The Forces Of Darkness

The following is taken from the Forward of R. L. Brant's book:

Gifts For The Market Place available from amazon.com., published in 1989:

The Forces of Darkness are making a fearsome onslaught on our world.

The unleashing of the powers of Hell

Gives evidence of the prevalent spirit of Antichrist.

But Almighty God, the Omnipotent One,

Has the Antidote to this abounding SIN.

It is none other than the Holy Spirit.

The Church cannot cope with the world, the flesh and the devil

Apart from DIVINE help.

God's work cannot be effectively done

Except through the power of the Holy Spirit. (Zechariah 4:6)

“The only answer to the unleashed power of the enemy

Is the manifested power of God.”

The winds of the Holy Spirit are freely and effectively blowing today.

Never in history have so many people been affected

By the phenomenon of the outpoured Spirit.

Millions testify to a personal Pentecost.

Members of denominations large and small

Have experienced manifestations of the Spirit.

The moving of the Spirit around the world has created great interest.

Much is being preached and written on the subject.

There is a need for a Scriptural understanding of what God is doing,

A need to have an “understanding of what God is doing,

A need to have and understanding of the times, to know what ...to do”

(1 Chronicles 12:32)

R. L. Brandt gives us a thoughtful and challenging exposition

Of the manifestations of the Spirit.

The subject is not new.

Many have written on it, but the author of Gifts For The Marketplace

Has a way of making order and good sense out of a complex study.

Readers will find a refreshingly new approach

To the whole field of spiritual gifts.

Our understanding of the gifts of the Spirit and their purpose is vital.

These manifestations are flashes of God's Omniscience and Omnipotence

Shown supernaturally through His followers.

The gifts of the Spirit are God's intended norm for His Church.

But they are not only for His Body when engaged in corporate worship,

They are also for the Marketplace.

That is where they were prominent in the Early Church.

The image of God, as revealed through the operation of the Spirit's gifts,

Touched the Marketplace in Apostolic Days

And can and must do the same today.

My longtime and cherished friend, R. L. Brandt,

Has written this lucid and concise book toward that end.

G. Raymond Carlson

General Superintendent

Assemblies of God

My Comments:

Today, 24 years after R. L. Brandt wrote his book,

The Forces of Darkness are wreaking havoc on our world.

Through their deception, they rule every nation on earth.

Christ Jesus living in and through his people

Is the only One Who can withstand this onslaught.

Christ living in and through you

Is the only Way you, personally, will withstand this onslaught.

Christ Jesus is infinitely more powerful than the Forces of Darkness.

The Holy Spirit in God's people is the only One

Who prevents all of mankind from self-destructing.

You must understand the nature of the times we are living in.

'Finally, be strong in the Lord and in His Mighty Power.

Put on The Full Armor of God

So that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes.

For our struggle is not against flesh and blood,

But against the rulers, against the authorities,

Against the powers of this dark world

And against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.'

(Ephesians 6:10-12)

The devil's scheme is to steal from, kill and destroy

As much of mankind as he can and he has had 6,000 years of practice.

The history of mankind testifies to his efficiency at his work.

Yet, Christ Jesus saved out of every generation those who would be saved.

I highly recommend this book to those who want to participate

In this Last and Greatest move of God upon the earth.

The Latter Rain will be greater than the Former Rain.

The Former Rain being the Pentecost of the Book of Acts.

The Latter House will be Greater than the Former House. (Haggai 2:9)

The Later House will be the Bride of Christ

Manifesting the Fullness of Christ.

So that the world may know that Christ Jesus was sent by God the Father.

(John 17)

In order to participate you must have experienced

Your personal Day of Pentecost just as the 120 did on The Day of Pentecost.

You must ask for and receive ALL that God has for you;

You must step into the fullness of God's plan and purpose for your life.

You must be crucified with Christ to this world and no longer live,

But it must be Christ who lives in you.

This life that you now live must be by Faith in the Son of God

And His Power at work in you.

You must set your heart on things above,

Your life must be hidden with Christ in God,

You must cloth yourself with the garments of Christ,

And let His Word dwell richly in you.

