DECEMBER NEWSLETTER (A Future Look Into 2009-2010)
HAPPY THANKSGIVING AND A MERRY CHRISTMAS
from www.pastorbrianroberts.com .
2008 IN REVIEW
What an interesting year. The year saw one of the most interesting presidential campaigns in the history of the United States, the worst economic crisis in a generation, and a world coming together economically like no other time in history. So many things have happened this year that pushes me to believe that the world is heading toward prophetic fulfillment of the Mark of the Beast. The Mark of the Beast is a familiar teaching within the church that stipulates that in the Tribulation Period the world will be faced with the decision to worship an image of the Antichrist with a mark or stay with Jesus and do not take the mark. We are going to look to the next two years and try to see a little in the future. I hope this newsletter will guide us to a better understanding of the world we live in. That world is heading toward a possible disaster not seen in history culminating in the Second Coming of Jesus Christ.
2009
I suspect 2009 the world will continue to see economic decline unseen in the modern era. This will affect many of our families and our churches. This, according to Scripture, will lead many Christians to have a cold heart, and many of our brethren will look to a monetary solution to their problems. This will set up many of our churches to fulfill the prophecy that much of the organized church in the end of days will become the great harlot spoken in Revelation. In the midst of all of this there will be a remnant, as always in God's plan, that will stay true to the Gospel, and will put Jesus first. The year 2009 will see the continue winning of the tares (false believers) over the wheat (true believers). The tares will win in many of our churches, but in the end the wheat will be brought home.
2010
All of this brings us to 2010. Our churches have rightfully taught that in the end of days the world will face the prospect of the Mark of the Beast. In 2010, the EU will have in place a cashless system for Europe, and possibly the nations that make up the European Neighborhood Policy (ENP) because it is in 2010 that the EU is supposed to have a free trade agreement with the Mediterranean nations, which all of these nations are apart of (ENP). Israel is included in the ENP. Israel has stated they are interested in a more integrated economy within the EU.
The Mark of the Beast will deceive many of our brethren because many people love their money more than God. People will do almost anything to keep their home, their job, and their basic needs. That in itself is not bad, but where it becomes very serious is when your salvation is on the line. Many of our good brethren will trade their soul to the Devil in the last days for money. You notice that the Bible talks about worshipping the image of the Antichrist and receiving his mark. I am not so sure that the image that the Bible is talking about may be an image implanted on some type of electronic monies that will be used when the mark is issued. The Mark of the Beast possibly will start in Europe and reach its tentacles around the globe to encompass all the economies as our world economic system collapses. Our churches need to help the families in need as many will be without jobs and the basic necessities. I hope our churches will also educate the masses that faith in Jesus is more important than any money can buy, and the time we are living in may be the most important time in human history. Will Sepa be the catalyst of the mark, and partially turn around the world economy? We may find out in a short 2 years. If it is, and we are still here, then many will have to rethink their pre-tribulational Rapture position.
CLOSING THOUGHTS
As I send this December Newsletter out, I am greatly concerned for our churches. I see many good things going on, and many faithful believers staying true to the Gospel, and I also see dangers. There are many shallow people who lead our churches that put their own interests and the interests of their church before God. Many espouse their thoughts as if they are His Word, and it endangers our churches. We believers do not let ourselves change over time, or grow with the Lord. Events that may soon come to pass may take more than just studying the Word, but letting the Word truly change our hearts. That change is not only from sin to a more holy lifestyle, but a change from some old beliefs that may need to be shed so that a new layer of humbleness and understanding can grow on us. The Mark of the Beast, the Antichrist, the 70th week of Daniel, and so many other issues of the end of days will probably happen much different than what many of us were taught. That doesn't mean those teachers were false by any means, it just means we see the picture much clearer because we are living it.
Bro. Brian
"The budget should be balanced, the Treasury should be refilled, public debt should be reduced, the arrogance of officialdom should be tempered and controlled, and the assistance to foreign lands should be curtailed lest Rome become bankrupt. People must again learn to work, instead of living on public assistance."
Cicero - 55 BC
SCRIPTURE
Revelation 13:14-18
"And he deceives those[e] who dwell on the earth by those signs which he was granted to do in the sight of the beast, telling those who dwell on the earth to make an image to the beast who was wounded by the sword and lived. 15 He was granted power to give breath to the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak and cause as many as would not worship the image of the beast to be killed. 16 He causes all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on their right hand or on their foreheads, 17 and that no one may buy or sell except one who has the mark or[f] the name of the beast, or the number of his name.
18 Here is wisdom. Let him who has understanding calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man: His number is 666."
Note from Bro. Brian: This False Prophet will be a well spoken, very likeable guy, that will be more charismatic than the Antichrist. If the Antichrist was so charismatic, he would not need the False Prophet. One compliments the other.
NEWS LINK
Wrapping up a two-day economic summit Sunday, leaders in the Pacific Rim said that they believed the global financial crisis could come to an end in mid-2010. President Bush however, believes that the impact of his administration's pro-growth policies should be felt sooner ? even within the coming months, White House Press Secretary Dana Perino told FOX News.
"The leaders at APEC reaffirmed their commitment to continuing to work together on the short, mid, and long-term needs of the global economy, through increased free trade and free markets. And you'll see that we all committed to implementing the work of the G20 working groups as well," Perino told FOX News.
In a statement released Sunday, 21 Pacific Rim leaders said they were "convinced" that the global crisis could be overcome in 2010.
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,456509,00.html
ANOTHER NEWS LINK
The European Central Bank has called for an overhaul of governance and management of the European Payments Council in its latest report on impediments to the creation of a Single Euro Payments Area (Sepa).
In it's sixth Sepa progress report, the ECB welcomes the effort made so far, but stresses that work "urgently remains to be done" to ensure the success of the Europe-wide project.
The report contains a list of 'ten milestones for Sepa implementation and migration', including calls for the development of a new bank-backed European card scheme to challenge the dominance of MasterCard's Maestro system, and clarification of the rules governing the launch of the new Sepa Direct Debit payments instruments that are slated for introduction in November next year (2009).
http://www.finextra.com/fullstory.asp?id=19331
ANOTHER NEWS LINK
|
2010 |
SEPA payments will become the dominant form of electronic payments |
|
2011 |
SEPA payments will replace all national payments in the Eurozone |
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Single_Euro_Payments_Area
