The Seven Deadly Sins are alive and well in our modern day society and this article takes a wander into the world of the Deadly Sin of Lust. This carnal desire is one of the base human instincts that is difficult to control and goes back to our caveman days. It is still there in our primitive brain and subconsciously works behind the scenes in our lives. If you are not careful, it has the potential to take over our lives and the final result is the ultimate destruction of the victim concerned.
The definition of Lust in dictionary terms is the intense desire of money, food, fame or power, but we will focus on the three letter S word because that is what Lust is mainly about in Biblical terms.
Just like the other deadly sins this one displays the same relentless cycle of Buzz, Euphoria and Bliss, then Guilt and Shame then Depression and a Low, then the whole process is repeated again to come out of this low. The problem with all these Deadly Sins is the "Buzz" phase never lasts so this becomes a never ending cycle that is hard to break, even with the strongest willpower in the world, you may prolong the period between cycles, but eventually things will catch up with you and you will fall into the same trap again and the process repeats.
Examples of Lust in our Modern Times
Lust in our Modern Day Society can include Incest, Rape, Prostitution, Homosexuality, Bestiality, Paedophiles to name just a few. All these will start off welcoming you with open arms and satisfy those desires in the short term but in the longer term you realise those desires never get satisfied for long and you keep coming back for more and maybe the more extreme or stronger version to get the same kick you used to get. This can lead you down a dark road which eventually can lead to all sorts of problems including health problems, relationship problems, loss of your job, mental issues and even imprisonment or again in it´s final stages death. This process can take months, years, decades or a lifetime but the result will always be the same.
Another example that is more creeping in nature and more socially acceptable in our modern times is Pornography. This works in exactly the same way as the other deadly sins and gives you that Buzz, Euphoria and Bliss, then the Guilt and Shame kicks in, then Depression and a low and then the whole process is repeated to relieve this low point and you will crave stronger and stronger versions to get that same kick. This behaviour is classed as an addictive behaviour, just like smoking or drugs or alcohol and is a difficult habit to break. This can ultimately lead to the same results as the previous mentioned forms of Lust.
Adultery again is another obvious one which is basically fornication as in having affairs and relations outside of your marriage. Again just like the other forms of Lust you may get away with it for a short while or even a considerable period of time but it will eventually catch up with you and the marriage will inevitably suffer as a result. Lust is not the same as Love. Lust is short term and Love is a longer term bond.
This is where the expression "becoming a slave to sin" comes from and describes this process which is like a merry-go-round going faster and faster, you want ot get off...but you can´t. All these Deadly Sins show the same qualities in that you want more and more, they become obsessions and they eventually take over your life. Lust is one of the more powerful and is one that tends to be hidden in society and tends to be kept quiet and hidden underground.
The thing is, people who are caught in this trap, know what they are doing is wrong but they just can´t break out of it. They may seek professional help and this may get them out of the situation for a certain period of time but it´s normally a temporary state of affairs and many eventually return to re-offend and continue in their old ways.
The Modern Day Lust Society
The problem with our Modern Day Lust Society, is this attitude "Everybody is doing it..... so it must be OK" and "Lust and Sin are Victorian concepts and don´t apply in these Modern Times" or "It´s only natural". Unfortunately both these attitudes do not change the fact that the Deadly Sins are still there and it doesn´t matter how society changes or how many other people are doing it, the Deadly Sin will still work in the same way and lead in the end to your destruction in some shape or form. The recent high profile celebrity cases (no names mentioned) reveal the deadly and destructive nature of the Deadly Sin of Lust and show no matter how famous or how much money you have, it can lead to devastating consequences in your life.
What´s the solution?
What´s the answer and escape from this relentless Deadly Sin cycle? From my experience and believe me, I was right in the thick of it, the only way is to be Born Again and Saved, that way you will control the flesh rather than the other way round.. You will not beat this thing on your own, there are just too many things in this world today that will lead you astray and back to square one because we live in a fallen world!
Bible Quotes
Matthew 5:28 - But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart.
Galatians 5:16 - This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh.
1 Corinthians 6:18 - Flee fornication. Every sin that a man doeth is without the body; but he that committeth fornication sinneth against his own body.
Colossians 3:5 - Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry:
1 John 2:16 - For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.
2 Timothy 2:22 - Flee also youthful lusts: but follow righteousness, faith, charity, peace, with them that call on the Lord out of a pure heart.
Romans 8:6 - For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.
Wrath is one of the Seven Deadly Sins, also it´s off-shoots and variations are Anger, Rage, Fury, Violence, Temper and Revenge. This is one of the more obvious Deadly Sins when it flares up, but can lay dormant in some people and then appear rapidly from nowhere. Others may have a different temperament and have a cliff edge mentality, always appearing on edge and easy to anger and experience wrath. Either way it manifests itself differently from the previous two Deadly Sins of Greed and Pride or Vanity which have more of a creeping nature about them, but to onlookers it is obvious this person is overcome by Greed or Vanity.
Despite it being one of the more obvious Seven Deadly Sins, Wrath can be a difficult one to overcome just like the others, it´s a bit of a nuclear bomb situation. Even if you try to make changes within yourself, there will always be external influences from other people and the pressures of modern day society that will cause Wrath to manifest itself in your life. We are Fallen Flesh and of Adam and live in a Fallen World.
Wrath. One of the Seven Deadly Sins in Modern Society
Wrath can cause arguments, destroy relationships and friendships, lead to health problems including heart attacks, lead to violence and in extreme cases serious injury. It can lead to loss of employment and financial problems and it can lead to imprisonment or even death. Wrath has been the precursor to almost all wars throughout history and is playing a part in the recent World War 3 headlines that have subsided of late.
Although many think of the Seven Deadly Sins as something from the Victorian era that do not really apply in this modern day and age as "times have changed", these Deadly Sins probably apply more now than they did back in the Victorian times. They were especially prevalent in the Middle Ages.
Modern Day Examples of Wrath
Modern day examples of Wrath include Computer Rage, Road Rage, Football hooligans, Black Friday Rage, Domestic Violence, Riots and Speech Promoting Violence
Wrath Symptons and Warnings
The symptons of Wrath or Anger include Irritability, Impatience, Raised Voice, Glaring Eyes, Hurtful Words and Bad Language, Explosive Actions, Relational Breakdown, Attitudes of Superiority and Physical Tension.
Wrath is just like the other Seven Deadly Sins and shows the same viscious cycle of Buzz or Adrenaline Rush, a feeling of Power and a releasing of tension then coming back down to earth followed by Guilt and then Depression which then leads to the next cycle for the whole process to be repeated again. Strangely Wrath is not a desirable trait in this modern day and age but many jobs and pressures in society produce this Deadly Sin in abundance and it is also promoted in TV, Hollywood Movies and the Media.
The Christian way of dealing with Wrath?
Christians will keep a close eye on Wrath and Anger as it is mentioned in the Bible as one of the symptons of the Flesh and Christians are supposed to control the flesh and not the other way round. If you are Truly Born Again and Indwelt with the Holy Spirit, there will be an inner stillness and peace inside you that no matter what goes on in the outside world that inner peace and calmness will remain. The Fruits of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control as mentioned in Galatains 5:22-23. You could say the opposite are The Seven Deadly Sins.
The Christian way of dealing with Wrath will be to let the storm blow over and then confront the situation afterwards when that other persons mind is more rational and not during a Wrath episode. There is a Righteous anger in some Christian doctrines, righteous anger is considered the only form of anger which is not a sin. A Christian should not be angry, but if our constructive outrage results in restoring people into a loving, healing relationships with Jesus, it then can be classed as righteous anger.
An example of this would be Jesus who overthrew the money lenders tables in the Temple in Matthew 21 in The New Testament. Joshua and also David and Goliath would be other examples in The Old Testament
Matthew 21.12-13 12. And Jesus went into the temple of God, and cast out all them that sold and bought in the temple, and overthrew the tables of the moneychangers, and the seats of them that sold doves, 13. And said unto them, It is written, My house shall be called the house of prayer; but ye have made it a den of thieves.
Also in the Synagogue in Mark 3
Mark 3:1-5 1. And he entered again into the synagogue; and there was a man there which had a withered hand. 2. And they watched him, whether he would heal him on the sabbath day; that they might accuse him. 3. And he saith unto the man which had the withered hand, Stand forth. 4. And he saith unto them, Is it lawful to do good on the sabbath days, or to do evil? to save life, or to kill? But they held their peace. 5. And when he had looked round about on them with anger, being grieved for the hardness of their hearts, he saith unto the man, Stretch forth thine hand. And he stretched it out: and his hand was restored whole as the other.