I pray that all who read this

Will allow God to fulfill His plan and purpose for your life,

To the Glory of Christ.

Today, the world is raging against God, rushing toward oblivion. (Psalm 2)

America is being ground to powder because of her SIN against God.

Save yourself from this corrupt generation! (Acts 2:40)

As God has written, so shall it be! Hallelujah! Maranatha!

Father, Your Kingdom come, Your will be done, on earth as in Heaven!

The Zeal and Fiery Wrath Of God

This is a reality that is seldom spoken of today.

The Zeal and Fiery Wrath of God defend God's Holiness. (Ezekiel 38:19)

The Fire of God keeps Heaven Holy.

God hates SIN.

SIN defiles mankind, His ultimate creation.

God alone, through His Word, defines SIN and it is unalterable.

Today's preachers cannot change the smallest punctuation mark

In God's Word, it is inviolable.

Adam and Eve were thrown out of Paradise because of their SIN.

God's Holiness demanded it.

There is nothing unholy in Heaven, it is preserved by the Fire of God;

The Fire of His Presence; God is a Consuming Fire. (Hebrews 12:29)

It is because of the Lord's mercies we are not consumed.

(Lamentations 3:22)

God has given mankind “Time”

For all who will receive His Christ Jesus as Savior and Lord.

This “Time” is limited in its totality and by each persons life span.

God has allowed SIN to exist for a limited amount of “Time;”

Until all those who will receive Christ as Savior and Lord have done so;

Then, “Time” and SIN will be done away with FOREVER!

God's Zeal and Fiery Wrath were exhibited when the world of Noah's Day

Allowed their INIQUITY to become full and God put and end

To all but eight.

God's Zeal and Fiery Wrath were exhibited

When He destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah and the surrounding towns

Because their INIQUITY had become full.

God's Zeal and Fiery Wrath

Was poured out upon Egypt in the Day of Moses

When they would not let God's people go.

God's Zeal and Fiery Wrath were poured out upon Israel

When their INIQUITY became full

And they were taken into captivity by their enemies.

God's Zeal and Fiery Wrath were poured out upon Israel in 70 AD,

As Christ Jesus had foretold, and they were dispersed to the nations

For almost two thousand years.

God's Zeal and Fiery Wrath were exhibited

When He brought all the great, godless cultures of history to NOTHING.

God's Zeal and Fiery Wrath will be poured out once more

At the END of “Time” when the INIQUITY of the whole world becomes full,

As described in the Word of God, and especially The Book of Revelation;

The Revelation of Christ Jesus to His people and to a Lost and Dying World;

God's Last Great Warning to mankind.

Today, we watch as mankind fills up the cup of its INIQUITY

Under the deception of Satan and his demonic Hoard,

Ignoring God, His Christ Jesus and His Word.

Ignoring the Great Salvation offered by Christ to every person.

Ignoring the Ultimate Sacrifice of Christ on behalf of the whole world.

Ignoring the reality that every person stands condemned before God

Apart from receiving Christ Jesus as Savior and Lord.

Soon Russia, Iran and all the nations who join with them

Will come against Israel and be completely annihilated

As the Word of God describes. (Ezekiel 38)

Soon ALL the godless nations of the earth will gather

To fight against Christ at Armageddon.

They will ALL be annihilated by God's Zeal and Fiery Wrath;

By Christ Jesus who defeats them with the breath of His mouth

And the splendor of His appearing. (2 Thessalonians 2:8)

The Zeal and Fiery Wrath of God

Will destroy Babylon and all the cities of the world.

ALL the labor of godless mankind will be brought to NOTHING!

The face of the earth will be ruined. (Isaiah 24:1)

Most of mankind will have died.

Then Christ Jesus will set up His Kingdom

On earth for a thousand years, in Jerusalem on Mount Zion.

SIN will be done away with by the Zeal and Fiery Wrath of God Almighty.

God's Holiness will rule on earth in the Person of His Christ Jesus

For a thousand years.

