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A Journey into Our Judeo Christian Roots!

In our day where technology seems to take us almost anywhere by the click of a button. We want to invite you to an extraordinary event that will take you back in time to a bigger than life experience. On September 18 and 19th the full length feature movie “Route 60, The Biblical Highway” opens in theaters all across America.

Seeing this beautifully produced movie in Israel by TBN on the big screen is second to only being there in person. Linda and I have been to Israel and “Route 60” takes us on a journey where few are able to visit. With our hosts Mike Pompeo and David Friedman we are able to travel on the screen to places as special guests of Israel. All of these locations are rich in the history of our Judeo Christian heritage.

As I was watching the screening we were honored to see, it actually brought clarity to me about locations that we read about in the Bible. This movie brings to life where Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and many of our heroes and prophets walked. We go with them to where Jesus lived and ministered to the masses. Mike Pompeo and David Friedman bring together the connection of Jews and Christians and how we are blessed to have such a common history.

The cinematography is absolutely gorgeous and you will feel as if you are right beside them. Stepping into the past has never been easier and we are certain that even if you have visited Israel many times “Route 60, The Biblical Highway” will take you places and share some history you have never seen.

David Friedman as our former Ambassador to Israel and Mike Pompeo as a former Secretary of State were given this special opportunity to travel and see these historic landmarks and thanks to TBN and Mathew and Laurie Crouch we are able to join them.

Let us encourage you get your tickets early as we expect it to sell out everywhere.

Click Here to watch the Trailer!

Special Note: Our APPI Team wrote all of the Study Resources for “Route 60, The Biblical Highway”

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Chaos and Creation

The account of chaos—Leviathan—in Psalm 74 is a bit different from that in Genesis 1. We learn God is from old, working salvation in the midst of the earth (which again, at the beginning would have been only water). Then we learn God divides the seas (which, in Genesis, occurs in Genesis 1:6) and breaks the heads of the sea monsters, along with crushing the heads of Leviathan. Later, we learn God establishes the heavenly lights and the sun (which, in Genesis, doesn’t occur until the fourth day, described in Genesis 1:14–19).

            It is generally believed among biblical scholars Psalm 74 and Genesis 1 are likely polemics of the Baal Cycle. That is to say, they are attempts to take credit away from Baal for subduing chaos (Leviathan) and giving proper credit to YHWH for this and for creation itself. It is known from tablets found in Syria over the last 150 years that the Semites of western Mesopotamia, the Amorites and Canaanites, believed that it was their storm-god Baal who had subdued the chaos monster.

Thus says Adad, I brought you back to the throne of your father, I brought you back. The weapons with which I fought Tiamat I gave to you. With the oil of my bitter victory I anointed you, and no one before you could stand.[1]

            Adad is the actual name of the west Semitic storm-god we know in the Bible as Baal. (“Baal” is a title that means “lord,” not a proper name.) The excerpt above is from a letter from Adad through his prophet, Abiya, to the king of Mari, Zimrī-Līm. The god was apparently reminding Zimrī-Līm that the king had been restored to power by his divine favor, which included sending to Zimrī-Līm the clubs he’d used to defeat Tiamat!

            Another tablet found at Mari, which was located on the Euphrates River near the modern border between Syria and Iraq, confirms that the clubs had been sent from Aleppo, which was known as the “city of Adad,” to the temple of Dagan (the earlier spelling of the Philistine god Dagon) at the town of Terqa, south of Mari.

            While that’s a fascinating bit of history—think about that: the divine clubs of Baal were physical objects!—the point is that Zimrī-Līm ruled at the same time as Hammurabi the Great of Babylon, which is about the time scholars believe the Enuma Elish was composed, and at least four hundred years before the Baal Cycle. So, it appears that even between Baal and Marduk there was competition over just who defeated the monstrous god of chaos.

            We must remember, people in the ancient Near East would not have the type of scientific, literal, and material point of view we have today in the western world. Rather, their view would have been more symbolic. This doesn’t mean it is any less real or true, it is merely a different way of looking at the world. When we look at the sea, we think of ocean currents and marine biology. When they looked at it, they thought of Leviathan/Tiamat/Litanu, chaos, and death. Therefore, what we have in Genesis 1 and Psalm 74 is not a scientific description of how everything was created, but a symbolic polemic describing who gets the credit for creating everything. According to the Bible, it’s not Baal. It’s not Marduk. It is YHWH.

            One might wonder, if it is a polemic, where is the battle? It is true, we do not see an epic battle in Genesis 1. There is a description of a defeat in Psalm 74, but it is still quite different when compared against the Baal Cycle. The idea conveyed by the biblical writers is when YHWH of Israel started creation, these chaotic forces were already held in check. There was no need for a battle; Leviathan was already bound because the one true God didn’t need to fight.

This would have been considered a slap in the face to Canaanite religion and the inferior god Baal. It was saying YHWH is the God who is truly in control and always has been. YHWH restricts chaos, not Baal. If a Canaanite living at that time were to read the Genesis account of creation, he would understand instantly what the text was doing. It’s busting down Baal and lifting up YHWH as supreme.

            We see this same sort of thing in Psalm 89:

You rule the raging of the sea; when its waves rise, you still them. You crushed Rahab like a carcass; you scattered your enemies with your mighty arm. The heavens are yours; the earth also is yours; the world and all that is in it, you have founded them. (Psalm 89:9–11, ESV)

This idea is repeated as an apocalyptic idea by the prophet Isaiah 27:

In that day the LORD with his hard and great and strong sword will punish Leviathan the fleeing serpent, Leviathan the twisting serpent, and he will slay the dragon that is in the sea. (Isaiah 27:1, ESV)

In Psalm 89, Rahab is a name for Egypt but is also equated with the sea beast Leviathan. In Isaiah 27, we read of a time in the future where chaos is not simply subdued but is destroyed forever. Consider what John N. Oswalt’s commentary on the book of Isaiah says about this:

Most scholars today are in agreement that while the exodus events are in the center of the writer’s thinking, they are not by any means all that is there. Rahab is clearly a term for Egypt (cf. 30:7; and Ps. 87:4, where Rahab and Babylon are paired); so also the monster (or “dragon”) is a term for Pharaoh (Ezek. 29:3). But it is also clear that those terms are not limited to those historical referents. As is known from Ugaritic studies, the twisting monster is a figure in the struggles of Baal with the god of the sea, Yam, as is “Leviathan,” which is equated with the monster in Isa. 27:1. Given these facts, and the evidence that the myth of the struggle of the gods with the sea monster was known in one form or another all over the ancient Near East, one has reason to believe that Isaiah is here, as in 27:1, utilizing this acquaintance among the people for his own purposes. It is important to note that the allusions to Near Eastern myths in the Bible all occur after 750 B.C., long after the basic antimythic character of biblical faith had been established. Thus there is an appeal here neither to some current Hebrew myth nor to some original one, now dead. Rather, just as a contemporary poet might allude to the Iliad or the Odyssey, utilizing imagery familiar to his hearers but that is hardly part of their belief system, so Isaiah uses the imagery of the well-known stories of creation to make his point. It was not Baal or Marduk or Ashur who had any claim to being the Creator—it was the Lord alone.[2]

            The idea coming out of this comparison of Psalm 74 and Genesis 1 is that by the time the actual creation starts, Leviathan/Chaos is already subdued. This would seem to indicate in the text, at least in the mind of the writers of these passages, there is a lot more going on with Genesis 1:1-3 than what we are typically taught in Sunday school. We learn in the very first verse God created the heavens and the earth. However, what was that process like? What were the conditions? How long did it take? We are not told specifically, but we are given clues if we think of this as a polemic on ancient Canaanite religion.

            Whether taken as literal or symbolic, the texts indicate a creation story unlike anything most of us were taught in the Church, but it’s one that biblical scholars are very familiar with. The sea represents chaos, yet as we see in Genesis 1:2, chaos is already subdued by the Spirit of God hovering over the face of the waters. The battle was over before it began. Whether Leviathan is meant to be understood as a literal sea beast existing somewhere in spiritual existence or as a symbol for the very real chaos of nature is unknown. Perhaps it is both. In any event, the text allows us a little more freedom in understanding creation than what we may have previously been taught.

            There are other interesting things to pull from this idea as well. In Genesis, once the water was still and chaos subdued, God started to create order from disorder. This idea, order from disorder, is common throughout ancient near-eastern religious texts, yet the writer of Genesis gives proper credit to YHWH, the God of Israel. To the writer of Genesis, the other, lesser gods tried to usurp YHWH’s accomplishments and attributes, so he wishes to set the record straight.

            The main reason for reiterating this point is because there are occult/pagan circles today who follow doctrines related to “order out of chaos,” “as above, so below,” and others. Since, in our culture today, those are recognized as doctrines outside of Christianity, it is worth repeating the point of polemics here. It seems the writer of Genesis was dealing with a similar thing in his day, so to set the record straight, he gave credit to YHWH for these things instead of allowing the lesser gods to usurp and defile them.

[1] “A Prophetic Letter of Adad to Zimrī-Līm” (A.1968). English translations in J. J. M. Roberts, The Bible and the Ancient Near East. Collected Essays (Winona Lake, IN: Eisenbrauns, 2002), ch. 14, pp. 157-253, “The Mari Prophetic Texts in Transliteration and English Translation,” and in M. Nissinen, Prophets and Prophecy in the Ancient Near East, with contributions by C. L. Seow and R. K. Ritner (ed. P. Machinist; Writings from the Ancient World, 12; Atlanta, GA., Society of Biblical Literature, 2003), pp. 21-22 (A. 1968).

[2] John N. Oswalt, The Book of Isaiah, Chapters 40–66, The New International Commentary on the Old Testament, Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1998), 341-42.

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Redeeming the Dry Bones

(Rev Joshua Omolo)

Ezekiel 37:1-4 – The hand of the Lord was on me, and he brought me out by the spirit of the Lord and he set me in the middle of a valley, it was full of bones. He led me back and forth among them, and I saw a great many bones on the floor of the valley, bones that were very dry. He asked me, “son of man, can these bones live?”

The hand of the Lord was upon prophet Ezekiel and carried him in the spirit of the Lord and set him in the midst of the valley which was full of bones, and caused him to pass by them around about. The bones were very many and very dry. Then the Lord spoke to Ezekiel asking, “Son of man can these bones live? Then Ezekiel answered, “Oh Lord God, you know”

Every life consists of dry bones in one way or the other. The many questions in our life which we do not have answer to is an indication of dry bones. Many times we find ourselves embroiled in certain complex challenges which we can’t establish solutions to them, this is a sign of dry bones that only God can provide the right prescription to solve the paradox. You could be walking through the top of the mountain of your life and you are wondering what this pastor is talking about with regards to the valley of dry bones, but I can tell you that at the end of every mountain there is always a valley. 

