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November 19, 2001                                                                              Volume 1 Issue 3 

All articles linked to this newsletter are for reference only. 

Welcome to the WATCH! newsletter. We are striving to perfect this newsletter - thanks for the help ;) We have made some changes. We are giving you "snippets" of news related to end time prophecy rather than full blown articles. Included with the snippets you will find links to reference articles for more information. We are also moving from a biweekly to a weekly issue. With the amount of information to be posted we felt smaller bites might make the reading more enjoyable and convenient. Past newsletters will be posted in our WATCH! archives found on our website home page. This newsletter continues to mature with your help and prayers - THANK YOU!

In the name of Jesus Christ,
Randy Loudenslager

The Palestinian leadership leaked a report it compiled in regards to it's strategy on forming an independent Palestinian state. Remember that the fake peace of Israel won't come from war. There will be diplomatic deals and agreements.
"He [anti-Christ] will confirm a covenant with many for one `seven.' Daniel 9:27. The intifada is loosing popular support, so now a strategy of politics will lead the way. The strategy change coincides with international political strategy changes. As many of you read in the WATCH! ALERT, king Abdullah of Jordan has been building a consensus of support for peace with Israel among Arab nations from the Persian Gulf to Morocco. President Bush has become the first American President to refer to the Palestinian territories as Palestine. Not only are the majority of American Jews in support of a Palestinian state, but according to Shimon Peres, so are the people of Israel. Peres himself is heading Israel's vanguard in the establishment of a Palestinian state. In this swing of events Yassar Arafat is as confident as ever. When asked if he will declare a Palestinian state he replied, ``No, the state has been declared in 1988 in Algiers. Are we going to declare it twice?'' He added, ``I was elected as president in the Algiers conference in 1988 and 128 countries have recognized that state.''

In the first issue of the WATCH! We said that the scriptures show that there will be a temporary peace in Israel in the end-times. We also stated, based on Bible prophecy, that there will be a Palestinian state. Peace will come temporarily when the Palestinians get what they want - their own state. This is what the Jews are praying for - peace. A half century of warfare has left them fatigued and less steadfast in their resolve to hold on to their land. Deals will be made and Israel will compromise her standing with God for a peace that won't last. The true and lasting peace of Israel will come when Jesus Christ establishes his throne in Jerusalem and rules the world.

Reference articles: Palestinians Say Intifada Has Failed ~ 'Palestine' Is Part of Administration Language ~ US Jews back Palestine state ~ Peres plan calls for Palestinian state in Area A ~ Peres to tell UN: Two states for two peoples ~ Jordan's King Calls for Arab Quid Pro Quo With Israel

"Now the whole world had . . . a common speech . . . "Come, let us . . . make a name for ourselves and not be scattered over the face of the whole earth." . . . The LORD said, "If as one people . . . they have begun to do this, then nothing they plan to do will be impossible for them." Genesis 11:1-6.