Christ Jesus will rule and reign with His Bride;

Those who OVERCAME the Evil One by the blood of the Lamb

And the word of their testimony,

Not loving this life so much as to shrink from death. (Revelation 12:11)

Today, the world is raging against God, rushing toward oblivion. (Psalm 2)

America is being ground to powder because of her SIN against God.

Save yourself from this corrupt generation! (Acts 2:40)

As God has written, so shall it be! Hallelujah! Maranatha!

Father, Your Kingdom come, Your will be done, on earth as in Heaven!

Are you Building Your ARK?

Noah spent 120 years building his ARK.

The ARK that saved only eight people out of the whole world.

Noah's ARK was a physical structure based on the design God gave him.

However, in order for Noah to persevere in its building

It took Faith in the Word God had given him, and a heart after God.

Today, the building of our ARK will require perseverance,

Faith in the Word of God, God's design, and a heart after God.

Since the “fall” of Adam and Eve,

The world has always been a godless, perverse, wicked place

Ruled by Satan who came to steal, kill and destroy.

Yet, God has provided a WAY to live in this world before Him

And a WAY out of this world at the end of our days.

This WAY is our ARK. It is building upon the Faith

That God has given all who are willing to receive it;

All who response to and say YES to His call.

Christ Jesus is that WAY.

Christ, living “IN' and “THROUGH” us is our ARK.

If we are willing, He carries us from Glory to Glory unto the Perfect Day;

The Day of His return.

Our part is to remain “IN” Him; to remain “IN” the VINE which is Christ.

Remaining “IN” Him by our volition, by our choice,

Is our part of building our ARK. (John 15:5)

Just as with Noah, this requires perseverance.

Virtually everything that goes on in this world

Is designed by Satan to prevent us from being successful

In completing our ARK; In remaining faithful to the END.

Satan will go to any length to keep us from completing our ARK.

Yet, we can do all things through Christ who strengthens us. (Phil. 4:13)

Christ, Who is infinitely more powerful than Satan.

As long as we remain “IN” Christ, Satan cannot touch us. (1 John 5:18)

If we remain “IN” Christ, we will OVERCOME this world

By the blood of the Lamb and the word of our Testimony.

Not loving this life so much as to shrink from death. (Revelation. 12:11)

Only with Christ living “IN” and “THROUGH” us is this possible;

Only Christ is stronger than Satan.

Realize, that this life we have been given by God,

Was given us to OVERCOME this wicked world.

That is the TEST and TRIAL of this natural life;

That is the whole purpose of this life,

To see who will receive the Salvation God has given us “IN” Christ

And who will persevere “IN” Christ, “IN” the ARK, to the END.

If you build your ARK, all men will hate you!

'All men will hate you because of Me,

But he who sands firm [IN Christ] to the End will be saved.' (Matthew 10:22)

If we love anything or anyone more than Christ we will fail.

If we do not take up our cross daily and follow Christ we will fail.

(Matthew 10:37-38)

We must be willing to confess Christ as Savior and Lord before men.

'Whoever acknowledges Me before men,

I will acknowledge him before My Father in Heaven.

But whoever disowns Me before men,

I will disown him before My Father in Heaven.' (Matthew 10:32-33)

'Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth.

I did not come to bring peace, but a sword.

For I have come to turn a man against his father,

a daughter against her mother,

A daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law--

A man's enemies will be the members of his own household.' (Mat. 10:34-36)

'Whoever finds his life will lose it,

And whoever loses his life for My sake will find it.' (Matthew 10:39)

'Come to Me, all who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.

Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me,

For I AM gentle and humble in heart;

And you will find rest for your souls.

For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.' (Matthew 11:28-30)

'He who is not with Me is against Me,

And he who does not gather with Me scatters.' (Matthew 12:30)

'Who is My mother, and who are My brothers?'

Pointing to His disciples, He said,

'Here are My mother and My brothers.

For whoever does the WILL of My Father in Heaven

Is My brother and sister and mother.' (Matthew 12:48-50)

'Whoever has will be given more, and he will have an abundance.

Whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken from him.'

