General Articles

Prayer Wars II :: By Terry James

Published on: by RR7

Star Wars, the stunningly popular movie series, pales in comparison to the real-life drama taking place at this late hour in human history. And because its impact on human history will be profound, describing this war in such terms is not exaggeration.

The battle taking place is more than a supernatural conflict. Rather, it is a spiritual drama that is beyond comparison in the annals of national political intrigues.

This conflict might be called the sequel to the commentary I wrote some years ago. Its title was “Prayer Wars.” It was at a time when believers in Jesus Christ were faced with what was then considered the most important election, certainly in the memories of those who faced it. It was in the days surrounding the 2016 election.

Below is what I wrote at that time, with only a very few edits. The war that is raging at present is more intense, more violent, more necessary to win than even the 2016 election. The truth found within this commentary hasn’t changed, because the Lord does not change.

Again, here is what was written then:

Never in American history has there been in presidential politics a time that more fits within the descriptive given in Ephesians 6:12 than the time we are currently experiencing. That spiritual battle describes succinctly, in my opinion, the time that has led up to where America and planet earth stand at this moment.

“For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.”

For decades, it has been as if the dark, hellish forces of the ages have been turned loose against this nation, which has been so openly blessed by Heaven. The cultural and social “progress” thought to have been made, according to those who want to detach America from the Judeo-Christian mooring the founding fathers provided, are threatened by a significant challenge. We the people of God just might have decided we don’t wish that progressive agenda to proceed further. Thus, the war is on in a way perhaps unseen in the annals of US presidential elections.

We as God’s people are told how to fight such warfare as that in which we are presently engaged. We are to “put on the whole armor of God” (Ephesians 6:11).

The Bible provides a description of that spiritual armor with which we are supposed to adorn ourselves in order to wage war against this most powerful and wicked enemy force. Once we are fully, spiritually armed, we are told we are to be “praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints” (Ephesians 6:18).

How well most Christians these days have fully armored up is in question. The dumbing-down by the godlessness of the secular world and—even more troubling—by the compromising churches of recent times, has taken a heavy toll. However, the one weapon mentioned in the apostle Paul’s spiritual-battle preparation of Ephesians chapter 6 is in play during this war for the survival of this once-great republic.

I am believing that the core of the people in this nation who hold to the truth of the Word of God are “praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit” that the Lord will intervene in this war that is raging. It is a “prayer war,” to be sure.

I’m aware of the seminary and other positions that say 2 Chronicles 7:14 was only for Israel and doesn’t apply to America. But, the God of Heaven does not change. Jesus Christ, who is God, is the same yesterday, today and forever, the Scripture tells us. I am trusting, therefore, that that great promise given to Israel during their direst time of need applies equally to those of this day and time who are “called by His name.”

Although the nucleus of God’s people who hold fast to the Heavenly Father’s precepts and promises might be a dwindling number, we are still here in the hundreds of thousands, if not millions. We are engaged in this “prayer war” for a restoration of sanity in America’s government, society, and culture.

We are praying specifically that the evil forces that are raging to make this nation into a state totally apart from all godliness will be, at least on an interim basis, kept from their luciferian goal. I say “on an interim basis” because Bible prophecy plainly foretells that the satanic, globalist forces will for a time one day achieve establishment of a one-world order as Antichrist’s platform of power. It will happen. It’s just a matter of time.

Meantime, however, while the Church of Jesus Christ is here, thus the Restrainer (the Holy Spirit) resident within that Body holding back evil, it is right and proper—and I believe expected—that God’s people, called by His name, are to pray the prayer of 2 Chronicles 7:14.

“If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.”

Millions, I’m convinced, are even at this late hour praying this prayer to the best of our ability. I believe movements and revelations of corruption within the political processes of late reflect directly the Lord’s attentiveness to the genuine prayers of His spiritually attuned prayer warriors.

