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