Category Archives: Politics

December 18, 2012 · 7:42 am

A New Novel? Why Not? (Part 11)

2 cats asleep

Chapter 6

While Luke struggled at Maxi Toyota, God heated up another special project in His iron furnace, preparing her for the future. Although her name was Catherine Ann Thakkar, everyone called her Cat.

Cat’s journey began years earlier in Durban, South Africa, when her Indian mother, Leela, met a handsome musician at a concert. The short romance resulted in a pregnant Leela. But sadly, the musician caught a boat back to Mangalore, India, leaving the beautiful teenager behind to grapple with the consequences of her family and culture.

At the time, Durban’s Indian culture valued sons because they could earn money and help families with financial struggles in the South African apartheid society. Any value daughters had, depended on marriages being arranged with other families, especially wealthy ones. Unmarried daughters with children were considered a curse, often shunned by their own families.

Although the pregnancy enraged her mother, Leela remained in the small family home. Yet, the stress of working long hours for a few rand per week and the cultural shunning hurled Leela into a deep pit of despair. Each day, she struggled to put one foot in front of the other

On one especially bad day, Leela and her three year old daughter trudged home after cleaning a house. The home owner promised ten rand for the job, but ended up paying only two rand. When Leela complained, the home owner slammed the door in her face and said, “Take it up with the police, coolie.”

As Leela walked down a dirt road in Durban, she heard music and saw a well-worn tent. The lively music lifted her spirits.

“Cat, let’s stop here and rest for a bit. My legs are tired and the music is lovely.”

Leela and Cat sat in the back row on folding chairs. They listened to the music and then to the gospel message spoken by the evangelist. Leela rushed down the aisle at the altar call, praying with the evangelist for her salvation.

The two dashed home afterward to tell everyone about Jesus. Leela’s mom and brothers, all Hindus, reacted to the good news by grabbing machetes and chasing them out into the street. Standing there in the road, Leela made up her mind to follow Jesus no matter what the cost might be for her.

This decision by Leela eventually led to her marrying Raj Thakkar whom she met on a mission trip. Thakkar, a second generation Indian-America businessman, lived in San Francisco and taught economics at San Francisco State University. Although leaving her family and native land was a difficult decision, America offered a new beginning for Leela and her daughter.

Cat’s reaction to the decision brought smiles to Raj and Leela.

“San Francisco? Is that near Bollywood?”

 

Raj Thakkar’s favorite story about Cat as a child came about while he was mowing the lawn at their Mission District home in San Francisco. The five year old galloped her broomstick horse straight at him, motioning for him to stop. He turned the Toro’s engine off.

“What’s up, Princess?” he asked with a big smile.

She pushed her black cowboy hat back on her head with one hand while holding tightly onto the broomstick horse’s reins with the other one.

“Guess what, Daddy?”

“No, what?”

“Now, Daddy, don’t laugh.”

“Okay, I won’t.”

“I’ve just decided that when I grow up I’m going to ride in the Kentucky Derby and also be a cartoon runner.”

“Princess, that‘s great. You’ll be the best jockey in the whole world. But what exactly does a cartoon runner do?”

“Oh, Daddy, everybody knows that,” she said in a style reminiscent of Shirley Temple. “Cartoon runners show the Donald Duck and Bugs Bunny cartoons at the movie theaters. And Daddy, promise not to tell anybody, but I’m going to let all of my friends in free.”

She giggled and grabbed her hat, waving it back and forth, content with her career goals. Then, she wheeled around and took off, seeking new adventures in the neighborhood.

(The above is the first part of Chapter 6 for a new novel I’m writing, The Day LA Died, © Larry Nevenhoven, 2012.)

(Continued in Part 11)

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December 11, 2012 · 11:00 am

A New Novel? Why Not? (Part 10)

2 cats asleep

 

Chapter 4

Our sales training class consisted of eight new sales people. After introductions, we spent the morning with the human resources manager, filling out paperwork, and reading through a company policy manual. The manager’s monotone voice did little to stimulate our attention spans, but I noticed he mentioned at least ten times about our first six months of employment being probationary periods.

