April 1, 2004

As we at Antipas Ministries prepare for our very soon move to Canada, I wanted to take just a little time to provide everyone with a journal update. The responses and support we have received from all of you has been for the most part very positive. Steve's latest piece on the Aliya Foundation has been very well received and it appears that there are a great many of you who are interested in finding a way out of what America is rapidly becoming. As time goes on, things will get worse... not better. It is because of this that we implore everyone to make haste in their preparations to leave. That is what Aliya is all about. It is a way for brothers and sister to draw together so that they may support each other in doing what is necessary to leave.

It is not an easy thing to leave family and friends behind... especially when you love them dearly. However, the Word of God is very clear on what we are to do and it is also very clear on what America's identity is and on what the future holds for all remain within. We will be leaving in the next few days for British Columbia. The next time you hear from us it will most probably be from there. We ask that all of you keep us in your prayers as we make this move... and we also ask that you support this ministry in what is to be a very costly endeavor (even when done on the cheap!). If you are led to support us, here is a link to information on how you can: http://www.endtimesnetwork.com/support.html

On the news front... it is becoming very evident that Hussien's capture months ago has done very little to stem the insurgency in Iraq... nor to stem the hatred Iraqis have for their American occupiers. I have a brother currently serving around Baghdad and I pray that he makes it through this alive and with his soul intact. The thought that men who claim to be of Christ have sent him and thousands of others to such a dangerous place for imperialist dreams of profit and conquest is one that leads me to the conclusion that the Christ they serve is another Christ. Plus, we are not even being told the truth about the number of men and women who are actually being injured over there. While reports to the public indicate a very high 11,000... other sources place the number at around 18,000. Alarming stuff indeed.

With all the tumult taking place due to the war in Iraq and Afghanistan and with the hemmoraging US economy... one would think that Bush could be in some trouble come November. However, as the election draws ever closer, it looks like the GOP ace-in-the-hole may be the new electronic voting machines that will be in use throughout most of the country. I have been following this story for quite some time and it appears that the vote totals can be manipulated without a trace of evidence of this even being done. Very disconcerting when you consider that those with the greatest access to manipulate the totals are big time contributors to the GOP.

Meanwhile, Bush is presenting his case more and more in religious terms and characterizes the battles of his presidency increasingly as "good versus evil" type affairs. Sadly, the American people to a large degree have bought off on this and agree that it is truly the "good" America versus the "evil" of the world. The bible however, paints a slightly different scenario... one in which those claiming to be "of Christ" and therefore good as actually being the evil that will bring about the "man of sin".

So this is where we are at... I would love to keep going with this journal update, but I have to get back to the business of getting things prepared for the move. I will leave you with a few more thoughts however. About a week or so ago did a radio interview with Joe Myles on CJUM 101.5 FM ( in Winnipeg, Manitoba). For almost an hour we spoke with Joe about just what the US is up to in Iraq and throughout the world. We also spoke about the Church's involvement in America's lust for empire and our compulsion to leave this country along with why we believe, via God's word, that all who love Him are commanded to leave. I dropped the ball by not letting you know that we were to appear so that you could listen via the internet. After we get settled in Canada we will be doing a follow-up interview with Joe and will most certainly let you know of the date and time so that you may tune in via the radio station's web site.

Once again, please keep us in your prayers as we make the big move and know that we are thankful for all the prayers and support we have gotten to this point... God Bless! until we get to B.C.

March 13, 2004

More On The Passion... and Other Observations

I have been inundated to offer some kind of position on the new Gibson movie after I alluded to it in my last journal and it subsequently has become a lightning rod for discussion and a tremendous cash cow. Ecstatic visions and all the symbolism of a Latin Mass on steroids not withstanding, The Passion Of The Christ has been a runaway blockbuster (also of interest within this link is the memorabilia related to the movie that is available for purchase). Prominent American protestant leaders have hyped the film and many influential mega church pastors have booked viewings of the flick for their entire congregations. The question that begs to be asked is just what are they placing before their flocks in doing so?

The movie is heavily steeped in Catholic tradition and extra-biblical teachings, including the reverence (worship) of Mary as Mother of God and Co-Redemptrix. Also of note is the fact that a substantial portion of its plot is drawn, not from the Gospels, but from the above mentioned traditions, extra-biblical teachings and the writings of a pair of seizure-prone stigmatic mystics.

One would think that this would cause alarm or concern among the supposed inheritors of the Reformation, but instead most Christians in the US have been deeply moved by the spectacle of their Savior being bludgeoned and battered and have not stopped to ponder the matters of what the film is all about “thematically” and what source material was used to construct this supposedly accurate portrayal of Christ’s final 12 hours. The links to the reviews and commentaries on the film, which I have provided above, have laid out the faults and issues of concern much better than I have, but one point that does bear repeating on my behalf is that of the unnatural focus this film puts towards the screenwriter’s obsession (based on his Catholic faith) with the physical spectacle of the sufferings inflicted upon Christ during His passion. This focus tends to push Christians toward the errant concept that it is the remembrance of the whippings, scourging, beatings, and piercings that enables them to be good servants and effective ministers of the Gospel (A concept reenacted daily in Catholicism with the transubstantiation and consecration of the mass, where the supposed literal body and blood of Christ are served anew each day for consumption by the saints)… when instead it is the remembrance and testimony of His risen status and the fact that He defeated death, hell, and the grave in His resurrection to life.

