i have reasons to believe that this devastating event of terrorism that has just taken place is the prophecy of chapters 8 and 9 of revelations if u read carefully, it expresses the twin towers as altars of sacrifice, it was taken place sep 11th (i ask you to please keep an open mind as farfetched as it may seem), 9/11, read rev.9:11...abadon is slave of destruction, 12 says, its over but there are two more to come. i ask you with the most respect we all deserve, please take this opinion very seriously

thank you

Let’s look at the Scripture you referred in its context.

First of all, let’s consider the "interpretation" of some of the allegories in these Scriptures that have already been set forth in the religious world. Keeping in mind that the things that John was seeing were in the far, distant future and were things he was not familiar with, we see him describing them in terms of things common to his day, and ours: e.g., locusts. Our modern helicopters would fit description of "locusts." The "fire from their mouth" could most certainly apply to modern jet planes/helicopters that shoot rockets, and when he described their appearance, again it could be the sleek, metallic sheen of the planes, etc.

Secondly, let’s look at just when these allegories might apply. As we’ve said, they could apply to our modern war machinery, but they could also be for a future time when space travel is as sophisticated as Captain Kirk or Star Wars. So you see, when we’re dealing with speculation, we have to deal with what is fact or what is fiction and with just what period might they apply. In fact, if you’ll look closely at the passage above, you’ll see that if applies to the end of the Kingdom Age which is at least a thousand years in the future because it speaks of the day when Satan and his fallen host will be released from their thousand-year confinement in hell.

Also in these passages, Revelation speaks of angels doing things upon an earth that evidently can no longer be safely inhabited, whether it is from pollution, disease, or sin. Anytime we break a law, whether it be a law of nature, physical law or a moral law, there will be consequences. The time spoken of in these passages will be a time when laws will be held in disregard and when one can only try to imagine the chaotic state of mankind / the world. However, by no means of conjecture can anyone attribute the acts of this terrorist group(s) as the work of "angels." The angels will be coming to the world in an act of mercy and great grief because God will have sent them to clean up an uninhabitable world polluted and poisoned by irresponsible acts against laws of morality/nature.

Nor should we think of the angels of Revelation as coming in an act of hate or suicide as did these men in New York that we label as terrorists. There are two prominent "suicides" mentioned in the Bible that stand out as examples. One was Saul and one was Judas.

Here we find that Saul was mortally wounded and in intolerable anguish of body, heart, and mind. We know that Saul went to the same place as all the other "chosen" people of his day because we have this Scripture:

Judas, according to the Scriptures, was never one of God’s chosen but was of his father the devil (John. 6:70-71 cf. John 13:18-19). We look at the attributes of his actions and find that he was sneaky, underhanded, money-conscious and disloyal. We do know that he committed suicide.

There are other suicides mentioned in the Bible; but nothing is written about angels committing suicide-unless one might consider Satan and his fallen angels to have committed "spiritual" suicide when they rebelled against God and brought upon themselves eventual eternal separation from God in the eternal Lake of Fire. However, God is not suicidal and neither are His angels that surround his throne. So that should put to rest any thoughts about the people of these past days as being "angels." Furthermore, there is no Scripture to limit the angels to the physical attributes of humans whereby they could commit suicide. They are of another dimension / realm. True, the angels can take on the form of man at will to do the chores assigned them by God, but never are they confined to our mortal existence.

So, we cannot from the furthest reaches of imagination, put these acts of the past days in the same realm as God’s work. They are certainly not His angels sent to rain destruction upon America. They are just mere humans with a lifetime of "militant religious teaching" which did not agree with the teaching of another culture. This is an extreme clash of cultures. The only time Jesus ever showed "violence" was when He whipped the moneychangers out of the temple. True, the World’s Trade Center was full of financial enterprises, but it was not a temple of God. It was an institution by which men operated within the world system. So we cannot parallel this to anything that Jesus taught or did.

You say you have reason to believe the comments you presented. Let me address this for a moment. We have found a very alarming thing in the church world since the 1960's. The preacher/ prophets /leaders of some denominations would get up and say, "Thus saith the Lord, you shall do _______." People would go out and "act out" this "so-called word from the lord" and in this manner cause the "prophecy" to appear to come true. Many of these people were babes in Christ who did not know enough Scripture to discern wrong from right. They had never been taught to "test the Spirits." This caused people to do things that did not lead to their happiness. Most certainly, the Bible does teach that we are each accountable for our own individual actions. Another will not have to stand in your place on the day that we each have to give account of what we have done in this life. Consequently, it only makes sense that we determine for ourselves the will of God for our respective lives. This is an awesome and fearful thing, each of us being responsible for what we do in our own body. But because it is such a tremendous responsibility, God does not leave us without the resources to live a life pleasing to Him. With this in mind, Let’s look at some Scriptures.

