An Amazing Fact: On March 21, 2000, one of the largest icebergs ever seen broke free from the Antarctic’s Ross Ice Shelf. An image, taken from a polar satellite 435 miles up, alerted scientists and mariners to the iceberg’s birth. It is one of the largest ever seen at 183 miles long and 23 miles wide, with a surface area of 4,250 square miles. The biggest iceberg ever recorded was 208 miles long and 60 miles wide, a total of 12,000 square miles. That’s larger than the country of Belgium. Even more amazing, it was spotted floating in the South Pacific. It’s astounding how far from the Polar regions icebergs can wander. Icebergs from the Arctic north have reached as far south as the island of Bermuda, a journey of 2,500 miles. One iceberg from the Antarctic has reached almost as far north as Rio de Janeiro, a journey of 3,440 miles.

The tallest iceberg ever recorded was 550 feet high. That’s as tall as a 50-story building! But remember that only 10 percent of an iceberg’s mass is above water, meaning the bulk of this titan could have reached 4,000 feet deep. I have also read there is so much ice stored on the continent of Antarctica, that if you could cut it into huge ice cubes one mile thick you would end up with 6 million cubes. Should all of that ice melt, it would raise the sea level over the entire world by 260 feet. Ice on Antarctica is so heavy that over the years it has pushed the continent itself down several hundred feet.

Jesus warned us in the last days, because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold. How can we have our hearts warmed and our first loved rekindled in a spiritually cold world? Perhaps it is found in the words of John the Baptist: “I indeed baptize you with water; but One mightier than I is coming, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to loose. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire” (Luke 3:16).

When we invite Christ into our hearts and are filled with the Holy Spirit, there is a warming of our lives from within that will melt away the cold clutches of sin on our hearts. Then we will have purpose and not float aimlessly like a drifting iceberg.

KEY BIBLE TEXTS
And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold. Matthew 24:12

From Amazing Facts. Click here to get your own free subscription!

“An Amazing Fact: In 1874, Methodists in Swan Quarter, North Carolina, decided to construct a permanent church building. The homeless Christians found what they believed was the ideal site for their church, a perfect lot in the heart of town on its highest ground. But when they approached the owner of the lot, Sam Sadler, he did not want to waste his prime real estate for a church. Even after their offer was increased, Sadler flatly refused to sell the land.

Soon after, the Methodists accepted a gift of land a half mile away on some low-lying property. The members cheerfully began building a modest but sturdy structure on brick piers. Then something miraculous occurred that has been confirmed by scores of witnesses. On September 17, 1876, right after they dedicated the small church, a powerful hurricane began to brew. Rain fell and the wind blew until the rising water lifted the little Methodist Church from its foundation and began to carry it like Noah’s ark up the street. People awoke the next morning to witness an amazing sight—the entire church was floating down Oyster Creek Road.

A few good Samaritans saw the drifting church and tried to tie it off with ropes, but it broke its moorings and continued its journey as though it had a mind of its own. It went straight down the road to a corner, bumped into a general store, then took a sharp right turn and headed down that road for about two city blocks until it reached the corner of what is now Church Street. Then it took another turn to the left, crossed the Carawan Canal, and stopped.

The little church had settled exactly in the center of the property the members had originally requested for their house of worship, the parcel Sam Sadler had refused to sell for a church. After seeing the mighty work of Providence, Mr. Sadler, with trembling hands, gave the title deed for the land to the Methodist pastor. When the church was dedicated, it was called “Providence.” Today, a sign stands in front of the Providence Church, reminding visitors this was the church “Moved by the Hand of God.”

Just as God guided that floating church, He guides His people and His church today. “The Lord is your keeper …” (Psalm 121:5). He will carry us through any flood of trouble or persecution that we face.

KEY BIBLE TEXTS
The LORD on high is mightier than the noise of many waters, yea, than the mighty waves of the sea. Psalms 93:4″

www.amazingfacts.org

By 1881, the church had acquired the lot where the members had originally wanted to build the sanctuary and the little church that God divinely guided to that site inspired the name, “Providence United Methodist Church.” The church’s membership had grown considerably by the 1900’s. In 1913, a brick sanctuary was built to replace the original frame structure.

