The Last of The Last Days

by Michael G. Mickey

(11-21-06)

According to an Agape Press article, more than 3.3 million consumers now use biometric technology to pay for their purchases, prompting Pastor Chuck Smith to state recently that "this development clearly illustrates that we are one step closer to what is described in the Book of Revelation." Smith additionally stated that "this should be yet another wake-up call from God that we are in the last of the last days. We already know of eye-identification scanning devices and other technology [identification chips for pets, GPS technology] that clearly shows us this."

The last of the last days? Amen, Pastor Smith! As I write this commentary, I am so bogged down with information of end times significance that I can honestly state that I don't believe it's possible for me to accurately reflect the volume of events taking place in the world today that are SCREAMING that Jesus Christ is coming soon! In fact, I ask all my readers to remember me in prayer in that regard as I am often very troubled in my soul that there are things going on I can't get out on the site due to the finite properties of my life! Between work, family, the everyday issues of life, and RaptureAlert.com, I'm often busier than I want to be but joyfully busy as our Lord is coming soon!

So, what can I tell you about today that I have been slow to get out but badly wanted to? A few things so please bear with me as I take you on a whirlwind of an end times commentary - a bit of this, that and the other thing!

Homosexuality isn't a matter of choice? Jesus isn't the only way?

Recently, the Episcopal Church USA appointed its first female presiding bishop, Katharine Jefferts-Schori. Just when you thought the Episcopal Church USA couldn't possibly do any worse than it had done recently in upholding the Word of God, this was the icing on the cake! Why do I make that statement? Because Jefferts has said that she doesn't consider Jesus Christ to be the only way to God and that she believes God makes some people "gay."

Jefferts on Jesus being the only way to heaven: "It's this sense that one person can have the fullness of truth in him or herself, rather than understanding that truth is -- like God -- more than any one person can encompass."

Jesus, in Jefferts' view, couldn't have the fullness of truth in Himself because its just more than any one person can encompass! That would, of course, be true if Jesus was merely a person, but He isn't! Jesus Christ was God when He walked on this earth in the flesh and He is God today! Does Jefferts not know this? If so, maybe I have hope to become the head coach of the Dallas Cowboys! I don't actually know anything about coaching an NFL team, but I know you can score touchdowns. That should be good enough to get the job for me if Bill Parcells doesn't work out, right? Maybe if the Episcopal Church USA owned them instead of Jerry Jones!

On homosexuality, Jefferts believes God makes some people gay and believes "the Church should offer what she calls "a sacramental container" to help homosexuals find "holy ways of living in relationship.""

I've got just the answer for her! Homosexuals can find a holy way of living in relationship without the Episcopals offering that sacramental container for them.

Here's my plan: Those who are practicing homosexual lifestyles outside of the will of God could, in what apparently has become a radical way of thinking in these end times, simply leave their sinful practices behind in obedience of God. Amazing, huh? They could repent of their sinful lifestyle which is 100% forbidden in the Word of God, accept Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior, and go out and find a member of the opposite sex to be involved with romantically. Yes, that can be done, as plenty of people involved with Exodus International can and do testify to having done!

In fairness, Jefferts and the Episcopals aren't the only ones who have maverick Christian leaders willing to condone what God has forbidden. As a Baptist, it was all I could do to force myself through an editorial by a so-called Baptist minister recently. Oliver "Buzz" Thomas, the "minister" in question, wrote an editorial entitled "When religion loses its credibility".

Based on what I read, I hope good ole "Buzz" will buzz right out of the Baptist church if he's unwilling to repent of his apostasy and head on over to the Jefferts camp where he will find his ramblings more acceptable! Either that or he could do the whole Christian world a favor and hush his mouth altogether - an even better alternative!

The Oliver "Buzz" Thomas commentary opens with the following introductory comments and goes downhill from there:

What if Christian leaders are wrong about homosexuality? I suppose, much as a newspaper maintains its credibility by setting the record straight, church leaders would need to do the same:

Correction: Despite what you might have read, heard or been taught throughout your churchgoing life, homosexuality is, in fact, determined at birth and is not to be condemned by God's followers.

