Final Warning?!

By Gary H. Kah

In June my family and I traveled to Connecticut for what would be my last speaking engagement for awhile. We had a wonderful time of fellowship with the saints at this conference, including Bill Koenig (the other speaker) and his wife Claudia. After saying our good-byes, we took some time to visit New York City on the way home. Our two younger children had never been to Ellis Island or the Statue of Liberty; so we decided to show them these and other significant sites. After arriving on Liberty Island we made our way to a platform from where we could view the Manhattan skyline. I had forgotten how massive this city is. As we stood there in awe of the seemingly endless expanse of towers made of concrete and steel, dark ominous clouds began rolling in over the skyline. The scene was rather eerie. At that moment the Lord, I believe, impressed upon my heart that this would be the last time I would physically see New York City.

Troubled and incredibly sad in spirit, I turned to my wife and children and told them to take a long look in order to remember this place, because as swiftly as these storm clouds had gathered over the city, so too would be its destruction one day – possibly soon. I carried the heaviness of that moment with me through the remainder of our trip. It still hasn’t lifted.

Storm clouds over New York: Center of World Trade and Commerce

While praying about what message I should bring to you in this Summer 2012 article, the Lord prompted me to deal with the topic of America’s future and what we can expect if our nation does not repent and turn back to Him soon. In 2010, I wrote a piece called “America’s Final Hour?!” which tackled this very subject. I believe the Lord would have me share this same message with you again now, as the time of crisis is approaching. I have made a few changes and additions to reflect new developments. Please take this message to heart and prayerfully consider what God would have you do.

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On January 12th (2010), I woke up in the early hours of the morning with a heaviness over an important decision I needed to make and had been praying about for almost a week. Realizing I wouldn’t be able to go back to sleep I finally got up and went downstairs to our family room. There I felt led to get on my knees beside the chair where I normally sit. For a period of time I cried out to God, seeking his direction over my decision which also involved the future of our country. After awhile I experienced God’s peace. Believing He had heard my prayer, I returned to bed and was able to sleep for a few more hours. Later on, after getting up for the day, my mind was drawn to Revelation chapters 17 and 18 which discuss the identity of Babylon the Great and how this end-times superpower would come to ruin. No matter what projects I tried to work on, my mind kept returning to these passages. That afternoon a friend of mine, who was one of several individuals that had been praying with me about my decision, called to let me know what had happened to them earlier in the day. That morning they had awakened to a vision-like dream. In this dream they saw large clusters of houses peacefully perched along America’s coastline. Suddenly, a huge tidal wave (apparently symbolic) came out of nowhere and swept these homes far out to sea. In the wake of this massive destruction, voices were heard in the background urgently and repeatedly calling, “Warn the people, speak the truth, do not hold back, time is short!” My friend hoped that this dream might mean something to me and would help me make my decision. Less than two hours later, Haiti was ravaged by a 7.0 earthquake. Soon afterwards scenes of utter devastation began to flow in to CNN and other news services. As I watched the unfolding coverage during the early moments of that terrible crisis, it was as if God spoke to my heart, “This same devastation will soon come to America!” Ever since the 1980s, when I was researching and writing En Route to Global Occupation, I have believed that the city described in Revelation 17 and 18 is a direct reference to New York. In fact, in 1991 while preparing the final draft of my manuscript, I included a section in chapter 5 that revealed this conclusion and my reasons for it. However, those pages, along with a number of others scattered throughout my manuscript, were deleted by the publisher – who claimed they needed to shorten the book to make it more marketable. So, I had to be content with leaving mere hints of my belief strategically placed in the book.