Today, the small frame church sits behind the modern brick sanctuary of the Providence United Methodist Church on Main Street in Swan Quarter and serves as church classrooms.

https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/the-floating-church/

You can read the full article in the Washington Post here:

Washington Post – Weeping Mary Statue

It is interesting that the Catholic Church itself claims that it does not know whether it is from God, Satan or man. “Catholic Church officials do not seem so much concerned with why the statue of the Virgin Mary appears to be crying oily tears or where the tears may be coming from — God, Satan or man — but, Winder said, the diocese is monitoring the response from the community. ‘That, in all honesty, is what’s most important — that it’s prompted people maybe to be closer to God,’ the deacon said. ‘That’s what really matters.’” They go on later in the article to say: “If it’s not man-made,” he said, “that leaves two possible sources — Satan and God. All we can say at this point is what it is not.”

The Bible clearly warns us in these end times to not be deceived, and this is the very System we are being warned not to be deceived by. Any “church” that points to Satan as a possible source of light to prompt people to be closer to God, is as false a Christians Church as you can find. They are pointing people to another god, another Christ, another gospel, and the Bible warns us to “Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues. For her sins have reached unto heaven, and God hath remembered her iniquities.” Revelation 18:4-5.

God does not want any to be lost. He is pleading for people to come out of the false systems of worship (apostate Roman Catholic and Protestant, as well as paganism, spiritualism, atheism, etc.) which will lead straight to destruction. He desires all to know and accept the truth of His great, unmerited gift of salvation through Jesus Christ, to repent and be saved. The signs and wonders are going to increase in Satan’s great final attempt to take as many to destruction with him as he can. Do not be deceived. Study your Bible, know what God says, do not follow any teachings of men that are not supported by the Word of God.

Thessalonians 2:3-12 (KJV) “Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition; Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God. Remember ye not, that, when I was yet with you, I told you these things? And now ye know what withholdeth that he might be revealed in his time. For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way. And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming: Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders, And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.

This is an excellent Charles Spurgeon sermon on the personality of the Holy Spirit—a must hear for any Christian who has wondered about the identify of the third person of the Trinity, which I think if we are honest, is all of us.

Below are links to Huffington Post and LA Times articles reporting on the fact that Seventh-day Adventists live on average 10 years longer than other Americans, and compares them to long-living populations in other parts of the world, such as those blue zoners in Sardinia, Italy and Okinawa, Japan.

What Seventh-Day Adventists Get Right That Lengthens Their Life Expectancy By Ryan Buxton

https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/seventh-day-adventists-life-expectancy_n_5638098.html

Why Loma Linda residents live longer than the rest of us: They treat the body like a temple By Mary MacVean

http://www.latimes.com/health/la-he-blue-zone-loma-linda-20150711-story.html

My mother and I became involved with the Seventh-day Adventist Church for a number of reasons, the least important but still significant being their health message, which my diet was already inclined toward, but has become much more in line with over the past year and a half, and which my 86 year old mother is thriving on. We are not vegan, and may never completely give up eggs and dairy, although we use very infrequently now with salmonella egg scares and such. I prefer almond, cashew and coconut milk and vegan cheese is actually very good and has a much longer shelf-life than dairy cheese; and my mother, who loves ice cream, enjoys coconut or cashew milk ice cream just as much as the dairy version.

The first meal pictured above is black rice with black beans, corn and black sesame seeds, kale and tomato salad and oatloaf (with tomato sauce and melted cheese on top, like traditional meatloaf), which has become my new favorite to make up a big batch of and freeze as loaf and burgers—fiber, protein and nutrition packed, low-cost, quick to make and delicious for breakfast, lunch or dinner. The second meal is oatloaf with chickpea cheese scrambled eggs. I have started making my own vegan cheese using chickpeas and sunflower seeds, which are equally as good for you but significantly less expensive than cashews, which most vegan cheese recipes call for.

As great as their health message is, the primary reasons we joined the Seventh-day Adventist Church is: 1) they keep the Sabbath of the Bible, as God commanded us to keep it in Exodus 20:8-11; 2) they teach the truths the Holy Spirit had in recent time opened my eyes to see in the Bible, which were not being taught in other Churches we had attended (Methodist, Baptist, Bible, Non Denominational, Mega Evangelical and Community); and 3) the SDA Church has the most inspired Bible scholars and teachers I have ever experienced—especially in the area of Bible prophecy. They have an abundance (almost an embarrassment of riches) of powerful, spirit-filled preachers of the gospel of Jesus Christ and the end times messages contained in the Old and New Testaments, especially the three angels’ messages of Revelation 14:6-12, which is the God-given end time mission of the Church to preach to the world.

