WE ARE GETTING SICKER!

A New Mexico school principle demanded that a team of Christian students stop sending Krispy Kreme doughnuts to the teachers with Christian verses inside. The principle was very angry and is reported as saying "I don't like Christians or these Christian 'acts.'" The Liberty Counsel is making a law case out of this because some of the kids were taken out of class and suspended. It was reported that many noted "the Roswell school officials are mean to these students solely because they are hostile to their Christian faith."    Things are continuing to go downhill against Christianity, the Bible, the Lord, and against anyone who shares the truth and the gospel. There are no signs that things will turn around. We are headed for outright persecution! –Dr. Mal Couch (9/10)

GET READY FOR ELECTION DAY – TUESDAY NOV. 2

We should not be asking the Lord simply to bail us out when we vote. We need to also ask God to change the hearts of America, and then restore some semblance of sanity to our country. However, we need a change of heart, a restoration spiritually, before we can have a reprieve of sanity. We are being judged as a nation and only Christ, living in the hearts of our people, can save us as a country.    I personally do not believe we deserve God's grace and mercy. Often only a judgment can restore a nation. Sin is tenacious and we are told in Scripture that judgment is certain. Solomon said: "What is crooked cannot be straightened, and what is lacking cannot be counted" (Eccl. 1:15), and, "Consider the work of God, for who is able to straighten what He has bent? In the day of prosperity be happy, but in the day of adversity consider—God has made the one as well as the other so that man may not discover anything that will be after him" (7:13-14).    On these verses the Rabbis write:    "Solomon sees many things in human society which are 'crooked,' but how they are to be 'made straight' baffles him; similarly he detects so many deficiencies that they cannot be numbered." The most important thing to do is "to reflect upon God's methods, seek to discover how we may rule our lives in accordance with the Divine will. ... Whatever God has ordained is immutable, and it is futile for man to think of 'rectifying' His work." –Dr. Mal Couch (9/10)

WHY DO CHRISTIANS CHANGE?

The Barna Group reports that Christians usually change habits or directions in their life under pressure or when things get bad, not because they want to personally walk closer with the Lord. That is a simplified answer to an issue that presented recently on the web.    Having taken many courses in Church History, and taught graduate Church History, I find that this is true to our human nature, and to our human Christian nature! We don't "move" unless we are forced to. By pain and problems we end up drawing closer to the Lord. That's just the way it is, though it should not be such. And, the Bible is full of such illustrations also. Unless we see a reason to adjust our ways, and our beliefs, we will stay the same.    David and Solomon would perfect examples of this behavior, and, if we are honest, this is how all of us react and adjust our behavior. Difficulties cause us to draw closer to the Lord. Can we change this? Probably not because that is just the way it is.    --Dr. Mal Couch 9/10)

DR. COUCH HAS IT FIGURED OUT!

Dr. Lacy Couch has the women's movement figured out by observing what she sees on TV. Many, if not most, of the women portrayed are not promoting femininity. They have sold their souls to masculinity. They want to be men! In fact, they want to be like and act like men. In commercials on TV often women are shown working out with weights, building up muscles in order to try to appear as men. Bulging arms and leg muscles is a sign of being like a guy. They turn their arms a certain way in order to flex their biceps.    This is happening with younger women who were brainwashed to be like a guy as they grew up rather than accentuate their feminine side. To many men they are really ugly because they no longer look like women. Unfortunately, many younger men are also stupid and think that this is cool! Young men have become passive. They say little and just stand around and look stupid.    Isaiah predicts that women and children will take charge in the tribulation. "I will make, God says, mere lads their princes and capricious children will rule over them" (Isa. 3:4). And, "women [will] rule over them. O My people! Those who guide you [will] lead you astray, and confuse the direction of your path" (v. 12). We are moving on this road now!