If America is again—like in the 2016 presidential election—to be so blessed by a positive answer to those prayers by Heaven’s throne room, I believe it will mean that the battle as described in Ephesians chapter 6 will, after the election, intensify even more than if God’s answer is otherwise. And it will, in that case, be this nation’s final dispensation of liberty, if there is not a turning back to God in a major way.

The war of the ages as this Church Age dispensation moves into its final stages will be fought most effectively by God’s people in the prayer closets of America. Let’s be sure to put on the whole armor before engaging in the battles we face.

 

Socialism :: By Bill Pierce

Published on: by RR7

PURPOSE

This brief study is published with the hope that many spiritually blind people will be delivered from the subversion of socialism and escape the eternal damnation of their souls because of their unbelief in the incorruptible word of God, whose “word is truth” (John 17:17). Unless otherwise credited, most of the following information and quotations are taken from the very informative book, SOCIALISM, by William J. Federer.

MAIN CHARACTERISTICS OF SOCIALISM

State control— According to the word of God, everything about socialism is evil! ‘Under socialism, at least the major means of production are owned or controlled by the state; and wages, prices, and the production and distribution of goods and services are subject to some degree of state regulation or planning… Premodern or non-Marxist works envisioning ideal socialist societies include Plato’s Republic, Thomas More’s Utopia, and Charles Fourier’s Social Destiny of Man.’ (Brittanica.com).

Abolition of the family— ‘In Plato’s structured socialist state, the family would be abolished; there would be segregation of the sexes, with wives and children held in common by the governing class. There would be birth control, with only the governing class having the privilege of selective breeding in state-arranged cohabitation. From birth, children would be the property of the state, not even knowing who their parents were… Children would be raised in government nurseries and schools where they would be indoctrinated with “noble lies,” a type of “common core” curriculum designed to perpetuate the socialist society.’ (pp. 29-30).

Abolition of private property— ‘Marx wrote in his Manifesto: “The theory of the communists may be summed up in a single sentence: Abolition of private property.” Noah Webster wrote in the preface of his dictionary: “Let the people have property and they will have power—a power that will be forever exerted to prevent a restriction of the press, and abolition of trial by jury, or the abridgement of any other privilege.’

SOCIALISM’S DEADLY HISTORY

The terrible legacy of Karl Marx— ‘The philosopher, social scientist, historian and revolutionary, Karl Marx, is without a doubt the most influential socialist thinker to emerge in the 19th century’ (HistoryGuide.org). ‘In 1848, Marx and fellow German thinker Friedrich Engels published “The Communist Manifesto,” which introduced their concept of socialism as a natural result of the conflicts inherent in the capitalist system’ (History.com). In 1867, ‘Marx published the first volume of “Capital” (Das Kapital), his masterwork of economic theory. In it he expressed a desire to reveal “the economic law of motion of modern society” and laid out his theory of capitalism as a dynamic system that contained the seeds of its own self-destruction and subsequent triumph of communism.’

Suppression and death under socialism and communism— ‘A recent survey conducted on behalf of the Victims of Communism Memorial Foundation found that some, particularly millennials, have a preference for collectivist economic systems—communism, fascism, and socialism. Each of these systems rest on one central theme: the suppression of the individual.’ ‘Millennials stand out for voting heavily Democratic and for liberal views on many political and social issues’ (pewsocialtrends.org). Millennials, born between the years 1981—1996, have been indoctrinated by socialistic propaganda in the public schools for their entire lives!

‘Marx and Engels put this belief in one simple phrase, writing, “From each according to his ability, to each according to his needs.” Theory is one thing. In practice, however, the anti-individualism that Marxism represents has resulted in the devaluing of human life and the ownership of people, as well as what they produce, and property by the state.’ (FreedomWorks.org).

‘Marxism-Leninism first became a distinct philosophical movement in the Soviet Union during the 1920s, when Joseph Stalin and his supporters gained control of the Russian Communist Party. His [Stalin’s] version of Marxism-Leninism, sometimes called Stalinism (not an explicit ideology at the time but rather a historically descriptive term), rejected the notions, common among Marxists at the time, of world revolution as a prerequisite for building socialism in Russia, in favor of the concept of socialism in One Country. Stalin’s regime was a totalitarian state under his dictatorship, in which Stalin exercised extensive personal control over the Communist Party and unleashed an unprecedented level of violence to eliminate any potential threat to his regime.