Since then, a growing number of Bible scholars have come to similar conclusions. Included among them is Christian attorney John Price, whose book The End of America focuses on our nation’s demise as foretold in Scripture. (His book is available at our website, www.garykah.org, under the Bible Prophecy section of the Products tab.) However, many well-intentioned Christian writers, wanting to believe that Babylon the Great is a reference to something other than New York City or the greater United States, have presented their cases as well. Some of them contend that the power described in Revelation 17 and 18 as Babylon the Great – more commonly referred to as “Mystery Babylon” – is actually Iraq. Since ancient Babylon was located in the area of modern-day Iraq, they argue that Mystery Babylon represents a revived Babylonian superpower to be centered in that country in the last days. The problem with this theory is that under the best of circumstances it would take at least one full generation for Iraq to become the type of economic superpower described in these passages. I do not believe we have that much time, nor is it realistic to assume that Iraq is capable of ascending to such heights so quickly. Other students of Bible prophecy have held that Mystery Babylon is a reference to Rome. This has been the more historical position and holds some merit. However, I am convinced that Rome (and the Catholic Church) will be a major power-base for the Antichrist and will provide much of the structure necessary for his global domination. If Mystery Babylon is destroyed by “the Beast” as Scripture indicates, and if we were to assume this prophecy refers to the destruction of Rome, it would be very difficult for the Beast (Antichrist) to maintain his rule afterwards – especially over the world’s billion-plus Catholics. It would not seem to be in his best interest to destroy Rome, but rather to use the Catholic hierarchy to help him rule the world.

Mystery BabylonThere are a number of reasons for believing that New York – and the superpower it represents – is actually “the great city” referred to as Babylon the Great (Mystery Babylon) in Revelation. However, before continuing, please go to your Bible and read Revelation 17 and 18. This will help you correlate the information in these biblical prophecies with the following insights.

● The city described in these passages represents the greatest economic superpower to have ever existed. New York, the hub for America’s commerce and global trade currently does the highest volume of business of any city in the world. The entire world comes to New York to buy and sell. Businessmen from all nations have become incredibly wealthy through America’s immense purchasing power. If America goes down it would indisputably affect the global economy more than the demise of any other nation and would line up with Revelation 18:6 which states that the merchants of the earth had grown rich from her excessive luxuries; and verse 11 that indicates the merchants of the earth will weep and mourn over her ruin because she can no longer buy their products. Although another greater economic superpower could possibly still emerge, if this prophecy is to be fulfilled within the near future it has to be referring to New York and the United States. No other power currently fits the description.

● It is also clear from these chapters that the kings (political leaders) of the earth have a special relationship with this great city (17:2 & 18:3); so much so that when they witness her destruction, they weep and mourn over her ruin and are terrified at her torment (18:9-10). Chapter 17, verse 18 reveals that she is “the great city that rules over the kings of the earth.” The kings of the earth regularly convene at the United Nations in New York City to make decisions affecting the entire globe. For the time being, the UN is the seat of power for world government; it is attempting to enforce its rule over the seven continents.

● Chapter 18, verse 7 describes this great city and earthly power as being extremely rich and guilty of indulging herself in luxury and self-praise. She is boastful and proud and sees herself as the queen of the world. The fact is the United States regularly boasts that she is the world’s only remaining superpower. Our politicians are quick to call America the greatest nation on earth, possessing the strongest military and the most powerful economy on the planet. While God has ordained our nation to exist and expects us to appreciate its freedoms and privileges, have we ever stopped to think how He must view our constant boasting? God has historically opposed the proud. We, as a nation, have sadly lost the concept of humility before God and man.

● One of the things I discovered while doing research for my book in the 1980s was that our national symbol, the Statue of Liberty, represents the ancient Babylonian goddess of love and fertility named Ishtar. Ishtar is known as the Mother of Harlots because prostitution was first introduced as a religious practice through her temple worship. The goddess Ishtar was worshipped under the name Astarte by the Phoenicians, Canaanites, Aramaeans, South Arabs, and the Egyptians to whom she was also known as Isis. Some Old Testament stories call her Ashtoreth – King Solomon built an altar in her honor which was later destroyed by King Josiah. The Greeks referred to Ishtar as Aphrodite and the Romans knew her as Venus. She was also known in Latin as Libertas from which we derive “liberty.” * The statue, which is therefore really an idol, was given to America’s Freemasons as a gift from the Freemasons of France – a little known fact of history. Freemasons, by their own admission, trace their origins through the ancient mystery religions to Babylon where organized occult religion began. The Bible frequently refers to mighty empires using symbols. The superpower referred to in Revelation 17 and 18 is symbolically described, among other things, as a woman with some type of Babylonian connection. I believe the Statue of Liberty, as our national symbol, embodies this description.

