Loyal
Saturday, April 22, 2017, 4:38 a.m. – The Lord Jesus put in mind the song “Were You There?” Speak, Lord, your words to my heart. I read Acts 6 (quoting vv. 7-15 NIV).
The Word Spread (vv. 7-10)
Since the inception of the internet, the gospel of Jesus Christ has spread far and wide across this globe through the means of people’s written words. Social networks - although they certainly have their drawbacks – in addition to easy access to the use and to the creation of personal and public blogs, as well as access to the multiple Christian Bible discussion sites available on the internet, at least here in America, have opened the door wide for so many people to be able to share their faith in Jesus Christ, and for others to read what they write all across the world, though not necessarily everywhere.
I don’t have statistics which I can share on how many people’s lives have been impacted for Christ since the internet became available to Christians, as a means to spread the gospel, because I am not sure that we can measure such a thing anyway. But, I can see that people are reading what others write, and I can read where many people are responding to what others write, so I do know that this is having an impact on people’s lives, and I am most certain, through this means of sharing God’s Word, that there are people who are coming to faith in Jesus Christ, too. All glory to God!
Yet, where God is working, Satan is working hard against him. Satan hates Jesus Christ, he hates his followers (believers in Jesus), and his messengers, and he hates the gospel message of salvation from sin, because it removes people out from underneath his control and influence, and he wants them back, or else he wants to destroy them. If he can’t get them back, he will do everything within his power to see that they are rendered ineffective, or at least that is what he will think he is doing. Yet, God is still in control!
So, Satan will send out his messengers on to these discussion sites, or on to people’s blogs to argue, distract, ridicule, criticize and to falsely accuse the Lord’s servants. One of his biggest ploys right now is to convince people that the gospel, as Jesus and his NT apostles taught it, is works-based salvation, and thus it is to be rejected in favor of a much more agreeable version of the gospel which requires no death to sin and no living to righteousness. If he can discredit the Lord’s witnesses, and if he can convince the world that his version of the gospel is the one Jesus intended, then he has accomplished his mission. But again, God is in control, and his Word will not return empty, but will accomplish what He desires and achieve the purpose for which He sent it (See: Is. 55:11). So, all glory and praise to our Lord!
They Secretly Persuaded (vv. 11-15)
From the very founding of the United States of America, there has been a goal in mind and a mission for our government to bring about this rule of the beast (the New World Order), out of the ashes of the old order. This is evident in the Great Seal of the US, with the All-Seeing Eye of Horus (the New World Order beast) hovering over the unfinished pyramid (the world, which is being reconstructed in order to build this New World Order).
So, how does this “All-Seeing Eye” hover over us? Well, for one through the internet and social media and public discussion sites. By getting people on the internet talking, this beast can learn who are Christians and who are not, and they can learn who are serious committed Christians who stand on the Word of Truth, who will not compromise with the beast, but who will stand against him. As well, they invite people to serve as reporters to rate what we write on the internet and to report back their findings to the government. And, in this way, we are all being branded, so that, when the time is right, they will enforce new rules which will restrict what can be said on the internet, and what can’t, i.e. they will tie some of our hands. And, some of us they will burn (remove, destroy, discredit, falsely accuse, or kill, etc.)
Yet, this is just one of the ways in which this beast is going after people, to hunt them down, and to destroy all those who oppose this rule of the beast, i.e. those who pose a threat to “beast security,” instead of “national security.” Our government has been leading the way for many years now in the destruction of nations, lands, people, and Christians across the globe. This is because the US government works for the beast, i.e. they are under the authority of a shadow government of the Elite of the world who are the ones building (constructing) this New World Order. So, they have to destroy the old order so that the new order can rise out of the ashes of the old.
In America, I think most Americans still believe our nation is the good guys going throughout the world rescuing the oppressed and going after the “bad guys” in order to save the people of this world and to protect our homeland, but nothing could be further from the truth. I think most Americans probably believe everything they read, see and hear on TV news, or at least the news they have been brainwashed into believing supports their particular political viewpoints. If they see it on the news they are sure it is true, and do not question it. And, that is exactly what the beast New World Order had hoped for. I believe TV is the image (likeness) of the beast, in addition to the internet. So, if people do question what they see and hear, and they call into question the things that our government is doing, then they are targeted to be some of the ones who will be removed (from the internet or from life).
The US government serves, too, as this beast’s messenger, going throughout the world putting pressure on other nations to conform to the image of the beast or to pay the consequences. Much of this world solidarity we may see is forced compliance with this New World Order beast. They strong-arm people into cooperation with this New World Order. And, those they can’t convince, they make an example out of them for everyone else to see. The US government has no intentions of keeping our form of government alive and well, either, for our nation will have to bow to the beast, too, just like every other nation, or pay the consequences.