The LORD took action against mankind as they came together in the common purpose of building the tower of Babel. Man understands the power of a unified population to achieve it's purposes. The LORD says that man's ways are not good and,
" . . . every inclination of his heart is evil from childhood." Genesis 8:21. Can we suppose that even under the best of intentions the globalist dream of a new world order will bring a utopian environment of peace, tranquility and justice for all? The Prime Minister of Britain, Tony Blair, has put this widely acclaimed dream of utopia into a new light. Now, the notion put forth by Blair, is that for the security and survival of the earth's community it is imperative that we press this dream into reality. Mr. Blair is not alone in this call. Many of the world's leaders are also trumpeting the "international community" concept. You may recall last weeks newsletter, in which Michael Gorbachev called for this same form of world system by rallying behind the assault against the common foe of terrorism. Once upon a time, before our present President Bush, there was another President Bush who publicly urged the people of the world towards "A New World Order." When that call went out the "international community" was rallying to defend freedom in a war called Desert Storm. A day will come 3 1/2 years after peace is established when the world will rally against Israel. "He [anti-Christ] will confirm a covenant with many for one `seven.' In the middle of the `seven' he will put an end to sacrifice and offering. And on a wing of the temple he will set up an abomination that causes desolation, until the end that is decreed is poured out on him." Daniel 9:27. "When they [Israel] feel secure, he [anti-Christ] will destroy many and take his stand against the Prince of princes [Jesus Christ]. Yet he will be destroyed, but not by human power." Daniel 7:25. "So when you see `the abomination that causes desolation,' spoken of through the prophet Daniel - let the reader understand - then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains . . . For then there will be great distress, unequaled from the beginning of the world until now - and never to be equaled again." Matthew 24:15-21. "When you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, you will know that its desolation is near . . . For this is the time of punishment in fulfillment of all that has been written . . . There will be great distress in the land and wrath against this people. They will fall by the sword and will be taken as prisoners to all the nations. Jerusalem will be trampled on by the Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled." Luke 21:20-24.

Reference article: Together we can find Utopia, says Blair

Romano Prodi, the president of the European Commission has called for far reaching new powers for the European Union government. The purpose being to turn the union into a global super-power. In his plan, member nations of the union would be subject to the powers whether or not they were members of the Euro Dollar. In effect, the nations of Europe will cease to exist as sovereign powers. They will be forced under the yoke of an ever increasing federal government. Does this remind you of the government of the United States? It should. The Congress actually passed the "Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism Act" (USA PATRIOT Act). They passed this bill without knowing exactly what it contained. It may not even have been printed when the vote was taken. The article "Police State" is a must read (You can access it by clicking the link below).
We have discussed frequently the loss of individual rights and freedoms. The national ID card drive still hasn't lost it's steam. The polls in the U.S. are currently running as high as 70 percent in favor of a national ID card. The various state motor vehicle departments are presently working on standardizing drivers licenses in all 50 states. The cards, obviously being a step closer to the number of the beast, are not the only invasion or control of your life. "He [false prophet - beast out of the earth] also forced everyone, small and great, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on his right hand or on his forehead, so that no one could buy or sell unless he had the mark . . . Revelation 13:16-17.
U.S. researchers now claim that fMRI (functional magnetic resonance imaging) scans can be accurately used as a lie detector. Apparently the scans reveal changes in brain activity that are unique to when a person is being deceptive. They claim that the fMRI scan is more accurate than the well known polygraph test. As Christians we don't have to be concerned about lying (I hope;) but the use of the technology to monitor a brain for moral behavior should cause concern for all. If the technology can be used to read moral behavior then it could also produce a map of behavior. Knowing man, (" . . . every inclination of his heart is evil from childhood." Genesis 8:21) the inevitable conclusion is that this map could then lead to chemical (drugs or mechanical stimulation) modification in the brain - giving the term "brain washing" a new meaning.

Reference articles: Brain scans can reveal liars ~ Security Panel Seeks Nat'l ID Cards ~
New laws will turn EU into a superpower ~ Police State

What Happened To The So-called Separation Of Church And State In Our Schools?
And, Let's Check Out This Outcomes Based Education.