The Wrath of God
Even God has Wrath as mentioned many times in the Bible, but he always gives warnings, many warnings and is slow to anger, with the Wrath building over a long period of time such as decades or many hundreds of years, before the Wrath in the form of Judgement is released when there was no other option left. This is always tempered with forgiveness in the End demonstrating a never ending and deeper love for mankind knowing that we are essentially flawed in nature.
Romans 1:18 - For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness;
John 3:36 - He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.
Conclusion.
Wrath will not have you wearing Gucci or Prada or have hair by Vidal Sassoon as in the Deadly Sin of Vanity nor will it have you, wearing Rolex Watches, driving Ferrari´s or living in the best part of town as in the Deadly Sin of Greed. Wrath works differently and is difficult to see on the surface until it flares up, the warning signs will be there, but by then it is normally too late and the Genie will be out of the bottle. The only signs will be the trail of destruction in your life that will surface in the future such as applying for a job. There are courses in Anger Management, a hilarious film by the same title gives a good insight, you can take tablets, change your job or even just work from home and never leave the house, but eventually this Wrath will flare up again in some shape or form. The only total solution to overcome this Deadly Sin just like the others is to be "Born Again". Check out the Video which gives other examples including some of my personal experiences before I was "Saved"
Bible Quotes:
(Ephesians 4:26–27, 30–32).
26. Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath: 27. Neither give place to the devil.
30. And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption. 31. Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice: 32. And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you.
Proverbs 15:18 - A wrathful man stirreth up strife: but he that is slow to anger appeaseth strife.
Galatians 5:19-21 19 Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, 20 Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, 21 Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.
Galatians 5:22-26 22. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, 23. Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. 24. And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts. 25. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. 26. Let us not be desirous of vain glory, provoking one another, envying one another.
Colossians 3:8 - But now ye also put off all these; anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communication out of your mouth.
Ecclesiastes 7:9 - Be not hasty in thy spirit to be angry: for anger resteth in the bosom of fools.
James 1:19-20 - 19. Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath: 20. For the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God.
Proverbs 29:11 - A fool uttereth all his mind: but a wise man keepeth it in till afterwards.
Proverbs 16:32 - He that is slow to anger is better than the mighty; and he that ruleth his spirit than he that taketh a city.
James 1:19 - Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath:
Proverbs 15:1 - A soft answer turneth away wrath: but grievous words stir up anger.
Ephesians 4:31 - Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice:
Psalms 37:8 - Cease from anger, and forsake wrath: fret not thyself in any wise to do evil.
Proverbs 14:29 - He that is slow to wrath is of great understanding: but he that is hasty of spirit exalteth folly.
Ephesians 4:26 - Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath:
This is a continuation from the last article about what could happen in the Last Days or as Preppers call it the SHTF scenario. It´s not a pleasant read and it´s aim is not to terrify but to mentally prepare you for what could be on it´s way. Emerging Hordes will be a real threat to survival in those End Times Days, but one horrific micro burst vision that came like a bolt out of the blue whilst cycling through Central London was Rats and Pets gone wild particularly dogs. I still think you should be prepared with the basics such as food, water and medical supplies and a location and some form of shelter, but this thought and theory gives a whole new meaning and angle to the word "Prepping". This is mentioned in Revelation! Are you mentally prepared to be hunted for the food you have by not only humans but animals as well? Are you prepared to be hunted as a potential food item yourself? Ascrazy as it sounds, lets take a look at two possible End Time Scenarios that Preppers in particular may not have factored into their preparedness equation
Are Preppers Prepared for this Doomsday Scenario when the Lights go OUT? Video
Scenario 1 Rats
Apparently there is one rat to every person in a city say the size of London, Paris or New York. In cities of that size that equates to approx 8 Million Rats per city. That´s a lot of rats. They live amongst us just like Pigeons. Unlike pigeons, they keep a low profile and are rarely seen, but if you know where to look, you´ll find them, hundreds or even thousands of them. I´ve seen sewer rats the size of a small dog like a jack russell but say slightly shorter. Why do they live amongst us? Food basically, a steady stream of food in the form of waste in underground sewers, leftovers in waste bins, discarded items dropped in the streets, waste from restaurants and supermarkets in industrial sized bins, food factory waste, household waste. For a rat it´s like paradise and people represent a steady food source. There is a saying "Do not bite the hand that feeds you" which strangely rats seem to be in a bizarre way, aware of. What would happen though if the lights went out and that food source came to a standstill in an End Times scenario. What would go through a rats mind in such a scenario?
Scenario 2 Dogs
Dogs in their wild state especially in many third world countries are classed as scavengers, a bit like a Hyena and are pack hunters. It´s no coincidence that in the Western World they are mans best friend. A constant food supply in the form of free food and water, bed and lodging, regular exercise and companionship, safety from other predators, any diseases are quickly taken care of by a visit to the vet and plenty of love and affection, pats on the head and tickling of bellie and being part of a family unit or pack. What dog is going to turn that sort of life down. BUT what happens if the proverbial SHTF happens as mentioned in the Bible, it´s lights out not for days or weeks but months or longer or they may never come back on again and we are plunged into the 1850´s. What then? In isolated instances dogs are loyal to their owners to the end no matter what, but if the food supply is cut and say 1 in 4 homes has a dog, what are the chances of dogs continuing this loyalty when the food runs out. Will they revert back to their wild ways and start hunting in packs looking for food regardless of what it is....even human?
Animals and Man and The Bible
There is a term in the Bible that goes back to Genesis and it is called Dominion. Why does mankind have dominion over the earth? Why is it men can ride elephants and horses that are double or quadruple their size and these animals allow them to do it? How can we manage to herd cows, sheep and other large animals and control their behaviour? Why is it that attacks from the big cats in the Wild such as Lions and Tigers are still to this day very rare but they will quite happily take on an Elephant?. Why don´t flocks of birds in their thousands attack us whilst walking down the street and look at us as an abundant food source. Why aren´t we over run with swarms of rats at night trying to break into our house and raid our ample food cupboards. Because for some reason they are terrified of us, they rely on us as a food source, but that is not the main reason. Some say that it is man´s superior intelligence that gives us dominion over the earth. That could be true, but then Dolphins have been proven to be highly intelligent, why don´t they have dominion over the sea? Chimpanzees are highly intelligent, why don´t they have dominion over the jungle? We take this for granted without even thinking about it, we assume that the natural order put´s us at the top of the pyramid. So what put us there at the top of this pyramid?
You will find the answer to this staring you in the face in the Old Testament of the Bible in Genesis 1:26 and 1:28
Genesis 1:26 - And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.
Genesis 1:28 - And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.
In Genesis 1:28 the first four words read "And God Blessed them", so mankind was blessed and given this dominion by God the Creator. If we move forward a few thousand years and read the Book of Revelation, we are presented with a very different End Times scenario. Mankind in this situation is cursed and not blessed and only Christians and Jews are blessed, Non Believers are not. Here an inversion of the Pyramid will be taking place and will be initiated by the Four Horseman of the Apocalypse especially the third and Fourth Horseman which represent the third and fourth seals of Revelation in Chapter 6 of the Book of Revelation as demonstrated below.
Revelation 6:5-8 5. And when he had opened the third seal, I heard the third beast say, Come and see. And I beheld, and lo a black horse; and he that sat on him had a pair of balances in his hand. 6. And I heard a voice in the midst of the four beasts say, A measure of wheat for a penny, and three measures of barley for a penny; and see thou hurt not the oil and the wine. 7. And when he had opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth beast say, Come and see. 8. And I looked, and behold a pale horse: and his name that sat on him was Death, and Hell followed with him. And power was given unto them over the fourth part of the earth, to kill with sword, and with hunger, and with death, and with the beasts of the earth.
Verse 8 above has particular relevance here in this inversion of the pyramid theory "And power was given unto them over the fourth part of the earth, to kill with sword, and with hunger, and with death, and with the beasts of the earth" There is mention here of death through the sword which normally means "war" of some description and could mean the Hordes that will emerge that will kill their fellow man just to get a meal. Death by famine or hunger is also mentioned in that verse which implies some form of severe food shortage. Also mentioned is death by the beasts of the earth which implies in no uncertain terms that with food shortages, animals may be turning the tables on humans and the hunter will become the hunted and mans dominion over the earth will come to an end. It has to be noted though, this only happens to a quarter of the earth, but it does act as a warning that this could become a global scenario further down the line in the book of Revelation Prophecy. This Prophecy clearly has not been fulfilled yet.
