http://ichthys.com/ 
Eschatology Issues CXLIV

Question #1:
As I look at the headlines (which I should avoid) with families killing family, putative Christians being persecuted and killed world wide, the degenerate depravity of what we used to call "normal people," soft porn being highlighted, more than a third expected to die from the effects of the covid "vaccine," the situation today appears much worse than anything I can remember.

Maybe this has always existed and the "news" is only reporting this now because there's nothing left but hand wringing over the Trump election and the Democrat's defeat. But even during the great Vietnam adventure, I remember nothing like this. I'm so thankful my time is short.

How long do you think this will go on? (You've been clear about your projections for the Tribulation but are you changing your expectations?) The prophets seem to suggest it can go on for quite awhile but destruction is imminent. Do you suppose this is testing? Do you think we will we pass the test? I pray the Tribulation begins sooner rather than later.

I pray all is well with you and yours and U of L is treating you right.

In our Lord,
Response #1:
Re: "What convinces you "days will be shortened" applies only to the end of Tribulation?"

Here's the passage:
For then there will be great distress [literally, "tribulation"], unequaled from the beginning of the world until now—and never to be equaled again. If those days had not been cut short, no one would survive, but for the sake of the elect those days will be shortened."
Matthew 24:21-22 NIV
The context in Matthew 24 is the escape of the believers from Israel which happens at the mid-point of the Tribulation (Rev.12:13-17). Further, verse 21 above pegs this to the thlipsis, i.e., the Tribulation. Finally, our Lord says "those days", referring specifically to the Great Tribulation which follows these events.

In terms of "The prophets seem to suggest it can go on for quite awhile but destruction is imminent", that is a good way of putting it. Looking at the historical examples of the northern and southern kingdoms, they were allowed to test and tempt the Lord for a good long while before being terminated. That is also true of Judea after our Lord's resurrection. And Sodom and Gomorrah as well. But there is no formula for figuring out how much time a nation might have. That is because 1) there is no way to quantify the evil we see. We can only see that it is truly awful. And 2) it's hard for us to judge how many believers are doing the will of God so as to act as a preserving remnant. Abraham got it wrong in his analysis of Sodom (he argued for ten but there was only one "righteous" person in the entire place). On the other side of the ledger, Elijah also got it wrong:
Or do you not know what the Scripture says of Elijah, how he pleads with God against Israel, saying, “LORD, they have killed Your prophets and torn down Your altars, and I alone am left, and they seek my life”? But what does the divine response say to him? “I have reserved for Myself seven thousand men who have not bowed the knee to Baal.”
Romans 11:2b-4 NIV
If Abraham was wrong about thinking the remnant large enough and Elijah wrong in not realizing it's sufficient size, I don't think any of us is likely to be any better in making these judgments. Only God knows the hearts of all. So from that point of view I would not even be able to venture a guess on the "how long?" question.

"I pray the Tribulation begins sooner rather than later." Amen!
He who testifies to these things says, “Surely I am coming quickly.” Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Revelation 22:20 NIV
In Him,

Bob L.
Question #2:
Hi Bob,

Just seen an ambulance outside our house. ___ has been taken into hospital again. The last time I saw her she was 6 stone (84 pounds) and was looking very bad. I have really tried to reach out to her but she has often pushed me away. Also I have felt that my neighbour has been doing it for so long that I may have stepped on her toes a few times and so backed off because of that too. Its been really hard to know when to move forward or back off. My concern is that ___ is always looking for a human saviour rather than the Lord. My neighbour has been very proud at times that her phone number means more to Rosemary than the Bible (her actual words). This made me realise that there is a risk with helping people that we are taking the glory for ourselves rather than directing them to the Lord. I have really learned this through this example, it shocked me so much.

Please can you pray for her my friend? 

Wrestling with people to get help can be so heartbreaking and exhausting, it's hard not to feel numbed to this constant going round in circles. I wonder how the Lord feels when he sees millions of people needlessly suffering and being deceived by the enemy without His help?

In happier news, I am hoping to have my ministry up solidly running by the end of this month at the very outside. I have more than one site running (YouTube, Tik Tok, Substack and Wix with the latter one the only one I have been paying for). I need to tweak around with it this week, it's just been one crisis/huge change after another that has constantly pushed this to one side (but no doubt that is the enemy's intention).

In the meantime I have put up an Instagram account of daily Bible verses that have always been a comfort to me by editing text to images. I'll attach a few of them so you can see what I mean.

Here is the Instagram page link

https://www.instagram.com/emmagracebibleverses/

Please could you put a link on your site so that your ministry followers know about it?

I would be very grateful for the support! 

I will put a link on both sites in recommendation for your site.

Hope this finds you in good health.

Your friend in Jesus,
Response #2:
Sorry to hear about your friend. I'll say a prayer for her.

Yes, people can be very stubborn. And everyone has a personal "philosophy" – a set of rationalizations – for why they refuse to come to the truth. God the Father wants all to be saved (1Tim.2:4) and Christ died for everyone (1Jn.2:2) . . . but He doesn't force their free will. The last judgment will be very interesting, when we find out the specific lies unbelievers told themselves or bought into and why. I believe the ultimate answer is that they would prefer anything, even hell, to bending their knee to the Lord. But in the end, "every knee will bow" (Is.45:23; Rom.14:11).

Great news about your ministry! I have no idea what "Wix" is or why you would feel the need to pay for it. Every platform you add will just take up more of your time in platform-admin as opposed to actual ministry work (IMHO), but if you are reaching different audiences, I can see that. I think once upon a time I may have signed up or signed into Instagram, but I'm not (nor do I intend to be) a user. I have put up the link you sent me (on the Special Topics page at the link).
Thanks for the Brit-speak explanation too. Now I finally know what a "stone" is: 14 lbs. Can't imagine what that might be in kilograms . . . because I have yet to figure out what that is (let alone a gram). I did read something interest on this lately. We have "bumper to bumper" traffic here in the states, but I was reading a book by a British WWII correspondent who was describing a huge military traffic mess as "bonnet to tailboard".

Keep up the good work, my friend!

In Jesus,

Bob L.
Question #3:
I have been dealing with a lot of individuals who swear that Donald Trump is or will have something to do with the Antichrist coming. What's your take on this based on the scriptures? I have completely read and studied your teachings and don't see it. V/r 
Response #3:
In fact, this question has come up repeatedly in the past weeks, not in the major postings but in the email responses (see e.g., Eschatology Issues CXXVIII and Eschatology Issues CXXXV at the links).

These are two very different questions, actually. No one can say for certain that who is the beast, but it would not be prudent to rule anyone in or out absolutely. The problems with that identification are manifold and seemingly insurmountable (see the link). Also, the exceptional nature (in a bad way) of the beast is such that no human being currently playing on the world stage would seem to fit the bill very well (see the link).

But in terms of "having something to do" with what will soon transpire, it would be hard to argue for anyone presently in a position of power or influence having "nothing at all to do" with setting the table for the rise of the beast once the Tribulation begins. This, however, amounts to speculation more fruitless than most speculating, because once the Tribulation does start, once the Holy Spirit relaxes His restraining ministry (link) and the devil launches his final offensive, things will happen so quickly that whatever the situation is the day before will potentially be massively altered on the very next day. It's fair to see satanic workings in all manner of present day events, and not just political ones. The societal and technological ones are likely more important and the religious the most important of all. If anti-Christ claims to be the Messiah, this will be first and foremost a religious claim, namely, that he is Christ (the lie of all lies). That lie and the conglomeration of all religious which will ensue would seem to be the necessary glue that holds his movement together (born out by Revelation chapter thirteen; see the link). 

We are likely to know soon enough. But the correct response, it seems to me, for anyone concerned about any of this is not to worry and certainly not to engage in political action (as if there were anything we could do to keep the end times at bay), but rather to get serious about meaningful spiritual growth, progress and production. That is the only way for any believer to have an impact on events – by becoming ever more potent "salt" as a preservative of the nation. And that is the only way to guarantee a firmer foundation for our own individual spiritual safety once the Tribulation does begin.

In Jesus,

Bob L.
Question #4:
Hi again,

Just a followup question: Given that it seems almost nobody reads the Bible anymore if some of the correspondents in your weekly posts suggests, how long will there still be enough believers in the US to be the salt? Speculation, I know, but perversion in main line denominations, embracing homosexuality, transgenderism (what ever that actually means) and other strange beliefs suggests the decay is nearly completed. I think the antichrist will have a willing and eager congregation when he arrives.

In Jesus,
Response #4:
Re: "I think the antichrist will have a willing and eager congregation when he arrives." That is certainly true, but not only for the examples you provide. These progressive trends are dominating much of old line denomination activity, true enough. The churches on the left have become not much more than political appendages. But the ones on the right are just as bad. And while the ones on the left are apt to be totally non-spiritual, the ones on the right are apt to be involved in demonic "spirituality" (i.e., the whole N.A.R. movement). Few Christians in this country, to answer your question, seem to me to be concerned about the Bible or learning the truth in any sort of a serious way. They "believe" some basic things, but use that identification as "Christians" as a springboard for politics. We are seeing that more and more. The big problem with all that is that since both sides are really not moored to the truth, the beast is going to have an easy time, it seems to me, joining them all into one movement, telling everyone what they want to hear, as only Satan (and one inspired/sired by him) can do.

How big is the remnant? Well, we haven't fallen into the pit yet, even if we seem to be sliding down with ever greater momentum. No one can answer the question, but once the Tribulation begins, things will change dramatically and swiftly. Many will follow the beast, accepting him as the Messiah. But some are likely to get shaken awake in a truly wide-awake way, realizing that they've been negligent and need to commit themselves to the truth then in a complete and total way. At least that is my hope (and to some extent my expectation given what scripture has to say about believers in the Tribulation).