Harry Potter is all the rage. The latest income projection from this monumental marketing effort is in the neighborhood of $1.3 billion! We know that the foundation of this character and series is witchcraft. Oh, yes I know, "good" witchcraft. I know God has something to say about what is good and about witchcraft but we'll get to that in a minute. There is constant turmoil about keeping the Christian faith out of our political, government and school systems. There are frequent A.C.L.U. attacks and many court cases in the past and pending. If I understand the argument correctly, the proponents of the separation of church and state (NOT IN THE CONSTITUTION!) say that it was the intentions of the nation's founders to have no expression of religion within public institutions for fear of the government supporting one religion over another. If this is the standard, and I'm not saying it is correct, then I am fearful of what is happening. Schools, as in public schools, are taking bus loads of children to see the movie. They say it is educational. They say it is harmless - only the playful imagination of a child. The bottom line is that this is about witchcraft - a faith based religion of the supernatural. These are public schools which are teaching your children that this form of "entertainment" is harmless and by supporting it are insinuating that it is desirable. They are using tax dollars to promote witchcraft as good, clean and wholesome fun!!!!!!!!!
What is the outcome of witchcraft based faith? Let's look at one Leslie Wallace, 39 a.k.a. Palm Frond of Ft Meyers FL. Wallace is an adherent of the witchcraft oriented Wicca religion. They claim to be nonviolent, even though Wallace kept recipes for death spells and ailments for enemies. The fundamental commandment of Wicca, according to the Church and School of Wicca Web site, is “If it harm none, do what you will.” According to police, Wallace deviated from that commandment in September, when she killed her six year old son James and tried to shoot her other two sons, including one whose life was saved by a Bible. The details are horrifying and don't need to be repeated here. Wallace kept a Wicca journal she called “Book of Shadows." In it she wrote, “I came to this name through thought and looking at my past and present,” she continued, “My name is Palm Frond, the leaf of the mighty Palm. The tree of tropical climes can withstand the hurricane yet bend gracefully in a gentle tradewind. A palm frond can be used for fanning or shade, yet can cut you to ribbons.” Wallace wrote that witchcraft, “is the art of methods of control.” and, “Society itself is full of bigotry toward witches and witchcraft,” Wallace wrote. “As it doesn’t deal with Christianity, it is feared and loathed. My goal is to better learn of the craft and to apply it to being a solitary Wicca.”
When I read the following entry I feel, as many of you do, our children don't need this, they need Jesus Christ!
“I feel I will gain the peace I am searching for and have been for 39 years,” Wallace wrote. “I feel I may lose myself.”

God's view on what is good: A certain ruler asked him, "Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?"
"Why do you call me good?" Jesus answered. "No one is good - except God alone. Luke 18-19.

God's view on witchcraft: Let no one be found among you . . . who practices divination or sorcery, interprets omens, engages in witchcraft, or casts spells, or who is a medium or spiritist or who consults the dead. Anyone who does these things is detestable to the LORD . . . Deuteronomy 18:10-12.

Reference article: Schools hope Harry's wand entrances pupils

First a disclaimer: The following is a response and not a reaction to reader questions. I welcome all questions, but I feel led to establish some basic guidelines. By writing the following I am working to establish the infallibility of the Holy Bible and that all I am, do, say, feel, think and write is sold out to Jesus Christ. He is the Word of God and so I take him at his word. I would never want to be quoted outside of the context that I am speaking in and so I endeavor to never do this to the LORD Jesus.

Of utmost priority in answering questions is establishing God's word as the final word on any subject. I have endeavored to communicate that I don't possess the sum total of the knowledge of God. Where I express my "opinion" I almost always use terms like speculate, opinion, estimate, guess or reckon to express my intentions and to separate what is not entirely supported by facts from what is supported. When I have biblical fact, in context, to support a spiritual judgment, I simply give the scripture here and leave it up to the seeking Christian to be as noble as the Bereans by reading the adjacent context in their Bibles. Considering the volume of writing it would take to give complete contextual proof of positions found in the Bible, combined with the short attention spans and lack of time we humans have, I have opted to not give an exhaustive explanation of any answer here. Please do not assume that you have received the whole of my findings on these pages. The ultimate responsibility is upon the reader. If you find me in error then please love me in the love of Christ by letting me know. Please be prepared to support your position - as I am also prepared to be a Berean - and that is all I'm asking of you.

An example that is supported by biblical fact is my answer to the following e-mail question:

Question....in your opinion, is the Smartcard the same as the mark of the beast? Or a stepping stone?