WE ARE BEING FOOLED BY OUR PRESIDENT

President Barack Hussein Obama is fooling the American public. He recently said he believed we have the right to religious worship. Did you get it: religious worship. That is not what our constitution nor our founding fathers intended. Religious freedom is something different. Worship could be confined to our churches whereas freedom means that we have the full right to express anything we wish religiously wherever we want. We are being set up for being prohibited from speaking out about our faith, or about properly criticizing the beliefs of others if we think it is appropriate. Our rights will soon be gone!    What is the story about religious freedom from history? What did the founders say? And what were they fighting for: religious worship or religious freedom?    Only a few times did they mention religious worship though it was understood that that right was included in religious freedom.    An outstanding textbook entitled "American Idealism" gives us the heads up on this discussion (Yale University Press, 1928). The book has an excellent chapter entitled "The Growth of Religious Freedom." The chapter says "The first American colonies established upon a basis of religious freedom was Maryland." "The Quakers made great contributions to the cause of religious freedom." Many of the signers of the Constitution "declared for religious freedom" in the thirteen colonies. They wanted a "guarantee of complete religious freedom ... as a part of the Constitution. That decision was rendered easier, moreover, by the fact that a strenuous battle for religious freedom had just been fought and won in Virginia by the Presbyterians and Baptists."    James Madison fought for the elimination of the misleading word "toleration" and the substitution thereof of the unequivocal phrase: He said "All men are equally entitled to the free exercise of religion according to the dictates of conscience." He also said: "All men are entitled to equal religious freedom, that all religious stand without prejudice before the law of the state."    In 1785, Franklin wrote the Bill for Establishing Religious Freedom which passed six years later. "All men shall be free to profess, and by argument to maintain, their opinions in matters of religion."    The successive memorials of the Hanover Presbytery, moreover, which were presented before Jefferson drafted his Bill, had stated with remarkable precision and force the principles of religious freedom upon which it was based.    Our President does not know his history, nor does he care what it says in terms of our religious freedoms! –Dr. Mal Couch (9/10)

BIBLE FOOLISHNESS!

There are those now arguing that the Bible is not meant to be objectively true and accurate. The main point is that one is a seeker, one who is looking how to live a relationship with God, never mind whether the Bible is completely accurate and true. This is the ultimate of foolishness and it smacks of a heretic, Soren Kierkegaard. Kierkegaard said that truth is what one makes it. To be sincere is what counts. Truth does not have to be absolute!    Now, how can that be? Either something is true or it is not. The Bible states over and over that it is true and that it is truth. How could we follow a faith that is false or that is not interested in truth?    Most seminaries today are not teaching the students the truthfulness and historical accuracy of the Bible. The education of the average student is sorry at best. This fact of Scripture comes under the category of Bibliology. The Bible is or is not the Word of God and He does not give us falsehood but truth. Here are but a few (among many) verses that speak of the Bible being truth:    "Speak My word in truth" (Jer. 23:28).    "He will guide you into all the truth" (John 16:13).    "Your Word is truth" (John 17:17).    "I shall be speaking the truth" (Paul) (2 Cor. 11:10).    "To come to the knowledge of the truth" (1 Tim. 2:4).    "Handling accurately the Word of truth" (2 Tim. 2:15).    "Turn their ears away from the truth" (2 Tim. 4:4).    "Brought us forth by the Word of truth" (James 1:18).    Do not listen to the fools. They do not know what they are saying! –Dr. Mal Couch (9/10)

FEAST OF TRUMPETS

Please don't be one of those who think the rapture will take place on the Feast of Trumpets. These folks who hold that are sensationalists who believe they've found something the rest of us idiots just don't know about.    The apostle Paul did not know when the rapture would start. He indicated that it could have begun at any time. And, he thought that possibly he could be included in going up also. Now if that happened then those who think it's going to happen now are really in lulu land. In my opinion such thinking is distracting and is a trivia issue that puts us into the speculation mode that means nothing spiritually. There are those who think they are great mathematicians and have it all figured out. You would need a degree in math in order then to know when the rapture would arrive!    Please don't gravitate to the sensational. It panders to the flesh and to the intellect but it really goes against Scripture. And besides, the Feast of Trumpets is about Israel and not the church! Please don't be fooled. –Dr. Mal Couch (9/10)

