Sunday, August 11, 2013

Messages From Heaven: The Harbinger: Is This God's Final Warning to Amer...

Messages From Heaven: The Harbinger: Is This God's Final Warning to Amer...: The short answer to that question is, I don't know. I do not know if author Jonathan Cahn was given a message from God or if he has aut...

The Harbinger: Is This God's Final Warning to America?

The short answer to that question is, I don't know. I do not know if author Jonathan Cahn was given a message from God or if he has authored rambling fiction. I have carefully looked at the book, The Harbinger: The Ancient Mystery That Holds the Secret of America's Future, which is written in novel form but is not a novel. World Net Daily publisher, Joseph Farah, has made a film out of the book: The Isaiah 9:10 Judgment. The film is remarkably well done, and the book and film make a powerful one-two punch. Every reader and viewer must draw their own conclusion.

Jonathan is the Messianic Rabbi of Beth Israel Congregation in Wayne, NJ. "Before its destruction as a nation, ancient Israel received nine harbingers -- prophetic omens of warning," he says. "The same nine harbingers are now manifesting in America with immediate ramifications for end-time prophecy."

This verse in Isaiah is referring to the attitude of the people of the northern kingdom of Israel the first time they were attacked by the Assyrians. Instead of repenting and returning to God, they were defiant, boasting that they would rebuild better than before. So, the judgment upon their nation proceeded as it seems to be with America.

I have talked to Cahn both on air and privately. You can hear my 1 hour 45 minute radio broadcast aired a few days ago here. Cahn insists he is not a prophet but a "watchman" who doesn't want the blood on his hands -- Ezekiel 33:6. There we read, "But if the watchman sees the sword coming and does not blow the trumpet and the people are not warned, and a sword comes and takes a person from them, he is taken away in his iniquity; but his blood I will require from the watchman's hand."

Jonathan originally had 2,000 pages of notes before he condensed those pages into his book. I suspect he felt somewhat like John the Revelator, stunned at seeing an unfolding drama of biblical proportion.

I am including thoughts here that include criticisms I hear and positive observations. You decide. As I note in various places, this ministry does not carry the products at this time.

Criticisms often heard when discussing The Harbinger


  • The Bible has all the warnings we need. The perils of the Tribulation are outlined in the Bible. They are stunning and easy to understand. We do not need Christian books to complement the Bible. (Comment: True, but many secularists and Christians not into the end-times scoff at the last days' issues and warnings in the Bible. Yet this may be the strongest argument.)

  • God's primary means of reaching and engaging the world is not through a nation or state -- it's through His Church. America is not His chosen means to spread His salvation and love to the world. The church is. Thus, America has no special calling whatsoever. (Comment: If America has a calling, it is to evangelize the world and be a power-broker friend of Israel. The latter is dwindling thanks to the current administration.)

  • Cahn should not be comparing Israel to America for Israel is "chosen" and America, at best, has been "favored." As a result, there are simply no appropriate parallels and his conclusion is bogus. America is not the hope of the world. God is. America has not become God's "chosen people." (Comment: I don't hear Jonathan Cahn saying any of this.)

  • All empires rise and fall. We could fit the The Harbinger script into events leading to the fall of the Roman Empire, the British Empire, etc. America is not in end-time prophecy. We obviously lose our influence. Why are we trying to save a sinking ship? At best we're engaged in a rescue mission -- to rescue souls.

  • Were the founding fathers really all that spiritual? Is America's "sacred" beginning blown out of proportion in the book? Most were Masons including George Washington who plays a prominent role in Cahn's conclusions. The history books are divided on this issue. (Comment: There are dark forces, then and now. But the voices insisting our founding fathers had little to no spiritual depth are nonsense. Some of them did. Many were clearly secular. Masonry did abound at the time.)

  • Cahn's characters in the book seem to have a mystical side with the use of dreams playing a major role. A primary character is a "prophet." Many find these issues too troubling and write the book off. (Comment: Be careful to not throw the baby out with the bath water in case this is a message for today.)

  • II Chronicles 7:14 is for Israel, as they were truly "His people." We need to be very careful applying the passage to America or any other nation. Some have written off The Harbinger primarily for this reason. But others say that the template of ancient Israel is always in play. Every pastor in America consistently makes application to ancient Israel. Jonathan insists Israel is Israel and Israel is "His people." He believes America needs to learn from this even though America is not a "chosen nation" as Israel is chosen.