So on the one hand, could a true revival of Christians getting dead serious about the truth turn things around and delay what's imminent? No doubt! On the other hand, God knew in eternity past whether this would happen or not, and the timetable is perfect. Since we aren't given a definite readout on that until the Tribulation begins, the moral of the story is that we all ought to be taking the greatest pains to be that salt which preservative alone can make a difference. And even if we can't save our country, we may be able to benefit ourselves and our friends and family – and glorify our Lord in the process.

Keeping you in my prayers, my friend.

In Jesus,

Bob L.
Question #5:
Hi Bob,

On the other matter, yes I told the police and the local councillor and dog warden. The video doorbell will arrive tomorrow and I am pretty good at tech things so will have it up and running this weekend. I was so angry about it that I was thinking of confronting the person if I caught them in the act but what you wrote gave me pause. Sadly with the ever increasing depravity of mankind, I can imagine a person like that who is already sinning high handedly would not be contrite if caught out but double down in their belligerent behaviour. As it is so deranged and malicious, you are right, they could easily become physically violent or even more destructive of our property.

In the past I have made the mistake of confrontation with people who are doing antisocial/criminal behaviour and it has always escalated from there. In recent years I have been charged twice by dogs off leads. The first time I verbally confronted the owner (I was a baby Christian then) but the second time I stood stock still and showed no fear and prayed to the Lord and immediately the two big dogs veered off their course away from me -God is good! That second time I thought it pointless to scold the owner and I knew that in these situations people are often looking for an opportunity for a fight in the first place. Sadly those same dogs could go on to attack a child. I don't want to falsely accuse anyone but __ has got on the wrong side of one of our neighbours who owns a dog. She was letting her dog charge people who walked past her house (even children) and then rewarded the dog after.

It's terrifying isn't it the 'hardening of the heart'. People go so far away from the Lord that they become 'too far gone' and there is little hope they can come back from such a warped and twisted place. We all would like to think these people come to their senses on their deathbeds and there is always hope with the Lord of course, the problem is, in my experience..some very reprobate people are so messed up inside (from believing Satan's lies all their life) that they often go about facing their demise the completely wrong way. 

Obviously you have the types who never back down and go out of this world shaking their fist at God. Though I have seen the other types too who think they can buy their way out of trouble by throwing all their money which should have been an inheritance to their children at a 'church roof' funding drive or they spend their final days phoning everyone they have ever conned and begging their forgiveness (without turning to the Lord in faith). Sadly these are two real examples.

It's hard to say which is worse, the person who shakes their fist at God or the person who thinks they can bribe Him with money. Seems that both actions have a not so hidden contempt for God's sovereignty over them and a belief that God is as base as they are (God forbid!) No matter the degree and the way this deception presents itself at the end, they all have the same in common: a total and abject fear of death.

The longer I am in the faith the more and more I see my eventual death as the ultimate deliverance from this sorry world. As Ecclesiastes states 'wisdom increases sorrow'. The more I know about the world and mankind in contrast to what I know about the Lord, the less time I want to spend here.

As a baby Christian I didn't realise that Hezekiah asking for more time was a sign of spiritual immaturity, I do now though. I couldn't imagine asking for more time myself unless it meant earning more reward but I will be glad when my time is up..

For if to live is Christ then to die is gain! 

As we know from the Word that those weak in faith are not really tested much as they cannot bear it. Is there a link then between a baby believer still being worldly as they may not have suffered much whereas a seasoned believer will grow to hate the world and their life in it as they know how bad it is through suffering and they know how good the Lord is through wisdom and trusting Him.

It occured to me that a believer who was rarely tested may not think the world bad and still cling to it whilst simultaneously not know the goodness of the Lord as they have hardly ever been called to rely only on Him (which after all is the true purpose of testing).

Such lukewarm believers have both a wrong impression of both the world and of God. Seeing the world as being totally corrupted goes hand in glove with seeing God in his perfect magnificence. Conversely if a person still believes there is good in the world outside of God then that goes hand in glove with doubting God and eventually slandering Him. If the world is not bad then that would necessitate making God out to be so (God forbid). I do believe this will be the baseline teaching of the Antichrist, the Gnostic blasphemy that the God of the Bible possesses the character that truly belongs to His main detractor, Satan. This then will go hand in glove with the false teaching that we are not only good but actually God. 

Part of the Great Apostasy may come from the lukewarm belief that the world 'isn't half bad' and therefore worth fighting to preserve it (as we are now seeing with the current culture wars and how many are in its thrall). We can see then that if a person believes that this place is remotely 'good' then it isn't a stretch for them to see the complete destruction of this world by our Lord as something 'evil'.

I hope you don't mind me writing you this missive my friend! It has been a while since I last was able to compose myself to allow myself to be led by the Spirit in writing to you!

I feel a lot better now for writing back to you! Iron sharpens iron! I hope you find this edifying as I am edified myself when I see the Spirit is leading me when I write!

In Jesus,
Response #5:
That is a solid point about the Great Apostasy. Indeed, the lack of maturity which characterizes Laodicea is a big reason behind the lack of serious testing for those who are not ready or willing or able to bear it. Because when they are tested, they aren't benefited . . . anymore than the exodus generation was.
As has just been said: “Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as you did in the rebellion.” Who were they who heard and rebelled? Were they not all those Moses led out of Egypt? And with whom was he angry for forty years? Was it not with those who sinned, whose bodies perished in the wilderness? And to whom did God swear that they would never enter his rest if not to those who disobeyed? So we see that they were not able to enter, because of their unbelief.
Hebrews 3:15-19 NIV
Those who are moving forward spiritually still don't like pressure or trouble or being deprived of the things of the world which are necessary for living. We don't enjoy being uncomfortable – I certainly don't. But we learn as the Lord leads us to learn that indeed, "Man does not live by bread alone" – the Word of God is more important. The truth is more important. Jesus Christ and our brothers and sisters in His Church are more important than this life or this world or anything in it.
"For what will it benefit someone if he gains the whole world yet loses his life?"
Matthew 16:26a CSB
We're only here for the blink of an eye. And we who believe are only still here for Jesus Christ. It seems a long slog at the time, of course, and it's easy to let our eyes drift from the prize. But those who have seriously committed not only to believe in Christ but to actually pick up our crosses and follow Him will, in the end, keep coming around to the right orientation of pleasing our Master and resultant heavenly reward and NOT looking for the things of this world to make us happy. Only Jesus Christ, His truth, and our fellowship with our brethren can truly fulfill us and make us happy. Everything else is a myth.

It's a pleasure to campaign with a good Christian soldier like yourself, my friend! Thanks again for the wonderful words.

In Jesus,

Bob L.
Question #6:
Hello Dr. Luginbill,

I am presently reviewing/studying your Tribulation Part 2B.

This is absolutely an amazing revelation that you have given in this study regarding Visions, etc.

I do have some remarks:

1. Abraham was visited by three Angels, one of which was Jesus. I know from your studies that I can remember that Angels can take on physical bodies, and I am sure that Jesus came in that earthly physical body also. 

Now, Abraham was still in his body, and was able to see the three Angels.

W have had some experiences that are absolutely amazing.

I was on an assignment in Washington, D.C for a while, and one Day we visited a restaurant in Virginia. When we came out of the restaurant to go back to our home, I got into the car to start it, and found that the battery was dead. We got out of the car and opened the hood, and suddenly a man came up to our car, very nicely dressed. He asked us if we needed help, and we said yes. He had a beautiful black Mercedes car. He came next to our car with some cables to put on our car to start it. He told me to get into our car, and start it, and it did, but when we got out of the car after it started, this kind man looking person was gone, car and all. We did not see him leave. 

We were the only ones on the parking lot, because we were the last to leave the church; it was on a Sunday.

__ also had a very interesting experience. One day she went to a friend, and on the way, it was raining. There was two sharp turns that she had to make and as she was completing the first turn when suddenly another car came around that same sharp turn from the other side. He stopped his car and asked if she was okay, and she was, but here is what was interesting that she related to me. When the man stopped his car and got out and asked if she was okay. The amazing part of this story is: he said that he hit the car, and damaged her car, but there was no damage at all to the car. She said she heard glass breaking, and also thought her car was damaged. There was no damage to either car, and no broken glass.

Amazing things we have experienced that are unexplainable.

About 10 years ago, she was in the hospital because of low Magnesium and another important substance. She was given these through an IV Transfusion. I came to her room one day, and she told me that she experienced seeing 5 visions on the wall of the Hospital, they were like movies on television. One came to pass about the man-nurse. So, that is what I wanted to share with you.

Amazing, is all I can say.

This teaching is a great help in getting to understand more and more.

Blessings to you for you excellent teachings, as always.

Your friend,
Response #6:
As I often say, I don't judge or weigh in on anyone else' spiritual experiences. No doubt God gives us all memorable experiences to encourage us. We experience what we experience, but we strong believers understand that our faith relies on the truth. For the truth is more real than anything we could ever see or hear or feel. Peter saw the second advent, but he tells us that the Word of God is "more certain" for him and for us even that such unquestionably miraculous visions (2Pet.1:19).

And, after all, of course the Lord is looking out for us. If we were going to be smashed in some accident and it doesn't happen, is that not from the Lord? We know He's looking out for us whether or not we are given to see an angel turning the disaster away from us. And with proper faith, it's one and the same thing. 
Be not forgetful to entertain strangers: for thereby some have entertained angels unawares.
Hebrews 13:2 KJV
This puts things in a different way, but the underlying principle is the same. The Lord is involved in every single thing that happens to us, and there is a supernatural conflict raging beyond our vision. Of course we are being protected. But to take it a step further, everything that happens has been ordained and set forth in the perfect plan of God. He has made provision for our every step.
For he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways. They shall bear thee up in their hands, lest thou dash thy foot against a stone.
Psalm 91:11-12 KJV
If we are sometimes given to see a hint of this, well and good. But we would trust Him unto death in each and every case regardless, and we ought to keep in mind that but for His provision and protection the evil one would make short work of us one and all.