OPEN LETTER TO OUR SENATORS: JOHN CORNYN – KAY BAILEY HUTCHINSON

This is in protest to the up and coming vote on the Defense Authorization Bill S.3454. As my representative you are not to give this a positive vote when it comes up before the Senate body!    I just got through watching an old World War II Hollywood film in which Kate Smith sung "God Bless America." I wept like a baby but I couldn't help think of our Congress who is allowing the present administration destroy America, and rewrite our Christian heritage. How dare you give in to the evil that is coming from the White House!    You will be voting on Defense Authorization Bill S.3454 in which riders have been attached that (1) will remove the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" rule from our military. Also, (2) will authorize military medical facilities to perform abortions.    As well, we understand that senator John Cornyn will be speaking to the homosexual wing of the Republican Party, the Log Cabin group, which is supportive of same-sex marriages.    Every Congressman needs to reread our Constitution, and, need to spend a long evening reading about the founding history of this nation. We are not to be an inclusive nation. We are a Christian nation, and those who come here need to understand this, and not rewrite how this country began. People coming to America need to conform to us; we are not to conform to them. If they do not like it, then they should leave.    The majority of citizens are furious with what is happening, and they are furious with Congress for caving in to those who are rewriting the truth. You will be replaced if you replace what we believe is dear to us. We will be watching how all those in the Senate, and the House, vote!     Dr. Mal Couch, 120 CR 3222, Clifton, TX 76634

IT’S ALL OVER FOR AMERICAN CHRISTIANS

Statistics are telling us the church in America is shrinking. And population wise, we will be under terrible persecution in about ten years from the Muslim population. Islam is the fastest growing religion in the world. There are now more Muslims than Roman Catholics. By 2035 there will be more Muslims in Britain than Christians. If present trends continue every major city in America in a few years (by 2020) will be predominantly Muslim. That's just ten years away! 80-85 percent of Muslims consider themselves former Christians. We know of course they were not true believers but they thought they were! Our laws will change and so will our social structures. Some form of persecution will follow and fall upon our children and grandchildren. Is your pastor speaking about these issues? –Dr. Mal Couch (9/10)

A NOTE OF THANKS

From a student: "Dr. Couch, you really mean a lot to my wife and me. It was due to your books that God sent me on the Right path and blessed my heart and Life. With that in mind I send a Big thanks first to God and to you. May He bless you and as you know, He loves you. Thanks for emailing me back—that means a lot to me." FK

PRESIDENT BARACK HUSSEIN OBAMA IS CHANGING COLORS

Our illustrious President is like a little lizard that changes its colors. He is now proposing to give tax breaks to small businesses. This is what Republicans have argued all along. He is using this tactic in order to gain November votes. Do not believe he is "seeing the light." He is not! He is an opportunist who fools people as to what he really believes. He will go back being the socialist and American destroyer he really is after November!    More and more Bible scholars like me are sounding the alarm. We cannot remain silent or speak about Bible issues only. Remember, everything is spiritual and theological. And what is happening in America is spiritual, and it is evil. And if it is evil, then Bible teachers and pastors must speak out.    I feel sorry for our President! He and his family were able to take only eight vacations this summer with the cost around $350,000 for each trip. Maybe we should take up a collection to help him with the cost!    Because of the affluence of Jerusalem during Isaiah's day, God warned of the judgment coming upon it. America has wallowed in prosperity, and danced to the tune of plenty, and now it is time to pay the piper. The reason for their judgment is given in Isaiah 5:13-18.    Isaiah prophesied Israel would go into exile because of "their lack of knowledge" (v. 13). The people were spiritually famished and morally parched with thirst—therefore, the grave (Sheol) was open to receive them (v. 14). Jerusalem would descend into it (v. 14b). The average man would be humbled and the proud would be abased (v. 15). The Lord would bring judgment "and the holy God would show Himself holy in His righteousness" (v. 16). Finally, "Woe to those who drag iniquity with the cords of falsehood, and tug sin as if with the ropes used to pull carts" (v. 18). America is dragging sin along behind it.    Part of the problem of America is with its women. They are proud with seductive eyes (3:16). As they walk they tinkle with bangles on their feet (v. 16b). As a judgment the Lord will give them a scalp disease and will make them bald (v. 17). They dress themselves with headdresses, ankle chains, sashes, perfume boxes, nose rings, cloaks, money purses, hand mirrors, turbans and veils (vv. 18-23). God will cause them to go bald, remove their hair, and instead of giving them fine clothes, they will wear sackcloth (v. 24). And when the men fall by the sword, the women will be helpless and will sit deserted on the ground (vv. 25-26).    For survival, seven women will take hold of one man and say "protective us," and "take away our approach" (4:1). So much for "strong" women and the woman's liberation movement! –Dr. Mal Couch (9/10)

HE GOT IT RIGHT!

