How Reformation Affected Your Life

It doesn't matter if you are Christian, atheist, or agnostic. Reformation affected your life. It is 500

years to the day since Martin Luther nailed his 95 theses to the door of the church in Wittenberg, Germany, a modern equivalent of a Facebook post ( yes you can thank Martin Luther for Facebook), which began the Reformation.

And though Roman Catholic Church still mourns this historic event as a  tragedy that brought division to their Church, and a wave of violence to Europe, it also brought the Western world civil liberties, freedom of conscience, science, modern democratic values, and a sharp increase in both knowledge and the standards of living among ordinary people. All the things you enjoy everyday and take for granted.

In standing up to the papacy in matters of faith and conscience and encouraging people to know God and the Bible for themselves by translating the sacred texts into German, Luther began a spiritual and literary revolution in Germany, and the rest of Europe. People wanted to learn to read, so they could read the Bible and the writings of Luther, as well as other reformers. Soon political leaders also began to stand up to the papacy since people stopped believing in their ability to condemn them to hell for any act  of disobedience which eventually led to separation of church and state, which we so value today. The Catholic Church could not control people like they used to since the priests were no longer the only ones who could read and interpret the Scriptures, so they began to enjoy not only freedom of faith, but also became free to discover the world around them and how it worked as their expression of faith thus beginning the scientific revolution, which makes it quite ironic today for some atheist scientists to accuse Christians of being anti-science when it was them who laid the foundations for it.

There was also initially a big wave of violence against the Church and state, but it was not as much a result of Reformation ( Luther never incited anyone to violence) as the result of  spiritual, economic, and political oppression the common people endured under the Roman Catholic Church and Aristocracy controlled by it. Many people sought revenge. It was like taking the lid off od the pressure cooker, but once it ebbed away Europe was on a path to much more prosperity and advancements in every area of life.

You might even say that Luther began the first social media revolution comparable to invention of the Internet. His writing written in common German circulated all over Germany  thus unifying German language, and the same happened in other countries and their languages. Puritans took the ideals of Reformation to America, which made it into  the most powerful and prosperous country in the world. I dare say that America would never become what it is today if Reformation never happened, so whether you knew it or not Reformation affected your very life in countless ways. What changes did one man bring into the world! It is amazing when you think about it. One lowly unknown priest in a little unknown university town changed the world.

But then, so did Jesus. He also came into this world as a lowly carpenter  from very little esteemed Jewish village of Nazareth. Didn't He say that whoever believes and follows Him will do great things? Do likewise. Be the light to this world. Your words and actions have more impact on the world around you than you know.

Author's Note: Photo of the Martin Luther statue by John Rallison

State Mandated Values For Canadian Professionals?

Does it sound like something the government of North Korea would do or what? But the problem is

that it is happening and it is not happening in North Korea, but in Canada, a country that prides itself on the human rights and freedoms.

Millions of people have left their countries of origin in search for freedom from their homelands' oppressive actions, only to now wake up under oppression of different kind in Canada, a place that was supposed to be safe from such oppression.

So what happened? The lawyers in Ontario received a note that government of Ontario mandated on their profession's regulatory body basically asking them to prepare a statement of their personal values in order to continue practicing law. Their personal values now have to be in keeping with the government's vaguely defined values of diversity, openness, and inclusiveness.

it was a measure taken after reportedly a " systemic racism" was found in entire legal profession. The problem is that these findings have no credible basis in the first place, and accuse all lawyers of being racists by default. Now Ontario lawyers find themselves in a place where they have to "prove" that they are not racist just because they are lawyers. To say that it is unfair and even offensive id an understatement, and more worrying than that is where this could lead if this is not challenged and becomes a precedent.

Not too long ago an Ontario Law Society declared that they are not going to allow  the graduate of a British Columbia law school to practice because the school unlawfully mandated their students a certain code of conduct while studying there, but now the same body mandates certain values on all their lawyers and this seems to be O.K. to them.

Where this could lead if it allows to stand is in fact a secular form of inquisition where certain individuals who do not profess and do not wish to promote state mandated values cannot work in their professions despite the fact that they have professional credential and have spent  thousands of dollars for their schooling, and years out of their lives to get these credentials. This means that certain groups of people like Christians, for example, who do not wish to promote homosexuality or transgenderism would be banned from most professions thus being forced into lower classes of society.

This is  a direct violation of Canada's  Charter of Rights and freedoms, but the problem is that the judges these days are not required to simply make sure that the law is enforced, but they are free to interpret those laws as they see fit. It means that if anyone is accused of racism, or homophobia, the lawyers are required to automatically rule in favour of the offended party to "protect" their rights.