*(Libertas was referred to by Cicero, the famous Roman historian and senator, as the Mother of Harlots. The concept of “liberty” in ancient times was associated with personal and sexual freedom and with temple prostitution. Addressing this subject, historian Richard A. Coombes writes:

Harlots had been deemed to be social outcasts so she was also referred to as the Mother of Exiles. This was later equated with the idea of immigration. Naturally then Ishtar (a.k.a. – Libertas) was known as the Mother of Harlots, the Mother of Exiles and the Mother of Immigrants throughout not only Babylon and Babylonia but also later Assyria, Egypt, Greece and Rome.

Other interesting facts: According to Coombes, “Ishtar in the most ancient of times was also referred to by the Sumerian dialect as Inanna or Ninanna, meaning the Queen of Heaven or Lady of Heaven.” The same title was given to Isis of Egypt and later to Mother Mary of Roman Catholicism. On a different but related note, some modern-day historians believe the Statue of Liberty was actually erected in honor of Semiramis, a legendary Babylonian queen known for her beauty and sexual excesses who gained goddess-like status during the 9th century B.C.

The seven rays emanating from the statue’s head are symbolic of the seven

continents over which she presides. (Source: Ellis Island, American Symbols

and Their Meanings, Mason Crest Publishers, Philadelphia, 2003, p. 28.)

Coombes, however, vigorously refutes this claim in his extensive writings on the subject. In either case, the statue’s roots are indelibly linked to ancient Babylon.)1

● In the book of Daniel, chapters 7, 8, and 11:2-4, God provides a history of the world’s empires as they relate to Babylon. The Medes and Persians, as well as the Greeks and Romans, would all take their turns conquering Babylon. I believe the apostle John, when penning the book of Revelation, picked up where the prophet Daniel left off – describing the geographical superpower that would conquer and be in control of Babylon (Iraq and vicinity) in the end times, identifying her as “Mystery: Babylon the Great.” This, I believe, is a reference to the United States – birthed by the European countries that were a remnant of the Roman Empire to become the world’s dominant military, political, economic, and cultural force of these last days. (By the way, the ancient empires mentioned in the Bible as having conquered Babylon all had something in common: They were eventually destroyed or conquered by other powers.)

The “mystery” implies that there would be some kind of unique relationship between this end-times superpower and Babylon. The fact that America’s national symbol is Babylonian and was erected by a group (Freemasonry) with Babylonian origins which has risen to become the single most powerful influence in our nation’s politics – when coupled with the fact that the United States has in recent years had a strong military presence and been the dominant occupying power in Iraq and much of the Middle East – makes a valid case for America being Mystery Babylon.

There are other factors to consider as well. The speed of America’s moral decline is unprecedented in history. Those of us who grew up in the 50s and 60s find it difficult to believe we are living in the same country. America was once a choice vessel in God’s hands with more than half of the world’s Christian missionaries going out from the United States. We were a predominantly Christian nation.