Your dry bones could be your dysfunctional marriage; it could be your son who is going through drug addiction or your endless cycle of financial challenges while to some it could be the spiritual instability. All these are signs of dry bones. God’s plan is to give life to these dry bones regardless of how big and complex they may seem to be; the truth is that they can experience breath of heaven and live again in Jesus name. The spoken word of life from a prophet of God is able to restore back to life any dream even from the grave yard in Jesus name.

The answer to God’s question to prophet Ezekiel was yes, the dry bones can live again and the answer God is giving you today is, “yes the dry bones in your life can come back to life if only you believe in Jesus”. Can you locate the dry bones in your life today? There is a need for you to identify the dry bones that needs to encounter divine prophetic utterance for them to experience restoration of life. In Africa, God is causing divine restoration of life in many faculties of our political governance and spiritual leadership systems so much so that the final face of revival across the globe is expected to come from Africa and this will impact the entire world. The church therefore needs to embrace global vision in order to hear clearly the prophetic voice of God in this age and time. 

Many Nations across the world will come to Africa to seek for solutions because God is already in the business of sending his true messengers with the special prophetic anointing to pronounce the end time blessing upon God’s people. Part of the reason why there seems to be an upsurge in the second scrambles for Africa by the western powers and the tiger nations is a confirmation the fact that God is lifting up the countenance of the dark continent.

 The current wide spread corruption in many countries in the continent of Africa will soon come to an end since God is raising a Joseph generation who are going to restore proper governance structure across the continent. The new breed of leaders will consist of visionary leaders both in the corporate and religious sector whose agenda will be to cause exponential economic growth. The new crop of leaders will be filled with the spirit of servanthood and they will no longer be lovers of themselves.

 The church needs to position herself for the great paradigm shift which is about to take off both from the economic and spiritual perspective. God is going to cause divine transfer of wealth to the house of God in a manner that has never been witnessed before. The continent of Africa which for a long time has been referred to as the third world will soon draw such a great attention and cause unprecedented level of huge investment from across the world. The global powers are soon going to develop such deep interest towards Africa simply because the so called Dark Continent has become a city on the hill. The church should not be left behind so far as this paradigm shift of interest is concerned. 

The dry bones in the valley were a sign of the sting of death, but now we have every reason to bless God because one of the primary goal and objective why Jesus Christ came to the Earth was to conquer death so that mankind can experience abundant life and receive life eternal, it is for this reason that we have come to discover the need to live above the limitation and threat of death. Many people today are going through serious limitations because they are dead even though they are still alive physically. Some have been told by their doctor’s report that they are suffering from terminal illness and that they are soon going to die. Some have suffered multiple divorce and they aren’t sure whether their marriage life will ever work. The time for the redemption of the dry bones of dead marriages has come to you today. 

I have a good news for you  from the Lord of Lords whose name is Jesus of Nazareth , the Bible says with God all things are possible (Mathew 19:26 – Jesus looked at them and said, “with man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”) Some doctors go to an extent of prescribing the number of days left for the patient to die. Diseases like cancer can be healed because all things are possible with God, premature death is defeated on the cross and now men can live to the fullest because Jesus has conquered death. The world can now celebrate victory over death by coming to Jesus and receiving him as Lord and savior in their life in order to experience abundant life through Christ Jesus, Hallelujah to the lamb.

Death is more spiritual than physical

Origin of death can be traced back in the Garden of Eden where the first man sinned against God and that marked the beginning of both physical and spiritual death. The spiritual death is the spiritual separation between man and God while the physical death is separation of life from the physical body. If you take a critical look at our moral decay today you are left to wonder where we dropped the ball of our value system as the body of Christ. We as a people are totally dead morally, living in a society whose value system is rotten. The practice of homosexuality and legalization of abortion is just but a tip of the iceberg. Our God is asking from heaven whether these dry bones can live again.

The spiritual challenges in life requires spiritual solution which subsequently leads to physical solution .The first spiritual death occurred when Adam and Eve ate of the forbidden fruit in the Garden of Eden (Genesis 2:17 – But the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shall not eat of it: for in the day that you eat therefore you shall surely die), this marked the beginning of the spiritual death which also gave birth to the physical death. The first person to experience physical death was Abel at the hands of his brother Cain. The incident of this death also marks the first time of the mention of the blood in the Bible (Genesis 4:10-11). In the same breath that the first occurrence of death led to the first mention of blood in the Bible so it is that through the blood of Jesus on the cross men have conquered death.

The cause of death begins in the spiritual realm before it manifests in the physical realm. Human beings need therefore to master the spiritual power from God that is able to provide abundant life that leads to eternity with God. The book of John 10:10 – The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy, I have come that they may have life and have it in all its fullness

Death can also kill your name and that is the reason today some are called barren because they are carrying dead wombs, others are called orphans because they lost their parents, some are called widow because they lost their husbands. The story of the lame man from his birth who was sited at the beautiful gate paints a clear picture how death can swallow the real name of a person (Acts 3:11). The bible only refers to him as lame from birth. In the book of Joel 3:10 – Bible says, “let the weak say I am strong” God is simply giving us instruction to give ourselves the right name because that comes with power.

 I want to call upon you to make a choice from now on to refuse to lose your name because of the dead portion of your life. You could be suffering economic death till you are being called a poor man or a beggar, but the Lord is saying let the poor say I am rich. I decree and declare that you are rich in Jesus name; I decree and declare that you are healed in Jesus name. The situation you are in is just but a condition, but greater is he that is in you than him who is in the world. 

Your true name should not be determined by the environmental events or circumstances instead it should be determined by the great I am who dwells in the inside of you whose name is Jesus Christ of Nazareth. Jesus has the power of resurrection to bring back to life every vital dead part of your being. Every dry bone in the valley which God revealed to Ezekiel came back to life through the same power of God through divine prophetic utterance of Rhemah word by prophet Ezekiel. God has given every believer in Jesus Christ the power to exercise prophetic utterance over situations and circumstances. 

 The choice lies with an individual to decide either to speak life or death. Every believer in Jesus Christ has the power to prophesy over the dead bones in their closet and the Lord of resurrection will cause restoration of life to come into that situation in Jesus name. Broken families can be restored back to life through prophetic utterance. Only God understands the secret on how to win this battle against death. Deut 29:29 – Secret things belongs to God, But those things which are revealed belongs to us and our children forever. Death has robbed many people’s destiny due to ignorance and lack of knowledge. 

When the people of Africa were told that Africa is a dark continent, then the  great grandparents gladly accepted and till today the continent is still lagging behind despite the fact that its in Africa alone that we find the greatest deposits of natural mineral resources than any other continent in the world. Many of our political leaders also accepted the tag with gladness in order for them to use that as a bargaining chip to ask for aid and loans with greater chunks of it goes into their individual pockets.

 Africa has remained dead economically till today, our prayer now is that God is raising  a prophetic voice that is going to reclaim the glory from the grave yards and that is the reason we are saying that the dry bones shall live again. The church is moving to the next level where it’s going to operate in both priestly and kingly anointing in order to take dominion in the line of economic and spiritual investment.

5 Steps to conquer DEATH

  1. Receiving Jesus Christ as your Lord and savior of your life – John10:10 

Jesus Christ came on earth to die for mankind so that anyone who receives him as Lord and savior may experience eternal life which is full of abundance. When we receive Jesus Christ we get admitted into the family of God through adoption and become the sons of God. All sons of God have the gift of eternal life as one of the main inheritance and promises that God has given to his people. Believing in Christ brings legitimacy to becoming a member of the family of God, Jesus being the first born among many. 

When we get born again we receive the DNA of God the father who is also the creator of the whole universe, we then share with God the nature of immortality because our God who is the father of our Lord Jesus Christ is immortal. Yet to all who received Christ, to those who believed in his name he gave the right to become the children of God (John 1:12). Abundant life comes from Jesus Christ because he is the way the truth and the life… (John 14:6 – Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the father except through me). You can defeat the spirit of death by allowing Jesus to come into your life right now. One simple step to salvation is by making a prayer of repentance by asking Jesus to come into your life and save you. If you accept this message and you would like to accept Jesus now as Lord and savior over your life then you can make this simple prayer of repentance after me, say, “Lord Jesus, I come to you today. I acknowledge that I am a sinner. I have heard your word and now open my heart that you may come into my life as Lord and savior. Forgive me my sins and write my name in the lambs’ book of life. Thank you Lord for saving me, in Jesus name I pray. Amen”

Praise the Lord, now you are born again and you have become a member in the family of God

  1. Exercise prophetic anointing – Ezekiel 1:4 

All those who are born again  are endowed with the divine supernatural prophetic power in their life When you receive Christ then you become ordained by God to undertake divine calling and accomplish the will of God here on earth on behalf of the kingdom as an ambassador of Christ. The power of God operating in you elevates you to an extent that you no longer belong to yourself but you become a representative of the kingdom of God in all things that you do.

God commanded Ezekiel to prophesy to the dry bones so that they may come back to life. The great revelation from this scripture indicates that everything remained constant in the valley of dry bones until the time Prophet Ezekiel obeyed the instruction to prophesy. Your prophetic word has power to cause resurrection. God has given us the word in the Bible (logos) which is the letter of the law. In the book of 2Corinthians 3:6 – He has qualified us (making us sufficient) as ministers of a new covenant (of salvation through Christ), not of the letter (of written code) but of the spirit; for the letter (of the law) kills, but the spirit gives life. 

The spoken prophetic word translates the logos (law) into rhema (life) which means from law to life. Rhema is an inspired word birthed within your own spirit, a whisper from the Holy Spirit like the still small voice that spoke to Elijah in the cave. You need to prophesy to your condition of the dry bones in your life. Your circumstance has ears and it can listen to that prophetic word of God in your mouth. You have known for a long time that God can heal but now God is calling upon you to prophesy healing to your sick body in order to get healed in Jesus name. That troublesome boss at the work place does not need to hear a piece of your mind; he needs to hear a prophetic Rhema word of God for him to start seeing you from God’s lenses.

 Moses took the Rhema word to Pharaoh and God was able to back up every single Rhema word with the miracle working power. The power of spoken word can be traced back into the Garden of Eden during the time the time of creation in the book of Genesis 1:3-5 – And God said, “Let there be light.” And there was light. God saw that the light was good…. When you carry the DNA of God then you have the capacity to speak the Rhema word. 

