact
not even more catastrophic? As before, allow me to offer an explanation of
the second trumpet judgment in the form of a dramatization. What follows is
from chapter 6 of THE CHRIST CLONE TRILOGY (available through the
PropheZine Bookstore at http://www.prophezine.com/bookstore/james.html)
Kiso Mountains, Japan (6:35 a.m. local time, 9:35 p.m. Greenwich Mean Time
(GMT))
As they went about their work observing the approach of the second
asteroid, the astronomers of the Tokyo Astronomical Observatory outstation
200 kilometers west of Tokyo kept one eye on the television and the graphic
depictions of destruction in the Americas from the first asteroid.
As scientists they realized the incredible odds against a repeat of what
had happened with asteroid 2021 KD. Even so, they each watched carefully,
as did the rest of the world, for any deviation in the second asteroid's
course. When it actually began to happen, no one said anything. At first it
was only enough to be detected by the most sensitive equipment, which is,
by its very nature, most susceptible to error. Besides, it was so
incredibly unlikely that the second asteroid could be off course that no
one wanted to be the first to say anything and risk causing a panic over
some minor computational error. But with each passing second the deviation
in course grew and it became obvious to the observatory team that there was
no error; the asteroid's course was changing. Soon it would be apparent
even to a novice.
Dr. Yoshi Hiakawa, Director of the Kiso outstation of the Tokyo
Astronomical Observatory, looked over at the television crew and motioned
to the lead reporter to come over. In the most business-as-usual
presentation he could summon, he told the reporter, "We've detected a
slight deviation in the asteroid's course."
The reporter waited for additional information but none followed. "Is it
headed toward us?" he prodded.
"On its present course it will still miss the earth," Dr. Hiakawa said.
"But if the angle of deviation from its original path continues to grow,
that possibility does exist."
"If that happens, where will it hit?"
"As I said, at this time there is no indication that it will hit the earth
at all; only that its course is presently undergoing an unexplained
deviational anomaly."
"What shall I tell the public?" the reporter asked.
Dr. Hiakawa shook his head. "I don't know," he answered. "I've provided the
information. What you do with it is up to you." Hiakawa had no desire to
start a panic which itself could cost lives, but neither did he want to
bear the responsibility for withholding the information. Leaving the
decision to the press was the safe way out and he took it.
It took nearly a half hour to determine whether the asteroid would strike
the earth. It took only a few minutes beyond that to determine with some
certainty where it would hit. Asteroid 2021 KE would score a direct hit on
the earth somewhere in or near the Philippine Basin in the Pacific Ocean.
Emergency broadcasts began immediately to warn residents to seek high
ground in preparation for the tsunami (often incorrectly called tidal
waves) and earthquakes that would certainly result.
At 10:47:18 a.m. Greenwich Mean Time (GMT), asteroid 2021 KE pierced the
earth's atmospheric skin. Unlike its predecessor, the second asteroid's
path left no doubt that collision with the earth was certain. Twelve
seconds after entering the atmosphere, traveling at 67,280 miles per hour,
the temperature of the asteroid's surface rose above 1,525 degrees Celsius,
the melting point of iron. Quickly an oblation shield formed as the molten
droplets of iron peeled away, taking with them much of the heat and thereby
keeping the core of the asteroid cool. The red hot trail of liquescent iron
gave the asteroid the eerie appearance of a huge flaming mountain.
Just eighteen seconds after entering the atmosphere, as sea birds flying
nearby were roasted alive in the tremendous heat emanating from the
asteroid and the scorched feathers filled the air with a putrid incense,
the asteroid reached sea level. Four hundred and seventy miles south of
Kchi, Japan, in the southern-most portion of the Shikoku Basin, asteroid
2021 KE slammed into the Pacific Ocean, creating an initial splash which
reached 42 miles above the earth.
Despite the tremendous resistance of the water, it took just a third of a
second for the asteroid to reach the sea floor, 3.6 miles below the
surface. So quickly did the asteroid pass through the water that it reached
bottom well before the surrounding waters could rush in to fill the void,
and thus created a two-mile-wide open shaft the full distance from the
surface.