As someone who spends on average four-five hours a day studying God’s word, I could not bear to spend another hour in a lukewarm, milk preaching, Laodicean church. My mother had long ago become very disillusioned with the Methodist Church she had faithfully belonged to for over 50 years because of the apostasy that continued to creep in until the Church no longer bore any resemblance to the Church she had joined, been led to Christ in, and faithfully served—the one John Wesley had founded and would no longer recognize.

As I pursued my own study of the Bible, and God continued to shine more light on the truth of His his word, my search continued for a Church that preached Bible truth, and not traditions of men and politically correct and worldly doctrines of devils. Each time I would find one I thought could be home for us, some blatant errors would be preached and I would be on the search again.

Once the Holy Spirit revealed the Sabbath truth to me, I began prayerfully searching for a Sabbath-keeping Church that preached the meat of God’s word, and God led us straight to the Seventh-day Adventist Church, where we immediately knew we were home.

I knew nothing about the SDA Church except that I had known an elderly SDA man who used to visit me when I lived in Jamaica in the early 90’s. We would discuss the Bible, especially prophecy, but I thought he was strange because he kept telling me the Sabbath was Saturday, not Sunday. It is funny now, but I used all the same arguments with him that I hear Sunday Christians try to use with me now that I know the Sabbath truth but it has not yet been revealed to them. These arguments include: 1) “I worship God every day”—which of course all Christians should do, but the Sabbath is a specific day sanctified and blessed by God for us to keep holy, do no secular work or focus on our personal stuff, and instead give glory to and commune with our Creator (who in six days made the heavens and the earth, the sea and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day, blessed and hallowed it)—of course worship and fellowship, caring for and visiting the sick, infirmed, imprisoned, walking in nature and enjoying God’s creation, etc. as Jesus did and showed us to do, is acceptable and encouraged). Jesus kept and taught us to keep the Sabbath, not legalistically, as did the scribes and Pharisees, but in love and devotion, as He created it to be kept. 2) “Jesus did away with that when He died.” Jesus actually kept the Sabbath while resting in the tomb and rose on the first day; and of course He kept it throughout His life and ministry. 3) “The Apostles did away with that after Jesus ascended to Heaven.” No where in the Bible will you find any scriptural evidence of this, and early Christians continued keeping the 4^th Commandment Sabbath until at least 331 AD, when Roman Emperor Constantine legislated the Venerable Day of the Sun to honor and worship the sun god. Then in 364 AD at the Council of Laodicea, the Roman Catholic Church adopted Sunday as their official day of worship—it is therefore an institution of Rome contrary to the commandment of God. 5) “We are no longer under the law so don’t have to keep the Ten Commandments at all.” Of all the great deceptions Satan has used to blind the end time Church and lead her into apostasy to prepare her to receive the mark of the beast that she might be lost, this is the greatest and most dreadful, Revelation 14:9-12. Once I realized where Sunday worship had actually come from—pagan sun worship, hence “Sunday”, decreed by Emperor Constantine in 321AD and then picked up and enforced by the Roman Catholic Church State, who openly boasts it is her change, and not contained anywhere in the Bible—I ran from it like the sin it is. Sin is transgression of the law, and that was a definite transgression. 6) “The sabbath is only for the Jews.” This can only be said by Christians who do not study their Bibles for themselves (which I was once guilty of myself). The Sabbath was created by God in the Book of Genesis 2:2-3, long before a Jew existed, and long before God gave the Ten Commandments to Moses, speaking them with His mouth and writing them with His own finger in stone, to evidence their permanence.

When the Holy Spirit revealed the truth of the Sabbath to me, I was shocked and then dismayed that I had heard the truth and rebelled against it, and had allowed the erroneous traditions of men to override the true word of God in my life. I just thank God He didn’t give up on getting through to me, and that I didn’t grieve away the Holy Spirit in the process. I have to say that keeping the Sabbath as God commanded is such an amazing blessing, as God intended it to be. To take a whole 24 hours to separate from the worldly and connect with the Holy does more to rejuvenate a person and solidify our relationship with our Creator than anything else could. I know in these end times, the Holy Spirit is working to get through to all Christians, as the call to “come out of her my people, that ye not be partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues” (Revelation 18:4) is given louder and more powerfully. If you feel the conviction, do not turn from it, no matter how inconvenient it might seem to be. God and our right relationship with Him is eternally more important than our earthly conveniences and traditions.