It is for this reason that I believe the Gospels are so vague in their recollection of what transpired during Christ’s imprisonment, trial, and crucifixion. If God had wanted believers to know the gory details involved He would have translated them to us via His word… The reason these details were not included is because the focus is not to be on the shards of flesh that may have been ripped from His skin or on the volume and frequency with which His blood fled His body during that time. These things smack of using imagery and sensationalism to “sell a story” and also lean peoples sympathies towards a Catholic view of Christ’s significance as Savior, which in most ways is completely different from that laid out by the New Testament.

His giving of His life as a sacrifice is not meant to lead us towards speculation and extra-biblical sources as a way to portray what methods were used to extract blood and flesh from His body, but should instead lead us to the fact that His suffering and death were the necessary precursors to the victory accomplished when HE ROSE FROM THE GRAVE TO LIFE EVERLASTING, SO THAT HIS ONE-TIME SACRAFICE WOULD BE SUFFICIENT FOR ETERNITY. The focus for the believer in Christ should be on the eternal nature and effect of His atoning sacrifice and the fact that its eternal worthiness is made possible by the fact of His very life today as the Son of God, victorious over the grave.

Once again, I really recommend the above linked articles that deal with the content of the movie in much more detail... and I recommend that those going to see this movie make themselves fully aware of motives of the filmmakers. That is the "big-picture" issue here, and one with which Christians always struggle with. They will rail for days on end about the filthiness that comes out of Hollywood, without stopping to think that most movies are just portrayals of worldly people following after their own lusts. This doesn't justify the wrongness of these portrayals, but least there is no spiritual hypocrisy there (in that they are not presenting themselves to be anything they are not). On the flip-side of that, however, are movies such as the Gibson flick and the whole genre of "Christian entertainment" with which we are now inundated. These endeavors are presented to us as being "of God" and acceptable for viewing (or listening) by the saints, when in many ways they are much worse and much more dangerous. They are dangerous because they present error as inspired truth and in doing so reinforce they spirit of apostasy that has swept through Christianity. False religion is always worse than no religion... and false Christianity is the absolute worst of all the false religions.

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On the international front, Spain experienced the terrible blow of terrorism Thursday. Early indications are divided over whether the attacks originated from Islamic fanaticism or Basque separatists. If those responsible for the attacks are found to have been motivated by Islamic fundamentalist sentiments, then one must wonder to what degree the attacks were a response to Spain’s actions as one of the countries most involved in America’s wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Now that the Democratic nomination has all but been decided in favor of John Kerry, it shouldn’t be long before the character assassination squads really jump into action. I say this because the attacks that Bush/Cheney Inc. are going to unleash on the Kerry camp will make those grenades lobbed at Bill Clinton during the 1990’s look like rose petals. With the economy stalled and the war front providing no good news, the only choice Bush has is to portray Kerry as the enemy of all that is holy. In that respect, I am quite confident that Bush’s Christian constituency will eat this type of “campaigning” up and will be galvanized to the highest degree in their efforts to retain GW’s place in the Whitehouse.

Given the strong delusion most in this country are under, I see no way for Kerry to win in November and am truly convinced that if it came down to it, Bush and Co. would manufacture another 9-11 type event to remain in power. I also believe that with the way computerized voting has been rigged that Bush will tally the most votes in November whether all those counted as such actually voted for him or not. Even if somehow the unthinkable did happen and Bush lost the election, don’t be deluded into thinking that a Kerry victory will be some great victory for the little man or the voices of rationality. Kerry is as tied to the American New World Order System as any other elite and while putting a more gentile face on foreign policy issues, he will do nothing to stop the ravages of the WTO, NAFTA, or the IMF and he has no plans for reversing the legislation known comprehensively as the Patriot Act, pulling American troops out of Iraq, the Middle East, the Caucasus, Central America, South America, or Southeast Asia.

The man is just as beholden to the corporate elites as Bush is. Additionally, if by some means he were to actually win and take office, the concomitant rage that would be felt throughout neo conservative, right wing evangelical circles could very well reach the point to where a coup de tat is not out of the question.

Bottom line though is that the right wing and the corporate elites have no plans to allow Bush to lose. US corporations are now structured to where their international operations and assets are indispensable to their existence and Bush is their man. He is willing and able to do what is necessary to secure and expand their profit making abilities like nobody else and is even willing to export government service jobs to cut-rate overseas operations. They have placed all their chips on the table and are not going to see anything happen that will deter their mad push for wealth and power throughout the world. So hold on tight… things will get much worse… before they get better.

A perfect of example of being willing to do whatever needs to be done to secure the profits is what the US has been doing in Haiti. Aristide was never corporate America's man and they begrudgingly accepted his presidency until a proper ruse could be constructed to remove him. The thing to consider in this is that if the US is willing to subvert an elected president, train and finance the "guerillas" in line to replace him, and send marines down to prop up a more accommodating regime in such an "inconsequential" (economically) place as Haiti... what do you think they are willing to do where the economic stakes are really high?

Meanwhile talk that the universal draft is just around the corner is really starting to heat up. Many analysts and political insiders are speculating that if this weren’t an election year the wheels would already be outwardly in motion towards reinstituting it. The simple fact of the matter is that the US military doesn't have the necessary manpower at this point to man the garrisons needed to prop up a world empire. A draft will enable them to do so.

Besides, you have to have a huge army in order to run a theocratic empire. That's right, I said theocratic empire. For quite a while now we at Antipas have been relating the facts to you on the Dominionist, Theocratic state that the Religious Right and corporate America have been building in this country. Things are moving rapidly along and they are willing to do whatever it takes to keep this terrible train on the tracks. Including turning this nation into a police state, as SR Shearer has pointed out in his most recent article THE UTILITY OF POLICE BRUTALITY IN THE ELITE'S WAR AGAINST THE POOR.

In light of this evidence it should be easy to see why we are moving this ministry up to Canada within the month. The future for America is bleak and the spiritual death throes the US is currently experiencing will only worsen.

