"Pope Francis: Is The Pope Catholic?"

In a recent interview, Pope Francis allegedly claimed that hell doesn't exist.

So where do unbelievers go when they die? According to the interview, the Pope said they just "disappear."

Hmmmm...apparently the Catholic Church never got the memo.

Catechism of the Catholic Church 1035:

"The teaching of the Church affirms the existence of hell and its eternity. Immediately after death the souls of those who die in a state of mortal sin descend into hell, where they suffer the punishments of hell, "eternal fire". The chief punishment of hell is eternal separation from God, in whom alone man can possess the life and happiness for which he was created and for which he longs."

The Bible teaches that all sin is deadly.

"The Father gave His unique and beloved Son," says biblical scholar John MacArthur, "to die on behalf of sinful men because the consequences of sin is death (Romans 6:23). "Jesus paid the consequences for all those who believe Him and put their faith in Him. True faith in Christ is the only way to heaven."

Scripture says:

"Enter by the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is easy, that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow and the way is hard, that leads to life, and those who find it are few" (Matthew 7:13).

"Christ continually emphasized the difficulty of following Him," said MacArthur. "Salvation is by grace alone through faith, but it is not easy. It calls for knowledge of the truth, repentance, submission to Christ as Lord, and a willingness to obey His will and Word."

Pope Francis' view seems to be at odds with Scripture as well as other popes.

For instance, Pope Benedict XVI said in a 2007 sermon, "Jesus came to tells us that He wants us all in Heaven and that hell, of which so little is said in our time, exists and is eternal for those who close their hearts to His love."

The Vatican has been back-pedaling ever since Pope Francis' statement on hell went viral last week, dismissing the interview as "unofficial." Hopefully the Pope will give his followers an official statement soon because the Bible clearly warns:

"If your hand causes you to stumble, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life (heaven) maimed than with two hands go to hell, where the fire never goes out" (Mark 9:43).

It's official: Hell is real and there is only One Way out of going there. How To Go To Heaven

A wise man once said: "For those who follow Jesus, death is a coronation. This world is not our home; our citizenship is in heaven. To those who are faithful, Christ will give a crown of Life."         
-- Billy Graham

News:

• DEBKAfile: (EXCLUSIVE) U.S. Marines Head To Syria As Reinforcements Against Turkey; Joined By French Special Ops Forces
• Newsweek: China's military pledged support to Russia as tensions with U.S. mount
• The Washington Free Beacon: Russia Tested Nuclear-Powered Cruise Missile Twice; Nuclear Fallout Feared.

 

"Lady Gaga & God"

In an exclusive interview with Entertainment Tonight, Lady Gaga revealed what she said to her dance team moments before their Super Bowl halftime show:

"I told them their talent did not belong to them. God is the owner of their talent. And today was about sharing His wisdom with the world."

Surprising? Frankly, yes. Especially for those familiar with her graphically occult-laden music videos. 

Long accused of celebrating the "Darkside", Lady Gaga (aka Stefani Germanotta), frequently uses religious imagery in blasphemous ways even though she was raised in the Catholic Church.

"I struggle with my feelings," she once said in an interview, "about the Church in particular. But I guess, it's completely separate, isn't it? Religion and the Church are two completely separate things. But in terms of religion--I am very religious. I was raised Catholic. I believe in Jesus. I believe in God...so I suppose you could say I'm quite a religious woman, but very confused about religion."

Lady Gaga is right about being confused. True Christianity is not a "religion" at all. It is a very real and personal relationship with the real and living God. And as for the true Church? It's not a building, or a hierarchy or an institution--it is us--God's people, living out the Gospel message in obedience to God's Word--the Bible.

A wise man once said: "Too often, our basic assumptions about God lack a grounding in biblical truth. Yet, the Bible is the primary means by which God has chosen to reveal who He is and what He is like." -- John MacArthur, pastor/teacher

"For God is not the author of confusion..." 1 Corinthians 14:33

"...Let us lay aside every weight and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross..."   Hebrews12:  1 -2 

To understand the meaning of the cross, read the book of Romans.

To change your eternal destiny, click here.

News:

• Times of Israel: Defiant Iran test-fires another missile days after U.S. warning from Trump administration that it was "on notice" for previous missile tests.
• DEBKAfile: Russia to give Syrian Army high-precision weapons raising serious concerns in Israel that terrorists will get their hands on them.
• CBN: Democrats vow to continue campaign of obstruction preventing Trump form getting his cabinet in place.

"Supernatural Instructions: Read This First"

"The words Read This First have taken an important role in the packaging of modern consumer products," says Bible editor Barry J. Beitzel, Ph.D.

Why? Because most of us think life is too short to read instruction manuals.

