PTNews
May 2016
Published 10 times annually
All Bible references are from the KJV and are now hyperlinked
(Examining Current Events in the Light of Bible Prophecy)
A Spirit of Lawlessness Explodes in America
“The wicked shall be turned into hell, and all the nations that forget God.”– Psalm 9:17
By Mike Wingfield
In recent months it has become very apparent to me that America is rapidly descending into a deep, dark pit of lawlessness and anarchy. A very powerful, militant minority in this land is forcing its sinful and deadly agenda upon the entire nation. In the last few decades we have watched them “come out of the closet.” Now, they are kicking the door down! Like the wicked crowd at the door of Lot in Genesis 19, they are standing at our threshold, demanding us to allow them to carry out their wicked deeds upon the innocent ones in our homes. These immoral people are demanding the right to masquerade themselves as persons of the opposite sex so they can have access to our children in the public restrooms of our schools and malls. It is disheartening to watch the federal government defend the rights of this militant minority, and aid them in promoting their immoral agenda. It is shocking to witness the opposition to local and state governments that are attempting to stem the tide of wickedness by reaffirming laws that simply reflect the commandments of the Bible. These commandments are the foundation for common decency that has been the standard in America for more than 200 years!
As we watch the erosion of the very moral fabric of American society, we must come to grips with the painful reality that the nation that we have known and loved is suddenly collapsing all around us. For those who want to be set free from any law that inhibits their free spirit, they are cheering as America falls. For those of us who know the Word of God, we recognize this is a clear sign of the approaching judgment of God upon America. From a global viewpoint, all of this is moving our world one step closer to the wrath of God that will be poured out upon the nations during the Tribulation Period.
The spirit of lawlessness is at the core of the spirit that will be prevalent among the nations during the Tribulation Period. (Matthew 24:12; Luke 21:9) The Bible calls the Antichrist “the lawless one.” (2 Thessalonians 2:8) He, and all of the world leaders, will openly oppose the commandments of God. (Psalm 2:1-3) This spirit of lawlessness they promote rejects the truth and inverts reality. Good becomes evil and evil becomes good. Morality and decency become unacceptable, while immorality and indecency are openly applauded. (Romans 1:32)
As our culture, and even the professing church, departs from the truth of God, it is being seduced by demonic spirits to follow the doctrine of demons. (1 Timothy 4:1) God is truth, and Satan is a liar. (John 8:44) Therefore, the teaching of demons is the inversion of truth (reality)! When people in a culture openly, flagrantly, and consistently reject God’s truth, their “conscience [is] seared with a hot iron.” (1 Timothy 4:2) In essence, they have silenced their conscience.
When people in a culture have silenced their conscience, they have spiritually reached the point of no return. The conscience is where the Holy Spirit strives with all men (Genesis 6:3), both saved and unsaved. The Holy Spirit strives with men to bring conviction of sin that leads to repentance and salvation. Without this work of the Holy Spirit in the conscience of man, it is impossible for him to be saved. (1 Corinthians 12:3) Therefore, when the collective conscience of a society has been silenced, the Holy Spirit cannot and will not work to bring repentance, guilt, or shame. In that culture, there remains no restraint of sin. When this happens, God has given them up and given them over to their depraved way of thinking. (Romans 1:24-32) These people are void of truth and have no conscience. They see their immoral and lawless lifestyles as being natural. The ultimate deception comes when they claim that a holy God made them that way!
This is where America lives today. We may not have arrived at our ultimate destination of gross departure from God. But, we are rapidly, with little restraint, marching in that direction. According to the Scriptures, the Holy Spirit uses five instruments to effectively restrain sin by strengthening the conscience of man with the law of God. These five instruments are: parents (Proverbs 6:20-21), the culture (Genesis 20:11), government (Romans 13:1-6; 1 Timothy 2:1-2), believers in the church (Matthew 5:13-16), and most of all, the Word of God. (Psalm 119:11) As you examine these five instruments the Holy Spirit uses to stem the tide of sin in a culture, it is obvious why America is spiritually crumbling at this very hour! Marriages and homes are collapsing! It is the goal of the homosexual community to destroy Biblical marriage. Through the music and entertainment industry, our culture is promoting a godless way of life. Our government is attacking every aspect of Biblical authority and truth, while promoting rebellion and godlessness. The majority of professing Christians are adopting the world’s lifestyle rather than living holy lives to promote the holiness of God. The Word of God is rapidly being replaced with psychology, science, and other forms of humanism. It is no wonder that the American conscience is further away from God than at any other time since the founding of the nation.