This is something I think that is overlooked in Revelation with more focus given to the more apocalyptic events such as Armageddon, the total judgement events of the Vials (Bowls) and especially Chapter 13 and the rise of the Beast and the associated system and "The Mark".
Watch the video featured at the beginning of this article for more views on this scenario especially in relation to Preppers. How do you cope with such a scenario when you are surrounded by hungry people and animals that are desperate for their next meal and will do whatever it takes to do so. Numbers will rule the day in this environment. Remember rats are kept under control in our modern day society. There numbers will greatly increase once the pest control services are no longer around.
Conclusion
The more you get into the book of Revelation and it´s related cross referenced earlier books, it dawns on you, no matter what you do you will come to a brick wall, there is no escape from these judgements. There will only be two camps in the Last Days, those who follow Darkness and take the mark of the Beast and those who follow the Light as in True Christians and most likely Jews and do not take the mark. If you are a Grey as in a Lukewarm Christian or Non Believer you can currently hide in modern day society and get away with it. BUT there will be no safe middle ground in those last days, you will have to decide which camp you will be in, the Book of Revelation is set up precisely to lead to that unavoidable but decisive situation.
A delve into the world of Greed and Materialism and one of the more obvious Seven Deadly Sins, this one can still creep up on you unawares but will ultimately lead you to the same place as the other Seven Deadly Sins and that is ultimate destruction. It will be a roller coaster thrill of a ride but the destination is always the same.
The Oxford Dictionary Definition
Noun: Intense and selfish desire for something, especially wealth, power, or food:
What is Greed?
Greed is a sin that goes against the root of Christianity which is: love for God, love for our fellow man, and love for our bodies. Greed and it´s offshoot materialism (the love of THINGS) plays on the fact that everybody has desires (of the flesh) and wants the finer things in life and everybody wants quality, but absolute quality costs and will cost you dear. Greed encompasses the love, obsession and acquisition of money, acquisition and hording of expensive material possessions, gambling, trading and other activities to accumulate money and the focus on wealth creation and finally everything that this brings with it which is "Power". The old saying "He who has the Gold has the power" rings very true here.
All of these activities have one thing in common they are characterised by excess with need beyond normal requirements. Gluttony is another Deadly Sin that works in a similar way to this one, but is more focused on food or drink, but Greed is the same bed fellow and shows the same characteristics and can be tied in with food as well.
How does it start?
It all starts the same way as all the other Deadly Sins. The first phase with Greed is what I call the "Seduction Phase". Bright lights, Loud Music, Fantastic Colours, Fanfares, Free introductory offers, 0% finance, Glossy Brochures and Tantalising Showrooms, buy now pay later SPECIAL deals, Black Friday Events, Free Glass of Bubbly, No obligation 14 day free trial and the hyper advanced sales techniques all polished off with sophisticated advertising that even a NASA scientist wouldn´t be able to figure out. If you don´t have the money, have this store or membership card and it´s yours....it´s simple!
If you take the bait with the massive hook in it and sign on the dotted line, you will sign up for a roller coaster ride that initially will give you a buzz like nothing else, admiring glances, doors opening for you that were always closed, friends will suddenly turn up who you never knew you had and it looks like the beginning of one long never ending party. Things are good and will continue for a while to stay that way but as with all the deadly sins when you start to realise that you are on a one way journey and that roller coaster ride is getting faster and faster and you want to get off....you come to realise that you cannot get off this thing.
Example No1 Rolls Royce v VW Golf
A prime example of excess or Greed is the Rolls Royce or Bentley. Take a trip to this website that sells high end cars and you will find the Rolls Royce Dawn is 300,000 GBP, that´s right three hundred thousand.
Now if we go down a few notches down to a perfectly respectable, reliable, quality but desirable car that most people can afford the VW Golf. THE VOLKSWAGEN GOLF 5DR TSI MATCH EDITION list price is 21,345 GBP
Lets put things into perspective and some sort of reality here. For the Price of One Rolls Royce Dawn you could have just over 14 VW Golf TSI Matches. One for you, one for your wife and you would still have 12 left over. You could give one to your neighbour, one to each of your older kids, donate one to charity.....that still leaves 8! This is an illustration of greed. Both cars do exactly the same thing, get you from A to B, have a heater, radio/mp3 player, have seats, 4 wheels, somewhere to put your luggage or shopping, a steering wheel to go round corners, have headlights so you can see where you are going at night and windscreen wipers so you can see where you are going when it´s raining. Only difference is, the Rolls Royce will have a better ride (whatever that is) draw more admiring glances and pointing fingers and oohs and ahhhs and will turn more heads and is a status symbol, but will cost you a fortune in fuel and insurance. You have to be a millionaire to drive one.
Q: Which one is the Christian Car? A: The VW Golf............. but probably second hand!
You could apply this to expensive Art in the Millions, 5 or 6 bedroom properties when the average family is 4 people, massive mansions with massive grounds, super yachts and cruisers, Chandeliers that costs 100K and need reinforced ceilings to support them and the rest.
Example No2 My personal Experience
As mentioned in the featured video shot in the Knightsbridge Area I personally used to trade the financial markets, share or day trading they call it. Nothing big just 4 figure sums probably equivalent to a good jobs one months salary or double that before tax. That´s a lot but it´s peanuts in the financial markets. When you play this game which is essentially gambling, two emotions will feature in your life 24/7 and they are Fear and Greed. Fear when you are losing money or buying when the market is going into free fall and everybody is bailing out, (that´s how you make the big money) or Greed where you are making money and you want to make more, and when you have made more you want more than that.
From my experience this roller coaster combination of emotions and some incredibly adverse markets led to myself nearly going bankrupt, ending up to my eyeballs in debt at the 5 Figure Level equivalent to a a good jobs YEARLY salary, debt collectors chasing me day and night and being homeless for quite some period of time. This is my personal experience of Greed, hence this article, I have been there got the T Shirt and lived (just about) to tell the tale. Others have not and may have taken their lives after such an experience (those thoughts entered my mind during that terrible time)
Example No3 Gambling Situation No2 The Gee Gee´s
Let´s look at a Gambling situation that demonstrates Greed and it´s associated emotions. You walk past a bookies and see a Free 50 GBP bet (terms and conditions apply) you walk in, get welcomed with open arms, sign on the dotted line, place your bet 50GBP on a 100/1 total loser horse with no form called "First Across The Line". The bookies willingly take your bet knowing this thing will never win and you have lost 50GBP (although you will have lost nothing it´s a free bet). You check online the following day expecting it to fall at the first fence only to find out it won and you have just won 2550 GBP (2500 plus 50 original bet). BUZZING You go back to the bookies to claim your money but think you are on a winning streak and you see a horse called "Definite Winner" at 20/1 rank outsider. You think go for it, put all your winnings on that horse all 2550 GBP. Check the following day it´s won again you now have 51,000 GBP plus original stake 2550 = 53,550 GBP.
BUZZING EVEN MORE thinking WHOOOO HOOOO You decide to go for it, put the whole lot on another horse that looks a winner called "Rocket Speed!!!!!!" at 10/1. If you win you will have 535,550 plus original stake of 53,550. That´s nearly 600K. You decide to stay and watch the race. Your horse is in the lead with 500 metres to go, Ferraris, Champagne and Ocean Cruisers fill your mind, private beaches in the Bahamas. 200 metres to go and your horse is eclipsing the field, along comes the last fence, it falls and the rest of the field comes past. 600K and those fantastic dreams go up in smoke, you walk out head hanging low. The next day you return with 5000 GBP of your own savings for your kids education to try again. You see a horse called "Bermuda Dream" it´s at 50/1 with average form but you think if it wins you will be half way back to that 600K at 250K. With that name it´s got to win???. Of course the horse comes second and you lose your kids education money, you walk out feeling the lowest you have ever felt. Thoughts of remortgaging the House come into the mind. You just know where this is heading.