Ted Hopkins, the sales manager, led off the afternoon session. Hopkins, a former Navy SEAL, was a no-nonsense walrus of a man with a flattop hair cut. His red Toyota golf shirt bulged with muscles, straining to break through the fabric. His voice complemented his physique with an authority which bordered on rage, ready to be unleashed at any time and on anyone.

“Welcome to Maxi Toyota,” he said with his hands on his hips, “you have been selected to attend our sales training class. It will not be easy, but those who pay attention will excel at our dealership. Some of you may earn a $100,000 per year. Some may even be promoted to sales management positions with earnings of $200,000 to $300,000 per year. It’s up to you what you do with your training.”

He picked up a black marking pen from the table.

“Rule number 1: all auto buyers lie,” said Hopkins, walking over to an easel with a large paper tablet sitting on it. “The only time they don’t lie is when their lips are not moving. If you ask them questions about their trade-in, they’ll tell you it’s the sweetest machine they’ve ever owned. They’ll conveniently forget to mention the blown transmission and head gasket. So, how do we combat their lies?”

Oh my! I thought. What has God got me into?

Hopkins proceeded to lay out the Four-Square sales program which all of us were required to use with customers. At the heart of the program was the 4-square, a sheet of paper divided into four boxes for: the trade value, purchase price of vehicle, down payment, and the monthly payment.

But as I listened to Hopkins explain the Four-Square, it reminded me more of a street hustler’s shell game than it did a sales program. You know, three shells, a pea, and the hustler’s sleight of hand while the poor sucker ended up losing all of his money. Just like the shell game, the whole idea of the Four-Square was ripping the customer off through confusion.

Every cell in my body screamed for me to run out of the dealership and never come back, but my butt glued itself to the chair and my feet to the floor. I could not move. Yet, I felt an inner peace which caused me to relax after a while.

Two hours later, Hopkins laid his marking pen down on the table.

“Let’s take a fifteen minute break,” he said, looking at the clock on the wall. Then he added, “Stoner, could I see you for a moment?”

I stood up and walked over to him as the other sales trainees left the room.

“Stoner, I checked out all eight of our trainees on Google this morning, just to see if there was anything happening with you guys. The other seven lead pretty dull lives, but you had 150,000 results. Care to tell me a little something about that?”

My face felt hot as blood rushed to the surface.

“I was a writer and a preacher before I came to California.”

“That’s an understatement. Why didn’t you tell me you were a big deal Christian preacher?”

“The interview was short and you didn’t ask.”

“What if I tell you I don’t like preachers?”

“That’s up to you.”

“Let me ask you,” he whispered, invading my space so his face almost touched mine, “will you have any problems with the Four-Square System?”

“If I don’t ever have to lie, I’ll have no problems.”

He wrinkled his face as if I had slapped him with leather dueling gloves.

“Well, Preacher, truth in car sales is a vague, hazy concept. To the customer, it means one thing and to us sales managers, it means another. All we want you to do is be an actor on a stage and tell the customer what we tell you to say. It’s just that simple.”

We exchanged gazes for a few moments.

“Preacher, I can see I’m going to have trouble with you,” he said, backing away and shaking his head. “And I don’t like having trouble with sales people. It upsets me and makes me want to kick their butts all over the parking lot. Understand me, Preacher?”

I nodded and walked away.

For the rest of the day, we role played customers and sales people, using the Four- Square System. Hopkins acted as the desk manager and critiqued us on our presentations. None of it felt comfortable for me as Hopkins constantly referred to me as Preacher, no longer calling me Luke or Stoner. The other trainees followed his cue and likewise called me Preacher. Soon, the whole dealership followed suit and the nickname stuck.

Walking home afterward, I felt miserable. It seemed like the Lord intentionally dropped me into a den of thieves. Why would He do that to me?