‘Under Stalin’s iron-fisted Soviet dictatorship: privacy was nonexistent; press was censored; free speech disappeared; healthcare was rationed; economy was regulated; private industry was collectivized; political dissent was punished; media and entertainment were propagandized; children’s education became indoctrination; marriage and families were subject to social engineering; religion was suppressed; and human life was valued only by its usefulness to the Soviet society. To stay in power, Stalin conducted purges and orchestrated famines, resulting in an estimated 40 million deaths’ (pp. 113-114).

‘Estimates may vary, but communism is responsible for the deaths of up to 100 million people, perhaps more. From Josef Stalin’s “Great Purge” and the Holodomor to Mao Zedong’s famines to Pol Pot’s killing fields, the legacy of Marx is one of death. The authors of The Black Book of Communism estimate the deaths by country or region are as follows: China: 65 million deaths; Soviet Union: 20 million deaths; North Korea: 2 million deaths; Cambodia: 2 million deaths; Vietnam: 1 million deaths; Africa: 1.7 million deaths; Afghanistan: 1.5 million deaths; Eastern Europe: 1 million deaths; Latin America: 150,000 deaths.’ (FreedomWorks.org)

‘In 2016, the Dissident blog of the Victims of Communism Memorial Foundation made an effort to compile updated ranges of estimates and concluded that the overall range “spans from 42,870,000 to 161,990,000” killed, with 100 million the most commonly cited figure. ‘In 2017, Professor Stephen Kotkin wrote in The Wall Street Journal that communism killed at least 65 million people between 1917 and 2017: “Though communism has killed huge numbers of people intentionally, even more of its victims have died from starvation as a result of its cruel projects of social engineering.’ (Chicago Tribune, 2017).

Socialism failed the pilgrims— ‘Socialism has been a complete and utter failure in every place and in every period of history during which it has been enforced upon the masses by wicked men. ‘The Pilgrims landed on the shores of Massachusetts in 1620. Their colony by-laws were drawn up by investors in England influenced by Plato, More, and Bacon. They attempted to set up a planned “communistic” society… After experiencing freezing winters, shortages of food, and deaths, Pilgrim Governor William Bradford complained of “the emptiness of the theory of Plato.” The governor and his advisors decided to abandon the communistic plan, and to operate the colony under the biblical concept of private ownership, and to give each family a parcel of land of their own. This change caused the people to be very industrious, which made the colony very successful’ (pp. 38-41).

BIBLICAL GOVERNMENT AND SOCIETY

PRIVATE OWNERSHIP AND CAPITALISM

‘Under capitalism, the means of production are privately owned; and wages, prices, and the amounts and kinds of goods and services produced, as well as their distribution, are ultimately determined by individual choices within a free market.’ (Brittanica.com).

‘Webster’s 1828 Dictionary defined ‘property’ as: The exclusive right of possessing, enjoying and disposing of a thing: ownership. In the beginning of the world, the Creator gave to man dominion over the earth… It is one of the greatest blessings of civil society that the property of citizens is well secured.’

Before the law— Apparently, when men are not compelled to live under socialism or communism, they will naturally choose to enjoy the private ownership of property. Therefore, their preferred economy will be capitalism. Even before the law, Abram had his own house (Genesis 14:14) and burying place (Genesis 23:4), Isaac had his own flocks and herds (Genesis 26:24), Jacob had his own flocks (Genesis 30:40), Joseph’s brethren had their own flocks and herds, Pharaoh had his own cattle (Genesis 47:1-6), and the children of Israel were given their own land in Egypt (Genesis 47:11).

