Archive for the 'Scriptual insight' Category

Getting into Psalm 91…God’s contract for protection

John Havener January 16th, 2009

by Erica Koehler

The 91st Psalm“There’s gold in them there hills,” the old prospector said, as he leaned on his rusty shovel
and munched on his moldy bread.”Unused rusty shovels never found gold. And unused keys can’t unlock treasure chests.Psalm 91 is both a field of gold and a chest of treasure.
Much of God’s Word is like gold found on the surface of the field -and we are enriched in the
very reading of it. But Psalm 91 yields its wealth only if we dig for it. Then the lazy
prospector’s moldy bread can be exchanged for the fresh Bread of Life, deeply nourishing.

In the first verse I found the key to the treasures of the rest of the Psalm, those wonderful
verses with their promises for all of this life now and life hereafter.Two crucial Hebrew words embedded in the first seven English words declare we mustsign on to this contract with God in order to have the right to claim the treasure.

“He that dwelleth in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow
of the Almighty.” The word “dwelleth”, the first of the two key words in this preamble to God’s
contract, is the Hebrew word “yashab”. It means to move in, to remain, to reside permanently
and make it “home”. Continue Reading »

Investing…for Eternity!

John Havener December 29th, 2008

As the year closes, there is much talk in the media of the battering the equities markets took this year and how to recoup your looses and profit in the future. Perhaps we need to “revalue” our investments and think in terms of returns in the eternal Kingdom of Christ. A dear friend shared a few year-end “investment” thoughts with you:

John, I have long thought that the loving reward system God has set up to encourage our growth has been neglected to be taught. (consider this illustration):
There were two little boys whose birthdays were celebrated quite differently. The entrance into the next stage of his life for one of the boys was celebrated with only a cupcake and small candle, the bare acknowledgment that he had been born. The other was given an “abundant entrance” into that next year – balloons, a beautiful cake, gifts, trophies for his past year’s accomplishments, cards from little friends perhaps telling how much he meant to them.That could be an illustration of the two kinds of entrance believers will have as they enter their next life. The entrance of some into heaven is described as just making it, “so as by fire” as Paul tells us in 1 Corinthians 2:9-15. And others will have “an abundant entrance”, Peter tells us in 2 Peter 1:11. In the preceding verses of this chapter we are told how this desired “abundant entrance” is achieved by how we live and do in this life.Of course the illustration above breaks down because the two boys are the recipients of what their respective mothers decide to do to celebrate. Perhaps the first is limited by poverty or illness while the second has ample resources. Our Lord is not limited either in resources or love. He receives all us believers into his Home with measureless love and joy. But in love he has set up a reward system as a wise and loving incentive to growth. If we ignore or fail to honor this “abundant entrance” he envisions for us as the reward for our godly lives(2 Peter 1:3-8) our future joy will be limited. (Who wants to enter that Door thru a fire which will burn away all God cannot honor?) The Apostle Paul speaks very plainly about this reward system in the 4th chapter of Philippians. He expresses his warm gratitude to the people of the

church in Philippi who had repeatedly sent him aid when he was in need. Then he ads this disclaimer in verse 17. “Not that I am looking for a gift, but I am looking for what may be credited to your account.” (NIV) Our heavenly savings account!

In Hebrews 13:16 the Word says, “Do not forget to do good and to share with others for with such sacrifices God is well pleased.” “God is not unjust; he will not forget your work and the love you have shown HIM as you have helped his people, and continue to help them.”

(Hebrews 6:10) “Let us not become weary in doing good,” Gal. 6:9 tells us, “for at the proper time we will reap a harvest”- and rejoice in that abundant entrance!

“Therefore my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, immoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.”
I Cor. 15:58.