Thanks for sharing this, my friend!

In Jesus,

Bob L.
Question #7:
Hello Dr.,

In your DropBox you should find the latest audio files. I’ve redone BB parts 1 & 2 in the original British LLM voice, this will be the voice I use to finish all the books at Ichthys’s so please replace BB2B parts 1 &2 that I sent you last month with these. Turns out the voice I switched to cost as much as the original British voice (I had the filters set wrong). After setting up the filters correctly I ran through the more affordable TTS voices, which are much better than the original Ryan, but not quite as good as the British voice. Well, after having “top shelf” it’s hard to go lower, so I decided to go back. I’m able to purchase some extra characters every month so I estimate that I will have the BB series finished about this time next year with Exodus and Hebrews a few months after, God willing. Not sure what’s going to happen with YouTube. The platform I’m using now doesn’t have the audiogram feature and the stand-alone audiogram platforms that are available for a subscription price aren’t the best. I’ve tried a couple of options with horrible results, however, I still have a couple of ideas that may work, we’ll see. The good news is that everything uploaded to YouTube is complete and traffic is steady. 

Things here have been pretty much the same. Work has calmed a little bit, I’ve been keeping busy and out of sight (that helps), straightened up the yard and got the fire chopped and ready for winter, all I have left is the leaves and gutters and that should be happening soon. 

How are you Sir? I must say you were spot on in last weeks posting about how we (believers) are becoming more and more different from the secular and even the lukewarm. Thank you for posting that, I was beginning to think it was just me. I’ll have the next batch of files for you in about a month. Got you in prayer daily. Thank you for your teaching.

All the best, 

Rev.22:20
Response #7:
Thanks for these! All uploaded and tested OK. Glad to hear that you have figured this program out (it sounds like it's a moving target). I DO like this voice the best. Did you and __ ever exchange thoughts?

Things are going OK. Getting towards the end of the semester here. Spent a lot of the day getting to some of the last necessaries. Had to invent two new courses to please the administration since they were cancelling the other ones. If that seems to make no sense then you passed the test. Anyway, I'm happy to have the job.

Getting down to the end of Hebrews chapter ten. I was hoping to have it done before Thanksgiving, but it may spill over into winter break. Lots to do then, but at least I'll have a break from teaching. 

Praying for you both, for your health and for all other important things. Glad to hear your work is calmer too.

I appreciate your friendship! We do seem to be living in a more and more alien world.

In Jesus,

Bob L.
Question #8:
I did speak with him. He was under the impression that there was no money available to continue with the audiobooks and offered to help out financially so that I could complete all your books on the same platform with the same voice. I explained that wasn’t the problem and that the last platform provider went belly up and was no longer in existence but that I did find the same voice on another platform and God willing I would have everything complete in about a year and a half (just in time for the beginning of the final seven). He and his friends find the audiobooks helpful in there studies and I assured him that I have every intention to complete all your books. The Lord has provided enough for me to take care of the expense of this myself so I declined his offer. I’m grateful for brothers and sisters like these. It demonstrates that God always does have a remnant willing to do His will.

All the best,
Response #8:
I'm glad you two are in contact, even if the original basis was a misunderstanding.

I'm grateful for you, my friend! Your efforts in this regard have helped many of our brothers and sisters draw closer to the Lord.

Praying for you two daily.

In Jesus,

Bob L.
Question #9:
What are your barebones personal thoughts on Trump being president a 2nd term?

Awaiting your answer my friend.
Response #9:
Of course, everyone has opinions. We'd have to be super-human not to have them about all high profile celebrities, and some more than others. But this ministry is dedicated to seeking out the Lord's opinions, and then teaching them the best I can. When it comes to leaders, any leader, the Bible is very clear about our role as followers of Jesus Christ:
Let every person be subject to [all] superior authorities. For no authority exists which has not [been established] by God. And those that exist are [in turn] subject to God. Therefore whoever opposes [established] authority has taken a stand against God's [ordered] arrangement, and those who have done so will receive judgment upon themselves. For rulers do not exist to discourage good deeds through the fear they inspire, but rather evil ones. So do you wish to have no fear of the authorities? Then do what is good, and you will have praise from them. For they are ministering to God on your behalf for your [own] good. But if you do evil, beware, for they have not been invested with the power of punishment (lit., "the sword") for nothing. For they are ministering to God in the severe vengeance [they bring down] upon those who do evil. Therefore it is necessary to be subject [to authority] not only because of this severity, but also for conscience' sake.
Romans 13:1-5

Submit yourselves to every established human [authority] for the Lord's sake, whether to a king, as being sovereign, or to [other] executives, as being sent through Him for the purpose of reproving evil doers but for praising those who do good. For this is the will of God, namely, for you to muzzle the ignorance of foolish men by doing good, as free men, yet not using your freedom as a cloak for evil but as servants of God. Give respect to everyone, love the brotherhood [of believers], fear God, honor the king.
1st Peter 2:13-17
Believers may object and say something like, "but what about truly EVIL rulers? Surely they are an exception?" To which I reply, that the very government and rulers mentioned above were the Romans and (in Judea) the Jewish hierarchy subordinate to them, and we know from the book of Acts that the men who wrote these two passages, Paul and Peter, were mightily abused by the authorities and completely unjustly so. They were both persecuted, scourged, imprisoned, and eventually put to death by them for no fault of their own whatsoever. In that context, whatever gripes we may have about our government and leaders pale in comparison. Very many of the believers in those days and in the decades to follow were severely persecuted as well (e.g. Rev.2:8-11; see the link). The Spirit was well aware that this was happening and would happen, and yet he commands Paul and Peter to deliver this very clear guidance. Not only that, but . . .
I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people—for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness.
1st Timothy 2:1-2 NIV
So we not only need to obey and respect and give honor to those to whom honor is due – in spite of our personal opinions – but we are also commanded to pray for them, even if they are bad. 

Even though I'm well aware that many will say, "I'm not going to pray for THAT person", (regardless of the person we're talking about), that makes perfect sense to me.  We cannot do a single truly significant and tangible thing to alter our situation when it comes to leadership or governance (nothing in the will of God, that is), God certainly CAN. So that He is the one we ought to be conferring with.
Many seek an audience with a ruler, but it is from the LORD that one gets justice.
Proverbs 29:26 NIV
As I've said many times, it's not profitable for believers to get upset with the current political regime or to put our hopes in it either. That was true of the former and all previous regimes as well; that will be true of the ones which follow too. We put our hope and our trust in the Lord – or at least we should. Because while WE are impotent, HE is omnipotent. And He does in fact bless nations and curse nations based upon the spiritual level of the population. If there is a sizeable remnant of believers in any country who are pursing spiritual growth, progress and production as they should, God honors that; He sees them as "salt" that preserves said nation; said nation will be blessed even with the worst imaginable government and leadership. But if there is no sizeable remnant, if the believers within any given nations are not doing their jobs but running after political solutions instead, letting themselves be distracted by politics to the point of abandoning spiritual growth, progress and production, then said nation is in danger of being cursed, even with the best imaginable government and leadership. So instead of being terribly upset (for those of one opinion), or giddy with anticipation (for those of another opinion), we believers need to realize that such things are in fact unimportant . . . relative to what it is we are supposed to be doing down here as followers of Jesus Christ.
"Salt is good, but if the salt loses its flavor, how will you season it? Have salt in yourselves, and have peace with one another."
Mark 9:50 NKJV
Here are some links on this:
Politics (in Hebrews chapter seven)
Blessing by Association
Politics and Political Action on the Eve of the Tribulation (the "salt" principle)
Politics versus Spiritual Growth I
Politics versus Spiritual Growth II
Culture and Christianity XI: Lying, Suicide, Tattoos, Investing, Drugs, Music, Family, Dating, Politics
Culture and Christianity X:  Military Service, College, Politics, and Race Relations
Culture and Christianity IX: Politics, Tithing, Music, Crucifixes, Alcohol, and Gambling
War, History, and Politics
Politics and Society in Satan's World System (in SR 4) 
Keeping you and your family in my daily prayers, my friend.

In Jesus,

Bob L.
Question #10:
Hi Bob,

Thanks for your swift reply. Yes the cameras are working great thank you! As they are visible (it lights up when filming and has a tamper alarm) then I am hoping that is enough of a deterrent to whoever is harassing us.

Most people on camera have been acting normal but there was one woman with a dog caught a few times acting weird by our house. She then walked past with someone with his hood pulled over his face and it sounds as though she says (on camera) 'that's them' or 'it's them' while they walk past. It isn't conclusive but they both wanted to avoid the camera filming them and no-one else has even noticed the camera (apart from postmen and delivery people).

Maybe this is enough to put the actual culprit off? I hope so. I will keep praying for our protection.

The sinister thing in the UK is that (even in mild weather) so many people wear disguises on their faces by pulling up hoods or wearing scarves and balaclavas. They know that the police use facial recognition tech so they go out of their way to avoid capture. 

Doesn't bode well for the Tribulation does it? Then again I don't suppose emergency services will be in operation at that point. Then again, survival is not what the Tribulation is all about for us believers is it. Not the survival of our flesh but the survival and blossoming of our faith!

Thanks so much for the emails today about Hebrews etc. I really enjoyed reading them and was much edified!

Your friend in Jesus,
Response #10:
I'm glad to hear this. That really is the best of all possible worlds, namely, troublesome situations which just stop without a confrontation (which is what you really wanted all along). God is good!

