http://www.thetruthexamined.com/index.htmlTEM Commentaryeninfo@thetruthexamined.comCopyright 2008-2010 thetruthexamined.com2010-09-19T12:37:23-06:00 hourly 1 2000-01-01T12:00+00:00 Sat, 14 Jun 2008 20:59:32 -0600info@thetruthexamined.comNone2010-09-19T12:37:23-06:00http://www.thetruthexamined.com/commentary/files/99a03246a26021a0a9c2fcb84a834c84-61.html#unique-entry-id-61http://www.thetruthexamined.com/commentary/files/99a03246a26021a0a9c2fcb84a834c84-61.html#unique-entry-id-61It is time to speak plainly. It is time to talk about the doctrinal myths that exist. It is time for the truth to be known. Are you ready to be honest with yourself? Are you ready to prove for yourself what the scriptures reveal? Really? Well then…hang on!

Myth: Eternal punishment in a burning hell.

It is amazing to me, that people believe Our Father wants to see people writhe in agony for all of eternity! I have even heard some people speak of this, as though they are delighted that people will be punished and suffer. Is that the attitude of Yehovah? Let us see…

2 Peter 3:9-10

9 Yehovah is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.
10 But the Day of Yehovah will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat; both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up.

It is NOT HIS WILL that any should be destroyed! Think about it…man is created in the image of the Creator. Why would Yehovah want to see man, His creation, destroyed? Notice that it says destroyed, not punished eternally in hell. Hell is a fable of man. The earth will be burned up along with the wicked and incorrigible.

What is the penalty then for those who willfully sin and refuse to live by the Word of Yehovah?

Romans 6:23

23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of Yehovah is eternal life in Messiah Yeshua our Master.

Death! They will cease to exist for eternity. Notice it does not say eternal punishment. The reward for the people of Yehovah is eternal life, but the penalty for those who choose to sin…eternal death. They earn it, that is their wages for a life of sin.

Revelation 20:6

6 Blessed and holy is he who has part in the first resurrection. Over such the second death has no power, but they shall be priests of Yehovah and of Messiah, and shall reign with Him a thousand years.

There is a second death. The first death is a physical death, but the second death is eternal. There is no punishment and torture forever in some hell…that would still be eternal life right?

Revelation 20:13-15

13 The sea gave up the dead who were in it, and Death and Hades delivered up the dead who were in them. And they were judged, each one according to his works.14 Then Death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. 15 And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire.

Those who are not in the book of life will be thrown into the lake of fire that will envelop the earth and cleanse it of all evil. Remember, this is the final judgment we are seeing here in Revelation 20. If people were already judged at death and being tortured forever in hell, why would they be thrown into this lake of fire? If people were already judged and sentenced at the time of their physical death, why would there be a need for a final judgment?

Study and show yourself approved!

Shalom…]]>info@thetruthexamined.comNone2010-06-15T06:00:55-06:00http://www.thetruthexamined.com/commentary/files/e8284e5949a5e03b2e8c404525a99c2d-60.html#unique-entry-id-60http://www.thetruthexamined.com/commentary/files/e8284e5949a5e03b2e8c404525a99c2d-60.html#unique-entry-id-60There are mysteries surrounding the Kingdom of God. They are mysteries, because not everyone is able to understand what the Kingdom of God is, how they should go about entering there and how man is to fit into all of it. The answers are in the Word of Yahweh, but one must search diligently and immerse themselves in the scriptures to find them.How many misinterpretations and erroeneous doctrines have been put forth by those claiming to know and understand? The Messiah plainly showed that these mysteries could not be understood by everyone.

Luke 8:10

10 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.

Why would Yahshua make such a statement? Because it is only those who are truly committed and those who develop a close relationship with the Father and His Son, that will gain the understanding of what these mysteries are. One must be led by the Holy Spirit (Ruach HaKodesh) of Yahweh, to truly understand the Kingdom and how to get there.

1 Corinthians 2:13-14

13 These things we also speak, not in words which man's wisdom teaches but which the Holy Spirit teaches, comparing spiritual things with spiritual. 14 But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.

It takes spiritual discernment, a reliance and trust in the Spirit that the Father places within us, to truly know and understand the things related to the Kingdom. They are truly mysteries, to those who do not have the Spirit of the Father and do not have the wisdom, the knowledge and the understanding that can only come from the Holy Spirit dwelling within us.

1 Corinthians 2:9-11

9 But as it is written:

"Eye has not seen, nor ear heard,
Nor have entered into the heart of man
The things which God has prepared for those who love Him."

10 But God has revealed them to us through His Spirit. For the Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God.

Blessings to you all...]]>info@thetruthexamined.comNone2010-05-31T11:26:18-06:00http://www.thetruthexamined.com/commentary/files/934e30cdd4ae2877f9dea0057b6d43e8-59.html#unique-entry-id-59http://www.thetruthexamined.com/commentary/files/934e30cdd4ae2877f9dea0057b6d43e8-59.html#unique-entry-id-59There is a very delicate line between deception and truth. It takes discernment and maturity of the Spirit to find our way through the web of deceit. There have been those from the very first beginnings of the church, who have sought to subvert the message of Messiah and twist scripture to their own advantage.

We should not be surprised that this very thing continues to this day and false doctrine, unsound reasoning and outright deception and lies are everywhere.

Messiah said when He returns, would He would really find faith on the earth. That is something that we better think about very seriously and we had better be very careful about where our faith lies. We HAVE to take doctrine from the scriptures and not bring doctrine to the scriptures to try and make it fit. Everything that we need for salvation and to enter the Kingdom of God has been provided for us in the word of the Father. It IS the Spirit, that guides us into all truth. We better learn to rely on that Spirit right now!

1 Timothy 4:1-3

Now the Spirit expressly says that in latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons, 2 speaking lies in hypocrisy, having their own conscience seared with a hot iron, 3 forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from foods which God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth.

Blessings to you all...]]>info@thetruthexamined.comNone2010-05-14T21:03:55-06:00http://www.thetruthexamined.com/commentary/files/ace03b82f2af4492b7462a4cec1d8ced-58.html#unique-entry-id-58http://www.thetruthexamined.com/commentary/files/ace03b82f2af4492b7462a4cec1d8ced-58.html#unique-entry-id-58There are many false doctrines in existence that can cause those who are not firmly rooted to stumble, or fall and lose out on their inheritance. We should be mature enough in the spirit and in our faith to not be shaken by such false claims. There are always those who cannot wait to pounce on each new "understanding", or "new light" that comes along. Sadly, they never take the time to prove the validity of these doctrines, or compare them against what the Scriptures tell us.

Many of these doctrines are nothing new. They resurface time and time again. There may some new spin, or face put on them, but they are the same old tired stories and fables that have been disseminated from the father of lies. If we have faith and trust in the Word of the Father, these doctrines will not trouble us, or cause us any concern. We must be able to rightly divide the Word of truth, it is a sign of spiritual maturity.

Galatians 1:6-7

6 I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel: 7 Which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ.

Until next time...]]>info@thetruthexamined.comNone2010-05-10T12:47:21-06:00http://www.thetruthexamined.com/commentary/files/25951afe357f693ba028000ad3a1dcd5-57.html#unique-entry-id-57http://www.thetruthexamined.com/commentary/files/25951afe357f693ba028000ad3a1dcd5-57.html#unique-entry-id-57Repentance is not a one-time act. When we fall...when we make a mistake,
we must be quick to go to our Father and ask for forgiveness. An unrepentant
heart, is a heart that is not set on the things of God. We should be grieved and
feel sorrow when we have committed sin and it becomes apparent.

Our Father is patiently waiting to forgive us for our sins, His Son paid the price
for our sin; we have to do our part and ask for forgiveness and the strength to
overcome. Until we ask for forgiveness, our sin is still counted against us. We
cannot have our sins erased, until we take the step to ask for them to be removed.

Repentance is an important part of the process of healing from sin, yet many
people neglect to go to the Father and ask for the sin to be removed. As long
as that sin stands unrepented of, it is a wall between us and the Creator.
Repentance humbles us and drives us to our knees in humility, before the Father,
where we belong.

2 Corinthians 7:10-11

10 For godly sorrow produces repentance leading to salvation, not to be regretted;
but the sorrow of the world produces death.

Until next timel...]]>info@thetruthexamined.comNone2010-04-03T18:44:06-06:00http://www.thetruthexamined.com/commentary/files/6f1f28d4df83f2f24ee1b05f56774423-56.html#unique-entry-id-56http://www.thetruthexamined.com/commentary/files/6f1f28d4df83f2f24ee1b05f56774423-56.html#unique-entry-id-56The seven Days of Unleavened Bread are an annual reminder to the people of God. These seven days coincide with the Passover and the Passover itself was to be eaten with unleavened bread. Not only are we to not eat anything leavened, but all leaven must be removed from our houses.

Exodus 12:18-20

18 In the first month, on the fourteenth day of the month at evening, you shall eat unleavened bread, until the twenty-first day of the month at evening. 19 For seven days no leaven shall be found in your houses, since whoever eats what is leavened, that same person shall be cut off from the congregation of Israel, whether he is a stranger or a native of the land. 20 You shall eat nothing leavened; in all your dwellings you shall eat unleavened bread.

We are required to eat unleavened bread each of the seven days. What is the significance of the seven days? The number seven is important in God’s Word. It is representative of perfection and completion. The number seven pictures a complete cycle. God completed creation in seven days and then He rested. The seven Days of Unleavened Bread picture a cycle that we are to complete in our lives.

Things which contain leaven are puffed up and they rise up higher then they normally would. Things that are unleavened are flat and remain at the same height. The analogy is clear, we are to become like the flat bread that is unleavened...free from things that puff us up and make us to rise up. The seven Days of Unleavened Bread pictures the process of removing things that puff us up from within ourselves. We must examine ourselves and purge out things that leaven our lives. Paul warned the Corinthians of this very thing.

1 Corinthians 5:6-8

6 Your glorying is not good. Do you not know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump? 7 Therefore purge out the old leaven, that you may be a new lump, since you truly are unleavened. For indeed Christ our Passover, was sacrificed for us. 8 Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, nor with the leaven of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.

Paul made it clear...the leaven was to be removed since even a little bit of it would cause them to become leavened again. Christ also used leaven as a warning.

Matthew 16:6

6 Then Jesus said to them, “Take heed and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and the Sadducees.”

At all times we have to be aware and on guard to not allow ourselves to become leavened by this world and the things that are in it. Every year as we observe Passover and the Days of Unleavened Bread we repeat the cycle of the seven days. As we remove the leaven from our homes we are reminded in a real physical way, that we also need to remove the leaven from our lives and replace it with the bread of life, that bread that came down from God’s dwelling place above.

Until next time...]]>info@thetruthexamined.comNone2010-02-15T10:12:00-07:00http://www.thetruthexamined.com/commentary/files/37b6b4e45a9e1fd053620de752b9f617-55.html#unique-entry-id-55http://www.thetruthexamined.com/commentary/files/37b6b4e45a9e1fd053620de752b9f617-55.html#unique-entry-id-55 In this world that we live in, things move forward at a breakneck pace. People are impatient and everyone wants everything immediately. Life changing decisions are made in a split second and people operate on impulse, instead of rational thinking. People do not like to wait and there are many who have given up waiting on God. In Daniel, we are told what the situation will be like near the end.

Daniel 12:4

4 “But you Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book until the time of the end; many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall increase.”

Many are constantly running to and fro, always in a rush to get somewhere! People cram every possible thing that they can into each day and they are constantly hurrying and rushing to keep up. There are many who do not even get the proper amount of sleep each night, because they are so busy. Even vacations are rushed and often filled with stress because of busy schedules. People have lost the ability to relax and to be patient. The pace at which people move through their lives occupies their minds constantly and they are distracted and torn away from the things that really matter.

If we are to be born into God’s Kingdom it takes patience. God has all of the time in the world. God is not bound by time, or the physics of this world that we live in. God is overseeing the execution of His plan and it will proceed as He intends and as He allows it too. There is no amount of worry, fretting, or impatience that will change that. God’s Plan has been unfolding from the time that man was placed on this earth and it will continue to play out on God’s timeframe.

God is doing a work within each one of us who respond to His call and allow His Holy Spirit to dwell within us. It takes time for our lives to be transformed and for us to begin to have the mind of Christ.

1 Peter 4:1

1 Therefore, since Christ suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves also with the same mind, for he who has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin, 2 that he no longer should live the rest of his time in the flesh for the lusts of men, but for the will of God.

We are to be transformed into new creatures in Christ and that does not happen all at once...it is a process and that process takes patience and determination. God prepared Moses for eighty years before he was ready to send him to Egypt! Human beings want everything now...right away, but that is not the way of God! Patience is a Godly trait that we must exercise in our own lives. Patience is a very important part of being worthy to enter God’s Kingdom.

Luke 21:12

12 But before all these things , they will lay their hands on you and persecute you, delivering you up to the synagogues and prisons. You will be brought before kings and rulers for My names’s sake. 13 But it will turn out for you as an occasion for testimony. 14 Therefore settle it in your hearts not to meditate beforehand on what you will answer; 15 for I will give you a mouth and wisdom which all your adversaries will not be able to contradict or resist. 16 You will be betrayed even by parents and brothers, relatives and friends; and they will put some of you to death. 17 And you will be hated by all for My names’s sake. 18 But not a hair of your head shall be lost. 19 By your patience possess your souls.

It will take patience to face the things that are coming and to wait on God for guidance and protection. God will watch over us and we have that promise! We can trust and have faith that whatever God says will come to pass. Follow God...obey Him, look to Him, trust in Him for all things and have the patience to endure until the end.

Psalm 46:10

10 Be still and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!

God’s time is coming soon...will you be ready? Be still and wait on God.

Until next time...]]>info@thetruthexamined.comNone2010-01-17T18:32:38-07:00http://www.thetruthexamined.com/commentary/files/f025ff9d7ee9fea56a71f2057a6c486d-54.html#unique-entry-id-54http://www.thetruthexamined.com/commentary/files/f025ff9d7ee9fea56a71f2057a6c486d-54.html#unique-entry-id-54 Have you ever wondered why you are on this earth and what the purpose of your existence is? Are you here just to follow your own desires and wants? Is the only purpose of life to amass as many material possessions as you can? Is there a meaning and purpose to life? Is there something greater and yet ahead out beyond this physical existence? Do you just live your life as fast and as furious as possible, grabbing onto all that you can before you die and then after that...nothing?

These questions have plagued mankind throughout the ages. Some have found the answers that they were seeking, while many, many more have never discovered their true purpose or potential. The truth, is that we were created and put here by our Great Creator for a much bigger reason and purpose, then to just live out our lives and then cease to exist! If you are living your life just to fulfill your own wants, lusts and desires, then you are sadly and tragically missing out on one of the most satisfying and pleasing aspects of life.

God called a nation of people whom He set apart for a special use and purpose.

Exodus 19:3-6

3 And Moses went up to God, and the LORD called to him from the mountain, saying, “Thus you shall say to the house of Jacob, and tell the children of Israel: 4 ‘You have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I bore you on eagles’ wings and brought you to Myself. 5 Now therefore, if you will indeed obey My voice and keep My covenant, then you shall be a special treasure to Me above all people; for all the earth is Mine. 6 And you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’ These are the words which you shall speak to the children of Israel.”

Israel failed to honor and abide by their part of the covenant and to do the work that God had set before them to do. The covenant that God made with Israel was a marriage covenant and there were terms that were agreed to that were not honored and upheld by Israel. God divorced Israel when she did not honor her part of the agreement.

Jeremiah 3:6-10

6 The LORD said also to me in the days of Josiah the king: “Have you seen what backsliding Israel has done? She has gone up on every high mountain and under every green tree, and there played the harlot. 7 And I said, after she had done all these things, ‘Return to Me.’ But she did not return. And her treacherous sister Judah saw it. 8 Then I saw that for all the causes for which backsliding Israel had committed adultery, I had put her away and given her a certificate of divorce: yet her treacherous sister Judah did not fear, but went and played the harlot also. 9 So it came to pass , through her casual harlotry, that she defiled the land and committed adultery with stones and trees. 10 And yet for all this her treacherous sister Judah has not turned to Me with her whole heart, but in pretense,” says the LORD.