February 21, 2004

THE PASSION OF CHRIST

Though a term more associated with Catholicism, “The Passion of Christ” has entered into the consciousness of the mainstream due to the new Mel Gibson movie focusing on Jesus. This commentary is not about Gibson or that movie. Though it is of note that most American Christians are excited about the movie and are staunch defenders of Gibson insofar as the troubles he encountered in bringing the film to the public. They are defenders in spite of the fact that Gibson is a member of a “sect” of Catholicism that is ultra-conservative to the point of resembling Opus Dei (of which we at Antipas have written about).

My comments today are instead about what Christ means to the American Church and the contradiction this meaning has to who He really is. America and American Christians consider themselves blessed of Christ due to their great wealth and power in this world. This equating of worldly success to godliness has created a situation where American Christianity is rife with careerism, the lust for the good life, and the tendency to judge others (even their spirituality) by how successful or unsuccessful they are at their endeavors in the here and now.

The most esteemed in the Church are always those who “have their act together” and are “on the fast-track” insofar as their careers are concerned. Go to most any Church within the US and what you’ll find in the parking lot will resemble a high-end car dealership… lots and lots of late model to new SUV’s and other plush rides. Most Christians are extremely dedicated to getting the right house in the right neighborhood with a properly manicured lawn and furnishings that convey comfort and success without giving the air of ostentation.

Jesus, to these people, is a wonderful guy, who is there to bless them (as evidenced by their success) due to their upstanding walk with him. Even in these tough economic times, when many are out of work or seeing their real incomes reduced, the attitude among Christians is that God will take care of them and preserve their treasures as long as they “tow the line”.

In this type of faith people have become slaves to this world and their quest to find success in it. America, as the defender and “creator” of their success, is the glue that holds it all together. To question the motives of Christian leaders (political or spiritual) who assure them that wars must be fought and freedoms restricted to rid the world of evil on behalf of God is not even an option. To do so would place one’s piece of the pie at risk. By equating wealth and power with righteousness they have been led to believe that it is their (America’s) mandate from God Himself to fight the forces of evil in this world in order to preserve the American way of life.

Sadly, most have no heart to question those who say and do such thing. God implies in His word that people who continue headlong in the pursuit of their own lusts will eventually be given over to them. This is what has happened to the American Church and it is what makes America such a dangerous place. Rather than being greedy and leaving it at that, the American Church has instead perverted the life and the gospel of the Carpenter of Nazareth to justify their own godless desires. This is about as good of a definition of apostasy as one will find. Additionally, make no mistake in thinking that finding success in your career, having that new car, or the perfect house have anything to do with Jesus Christ. These objectives (no matter how altruistic a light they are painted in) are of the flesh and of the world.

Yet to most Christians these are the things upon which their “passion for Christ” is centered and it is through these things that they rank each other’s standing in the Church and in life. How devoid of true Christianity this mindset and belief-system truly is. The basic premise of Christianity has been turned on its ear.

According to the Bible, Christ came to deliver us from the things of this world, not to give us a life of comfort and security in it. He came to minister to the poor and the dispossessed, not to provide a covering for the pursuit of wealth. He died so that we might be cleansed of our sins and become citizens of His heavenly Kingdom, not so that we could become masters of a world that is not even supposed to be our home.

Christ says of the Church in Laodicea:

“…thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked:”
– Revelation 3: 17

This is a completely accurate description of the American Church and reveals as well that their passion is not for Christ and the kingdom to come, but instead for the treasures of the here and now. This is spiritual wickedness to God and America along with its Church has been given over to it. Love and compassion are not just things we bestow upon those who are our peers and contemporaries. They are not just meant for those who “see things the way we do”. They are meant for the least of those in this world and for those we deem our enemies as well.

In that sense, the passion of Christ is having His testimony in our hearts for all men. Christ commanded us to love our neighbors as we love ourselves, to turn the other cheek, to be content merely with having food and raiment, to seek after the treasures of His kingdom (rather than the riches of this world) and to be a servant to the least of men. The American Church is devoid of this testimony and has instead confused the trappings of success and their worldly power as proof of a passion that is not there.

January 23, 2004

WE HAVE RETURNED

After much trouble, The Endtimes Network is back online. Our server went down late Thursday and we didn’t get things completely back up and running until today. The dear brother who hosts our site informed us that the problem was somewhere “up the line”, but I must say this is becoming something of a regular occurrence for us, in that we have now been knocked off-line for extended periods of time on three separate occasions in the past year. Maybe we just have bad luck… or maybe there is something else at play. This among other things, is a large part of our reasoning in moving up to Canada… because as the liberty to speak out is further eroded in this country and those who stand opposed to our message are emboldened to “turn up the heat”…it is not all that hard to imagine those with the ability to do so, shutting this site down… one way or another.

Since our announcement of the ministry's move to Canada, we have had a great many people contact us about taking part in the endeavor and we have also had quite a few detractors. As Steve indicated in his last article, folks have very much had a field day in accusing us of being reactionary, unloving, angry, traitors, cowards, etc. Of course none can offer the full counsel of God to back up these claims... but instead throw out a verse or two taken out of context (if that), which completely contradict the full letter and spirit of Christ and His teachings in the Gospels, the Letters from the Apostles, the book of Revelation, and even the Law and the Prophets of the Old Testament.

What is happening here is a situation where people are being spurred to come against us, because what we are doing is in many ways an indictment of their own choice to stay… and an indictment of their own decision to compromise with a “beast system” of religion and politics (so says the Bible) that in the end is guaranteed to corrupt all who remain therein. Once again this is not just about people’s refusal to leave Babylon, but also about their attachment and devotion to the things of this world over Christ (i.e. friends, family, jobs, bills, retirements, etc) even when staying behind for these things will ultimately compromise the very foundations of one’s faith.