What can we do? As wickedness and lawlessness explode around us we must recognize that this does impact the ability to reach people for Jesus Christ. We rely upon the Holy Spirit to prepare people’s conscience to bring personal shame and guilt because of their sin. This must happen before we can successfully present the gospel to them. Consequently, when the overwhelming majority of people around us have their conscience seared so that they are no longer functioning, there is little hope of reaching them with the gospel. Furthermore, these people who are living in spiritual darkness will hate the light and reject those who are the light. (John 3:19-21) Long ago, the Psalmist summarized our plight with these words: “For, lo the wicked bend their bow, they make ready their arrow upon the string, that they may privily shoot at the upright in heart. If the foundations be destroyed, what can the righteous do?” (Psalm 11:2-3)
The person who views the world through the lens of the prophetic Scriptures will recognize that our world must descend into a time of gross darkness before the end of this age. (Isaiah 60:2) We are at the threshold of this period of time. The people around us love the darkness and hate the light. They love sin and hate righteousness. They promote lies and oppose the truth. They seek lawlessness and oppose the law of God. They clamor for personal freedom and reject all authority. They love and worship Satan, and hate and defy God.
This is what is coming and is all around us. I hate to be so blunt, but it will not get better until Jesus comes to establish His earthly kingdom for 1,000 years. Until that happens, the lawlessness will get much worse than it is now. The Bible teaches that when the remnant of true godly believers are raptured, the restraining influence of the Holy Spirit will be removed. (2 Thessalonians 2:7) “And then shall that [lawless one] be revealed.” (2 Thessalonians 1:8) When the true church has been raptured, rebellion, immorality, violence, deception, and all forms of wickedness will manifest themselves with no opposition on planet earth.
Satan and his demons are always looking for a person or a culture where the conscience has been silenced. The goal of a demon is to move into a person’s body and make him his personal slave to carry out his hellish agenda against God. Demons are looking for a subject they can completely control without any restraint. As they do this, it is also their objective to destroy their slave. (John 8:44; 1 Peter 5:8)
The Tribulation Period will be a time of global demon possession. The majority of the global population will worship Satan and his Antichrist. (Revelation 13:4-8) They will also worship the demons that control them. (Revelation 9:20) It will be a replay of what happened in the days of Noah. (Genesis 6:1-12; Matthew 24:37) These demons will move America and the nations to a hellish level of lawlessness that our minds cannot begin to fathom.
How ironic that most people want to be free from God’s law. They believe that if they are free to live without the authority of God in their lives, they will be free and happy. What they do not know is that this is a deceptive lie from hell. Jesus declared: “Whosoever committeth sin is the [slave] of sin.” (John 8:34) When a person rejects the Word of God and God’s Son, Jesus Christ, he is not free. He is a slave to a cruel and deadly master called sin. That master will deceive him, enslave him, and destroy him. Only God’s Son and His truth can set them free. “And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall set make you free. … If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.” (John 8:32, 36) It is our privilege and responsibility to model and proclaim this message of liberty to those who think they are free, but are slaves to the monsters of sin and Satan.
I am absolutely convinced that here in America we are reliving the days of Noah, and Sodom and Gomorrah. (Luke 17:26-30) Like Noah, we must continue to warn our generation of the impending judgment of God. Noah did not have many who believed him. We may not either. But, we must continue to work for Jesus. I very often think of the words of my Lord, when He said: “I must work the works of him that sent me, while it is day: the night cometh, when no man can work.” (John 9:4) Until that time comes, let us keep serving our Lord and listening for the shout that will take us out!
The Battle for the Golan Heights Heats Up
Last fall it was announced that an Israeli/American oil firm had discovered a large deposit of oil on the Golan Heights. According to Middle East Eye, one Israeli geologist claims that this oil deposit has the “potential of billions of barrels”. (www.middleeasteye.net/news/israel-stakes-claim-golan-after-oil-find-913890970#sthash.SqvWm7G5.dpuf) Obviously, this has attracted a lot of attention from Israel’s Muslim neighbors, and especially with Russia.