First, let’s address this matter of others, whether it be a preacher, prophet, guru, prophetess, elder, cleric, monk, vicar, holy man, rector, holy woman, parson, reverend, nun, seer, or any other religious leader, telling us what to act out as a religious manifestation. In fact, please be advised that no religious leader, media minister, or moral majority leader has been authorized to speak for me or the Christian community as a whole. Such a person is only authorized to speak for the local congregation that funds him / her, and then only in a limited capacity. It is time for God’s people to stand up and think for themselves.

Next, let’s look at some Scriptures showing how God has made provision for us to be empowered to live a live pleasing to Him.

These are just a few of the glorious promises that belong to the believer who wants to live a productive life pleasing to God and beneficial to his fellowman.

I have to keep saying the same thing over and over as I write to people. We are to keep a "watch" as a Christian, but not so that we can tell others of hidden things that belong solely to God. Too many people, today, could be compared to a small, beloved toddler who visits his father’s workplace and then begins to tell his dad how to run his business. True, we are to "watch" for our Lord’s return and to be aware of the end-time signs that shall accompany His return, but this "watching" should not produce fear, nor date setting, nor fighting, nor wild speculation on hidden things. It should produce concern for the souls of men. In short, it should stir up in us a zeal to fulfill the Great Commission.

If we will do this, we will have peace with God, peace with ourselves and be a part of the Lord’s Spiritual warfare. We should also be aware that when we enter this warfare, we are to do so with the armor that God has provided for us. As you read the following passage, note that to put on the whole armor of God requires fervent, extensive Bible study by the individual; not an occasional commentary given by a pulpit or media minister. This is not to put down preachers for our ministry has preached/ taught for years in an attempt to answer our call from the Lord. The words of a good minister should be considered to be "spiritual gatorade"—to stir up the gift that is within us and build our holy faith. They were never intended to take the place of the milk, meat, and bread of the Word. And if the words of any minister lead you to place your confidence in any source but the Lord, beware!

This is our job!!! This is our primary warfare!!! These are the Words of Christ!!! If we have been witnessing, then any terrible days that come will find us "standing" with firmness and resolve in the Lord. Will Christians ever have to "fight in wars"??? Yes, just as any mother would fight when her baby is threatened, when any dad would resist when his household is invaded. We have a human responsibility and a Spiritual responsibility. It would be a strange world where mothers allowed their babies to be killed without resistance; or a dad watched his home be invaded without an outcry/ defense. We can be both a Christian and a citizen of a country with honor!!!

I put this WRAP up with the sincerest hope. It is not meant to condemn nor condone but rather to look at what the Scriptures have to say and how they might apply to today’s situations. Hopefully, I have helped you to "try the Spirits" of these past few days in our world’s present day history. Evil days will come but meanwhile the believer needs to be about his / her Father’s business, i.e., The Great Commission.

Jack has a site on the web entitled "babylon the great is falling." He first WRAPPED with us in our August WRAP AROUNDS. To read his first WRAP and our comments, click on MORE WRAP AROUNDS at the bottom of this page and go to our AUGUST '01 WRAP AROUNDS.

God's Greatest Desire

It is important, even imperative, that we understand obedience to the God of Abraham and what that all entails. For many would say that obedience is God's greatest desire. Why does anyone want to or desire to obey God? Is there a right or a wrong motive for obeying God? If we have been born of God, not only does the Holy Spirit indwell and empower us to obey the commandments, but He also gives us the proper motivation. This is so critical, for multitudes of false teachers are seducing people to desire obedience to God for the wrong reasons. Your reason for obeying God can reveal whether or not you're walking in the Spirit or the flesh. You are invited to my website for more details.

If we desire to obey for impure reasons we are distorting the grace of God, and are not walking and living in the power of the Holy Spirit. In essence, we are then working for our salvation. Let me explain. Attempted obedience that is not based and rooted upon personal identification with the crucifixion of Jesus Christ, is the product of an impure heart. Remember, all of us are guilty of nailing Jesus to the cross, for we have all sinned before God. And yet, the very cross we nailed Him to, is the place we can be forgiven, if we repent and confess our sin. He allowed himself to be humiliated, tortured, mocked and ridiculed to show us all how far we have strayed from the God of Abraham. Hearing this should produce Godly sorrow and shame.