I'm grateful for your being wide awake in anticipation of what's coming. We all ought to be reminding each other of this, not for fear but for perspective. The Lord will bring us through if that is His will, and He will take care of us one way or another (Is.57:1).

In Jesus,

Bob L.
Question #11:
Dear Robert, 

Hope you are doing well and things are turning well with the new president.

The story of Balaam is confusing, was he the prophet of God or he was just a pagan diviner who knew about God? and God can not interact with a sorcerer Num 24:1. His story is quiet confusing.

Yours in the Lord 
Response #11:
Great to hear from you!

In terms of your question, Balaam represents a category of believer rarely mentioned in scripture but unfortunately all too common in real life, namely, those who start well but end poorly:
(20) "And he who was sown on the rocky places, this is the one who hears the Word and immediately receives it with joy. (21) He has no roots [to his faith], however, but lasts only a short time. So when tribulation or persecution occurs on account of the Word, he is immediately tripped up (i.e., he apostatizes)."
Matthew 13:20-21

(16) "And these [second types] who are sown on the rocky places are similar. Whenever they hear the Word they immediately receive it with joy, (17) although they have no root [of faith] in themselves, but are only temporary [believers]. When tribulation or persecution because of the Word comes [their way], they are immediately tripped up (i.e., they apostatize)."
Mark 4:16-17

"And those [whose seed of faith fell] on the rock do receive the Word with joy when they hear it. However these [types] have no root [to their faith]. They believe for a while, but in time of testing they apostatize."
Luke 8:13

Solomon also comes to mind although all indications are that he remained a believer, even though severely compromised.
“But he shall not multiply horses for himself, nor cause the people to return to Egypt to multiply horses, for the LORD has said to you, ‘You shall not return that way again.’ “Neither shall he multiply wives for himself, lest his heart turn away; nor shall he greatly multiply silver and gold for himself."
Deuteronomy 17:15-17 NKJV
Solomon violated all three of these commands in an excessive way and it definitely harmed his spiritual growth and witness.
"Did not Solomon king of Israel sin by these things? Yet among many nations there was no king like him, who was beloved of his God; and God made him king over all Israel. Nevertheless pagan women caused even him to sin."
Nehemiah 13:26 NKJV
King Uzziah is another such example. Scripture mostly focuses on believers and unbelievers. There are plenty of examples of unbelievers who are such from start to finish (the majority of the human race always), even if, like Esau, they had a blessed life. There are numerous examples of believers who stumble yet recover (Job, Elijah, Jeremiah, David, Peter, etc.), but not too many cases such as that of Balaam where the apostasy is described in detail. 
They have forsaken the right way and gone astray, following the way of Balaam the son of Beor, who loved the wages of unrighteousness;
2nd Peter 2:15 NKJV

Woe to them! For they have gone in the way of Cain, have run greedily in the error of Balaam for profit, and perished in the rebellion of Korah.
Jude 1:11 NKJV

“But I have a few things against you, because you have there those who hold the doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balak to put a stumbling block before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed to idols, and to commit sexual immorality."
Revelation 2:14 NKJV
Preferring money to God and seeking to seduce God's people to earn it is Balaam's sin and Balaam's pattern. Although he most definitely was a prophet of God, he preferred the profit of rebellion from God and hostility to Him to the eternal reward he might have earned (2Jn.1:8).
"Then Balak the son of Zippor, king of Moab, arose to make war against Israel, and sent and called Balaam the son of Beor to curse you. But I would not listen to Balaam; therefore he continued to bless you. So I delivered you out of his hand."
Joshua 24:9-10 NKJV
Balaam's prophecies are recorded as genuine – as he spoke only what God allowed him to speak, even when he thought to curse Israel for financial gain. From this and from the entire description of him prior to his journey to Moab, Balaam does appear to have been a genuine prophet of God – God speaks to him directly, a very rare thing indeed. But instead of prizing that relationship, Balaam allowed himself to be seduced completely and absolutely by the prospect of earthly reward. He turned away from the Lord and opposed Him and his people – something even a (literally) dumb ass would never do. He apostatized. He abandoned his faith. He turned from a believer into an unbeliever. And he has thus become proverbial for one who sells out eternal life for cheap and temporary substitutes.

So I don't find his story confusing. But it is appalling – and cautionary, given that during the Great Apostasy a very large number of believers will do the same, bowing to the beast for the sake a very small and very short amount of worldly comfort (e.g., Dan.8:10; Matt.24:4-14; 2Thes.2:3; and see the link).

N.b., in terms of "not interacting with sorcerers, God is in control of all things and uses all things to carry out the perfect plan which encompasses all things. He can do whatever He wills, and we have been given many examples in scripture of God making use of evil spirits and evil agents to carry out His will (see the link). Assyria, just for example.  She was "God's hammer" and He used her as He wished (to discipline Israel, et al.), then discarded her when she grew arrogant.
“Have you not heard? Long ago I ordained it. In days of old I planned it; now I have brought it to pass, that you have turned fortified cities into piles of stone. Their people, drained of power, are dismayed and put to shame. They are like plants in the field, like tender green shoots, like grass sprouting on the roof, scorched before it grows up. But I know where you are and when you come and go and how you rage against me. Because you rage against me and because your insolence has reached my ears, I will put my hook in your nose and my bit in your mouth, and I will make you return by the way you came."
Isaiah 37:26-29 NIV
I'm doing fine. What happens on the "macro political level" really doesn't affect me very much – except when it comes to people I know being very upset or dangerously elated. As I always counsel, believers should be very wary of getting involved in politics, and that certainly includes letting themselves get emotionally involved (even if not directly involved in the mechanics). Our King is in heaven and it is His kingdom we serve and eagerly await. Everything else is mere distraction.
But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ,
Philippians 3:20 NIV
In Jesus our King and our Lord,

Bob L.
Question #12:
Hi Bob and family,

You asked me to tell you the results of my latest aneurysm scan a few weeks ago – 6 months ago they were 38mm in diameter, they have grown 1mm to 39mm. 

I think I mentioned that my Doctor said that 40mm is his ‘cut off point’ and after that, an operation to put a stent in will be necessary, and at this point I’m thinking that I should trust what he says and have the op. I could get a few more years by having the op – I’ve always thought I would get to 86, on the other hand, not having the op and it bursts – that’s it.

And I thank you for your prayers in that regard.

And at 80 years old now, and reasonably fit, knowing that Tribulation is so close, I know, even in my own family, there is still more ‘work to be done’ and I want to be around to help them and any others through it – if He will grant it to me!

So many are unknowingly rushing to what ‘they know not what awaits them.’ And I know you are acutely aware of that as well.

I suppose you could say, I’m like a kid expectantly waiting on an exciting event – birthdays, Christmas – all manner of things, and I’m not looking forward to the Tribulation event, only that my desire is to be a help to others in any way I can.

Praying for your ministry as well.

As always my dear friend,
Response #12:
What a great attitude you have, my friend! Both in facing your own challenges and also in looking forward to what is just over the horizon.

Re: "my desire is to be a help to others in any way I can" Amen! And that is the way we all should be looking at the Tribulation, not in fear of what we may have to suffer personally, but in a desire to help our brothers and sisters hold the line of faith to glory and good pleasure of our Master who bought them and us with His blood. That will be our "op".
I, John, your brother and companion in the tribulation [now] and kingdom [then] and patience [the link between the two] of Jesus Christ . . .
Revelation 1:9a NKJV
Hebrews chapter ten just posted (link)!

In Jesus,

Bob L.
p.s., I'm praying for you and placed a prayer request on the Ichthys list. Keep up the good work with your own ministry, my friend!
Question #13:
Hi Bob and family,

Thank you so much for your prayers and kind words – your encouragement means a lot!

I have resigned myself through this ‘challenge’ that whatever His will is, that is what it will be, and neither I, or my Doctor have any control over that – I can only think of Paul’s words when he was faced with a similar situation – Philippians 1: 23, For I am in a strait betwixt two . . .

And really, there is no other choice other than to trust the Doctor in his expertise and leave it God’s hands.

It’s a waiting game until the next scan in another 6 months and at the rate they’re growing . . – unless God reverses the growth, of which I know, all things are possible with Him.

Again my thanks for your friendship Bob!

As always my friend,
Response #13:
That's a wonderful perspective, my friend!

If you can think and act in this relaxed way under pressure, you have really gotten somewhere in the Christian life.

You're a great example, John. I'll keep in mind the next time things blow up around here.

Keeping you in my prayers.

In Jesus,

Bob L.
p.s., our friend is also suffering from Lupus and kidney disease and has decided to forgo the operation on account of the associated risk factors involved – prayers for him appreciated.
Question #14:
Unrelated to my last message, but i am curious about one more thing for now.

Humans are unique from all other creatures not just because of a soul and free will, but we're just a "different" type of creature than anything else supposedly. So why did God use a clearly mammalian template for us, surely He could have made any other land dwelling body plan work right?

My only guess is this id just something we won't know this side of eternity. If you're just busy and can't respond that's fine just so you know, I just have a tendency to think I "drove you off" when there's days of delay.

God bless, and hope you have a good Christmas season
Response #14:
Sometimes you email me after COB on Friday and I generally do not have time to answer emails on Saturday because that is posting day.

The truly unique thing about human beings is that we have the image of God (link).

The human form is the template and everything else is derived in relation to it (not the other way around as evolution wrongly opines). The angelic form came first, of course, and it is exactly parallel except for of course the physical body we have. We do have to wait for some of these answers, but consider how perfect the human form is! There is a reason why in all of fiction almost aliens and other fantastical creatures are merely imitations and modifications of the basic form (or of animals). We humans have a wonderful imagination. How is it that we can't even in most fiction over so many thousands of years really imagine anything much different? I think that is an answer in and of itself.

Merry Christmas to your and yours too!