It is easier for these people to strike out at us, rather than just say go in peace. It is easier for them to assault us than to search the scriptures out to see if what we are saying is true.

It is much like what happened to Stephen, when while preaching Christ in the synagogue:

“…there arose certain of the synagogue, which is called the synagogue of the Libertines, and Cyrenians, and Alexandrians, and of them of Cilicia and of Asia, disputing with Stephen.

And they were not able to resist the wisdom and the spirit by which he spake.
Then they suborned men, which said, We have heard him speak blasphemous words against Moses, and against God.

And they stirred up the people, and the elders, and the scribes, and came upon him, and caught him, and brought him to the council,

And set up false witnesses, which said, This man ceaseth not to speak blasphemous words against this holy place, and the law:

For we have heard him say, that this Jesus of Nazareth shall destroy this place, and shall change the customs which Moses delivered us.

And all that sat in the council, looking stedfastly on him, saw his face as it had been the face of an angel.” - Acts 6: 9 - 15

Now in this they were not able to engage Stephen in any worthwhile fashion (on a scriptural basis) but instead had to resort to “stirring up the people and setting up false witnesses” accusing him of speaking “blasphemous words against this holy place and the law”… Much like we at Antipas are accused of speaking blasphemous words against the American Church and this country. Next Stephen gave his testimony before them, in which his words (straight from God’s word) cut them to the heart, so much so that:

“When they heard these things, they were cut to the heart, and they gnashed on him with their teeth.

But he, being full of the Holy Ghost, looked up stedfastly into heaven, and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing on the right hand of God,

And said, Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of man standing on the right hand of God.

Then they cried out with a loud voice, and stopped their ears, and ran upon him with one accord,

And cast him out of the city, and stoned him: and the witnesses laid down their clothes at a young man's feet, whose name was Saul.

And they stoned Stephen, calling upon God, and saying, Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.

And he kneeled down, and cried with a loud voice, Lord, lay not this sin to their charge. And when he had said this, he fell asleep.” - Acts.7: 54 - 60

This is precisely the kind of action one would expect from someone like a Paul Crouch who has already expressed a desire to shoot those “blocking God’s bridges” and also is what we have come to expect from men like our “Christian” President, who has on more than one occasion said and acted upon the statement that those who dare stand (or speak out in the wrong fashion) against this “war against evil” are themselves enemies of this country and will be treated as such.

What is revealing however, is the venom to which we have been exposed from some of our readers. One gentlemen in a pointed email exchange called us “cowards and servants of Satan, who are enabling the Godless forces of this world to overrun this country and the church by ‘bailing out’ in such a great time of need.” Another person informed us that, “people like ‘us’ should be dealt with as enemies by this nation” because “it is our responsibility before Christ to stand for him where we are at” and that by “abandoning ship” we are exposing ourselves as men of “little faith” who “have no place in the kingdom to come.”

Now these weren’t emails from strangers who stumbled onto the site, but from people who had been reading our stuff for a while and nonetheless felt compelled to berate us for acting within the clear dictates of what God has commanded us to do in this or any age.

Yet none of these emails offer any scriptural grounds for the position they take… Probably because God’s Word reveals things to be the opposite of what has been said to us. Even Christ himself fled from the wrath of Herod:

“And when they were departed, behold, the angel of the Lord appeareth to Joseph in a dream, saying, Arise, and take the young child and his mother, and flee into Egypt, and be thou there until I bring thee word: for Herod will seek the young child to destroy him.” – Maththew 2: 13

And as the Son of Man, He had angels available to come to His defense at all times he was upon the earth (Luke 4: 10).

Now angels haven’t provided us counsel on moving to Canada, but God’s word certainly has done so. Throughout the Church-age believers have fled persecution in order to live and spread the Gospel. It is not something that should be considered the exception, but the rule. What other way is there to look at it in light of Christ’s own words, which ensure us of the following?

“Wherefore, behold, I send unto you prophets, and wise men, and scribes: and some of them ye shall kill and crucify; and some of them shall ye scourge in your synagogues, and persecute them from city to city:” - Matthew 23: 34

“Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves.

But beware of men: for they will deliver you up to the councils, and they will scourge you in their synagogues;

And ye shall be brought before governors and kings for my sake, for a testimony against them and the Gentiles.

But when they deliver you up, take no thought how or what ye shall speak: for it shall be given you in that same hour what ye shall speak.

For it is not ye that speak, but the Spirit of your Father which speaketh in you.

And the brother shall deliver up the brother to death, and the father the child: and the children shall rise up against their parents, and cause them to be put to death.

And ye shall be hated of all men for my name's sake: but he that endureth to the end shall be saved.

But when they persecute you in this city, flee ye into another: for verily I say unto you, Ye shall not have gone over the cities of Israel, till the Son of man be come.” –
Matthew 10: 16-23

“And Saul was consenting unto his death. And at that time there was a great persecution against the church which was at Jerusalem; and they were all scattered abroad throughout the regions of Judaea and Samaria, except the apostles.

And devout men carried Stephen to his burial, and made great lamentation over him.

As for Saul, he made havock of the church, entering into every house, and haling men and women committed them to prison.