The Golan Heights has been designated as “disputed land” for many years. The Modern Republic of Syria occupied the Golan Heights from 1946 to 1967. Since Israel’s rebirth as a nation in 1948, Syria used this high ground to make life miserable for Israelis living in Northern Galilee. Syria turned the Golan Heights into a military installation with the construction of bunkers and mine fields. They used their long range cannons to fire into Israel on almost a daily basis for decades. When Egypt and Jordan attacked Israel in June, 1967, Israel defeated them and captured the Golan from Syria in the famous Six Day War. In 1973, Syria attacked Israel on the Golan Heights on Yom Kippur. Once again, Israel drove back the advancing Syrian invasion, and has since that time occupied the Golan Heights, officially annexing this strategic area in 1981. However, the international community does not recognized Israel’s right to occupy the Golan Heights.
Historically and ethically, Israel has the right to retain the Golan Heights. The Golan is a historical part of the land that God promised to Israel. It was originally assigned to the tribe of Manasseh. (Joshua 21:27) All over the Golan, Israeli archaeologists have discovered numerous ruins of Jewish synagogues, and other remains from the Biblical period. When Syria possessed the Golan, it never used the rich volcanic soil for agricultural purposes, as Israel is doing today. Syrians solely used it as a platform to launch an attack against Israelis in Galilee. Israel has the right to defend itself against its enemy neighbors who are sworn to the destruction of the Jewish state. With the presence of ISIS, Hezbollah, and other radical Islamic terrorist groups fighting in Syria today, it would be an act of national suicide for Israel to vacate the Golan and surrender it to the Syrians, and these terrorist groups, as the world is demanding. If the Israelis caved into world’s demands, boats sailing on the Sea of Galilee would be under attack by radical Muslim terrorist groups.
With the newly discovered oil deposits last fall on the Golan, worth billions of dollars, Russia is pretending to defend Syria’s interests on the Golan Heights. This is the real reason behind Russian’s military defense of Syrian President, Bashar al-Assad. For many years, Russia has kept a keen eye on the agriculturally rich land in Israel, their warm sea ports, the rich deposits of minerals in the Dead Sea, and the new discovery of massive natural gas off the Mediterranean coast. The discovery of oil on the Golan Heights has heightened the Russians’ interests. For those of us who know the prophetic Scriptures, we know that 2,600 years ago, the prophet Ezekiel wrote about a war in which Russia, and its Muslim allies would invade Israel “to take a spoil.” (Ezekiel 38:12-13) It is apparent that we are watching the beginning of a conflict over the Golan Heights that will eventually lead to the invasion spoken of by Ezekiel — the battle of Gog and Magog.
According to Israel Today, “Israel’s Cabinet convened its weekly meeting atop the Golan Heights on Sunday [April 17] so that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu could pointedly inform the world that, in light of the current situation in the region, there is no chance Israel will ever return the strategic plateau to Syrian control. ‘The time has come for the world to recognize our sovereignty here,’ said Netanyahu. The Israeli leader made similar remarks recently to U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, whom Netanyahu told, ‘We will not come down from the Golan Heights. The international community needs to accept this.’”(http://www.israeltoday.co.il/NewsItem/tabid/178/nid/29014/Default.aspx)
In addition to these comments, Israel Breaking News also quoted Netanyahu on this same occasion: “He pointed out that the Golan is Israel’s ancient heritage, calling it an ‘integral part of the Land of Israel in ancient times. That is documented by dozens of ancient synagogues around us,’ he said, referring to the remains of Jewish settlements dating back thousands of years. ‘And the Golan is an integral part of the State of Israel in the present time.’”
The stage is set for the battle over the Golan Heights. The world is against Israel’s right to occupy this area. It appears that this could be the immediate prelude leading to the battle mentioned by Ezekiel. If so, then we are very close to the Rapture of the church. What exciting days in which to be living!
The Muslim Immigration Question
Millions of displaced people, due to the wars in the Middle East, are seeking to immigrate to a safer country. This has raised a major question in the United States concerning the entrance of thousands of refugee Muslims into the U.S. The current practices and policies of the U.S. State Department have aroused our concerns in this matter. While turning away many Middle Eastern refugees who are Christians, the State Department is openly receiving Muslim refugees with little or no screening. As I have considered the ramifications of all of this, I came across the following article published by FLAME (Facts and Logic About the Middle East).