(The above is the second part of Chapter 4 for a new novel I’m writing, The Day LA Died, © Larry Nevenhoven, 2012.)

(Continued in Part 11)

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December 3, 2012 · 8:31 am

Christians: Let’s do the Stuff Again!

Lucy and dogs

In 1963, John Wimber (1934-1997), the founder of Vineyard Churches and Vineyard Music,  was radically saved out of his booze and drug abuse life style. He made a 180º life-turn and began studying the Bible and attending church.

One particular Sunday, after a boring service, Wimber cornered a lay leader of the church.

“When do we get to do the stuff?  You know, the stuff here in the Bible, the stuff Jesus did, like healing the sick, raising the dead, healing the blind – stuff like that?” asked Wimber.

The lay leader explained how Christians did not do that anymore, but instead, they had weekly services like the dull one Wimber had just suffered through.

“You mean I gave up drugs for that?” replied Wimber, pointing to the pews in the sanctuary.

Let’s admit it, okay? Most of today’s churches are boring.

That’s why people, especially men, are staying home on Sunday mornings. Oh, you can change the music, hire a charismatic pastor, perform Powerpoint sermon presentations, jump on the social media bandwagon, and attempt countless other slick ideas.

But when the dust settles in the sanctuary, the church will still be a last place finisher to the world’s pleasures and entertainment systems. And then someone will certainly say, “You mean I gave up drugs (or alcohol or porn or gambling or other vices) for that?”

Well, hello Christians!

“As you go, preach, saying, ‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand.’ Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, cast out demons. Freely you received, freely give.” (Matthew 10:7-8)

If twelve bumbling, ignorant fishermen and assorted laborers who had no Bibles or formal training could turn the world upside down with miracles, what’s our excuses?

We have the only message the world needs right now and like John Wimber often said, “Everybody gets to play.”

So, let’s do the stuff again!

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November 28, 2012 · 9:35 am

A New Novel? Why Not? (Part 9)

 

 

Chapter 3

On the Ground in LA

No one awaited me when American Airlines Flight 1310 landed at the Los Angeles International Airport. My wrinkled khaki slacks and black sports shirt blended me into the crowd as just another traveler hurrying to the baggage claim area. On the way, I saw a Hudson Gift Store and went inside to check out the newspaper section.

Stacks of newspapers lined a bottom shelf. I sorted through them and picked up a Los Angeles Times. As I turned toward the cash register, I came face to face with paperback copies of 100Fold Churches on a metal rack. I instinctively picked one up.

A man next to me whispered, “That’s a great book. You’ll enjoy it.”

“Thanks,” I said.

The man smiled and moved on.

For a moment, I thought about purchasing it just so nobody else could buy it, but I put it back.

What a great businessman I am, I thought. If I purchase all of the existing copies of the book, guess what the publisher will do? Print more. Not a very lucrative business plan on my part. Guess I’d better try car sales.

After paying, I took the escalator to the lower level and the baggage claim area. There I realized why LAX was the fifth busiest airport in the world. Crowds of people stood everywhere, waiting for their luggage.

Welcome to California, I thought, what’s next.

 

The taxi driver had a thick Brooklyn accent and a dark blue Yankee baseball cap pulled down low on his forehead. He looked over the seat at me and asked the question which had been bugging me for days.

“Hey, bud, where do you want to go?”

“Just a moment.”

I opened the Times and scanned through the classifieds. A big advertisement at the bottom of the help-wanted section captured my attention:

Sales people needed – no experience necessary. Annual incomes of $100,000 or more can be expected after our thorough training program. We may be the answer you are looking for! Apply today at Maxi Toyota in Pasadena.

I blew out a deep breath and looked upward, hoping to see an answer written in the sky. Nothing appeared, but an inner peace encouraged me.

“Take me to Pasadena,” I said.

The man with a two day beard and baggy eyes looked up into the rearview mirror as he drove the orange taxi onto the entrance ramp leading to the 405 Expressway.