  1. Sacrificial Giving to God – (Romans 12:1)

Therefore, I urge you brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God – this is your true and proper worship

Men ought to serve God with their substance, wealth, talent and every resource that God has provided in their life. They need to demystify a certain notion that giving should be left to the rich amongst us. There isn’t any single person on earth who is too poor to give to God. The church must go back to the drawing board and rediscover her strength and take advantage of that same strength to serve God through giving. Peter and John while walking to the temple during the hour of prayer, they came across a lame man at the beautiful gate asking for money. But the two men responded to the lame man saying, “silver and Gold we have non, but that which we have we give unto you , in the name of Jesus rise up and walk and the man got healed instantly” They simply gave what they had and the man received his miracle.

Sacrificial giving was the first step that was taken by God in order to redeem mankind from eternal damnation. God gave his son Jesus to die on the cross with expectation that men may also give their life to Jesus in accomplishing this divine exchange. The death of Jesus on the cross took away our punishment of death which was brought about by the sin of the first man Adam in the Garden of Eden.  Our bodies are the temple of God where the Holy Spirit dwells. Every believer in Christ Jesus is therefore expected to stop living in sin after receiving salvation through Christ Jesus.

The world around us today has normalized immorality and it’s unfortunate that those who condemn immorality are the ones who are being vilified and are seen like they have lost touch with the normal trend of life. Legalization of abortion is now becoming a wide spread practice in many countries around the world, but it still remain to be a sinful practice because its’ murder. Life is sacrosanct at any given stage whether its’  a day old or a hundred years old, only God has the power to take it away since he is the creator of the same life. No one is allowed to terminate life in form of abortion in the name of human rights.

When we offer our bodies as a living sacrifice then we will learn ways on how to embrace moral and ethical standards according to the values of the kingdom of God. The Lord has promised that we will receive a helper in the name of the Holy Spirit whose mandate is to comfort us and to guide us along the journey of faith. When you learn to listen to the Holy Spirit of God in you then you will always live a holy life worthy and acceptable to God.

Always remember that you have a divine resident in your body who is the Holy Spirit. The challenge is that the stay of this resident can only be assured when we choose to handle our bodies in a manner that gives glory to God. As an ambassador of the kingdom of God, you need to learn to discover the culture of the kingdom that you represent.

  1. Discover the power of RESURRECTION – Phil 3:10 – I want to know Christ and experience the power that raised him from the DEAD

Experiencing the power of Christ’s resurrection should become your life style. One thing that is standing out, is that the power of resurrection is not a common experience with everyone except those filled with the power of the Holy Spirit. When God rose Jesus from the dead, men ought to learn certain things and one of them is that God is unlimited and he is all powerful so much so that even death cannot obstruct him from accomplishing his perfect will.

Lifespan of many areas of your life could be dead as we speak and buried in the grave yard. May be to some they could be going through dead vision, dead business, dead careers or even dead ministry. One thing you need to experience is to discover the power of resurrection that raised Jesus from the dead. The only way to discover this power is through Jesus Christ. Jesus being God himself understands certain things which no man can understand.

I Peter1: 3-4 – He has given us a new Birth into a living Hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the Dead. When we get born again in Christ Jesus then we acquire a new identity that gives us an express ticket to heavenly citizenry. A new hope of eternity is created in you such that every faculty of your being that was dead prematurely is brought back to life.

The power of resurrection is so powerful such that no amount of human barrier can stop it. When Jesus resurrected from the dead, the power of God rolled away the stone which was used by the soldiers to cover the tomb. The power of God stuck the soldiers who were guarding the tomb and they all fell down till they lost their consciousness. I pray that God is going to release you to a new season of resurrection in Jesus name. Power in the blood of Jesus is the key to resurrection and divine restoration that you need to experience revival.

  1. Learn to Defeat the orphan spirit – John 14:18 – I will not leave you as orphans. I will come to you

The spirit of orphan operates on the platform of premature death; the main objective of the spirit is to deny the carrier the opportunity to enjoy the blessings of helping hand from the destiny helper. Parental figure in life usually are meant to play a crucial role of mentoring their sons by walking sons through paths of many support systems in life. Orphans will therefore find themselves in a tricky position where they cannot have access to these advantages hence exposing them to a lot of disadvantages in their developmental stages leading to stunted growth.

God in his wisdom created these protocols that should make provision for support systems to enable uninterrupted growth into prosperity. When premature death comes into place it robs the sons an opportunity to enjoy the benefits of the parental mentorship. Many servants of God today are serving as lone rangers because the orphan spirit is obstructing them from locating the true spiritual fathers in their life. 

Jesus looked at his disciples and promised that he will not leave them as orphans, but he will send a helper in the form of the Holy Spirit. The purpose of the Holy Spirit is to renew our minds to be like that of Jesus. When the filling of the Holy Spirit takes place in a believer it creates such a deeper understanding and releases special supernatural power that enables one to accomplish the divine plans of God without struggle.

Filling of the Holy Spirit – Acts 1:8 –But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you, and will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the world.

The reason why you will find many Christians claiming today to know God but are unable to witness is because they are in need of this kind of power of the Holy Spirit. Some Christians will tell you that they fear approaching the world with the testimony of Christ, the reason is that they are lacking the filling of the Holy Spirit.

The majority of the disciples of Jesus Christ went into hiding after the crucifixion and subsequent death of Jesus. Peter the Apostle is on record having already denied Jesus three times and now he is suffering from a guilty conscious. Some of them are now back to their fishing career and have given up on everything about ministry.

Immediately on the day of Pentecost there came a great revival and resurrection of hope in Christ Jesus. Acts 2:1 – When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. Suddenly a sound like that of a mighty wind came from heaven and filled the house and each of them spoke in tongues. And after this experience all the apostles came out to preach the gospel in boldness and more than five thousand people gave their life to Jesus. The Bible says they preached the gospel with authority. They did not fear anything because they were filled by the Holy Spirit.

Signs and wonders accompanied their ministration and the early church was born through this revival. The filling of the Holy Spirit will open a new frontier of new level to an extent that you will never lack again.

Spirit filled church is a power packed church. The capacity created through the filling of the Holy Spirit is what the present church requires in order to fulfil her mandate according to the will of God. Soul winning has been thrown to the back seat because the service has become more of a social gathering. God’s plan from the beginning was to raise a church that can impact the world with the power of God through enablement of the Holy Spirit power. 

The absence of the operation of the discernment spirit in the current is a clear testimony that the church needs to crave for the filling of the Holy Spirit. Many churches gathering today are trying to substitute the role of the Holy Spirit with certain human programs but to no avail. The church can only regain her impact by allowing the filling of the Holy Spirit so that effective ministry can be restored towards the end time.

The Lord’s desire is to speak to her bride which is the church; unfortunately the church is unprepared to hear from God because of lack of the filling of the Holy Spirit. The still small voice that carries the message of God can only be realized through enablement of the Holy Ghost. The power of revelation of the mind of God can only be accessed through the language of the Holy Spirit. The Lord of host is about to release the hunger for filling of the Holy Spirit.

Many battles in our lives as believers in Christ are meant to be carried out by the Holy Spirit. Bible says it’s not by might nor by power but by my Spirit says the Lord. Spiritual battles require spiritual intervention, Every time we are tempted to take over and handle the battles according to our understanding. By the end of the season we find ourselves loosing such battles because the Spirit of God has not been given an opportunity.

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Ancient Aliens and the God of Chaos

With popular shows such as Ancient Aliens promoting the belief that ancient gods were just
misidentified extraterrestrials, mistaken for gods by the men who met them, the world is now
very familiar with the Ancient Astronaut Theory. Many ancient texts, especially those from the
ancient near-east, are used to support this claim. Among the most used are ancient Sumerian,
Babylonian, and Jewish texts.
However, there are certain inconsistencies found within those texts which do not seem to
promote Ancient Astronaut Theory. For example, in the creation mythology of Baal, the gods
existed in a watery abode. Ancient Astronaut theorists might be tempted to think of this as a
water-world exoplanet. If this were the case, and if these alien gods communicated with
mankind, we should expect beliefs around those communications to develop within their culture
and religion. Why is it, then, large bodies of water such as the sea were more closely related to
concepts of chaos and death in these belief systems? If alien creator gods came from water-
worlds, shouldn’t the seas of Earth represent life rather than death? A closer look at the ancient
texts themselves can provide us a clearer picture of the whole story.
The Enuma Elish is the Babylonian epic of creation, also known as The Seven Tablets of
Creation. 1 All the tablets containing the creation myth were found at Ashur, Kish, Nineveh,
Sultante, and other excavated sites. The tablets date to about 1100 BC but there are indications
that they’re copies of a much older version of the story. 2 The myth describes the birth of the
gods, the universe, and human beings. In the beginning, according to the story, there was nothing
else except chaotic water everywhere. Out of the movement of the water, the waters divided into
fresh and salt water. The fresh water is identified as the god Apsu while the salt water is
identified as the goddess Tiamat. Through these two entities came the birth of younger gods.
The younger gods were noisy and troubling Apsu, so upon the advice of Mummu, Apsu
decides to kill the younger gods. Tiamat hears of this and warns her eldest son, Enki (sometimes
Ea), so he puts Apsu into a sleep and kills him. Enki then creates his home from Apsu’s remains.
Tiamat becomes angry over Apsu’s death and consults with Quingu, who advises her to bring
war against the younger gods. Tiamat gives Quingu the Tablets of Destiny, which solidifies the
rule of a god. Quingu wears the tablets as a breastplate. Tiamat then summons the forces of chaos
and creates eleven monsters to destroy the younger gods.
Ea/Enki and the other younger gods fight against Tiamat, but are unable to win the battle
until Marduk emerges as a champion among them. Marduk defeats Quingu and kills Tiamat by
shooting her with an arrow, splitting her in two. Marduk creates the heavens and the earth from
Tiamat’s corpse (half to make the heavens, half to make the earth). He then appoints jobs to the
younger gods and binds Tiamat’s eleven monsters to his feet as trophies. He then takes the
Tablets of Destiny from Quingu, thereby solidifying his reign.
Marduk then talks with Ea, recognized as the god of wisdom, and decides to create
human beings. He does this by killing the gods who convinced Tiamat to go to war. Quingu is
found guilty and killed. Ea creates Lullu, the first man, from the blood of Quingu. Lullu’s job is
to help the gods in their task of maintaining order and keeping chaos restrained. The story then
ends with a long praise of Marduk for everything he did. The entire story is about chaos being
subdued by the destruction of a great sea beast.
In other words, the sea beast is a symbol for chaos.
A similar story can be found in the Ugaritic Baal Cycle. Ugarit was an ancient city,
located at what is now Ras Shamra in northern Syria.