This is a prime example of the roller coaster emotional ride you will get on with Greed and it´s cousin Materialism. That Free 50GBP bet is basically Free Crack Cocaine to get you hooked and coming back for more. The Bookies never lost a thing, you never lost anything either it was afree bet, BUT you lost that 600K dream and you want it back and they know that. This is how gambling works and The Bookies always in. It can lead to rack and ruin, bankruptcy and worse. Casinos, online gambling, fruit and slot machines all work on the same principle. The trick is to win that 53,350 walk out and never go back again. The clever and Christian way is to never go in those places in the first place!
Other Examples
There are plenty of other examples of Greed, the famous Scrooge being one and the act of selfish hording, Greed can lead to people partaking in theft of valuable items, robbing banks or jewellery stores and this will ultimately lead to imprisonment or worse but these people think it is worth the risk. The acquisition of power is another example of Greed, politics is a good example and careers another striving to get ever higher on that ladder and making huge life sacrifices. The higher you go through the ranks the more devious methods you have to use to get to the top, a selling of the soul is part of the journey, which many willingly do to achieve that power and rank.
Another example of Greed is doing an average job and working 20 hour days 7 days a week with just 4 hours sleep a day (excessive overtime). I used to work at Heathrow Airport (one of many jobs I´ve had) and knew a guy who did this. 20 hour days with 4 hours sleep (at the airport). He looked terrible but he showed me his pay slip which was 3 times mine with a big smile on his face, Looked at him with jaw to the floor and congratulated him, but even back then when I was not in the faith, realised he was paying a terrible price in the long run. I never followed his example although the opportunity was there.
How can you overcome Greed and the other Seven Deadly Sins?
Greed works just the same way as the other sins, your life will be starting to resemble one homage to excess, in Greeds case it will be money, power and materialism. It will display the same cycles as the others which is Buzz, Guilt, Depression.......Buzz, Guilt, Depression and you end up on a viscious cycle and become a slave to this sin and it will ultimately lead to your downfall. You will be perpetually trying to fill a hole that can never be filled. Could take months maybe even years but it will get you in the end. Greed is what the whole Western Economy is based upon. If people just cycled, drove basic cars, wore basic clothes and just spent money on food, water, heating and lighting, the economy would collapse as we know it. Hence the marketing and advertising to stimulate these habits in society.
If you want to really understand what Greed is all about watch the original version of "Wall Street" with Sheen and Douglas. It´s just a Hollywood film glamourising the financial world, but it´s a pretty accurate depiction of where Greed will take you..........that is to your ultimate destruction in some shape or form.
So what´s the answer? No man can conquer this on their own, there is just too many temptations in this world, advertising, special offers, credit card offers with 0% balance transfers, easy loans, buy now pay later, sophisticated sales techniques not to mention stores and online with their bright lights and loud music. These things are all there to entice and seduce to get you on this roller coaster ride.
To overcome these deadly sins requires a change of Heart. Power does not come from yourself to change the heart. Only God alone can make you a new creation and give you a new heart which will make you walk in his ways. When this event takes place in your life, the seven deadly sins of gluttony, envy, sloth, wrath, pride, lust, and greed will start to fall away and the power they have in your life will also ease away. Only the indwelling of the Holy Spirit in your life can achieve that and then you will desire to live a life based on the Bible and not of The World and it´s desires. Non Believers will have a difficult time overcoming these deadly sins without this help which is only achieved by being Born Again and Saved.
Ezekiel 36:26-27 26. A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh. 27. And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them.
Bible Quotes about Greed
Matthew 6:19-21 19 Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: 20 But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: 21 For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.
Proverbs 15:27 - He that is greedy of gain troubleth his own house; but he that hateth gifts shall live.
1 Timothy 6:9 - But they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition.
1 Timothy 6:10 - For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.
Ecclesiastes 5:10 - He that loveth silver shall not be satisfied with silver; nor he that loveth abundance with increase: this is also vanity.
A look at some recent headlines regarding Deadly Diseases and how they may relate to Bible Prophecy. Some of the diseases and their associated latest news that will be looked at include Zika, Ebola, Bird Flu and Screw Worm. Some of these are highly localised and in a way contained, others were localised at the beginning and have gone global, others yet again are localised but have the potential to go global.
The Bible mentions disease many times and always normally in the context of judgement but the word disease normally appears as plague or pestilence in the Bible itself. This article will focus on just a couple of Bible verses that seem related, one being Book of Revelation 6 and the other being the infamous Matthew 24 and it´s Luke 21 counterpart.
The world even in these modern times, still experiences disease in some shape or form even with all the scientific and technological advancements available to combat them, they still persist especially in the third world. Diseases like Dysentry, Malaria and others kill many people everyday but these have been around since the beginning of time. The Western diseases of Cancer and Heart disease again I personally do not class as Biblical, they are a symptom of living the Western lifestyle and are becoming common now around the world, not just in the West.
Looking in a Biblical Prophecy context it´s the emerging new diseases that seem to have a Biblical ring to them that is being focused on in this article. AIDS would be a case in point and could be classed as a form of judgement against Promiscuity and Homo-sexuality, although others may disagree on this. To this day there is still no satisfactory cure but there are treatments that enable a person who is infected to live a longer and reasonably happier life. These are the sort of Diseases or Pestilences I think the Bible is referring to that target a particular area or group of people, are very difficult to control by man and most importantly in a bizarre and Biblical way there is no cure for these diseases.
Bird flu or Avian Flu
A recent outbreak in very localised places including Iran and Denmark of Bird Flu gives cause for concern. We have had outbreaks in the past but this strange disease targets birds particularly poultry but the transmission to humans is rare and is normally restricted to those working with poultry on farms. If people do catch this though, the results can be deadly and there is no known cure at present More at medicine net
Ebola
Ebola is another disease that seems restricted to West Africa. Ebola is a disease that has killed more than 10,000 people in Sierra Leone, Guinea and Liberia with the main outbreak being in 2014/2015. There are no proven treatments for Ebola or vaccines to prevent individuals becoming infected. It spreads through direct contact with infected bodily fluids or tissue. The virus can be transmitted when an infected person's vomit, blood or other fluids contact another person's mouth, eyes or openings in their skin. One of the disturbing symptoms is bleeding from orifices including eyes, ears and nose and others, part of the process of the disease basically liquifying the body into a mush in it´s advanced stages. More at IB Times.
A recent headline stated that there has been discovered a silent Ebola where people are carriers but display no symptoms, so the original thought that the disease has run it´s course is now unfounded with this new strain. Another twist to this disease that shows worrying Biblical tendencies and would be disastrous if it went global.
Zika
The Zika disease or Microcephaly is a fairly recent phenomenon and again is a prime example of a localised disease that was native to Latin America but has now spread globally. The number of cases is hardly at pandemic levels, but again this disease do have a Biblical ring to it. It targets specifically Pregnant Women and more importantly babies when born and results in head deformities in new born babies which will last throughout their entire life. It is spread by the daytime active Aedes mosquitoes, such as A. aegypti and A. albopictus. Its name comes from the Zika Forest of Uganda, where the virus was first isolated in 1947. Air travel just like with Bird Flu has aided the spread of this disease around the globe. In Florida GM modified mosquitoes have been released in an effort to control the deadly mosquito population and tackle it at source along with fumigation. It is not known the long term effect this action will have?
Screw Worm or Cochliomyia
This is a disease that has not been seen for over 30 years in the US and again displays the characteristic of being highly localised and targeting a very specific group of animals namely Florida Keys Deer. Screw Worm is a parasitic species from a blow fly whose larvae are renowned for eating and infesting the flesh of living organisms, primarily warm-blooded animals such as cattle and other livestock. Their larvae cause myiasis, or an infestation of maggots, in lesions or other wounds and injuries that the host animal may have. The animal literally gets eaten alive with this infestation. Humans can get this disease as well through an open wound. Currently the re-emergence of this disease has affected 10% of the Florida Keys deer population. A recent headline states that to combat the spread of the disease sterile flies have been released to control the population. Again it is not known the long term effect this will have.
Disease or Pestilence and Bible Prophecy.
Pestilence or Plagues are mentioned in the Bible and always in a judgemental context especially in the Old Testament. This Pestilence judgement is always combined with "The Sword" and "Famine", but not always, sometimes one may be missing, but a sample of Bible verses from the Old Testament reveal that this happens on more than one occasion and this is not a mere coincidence.
Exodus 5:3 (No Famine mentioned) And they said, The God of the Hebrews hath met with us: let us go, we pray thee, three days' journey into the desert, and sacrifice unto the LORD our God; lest he fall upon us with pestilence, or with the sword.