The asteroid struck the sea floor with an explosive force equal to 90,000
megatons (90 billion tons) of TNT, or nine times the total destructive
power of the world's combined nuclear forces at the height of the Cold War,
or four and a half million times that of the atomic bomb dropped on
Hiroshima. The center of the impact, which was three times hotter than the
surface of the sun, vaporized the sand and rock in the asteroid's path and
caused the sea for 18 miles around to erupt and boil violently, filling the
surrounding air with scalding steam, and cooking the entire 157-man crew of
a Japanese Navy frigate like lobsters in a pot.
Continuing down like a bullet into soft wood, the asteroid created a
massive crater 22 miles in diameter and 12 miles deep. Had the asteroid
struck dry ground or in shallower water, the debris from the impact would
have been sent flying into the atmosphere and created a dark blanket of
dust over the entire planet. Within weeks, such a blanket would have
eliminated all or nearly all life on earth. Instead, because it hit in one
of the deepest parts of the ocean, in water more than 3.6 miles deep, only
about 2 percent, or 96 billion tons, of the debris was ejected above the
ocean's surface. Of that material, the vast majority consisted of large
pieces of iron and massive tektites formed by the impact, which fell back
to earth over a 1600-mile radius. Only a very minute amount of material was
small enough to be kept aloft.
But while the water's resistance stopped most of the smaller debris from
reaching beyond the surface and thus spared the atmosphere from filling
with dust, the sea itself bore the brunt as over 3.8 trillion tons of
debris small enough to be suspended in ocean currents, including more than
720 billion tons of iron particles from the asteroid, were carried across
the ocean by the giant waves which radiated out from the impact.
In the seabed, the shock of the initial impact and the subsequent
fracturing of the earth's mantle set off massive earthquakes which were
felt for thousands of miles throughout the Circum-Pacific Belt and the
Eurasian, Philippine, and Fiji tectonic plates. On land, buildings
crumbled, killing tens of thousands, and in the sea the quakes set off
additional tsunami hundreds of miles in advance of the waves from the
actual impact.
The first tsunami created by earthquakes in the Pacific off China's coast
threatened Asia's shores within two minutes of the impact. The tsunami
which rippled out from the actual impact would take another two hours to
reach the continental shelf.
In the bay of Wangpan Yang, south of Shanghai, China, the waters of the
Pacific suddenly and without warning began to recede with incredible speed
toward the open sea, pulling with them nearly everything afloat that was
not securely tied or anchored. With a terrifying roar of hissing, sucking,
and gurgling, the water as far inland as the mouth of the Fuchun River was
drained out in less than five minutes, leaving tens of thousands of acres
of sea bottom suddenly exposed. On the Wangpan Yang seabed, well-anchored
boats and ships of all sizes were left foundering on dry ground. All but
the flat-bottomed vessels had tipped over and lay on their sides; their
crews were forced to climb out among stranded sea creatures left by the
retreating waters. On the surrounding shores, startled onlookers, seeing
fish and booty from long forgotten wrecks laying there for the taking,
rushed out to take advantage of nature's apparent boon, completely unaware
that what nature had relinquished, it would just as quickly reclaim, along
with their lives.
At the mouth of the bay, the crews of ships which had been pulled toward
the sea watched helplessly in awful fear as their vessels, large and small,
were sucked into the churning trough of death beneath the oncoming wave
which rose like a foaming mountain, 220 feet into the air.
Within the next few moments the event was repeated at every bay and the
mouth of every major river along the Asian coast, as Pacific waters swept
over China as far inland as four miles. Along the Yangtze river, flooding
reached as far inland as Nanjing.
The coastal regions and cities of Taiwan were completely covered, killing
four million and causing untold economic loss.