Reasons to Carefully Reflect on The Harbinger Message:

  • Sodom and Gomorrah would have been spared if even 10 righteous could be found. God's message is always, "If you will repent, I will restore favor upon you.

  • "Is the message of repentance ever out of line? Can we not learn from the mistakes of history? Isn't every line of the Bible for our benefit and can we not learn from all the mistakes made in the Bible by Jew or Gentile (Rom. 15:4)? Cahn's basic premise is on target: Israel blew it big time; America, you're right behind them.

  • Jonathan Cahn is a Jewish believer. The accusations that he represents "Replacement Theology" are ludicrous. He doesn't want to disinherit his own people. Additionally, he rejects this specific accusation and never even alludes to this false doctrine. He is not making America equal to Israel or placing a higher calling on America.

  • The American dream is looking like a national nightmare. Things cannot continue as they are. America is taxing and spending herself into oblivion thanks to our reckless leaders who are motivated only by corruption and greed. We are looking like a Romans 1 nation with pride, ego, money, lust, and self the only motivators. America is being seized by "spread-the-wealth" Socialists and Marxists at the highest levels of government. We are becoming unrecognizable. This scenario will only get worse unless America's Christians get serious.

  • To the surprise of many, politics or a new administration will not "save" America. Conservatism won't save America. A more Bible-friendly administration would help the cause of the country, but no political leader will make God the focus of government, education, public policy, and the market place. Cahn is saying, "we the people" can, through prayer and repentance. He is realistic enough to say it may be too late.

Conclusion:

Christians are called to preach the gospel and win the lost before we save a nation. But watchmen on the wall warn! I am doing that all the time. I am not a prophet -- I just don't want blood on my hands. I sense the church is too riddled with apostasy and too busy majoring in minors to bring about national repentance and I hope I am wrong. But God calls none to be successful, just to be faithful.

There are consequences for individuals and nations who thumb their nose at God! We can't get away with that forever. Can you really look at the events of 9/11 and not comprehend that that was a nod from God to wake us up as a people and a nation? The northern kingdom of Israel had their hedge of protection destroyed with a limited strike, as did America.

God's desire is always that people turn back to Him. And He's the God of second and third chances, even 50 chances. He is infinitely patient and long-suffering. He almost never gives up. But eventually, the northern kingdom of Israel was dispersed to the four corners of the earth. And finally the rain began during Noah's time. Now there is thunder in the distance again.

I chose to ignore The Harbinger until the pastor of a Bible-based church in Appleton, WI called me and told me about it. He started reading the book and then called his staff, telling them he would not be in that day. Knowing this man as I do, I took that contact as my own wake-up call to make the effort to understand the phenomenon.

I'm one who considers Heaven to be my real home. I want very little to do with anything earthly. But one cannot dismiss the parallels between ancient Israel and America! They are stunning and they're not generalities. They're specific as outlined in Cahn's book and Joseph Farah's film.

Joseph Farah's excellent documentary based on Jonathan Cahn's best-selling book, The Harbinger. Olive Tree Ministries does not carry this DVD at this time.

Find the book and film at www.wnd.com or www.amazon.com. At the very least, you will be reminded that there are consequences when an individual or nation turns their back on God.

What if this is America's final warning? If you're convinced it is, you can blow the trumpet of warning as well. If you disagree, your investment is minimal. I don't think believers can be casual or indifferent to the demise of America even if our longing for our eternal Home is greater than our love for this one.

America is not a shining city on a hill as Ronald Reagan used to say. Heaven is that city. But I don't want to be so Heavenly-minded that I am absolutely no earthly good for whatever weeks, months, or years I have left in America the beautiful.

It would seem the parallels found by Jonathan Cahn in his book, and portrayed brilliantly by Joseph Farah in the film, defy "coincidence." Using his understanding of Jewish culture and Biblical tradition, Cahn makes a convincing case.

This ministry has nothing to gain as it concerns The Harbinger. But if you could hear the story from beginning to end, (and a good place to start is my nearly two-hour interview of Cahn found here) you will be prompted to think and have a fresh perspective concerning the detail of God and you will be engaged in sober reflection. You will be encouraged to be salt and light for whatever time we have left as a nation and a Church.

Messages From Heaven: Restoring A Wife's Heart--Healing the Betrayal of ...