Therefore they that were scattered abroad went every where preaching the word.” – Acts 8: 1-4

“Now they which were scattered abroad upon the persecution that arose about Stephen travelled as far as Phenice, and Cyprus, and Antioch, preaching the word to none but unto the Jews only.” – Acts 11: 19

How were the Christians of times past able to pick up and run when persecution threatened them? By not giving themselves over to the things of this world. God hasn’t called us to plant roots in this world, but to instead look upon ourselves as “pilgrims” while here. The idea that anything takes precedent over the call He has put upon our lives just doesn’t carry any weight. The apostle Paul admonishes us to “be not conformed to this world” (Romans 12: 2) and to be like the saints of times past who:

“…all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth.

For they that say such things declare plainly that they seek a country.

And truly, if they had been mindful of that country from whence they came out, they might have had opportunity to have returned.

But now they desire a better country, that is, an heavenly: wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God: for he hath prepared for them a city.” –
Hebrews 11: 13-16

Where is this spirit among American Christians today? Where is this willingness to forsake all (even the country “from whence they come out”) for that better, heavenly country that is the Kingdom of God?

Instead we are faced with a multitude that somehow think the literal truth of God’s word will not find them out. That somehow, in this instance, the leaven won’t “leaveneth the whole lump.” Or that in this one instance one will be able to defy the clear meaning of Matthew 7: 6, which states:

“Give not that which is holy unto the dogs, neither cast ye your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn again and rend you.” – Matthew 7: 6

There is a winnowing taking place. In all of our lifetimes we have seen many wonderful brothers and sisters who once stood firmly in the truth turn to believing a lie. We have seen compromise and the lust for wealth take its toll upon our ranks. We have seen humble believers politicized and drawn into the social war of the conservative right versus liberalism and we have seen meek Christians cheer heartily at the destruction our latest batch of “Christian leaders” has wrought upon the world. What in this pathology makes any of us think the tide will somehow turn? What makes us think the Church or this country will somehow recover and right its ways? Better yet, what makes us think that as their numbers grow and their resolve quickens that they won’t “turn again and rend YOU”?

Certainly it is not the Bible, because once again it plainly states, “Wherefore, behold, I send unto you prophets, and wise men, and scribes: and some of them ye shall kill and crucify; and some of them shall ye scourge in your synagogues, and persecute them from city to city.” The Word also says that in the last days:

“… perilous times shall come.

For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,

Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good,

Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God;

Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.” –
II Timothy 3: 1-5

Those times are fast upon us. God has given us the prophetic scriptures so that we might see these things before they come to pass and so that we might act accordingly. No matter if the end of days are to begin in one year or one decade, it still doesn’t change the glaring fact of how things are today.

It’s similar to the plight faced by Christians in Jerusalem in 70 A.D. when the armies of Titus were preparing to lay siege to the city. I am sure that those Christians talked among themselves and even disputed over whether the Lord was about to return. Jesus Himself had prophesied the destruction of the temple and no doubt the overwhelming force Titus had assembled was more than able to do such a thing.

Many surely believed that at some point in the coming battle the Lord would surely return, while others no doubt argued that the time for His return had not yet been reached. However, the wise among them noticed above all else the huge array of arms and men encompassing the city and surmised that whether this was the time of the Return or no… that they had better flee or their testimony would be silenced by the Roman sword. It was these believers, who in their scattering abroad worked to deliver the Gospel to us in this day and age. Those who thought to stay and fight were killed with their non-believing neighbors, while those who chose to stay and “ride out the storm” were massacred and silenced in the ransacking of the city.

We at Antipas Ministries do not presume to know explicitly what God has in store for each of you as individuals in the days ahead. We would never deign to offer any more counsel than that which God’s own word clearly states. Yet it is on the point of God’s word that we stand on this matter and that we warn you of where America and all who remain within are headed.

I encourage every one of you to read Steve’s latest article to understand from a scriptural standpoint just where this country is headed. All of our best wishes to the contrary will not alter God’s plan. No doubt there are many within this country who truly love the Lord and no doubt there are many within who will be led to Him in the days ahead… However there is also no doubt about what the Bible clearly states about where this thing is headed and in following the practice of the saints of days gone by, our best hope to remain uncorrupted from apostasy and alive to share the truth in Christ is to prepare to be scatter while carrying the Gospel with us to wherever He may lead.

God Bless,

Sean Mayfield
Antipas Ministries

January 16, 2004

(I had begun preparing a journal when the site crashed last week, below is what had been completed to that point.)

We've been catching some flak lately for our decision to move up north, bit I guess it is easier for them to strike out at us, rather than just say go in peace... Because by striking out they can continue to ignore facts like that of the US having imprisoned children at Guantanamo for over a year and running. They can also ignore the things of America's past that have lead up to this point. The Bible says there is nothing new under the sun... and insofar as America's treatment of religious dissenters, that especially holds true. The annuls of true American history are littered with the corpses of those brutalized for their faith not just in far away lands, but within this land as well. One such example is that of the Martyrs of Alcatraz during WW I. This story of 4 conscientous objectors during the war to end all wars is harrowing in its revelation of just what Christian America has been willing and able to do to those who refuse to tow the line.

Taking us to task also enables folks to turn away from the audacity and magnitude of the lies involved in starting the Iraq War. Recent statements from current and former Bush Cabinet members has shed even more light on the fact that the plan to attack Iraq was around long before 9-11 and that there was never any real evidence of Saddam's having a WMD program or Al-Qaida connections.

What it also sheds light on is that this war and the War on Terror are ruses constructed to further an imperial agenda of war that Bush and company see as lasting decades... and as inferred in recent remarks by Vice President Cheney one that will radically change the security structure (both domestic and militarily) of this nation to one more suiting of a globe spanning empire.