Today we live in a post-Christian, interfaith era where the politically-correct norm embraces all religions as pathways to God. We have polluted and prostituted ourselves with other religions and gods. On the positive side, our country still shows compassion and is quick to come to the aid of the downtrodden, especially in response to natural disasters. There is also still a significant remnant of devoted Christians in our land, whose acts of kindness and obedience are a constant testimony for Christ among unbelievers. Perhaps God has patiently protected America and been merciful to her for these reasons. Yet, at the same time, America has increasingly become a stronghold of greed, corruption and sexual depravity. No one can deny that our culture has become openly and vividly sex-crazed – promoting every sort of pornographic and immoral indulgence imaginable and spreading it to the rest of the world through our motion pictures and the Internet. Is it too brazen to say that the world has committed adultery with the United States? We haven’t yet considered the fact that over 60 million American babies have been slaughtered in their mothers’ wombs, while the lives of certain unborn animal species are protected under our laws. And what about our nation’s on-going betrayal of Israel, intensifying under the current Obama Administration? These are just a few of my reasons for believing that America is Mystery Babylon and will be severely judged by God. It is almost unthinkable that the world’s most influential superpower would not be mentioned somewhere in the Bible’s end-times prophecies. I believe America has been in Scripture all along; we simply haven’t wanted to accept the fact that these passages are referring to our beloved country! Interestingly, during the last ten years or so, as I have stayed in the homes of other researchers and students of the Word while traveling and speaking, I have noticed a dramatic increase in the number of those believing America to be Mystery Babylon. I estimate this figure now to be between 60 and 70 percent of those in our circles who have shared their views with me. Some of these Christians have asked me what I think about Mystery Babylon. When I cautiously share my belief they typically respond with a sigh of relief that they are not alone in arriving at the same conclusion. The only prophecy describing America in Revelation 17 and 18 that possibly has not yet been fully realized is the one concerning the woman being “drunk with the blood of the saints” (Rev. 17:6 & 18:24). But given today’s growing anti-Christian climate, it is not too difficult to imagine how one day soon this prophecy could be fulfilled. Christians (and Jews) are increasingly becoming targets for persecution. One can see the handwriting on the wall. America is prophetically significant for still another reason. Like ancient Babylon (which took the Jews captive from the Promised Land), it has become the center for the world’s Jewish population. Approximately one out of every three Jews in the world currently live here – over 6 million in all. More Jews live in New York than in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem combined. Strangely,

the United States is the only country with a large Jewish population that has not yet witnessed a major outflux of Jews making Aliyah to Israel. I believe that a great number of these Jews will soon return to Israel in a historic mass exodus, made under difficult circumstances. It is worth noting that although still relatively small, the number of Jews leaving the United States has increased over the last few years and the momentum is building. Last year, for the first time, more Jews left the US to live in Israel than who left Israel to come to the United States. This is a prophetic sign of the times. More than 50 passages of Scripture foretell the return of God’s covenant people to their homeland in the last days– from all the earth (that includes America).

When and HowWhen discussing this subject with other Christians I am often asked when I think these prophecies will be fulfilled and what scenario might lead to their fulfillment. I wish I could answer these questions; but only God knows the timing of these prophecies. While extreme natural disasters and “earth-shaking” events will continue to occur in the days ahead as warnings to draw our nation back to God, Revelation 17:16 indicates that the final destruction of Mystery Babylon will come by fire and will not be the result of a natural disaster; and verse 10 of chapter 18 states that this great city’s doom will take place in one hour. This information eliminates many possibilities while offering some clues. As I have sought to understand how so much devastation could happen so quickly through fire, the following scenario has come to mind:

A strong minority of citizens – weary over government manipulation of our crumbling economy, and having grown tired of the government’s ever-increasing usurpation of our constitutional freedoms through its expansion of power and taxes – may rise up and take to the streets. The growing Tea Party movement could be the beginning of what might eventually lead to an all-out protest/rebellion. (Pressure created by the socialistic Occupy movement – along with economic upheaval, acts of terror, and mounting racial tensions – could all be used by globalists to fan the flames of unrest, ultimately leading to conflict.) If major unrest and turbulence occur I believe the Federal Government, through its Department of Homeland Security and related agencies, would see this as their opportunity to crack down on America’s freedom-loving people, which would include a significant number of Bible-believing Christians and conservative Jews. At this point, our nation would be in the midst of its worst internal crisis since the Civil War. The persecution of Jews and Christians would be severe. If ever our foreign enemies (Russian, Islamic, and other) were to move against the United States, this time of civil unrest and vulnerability would be their perfect opportunity. The final straw for Russia and radical Islam came when American troops went into Iraq and Afghanistan; they have sought to bring the US down ever since. Along with concern over potential Islamic acts of terror, some in our military are disturbed by the fact that Russian submarines have been regularly

