Living Water

There are two types of wealth – original wealth and redistributed wealth. It is original wealth that builds up a family, or a community, or a nation, and makes them prosper.  Original wealth comes from sources such as mining, farming, forestry, oil, renewable energy, and inventions. As that wealth gets redistributed, others prosper.  Most peoples’ wealth comes as wages or secondary income, from industries such as shipping, restaurants, entertainment, dot.com, or service. These industries do not create wealth, though they might like to think so, but only redistribute wealth.

The same is true in information and communication. I have come to the conclusion that there are two types of communicators. There are those who speak thoughtfully, perhaps infrequently, usually generating new ideas, fresh concepts, or personal insights. Then there are those who babble on and on, repeating whatever someone else has said, giving very little thought to the purpose or the validity of their comments. They parrot others, usually careful to cite sources, as if that's important. There are generators, and there are repeaters.

I have a very strong feeling that we are dumbing down our thinking, our creativity, our very intelligence as we move further and further into the age of the internet and social media. We think we are doing something important to find a quote, a comment, a picture, a video, and pass it on. We hit the “like” button, or post a link. Christians think they are addressing social injustice and overcoming evil merely by bandying about other’s insights. They think they are advancing the kingdom of God by posting links to comments on social and political causes. The repeater thinks that preaching to the choir is important stuff, I guess.

It’s more alarming when the person repeating another’s information is the spiritual leaders who we expect to be searching the mind of God, to be in tune with the Spirit of God, to come out of the tent of meeting with a fresh and encouraging insight. Instead we merely hear them parroting each other, not even realizing that there is very little substance in the ideas, and the truth has not yet been filtered through the grid of real life.

The living water flows from a large cave five miles up the hill. In that cave the keeper of the spring meets and converses with whoever is willing to make the trek. Most people never think of going to the source, they just get out of their car by the highway bridge, walk down to the creek, and get a drink in the pool where everyone else gathers. But that water is stagnant, polluted, and corrupted. They think they are drinking water that will give them life, but instead they remain in their pain, sick and unhealthy, not even aware.

There is a world of difference between living water and stagnant cisterns. I mean, who really wants to drink murky, moldy water? It may look refreshing, but it’s probably full of parasites and bacteria.

“If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink.  Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him.  By this Jesus meant the Spirit, whom those who believe in him were later to receive.”  (John 7:37-39)

America's End (part 4 of 4)

John’s Revelation – The Great Enigma

Does anyone understand Revelation?  Is it just there as a disturbing enigma, a brainteaser not to be taken too seriously?  Is it a puzzle beyond solving or deciphering? Is it for people today, or for people in the future, or for people left after the rapture? How many ever believe God’s prophetic foretelling? Is it wiser to have a wait and see attitude or to prepare our hearts by believing up front, to some degree, so that we can be encouraged as we see God’s plan unfold precisely as He says? You, my friend, have to decide the answer to those questions.

Here’s my take, in a nutshell.  Revelation is all about the end of the age and the return of Jesus. And that is not a way-off fairy tale event. Much of it is already taking place, the Lord’s return is right at the door, the very end of the age is soon to unfold.  And if that is true, then Revelation is of utmost importance. It tells us God’s plan, what to expect, how to be ready, and brings urgency to preparing our heart to live in intimate relation with the soon coming King.

Revelation 13 tells us that there is a seventh head to the beast, a beast that represents seven world-powers, not the antichrist (compare Daniel 7, his vision of four of the beast nations).  The seventh beast is America, the same world-power that is portrayed in Daniel’s vision of the statute (the feet and toes of clay mixed with iron; Dan 2:41-43), and in his vision of the four beasts (specifically the horns on the fourth beast; Daniel 7:20-26). And Revelation 17 tells us that there is one last manifestation of the beast, an eighth beast with ten horns, a beast that will reign for “one hour”, climaxing in a futile fight against the Lord of Lords when He descends upon the temple mount in Jerusalem.  That beast is important. For one, it displaces the seventh beast.  America’s end occurs as the eighth beast arises (consider fully the meaning of Rev 17:16). Second in importance is the identity of the eighth beast. The ten horns represent ten kings who give their allegiance to one ruler.  It is an alliance of Arab nations, whose ultimate end will be to war against the Jews, their hated enemy ever since the days of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. The Arab alliance is further indicated by the description that they “once were, now are not, and yet will come.” (Rev 17:8,11). The Arab rise to unfettered power in the last days was foreshadowed to the world on 9/11, and a harbinger to America, particularly, of what is to come.