Amazingly, it is we at Antipas who draw flak for being "angry" while the Christian Right whole-heartedly embraces overthrowing various governments

January 12, 2004

We've had lots of inquiries lately about our impending move to Canada and what we expect to gain from such a move. No doubt that ultimately Canada will be no friendlier than the US, but for the forseeable future it should remain behind the US insofar as evolving into a Christian fascist state is concerned. Not that this is proof of anything other than what it states, but Canada recently passed a new privacy law that places firm guarantees on consumer rights to privacy... a move that has the US corporate world up in arms... especially when taking into account that the current move within corporate and government circles here is to pry into every corner of every citizen's life.

Recently former Bush Cabinet Secretary, Paul O'Neill has been telling anyone who will listen that the administration's plans to go into Iraq were around since they moved into the Whitehouse... Yet no one in America seems to care about what this means. What it means is that Bush "systematically misrepresented the threat posed by Iraq's weapons of mass destruction" in order to wage a war of aggression for economic and political purposes... For a guy who claims his favorite "political philosopher" is Christ, he sure doesn't have any idea what Christ thinks about such things. Of course Bush and his guys are very blind on most areas of the Christian walk... especially that part about the truth... Take these two statements for comparison:

"I don't believe anyone that I know in the administration ever said that
Iraq had nuclear weapons."
Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, at a hearing of the Senate's
appropriations subcommittee on defense, May 14, 2003

Now Rummy said this when the lie of the WMD's was being exposed after the fall of Baghdad. Amazingly, these guys are so brazen they just assume we'd all fail to remember this quote from the Vice President just two (2) months before:

"We believe he has, in fact, reconstituted nuclear weapons."
Vice President Dick Cheney on NBC's Meet the Press, March 16, 2003

Or maybe they just figured that most people in this country wouldn't care about things such as the truth. There are some who care about the direction things are headed. For the most part they are "lefties", but more and more traditional conservatives (as opposed to Neo Cons) are joining their ranks. These people, in addition to being disgusted with the lies... are also quite alarmed by the mounting casualties we are incurring on this imperial expedition. The total at the moment is right at 500 deaths and an astonishing 9000 total US casualties to date. This is not a good thing my friends, yet the right wing/corporate message so dominates the media that never is heard a disparaging word... concerning the lies and brutality inherent in this endeavor.

And don't kid yourself into thinking things aren't as bad as we make them seem. If you can't see that this country is becoming a totalitarian style garrison state (you have to scroll down to the Letters From The Empire section, which is in the middle of the page), then it is because you have chosen not to see such a thing... much as Europe and Germany in particular, refused to see what Hitler was up to during his rise to and consolidation of power in the Third Reich.

Like I said, there are lots of folks who see, yet among this small crowd, one group is conspicuously absent... that is of course the great majority of what is American Christianity. They are full-speed ahead on all that Bush is doing and people are just now beginning to realize just how powerful the support of Bush's Christian Crusaders makes him. No doubt the Democrats would love to break into this support, but it is too late for them... they are just too unwilling to totally commit themselves to the Christian Rights message. Yet what they are doing in softening their secular stance is pushing the pendulum of American political power even further to the right and into the clutches of those who have no problem holding a Bible in one hand and an M-16 in the other, as they set about on their mission to conquer the ENTIRE world for Christ and the Church. Our Lord will deal heavily with those who go this way... may He keep us all from this delusion and the carnage it will bring.

January 6, 2004

Its been a long time since I've checked in and I hope everyone has enjoyed their holidays. We've been pretty busy here, but I am glad to be back in the saddle... with a new journal. I don't know if you missed it, but it seems God has told Pat Robertson that GW will win in a landslide in 2004. On this point maybe we shouldn't even question whether Robertson actually heard such a thing, but instead question just whom he actually heard it from... or consider that this premonition may have been a warning. After all, to quote Robert Scheer of the LA Times, didn't God send Christ to the world:

"to warn about the greed, elitism, jingoism, commercial decadence and other indulgences that were endemic in a world distorted by the arrogance of the Roman Empire? A world in which the money-changers were worshiped and the poor were exploited, a world in which the military was lavished with resources while the peacemakers were scorned?"

Compelling food for thought if you ask me. Also compelling is the terrible fact that Saddam Hussein's capture has done nothing to slow down the casualty rates in Iraq, where the Iraqi people seem just as resolute as ever to be rid of their conquerors. While on the flip side of the "action-reaction spiral" we have more American troops being disciplined and discharged for instances of abusing prisoners at the burgeoning prison camps within Iraq. Those familiar with what happened in Vietnam know what happens when you fail to "win the hearts and minds" of a conquered people... and they know that brutality begets brutality... on both sides. Where I ask you, is Christ in the so-called by our President, battle of good against evil? Now when I ask this, bear in mind that I have members of my family who serve in the military and who are preparing as we speak to head to Iraq. I am not as fearful for their lives, as I am for the effects this bestial environment will have upon their very souls.

Some folks have been asking lately why Antipas Ministries is moving its operations north of the border. Well, if you've been paying any kind of attention to the news, you'll see why we plan such a thing. While America cheered the capture of Hussein in December, Bush and Co. snuck Patriot Act II legislation through Congress... While also winning the right to keep all court records involving certain detainees sealed and secret. Lucy A. Dalglish, executive director of The Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press, when commenting upon the government's new found power stated:

"It just emphasizes our point that we're living in frightening times. People can be arrested, thrown in jail and have secret court proceedings, and we know absolutely nothing about it."

Frightening indeed... Especially when one considers that we are just a terrorist attack away from having the borders of this country sealed. Here at Antipas, we want so much to continue ministering to you via the Internet, and as the situation at home continues to deteriorate, it is becoming more and more evident that without this move we will be unable to do so in short order. For more of our take on this I encourage you to read (or reread) S.R. Shearer's latest article, RE-THINKING OUR MISSION: HOW SHALL WE ORGANIZE TO RESIST?

