Warning Signs of an Apostate Church - May 31

Not all churches have gone by the wayside. Sadly, many have - both Catholic and Protestant alike. You can basically boil it down to three main points. First, sound Biblical doctrine is abandoned. Second, the false church will emphasize sensuality and our experience as a means to reach God. Lastly, the move towards ecumenism and a one-world religion. Watch this six-minute video and/or read the points below for yourself.

• Scripture is no longer the golden standard.
• The Gospel of Jesus Christ is being replaced by secular methods promoting church growth and a social gospel.
• Little or no teaching on the Second Advent. An apostate church will rigorously deny the pre-tribulation rapture and the seven years of hell on earth (Daniel's 70th week) that must precede Jesus' triumphal return with his army of saints.
  
• The idea of a literal millennial reign of Christ is similarly rejected.
• Replacement Theology - The idea that the church has replaced Israel and that the Jews, Israel and the city of Jerusalem play no future role in Bible prophecy.
• The Book of the Revelation of Jesus Christ is said to have been fulfilled (Preterism and the destruction of the Second Temple in 70 A.D.) or is to be considered allegorical.
• An experiential and mystical form of Christianity is promoted.
• Seeking present day relevance purely for the sake of relevance is a sure sign of apostasy.
  
• The desire to go back in church history (called 'ancient-future' or 'vintage Christianity') to learn what experiences were effective in attracting new Christians.
• Images and sensual experiences are promoted as keys to knowing God.
• Experiences include icons, candles, incense, liturgy, labyrinths, prayer stations and an overemphasis on sacraments.
  
• An emphasis on ecumenism pointing to unity with the Roman Catholic church.
• Communion is considered more than a symbol and that Jesus becomes present in the wafer and the wine. Do we need to crucify Christ over and over again just so we can share communion? I think not!
• An apostate church will buy into the PC lie that there are many ways to God. See John 14:6 for reference.
• Those who question such activities are reprimanded and asked to leave. Elders are given short thrift.
  

This list is not meant to be exhaustive. I do however consider it to be an excellent guideline. Now if your church lights the occasional candle and doesn't preach about the coming tribulation as often as it should doesn't mean you're in an apostate church. No church is perfect! Consistent study of the Bible in private will remedy any theological shortcomings. If you do notice a significant number of the points mentioned above in your place of worship I'd get out of there as quickly as possible. Why should Satan work hard when the likes of Rick Warren do his dirty work for him? Be vigilant and may you rest in the saving grace of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Johnny Cash

My Crime-Fighting Alter Ego - May 30

I've been meaning to post sooner this month but things have been going a mile a minute. When you're going that fast it's hard to stop and update the blog. It's late on a Saturday night (no hot date - LOL) and seeing as everything is quiet I may as well put something down.

Who Are The Commissionaires?

Commissionaires is Canada's premier security provider, offering a unique combination of integrity, experience and innovation. We have protected people and property for public and private sector clients from coast to coast for more than 80 years.
Read the rest here

A Brief History

Captain Edward Walter, a retired officer of the Crimean War, founded The Corps of Commissionaires in England in 1859 to help veterans make the difficult transition back to civilian life and employment.

In an effort to find jobs for these veterans, he convinced friends and acquaintances that the exemplary discipline, loyalty and dedication to service that veterans possessed could be put to excellent use in business. He succeeded in finding jobs for seven veterans and thereby launched the Corps of Commissionaires.

While Canada's Governor General proposed a Corps be formed in Canada after World War I, it wasn't until 1925, that Commissionaires was established with the opening of offices in Montreal, Toronto and Vancouver.
Read more here

I'd Tell You But Then I'd Have To Kill You.... Seriously!

Maybe not, thought a head noogie or wedgie might come your way. Last Friday when I was sworn in I was given the opportunity of a full-time job. Painfully I had to turn it down due to my upcoming paralegal classes. I'm not at liberty to tell you where this job is nor the business contained therein. Due to the sensitive nature you can't tell everyone you know about what it is you do and you certainly can't blab about it on the internet!

People, Property and Information

The three things every security professional must protect while on duty. Let me give you an example: You start a ten hour shift at 0630 hrs. At 0700 the client tells you that Mr. John Q. Public is going to be laid off on or about 1400 hrs. When that time arrives you are to escort Mr. Public to his car and make sure he leaves the property.