We were put on this earth for a purpose and it is not to be serving our own lusts and desires! God is calling a people to do His bidding, to do His work of spreading the gospel and serving in important positions during the millennial reign of Jesus Christ. What we do with our lives now, will have a great impact on our eternal lives. There is life beyond this physical existence and that is what we must be working towards now. There is an incredible and awesome future in the presence of God and His Son waiting just ahead!

1 Peter 2:9-10

9 But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation. His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; 10 who once were not a people but are now the people of God, who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy.

This is the same offer that God made to Israel, only now it is available to all who will follow and obey Him. Where physical Israel failed, God is counting on us to continue on and do the work that He desires that we do. We are now spiritual Israel and we have been grafted in. Our lives are not our own! Jesus Christ payed for us and we are bound to do God’s will. By doing so, we become heirs to the promise...the promise of salvation and eternal life and a place in God’s incredible and beautiful Kingdom for all of eternity!

Galatians 3:26-29

26 For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. 27 For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. 28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. 29 And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.

How awesome and incredible! We have the same opportunity, the same incredible calling that was offered to Israel. God still wants to use Israel to do his work, to be a special treasure to Him and a kingdom of priests and a holy nation. That same offer is open to each and every person that God calls, only now God is using spiritual Israel to do His bidding and everyone that accepts Christ has the same opportunity to participate and take part in God’s offer.

There is much more to life than just pursuing our own wants and desires. We are not on this earth to seek after material and temporary things that will all vanish and go away. We can do that if we wish, God will not prevent us from going our own way. It is still our choice...we must decide which way we will go and what we will follow after and what we will seek. God has something for us to do and the reward He offers and promises is more than we can ever imagine! Eternal life in God’s Kingdom...is there anything that a person can possess or any passing pleasure they can enjoy that is worth more than that!

We do have a purpose and we were given life and put here for a reason...it is up to us to seek out that purpose, to grow in grace and knowledge, to serve God with all that we have and all that we are and to take advantage of what is being freely offered to all that are called, as a priceless gift beyond measure.

Until next time...]]>info@thetruthexamined.comNone2009-12-25T11:30:23-07:00http://www.thetruthexamined.com/commentary/files/6febd88142056558dff4764bbc3872c1-53.html#unique-entry-id-53http://www.thetruthexamined.com/commentary/files/6febd88142056558dff4764bbc3872c1-53.html#unique-entry-id-53 The amount of confusion taking place among those who claim to be God’s People is mind boggling! It seems that there is a certain mindset that wants to immediately latch onto any new doctrine that is introduced, or put into circulation. It does not seem to matter whether there is any evidence or proof to support these supposed new doctrines, just that it is “new light” or “new truth”. Many of these supposed new doctrines, are really just more of the same old deceptive doctrines that have been passed around for years! Why do people want to go after false doctrines and deceitful claims that are not biblically based and contain no truth of the Word of God?

2 Timothy 4:3

3 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers, 4 and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables.

Paul warned Timothy long ago that this very thing would come to pass. People are more willing to believe in false interpretation and doctrine than in the pure truth of the word of God! We must be very careful and ever vigilant, we must guard our minds against false doctrine and against those who would deceive us. The deception is going to grow worse and worse and there are those who will try to convince you that what they have to say is the truth. The ONLY TRUTH we need is to be found IN God’s Word!

This deception has been going on from the very start of the church. There were those trying to pervert and subvert the true gospel from the very beginning! Paul warned Timothy about this very thing:

2 Timothy 2:16

16 But shun profane and idle babblings, for they will increase to more ungodliness. 17 And their message will spread like cancer. Hymenaeus and Philetus are of this sort, 18 who have strayed concerning the truth, saying that the resurrection is already past; and the overthrow the faith of some.

Here were two men right from their very midst that had begun preaching a radical new doctrine, that the resurrection had already occurred and people were actually believing them and their faith was being overthrown and corrupted! You do not need anyone to convince and persuade you that something is right! God’s Spirit dwelling in you will lead you and guide you if you are in tune with it and allow it to work in your life.

John 16:13

12 “I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. 13 However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come. 14 He will glorify Me, for He will take of what is Mine and declare it to you.

God did not intend for us to have to rely on others to know and understand what His Truth is and what His Word says! That is why God provided His Word to be written, preserved and recorded for us in the bible. We have God’s Word to educate us, we have God’s Holy Spirit to lead us and speak to us, and guide us to truly understand God’s Word! There are those whom God does provide to bring the truths of His Word to us, but it is our responsibility to prove what we are being told and to sort out truth from fiction. We will each be held accountable! The Bereans did not just take Paul at his word, they searched the scriptures to prove whether what they were being told was the truth, or not.

Acts 17:10

10 Then the brethren immediately sent Paul and Silas away by night to Berea. When they arrived, they went into the synagogue of the Jews. 11 These were more fair-minded than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness, and searched the Scriptures daily to find out whether these things were so.

It is our responsibility to know why we believe, what we believe, and that we have proven it from God’s Word. Deception and false doctrine will continue to increase and many are going to be deceived and will be worshipping God falsely, blindly believing that they are worshipping and following God in truth. God will not allow us to be deceived if we are truly seeking and listening to Him!

1 John 2:27

26 These things I have written to you concerning those who try to deceive you. 27 But the anointing which you have received from Him abides in you, and you do not need that anyone teach you; but as the same anointing teaches you concerning all things, and is true, and is not a lie, and just as it has taught you, you will abide in Him.

This does not mean that we have no need for teachers. God provides those whom He has truly called to teach His People. To those whom God calls to teach, He also gives an insight and greater understanding of His Word. It is up to each individual to discern the truth of what is being said and taught, and to verify it by using God’s Word as the standard by which all things are measured and filtered. Paul was clearly called and specially set aside for the ministry, but the Bereans did the correct thing and checked what he was teaching them using God’s Word to verify and prove the truth for themselves. It is your eternal life that is at stake!

Paul also warned the Galatians; many of them were being deceived and following false doctrine.

Galatians 1:6

6 I marvel that you are turning away so soon from Him who called you in the grace of Christ, to a different gospel, 7 which is not another; but there are some who trouble you and want to pervert the gospel of Christ. 8 But even if we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel to you than what we have preached to you, let him be accursed. 9 As we have said before, so now I say again, of anyone preaches any other gospel to you than what you have received, let him be accursed.

There is only one true gospel! Jesus Christ became our Passover Lamb for all time and gave himself that we might be cleansed of our sin and inherit the Kingdom of God and eternal life. God’s Kingdom is coming and you can be there!

1 Timothy 4:1

1 Now the Spirit expressly says that int latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons, 2 speaking lies in hypocrisy, having their own conscience seared with a hot iron,

Do not be deceived! Prove all things and turn to the Word of God for all truth.

Until next time...]]>info@thetruthexamined.comNone2009-11-11T15:45:26-07:00http://www.thetruthexamined.com/commentary/files/2da30dc55bdf84c4cff29291f6ba6348-52.html#unique-entry-id-52http://www.thetruthexamined.com/commentary/files/2da30dc55bdf84c4cff29291f6ba6348-52.html#unique-entry-id-52 How good are you at waiting? Do you patiently endure, alert and watchful, or do you quickly lose interest and move on to something else? We are a nation and a people that have developed an extremely short attention span, yet our ability to watch and wait is getting more and more important and serious all the time. We are in a period of watching now...waiting and looking for the return of God's Son Jesus Christ. Yes, there are things that must yet happen and conditions will get much worse before that time, but how anxiously are we anticipating that event? Does the thought frighten you, or are you just to busy too care! We all need to examine ourselves and determine where our priorities lie.

The events over the past year in this country have shattered dreams, wrecked homes, tried families, rendered people penniless, evaporated their savings and placed people in situations that they never dreamed would come upon them. It reminds me of a warning that Christ left us with:

Luke 21:34-36

34 "But take heed to yourselves, lest your hearts be weighed down with carousing, drunkenness, and cares of this life, and that Day come on you unexpectedly. 35 For it will come as a snare on all those who dwell on the face of the whole earth. 36 Watch therefore, and pray always that you may be counted worthy to escape all these things that will come to pass, and to stand before the Son of Man.

There were many indicators that this country was living on borrowed time financially, yet everyone turned their heads and refused to look at the reality of the situation! They were all caught up in their lives and the pursuit of pleasure and gain, never taking a moment to entertain the possibility that it could all just go away overnight.

Just as surely as those things came about and people were caught off guard, the return of Jesus Christ will also occur in a time when the people of this world least expect it!

Matthew 24:36-44

36 "But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, but My Father only. 37 But as the days of Noah were, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. 38 For as in the days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, 39 and did not know until the flood came and took them all away, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. 40 Then two men will be in the field: one will be taken and the other left. 41 Two women will be grinding at the mill: one will be taken and the other left. 42 Watch therefore, for you do not know what hour your Lord is coming. 43 But know this, that if the master of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched and not allowed his house to be broken into. 44 Therefore you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.

There is only one way to be prepared and ready for those things that will surely come upon this world. A close, meaningful relationship with God and His Son and being watchful and alert. The things that we are beginning to see unleashed on this world, are just the beginning of what is to come. God has warned us ahead of time, instructed us in what we are to do and given us signs to watch for. If we are caught unaware then we only have ourselves to blame. Now is the time to be watching, waiting and paying attention to events that are happening on a global level. The deception will be great and many will fall under its influence and be fooled into believing lies.

Watch you therefore and pray always! There is a storm on the horizon, a dark, dreary and foreboding storm and it is drawing ever closer.

Until next time...]]>info@thetruthexamined.comNone2009-09-27T11:02:01-06:00http://www.thetruthexamined.com/commentary/files/fab92e5e861e510359e03841c3f9ec79-51.html#unique-entry-id-51http://www.thetruthexamined.com/commentary/files/fab92e5e861e510359e03841c3f9ec79-51.html#unique-entry-id-51 The fall festivals represent a very important time in the plan of God. It is a time that the people of God long for...a time when they will have finally been born into God’s Kingdom and will have received eternal life. The harvest of the firstfruits will have taken place; those people of God who have proven themselves to be faithful and obedient and committed to following God and obeying his word. Christ’s return will usher in a time of peace and prosperity that men have only dreamed of. Men are not capable of bringing about worldwide peace, but Jesus Christ is!

All of those who claim to be the people of God believe that they will be there during that millennial reign of Christ, but will they really? How many are truly committed? How many are falling into the snares and traps that we have been warned about? How many are watching and waiting eagerly in anticipation? How many sigh and cry over what is happening in this world and long for the return of Christ?

In Luke 18 we find a parable that Christ used to picture the commitment and persistence that we are expected to have:

1 Then He spoke a parable to them, that men always ought to pray and not lose heart, 2 saying: “There was in a certain city a judge who did not fear God nor regard man. 3 Now there was a widow in that city; and she came to him saying, ‘Get justice for me from my adversary.’ 4 And he would not for a while; but afterward he said within himself, ‘Though I do not fear God nor regard man, 5 yet because this widow troubles me I will avenge her, lest by her continual coming she weary me.”

6 The Lord said, “Hear what the unjust judge said. 7 And shall God not avenge his own elect who cry out day and night to Him, though He bears long with them? 8 I tell you that He will avenge them speedily.

Notice the question that Christ now asks:

Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will He really find faith on the earth?”

We should take His words here very, very seriously! This illustrates the lethargic, lax, spiritual condition of the people at Christ’s return. He wonders if He will really find any faithful! Christ gives us a warning in Luke 21:

34 “But take heed to yourselves, lest your hearts be weighed down with carousing, drunkenness, and cares of this life, and that Day come on you unexpectedly. 35 For it will come as a snare on all those who dwell on the face of the whole earth. 36 Watch therefore, and pray always that you may be counted worth to escape all these things that will come to pass, and to stand before the Son of Man.

The signs are all around us...the return of Christ is imminent and the time that the fall festivals picture is very near to being fulfilled; the fields are white to harvest! Are you ready? Are you prepared? Are you willing to do whatever is required of you? Now more than ever we need to be vigilant and watchful. We need to be studying and showing ourselves to be workmen approved. We need to be living by every word of God. This world and all of the things in it will soon be passing away. Do not be caught unprepared!

Until next time...]]>info@thetruthexamined.comNone2009-05-24T18:44:07-06:00http://www.thetruthexamined.com/commentary/files/186d54b851edee212f1eeed1f1f3245e-50.html#unique-entry-id-50http://www.thetruthexamined.com/commentary/files/186d54b851edee212f1eeed1f1f3245e-50.html#unique-entry-id-50 Every day, the people who truly seek to follow God and obey His word, are coming under an increasingly closer scrutiny. Personal attacks and open persecution are becoming more and more frequent. The religious freedoms that have been enjoyed and cherished for so long in this country, may soon come to an end. Those who seek to live their lives without any boundaries, or moral convictions, want to banish and remove those who do. A Pastor and his wife who hold weekly bible studies in their home in San Diego, have come under attack by the county. They are being required to obtain a permit from the county to hold the bible studies in their home!

The permitting process requires environmental and traffic studies as well as parking regulations. This is an outright attempt to prevent the bible studies from taking place in their home, which is attended by an average of 15 people weekly. The time is coming very near now when those who choose to obey God and to do His will are going to be faced with obeying God, or facing the consequences. The people of God, down through history, have been faced with this same decision. When that time comes where will you stand? Who will you obey?

Just before Joshua died, he charged Israel to follow God and to fear Him:

Joshua 24:14-15

14 “Now therefore, fear the Lord, serve Him in sincerity and in truth, and put away the gods which your fathers served on the other side of the River in Egypt. Sere the Lord! 15 And if it seems evil to you to serve the LORD, choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.”

There was no doubt, or hesitation in Joshua...he was determined to follow God no matter what obstacle was put in front of him. We will all be faced with the decision to follow God, or not. That decision will have a direct impact on whether we will receive eternal life, or not. To truly follow God and to do His will, requires sacrifice. That is something that each of us should have carefully and thoroughly contemplated before we chose to go God’s way. God requires things from us...our lives are no longer our own, but belong to Him and to His Son who paid a very dear price for us.

Romans 12:1-2

1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. 2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.

Did you really understand and consider what God expects of you? Did you count the cost? When we accepted Christ, we made a commitment. We entered into a covenant with God! Our lives are no longer our own and we live to do His will and whatever He requires of us. There was a time in the history of this world that it meant death to possess a bible...could we see a repeat of that time again? Prophecy shows that there will be a great martyrdom before the return of Christ.

Revelation 20:4

4 And I saw thrones, and they sat on them, and judgment was committed to them. Then I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for their witness to Jesus and for the word of God, who had not worshiped the beast or his image, and had not received his mark on their foreheads on their hands. And the lived and reigned with Christ for a thousand years.

None of us likes to think about these things, but they will happen. It is only those who are prepared to do whatever God requires of them and those that put their full faith and trust in Him, that will survive those things which will come upon this earth with great fury. We can be confident and we can be secure in the promises that we have been given. God will never, ever, go back on His word. What God has promised, He will deliver to His faithful.

Matthew 16:25-27

Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. 25 For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it. 26 For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul? 27 For the Son of Man will come in the glory of His Father with His angels, and then He will reward each according to his works.

Being prepared, mentally and spiritually and setting ourselves to do whatever it is that God requires of us, is the way that we will conquer and overcome and gain God’s kingdom. The things that we suffer in this life will be as nothing compared to the incredible and amazing things that God has in store for those who love Him and follow Him no matter the cost.

Where will you stand?

Until next time...

]]>info@thetruthexamined.comNone2009-05-05T18:10:50-06:00http://www.thetruthexamined.com/commentary/files/c77192f91ced9e8a88f29292517e8022-49.html#unique-entry-id-49http://www.thetruthexamined.com/commentary/files/c77192f91ced9e8a88f29292517e8022-49.html#unique-entry-id-49 Dedication...it is something that seems to be in very short supply in this world and something that is increasingly misunderstood and forgotten. It is an obscure remnant and forgotten virtue of some past era, that is no longer deemed necessary, or respected. Dedication requires commitment, it requires sacrifice, desire, vision and love. Dedication requires perseverance, humility, courage, passion, focus and selflessness. All of the great and admirable men down through history, have been dedicated to a cause and to a purpose far greater than themselves and they remained committed, no matter the cost and with no regard for the things that they had to endure, or for the personal cost that they would incur.