The Holy Spirit also led us to present truth ministries which we still listen to daily on Youtube and continue to be edified by, such as Greg at Bible Flock Box https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCIR5QZdcEZgpeCCXIiCxRYg (Greg was the one who the Holy Spirit used to unquestioningly convict me of the Sabbath truth – watch his video “20 facts every Christian should know about the Sabbath” https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=20+things+every+christian+should+know+about+the+sabbath, along with all his other other short but scripture packed and truth filled videos – he is a truly spirit-filled young man.)

Excellent Teaching for those who have been deceived by the false doctrine of a pre-trib rapture, which is no where contained in the Bible, followed by Ten Facts About the Mark of the Beast, so you can avoid it.

Baptism is a something Jesus commanded his followers to do, as He did when He was baptized by John the Baptist “to fulfill all righteousness”. It is a ceremony entered into with forethought and  deliberation, after making an informed decision to repent of our sins and accept Jesus Christ as our Redeemer, Lord and Savior and to obey and follow Him—a decision no infant is capable of making. Matthew 28:18-20 “Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit,  and teaching them to obey all that I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

Aside from the fact that it is not biblical, infant baptism can lead to child abuse, as this video of a priest in France slapping a baby who is crying evidences. Now many babies getting water dribbled on them might be likely to cry, but most spiritual leaders are not in the habit of striking them and holding their faces until they scream and their frantic parent has to snatch them away. It was reported that after this video went viral, the priest was suspended.

You can read the complete Newsweek article here if you video-catholic-priest-caught-violently-slapping-baby-during-baptism-stop-it-989009

An excellent documentary on the history of the Bible which every Christian and Catholic should watch, as well as those who question the accuracy of the Bible. It does confirm in my mind the importance of doing our study with the King James Version, even if we read the NKJV or other version.

   The Beast with Seven Heads (Rev. 17)           Second Lamb-like Beast (Rev. 13:11-17)

While the White House release below might sound good on the surface to Christians who are not students of end time Bible prophecy, it is a clear sign of the approaching fulfillment of prophecy concerning the mark of the beast, before the second advent of Jesus Christ. President Trump identifies America as a nation of believers, and by that we assume he means Bible believing followers of Jesus Christ; however, that is far from true. I personally know many more atheists, new agers, Buddhists, Hindus, Catholics, stardust, goddess, angel and self as god worshippers than I know true Bible believing Christians.

This is breaking down the wall of separation between Church and State in America, where religion is dictating to the state. Next America will begin to speak like a dragon and legislate religious practice, particularly as encouraged by the Evangelical Churches (via his Evangelical Advisory Committee) and others who have joined hands with the Vatican, which practices will not be biblical, but commandments and traditions created by man contrary to God’s law.

The two horned lamb-like beast (America) is forming an image to the beast (the Roman Catholic Church/State system) as the wall of separation between Church and State comes down. Soon the two horned beast will speak like a dragon, and America will begin legislating matters of conscience, religion and faith in support of the beast and the false prophet (apostate Evangelical and Pentecostal Protestantism which has joined hands with the beast system), and persecution will follow, just as it did at the hands of Papal Rome in the dark ages. All people of faith, whatever faith or religion you may follow, should be concerned.

The Bible tells us that the United States will enforce the mark of the beast, initially with economic sanctions for violators (that no man might buy or sell, save he that has the mark of the beast in his right hand or forehead), followed by death decrees. This is all about worship, so has to do with our beliefs (forehead) and actions (right hand), not an actual physical mark. It further comes down to day of worship—Sunday worship as instituted by the Roman Catholic Church with no biblical support therefor, or Sabbath worship as commanded by God in His law, which was instituted in Eden and will exist into eternity. It may also involve idolatry (“cause that as many as would not worship the image of the beast should be killed”), since the 2nd commandment prohibiting idolatry was removed in the Catholic Catechism so they could encourage the pagan practice of bowing down to and worshipping statues. The early statues of Mary and the saints were just renamed statues of pagan gods introduced into Catholicism to entice pagans to join.