More than anything else, however, we want to please him, whether in our home here or there. For all of us must appear before Christ, to be judged by him. We will each receive what we deserve, according to everything we have done, good or bad, in our bodily life.
(2 Corinthians 5:9-10 GNB)

Erica Koehler

“The Presidential Election in Light of Endtime Realities” Rodney Lensch

John Havener October 19th, 2008

AMERICA: WHITHER GOEST THOU?
(The Presidential Election In Light Of Endtime Realities)
Righteousness exalts a nation but sin is a disgrace to any people (Prov. 14:34). Blessed is the nation whose
God is the Lord (Ps. 33:12). He rules forever by His power; His eyes watch the nations. Let not the rebellious
rise up against Him (Ps. 66:7). The Most High is sovereign over the kingdoms of men and gives them to any-
one he wishes and sets over them the lowliest of men (Dan. 4:17). God silences the lips of trusted advisers and
takes away the discernment of elders. He pours contempt on nobles and disarms the mighty (Job 12:20,21).
First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions and thanksgiving be made for all men, for kings
and for all who are in authority that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life, godly and respectful in every way
(I Tim. 2:1,2).
Be careful what you preach or teach because a
divine test is apt to be coming! Allow me to speak out
of recent experience. In the summer issue of Rod &
Staff I declared “I Won’t Be Shaken” as God judges
the whole creation and the whole church. Within six
weeks after mailing that newsletter, I was severely
tested on three different occasions. The first occurred
in a hotel in Seal Beach, California on May 17. Joyce
and I had just begun a week long visit with her moth-
er and family. At about 11 p.m. I was suddenly awak-
ened out of a dead sleep with an acid reflux attack.
By the time I realized what was happening, the acid
had gone down into my lungs and I was coughing for
clear life. I really thought I was going to choke to
death. But God in His mercy saved me even though
my throat and lungs have suffered as a result.
The next two tests were in the form of 80 mph
winds that struck Omaha on June 7 and 27. The first
storm hit at 2:30 a.m. and knocked down a large tree
in my front yard. My backyard looked like a war zone.
The second storm struck on 4:30 p.m. on the Friday
of our 50th wedding celebration weekend. The wind
and hail came with hurricane force and devoured
trees, flowers and vegetables. These two storms
were the worst I have ever experienced in my life.
But again the Lord spared our home and our lives.
Was I shaken? Yes indeed, but not to the point of
despair or having anger towards God. These trials
were reality checks to see how prepared I was to face
unexpected tribulation – and so far away from home.
The truth is I need to pray for more faith, endurance
and watchfulness. To get the attention of all
Americans, both saint and sinner, the Lord is pouring
out tribulations of increasing frequency and intensity.with the theme of this issue of Rod & Staff: America:
Wither Goest Thou? May the Holy Spirit increase
our discernment and broaden our understanding as
we prepare to participate in the November presiden-
tial election. May God’s will be done – however painful
that may turn out to be!I. GOD IS SHAKING AMERICA TODAY WITH MER-
CIFUL JUDGMENTS
A. The biblical basis for such a claim
When your judgments come upon the earth, the
people of the world learn righteousness. Though
grace is shown to the wicked, they do not learn right-
eousness. Even in a land of uprightness they go on
doing evil and regard not the majesty of the Lord (Is.
26:9,10).
When terror comes, they will seek peace but there.
will be none. Calamity upon calamity will come, rumor
upon rumor. They will try to get a vision from the
prophet. The teaching of the law by the priest will be
lost, as well as the counsel of the elders. The king will
mourn, the prince will be clothed with despair, and
the hands of the people will tremble. I will deal with
them according to their conduct, and by their own
standards I will judge them. Then they will know that
I am the Lord (Ez. 7:25-27).
At God’s direction the clouds swirl over the face of
the whole earth to do whatever he commands them.
He brings the clouds to punish men or to water the
earth and show his love (Job 37:12,13).
If my people would but listen to me, if Israel would
follow my ways, how quickly would I subdue their
enemies and turn my hand against their foes (Ps.
81:13,14).
Commentary: The obvious truth from the above
texts is that God judges mankind in a variety of ways
with the goal of turning human hearts back to Himself. Call them “severe mercies” because His desire is to bring redemption and restoration both to
individuals and to nations (Ps. 33:13, Prov. 14:34).
Only when his judgments are persistently spurned do
they become punitive and result in disaster.
B. Indisputable evidence that God is shaking
America
Recently on the Glenn Beck TV show, a former
U.S. budget comptroller drew a parallel between the
fall of the Roman empire and present day America.
He listed five things that caused the demise of Rome:
(1. corrupt government officials, (2. a grossly immoral
citizenry (sexual immorality and sodomy), (3. a total
economic meltdown, (4. an over-extended military
and (5. an inability to secure its own borders. Then
came the shocker! He concluded that if there is no
siQnificant reversal of these trends in America. she