In the second millennium BC, the population of Ugarit was Amorite and would have
controlled roughly 2,000 square kilometers on average. 3 During some of its history, Ugarit would
have been directly within, or at least in close proximity to, the Hittite Empire.
Ugarit was destroyed in the early 12th century BC and its location forgotten until 1928
when a peasant accidentally discovered an old tomb. The area of the tomb was found out to be
the necropolis of Ugarit. Excavations have since revealed a city with a prehistory reaching back
to c. 6,000 BC. 4
Archaeologically speaking, Ugarit is considered Canaanite. 5 Arguably, the most important
literary document recovered from Ugarit is the Baal Cycle, which describes the basis for the
belief system surrounding the Canaanite deity Baal. In fact, Ugarit bordered the northern Israelite
kingdom and can be considered the center of ancient Baal worship. Of further importance is the
discovery of the Ugaritic language, which is closer to biblical Hebrew than any other Semitic
language. There are extremely interesting word-for-word parallels between Ugaritic myths and
passages in the Old Testament which show clear polemics (controversial arguments intended as
an attack on a differing belief or idea). As we will explore a bit later, we can read the creation
account in the Bible and see a polemic to the Baal Cycle.
The Baal Cycle isn’t as much about creation as it is a competition between gods to win a
position of rulership with the supreme god El. It describes a battle between Baal (meaning
“lord”) and Yam (meaning “sea”), and another battle between Baal and Mot (meaning “death”).
Yam is also called Nahar (meaning “river”) and is also described as a sea monster with seven
heads named Litanu (the Canaanite word for ‘Leviathan”). In the Baal Cycle, Yam is a symbol
for the sea and the forces of chaos, comparable to Tiamat in the Enuma Elish. Baal defeats Yam
and is declared king of the other gods, yet still under El. He is given the titles “the Rider on the
Clouds,” “Most High,” and is described as having everlasting dominion.
To a person in the ancient Near East, the sea was considered extremely dangerous,
chaotic, and even otherworldly. The sea is untamable, unpredictable, and wild. Sea creatures
themselves were considered symbolic portrayals of the place in which they lived: the sea. This is
the reason we see the symbol of the sea and a great sea beast/monster/dragon repeated in the
religious texts of the ancient near-east. To those people, there was no better representation for
death and chaos. 6 We even see this idea turn up in the Bible.
We are at least two thousand years and half a world removed from the ancient Jewish
culture in which much of the Bible was written. The best way to understand and interpret the
Bible is to put yourself in the ancient writer’s shoes. What was going on at the time of the
writing? What was the writer dealing with in terms of competing theologies? What was the
cultural environment of that time? By asking these questions and looking at the text through
ancient Near Eastern eyes, we can gain a better understanding of the scriptures.
This brings us back to the idea of polemic. As stated briefly earlier, a polemic is a type of
theological jab at a different religion or belief. These show up all over the texts in the Bible. The
idea was not always to give a literal account of something, but to attribute credit to the true God
of Israel, YHWH. For example, we find in the Baal Cycle the term “Rider on the Clouds” is
attributed to Baal. Yet, we read a response to that claim throughout the Bible as YHWH is
referred to in the same way. 7 Even Jesus Christ referred to Himself in this manner. 8 The point was
not to describe the oddity of God riding on clouds; it was to state that Baal was not the one in
charge. It is a deliberate swipe at the belief of Baal having everlasting dominion by taking his
title and attributing it to the true God, YHWH.
This is only one example of a polemic in the Bible. There are many others.

Some of the most interesting polemics can be found in the creation accounts of the Bible.
The idea of polemic will also help explain some different descriptions between these creation
accounts. For example, we can compare Genesis 1:1-3 with Psalm 74:12-17.
1 In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was without form and void,
and darkness was over the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of
the waters. And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. (Gen. 1:1–3, ESV)
Yet God my King is from of old, working salvation in the midst of the earth. You divided the sea
by your might; you broke the heads of the sea monsters on the waters. You crushed the heads of
Leviathan; you gave him as food for the creatures of the wilderness. You split open springs and
brooks; you dried up ever-flowing streams. Yours is the day, yours also the night; you have
established the heavenly lights and the sun. You have fixed all the boundaries of the earth; you
have made summer and winter. (Ps. 74:12–17, ESV)
Here, we have two very different sounding accounts. In Genesis, we learn God created the
heavens and the Earth; the Earth was without form and void; there was darkness over the face of
the deep; the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters; and then God began His creation by
creating light.
The account in Genesis establishes the conflict between God and primordial chaos,
represented by the sea and a sea monster, in the very second verse of the Bible. The word
translated “deep” is the Hebrew tehom. That’s a cognate—same word, different language—to the
Akkadian têmtum, which in turn is a variant form of Tiamat, the Sumerian name for the chaos
monster of the sea.
Why did the Spirit of God hover over the waters? Although there is no record here of the
conflict between YHWH and “the deep,” it appears the intent was to restrain something—chaos
itself.

1 All seven tablets, translated to English, can be read here: http://www.sacred-texts.com/ane/enuma.htm
2 http://www.ancient.eu/article/225/
3 Pardee, Dennis. “Ugaritic”, in The Ancient Languages of Syria-Palestine and Arabia (2008) (pp. 5–6).
Roger D. Woodard, editor. Cambridge University Press, ISBN 0-521-68498-6, ISBN 978-0-521-68498-9
(262 pages).
4 Yon, Marguerite (2006). The City of Ugarit at Tell Ras Shamra. Singapore: Eisenbrauns. p. 15.
ISBN 978-1-57506-029-3. Retrieved 16 May 2015.
5 Tubb, Jonathan N. (1998), “Canaanites” (British Museum People of the Past)
6 For more information on this, refer to the Chaos to Restoration Lecture Series by Dr. Michael S. Heiser
at https://youtu.be/xUspLJjSjqo?list=PL52EgTwZYdvWlIxnSQphmeI8dDgE1mNde
7 Psalm 68:4 and Daniel 7:13, for example.
8 Mark 14:61-62

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Route 60: The Biblical Highway

Linda and I had the privilege to preview the movie Route 60: The Biblical Highway and were so excited to see how this movie brings to life our Judeo Christian history and heritage. Mike Pompeo and David Friedman host this wonderful documentary taking us along the highway in Israel, Route 60 which runs through the middle of the country from north to south.

Linda and I spent about 12 days there a few years ago and loved it however we never heard one word about Route 60 and the remarkable historic sites along this route. After watching the movie we felt like we needed to return to Israel and see it first hand but both of us replied that this movie was almost as good as being there in person.

Mike Pompeo and David Friedman walk through history showing the actual locations where Abraham walked and lived, where Joshua made a great altar, where Jesus walked was born and buried, plus much much more.

The movie brings to life the ancient Hebrew lifestyle and that this was how Jesus lived. It demonstrated the importance of Christians understanding our Jewish roots and ultimately what it means to be grafted in as Paul wrote. It was beautiful to see David Friedman an Orthodox Jew and Mike Pompeo an Evangelical Christian walking together discussing the history and the relationship of these two great religions.

Many people forget that Jesus was a Jew and he actually said to his disciples to reach out to the Jews first with his gospel message. He never said to leave and ignore them. He said to love them and share the good news.

This movie explains and shows where and how to start and that is with relationships! Until you understand your own heritage and history as a Christian, it is very hard to have an honest loving conversation with our Jewish friends and neighbors.

We loved this movie because it takes us right to where Christianity started, Bethlehem in Judea. Route 60, explains so much of the history of Israel before Christ that is essential to understanding Christ as a Jew and some of his teachings. Traveling back in time down Route 60 you actually feel like you are there and a part of something much bigger than you can imagine.

This movie brought a lot of the Old and New Testaments together very clearly and made people and locations real! I would suggest that every Pastor make plans to see this movie and to take the time to teach on the history and relationship of Jews and Christians. Teach on what is happening in Israel today and why the entire world is watching this tiny little country!

Finally, I would suggest if I may, take a group to see Route 60, The Biblical Highway and utilized the study materials that will be made available. Israel is the most watched and contested country on the planet. Jerusalem is the most coveted city on earth. Take the tour with Mike and David and see and hear for yourself why this is still true today. As they were both part of the making of the historic Abraham Accord a few years ago, they cover a lot more in what they say than any tour guide.

Finally, Linda and I pray you will be encouraged to pray for Israel and the Jewish people, and if possible take your own trip down Route 60! It will change your life forever!

Pastors and leaders watch this trailer to get a taste of what you will experience: Route 60

 

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Star Trek and the Nine

Without a doubt, Star Trek has been one of the most influential entertainment franchises
in history. Kirk, Spock, McCoy, Scotty, and others are iconic characters, recognized around
the world. Oddly enough, though, through the series creator Gene Roddenberry, the starship
Enterprise is linked to CIA mind control experiments, a group of “aliens” who claim to be
the creators of humanity, and—believe it or nothere we go again—the assassination of John
F. Kennedy.
Let’s back up to World War 2. During the war, Andrija Puharich, the son of immigrants
from the Balkans, attended Northwestern University outside Chicago where he earned a
bachelor’s degree in philosophy in 1942 and his M.D. in 1947. Through an invitation from a
well-off family friend, who’d married into the Borden dairy family, Puharich found himself
in Maine in early 1948, where he established a research institute to pursue his interest in
parapsychology, the Round Table Foundation of Electrobiology, usually shortened to the
Round Table. 1
An early member of the Puharich Round Table was Aldous Huxley, author of Brave New
World and The Doors of Perception, a book about his experiences with mescaline (and the
book that inspired rock singer Jim Morrison to name his band The Doors). Puharich financed
his research with gifts from donors, one of whom was Henry Wallace, who’d been vice
president under Franklin D. Roosevelt. Wallace, a 32 nd degree Freemason, persuaded
Roosevelt to add the reverse of the Great Seal of the United States—the pyramid and the all-
seeing eye—to the dollar bill. 2
This book isn’t big enough to hold a full account of what Puharich was up to for the U.S.
Army in the 1950s 3 , but the upshot is that he was apparently researching parapsychology and
chemical substances that might stimulate the human mind to reach into realities beyond those
we can normally perceive with our natural senses. And at one of his gatherings in Maine, on
New Year’s Eve in 1952, Puharich and his Round Table, working with a Hindu channeler
named Dr. D. G. Vinod, conducted a seance that apparently made contact with something
calling itself The Nine. 4 Thus began a truly breathtaking chapter in America’s mostly hidden
programs that searched for ways to weaponize the occult.
Some months later, on June 27, 1953, the night of the full moon, Puharich gathered
around him what was to be a core group of the Round Table Foundation for another
session with Vinod. The membership of this group of nine members—á la The
Nine—is illuminating. Henry Jackson, Georgia Jackson, Alice Bouverie, Marcella Du
Pont, Carl Betz, Vonnie Beck, Arthur Young, Ruth Young, and Andrija Puharich. Dr.
Vinod acted as the medium.
Imagine the Fellowship of the Ring, with government funding and a security
classification that was, well, “cosmic.” 5