As large as they were, these first waves were merely a pale foreshadowing
of the waves to come. Two to three hours away (depending on the geography
of the Asian coast), a train of waves sent out like ripples from the point
of the asteroid's impact expanded outward in rings which sped through the
open ocean at over 450 miles per hour waves so large they dwarfed the one
which struck the bay of Wangpan Yang. The Ryukyu Islands, Okinawa, the
Philippines, Malaysia, Indonesia, the Northern Marianas and Guam, the Sunda
Islands, the Palau Islands, Micronesia, the Caroline, Solomon, Marshall,
Santa Cruz, Gilbert, and Phoenix Islands, New Zealand, the Cook Islands and
hundreds more, all lay helpless in the path of the immense killer waves.
In Siberia, Korea, China, and Vietnam, those who had survived the
earthquakes and the first tsunami struggled inland to reach higher ground.
Ships at port which had not been scuttled by the initial waves and that
could muster sufficient crews on short notice, headed out to sea, hoping to
reach deep water before the waves grew to an unmanageable height. Their
efforts would be futile. As the waves began to climb Asia's continental
shelf, the lead wave in the train had already reached 180 feet in height.
By the time the tsunami were within 20 miles of shore, the lead wave had
grown to more than 1300 feet. Those ships which had left port hoping to
reach safety in deeper water, instead found they were sailing into certain
death as a wall of water that no ship could survive sped to meet them.
Ships of all sizes were thrown about and swallowed up like mere toys by the
leviathan waves. The same scene was played out throughout the Pacific basin
nations and islands, with some waves topping 2800 feet by the time they
reached shore. The Chinese and Japanese Navies were reduced to fewer than a
half dozen ships each. Thousands of cargo ships carrying goods to and from
Japan, China, and the other Pacific Basin countries; more than a hundred
supertankers fully loaded with oil, others returning empty; literally
millions of commercial fishing boats; and untold smaller crafts and their
crews, all fell prey to the waves.
An hour later the wave ring reached New Guinea which, because of its
location directly between the point of impact and Australia, took the full
force of the waves and largely blunted the tsunami's impact on the island
continent to its south.
Owing to their volcanic origins, on the islands of Hawaii there was no
shortage of high ground, and with eight hours' warning to escape the
tsunami, most islanders loaded cars, trailers, trucks, and carts with
everything they could carry and headed for the safety of the nearest
dormant volcanic mountain. From there, they watched in disbelief as
300-foot walls of water washed the islands clean of their homes and
businesses.
On the rim of the Kilauea Caldera, the scientists of the Hawaiian Volcano
Observatory had their hands full with another matter. Using seismographic
data and satellite telemetry to monitor the effects of the earthquakes
caused by the fracturing of the earth's mantle, the scientists found
evidence that volcanoes from New Zealand to Mexico and everywhere in
between showed early signs of new activity. It would not happen
immediately, but it was becoming nearly certain that, over the next few
weeks or months, scores of volcanoes would erupt as a direct result of the
asteroid's impact.
On the other side of the Pacific, on the west coast of North and South
America, there was much more time to prepare. The tsunami train took
sixteen hours to travel the 6400 miles to Cape Mendocino in California,
which was first to be hit. It took an additional nine hours to reach
Iquique, Chile, the most distant point on the Americas' Pacific coast.
Having been warned of the tsunami's strength, residents had ample time to
reach higher ground.
In every country there was one group - the looters - who defied the
tsunami's approach, hoping to escape to higher ground with as much plunder
as possible, just ahead of the wave. A few were shot by police and property
owners. Most of the more conservative looters survived. Others who waited
too long or foolishly sought refuge on the top floors of tall buildings
were drowned or crushed to death as the buildings turned to rubble in the
onslaught of the crashing waves.
More than a week passed before the seas began to calm, for great tsunami do
not strike once and dissipate, but reflect back like radar off the land
masses they encounter, returning again and again across the sea to repeat
their destructive impact. Because of the extent of the destruction, an
exact accounting of the dead would never be possible. Most estimates put
the final number between 110 and 120 million. Perhaps 3 to 4 percent of
that number died aboard the millions of boats and ships which traverse the
seas and sail among the thousands of Pacific islands.