“Hey, bud, work with me, help me out a little, okay? Do we have an address in Pasadena? Or do I just toss you out at the city limits sign?”

“Hmm. I’ll let you know before we get to Pasadena,” I said, stalling for time. “By the way, how did a man with a thick New York accent like yours end up in California?”

“Well, bud, her name is Mona.”

“A woman, huh?”

“More than just a woman, bud, she’s an exotic beauty. If she would’ve moved to an igloo at the North Pole, I would’ve packed up a dogsled and followed her with my tongue hanging out, all the way there, do you hear me? Say, what’s the story with that twang of yours? Are you a country music singer or something?”

His smile beamed in the mirror as he handed the conversation back to me like a baton in a relay race.

Back and forth, the banter continued for the thirty minute ride to Pasadena with one thing leading to another until I finally mentioned my need for an apartment in Pasadena. The cabbie, like thousands of taxi drivers the world over, knew somebody who knew somebody. And that is how I ended up at the Pasadena Hills Apartments on Colorado Boulevard, two blocks west of Maxi Toyota.

Later that day, Ted Hopkins, the sales manager at Maxi Toyota, interviewed me for a sales position.

“Son, with your blond hair, blue eyes, and that great southern accent of yours, you’ll be a killer success selling cars here. Our next training class starts on Monday. Can you start then?”

Thus, within four hours of landing in Southern California, I had an apartment and a job. Everything seemed to be on the fast track, propelling me forward. It made me hope that the worst part of my wilderness days were behind me.

Who knows, I thought, God may send Jamie out here and our marriage may work out after all.

Yet, I did not hear the clanging of the door as it slammed behind me. You see, I had walked into God’s iron furnace and He was ready to stoke the hot coals, beginning on Monday, at Maxi Toyota.

(The above is Chapter 3 for a new novel I’m writing, The Day LA Died, © Larry Nevenhoven, 2012.)

(Continued in Part 9)

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November 15, 2012 · 5:47 am

John Paul Jackson Updates Perfect Storm Prophecies (Part 5)

John Paul Jackson began prophesying publicly about what he called the perfect storm in 2008. Earlier in 2012, Jackson updated his prophetic words. The following is a transcription (mistakes and all) of his main points from a video, which has since been removed. (But you can still see his main points here, here, and here.)

Remember: All prophetic words need to be prayed about and mistakes on any one part do not negate the truth on other parts. Plus, although you may disagree with some of a messenger’s doctrines, does not mean you should ignore his message.

32. 

The church must learn how to contend for the faith once again. We are weak and we fall away so easily when crisis hits. We’ve not been tested and we’ve lost our resolve. And we understand little of the adversaries’ plans.

The church has lost the ability to debate their faith without becoming angry. And thus we have so few strong, clear, godly voices in the political arenas. We have lost our witness, the witness that convicts others and strongly testifies that God is still God and will still do what He has always done.

As a witness we are to prove that God exists. We have to return to more then a knowledge of God, but a craving to know God.

I mentioned that last night that it’s not just knowing about God, but we have to return to a craving to know Him. That’s intimacy with Him. The concept that Abraham knew Sarah and she conceived. That idea of close knowing of one another.

The church must return to the love of God’s word and the belief that it is infallible and inerrant in its original form. This would include the conviction, knowledge, and understanding that God is absolute. And there is only one way to know Him and that’s through Jesus.

We need a new revelation of God’s omniscience, omnipotence, omnipresence, eternality, and immutability. That’s why I talked about it last night because until we understand that, we will lose heart in the midst of a battle. But if we know our God and that nothing can defeat Him, nothing is smarter than Him, nothing knows more than Him…until we know those things, our faith will weaken and we will tremble when signs in the heaven come.

33.

I believe if you read Jeremiah 30 you will find Jacob’s troubles. We are there.

But here is what Psalms says for us, Psalm 24 regarding Jacob’s troubles: He shall receive blessings from the Lord and righteousness from the God of his salvation. This is Jacob, the generation of those who seek Him, who seek God’s face. Lift up your heads, O you gates! And be lifted up, you everlasting doors! And the King of Glory shall come in.