This group included old money—very old money. The Du Pont name is obvious, but
some of the others were no less prominent. Alice Bouverie was an Astor—a descendent of
John Jacob Astor and the daughter of Col. John Jacob Astor IV, who built the Astoria Hotel
and went down with the Titanic. Arthur Young was the designer of the Bell helicopter; his
wife had been born Ruth Forbes. Yes, that Forbes.
Ruth’s previous marriage had been to another old money family that traced its roots back
to the early days of the American colonies, George Lyman Paine. Their son, Michael Paine,
married a woman named Ruth Hyde, and in 1963, Michael and Ruth Paine became friends
with a young couple newly arrived from Russia, Lee and Marina Oswald.
Yes, that Lee Oswald. Lee Harvey Oswald.
So. A Du Pont, an Astor, and a Forbes/Paine, in a psychic research group funded by the
U.S. government, communicating with… what?
And what was the monkey god doing there?
Dr. Vinod sat on the floor, the nine members of the group in a circle around him, with
a copper plate on his lap, prayer beads in his hands, and a small statue of “Hanoum,”
a Hindu god that the author believes to be Hanuman, the Monkey King. If this is so, it
is interesting in that Hanuman was a human being, a minister, before becoming divine
due to his devotion and courage. The half-human, half-divine image is one that
becomes more important and more obvious as this study progresses. Another
important aspect of Hanuman is his depiction in much Indian art as holding an entire
mountain in one hand (and a club in the other). When—in the Ramayana and during
the battle of Rama and Ravana—Lakshmana was mortally wounded, Hanuman raced
to a mountain covered with different healing herbs. Not knowing which one
Lakshmana required, Hanuman simply brought the entire mountain. Hanuman—as
well as his fellow monkey-men, the Vanaras of southern India—is often shown with
his hand in front of his mouth, signifying “silence” as well as obedience, in much the
same way western occultists depict Harpocrates. In this sense, replete with silence,
obedience, a club, and a mountain of herbs, Hanuman might easily have been the
patron saint of MK-ULTRA. 6
What an interesting coincidence, if you’re a coincidence theorist. Remember that Aleister
Crowley believed The Book of the Law was dictated to him by Aiwass, the messenger of
Hoor-Paar-Kraat—Harpocrates.
Anyway, The Nine disclosed that they wanted the Round Table to lead a spiritual renewal
on Earth, and eventually revealed that they were extraterrestrials orbiting the planet in a
giant, invisible spacecraft.
It sounds crazy, but remember that the group assembled that night included highly
intelligent, very successful people. And Puharich later wrote, “We took every known

precaution against fraud, and the staff and I became thoroughly convinced that we were
dealing with some kind of an extraordinary extraterrestrial intelligence.” 7 In other words, if
this was a hoax, it worked on some very smart people.
On the other hand, the decades-long career of Andrija Puharich suggests that it may also
have been a case of “leading the witnesses,” in a sense. He appears to have been a seeker
who, like Fox Mulder in The X-Files, really wanted to believe.
But it was more than that. The Nine declared, “God is nobody else than we together, the
Nine Principles of God.” 8
So extraterrestrial and divine. Remember that while the Round Table was hearing from
The Nine, Aleister Crowley’s acolyte Kenneth Grant was developing his occult system based
on an ET god from Sirius.
Dr. Vinod returned to India a short time later and contact with The Nine was interrupted
for more than fifteen years. Then, in 1971, Puharich discovered Israeli psychic Uri Geller.
Geller, best known for his alleged power to bend silverware with his mind, became for a
time the new link to The Nine. Through Geller, The Nine informed Puharich that his life’s
mission was “to alert the world to an imminent mass landing of spaceships that would bring
representatives of The Nine.” 9
Well, that didn’t happen. And Geller decided to move on in 1973, so Puharich had to find
someone else to bridge the gap between Earth and the giant, invisible craft allegedly orbiting
the earth. He eventually connected with former race car driver Sir John Whitmore and
Florida psychic Phyllis Schlemmer, who became the authorized spokesperson for their
contact within The Nine, who identified himself as “Tom.” 10
Puharich, Whitmore and Schlemmer then set up Lab Nine at Puharich’s estate in
Ossining, New York. The Nine’s disciples included multi-millionaire businessmen
(many hiding behind pseudonyms and including members of Canada’s richest family,
the Bronfmans), European nobility, scientists from the Stamford Research Institute
and at least one prominent political figure who was a personal friend of President
Gerald Ford. 11
Also, a member of Lab Nine in 1974 and ’75 was Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry,
who reportedly wrote a screenplay based on The Nine. Some suggest that concepts from the
channeling sessions Roddenberry attended surfaced in the early Star Trek movies and in the
series Star Trek: The Next Generation and Star Trek: Deep Space Nine.
Before Lab Nine folded in 1978, the identities of Tom and the Other Eight were finally
revealed: Tom was Atum, 12 he said, the creator of the Great Ennead, the Egyptian gods
worshipped at Heliopolis, near modern-day Cairo. Besides Atum, the Ennead included his
children Shu and Tefnut; their children Geb and Nut; and their children Osiris, Isis, Set,
Nephthys, and sometimes the son of Osiris and Isis, Horus. 13

Connecting dots between Andrija Puharich, who was almost certainly a CIA asset during
much of the time he conducted parapsychological research, 14 and the volunteers of his Round
Table and Lab Nine, we can link the United States government (and specifically the U.S.
Army and CIA during the period of mind control research projects like BLUEBIRD and
MKULTRA), 15 members of upper class society from the East Coast and Canada, the creator
of the most successful science fiction entertainment franchise in history, extraterrestrials, and
gods. And not just any gods—the pantheon that included the chaos god, Set, who Crowleyite
Kenneth Grant believed was the spirit of the age.
Oh, yes—and the Kennedy assassination.
How do we wrap our heads around this? Considering that Puharich was likely doing this
research for the government and that he led the witnesses, suggesting to Geller and at least
one of his successors while they were under hypnosis that they were being contacted by The
Nine, 16 it appears that this was a long PSYOP to stir up belief in the existence of ETIs and the
return of the old gods.
To what end? For Puharich and his superiors, maybe it was an experiment into group
dynamics, or maybe a test of how people would react to the imminent arrival of
extraterrestrial visitors. Or maybe, as with the Paul Bennewitz case, it was an intelligence op
to misdirect the wealthy members of Lab Nine and their social circles toward an ETI
explanation for any unexplained aerial phenomena and away from secret government
projects.

1 Levenda, Peter (2005). Sinister Forces—The Nine: A Grimoire of American Political Witchcraft. Walterville,
Oregon: TrineDay. Kindle Edition, Kindle Locations 7603-7604.
2 Melanson, Terry (2001). “The All-Seeing Eye, The President, The Secretary and The Guru.”
http://www.conspiracyarchive.com/NWO/All_Seeing_Eye.htm, retrieved 8/14/17.
3 For that we recommend Peter Levenda’s Sinister Forces: The Nine.
4 Levenda, op. cit., Kindle Locations 7734-7737.
5 Levenda, op. cit., Kindle Locations 7765-7769.
6 Levenda, op. cit., Kindle Locations 7809-7815.
7 Puharich, A. (1974). Uri; a journal of the mystery of Uri Geller. Garden City, NY: Anchor Press, p. 18.
8 Penre, Wes (1999). “The Council of Nine.” Fortean Times. Republished at UriGeller.com:
http://www.urigeller.com/plan-nine-outer-space/. Retrieved 8/22/17.
9 Ibid.
10 Ibid.
11 Ibid.
12 Ibid.
13 Christiane., Zivie-Coche, (2004). Gods and men in Egypt : 3000 BCE to 395 CE. Cornell University Press.
14 Penre,

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“A Sermon Outline”- Covid: The Truth Will Set Us Free

By: Dr Kevan Kruse

Special Note: The subject matter of this article has caused much debate in the Christian community. As a ministry we try to provide content that might help you and educate you regarding a variety of these type subjects. Please review and pray about every article that we offer. Thank you very much.


Paul Pickern

Part 1- John 8:32

Goal: To Show how “The Truth” of what Jesus would have done in the face of a Pandemic will set us free.

1) Jesus is the Way, The Life, and The Truth (John 4:6)

2) The truth will set us free. (John 8:32)

3) But those who seek shall find. (Matt 7:8)

4) Even God’s people can perish for lack of knowledge. Hosea 4:6.

Loving the Truth Is Part of Loving God.

Loving truth is loving reality, embracing our situation, understanding our enemies, and not allowing Satan to take away the joy of our salvation.

  • 2 Thessalonians 2:9-12 – The coming of the lawless one will be accompanied by the working of Satan, with every kind of power, sign, and false wonder, and with every wicked deception directed against those who are perishing, because they refused the love of the truth that would have saved them. For this reason, God will send them a powerful delusion so that they believe the lie, in order that judgment may come upon all who have disbelieved the truth and delighted in wickedness. (BSB)

God’s Promises Regarding Truth

•       Seek and you shall find. – but there may also be some asking and knocking involved. (Matt 7:8)

•       Verse: Ask and you shall receive, Seek and you shall find. Knock and the door will be opened to you

•       God’s children will be able to know the truth and the truth will set them free. (John 8:32)

•       God’s people can perish for lack of knowledge. – Hosea 4:6

We Were Destined To Be a Culture of Truth Seekers

•       Acts 17:11 – Now the Berean’s were more noble-minded than the Thessalonians, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if these teachings were true. BSB

 Why Is Truth So Important?

Because Deception Is the Signature of Satan and the “End Times.”

  • Mark 13:22 – For false Christ’s and false prophets will rise and show signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect. (NKJV) The number one sign of the times is deception.
  • The reason why it is impossible to deceive the very elect is because they have remained “In Christ” and in the truth.
  • The truth of what we believe is the biggest factor in making a good decision.