(Matthew 13:11)

I pray that all who read this message are building an ARK;

That will enable them to OVERCOME this wicked world.

Today, the world is raging against God, rushing toward oblivion. (Psalm 2)

America is being ground to powder because of her SIN against God.

Save yourself from this corrupt generation! (Acts 2:40)

As God has written, so shall it be! Hallelujah! Maranatha!

Father, Your Kingdom come, Your will be done, on earth as in Heaven!

Living On Borrowed Time

We are all living on borrowed “Time.”

Just as each of us is a creation of God Almighty,

"Time” is a creation of God.

He gave it to each person who ever lived and all who are living today.

It is a “Gift” from God

And the potential to live with Him in Paradise FOREVER.

Adam and Eve threw away their “Time” when they sinned against God.

The people of Noah's Day threw away their “Time”

When their INIQUITY became FULL and they were destroyed.

The people in the Day of the Tower of Babel

Were about to throw away their “Time”

When God in His mercy dispersed them with different languages,

Postponing the day when their INIQUITY would be FULL.

Most of children of Israel, in the day of Moses

Who were delivered from Egypt by the mighty hand of God,

Threw away their “Time” in disobedience to God

In spite of God's miraculous provision for them.

Time after time the nation Israel threw away their “Time”

In disobedience to God.

Today, humanity, every nation,

In their arrogance, ignorance and deception

Are marching toward the Day when their INIQUITY will be FULL

And God Almighty will be bring about all that He has foretold.

INIQUITY is FULL when the society is at the point of no return;

When there is no possibility that they will turn from their wickedness;

When their hearts are so calloused they cannot be saved.

America, is today, filling up the cup of her INIQUITY

Along with all the nations of the world.

She is in direct defiance of the Living God, His Christ Jesus and His Word

By her laws and practice.

Apostasy is rampant in what is called the Church of God.

Many who call themselves “Christan”

Live lives indistinguishable from those in the world.

They have sold out to the world, the enemy of God.

Many Christians have made an IDOL of America,

As if she were immune from the requirements of God Almighty.

The America that has perpetrated the America Abortion Holocaust;

The greatest holocaust the world has ever known;

The America that defies the Word of God by her laws and practice.

Today, the world, every nation, is living on borrowed “Time.”

It is God's “Time,” it is limited, and it will End just as God has said.

We watch as every nation and their leaders perform their part

In the Script that God has written long ago;

Recorded in the Psalms, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Daniel, Hosea, Joel, Amos, Obadiah, Micah, Nahum, Haggai, Zechariah, Malachi,

The books of the New Testament and especially the Book of Revelation.

Understand this that the nations and their leaders

And Satan who rules them are all simply playing out the scripts

That God has written by His foreknowledge.

These scripts cannot be altered.

They were written by the Omniscience of the Almighty God

And they will prove to be accurate down to the finest written detail.

Christ Jesus said of the Book of Revelation:

Blessed is the one who reads the words of this prophesy,

And takes to heart what is written in it, because the time is near. (Rev. 1:3)

Look He is coming on the clouds, and every eye shall see Him,

Even those who pierced Him;

And all the people of the earth will mourn because of Him.

So shall it be! Amen.

'I AM the Alpha and the Omega,' says the Lord God,

'Who was, and Who is to come, The Almighty.' (Revelation 1:7-8)

Behold, I AM coming SOON!

Blessed is he who keeps the words of the prophecy of this book. (Rev. 22:7)

Do not seal up the words of this prophecy of this book,

Because the time is near.

Let him who does wrong continue to do wrong;

Let him who is vile continue to be vile;

Let him who does right continue to do right;

And let him who is holy continue to be holy. (Revelation 22:11)

I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book:

If anyone adds anything to them,

God will add to him the plagues described in this book.

And if anyone takes words away from this book of prophecy,

God will take away from him his share in the Tree of LIFE

And in the Holy City, which is described in this book. (Revelation 22:18-19)

Every person has a choice.

This life, this “Time,” was given every person

To choose Eternal LIFE or Eternal Death. Choose LIFE!