There was a man who came to this earth and that man was the greatest man that has ever been seen upon this world, or that will ever be seen in this age. That man was Jesus Christ, the Son of God. Jesus lived a life of dedication, He was dedicated to God the Father and to seeing the work that He had been given was complete, no matter what He personally had to face or endure, even to the complete disregard for His own life and well being. Jesus Christ understood dedication, He was committed and He gave everything...all the way down to His very last breath to see that the work God had given Him to do was complete.

What Christ did...the incredible sacrifice and devotion to what He was given to do is the epitome of dedication and commitment. He gave Himself for those who had not even been born yet, He provided a way for all of mankind to have life. He personally made sure that God’s Plan was a success and that God the Father was glorified in all that He did. Christ left us with an incredible example of what it means to be dedicated. That same dedication is required of those who follow Him. The life of a Christian is a life of dedication.

There is no place for those who are indecisive, who are unable or unwilling to commit, who will only endure for a short time, or for those who are not willing to go all the way and give anything and everything. Jesus Christ spoke very plainly and made it very clear what was required of those who would follow Him...there can be no misunderstanding, or misinterpretation.

Mark 8:34-37

34 When He had called the people to Himself, with His disciples also, He said to them, “Whoever desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. 35 For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel’s will save it. 36 For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? 37 Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul? 38 For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him the Son of Man also will be ashamed when he comes in the glory of His Father with the holy angels.”

It is all or nothing, there is no middle ground. A follower of Christ has to be absolutely 100% committed and dedicated to the path and the course that has been laid out in front of them. When a Christian accepts Christ and through baptism enters into that covenant relationship with God and His Son, it is an all or nothing proposition! It is a commitment to make a change in our life and to become a new person. It requires dedication to a cause and to a purpose much larger and greater than ourselves. It is setting ourselves to go God’s way and to do God’s bidding no matter what it takes!

John 15:11-14

11 “These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full. 12 This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. 13 Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends. 14 You are My friends if you do whatever I command you.

Jesus Christ was absolutely and completely dedicated and committed to the work that God had given Him to do. He did exactly what He said, He laid down His life and not only that, but He suffered the pain, the beating, the humiliation, the mocking, everything that He was put through, because He was dedicated to completing what He had been given to do, all the way through to the end.

Not one of us really knows the things we will have to go through, or what may be required of us, to go all the way and enter into God’s glorious and awesome Kingdom. We must continually pray that we do not fall short and that we will not falter, or weaken. We must be prepared to give all and to lose all in pursuit of the goal. It will take dedication, commitment, perseverance and a deep abiding love and faith in God and His Son Jesus Christ.

Are you dedicated?

Until next time...]]>info@thetruthexamined.comNone2009-04-26T16:56:22-06:00http://www.thetruthexamined.com/commentary/files/aaf5a739e2f5dc88c3688d1ce52b4403-48.html#unique-entry-id-48http://www.thetruthexamined.com/commentary/files/aaf5a739e2f5dc88c3688d1ce52b4403-48.html#unique-entry-id-48 During the seven day long feast that follows Passover, we are required to remain leaven free. God tells us that we must eat unleavened bread on each of those seven days and that leavened products are not to be seen in our homes. Seven is God’s number of completion, or perfection. The feast is seven days long, so the duration of that feast pictures a process that is taking place in our lives, or should be.

Exodus 12:18

18 “In the first month, on the fourteenth day of the month at evening, you shall eat unleavened bread, until the twenty-first day of the month at evening. 19 For seven days no leaven shall be found in your houses, since whoever eats what is leavened, that same person shall be cut off from the congregation of Israel, whether he is a stranger or a native of the land. 20 You shall eat nothing leavened; in all your dwellings you shall eat unleavened bread.”

Abstaining from leaven is so much more than just the physical removing of the leaven from our homes and of not partaking of leavened products during the feast. God always uses physical things to teach us the true spiritual lessons that He wants us to understand. Becoming deleavened, brings about some changes in our lives and our normal every day routines. Extra care and thought must go into our meals and our eating habits are changed. We also have to be on guard against allowing any leaven to enter our homes, or our bodies. For those seven days we have to be vigilant and watchful.

What about when the feast has ended? We are free to eat leavened products again and we can go right back to the way we were before the feast. We can go right back to living the same life we were before and we can go back to being the same person we were before the feast, but where is the lesson? What are we to take away from the feast?

God asks us to remove something during the feast...leaven. Leaven is just a representation of what God really wants us to do. The leaven represents sin and all of the things that are contrary to living God’s way that we need to remove from out of our lives. God wants those things removed completely! We are not only to remove those things out of our lives, but they are not to be found anywhere among us including our dwellings. We are to be completely free from those things that are contrary to God.

The leaven that was in our lives, needs to be replaced with something. Just as God fed Israel in the wilderness with manna, the bread from heaven, we need to feed on the bread of life. God sent His only Son, Jesus Christ, from heaven for us. He is the true bread of life, the bread that brings eternal life. It is not enough to just remove the leaven from our lives, we need to replace it with the true bread of life...we need to be leavened with that true bread that comes from God.

Until next time... ]]>info@thetruthexamined.comNone2009-04-04T09:25:40-06:00http://www.thetruthexamined.com/commentary/files/56bce8730d7d4e896e6d64a20757c466-47.html#unique-entry-id-47http://www.thetruthexamined.com/commentary/files/56bce8730d7d4e896e6d64a20757c466-47.html#unique-entry-id-47Exodus 12:3,5

3 “Speak to all the congregation of Israel, saying: ‘On the tenth day of this month every man shall take for himself a lamb, according to the house of his father, a lamb for a household.’”

5 ‘Your lamb shall be without blemish, a male of the first year. You may take it from the sheep or from the goats.’

God gave specific instructions to Moses, to speak to Israel, for the preparation of the Passover. A lamb was to be set apart and it had to be perfect and without any imperfection. A male lamb that was to serve a very important role in what God was planning to free Israel from Egypt. At long last the Israelites were to be freed from their bondage, but if they did not follow God’s instructions exactly...they would die.

They had a decision before them, they could trust God and receive life and freedom, or they could choose to ignore God and His protection and receive death. The blood of the lambs that were killed, was to serve as a sign between Israel and God, so that God would pass over them when He struck the first born of Egypt. They had to remain in their houses, under the protection of the blood, to be spared the fate of the Egyptians.

Exodus 12:22-23

22 “And you shall take a bunch of hyssop, dip it in the blood that is in the basin, and strike the lintel and the two doorposts with the blood that is in the basin. And none of you shall go out of the door of his house until morning.”

23 “For the LORD will pass through to strike the Egyptians; and when He sees the blood on the lintel and on the two doorposts, the LORD will pass over the door and not allow the destroyer to come into your houses to strike you.”

By obeying God and accepting what He told them, by trusting in Him and following His instructions exactly, the children of Israel were spared a certain fate of death. The ONLY thing that differentiated them from the Egyptians, was the blood on their homes as a sign that they were God’s people.

God instructed Israel that this event was to be observed forever throughout their generations. It was to be an ordinance (an authoritative order; a decree ) to them forever. God wanted this event memorialized forever among His people. It was an important event and there will never be another Passover equal to that first Passover observed in Egypt.

Many years later, another lamb would be separated out and prepared for a special use and purpose. A lamb perfect and without blemish, a male...the Son of God! Jesus Christ was set apart and selected to serve as the Passover Lamb for all time. Jesus Christ was sacrificed and His blood was shed to provide a covering and a protection to those who would receive it, just as the blood that was on the dwelling places of the Israelites in Egypt.

John 1:29

29 The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, “Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!”

We are all in bondage to this world, the bondage of sin. We are called to come out of this world. Jesus Christ provided the sacrifice and the blood that is necessary for us to be passed over and protected from the fate of death that living in bondage to this world leads to. We have to accept and come under the sacrifice of Christ, our Passover, to receive life.

When we come under the sacrifice of Christ, we are marked by His blood, just as the dwellings of the Israelites were marked by the Passover lambs that they slaughtered. The blood of Christ removes the penalty of death and provides protection from the destruction that God will send and brings us life.

As we prepare ourselves for the Passover, it is important that we contemplate what Christ did for us, what He provided for us, so that we may have life. He went to His death willingly, knowing that He could not fail, because the entire fate of mankind depended on what He had to do. Christ gave everything for us! Jesus Christ died, so that we may have life...

1 Corinthians 5:7

7 Therefore purge out the old leaven, that you may be a new lump, since you truly are unleavened. For indeed Christ, our Passover, was sacrificed for us.

Our Passover is Christ and in Christ. We are passed over, forgiven and spared the fate we have earned. Christ, the lamb of God, died on the Passover day. That Passover day was the most important and pivotal event in the history of this world! Just as that first Passover in Egypt, there will never be another Passover to compare to that Passover, when Christ gave himself for all of mankind.

Are you passed over?

Until next time...]]>info@thetruthexamined.comNone2009-02-27T21:35:11-07:00http://www.thetruthexamined.com/commentary/files/6874fcba1742d578cc5d404ceb266999-46.html#unique-entry-id-46http://www.thetruthexamined.com/commentary/files/6874fcba1742d578cc5d404ceb266999-46.html#unique-entry-id-46 Greetings! I am sorry it has been so long since my last post, but it has been extremely busy for me. I am ministering to a small group and that consumes a large portion of my time. There have been lots of visits to the site and people are really taking the time to read what is here and to download the audio files! That is very encouraging. I have a new audio ready to go, I just need to sit down and record it and then upload it to the site.

I hope that everyone realizes that we are truly living in unprecedented times! We are seeing history made right before our very eyes. The entire world has undergone a complete transformation is just a few short months. The world is teetering on the brink of complete economic ruin! Think of the implications of that. A concerted effort is underway to centralize and nationalize the financial and economic systems of most of the major countries. Where is this all leading? What are the implications? Should you even care?

Once again, man is attempting to build a Tower of Babylon. Slowly but surely, behind the scenes the plans are coming together. The leaders of various countries are all calling for globalization of government and the centralization of the world’s financial systems. They believe that is the path that will solve all of the world’s problems and place everyone on an even playing field. In reality, they are helping to build and usher in the final system that will exist when Jesus Christ returns. A world political and religious system that the bible calls “Babylon”.

We are instructed to remove ourselves from that place and to have nothing to do with it, or it’s evil ways. Babylon is headed for a very unpleasant fate and all of those involved with it will suffer as well. We must keep ourselves separated from that system at all costs!

Revelation 18:4-8

4 And I heard another voice from heaven saying, “Come out of her, my people, lest you share in her sins, and lest you receive of her plagues. 5 For her sins have reached to heaven, and God has remembered her iniquities. 6 Render to her just as she rendered to you, and repay her double according to her works; in the cup which she has mixed, mix double for her. 7 In the measure that she glorified herself and lived luxuriously, in the same measure give her torment and sorrow; for she says in her heart, ‘I sit as a queen, and am no widow, and will not see sorrow.’ 8 Therefore her plagues will come in one day--death and mourning and famine. And she will be utterly burned with fire, for strong is the Lord God who judges her.

God intervened and foiled the plans of man the first time, but this time they will be successful. The result of this one world system will be to loose the greatest time of trouble and turmoil that this world has ever seen. Conditions will be so bad that if Christ were not to intervene, there would not be any flesh saved alive. How long it will take for this system to fully be put into place, we just do not know. We do know that Christ will intervene and put an end to that system for good at His return.

As we see these things coming to pass before us, we can be confident that God’s word is truth and that all that we have been told through God’s word, in the bible, will surely come to pass. We have nothing to fear as long as our faith and our confidence is in God the Father. No matter how bad things get or how bad things look, we can have full and complete confidence in God and His word. Only God is able to protect us and to save us out of what is coming down upon this world.

Put your faith and confidence in God, draw close to Him now while there is time. Build your relationship with Him, learn to depend on Him now, so that when things start to really get bad, you will not lose heart. God will give us the strength and the courage to stand strong and to not waver. Remember where your true citizenship lies, not in some world system that promises to solve all of man’s problems, but in the kingdom of God! Seek God and seek His kingdom with your entire being...make it your priority!

Until next time...]]>info@thetruthexamined.comNone2009-01-22T17:34:30-07:00http://www.thetruthexamined.com/commentary/files/7921cfbb057651ad60fd1a888477e0d0-45.html#unique-entry-id-45http://www.thetruthexamined.com/commentary/files/7921cfbb057651ad60fd1a888477e0d0-45.html#unique-entry-id-45There will be new articles and audio messages posted soon!!

Every week, people make the pilgrimage to the location where whatever organization they worship with on the Sabbath meet, and make their appearance. They faithfully occupy the same seats and sing the same songs. They pride themselves on their punctuality and attendance record. They sit and listen to a sermon that they may, or may not pay any attention to and take notes that they will never bother to read, or go over when they return home. In fact, their bibles see very little action other than the times that they are liberated at services on the Sabbath.

They make the same small talk with the same people. After services, they go out for a meal to enjoy their “blessings”. Later, their obligation met for the week, they return to their homes feeling very satisfied with themselves and occupy their time with whatever they do to fill out the rest of the Sabbath. As the sun sets on another Sabbath day, they quickly return to their normal routines and lives.

The description above sounds very cynical, yet that is exactly the scenario that is played out week after week by many who claim to be God’s people. They are uninspired, unmotivated and uninterested. They have lost the fire and the zeal and the first love that they once possessed for God’s word. They are in a routine and a rut and go through the same motions every week. They are playing church!

Being a Christian involves so much more than just the outward appearance and profession of faith in Christ. Our Christian lives require active, engaged participation. When people are gathered in God’s name for worship it should be a caring and sharing community of spirit filled and spirit led believers! Are we not told to have love for one another?

John 13:34-35

34 A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. 35 By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.”

Are we not told to pray for one another?

James 5:16

16 Confess your trespasses to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.

God intended for us to be concerned and loving and to care for one another, to exhort and encourage one another and to comfort and grieve with one another. Being a Christian involves a lifestyle...an active and involved lifestyle. We are to be known by our fruits and God gives each one of us spiritual gifts that He expects us to use and exercise within the body of Christ. Are you playing Church?

Until next time...]]>info@thetruthexamined.comNone2009-01-05T11:37:16-07:00http://www.thetruthexamined.com/commentary/files/a61dce059dde1fbcd7d980646ca6930b-44.html#unique-entry-id-44http://www.thetruthexamined.com/commentary/files/a61dce059dde1fbcd7d980646ca6930b-44.html#unique-entry-id-44New Article Posted!!! “Show Your Love”

Throughout the various groups, organizations and denominations that make up mainstream Christianity, there is an ever increasing trend towards a “spirit” of cooperation. By putting aside their differences and extending the hand of friendship, they hope to find common ground and learn from one another. In the process, without fully realizing it, they are also losing their identity.

They are becoming an amalgamation of all of their beliefs, instead of maintaining doctrinal purity. They hold communal worship services together and seek to exploit their commonality, instead of their difference in belief and doctrine. Amazingly, there are those from Sabbatarian organizations that are getting swept up in this same movement. Cooperation can be good and it can be beneficial, but not at the expense of your beliefs, or your eternal inheritance.

There are voices in the religious world that are and have been loudly calling for a world worship system. Rome has made no secret of the fact that they would like to see the scattered churches come “home” and back under the jurisdiction of “Mother Rome”. The stage is being set before our very eyes for the world religious system that will exist along with a world political system, shortly before the return of Jesus Christ.

This system will appear to be the solution to all of man’s problems and the way to finally obtain lasting peace for the whole world. In reality, it will end in the greatest cataclysm that this world has ever witnessed culminating in the return of Jesus Christ. Scripture tells us that in those days there will be tribulation on this earth such as has never been seen since creation and that if those days were not shortened, there would be no flesh saved alive (Mark 13:19-20).