God's followers are not to condemn what God himself has called abomination? I'm thinking "Buzz" needs to ease up on whatever it is he's smoking! Who knows? Maybe that's why they call him "Buzz."

"Buzz" writes, in a later part of his apostasy-laden diatribe:

For many of gay America's loudest critics, the results are unthinkable. First, no more football. At least not without gloves. Handling a pig skin is an abomination. Second, no more Saturday games even if you can get a new ball. Violating the Sabbath is a capital offense according to Leviticus. For the over-40 crowd, approaching the altar of God with a defect in your sight is taboo, but you'll have plenty of company because those menstruating or with disabilities are also barred.

The truth is that mainstream religion has moved beyond animal sacrifice, slavery and the host of primitive rituals described in Leviticus centuries ago. Selectively hanging onto these ancient proscriptions for gays and lesbians exclusively is unfair according to anybody's standard of ethics. We lawyers call it "selective enforcement," and in civil affairs it's illegal.

In the above, "Buzz" uses the tired tactic of trying to place those of us living under the New Covenant back under levitical law. This is the usual tactic utilized by apostates like him to make adherence to the teachings of the Word of God illogical and, particularly, to make it seem that God is "evolving" with man into a more modern set of moral and sexual standards for judging us. Well, "Buzz" couldn't be more wrong because it is written, as seen in Hebrews 13:8, Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever.

We no longer live under levitical law nor are we judged by it since Jesus Christ died on the cross to make atonement for our sins. While the matter of pig handling has been dealt with, homosexuality remains forbidden, as seen in the New Testament. As seen below, Sodom and Gomorrah, not once but TWICE is referred to as an example unto those who would choose to live their lives in the manner the Sodomites did in the future!

2nd Peter 2:6: And turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrha into ashes condemned them with an overthrow, making them an ensample unto those that after should live ungodly;

Jude 1: Even as Sodom and Gomorrha, and the cities about them in like manner, giving themselves over to fornication, and going after strange flesh, are set forth for an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire.

When religion, particularly Christianity, loses its credibility, it's when wolves in sheep's clothing like Oliver "Buzz" Thomas turn their backs on the clear teachings of Scripture, enabling those who are already deceived and desperately lost in sin to continue to practice their sin without condemnation or conviction, endangering their eternal souls!

Elton John believes all organized religion should be banned, but why?

Did you hear that Elton John, a "married" homosexual, believes "organized religion should be banned because it promotes homophobia and turns some people into "hateful lemmings?" That's true, according to a Reuters report wherein he explains his position by stating, "Religion has always tried to turn hatred toward gay people. It turns people into hateful lemmings and it is not really compassionate."

First of all, as a Christian, I am neither afraid of homosexuals nor filled with hatred toward them. Many of them, quite frankly, are kinder than some people I've sat next to in church on Sunday mornings in various periods of my life so why would I be afraid of them or hate them?

When Elton John pretends he is treated hastily by participants in "organized religion", likely an indirect reference to Christianity, he forgets that most people, in every society globally, do not believe that homosexuality is moral, regardless of their religious background. Even so, millions upon millions of people, of many varied faiths no less, buy his records in droves.

Why does Elton John really want "religion" banned? Because he knows, somewhere deep within his darkened heart, that God Himself, not any religion of any sort, has forbidden his lifestyle and he is accountable to Him! If tomorrow all organized religion was banned as he would like, Elton John would still have his conscience seared and feel as though he is an outcast because of his God-given conscience!

Again, as stated earlier, homosexuality is a forbidden sin, as seen in the New Testament, 1st Corinthians 6:9-10, which states:

Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God.

At this point I want to interject that it may seem I'm really tearing into homosexuality today. I admit it must seem that way, but I want any practicing homosexual who reads this to know one important thing, which is revealed in 1st Corinthians 6:11, the very verse after the two previous ones used in this commentary: There are many on their way to heaven today who were once on their way to hell, having lived lives that were, in many cases, just like those described above!

1st Corinthians 6:11: And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God.