Today, the world is raging against God, rushing toward oblivion. (Psalm 2)

America is being ground to powder because of her SIN against God.

Save yourself from this corrupt generation! (Acts 2:40)

As God has written, so shall it be! Hallelujah! Maranatha!

Father, Your Kingdom come, Your will be done, on earth as in Heaven!

To The Corrupt Nothing Is Pure

To the pure, all things are pure,

But to those who are corrupted and do not believe, nothing is pure.

In fact, both their minds and consciences are corrupted.

They claim to know God, but by their actions they deny Him.

They are detestable, disobedient and unfit for doing anything good.

(Titus 1:15-16)

You must teach what is in accord with sound doctrine.

Teach the older men to be temperate, worthy of respect, self-controlled,

And sound in faith, in love and in endurance.

Likewise, teach the older women to be reverent in the way they live,

Not to be slanderers or addicted to much wine, bu to teach what is good.

Then they can train the younger women to love their husbands and children, To be self-controlled and pure, to be busy at home, to be kind,

And to be subject to their husbands,

So that no one will malign the Word of God.

Similarly, encourage the young men to be self-controlled.

In everything set them an example by doing what is good.

In your teaching show integrity, seriousness and soundness of speech

That cannot be contemned, so that those who oppose you may be ashamed Because they have nothing bad to say about us. (Titus 2:1-8)

For the Grace of God that brings Salvation has appeared to all men.

It teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions,

And to live self-controlled upright and godly lives in this present age,

While we wait for the Blessed Hope--

The Glorious appearing of our Great God and Savior, Jesus Christ,

Who gave Himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness

And to purify for Himself a people that are His very own,

Eager to do what is good.

These are the things you should teach.

Encourage and rebuke with all authority.

Do not let anyone despise you. (Titus 2:1-15)

To those who love Christ Jesus; who obey His commands;

Who walk as He walked, ALL THINGS are PURE.

But to those who do not know Him; who have rejected His offer of Salvation;

To the unredeemed; To those consumed by the lusts of this world,

NOTHING is PURE! Which is the condition of most of humanity.

Some of these claim to know Christ Jesus,

But by their actions they deny Him.

They are detestable, disobedient and unfit for doing anything good.

The older men who know Christ Jesus will be temperate,

Worthy of respect, self-controlled,

And sound in faith, in love and in endurance.

The older women will be reverent in the way they live.

The young men will be self-controlled,

So that no one can malign the Word of God.

Realize that the Grace of God that brings Salvation

Has appeared to ALL men; To every man and woman,

So that ALL are without excuse [Rom 1:20].

This Grace teaches us who know Christ Jesus

To say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions,

And to live self-controlled upright and godly lives in this present age,

While we wait for the Blessed Hope--

The Glorious appearing of our Great God and Savior, Jesus Christ,

Who gave Himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness

And to purify for Himself a people that are His very own,

Eager to do what is good.

The Great God of Creation, The Self-Existent One, Christ Jesus,

Made Himself flesh and came and lived among us

Revealing to us the character and nature of God.

He came and gave His life, a living sacrifice; the only acceptable sacrifice

For the sins of the whole world,

That we might accept Him as Savior and Lord,

The only way out of our state of being condemned before Him,

Having been born into SIN.

This monumental ACT is a demonstration of the Grace of God.

Conditioned upon only one thing: Acceptance of His terms;

Upon His Way, His Truth and His LIFE.

Why is America and the world in the condition they are today?

Because they are corrupt and impure!

Because they have refused Christ Jesus and His terms.

Which is the only Way out of their SIN and impurity.

The world hates God, His Christ Jesus and His Word which are One;

The One who tells them that what they do is evil! (John 7:7)

The world ruled by Satan is the enemy of Christ Jesus. (James 4:4)

The world does not fear God, they are deceived and blind

From the highest to the lowest.

Apart from Christ they have no hope!

But we who know God, His Christ Jesus and His Word

Have the BLESSED HOPE; the SOON return of Christ Jesus

Who will claim His Treasured Possession, His Bride.