Obama, too, may be back in the picture. He seems to have resurfaced. He serves this beast, as well, and he was used greatly by this shadow government to be a messenger of this beast in threatening sovereign nations into cooperation with the beast while he served as president of the USA. He and the pope were strong voices, too, for this one-world religion and for bringing all the people of the world in unity and harmony with one another, and in the breaking down and removal of all which divides us as the people of the world. Well, the gospel divides us into saved and unsaved, so their goal is to remove the full gospel of Jesus Christ (the whole counsel of God) from the internet and from churches and from the world by any means at their disposal, so the world can come together as one voice.
They want to silence us so that they can convince the people of this world that Jesus would want the whole world, regardless of religion or lifestyle, to join together in unity. So, they will go after us, and will treat us like criminals because we dare to hold fast to the Word of God and teach the gospel as Jesus taught it, and because we dare to stand on truth and expose lies. So, again, they will do whatever they feel is necessary to remove us from being able to influence others with the truth of God’s Word, including falsely accusing us of wrong, and even by the means of putting us to death. Basically, if we stand for truth and righteousness and oppose what is wicked and is deceptive, we are going to be treated just like Jesus was.
Were You There? / An American Spiritual / 1899
Were you there when they crucified my Lord?
Were you there when they crucified my Lord?
Oh, sometimes it causes me to tremble, tremble, tremble.
Were you there when they crucified my Lord?
Were you there when they nailed him to the tree?
Were you there when they nailed him to the tree?
Oh, sometimes it causes me to tremble, tremble, tremble.
Were you there when they nailed him to the tree?
Were you there when they laid him in the tomb?
Were you there when they laid him in the tomb?
Oh, sometimes it causes me to tremble, tremble, tremble.
Were you there when they laid him in the tomb?
Were you there when God raised him from the tomb?
Were you there when God raised him from the tomb?
Oh, sometimes it causes me to tremble, tremble, tremble.
Were you there when God raised him from the tomb?
The Word Spread (vv. 7-10)
So the word of God spread. The number of disciples in Jerusalem increased rapidly, and a large number of priests became obedient to the faith.
Now Stephen, a man full of God’s grace and power, performed great wonders and signs among the people. Opposition arose, however, from members of the Synagogue of the Freedmen (as it was called)—Jews of Cyrene and Alexandria as well as the provinces of Cilicia and Asia—who began to argue with Stephen. But they could not stand up against the wisdom the Spirit gave him as he spoke.
Now Stephen, a man full of God’s grace and power, performed great wonders and signs among the people. Opposition arose, however, from members of the Synagogue of the Freedmen (as it was called)—Jews of Cyrene and Alexandria as well as the provinces of Cilicia and Asia—who began to argue with Stephen. But they could not stand up against the wisdom the Spirit gave him as he spoke.
Since the inception of the internet, the gospel of Jesus Christ has spread far and wide across this globe through the means of people’s written words. Social networks - although they certainly have their drawbacks – in addition to easy access to the use and to the creation of personal and public blogs, as well as access to the multiple Christian Bible discussion sites available on the internet, at least here in America, have opened the door wide for so many people to be able to share their faith in Jesus Christ, and for others to read what they write all across the world, though not necessarily everywhere.
I don’t have statistics which I can share on how many people’s lives have been impacted for Christ since the internet became available to Christians, as a means to spread the gospel, because I am not sure that we can measure such a thing anyway. But, I can see that people are reading what others write, and I can read where many people are responding to what others write, so I do know that this is having an impact on people’s lives, and I am most certain, through this means of sharing God’s Word, that there are people who are coming to faith in Jesus Christ, too. All glory to God!
Yet, where God is working, Satan is working hard against him. Satan hates Jesus Christ, he hates his followers (believers in Jesus), and his messengers, and he hates the gospel message of salvation from sin, because it removes people out from underneath his control and influence, and he wants them back, or else he wants to destroy them. If he can’t get them back, he will do everything within his power to see that they are rendered ineffective, or at least that is what he will think he is doing. Yet, God is still in control!
So, Satan will send out his messengers on to these discussion sites, or on to people’s blogs to argue, distract, ridicule, criticize and to falsely accuse the Lord’s servants. One of his biggest ploys right now is to convince people that the gospel, as Jesus and his NT apostles taught it, is works-based salvation, and thus it is to be rejected in favor of a much more agreeable version of the gospel which requires no death to sin and no living to righteousness. If he can discredit the Lord’s witnesses, and if he can convince the world that his version of the gospel is the one Jesus intended, then he has accomplished his mission. But again, God is in control, and his Word will not return empty, but will accomplish what He desires and achieve the purpose for which He sent it (See: Is. 55:11). So, all glory and praise to our Lord!
They Secretly Persuaded (vv. 11-15)
Then they secretly persuaded some men to say, “We have heard Stephen speak blasphemous words against Moses and against God.”
So they stirred up the people and the elders and the teachers of the law. They seized Stephen and brought him before the Sanhedrin. They produced false witnesses, who testified, “This fellow never stops speaking against this holy place and against the law. For we have heard him say that this Jesus of Nazareth will destroy this place and change the customs Moses handed down to us.”