Dr. Jordan Peterson recently interviewed those in law society who decided to speak out against it and discussed the issue in more detail. I will provide the link to that discussion below. Please make other Canadians aware of this problem because if we don't stand against it now, we might not be able to recognize our own country in couple of decades...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YGC3y1BPzwA

The Second Rapture Dream

Last night, I had an amazing experience. It was a dream, or rather a dream vision because it was very

detailed and felt more real than reality to me. It was a vision of the rapture of the saints, the second one I ever had in my life.

The first one I had while still an unbeliever who did not know the Bible very well and had no idea what it was. The account of the first dream that I had about 20 years ago can be found here : The Rapture Dream, so you can see that I do not have this type of dream visions often. Anyways, back then I had no idea why I was going up, it happened very fast and I wondered who or what am I going to see when I go through the clouds. This time, I knew, but I received much more detail about it. it happened as if in slow motion, so that I could absorb all the details.

I was in a some sort of a large building. I went to the bathroom. There was a window there. Suddenly I was aware of someone's very tangible presence, but I could not see anybody. Then, I began to feel something in the atmosphere rapidly changing. It became more and more electric. I looked at the power lines outside the window. They were shaking and then they became white. First I thought that it might be some sort of atmospheric discharge, a solar flare or magnetic storm. Then I began to feel it in my body too, like the power was going through me and I realised that it was the very presence and the power of God. I had felt it before during strong worship at times, but never that strong. My body began to slowly rise. By then I knew it was the rapture and I got excited.

"O my Lord, I thought. It is really happening. I am going to meet the Lord in the clouds! I am going to finally see Him face to face! But what about my family? Are they going too?" I decided that I should not worry about that though, but trust the Lord that they were in His hands Like I was. I looked around there were other people rising too, then I looked down. Huge crowds of people were gathering, watching us go. I looked up again and was filled with joy in the anticipation of the greatest family reunion the world has ever seen.

"Oh, Lord. is this really happening?" I asked and I began to wake up. It was four in the morning. The experience was so real that I still felt the wind blowing in my face and the Lord's power inside my body. I began to cry and pray, "Lord, may I be found worthy when that they comes. I want to be there more than anything in the world." Then I thought about the crowds of people who were looking at us go and I realized that those were going to be left behind. I felt grief for them. I thought about my family members, especially those who do not walk with the Lord and friends. I felt a strong desire to have them with me on that day realizing that the only thing that will matter then is who is going to go with me, nothing else.

Now, as I wrote before in my other posts, I don't know exactly when this will happen. The Bible does not give us the day, hour or year, but it does give us a season. Apostle Paul mentioned that it was shown to him that it will take place at the sound of the last trumpet. Paul was a Hebrew, he knew the feasts of the Lord, and he was talking about the feast of Trumpets (Roshashana), which is going to begin this year on September 21 and last until September 23rd. On September 21 st there is going to be a UN declared International Peace Day and the theme will be : "Together for Peace, Respect, Safety and Dignity for All."

Notice those two words and compare it to the following verse from 1 Thessalonians 5:3, "While they are saying, "Peace and safety!" then destruction will come upon them suddenly like labor pains upon a woman with child, and they will not escape." It is a very interesting coincidence, especially because on September 23 rd there will be what many call a Revelation 12 sign in heavens as well.

I am not saying that the Rapture for sure will happen this year, but it will happen at this time one of these years. It might be this year, next year or 50 years from now, but it is coming and we need to be ready for it. I am also not sure why the Lord gave me this dream precisely now, but I decided to be obedient and share it immediately anyway, just in case.

While I was deeply saddened for the people left behind, the following verse resounded loudly within my spirit : "For many are called, but few chosen.” ( Mat. 22:14) I understood it more deeply than ever before this morning, and later I did a word study on this. it is from Jesus' parable of the wedding feast. remember that the Rapture is also called a "marriage supper of the Lamb," in the Bible. Many are called. This means a great multitude had been invited. The call from God has been going out to nearly everyone over millennia now. All are invited, all are called to be there, but very few by comparison chose to accept an invitation. The choosing is not done by God. He does not pick just select few. The way it is written in Greek makes it clear that it is the ones who are invited who do the choosing. Please choose to be there. Choose today to accept Jesus' sacrifice of the cross, choose to follow Him, to walk the narrow path. Remain faithful to Him and His Word. Do not bow to the pressure from the world to deny Him by forsaking His commandments and by not standing up for what is right. It is not easy, I know. People make fun of those who walk this path. It is easier to walk the wide road, but it leads only to destruction. Now, I also understand what Jesus meant by  the outer darkness. It will become very dark in this world after the Church is gone. Life will be very hard, especially for those who will reject the mark of the Beast. They will pay with their lives for their faith. Don't wait until then. Accept God's invitation now, so that He may keep you from the hour of testing that will come upon the whole world. ( Revelation 3:10)

The Need For More Prayer As U.S. Continues to Be Hit By Powerful Storms

As I mentioned in my previous posts, we are currently on the Hebrew month of Elul. It is a month of

prayer and repentance leading up to the Day of Atonement. Following the total solar eclipse on Elul 1 ( August 21) over America, the entire continent, but especially the United States had been dealing with one natural disaster after another.

