THE CHURCH AND THE COMING HOLOCAUST

SHEPHERD TO SHEEP

THE CHURCH AND THE COMING HOLOCAUST

(Zeph 1:12) “And it shall come to pass at that time that I will search Jerusalem with lamps, and punish the men who are settled in complacency...

Where was the church during the holocaust? Why didn't Christians speak up and do something about Hitler's agenda? How could this have happened under the Church's watch? These are worthy questions but one must realize Hitler put pressure on the German church and the church for the most part gave conciliation to the new order of the Third Reich. But remember there were opponents from the clergy who stood up against this dictator and paid for it dearly with deprivation, incarceration, or even their own lives (Dietrich Bonhoeffer, etc.).

In the coming Tribulation the Antichrist will be shrewd. He won't get rid of religion. He will partner with it because he knows people's beliefs are important to them as part of their makeup. In fact, there will be a "side-kick" of the Antichrist called the "false prophet" who will harmonize and organize religion of the day in support of the designs of this darling despot. People of faith will fall for this man and support his plan. They will be swept off their feet by his charisma and his capability to solve the world's problems when no one else could. (Rev 13)

Looking back to the holocaust of World War II and looking ahead to the human inferno of World War III (what the Bible calls Armageddon) we see the complacency of the Church and the consequence of submission to the State's ungodly and unbiblical authority. And the question is begged as to where is the church today? Remember the famous quote from the first day in History class? "The only thing we learn from history is that we learn nothing from history." (Friedrich Hegel) And we say today that history repeats itself. So what can we learn and what should the modern day church do when they see their governments rising against God and His commandments and making the State the authority instead of Christ "...who is the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings and Lord of lords (1 Tim 6:15)?

- NOTE: Realize the highest authority is God and His Word and hold to this even to your own peril: (Acts 5:29)...“We ought to obey God rather than men.

- VOTE: Let's get the elect to the elections to make their selections! (2 Pet 1:10) Therefore, brethren, be even more diligent to make your call and election sure...(scriptural pun intended!)
- DEVOTE: Make a fresh dedication of your life to Christ and be worth your salt for the Lord in your community: (Mat 5:13) “You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt loses its flavor, how shall it be seasoned? It is then good for nothing...

Avoid the holocaust at all costs. Take up your cross and join the holy cause for Christ!

Louie

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HALLOWEEN OR HALLELUJAH? (English & Spanish)

SHEPHERD TO SHEEP

HALLOWEEN OR HALLELUJAH?

(1 Thes 5:5) You are all sons of light and sons of the day. We are not of the night nor of darkness.

Many Christians have questions regarding Halloween. Should Christians decorate their houses in this theme? Should we send our kids out trick-or-treating? Wow, what a loaded question! But let me give you some things to think about:

- Each Christian must make their own decision on how to celebrate any festive day whether it be Halloween, Christmas, Easter, etc. And we shouldn’t judge each other on this decision. Listen to the apostle Paul on this: One person esteems one day above another; another esteems every day alike. Let each be fully convinced in his own mind. (Rom 14:5)

- We must ask ourselves, “Does it glorify God?” Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God. (1 Cor 10:31)

- In regards to Halloween, we must keep in mind the scriptural prohibition of any kind of practice (and I might add symbolism) of witchcraft. (Deu 18:9-14)

- The Bible says we are sons of the light and sons of the day. We are not of the night nor of darkness. Jesus is the Light and we are to shine His glory. We are to cast off the works of darkness and put on the armor of the light. (Rom 13:12)

- Remember we have the Holy Spirit, not the unholy spirit represented in symbols of a devil, a witch, or a ghost. True power is from the Holy Spirit (Acts 1:8) and we don’t need to be tapping into or even flirting with the power of darkness.

- Christians are into the theme of life, not death. For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Rom 6:23)

I hope this helps you to think along the lines of a transformed mind (Rom 12:2). Be led by His Spirit in all you do for yourself and for your children. Ask God for wisdom in all your decisions in regards to your family celebrations and plans. And remember, you are a child of the light!

Louie

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Del Pastor a Las Ovejas

(1 Tess 5:5) porque todos vosotros sois hijos de luz e hijos del día. No somos de la noche ni de las tinieblas.