In Jesus,

Bob L.
Question #15:
Thanks so much for this encouragement Bob!

Back in the Bible again. There are two things that I need clarification on one issue from Hebrews and one from 1 Corinthians and how it will affect our behaviour going forward, especially during the Tribulation. (You can print this one)

Hebrews: it is the matter of the rebuilding of the Temple and the sacrifices and 1 Corinthians : it is about meat sacrificed to idols.

Starting with 1 Corinthians, the chapters 8 and 10 deal with food offered to idols. From what I understand from these chapters that there are obviously no other gods these idol offerings are given to but demons so we are not to be worried about these things in that all food comes from God but we may refrain for conscience's sake if we are convicted or if another brethren finds this a stumbling block. (Not sure about the comment about food served in the shambles? Presumably all the food there was offered to the idols?)

I know this doesn't seem to be a modern day problem for us but it may be increasingly. There have been many newspaper reports in England about the meat industry mainly using Halal meat for convenience sake. As part of the Halal ritual, the animal slaughtered is dedicated/ offered to Allah and we know Allah doesn't exist so this will be a demonic offering (maybe even to Satan himself).

So going forward, how should a Christian respond over the possibility of eating Halal meat?

I was also thinking of the religion that the Antichrist establishes, it will probably have food offerings etc so we should just completely stay clear of it all together? In Corinthians the Epistle is saying it is something we shouldn't worry about unless our conscience convicts us or the witness to another. We will need to avoid all of this during the Tribulation though right? What if all the food though by then is part of idol offerings?

I know that Hebrews deals with Christians who were going back to the sacrificial system. I know that is a really sinful thing to do as it is saying that Jesus' atonement was not enough (God forbid!) Won't the Two Witnesses though superintend the building of the Temple and the reintroduction of the animal sacrifices (indeed won't they also be present in the Millennium Kingdom?)

So how should Christians respond to this during the Tribulation? Will these sacrifices be done for the benefit of a witness to Israel of their sinfulness and their need of the one sacrifice that actually counts? So what will we be doing then? Will we need to avoid this at all costs because it will be a sin for us to be involved in this (as Hebrews states) so we just continue doing what we are already doing and not get involved with that side of God's plan?

I guess I am getting a bit confused because in Corinthians it states that food sacrificed to idols is not a sin to eat but I am sure it will be a problem once it becomes a part of the worldwide satanic religion.

Conversely in Hebrews, it states that it is a sin for us to get caught up in animal sacrifices and yet they will be brought back both by the Two Witnesses and also be part of the Millennium Kingdom.

I just want to have clarity on these two issues, food sacrificed to idols and the Temple animal sacrifices and how a Christian should respond to both during the Tribulation as I have become very confused about where there is liberty around this and where it becomes sinful?

Many thanks in advance my friend!

In Jesus,
Response #15:
Re: "shambles" meat having been offered to idols: that is generally the case since in ancient Greece and Rome there would generally be no slaughtering of animals EXCEPT for a sacrifice (this is one of the reasons that fish and shellfish are such delicacies: they are the one type of "meat" that does not labor under that restriction of having to have been sacrificed so no need to wait for some festival to have them).

Re: "how should a Christian respond over the possibility of eating Halal meat?" I would say in the way that Paul suggests: your friend says, "Don't you realize that Kabab was dedicated to Allah?" then you may want to say, "OK, then I won't eat it (thinking "for your conscience' sake, not mine"). However, I hasten to add that the perceptions of modern people are different and this is entirely a perception problem. Paul doesn't want weak believers tripped up. A weak Christian today might get tripped up by seeing you or me going into a mosque to get a gyros, but a deli is different and the "sacrifice" is different and not public . . . and as I say the perception is different (and that is at the root of the issue in the epistle). After all, if you lived in ancient Corinth, you could not NOT help see animals being sacrificed to pagan deities as there were temples and shrines everywhere. But I've never seen a Halal ceremony (honestly hadn't even heard of it before this). So I would be very reluctant to make this a problem until/unless it becomes a problem – again, one of tripping up a fellow believer who is genuinely and innocently disturbed on account of a "weak conscience" as Paul calls it (we are not going to allow ourselves to be bullied by hypocrites).

Re: "We will need to avoid all of this during the Tribulation though right? What if all the food though by then is part of idol offerings?" I think it's fair to conclude that we are not going to be expected to starve ourselves to death on account of any such regime. We are not to take the mark of the beast. That is what is prohibited (along with worship of him). We are certainly also not going to be participating in any of these religious rituals ourselves. But we also aren't going to be able to "go out of the world" (1Cor.5:10). Paul says at 1st Corinthians 8:13, "Therefore, if what I eat causes my brother or sister to fall into sin, I will never eat meat again, so that I will not cause them to fall" (NIV). Notice, "not eat meat", not "not eat anything". What he proposes to the Corinthians was annoying to some of them; it was not going to lead to starvation by any means. Meat was a luxury then as now.

Re: the two witnesses and the reestablishment of the temple rites. These will then have a different purpose than they did under the Law, and Moses and Elijah will make all this very clear as will the 144,000. So on the one hand, even though it may seem similar, it will be "apples and oranges". And on the other hand, the only ones participating in those rituals (and eating of them) will be Jewish believers who respond to their ministry in Israel. So I'm not sure what the difficulty is here (happy to have you explain this to me again). *By the way, I'm often asked about the "why?" of the millennial sacrifices and as I say of them (and these precursor sacrifices as well), they are memorials of Christ's sacrifice, not anticipations of them. After all, during the Millennium, Christ Himself will be enthroned in the holy of holies in the temple: 
"In those days, when your numbers have increased greatly in the land,” declares the LORD, “people will no longer say, ‘The ark of the covenant of the LORD.’ It will never enter their minds or be remembered; it will not be missed, nor will another one be made."
Jeremiah 3:16 NIV
Re: "but I am sure it will be a problem once it becomes a part of the worldwide satanic religion". Only if some weak believer is in danger of having his/her faith corrupted by seeing us eat. But again, eating itself is not a luxury, so if the scenario you assume does pan out (I would imagine rather that since the beast is mimicking the Law that the sacrificing will be mostly of animals and select other offerings, not absolutely all food all together), we would have carte blanche to eat anything we can get a hold of (that is likely to be the real problem, namely, getting enough to survive):
Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils; Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron; Forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from meats, which God hath created to be received with thanksgiving of them which believe and know the truth. For every creature of God is good, and nothing to be refused, if it be received with thanksgiving: For it is sanctified by the word of God and prayer.
1st Timothy 4:1-5 KJV
In this passage, it is precisely these false teachers of the Tribulation who will be telling people NOT to eat; but the Spirit says food is "nothing to be refused, if it be received with thanksgiving: For it is sanctified by the word of God and prayer".

Here's a link on God's provision for us believers during the Tribulation. He will provide for His own . . . even if He has to rain down manna from heaven to do it.

Happy to address any of this again, my friend.

In Jesus,

Bob L.
Question #16:
Hi Bob,

Would you mind if I went over this again? I don't know why this confuses me but I just want to understand it more clearly. I think the issue of confusion is that while God is not the god of confusion, Satan is. A lot of why this is confusing is that Satan wanted to make this a confusing deception whilst simultaneously mimicking the Most High as that is what he always craved, to have the same rituals and articles of worship himself for himself.

So to summarise about food. All food is now good to eat as long as we eat it in thanksgiving to the Lord. The only thing that may stop us eating is a weak conscience (due to immature faith) or that our eating may trip up a fellow believer and then it is better to refrain for their sake.

Obviously there is no such thing as 'pagan deities' and as the only meat available in Corinth had been sacrificed as part of a pagan ritual (which was visible to all), this was what was tripping up believers in Corinth but Paul was reassuring them that it wasn't a sin to eat such offerings as it was only food and the ritual was meaningless anyway. Is this right?

Also I am confused about fish being a delicacy? Was that just for Greece and Rome? Peter was a fisherman as a trade and fish is mentioned a great deal in the Gospels so I would assume that fish in Israel was conversely an affordable type of meat and a staple of their diet for the Jews given the fact that they did have dietary restrictions still operating during Jesus' life and ministry. The relationship with food only changed after the Lord's ascension and is discussed in the Book of Acts which is a transition book, whereby the Apostles and followers had to learn a lot about what living by grace and not by the law meant.

The reason for the dietary restrictions for the Jews in the first place was to set them apart from the pagan nations around them not because eating meat or not eating meat imparted some sort of spiritual blessing.

Being set apart outwardly was for the Jews before Christ's first advent. Being set apart now is about being inwardly different from others due to the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. It is the circumcision of the heart.

So any restrictions on eating anything has been lifted as we are now under a new and better covenant. Just as how Paul says that circumcision is nothing now and neither is uncircumcision. These outward signs where for the Jews only before Christ's advent and they have all now given way for the inner change (circumcision of the heart) due to the indwelling of the Spirit.

It was however tripping up weak believers in Corinth as the only meat available to eat was from a pagan ritual sacrifice which was a very visible part of the culture then.

So that would mean that if such pagan ritual meat sacrifices were to happen again during the Tribulation then we would still be able to eat whatever was available but only to refrain again if we had a weak conscience on it or we didn't want to create a stumbling block for a weak believer.

However, as you reminded me, the Bible says that during the Tribulation it will be the other way around, that dietary restrictions on meat will be brought in again (probably the same restrictions the Jews had under the law?) So despite that, we are to continue to eat whatever we come by without fear of it as long as we give thanks to the Lord.

So we will have complete freedom in food during the Tribulation just as we have now. Though of course we are to stay away from any rituals associated with food offerings instituted by the Antichrist. We are to carry on then just as we are now. Walking in the liberty of Christ and pursuing spiritual growth and ministry just as we are doing now. (So no change for us at all)

I guess this is the nub of the issue for me and it relates to my other point about the animal sacrifices coming back. All the Jews should now be walking in faith and liberty just as we are but for the most part they are not but that was part of the plan anyway to bring in the mystery age which was the church age of gentiles.