I can say without reservation that the Smartcard is not the mark of the beast. How can I say this is the truth and not simply a point of view or opinion? If you believe that the Bible is without error then you go to it as the only source that is without error and therefore it is the only source of truth (This does not exclude God, the word is God. John 1:1). So let's go to the truth:
"He also forced everyone, small and great, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on his right hand or on his forehead, so that no one could buy or sell unless he had the mark . . . Revelation 13:16-17.
If you simply took this verse or any verse by itself, you could make it say numerous things. Take "He" for instance. If you weren't familiar with scripture you might conclude that "He" is the anti-Christ - many in fact do. Now look at the context found in Revelation 13:11-18. "He" is another beast. By becoming more familiar with scripture we would learn that this person is called the "false prophet" in Revelation 19:20. We know that the Smartcard would have to be in the form of a mark to be the mark of the beast. The scriptures aren't clear as to what form this "mark" will take. It is clear that it will be a number and that it will be visually discernible upon the head or hand. Yes, the Smartcard is a "stepping stone," but is not yet affixable to the hand or head. The technology now exists for the first time in the history of the world to keep track of all persons and their activities on the planet by marking. The Smartcard is just part of a continuing effort at perfecting the mark for it's ultimate purpose.

Why is it important when the rapture takes place?

Definition: those days, desolation, the time of punishment, then there will be great distress, wrath against this people, times of the gentiles. = This is known in today's church as the great tribulation period.

I will let God speak for himself. Check the context of each scripture before endangering yourself with scriptural relativism. The word says what the word says - read it and believe.

"Be dressed ready for service and keep your lamps burning, like men waiting for their master to return from a wedding banquet, so that when he comes and knocks they can immediately open the door for him. It will be good for those servants whose master finds them watching when he comes. Luke 12:35-37. The implication here is for servants to not simply be ready but actively watching for the masters return. Jesus freely gave us much information about the signs of his coming. We are to understand these signs in order to watch for him.

If he comes suddenly, do not let him find you sleeping. What I say to you, I say to everyone: Watch!
Mark 13:36-37. This is the verse that I used to name the newsletter WATCH! This is a command! To do anything else is rebellion against our king. How do we know what to watch for if we don't know the signs of his coming and the approximate sequence of events that lead to his coming.?

. . . understanding the present time. The hour has come for you to wake up from your slumber, because our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed. The night is nearly over; the day is almost here.
Romans 13:11-12. The primary emphasis of these verses is not the imminent return of Christ, but the necessity of believers to discern the present time, wake up and prepare for the fulfillment of the hope that is within us - our resurrection!

Now brothers, about times and dates we do not need to write to you, for you know very well that the day of the LORD will come like a thief in the night . . . But you, brothers, are not in darkness so that day should surprise you like a thief. 1 Thessalonians 5:1-4. If you are seeking the face of the LORD you will gain the wisdom of God and will be able to discern the times from his word and not be surprised by his coming like those who live in darkness. Not being surprised "like a thief" shows us, in the context, that we are here on "that day."

. . . you do not lack any spiritual gift as you eagerly wait for our LORD Jesus Christ to be revealed. He will keep you strong to the end, so that you will be blameless on the day of our LORD Jesus Christ. 1Corinthians 1:7-8. Those that are seen as "blameless on the day of our LORD" will be raptured. You won't find scripture that says he will keep you strong until the beginning of the tribulation. Compare, He will keep you strong to the end, from the above scripture with, ". . . he who stands firm to the end will be saved." Matthew 24:13.