The bottom line reason or desire to obey the Father flows from a heart that understands how much God loves us and wants to save us from an eternal Hell. We obey, through the power of the Holy Spirit, because we love God. This is why true believers want Jesus to return soon, because then our sinful bodies will be changed and glorified never to suffer the horror of sin and death again. We will be with Him forever.

Since God has demonstrated his love for all mankind through the death of Jesus, what is the Father's greatest desire? Let me make it real plain. Of all God's desires, the one that sits atop of them all is this: That people would love Him back! He longs for his fallen human race to respond to Him and cry out for forgiveness and fellowship.

Remember, Jesus is returning to take back the government of the nations. Events in Israel and Jerusalem are signs that He is coming soon. The Antichrist from America will bring peace to the Middle East. The choice is simple; we can either love this world system and the Antichrist, or we can love the soon coming King of Kings. All those who have responded to God's love and love Him back will not be condemned, but enter into His glorious Kingdom on earth!

Sincerely, Jack Hook

Babylon The Great Is Falling

If what you are saying in your first four paragraphs is that Jesus saves and that through Him we can have fellowship with God the Father, I find no fault with this, for this is the central message of the New Testament.

In your last paragraph, however, you ask me to remember something of which I have no recollection. I understand that Jesus is Lord over all, but no where in the Scriptures can I find where the governments of the world have ever submitted themselves to the rule of Jesus, or God, so I can not see how He will take them back. Also, it is true that Israel is again a nation in accord with the words of the prophets, but you will have to show me in the Scriptures where the Antichrist will come from the US, or that America is Babylon the Great. As I read the Scriptures, I find no mentioning of who the beast will be or from where he will come. And as to Babylon the Great, I feel that this term is used in the Bible to designate the overall world system; which has been under control of the spirit of antichrist: i.e., Satan the prince of this world.

It sounds as though you don’t have too high an opinion of America, but I challenge you to find a better nation on the planet. Granted, too many Americans consider themselves to be Christians because they were born in America rather than being born again of the Spirit of Christ. Nevertheless, the Christian precepts instilled in our land by our forefathers have made her to be her "brothers keeper" too often to mention--as many third-world nations and nations in distress can tell you. And the way that she takes care of her own, though maybe not perfect, is unparalleled anywhere or anytime by any other nation. Also, she is still the nation wherein one can express his or her opinion without being shot or thrown under the jail. And she is still a nation wherein the Church of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ has opportunity to repent and be about its business of fulfilling the Great Commission. Granted, much has happened during the last several decades that has put blemishes upon the statue of liberty, but she is still a beautiful lady. And truth be told, most of those blemishes have come about because too many members of the Church have become engrossed and entangled in the affairs of the world—obviously putting their own needs first, rather than God’s, and giving little thought to their neighbor’s welfare.

We have so many theologians today that are like a newspaper reporter hoping to make a great "scoop" about when God is going to do this or that. Jesus addressed this obsession with wanting to know heavenly secrets in this Scripture:

Now if God chose not to tell His Only Begotten Son the things He's chosen to keep to Himself, what makes mere man think that God is going to come down and give any person more honor that He would His Son.

You speak of doing the will of the Father. Jesus addressed this, also.

Jesus made this bold claim of Himself:

Jesus did the will of the Father. Then He gave us the "bottom line" of the whole matter just before he ascended back to His Father. It goes like this:

This is Jesus’ final commandment. This Great Commission, as the church calls it, is the crux of what He was about and it is what we are supposed to do. We are to observe the times around us only so that we can be spurred into action to get the "harvest in from the fields," not to sit and speculate about when/how an event will happen.

It is on this commandment that the Church is to stay focused.

Contrariwise, the enemy of our souls would have us indulge in either self-condemnation or in condemnation of others. If he can’t do this, then he’ll offer plenty of tangents to entangle and sidetrack us. Jesus’ last words were not to go about yelling, "Babylon the great is fallen." Our message was to share what the church calls the Great Commission. We have never been commissioned to carry any message of condemnation such as saying one nation is a devil, another nation will be the anti-christ, another the beast, another wicked Babylon the Great. This is hateful name calling and it’s getting into God’s territory. Let me say again, if God did not give a date and time to Jesus, then I doubt He will come down and give any mortal preacher/believer such a "scoop." Shame on us--looking for "sensationalism" and never getting out into the field plowing and harvesting. I will admit that "plowing" and "harvesting" is not as visible and wonderful as standing in a high place and yelling about the U. S. or some other nation, but "plow" and "harvest" we were commanded to do. Evidently it is as repugnant to some as when Naaman had to dip in the muddy Jordan. But his humble act of "dipping" was where the power and healing was at that time. (II Kings 5:14). Please consider this great message of truth, love and commandment.