This clear prophetic Insight, seen on secular tele-
vision, was a confirmation to thoughts I had been jot-
ting down in preparation for this newsletter. My
observation is that our nation is devolving on nearly
all fronts, gradually but relentlessly. Our military is in
shambles. We do not have sufficient soldiers to fight
on two fronts and few leaders have a stomach for
reinstating the draft. Meanwhile, our men and women
in uniform are denied necessary furloughs and are
being stretched to the breaking point (suicides are on
the rise).
Economically, we are skating on thin ice as finan-
cial conditions are now the worst since the 1929
stock market crash. Our nation is 9 trillion dollars in
debt with another trillion added due to the Iraq war.
The value of the dollar is steadily declining on the
world financial market. Like its people, the govern-
ment is refusing to live within its means. A day of
reckoning is at hand.
Governmentally, the nation is in great peril. Lou
Dobbs of CNN forever says, “Doesn’t anyone
deserve a government that works?” Bureaucratic in-
eptitude and political gridlock continue to paralyze
Washington as partisan wrangling and personal
ambition rule the day. Has no one thought of serving
the common good of the nation above all else? The
president’s approval rating is roughly 30% while the
congress languishes at 13%. Where are the
statesmen of the past who got things done? No won-
der that most Americans feel the country is going in
the wrong direction. (Contrast that with 84% of the
Chinese who feel their nation is going in the ngfl.t
direction!) And why doesn’t our leadership insist that
our borders be secured as a matter of national secu-
rity? Who, pray tell, is manning the store?
Culturally. as well, the nation is on the skids. For
the past 40 years the secular/liberal establishment
has dominated the land with its politically correct non-
sense and morally bankrupt philosophies. As a result,
family disintegration is rampant and white collar
crime is fashionable. Our prisons are crowded and
our judicial system soft on crime. Our educational
system is failing to prepare the next generation as
students harass teachers and often drop out of
school before graduating.
Spiritually, the nation is also in retreat. A recent
Pew Research poll found that 75% of the people con-
fess to be Christians and plan to go to heaven. If so,
why do we have such horrific moral problems such as
drug and alcohol abuse, sexual immorality, divorce, gay marriage, child abuse, abortion on demand,
witchcraft (ala Harry Potter), homicide, theft and
lying? If people “in Christ” are supposedly new crea-
tures, why is the sin nature fully in control of millions
of professing Christians? (Rom. 8:1-17, II Cor. 5:17,
Eph. 5:19-26). The Pew poll was correct in its con-
clusion: American Christianity is an inch deep and a
mile wide. George Barna would agree. He estimates
that only 10% of the population is truly born again
and on the way to heaven. He that hath ears to hear,
let him hear!
C. The spiritual reasons for America’s demise
 Continue Reading »

Rodney Lensch on Preparing the Church for Tribulation

John Havener February 6th, 2008

PREPARING THE CHURCH FOR TRIBULATION: AN URGENT PRIORITY
In the world you will have tribulation but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world (John 16:33). Consider
it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance.
And let endurance have its perfect result, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing (James 1:2-4).
But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us (Rom. 8:37). For just as the
sufferings of Christ are ours in abundance, so also is our comfort abundant through Christ (II Cor. 1:5). Amazing
Grace: Through many dangers, toils and snares, I have already come. `Tis grace that’s brought me safe
thus far, and grace will lead me home!