spotted along our coasts during the last few years. Are they staking out positions for a possible future attack? Russia resents America’s status as the world’s only superpower. It has long wanted to be the world’s dominant force; but the United States has stood in the way. If the US could be eliminated as a superpower, Russia, in its thinking, would inevitably become Europe’s dominant military force and, as such, would be in the driver’s seat of a world government centered in Europe and the Middle East. It is no coincidence that Europe’s top globalists and many Islamic despots of terror also happen to be devoted Marxists with ties to Russia. “Illuminists” (secret society globalists with occult loyalties) have used the United States as an effective vehicle for building their new world order – for developing technological infrastructure such as communication satellites and the Internet, promoting a syncretic global culture, and funding the UN and its various one-world agendas. But once all the pieces have been put in place, if the US itself does not come into their global system peacefully, to them it will be expendable. America, although helpful to their goals on the one hand, has been a thorn in their side on the other. They hate the US for numerous reasons, including the fact that many of its independent-minded citizens have stubbornly resisted globalization and socialism in favor of national sovereignty and free enterprise. Barack Obama and his administration represent what may be their final attempt to bring our country into their new order – by force if necessary. I envision a time when Russia and its allies – possibly augmented by embedded terror cells – launch a nuclear attack, striking a number of our coastal cities including New York. These population centers would be devastated by fire in one hour, in fulfillment of Scripture. Regardless of how this predicted destruction comes about, Scripture makes clear that although the woman is destroyed by the Beast and his allies (Rev. 17:16), this act comes as a judgment from God (Rev. 17:17; 18:5, 8, 20; and 19:2). Chapter 18, verse 8 declares, “Therefore in one day her plagues will overtake her: death, mourning and famine. She will be consumed by fire, for mighty is the Lord God who judges her.”

Russian submarines like this one move freely up and down our coasts.

From these passages it is evident that God will restrain the Beast who hates the woman until the woman’s sin has reached its full measure, at which time God will lift His hand of protection, allowing the Beast to succeed. God is very patient, but He is also righteous and holy. As with the Israelites of old, He warns a people repeatedly, giving them time to repent of their sins; but if they persist in ignoring His merciful pleas, judgment eventually comes. When it does, it is usually swift and at a time when it is not expected. Whether the passages in Revelation denote the complete destruction of an entire nation, symbolically represented by its most powerful city, or if they are speaking of a judgment limited to one city or a group of cities, is not specifically known. My personal opinion is that God will bring His judgment against the worst offenders – those cities that were most responsible for leading the people into sin. This was the case with Sodom and Gomorrah. He did not judge the entire region, only those cities of the plain that were responsible. Even in this instance, He left a place of refuge – the small town of Zoar – for Lot and his family (Genesis 19). Regardless of what areas are eventually brought to ruin, one thing is certain: Since this coming destruction is the result of God’s judgment, only those places that God allows to be targeted will be hit. I hope, and want to believe, this means that major parts of our country will be spared. But, even if this were to be the case, there would still be many unknowns. Such as, what would become of those areas that are not destroyed? Clearly, life in this country would be drastically different after such an act of judgment. Would the remaining parts of the United States eventually be brought under the authority of the Beast and his foreign troops on our soil; or would God in His mercy allow these areas to be places of refuge during the reign of the Beast – until Jesus Christ returns? Only the Lord knows the complete answer to these questions.