A Culture of Truth Versus a Culture of Deception

  • Review: “Mass Formation Psychosis” & Cognitive Dissonance
  • We cannot commit to any leader we already have one and his name is Jesus.
  • When we fail to seek or address the truth on any matter, we are allowing Satan to have dominion over that area.
  • Satan will always use lies to form the construct a prison full of hate, slavery and Bondage.

Question: Were God’s people kept in slavery, bondage and fear needlessly during this supposed pandemic?

Top 10 Covid Deceptions

# 1: The CDC Changed the Rules

Vital Statistics Reporting Guidance – Report No. 3 ▪ April 2020

Guidance for Certifying Deaths Due to Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID–19)

  • The change allowed for Covid to be listed as the cause-of-death whether it was confirmed or suspected.
  • Previously, death certificates could not be based upon suspicion.
  • The change allowed for an “active” or immediate condition to supersede the normal procedure of using the “underlying condition” as the (line a) cause of death.
  • The active condition was always Covid and it allowed for people with heart disease, cancer, and even car accidents to legally list Covid as the cause of death.
  • These rule changes make it impossible to compare Covid to other calendar diseases because they changed the way they counted deaths.
  • https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nvss/vsrg/vsrg03-508.pdf

# 2: A Covid Diagnosis Was Given Significant Monetary Incentives

CDC director agrees hospitals have monetary incentive to inflate COVID-19 data

Hospitals were paid $13,000 per person if they were admitted as a COVID case, and another $39,000 for every patient put on a ventilator.”

  • https://www.ozy.com/the-new-and-the-next/use-ventilators-or-not-the-big-question-covid-doctors-are-now-grappling-with/315946/

# 3: The Covid Numbers Are Inflated

Fauci admits Covid hospitalization numbers are inflated.

  • Play Video: https://rumble.com/vroez1-fauci-admits-covid-hospitalization-numbers-are-bogus.html

Democrat Governor Admits COVID Hospitalization May Be Inflated By 50%, Makes Move To Change Count

  • https://www.dailywire.com/news/democrat-governor-admits-covid-hospitalization-may-be-inflated-by-50-makes-move-to-change-count?itm_source=parsely-api/

New York Times issues correction after egregiously exaggerating coronavirus child hospitalizations

  • Just how far did they overestimate the number of child Covid hospitalizations: 900,000 was decreased to 63,000
  • https://www.theblaze.com/news/nyt-correction-covid-child-vaxx?fbclid=IwAR1q5thOlT5YoxQH6tNQWTKIEYviGh6SPp7bg2PqxvBllKyYWOx3JMD5RB4

Rhoda Wilson, BREAKING: NHS Director confirms Hospitals lied about Cause of Death to create illusion of COVID Pandemic

  • https://jameshfetzer.org/2023/01/rhoda-wilson-breaking-nhs-director-confirms-hospitals-lied-about-cause-of-death-to-create-illusion-of-covid-pandemic/

Another Example Of The Numbers Being Inflated

CDC Says It Accidentally Inflated Children’s COVID Death Numbers In ‘Coding Logic Error’

  • “An adjustment was made to COVID Data Tracker’s mortality data on March 14 involving the removal of 72,277 — including 416 pediatric deaths — deaths previously reported across 26 states because CDC’s algorithm was accidentally counting deaths that were not COVID-19-related,” Jasmine Reed, a spokesperson for the CDC, told the Washington Examiner. 

·      https://dailycaller.com/2022/03/18/cdc-data-kids-pediatric-covid-coronavirus-deaths/

# 4: Is Covid Statistically Different Than Other Respiratory Diseases?

In the 2017-2018 flu season 2.56 million people died from pneumonia in 6 to 8 months. How long did it take Covid-19 to reach the same figures? Answer: closer to 14 months.

  • This did not include pneumonia, which could be another 400-600 thousand deaths.
  • https://ourworldindata.org/pneumonia)

The world suffered 1.88 million COVID deaths in 2020.

Is Covid Statistically Different Than the Flu in Children?

The Wall Street Journal admits: The Flimsy Evidence Behind the CDC’s Push to Vaccinate Children By The Wall Street Journal

  • https://www.wsj.com/articles/cdc-covid-19-coronavirus-vaccine-side-effects-hospitalization-kids-11626706868/that the evidence behind vaccinating our children is flimsy at best.
  • For example, did you know that according to the CDC, only 335 children have died from Covid from its inception to July of 2021?
  • Depending on when you officially say Covid arrived in the US, that means 16.75 to 19.7 kids died per month. (see article below)
  • To put that in perspective, up to 16.6 kids per month have died from the flu.
  • They also won’t consider if one shot is sufficient.
  • https://www.cdc.gov/flu/spotlights/2020-2021/pediatric-flu-deaths-reach-new-high.htm

We have run out of time, but next week we will be talking about the problems with the PCR test.

Summary

  • Already, most of us feel polarized by what we have heard so far.
  • Remember, be like the Berean’s – a culture of truth seekers.
  • Be open, but search for the truth.
  • Remain relational by remaining in Christ.
  • Only in Christ can we have peace.
  • Remember what love will not do, which is take away our choices.
  • Do not disconnect from people you disagree with,

Bottom Line:

  • Was the unanimous truth being presented by our government and media regarding Covid-19 actually true?
  • Did they harm the church and God’s people by causing needless closings, threats, fear, and religious discrimination?
  • I believe that when we end this series, the answer to these questions will be an unequivocable yes!
  • The Truth of Covid Can Set Us Free, as well as Reveal Our Enemy!
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UFOs, Secret Agents, and Lies

The famous Roswell UFO crash in 1947 was either an extraterrestrial craft (which I do not believe) or it was an advanced project of the United States military. Either way, it didn’t benefit the government of the United States to tell the truth. If it was an ETI, then the Pentagon certainly didn’t want to share the technology it might harvest from an alien spaceship with other nations, and if it was a secret project, then for sure the military didn’t want Russia to know about it.

And if it was a secret project employing Nazi scientists smuggled into America via Operation Paperclip just two years after the end of World War 2, then the United States government certainly didn’t want American taxpayers to know about it!1

Deception in war is a very old art, going back at least to the time of the great Chinese military strategist Sun Tzu. During the Second World War, the Pentagon created a task force called Joint Security Command to preserve secrecy around planned military operations.

Joint Security Control (JSC) was founded during WW2 as the US deception planning counterpart to the British deception organization knows as the London Controlling Section (LCS). Together, JSC and LCS perfected the art of strategic wartime deception, initially in North Africa but then throughout the theater of the European war, including the deception planning that contributed to the success of D-Day. […]

In May of 1947, JSC received a revised charter, one that authorized it to continue its deception mission not just under wartime conditions but also during times of peace. JSC was tasked with preventing important military information from falling into the hands of the enemy, to control classified information through proper security classification, to correlate, maintain and disseminate all of the information furnished to JSC by the War and Navy Department Bureau of Public Relations, and finally the very important mission of cover and deception planning and implementation.2

Note that the JSC’s revised charter was issued less than two months before the UFO outbreak of June-July 1947, which included the Roswell crash. A declassified FBI memo dated July 21, 1947 related how a Colonel Carl Goldbranson of the War Department’s Intelligence Division had sent a telegram on July 5 to Army Air Force Major Paul Gaynor, a public relations officer, advising him to contact “[blacked out] Illinois who may have important information concerning [UFOs’] origin.”3 Major Gaynor had been quoted in a United Press story dated July 3 as saying the AAF had dropped its investigation into flying saucers because of a lack of concrete evidence.4

Independent researcher and author James Carrion, a former international director of the Mutual UFO Network, a former signals intelligence analyst for the U.S. Army, and an IT manager, has established that Col. Goldbranson was a member of the JSC since at least 1943, specifically working on “Cover, Deception, and Task Force Security.”5 The July 21 memo is important because it documents that a member of a military unit responsible for strategic deception, operating just below the Joint Chiefs of Staff, had asked the FBI to investigate UFO reports.

And thus we have FBI agent Guy Banister sending telexes marked SM-X to Bureau Director J. Edgar Hoover.

If, as I believe, the ET hypothesis is the least likely explanation for the wave of modern UFO sightings that began in the summer of 1947, then the motives of intelligence agencies to spin a compelling cover story become clear. Blaming odd lights and strange shapes in the sky on an extraterrestrial intelligence gets curious eyes looking at a target as far removed from the government as one can get. Is it better for the government for the public to believe that we’re being visited by ETIs or for word to get around about tests on a new supersonic fighter/bomber/drone?

Cases like the Paul Bennewitz affair, where a businessman whose company supplied equipment to the US Air Force was fed bogus information by an agent of the Air Force Office of Special Investigations to convince him that Earth was being colonized by aliens working from an underground base near Dulce, New Mexico, only highlight the impact the intelligence community has had on the UFO phenomenon over the last seventy years.

Bennewitz was a physicist by training. He lived in New Mexico within sight of Kirtland Air Force Base, home to the Manzano Nuclear Weapons Storage Facility, and Sandia National Labs, a research site that mainly tests non-nuclear components of nuclear weapons.

In the late 1970s, Bennewitz became convinced that the strange lights in the sky over Kirtland were the advance team of a race of hostile aliens preparing to invade. He began using his skills as a physicist and an inventor to monitor strange radio emissions from Kirtland.

More significantly, he began writing letters to people that he thought should know what was happening in New Mexico. This brought him to the attention of the United States government and its military. Apparently, there was concern that someone as bright as Bennewitz might unintentionally expose something the Pentagon didn’t want the Kremlin to know. So, the Air Force Office of Special Investigations got involved.6

Having learned the essential parts of Bennewitz’s theories—very ironically from the man himself, by actually breaking into his home while he was out and checking his files and research notes—that aliens were mutilating cattle as part of some weird medical experiment; that they were abducting American citizens and implanting them with devices for purposes unknown; that those same aliens were living deep underground in a secure fortress at Dulce, New Mexico; and that we were all very soon going to be in deep and dire trouble as a direct result of the presence of this brewing, intergalactic threat, the Air Force gave Bennewitz precisely what he was looking for – confirmation that his theories were all true, and more.

Of course, this was all just a carefully-planned ruse to bombard Bennewitz with so much faked UFO data in the hope that it would steer him away from the classified military projects of a non-UFO nature that he had uncovered. And, indeed, it worked.