See it’s in Jacob’s troubles that the King of Glory will come in. Who is this King of Glory? The Lord strong and mighty. The Lord mighty in battle. Lift up your heads, O you gates! Lift up you everlasting doors. And the King of Glory shall come in. Who is this King of Glory? The Lord of hosts, He is the King of Glory. Selah.

If we turn to seek the Lord, there will be a much clearer definition of Christianity which means much more persecution. It will not include luke-warm.

Those who will ascend the hill in the times of Jacob’s troubles will include those who have clean hands and a pure heart who are not vain or puffed up in their thinking. You will live in the thick, holy presence of God. You will hear Him and be guided by Him. Gates of heaven will open up to you  and those spiritual questions that have been difficult for you to understand will now become easy to understand. The everlasting or ancient doors will open means the ancient spiritual truths which have been hidden for a long time will be revealed. They’re in the Bible but because we are blind we can’t see what they mean. It’s not like it’s a new scripture. It’s all right here (in the Bible) but we are blind. We have eyes to see, but see not. Ears to hear, but hear not. The might and strength of the of the Lord of hosts will come into your circumstances and your situation and He will fight and they will fight on your behalf. And the Lord of glory will come into your house.

(Conclusion…but if you want, you can see the full series here.)

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November 12, 2012 · 4:43 am

John Paul Jackson Updates Perfect Storm Prophecies (Part 3)

John Paul Jackson began prophesying publicly about what he called the perfect storm in 2008. Earlier in 2012, Jackson updated his prophetic words. The following is a transcription (mistakes and all) of his main points from a video, which has since been removed. (But you can still see his main points here, here, and here.)

Remember: All prophetic words need to be prayed about and mistakes on any one part do not negate the truth on other parts. Plus, although you may disagree with some of a messenger’s doctrines, does not mean you should ignore his message.

12.

There is so much that is about to take place in this nation, so many things. There are other assassination attempts that are coming. I..I am not a part of any of that. I just know what God has shown me.

13.

There is anger going to be erupting. There is violence going to be in the streets. Rich houses and neighborhoods are going to be invaded. The Robin Hood mentality, “What’s yours is mine,” is going to spread and all you’re going to be seeing in [some] multimillion dollar neighborhoods is chimneys left standing and burnt chars of the houses. Violence is going to be so prevalent that police forces are not going to be able to take care of it. And even the military forces will only be able to take care of it in the urban areas and not the rural areas. Not even all the urban areas will be taken care of. It will be so wide spread.

14.

Our military will be coming home, the Lord said. Finances are going to force you to shrink the size of the military. It will end up causing cracks to form in the military and end up allowing your country to be invaded if you do not turn your heart to Me.

So I’m starting to read about the shrinking of the military. I’m reading about the numbers, they’re cutting X numbers of, tens of thousands of military positions, I started to read what they’re doing and I’m going, “Oh, my goodness, it’s happening.”

Has there been military excess? Probably. I don’t doubt that, but I also know this is what the Lord said, this is going to be happening. “Your army is going to start shrinking. Your protection is going to start shrinking because you are going to think, the pride of your heart is going to say, ‘we don’t need it.'”

15.

We’re going to see tornadoes coming because there are going to be changes in the jet streams, the climatological changes, they are going to have to invent a higher category of tornado. I think the highest it goes to right now is F5. I think it’s going to have to go to F6. Whatever category they don’t have, that’s what they’re going to have to have because they’ve never measured wind speeds in tornados this high before. That’s coming. Hurricanes that are over 500 miles wide are going to hit this nation.

16.

Volcanoes are going to erupt in the Northwestern part of the United States. Cities will be dramatically impacted. There will be things that happen that are just unheard of.

17.