Muchos cristianos tienen dudas con relación al Halloween. ¿Pueden los cristianos decorar sus casas en esta época? ¿Pueden mandar a sus hijos a pedir dulces? Wow, ¡son preguntas difíciles! Pero dejame darte algunas cosas para meditar:

- Cada cristiano debe tomar sus propias decisiones sobre como celebrar cualquier día festivo, ya sea halloween, Navidad, Pascua, etc. Y no debemos juzgarnos unos a otros en esta decisión. Escucha lo que el apóstol Pablo dijo sobre esto: "Uno juzga que un día es superior a otro, otro juzga iguales todos los días. Cada cual esté plenamente convencido según su propio sentir." (Romanos 14:5)

- Debemos preguntarnos, “¿Glorifica esto a Dios?” Entonces, ya sea que comáis, que bebáis, o que hagáis cualquiera otra cosa, hacedlo todo para la gloria de Dios. (1 Corintios 10:31)

- En cuanto al Halloween, debemos tener en mente las prohibiciones bíblicas en la práctica de (y debo agregar símbolos) de la brujería. (Deuteronomio 18:9-14)

- La Biblia dice que somos hijos de la luz y del día. No somos de las tinieblas o de la noche. Jesús es la Luz y nosotros debemos brillar con Su gloria. Debemos dejar las obras de las tinieblas y ponernos la armadura de la luz. (Romanos 13:12)

- Recuerda tque tenemos al Espíritu Santo, no el espíritu impío representado en los símbolos del diablo, una bruja, o un fantasma. El verdadero poder viene del Espíritu Santo (Hechos 1:8) y no necesitamos estar jugando ni coqueteando con el poder de las tinieblas.

-Los cristianos representan la vida, no la muerte. "Porque la paga del pecado es muerte, pero la dádiva de Dios es vida eterna en Cristo Jesús Señor Nuestro" (Romanos 6:23)

Espero que esto te ayude a pensar como debe hacerlo una mente transformada (Romanos 12:2). Se guiado por Su Espíritu, por bien tuyo y el de tus hijos. Pide sabiduría a Dios en todas tus decisiones en cuanto a las celebraciones y planes de familia. y recuerda, ¡eres un hijo de a luz!

Luis

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LAS VEGAS DOWNTOWN WITNESSING

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We shared Jesus tonight in the downtown section of Las Vegas. It is quite a different vibe than the strip.

This man took a tract from Ron and listened to him share the truth in love and gentleness.

But, speaking the truth in love...

( Eph 4:15)

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We were not the only ones sharing Christ. This sweet sister in the Lord was passing out tracts faster than we were. Nothing was stopping her mission. Even her disability.

And He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.

(2 Cor 12:9)

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Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world.

(1 John 4:1)

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For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
(Rom 6:23)

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Fremont Street Experience, downtown Las Vegas. See if you can find the devil himself in this video.

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GO! TEAM IN LAS VEGAS

The Men's ministry of our church felt led to outreach on the Strip of Las Vegas.

(2 Cor 5:14)
For the love of Christ compels us, because we judge thus: that if One died for all, then all died;

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This is not New York! This is Las Vegas!!

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Ron, Gary, and Daniel ready to pass out more tracts! People overall are hungry for the Lord and are letting us pray with them.

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Elvis sightings. Which on is the true Elvis?

( Neh 8:10)
... Do not sorrow, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.”

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Mahlon on the Harley ready to rock for the Lord!

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Video of the brothers sharing with a homeless man.

(Mat 25:40)
And the King will answer and say to them, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.’

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Thanks for your prayers! We will be back tomorrow (SAT) night.

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(Eph 6:18) praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints—

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SPEAKING OF THE DEVIL

SHEPHERD TO SHEEP

SPEAKING OF THE DEVIL

So where did we get the image of the devil with the horns, pointed tail, cloven hooves, and pitchfork? Actually it comes from the literature of the Middle Ages which has its origin in Greek mythology. This is a description of the god Pan, or Bacchus, the god of pleasure. He has horns, he runs through the grape vineyard, he is the god of the grape, the god of wine. From his waist down he is represented as a goat. Let’s take off the Halloween suit of Satan and expose him for who he really is!