When Bennewitz received conformation (albeit carefully controlled and utterly fabricated confirmation) that, yes, he had stumbled upon the horrible truth and that, yes, there really was an alien base deep below Dulce, the actions of the Intelligence community had the desired effect: Bennewitz became increasingly paranoid and unstable, and he began looking away from Kirtland (the hub of the secrets that had to be kept) and harmlessly towards the vicinity of Dulce, where his actions, research, and theories could be carefully controlled and manipulated by the Government.7

No, Virginia, there is no underground alien base at Dulce. It’s a government PSYOP. (Or rather, a MISO—Military Intelligence Support Operation is now the preferred term.) Paul Bennewitz was gaslighted by the AFOSI with the help of prominent ufologist William Moore, co-author of the first major book on the Roswell phenomenon, 1980’s The Roswell Incident. Moore admitted to his role in the Bennewitz affair in a presentation to the 1989 MUFON national convention, but he justified it by claiming he’d used the opportunity to search for information that might expose government knowledge about the alien origin of UFOs—to work as a double agent, in other words.8

Oddly enough, this revelation only reinforced the faith of true believers in the ETI meme. The government wouldn’t try to discredit a prominent ufologist like Paul Bennewitz if he wasn’t on to something extraterrestrial, would they?

Yes, it would. What Bennewitz was investigating had more to do with Russians than aliens.

The government deception worked beautifully. Not only did it distract attention from whatever the Air Force wanted to keep hidden at Kirtland AFB, it established the underground Dulce base as a fixture in UFO lore.

To be blunt, the UFO research community has assisted this deception by being willing dupes. The low standard of evidence required for wide acceptance makes it easy for stories like the Dulce base to spread. French researcher Jacques Vallee illustrated this point in his 1991 book Revelations: Alien Contact and Human Deception.

“Why doesn’t anybody know about [Dulce]?” I asked.

“It’s underground, hidden in the desert. You can’t see it.”

“How large is it?”

“The size of Manhattan.”

“Who takes out the garbage?”

The group looked at me in shock. There is a certain unwritten etiquette one is supposed to follow when crashed saucers and government secrecy are discussed; you must not ask where the information comes from, because informants’ lives would be in danger, presumably from hired assassins paid by the Pentagon, the kind who try to hit the tires of fully-loaded gasoline trucks speeding through refineries. And you are not supposed to point out contradictions in the stories. Questions must always be directed at the higher topics, such as the philosophy of the aliens, or their purpose in the universe—not the practical details of their existence. In other words, it is not done to ask any question that has a plain, verifiable answer.9

Valee’s point has been ignored for thirty years. The fact that the heat signature of an underground base the size of Manhattan would be visible to relatively low-tech commercial satellites is no match for the simple fact that many in the UFO community, like the character Fox Mulder in the iconic sci-fi series The X-Files, simply want to believe.

But what about the multitude of contactees and abductees? Surely, not all of their cases are fake.

True enough. But, in most cases, it appears their stories stem from emotional or psychological issues that have nothing to do with the existence of ETIs. Sadly, rather than getting help to deal with their problems, some of which are rooted in trauma, they are exploited by true believers because it supports the desired narrative—that Earth is a favored destination by advanced races of extraterrestrials.

More on that next month.

  1. Which is a plausible scenario. See “The 1947 Roswell UFO Crash,” http://www.roswellufocrash.com, retrieved 8/11/17.
  2. Carrion, James. “Human Deception at Play during the UFO Wave of 1947.” August 20, 2016. http://historydeceived.blogspot.com/2016/08/human-deception-at-playduring-ufo-wave.html, retrieved 8/11/17.
  3. Ibid.
  4. “AAF Drops Flying Disc Probe For Lack of Evidence.” The Waco News-Tribune, July 4, 1947, p. 3.
  5. Carrion, op. cit.
  6. Coppens, Philip. “Driving Mr. Bennewitz Insane.” http://philipcoppens.com/bennewitz.html, retrieved 8/23/17.
  7. Redfern, Nick (2012). “UFOs: The Project Beta Scandal.” Mysterious Universe. http://mysteriousuniverse.org/2012/04/ufos-the-project-beta-scandal/. Retrieved 8/22/17.
  8. Donovan, B. W. (2011). Conspiracy films: a tour of dark places in the American conscious. Jefferson, N.C.: McFarland, pp. 104-105.
  9. Vallee, J. (1991). Revelations: alien contact and human deception. New York: Ballantine Books, p. 53.
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For such a time as this

(Esther 4:13-14) Then Mordecai told them to reply to Esther, “Do not imagine that you in the king’s palace can escape any more than all the other Jews. For if you keep silent at this time, liberation and rescue will arise for the Jews from another place, and you and your father’s house will perish. And who knows whether you have not attained royalty for such a time as this?”

We all encounter challenges and dangerous situations at different times in our lives. Too often when this happens, we think either:

  • That we will escape the danger or be spared from it for some reason.
  • That someone else will take care of it.

Sometimes we are fortunate and this happens, but Mordecai reminded Esther that things were too dangerous to sit back, do nothing, and hope that someone else will deal with it. He also told her that there is a good possibility that God purposely made her queen at that specific time in history so that she could be the one who delivers the Jewish people. In the famous words of Mordecai, “Who knows whether you have not attained royalty for such a time as this?”

This is advice we all need to hear. I do not always spring into action when bad things happen. Sometimes I do nothing except hope that someone else will get involved and deal with the problem. I’ve been fortunate that I haven’t suffered badly because of this, but I need to heed Mordecai’s advice. I also know that many people are just like me. 

There is a popular saying, “Better safe than sorry.” It’s often better to play it safe and do something instead of simply hoping someone else will take of care the problem. If every person hopes that someone else will take care of things, no one will get involved and then we are guaranteed to suffer. It often is better to be safe than sorry.

As I read the book of Esther I am also reminded that sometimes when we find ourselves in danger or difficulty we think that we are in the wrong place at the wrong time. It is true that something bad is happening, but Mordecai reminds us that there is more to the story. Could it be that God knows what is happening, and that God might even be involved, directing everything that is going on?

Is it possible that God brought the people of Israel to Persia, or at least allowed it to happen? Did God know that Haman would ultimately come into power and plan to kill the Jewish people? God is all knowing (knows everything), so we know for sure that God knew about all that happened to Israel. Is it possible that God chose to use this opportunity (Israel being taken into captivity) to deal with Haman and change public opinion about the Jewish people? [see Esther 8:17]

Esther listened to Mordecai and told the King all that Haman was going to do. The King was not happy that Haman was planning on killing his wife so Haman was hung on the same gallows he built to kill Mordecai. 

Since Mordecai was the person who saved the King’s life and was Esther’s cousin he rewarded Mordecai. Just like Esther, it turns out that Mordecai was in the right place at the right time. We could have asked Mordecai the same question he asked Esther, “Who knows whether you were brought here to Persia for such a time as this?”

(Esther 8:1-2) On that day King Ahasuerus gave the house of Haman, the enemy of the Jews, to Queen Esther; and Mordecai came before the king, because Esther had disclosed what he was to her. Then the king took off his signet ring, which he had taken away from Haman, and gave it to Mordecai. And Esther set Mordecai over the house of Haman.

(Esther 8:8) Now you write to the Jews as you see fit, in the king’s name, and seal it with the king’s signet ring; for a decree which is written in the name of the king and sealed with the king’s signet ring may not be revoked.”

As a result of all that happened, the King gave Mordecai his signet ring which gave him the authority to enact laws in the land which people were obligated to follow and obey.

The story of Mordecai reminds me of the story of Joseph. Joseph experienced captivity just like the people of Israel in the Book of Esther. His brothers sold him as a slave, and then he wound up in jail. But while in jail Joseph interpreted a dream which got the attention of the King of Egypt. The King of Egypt rewarded Joseph and he became the #2 leader, right behind the King. The story of Joseph is similar to the story of Mordecai and I believe we could have said to Joseph, “Who knows whether you were sent to jail for such a time as this?”

(Romans 8:28) And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.

It is not a good thing when people are taken into captivity, sold as a slave or sent to jail when they did nothing wrong. But Paul reminds us of this beautiful promise which I believe Esther, Mordecai, Joseph, and many other people of faith have experienced before. There are times that bad things happen. Sometimes we wind up in the wrong place, at the wrong time. But, since God causes all things to work together for good (for His children), we discover that while we were in the wrong place at the wrong time, we were also in the right place, at the right time.

Celebrate Purim

(Esther 9:20-21) Then Mordecai recorded these events, and he sent letters to all the Jews who were in all the provinces of King Ahasuerus, both near and far, obliging them to celebrate the fourteenth day of the month Adar, and the fifteenth day of the same month, annually.

Ever since that day, Jewish people all over the world celebrate the feast of Purim when God delivered His people. God loves the Jewish people (His firstborn son) and all His other children. Not only does He love us, but He offers to protect us in times of trouble. I encourage you to celebrate Purim. It is a great time to celebrate how God delivered you from the consequences of your sins and other bad things that have happened in your life. Happy Purim!

CLICK HERE TO WATCH FULL MOVIE1

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Return of the Gods

Rabbi Jonathan Cahn has written what I believe is his finest book to-date! “Return of the Gods” explores the scripture from a deep prophetic perspective while bringing other ancient writings and mythologies into the mix. His unique style of writing makes it easy to read and even easier to follow. Rabbi Cahn is able to bring the true Hebrewic history, culture and viewpoint into this book where it is understandable for anyone and very believable.

America was set aside as a special Nation for the spreading of the gospel to the world. This book clearly explains this and the catastrophic downfall in the past few years, but what has caused this and how has this happened? It was not by accident and the battle still wages.

Let me say this is one of the most revealing books you will ever read and every minister of the gospel who truly wants to understand our adversary should read this and study its content! Pastors especially need to know the information contained within these few but powerful pages in order to properly educate and protect their sheep!

Finally, I have read it and encourage you to get a copy of it as well.

I am now reading Michael Heiser’s book “Unseen Realm” which I will be doing a review on it next month. I believe the two of these books may compliment one another. Will let you know soon.

Prayers!

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Left Behind, Rise of the AntiChrist!

“Left Behind, Rise of the AntiChrist” is based on a true story! (coming our way soon)The Bible states that there will be a sudden and unexpected Vanishing (or Rapturing) away of millions of people some day. It talks about specific deceptions that will take place and the masses will be fooled or frightened into believing anything. The Bible also tells of a Global government that will rule and a powerful leader will captivate nearly everyone. In this movie the antichrist is introduced in a very realistic and terrifying way. It is done in a way to shake everyone up, it needs to seen by everyone!