I am confused why the sacrifices will mean something different in the Tribulation? I know they will continue in the Millennium Kingdom as a memorial to point back to our Lord's sacrifice so what will it mean during the Tribulation?

So again the sacrificial system brought back by Moses and Elijah will be for the Jews only. I suddenly realised that the huge danger is that simultaneously the Antichrist will have a false system that will try to mimic this so it will be a time of great spiritual confusion.

So for us Christians we should a) obviously stay well away from anything to do with the Antichrist b) but we should also stay away from Moses and Elijah's ministry and the Temple sacrifices too as they are only for the Jews.

So there will be no change for us in the Tribulation will there? We just keep on as we already are.
It has made me wonder about all those Messianic people and the Hebrew Roots types. I know a lot of Christians have been pulled into this so they may be at risk from being deceived by the Antichrist or may be pulled into the Two Witnesses ministry. That would be ironic as the whole point of the Two Witnesses' ministry is to point the Jews to Christ as their Messiah.

I guess the reason I am confused is that things are different for us and the Jews at the moment but they will have a special ministering to during the Tribulation. Whilst the Antichrist will be trying his best to sabotage both Christians and Jews alike whilst deceiving the whole world.

We really need then to stand fast and sure and solidly now about all these things as having confusion and error in the Tribulation will be lethal!

So thanks for bearing with me over this. I guess it is the church age and the Jewish age being side by side entering the Tribulation together whilst the Jews are still pointing to the outward signs of faith but for us (it is the same faith!) but we have inward signs through walking by the Spirit. Satan has been fighting hard to confuse us all on this just as he was in Israel - book of Hebrews (over animal sacrifices under the law) and in Corinth - letter to the Corinthians (over pagan animal sacrifices).

Hopefully I haven't muddied the waters here more! Thanks again for your patience with me my friend!

In Jesus,
p.s. Sorry to labour over this. I realise that God's Word is eternal and never changes so that what is true for the book of Hebrews and 1 Corinthians then, is all still the same for us now and forever! I don't know why I got it in my head that things would be 'different' for us during the Tribulation. I guess because the Antichrist will be present in the flesh then I became nervous at the idea of eating food that was part of worship of him and Satan. It seemed sinful to me given the blatant arrogance against God but then 1 Corinthians will still apply in the Tribulation too!

It's better for me to iron out these creases and worries now and then have confidence as I don't want such things to trip me up in the Tribulation! As you write we will need to eat with thanks all the food that comes our way!

Thanks again my friend! 
Response #16:
Re: "reassuring them that it wasn't a sin to eat such offerings". I'm not sure it's a question of reassurance or warning off. Elsewhere Paul does caution against this practice:
What am I saying then? That an idol is anything, or what is offered to idols is anything? Rather, that the things which the Gentiles sacrifice they sacrifice to demons and not to God, and I do not want you to have fellowship with demons. You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons; you cannot partake of the Lord’s table and of the table of demons. Or do we provoke the Lord to jealousy? Are we stronger than He?
1st Corinthians 10:19-22 NKJV
So on the one hand we don't want to allow ourselves to be bullied out of doing reasonable and allowable things, especially if they are in some measure necessary. On the other hand, we also don't want to consider this a non-issue. 

Re: "fish": In the classical world, there was a communal aspect to society which is lacking in the modern world. A "barbecue" was a communal thing and usually only happened in conjunction with a pagan sacrifice – of which there were many (the Romans had more holidays then even the French). Also, everyone was supposed to participate. So there was very little meat-eating outside of this context. By the time of the New Testament, things were getting more complex in this regard, but we do still see in Corinth that all the meat available to non-farmers is coming from the temple sacrifices, so that the connection is intimate. Not having this avenue always available, especially in earlier centuries, led gourmands to seek others, and fish/shellfish was the obvious alternative. This mindset/situation continues into Roman-era times (the same sort of situation obtained in Rome as well). So it's not that fish/shellfish are necessarily better (or a definite delicacy per se) but that they are not regulated by any sort of religious scruples.

In terms of the Law versus the New Covenant, that is correct: there are now no restrictions on food as Peter was taught very clearly: "Rise and kill and eat" as he was told. But here as well there may be time where someone might want to refrain so as not to give offense. If I were going to a potluck at a Jewish colleague's house, I would not bring "pulled pork", for example. 
For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.
Romans 14:17 NIV
We have to eat, but we are aware that these things are not spiritual matters. We don't want to engage in sinful excess and we don't want to cause offense, either to gentiles (eating something that was sacrificed or dedicated or had in some way something to do with paganism or some other religion) or to Jews (eating things proscribed by the Law). But we also know that this is in fact a non-issue in terms of spirituality, so we have no problem eating and drinking whatever is available if these circumstances don't apply, and we also do allow others to bully us so as to refrain if it would not really be a case of an offense to the weak but merely a response to manipulation from legalists of one stripe or another.
This matter arose because some false believers had infiltrated our ranks to spy on the freedom we have in Christ Jesus and to make us slaves. We did not give in to them for a moment, so that the truth of the gospel might be preserved for you.
Galatians 2:4-5 NIV
Re: [during the Tribulation] "We are to carry on then just as we are now." I don't see any indication of things being otherwise for us present day gentile believers. Whether or not the restoration ministry of Moses and Elijah will require dietary restrictions from those who respond – as Israel begins to take the lead again during those seven years – remains to be seen. But if these are revived, they would not apply to us gentile believers.

Re: "so what will it mean during the Tribulation?" The symbolic meaning will be the same as in the Millennium, it seems to me, since the cross is a completed reality now as it will still be during the Tribulation and the Millennium. The commencement of the Tribulation will not invalidate the book of Hebrews, e.g.

Re: "That would be ironic": I don't think it will be a problem, at least not one of information. I cannot imagine that the two witnesses' ministry will be anything but crystal clear, both in the meaning of these matters and to whom they applies. The best parallel to this is the letter that the elders of the Jerusalem church sent to the gentile churches in Acts chapter 15, letting them know that if they merely abstained from those pagan practices which were the most offensive to Jews, all would be well. There was a distinction then; there is one now; there will be also during the Tribulation – even though we are all one in Christ, then, now and in the future.

Re: "it is the same faith!" Amen! And that is the main point. As Paul said . . .
. . . since there is only one God, who will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through that same faith.
Romans 3:30 NIV
Whether "by faith" in following the Law, or "through that same faith" in not observing the Law, it is the faith which the Law exemplifies and which finds liberation in the Spirit by/through which we are all saved who believe in Jesus Christ. All these other issues are footnotes.

No worries! I'm happy to hear from you always, my friend.

In Jesus,

Bob L.
Question #17:
Hi Bob,

This is the thing though...It should be simple then (the food issue) and often we want everything tied up with a neat bow but that doesn't take into account that the Gentile believers are under grace whilst the Jews are under the law. It also doesn't take into account weak believers and legalistic ones. Also the living reality that we have an adversary who is fighting against any progress we make in the Lord through a bitterly fought spiritual war which deliberately causes both chaos and confusion.

So back with the food issue again (food sacrificed to pagan Idols that is). As they are (after all) offered to demons, we have to tread carefully and try to avoid this practice all together if we can. We are not expected to starve to death because of it but simultaneously we should avoid it wherever possible. So that would mean trying to eat other things that weren't sacrificed but we are not expected to do without if that is all there is. Would you say that was a more accurate summary?

Similarly if the choice was meat sacrificed to idols and none meat items that weren't and we were with a weak believer, then it would be better to do without meat but not because some bossy legalist told us too? 

So we should be careful and sensitive on this issue and not cavalier about it as we try our best to avoid it altogether but it shouldn't make us fearful and push us to starve to death. So it is having the right godly perspective on this whilst also being sensitive to other's perceptions of it? Would that be a better interpretation? I guess I am nervous/mindful that the Tribulation will be a legalistic and confusing minefield to live through.

All of this came about after reading Hebrews and then 1 Corinthians and also that article about Halal meat. It also reminds me of when I first became a Christian and the internet was awash with legalism and false teaching on things that made me fear I had pins and needles salvation.

Of course I am much more mature now and understand a lot of things I didn't before. I guess I am also understanding that sometimes there are situational 'in the moment' problems given the fact that Satan and his minions have deliberately tried to make such situations as difficult to navigate as possible.

Of course the Word intimates that rather it will be the abstaining of certain meats that will form part of the Antichrist's religion but maybe also having permitted meats allowed as part of a ritual sacrifice and possibly a feasting. I guess we will have to wait and see on this.

I know though I shouldn't be nervous ahead of time of such things and that as long as I am reading the Word and seeking the Lord and not being cavalier or arrogant about such things that He will safely carry me (us all) through whatever is thrown at us.

Many thanks in advance my friend!

In Jesus,
p.s.
So in summary...If we were starving to death and there was only meat sacrificed to idols available, then we should eat it but if we weren't starving and there were multiple options of what to eat, that we should avoid the foods that had been sacrificed to idols? So then it would be what the circumstances were would dictate our attitude towards it? 
p.p.s. Ah! I think I understand now by re-reading your original email about the shambles! I know so little about ancient culture and I am only just beginning to understand through the Bible (as I have had no other education on it). I have decided to sit down and re-read through 1 Corinthians 8-10 again as for some reason I was really struggling to understand but I think now I do (hopefully!) Would you mind if we go through this again with your previous comments and the Bible as my lack of ancient culture knowledge has really put me at a disadvantage.