In Ezekiel 28 we discover Satan had a beginning (15). God created him as a perfect, wise and beautiful angel (12). He appears to be one of the chief angels along with Michael and Gabriel. Some say he was the worship leader of the angelic choir (13). He was the anointed cherub that covered (14). The cherubim were the “inner circle” of angels who had the closest access to God and guarded His holiness.

At this point Ezekiel does not go into detail about the iniquity found in Lucifer. For this we have to go over to Isaiah 14:11-15. In this passage the five “I will’s” of Lucifer are identified. He began to covet the power and position of God Himself. Not content with his privileged position he sought to be like the Most High. From the book of Revelation we find he fostered a rebellion against God with one third of the angels and was promptly cast out of heaven. Lucifer “the star of the morning” was now called Satan (“accuser”) and the devil (“adversary”). The angels who followed Satan became demons who now work with Satan in his rebellion against God, the plan of God, and the people of God.

According to the Bible there is a literal devil that wants to defeat you and then eat you! He started with Adam and Eve in the garden and is still working today. He seeks to blind and bind the unbeliever and find and grind the believer. He knows the way to get back at God for his fall is to attack His children and to render their witness ineffective for Christ.

Knowing the power and purposes of Satan can leave a person frightened of the devil and powerless over his ploys. But what we need to know as Christians is that Satan is a defeated foe. He has no power over us because of Christ and the cross (Col 2:14-15). His future is grim. Ezekiel states his judgment: (Isa 14:15) Yet you shall be brought down to Sheol, To the lowest depths of the Pit. He will be “…cast into the lake of fire forever.” (Rev. 20:10) Since Satan is a defeated foe and stands a future judgment…let’s put on the armor of light and fight for the right against Satan and his system. (James 4:7) Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. (1 Pet 5:8-9) Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. 9 Resist him, steadfast in the faith… (Rom 16:20) And the God of peace will crush Satan under your feet shortly…

Louie

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COLUMBUS DAY

SHEPHERD TO SHEEP

COLUMBUS DAY

Christopher Columbus believed himself to be a man chosen for a divine mission. On August 3, 1492, under the patronage of King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella of Spain, Columbus set sail with a small fleet of ships, the Santa Maria, the Pinta and the Nina. His journeys took him to parts of Central America, that would later become known as the Americas.

In a letter to the king and queen of Spain, Columbus expressed his reasons for sailing westward... "The Holy Trinity moved Your Highnesses to this enterprise of the Indies, and of his infinite he made me the messenger thereof…On this matter I spent six or seven years of deep anxiety, expounding…how great service might in this be rendered to the Lord…And I told you of the peoples whom I have seen, among whom and from whom many souls may be saved."

The following quotation from the Introduction to Christopher Columbus' Book of Prophecies summarizes not only his deep commitment to the gospel mandate, but also points to the Bible as the very source of his inspiration: "It was the Lord who put into my mind (I could feel his hand upon me) the fact that it would be possible to sail from here to the Indies…" There is no question that the inspiration was from the Holy Spirit…Our Lord Jesus Christ desired to perform a very obvious miracle in the voyage to the Indies, to confront me and the whole people of God."

His Journal from August 3 to October 12, 1492 is a daily record of the historic voyage from Spain to the New Indies. Day after day, he refers to Jesus and the need for divine help. He is always asking Our Lord for the light and strength he needs to realize what God had entrusted him to do.
“All who heard of my project rejected it with laughter, ridiculing me…No one should fear to undertake any task in the name of our Savior, if it is just and if the intention is purely for His holy service. The working out of all things has been assigned to each person by our Lord, but it all happens according to His sovereign will even though He gives advice.”

The lesson: Discover what God wants you to do and then be relentless in its pursuit. The Lord will provide for you and you will take that step of faith to voyage out into all He has for you. You will discover a new world of blessings!

(Neh 7:5) Then my God put it into my heart to gather the nobles…

(Neh 2:8) …And the king granted them to me according to the good hand of my God upon me.

(Gen 24:27) …As for me, being on the way, the Lord led me…

Louie

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