And yet despite the magnitude of the disaster above the surface, a much
greater disaster was brewing beneath the waves. For a full week the tsunami
reflected back and forth across the Pacific, not only from Asia to the
Americas, but also from Siberia and Alaska to the Antarctic, bringing with
them dramatic shifts in ocean temperature, wreaking havoc on the ocean's
fragile ecosystem, and killing fish and other marine life by the billions.
Even greater was the damage wrought by trillions of tons of debris, carried
across the ocean from the site of the impact, which clouded the waters and
turned the Pacific's surface a bloody red as 720 billion tons of iron
particles from the asteroid turned to rust. The murky waters blocked out
much of the sun's light, preventing photosynthesis by the phytoplankton -
the delicate sea plants which serve not only as the bottom link in the food
chain, but which also provide the oxygen needed by all sea life. As the
phytoplankton died, so did the sea animals which depend upon it for food,
followed quickly by each higher level of the food chain. Soon too, the
oxygen level of the ocean dropped, and with that nearly all sea life that
remained in the Pacific perished.
James BeauSeigneur
<sr@selectivehouse.com>
The three books of THE CHRIST CLONE TRILOGY (In His Image, Birth of an Age,
and Acts of God) are available through PropheZine at
http://www.prophezine.com/bookstore/james.html with a percentage of each
sale going to support the on-going ministry of PropheZine.
Reviewer Jay Carper says of The Christ Clone Trilogy: **Apocalypse fans,
here is your Hobbit. Every turn was unexpected. The characters were real.
The plot was real. And never have I seen the Seven Seals broken with such
clarity and imagination. . .**
(http://carper.freeservers.com/sfwc/reviews/christclone.html)
Reviewer Bob Lally (PropheZine): **The most exciting end-time story I have
ever read. I have read the trilogy two times in the past 18 months and will
most definitely read it again this summer.
======================================================
POETRY
======================================================
======================================================
Prayer
by Ron g. Wallace
======================================================
Just beyond
The blackness of enshrouded night
Shines forth
The refreshing promise of daylight.
And as that blanket of darkness
Drifts away,
The golden sun heralds
A brand new day.
So it is,
With troubles and cares of life.
The sorrow;
The blackness of fear and strife,
Through PRAYER, quickly fades away
And is gone;
As new strength and hope
Come with the dawn.
Ron g. Wallace
Copyright 5-23-96
<ronw@biblefragrances.com>
======================================================
What Should Believers Do Until Christ Comes?
by Dr. Dale Mark Johnsen
======================================================
The "Left Behind" series by Tim LaHaye and Jerry Jenkins has taken our
world by storm. For the first time in history, conservative evangelical
novels have sailed to the top of the secular charts and stayed there. As
soon as "The Indwelling" was released in May, this fascinating part seven
of the saga about the rapture, antichrist and salvation was the prime
featured book on Amazon.com and quickly ascended to be number one on the
New York Times Best Seller List.
People are getting saved and transformed by this gripping, real-to-life
tale, similar to the effect Hal Lindsey's "The Late Great Planet Earth" had
thirty years ago. This fervor over the fates of Rayford, Buck, Tsion, Chaim
and Nicolae is stirring up deep emotions within hearts which had been
previously hardened by a "been there, done that" attitude towards prophecy.
When Y2K failed to bring its dreaded havoc, millennial fever quickly
subsided. Yet, as we approach the true beginning of the third millenium,
sixty-one percent of Americans still believe in the second coming of Jesus
Christ, and twenty-three percent of Christians in America still expect the
second coming of Christ to occur within their lifetime. In churches, it has
become fashionable to preach from "The Book of Revelation" once again.
Riding the Wave, Reaping the Harvest
How can evangelical leaders use this phenomenon for the good of God's
kingdom?
2 Peter 3:11 asks the most pertinent question plainly, "what kind of people
ought you to be ... as you look forward to the day of God?" (NIV) Peter's
answer is: "You ought to live holy and godly lives as you look forward to
the day of God."