Messages From Heaven: Restoring A Wife's Heart--Healing the Betrayal of ...: You have been crushed by your husband's behavior, and rightly so. Where do you go from here? Do you stay with him? Punish him? Dump...

Restoring A Wife's Heart--Healing the Betrayal of Lust, Pornography, and Infidelity!

You have been crushed by your husband's behavior, and rightly so. Where do you go from here? Do you stay with him? Punish him? Dump him? All you know is that you cannot and will not compete with the images filling his mind.
And what of the emotions? These feelings are plain awful, and you know you will have to do something about them if you're ever to begin rebuilding your life with him. But what do you do with them? You may be wishing you could just forget the mess and let these feelings go, passing them off as overreactions. So would he.
But even if you could manage that, something tells you that this would be the worst thing you could possibly do. You can't put your finger on it, but you sense that the effects of his sin range from far beyond the emotional chaos of your wounded heart. To let it go seems not only foolish but very perilous to everyone involved.
Don't ignore your intuition this time. You are right on target, and you must recognize the very real and treacherous spiritual dangers lying beneath the stormy emotions swirling on the surface.
Real Life Expectations
Now that I know much more about how men are wired sexually, my husband's courageous fight to control and restrict his natural sexual tendencies for my sake has become the most priceless gift he'll ever give me. Since men are built by nature to look, it takes a loving, daily commitment to keep that part of his nature pure. I can assure you that this is a gift I don't take lightly. I cherish knowing that when he looks at me, I'm everything to him-that he's fully satisfied with what he sees.
Come now! Is that really possible? Nancy's husband didn't think so. He claimed that while he didn't want to desire other women, he couldn't help what he liked.
But we disagree totally with this guy. My husband Fred believes that although I can never look like I'm twenty again, his passion for my body can remain the same. The Bible says so, and he's taken the following scripture to heart:

May your fountain be blessed, and may you rejoice in the wife of your youth. A loving doe, a graceful deer—may her breasts satisfy you always, may you ever be captivated by her love. Why be captivated, my son, by an adulteress? Why embrace the bosom of another man's wife? For a man's ways are in full view of the LORD, and he examines all his paths. The evil deeds of a wicked man ensnare him; the cords of his sin hold him fast. He will die for lack of discipline, led astray by his own great folly. (Proverbs 5:18-23, AMP)