Revelation is incredible in what it tells us of our present day. It tells us of America’s world dominance over the last 70 years -- since WWII, since the Bretton Woods agreement that made the U.S. dollar the world trade currency. It tells us that no nation on earth dares to bring war against America (Rev 13:4). It tells us of America’s arrogance and domineering control (Rev 13:5-7). What, you don’t see that? Well, okay, just scratch that one. Maybe God got it wrong, or maybe John did. Revelation tells of the “death” blow to America’s Pacific fleet at Pearl Harbor and its miraculous resurrection to win the War and rule the world (Rev 13:3). It tells us of America using the atomic bomb (Rev 13:13). It tells us of America’s great rise to power by the assistance of the false prophet, technology (Rev 13:11-15).  It tells us of the bloodthirsty, arrogant, whore-mongering spirit that would be at the heart of this great world–power -- the spirit of Babylon, the great prostitute (Rev17:1-5).  All this is revealed for us to see, to understand, to believe – from God’s perspective. But Revelation also tells us that this great world–power will be displaced by an eighth beast, for the last little bit of time before the Lord’s return (Rev 17:12-16).  America will come to an end as we know it, and it will not be a power player in the final few years, the last days of this age.

Mr. Churchman in America, understand that we will be along for the ride as America is judged.  We will have the unprecedented opportunity to help people respond humbly to God’s judgment, and instill a heart for repentance in a people hopelessly distraught and angry at their fate.  Mr. Churchman, you will not be raptured before this occurs. You will not escape. That is not the way it will happen. That is a great distortion of the great messianic prophecy of Daniel 9, to teach and to believe that the seventieth week of that great prophecy is to be detached from the first 69 weeks and placed at the end of the age, creating a whimsical theology of the “Great Seven Year Tribulation”. Not only a great distortion, it’s a great deception. You can believe it, though… or not. My cat, Rascals, does not care one way or the other. Revelation does not mention the rapture/resurrection (I Thes 4:14-18), specifically (except perhaps in 11:12), but we do know it has occurred in 17:14, where John says that the faithful chosen followers of Jesus will be with him when He returns to war against the eighth beast. So we know that all who are in Christ will be caught up or resurrected some time before the God’s great and final wrath and judgment at the very end of the age. And we will be warriors, indestructible.

Repentance

Is it too late to pray for repentance?  Can America yet be saved? Should we hope for a moral turnaround, for America to submit to God’s truth and turn their heart to the Lord?

I may be wrong, but I think it is too late for America to be rescued. Our prayer for repentance should be aimed at the people of God, that we might rise up from the despair to help bring reason and hope amidst the chaos after America’s end. We can explain it if we believe it, and perhaps some will repent and turn their hearts to God. In all of Revelation, in all the descriptions of warning-judgments, it repeatedly says that the people still did not repent.  Only once does it say that people “gave glory to God” after experiencing His hand of judgment (Rev 11:13). Perhaps America can yet repent. After judgment. After America’s end.

Consider other information from author, Dave Eymann:

Apocalypse Puzzle, book printed in 2013, available on Amazon.Com

America's End (part 3 of 4)

America -- Blessed?  or Privileged?

Ask any Mr. Churchman in America and he will tell you that America is the most blessed nation ever. Come on, now.  Think about it.  Is that really true?  Yes, we are the wealthiest nation ever.  We are the most powerful nation ever.  We have it easier and more comfortable than anyone at any time in any place in the history of the world.  But is that blessing?

Blessing has to do with Shalom.  Shalom is the Hebrew word for peace and prosperity.  God’s peace, God’s prosperity, God’s benevolence. And those who live in God’s blessing live in a humble, deliberate, heart-felt response to God, giving praise and honor to Him and seeking to extend His blessing to those who are in need.  Blessing has everything to do with God’s favor to man, and very little to do with man’s determined self-will.

Privilege, on the other hand, is man-made prosperity. It comes by being in the right place at the right time, by capitalizing on the opportunity, by holding on to the upper hand at all costs.  It comes by power-mongering, by stepping on others, by controlling.  And it leads to selfishly wanting more and more, disregard for the poor, and contempt for the unemployed and the displaced. Most Americans actually only live in the trickle-down effect of the wealth and power of the great spirit of Babylon (Rev 17).  We ignorantly celebrate as God’s blessing the very thing that God deplores.

America is the seventh beast in God’s great timetable of world-controlling nations.  The beast of Revelation 13 is not the antichrist as so many have been led to believe.  The seven heads represent seven nations, five of which had already been in power, one of which was in power at the time of John’s writing, and one which was yet to come (Rev 17:10, see it for yourself). So look at it this way.  Would you consider Egypt blessed by God?  Would you consider Assyria blessed, or privileged, the nation that ruthlessly conquered, slaughtered, and displaced so many people. Or how about Babylon, the empire that conquered and pillaged the wealth of every nation round about it.  Blessed or privileged?  How about Persia?  And what of Greece and Rome, world powers that conquered and dominated with little regard for the well-being of its subjects. We consider their culture and civil law as foundational to civilization, but would you consider them blessed by God, or privileged?  So then, how would you consider America -- blessed or privileged?

This should bring you up just a bit short if you look at America through the eyes of God rather than feeling “blessed” because you have it so well off.  It makes me feel very uneasy when I pledge allegiance to America, knowing that it is the Beast of Revelation 13. And each time I sing the national anthem I cannot help but think of the 9 million people we have killed around the globe in our many police-keeping wars since WWII. The reason I cringe is not that I hate America, but because I know that so many think we will never fall, we will never be judged. They think that we are not only blessed but we are a blessing to the world.