In order for Christians to benefit spiritually from the prophetic passages,
it is not essential to delve into exegetical debate and hermeneutical
arguments over a particular interpretative scenario. We do not need to
hype, sensationalize or distort our interpretation of current events to fit
our preconceived eschatological ideas. We don't have to identify the ten
toes of the Beast. Instead, what we need to do is use prophetic truths to
do exactly what the biblical texts repeatedly say their purpose is, which
is to stimulate holy living. That's the real purpose of prophecy. It's
discipleship! That's the point. It does no good to tantalize our brains but
leave our hearts unsatisfied. Instead, we must use prophecy as a stimulus
to embrace a life of genuine, wholly devoted discipleship.
When we do, God promises us an abundance of eternal rewards in heaven
The clear connection between prophecy and discipleship is found in Matthew
24:44 when Christ exhort believers, "So you also must be ready, because the
Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him" (NIV). But, how
can a person "get ready" for the second coming?
Five "W's" to Live By
God's prescribed way to "get ready" is to obey the five commands of Christ
that are specifically linked to His second advent. Those commands may be
summarized by five words: watch, witness, worship, walk and work.
One, God wants believers to WATCH until Christ comes. Matthew 24:42 says,
"Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will
come." Mark 13:33,37 adds, "Be on guard! Be alert! You do not know when
that time will come . . . What I say to you, I say to everyone: 'Watch!'"
In 2 Timothy 4:8, God promises rewards in heaven for "all who have longed
for his appearing."
Two, God wants believers to WITNESS until Christ comes. Matthew 28:19-20
commands believers to "go and make disciples of all nations . . . to the
very end of the age." Our job is to gossip the gospel until the whole world
has heard. Matthew 24:14 says, "this gospel of the kingdom will be preached
in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will
come."
Three, God wants believers to WORSHIP until Christ comes. Hebrews 10:25
instructs, "Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit
of doing, but let us encourage one another - and all the more as you see
the Day [of Christ's return] approaching." Every time we celebrate the
Lord's Supper, we're told to worship Him in this way "until he comes" (1
Corinthians 11:26).
Four, God wants believers to WALK in obedience until Christ comes. 2 Peter
3:11,14 exhorts, "You ought to live holy and godly lives as you look
forward to the day of God. . . . since you are looking forward to this,
make every effort to be found spotless, blameless and at peace with him." 1
John 3:2-3 says, "we know that when he appears, we shall be like him, for
we shall see him as he is. Everyone who has this hope in him purifies
himself, just as he is pure."
Five, God wants believers to WORK for the advance of Christ's kingdom until
Christ comes. In Matthew 6:20, Jesus urges, "store up for yourselves
treasures in heaven." In Philippians 3:14, Paul invites us to join with him
to "press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me
heavenward in Christ Jesus." 2 Corinthians 5:10 teaches, "we must all
appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive what
is due him for the things done while in the body."
These five commands, to watch, witness, worship, walk and work, are each
linked to the believer's hopeful anticipation of Christ's soon return. The
joyful surprise concerning these five commands is that each one of them
parallels one of the five crowns of reward that are offered to Christians
in the New Testament. (This insight was highlighted by David Benoit in
"Royal Ambassadors' Endtime Diplomacy," in Foreshocks of the Antichrist
(Eugene, OR: Harvest House Publishers, 1997), 350-52.) It is by means of
obeying these specific five commands that believers will be given eternal
crowns of reward in heaven. That is why a "Five W" life of authentic
discipleship is well worth the effort.
Jesus Christ desires that His bride long for Him. That is why He
purposefully designed heaven's greatest rewards to be given to those
Christians who have been most diligent to get ready to meet Him. Whoever
chooses to obey these five commands in anticipation of His second advent
will automatically qualify to win five heavenly "sweepstakes," prizes. Each
eternal crown is directly dependent on whether or not a believer has gotten
ready to meet Christ by watching, witnessing, worshipping, walking and
working, in light of His soon return. Amazingly, the process of getting
ready to see Him is the key both to our discipleship on earth and to our
eternal rewards in heaven.