David Brooks in his newspaper column understands. He pointed out in his latest article that Christians are going down the tubs. They have it all wrong, as I have been saying for years. We build big buildings with the budget larger than the missionary budget. We pack in the temples of worship, raise the hands, shout, and worship ourselves, not God. Stupid pastors thought they were doing right by raising millions for giant edifices. Many men like me were arguing "Don't do it!" But our words fell on deaf ears.    Meanwhile, we are losing the war against evil and sin. Sears is selling pornographic posters online, Home Depot is supporting homosexual events with their employees wearing work aprons advertising those gay happenings. At the same time, they are telling their employees to take off buttons that say "One Nation Under God!"    We have lost the war. The next thing coming will be outright persecution against Christians and churches. A form of prison will be in order. We may be taken off to some kind of brainwashing camps in order to try to make us change our attitudes towards things. This is what Hitler did. His first prisons were meant to brainwash opposition with the prisoners being released in a year or two.    Expect this to happen in America!     Because we have lost the war, with things getting worse, does not mean we stop praying. But God is giving us the answer to our prayers. He is saying "No, I'm going to allow things to get worse as a judgment against you and against the world." We think God is not answering our prayers if He says "No." But this is not true. A "No" is an answer!    Be prepared for Persecution. I am now writing a book on this subject and pointing out what we should do in light of what is coming. If you want the book FREE, please email me your name and address. The book will be on the way in a month or two. –Dr. Mal Couch (9/10)

LET'S GET THE FACTS RIGHT!

The day the Democrats took over was not January 22, 2009,  it was actually January 3, 2007.  It was the day the Democrats took over the House of Representatives & Senate, the start of the 110th Congress.  The Democratic Party controlled a majority in both chambers for the first time since the end of the 103rd Congress in 1995. For those of you who are listening to the liberals propagating the fallacy that everything is 'Bush's Fault,' think about this ...  January 3rd, 2007 was the day the Democrats took over the Senate and the Congress. At the time: The DOW Jones closed at 12,621.77 The GDP for the previous quarter was 3.5% The Unemployment rate was 4.6% George Bush's Economic policies SET A RECORD of 52 STRAIGHT MONTHS of JOB CREATION! Remember January 3rd, 2007.  It was the day that Barney Frank took over the House Financial Services Committee and Chris Dodd took over the Senate Banking Committee. The economic meltdown that happened 15 months later was in what part of the economy?  BANKING AND FINANCIAL SERVICES! THANK YOU DEMOCRATS for taking us from 13,000 DOW, 3.5 GDP and 4.6% unemployment to this CRISIS by (among MANY other things) dumping 5-6 TRILLION dollars of toxic loans on the economy from YOUR Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac FIASCOS!  (BTW: Bush asked Congress 17 TIMES to stop Fannie & Freddie - starting in 2001 because it was financially risky for the US economy). And who took the THIRD highest pay-off from Fannie Mae AND Freddie Mac? OBAMA! And who fought against reform of Fannie and Freddie?  OBAMA & the Democratic Congress! So when some idiot tries to blame Bush REMEMBER JANUARY 3rd, 2007 THE DAY THE DEMOCRATS TOOK OVER!  Bush may have been in the car but the Democrats were in charge of the gas pedal and steering wheel they were driving. Set the record straight on Bush!

THINK OF AMERICA

You cannot help but think of our nation when you read the words of the prophet Jeremiah. He wrote "If that nation against which I have spoken turns from its evil, I will relent concerning the calamity I planned to bring on it. ... If it does evil in My sight by not obeying My voice, then I will repent of the good with which I had promised to bless it" (Jer. 18:8, 10).    The Rabbis write: "God disposes absolutely of the destinies of Israel and every other nation, in the same way that the potter does whatever he pleases with the clay. ... God's blessings are always conditional: the blessings will be forfeited if the people become unworthy of them, while the disaster may be averted if the people repent in time."    The Law was conditional of Israel being obedient, but of course, the nation could not be faithful to what the Lord said. This is why only grace can spare a people from the calamity of judgment. –Dr. Mal Couch (9/10)