So (please correct me if I am wrong on this) in Corinth they only ever ate meat when it had been ritually sacrificed as part of some public pagan religious ceremony. Once this feast had occured then the leftover meats from this sacrifice feast was then sold in the shambles (market place).

So 1 Cor 10:25 Paul is saying that they can eat meat that is sold in the shambles (market) as long as they don't ask whether it was sacrificed to idols or not (for conscience sake). Also in 1 Cor 10:27 Paul says that they can eat at a feast with an unbeliever as long as they don't ask where the meat came from. If they are told it was an idol sacrifice then they are not to eat it.

So when the Lord says that all meats are clean to eat, that literally means all meats including meat that was part of an idol sacrifice. The important part then is whether other people misunderstand what that means as it may be seen that Christians worships idols too? 

So it isn't the eating of the food that is the issue but what this shows to non-believers and weak believers, that it doesn't cause them to stumble and then sin.

An example being that a young and weak believer may see a mature believer eating meat from an idol sacrifice and because of this feel emboldened to attend the idol sacrifice itself. Obviously this would be sinful as it is a feast to honour demons.

So it is not as if the meat is tainted or has any spiritual ramifications but that it may give the wrong idea to unbelievers and weak believers to make it look like idol sacrifices are okay (when they are not).

This is a very complicated issue to understand given that we don't have such things today. 

So the meat is okay to eat as long as either a) the person has nothing to do with the ritual itself b) that they don't ask where the meat came from c) that if they do ask/find out it was from an idol sacrifice that they don't eat for both conscience's sake and for those who may see them do so and misunderstand d) that it is best to try to avoid this situation as much as possible and eat other things unless there are no other options.

I now see why you wrote that it is different to pick up Halal meat at a deli than eating it in a mosque. If you eat it in a deli (just like eating it from the shambles) then it doesn't have the same pagan connotations. Whereas eating it in a mosque as part of their sacrificial feastings is a huge difference as you are actually showing people you agree with their deity despite knowing it is to honour demons instead.

Have I 'got there' in the end?!

It's about love though as well isn't it. That we don't use our freedoms to trip other people up or cause them to sin and have stumbling blocks to their understanding of the Word.

Like Paul says that all things are permitted but not all things are profitable. So with this eating meat situation, the meat itself isn't a problem, it is the environment in which it is eaten and also who the onlookers are and whether the person who is eating it knows where it came from or not.

So it isn't a sin to eat meat from an idol sacrifice as long as you don't take part in the ritual itself and you don't know (if you have a weak conscience) but also if you do know, it is better not to eat if it gives another person the wrong perception.

This seems so complex to me! I guess the bottom line that I still want to know...If I ate meat from an idol sacrifice and I knew it was from an idol sacrifice (but didn't take part in the ritual itself) would I be sinning against God?

Thanks for bearing with me over this Bob. I am finding this so hard to get my head round. I just want to know in the main if it is a sin or not!

In Jesus,
Response #17:
First, apologies for just getting to this. Typically I don't get to emails I don't see after COB Friday until sometime on Sunday.

Yes, that is it exactly. It's not about the food per se. We appreciate whatever the Lord gives us (1Tim.4:4; cf. Mk.7:19). Not all meat was necessarily sacrificed, but a good deal of it was even by this time (i.e., if you were an urban Christian rather than a farmer as most of that first generation seems to have been as far as we can judge from scripture). So being invited to someone's house it could go either way (i.e., they might have their own "farm source"). Not eating when a weak believer mentions this to you, namely, that it is sacrificed meat, is an act of love – not an act of conscience about the meat itself. Expanding on this, however, we also point out that we are not going to allow a legalistic person to bully us into never eating meat if we have no other source of the nutrition we require. We have to take all such things on a case by case basis. But indeed it is not the food per se since all food that is genuinely edible is a gift from God and we receive it with thanks. No human or even demonic force can cause food to be "unholy". We do NOT participate in their evil rites. And we do not throw stumbling blocks into the way of others. But we are not at all concerned about some food being good and some bad in a spiritual sense (n.b., this is obviously different from checking the freshness date, etc.).

So it really isn't complex . . . once we see what the true issue is: the spiritual welfare of our brothers and sisters, not "food".

But do feel free to write me back about any of this.

In Jesus,

Bob L.
Question #18:
Hello Dr. Luginbill,

Seems to me that 2026 is the year that we will see the beginning of the Trib. just like you said.

Earthquakes, there were 8 of them in just one day in Missouri.

There were other earthquakes, in California 7.0 one. That is somewhat strong.

Not long now, I am still preparing for it, by studying everyday.

Thank you sooooo much for all your teachings.

Blessings to you.

Your friend,
Response #18:
I heard about the 7.0. Yes that IS a big one. The Northridge quake in '94 was only 6.7. I was in a hotel in Newport Beach when it hit in the middle of the night, and it seemed like, after I had vaulted out of bed and positioned myself in the door frame, that it took forever before it stopped. I remember that the water sloshed violently out of the toilet bowl from the shaking. I was sure that building was coming down, and I was in the middle floors somewhere. Wouldn't want to experience a 7.0 . . . or worse. Worse is definitely coming (see the link).

But there have been lots of quakes before. We will know when the actual Tribulation hits for sure.
Then the angel took the censer, filled it with fire from the altar, and hurled it on the earth; and there came peals of thunder, rumblings, flashes of lightning and an earthquake.
Revelation 8:5 NIV
The one above will be felt around the world (how's that for magnitude?). But I imagine that even with the above, many will be in denial about the Tribulation having started – probably even a great many believers (since there won't have been any "rapture").

Thanks for your faithfulness, my friend!

Keeping you and your family in my daily prayers.

In Jesus,

Bob L.
Question #19:
Hi Bob,

On a separate issue...

Am just reading through this week's posting and was struck by the communication with your Catholic friend and so was urged to comment. I realise how difficult it is to witness to and instruct Catholics so I realise you have to really tread carefully. That it is a balancing act between love of the person you are trying to reach whilst simultaneously trying to uphold the truth without compromise. I admire your gentleness in this respect. I have found it so hard to succeed with this balance with my family. I am happy for you to print this email tactfully with redactions. As your friend no doubt reads these emails, I will leave it to you to decide which parts to leave out.

There are two things that leapt out at me.. Firstly.. The appointing of two different offices to both Peter and Paul puzzled me at first but then I realised that Catholics believe in something called 'Papal succession'. They believe that Peter was the first Pope due to a misunderstanding of petra/petros. They think that Jesus called Peter the rock and that Jesus was building the church on Peter and giving him the keys of heaven. That is why in Catholic iconography they depict images of keys and Peter with keys. Of course, Jesus is the rock NOT Peter. This is typical of Catholic twisting of scripture though. They are notorious for taking one line of scripture out of context and building on it to create a completely unfounded doctrine. 

At this point they jettison the Bible completely and build on false teaching with encyclicals and bulls and creeds formed at their councils. Another example of this is that they teach falsely that the Restrainer to be removed before the start of the Tribulation is 'St. Michael the Archangel'. So then they build other separate teachings about Michael too. They always have to go beyond scripture because scripture never confirms their teaching on any of these things.

I often found Catholic teaching to be 'strange'. When I say strange I mean there is no logical or Biblical sense to what they teach. They are completely off kilter to what the Bible actually teaches. Sometimes we can read scripture and be confused about a passage and we can ask a pastor for help and we are guided by the Holy Spirit. When we do this we come to the correct understanding which makes perfect sense as it fits in with the rest of the Word perfectly. Catholic errant teachings do not continue on smoothly with the scriptures. They stick out like sore thumbs and because they are so left-field from the rest of scripture, they then have to go away and form councils to back up false teachings so that their followers then believe it unquestionably with fear. Obviously papal infallibility gives weight to these false teachings.

It makes no sense for Jesus to build the faith on Peter as Peter is obviously not God and not the promised Messiah Saviour. Similarly for the Bible to suddenly promote one archangel above all others to have such an important job in the fulfillment of God's plan and the culmination of human history is also jarring with the rest of Scripture. No, it makes perfect sense that God as the Holy Spirit is the Restrainer. 

Another false teaching of Catholics is the deification of Mary. They claim to only venerate her but in truth worship her as a goddess. As Catholics call Mary the 'Queen of Heaven' there are many who read Jeremiah 44:15-30 and point out that this title refers to a pagan goddess who angers God as His people worshipped her. In my Unger commentary book (Old Testament vol II pg 1445) she is described as being the Baylonian-Assyrian goddess Ishtar, goddess of the star Venus (corresponding to the Canaanite Astarte, Greek Aphrodite, and Roman Venus).

Ishtar is often depicted alongside a crescent moon just like the Catholic depiction of Mary. The famous Botticelli painting of Venus shows her rising out of a seashell out of the sea. Another Catholic title for Mary is 'Our Lady Star of the Sea' or 'Stella Maris'. As Venus/Ishtar is also associated with an eight pointed star which they call the 'morning star'. Lucifer is connected to the term 'morning star' Isaiah 14:12. So we can uncomfortably see a connection in Catholicism to whom they call Mary with Venus/Ishtar and Lucifer. This should be enough to give any Catholic some pause for thought especially seeing as the Bible never gives any of these titles to the real Mary. Even my Catholic __ admitted that Constantine couldn't completely get rid of Roman paganism so he amalgamated these things with Christianity.

Again the worship of Mary is because they blow out of proportion one line of scripture: 'all generations shall call me blessed.' Luke 1:48 From that one line of scripture a whole religious doctrine of Mariology was born. I hasten to add at this point this is how all cults operate.

Another thing of note. Catholicism has a very strong link to witchcraft. I know your friend spoke of experiencing a desert within faith. Well this is the very typical dry experience of Catholics. It is not surprising that most of them supplement the dry empty rituals with dabblings in the Occult world. Most Catholics I know are not averse to palm readings, tarot and mediumship. It is not unusual for them to attend seances.