Doing God’s WillThe Lord is slow to anger and abounds in love. He has spared wicked cities in the past, when they have repented of their sins. Nineveh is a prime example. Even though Nineveh was comprised largely of a foreign people (non-Israelites) God cared enough about its inhabitants to send His prophet Jonah to warn them of coming judgment and destruction. The Ninevites responded by declaring a fast. According to Scripture, all of them, from the greatest to the least, put on sackcloth – a symbol of humility and repentance. The king and his nobles led the way. They issued a decree calling on everyone to urgently pray to God and to give up their evil ways and violence, hoping that “God may yet relent and with compassion turn from his fierce anger so that we will not perish” (Jonah 3:9). When God saw their humility and how they turned from their evil ways, He responded with compassion and spared the city.

I believe God would do the same for New York and all of America. He is not quick to bring judgment. He only does so after repeated violations and refusals to repent. He would much rather be compassionate and spare our nation. However, for this to happen there must be an immediate national repentance – from our top leaders down to the most common person. We must take the Lord seriously if we want to be spared! This brings up the next important question: How do we respond if there is no national repentance? I am aware of a sizeable number of Christians who are in the process of relocating their families – and in some cases their ministries – to New Zealand. Others have mentioned Costa Rica, Chile, or various island nations as possible places of refuge. These believers see the persecution of Christians and Jews followed by America’s destruction as being imminent; they take God’s warning in Revelation 18:4 literally. In this passage God declares,

Come out of her, my people, so that you will not share in her sins, so that you will not receive any of her plagues; for her sins are piled up to heaven, and God has remembered her crimes.

Other end-time passages telling God’s people to get out of “the Daughter of Babylon” may be found in Isaiah, Jeremiah and Zechariah. God warns his people (Christians) to flee in Jeremiah 50:8 & 16; 51:6, 9, 45 & 50. On two occasions, He specifically warns Jewish residents of the Daughter of Babylon to flee (Zechariah 2:7 and Isaiah 48:20). Christians I know who are leaving America have taken into account that the global system of government described in Revelation 13 and 14 will eventually also encompass the nations they are fleeing to. However, they believe they will have more time to function freely as Christians if they are living outside of the United States. They feel they are being obedient to God by leaving. Others are choosing to stay for now, believing this to be God’s will for their lives. Some individuals we know are involved in preparing places of refuge throughout the US, convinced that God has called them to do so. We are also blessed to have friends whom God has placed in key positions in our government, military and financial structure. He still has a few “Daniels” in high places. They are doing what they can to make a difference for God where they are. It is important that we are obedient to whatever God calls us to do. If He leads us to move out of the city we are in, we should do so. If He impresses us to stay where we are for the time being, we should stay. If He prompts us to move completely out of the country, then we should be willing to go. This is a time for serious prayer and diligently seeking God’s will for our lives. Be sensitive to His leading. I am personally grieved by the state of affairs in our nation. As one who has had a deep love for America from an early age, it has been difficult for me to accept the fact that everything is about

to change. My parents came to the United States from Europe – my father from Croatia where he and his family fled from both the Nazis and Communists, and my mother from Germany where she grew up under Hitler’s regime. They both knew hard times. They came to America believing they would indefinitely enjoy her great freedoms. Born in this country, I was raised to cherish our freedoms and to be loyal to our nation’s ideals. For the past 25 years I, along with others, have sounded the alarm, hoping that people would wake-up, take a stand, and embrace Jesus Christ as the only hope for our nation. Some have, but most have not – bringing us to our present-day reality. Our family faces the same day-to-day challenges as any other American family. My wife and I have four children. Two of them are still living at home and are preparing for college. In addition, I am responsible for my aging parents who have physical issues. We are in the same boat as many of you. But, no matter how difficult the times, we must remain obedient and faithful to the Lord who will guide our steps and give us the strength to persevere. We ask the Lord for discernment every day and trust that He will lead us according to his will. If He directs us to leave our city or country, with his help and by his grace we will do what is right.

What God Wants MostIt is important that we deal with this sobering subject in a way that might lead to godly changes in our lives and nation. Perhaps, if the people of America genuinely repent and turn to God, He will yet be merciful and, as with Nineveh, spare our nation and delay its judgment.We must recognize that all of our best efforts to defend our freedoms will fail if they are not accompanied by repentance and submission to God. Taking a stand for our Constitution, regardless of how noble an undertaking, will by itself not earn us favor with the Lord; nor will taking a stand on moral issues, or fighting corruption in politics – even though these are legitimate causes. So, what does the Lord most want and expect from us?