That is a very dire warning and we had all better be taking it very seriously! God’s word is the final authority, He tells us how we are to worship Him and He sets the standards that we are to live by. We do not need a conglomeration and amalgamation of man’s beliefs to guide our spiritual lives. Scripture foretells that the majority of mankind will be caught up in this false system, but that the wise will understand. We only become wise through God’s Spirit and by letting God’s Spirit teach us and lead us. God’s Spirit leads us into all truth and there is no other way.

Luke 21:34-36

34 “But take heed to yourselves, lest your hearts be weighed down with carousing, drunkenness, and cares of this life, and that Day come on you unexpectedly. 35 For it will come as a snare on all those who dwell on the face of the whole earth. 36 Watch therefore, and pray always that you may be counted worthy to escape all these things that will come to pass, and to stand before the Son of Man.

Until next time...]]>info@thetruthexamined.comNone2008-12-28T17:49:03-07:00http://www.thetruthexamined.com/commentary/files/30f4d381231b5d16a44642bcdcdd1a44-43.html#unique-entry-id-43http://www.thetruthexamined.com/commentary/files/30f4d381231b5d16a44642bcdcdd1a44-43.html#unique-entry-id-43 In just a few short days from now, most of the world will usher in the “New Year” with huge celebrations and parties. Many will be looking forward to what the next year has in store and happy to be seeing the end of the present year. This year especially, with all of the problems that this nation faces in the months ahead, people are looking more than ever at the New Year as a new beginning. The new President will take office and a new administration will begin governing this country.

A lot of people make promises and resolve to make changes in their lives as the New Year begins. Most of these New Year’s resolutions will be tossed out within the first few weeks of the New Year’s beginning and in a very short time will be forgotten altogether as people resume their normal routines after the holiday season. Just as with the observance of the Christmas holiday, most people will observe the New Year celebration without even stopping to think about why.

Man’s New Year begins in the middle of the night, in the dead of winter. It is a time when most of the living things in our environment are dead, or in a state of suspension for the winter. The trees have lost all of their leaves and stand bare, the grass has all turned brown and appears dead, no flowers are anywhere to be seen and in most places snow covers the ground giving everything the same stark, white appearance. The sky is cloudy and gray for days on end and the daylight hours are short providing much less light then at any other time of year.

In contrast, God’s New Year begins in the spring. God tells us exactly when the New Year begins:

Exodus 12:1

1 Now the Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt, saying, 2 "This month shall be your beginning of months; it shall be the first month of the year to you.

What month was God referring to?

Deuteronomy 16:1

2 "Observe the month of Abib, and keep the Passover to the Lord your God, for in the month of Abib the Lord your God brought you out of Egypt by night.

So here the month is identified for us, the month of Abib. This month is now called Nisan in the Jewish calendar. When we examine where God placed and fixed the beginning of the year, we can clearly see the incredible mind of God for doing so.

The month of Abib, or Nisan as it is called today, occurs in the spring. Spring is a time of rebirth, of newness of life. All around trees are coming back to life and beginning to bud with blooms and leaves. The grass begins to grow and turn green, flowers are coming up everywhere and insects begin to come forth. Many of the animal species give birth to their young just before, or right at springtime. The whole earth is coming back to life after a long winter. The sun shines brightly, bringing warmth back to the land and the days begin to grow longer providing more light.

The observance of Passover also takes place in the first month, at the beginning of the year. The Passover pictures a beginning of new life for those who accept Christ’s sacrifice and the Passover they receive from the death penalty for sin. God fixed and appointed times for a reason, springtime is a time of rebirth and new beginnings. In His perfect wisdom, God fixed His New Year at that time where it makes complete and perfect sense. What God has set in place, cannot be changed.

Man has corrupted and polluted the true New Year, God’s New Year, and placed it where it does not belong. God does not tell us anywhere in His word to celebrate a New Year. Man has incorporated pagan celebration and traditions and made them into a false New Year beginning, that holds no meaning at all. God has clearly fixed and appointed the days and observances that He wants us to keep forever. Leviticus 23 lists all the appointed days and observances of God and they are still valid for us today. God says they are to be kept as an ordinance (a fixed observance) forever, throughout all of our generations (Leviticus 12:24-25).

Until next time…
]]>info@thetruthexamined.comNone2008-12-21T09:58:16-07:00http://www.thetruthexamined.com/commentary/files/84c5f4e42e2c1869eb4c2f6911af00a2-42.html#unique-entry-id-42http://www.thetruthexamined.com/commentary/files/84c5f4e42e2c1869eb4c2f6911af00a2-42.html#unique-entry-id-42 Greetings everyone! I apologize for taking so long to get a new commentary posted. It has been extremely busy for me lately, but I am working on some new things and will have some more articles to post shortly.

The entire world is preparing to observe the Christmas holiday. Everyone is filled with the “holiday spirit”, “goodwill” toward their fellow man and the “joy” of giving. People will go down to volunteer at soup kitchens, give to charities and many will attend a church service, but what about the rest of the year?

For one short day, most of the nations of the world will be simultaneously observing what is considered to be one of the “holiest” of the religious holidays. In reality, Christmas has very little to do with Christ. Christmas is deeply rooted in paganism and its roots can easily be traced back to its pagan origins. Christ was NOT born in winter and there is no place in the bible that tells us that we should observe this day.

Many people have been brought up observing the Christmas tradition, but they really do not understand why, or where, Christmas originated. Parents tell their children a false story of a benevolent person who lives at the North Pole and maintains a list of good girls and boys. Once a year he sets out to bring gifts to those whose names are on his list. Soon after the holiday “cheer” has worn off, people will resume their normal routines and the so called “spirit of Christmas” will be soon forgotten.

There are specific days set apart that God tells us to observe and they CAN be proven from scripture. God calls them His Feast Days (Leviticus 23:1-2). They do not belong to anyone else! They are God’s and He is the one who set them in place and ordained them to be observed forever throughout the generations of man (Leviticus 23:41).

God set these Holy Days in place to show us His plan for all of mankind and to keep us in remembrance of that plan always. God’s Feast Days are set up on an annual cycle and by observing them at their appointed times, we are reminded annually of His plan.

God tells us that these days will be observed in the future (Zechariah 14:16-21). What an amazing and incredible time that will be and what a sight to see the entire world pause from their normal activities and collectively observe God’s Feast Days at their appointed times! It is truly a blessing beyond measure to understand God’s Holy Days and to observe them, as He has told us to observe them.

God will not accept any other days, other than those He has ordained and put in place to be observed. Man does not have the authority to set any other days of observance in place, instead of, or in addition to, God’s Feast Days. God’s Days are holy! Only God can set a day apart and mark it as holy. These days have special meaning to God and there are important events that have occurred on these same days since the beginning of creation. These days are special and holy to God and always have been.

Christmas is a holiday invented by man, with no religious significance to God. There is no place in scripture where we are told to observe the birth of God’s Son in the first place. We are told to observe the Passover and commemorate His death. In reality, God is the one who maintains a list and it is called the Book of Life. Those whose names are found written there will receive eternal life in God’s Kingdom.

We can all look forward with hope and anticipation to that time when God’s word will cover the earth as the waters cover the sea (Isaiah 11:9). All the peoples of the world at that time will cease from what they are doing and the entire world will observe God’s Feast Days in unison! What an awesome time that will be!

Until next time...

]]>info@thetruthexamined.comNone2008-12-05T18:55:40-07:00http://www.thetruthexamined.com/commentary/files/d2e4426accb3733feb56dba77c119528-41.html#unique-entry-id-41http://www.thetruthexamined.com/commentary/files/d2e4426accb3733feb56dba77c119528-41.html#unique-entry-id-41New article posted!! “How Do You Make Disciples?”

God has a plan that is being worked out here on this earth. The sun comes up and the sun goes down, but every single thing that happens is moving us ever so closer towards the culmination of what God has set into motion. Nothing that occurs here is beyond the sight of Almighty God. Men may conceive and devise all of the plans that they want in secret, but God sees all...God knows all...nothing is hidden from Him!

All of the devices, schemes and grandiose dreams that men conceive, are foolishness to God. Man in his arrogance and under the influence of Satan, actually believes that he holds the destiny and the history of this world in his own hands. As it says in Psalm 14:1 The fool has said in his heart, “There is no God.”

Men fancy themselves visionaries and they sit and dream up all of these different scenarios of the future and how things will be. Even now, they plot and lay out plans to control the world and the course of the nations. Man intends to build another tower of Babel, only this time the entire world will be used in the construction.

Even though man believes himself to be so intelligent and forward thinking, that he is a creature of vision, he still cannot bring himself to believe in a higher power that sustains and powers all that we know and understand. How blind and pathetically ignorant!

Vision, the people of God rely on it...thrive on it...it is vision that keeps God’s people moving forward towards the ultimate goal. God’s people believe His promise, they see His plan and realize that without Him there is no future...the vision perishes. God has set His plan in motion and it will not fail. The future and the fate of this world is in His hands and everything will come about exactly as He has decided.

There is an incredible future awaiting those who trust and believe in God and all that He has said will come to pass. Those who love God and have believed in His promise will be rewarded. 1 Corinthians 2:9, But as it is written: “Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, Nor have entered into the heart of man The things which God has prepared for those who love Him.”

God’s vision...catch it!

Until next time...]]>info@thetruthexamined.comNone2008-11-26T18:28:09-07:00http://www.thetruthexamined.com/commentary/files/0c1e97949a7640fa60ca5af30d5122ed-40.html#unique-entry-id-40http://www.thetruthexamined.com/commentary/files/0c1e97949a7640fa60ca5af30d5122ed-40.html#unique-entry-id-40What does Thanksgiving mean to you? Does it hold any significance, or is it just another holiday? This day, which should hold deep meaning and a special significance for all, has become a day that carries little of the original intent and meaning that inspired its proclamation. It has become just a day between two other holidays that serves largely as a springboard for the Christmas holiday. The day after Thanksgiving is the biggest shopping day of the year, as holiday shoppers rush out to scoop up sale items, to be used as Christmas gifts, offered by retailers to lure them into their stores.

Thanksgiving was a day set aside to publicly honor God in prayer and to thank Him for His blessings and the protection that He afforded this nation. Consider this quote from a Thanksgiving proclamation composed by George Washington, the first President of the United States of America:

WHEREAS it is the duty of all nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey His will, to be grateful for His benefits, and humbly to implore His protection and favour; and Whereas both Houfes of Congress have, by their joint committee, requefted me "to recommend to the people of the United States a DAY OF PUBLICK THANSGIVING and PRAYER, to be observed by acknowledging with grateful hearts the many and signal favors of Almighty God, especially by affording them an opportunity peaceably to eftablifh a form of government for their safety and happiness:"

This proclamation was written on October 3, 1789. Our forefathers and the people of this country recognized the unique relationship that existed between this nation and Almighty God. They were not ashamed to publicly announce and acknowledge the blessings of God and His importance to the existence of this country.

NOW THEREFORE, I do recommend and affign THURSDAY, the TWENTY-SIXTH DAY of NOVEMBER next, to be devoted by the people of thefe States to the fervice of that great and glorious Being who is the beneficent author of all the good that was, that is, or that will be; that we may then all unite in rendering unto Him our fincere and humble thanksfor His kind care and protection of the people of this country previous to their becoming a nation;

Now this nation wants to distance itself as far away as it possibly can from the name of God. Public displays of prayer and supplication to God are no longer acceptable and in fact not allowed in many places and settings. This nation, who once openly professed a belief, faith and trust in the Eternal God, has now completely turned their back on Him and wants nothing to do with Him.

And also, that we may then unite in moft humbly offering our prayers and fupplications to the great Lord and Ruler of Nations and befeech Him to pardon our national and other tranfgreffions;

This year, wherever you gather and with whomever you gather for Thanksgiving, remember what this day was set aside for. It is so much more than just another day off from work, it is more than just a day to gather for a meal, it is more than just a day to sit around and watch football, or scour the ads for the “Black Friday” sales.

As you pause to ask God’s blessing on your meal, remember all of the blessings you have received from God. God is the provider of all things, we would have nothing without His love for us and His desire that we lead fulfilling lives. Our very lives depend on what He supplies day to day for this entire earth! Remember His mercy and the wonderful truth of His word which He has given to us. Remember the incredible, selfless sacrifice that His son made so that we might have eternal life and dwell with God and His son forever.

This nation and this world are in grave danger and facing insurmountable problems that only the return of Christ can solve. Let us look to God and His mercy and His love. Let us look to Him for the strength to persevere and the faith to not lose hope, but to look to Him for all things. Let all of the people of God raise their voices to Him in praise, with thankfulness for what He does and what He provides. Let us return to the original intent and purpose of the day of Thanksgiving and recognize the Awesome Everlasting God!

Philippians 4:6-7

6 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; 7 and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

Psalm 100

1 Make a joyful shout to the Lord, all you lands!
2 Serve the Lord with gladness;
Come before His presence with singing.
3 Know that the Lord, He is God;
It is He who has made us, and not we ourselves;
We are His people and the sheep of His pasture.
4 Enter into His gates with thanksgiving,
And into His courts with praise.
Be thankful to Him, and bless His name.
5 For the Lord is good;
His mercy is everlasting,
And His truth endures to all generations.

Until next time...
]]>info@thetruthexamined.comNone2008-11-21T16:56:55-07:00http://www.thetruthexamined.com/commentary/files/bdbc821f859a266b4ab7d8f276b98c43-39.html#unique-entry-id-39http://www.thetruthexamined.com/commentary/files/bdbc821f859a266b4ab7d8f276b98c43-39.html#unique-entry-id-39Faith...all who follow God claim to have it. God says we MUST have it, yet when you search deep down inside yourself, when you really look closely and examine yourself thoroughly, how strong is your faith? Is there a deep abiding trust and assurance that God is really there? Is there a confidence that God is in control and nothing escapes His attention? Are you really and truly ready to trust God with your very life?

These are things that we need to think long and hard about as followers of God. We can say that we trust God, but do we truly mean it? Where does our trust and faith really lie? Do you trust in your bank account? Do you trust in your 401(k)? Do you trust in your job? Do you trust in the things that you can do with your own two hands? We can deceive ourselves into thinking that we have faith, when in reality our faith is very shallow, or non-existent altogether.

Jeremiah 17:9 tells us that: “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked; who can know it?” We can deceive ourselves, we can fool ourselves into believing anything that we want to believe, but we cannot fool God. Notice verse 10 of Jeremiah 17: I, the LORD, search the heart, I test the mind, even to give every man according to his ways, according to the fruit of his doings.

No one can deceive God. We can fool ourselves, we can fool those around us and we can put on the outward appearance of anything that we want everyone else to see, but God sees the truth...God looks on the heart.

People have lost faith, it is time to turn to God in repentance...we need to learn to rely on God fully and completely without any doubt in our minds. Those who follow God of all people should have an unwavering and abiding faith and trust that cannot be shaken!

In Luke 7 there is a story of a centurion who came to Christ seeking healing for one of his servants. It is an incredible story of faith, this man came believing in his heart that Jesus could heal his servant. He had evidently heard of the things that Christ had been doing, the miracles and the healings that were taking place, maybe he had even witnessed one of these things himself and he had believed.

He asked Christ to heal his servant and Jesus told him that He would come to his house and do as he had asked. The centurion told Christ that he was not worthy of His presence at his house, but he knew that if Christ just spoke the words that his servant would be healed. Christ was amazed at the faith of this man and said: “Assuredly, I say to you, I have not found such great faith, not even in Israel.” (Luke 7:10).

Do we have that kind of faith? Do we as followers of God look to Him in full confidence and assurance? If not, we had better examine ourselves and find out why! There are times coming that will try us like never before. Now is the time to draw close to God, to nurture and develop a close relationship while there is time. Without faith and a close abiding relationship...without a deep trust and confident assurance that He will see us through whatever we face, we will surely perish in the coming storm!