WATCH OUT FOR HERESY

Someone put me on a subscription for a newsletter published by a very ignorant writer out of a local town in Texas. What the author writes is heresy. So watch out for stuff that may come in the mail that is just plain error. While the author is correct to flag the abuses of many charismatic leaders, he has some beliefs that we cannot buy into. He says there are six steps on "What You Must Do To Be Saved." (1) Admit you are a sinner, (2) Repent, (3) Believe in Christ, (4) Seek sanctification (5) Obey to be baptized, and (6) Spend time in prayer and reading the King James Bible. He also adds, "Seek God for pure heart, It is the only way to heaven!" He also writes: "The true Gospel of Jesus Christ, which is Holiness"! As with most ignorant Bible teachers, he denies eternal security. In denying the Pre-Tribulational Rapture, he misquotes the Bible all over the place! He denies Paul's doctrine of the imminence of the coming of Christ. He fails to quote 1 Thess. 1:10 where the apostle wrote that the Thessalonians were waiting for God's Son from heaven and He "raised Him from the dead, that is Jesus, who delivers US from the wrath to come." Notice that Paul included himself who was right then waiting for His coming. Paul did not know God's timetable for the rapture so we are all still waiting. But the way Paul says this he clearly felt the coming of Christ was imminent. This author adds that we could be deceived (2 Thess. 2:3) by thinking that "the rapture is imminent." He takes "the day of the Lord" in verse 2 as the rapture rather than the Tribulation. A small child would see the connection of the deception and the Thessalonians thinking that the rapture was about to come. This author then references Matthew 24:30 and "the coming in the clouds of the Son of man" as the proof that Christ's coming is not a "secret" rapture. I don't know who started the idea of "a secret rapture." The Bible says nothing about that. The Matthew 24 passage is not about the rapture but about Christ's second coming to reign and rule on earth in His millennial kingdom. This author has a bunch of passages all mixed up and thrown into one pot. The author does not notice that the Son of Man is a messianic passage and is not about Christ coming for the church. It is a reference of Israel's Messiah, i.e., the second coming. I almost wrote to this guy to cancel my subscription but I get too many laughs reading his heresy. So I want to get his little paper so that I can warn you and others as to how bad it's getting out there with error! –Dr. Mal Couch (9/10)

Philippians:THE UNIQUENESS OF OUR SAVIOR

The Lord Jesus is both fully man and fully God. Christ is very God and very Man. He is the God/Man. He is human and yet without sin. He is God the Son, deity, who has always existed. He has always had a relation with God the Father, and with God the Holy Spirit. He never sinned, never would, never could, and never will! His very person is deity, sinless, perfect, and holy. Jesus exists presently in His human natural body and yet He is also omnipresent. His spirit is everywhere. He dwells within believers, and yet He is presently confined to His eternal physical body in glory. The Word of God is consistent with these facts from Genesis to Revelation. There are not three Gods in the Godhead. There is only One God, who exists in three Persons! Jesus came into the world of humanity, was God's only unique born One. Mysteriously, in order to prevent Him from being sinful, He was born of a virgin. Apparently, the human sinful nature was not passed down to Him. He took on all the qualities of humanity, and yet without sin. His deity and humanity were somehow joined or co-mingled. Sometimes His humanity was evident and then at other times His deity dominated what He did and what He said. This is a great mystery that we cannot figure out. It is a paradox, two parallel teachings (parallel doctrines) that do not conflict but in some way operate alongside of each other. Having translated the entire book of Philippians, I saw these great truths in 2:5-11. Paul starts the passage by saying that believers should have the same "attitude" of humility of Christ, though He was very God and could have exalted Himself above His fellow human beings. (2:5) We are to have "this attitude" which was also in Christ Jesus. Better reads: "You are to be thinking this way ..." Christ becomes our example of how we are to think in our Christian walk. (2:6) Christ "existed" in the "morphe" or "form" of God. "Existed" means that He lived this way. It is the "to be" verb. "He is being in this form." He continually is now existing this way. Everything that can be said of God the Father can be said of Christ. He is the reflection of all that God is, and He has always been thus! (2:6b) He "did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped." Or, "He did not think He needed to take advantage of this equality with God." Since He is God there was no need to prove anything in the heavens. He already is God! (2:7a) But He "emptied Himself." This is an Aorist Tense. It is the doctrine of the Kenoses, "to empty." By this Christ "self-humiliated" Himself by His incarnation and voluntary death on the cross, then, were the way in which He showed that "being equal to God" was for Him not a possession to be exploited for selfish ends, instead, it led Him to deprive Himself and serve others. He took on the form of a slave despite His status of equality with God. He gave up the equality with God to take on the form of a slave! He humbled Himself to serve His people. This included His incarnation and His act of redemption. (2:8) "He was found in an outward appearance (skimatics) as a man." As you looked at Christ, everything conformed to the appearance of humanity, except with sin. He was the perfect Son of God! "He humbled (tapeinoo, Aorist Tense) Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross." Tapeinoo means to reduce oneself to a lower circumstance. "To afflict the soul," or "assign to a lower rank." That is, as the Son of God now in a human body. He did not throw away His deity. He is still very God! (2:9) Therefore, "God highly exalted Him, and bestowed upon Him the name which is above every name." God granted to Him the extreme name. This is the only way we can be saved. Christ had to become part of the human race in order to save us. Without this new state, He could not represent us before the Father! There never was such a perfect, sinless man, who could substitute for us under the wrath of God! We are blessed by what the Lord did with His Son! – Dr. Mal Couch (9/10)