Leviticus 26:25 (No Famine Mentioned) And I will bring a sword upon you, that shall avenge the quarrel of my covenant: and when ye are gathered together within your cities, I will send the pestilence among you; and ye shall be delivered into the hand of the enemy.
2 Chronicles 20:9 Sword, Pestilence, Famine If, when evil cometh upon us, as the sword, judgment, or pestilence, or famine, we stand before this house, and in thy presence, (for thy name is in this house,) and cry unto thee in our affliction, then thou wilt hear and help.
Jeremiah 14:12 Sword, Pestilence, Famine When they fast, I will not hear their cry; and when they offer burnt offering and an oblation, I will not accept them: but I will consume them by the sword, and by the famine, and by the pestilence.
Jeremiah 24:10 Sword, Pestilence, Famine And I will send the sword, the famine, and the pestilence, among them, till they be consumed from off the land that I gave unto them and to their fathers.
Jeremiah 29:18 Sword, Pestilence, Famine And I will persecute them with the sword, with the famine, and with the pestilence, and will deliver them to be removed to all the kingdoms of the earth, to be a curse, and an astonishment, and an hissing, and a reproach, among all the nations whither I have driven them:
Ezekiel 5:12 Sword, Pestilence, Famine A third part of thee shall die with the pestilence, and with famine shall they be consumed in the midst of thee: and a third part shall fall by the sword round about thee; and I will scatter a third part into all the winds, and I will draw out a sword after them.
Ezekiel 6:12 Sword, Pestilence, Famine He that is far off shall die of the pestilence; and he that is near shall fall by the sword; and he that remaineth and is besieged shall die by the famine: thus will I accomplish my fury upon them.
In the New Testament as far as can be gathered the judgement of "Famine and Pestilence" but without the Sword (nation rising against nation would be the Sword) is replaced by Earthquakes?? This only appears in a more Prophetic manner in the New Testament. Luke and Matthew below are the two instances this judgement is mentioned.
Matthew 24:7 For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places.
Luke 21:11 And great earthquakes shall be in divers places, and famines, and pestilences; and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven.
Which brings me onto a final observation regarding Biblical Prophecy and that is the Book of Revelation namely Revelation 6:8 and the opening of the Fourth Seal which is the fourth of Four Horseman of the Apocalypse.
Rev 6:8 And I looked, and behold a pale horse: and his name that sat on him was Death, and Hell followed with him. And power was given unto them over the fourth part of the earth, to kill with sword, and with hunger, and with death, and with the beasts of the earth.
This judgement has a very familiar Old Testament feel to it with "The Sword, Famine and Pestilence" replaced with "Sword, Hunger and Death" Sword remains the same, Hunger would equate to Famine most would agree but Death???...........could that be Pestilence and the fulfillment of the classic triple judgement of Sword, Famine, Pestilence mentioned many times in The Old Testament?
As mentioned many times over at You Tube I personally think the first three seals have been opened and probably the fourth as mentioned above but the events they represent are creeping judgements that infiltrate into our system and are precursors to the later judgements which are actual events. The fourth seal has not yet been fulfilled but looks possibly to be starting as demonstrated by the emergence of these new Biblical type diseases that have no cure but at present have not spread to pandemic levels (they are contained). A fourth part of the earth as of yet has not been affected by the Sword (war), Famine or Death (poss Pestilence). This would need to be fulfilled before the Fifth Seal could be opened which would herald the mass slaughtering of Christians which clearly has not happened yet, but again is showing early signs of starting to possibly be opened.
Just ideas and many will disagree, saying The Book of Revelation does not run in chronological order or similar arguments but for me Matthew 24:7 and Revelation 6:8 both have that "Sword, Pestilence and Famine" thing going on and indicate (possibly) right down to a laser point........ that´s where we are in our modern times in Bible Prophecy terms?
Further related videos over at The Twelve Gates You Tube
Bird Flu H5N8 reaches Calais. Are Humans and UK Next?
Vanity. One of the deadliest sins in our modern society
Part of a new series of articles on the Seven Deadly Sins which was covered extensively in an article in the past. This will be looking at and just focusing on each one of these Deadly Sins to reveal what they are all about, how they start, the warning signs, where you could end up and finally how to overcome them in the first place.
Vanity is one of the Seven Deadly Sins, the others being Wrath, Sloth, Gluttony, Lust, Greed and Envy. These are also known as the capital vices or cardinal sins. The deadly sins are those behaviors or habits that directly give birth to other immoralities. True Believers are well aware of these, they class them as evil thoughts or spirits that someone needs to overcome and are equipped to recognise and overcome them. The problem is most normal people are not aware of these Sins, or they are aware and choose to not be aware. Either that or they think that Sin dates back to the Victorian Era and doesn´t apply to modern day society. If everybody else is doing it, surely in this modern day and age it must be OK....right? You may want to think again!
These sins take the form of abuses or excessive versions of a persons natural faculties, desires or passions. Gluttony would be a prime example, which abuses someones desire to eat and takes eating to excess.
Pride or Vanity is one of the most subtle of the deadly sins and is a sly one and will creep into your life whilst you are unawares. It will gradually increase it's presence over time, until one day you realise you have a major problem and your life is starting to go off the rails, by then it is too late.......the damage has been done.
The biggest culprits of the Sin of Vanity I would say are Beauty and Fashion and their associated industries. Both will do the same thing, bring you admiring glances and fuel your ego and give you that initial buzz, but over time if you are not careful you are walking on a trapeze wire without a safety net and you could fall.The initial buzz just like crack cocaine never lasts and you end up coming back for more and increasing quantities of it or stronger versions to get the same kick. You end up in a vicious cycle of Buzz, Guilt and Depression, Buzz, Guilt and Depression. This is a never ending cycle that takes you into a downward spiral which eventually leads you to a very dark place and trust me I have been there. All Sin does this.
So how does the Sin of Vanity apply in our modern day and age and how does it all start. Beauty and Fashion are good examples to demonstrate this. There is no harm in wanting to look good and wearing some makeup and looking your best. This is normal everyday life, but when your desires start to take over and it becomes an obsession and starts taking over your life and you start pursuing some media created dream this is where the problems start. Celebrities and the "Industry" perpetuate this airbrush driven impossible to attain look but people want to look like this and they will give all their money if that´s what it takes.
Vanity Example 1 Designer Brands
Images are everywhere of women that are an impossible Size 6 or 8 when the average woman on the street is probably a size 14. We see music videos with people covered in tattoos and we want to be the same. We can´t afford the Gucci, Prada, Burberry and Dolce and Gabana but we want those things and are pressurised by the constant barrage of adverts saying if you don´t have these things, you are missing out on some sort of exclusive party or club. These designer stores are all too willing to give you a store card or take your credit card. You get that initial buzz, you will get the envious looks, soon though it wears off or goes out of fashion. So you go back and buy more, you no longer shop at the major High Street Chains and eventually your credit card or store card gets tapped out. You ask for an increase on your limit, you get it.... and you get your fix again only to be tapped out again and it dawns on you that maybe you have a problem and some form of addiction is in your life. You cannot make the repayments and reality has kicked in....but it´s too late.
Vanity Example 2 Selfieville
Social Media is another example with Instagram and You Tube being the main candidates. Instagram is the poseur website of choice and is a Vanity playground waiting to leap onto you and take over your life if you are not careful.. It's the likes system that generates this wander down the road into the world of Vanity and Sin. Once you are on this road you are not aware you are on it, it will start making you do things you wouldn´t normally do just to get those extra likes and feeling of web fame. You continue to take more and more extreme measures to climb up the ranks of selfiedom to become a selfie guru that everybody aspires too but you realise that every waking hour is taken up to achieve that status and it dawns on you, that you have no life but you can´t give the fame up, by then you realise you have a problem but then again it´s too late.
Vanity Example 3 Extreme Beauty Techniques
Another example of beauty is anti ageing creams or using more and more makeup to paper over the cracks as you get older. After a while you realise you can´t fool people anymore with these techniques so you opt for minor surgery or Botox. The celebrities do it so why can´t I, you think. The difference is staggering and the first few months things are great and everybody says how young you look and you are on what you think is a permanent high, but the ageing signs start to creep back, the buzz wears off, so you go back for a "touch up"..it works but again only last 3--4 months...you go back again. This time the surgery and botox are not minor but are the next level up to bring you back to where you were before. The minor surgery was 1000. This surgery is now up to 5000. You pay the money and sell the car and decide to use public transport. You look great again although you notice you have a permanent grin on your face like the Joker out of Batman, you can´t frown but who cares, you are buzzing and are on a high again. 6 months to a year later the effects wear off again, you are back to where you were before maybe worse. To bring back those looks that you had before, again you are told you would need major surgery and a facelift. Cost 10000. You go away and think about it. You remortgage the house and go for it. I could go on here but you can see where this is heading. A massive Pop Icon that died recently went down this route and this is a prime example where Vanity can lead you. To a very dark place indeed.