From the catastrophic forest fires in Western Canada, to mega earthquake in Mexico, to double whammy of storms in form of hurricanes Harvey and  Irma that devastated the states of Texas and Florida respectively.

As believers we must pray for the Church of America to rise up in prayer of repentance for their nation from which quite clearly God's hand of protection has been lifted as most of the nation turns away from the Gospel.

The Church must return to their first love, begin walk in holiness, and stand up in prayer for their nation and as example to the nation. Jesus is the answer. We must also continue to pray for the hedge of protection over those who are walking faithfully with Him, but are in the midst of destruction because of the sins of the nation as a whole.

These are the "last days" and the "end time" indeed. Jesus predicted that before Hos return all these things will begin to happen I greater intensity :

"And there will be signs in sun and moon and stars, and on the earth distress of nations in perplexity because of the roaring of the sea and the waves, people fainting with fear and with foreboding of what is coming on the world. For the powers of the heavens will be shaken. And then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. Now when these things begin to take place, straighten up and raise your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.” ( Luke 21:25-28)
Doesn't it sound just like what we are looking at right now? But the key is the last sentence. Don't be discouraged by all these things. Natural disasters, wars, rumours of wars, mega earthquakes in various places, the moral decay, the set up of global political system that one day will be taken over by the Antichrist. These are all the more reasons to draw ourselves and others more closely to The Lord. It is time to shine in the darkness and pain of this world. When the plagues were hitting Egypt, God's people where in the land of Goshen, protected and awaiting their redemption, and so are we.

And The Shofar Begins To Blow: The Great American Eclipse

Today, people all over America will be looking to the sky at the total solar eclipse. A special

astronomical event that last time happened in 1979. Solar eclipses happen often in different parts of the world, but they are rare over land. But what is even more special about this eclipse is that it falls on Elul 1 on a Hebrew calendar.


According to the research done by pastor Mark Biltz, the same thing happened in Nineveh just before God sent Jonah to preach that it would be destroyed in 40 days if people there did not repent, but of course they did repent and the city wasn't destroyed then.


There was a total solar eclipse on Elul 1 over Europe and the territory of the Ottoman Empire just before WW I began. the people there did no repent and that war destroyed the Ottoman Empire.


Could it be that God is warning America through this sign about an impending judgement and is calling them to repentance? The Hebrew month of Elul is a month of repentance and is leading up to Roshashana, the Feast of Trumpets, and culminates with the The Day of Atonement. And  33 days after Elul 1, there will be the sign of the virgin in the sky over Israel, exactly 7 days before the Day of Atonement.


Is The Lord trying to tell us something here? I think it is very likely as we are living in crucial times. America is still in danger of falling into the chaos similar to the civil war and we need to pray for American Church to wake up and continue to intercede for their country.


I believe The Lord has raised up Jewish men of God who follow Jesus as the Messiah and who understand the Hebrew calendar, such as Jonathan Cahn and Mark Biltz to sound an alarm and to help the church to be prepared for what is coming. We are after all living in the end times and just as Lord Jesus predicted we are seeing signs in the heavens and on the earth that the time of His return is drawing near. Now, we do not have to fear, but we do need to be alert.


I encourage you to watch the presentation by pastor Mark Biltz on this very subject where he shares many more fascinating details. Below is the  link:


Eclipse 2017

Why There Will Be No Doomsday On September 23, 2017

On September 23, 2017 there will be an astronomical convergence of sun, moon, stars and planets

that will exactly fit the description of the "great sign in heaven" mentioned in the beginning of chapter 12 of the Book of Revelation.

The interesting fact is that it will fall on a very special Shabbat Shuva that occurs during the 10 days of repentance between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur according to the Jewish spiritual calendar. It is indeed very special because such  a convergence never happened before ( the closest one was about the time of Jesus' birth) and will not happen again at least for another 1000 years, so it is for sure a sign.

But many are using these facts and are adding to them their own theories of what this sign means and what they think will happen on that day. Some are even saying that the 6th seal of the Book of Revelation will be opened on that day, but  I don't think so.

I think, based on my 18 years of studying the Bible, that it might be God's call to repentance to both the world and most of all to His Church. It could be that this day and corresponding sign in the heavens signals the beginning of events and the period of time that apostle John prophesied about in the 12th Chapter of the Book of Revelation.