The shape of the United States will change if we do not cry out to God. See here’s why. You say, “Why is all this happening?” It boils down to the Garden of Eden and that is this: whenever man fell away from God, he began to decay. Everything he touched began to decay. The Lord said it kind of like this, “And the earth will longer yield itself to you.”

18. 

Drought is going to continue to escalate in the lower half of the United States. So much so, just as it says in Revelations Chapter 6, “A loaf of bread…there may be bread but what it is going to cost you will be enormous. So much so they will have to put guards on trucks to keep trucks from being robbed for their food.

19.

Earthquakes will not only strike coastal areas but even in the Midwestern United States.

20.

There will be places where hail falls and it will be over a foot thick of hale. There will be softball sizes of hale and 24 inches of rain in 24 hours.

(Continued in Part 4…or you can see the full article here.)

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November 8, 2012 · 6:38 am

There Are No Starbucks in BASECO

Yesterday morning, half of America woke up and was happy, and another almost half of the nation awakened and was sad. Now, it is decision time, okay?

If you are a part of the unhappy group, what will you do?

You can mumble, grumble, and point your fingers at those who voted in opposition to your candidate. You can even say things like, “It’s all your fault for what’s about to happen in America. You will soon reap what you have sowed. Shame on you!”

Although you may feel a sense of short-term satisfaction for acting this way, it will be hard to keep the “I’m right, you’re wrong” elitist pride out of your heart. And whether you like it or not, pride will drag you down lower than the Mariana Trench.

So, here’s something to think about: “There are no Starbucks in BASECO.”

Do you know why there are no Starbucks or McDonalds or Kentucky Fried Chicken or Pizza Hut or T.J. Max or whatever retail chain store in BASECO?

Because BASECO is a dockside slum in the Manila Bay, where over 100,000 people live on 128-acre open garbage dump and sludge dredged up from the bay. As you can imagine, the smell alone is less than glorious. Not exactly Starbucks chocolate frappuccino atmosphere, right?

Their livelihood? Most rummage through the never-ending new garbage from the Manila area, hoping to eke out a few pennies per day. And a few sell a kidney for a $1,000 or $2,000 so their families can survive.

I wrote this article to show you an alternative to the sad future you see for America.

Oh, the joys of those who are kind to the poor! The LORD rescues them when they are in trouble. The LORD protects them and keeps them alive. He gives them prosperity in the land and rescues them from their enemies. The LORD nurses them when they are sick and restores them to health. (Psalm 41:1-3)

The choice is yours and your decision will eventually be the bed you sleep upon in the future. So, think about giving to BASECO ministries today.

A video of BASECO can be seen here and you can support a BASECO missionary named Mark Pedder here.

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November 2, 2012 · 10:21 am

I’m Enraged! Are You? (Part 6)

What do you know about Amram and Jochebed? Probably not much, right?

Yet, God certainly knew who they were because He blessed the Levite couple with three gifted children – Miriam, Aaron, and Moses. All three grew up to be prophets who had important roles in Israel’s history.

Besides the obvious gender differences, their unique prophetic identities resulted more from their environments where they grew up, rather than from any other reasons.

Miriam and Aaron lived in Egypt as slaves for over eighty years before the exodus. Although the two faithfully reminded Israel of the promises of God, both lived under a spiritual atmosphere controlled by an evil principality – the spirit of slavery – and never really saw God’s power at work in Egypt.

But the power Miriam and Aaron did witness was demonstrated by their masters, the Egyptians, who brutally abused and murdered Israelites. These slave masters believed in a variety of Egyptian gods, such as sacred bulls and cows which were represented by golden idols. Not only that,  the Egyptians had sorcerers and magicians who conjured signs and wonders.

Thus, in Miriam’s and Aaron’s minds, God was a God who had power in the long ago past, but the Egyptian gods had power in their present day lives.

Moses had none of the problems of his siblings. He was separated from the family and raised in Pharaoh’s palace compound, away from the evil principality’s control. There he also had a behind the scene’s view of the Egyptian gods and knew they were powerless.