Today, the world is raging against God, rushing toward oblivion. (Psalm 2)

America is being ground to powder because of her SIN against God.

Save yourself from this corrupt generation! (Acts 2:40)

As God has written, so shall it be! Hallelujah! Maranatha!

Father, Your Kingdom come, Your will be done, on earth as in Heaven!

Discerning The Spirits

...The ability to distinguish between spirits,...(1 Corinthians 12:10)

This is one of the Gifts of the Spirit of God, given in 1 Corinthians 12.

Why is this important?

Because every living person is motivated by a spirit.

They are either motivated by the Spirit of God

Or by the only other motivating spirit, Satan and his demonic hoard.

Those who belong to Christ are motivated by the Spirit of Christ.

Everyone else is motivated by the spirit of Satan to one degree or another.

That is the essence of man's “fallen nature.”

Apart from Faith in Christ everyone stands condemned and deceived.

Whoever believes in Him [Christ] is not condemned,

But whoever does not believe stands condemned already

Because he has not believed in the Name of God's One and only Son.

This is the VERDICT: Light [Christ] has come into the world,

But men loved darkness instead of Light [Christ]

Because their deeds were EVIL. (John 3:18-19)

Everyone who does not love Christ loves darkness

And their deeds are EVIL;

They are motivated by the EVIL spirit of Satan.

Therefore, it is critical to understand what motivates those around us;

To discern who belongs to Christ and who does not.

Not all who claim the name of Christ belong to Christ.

There are weeds growing among the wheat [Matthew 13:24-30];

Those who claim the name of Christ but who are of the devil.

Today, we see the Apostate Church claiming the name of Christ

But defying His Word.

We see those who claim the name of Christ who support Abortion Murder,

Homosexual marriage and other things that defy the Word of God.

None of these belong to Christ.

Those who love Christ and belong to Christ, obey Christ. (John 14:15)

His Word is ABSOLUTE and inviolate; as unchangeable as He is. (Heb. 13:8)

God is a Spirit and the Father of ALL spirits. (John 4:24)

He is all seeing and all knowing.

The discerning of spirits is a “gift” he gives to those who love Him,

Which enables them to “see” as He sees;

To “see” into the spirit realm and understand the spirit of another person.

This is not continuous but given on an as needed basis.

One does not need to discern those

Who are clearly not of Christ by their actions.

Their actions speak for them; their “fruit” speaks for them, beyond words.

Satan masquerades as an angel of light. (2 Corinthians 11:14)

This fact makes it difficult sometimes to know the spirit

Behind what appears to be an angel of light.

Unless you are close enough to Christ for Him to enable you so “see,”

You may well be blinded to the masquerade of these “angels of light.”

This is where the discerning of spirits of crucial,

Otherwise you may be deceived.

Christ did not judge by what he saw or heard:

He [Christ] will not judge by what He sees with His eyes,

Or decide by what He hears with His ears;...(Isaiah 11:3)

In other words Christ Jesus decided

By what He saw and heard from His Father.

That is how we as Christians are to be.

The Holy Spirit, the Spirit of God, leads us into all TRUTH. (John 16:13)

The Anointing of Christ teaches us ALL things:

But you have an Anointing from the Holy One,

And ALL of you know the TRUTH. (1 John 2:20)

See that what you have heard from the beginning remains in you.

If it does, you also will remain in the Son and in the Father. (1 John 2:24)

As for you, the Anointing you received from Him remains in you,

And you do not need anyone to teach you.

But as His Anointing teaches you about ALL things

And as that Anointing is real, not counterfeit--

Just as it has taught you remain in Him. (1 John 2:27)

If we remain in Christ Jesus He will give us the “gift” of discerning spirits.

We will know who belongs to Christ and who does not by His Spirit.

He is the VINE we are the branches:

I AM the VINE; you are the branches.

If a man remains in Me and I in him, he will bear much fruit;

Apart from Me you can do nothing [discern nothing]. (John 15:5)

Today, the world is raging against God, rushing toward oblivion. (Psalm 2)

America is being ground to powder because of her SIN against God.