Obviously, it is possible for a man to take joy in the wife of his youth and to be always and only ravished by her beauty alone...if he exhibits the discipline to do so. What's more, since it's God's Word that defines what normal behavior is for Christians, we're also forced to conclude that the discipline of guarding the eyes and the heart is not only possible but that God considers such discipline to be normal among His sons.
We have every right to expect normal Christian behavior from our husbands, and when we don't get it, it's normal to feel hurt and disappointment. If your husband is not leading a disciplined life, he is robbing you, so you naturally feel crushed.
The Emotions of a Betrayed Wife
What other feelings will surge over you in the wake of his porn and the masturbation that follows? Anger, for one. When Fred's business office was robbed a few years ago, we were both furious. Why not? It's normal to be angry when you've been robbed, and so it's normal to be angry at your husband's sexual sin. You needn't apologize for that.
"I was angry, hurt, and humiliated when I found his stash of porn," Linda wrote us. "I had so treasured the thought that he had no one to compare me to. I'm short and fat, so I can never compare to those bodies he's looking at. Worse yet, after I made my discovery, I started eating to medicate my life-is-so-unfair depression."
Don't be surprised if you're feeling like an outright fool too. What could be more normal? When you find out that your husband has been secretly looking at another's bare body, you'll feel utterly blindsided. You may even be kicking yourself for not having seen it coming, especially if your female intuition sent out early warning signals...signals that you, in your faithfulness to him, laughed off as paranoid or even out-and-out silly. Don't be too hard on yourself. Patrick Middleton, who counsels those bound up in sexual addiction, told us, "It is not uncommon for wives to know for some time that something is wrong with their sexual relationship, but they dismiss their feelings of disconnection and shame as being crazy. For some reason, they refuse to trust their own intuition, which is plainly telling them something is wrong."
I didn't realize just how much Fred's sexual sin was rocking the foundations of our home until much later. If you ever expect to rebuild a stable life with your husband, you need to understand this clearly now.
Which brings me back to my question: what are you going to do with your feelings? If you're to get through the pain and catch the vision for your role as a helper, you might begin with a few tough and penetrating questions.
For instance, what have you genuinely lost through the revelation of your husband's sexual sin? Think hard about what your marriage was like before you discovered his sin. I suggest that you haven't lost as much as you think, because the foundation you thought you had was never there in the first place.
Was your marriage a mirage, like mine? That's not to say I didn't love my husband or that we didn't have a lot of connection and fun times. Our marriage was good in many ways. But something was definitely missing behind the scenes, and my marriage wasn't what it appeared.
Think back. Was your marriage all you had dreamed it would be? At the time you may have thought you were living your dream, but in truth, you weren't. Your dream began to die with the birth of his sexual sin.
Because of his sexual sin, your marriage was compromised. Sure, you're hurt and very angry. You've lost that warm, cozy image of your marriage, and that naturally wounds you deeply. But in another sense, you haven't lost as much as your think, because your marriage wasn't what it appeared to be. My point? There is a bright silver lining to this dark, billowing cloud. While you may not feel good about what has happened, this event could bring about one of the most hopeful times in your life. The discovery of your husband's secret sin has revealed the truth state of your marital union, and now you have the opportunity to experience something real with him.
It will be very helpful if you view the discovery of your husband's sexual sin as God's grace in your life. His sexual impropriety has been like a huge life-sucking tumor silently attacking your marriage. But now that you've found the cancer, there's hope. Now you can pray for healing, begin treatment, and seek a marital life restored and brimming with health.
You now have a choice. So what will you focus on-the pain or the hope? Probably both at first, and I don't blame you. There will be days when the pain of your husband's betrayal will overwhelm you, and your anger will drive hope far away. That's okay. God understands, and He won't condemn you for a lack of faith. He'd rather hug you and draw you near, if you'll let Him. You're His child, remember?
Still, thanking God for the revelation and choosing hope for the future is the first step to your freedom. Sure, your first faltering steps in this direction will be like crossing a stream by jumping from rock to slippery rock, which means it won't be easy. But as you discipline your heart to the truth and choose to be thankful for what He has done in opening your eyes, your obedience will kick up a breeze of the Spirit's breath in your life that'll begin to dissipate your pain.

Messages From Heaven: The Moral and Intellectual Bankruptcy of the Pro-A...

Messages From Heaven: The Moral and Intellectual Bankruptcy of the Pro-A...: In the wake of a rising tide of pro-life sentiments and sensibilities in America, the utter bankruptcy of the pro-abortion position is bein...

The Moral and Intellectual Bankruptcy of the Pro-Abortion Movement The Truth Revealed!

In the wake of a rising tide of pro-life sentiments and sensibilities in America, the utter bankruptcy of the pro-abortion position is being revealed, especially in its more militant forms.
The pro-abortion side is now faced with:
• The beautiful reality of 3D and 4D ultrasounds, making clear that the fetus in the womb is really a carefully formed, developing baby. It is now impossible to deny that the little one seen with such clarity on the screen is a human life that is about to be snuffed out.
• The brutal reality of the houses of horrors run by men like Dr. Kermit Gosnell (and others), with the unavoidable conclusions that: 1) the same doctors who killed babies in the womb had no problem killing babies outside the womb; and 2) there is virtually no moral difference between killing a 20-week-old baby in the safety of its mother’s womb and killing it seconds after it emerges from the womb.
• Moving stories from abortion survivors like Gianna Jessen. They even have their own network called TheAbortionSurvivors.com.
• A younger generation that values fairness, equality, and the rights of the victim. Although this is often more gut-level than rational (leading many young people to wrong side of the homosexuality debate), it also explains why so many are becoming pro-life.
• Court rulings against Obamacare’s pro-abortion mandates.
• Undercover videos by Lila Rose and others, revealing the greed and heartlessness of abortion providers.
What has the pro-abortion side offered in response?
• Planned Parenthood dropping its “pro-choice” moniker, once considered an impregnable (no pun intended) winning concept, in favor of the hopelessly self-defeating, “Your Baby Will Thank You” (but only, of course, if the baby manages to escape the Planned Parenthood clinic alive).

Messages From Heaven: When It Comes to Truth, Tolerance Is a Travesty!

Messages From Heaven: When It Comes to Truth, Tolerance Is a Travesty!: Q: Why are Christians so judgmental and unloving? A: Because we live in an age of tolerance where almost anything goes, ope...