Until next time...]]>info@thetruthexamined.comNone2008-11-16T22:21:37-07:00http://www.thetruthexamined.com/commentary/files/3df3180852477451355dbe30ef0dafe2-38.html#unique-entry-id-38http://www.thetruthexamined.com/commentary/files/3df3180852477451355dbe30ef0dafe2-38.html#unique-entry-id-38I have just posted a new audio message on the site: ”Meditation”. I hope and pray that you all enjoy it and that it will be a blessing to you.

I have been very busy since returning from the Feast, but I have been working on several new articles as well as spending a lot of time on research, so hopefully some new articles will begin to be posted soon.

As I have had the chance to visit with people (post election), one thing is becoming very clear, this country is very polarized and divided. There are a lot of angry scared people, there are a lot of sad scared people and there are a lot of elated scared people. No one is certain about the future, or really has a positive outlook for where we are headed. These are very uncertain times that we face and people are searching for answers.

All around we see the effects and the toll that is being taken on this country and her people by the economic crisis we are in. People are losing jobs, their homes, their vehicles and other things are being repossessed by creditors, their bank accounts are empty and bankruptcies are soaring. Cardboard cities are springing up in America! People are struggling to look for the positive...to cling to some sort of hope and belief that things are going to turn around and get better. What is important to you? Where do your priorities lie? Are you clinging fiercely to your job? Are you struggling to hold on to your possessions?

God’s word tells us that where our treasure lies, there our hearts will be too (Luke 12:34). Are you focused on trying to amass wealth and possessions here on this earth? Those physical things that people seek so hard to possess and the wealth that they try so hard to build up are worthless! People spend their entire lives in meaningless pursuits. This life is temporary...it is fleeting and our time here passes very quickly. There is much, much more beyond this life!

God has so much in store for those who look to Him and choose His way of life. God says that we cannot even begin to imagine what is in store for those who love Him and seek Him (1 Corinthians 2:9). In these uncertain times; now, more than ever we need to cling to God and seek out His will in our lives. We need to be building up our treasure in heaven (Matthew 6:19) where it will be safely waiting for us.

Look to God for all your needs, for comfort...for hope...for the strength to get through each day and to not get bogged down in worry and despair. God is always there...God will always be there.

Until next time...]]>info@thetruthexamined.comNone2008-11-09T18:49:21-07:00http://www.thetruthexamined.com/commentary/files/f702712cb0e9160657e0bd31dccbd87c-37.html#unique-entry-id-37http://www.thetruthexamined.com/commentary/files/f702712cb0e9160657e0bd31dccbd87c-37.html#unique-entry-id-37I will be posting a new audio message this week and a new article very soon too!

Greetings everyone, the site is still being visited regularly and seeing good traffic. Thank you all for taking the time to read and listen to what is here. I pray that it is helpful and a blessing to you. I am working on several new articles and at least one new audio message.

The election is finally over and the people have spoken. We have a new President-elect who will take over the helm of this country on January 20, 2009. What does the future hold in store for America? This nation stands at a very critical crossroads. Which way will it go? The United States is facing a crisis that could never have been foreseen and of an epic proportion! America is teetering on the edge of complete financial ruin. Day after day the bad news continues to come, in wave after wave. Like a boxer stranded in a corner, this country is being pummeled unmercifully with vicious and wicked blows that threaten to take it down for the count.

All experts agree that we are not even near to seeing the bottom of the current economic crises. How will America survive...how can America survive? The new President will face a daunting challenge from his very first day in office. He was elected on a promise of change. Can he deliver? The country is already bankrupt...where are the funds going to come from to help the economy recover? There are many unanswered questions and people are already looking to the President-elect to provide solutions and answers.

The face of the entire world is changing rapidly. The nations of this world are all facing economic woe and ruin. The voices calling for a world economic system are growing louder and louder. Will that be the solution that the new President will look to for renewal and restoration of the country’s financial system?

We are moving steadily towards that day when our Savior Jesus Christ will return to claim this earth that He has already qualified to rule. Christ is the solution to the problems that this country and the rest of the world face. He is not going to be welcome when He returns, the nations will fight against Him, but it will be a costly and futile effort doomed to failure before it even begins. Jesus Christ will return in power and glory and He will take over the rule of this world from the false leader that will have set himself up as God! Until then, we are to be watching, waiting and praying that we are found worthy to escape what is coming (Luke 21:34-36).

Christ warns us to pay attention, to not be fooled and to prepare for what is coming. Whatever is being worked out on this world is according to God’s plan and things will happen exactly as He wants them to happen, for His purpose! There were groups of people on both sides praying for each one of the presidential candidates. Who was right? God places those in positions of leadership as it suits His purpose (Daniel 4:17). God is in control and He will do as He pleases and as it suits His purpose. Can man judge God (Daniel 4:34-35)?

This world is marching steadily towards the conclusion of man’s rule on this earth. That is certain and it will come to pass despite what any man says, or no matter what promise that is made. The world will soon be looking to unify itself in one sense of purpose and direction. Politically, militarily and monetarily, it is a union that will be crushed by Jesus Christ at His return. Do not be fooled...watch, pay attention and pray for deliverance!

Until next time...]]>info@thetruthexamined.comNone2008-10-28T17:36:12-06:00http://www.thetruthexamined.com/commentary/files/0f1212c17134195fd7c296a3a21be3f3-36.html#unique-entry-id-36http://www.thetruthexamined.com/commentary/files/0f1212c17134195fd7c296a3a21be3f3-36.html#unique-entry-id-36Look for a new audio message to be posted soon!

Hello everyone, I pray that you all had a memorable Feast, wherever you attended. I attended an independent site, along with my family, where I gave two sermons and I was also on a panel for an interactive bible study, with questions that were submitted by brethren attending the site. The Feast is an important highlight to be observed annually and a very important step in God’s plan. It is extremely important that we observe the Feast and get a taste and insight into what that time will be like. I hope that you are all longing and yearning for that time. What an incredible loving and caring God we serve, that would craft and put into motion such an incredible plan for mankind and for giving us the wisdom and discernment to understand His plan.

There are many important events happening in the news, including the upcoming election for the next President that will take place on Tuesday the 4th of November. I hope that you are all watching and paying attention to events that are happening both here in our country and all over the world. Instead of bringing you commentary and links to those stories, this time I would like to talk a little bit about the future of this site. There is no longer a link from the homepage of The Journal to this site. That button that provided a direct link to this site had been there since May of this year. I want to see how much traffic the site receives without any outside links.

There are many visits that are occurring directly, instead of through an outside link, so I am hopeful that many people are returning through a book mark, or favorite link they have stored in their browser. I have some ideas to bring some improvements to the site, but it will all be done according to God’s will. If the site continues to thrive and people are coming here to read and listen and they are benefiting from the messages, it will continue on. If not, I will focus my efforts elsewhere. The whole intent of this site, is to provide a way of ministering to God’s people. If God is not behind it, it will never succeed, or amount to anything!

I will continue to write articles and record new audio messages to add to the site. A monthly newsletter is one option that could possibly be launched. If there is interest, I do have the capability to record video messages and add them to the site. There is also the possibility of doing a live Internet audio stream. There are many emerging technologies that allow for some amazing things to be accomplished across the Internet. If any of you have any thoughts, ideas, or comments please let me know...I am here to serve you! You can contact me through the link on the contact page either by email, or you can write to our physical address. We can also provide print copies of any of the articles to those of you who may desire them and .mp3 files of the audio messages on CD.

The mission of this site from the beginning, has been to present the plain and simple truth of God’s word on each subject that is approached. God’s word is the final authority. God does not want, nor does He need us to put our own spin, or speculation on the written word that He provided for us as a guide to lead us into His kingdom. Thank you each and every one for visiting this site and exploring the content here. May God bless you richly in your study and guide your steps as you seek His kingdom and His will in your life.

Until next time...]]>info@thetruthexamined.comNone2008-10-11T22:47:59-06:00http://www.thetruthexamined.com/commentary/files/3c195da69f7f5357c8b0c53a703099de-35.html#unique-entry-id-35http://www.thetruthexamined.com/commentary/files/3c195da69f7f5357c8b0c53a703099de-35.html#unique-entry-id-35Greetings everyone, this will be my last entry until after the Feast of Tabernacles. I wish you all a very blessed and meaningful Feast, wherever you go. I have uploaded two new articles to the site: Will I Be There? and The Scapegoat. I hope that you are blessed by them.

The world’s economic and financial institutions continue to spiral out of control. Where it will all end up is a mystery at this point. Is there significance to these things that are happening? I believe there is. At any rate, we are to be watching and paying attention to what is going on in the world. In Luke 21:36 we are told to watch and pray always.

Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi stated that world leaders are considering closing down the world’s financial markets to rewrite rules of international finance. Are the financial institutions of the world headed for centralized, global control? Read the story here.

On the bright side, oil continues to decline rapidly as demand drops and economic indicators point to a continued decline due to economic factors. OPEC is scheduled to convene an emergency meeting to discuss the falling prices. Oil fell to $77.70 on Friday with other petroleum products seeing a drop in price as well. Read the story here.

Global financial chiefs met in Washington DC Friday, trying to work out a solution for the global financial markets. Repeated calls are being made for global regulation. Read the story here.

Some market analysts predict that the DOW will continue to fall, until it has lost a full 50% of its value. That would place the DJIA somewhere around 7,000 by the time that the smoke clears. Read the story here.

Is Capitalism dead? The nationalization of the US banking system will effectively kill the free market. The American financial system will be in control of the government, instead of private business. Read the story here.

Connecticut becomes the third state to legalize gay marriage. Another state Supreme Court has ruled in favor of gay marriage. Connecticut now joins California and Massachusetts in recognizing and sanctioning same sex marriages to take place. The traditional marriage, between one man and one woman, is being rewritten before our eyes. Read the story here.

Until next time...]]>info@thetruthexamined.comNone2008-10-01T17:54:55-06:00http://www.thetruthexamined.com/commentary/files/48ddb0d128362271f0ae05958c5f3ff0-34.html#unique-entry-id-34http://www.thetruthexamined.com/commentary/files/48ddb0d128362271f0ae05958c5f3ff0-34.html#unique-entry-id-34Watch for a special Day of Atonement message coming soon!!!

Is a government bailout of the financial institutions the right move? More and more private entrepreneurs and financial tycoons say no. After the initial panic and shock of the House’s failure to pass the bill Monday, the market is starting to find its own equilibrium. Cash is still steadily being fed into the system to keep things moving. Is the right answer just to let things settle out and see where everything lies once the dust settles?

Congress continues to debate, argue, cajole and whine over the proposed bailout bill. Typical of all bills that pass through our lawmaking system, all manner of other issues are being tacked on to the bill. What started out as a simple 3 page document, has now swelled to over 450 pages. Read the story here.

Russian Prime Minister, Vladimir Putin has lain responsibility for the world economic crisis solely on the American doorstep. Russian markets have been hit hard with trading being halted several times to prevent complete failure. Putin blamed the US as the origin for the current crisis and ridiculed the US inability to even make appropriate decisions to restore order. He blamed the failure on the “whole system,” instead of individuals. Read the story here.

Der Spiegel claims that America has lost its dominant economic and political role in the global scheme. The article with the byline of “The End of Arrogance,” also stated that industrialized nations are sliding into recession, that capitalism is dead and that US military might is ebbing. Read the story here.

Until next time...]]>info@thetruthexamined.comNone2008-09-28T22:22:05-06:00http://www.thetruthexamined.com/commentary/files/a9e15b36ee2543492328de529712dcea-33.html#unique-entry-id-33http://www.thetruthexamined.com/commentary/files/a9e15b36ee2543492328de529712dcea-33.html#unique-entry-id-33I have just posted a special Feast of Trumpets audio message: The Last Trumpet. May God bless you all with a deeper understanding of His word and the peace of His spirit.

Until next time...]]>info@thetruthexamined.comNone2008-09-25T17:35:34-06:00http://www.thetruthexamined.com/commentary/files/091df7d7429c9c1c74c21491efc3bc62-32.html#unique-entry-id-32http://www.thetruthexamined.com/commentary/files/091df7d7429c9c1c74c21491efc3bc62-32.html#unique-entry-id-32Watch for a special Feast of Trumpets audio message coming very soon!!!

As the American economic situation spirals ever and ever faster to a complete collapse, lawmakers are still unable to come to an agreement on the bailout package. After signaling that a deal had been reached late this afternoon, the latest reports indicate the deal is now very close to falling apart.

Secretary of the Treasury, Henry Paulson, is afraid that the bailout deal is coming apart after a turbulent and chaotic meeting at the White House. Paulson reportedly asked lawmakers to “please don’t blow this up”. Read the story here.

China has told its domestic bank to cease from lending to US financial institutions. The move is seen as a defensive move by China, to protect itself against the US financial crisis. The ban is only against lending to the US, no other countries have been affected. If the US cannot secure credit from foreign lenders, our financial system is effectively ruined. Read the story here.

The FDIC (Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation) is now in need of a $150 Billion Dollar bailout as banks continue to fail. The corporation is supposed to provide insurance as a guarantee, that will allow depositors to retrieve their funds from defunct banks. Read the story here.

Billionaire Warren Buffet characterizes the current US financial situation as an “economic Pearl Harbor”. Buffet is still confident that Congress will put together a deal and rescue the US financial sector. Read the story here.

Panic stricken depositors made a run on a Hong Kong bank, as news of a pending failure began to circulate. The bank was quick to deny the stories and to label the rumors as “groundless”. Officials are urging calm. Read the story here.

Until next time...]]>info@thetruthexamined.comNone2008-09-24T17:36:51-06:00http://www.thetruthexamined.com/commentary/files/c0dd20e1ea64a67173825dee4705d20b-31.html#unique-entry-id-31http://www.thetruthexamined.com/commentary/files/c0dd20e1ea64a67173825dee4705d20b-31.html#unique-entry-id-31Watch for a special Feast of Trumpets message to be available soon!

The US is facing an unprecedented financial crisis. All of the experts agree something must be done immediately, meanwhile as the market yo-yo’s up and down and stressed out investors find no safe place to rest, congress continues to debate over a plan to rescue the American economy. President Bush has characterized the current situation as a “once in a century crisis”. One thing is for certain, the face of the American financial market and way of doing business will be changed forever. The US government will be firmly entrenched in managing what was once a free market. The UN is calling for more global control of the world’s financial resources. The world is marching slowly but surely towards a world governing system, one which the world will embrace, but one that will ultimately lead to the world’s doom. Faith and trust in God and His Son Jesus Christ, is the only safe investment in this world!

Jack Welch, former CEO of General Electric made dire predictions for the US economy today. Welch says that he held out hope, but that now he has to admit that the economy is in serious trouble. Welch stated that we (US) are in for a deep downturn. He also predicted a brutal first quarter in 2009. Read the story here.

In a move that is reminiscent of Nero fiddling while Rome burned, congress is arguing and bickering over the plan to bailout the ailing US financial sector. Despite dire predictions of the carnage that is soon to be unleashed, lawmakers are trying to place conditions and restrictions on the package. Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke, testifying on Capitol Hill warned of a Global Market under extraordinary stress and that swift action is urgently required to stabilize the situation. Read the story here.

As US lawmakers debate and stall on a bailout package to prop up a financial system heading swiftly for ruin, the Federal Reserve injected another $30 Billion dollars into the international market to try and buy some more time. The latest release of cash was on top of the $247 Billion that has already been infused into the market to avert a crisis. Read the story here.

The four major players seen as the major contributors to the current US financial crisis are under investigation by the FBI. Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, Lehman Brothers Holdings, Inc. and American International Group are being accused of fraud. Read the story here.

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, in a message delivered to the UN General Assembly, stated that the US is near collapse. Ahmadinejad further stated that the American Empire is at the end of its road and that its focus should be turned within its own borders. He also accused the US of starting wars in Afghanistan and Iraq and called US forces still in Iraq “occupiers”. The Iranian leader also blamed current global financial problems on US military interventions. Read the story here.

Until next time...]]>info@thetruthexamined.comNone2008-09-17T17:39:42-06:00http://www.thetruthexamined.com/commentary/files/27ba16e99fa99ecc004c3fbf540d0959-30.html#unique-entry-id-30http://www.thetruthexamined.com/commentary/files/27ba16e99fa99ecc004c3fbf540d0959-30.html#unique-entry-id-30Special Feast of Trumpets audio message coming soon!