Left Behind, Rise of the AntiChrist, will bring you to the edge of your seat as you see that what is happening today can clearly be seen as the fulfilling of biblical prophesy. But how will our unbelieving friends and family learn and accept this as truth? This movie takes us on a journey with several individuals who share in this same doubt. Some of them are agnostic or atheistic in their attitudes and are left with many unanswered questions after the vanishings. Our main characters, Buck, Ray, Chloe and Pastor Bruce Barnes each have to deal with the lies and deceptions being thrown at them as well as their personal search for the real truth. Each of them had heard the truth before and rejected it! Many of our friends and relatives are exactly like Ray, Buck and Chloe. They have heard about God and been to church but have still rejected Christ. Each one of our movie characters, including a pastor, has to now face reality!

This movie is action packed with high energy and a powerful thought provoking storyline that no one can ignore! Left Behind is entertaining yet has the most important message in the world. As a pastor and ministry we want to encourage you to make this your opportunity to take family and friends even your entire church to watch this movie. Use it as a special outreach to your community.

Pastors, it is the perfect time to preach on the return of Jesus and how that will look? Take the opportunity to have small group discussions breaking down parts of the movie and see how it lines up with God’s word. Many people will have questions after seeing it. Be prepared to answer and introduce them to Christ. Start looking in the website: www.LeftBehindmovie.com for Resources and Sermon ideas.

If at all possible buy out an entire theater in your town. This not only encourages your church to come and bring a friend but it is a testimony to the theater owners about what Christians are looking for.

You may ask, why are you doing this? Truth is, we don’t want you or anyone Left Behind!

What about you? Watch the Trailer Here!

 

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The Rise of Ancient Aliens: From Lovecraft to Von Däniken

In the early 1970s, Kenneth Grant, personal secretary to Aleister Crowley twenty-five years earlier, broke with the American branch of Crowley’s Ordo Templi Orientis and formed his own Thelemic organization, the Typhonian O.T.O. The “Sirius/Set current” that Grant identified in the ‘50s referred to the Egyptian deity Set, god of the desert, storms, foreigners, violence, and chaos.

To grasp the significance of Grant’s innovation to Crowley’s religion, a brief history of Set is in order.

Set—sometimes called Seth, Sheth, or Sutekh—is one of the oldest gods in the Egyptian pantheon. There is evidence he was worshiped long before the pharaohs, in the pre-dynastic era called Naqada I, which may date as far back as 3750 BC. To put that into context, the Tower of Babel incident probably occurred toward the end of the Uruk period around 3100 BC. Writing wasn’t invented in Sumer until about 3000 BC, around the time of the first pharaoh, Narmer.

Set was originally one of the good gods. He protected Ra’s solar boat, defending it from the evil chaos serpent Apep (or Apophis), who tried to eat the sun every night as it dropped below the horizon. During the Second Intermediate Period, roughly 1750 BC to 1550 BC, Semitic people called the Hyksos, who were probably Amorites, equated Set with Baʿal, the Canaanite storm-god, and Baʿal-Set was the patron deity of Avaris, the Hyksos capital.

The worship of Baʿal-Set continued even after the Hyksos were driven out of Egypt. Two centuries after Moses led the Israelites to Canaan, three hundred years after the Hyksos expulsion, Ramesses the Great erected a memorial called the Year 400 Stela to honor the 400th year of Set’s arrival in Egypt. In fact, Ramesses’ father was named Seti, which literally means “man of Set.”

Set didn’t acquire his evil reputation until the Third Intermediate Period, during which Egypt was overrun by successive waves of foreign invaders. After being conquered by Nubia, Assyria, and Persia, one after another between 728 BC and 525 BC, the god of foreigners wasn’t welcome around the pyramids anymore. No longer was Set the mighty god who kept Apophis from eating the sun; now, Set was the evil god who murdered his brother, Osiris, and the sworn enemy of Osiris’ son, Horus.

By the time of Persia’s rise, Greek civilization was beginning to flower, and the Greeks identified Set with Typhon, the terrifying, powerful serpentine god of chaos. That’s the link between Set and Typhon. And this is the entity Kenneth Grant believed was the true source of power in Thelemic magick.

That’s why the “Sirius/Set current” led to the Typhonian O.T.O, and that’s the destructive, chaos-monster aspect of Set-Typhon we need to keep in view when analyzing the magickal system Grant created by filtering Crowley through the horror fiction of H. P. Lovecraft.

Grant’s anxiety, as expressed in Nightside of Eden and in his other works, is that the Earth is being infiltrated by a race of extraterrestrial beings who will cause tremendous changes to take place in our world. This statement is not to be taken quite as literally as it appears, for the “Earth” can be taken to mean our current level of conscious awareness, and extraterrestrial would mean simply “not of this current level of conscious awareness.” But the potential for danger is there, and Grant’s work— like Lovecraft’s—is an attempt to warn us of the impending (potentially dramatic) alterations in our physical, mental and emotional states due to powerful influences from “outside.”

Lovecraft died in 1937, but his work found a new audience in the 1970s. His stories were mined as source material by Hollywood. Then in 1977, a hardback edition of the Necronomicon, which Lovecraft invented as a plot device for his horror fiction, suddenly appeared (published in a limited run of 666 copies!), edited by a mysterious figure known only as “Simon,” purportedly a bishop in the Eastern Orthodox Church. According to Simon, two monks from his denomination had stolen a copy of the actual Necronomicon in one of the most daring and dangerous book thefts in history.

A mass market paperback edition followed a few years later. That version has reportedly sold more than a million copies over the last four decades. Kenneth Grant, who believed that Crowley and Lovecraft had been inspired or guided by the same supernatural source, validated the text, going so far as to offer explanations for apparent discrepancies between Crowley and the Necronomicon.

Crowley admitted to not having heard correctly certain words during the transmission of Liber L, and it is probable that he misheard the word Tutulu. It may have been Kutulu, in which case it would be identical phonetically, but not qabalistically, with Cthulhu. The [Simon] Necronomicon (Introduction, p. xix) suggests a relationship between Kutulu and Cutha…

Simon’s Necronomicon was just one of several grimoires (books of magic spells) published in the 1970s that claimed to be the nefarious book. The others were either obvious fakes published for entertainment purposes, or hoaxes that their authors admitted to soon after publication. Simon, on the other hand, appeared to be serious. But people involved with producing the “Simonomicon” have since admitted to making it up, and the central figure behind the book’s publication was Peter Levenda—author of The Dark Lord, the book documenting the highly improbable “coincidences” connecting Aleister Crowley and H. P. Lovecraft.

The text itself was Levenda’s creation, a synthesis of Sumerian and later Babylonian myths and texts peppered with names of entities from H. P. Lovecraft’s notorious and enormously popular Cthulhu stories. Levenda seems to have drawn heavily on the works of Samuel Noah Kramer for the Sumerian, and almost certainly spent a great deal of time at the University of Pennsylvania library researching the thing. Structurally, the text was modeled on the wiccan Book of Shadows and the Goetia, a grimoire of doubtful authenticity itself dating from the late Middle Ages.

“Simon” was also Levenda’s creation. He cultivated an elusive, secretive persona, giving him a fantastic and blatantly implausible line of [BS] to cover the book’s origins. He had no telephone. He always wore business suits, in stark contrast to the flamboyant Renaissance fair, proto-goth costuming that dominated the scene.

In The Dark Lord, Levenda not only analyzed Kenneth Grant’s magickal system and documented synchronicities between Crowley and Lovecraft, he validated the supernatural authenticity of the fake Necronomicon that he created!

But make no mistake—this doesn’t mean the Necronomicon is fake in the supernatural sense.

[W]e can conclude that the hoax Necronomicons—at least the Hay-Wilson-Langford-Turner and Simon versions—falsely claim to be the work of the mad Arab Abdul Alhazred; but in so falsely attributing themselves, they signal their genuine inclusion in the grimoire genre. The misattribution is the mark of their genre, and their very falsity is the condition of their genuineness. The hoax Necronomicons are every bit as “authentic” as the Lesser Key of Solomon or the Sixth and Seventh Books of Moses.

In other words, while the published editions of the Necronomicon were obviously invented long after the deaths of H. P. Lovecraft and Aleister Crowley, they are still genuine tools for practicing sorcery. And, as Grant and Levenda suggest, they share a common origin in the spirit realm.

Simon’s Necronomicon arrived on the wave of a renewed interest in the occult that washed over the Western world in the 1960s and ‘70s. Interestingly, it was a French journal of science fiction that helped spark the revival, and it did so by publishing the works of H. P. Lovecraft for a new audience.

Planète was launched in the early ‘60s by Louis Pauwles and Jacques Bergier, and their magazine brought a new legion of admirers to the “bent genius.” More significantly for our study here, however, was the book Pauwles and Bergier co-authored in 1960, Les matins des magiciens (Morning of the Magicians), which was translated into English in 1963 as Dawn of Magic.

From Lovecraft, Bergier and Pauwles borrowed the one thought that would be of more importance than any other in their book. As we have seen, Morning of the Magicians speculates that extraterrestrial beings may be responsible for the rise of the human race and the development of its culture, a theme Lovecraft invented (emphasis mine).

The success of Pauwles and Bergier inspired others to run with the concepts they’d developed from the writings of Lovecraft. The most successful of these, without question, is Erich von Däniken’s Chariots of the Gods?

You can say one thing at least for von Däniken: He wasn’t shy about challenging accepted history.

I claim that our forefathers received visits from the universe in the remote past, even though I do not yet know who these extraterrestrial intelligences were or from which planet they came. I nevertheless proclaim that these “strangers” annihilated part of mankind existing at the time and produced a new, perhaps the first, homo sapiens.

The book had the good fortune of being published in 1968, the same year Stanley Kubrick’s epic adaptation of Arthur C. Clarke’s 2001: A Space Odyssey hit theaters. The film, based on the idea that advanced alien technology had guided human evolution, was the top-grossing film of the year, and was named the “greatest sci-fi film of all time” in 2002 by the Online Film Critics Society. By 1971, when Chariots of the Gods? finally appeared in American bookstores, NASA had put men on the moon three times and the public was fully primed for what von Däniken was selling.

It’s hard to overstate the impact Chariots of the Gods has had on the UFO research community and the worldviews of millions of people around the world over the last half century. In 1973, Twilight Zone creator Rod Serling built a documentary around Chariots titled In Search of Ancient Astronauts, which featured astronomer Carl Sagan and Wernher von Braun, architect of the Saturn V rocket. The following year, a feature film with the same title as the book was released to theaters. By the turn of the 21st century, von Däniken had sold more than 60 million copies of his twenty-six books, all promoting the idea that our creators came from the stars.

To this day, von Däniken’s book is the best-selling English language archaeology book of all time. Is it any wonder that more Americans believe that we’ve been visited by ET than in God as He’s revealed Himself in the Bible?

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