Under the law— When God gave the law to Moses (Exodus—Deuteronomy), he outlined how the children of Israel should govern themselves. The government formed under God’s law included private ownership and free enterprise. After God’s law was given to Moses, men possessed their own ox, pit, field, house, home, nation, land, inheritance, vineyard, raiment, stuff, place, city, meat, cup, flock, herd, table, spear, mule, grave, hill, bed, clothes, gods, vine, fig tree, sepulchre, gold, silver, servants, cistern, goods, riches, bread, sword, devices, signet, household, money, tomb, beast, pound, colt, sheep, home, master, reward, wealth, work, profit, things, business, bread, and land.

During the earthly ministry of Christ— The Lord Jesus clearly approved of the private ownership of money and property. Nevertheless, the Lord Jesus warned: “Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man’s life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth” (Luke 12:15; Matthew 6:19-21). In his parable of the pounds, each servant was given money to use in trading. The wise and faithful servants who gained money in trading were personally rewarded by the Lord when he came back (Luke 19:12-27; Matthew 25:14-30). During the Lord’s earthly ministry, men received material family inheritances (Luke 12:13). The rich man owned an abundance of fruits and goods, but was foolish to depend on those things for his life (Luke 12:12-21).

When the disciples of the Pharisees and the Herodians asked Jesus whether it was lawful to give tribute unto Caesar, Jesus showed them the tribute money embellished with the image of Caesar. “Then saith he unto them, Render therefore unto Caesar the things which are Caesar’s; and unto God the things that are God’s” (Matthew 22:17-21). John the apostle had “his own home” (John 19:27).

During the church age— On the first day of Pentecost after the resurrection and ascension of the Lord Jesus Christ, there were added to the believers “about three thousand souls… And all that believed were together, and had all things common; And sold their possessions and goods, and parted them to all men, as every man had need” (Acts 2:41-45). This is not an example of socialism, as some would suppose. These new converts were visiting from other countries. It is reasonable to assume that after being saved, these new converts chose to remain and receive instruction from the apostles in Jerusalem. By staying longer than they had first planned, they would experience certain needs. Having believed in Jesus, these new converts from foreign countries would also be excluded from the usual hospitality of the unbelieving Jews in Jerusalem. The pooling of personal resources to meet these needs was not mandated by the apostles, but was a voluntary action of the disciples in Jerusalem.

Owning private property was never abolished by believers, even during this time of this special need. When a certain man named Ananias, with Sapphira his wife, sold a possession and kept back part of the price, pretending to give it all to the apostle, Peter said unto him, “Ananias, why hath Satan filled thine heart to lie to the Holy Ghost, and to keep back part of the price of the land? Whiles it remained, was it not thine own? and after it was sold, was it not in thine own power? why hast thou conceived this thing in thine heart? thou hast not lied unto men, but unto God” (Acts 5:1-4). Ananias not only owned personal property, but he also had the power to choose how he would use the money received from its sale.

SUBVERSION OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

Testimony of a former KJB agent— Yuri Bezmenov defected in 1970 and was given asylum in Canada. Following are excerpts from an interview with Edward Griffin in 1984 revealing communistic subversion methods. Yuri said, ‘The main emphasis of the KJB…is a slow process [of] ideological subversion…to change the perception of reality of every American to such an extent that despite the abundance of information, no one is able to come to sensible conclusions in the interest of defending themselves… It is a great brainwashing process which goes very slow and is divided into four basic stages.

The first…demoralization… It takes from 15 to 20 years to demoralize a nation… This is the minimum number of years which is required to educate one generation of students… Marxist-Leninism ideology is being pumped into…students without being challenged or counterbalanced by the basic values of Americanism… The next stage is “destabilization”… This only takes 2 to 5 years… The next stage is “crisis.” It may take only 6 weeks… And after crisis, with a violent change in power, structure, and economy, you have the period of so-called “normalization”… [This is what will happen in the United States if the economy is destabilized by eliminating free market competition, and a big brother government is set up in Washington, D.C.]’