For no man can lay any foundation other than . . . Jesus Christ . . . If any man builds on this foundation . . . his work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and fire will test the quality of each man's work. If what he has built survives, he will receive his reward. If it is burned up, he will suffer loss; he himself will be saved, but only as one escaping through the flames. 1Corinthians 3:11-15. Notice that the word "Day" is capitalized, meaning the day of the LORD. What we are building will be tested on that Day by fire. Again, the consuming fires of the wrath of God will be on the last day. The last part depicts a believer who barely squeaks by, do we want to be like him? Notice that he escapes through flames - he, a believer, is present and escapes on the last day. Please don't assume that these are people who are supposedly "left behind." The left behind doctrine can't be supported with scripture in its proper context. I appeal to those who feel to the contrary to engage me in a polite debate through e-mail for the purpose of finding the truth for mutual edification. If you prove your doctrine, based completely on Bible scripture in its proper context, then I will post a complete retraction in this newsletter and will be a better believer for it.

. . . in Christ all will be made alive. But each in his own turn: Christ, the first fruits; then, when he comes, those who belong to him. Then the end will come, when he hands over the kingdom to God the Father after he has destroyed all dominion, authority and power. 1Corinthians 15:22-25. Again, notice the timing; We are raptured and then wrath, that is, "the end will come." "The end" in this context is clearly when the powers of the earth are subdued by Jesus Christ. There is no other activity or time period, such as the tribulation, between his coming and making alive those who belong to him and the end.

Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. Philippians 3:13-14. If, unlike Paul, you are not straining towards the prize of resurrection, then what is there that could be of more value to us mortals than eternal life through the resurrection of the dead?

"Be careful, or your hearts will be weighed down with . . . the anxieties of life, and that day will close on you unexpectedly like a trap. For it will come upon all those who live on the face of the whole earth." Luke 21:34-35.
This is explicitly talking to believers. A warning like this should not be taken lightly! The "weighed down" heart of one claiming to be of Christ could cause him to be caught in the trap of God's wrath on that day. The term, "that day" shows us that believers will be here on the last day. The term "all" does not include any exceptions for believers or the clause of a rapture that exempts us from being here on that day. We can celebrate on "that day" because our redemption from death will come on the same day death comes to the wicked. Jesus told many parables about the kingdom of God in which we often see angels depicted separating the righteous from the unrighteous and casting the unrighteous into the fire. The kingdom of God comes with Jesus, they are not two separate events.

"At that time many will turn away from the faith and will betray each other, and many false prophets will appear and deceive many people. Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, but he who stands firm to the end will be saved." Matthew 24:10-13. Standing firm to the end is self explanatory and yet people will ignore it or heap other interpretations upon it. Simply stated - it is the last day. You have to make it to the last day! The fact is, many in our churches will turn away from faith because they weren't looking for the signs of his coming that he so freely gave throughout the Bible and so they will be easily deceived by the false prophets of the anti-Christ.
Stand firm then and fix your eyes on the goal, that is the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls. Jesus said, "I am the resurrection and the life."

Jesus warned us directly that the elect will go through the time of desolation: "If those days had not been cut short, no one would survive, but for the sake of the elect those days will be shortened. At that time if anyone says to you, `Look, here is the Christ!' or, `There he is!' do not believe it. For false Christs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and miracles to deceive even the elect - if that were possible. See I have told you ahead of time." Matthew 24:22-25. Why does God limit the desolation period? To spare us, the saints and the Jews, from total annihilation. And yet, many, including some saints, will be deceived by the false prophet and others. God cuts short those days by bringing them to an end - the last day. The LORD Jesus tells us these things "ahead of time." If it doesn't matter when he comes or what will happen then why does he spend so much time warning believers?

You can see from the scriptures above that the Christian life is one of pressing towards the goal - our resurrection is our salvation in Christ Jesus. If we aren't looking for it we may very well be deceived and miss it!

In regard to when our resurrection (rapture) will be, again, I'll let Jesus tell us what his point of view is:

"And this is the will of him who sent me, that I shall lose none of all that he has given me, but raise them up at the last day. For my Father's will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day . . . No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him, and I will raise him up at the last day . . . Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day." John 6:39-54.

Martha answered, "I know he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day."
Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life . . ." John 11:24-25.