“America is a land of immigrants—and it’s against our beliefs to ban any group on strictly religious grounds. But it still matters who we welcome into our society. Hundreds of millions of the world’s people yearn to immigrate to the United States—to escape violence, oppression or poverty. But since we can’t afford to allow entrance to millions, isn’t it fair to select based on the immigrant’s value— or danger—to our society? How then should Muslims be evaluated for immigration? Muslim immigrants whose religious beliefs run directly counter to fundamental American political and social values can pose both a moral and a security threat to our society. For this reason, potential immigrants should be screened to prevent entrance by those presenting such a clear danger.
“What are the facts? At least one terrorist responsible for recent Brussels bombings and one of two San Bernardino terrorists were Muslim immigrants. Last New Year’s Eve, hundreds of women in Germany were sexually assaulted by gangs of men identified as immigrants from Muslim lands.
“America was founded by immigrants and has grown strong through our ‘melting pot’ of cultures. But for all this diversity, immigrants to the United States have largely respected common American values—democracy, freedom of religion, equality, tolerance, pluralism, and separation of church and state. Today, as millions are threatened by civil strife in the Middle East and Africa, it’s no wonder these beleaguered look to Western nations—especially the U.S.— for safety and a better life. Yet millions from other regions— for their own poignant, pressing, and often life-threatening reasons—also yearn to come to America.
“However, because we cannot afford to support unlimited newcomers, we must make difficult decisions about who is allowed to enter our country and vie for precious citizenship. How should we make these decisions? While the U.S. has always extended a hand to refugees, we have never opened the floodgates—we have always had to make judgments on individual cases. Rather, U.S. immigration policies are based on who will contribute most to our society.
“How should we respond to Muslim immigrants? Most Americans agree that banning Muslim immigration based solely on religious affiliation is un-American. We don’t accept hateful bias against an entire group. Yet common Muslim beliefs, as revealed by recent Pew Research Center studies, raise concerns about Muslim immigration to the United States. Should we open our doors to individuals whose beliefs conflict harshly with our core values? On what basis shall we evaluate the millions who seek entrance? If we continue to believe America is best served by immigrants who will help us thrive, we should also rule out those who will endanger our society—by their values and potential actions. Quite simply, a vast majority of Muslims harbor values antithetical to the liberal democratic principles we cherish. In short, no immigrant should be granted entrance to the U.S. who does not embrace bedrock American values.
“Rule of Civil Law over Sharia. According to research by the Pew Research Center, “overwhelming percentages of Muslims in many countries want Islamic law (sharia) to be the official law of the land.” Under religious sharia, any man made law (such as American democracy) is illicit; adultery is punishable by stoning to death; apostates who leave Islam are to be killed. Some 99 percent of Afghans support sharia as the national law, as do 91 percent of Iraqis and 74 percent of Muslims in the Middle East and North Africa. Will immigrants with these beliefs help our society? Or should U.S. immigration be limited to those who disavow sharia as civil law?
“Equal Rights for Women. Some 93 percent of Muslims in Southeast Asia and 87 percent of those in the Middle East and North Africa believe a wife must obey her husband. No wonder cases of spousal abuse, including rape, abound in Muslim countries, to say nothing of honor killings of wives and daughters who “scandalize” male relatives when they are victims of rape. Such values conflict widely with American norms. Is belief in patriarchal domination of women helpful to American society, or should immigrants with this belief be turned away?
“Opposition to Suicide Bombings. Fully 40 percent of Palestinian Muslims, 39 percent of Afghans and 29 percent of Egyptians believe suicide bombings in defense of Islam are often or sometimes justified. Should the United States accept an immigrant who holds these beliefs—as apparently have the Brussels, Paris, San Bernardino and Jerusalem killers? Or should we screen for this belief and deny entrance to those who hold suicide bombing to be acceptable?
“Separation of Church and State. Some 79 percent of Muslims in Southeast Asia and 65 percent in the Middle East and North Africa believe religious leaders should wield political influence. After seeing the effect of theocracy in Iran and the disaster of Muslim Brotherhood rule in Egypt, is it wise to welcome immigrants who don’t support separation of religion and government?