An Australian Christian Speaks Out

Dear Dr. Couch,

Last night I was watching the events that happened during the Sept.11 attack in America with all the video footage of the actual events, interviews with all the people on the scenes including those of former president Bush's staffs and relatives of those who died in the hijacked planes. It was really a terrible event! I think it should be shown over American televisions to remind Americans once again of the horrors of Islam. I came to think that America was like a sitting duck even at this time, nothing much has changed to America . One American pastor recently wrote about the event said that America is in a great slumber and when the alarm sounded she woke up snooze the alarm and went back to sleep. It's a tragedy America doesn't seem to learn much from that event. A Muslim president is even voted into presidency! Long time ago I heard another American pastor noted that America is going to be destroyed from within not from without. I believe this is happening now, interestingly not only in America but almost all nations of the world.

Considering what is happening in America , Israel and the rest of the world, the events are bleak and getting worst. I have considered in particular that many of the American leaders are in denial of what really is Islam. I have heard Bush over television at one time convincing people that Islam is a religion of peace. This is being propagated in the minds of American people until this time. Obama is an ardent supporter of such doctrine. Even here in Australia people in the government wanted to appease the Muslims and Islam by introducing in public schools curriculum about understanding Islam. The Australian government wanted Australians to learn the ways of Islam. It is quite alarming Islam is gaining control of many areas in the world. Because majority of the Muslim nations are holding the oil supply they are holding everyone hijacked. The problem is that the whole world is thirsty for oil.

I believe we cannot expect the world to be better soon. Even the concerted effort of all the nations of the world to achieve peace is going nowhere. All of them are after some compromised peace for some ulterior motives.

Only the intervention of the Lord Jesus Christ is our only hope and may He come soon.

Yours in the Lord,
An Australian Christian

ON WHAT BASIS?

On what basis did the majority of the American people vote for Barrack Hussein Obama? What did they not see that so many others of us were well aware of? Those who voted for him were mainly minorities who had no understanding how democracy works that came from the Reformation framework in Europe. All they knew is that they wanted "change." They were not appreciative of what we were blessed with. They wanted more socialism, the freebies and the give-away from the government. Welfare and more welfare, free food and education—this is what often drives them. Also the younger crowd voted for him because they were brainwashed in the liberal socialistic universities. Those who had no moral compass or conservative thinking, want only what they want! They are governed by self-ism! It is a statistical fact that those who are younger are more liberal and vote Democratic. They see no problem with socialism, abortion, and homosexuality. Many of them despise the confines of Christianity. It is also a known fact that those who are liberal and vote Democratic give but a small amount to charity in comparison to those who vote Republican and who are conservative. Too, Democrats go to church far less than those who are conservative. While President Bush was certainly not perfect, he was not the one who virtually destroyed America, as the liberals would contend. All of the above is not simply about politics. These are spiritual issues. Everything we do, every decision we make, has to do with theology. We do not make decisions in a vacuum. We do not vote from a neutral perspective. Morality governs our every decision. The Word of God reminds us: "A divine decision is in the lips of the king; his mouth should not err in judgment" (Prov. 16:10), and, "It is an abomination for kings to commit wickedness, for a throne is established on righteousness" (v. 12). "When the righteous increase the people rejoice, but when a wicked man rules, people groan" (29:2). Also, "When the wicked rise, men hide themselves: but when [the wicked] perish, the righteous increase" (28:28). –Dr. Mal Couch (9/10)