The Bible is a supernatural instruction manual; all of it "is given by the inspiration of God" (2 Timothy 3:16), but the Gospel of John is the Read This First of the Bible.

The Gospel of John was written "to tell individuals how to find eternal life" (John 20:31), says Beitzel.

"This clearly identified purpose sets the Gospel of John apart from the other Gospels. It is not so much a life of Jesus as it is a powerful presentation of His deity.

"Every chapter presents evidence--both signs and statements--for His divine authority. According to John, believing that Jesus is the Son of God, the Savior of the world, is the beginning of eternal life (John 3:14-17).

"What could be more important? John's statement about his Gospel is as good as a Read This First sticker for one's eternal life."

A wise man once said: "The Gospel of John is a persuasive argument for the deity of Jesus. It concentrates on presenting Jesus as the Word, that is, God (John 1:1) who became a man (John 1:14). Thus John meticulously records the statements and describes the miracles of Jesus that can only be attributed to God Himself." -- Barry J. Beitzel, Ph.D.

"Jesus said, 'I assure you, unless you are born again, you can never see the Kingdom of God...Humans can reproduce only human life, but the Holy Spirit gives new life from heaven. So don't be surprised at My statement that you must be born again.'"                   -- John 3:3, 5-7

Learn how to be born again here 

News:

• The Jewish Press: IDF Prepares For Nuclear, Biological And Chemical Warfare; launches special unit for training
• Ynet News: France to convene Middle East peace conference involving 70 countries including Israeli and Palestinian leaders
• Vocativ: Exclusive: ISIS Puts Out Holiday Attack List Of U.S. Churches; threatens "bloody celebrations in the Christian New Year." 

"Lucifer"

According to FOX Network, Satan isn't really evil--just misunderstood.

In their new devil-inspired TV show, FOX attempts the ultimate make-over: Casting Lucifer as the good guy.

The series premise has Lucifer Morningstar, "bored and unhappy as the lord of hell" resigning, heading West and reinventing himself as an L.A. night club owner, part-time crime fighter and morphing into a man that is (according to FOX), "charming, charismatic and devilishly handsome, indulging in wine, women and song."

When urged to return to hell by an angel sent by God, Morningstar mockingly asks, "Do you think I'm the devil because I'm inherently evil or just because dear old Dad decided I was?"

The message? God is bad, Satan is cool. This show glorifies evil and blasphemes God. (And no, you don't need to watch it  to make sure. The graphic descriptions found on the website should be offensive enough for any Christian.)

The Bible warns that "in the last days there will be very difficult times. For people will love only themselves and their money. They will be boastful and proud, scoffing at God...They will consider nothing sacred...and have no interest in what is good" (2Timothy 3:1-3).

OneMillionMoms.com, a group of concerned mothers "fed up with the filth" the entertainment media are throwing at our children, has launched a petition urging FOX Network to cancel "Lucifer".

"The program", they say," mis-characterizes Satan, departs from true biblical teachings about him, and inaccurately portray the beliefs of the Christian faith. By choosing to air this show, FOX is disrespecting Christianity and mocking the Bible."

We contend they're doing far more than that. And before you roll your eyes and tell us to lighten up--"it's only a TV show"...try Googling How the media shapes public opinion. You will find 2,790,000 results, many of them scholarly research papers from Princeton, Harvard and other top universities.

The consensus? The influence of mass media on public perception is widely acknowledged. The public, however, has no clue of the incredible degree to which this occurs.

The most recent example is the acceptance of same-sex marriage, an unthinkable concept even 10 years ago.

According to the Bible, Satan is "the prince of the power of the air". Think 'airwaves' as in TV, radio, internet and movies, and then ask yourself what his agenda might be.

A wise man once said: "If I were the devil, I would whisper, 'The Bible is a myth'. I would convince them that man created God instead of the other way around." -- Paul Harvey, radio commentator

"Live no longer as the ungodly do, for they are hopelessly confused. Their closed minds are full of darkness; they are far away from the life of God because they have shut their minds and hardened their hearts against Him. They don't care anymore about right and wrong, and they have given themselves over to immoral ways."  Ephesians 4:17-19

News:

• DEBKAfile: 50,000 Syrian refugees head for Jordan, Israel; refugee exodus from North, now repeating in South with scant media attention.
• U.S. News: Twitter Characterizes Criticism Of Islam As "Hate Speech"
• Daily Caller: New Emails Show Press Literally Taking Orders From Hillary; Emails Expose Transactional Relationship. 

"Do Only Idiots Believe the Bible?"

There are hundreds of books detailing the amazing evidence of the divine inspiration of the Bible.

The problem? Most people don't bother to read them.