I'm going along with Jesus on this one folks - I guess that doesn't make me a believer in a pre-trib rapture and I personally wouldn't use the term post-trib to describe what I believe due to the negative stigma it carries in these "left behind" crazed times. As for me and my house, we believe in the last day resurrection!!!

The rapture isn't a salvation issue, is it?

American Christianity is suffering an identity crisis. We have faith preachers, love preachers, hope preachers, healing preachers and every other kind of topical preacher you can think of. This can make the body of Christ a disjointed and dysfunctional mass, much like a new puzzle laid out on a table ready to be assembled. Each piece is unique and offers a small window to the big picture but it isn't the big picture itself. Lately I've heard church, radio and TV sermons focus on what are the most spoken of topics in the Bible. Some say that it is money, while others mention faith and yet others love. The problem is that they are side-stepping the greater picture for the little picture!

Let me give you this illustration; who, when preparing to assemble a puzzle, spends all day trying to figure out what the picture is going to look like by examining only several randomly picked pieces. Don't we instead work to assemble the small pieces into greater ones? Each piece added increases your understanding of the picture until you are finished and have before you the big picture. In seeking God we should approach building the big picture the same way as building puzzles. Assemble only pieces that belong together. Many bring together pieces that can not be assembled and say they know the big picture - I hope they don't do puzzles that way!

If one were to go through their concordance and pick out different words it would be very possible to create statistical pictures of the most often mentioned topics, but these are clearly out of context - they are details that lose their meaning without the big picture. God wants us to see the overall purpose in order to understand the details. I challenge you to prayerfully read Matthew, Mark, Luke and John and try to find anything Jesus spoke about, in context, that doesn't relate to salvation and the kingdom of God. The big picture is salvation through Jesus Christ by which we enter the kingdom. Every verse Jesus spoke, when assembled together, makes up the big picture of salvation and the kingdom of God. We must become aware that Jesus never spoke rapture - he spoke resurrection. "I am the resurrection and the life" John 11:25. In that simple statement is the big picture. He saves us at the resurrection so that in the kingdom we have life! The goal of your faith is . . . the salvation of your souls. 1 Peter 1:9. ". . . he who stands firm to the end will be saved." Matthew 24:10-13. Paul, when standing before the Sanhedrin, understood clearly what the big picture was, "I stand on trial because of my hope in the resurrection of the dead." Acts 23:6.

Does God equate the resurrection with salvation?

That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is LORD," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved." Romans 10:9. Through Jesus Christ, the first fruits of resurrection we too will be saved via resurrection. But what does the resurrection save us from?

Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God's wrath through him! Romans 5:9. It is the wrath of God that will come upon the earth when Jesus Christ returns. When you became born again you stood justified by the blood of Jesus Christ shed on Calvary. But salvation's work is not complete until the resurrection when we are saved from God's wrath through Jesus Christ!

. . . you were dead in your transgressions and sins . . . when you followed the ways of this world and . . .the ruler of the kingdom of the air . . . Like the rest, we were by nature objects of wrath. Ephesians 2:1-3. To live like the world would leave you without the ability to stand blameless on the day when Jesus Christ comes back.This would make you an object of God's wrath. If you receive the number of the beast as a believer it is because you were deceived by his false prophet and you too would become an object of wrath (see Revelation 14:9-13).

. . . serve the living and true God, and wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead - Jesus, who rescues us from the coming wrath. 1 Thessalonians 1:9-10. This scripture clearly depicts the rapture in terms of rescuing us from God's "coming wrath" and not an evacuation years in advance. He saves us from wrath, hence the term salvation.

For God did not appoint us to suffer wrath but to receive salvation through our LORD Jesus Christ.
1 Thessalonians 5:9. God puts it clearly, there is a choice for all to make; "suffer wrath" or be saved from it through Jesus Christ.

I submit to you the above biblical references, and plead with you and all who believe or do not yet believe, that the rapture, that is, the resurrection, not only is a salvation issue but, it in fact is our salvation!