Vanity Example 4 The Makeup Slave
Makeup in general is another example. Once you have worn it you cannot go back and from that day forward at least half an hour to 40 minutes everyday for the rest of your life is involved in getting your face on before you can even leave the house. Again it´s not just the time but the money involved can be another issue once you start going down that designer/top brand miracle beauty route.
Vanity Example 5 The Gym Slave
Another example is Body Building. You start off wanting to enhance what you have, get a six pack, bulging biceps. You get the look after a lot of hard work then think maybe lets take this too the next level after looking at those Body Building Mags and want to look like Vin Diesel. You know where this one is heading with high protein powders, chemicals and the rest. You realise that once you have this look you are stuck with a punishing workout regime at the gym EVERY DAY...once you stop the look starts to fade.
Vanity Example 6 The Tech Image Slave
Vanity can express itself in materialism and can spill over into one of the other deadly sins called Greed. Examples would be wanting the latest tech gadget to improve your image and how people perceive who you are. Wanting the top of the range and latest Iphone or Samsung mobile would be another example. He or she has the Samsung S7 ultra cool with tungsten casing......he/she must be cool? You can´t really afford but you sign the 24 month contract and the first couple of months everybody goes wow but then the next phone comes out the Samsung S7X, this one is totally off the scale awesome and makes your S7 Ultra Cool look prehistoric and ultra not so cool. What to do..... with still 20 months to go on the contract.....again you can see where this is heading.
The Analysis
People who end up going down this road normally have a hole in their life which they are desperately trying to fill. You can temporarily fill it with these things and with the accompanying buzz that these things will definitely bring but just like with drugs or alcohol you will end up back where you started and that hole returns and I would say bigger than before. So you rinse and repeat and rinse and repeat. This in Christian circles is called being a "Slave to Sin" and you are on the Buzz, Guilt, Depression, Hole cycle. All sin works this way regardless of what it is. It´s pure evil plain and simple, but people don´t see it when they are caught in this vicious cycle and because everybody else is doing it............it must be alright?
Personally I have many experiences with Vanity from other people whilst doing Street Style Photography which is a form of Raw Fashion Photography, been to many of the London Fashion Week Events and also photographed many celebrities (mainly the women) over the years and you see Vanity staring you straight in the face everytime. The term "Fashion Victim" is a very real one.
So what´s the answer?
If you are a non believer, then there is no answer if you continue in disbelief. You will keep seeing adverts on TV, in magazines, in the papers on the web and you will always succumb to media or peer pressure and cave in to your desire (that wouldn´t have been there before without the media). One thing I´ve noticed with vanity is most of these things costs a lot of money to buy but once you have had them a couple of years they are practically worthless. If they have no value after a couple of years what does that tell you about that item..........it had no value in the first place.
So what can you do. Turn off the TV, PC, Laptop, Tablet and Phone, don´t walk past the Apple store, scrap reading magazines and newspapers, look at the floor when you see that Samsung S7X billboard, don´t look at bus sides, stay away from department stores? You could try, but the media and advertising is so pervasive in our society it´s almost impossible. What do you do when a close friend has the Samsung S7X? Check my advice in the video above, that would at least be a start.
I´ve worked in Fashion, The Media and in The Celebrity Game and seen Vanity at work. The colours, the music thumping, the adrenaline, the free samples, the free bubbly and brochures, the go on try it on, the come in and join the party mentality, the EXPRESS yourself mentality and don´t do boring, the in your face beauty............that´s how it all starts. But what they don´t tell you is where it all leads, if you are not careful and what it´s like when you fall off that trapeze. They don´t mention, anorexia, bulimia, psychological disorders, financial problems, drug habits and the rest. That´s all kept quiet.
There is only one answer that gives you the power and the ability to see Vanity as the sin that it really is and avoid walking that trapeze without a safety net, otherwise you are running blind with no hope of ever overcoming it, because you are spiritually blind you cannot see that you are indulging in it in the first place. Judge people by their inner appearance, not the outer and that will stand you well in this life. Proverbs 31:30 - Favour is deceitful, and beauty is vain: but a woman that feareth the LORD, she shall be praised.
More Bible Quotes:
Psalms 119:37 - Turn away mine eyes from beholding vanity; and quicken thou me in thy way.
1 Samuel 16:7 - But the LORD said unto Samuel, Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have refused him: for the LORD seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the LORD looketh on the heart.
Jeremiah 4:30 - And when thou art spoiled, what wilt thou do? Though thou clothest thyself with crimson, though thou deckest thee with ornaments of gold, though thou rentest thy face with painting, in vain shalt thou make thyself fair; thy lovers will despise thee, they will seek thy life.
Ecclesiastes 2:11 - Then I looked on all the works that my hands had wrought, and on the labour that I had laboured to do: and, behold, all was vanity and vexation of spirit, and there was no profit under the sun.
2 Peter 2:18
For when they speak great swelling words of vanity, they allure through the lusts of the flesh, through much wantonness, those that were clean escaped from them who live in error.
Job 15:31
Let not him that is deceived trust in vanity: for vanity shall be his recompence.
Psalms 144:4
Man is like to vanity: his days are as a shadow that passeth away.
Ecclesiastes 2:26
For God giveth to a man that is good in his sight wisdom, and knowledge, and joy: but to the sinner he giveth travail, to gather and to heap up, that he may give to him that is good before God. This also is vanity and vexation of spirit.
Hebrews 13:5 - Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.
This article has come about after watching a recommended video that popped up on You Tube and also the recent chaos in the US. It´s a chilling one and depressing as well, but I think it is essential viewing to mentally prepare yourself for what is to come. Shook me up for sure..........takes a lot to do that these days. I´m not here to terrify but to inform. The video has been left till the end. I suggest you read this article first and your mind will be adjusted by then to what you will hear.
This is not a Prepping website and this article is aimed more at Non Believers rather than full on Christians. Christians will know what you have to do and you certainly don´t need me to tell you how and when to do it. BUT this may still be of interest, if you are not in the Pre Tribulation Rapture camp which I am certainly not .This is something that I think everybody needs to be mentally prepared for, whatever level of preparedness you are at if at all and Believer and Non Believer. You will not hear this one very often . I briefly covered this topic in a video called "Christian Prepping in these End Times"
You will be told by many what is the best food to get, best water filters and essential medical supplies, tents, fire starters, self defence items and the list goes on and on. What you will not hear so often, is what will it actually be like when the lights go out and thinks go back to the 1850´s and people start freaking out and modern day society starts to go down the plug hole. Unless you have some idea how this will pan out, you are not really prepared for anything no matter how much gear, food and water and medical supplies you have stashed away.
In this modern day society, we have food, water, shelter and creature comforts on tap, we are comfortable, well fed and watered and fresh safe non contaminated food and water is always on hand. We don´t have to grow it or hunt and kill it. BUT what happens if you take all that away? People change dramatically when their food and water supplies are cut off, with no sign of any return in the foreseeable future and start to do desperate things. One thing that is common in such a situation is the rise of a frightening phenomenon that is based on safety in numbers and in prepper circles this is called "the hordes".
When the food supplies start to run out and you are in the cities the following things will start to happen if you are a Prepper. Doesn´t matter if people know or they don´t know you. If you have food stashed away, it will show by your actions which will be different from everybody else and the following things will happen probably in this order..
1. You will get knocks on your door, initially from neighbours, old friends you haven´t seen for years and the occasional stranger. They will all be polite to start with in the early days, but you know they are only after one thing. That´s one of the many dilemmas you will face. To help or not to help.
2. You will get visits from the authorities who will probably do house to house visits in such circumstances maybe under "Martial Law" declaring that all the food and water you have is now the property of the government and will be re-distributed accordingly.
3. Further down the line when there is no food anywhere, this is when "the hordes" will emerge. Organised gangs numbering 50, 100 or 200 strong looking for preppers who have food, as they will be the only ones left who will have any. These "hordes" will do anything to get that food....ANYTHING!