A NATION IN SLAVERY

Have you seen the pictures? We are at war in America with the Muslims. The pictures show hundreds of Muslims getting permission to stop the traffic in New York City in order to pray on Fridays in the streets! And we cannot put up a Christmas tree! Thousands of New Yorkers are standing around wondering what has happened. Their stupidity has blinded them as to the reality of the spiritual war that we have already lost.    We have lost, as one authority has said, we have lost World War III, to the Muslims. We sat passively and did nothing. Most people do not get it but someday they will. It will dawn on them what we gave away.    Find the pictures on the web. You will be shocked!    By the way, you will probably not see these photos on the liberal media. They also do not understand what is taking place. Read Deuteronomy 28:47-48:    "Because you did not serve the Lord your God with joy and a glad heart, for the abundance of all things; therefore you shall serve your enemies whom the Lord shall send against you, in hunger, in thirst, in nakedness, and in the lack of all things; and He will put an iron yoke on your neck until He has destroyed you."    It is over America. The judgment is near and it is certain! – Dr. Mal Couch (9/10)

IS REPENTANCE A SEPARATE WORK FOR SALVATION?

One denomination that is heretical believes that there are five steps in order to be saved. (1) Believe in Christ, (2) Confess your sins, (3) Repent of your sins, (4) Be water baptized in their denomination, and, (5) Join their church. Without these independent steps, you are not saved.    While this is clearly false teaching, this group is definitely serious about this process of salvation. But others also think that repentance is a separate step in order to be saved. Believing in Christ is not enough. If this is so then the Gospel of John misleads us about how to have eternal life. The word "believe" is used some 120 times in John's Gospel and he does not mention repentance even one time!    Definition: The word repentance is a combination of two Greek words: Meta=with, and Noeo=mind. "With the mind," thus "to change the mind."    The Balz  & Schneider Lexicon say this is a "change of the mind from ignorance, or from sin, and a turning toward Christ and salvation." It can also be translated "to convert" or to "turn around." When one believes in Christ he is turning away from his past sins and receiving Christ. This is a component of believing, but it is not a separate work for salvation.    Repentance does not stand along as an independent work; it almost always has an object that follows the verb. I. Repentance and the kingdom. The Jews were told by John the Baptist "to repent for the kingdom of God was at hand" (Matt. 3:3; 4:17). This was because the King was in their midst.   II. Repentance seems to be used especially with the Jews because they had to "change their minds" in relation to their acceptance and/or rejection of their Messiah, the Lord Jesus Christ. Acts 2:38 is better translated: "All of you change your minds, ... for the forgiveness of all of your sins, and all of you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit, THEN let each one of you individually be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ." To the Jews, and in this context, repentance is equal to salvation. Though the normal way of speaking of salvation is by the use of the concept "to believe." Ger correctly comments "Peter ... associates repentance or belief with the forgiveness of sin." In this context, the two (repentance and belief) are the same. III. Repentance and belief work together, or they are tied together, and are often seen as the same. Mark 1:15 reads: "The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand, repent and believe in the gospel."  The disciples "went out and preached that men should repent" (6:12). "God produces a repentance without regret, leading to salvation ..." (2 Cor. 7:10). "God is now declaring to men that all everywhere should repent" (Acts 17:30). "... testifying to both Jews and Greeks of repentance toward God and faith in our Lord Jesus Christ" (20:21). "... declaring to the Gentiles that they should repent and turn to God, performing deeds appropriate to repentance" (26:20). IV. Repentance can specifically have to do with rejecting sin. "There will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents, than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance" (Luke 15:7), and "There is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents" (Luke 15:10). V. Repentance often seems to be aimed at Israel even more than to the Gentiles. Christ "is the one whom God exalted to His right hand (Psa. 110:1-2) as a Prince and a Savior, to grant repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins" (Acts 5:31). "John (the Baptist) had proclaimed before [Christ's] coming a baptism of repentance to all the people of Israel" (13:24). VI. An example of belief and repentance working together: "God gave to them [the Gentiles] the same gift [of the Holy Spirit] as He gave to us also after believing in the Lord Jesus Christ, ... And when they heard this, they quieted down, and glorified God saying, 'Well then, God has granted to the Gentiles also the repentance that leads to life'" (Acts 11:17-18). Note that belief and repentance seem to be the same thing. Or, they are in tandem together. The word belief (and faith) is used in the New Testament hundreds and hundreds of times. The word repentance is used only 64 times. As mentioned, John the apostle does not use the word repentance at all in his Gospel. The word belief is used 120 times in that writing. – Dr. Mal Couch  (9/10)