At the age of forty, Moses fled to Midian where he grew in the grace of God and lived in peace for forty years. Then, he had his burning bush experience, saw his rod turned into a snake, watched his hand become leprous, and then healed. Along with all this, he heard the voice of God. So Moses was primed and readied in the power of God to return to Egypt.

He made known His ways to Moses, His acts to the children of Israel. (Psalm 103:7)

It was God’s decision where each of the three prophets lived.

He stationed Miriam and Aaron in Egypt to remind the Israelites of the promises of God and prepare them for their eventual deliverance.  Both received special grace to perform their callings.

But it was Moses who God specifically chose to lead Israel out of Egypt and to the Promised Land. Why did God choose Moses, rather than Miriam or Aaron? Because it was His sovereign decision. Period.

Miriam and Aaron did suffer a sibling moment when they looked down their noses at their baby brother, Moses.

So Miriam and Aaron said, “Has the LORD indeed spoken only through Moses? Has He not spoken through us also?” And the LORD heard it.

“I speak with Moses face to face, even plainly and not in dark sayings; and he sees the form of God. Why then were you not afraid to speak against My servant Moses?” (Numbers 12:2,8)

God quickly dealt with Miriam’s and Aaron’s rebellion to Moses’ leadership authority. But I believe God remembered the pair’s faithfulness in Egypt when He corrected them.

A little later, Korah, Dathan, Abiram, On, and two hundred fifty other leaders rebelled in much the same way as Miriam and Aaron had against Moses’ authority. This group did not receive slaps on their wrists like Miriam and Aaron suffered, but instead, they and their families were killed by God.

These things happened to them as examples for us. They were written down to warn us who live at the end of the age. (1 Corinthians 10:11)

I believe the Lord is ready to send apostles and prophets into the inner cities of America to help set black people free. The apostles and prophets will be mainly white males, because for the most part, whites have grown up outside of the inner cities and away from the spirit of slavery’s control. And males? The spiritual warfare will be physically tough and demanding, with possible riots and jail cells awaiting the participants.

I believe this is the Lord’s plan, but we whites need to guard our hearts and walk in humility. Because eventually out of the inner cities will come a black river of apostles and prophets flowing to the cities and towns of America to deliver our nation from the spirit of religion.

So the last will be first, and the first last. For many are called, but few chosen.” (Matthew 20:16)

(Conclusion)

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October 30, 2012 · 7:56 am

I’m Enraged! Are You? (Part 5)

Paul wrote to the Corinthians that Israel’s journey through the wilderness from Egypt to the Promised Land happened as examples for us. If so, can we learn anything to help us in America’s inner cities?

Let us begin in Egypt.

After Joseph’s legacy dimmed, Israel spent the last three hundred years in Egypt as slaves. None of the three million Israelites, with the exception of Moses, had ever experienced freedom a single day in his or her life at the time of the exodus.

Now, there were leaders in Egypt, like Aaron and Miriam, who reminded the people of God’s promises to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob for the nation of Israel. Yet, these promises were kindled under the spiritual atmosphere controlled by the spirit of slavery. Sadly, even the leaders who spoke the promises were not immune to the cruel affects of the demonic principality.

To deliver Israel, God afflicted Egypt with ten judgments, each aimed specifically at an Egyptian god to reveal its weakness to all. The first three plagues did affect the Israelites who lived in Goshen, but for the fourth plague through the tenth, God did something different.

But this time I will spare the region of Goshen, where my people live. No flies will be found there. Then you will know that I am the LORD and that I am present even in the heart of your land. (Exodus 8:22)

While God  showed the worthlessness of Egypt’s gods to all, He openly revealed how He could protect those who followed Him.

After the tenth plague – the deaths of first born sons – Pharaoh finally relented and allowed Israel to leave Egypt. Israel took their herds and flocks with them and also:

 … they had asked from the Egyptians articles of silver, articles of gold, and clothing.  And the LORD had given the people favor in the sight of the Egyptians, so that they granted them what they requested. Thus they plundered the Egyptians. (Exodus 12:35-36)

Afterward, God led Israel by way of the Red Sea so He could demonstrate His power in the most miraculous miracle of Israel’s history: the parting of the Red Sea.  When the Red Sea finally returned to its normal depth, Egypt’s army was destroyed.