WATCHING leads to the Crown of Righteousness
God promises in 2 Timothy 4:8 that those who watch for Christ's appearing
will receive the crown of righteousness: "Now there is in store for me the
crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to
me on that day-and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his
appearing."
WITNESSING leads to the Crown of Joy
In Philippians 4:1, Paul describes the believers he has won to Christ as
"my joy and crown." In John 4:36, Jesus indicates that God rewards those
who witness, saying the "reaper" of souls "draws his wages, even now he
harvests the crop for eternal life, so that the sower and the reaper may be
glad together." Sowers and reapers will both be paid "wages" of joy by God
as they see those they've witnessed to in heaven. 1 Corinthians 9:25
promises that those who witness for Christ "get a crown that will last
forever." This is the crown of joy.
WORSHIPPING leads to the Crown of Life
James 1:12 teaches, "Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because
when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has
promised to those who love him." Revelation 2:10 urges, "Be faithful, even
to the point of death, and I will give you the crown of life." The highest
form of worship is to be willing to give up one's life for the sake of
God's glory. Only Christians who worship the Lord in sacrificial ways will
receive a crown of life.
WALK to Receive the Crown of Victory
To those who walk with Christ in obedience and holiness, God will give the
crown of victory. 2 Timothy 2:5 states, "if anyone competes as an athlete,
he does not receive the victor's crown unless he competes according to the
rules." The chief rule of the game of life is to walk worthy of one's
calling as a child of God (Ephesians 4:1) in view of the end of the age (1
Peter 4:7). As Philippians 3:14 says, "I press on toward the goal to win
the prize."
WORK to Receive the Crown of Glory
In view of Christ's imminent return for His church, God calls leaders to
work for God's kingdom with dedicated service. In 1 Peter 5:2-4, God offers
the crown of glory to Christian leaders who shepherd God's flock as
faithful overseers of the church, saying, "when the Chief Shepherd appears,
you will receive the crown of glory that will never fade away."
Salvation is entirely by grace, but heaven will be richer for every
Christian who receives one or more crowns of reward at the judgment seat of
Christ. Reception of any or all of these crowns is dependent entirely on
whether they choose to obediently watch, witness, worship, walk and work
during the few remaining days they have left on earth before Christ
returns.
We are racing to the edge of eternity. My heart races to think about the
joy of seeing Jesus face to face. When that day arrives when Christ calls
for His Church in the clouds, I know I won't be left behind. In fact, you
will easily recognize me that day. I'll be the one screaming victory
praises at the top of my resurrected lungs and grinning from ear to ear.
Dr. Dale Mark Johnsen has served as Senior Pastor of Ahtanum Pioneer Church
in Yakima, Washington for eleven years. This article is adapted from his
new book, "What To Do Until Christ Comes," HolyGrace Publishing, released
June 2000. Free sample chapters of this book may be downloaded at
http://UntilChristComes.com
<mailto:johnsen@untilchristcomes.com>
==================
Overcoming Backsliding
By Paul Kusiak
==================
WHAT DO WE MEAN BY BACKSLIDING?
"The Lord became angry with Solomon because his heart had turned from the
Lord God of Israel" - 1 Kings 11:9
"I have this against you; you have left your first love." - Revelation 2:4
Backsliding is when a person who follows Christ turns away from Him. To the
backslider, God is no longer the main focus of his life. Without God's
leading, the person suffers a lapse morally and reverts back to sin. He
"backslides" into his old way of life.
WHAT CAUSES US TO BACKSLIDE?
"Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall." - Proverbs
16:18
"If you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don't fall." - 1
Corinthians 10:12
Pride can be found at the root of backsliding. Pride tells us we don't need
God to lead us. There are two forms pride takes when it comes to
backsliding: Trying to justify oneself to God and taking part in sin.