In his lessons on ‘The Subversion of Education in America,’ Alan Caruba revealed that in 1965 the American government funded “Pacesetters in Innovation,” ‘a 584-page catalogue of behavior modification programs to be used by the schools…programs to indoctrinate children passing through the system to believe in values contrary to those on which this nation was based. ‘In brief, the intention was to create a generation or two of Americans who would accept the United Nations, not the United States, as their new “nation,” a global nation, one-world government. The last thing the conspirators wanted was a nation of individuals who could or would actually think for themselves.’

Useful idiots—Historically, the term “useful idiot” has referred to a naive or unwitting ally of a ruthless political movement, especially a communist movement. Supposedly, Vladimir Lenin and Joseph Stalin used this expression contemptuously of non-communists who aligned themselves with their political positions. Hitler’s Brownshirts are a good example of how socialists and communists use naïve, ignorant, and brainwashed people. ‘“Nazi” is the abbreviation for the National Socialist Workers Party in Germany. Hitler had radical homosexual activist Ernst Rohm and his feared Brownshirts (storm troopers) to storm into meetings of his political opponents, disrupting and shouting down speakers. ‘Brownshirts organized Antifa-style [and BLM-style] protests and street riots, smashing windows, blocking traffic, setting fires, vandalizing, and even beating to death innocent bystanders to spread fear and panic…

‘On Kristallnacht (Night of Broken Glass), November 9, 1938, [the Brownshirts] smashed windows of over 7,500 Jewish stores and 200 synagogues. Once securely in power, Hitler had his SS and Gestapo secret police kill the Brownshirts in the Night of the Long Knives, thus eliminating rivalry and giving the public impression of cracking down on lawbreakers’ (pp. 87-88). Members of BLM and Antifa are being used in the same way. If the socialists come into power, these “useful idiots” will either be assigned lower positions or be eliminated. Their dream is a lie!

DELIVERANCE FROM SOCIALISTIC PROGRAMMING

Slow and uncertain— Yuri Bezmenov [the former KJB agent] said, ‘Even if you start right now…educating a new generation of Americans, it will still take 15 or 20 years to turn the tide of ideological perception.’ Bob Jones Sr, Founder of Bob Jones University, said, “Education without salvation is damnation.” Unless the education of the new generation of students includes teaching the truth of the word of God they will remain in spiritual darkness, and “the god of this world” will continue to blind “the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them” (2Corinthians 4:4).

Immediate and certain— Trust God! Do not trust any man! The word of God says, “He that trusteth in his own heart is a fool: but whoso walketh wisely, he shall be delivered” (Proverbs 28:26); and that the man who trusts in another man, “in whom there is no help” (Psalm 146:3), is “cursed” (Jeremiah 17:5). But “Blessed is the man that trusteth in the LORD, and whose hope the LORD is” (Jeremiah 17:7; Psalm 34:8).

Salvation: not religion— As I was reading the gospel according to John while alone in my house, the Spirit of God called me by the gospel (Ephesians 4:4). At that very moment I believed, I was saved by God’s grace through faith, which comes by the word of God (Ephesians 2:8-9; Romans 10:17). I trusted Christ after I “heard the word of truth, the gospel” of my salvation. And after I believed, I was “sealed with that holy Spirit of promise, Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory” (Ephesians 1:12-14). I know that I dwell in Christ and he in me, because he has given me “of his Spirit” (1John 4:13). I need no other witness! I am now made free from the deceptive words of men by continuing in God’s word (John 8:31-32). God’s word now keeps “me from the paths of the destroyer” (Psalm 17:4). I have been redeemed by the precious blood of Christ (1Peter 1:18-21), and have received eternal life as a gift from God (Romans 6:23).

Your personal choice— The glorious soul-saving gospel of Christ is “how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures” (1Corinthians 15:3-4). God promises you, a sinner, “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved” (Romans 10:9). The terrified and lost jailor at Philippi said to Paul and Silas, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved? And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house” (Acts 16:29-31). If you want to know the absolute incorruptible truth, then get a King James Holy Bible and read it for yourself! Do not delay. You may not have tomorrow: “behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation” (2Corinthians 6:1-2).