Information - Clearly this is very sensitive information. At no time must you tell Mr. Public or any of his co-workers ahead of time. To do so would cause termination.

People - Who knows how this guy is going to react? He could take it like a man or he could go ballistic. Should the latter occur, you have to protect people.

Property - At 1400 hrs you escort Mr. Public to his car. Once he's off the premises you make sure he stays off. In so doing, you are now protecting the client's property.

Two Words: Observe and Report

We don't carry firearms, pepper spray, handcuffs or other weapons. We don't wear flak jackets. Nor do we have 'special powers' apart from enacting a citizen's arrest. We're not cops and the majority of us have no desire to be one. We may put out a very small fire or two (seeing as we're first responders) but by no means are we firefighters. Though we may be qualified first aiders, we're not paramedics either. We observe and then we report. That's it!

Think It's Easy? Think Again!

I've completed a Commissionaires Qualifying Course recently and have come to the conclusion that I've seen the tip of the iceberg. Isn't that the way it usually is? The rabbit hole is a deep one when it comes to security. During that course we covered:

Introduction to Security
Professionalism
Public Relations and Customer Service
Visible Minorities
Duties and Responsibilities
Security of Information Computer Technology Security
Staffing a Post
Labour and Security Relations
Police and Security Relations
Human Resources Staff Relations
Powers of Observation
Note Taking
Report Writing
Communication Systems
Conflict Resolution
Guidelines For Dealing With Angry or Upset Persons
Use of Force
Effective Communications
Access and Crowd Control
Alarm Systems
Traffic Control
Patrol Techniques
Response to Emergency Situations Fire Protection and Detection
Bombs and Bomb Threats
The Crime Scene
Safety Awareness
WHMIS - Workplace Hazardous Materials Information System
Occupational Health
The Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms
The Canadian Court System
Legal Authority of Security Professionals
Common Crimes Facing Security
Search and Seizure

Time, space and copyright laws prevent me from getting into precise details. Should you encounter one of these fine commissionaires posted at a federal building or condo please give them the respect they deserve. They've earned it.

Johnny Cash

Jokes You Can Tell At Church - May 9

Who said Christians are a joyless lot? No way I'd hang out with people like that! From the mouths of babes comes some good old-fashioned humor. It's children that unintentionally steal the spotlight from the adults. With thanks to Brenda and Diane for the forwarded e-mail.

Attending a wedding for the first time, a little girl whispered to her mother, 'Why is the bride dressed in white?''The mother replied, 'Because white is the color of happiness, and today is the happiest day of her life.'The child thought about this for a moment then said, 'So why is the groom wearing black?'

A little girl, dressed in her Sunday best, was running as fast as she could, trying not to be late for Bible class. As she ran she prayed, 'Dear Lord, please don't let me be late! Dear Lord, please don't let me be late!'

While she was running and praying, she tripped on a curb and fell, getting her clothes dirty and tearing her dress. She got up, brushed herself off, and started running again! As she ran she once again began to pray, 'Dear Lord, please don't let me be late...But please don't shove me either!'

Three boys are in the school yard bragging about their fathers. The first boy says, 'My Dad scribbles a few words on a piece of paper, he calls it a poem, they give him $50.' The second boy says, 'That's nothing. My Dad scribbles a few words on piece of paper, he calls it a song, they give him $100.' The third boy says, 'I got you both beat. My Dad scribbles a few words on a piece of paper, he calls it a sermon, and it takes eight people to collect all the money!'

An elderly woman died last month. Having never married, she requested no male pallbearers. In her handwritten instructions for her memorial service, she wrote, 'They wouldn't take me out while I was alive, I don't want them to take me out when I'm dead.'

A police recruit was asked during the exam, 'What would you do if you had to arrest your own mother?' He answered, 'Call for backup.'

A Sunday School teacher asked her class why Joseph and Mary took Jesus with them to Jerusalem. A small child replied, 'They couldn't get a baby-sitter.

A Sunday school teacher was discussing the Ten Commandments with her five and six year olds. After explaining the commandment to 'Honor thy father and thy mother,' she asked, 'Is there a commandment that teaches us how to treat our brothers and sisters?' Without missing a beat, one little boy answered, 'Thou shall not kill.'.

At Sunday School they were teaching how God created everything, including human beings. Little Johnny seemed especially intent when they told him how Eve was created out of one of Adam's ribs. Later in the week his mother noticed him lying down as though he were ill, and she said, 'Johnny, what is the matter?' Little Johnny responded, 'I have pain in my side. I think I'm going to have a wife.'