TRYING TO JUSTIFY ONESELF TO GOD LEADS TO BACKSLIDING
"You who are trying to be justified by law have been alienated from Christ;
you have fallen away from grace." - Galatians 5:4
"Justified" means to be made acceptable to God. In the verse above, Paul
tells us that trying to justify oneself through the law (or through good
deeds) can lead to backsliding. How can doing a good deed cause
backsliding? Well, let's say someone helps an elderly woman across the
street. The Christian who is walking with God will say, "Jesus has been
kind to me so I want to be kind to others." Whereas the Christian who is
backsliding will say, "I am acceptable to God because I helped this woman
across the street." Pride makes the backslider think that he can impress
God when in reality he is moving away from Him because, "God opposes the
proud but gives grace to the humble" (James 4:6).
TAKING PART IN SIN LEADS TO BACKSLIDING
"You were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the
sinful nature; rather, serve one another in love." - Galatians 5:13
Here again is pride. In this case pride makes the backslider say, "I can
lead my own life. I don't need God to tell me what to do." Less and less
time is spent looking for God's direction. The backslider will stop praying
and reading the Bible. Without God's direction the backslider will --
without even realizing it -- lead himself. This results in a sinful life
away from God because, as Jesus said, "I am the vine; you are the branches.
If a man remains in Me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from Me
you can do nothing." (John 15:5)
WHAT HAPPENS WHEN WE BACKSLIDE?
"Justice is far from us, and righteousness does not reach us. We look for
light, but all is darkness; for brightness, but we walk in deep shadows.
Like the blind, we grope along the wall, feeling our way like men without
eyes. At midday we stumble as if it were twilight; among the strong, we are
like the dead." - Isaiah 59:9-10
We no longer seek the Lords leading and we lack direction. We no longer
fellowship with Him and so our hearts are empty. This is because you and I
were created to follow the Lord. We were created to have a relationship
with God. And as terrible as it is to have never have known the love of
Jesus Christ, how much worse is it to have experienced it and then turn
away? Once you've followed Jesus nothing else can ever truly satisfy you.
That's why backsliding is such a terrible thing. You try to replace His
prefect love with something inferior. But the Lord stretches out His hand
to you and offers to forgive your backsliding and restore you.
OVERCOMING BACKSLIDING
Let God's Word explain how to overcome backsliding. "I will frown on you no
longer, for I am merciful, declares the Lord, I will not be angry forever.
Only acknowledge your guilt - you have rebelled against the Lord your God"
- Jeremiah 3:12
So we pray...
"Our offenses are many in your sight, and our sins testify against us. Our
offenses are ever with us, and we acknowledge our iniquities." - Isaiah
59:12
And we are forgiven...
"If My people, who are called by My name, will humble themselves and pray
and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from
heaven and will forgive their sin" - 2 Chronicles 7:14
And restored...
"I will heal their waywardness and love them freely, for My anger has
turned away from them." -- Hosea 14:4
"Peace, peace, to those far and near, says the Lord." -- Isaiah 57:19
By Paul Kusiak
<Kusiak3@aol.com>
Website: www.homestead.com/estudies
======================================================
POETRY
======================================================
======================================================
The Fight
by Robert Grob
======================================================
Sometimes it seems we simply can't go on
Beating heads against the walls of life
'Till bloodied, black and blue we bleat "Retreat!"
And crawl to caverns, caves of fear and doubt.
At times like that it seems all hope is gone,
That all we see is trouble, hurt and strife,
That every lesson learned we must repeat,
That good has lost and evil must win out.
Shall we then quit? Give up? Let others don
The victor's wreath while we wed failure's knife?
Is that to be our lot? Just bloodied meat
Well tenderized by beatings in the bout?
By God's Name, NO! He would not find it right!
No prize is given those who quit the fight!
Robert Grob (c) 1995
<rdgrob@southwind.net>
Robert has as web site containing 250 sonnets called "Sonnets For
Christians" at: http://www2.southwind.net/~rdgrob/bgs4x.htm
========================================
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