Despite desperate attempts to keep the world’s financial markets propped up, panic continues to spread and run unabated. We are witnessing a crisis that is unprecedented in our lifetimes! What the final outcome will be remains to be seen. Will the market recover? Are we witnessing the beginning of a complete global depression?

Russia closed it’s stock market for the second straight day to try and prevent a complete collapse. Yesterday the exchange was in freefall and suffered a 17% drop before it was closed in mid-afternoon. The markets were reopened today along with an infusion of $70 Billion dollars which did nothing to abate the crisis. The market was shutdown again to prevent a complete collapse. The government has promised another $60 Billion to be added to the banking system. Read the story here.

The Dow lost another 450 points today, despite a government brokered deal to bail out failing AIG (American International Group). The move was seen as a way to try and inject some confidence back into the market and lure investors back, but the move failed to rally the market. Overall the Dow is down some 800 points this week. The announcement of the $85 Billion deal to save AIG caused more fear and panic then confidence. Gold had it’s biggest one day gain ever. Jumping $90.40, as investors were seeking the safety of hard assets. Read the story here.

The entire world is engulfed in a credit panic. Analysts say the credit crunch has hit an historic intensity. Financial stress has hit record proportions around the globe and lending between banks has come to a complete standstill. Short-term US Treasuries were trading at record lows not seen since January 1941! The news is grim and investors have abandoned any hope of profits for the sake of safety. Read the story here.

Troubled banks are desperately trying to make back door deals before going under. Morgan Stanley and Wachovia are negotiating and Goldman Sachs is looking for a partner. WAMU (Washington Mutual) is likely to fail next, since no one wants to even touch it. Read the story here.

Japan dumps $1.5 Trillion yen into their markets to try and stabilize the meltdown. Read the story here.

Until next time...]]>info@thetruthexamined.comNone2008-09-15T17:43:23-06:00http://www.thetruthexamined.com/commentary/files/56a90525b168777449e38a64ed6369dc-29.html#unique-entry-id-29http://www.thetruthexamined.com/commentary/files/56a90525b168777449e38a64ed6369dc-29.html#unique-entry-id-29Watch for a special Feast of Trumpets audio message coming soon!

The financial house of credit cards that the US built up, has finally fallen down. Wall Street suffered an economic meltdown that is unprecedented today. It all started with Lehman Brothers filing for Chapter 11 protection and snowballed from there. Late night meetings and last minute bail out pleas could not prevent the institution, a landmark on Wall Street, from going under. Another huge investment firm, Merrill Lynch, had to be sold after the collapse of Lehman Brothers. Now the insurance giant American International Group is gasping desperately and trying to keep it’s head above water. Last minute deals are desperately trying to be brokered, to prop up AIG. Market analysts are calling this a disaster, the likes of which have not seen, since the Great Depression. Can the US survive? We have been hanging on by our fingernails as it is!

It is not only this country that is suffering. The economies of the different nations of this world have become so intertwined already, that what affects one affects all. Every time there is an economic crisis, the financial institutions become more and more consolidated as the failing companies are absorbed into other conglomerates. All this serves to drive us ever closer to the one world system that is prophesied to be in place at the time of the end. We are moving ever closer to that cataclysm.

The AIG (American International Group) is desperately searching for a life line to remain afloat. It has lost 90% of its value this year! The Federal Reserve hired an investment bank, Morgan Stanley, to look at alternatives for the AIG. Read the story here.

The Dow took a horrible pounding today amid all of the doom and gloom of terrible financial news and failures. In a loss that represented the biggest drop in 6 years, the Dow lost 504 points today. Read the story here.

In an attempt to keep cash flowing, The Federal Reserve injected $70 Billion worth of reserve funds into the banking system. Cash is drying up quickly due to the surge in borrowing related to the failure of Lehman Brothers. The funds amounted to the biggest addition to the banking system, since the 9/11 attacks on the US. Read the story here.

Washington Mutual, the savings and loan giant was reduced to junk status today by Standard and Poor’s due to the housing crisis. Shares of WAMU tumbled sharply on the announcement. WAMU has suffered losses of $6.3 Billion over the last 3 quarters due to the housing market and bad mortgages. Read the story here.

The Bible foretells a time when money will become worthless:

Ezekiel 7:19 They will throw their silver into the streets, And their gold shall be like refuse; Their silver and gold will not be able to deliver them In the day of the wrath of the LORD; They will not satisfy their souls, Nor fill their stomachs, Because it became their stumbling block of iniquity.

Until next time...]]>info@thetruthexamined.comNone2008-09-10T18:58:53-06:00http://www.thetruthexamined.com/commentary/files/a2dd19aee441dce32e2adecdea487829-28.html#unique-entry-id-28http://www.thetruthexamined.com/commentary/files/a2dd19aee441dce32e2adecdea487829-28.html#unique-entry-id-28Watch for a new special audio message for the Feast of Trumpets to be posted soon!

After signaling that it would keep production quotas where they were yesterday, OPEC today cut production by 500,000 barrels per day. The move was seen as a way to stabilize the market and shore up falling prices. Some members of the Cartel were against a major cut, fearing demand would fall even faster. Demand for crude has been down sharply with the increasing prices, even in developing countries. Read the story here.

Russia has threatened to point ballistic missiles at US strategic targets in Europe, including those slated for the missile shield system. They also announced they are planning to test 4 ballistic missiles before the end of the year. Read the story here.

Despite the dire predictions that the earth is entering a warming period, the Old Farmers Almanac foretells a cooldown. The Almanac’s predictions are based on a series of complex calculations with a surprisingly accurate record. The Almanac’s calculations point to a cooling trend for the next half century. The Old Farmers Almanac dates back to 1792 and is the oldest continuously published periodical in North America. Read the story here.

Until next time...

]]>info@thetruthexamined.comNone2008-09-09T17:42:54-06:00http://www.thetruthexamined.com/commentary/files/de42a3bc6f8152e82fb25b8d204d9dbd-27.html#unique-entry-id-27http://www.thetruthexamined.com/commentary/files/de42a3bc6f8152e82fb25b8d204d9dbd-27.html#unique-entry-id-27Look for a new audio message to be posted soon!

The Congressional Budget Office released figures today, showing that the Federal Government will be running a record deficit of $409 Billion dollars, at the close of the budget year on September 30. The CBO is also predicting that debt from this year will carry over into next year, when the deficit is expected to rise to $438 Billion and possibly even higher with the government bailout of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. Who is going to bail out the Federal Government when they are no longer able to meet their obligations? What happens when the creditors who have been propping up the US, by purchasing US Treasury bonds, demand payment? Who is going to make the payment on all of that debt? Read the story here.

Oil continued to slide today, as OPEC met and decided to keep production levels where they are. It was initially feared that the Cartel would cut production to maintain market prices, but both Saudi Arabia who carries heavy influence within OPEC, and Venezuela agreed on leaving production quotas untouched. The Saudi Oil Minister called the market “well balanced”. Brent crude actually dipped below the $100 mark today. Market analysts predict that oil will fall below the $100 mark, which comes as a welcome relief to a faltering global economy. Read the story here.

Russia stated that troops would remain in the breakaway regions of South Ossetia and Abkhazia for a “long time” to prevent further military action from Georgia. 7,600 troops have been committed to the effort. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov also warned that a lasting peace is only possible if Georgia is not allowed to rearm. Read the story here.

The Russian, state run company that is building Iran’s first nuclear plant in Bushehr, stated that the reactor’s launch has entered the final phase. Iran is paying a price tag of over $1 Billion dollars for the plant. The company stated that by the end of the year steps will be taken that will make the launch irreversible. Read the story here.

Until next time...]]>info@thetruthexamined.comNone2008-09-03T17:44:03-06:00http://www.thetruthexamined.com/commentary/files/3fa302d06dd39a6bfe8b8cebed60561f-26.html#unique-entry-id-26http://www.thetruthexamined.com/commentary/files/3fa302d06dd39a6bfe8b8cebed60561f-26.html#unique-entry-id-26The nations of this world appear to be blindly forging ahead in their efforts to modify the pure strains that exist in the animal and plant world. What will be the end result of modifying the pure animal and seed strains that we rely on for food? No one really knows...could man be contributing to the prophesied famine that will occur as foretold in Revelation?

Revelation 6:5

5 When he opened the third seal, I heard the third living creature say, “Come and see.” So I looked, and behold, a black horse, and he who sat on it had a pair of scales in his hand. 6 And I heard a voice in the midst of the four living creatures saying, “A quart of wheat for a denarius, and three quarts of barley for a denarius; and do not harm the oil and the wine.”

Genetically Modified (GM) foods were never supposed to enter the consumer market, until they had been tested and proven. What happened? GM products began showing up in consumer foodstuffs and the modified foods were being distributed before consumers were even aware! The full extents of the impact that these GM products have on the human body is not even known! One GM variation of corn actually produces its own pesticide that is contained within each kernel. Can it be healthy to consume something like that? This is only one instance of the type of gene modification that is being done to food crops.

Now the FDA warns that cloned animal products are in US food supplies. What are the long range effects and implications of cloned animal products being introduced into our food supply? Again, who knows? There has not been time for sufficient studies or testing to provide conclusive results either way. God is the creator, God created the plants and animals and all living things. Is man more knowledgeable and wiser than God? Certainly not! God created it all and said it was good. Man is tampering with and modifying what God set in place! Read the story here.

There are some that are concerned enough about protecting the pure seed strains, that a seed vault was constructed in Norway to safely house and protect seeds from a variety of plants. The Norwegian government contributed more than 7 million dollars to the vault, which was constructed in the Arctic and opened in February of this year. Read the story here.

As oil prices continue to fall, Iran is calling for a cut in production to keep prices up. Oil has fallen in recent weeks from a high of $147 a barrel to $107. Venezuela and Iran plan to use $100 as the benchmark to maintain. An Iranian official stated that OPEC members must immediately stop exceeding production quotas, which would amount to an immediate half million barrels per day cut in the oil supply. Read the story here.

A wall dating back to the time of the second temple has been uncovered in Jerusalem. The wall is 2,100 years old and lies just outside the present day walls of the old city. Read the story here.

Until next time...]]>info@thetruthexamined.comNone2008-08-29T08:55:20-06:00http://www.thetruthexamined.com/commentary/files/5645a696693f2620556dbc847faac72c-25.html#unique-entry-id-25http://www.thetruthexamined.com/commentary/files/5645a696693f2620556dbc847faac72c-25.html#unique-entry-id-25Russia continues down a path of defiance, in spite of world condemnation for it’s recent military action against Georgia...

Ezekiel 13:10 “Because, indeed, because they have seduced My people, saying, ‘Peace!’ when there is no peace - and one builds a wall, and they plaster it with untempered mortar - 11 say to those who plaster it with untempered mortar, that it will fall. There will be flooding rain, and you, O great hailstones, shall fall; and a stormy wind shall tear it down.

Russia test fired a new missile last night that is capable of delivering a 550 kiloton nuclear warhead, up to 6,125 miles away. The weapon has enough power to devastate anything within a 14-mile radius. The missile reportedly struck it’s target with a high degree of accuracy. The missile traveled almost 4,000 miles to a target on the Kamchatka peninsula. The missile has a “stealth” design, to aid in avoiding defense systems. The missile’s range puts the UK in the target zone. British Foreign Secretary Miliband, stated that the Russian action in Georgia, has brought an end to peace in Europe. The UK has cancelled a joint military exercise with Georgia, that had been planned for September. Russia threatened that such actions could be tantamount to a declaration of war. Russia also accused the UK of directly helping Georgian armed forces. Read the story here.

British Foreign Secretary Miliband, stated that Russian actions in Georgia and elsewhere, threaten to undermine the stability in Europe. Miliband was on a diplomatic visit to the Ukraine. He stated that the trip was intended to show support for that democratic country and not to provoke Russia and that if Russia wanted respect and influence in Europe, then Russia needed to change course. Read the story here.

Georgia is cutting all diplomatic ties with Russia and has issued a recall of it’s diplomats from Moscow, due to the Russian military presence in Georgia. Russia stated that the move would hinder relations. Georgia is upset that Russian troops still occupy Georgian territory. South Ossetian officials have stated that Russia will absorb the South Ossetian province. Read the story here.

Until next time...]]>info@thetruthexamined.comNone2008-08-28T17:52:29-06:00http://www.thetruthexamined.com/commentary/files/3258ea29f5b4ae9f4bd26bdeba749483-24.html#unique-entry-id-24http://www.thetruthexamined.com/commentary/files/3258ea29f5b4ae9f4bd26bdeba749483-24.html#unique-entry-id-24Russia has taken on a decidedly defiant posture in the past couple of weeks, despite their punishment and invasion of Georgia. Even though the main force has been withdrawn from the interior of Georgia, they still remain in South Ossetia and Abkhazia. They also continue to man and operate checkpoints deep inside of Georgian territory. One thing is clear, Russia is not going to accept any criticism, or offer any apologies for the action they have taken. The Russian Bear is once again on the prowl...

Vladimir Putin is accusing the US of pushing Georgia into the conflict and that it was all part of a plot to influence and benefit the the upcoming US election. Putin claims that the US encouraged Georgia to settle the dispute with South Ossetia by force. Read the story here.

Russia warned of a direct confrontation between US and Russian warships in the Black Sea today. Russia has also accused the US ships of delivering arms to Georgia, instead of humanitarian aid. A spokesman for Vladimir Putin stated that Russia was taking measures of precaution against American and NATO naval ships. A Russian General accused NATO of ratcheting up tensions in the area and stated that is was not a common practice to dispense humanitarian aid from warships. Read the story here.

A US warship carrying humanitarian aid docked at a southern Georgian port Wednesday, while Russia sent three missile ships to another Georgian port. The US ship had been bound for the main Georgian port of Poti, but it is feared that the harbor may have been mined and there are sunken Georgian ships on the bottom that were hit by Russian weapons. Russian troops are also stationed at one of the approaches to the city and it was feared that the US ship docking there might have been perceived as a direct challenge. Read the story here.

The west is already warning Russia against moving on the Ukraine. It is feared that Russia may continue it’s advance after the overwhelming victory in Georgia. The British foreign secretary called for hard headed engagement from the European Union and NATO over Russian’s military action in Georgia. His sentiments were echoed by several other foreign dignitaries of the EU. The EU is holding an emergency Georgia summit on Monday. Read the story here.

Until next time...]]>info@thetruthexamined.comNone2008-08-25T18:28:26-06:00http://www.thetruthexamined.com/commentary/files/8ca1ce8901382bd20ad087128c90f9fc-23.html#unique-entry-id-23http://www.thetruthexamined.com/commentary/files/8ca1ce8901382bd20ad087128c90f9fc-23.html#unique-entry-id-23A new article has been posted, “Sincerity In Prayer”.

Once again the global landscape is changing, nations are being reshaped and reborn and who knows how it will end up this time. Russia is formally recognizing South Ossetia and Abkhazia as independent countries. Was Russia’s goal all along to weaken Georgia? The move is expected to increase tension with the west and it is reported that Russia has cut all ties with NATO. The US has been insistent that the territories must remain part of Georgia and called the recognition by Russia “unacceptable”. Russian forces still occupy both South Ossetia and Abkhazia.

Iraq claims that an agreement has been reached to have all US forces out of that country by 2011. US forces would cease patrolling Iraqi cities and villages by the middle of next year. The Iraqis appear to be anxious to end US presence and control of their country and to assume responsibility for their own destiny. Is the country ready to take control, or will it disintegrate into civil war once the threat of the US military has been removed, further de-stabilizing the Middle East? Read the story here.

Pakistan’s ruling coalition has collapsed and the country faces an uncertain future. Dissent is already rearing its ugly head and party leaders are in opposition as to who will lead that country. India and Pakistan have been at odds for quite some time and anything is possible with a new leader coming to power in Pakistan. Nuclear threats have been thrown back and forth several times. If a leader who is unable to keep the country cohesive and united in placed in power, the region could become very unstable. Pakistan has possession of a nuclear arsenal and if the country sinks into total chaos, who will retain control of the weapons? Read the story here.