Two boys were walking home from Sunday school after hearing a strong preaching on the devil. One said to the other, 'What do you think about all this Satan stuff?' The other boy replied, 'Well, you know how Santa Claus turned out. It's probably just your Dad.'

Johnny Cash

A Tree Falling In A Forest - May 4

Many shall be purified, and made white, and tried; but the wicked shall do wickedly: and none of the wicked shall understand; but the wise shall understand.
(Daniel 12:10)

My people are destroyed from lack of knowledge. "Because you have rejected knowledge, I also reject you as my priests; because you have ignored the law of your God, I also will ignore your children. The more the priests increased, the more they sinned against me; they exchanged their Glory for something disgraceful. They feed on the sins of my people and relish their wickedness.
(Hosea 4:6-8)

With all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. For this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.
(2 Thessalonians 2:10-12)

I'm sure you've heard this one before: If a tree falls in a forest and no-one hears it, does it still make a sound? Before you attempt an answer let me ask you something similar: If you tell the truth and no-one listens, did you still tell the truth? The answer is YES!

So You Wanna Be a Prophet?

I should caution you that the conditions of the job are bad and the pay is worse. The upside is spending eternity with God in glory. Still interested? Unsurprisingly, many turn away from such an opportunity when they hear of the personal sacrifices that need to be made.

Why We MUST Tell Others of God's Impending Judgement (And The Stony Silence That Usually Follows)

You must understand you'll never win a popularity contest at home, at work or in the blogosphere if you preach the message faithfully. Sin, hell and judgement are not popular topics of conversation at the dinner table. A wall of silence and hostility is often the net result of those who speak lovingly of God's hatred of sin and unbelief. If you want to preach it realize this world will turn you into the villain. 'It's doom and gloom!'. 'It's a negative message!'. 'Why do you want to see the world destroyed?' 'Why the hateful message?'. And so on and so on. You become the bad guy because you don't buy into the secular propaganda about 'saving the world'.

The Call To Repentance and the Humanist Response

So you preach the message of divine judgement falling on this world and what do you get? Right off the top, a wide majority will disregard your warning. A hurricane is headed this way but seeing as it's pleasant outside, why bother. The hurricane comes and by the time they realize their fatal error it's too late. Then there's a second group who do listen but take half-measures. A five foot dike isn't going to do the trick against a ten foot storm surge. The third group represents the minority that do take the appropriate measures and are fully prepared against the storm's onslaught.

So it is with us. Look, all God wants is for you to repent of your sins. We look at the bloody cross and the sacrifice Jesus made on our behalf. We believe and then we repent. The first group are those mockers and scoffers who willfully disregard any warnings. 'Life is good' they say. 'No need to repent!'.

The second group isn't much better. They take modest precautions but usually adopt a laissez-faire approach. These are the technophiles who believe that science and technology will save us. They share the same attitude as the rest of the godless utopians who've put their faith in practical atheism and fortune cookie philosophy. Others place their hope on Man (such as President Obama) or other flawed institutions (United Nations) to rescue them.

The third group are those serious-minded folk who truly understand the situation. They don't disregard the warning nor do they place their hope on Man's abilities. Their rock and their foundation is Christ. Eternity is theirs!

The Illusion of a New World Order

I truly believe a renaissance can be had if we repent first. Think of all the racial strife. Think of the war between men and women. Then think of the generational gap. The only thing that can bring peace to mankind is a return to Godly obedience. All attempts at creating a NWO has failed because it has forgotten to put Biblical knowledge at the center. The priests that Hosea speaks of are still with us today. These so-called progressives have appealed to the flesh (meaning our pride) and have sold us a raw bill of goods. Do not think Barack Obama is going to save us. On the contrary, the increasing move towards godlessness will only accelerate God's plan for dealing with an unbelieving world.

If you have not done so, please get saved today. The wicked do not understand but the wise will understand. The wisdom that Daniel speaks of comes from above, not from our experience and human emotion. Have you embraced this yet? This is the hour of your salvation!

Johnny Cash

A quick note here. My brief experiment with Google ads is over. A total of 2 clicks for a total of 31 cents tells me all I need to know. Also, thanks to Fred from Tampa for your most recent comment. You sir are a tremendous source of encouragement!