In fact, according to ChristianAnswers.net,  "...few (of the Bible's detractors) have even read the Bible itself! Thus, many people tend to go along with the popular delusion that the Bible is full of mistakes and is no longer relevant to our modern world."

Fact: The Bible is not a single book but a library of books: 66 books written by 40 authors over a period of 2,000 years. And yet it is perfectly integrated.

Fact: "The Biblical authors claimed repeatedly (over 3,000 times) that they were transmitting the authoritative, infallible Word of God. These men were either telling the truth or they were lying or insane or both." 

Fact: The Bible is the most influential book ever written, a perennial bestseller, that contains the most perfect moral code ever devised.

Fact: The Bible is woven from Genesis to Revelation with prophecy, most of which (80%) has already been fulfilled with 100% accuracy. Over 300 prophecies were fulfilled by Christ Himself at His First Coming.

"There is no other book, ancient or modern, like this," writes Christian Answers.net. "The vague, and usually erroneous prophecies of people like Jeanne Dixon, Nostradamus, Edgar Cayce, and others like them are not in the same category at all, and neither are other religious books such as The Koran, The Confucian Analects, and similar religious writings."

"Only the Bible manifests the remarkable prophetic evidence, and it does so on such a tremendous scale as to render completely absurd any explanation other than divine revelation."

Fact: "The historical accuracy of the Scriptures is likewise in a class by itself." Archaeological evidence confirms much of the Biblical record.

Fact: Many scientific principles were recorded in the Bible centuries before science "discovered" them.

For instance, Isaiah 40:22 says the earth is round. At a time when science believed the earth was flat, Christopher Columbus bet his life the Scriptures were correct.

The Bible says a baby boy must be circumcised on the 8th day. Medical science has only recently discovered blood-clotting in a newborn reaches its peak on...you guessed it, the 8th day.

The book of Leviticus is full of rules about cleanliness, food prep and isolating the sick. It took centuries for science to catch up. We could go on and on...but you get the idea.

Though many claim the Bible is full of errors, none so far has ever been demonstrated. Not in science, history, or any other subject.

Fact: The Bible contains "remarkable structural and mathematical patterns woven throughout its fabric, with an intricacy and symmetry incapable of explanation by chance or collusion."

So do only idiots believe the Bible? There are literally thousands of scientists who believe the Bible, including: Physicists like Newton, Faraday and Maxwell. For more, "Scientists Who Believe the Bible"

A wise man once said: "Faith in Christ is not some blind leap in a dark chasm, but a faith based on established evidence."-- Hank Hanegraaff, author

"'Come now, and let us reason together," says the LORD: 'though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be white as snow.'"  Isaiah 1:18

News:

• Fox News Channel: Odds of large California quake rise dramatically; experts urge preparedness.
• CNN: Capracotta, Italy receives 100 inches of snow in 18 hours.
• Reuters: "Russia says has right to deploy nuclear weapons in Crimea": Ministry Official, Mikhail Ulyanov.

"2015 Financial Predictions"

International Business Times ran a headline Wednesday asking, "Why Economists Fear 'Nightmare' Deflation From Cheaper Oil."

Apparently in 2015 deflation is the new inflation (just as pink is the new black).

In his January Investment Outlook, financial legend Bill Gross of Janus Capital warns investors of "minus signs" at the end of 2015. "The good times are over," he predicts.

"Timing the end of an asset bull market is nearly always an impossible task, and that is one reason why most market observers don't do it," Gross writes.

"Nevertheless, there comes a time when common sense must recognize that the king has no clothes."

Financial analyst Rick Ackerman agrees that the "good times" are indeed over.

"My perspective is that of a deflationist, and it's been easy for me to see. Even though we have inflation in certain things...the much bigger picture is deflationary."

Ackerman, in an interview on USA Watchdog last week said, "We are definitely in a house of cards situation, and I haven't seen anything as obvious or logical as the energy price collapse as far as what might produce that black swan."

Wild volatility and stock market swings (up one day, down the next) should give us a clue say the experts: Call it a night, the party's over.

For most of us, sliding prices are a dream come true.

Au contraire mon fraire. "Deflation is a nightmare and is difficult to cure," warns Peter Cardillo, chief market economist at Rockwell Global Capital.

Last year, "the experts" were all about inflation--next year, who knows? Only God can (and does!) predict the future.

The Bible hints at a major economic restructuring. We know it's coming, but we don't know when. Are the current economic gyrations (that began 7 years ago) part of this economic paradigm shift? We'll just have to wait and see.

 To learn more..."Does the Bible Predict a Global Economic Collapse? Part 1 Part 2

The bottom line? Don't worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today's trouble is enough for today." (Matthew 6:34).