The American church has had it easy for the last
sixty years compared to Christians living in Third World
countries where sickness, economic deprivation and
persecution are the order of the day. We need think
only of Russia, China, North Korea and Muslim
countries in Africa, Asia and the Middle East. Why
should we think that we are going to be exempt from
tribulation if the end of the age is upon us when
everything that can be shaken will be shaken? (Heb.
12:26-28). This is already beginning to happen in the
international arena where political institutions and
military alliances, such as the United Nations and
NATO which have helped maintain order and security
for decades, are being tested and ruptured in
frightening and unprecedented ways. What will all of
this mean for America in the years immediately ahead?
And if indeed the end is at hand, what about the
Great Tribulation of which Jesus spoke? “For then
there will be a great tribulation such as has not been
since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor
ever shall be. And unless those days were shortened,
no flesh would be saved, but for the elect’s sake, those
days will be shortened” (Matt. 24:27). Although the Left
Behind books, authored by Tim LaHaye and Jerry
Jenkins, are extremely popular (50 million copies sold),
many believers including myself do not believe that the
church will be secretly and invisibly raptured out before
the Great Tribulation commences as the “pre-trib
rapturists” maintain. Jesus said that the elect (the
church) will live and survive through it all. (I will deal
with this subject in a future newsletter.)
Our most immediate concern, however, should be
the tribulation that will shake America once the war
with Iraq is over. By then the Muslim world of 1 .3 billion
people will be galvanized in a “jihad” to conduct acts of
terrorism against our homeland as well as our
institutions and interests abroad including our
peace-keeping troops in Iraq. This very real possibility
could have profound, adverse effects on our faltering
economy and our cherished way of life as we have

known it. In short, difficult days are on the horizon for
all Americans (Ps. 60:3).
Thus, the thrust of the Summer 2003 issue of Rod
& Staff is indeed timely, namely, Preparing The Church
For Tribulation: An Urgent Priority. But such preparation
presupposes that as believers in Christ, we have a
balanced, biblical theology concerning the place of
tribulation in the Christian life. Basically there are two
opposing schools of thought on the subject; both of
which we shall look at in some depth. Where do you
stand on the issue of tribulation? May the Holy Spirit,
who has been sent to lead and guide us into all the
truth, deliver us from false or faulty doctrines and
scripturally prepare us to face tribulation, whatever the
form or measure, in the victory of Jesus, who is Lord of
all and is coming for a bride “who has made herself
ready”! (Rev. 19:7). Continue Reading »

Could the Ultimate Antichrist be making his initial moves now?

John Havener March 29th, 2007

This question could be very inflammatory, but at some point Bible prophesy and human history intercept. Scripture teaches the spirit of Antichrist is already in the world… “Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world. Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God: And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world. ” (1 John 4:1-3)The Bible also teaches that since the beginning of the New Testament era, “many antichrists” have been influencing the human situation. “Little children, it is the last time: and as ye have heard that antichrist shall come, even now are there many antichrists; whereby we know that it is the last time. They went out from us, but they were not of us: for if they had been of us, they would no doubt have continued with us: but they went out, that they might be made manifest that they were not all of us.” (1 John 2:18-19) Finally, God’s Word reveals the emergence of the Ultimate AntiChrist and his system that will eventually totally dominate the human situation before the return of Christ and His open rule on earth. “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.” (2 Thessalonians 2:7-10)At some point, perhaps in the near future, these amazing words will become life realities in the human experience. Herbert L. Peters has written a somewhat technical but most thought-provoking article about the activities of Javier Solana, High Representative for Common Foreign and Security Policy for the European Union. This man and his manuevers within the EU are to be closely watched. check out Mr. Peter’s article at

http://www.fulfilledprophecy.com/2010.htmlerb thinks