Not to be construed as merely delivering oppression on the foreign front, Bush has been busy shoring up his domestic base as well. Recent Dept. of Labor guidelines for corporations on how to avoid paying overtime in light of recently passed legislation are just one of the many things Bush is doing to insure his wealthy backers get their hundreds of millions in contributions back in spades. While California Republican continue to push hard under the new governor to cut labor unions off at the knees. I guess none of these moral upstanding Christian men care to know how God views those who "oppress the hireling in his wages" (Malachi 3: 5).

To sum things up, as I have done many times before, what is happening right now is a transformation to empire. The old things are passing away into a new imperial reality... which by the way has nothing to do with Christ and the kingdom to come. It is instead a nightmarish future that may soon usher us into the wars and rumors of wars leading to Gog Magog and the 70th week of Daniel. Don't believe me... well don't take my word for it, just see what the men in power are saying for themselves... and of course compare their aspirations to what the Bible says about the days to come.

December 22, 2003

Onward Christian Soldiers, goes the old hymn. No doubt there are Christian soldiers... yet war itself is as "unchristian" as it gets. What it takes to survive turns men into anything but the image of Christ. Just view this shocking video (You must have the Windows Media Player to view this link) and tell me how this is a battle of good versus evil... as General Boykin or George Bush would say. Instead this is a war for empire, where just like in Roman times, it is more than acceptable to make a spectacle of the captured chieftan as we did with Hussein's capture.

Not so amazingly, it seems the spectacle of the capture is just one more staged event like the Lynch rescue, the toppling of the statue, and the carrier landing... having nothing to do with how things actually occurred. In actuality it looks like the former Iraqi President was caught by Kurds some time ago and was being held captive until America met their demands for reward payment and political power in the "new Iraq".

Now I guess we are all supposed to forget we went to war over Iraqi WMD's (unfound as of yet) and instead should enable history to be rewritten by those who tell us the ouster and capture of Hussein is the real story... er, uh, I mean reason for all the bloodshed. Yet, historically and even to this day, the US has NO PROBLEM supporting and conspiring with some of the most heineous tyrants and dictators known to this world.

Well, don't worry the media is already moving on to greener pastures in their never ending pursuit to keep Americans uninformed about the things that really matter... like the fact that while the economy is "recovering" the number of families homeless and hungry continues to rise. Or that the US is continuing to transport mass quantities of top of the line weaponry to the Korean Peninsula in preparation for God knows what... Or that all this stuff on Hussein's capture may have just been the smoke-screen needed to stealthily push the measures of the Patriot Act II into an intelligence authorization bill.

What you've got to understand is that they have to keep us from understanding that they are constructing an empire... keep us from understanding at least until it is too late to turn back. This whole thing is not about Christ, good versus evil, or even Judeo-Christian values versus Islam. It is all about buidling riches and power at the expense of the rest of the world... especially the poor.

Even maverick billionaire-financier George Soros is not afraid to sound off on this subject... though who knows what his intentions may be, he does bring up some very interesting points in his latest dissection of America's road to empire. Points to which, the American Church is woefully blind. Not so much blind in that they don't see that an empire is being built, but blind to just for whom it is being built.

December 10, 2003

What kind of a world do we live in? Better yet, what kind of a country do we live in (for those of us in the US)? We live in a world where Christians spend more time finding ways to justify disobeying the Words of Christ than we ever do following His words. Quite systematically and with little to no remorse, the leadership of the US government... supposed Christian men and women... along with the unmitigated support of their die-hard constituents... the American Church... have been in the business of killing Afghanis and Iraqis in service of their goals. It matters not if those who die are women or even children. All that matters is to give a little lip service to God when dressing up the press release... and everything is A-OK insofar as "God's people" are concerned.

Isn't that really what its all about these days? Keeping the outside of the cup clean... No matter that the inside is filthy beyond belief. Ironically, in their devotion to all things GOP, the largest group of Christian constituents (Southern Christians) may just be cutting off their nose to spite their face. It seems that by supporting the economic platform of Bush, most Southern Christians are heaping more misery upon themselves. Now granted, Bush is more than willing to go to bat for them in shutting down the liberal agenda they are prone to loathe... but in the process he will also be slashing the federal monies that have kept their respective states afloat. It seems that of all the states in the union, those concentrated in the solid Republican South (in times past meaning the Democratic South) are the very ones that lead the pack in taking in more federal money than their citizens and corporations pay to the Feds in taxes. Only Texas and Georgia come out a little above break even.

What does this mean? It means that all those Christians, who loathe to bestow charity upon their poor neighbors and love to berate the "welfare queens" and affirmative action horrors they've been told of by their master, are really the ones who have been copping a free ride. It is the charity of the federal government, which has paved their roads, built their schools, funded their universities, and provided for the dollars that have enabled them to build what infrastructure they have. Now, they are going to take all that away from themselves. As the federal spigot continues to be shut off and as the Bush economy's end-results begin to rear its ugly head, it will be the fine Christian folks in the old solid South who will once again feel the brunt of Bush and Co.'s corporate-agrandizing economic policy.

Yet they don't care. As long as "God's man" is in office... God's will is going to get done. Never mind that we are also about to recreate Operation Phoenix in Iraq, slaughtering untold thousands of suspected "guerillas" in the process. To these folks the ugly side of history is best forgotten. That way they won't be forced to open a book or two and find exactly what our government is willing and capable of when it comes to snuffing out the bad element of a hostile "conquered state". What can you say about a Church that equips and enables its "Christian leaders" to start a war in Christ's name and then blatantly deliver the spoils to it corporate benefactors? Throw in the fact that said benefactors aren't even fulfilling the obligations required of them to collect their billions in no-bid contracts and you've got an interesting situation. Yet though they won't admit it out loud (as of yet) the average Christian feels like those Ay-rab heathens are still getting better than they deserve. Only a fool would refuse to see what is actually going on over there. Only the most naive would not acknowledge that if it is up to Bush and his boys, those troops will never be coming home (per se), but instead will make up part of a permanent US force to be based in Iraq.