Another bank has failed and has been taken over by Federal Regulators. Columbian Bank and Trust of Kansas was closed by the Regulators and is the ninth US bank to fail this year. Citizen’s Bank and Trust will assume control of the bank’s assets. How many more losses can the financial sector bear? The pace of failures is increasing and the bottom has not been hit yet. Can our financial system continue to absorb such huge losses? Read the story here.

Criminals are abandoning the weak US dollar in favor of the Euro! It is a sad day indeed, when even those who engage in illegal activities begin abandoning the dollar. The US dollar began to lose ground in 2007 and its decline has accelerated in 2008 with no end in sight. Read the story here.

Until next time...]]>info@thetruthexamined.comNone2008-08-20T17:31:03-06:00http://www.thetruthexamined.com/commentary/files/287eba77e410623b2b1f98010654f7a4-22.html#unique-entry-id-22http://www.thetruthexamined.com/commentary/files/287eba77e410623b2b1f98010654f7a4-22.html#unique-entry-id-22It never ceases to amaze me how quickly things change on the world scene. The entire balance and stability of the world changes overnight. One minute everyone is focused on Beijing and the Olympic Games and in the next moment Russia has invaded a neighboring nation and is threatening the US. Peace in this world is nothing but a facade, a charade played out on the world stage. The fangs are barely concealed behind the smile and quickly come out snapping in the beat of a heart. New battle lines are being drawn and it should serve as a warning to all of us, to never be deceived into thinking all is well in this world. Our citizenship lies elsewhere. The kingdom of God is our goal, not the kingdom of man. This world will never be right...will never be at peace until the King of Kings and Lord of Lords returns to claim it. He is the only hope we have!

The US today formally signed an agreement with Poland to place US interceptor missiles, of the missile shield system, on Polish soil. Russia has threatened a response that will go beyond diplomacy. The missiles will be just 115 miles from the western border of Russia. The radar component of the system will be deployed in the Czech Republic. Russia reacted swiftly and harshly to the news. Russia stated that Poland was running the risk of attack and possibly a nuclear one by hosting the missile system. World leaders are making light of Russia’s statements and brushing them aside, but the Poles are worried. The US has stated that it is now obligated to respond and defend Poland from any threat or attack due to the agreement. Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice made some strong statements of her own, in response to the Russian announcement, stating that such statements “border on the bizarre, frankly”. Read the story here.

Israel fears a new Cold War, only this time in the Middle East. Syrian President Assad spoke of hosting Russian missiles on Syrian soil yesterday from Moscow, where he is putting the finishing touches on some joint military agreements. Assad stated that he intended to discuss the deployment of Russian missiles within his country. It is feared that the Middle East could develop into another Cold War scenario, with Russia and the US squaring off by developing and funding Middle Eastern countries. The Russian move in Syria could be in retaliation for the US and Israel supporting Georgia. Read the story here.

The Russians are apparently digging in for a prolonged stay in the state of Georgia and show no signs of leaving. Russian soldiers are digging trenches and setting up sentry posts deep within Georgia, despite agreeing to a cease fire and to the withdrawl of Russian troops. This move is clearly a slap in the face of the US, who has backed and supported Geogia including training the Georgian military and providing hardware and arms. Read the story here.

Russia has notified Norway, that it will no longer be participating, or cooperating with NATO militarily. The move mirrors a decision by NATO to make any future relations with Russia dependent upon their pulling their troops out of Georgia. The US called the move “unfortunate”.Read the story here.

Until next time...]]>info@thetruthexamined.comNone2008-08-18T18:18:28-06:00http://www.thetruthexamined.com/commentary/files/235e88e3d5f7abc462170b1648b03956-21.html#unique-entry-id-21http://www.thetruthexamined.com/commentary/files/235e88e3d5f7abc462170b1648b03956-21.html#unique-entry-id-21My humble thanks and gratitude to all of you who are taking the time to read this commentary! Traffic is steadily increasing on this site and I pray that it is a help and a blessing to all of those who visit. I apologize for the fact that it has been nearly an entire week since the last post, but my family and I were able to enjoy a few badly needed days away together.

Is Russia really leaving? Russia claims that it is pulling its troops out of Georgia, but so far all reports point to the contrary. NATO is staging an emergency meeting to deal with the crisis and figure out what steps to take next. US Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice stated that “Russia is playing a very dangerous game” with the US and its allies. What are Russia’s aims? The US has vowed to rebuild and continue to back Georgia and other regional democracies. Georgia and Ukraine are both very interested in NATO membership. Secretary Rice also accused Russia of trying to destabilize and topple Georgia’s government. Read the story here. A US Defense official says that they have confirmed Russian short range missiles have been placed in South Ossetia violating the cease fire agreement they have with Georgia. Read the story here.

Pakistani President Musharraf has announced his resignation. The Pakistani leader, a staunch US ally is slated to undergo impeachment proceedings from the parliament, due to his attempt to establish authoritarian rule over Pakistan. The people of the troubled nation celebrated at the news. The US reports that the Pakistan’s nuclear arsenal is safe and poses no threat. The country, for now, is under the control of a ruling coalition and stable. The Parliament has said they will be stripping the office of President from some of its powers and know one knows whom they will elect to replace Musharraf. Read the story here.

Until next time...]]>info@thetruthexamined.comNone2008-08-11T19:48:16-06:00http://www.thetruthexamined.com/commentary/files/a9219c9be3f196b72b41eb1c5a7167dc-20.html#unique-entry-id-20http://www.thetruthexamined.com/commentary/files/a9219c9be3f196b72b41eb1c5a7167dc-20.html#unique-entry-id-20I will be away for a few days on vacation. I have posted a new article: Choices... for you to read in my absence.

There is no real peace in the world. There are several conflicts going on around the globe at any given time. The crisis in the nation of Georgia has taken center stage this week. There is only one way to bring peace to this world. Man is not willing, nor is he capable of bringing a lasting peace to this earth. No matter what organizations are setup, no matter what truces and agreements are put into place, it never lasts. There is always someone, somewhere, that lusts after and desires absolute and total control of everything and everyone. The Bible foretells that this world will become united under a world government for a short time, but then Jesus Christ will return in power and glory and take control of this world from man. Only then will there be a lasting peace, only then will there be safety and security and harmony among men. Amen. Even so, come LORD Jesus!

The nation of Georgia attempted to take back a break-away territory, South Ossetia. Russia had other ideas and responded quickly and with ferocity. Georgia suffered a retaliatory attack from Russia, who has it’s own ideas about South Ossetia. For all intents and purposes, it appears that Russia is trying to absorb Georgia back into it’s territory. After an aerial pounding resulting in heavy civilian casualties, ground troops and armored cavalry are moving towards the Georgian capital of Tsblisi. A humanitarian crisis is in the making. Read the story here. President Bush is demanding that Russia end what he called a “dramatic and brutal escalation of violence”. Georgia is a soverign nation, that has a democratic form of government with leaders elected by the people. The US has enjoyed warm relations with Georgia and has a vested interest in seeing the nation retain it’s soverignty. Read the story here.

China is set to surpass the US, as the biggest producer of goods in the world. The shift in status is four years ahead of schedule, due to the weak US economy. The US has long been the leader in the world of both manufactured goods and agricultural products, but the tide is swiftly turning. The US had been expected to retain it’s top producer status until 2013, but recent events are causing a revision by Global Economists. The shift in manufacturing status will topple the US from the top position it has held for over 100 years! Read the story here.

Until next time...]]>info@thetruthexamined.comNone2008-08-07T18:05:18-06:00http://www.thetruthexamined.com/commentary/files/2344f0249c07d16de8041aea30775b90-18.html#unique-entry-id-18http://www.thetruthexamined.com/commentary/files/2344f0249c07d16de8041aea30775b90-18.html#unique-entry-id-18No matter what lofty diplomatic solutions are dreamed up, no matter how many truces, cease fires, or agreements are made, the middle east is destined to stay in a condition of unrest. The Holy Land belongs to God, He has claimed it and Jerusalem as His Holy City. Peace will never come to that land until Jesus Christ returns to wrest control of it from man forever. In a future time, a new Jerusalem will descend to this earth to replace the old and God and Jesus Christ will dwell there.

Zechariah 8:3

“Thus says the LORD:

‘I will return to Zion,
And dwell in the midst of Jerusalem.
Jerusalem shall be called the City of Truth,
The Mountain of the LORD of hosts,
The Holy Mountain’

An amazingly beautiful and incredible city unlike anything this world, or man has ever seen before or can even conceive! Peace will finally reign in that city, the river of life will flow through it and no evil will be found there...ever. God speed that day!

Israel still considers Iran a very real threat and is apparently carrying on with a plan to remove any nuclear capability, that Iran might be able to bring to bear against the Jewish state. Israel has recently purchased 90 F-16l jet fighters, that have the capability to carry enough fuel to reach Iran, with 11 more slated for delivery by the end of next year. They have also purchased two new submarines capable of delivering nuclear warheads from sea, to add to the three they already possess. Israel is well known for taking threats against their nation very seriously and then acting whenever they feel their existence is threatened, despite what the rest of the world thinks. Is a strike on Iran a foregone conclusion? Read the story here.

Libya is firmy against any Mediterranean Union, the brain child of French President Sarkozy. Muammar Gadaffi fears that Africa will become divided and refused to attend the launch of the Mediterranean Union in Paris, in July. The ultimate goal, according to Sarkozy, is to boost diplomatic ties between the EU and the Mediterranean members. Proposed countries to be members of the union include: Algeria, Egypt, Morocco, Tunisia, Jordan, Lebanon, The Palestinian Authority, Syria, Turkey, Israel, Albania, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Monico and Mauritania. Read the story here.

Random House has postponed indefinitely the publication of a book concerning Islam, amid fears of violence and retaliation. The publisher stated that they had received advice that publication of the book could cause offense and a violent reaction from the Islamic community. Random House stated that after much deliberation they had decided to postpone the publication for safety reasons. It is a shame that books considered anti-Christian, do not receive the same careful and thoughtful consideration. Read the story here.

Until next time...]]>info@thetruthexamined.comNone2008-08-04T17:43:42-06:00http://www.thetruthexamined.com/commentary/files/b46538f824c1d4794edcbc9950ccfaee-17.html#unique-entry-id-17http://www.thetruthexamined.com/commentary/files/b46538f824c1d4794edcbc9950ccfaee-17.html#unique-entry-id-17Every day the American way of life and long held traditions are being eroded, eradicated and redefined. Multi-culturalism, revisionist history, globalism, political correctness, where will it all end? The American way of life is quickly becoming a relic of the past. When strangers entered the Holy Land, God told the people that the foreigners must conform to the customs and traditions of Israel, including their religious observances and practices. Is it fair to thrust foreign beliefs and practices on the American people in the name of diversity, sensitivity and tolerance? Is it wrong to expect those that enter this country to become part of the American culture, instead of expecting the American culture to conform to their wants?

Tyson Foods, a huge processor of poultry products, recently dropped the observance of Labor Day, a traditional American holiday, for the oberservance of the Muslim holiday Eid al Fitr. Eid al Fitr marks the end of the Muslim month of fasting, Ramadan. Union leaders cited the number of Muslim workers that are employed by Tyson Foods as the basis for their decision to trade holiday observances. Read the story here.

An increase in commodity prices is bringing a welcome increase in profits for farmers. While the rest of the nation continues to experience a housing market in freefall, agricultural land is actually increasing in value, due to the increased demand and increase in value for commodities. Prices have risen by 15.5% in the Northern Plains states, due to price increases in Corn, Wheat and Soybeans. Read the story here.

Oil prices continue to fall as the market adjusts to losses in demand. The effects of high prices at the pump are finally causing a turn around in the price of crude futures. Demand has been falling steadily and today the market weathered several pieces of bad news with prices continuing to fall, instead of the increases that were seen in recent weeks. Oil dipped below the $120 mark briefly today, before recovering to $121.21, which still represents another $4 a barrel drop. Read the story here.

Until next time...]]>info@thetruthexamined.comNone2008-07-31T17:44:02-06:00http://www.thetruthexamined.com/commentary/files/dcc30340760c0a6a7427447eea5985d4-16.html#unique-entry-id-16http://www.thetruthexamined.com/commentary/files/dcc30340760c0a6a7427447eea5985d4-16.html#unique-entry-id-16Despite the best efforts of government agencies to paint a rosy economic outlook, it just is not happening. The housing meltdown continues even though billions of dollars have been pumped into financial markets to try and shore up the black hole of credit debt. It is not only the US that is feeling the bite of a wounded economy, Europe is also succumbing to a financial crisis of their own. Is a global financial crisis on the horizon?

Europe is experiencing a housing market in freefall of their own, as well as a bleak outlook for the business environment. As far as the europeans are concerned, Britain and the US are already considered to be in recession, with the rest of europe headed for an even deeper economic crisis than the one we are facing. Read the story here.

Times must be getting desperate indeed when women are “donating” their eggs in record numbers. Actually the donation involves monetary reimbursement, so in effect they are selling potential human beings. Those who participate stand to make up to $7000 for their “donation”. Donations have been on the rise since April of this year. We have truly become a country with very little regard for human life, or for the gifts that God has given us. Read the story here.

The Mars Phoenix Lander has confirmed the existence of ice on the Martian surface. After several frustrating attempts to convey soil into one of the analytical ovens on the lander, scientists were finally able to sucessfully deliver and analyze a sample of the icy soil. The TEGA (Thermal and Evolved Gas Analyzer) onboard the lander, confirmed the presence of ice in the soil. Read the story here.

Until next time...]]>info@thetruthexamined.comNone2008-07-28T17:51:31-06:00http://www.thetruthexamined.com/commentary/files/6d3f28a833207c7418e0d7d82d818862-15.html#unique-entry-id-15http://www.thetruthexamined.com/commentary/files/6d3f28a833207c7418e0d7d82d818862-15.html#unique-entry-id-15I have just posted a new article to the site “Do Not Stray Into The Gray” and a new audio message “What Is Your Reasonable Service”.

On Sunday, a man entered a church in Knoxville, Tennessee and opened fire with a shotgun. His plan was to keep on firing until the police arrived and shot him, but some of the people in the congregation he attacked, were able to subdue him and keep him detained until police arrived. Two people died and several others were wounded. It is believed that he purposely targeted the church, because of it’s beliefs and stand on some controversial issues. Read the story here.

The stock market suffered a major hit today, as the Dow plunged 240 points to close at 11,131.08. There are no sure things in this world, there is nothing here that we can rely on to provide security and protection except a relationship with God and His Son. We need to be storing up our treasure in heaven “where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal.” Luke 12:20. Read the story here. The IMF predicts that the end of the housing crisis is nowhere in sight and prices will contine to fall. President Bush today signed a bill to prop up failing Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. Read the story here.

New York Governor Paterson warns that the state is facing it’s worst year financially since the mid 1970’s and is planning drastic cost saving measures to make up for budget shortfalls. The cost cutting measures will include reduction in state provided services and termination of state jobs. Read the story here.

Merill Lynch announced today that it would take a $5.7 billion dollar write-down and sell $3.4 billion in stock to Singapore, in an effort to raise capital and remain solvent after posting a 4.9 billion dollar loss in the 2nd quarter. American financial institutions are becoming heavily indebted, or majority owned by foreign interests, which certainly does not bode well for the future of this country. Read the story here.

Until next time...]]>info@thetruthexamined.comNone2008-07-26T10:27:11-06:00http://www.thetruthexamined.com/commentary/files/6057c8ef0c579a1d69fd303021b736cd-14.html#unique-entry-id-14http://www.thetruthexamined.com/commentary/files/6057c8ef0c579a1d69fd303021b736cd-14.html#unique-entry-id-14The rift in our already fragile economy continues to widen as financial institutions continue to experience serious cash flow problems and complete failures. The Fed continues to offer unfettered access to loan funds that are keeping many of the larger lenders and debt holders afloat. How long can the infusion continue and at what cost? When the dust settles and the smoke clears will any independent banks exist anymore? We may very well find ourselves with our banks and lenders completely in the hands of the Fed and under their control before the financial bailout is over.