Thus, Egypt was left in a shambles, its wealth plundered and its army destroyed. What power could Egypt’s gods possibly have in comparison to the Lord God of Israel? Absolutely none.

But yet, the Egyptian gods still had strongholds in the Israelites.

… “Come, make us gods that shall go before us; for as for this Moses, the man who brought us up out of the land of Egypt we do not know what has become of him”… And Aaron received the gold from their hand, and he fashioned it with an engraving tool, and made a molded calf. Then they said, “This is your god, O Israel, that brought you out of the land of Egypt.” (Exodus 32:1, 4)

The above event took place almost a year after Israel walked out of Egypt. By then, they had witnessed the ten judgments against the Egyptian gods and had been delivered out of Egypt. Plus, the parting of the Red Sea. Manna. Quail. Water from a rock. Heard God’s voice at Mt. Sinai and received His Law and Covenant.

And yet, during a time of distress, the Israelites reverted to putting their faith in one of the weak and defeated gods of Egypt: the golden calf.

How could this happen? And how does it relate to America’s inner cities?

(Continued in Part 6)

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October 26, 2012 · 1:06 pm

I’m Enraged! Are You? (Part 4)

God helps those who help themselves.

75% of American Christians believe the above phrase is one of the central themes of the Bible. Plus a majority of believers even rank the phrase as one of the best known Bible verses.

Yet, both assumptions are false. Thus, the above popular phrase reflects the unfamiliarity we Christians have with the Bible and the God of the Bible.

You see, without the Father’s grace and mercy, we believers are helpless weaklings, able to accomplish little in the world. We can’t save ourselves. We can’t deliver ourselves from the kingdom of darkness. In fact,  what can we do without God’s help?

“Stupid is as stupid does,” said the mother to little Forrest Gump in the movie by the same name. Her words accurately state what we can do without God’s help.

Yet, not only are we believers dependent on God’s help, but we also need God’s chosen representatives to help us.

Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were making an appeal through us; we beg you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. (2 Corinthians 5:20)

For which I am an ambassador in chains; that in proclaiming it I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak. (Ephesians 6:20)

The Greek word presbeuō is used only twice in the New Testament and is translated into the English word ambassador both times.

Now, I know most of us look at the word ambassador in these two verses and think all Christians can be described as such. In the general sense, this is probably true, but Paul did not use the term in a general sense. He specifically used it to describe himself and his group.

What was Paul? He was an apostle.

The Greek word apostolos is translated into the English word apostle. It actually means a person sent on a mission with orders, an emissary, or envoy.

Ding! Dong! The meaning for apostolos and the two synonyms – emissary and envoy – also describe perfectly the word ambassador.

Thus, when Paul said he was an ambassador, he was referring to himself as an apostle and that he had specific orders backing his mission.

For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. (Ephesians 6:12)

In the above verses of Ephesians, Paul spoke to all of us Christians, saying our main battles are not against other people, but against Satan and his horde of demons. Paul then gave instructions on how we could stand in battles through the armor of God, the shield of faith, sword of the Spirit, helmet of salvation, and prayer.

But nowhere in Ephesians 6, does Paul state how we can win the battle, only how to stay strong in battles, which speaks more about our defensive strategies.

For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ, and being ready to punish all disobedience when your obedience is fulfilled. (2 Corinthians 10:4-6)

In the above passage in 2 Corinthians, Paul relates how to win spiritual warfare battles in regions, but his use of the pronouns we and our do not refer to all of us Christians. The pronouns specifically referred to Paul and his apostolic group, and by extension to all apostles.

Ambassadors? Apostles? Inner Cities? White men? How will all this work out?

(Continued in Part 5)

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