Italy, Ireland and South America are strongholds for Catholicism. In Ireland, the fortune tellers have tables on the streets right outside the churches so Catholics go straight from the Mass to have their palms read. The Irish are a very superstitious people. My family are Irish on both sides and all my grandparents and great grandparents put horseshoes on the wall 'for luck'. Believed that 'iron on the wall keeps the devil away'. They would religiously throw spilled salt over their shoulders, knock on wood for luck etc. I think they also believed in lucky rabbit's feet. Of course these are all pagan beliefs but paganism and Catholicism go hand in hand. Like your friend says, they crave the mystical and paranormal.

I can't speak for Italy today but in the famous film 'The Bicycle Thieves' (1948) a woman and man have their bicycle stolen. At one point they go to the Catholic church to pray for it and at another they go to the fortune teller for advice. Ironically it is the advice of the fortune teller that they follow. This film is seen as a masterpiece of Italian Neo-Realist cinema where filmmakers use non-actors in realistic documentary style films. These films didn't depict the fantastical but the everyday realities of Italian life post war. I am saying this as obviously fortune tellers for Catholics in Italy was at least a normal and typical practice in 1948. I can't speak for today but I can only imagine things have worsened since then.

If you look at the Catholics in South America they have a strong connection to Voodoo which they call 'Santeria'. Did you know that the 'Day of the Dead' festival merges both Catholicism and Santeria so much that it is hard to know where one ends and the other begins.

I know that all in all this is very damning of Catholicism. Most Catholics have never opened their Bibles. I was never told to read it as a child. We were given 'Good News Bibles' as children but fear was put into us to never read it. They told us the book was very dangerous as only Catholic priests could understand it. When I first became a Christian I bought a copy of the KJV for both my family. It shocked me but both of them wouldn't physically touch it! It really upset me but they viewed it with horror as though the actual book would explode in their hands. Catholics are brought up to be frightened of reading the Bible themselves but if you question them about it, sadly they will lie about it. They tend to lie about their religion a lot to justify the weird and superstitious practices. 

Just to show that how I have presented Catholicism is not unique to my family, Pope Francis himself said the following on Wednesday 25th June 2014..

“There are those who believe they can maintain a personal, direct and immediate relationship with Jesus Christ outside the communion and the mediation of the Church. These are dangerous and harmful temptations.”

So there you have it from the head of the Catholic church. Catholics are taught that a relationship with Jesus Christ outside Catholicism is dangerous. The sad fact is that Catholics do not have a relationship with Jesus Christ anyway and if they were ever to have one, then like me they would walk away from Catholicism for good as they realise how mislead and deceived they were when they read the Bible for themselves. Obviously the making the Bible available to all through brave men such a William Tyndale was so important to the Reformation and was seen correctly as a direct attack on papal control and authority.

After an accumulation of study for my ministry, Roman Catholicism undoubtedly uses cult tactics to keep people in fear and 'in the faith'.

I will leave this email with you Bob to decide which parts to share or redact.

In Jesus,
Response #19:
Thanks for this.

I think the veneration of Peter was originated by a need within the Roman church to validate its (supposedly) superior authority vis-à-vis the other major Mediterranean churches of the early centuries rather than merely a misunderstanding. In other words, the myth of a papacy stretching back to the first century bolstered its pseudo-authority when it is doubtful that anyone, even at Rome, saw that church as the mother church much before the sixth century. It is a foundation myth.

Re: "Michael", this is essentially Gnosticism. And unfortunately there are a good number of evangelicals who likewise misinterpret that passage in 2nd Thessalonians chapter two. The more people are worried about – or fascinated with – angels, "saints" and "special" human beings like Mary, the less they will be turning their attention to our Savior and His truth. So this is all deliberate as well. Clearly, the evil one is ultimately behind all this, but also from an organizational point of view, superstition supported by neglect of the Bible is a powerful "glue" to keep adherents associated, supportive, and giving. The truth might cause them to question the organization and its leadership.
Now a great sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a garland of twelve stars.
Revelation 12:1 NKJV
The woman, obviously, is Israel, not Mary (cf. Rev.12:6ff.). But since the woman gives birth to the Messiah (Rev.12:2-5), this passage was a natural one to support that particular false doctrine of venerating our Lord's human mother.

I've always maintained that anyone genuinely seeking the truth would eventually gravitate to the Bible, the only source of truth outside of natural revelation. And anyone who reads the Bible in earnest will be led to salvation and to the right path to follow Christ. So in the end it really is all about what's in the heart of the individual. So why does God allow such false teaching? 
And He said, “To you it has been given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God, but to the rest it is given in parables, that ‘Seeing they may not see, And hearing they may not understand.’"
Luke 8:9-10 NKJV

Therefore, to you who believe, He is precious; but to those who are disobedient, “The stone which the builders rejected Has become the chief cornerstone,” and “A stone of stumbling And a rock of offense.” They stumble, being disobedient to the word, to which they also were appointed.
1st Peter 2:7-8 NKJV
In Jesus,

Bob L.
Question #20:
Thanks Bob,

I realise that Satan always imitates God. Sometimes it is a straight copy and sometimes he twists things to lose the true meaning and sometimes he outright inverts the truth into an outright lie. It's always lies of course but they are not always blatant. Sometimes they are blatant though, at the other end of the spectrum, they can also be so subtle to almost fool even the elect (Matt 24:24) I realise that about the prophesy of the woman (Israel) with the moon and the stars. Well Satan has stolen this and misapplied this symbolism to pagan beliefs and now Catholicism (which is arguably pagan now anyway).

The more and more I think about it, the more I think the heart of my ministry will be to address the basic machinations of how Satan operates through his lies. Be them very subtle counterfeiting deception and twisting the truth into something that leads to error to arrogant and outright lies. I think a shot across this particular bow is much needed ammo against his war on truth.

Speaking of dangerous deception..have you seen the latest from the pope? He has put an Palestinian shawl (a keffiyeh) around a figurine which is meant to be Jesus in the Nativity scene. 

https://www.israelhayom.com/2024/12/08/vaticans-nativity-scene-features-jesus-in-kaffiyeh/

I have heard before that people are now claiming that Jesus is actually Palestinian?! I guess this is just to justify further anti-semitism and persecution of Israel. I notice how the enemy is trying to push Christians away from Israel. Sadly some have already succumbed to these lies. Though I do know there has been rampant anti-semitism in the Catholic church for a very long time with their false belief that they have supplanted Israel (which is a view that sadly even some evangelicals now hold.)

Is it true that Rushdoony popularised the false teaching of replacement theology?

I said before that __ was already pro-Palestine and anti-Israel whilst simultaneously doubting the Bible and coming against me for my faith. I have taken great distance from her now but continue to pray for her.

Many thanks for your continued support and fellowship my friend! 

In Jesus,
Response #20:
Looking forward to seeing your ministry blossom – there is a great need for an outreach like this.

Re: "I notice how the enemy is trying to push Christians away from Israel". That is true, but the evil one always also seems to be working both sides of the room, so to speak. There are a lot of disturbing trends among the right-wing who are ardent supporters (as you know quite well). First, there is the problem of not recognizing the difference between God's Israel and the current secular state; second, there is the problem of falsely distinguishing between Israel and the Church (not sure what exact role Rushdoony has played – this has been a problem for a long time irrespective of "replacement theology"). We avoid antisemitism at all costs, and it is certainly fine to admire the pluckiness of the Jewish state in face of so much opposition and so many external dangers, but we also recognize that there are practically no believers in Jesus Christ therein.

One reason why this is important is that by being on both sides of this issue, the devil can more easily co-opt those inclined to fear/hate the other side into getting involved on the opposite side . . . and in the end they are all dancing to his tune.

Keep up the good work for Jesus Christ, my friend!

In Him,

Bob L.
Question #21:
Thanks Bob,

Yes the enemy plays both sides! Absolutely! A lot of the Dominionist camp have bought into Trump as a 'new Cyrus' because his face was minted on some Temple coins by the Sanhedrin back in 2018!

https://www.timesofisrael.com/israeli-group-mints-trump-coin-to-honor-jerusalem-recognition/

Incidentally I think such actions show us that the idea of a uber-technocratic cashless future was probably deliberately deceptive bunk. I was probably wrong that we will go back to some agrarian serfdom again but I don't think being ruled by robots will be the reality either. I think it won't look too different to now with only the threat of these things hanging over us whereas a ground up revolution, preserving national boundaries may well be the deception to empower the Antichrist. His dreams of global control being realised through a one world religion which will give the appearance of preserving national sovereignty. That's my latest two cents but even that may change...

In Jesus,
Response #21:
Yes, I suspect the future before our Lord's return will be somewhere in between technological collapse and robot-rule. If the Tribulation begins in couple of years, there probably won't be time for either extreme on the tech side. Things will be bad enough with the tech we've got.

Those NAR types are really dangerous. QAnon with a Bible in one hand and a crypto coin in the other. On the latter, this really amazes me. Warren Buffet, whom I certainly do not admire or follow (but he has been right about a few things), called Bitcoin "rat poison" – and yet . . . Personally, for me, crypto is the canary in the coal mine. If crypto collapses, hold onto your hat. Until then, the games go on.

We have yet to see the exact parameters or outlines of the beast's system. He himself is not prophesied to be revealed until after the Tribulation begins (the Spirit is currently holding him back: 2Thes.2:3-8). So my guess is we will all be surprised about many things – not the outline of the truth which will occur exactly as scripture says, but the "texture" of the actual experience of it (for want of a better term).
But we are citizens of heaven, where the Lord Jesus Christ lives. And we are eagerly waiting for him to return as our Savior.
Philippians 3:20 NLT
In Jesus,

Bob L.
http://ichthys.com/