The question the following video presents is "Are you Prepared" not only physically, but mentally prepared to see vast numbers of highly organised and desperate people that will be armed. How will you deal with this?
My recommendation is still food, water, medical supplies and a Location A and a Location B and Location C out of the cities, but if you watch this video by The Prepared Mind you will realise, all this is futile unless you take into account........"The Hordes".
This video gives a point by point breakdown of the Pro´s and Con´s of "Bugging In" as in staying put and holing up in a city and "Bugging Out" (my option) and evacuating the cities and living out in the sticks. Is one better than the other? What are the pitfalls. Can you overcome the Hordes?
One thing that I don´t think has been said on this website is the whole Prophecy thing that is heading our way, it doesn´t matter what you do, if you are a Non Believer that Book of Revelation is so designed, you will have a hard time surviving if you are not TRULY in the faith. That´s why it is designed the way it is.
Check out the video below. It´s basic, just like my videos, with some thoughts from John of The Prepared Mind in between swigs of a cup of tea/coffee, but at the end of the video it will dawn on you in no uncertain terms.......if you are a Non Believer there is no escape, no matter where you go and what you do. If you check the comments somebody said the best option is get a cheap old yacht and sail 100 miles or so offshore away from land. Read the Book of Revelation, you will realise maybe that is not such a good idea either. No Bible quotes in this article just read "The Book of Revelation"
The Twelve Gates You Tube Channel News November 2016
The latest news from The Twelve Gates You Tube Channel now available in two formats, written and video form.This is the November 2016 edition. See below for the embedded video version
A lot of changes on the way for this channel, some could prove a disaster, some could propel it into the stratosphere, but if things just stay as they are, things will just keep going sideways, not my kind of situation. The channel as regulars have probably gathered is moving away from the eye candy and funky music backed style videos with non original content and onto a more basic style delivery but ORIGINAL content featuring myself which is what the whole original You Tube platform was designed for. Things are picking up speed in the End Times News arena and I can´t be spending hours or days editing videos, reaction times to events need to be quicker in these Last Days hence these major changes.
The Channel Experiments
Ten things that will be happening on the channel in the coming months, some are permanent, others are experimental and maybe adopted and maybe not, other new things will appear, but the channel is still in the experimental phase and still finding it´s direction. Currently at just over 200 subscribers and just going sideways it has been decided to give the channel a jolt and kick up the rear quarter to get it heading in the upwards direction. This will be going on till Christmas. If it works then it will be continued in the new year, if it doesn´t, then it will be back to updates once a week or so. As you´ve probably gathered I´m not happy with just 200 subscribers and really looking for 4 figures, not as an ego hey look at me sort of thing, but with less than that you really are just talking to yourself and with all the work involved you really do need a respectable size audience to make the effort worthwhile. Guaranteed AD FREE regardless of how many subscribers and views a video gets.
Ten things on the horizon starting from 15 November 2016
1. Change in Frequency of updates. Things are speeding up in prophetic terms and time is getting short and many definite prophetic signs confirm this. The target is at least 50 quality videos by the end of 2016. Currently it stands at 25 or so updates and will be shifting from once a week to a minimum of 3 times a week but more likely 4-5 times a week and updates will be Monday to Friday. No updates on the weekend unless there has been something exceptional in news terms.
2. Change in type of content. End Times News Flashes like Paul Begely featuring myself giving commentary and views. Bible Prophecy seems popular so will be focusing more on that as well and how it relates to current events around the world. The Exposed series is also popular so will be doing more of that, one of my favourite topics, I´m particularly not keen on false prophets, false preachers and fake Christians and can get quite vicious on the matter. These people are not in the faith and do not deserve to be approached as mentioned in the Bible on a one on one basis. That is reserved for true Christians who may be going astray and not these wolves in sheep´s clothing types that are causing all sorts of problems and destroying the faith from the inside! Christian Spirituality will also feature, it´s not so popular at present, but is a slow burner and will continue as this is primarily a Christian Channel and is ultra important. Either way, no more eye candy, except via the upcoming newly produced trailers.
3. Channel no longer shows number of subscribers. This is just a vanity thing and I notice a lot of real deal Christians do not have this activated so mine has been de-activated as well. Further details on that in the video.
4. Style of delivery. This is a sombre topic and requires a sombre delivery but there will be micro bursts of dry humour on occasion. . If you're looking for uplifting soft and fluffy sugar coated candy floss dreams and visions style Christianity you are in the wrong place. I don't wear crosses, wear shades when filming, or make up, or wear T Shirts with Bible verses or slogans. If you are looking for the real deal on the front line Joshua in your face style delivery that is prepared to give you some time and eye contact, this is it. If you want the truth then you are definitely in the right place.
5. Comments and Up votes and Down Votes. Leave a comment I will try to reply ASAP. Leave an up vote I will try and return the favour if I can identify who actually left the up vote. Down Votes are just as important as they give an indication of what people are actually looking for and what quality they are expecting.
6. I'm not a teenager which seems to be the predominant user on You Tube apparently in the 16-19 bracket. I have some grey hair, bags under my eyes, no hair dye, no cosmetic surgery, a chipped front tooth, no botox, no make up. If that's a problem........ my answer is simply Unsubscribe. There will be no silly antics but there could be some bloopers and believe me there are plenty of those.. The last video didn't even shave, had a rough nights sleep of about 1 hour with hair sticking up just for a laugh. Most popular vid so far in views per first day terms. Just proves that theory wrong but an effort will be made to look sort of presentable instead of somebody that looks like they have been dragged through a hedge backwards.
7. Vlogs and News and Prophecy is the way forward. Everything will appear on You Tube first, then social media then via a blog post at The Twelve Gates.org official website with the video embedded in the post. In effect the videos will be tweeted twice, once raw and once embedded in a blog post. Twitter will still be the dominant news source, but if you are looking for the original content and maybe an hour or two earlier and want to be ahead of the information curve, subscribe to this channel and be in the know!
8. Video Quality and locations
Will be shooting in various locations around London and Hertfordshire both indoors and outdoors. New mic has made a huge difference can now shoot anywhere. Striving to keep video quality and sound and content high. Will be experimenting with different video formats and styles and also lighting. No plans at present to go beyond using the mobile which does HD at 1080p. I upload at 720p which is more than enough for this sort of thing.
9. A shout out to the following vloggers for their light bulb moment help in hopefully transforming this channel. Don´t exactly come across as Christian Channels or even Christians, maybe they are but either way listening to them as been a light bulb moment.
Brittney Lee Saunders Beauty VLogger. I though what I was doing was hard, she spends about 5 times longer doing her videos hence the well earned success.
Casey Neistat Beyond description Vlogger which is about as far removed from Christianity that you can get but learnt a lot from this guy.
Vid Authority Tips on how to improve your You Tube channel. Helped a massive amount.
10. This is primarily a Christian Channel but it's aimed at Christians and Non Believers alike. In fact I operate with the view that the healthy do not need to see a doctor but the sick do. Jesus said that once, that's why he spent more time with sinners and the needy that needed help rather than those that did not. This is not a Christian social club, it's not even a ministry really, but Brothers and Sisters in the faith are welcome and are also welcome to pull me up if my preaching is not on the mark, but my target audience is non believers and those that need some help or guidance. My attitude is... you come to me, I do not come to you!
Is Europe next after the recent US Election Results?
With Trump doing the unthinkable and winning the US Election and creating a US BREXIT sort of moment just a couple of days ago (as predicted in a previous VIDEO) and the media and social media going into a frenzy as a result. Things have escalated with American Election Result Protests and shocking scenes being shown across the US with mass demonstrations at various locations and more recently rioting and racial and gender hate related slogans AND CRIMES popping up all over the country.
Trump Tower has been the focal point as many are aware in New York and 5000 or so demonstrators have headed to that area with slogans such as "Not our President" and words to similar effect which of course is being hyped up by the media.
After listening to his Presidential Speech, it all sounded positive, inspiring and make America Great again stuff. I think they need to give this man a chance before behaving like wild animals on the streets of America, he did win fair and square via the Democratic process! Not a popular view at the moment but it´s my view.