Once again, the secret is all in how you describe things. No matter the truth, Bush has turned this into a holy war. The language he uses paints this as a good versus evil conflict in which the US (good) will never be deterred from vanquishing evil (Muslim fundamentalists who hate freedom) from the face of the earth. No matter that Christ has given Christianity no such mandate... no matter that Bush, Cheney, and their corporate cronies at Bechtel, Brown & Root, Exxon-Mobile, Northrup-Gruman, etc. etc. could care less about what true Christianity is all about. No matter that instead theirs is a pure and simple lust for wealth and the power derived from it. Once again, none of these things really matter. All that matters is that you couch language used to describe your actions in the terms of religiosity. That's all it takes to bring the Church on board.

That's all its going to take to turn the American Church into the most grievous persecutor of all time. What is coming down the pike is going to make the Inquisition seems like a Sunday-School Social... and the Church will be leading the charge to crack the whip on all who would stand in opposition to the apostate dreams she has of riding that beast.

December 3, 2003

I hope by now that most of you have read the latest from S.R. Shearer. If not make sure and take a long hard look at what he/we are saying. We are on the cusp of a huge realignment of things here in America. This country is one terrorist attack away from dictatorship. Economically, most folks are teetering on the brink of disaster, and the men running the show have terrible ambitions to fulfill once the shackles of pandering to the electorate are broken. Life "as we know it" is fast giving way to a future that most folks cannot even fathom, outside of the realm of fiction. Yet all that is going on is very real. The present union between the GOP, Christianity, and the Corporate Elites is pressing full speed ahead with their plans, whether folks out in the "heartland" want to admit to such things.

As intimated in S.R.'s latest article, the system the Elites have established has become so unattractive and untenable to the average world citizen that the only way it can be maintained is by the force of American arms. It is not that difficult to see a future in which America willingly embarks upon a "world war," a sort of "Operation Clean Sweep" that in the eyes of it's leadership, will once and for all settle the matter of US hegemony in all spheres.

For those in America, all protestations to the side, it is ultimately a decision about money. For the Elites, it is about acquiring ever-increasing amounts of wealth, no matter the consequences to anyone else, for the GOP it is about serving their corporate masters, while at the same time enriching and empowering themselves as masters over this nation (i.e. destroying the liberals) and rulership of the world. For the Church, it is about being blind to the truth and instead serving at the altar of mammon. It is also about thinking that by choosing to go along for the ride with this beast... that she can somehow hold onto and "control the reigns" in order to fulfill her damning vision of what God's kingdom is all about.

For the average joe, its about survival in both an economic and a physical sense... and that quest to merely tread water in this game is what will be the ruin of many a good man (and woman). A perfect example of the spiral of destruction we are all on is that of what WalMart is all about. ( I urge you to read every article in the three part series about WalMart linked above.)

For better or (more likely) for worse, most folks today could not survive without the bargains available from the retail giant. Yet its increasing growth and its very existence is part and parcel a part of the equation that has led to our current state of affairs. To keep low prices they pay low wages and force suppliers to slash their prices to barely above cost. This forces manufacturing jobs to leave the country to third world sweat shops and forces Americans into low wage jobs at home. This restricts their buying power, forcing them to do more and more of their shopping at WalMart, which increases its power.

Concomitantly, as WalMart expands at home, retail chains that pay more than WalMart are forced out of business and there shed employees to even lower paying jobs either at WalMart, in fast-food or other minimum wage type operations. This forces WalMart to drop their prices even lower, in order to keep sales volumes up (Sam Walton's business philosophy is based on ever-increasing volume making up for minimal pricing)... which forces manufacturers to cut their costs even more (through slave-labor and such things in China) and devastates even more retail businesses and manufacturers at home, forcing them to lay-off more people and/or slash wages to a point to somehow stay in the game for a little bit longer.

What we'll end up with is a country where about 80% of the employed workforce makes barely above minimum wage and are unable to afford health insurance. It will be either that or indigence. For those fortunate enough to be in that 20%, they will have no choice but to completely tow-the-line insofar as supporting all that America and the Church are doing, because (once again as indicated in S.R. Shearer's latest) any perceived dissension can and will result in losing your job and being forced out into the reality that is the New American Economy. Those in the 80% will have it even worse, as the next step is total and complete destitution, unless you end up in prison or in the military.

This is the future for America. It is the present for most people in the Third World. In this American environment, how may folks will open their mouths against the evils of a false religion supported by the State and its Corporate Elite masters? How many folks will be willing to take a stand for the truth "at all costs"?

Most everyone thinks there's a hero somewhere inside of them. Most think that when the time comes they will be able to turn on the light-switch and shine brightly for the kingdom of God. In truth it usually doesn't work that way. Before David slew Goliath, he had already tested his courage and his skills against a lion and a bear. He didn't just walk out there "without warming up" and plant that rock between the giant's eyes. So for Christians to think they will be able to turn it on when all is on the line is probably misguided in most cases. The time to stand up for the truth is now. The time to speak out against what the Church and its first love (America) have become is now.

The Bible says that at the judgment some folk's works will be like silver and gold, to be refined by the fires of tribulation... while other's will be as wood, hay, and stubble, to be burnt up