“Muslim immigrants whose religious beliefs run directly counter to fundamental American political and social values can pose both a moral and a security threat to our society. For this reason, potential immigrants should be screened to prevent entrance by those presenting such a clear danger.” (Article from www.factsandlogic.org) [I highly recommend visiting their website to read many other articles that present facts that are not being covered by our liberal media.]
Furthermore, it is my personal observation that most of the Western leaders, including our own U.S. administration, do not accept the fact that many Islamic groups have, in effect, declared war on the United States. It is shocking to realized that many leaders in Europe and the U.S. refuse to refer to terrorist activities as “Islamic terrorism.” These governments are locked in a mindset of appeasement with these more radical elements of Islam. It is ridiculous and dangerous to not recognize the dangers that Islam posses. While these governments may not want to engage in a war with radical Islam, they must at least listen to the threats of these murderous elements and take their threats seriously. The first step in defeating any enemy is to identify who they are.
Has Obama Conceded the Role of Leadership in the Mideast to Putin?
Many of our friends in the Middle East are greatly concerned about the major shift of power of international influence in the Middle East. Our Sunni Arab friends, like Saudi Arabia, and our Jewish ally, Israel, are troubled that President Obama has disengaged the United States from its former role as the international leader in the affairs of the Middle East.
The following quote from an article in The Jerusalem Report reflects the concerns of many Israelis and Sunni Arabs. “Obama’s policy of disengaging from the Middle East left a vacuum quickly filled by Putin. Russia fully exploited the opportunity not only to shore up its only base in the region in Syria, but also to create a strategic alliance with Iran and new openings toward our key players like Egypt, to which it is supplying arms and a nuclear powered electricity plant. …
“Russia is pursuing major arm deals with Iran, and wants to convert its military presence in Syria into a permanent base for political and diplomatic influence across the region. Obama considers defeat of ISIS a top priority and collaboration with Russia and Iran as necessary to achieve this goal.
“The Russian-Iranian alliance, however, is far more dangerous for the future of the Middle East than ISIS. The contiguous Iranian strategic axis, which includes Iraq, Syria and Lebanon, coupled with regional hegemonic aspirations, billions of dollars released from frozen accounts, modern conventional weapons and nuclear options, poses the greatest threat to regional stability and world peace.
“The blunt truth is that the U.S. has conceded the Middle East to Russia and Iran, and outsourced its regional responsibilities and commitments to Putin and Iranian President Hassan Rouhani. Obama’s failed leadership has weakened U.S. standing in the region.
“One of the chief victims of this policy is Israel. Israel’s power depends to a large extent on the projection of US power. When the U.S. is weak, Israel is also weakened. … Israel depends almost entirely on American military, political, diplomatic and economic support. There is no alternative to the U.S.-Israeli relationship.” (Eytan Gilboa, “Obama concedes the Mideast to Putin,” The Jerusalem Report, March 21, 2016, p. 7)
These observations present significant insights for the next war the Bible mentions will take place in the Middle
East – the battle of Gog and Magog. (Ezekiel 38-39)
War between Iran and Saudi Arabia?
The current shift of the balance of power in the Middle East is shaking up the Islamic world. The Islamic world has been somewhat dominated by the larger of the two major divisions within the Middle East, the Sunnis. The Sunnis comprise about 85 percent of the Muslims in the Middle East, while the Shias are the minority with only 15 percent. The largest and most influential Sunni nation is Saudi Arabia, the historical central player of the religion since the beginning of Islam almost 1,400 years ago. The largest and most influential of the Shia Muslims is Iran.
For centuries, Iran and Saudi Arabia have been enemies. Due to the rise of the influence of Iran in the Islamic world, with the aid of Russia, the tensions between these two countries has escalated. Recently, an article in The Jerusalem Report stated: “A sharp escalation of tensions between the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the Islamic Republic of Iran has raised fears that these two neighbors and rival, already engaged in a cold war, are now on a collision course.” (The Jerusalem Report, February 8, 2016. p. 17)
Since these two nations face each other across the Persian Gulf, one cannot begin to image the impact this would have on the global economy should they declare war on each other. This would immediately halt the world’s oil supply flowing out of this very strategic area. All of this illustrates that we live at a very unique time when our world could profoundly change on any given day.