THINKING OF AMERICA

While Deuteronomy 28 is about the sins of Israel, there certainly is a reminder of what is happening to America. Though we are not a theocracy, there are still parallels that put chills on our backs! The passage reads:    "Because you did not serve the Lord your God with joy and a glad heart, for the abundance of all things, therefore you shall serve your enemies whom the Lord shall send against you, in hunger, in thirst, in nakedness, and in the lack of all things, and He will put an iron yoke on your neck until He has destroyed you."    A judgment is coming upon this nation, and, I do not see any reprieve or repentance taking place. While many of our citizens, mainly Christians, see the light, the vast majority of our people do not! Several times in this chapter it says, "You shall be destroyed." And so with this great land. We shall be destroyed, if not completely, at least by becoming impotent and helpless, and a servant to other nations. This is happening already with the Chinese. We are presently indebted to them. They are our suppliers. The majority of our products come from them, therefore, we are enslaved to that people.    While we should pray and confess our sins, nevertheless, I do not see God turning us around. He is answering, and His answer is "NO, I am going to judge you because you have not been thankful for all of the abundance by which I blessed you!"    As a believer who knows Christ, you should get your house in order. (1) Get rid of your credit card debt, (2) save, (3) down size your material "stuff", (4) do not purchase what you do not need. The world says "spend," but the Lord says "save." We read in Proverbs 30:25: "The ants are not a strong folk, but they prepare their food in the winter. The badgers are not mighty folk, yet they make their houses in the rocks."    Be prepared! A judgment is coming! –Dr. Mal Couch (9/10)

THE KINGDOM INSIDE THE PHARISEES?

Many think that the kingdom had begun when Christ was ministering. They use Luke 19:21 which reads in the KJV and other older texts: "For behold, the kingdom of God is in you." But the NAS translates the passage correctly: "For behold, the kingdom of God is in your midst."    First of all, Christ is speaking to the Pharisees and surely they would not have the kingdom within! But there is more to the passage and to the idea of the "kingdom in their midst."    In most passages that mention this idea the Perfect Tense is used. For example: Luke 10:9, 11. To the disciples Christ said, say to the people "The kingdom of God has come near to you" (v. 9). And in verse 11: "Be sure of this, that the kingdom of God has come near." The verb is "agizo" which means "to come near."    I wrote in my commentary: "The kingdom of God has come near to you." It has arrived but it has not been inaugurated. "It has been on its way, and it has arrived, but it has in no way begun!"    In Luke 17:21 Jesus continued this thought and told the Pharisees, "It is existing in your midst, but it certainly has not started. When kingdom of God (and kingdom of heaven) is mentioned, it is accompanied by a Perfect Tense, meaning the kingdom has come up to the moment but it has not been inaugurated.    The kingdom, the messianic kingdom, was there because the King was in their presence. In my Luke commentary I wrote: "The doctrine of the postponement of the kingdom is clear in verse 25: "But first He must suffer many things and be rejected by this generation." When the Messiah comes to reign, it will be like the judgment days of Noah and of Sodom. –Dr. Mal Couch (9/10)