A wise man once said: "We live in a financial fantasy land, and they need to continue the fantasy to prevent collapse."  -- Bill Holter, financial writer

"But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all else will be given to you besides."  (Matthew 6:33).

News:

• The Washington Free Beacon: Iran Activates 'Real Iron Dome' Missile Defense System while mass-producing its own fighter jets, combat drones.
• Bloomberg News: Iran-Backed Militias Get US Weapons In Spite of 'Gross Human-Rights' Violations
• CNBC: S&P 500 Erases Loss For Year as Stocks Rally For 2nd Day Following 5-Day Sell Off. 

"Can We Expect a Mega-Quake?"

What do Chile, North Korea, New Guinea, New Zealand, China, Japan, Nicaragua, Tajikistan, Argentina and California have in common?

They were all hit with sizable earthquakes this week. Chile hit the jackpot, rocking the Richter scale with a magnitude 8.2.

Are large earthquakes increasing in frequency?

According the the National Academy of Sciences, earthquakes 8.0 magnitude and above have struck at a record rate since 2004.

The usual rate? 1 per year.

Since 2004? One, two, and even four times per year.

Most scientists attribute this to statistical chance. We do not.

The Bible tells us to expect "great earthquakes in various places" (Luke 21:11) in the lead up to the 'beginning of sorrows'.

The Bible also indicates an increase in:

• spiritual deceptions
• natural disasters
• famines
• pestilences
• distress of nations
• and sin

So yes, the frequency of large earthquakes will increase. But the granddaddy of all earthquakes, a massive mega-quake, won't happen until the 7th angel pours out his bowl of judgment during the Great Tribulation.

"...and there was a mighty and great earthquake as had not occurred since men were on the earth." (Revelation 16:18).

You don't want to be here for that one, people. To ensure you are not, click here...How to Go to Heaven

"But take heed to yourselves, lest your hearts be weighed down with carousing, drunkenness, and cares of this life, and that Day come on you unexpectedly." (Luke 21:34)

A wise man once said: "How well I have learned that there is no fence to sit on between heaven and hell. There is a deep, wide gulf, a chasm, and that chasm is no place for any man." Johnny Cash

News:

• NBC News: A powerful 7.6 magnitude aftershock struck northern Chile late Wednesday, just a day after an 8.2 magnitude earthquake triggered tsunami alerts and mass evacuations.
• Fox News Channel: Number of deaths in Washington mudslide rises to 30, number of missing drops to 13.
• Reuters: New report suggests as many as 1 in 68 US kids may have autism.

"2014 Predictions"

Every new year brings with it a plethora of prognosticators and this year is no exception.

The common thread? Extremes.

• Extreme financial woes
• Extreme weather (climate change)
• Extreme (and ever-vague) earth changes.

Looking for a rogue comet? asteroid? planet? or wave? Doomsday enthusiasts are crawling with 'em.

And here's a new one: "The Chaos Cloud" (the what?) scheduled to wipe us out on June 1st @ precisely 9:15 a.m. EST.

Google, and you'll find page after page of relentless, mind-numbing doom and gloom slated for this coming year.

Let's face it gang, for many 2014 is just one great big disaster waiting to happen. As one particularly dire YouTube video put it: 

"2014 is where we'll be left to eat anything or anyone in our path."

(oh, sure, it's all fun and games until somebody gets eaten!)

So how do we separate fact from fiction?

• nix the Magic 8 balls
• stop lookin' for truth in all the wrong places
• understand the 100% accuracy rate of Bible prophecy

From Genesis to Revelation, the Bible is woven with predictions. In fact, more than 1/4 of the Bible is prophecy. Most of them (roughly 80%) have already been fulfilled exactly as prophesied.

These fulfilled prophecies told the story of God's Chosen People and their Messiah before it happened.

How better to prove God's existence and power over world events than to tell history in advance?

The rest of the prophetic scriptures zero in on...you guessed it: the end times.

As current events line up with uncanny precision exactly as the Bible predicts, it actually takes more faith not to believe.

Bible prophecy is the vehicle God chose to authenticate His message.

And what is His message, you ask?

That He gave His Son (His only Son whom He loved), so that whosoever believed in Him could have everlasting life together with Him in heaven. (John 3:16)

The reason?

Because...as a wise man once said:

"Eternal existence belongs to everyone. The only question is location, location, location."    --Amir Tsarfati, Bible teacher

News:

• Fox News Channel: U.S. braces for 1 trillion in new taxes due to the implementations of Obamacare.
• Debkafile: A new peace treaty is in the works between Israel and the Palestinians as Secretary John Kerry visits Mideast.
• World Net Daily: Former Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, in a coma for 8 years, may be pulled from life support, as all treatment options are exhausted.