● God wants us to take Him at his word, by believing that we can be saved only through the shed blood of his Son, Jesus Christ. Acts 4:12 tells us there is no other name by which we can be saved. Salvation – a secure eternity with God – is available through no one else. The belief in, or politically-correct acceptance of, any other “gods” and religions must be completely abandoned. We must place our faith and trust in Jesus alone.

● God wants us to love Him with all our heart, soul, mind and strength (Luke 10:27). He desires for us to walk in close fellowship with Him and delight in his presence. We are to seek Him for discernment and guidance while worshipping Him for his goodness, mercy and love. We should look to the Lord to faithfully supply all our needs while continually thanking Him for his provision. We must never forget that everything good in our lives comes from Him, including the freedoms we’ve enjoyed and have so often taken for granted. Most importantly, He has forgiven our sins and given us eternal life. He is truly an awesome God!

Loving the Lord also means that we must avoid making other people more important than Him. We live in a society that is quick to idolize individuals. But God declares, “I will not give My glory to another” (Isaiah 48:11). In the same way, when praise is directed our way, we must deflect it toward God, making sure He receives the glory for what He accomplishes through us. Paul and Barnabas were excellent examples of living out this act of worship (Acts 14:8-18). Our number one goal in life, like theirs, should be to bring glory to God.

● God wants us to surrender all sin and pursue a holy life to demonstrate our love for Him. Jesus said, “Whoever has my commands and obeys them, he is the one who loves me. He who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love him and show myself to him” (John 14:21). In order to please God and enjoy his favor we must live a life of ongoing obedience and repentance. This means beginning each day by renewing our commitment to Christ and turning our back on sin. He longs for us to be overcomers by consistently obeying Him and saying no to the forbidden things of this world. In short, the Lord wants us to live our lives as an offering to Him. This is how we worship Him and bring Him the glory He deserves. If we truly pursue the Lord, making Him number one in our lives, we will experience his peace, joy, and presence as we look forward to his return. No matter how difficult times become between now and then, we will be able to stand firm and be overcomers through Him (I John 4:4; 5:4, John 14:26-27 & Matthew 28:20b).

God loves mankind – his greatest creation. His perfect will is for all to be saved and none to be lost (John 3:15-18; 5:24). However, He makes clear that only those who have accepted (believed in) his Son, Jesus Christ, will be spared from the punishment of hell and will spend eternity with Him (Matthew 10:28 & II Peter 2:4-10). If you have never accepted Jesus as your Savior, I urge you to do so now. Pray the following words in faith and mean them with all of your heart:

“Lord Jesus, I am a sinner and I need you. I believe that you are the perfect Son of God and died on the cross to pay the penalty for my sins. I receive you now as my Savior. With your help, I repent of my sinful ways. Thank you for forgiving my sins and giving me eternal life. Amen.”

Now that you’ve accepted Jesus as your personal Savior, ask Him to guide you through His Word (the Bible) and give you the desire and strength to truly love and obey Him. With Jesus at the helm, your life and eternity are secure in his care. No situation or power of the enemy will be able to separate you from the love of Christ!

“Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword?... No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor

anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” ― Romans 8:35, 37-39

“Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” ― Hebrews 12:1-2 ■

Sources:1 Webster’s New World Dictionary of the American Language, Second College Edition, Definitions for “Ishtar” and “Semiramis,” Cleveland & New York, 1974, pgs. 747 & 1295.

The World Book Encyclopedia, Volume 1, “Astarte,” Chicago, IL, 1969 edition, p.782.

R. A. Coombes, “The Idols of America: The Statue of Liberty and Statue of Freedom,” Alpha Omega Report, 2005. Mr. Coombes can be reached through his website at www.aoreport.com.