It begins with the description of the sign of the virgin in heaven, followed by another sign, that of the dragon. It describes how the dragon, which symbolizes Satan, tries to devour the child that the virgin is giving birth to as soon as He is born. And of course it brings us back to the time when something near to that sign occurred, the time of Jesus' birth, and how Satan induced Herod to try to kill baby Jesus, but the Book of Revelation was written around the year Ad 90, long after Jesus' birth, death, and resurrection, so the Virgin in the sign is not Mary as some interpret.

No, I believe that the Virgin stands for the nation of Israel because she was the one who gave birth to the Messiah ( Mary was a Jewish woman) and Satan was trying to destroy her ever since that time, but was unable to. Perhaps he will try to do it again in the near future and once again will fail.

John reveals that it will enrage him and he will begin to persecute " the rest of her offspring who hold the testimony of Jesus," meaning the Christians. We certainly are seeing this happening already today. Millions of Christians are being murdered in the Middle East and Africa right now while the world is mostly turning blind eye to that. As id this wasn't enough there are growing hostile attitudes towards Christians in the West, especially among those who hold on to radical leftist ideology who unfortunately hold most of political power right now and control the mainstream media. More and more people on the right as well as at the center ( classic liberals) begin to notice and are speaking out against that, but if the leftist will end-up winning the ideological battle, they will begin to viciously persecute all who disagree with them, especially the Christians.

It will reach its peak during the reign of Antichrist, but this does not happen until chapter 13. Before that, apostle John, also describes the war in heaven between Michael the Archangel and Satan and his angels after which , Satan is going to be thrown out of the second heaven to earth along with his angels. This is the spiritual war that will not be manifested physically, but nevertheless will happen and we will witness its results on earth. There will be war against Israel, which their enemies will lose, but as a result of Satan's coming to earth we will see an unprecedented increase in demonic activity, demonic possessions and false signs and wonders, including the  "alien visitations," that will result in a widespread deception  if possible even of believers.

Now, we don't know how long this period of time will be. it could be 7, 10 or more years, but we are about to enter this period soon and that is why we must be watchful and pray. We have to draw nearer to God because only under His wings and His blood we will be safe.

A Car in Niagara Draws Attention of Residents And Provokes Online Discussion

A car shown in the photo above was sighted at Costco parking lot in St. Catharines, Ontario recently. Someone just laughed and shared it online as something funny, but the discussions I saw below the post also revealed some negative attitudes that many people have towards religion and Christianity in particular and made me think a lot.

One person stated that the messages on the car are an example of very poor taste and an example unwelcome religious zeal, accusing the owner of hypocrisy for spending money on the car and those messages that would be spent better on helping the poor by donating them to the food bank.

I remarked in reply to that person that we don't even know who the owner is and suggested the possibility that this person might be spending a lot more money on helping the poor than they spent on this car, and pointed out the fact that before we begin criticizing someone else for something we should first check if we ourselves are not guilty of the very same thing.

And it is true that often people who judge others for spending money on unnecessary things instead of giving are the ones who are not very giving themselves, though it might not have been the case as I do not know the person who left that comment either.

But what I see in Canadian society in particular is a big entitlement attitude among "the poor", who think  of themselves as victims and that everyone owes them while they are poor because they refuse to take any responsibility for themselves while looking down on those who did and who experience financial success as a result of working hard and taking advantage of the opportunities that they are given.

Those people often spend many years studying or working on their business before they can even have an opportunity to have higher incomes and when they have them as much as 50% of that income is automatically taken by the government to help the "poor," but they still donate to charitable causes even on top of that while so many of the so called poor live on assistance in order to feed their destructive habits.

But there is also some legitimate resentment and criticism towards people who are well off, especially those of Christian faith because of  the financial abuse that some of the Christian leaders  engage in by living in luxury off of the donations often given by the poor members of their churches.

I remember one prosperity preaching pastor who saw an old clunker car on the road one day with "Jesus is coming soon," sticker on it. That pastor started making fun of the owner of the car whom he did not even know, saying that he should buy a fancier car and then put such sticker on it so, he/she would be a "better testimony". I could not help, but think that perhaps this person does not have a fancy car because they donate the money they could have spent on a better car to such people as that pastor! In fact I was one of such people at the time. I thought, "Here we sacrifice and drive an old beaten up car, so that we could donate to this man's ministry thinking it is for a good cause and he is making fun of me and others like me right into our faces while he himself drives a fancy car bought with those very donations. Needless to say we left that church, as did many others and it does not exist anymore.

So, I acknowledge that there is a hypocrisy in the church, but that does not mean that  all Christians are hypocrites. In our Western society we are very quick to scream at people who legitimately criticize us, "Don't judge me!" While we are all too eager to judge people whom we even don't know at all for the very things we are guilty of ourselves.

I guess it is best that we all first take the plank out of our own eyes before we try to take out the specks from the eyes of others. Whatever the motivation of the person who owns that car. He or She succeeded in making people think. God bless them.