16

          Today, the golden calf of materialism strangles our churches, rising high over Wall Street in a ticker-tape parade: Our gods are surely ones of gold and silver. Our children cruise the streets of our nation craving insatiable lusts, yet appear aloof, unconcerned for the poor and needy. Their only goal is the accumulation of wealth.

          Our criminals have become celebrities. Hedonism drives the nation. Gay rights blurs gender distinctions. Belief in God is villified and self has become the god of choice.

          "Behold, this was the iniquity of thy sister Sodom, pride, fullness of bread and abundance of idleness was in her and her daughters, neither did she strengthen the hand of the poor and needy. And they were haughty and committed abomination before me: therefore I took them away as I saw fit" (Ezek. 16, vs. 49-50).

          Today we see the Laodicean Church, laden down with gold and silver saying: "I am rich," but a church that is locking out Christ -- a church weighed down by ritual and orthodoxy (the traditions of men, like the Pharisees) preaching a New Age gospel of social humanitarianism -- completely unaware that Christ is coming soon.

          God's judgment must come to chasten His people who have stumbled in sin back to repentance -- to present a Church without "spot, wrinkle or blemish." But His chastisement is that of a loving Father for His wayward child, ever eyeing the horizon for the prodigal's return.

    1) "Judgment begins at the House of God to be brought initially by Elijah, then by the separation of believers at the Firstfruits Rapture; and finally, those left behind will be purified by 3 1/2 years of Tribulation, (to be saved so as by fire).
   

2) Christ is coming for a Church that is: waiting, faithful, prepared, yielding to His Spirit, walking with Him, doing His will -- not their own, and who love His appearing.
   

3) Events in Russia will probably turn Anti-Western very soon; I believe Boris Yeltsin will die suddenly or be toppled very shortly by Zhirinovsky or another right wing ultra-nationalist. I don't believe Yeltsin will be the Ezekiel 38-39 leader. But Zhirinovsky is a prime candidate -- charismatic, extremely popular, and a demagogue; he has (like Hitler) chronicled his expansionist global agenda in his autobiography "Last Dash To The South." In this autobiography he says it is Russia's "destiny" to start W.W. III and to invade all lands south of Russia. He is an Anti-Semitic Jew and is certainly the man to watch. If we see Zhirinovsky or another right wing ultra-nationalist propelled into power, sending troops into the Middle East towards Israel, it's time to look up "for our salvation draweth nigh."


    4) If Russia invades Israel and fires a pre-emptive strike against us, our doomsday computers will immediately retaliate, leaving (according to Ezekiel) 5/6ths of Russia's land burned in fire and brimstone.
   

5) Christ will steal His overcomers to Himself in the Firstfruits Rapture, possibly during this scenario -- as Russia sends her missiles "as lightning flashing from the East to the West."
   

6) Those left behind by the Firstfruits Rapture will find themselves in "outer darkness" where there will be "weeping and gnashing of teeth." They will be "the evil servants," the "wicked servant," those without a "wedding garment" on, those boasting of their