Prophecy in the Bible has never failed, nor will it fail now as we approach the end. Watch and listen closely to what is coming out of the Vatican and the White House so you will not be caught off guard and unprepared. Most importantly, keep your eyes stayed on Jesus, your mind focused on the Bible, and your soul in a state of prayerful surrender to the leading of the Holy Spirit in all things that He convicts you of.

Religious Freedom in the US

President Donald J. Trump Stands Up For Religious Freedom In The United States

A VOICE IN THE WHITE HOUSE: Today, President Donald J. Trump signed an Executive Order to ensure that the faith-based and community organizations that form the bedrock of our society have strong advocates in the White House and throughout the Federal Government.

• President Trump has signed an Executive Order entitled “Establishment of a White House Faith and Opportunity Initiative” in order to:
  • provide recommendations on the Administration’s policy agenda affecting faith-based and community programs;
  • provide recommendations on programs and policies where faith-based and community organizations may partner and/or deliver more effective solutions to poverty;
  • apprise the Administration of any failures of the executive branch to comply with religious liberty protections under law; and
  • reduce the burdens on the exercise of free religion.
• The Executive Order creates the White House Faith and Opportunity Initiative within the Executive Office of the President.
  • The Initiative will be led by the newly created position of Advisor to the White House Faith and Opportunity Initiative (Initiative) and be supported by experts and various community and faith leaders from outside of the Federal Government.
  • All executive departments and agencies that do not have Centers for Faith and Opportunity Initiatives will designate a liaison to the Initiative.

PRIORITIZING RELIGIOUS FREEDOM: President Trump has made it clear that religious freedom is a priority throughout his Administration.

• In October 2017, the Department of Justice issued twenty principles of religious liberty to guide the Administration’s litigation strategy and protect religious freedom.
• In January 2018, the Justice Department announced a religious liberty update to the U.S. Attorneys’ Manual, raising the profile of religious liberty cases and directing the designation of a Religious Liberty Point of Contact for all U.S. Attorney’s offices.
• In January 2018, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced major policy changes protecting freedom of religion inside and outside of the government:
  • forming a new Conscience and Religious Freedom Division, providing HHS with the focus it needs to more vigorously and effectively enforce existing laws protecting the rights of conscience and religious freedom; and
  • proposing to more vigorously enforce twenty-five existing statutory conscience protections for Americans involved in HHS programs, in order to protect Americans who have religious or moral convictions related to certain health care services.

ONE NATION UNDER GOD: President Trump has publicly stood with people of faith and with those who advocate for the sanctity of life.

• This is the President’s third public event marking the importance of prayer, including attending the National Prayer Breakfast just two weeks after his inauguration.
  • President Trump has declared several days of prayer, including a National Day of Prayer for the Victims of Hurricane Harvey and for America’s National Response and Recovery Efforts.
• On October 13, 2017, President Trump spoke at the Value Voters Summit.
• On January 19, 2018, President Trump became the first President to address the March for Life rally live via satellite.
  • Vice President Mike Pence addressed the March for Life in 2017, becoming the first sitting Vice President to do so in person.

PROTECTING RELIGIOUS FREEDOM: Throughout his tenure as President, Donald Trump has been a champion for religious liberty in the United States, restoring the ideals that have undergirded our Nation’s freedom and prosperity since its founding.

• On May 4, 2017, the President signed an Executive Order to greatly enhance religious freedom and freedom of speech:
  • taking action to ensure that religious institutions may freely exercise their First Amendment right to support and advocate for candidates and causes in line with their values; and
  • ensuring that religious Americans and their organizations, such as the Little Sisters of the Poor, are not be forced to choose between violating their religious beliefs by complying with Obamacare’s contraceptive mandate or shutting their doors.
• The President has announced a reversal of the Obama administration’s policy and is allowing houses of worship to receive crucial disaster aid in times of crisis.
• The Trump Administration has taken a stand on behalf of religious liberty in the courts:
  • it supported baker Jack Phillips’s right to operate his bakery in accordance with his religious beliefs.

Excellent Sabbath study lessons on the Mark of the Beast and the Seal of God, and Babylon and Armageddon.