All who were sitting in the Sanhedrin looked intently at Stephen, and they saw that his face was like the face of an angel.
So they stirred up the people and the elders and the teachers of the law. They seized Stephen and brought him before the Sanhedrin. They produced false witnesses, who testified, “This fellow never stops speaking against this holy place and against the law. For we have heard him say that this Jesus of Nazareth will destroy this place and change the customs Moses handed down to us.”
All who were sitting in the Sanhedrin looked intently at Stephen, and they saw that his face was like the face of an angel.
From the very founding of the United States of America, there has been a goal in mind and a mission for our government to bring about this rule of the beast (the New World Order), out of the ashes of the old order. This is evident in the Great Seal of the US, with the All-Seeing Eye of Horus (the New World Order beast) hovering over the unfinished pyramid (the world, which is being reconstructed in order to build this New World Order).
So, how does this “All-Seeing Eye” hover over us? Well, for one through the internet and social media and public discussion sites. By getting people on the internet talking, this beast can learn who are Christians and who are not, and they can learn who are serious committed Christians who stand on the Word of Truth, who will not compromise with the beast, but who will stand against him. As well, they invite people to serve as reporters to rate what we write on the internet and to report back their findings to the government. And, in this way, we are all being branded, so that, when the time is right, they will enforce new rules which will restrict what can be said on the internet, and what can’t, i.e. they will tie some of our hands. And, some of us they will burn (remove, destroy, discredit, falsely accuse, or kill, etc.)
Yet, this is just one of the ways in which this beast is going after people, to hunt them down, and to destroy all those who oppose this rule of the beast, i.e. those who pose a threat to “beast security,” instead of “national security.” Our government has been leading the way for many years now in the destruction of nations, lands, people, and Christians across the globe. This is because the US government works for the beast, i.e. they are under the authority of a shadow government of the Elite of the world who are the ones building (constructing) this New World Order. So, they have to destroy the old order so that the new order can rise out of the ashes of the old.
In America, I think most Americans still believe our nation is the good guys going throughout the world rescuing the oppressed and going after the “bad guys” in order to save the people of this world and to protect our homeland, but nothing could be further from the truth. I think most Americans probably believe everything they read, see and hear on TV news, or at least the news they have been brainwashed into believing supports their particular political viewpoints. If they see it on the news they are sure it is true, and do not question it. And, that is exactly what the beast New World Order had hoped for. I believe TV is the image (likeness) of the beast, in addition to the internet. So, if people do question what they see and hear, and they call into question the things that our government is doing, then they are targeted to be some of the ones who will be removed (from the internet or from life).
The US government serves, too, as this beast’s messenger, going throughout the world putting pressure on other nations to conform to the image of the beast or to pay the consequences. Much of this world solidarity we may see is forced compliance with this New World Order beast. They strong-arm people into cooperation with this New World Order. And, those they can’t convince, they make an example out of them for everyone else to see. The US government has no intentions of keeping our form of government alive and well, either, for our nation will have to bow to the beast, too, just like every other nation, or pay the consequences.
Obama, too, may be back in the picture. He seems to have resurfaced. He serves this beast, as well, and he was used greatly by this shadow government to be a messenger of this beast in threatening sovereign nations into cooperation with the beast while he served as president of the USA. He and the pope were strong voices, too, for this one-world religion and for bringing all the people of the world in unity and harmony with one another, and in the breaking down and removal of all which divides us as the people of the world. Well, the gospel divides us into saved and unsaved, so their goal is to remove the full gospel of Jesus Christ (the whole counsel of God) from the internet and from churches and from the world by any means at their disposal, so the world can come together as one voice.
They want to silence us so that they can convince the people of this world that Jesus would want the whole world, regardless of religion or lifestyle, to join together in unity. So, they will go after us, and will treat us like criminals because we dare to hold fast to the Word of God and teach the gospel as Jesus taught it, and because we dare to stand on truth and expose lies. So, again, they will do whatever they feel is necessary to remove us from being able to influence others with the truth of God’s Word, including falsely accusing us of wrong, and even by the means of putting us to death. Basically, if we stand for truth and righteousness and oppose what is wicked and is deceptive, we are going to be treated just like Jesus was.
Were You There? / An American Spiritual / 1899
Were you there when they crucified my Lord?
Were you there when they crucified my Lord?
Oh, sometimes it causes me to tremble, tremble, tremble.
Were you there when they crucified my Lord?
Were you there when they nailed him to the tree?
Were you there when they nailed him to the tree?
Oh, sometimes it causes me to tremble, tremble, tremble.
Were you there when they nailed him to the tree?
Were you there when they laid him in the tomb?
Were you there when they laid him in the tomb?
Oh, sometimes it causes me to tremble, tremble, tremble.
Were you there when they laid him in the tomb?
Were you there when God raised him from the tomb?
Were you there when God raised him from the tomb?
Oh, sometimes it causes me to tremble, tremble, tremble.
Were you there when God raised him from the tomb?