The inauguration is on 20 January 2017 but as has been said many times a lot can happen between now and that date as we are only beginning to actually see happen before our very eyes. The establishment are not keen on this man, as he is NOT part of the establishment YET, the mainstream media definitely are not keen on him either and have painted a negative picture throughout his campaign, but as the results show, people are not stupid and not so easily fooled. Maybe he wasn´t the choice they wanted but they voted that way anyway as a tactical block vote to keep out the opposition and to put a stop to the liberal, socialism agenda which openly embraces all forms of the New World Order and the erosion of civil rights which we have seen in the last 8 years. I´m a Christian so I keep out of Politics!
The concern that this could spread?
The worrying concern are theories and rumours from it has to be said respected sources which are stating that what we are seeing in America could only be the beginning. We have seen the same thing in Venezuela (before) and it was mentioned in that blog post "Could what we are seeing in Venezuela actually happen in the US". At the time it sounded like some kooky conspiracy theory from somebody who is not in charge of their mental faculties and something that would not happen to a Superpower such as the US............never in a million years? Now we are seeing the beginnings of that kooky theory come into reality. It remains to be seen whether things will die down as they did in the UK after the BREXIT vote.
As mentioned in the above Video filmed in Piccadilly Circus in Central London, what we have seen in Venezuela and more recently in the US and has been seen in France and Greece, could this become a Europe wide phenomenon? The London Evening Standard has quoted Germany as maybe the next country to kick off, France could be another and has had track records in the past of doing so, and Italy could be another one with the General Election in that country on the horizon. A recent Evening Standard article expands on the Germany Theory
Which brings me finally and very nicely onto what this article is really all about and that is the fulfillment of Revelation 13 which strongly hints at an emerging New World Order. It´s right there in Biblical Prophecy in the Book of Revelation but for this to come about as has been said many times before, a mass global chaos situation is required which would result in martial law being introduced around the globe and then the introduction of this New World Order system to bring things back from chaos to normality. People will be begging for this system to get what they think is their lives back. Ordinarily they would be running the other way from such a totalitarian centrally controlled regime. My money is still on a financial collapse of the US, the likes this world has never seen, which everybody knows is coming sooner rather than later. That would certainly send shockwaves around the world and bring the whole world into meltdown and chaos mode. It would create the right environment for the seeding of the New World Order and all it´s components as laid out in the 2030 Agenda.
BUT with this new form of chaos emerging in the US, could we be looking at the beginnings of this spreading to Europe and maybe globally and it turns out that actually WE the people through our actions via demonstrations, riots and other such events bring about this system that nobody wants by our own actions rather than the actions by the powers that be on this planet. Only time will tell, but all eyes are on the US and on Trump but in Biblical terms there is only one Power that calls the shots in this world, it is not any Superpower here on this Earth!
More surprises, shocks, uncertainties, chaos and more are certainly on the horizon but in Biblical terms all eyes should be on the Middle East, Israel and more to the point Jerusalem!
Can a Christian lose the Holy Spirit and lose their Salvation and become a Backslidden Christian? Will the Holy Spirit ever leave a believer? This is a question many Christians will ask whilst on their walk with Jesus but the scriptures are very clear on this fact and you are sealed with the Holy Spirit until your redemption. As the saying states "Once Saved Always Saved" but many disagree with this. It is clearly stated in scripture that it is a permanent thing and cannot be taken away, but if you Sin and do not repent you will be convicted of your sin and will either Quench the Spirit or Grieve The Spirit, but it will still be there.
However to confirm this absolutely, this article will take a look at the three most popular arguments about the Holy Spirit and whether it can be lost and you become a backslidden christian.
Evidence in the Old Testament suggests that David, Saul and Samson did lose the Holy Spirit but that was part of the Old Covenant where the Holy Spirit was more of a companion and not indwelling inside a person. Under the New Covenant the Holy Spirit actually resides inside hence the term "Holy Spirit Filled Believer" or "Indwelt with the Holy Spirit.
The Three Arguments
There are three thoughts or arguments on losing the Holy Spirit this creates a similar situation to the Pre, Mid and Post Tribulation Rapture debate although they are entirely different topics although not unrelated.
The three thoughts or arguments on the Holy Spirit
1. You CAN absolutely lose the Holy Spirit
2. You can absolutely NOT lose the Holy Spirit
3. If you lost the Holy Spirit.... you never had it in the first place
Lets analyse these 3 arguments with relevant scripture to prove their points.
1. You CAN absolutely lose the Holy Spirit
Those who quote this will come up with the three classic cases of David, Saul and Samson from the Old Testament who lost the Holy Spirit. Others often quote Adam and Solomon amongst others. Scriptures below relating to David, Samson and Saul.
In Psalm 51, David prayed:
Psalm 51:11 Do not cast me away from Your presence, and do not take Your Holy Spirit from me.
Samson is another case of the Holy Spirit departing but is mentioned as the "Lord Departing" in the classic Samson and Delilah scene
Judges 16:20. And she said, The Philistines be upon thee, Samson. And he awoke out of his sleep, and said, I will go out as at other times before, and shake myself. And he wist not that the LORD was departed from him.
Saul is the third often quote example
1 Samuel 16:14 But the Spirit of the LORD departed from Saul, and an evil spirit from the LORD troubled him.
All three scriptures have one thing in common. They are all taken from the Old Testament.
2. You can absolutely NOT lose the Holy Spirit
This argument or theory is based on scriptures that state quite clearly that the Holy Spirit is something that is received and not taken away again as illustrated in the Bible quotes below:
John 14:15-16 15. If ye love me, keep my commandments. 16. And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever;
Ephesians 4:30 And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.
1 Corinthians 6:19 What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?
John 10:27-28 27. My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: 28. And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.
The comforter mentioned in John 14:15-16 is the Holy Spirit. These Bible quotes all have one thing in common, they are taken from The New Testament.
3. If you lost the Holy Spirit.... you never had it in the first place!
This argument is similar to No2 stating that you cannot lose the Holy Spirit but reasons that those who think they have lost it may never have had it in the first place. This can arise through a Fake Saving or a False Born Again experience whereby the person thinks they have been "Saved" and received the Holy Spirit but in fact they never originally received the Holy Spirit and therefore never had it to lose in the first place!
1 John 2:19, "They went out from us, but they were not really of us; for if they had been of us, they would have remained with us; but they went out, in order that it might be shown that they all are not of us."
Conclusions:
There are many other Bible Quotes in reference to "Salvation", being "Born Again" and "Saved" and of course "The Holy Spirit" but to answer the question again "Can you lose the Holy Spirit" and "Can you lose your Salvation" you have firstly have to look at the classic Bible quote
John 3:16
16. For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
That in itself should answer the question.
Secondly if you take the 3 arguments of 1. You CAN absolutely lose the Holy Spirit, 2. You can absolutely NOT lose the Holy Spirit and 3. If you lost the Holy Spirit.... you never had it in the first place, you will realise the following.
1. The "You CAN lose The Holy Spirit" quotes scripture from the Old Testament based on the Old Covenant. In the Old Covenant the Holy Spirit was a temporary companion and was not indwelling in the person concerned but external and would leave when that person broke the statutes or when God saw fit.
2. The "You Cannot lose the Holy Spirit" and the "You cannot lose the Holy Spirit if you never had it" theories quote scripture solely based on the New Testament and are in relation to the New Covenant. The New Covenant relates to Christianity and this is what is relevant to Christians. In our case the Holy Spirit is not an external force but something that lives inside us and cannot be taken away, but the Spirit can be grieved or Quenched through sinful acts without asking for forgiveness as in Repentance. If you are a True Born Again Believer you will know what that experience is like and afterwards you tend to repent and not repeat it again. Even with the Holy Spirit inside us we will never be totally sin free but if we confess our sin by repentance, they will be forgiven but this does not give us a licence to sin freely or habitually as all sin will come under conviction by the Holy Spirit that lives inside a True Born Again Believer.
1 John 1:7-10 7. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin. 8. If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 9. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 10. If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.
Another question that also arises frequently
While our relationship with God is secure in Christ, unconfessed sin in our lives can hinder our fellowship with God and effectively quench the Holy Spirit’s working in our lives.To conclude while the Holy Spirit will never leave us, the benefits and joy the Holy Spirits presence can in fact depart from us through unrepentant Sin but the Holy Spirit itself will remain. If we repent of our sins then God is “faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness”. That is the New Covenant This is why Jesus laid his life on the cross for us and as a result Christians are under The New Covenant and not The Old Covenant ways of the Old Testament.
Further recommended video from The Twelve Gates You Tube
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