It is the absolute duty of every Christian to affirm the Word of God and that can be hurtful to the one who is caught up in a lifestyle of sin. In spite of this, no Christian who loves you, TRULY loves you, will tickle your ears with what you want to hear. Rather, the Christian who loves you will tell you what sin is, why you need to come out of it, and how you can get on the road to heaven by being saved! Again, the truth can hurt, but only truth can free you from the bonds of sin and set you on the path to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord!

Why ban organized religion when you can just edit/desecrate the Word of God?

1st Timothy 4:1-2: Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils; Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron;

A Catholic World News article tells us there's a new bible coming out - and it ain't pretty!

Released by a group of 52 biblical “specialists”, the bible this article refers to includes "inclusive language" and "political correctness." The "specialists" AKA apostates who devised it have replaced some of the more "divisive" teachings of Christianity in order to present a "more just language" for feminists and homosexuals. What's next? I wouldn't be surprised, if the Lord delays His coming much longer, to see the day come when we'll be able to head down to the nearest bookstore and get a custom-designed bible. I can see how it would go now...

"Excuse me, sir. Can I help you find anything?"

"Well, I'm looking for a Bible."

"What kind of Bible?"

"I'm looking for the version that lets me go to heaven as long as I go to church for weddings, funerals, on Easter Sunday, and Christmas Day."

"We're selling a lot of those, sir. I'll have to check in the back to see if we have any more LSCVs left.

"LSCVs? What does that stand for?"

"The Lip Service Christian Version."

The Pope's thirsty for a big glass of Islam?

According to a Reuters report, a Muslim philosopher recently stated that "Pope Benedict is no expert on Islam but has a real thirst for understanding the religion and conducting a sincere dialogue with its followers."

I'm not going to say a great deal about this other than to suggest that the Pope doesn't even understand the Bible enough to be moving on to the Koran! If he did, he'd tell his followers to stop praying to Mary and church-designated saints instead of Christ as not one of the Roman Catholic Church's saints nor Mary has the slightest authority to answer prayers! Likewise, the Catholic priesthood needs to get out of their confessionals and point their followers to an altar of prayer where they can get in contact with the only mediator between God and man who can forgive them of their sins, Christ Jesus! (1st Timothy 2:5)

I don't know why I should even be surprised that the Pope is thirsty for some Islamification. After all, the Vatican is all for Israel giving up its covenant lands to its enemies in mockery of the Word of God, as seen in a Zenit article.

The Vatican delegation "remains convinced of the two-state solution as the basis for the resolution of the crisis, which would permit Israelis to live in security in their own land and Palestinians to live safely in a viable state of their own," Archbishop Migliore said.

The Vatican may as well ask for the advent of the Antichrist to occur! Surely, these must be the last of the last days!

The environment? Less than good!

Romans 8:22-23: For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now. And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body.

There are many who believe global warming is a myth, cooked up in part to bring about the new world order to come. I do have some evidence to support the latter, but the fact remains that if all the environmental woes present in the news of our world today are smaller parts of a larger new world order conspiracy, there are are many, many scientists involved in the plot.

Consider the following tidbits from the news demonstrative of an environment potentially on the verge of collapse:

• Fox News: Earth's recent warming trend might in part be due to a lack of starlight reaching our planet.
• Fox News: All Commercial Seafood Species May Collapse by 2048.
• BBC: The world is the warmest it has been in the last 12,000 years.
• AP: Many species of shark are facing a serious threat to their existence.
• Reuters: Immediate steps are needed to avert a potential catastrophe as climate change dries up water resources in drought affected areas.
• USA TODAY: The world's oceans are becoming more acidic, which poses a threat to sea life and Earth's fragile food chain.
• Reuters: Unchecked climate change could drive up to 72 per cent of the world's bird species into extinction.
• Fox News: NOAA Report Indicates No Let-Up in Warming of Arctic.
• Fox News: Far More Polar Bear Cubs Dying in Alaska.
• AP: Animal and plant species have begun dying off or changing sooner than predicted because of global warming.

Call me crazy if you will (and some do), but it's looking more and more like we're living in the last of the last days. That's why I'm happy to be working at a sometimes feverish pace, trying to get as much evidence out to a lost and dying world as I possibly can, and sounding the alert that Jesus Christ is coming soon as loudly as I can!

Care to join me? I could use the help!