Federal regulators closed the 1st National Bank of Nevada and the First Heritage Bank, which operates 28 branches in Arizona, Nevada and California. The banks will be reopened on Monday as branches of Mutual of Omaha bank. The FDIC stated that the bank takeover was the least costly way to deal with the crisis. The banks assets had dropped from 4.1 billion to 3.6 billion in 6 months. Depositors were assured that their funds would be available and safe. That remains to be seen as some depositors of the failed IndyMac bank may not see part of their funds for some time. One official stated that it might take several years to resolve the collapse and address customer claims. Read the story here.

Oil continues its downward trend which will come as a welcome relief for motorists. Overall oil is down 16.3% from the high of $147.50 set on July 11, 2008. The market closed Friday with oil futures at $122.50 down 5.9% from the beginning of the week. Natural gas and coal prices also slipped during the week. Is the market finally seeing a lasting correction? Congress continues to debate over regulation of speculators within the market, that have been at least partially responsible for the wild fluctuations and increases in the price of commodities. Read the story here.

Until next time...]]>info@thetruthexamined.comNone2008-07-24T17:48:53-06:00http://www.thetruthexamined.com/commentary/files/11f53f6bf3bdd257dcc09a8893827fe4-13.html#unique-entry-id-13http://www.thetruthexamined.com/commentary/files/11f53f6bf3bdd257dcc09a8893827fe4-13.html#unique-entry-id-13Can the US economy continue to absorb the losses being dealt to it? As consumers rein in their spending and families continue to lose homes and buying power, what hope is there to fuel a comeback? The government continues to infuse the banks and mortgage holders, but how long can that continue? The country is already bankrupt and the debt continues to pile up...where will it all end? We cannot continue to print and distribute money against hard assets that do not exist! One thing is for certain, the way of life in this country is being redefined on almost a daily basis.

The market fell steadily all day and did not experience any sort of rebound before markets closed. Financials ended with their worst drop in 8 years amid bad news on home sales. Sales of existing homes fell to the lowest level they have seen in 10 years and home sales forecasts did not materialize. Analysts predict the housing slump bailout will now cost $1 trillion dollars! Read the story here.

The National Association of Realtors reports that sales of existing homes are down 2.6% from May. That equals the level of home sales from 10 years ago. Overall home sales are down 15.5% from the pace they were at just a year ago, when the market was already beginning to slow. The median price of single family homes has fallen 6.7% from the same period just a year ago. As existing inventories continue to rise and consumers cut back on spending, prices will continue to fall. Many pospective buyer are sitting on the sidelines until the market stabilizes. How low will it go? Read the story here.

As prices continue to rise, budgets are meeting a shortfall. Creative solutions must be found and some school districts are resorting to a shorter week, to offset the rising costs of energy and other expenses. Some districts are experiencing dramatic savings by cutting a day out of the normal 5-day schedule. Read the story here.

Until next time...]]>info@thetruthexamined.comNone2008-07-18T17:52:17-06:00http://www.thetruthexamined.com/commentary/files/72ed3ab55947f3663bc9690bab38ae74-12.html#unique-entry-id-12http://www.thetruthexamined.com/commentary/files/72ed3ab55947f3663bc9690bab38ae74-12.html#unique-entry-id-12The Dow Jones Industrial Average was all over the board this week in wild trading amid speculation and rumors. At one point the stock market closed below 11,000, a low point the market had not seen in over two years. More rumors surrounding financial institutions made for a jittery market. The FBI has begun an investigation into troubled lender IndyMac, for mortgage fraud. A formal investigation has also been launched into Wachovia Securites practices. The commodities market has finally seen some relief with the price of oil futures dropping heavily this week. Crude fell sharply and ended up at $128.88 today at the close of the trading day. Some analysts are predicting the bubble may have burst on the price of oil. Read the story here.

Tensions between Iran and the west appear to be easing as the US has agreed to attend talks to address Iran’s Nuclear Program. Iran has also reacted positively to re-establishing diplomatic ties with the US and having a diplomatic office in Tehran. While not an establishment of full diplomatic ties, the move is still seen as a breakthrough. The policy in Washington up until this point, was that no talks would take place as long as the Iranian uranium enrichment activity was taking place. Read the story here.

A homosexual has filed a lawsuit against publishers Zondervan and Thomas Nelson citing that their versions of the bible have violated his constitutional rights and caused him emotional distress. The suit which seeks $70 million in damages, claims the publishers manipulated the use of the word “homosexual” in scripture. The suit further claims that the gay man has become an outcast from his family, due to his family’s pastor citing the word “homosexual” from the King James Version of the bible. Christianity and christians are increasingly coming under attack for their views and beliefs, by radical homosexuals who want their lifestyles to be accepted and regarded as normal. Read the story here.

Until next time...]]>info@thetruthexamined.comNone2008-07-14T22:18:50-06:00http://www.thetruthexamined.com/commentary/files/1af2243bedf89993e5063c8df4e2a6c5-11.html#unique-entry-id-11http://www.thetruthexamined.com/commentary/files/1af2243bedf89993e5063c8df4e2a6c5-11.html#unique-entry-id-11Last Friday, July 11, 2008, the federal government shut down the IndyMac bank to prevent a complete collapse, as nervous depositors made a run and tried to withdraw their money. Word began to circulate that the bank was in trouble and stock plummeted as investors divested themselves of their holdings in the lender. IndyMac had large mortgage holdings, many which were unconventional and risky loans. Regulators called the event the second largest bank failure in US history. IndyMac stock had dropped to less than a $1, prompting depositors to try and retrieve their money. The FDIC reopened the bank today under their control and depositors who were unable to get to their money on Friday, lined up and stood for hours to withdraw funds from the wounded bank. The bailout is expected to cost the FDIC between $4-$8 billion. Read the story here.

Americans are beginning to lose faith in banking institutions after the IndyMac closure. Investors are dumping bank stocks and other financial institutions are seeing runs on funds by depositors. Wall street analysts are distributing lists of banks that are likely to fail and bank values are in freefall. Analysts are calling for the FDIC to shut down several banks that are at risk, all at the same time. The government has come up with a plan to shore up ailing Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, but will it be enough to restore investor confidence and stop the foreclosure tsunami? Analysts are predicting more bank and lender failures due to the problems suffered by IndyMac. When depositors make a run on their funds, the bank is left without any liquid assets to work with. Read the story here.

Until next time...]]>info@thetruthexamined.comNone2008-07-10T17:57:20-06:00http://www.thetruthexamined.com/commentary/files/5c5f4969c9dc8fb67b6f255ec1397185-10.html#unique-entry-id-10http://www.thetruthexamined.com/commentary/files/5c5f4969c9dc8fb67b6f255ec1397185-10.html#unique-entry-id-10Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice spoke directly to Iran today and warned that the US will not retreat in the face of Iranian threats against Israel. She stated that the US will defend it’s interests and those of it’s allies. The statement comes as tensions continue to mount in the middle east, as the Iranians stage war games. Israel has voiced it’s readiness to attack if necessary. Read the story here.

Tension continues in the middle east as Iran test fired more missiles overnight. Some of the missiles were reported to have special capabilities and this time included some missiles that were fired from ships in the Persian Gulf. Iran claims the exercises are meant to show that Iran can defend itself from any Israeli, or US attack. Read the story here.

Amidst reports of weakening demand and a strengthening dollar, oil had lost more than $10 a barrel in trading earlier this week. The reports out of the middle east have erased a large part of the price drop, as tensions and rhetoric between Iran, Israel and the US continue. OPEC today also added to the woes of an already jittery market by warning that if Iran is attacked, the oil market will suffer a shortage, as the rest of the producing nations will not be able to make up the shortfall caused by the loss of Iranian oil Read the story here.

Until next time...]]>info@thetruthexamined.comNone2008-07-09T17:59:48-06:00http://www.thetruthexamined.com/commentary/files/153282f36f8f9b425c056b970b7ddc88-9.html#unique-entry-id-9http://www.thetruthexamined.com/commentary/files/153282f36f8f9b425c056b970b7ddc88-9.html#unique-entry-id-9All one has to do is read their bible to realize there is never going to be peace in the middle east. In fact, the war that will culminate in the return of Jesus Christ to this earth, Armageddon, will take place there. I have already written here about Israel’s war games that simulated an attack on Iran. Now Iran is responding with war games of their own. Iran has already threatened to shutdown the Strait of Hormuz if any hostile action is taken against it. The Strait of Hormuz, is the major transit point for oil coming out of the middle east. Iran test fired 9 missiles, one of which they claim is capable of hitting Tel-Aviv in Israel. The test firing drew the ire of the US, who denounced the show of force. Iran has threatened to attack Israel and US interests around the world, if they are fired upon. Read the story here.

The US continues to be bought up by foreign interests at an alarming rate. It appears that anything in this country is for sale if the price is right. Already many critical parts of the nation’s infrastructure have been bought up by foreign investors. Major utility suppliers and manufacturing firms have been sold to foreign owners. The money you send in every month for your water, or electricity may very well be going into foreign coffers. The water utility of a large city near where I live, is owned by a global utility giant headquartered in France. These things should cause the American people to be concerned, yet nobody seems to notice, or care. The latest victim to be sold off is the landmark Chrysler building in New York. The building is being purchased by middle eastern investors. Read the story here.

Until next time...]]>info@thetruthexamined.comNone2008-07-03T08:19:32-06:00http://www.thetruthexamined.com/commentary/files/32d8675a47e5d01ad7bf43cef0805755-8.html#unique-entry-id-8http://www.thetruthexamined.com/commentary/files/32d8675a47e5d01ad7bf43cef0805755-8.html#unique-entry-id-8As the economy continues to slip and everyone continues to feel the pinch, just how bad will things become? Already people are beginning to turn to dishonest means to make up the difference. In a time when people should try to help one another, there are always those that look to exploit others and take advantage in any way that they can.

In some areas, thieves have begun to steal manhole covers and sell them for their scrap metal value. With prices for scrap continuing to climb, the situation can only grow worse. Each cover weighs 200 pounds and authorities tribute the theft to the current economic situation. Thieves receive $10 to $15 for each cover they steal and sell, while it costs the communities where the thefts take place between $200 to $500 to replace depending on their location. Read the story here.

With the price of scrap metal going up, thieves have also begun raiding graveyards. They are not actually excavating gravesites, they are stealing the vases and other exterior decorations that are easily removed and carried away. Some grave markers have elaborate decoration and are made from metals that can bring a very good price. Three men were recently arrested for stealing over 1,000 vases and headstones from Chicago area cemeteries. The brass vases can bring $10 each for scrap, but cost as much as $300 to replace. Read the story here.

As prices at the pump continue to rise, everyone is feeling the effect on their wallet. This country is completely dependent on oil and at the mercy of those who supply our needs. Costs of goods are constantly going up, due to rising transportation costs. Even those things that are the most basic of needs for us, are skyrocketing. With no relief in sight, where do we turn? One man has began a campaign to lower prices and is calling on God for help. Prayer vigils are being staged at gas stations around the country. Read the story here.

Until next time...]]>info@thetruthexamined.comNone2008-06-27T18:57:37-06:00http://www.thetruthexamined.com/commentary/files/ca319db66b92cf28114ec7e7a0543f0b-6.html#unique-entry-id-6http://www.thetruthexamined.com/commentary/files/ca319db66b92cf28114ec7e7a0543f0b-6.html#unique-entry-id-6Scientists claim that there is better than a 50-50 chance, that the North Polar Cap will melt completely over the course of the summer. Their prediction is based on the amount of “first year” ice that currently exists at the pole. There was extensive melting last year and much of the ice that now exists, was only formed last year. The normal ice pack is built up over several seasons. According to the scientists, satellite data already shows that the existing ice is melting at a rate above that of last year. The fact that much of the ice has not had several seasons to accumulate and thicken, along with warmer than normal temperatures, leads them to their conclusion. Read the story here.

Overall, crude is up 46% so far since the beginning of the year! Oil hit an all time high today at $142 a barrel. The market is being driven purely on speculation, as investors have abandoned stocks and turned to commodoties. The stock market took another nosedive today and was down over 100 points in a second straight day of significant losses. The dollar is faltering and gold continues to increase in value as people look to “hard” investments. Read the story here.

The nations of this world have become so closely intertwined financially, that what affects one country, causes problems around the globe. Global markets are faltering...how long before global regulation comes to pass? Read the story here.

Until next time...]]>info@thetruthexamined.comNone2008-06-24T17:44:06-06:00http://www.thetruthexamined.com/commentary/files/39cbdadf727c533f754d1e2a5351a9fc-5.html#unique-entry-id-5http://www.thetruthexamined.com/commentary/files/39cbdadf727c533f754d1e2a5351a9fc-5.html#unique-entry-id-5Israel has conducted a military exercise, that many claim was a mock attack on Iranian nuclear facilities. Over 100 Israeli F-16’s and F-15’s took part in the manuever, which included mid-air refuelings. The warplanes traveled roughly the distance from Israel to Iran. Iran has vowed it will retaliate strongly against any attacks on it’s soil. Read the story here.

People in the Netherlands are preparing for an apocalypse in 2012. They are apparently basing their fears on the Mayan calendar which ends in 2012. Read the story here.

The AP reports that the US is spinning out of control. Recent events have done nothing but add to this nations woes, as disasters and financial problems come right on the heels of each other. On top of everything else, the country is facing an election year. Are the good times over for good? Read story here.

No matter what happens, no matter how bad things get, we can trust and put our faith in God and His Son. No one can take away our relationship with God, that is one sure thing that we can count on in this life and on into the future.

Until next time...]]>info@thetruthexamined.comNone2008-06-22T10:14:01-06:00http://www.thetruthexamined.com/commentary/files/41a9ac609358bf8ce900401483b9e4d3-4.html#unique-entry-id-4http://www.thetruthexamined.com/commentary/files/41a9ac609358bf8ce900401483b9e4d3-4.html#unique-entry-id-4California has become the second state in the Union to legalize same sex marriage. The real danger with what is happening in California, is that gay couples do not have to be residents of the state in order to be married there. They can be married in California and then go back to their states of residence and challenge whatever laws are in place, in order to force their marriage to be legally recognized in that state. When that happens, a legal precedent will have been set within each and every state where they are sucessful in having their marriage recognized.

A Canadian pastor was fined $5,000 and ordered to apologize and to cease from expressing his biblical viewpoint on homosexuality! The suit was brought against the pastor by a gay activist. Read the full story here.

The floods in the midwest have been devastating to that area. Please remember all of those whose lives have been impacted by the flooding. I personally know of people who have been affected and I have seen firsthand pictures of the devastation. All of those people need our prayers!

Until next time...]]>info@thetruthexamined.comNone2008-06-18T21:59:26-06:00http://www.thetruthexamined.com/commentary/files/f0d39b9c6d669ce0960d61f7f7eb6083-3.html#unique-entry-id-3http://www.thetruthexamined.com/commentary/files/f0d39b9c6d669ce0960d61f7f7eb6083-3.html#unique-entry-id-3Hello everyone,

This is the first entry, in what I hope to be a convenient way for me to stay in touch with the readership of this site and to record events and happenings in the world that relate to the return of our Savior, Jesus Christ. We live in very exciting times! There are very important events unfolding worldwide and right here in our nation every day, that continue to move us ever closer to the return of Christ in the air! Will you be prepared? Are you watching, praying, studying and staying close to God? In the times that we are now living in, it becomes more and more important all the time to draw as close to God as we possibly can. God is the only one that can provide for us..who can lead us and protect us...the only one that can guide us through the stormy waters ahead. He knows our needs, our fears, our thoughts and He wants to help us, He longs to be involved in our lives if we will just let Him! All we have to do, is reach out to God. He is there any time we need Him, always ready to listen and to give us comfort and peace in our lives. We have the gift of His Holy Spirit to help keep our connection strong and to guide us as we move forward in our christian walk. Never, ever neglect your relationship with God, it is the most valuable thing that you posess!

Until next time...]]>