Save yourself from this corrupt generation! (Acts 2:40)

As God has written, so shall it be! Hallelujah! Maranatha!

Father, Your Kingdom come, Your will be done, on earth as in Heaven!

God Knows ALL

“God knows instantly and effortlessly all matter and all matters,

All mind and every mind, all spirit and all spirits, all being and all beings,

All creaturehood and all creatures, every plurality and all pluralities,

All law and every law, all relations, all causes, all thoughts, all mysteries,

All enigmas, all feelings, all desire, all unuttered secret,

All thrones and dominions, all personalities,

All things visible and invisible in heaven and in earth,

Motion, space, time, life, death, good, evil, heaven and hell.” (A.W Tozer)

God Who has made all that exists or has ever existed;

Everyone who exists or has ever existed.

For whom ALL that is encompassed by the “Time” He created

Is already complete, down to the finest detail.

It is we, who He created for His own pleasure, plan and purpose,

Who work out our Salvation in fear and trembling before Him.

Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed--

Not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence--

Continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling,

'For it is God who works in you to will and to act

According to His good purpose.'

Do everything without complaining or arguing,

So that you may become blameless and pure, children of God

Without fault in a crooked and depraved generation,

In which you shine like stars in the universe

As you hold out the Word of LIFE—

In order that I may boast on The Day of Christ

That I did not run or labor for nothing.

But even if I am being poured out like a drink offering

On the sacrifice and service coming from your faith,

I am glad and rejoice with all of you.

So you too should be glad and rejoice with me. (Philippians 2:12-18)

If we belong to Christ Jesus, He works in us to will and to act

According to His good purpose.

We are to do everything He calls us to do without complaining or arguing,

And thereby become blameless and pure, children of God

Without fault in a crooked and depraved generation,

In which we are to shine like stars in the universe

According to God's plan and purpose for our lives.

We must realize that every generation

Has been crooked and depraved since the “fall” of Adam and Eve.

We are all, like the apostle Paul, being poured out like a drink offering

On the sacrifice and service coming from our Faith.

It is then that we shine like the stars in the universe,

Fulfilling God's plan and purpose for our lives

As we allow Christ to live in and through us.

We should rejoice and be glad that we have been chosen by God

For Eternal LIFE.

We are God's witnesses to the LIFE Christ died to bring.

We are witnesses to the principalities and the powers in the heavenly realms,

And to all who live on earth.

We are here to OVERCOME this world and the Evil One who rules it.

We do so by the blood of the Lamb and the word of our Testimony

Not loving this life so much as to shrink from death. (Revelation 12:11)

We realize that ALL is complete in the plan and purpose of God.

His Word will be fulfilled, exactly as it is written, down to the last detail.

Nothing and no one can change this reality.

This reality renders all that happens outside of Christ MEANINGLESS!

ALL labor, outside of labor for Christ, is MEANINGLESS!

ALL the nations are godless;

ALL the nations are but a drop in a bucket to God Almighty;

They are worthless, less than nothing. (Isaiah 40:15-17)

ALL the current machinations of ALL the nations amounts to nothing.

They and their rulers ALL rage against God, His Christ Jesus and His Word.

But God Almighty scoffs at them. (Psalm 2)

He has installed His King in Jerusalem on Mount Zion, FOREVER.

At the return of Christ Jesus ALL the nations will be brought to NOTHING!

Yet we who belong to Christ are His Treasured Possession.

(Deuteronomy 26:18)

We are the apple of His eye. (Zechariah 2:8)

It is we who will enter Zion with singing; Everlasting joy will crown our heads.

Gladness and joy will overtake us and sorrow and sighing will flee away.

(Isaiah 51:11)

Today, the world is raging against God, rushing toward oblivion. (Psalm 2)

America is being ground to powder because of her SIN against God.

Save yourself from this corrupt generation! (Acts 2:40)

As God has written, so shall it be! Hallelujah! Maranatha!

Father, Your Kingdom come, Your will be done, on earth as in Heaven!