If a church truly wants to know how much they love God, then it is very simple to ascertain. Shame on the churches of this United States that have church budgets of 50% for building fund/maintenance, 20% for utilities, 20% percent for pastors salary, and 10% for emergencies and the Great Commission. God doesn’t need our houses of sticks and stones and metal and plastic to dwell in…He has mansions in heaven. He needs these "Spiritual houses of clay" known as Christians to share the simple message of John 3:16.

The power is in that simple verse just as the power was in the simple birth of one tiny babe in a manger. I do hope you grasp what I am trying to impart. Of all the power of earth at the time of Moses, the power was in a stick he had in his hand. Or consider the power in the Widow’s mite. We are constantly looking for a great "scoop" on the religious scene. The great "scoop" will be as small as the grain of mustard seed. How can we possible see it if our eyes are glued to what we consider to be the "big" things of this world?

My hearty greetings in the name of our beloved and soon coming Lord Jesus Christ. I would like to receive more details about your ministry. Kindly send me some info about your ministry details to me.

Kindly remember us in your prayers at the throne of grace. I am praying for

your ministry.

Thanking you.

Yours in HIM,

We are just every day people that go to work and support ourselves and our family. We have pastored churches, traveled extensively singing and evangelizing while living in parsonages or in a camper. We have traveled with wealthy Christians as well as very poor ones. We have lived, learned, and grown in the Lord; and we can see now that all this was preparation for our doweknow web site. Because of our travels and our ministering in many denominations, we have learned to love the grass-roots membership of all these churches and to respect their faith. Because of our experiences and preparations, we feel that our basic message via the web is that God’s people are one in the Lord and that they should behave accordingly—and that they must come back to the Great Commission which was the bottom line of Christ’s ministry on earth. In our travels we found that the Great Commission had taken a extreme backseat to the prosperity, name it claim it, exorcism type ministries that became prominent during the 1960s through 1980s. We have just attempted to say in this web site "doweknow" what we are really supposed to be doing as the body of Christ" and "doweknow" what our individual responsibilities are toward Christ.

We believe in the sovereign unity of Christ—the Head of the Church—with the individual believer, and we feel that there is great danger when people blindly follow a religious leader and never ask of themselves, "what do they know?" and "what do I know?" We believe that Christians "should assemble themselves together" to gain strength from individual sharing of Christ’s evidence in their lives. We do not believe that people should assemble together to have the Scriptures "spoon fed" to them for only an hour or two when there is a church service. We believe the Scriptures to teach that every "born-again" believer, on a consistent basis, should do Bible study and that it is the pastor's duty to emphasize the importance of personal Bible study in the life of the believer. We do not believe that the church is to be a club where people come together for fund-raising, for dress code explanation, for a "fortune telling type" word of knowledge, but rather to be an arm of evangelism for the body of Christ which is comprised of the "lively stones" of which Peter spoke.

I challenge you to find any two stones upon this vast earth that are the same. We are individual unique people with Christ as our head. We hear "one voice" not voices. We believe that Christians are the "eye of the storm" where peace and calm will reign during any storm. We are not religious fanatics that go about condemning the people around us. If we do not have a Word from Christ that would build people up; then, we endeavor to keep our mouth shut until a sure word occurs. Are we perfect? No!!! Are we glamorous and charismatic? No!!! Are we good neighbors? We try to be!!! Do we look and act normal in our neighborhood? Yes!!! Do we have illnesses, tragedies, deaths, etc. in our family? Yes, just like everyone else; but we have our hope and calmness grounded in the Love of Christ.

Are we aware of the differing dogmas and denominational rhetoric designed to put division in the Body of Christ? Yes!!! And in our book MARK THEM, we have brought many of these problems to light, trying to do so in a positive way. Throughout our site we have tried to bring to light the reason for all of the contentious differences: i.e., an assault on these two basic commands of Christ:

And what is the "gospel" of which Jesus was talking?

We at doweknow.com believe the following.

Thanks for your interest in our ministry.

Don & B’Ann Love

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